Set in Neverland and the Keyblade Graveyard.
Why is it that all of you know exactly what to say to make me write faster? Hahaha!
One of you in particular said this one line that made me shove everything aside so I could write this.
And, because your eagerness is so contagious...
This is not the last Chapter. I have, once again, drafted the beginning of the next one.
I am so sorry if my updates are not as fast as you would like them to be.
I'll try, I promise.
Oh... And...
They say the characters you write best or are easiest for you to write reflect your personality.
So writing Aqua is effortless, but if (as I've been told) Vanitas is the one I characterize best...
Then... I have no idea what that means...
DISCLAIMER [I do not own Kingdom Hearts] DISCLAIMER
ESCAPE
A way to break free from destiny…
Vanitas opened his eyes only to shut them again. The light that flooded into him was blinding, despite the tinted visor of his helmet. He paused for a second, before attempting to open his eyes once more, slower this time, allowing his vision to adjust to the light. He was looking right up at the clear, blue skies, which would explain why it was so bright. He released a breath, flexing his muscles a little, feeling his entire body aching.
Groaning, he pushed himself into a sitting position and pulled off his helmet, tossing it carelessly to one side. He grasped his head with both hands, still groaning. There was a numb pain in the back of his head that overwhelmed all the other sores in his body. And he was unsure if it was physical, or it was all in his mind. He just sat there for a minute, trying to recall what happened, when a breeze blew a very familiar scent in his direction.
It was a medley of scents, really; the smell of forest air, of ocean breeze, of dust and dry earth. But beneath all that was the faintest trace of a soft, pleasing fragrance. It was the last scent – one that he could live on forever as if it were oxygen – that caught his attention, and he turned in the direction where the wind had come from.
And at seeing the source, he froze, uncertain what to do next. Aqua was lying on the ground, obviously unconscious, and distressingly vulnerable. Their battle, in vivid detail, suddenly came back to him. He remembered her last, desperate attempt and how he had lost simply by the sheer force of her light. He clutched the side of his head, wincing, and he sat there for a moment longer. Finally, though, at another coax from a breath of wind, he stood and made his way towards her unconscious form.
He knelt at her side, his hand still on his head.
I should strike now and make certain she is dead. That was what his mind was telling him to do.
But his heart was worriedly asking… Is she breathing?
He allowed his eyes to wander onto her chest, and a sigh escaped him at seeing its slow rise and fall, indicating that she was still alive. But why was he feeling so relieved? He was supposed to eliminate her. Was that not what he was trying to do while they were fighting?
He bit back a shout of frustration, tired of the grappling between his heart and mind, angered by the powerlessness of his body to go against the wishes of that mutinous thing in his chest. When he had calmed somewhat, he slipped off his gloves and very tenderly touched her face.
He would never be this close to her again. At least, not until the day he would have to kill her…
Vanitas remembered that thought. Today was that day. And, simply because at the time he thought he would never be able to touch her again, he allowed himself this moment. He let her silky smooth skin cradle his fingertips, and strands of her soft hair tickle his hand. And now that his focus was entirely on her, he noticed how her breathing was slightly raspy, and how her skin felt just a little cold.
And before he knew what he was doing, he had cast Cure.
He immediately withdrew from her, practically leaping back several paces away. Just what was he doing? Why did he do that? He wanted to scream, but could not, for fear of waking her and starting another pointless battle.
He roughly tousled his hair, frustrated. He had to kill her. He had to do it now, while he had the chance. He looked at her. Her breathing was more even now, as if she was merely asleep.
"Everyone has the ability to make their own choices, Van…"
He understood her now. He was free to make a choice. But there were some decisions that were wrong either way. Kill her, or die… Her life, or his… And in some way, either choice was a loss for him. But which would be the greater loss, he was not so sure. He summoned his Keyblade, his hand unsteady around its handle.
It was simple. It was just a matter of stealing her heart, extinguishing her light. It would only take one second. His heart could writhe and scream and struggle all it wanted. He had to do this. He walked towards her until his shadow loomed above her.
But before he could act, a familiar raspy voice sounded in his head. His Master was calling him and he felt a surge of relief. He immediately dismissed the Keyblade and opened a Dark Corridor, stepping into it without a moment's hesitation. He could have easily killed Aqua. He could have just ignored Xehanort for a second so he could kill her. But he did not. And, even now, he could not say why.
Aqua left Neverland feeling a little dazed, but otherwise fine. It was strange. She expected to be far more exhausted after the rather demanding battle with Vanitas. Frowning, she wondered just how long she had been unconscious. That would be the only explanation. She must have been asleep for so long that she had recovered enough.
But that was not the only mystery that troubled her. Where was Vanitas? She was sure she had defeated him. He fell unconscious before she did. If he had woken before her, why did he not kill her? Did Peter Pan and the boys arrive just in time, and he scampered off before they could see him? Why would he do that, though? It was not like him to be frightened by a group of children. It would have been more likely if Vanitas had killed her and those kids.
Aqua sighed, shaking her head. Now was not the time to ponder that masked boy and his twisted thoughts. She was grateful to have survived the encounter, and she should leave it at that. She needed to find Terra and Ventus.
And as she tried to decide where to head next, a brilliant light gradually shone in front of her, surrounding her with waves of pale gold.
"What's that light?" she asked herself, as she soared closer to it.
Master Xehanort took one look at his apprentice and scowled. "You failed." It was obvious from the way Vanitas moved.
"You interrupted me," the apprentice muttered.
Xehanort summoned his Keyblade and struck the boy, who instantly fell on his knees, clutching his side. "Is that the best excuse you can come up with?"
Vanitas did not answer, but he was already overflowing with wrath and hatred for the old man.
"Perhaps I should have dealt with her myself," Xehanort muttered.
"If you touch her, I will kill you," Vanitas hissed before he could stop himself.
He received another blow from the Master for his impudence. "Kill me? You cannot even defeat Aqua, a mere fledgling. A girl, at that… But you have no need to worry. You can indulge yourself in this little addiction for just a while longer. I have no time to deal with pests at the moment."
Vanitas turned away from Xehanort. "I could have killed her…"
"But you did not. Why?"
There was no hesitation in the answer that followed. "I want to unite with her."
Xehanort narrowed his eyes at his apprentice. "What?"
"I want Aqua, not Ventus."
The Master laughed, his amber eyes shining with dark amusement. "And what makes you think I will allow that?"
"I am not giving you a choice," Vanitas said.
"I have always known you were going to be rebellious at some point, like normal boys your age," Xehanort said. "I never imagined, however, that it would be because of a girl."
Vanitas clenched his fist but said nothing. He would receive another beating if he dared to answer back. But he could feel the fires of hatred burning even hotter. He wanted to give that old man a good smack on the head just for comparing him to anormal boy. And what was Xehanort implying when he said, because of a girl? Was he implying that Vanitas, like a normalboy was…? He was…
No, that could not be it. He did not see Aqua that way.
Xehanort smirked in a sinister manner. "You see, Vanitas, I neglected to tell you the other reason why Aqua is no longer necessary as an alternate. Of course, the main reason is that Ventus is ready. The second, a realization that came to me only recently, is that Aqua has a perfect heart."
"What are you getting at?"
"You have only half a heart, Vanitas, or have you forgotten?" the Master said, still smirking. "Admittedly, it has become morewhole, considering the time you have spent nurturing the darkness within it. It is, for all intents and purposes, a single, detached heart – a separate entity from its other half. But the fact remains that despite all that, what you have is only half a heart."
Vanitas frowned. "So?"
"So… To join with Aqua would be suicide. You would risk your very existence in the mere attempt. And if you do succeed, it is likely that her heart – complete, powerful, and unbroken – will easily overpower you and she will remain in control. All you will have achieved, at best, is tainting her heart with the slightest hint of shadow. And I would rather not have the X-Blade in the hands of a heart still inclined towards the light."
Vanitas allowed all this to sink in, but all it did was frustrate him further. Once again, Master Xehanort would have his way, and Vanitas was powerless to go against it. Unless he wanted to risk dying; an idea that his mind was steadfastly against.
"Your only choice is Ventus, whose heart is the same as yours. He is your perfect and only complement," Xehanort said. "And I will tolerate no more of your nonsense about wanting Aqua."
Vanitas was bursting with a thousand angry responses, but he knew that it would be better to remain silent. And so the Master continued.
"I must ask, Vanitas," he said, his tone unmistakably mocking, "you have fought her twice, and yet your hearts did not meld on either occasion. Is it because she did not use her full potential, thus destroying the balance of your strengths, or was it you and your soft spot for her that held back? I am inclined to believe the latter. After all, she was the victor in both battles."
"Losing to you was the worst experience of my life!"
"Were the worst experiences." Her laughter resounded in his mind. "Van, I am only teasing you. You did win, one time."
"Yeah, because you slipped on a banana peel…"
"And didn't you think that was funny?"
Vanitas – courtesy of his mind – almost flinched at remembering the memory. And – courtesy of his heart – almost laughed at how she poked fun at herself in order to make him feel better. He shut his eyes for a second, forcing his thoughts to clear, and then he glared at Master Xehanort.
"I hate you…" he said.
"I would be troubled if you did not."
Vanitas turned around, not wanting to face Xehanort any longer. "Tell me what you want, so I can get it over with."
"Terra and Ventus are acting as planned," Xehanort said. "Be ready."
Vanitas raised an arm and opened a Dark Corridor. Without another word, he allowed the shadows to envelop him and take him to another world.
Thank You
~Alacquiene~