A/N: We have a special guest in this chapter, Xion my dear! Well, since the replica is in fact genderless, so I refer Xion as "It" in this fic. Just so you are not confused.
HEARTLESS
02
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The closer you get to the Light, the greater your Shadow becomes.
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At the time he wakes up again, all he can feel are burning angers and hatred.
Not quite awake yet, he doesn't understand why his heart is embraced by such fierce inferno.
No, he has no heart anymore. He is in the boy's heart.
- Such intense anger, such urge to destroy, are they mine, or his?
Vanitas opens his golden eyes, finds himself standing in the endless darkness. At once, unfamiliar memories start flowing into his conscious mind like flood.
- So these are, his memories?
Now he "remembers," the boy, his boy has already grown up. The boy is now a hero wielding the legendary Keyblade fighting constant battles to keep the worlds safe.
Oh…a contemptuous smile is formed around the corner of Vanita's lips. So he indeed has obtained a Keyblade that does not belong to him. And this illegitimate Keyblade bearer has even saved the universe more than once, what a laughable irony!
- And now, what is my dear little Sora doing?
Vanitas closes his golden eyes, focusing his mind's eyes to see the outside world –
A pair of lifeless golden eyes is gazing directly into Vanitas's own melt gold.
- What the…? !
Vanitas snaps his eyes open, scowled immediately, he doesn't like the fact that the darkness that is emitting from the black slim figure made even him shiver.
- Bastard!
Dark aura starts flaming around his own body in resonance; Vanitas now understands why he's in such a fierce anger.
- Only I can tarnish his light! Only I can taint him! Not this stupid damned world!
This is his Sora, his dearly beloved Sora. How could he allow himself to be polluted by this damned world without his permission?
Unforgivable!
Vanitas watches the brunet boy's dark form acting like a feral animal, inhuman eyes glowing icy gold. He runs on all fours; he attacks everything, destroying everything in his way without a single hesitation. Keyblade is no longer seen, his only weapons are his deadly sharp claws.
Heartless.
Vanitas dangerously narrows his eyes, remembering his Master having once mentioned their existence.
So his little Sora has become a Heartless.
- Hm, HAHAHA, HAHAHAHAHAH!
His little boy has become a Heartless without his permission! That little boy who used to have the most innocent shining blue eyes in this universe, has now become a Heartless! When did his Darkness grow this strong?
- Tsk, Sora you naughty boy, how do you think I should punish you?
Vanitas steps towards the direction where the Light pillar stands, thinking while keeping an eye on the "Outside World," until he notices a blonde boy. A blonde boy with a keyblade, stands facing his now-Hearltess Sora.
- Ventus? !
No, not him. Vanitas can clearly feel Ventus still sleeping deep in the pit of his Sora's heart.
- So, it is the boy's Nobody…What is its name? Oh, right, Roxas.
That identical face to Ventus. How irritating.
This little thing…could it be the reason why his Sora became a Heartless?
Vanitas takes a further step towards the Station. Outside, he sees the Heartless has halted his rampage, what? His Heartless boy that was just destroying everything recklessly now hesitates to tear apart the blonde boy who blocks off his way?
Vanitas suddenly wants to kill Roxas, right, he has to destroy Roxas!
His little Sora belongs to him, and only him!
In the middle of the stained glass covered Station of Awakening, lays a brunet boy whose body is covered by countless wounds and bruises.
Coming from the darkness, Vanitas walks towards the shining Station with a steady pace, slowly approaching his dearest heir.
He sees another shadow by the side of his Sora.
It is staring at the sleeping brunet teen; it is sad, anxious, and worried. Those are emotions all familiar and unfamiliar to Vanitas, negative ones but with a positive intension. It is trying to awaken the sleeping boy, but the boy is not responding to it at all.
Having sensed Vanitas's presence, it turns its body immediately. Its small metallic body stands in front of Sora, blocking off Vanitas's way. It stretches its arms out as if it wishes to protect Sora.
- Humph.
Interesting, too interesting. This little thing, this little "thingy" that can hardly be considered as a "fragment" of existence, is trying to stop him? Well, it is the "same" as him in a sense, but this thingy is way too insignificant. It is way too weak. Its existence doesn't hold a single bit of meaning. It can't even sustain a steady status of its own.
Vanitas smirks, watching how its face changes into something like a black-haired girl, then changes back to the silver-red puppet, then changes again. Finally, the unstable replica turns into an identical face to himself, a face identical to him.
"Do you know who you are?"
He scoffed with cold cruel voice.
"Don't…hurt Sora…"
A metallic voice speaks intermittently. Is that supposed to a plead? Or a declaration of war?
"Answer me Xion, do you even know what you are?"
"Don't…hurt him…"
Vanitas narrows his golden eyes, then takes a step further.
Despite its small body is shaking, it doesn't move away. The poor little thingy is trembling uncontrollably in fright of the overwhelming Darkness it is facing.
"I…whatever I am…doesn't matter…Can't…can't let you…hurt Sora…"
Vanitas's lips curl into an even crueller smirk.
- Sora, oh Sora my dear boy, what makes you so special? That even a little broken doll tries so desperately to protect you?
"Xion, there's nothing you can do here, now get out of my way."
With his sickly cruel voice, he orders it to move, then one step further, one step closer.
"No!...Please!...p-please don't hurt him…"
- Hurt him? HAHAHAH! Why would I hurt him?
This is his beloved Sora. The entire universe rejected him, even his own Light tried to kill him. But only he, only Sora accepted him, only Sora has given him the "warmth" that he never had a luxury to feel.
Say, how could he ever harm his beloved little Sora? !
He will never "hurt" Sora, nor will he ever allow anyone else to "hurt" him!
And, he will also never "share" Sora with anyone else—
"Xion, Sora is mine."
With no emotional fluctuations in his voice, Vanitas simply waves his hand. The replica, in a flash, breaks into thousands of small fragments flying apart in the void of the dark space, eventually has disappeared completely with no traces left, not a single trace, as if it never has existed.
- Humph humph humph…
Laughing in satisfaction, Vanitas kneels on one leg next to the slumbering brunet boy, gathering him in his arms.
Vanitas gently brushes off some of Sora's brown bang away from his sweaty forehead. He stares softly at the identical face of his, the now more matured face has indeed lost the innocence he has remembered from that time. The boy's brows are twisted, he is suffering, his beloved Sora is tormented by pain.
Vanitas lowers his head to softly press a kiss to the boy's forehead.
- Sora, my dear boy, I will soon set you free from this pain.
- Your suffering, only I can inflict such a thing upon you.
A/N again: My Vanny is a sick man~~~~O.o Love this Vanny? Hate him? Please review!