{saw through skin and bone}

Aqua trudged back home, mulling over Eraqus's offer to take her in. It was the last thing he asked her, before she left. She wanted to, that was for certain, but she still was desperate to repay Jihl for saving her as a child. Then again, Jihl hated her with a passion, and probably would not care if she left.

Well, she'd figure it out later. She kicked dirt up from the road as she neared the gate, wiping a bit of sweat from her forehead. Living with Eraqus… it was more than anything she ever wanted, and her heart ached at the thought. Still, she couldn't dwell on it. If she decided to do this, she'd have to think it through clearly before acting.

When she got near the door, she paused, and looked up, her eyes widening. Usually she went around the back, but today she wasn't thinking straight. Today something was wrong.

"Hello," she said slowly, her eyes flashing between the boy sitting on the stoop, and the man leaning against the door. Her gaze settled on the boy. "What are you doing here?"

He raised his head to her, his tired eyes looking her over with curiosity. "We're here for you," Ven said, rising slowly to his feet. Aqua quirked an eyebrow at him as the door opened behind the man, and Jihl stood with a blank expression.

"For me?" She stared at Jihl, wondering why she wasn't screaming about two hoodlums being on her porch. "Are you going to steal me, or something?" She gave a short laugh and stepped up onto the stoop. "Unlikely."

The man at the door flung out his arm before she could brush past him and Jihl. Aqua glanced at him. "Who's this?" she asked Ven, pointing to the red haired man who smirked at her.

"His name is Axel," Ven said, his eyebrows furrowing. "Have we met before?"

"What do you mean?" Aqua turned to face him, and she folded her arms across her chest. "We… met yesterday, Ven. Don't you…?" The look that crossed the boy's face was enough to make her trail into silence. He stared at her with wide eyes, and behind her the redheaded man made a choking noise.

"Ah, lass, you've got the wrong brother," the man said, clapping her on the shoulder. Aqua looked up at him, and she gasped as he readjusted his grip to her arm, tightly gripping her bicep.

"What's going on?" she asked weakly, her eyes flashing to Ven. He looked at her sadly, shaking his head, and turning around.

"My name's Roxas," the boy said, tipping his chin toward the sky. "Ven's my twin, so I see why you're confused."

"Um." She wasn't sure what was happening, but she sensed it wasn't good. "Wow, twins. I didn't expect that." She laughed uneasily, glancing up at the redheaded man, then at Jihl.

"Just take her already," Jihl sighed, turning away. Aqua stared at her.

"Take me," she repeated, her heart pounding. "Take me?"

"I'm sorry," Roxas said, facing her with a solemn expression. "We have orders to take you with us."

"So get on with it and leave," Jihl spat. "Pirates have no place here."

"Pirates have no place anywhere," Axel said, rolling his eyes. "That's why we butt in and make a place for ourselves."

"Pirates," Aqua murmured, wincing as he dragged her forward, lifting her easily off the porch. "You're pirates that are kidnapping me."

"Yeah, this sort of stuff has been happening a lot lately." Axel frowned, his grip only tightening on her arm. "The captain never used to send us chasing after defenseless little girls. Guess it's been a recent fetish."

Her eyes widened as she was pulled through the gate, and she whipped her head back towards the house, but the door was shut. No one was coming to save her. "Your captain likes defenseless little girls, huh?" She sounded breathless, and she snuck closer to Roxas's side. He was staring at the road, his face expressing his apparent unease.

"Seems to be shaping up that way." Axel shrugged. "Except unlike the witch, he didn't tell us a thing 'bout not touching you. Guess he doesn't care as much, eh?"

That was it for Aqua. She grasped Roxas's sword at its hilt and yanked it free from its scabbard, taking aim carefully at Axel's jaw. She used enough force with the flat of the blade to knock him back, and when he let go of her she broke out sprinting.

It was still busy in the streets, and the crowd cried out as she shoved past. She was struggling on grasping the entire situation, that some stranger wanted her for… something. No one knew her but Terra and Eraqus! And now these pirates want to steal her off? She wasn't going to let herself yield that easily.

A heavy force hit her from behind, knocking her off her feet and sending her tumbling into the road. The sword clattered a few feet away. Shouts erupted around them, and Aqua flipped herself onto her back, backhanding Roxas as he tried to pin her down.

"Please stop struggling!" he gasped, rotating his jaw in response to her slap. "We won't hurt you!"

"I'm sure!" Aqua slammed her knee into his stomach and scrambled to get to her feet when he fell back. Someone snatched her by her hair, and she screamed, her head snapping back. "Let me go!" she cried, her eyes watering as her hair tore at her scalp.

"Not happening," Axel grunted catching Aqua's jabbing elbow with his free hand. "Wow, you really like to put up a fight, don't ya?"

"Help!" Aqua shouted, her eyes darting around the crowd gathered around her. No one moved forward, and her heart sunk when she realized no one would. She was alone with this. No one was coming to save her.

It caught her eye a few feet away and she blinked, feeling Axel pin her arm behind her back. She leaned forward, gritting her teeth when a few hairs snapped from their roots. "Stop moving," Axel hissed in her ear. "You're only making it harder for yourself."

Her fingers wrapped around the grip of the sword, and she knew Axel had spotted her with it, because he yanked her back. She cried out, her skull throbbing, and she swung the sword backwards. Axel slipped away from the blade, but she managed to sling it up and cut through the strands, sending her free. She pushed herself to her feet, spinning around fast before Roxas could tackle her again.

Axel was staring at her blankly, holding the remains of her cerulean hair in one hand while Roxas was bent to start running after her. Aqua rose the blade, shaking her head at the two of them. "I'm not going anywhere until you tell me where you're taking me!"

"Do you know how to use that thing?" Axel's eyebrows raised, and he brought himself to his feet.

"Better than you'd think." Aqua took a step back. Her hands were trembling on the grip of the hilt, and she stared as Axel approached her. "I'm not going anywhere with you."

Roxas stared at her, then his gaze flickered to Axel. "Maybe Vanitas should come get her himself."

"Maybe you don't like your head on your shoulders, Rox, but I sure as hell like mine." Axel glared at her, and she grimaced back. "Look, you ain't got anywhere to go. We talked to your ma, and she doesn't want ya anymore."

Aqua bit her lip, taking a step back when Axel moved toward her again. "I'd rather you kill me than drag me off to— to be some pirate's whore!"

"We won't let that happen!" Roxas gasped, brushing past Axel. Aqua trained the sword on him, her eyes narrowing. "No, calm down! I don't think Vanitas wants you for that!"

"Uh," Axel said, "he doesn't?"

Roxas shot him a glare. "You've known him longer than I have, and yet you don't know him at all. Vanitas has no interest in women like that."

Axel sighed, and shook his head. "You are so naïve, man. Do you even see the way he treats Naminé?"

Roxas smiled, a little bitterly. "If he wanted to do anything to her, he'd have done it already. He won't touch her, I'm sure of it."

"Stop putting faith in a monster, Roxas," Axel murmured.

Aqua bit her tongue, an idea forming in her mind that she did not want to speak aloud. She was being stupid, and she knew she couldn't bargain with pirates. But still, the idea was tempting… so tempting, that Aqua felt herself speaking up before she could stop herself.

"I wouldn't be in any danger if I wasn't a girl," she said softly, the idea of it blooming into something more. Maybe she could do this.

Roxas opened his mouth to reply, but then his eyes widened as he seemed to take in her appearance. Axel was the one to retort. "Too bad you are, huh?"

"Can you two keep a secret?" Aqua asked, staring at Axel most pointedly.

"Yes," Roxas replied immediately, while his friend simply frowned. "You'll have trouble passing for a boy, though. You have a girl's face."

"And body," Axel quipped. "Wait, she's doing what now?"

"You know I'm girl though, so you see me as a girl." Aqua breathed heavily, lowering her sword. "Just tell your… captain that I'm the brother of the girl he wanted."

"He'll hang you." But Aqua wasn't listening. She tossed the sword at their feet and ruffled her newly cropped hair.

"I'm Calder," Aqua said, folding her arms across her chest. "And the only way I'm going willingly is if you take me as a boy."

Terra hissed, rubbing his temples with the hope of calming his headache. Xion turned to face him, her worried expression hitting him hard. His head had been pounding since he'd left his mother the night before, and the more time he spent dwelling on it, the more he wanted to scream. He ended up pulling Xion out of bed early to take her for a walk.

"What are we doing?" she asked, pushing a branch away as she struggled to keep her footing through the ruts and tangled roots of the forest floor. "Where are we going?"

He didn't know. He'd slept uneasily the night before, a dream poisoning his mind. Xion had been dead, laying in a coffin of glass, and around her people bent the knee to him. Aqua, dressed in a loden vest and leather boots, her hair chopped close to her ears. Ventus, slumped on the ground beside her, and his body was limp, but he still knelt. A girl in white, her eyes wide and knowing, and beside her another girl, a redhead, clutched a onyx hilted dagger in both her hands.

There were others, but he didn't catch their faces. Those were the only ones looking up at him. Everyone else had their head bowed. "Somewhere safe," Terra breathed, drawing his sword to cut through the thickening boughs. Xion stuck as close to him as she could, pushing herself through the forest as carefully as she could manage.

Everything was growing vague. In his heart, he knew something was wrong, but in the end he wasn't strong enough to fight it. Whatever it was that was festering inside him, it knew him, knew his weaknesses. And he'd played right into its hands.

When he stopped mid-stride, his sword extended, he knew something was in his head. He could feel his limbs moving, jerking oddly as he fought to control them. His mind was fogging up, and he tried to shout to Xion as he pointed his sword at her shocked face. But his jaw was tight and unyielding, and he began to scream internally when someone else spoke with his voice.

"Are you scared, child?"

Xion's eyebrows raised, and she glanced at the sword. "Terra, this is getting silly. Will you just tell me what's going on?"

Terra's eyes widened as his arms raised, and he moved to swing his blade at Xion's neck. He missed, barely, his arm jerking at the last moment and hitting her in the cheek instead. When she went crumpling to the ground, Terra's scream was released, but his body was not. Xion clutched at her gashed face, her lips quivering as he approached her.

"Terra," she gasped, skittering back amongst the leaves.

Run, Terra thought, his mind tearing itself apart as it tried to push out the intruder while simultaneously get to the intruder's thoughts. Xion, run, get away from me!

He moved toward her, his sword brushing her chin. She watched him with pure terror in her eyes, and Terra's heart broke realizing she was afraid of him, that the horrible expression was in response to his actions. He wasn't stupid enough to not understand what was happening to him. He could feel someone else's consciousness in his head, but he couldn't quite see them. Feeling was enough to make him want to wretch.

"Look at you," Terra spat, glaring at the small girl whose face was now gleaming red from her jaw to her forehead. "A pathetic little wretch without the spine to rule a kingdom."

"Terra, stop," she sputtered, squeezing her eyes shut. He laughed, his voice too coarse and heavy to be his own, and he pulled back to strike.

The sword slipped through his fingers, and Terra screamed, clapping his hands over his head and clutching it as the person in his head let their defenses fall. Terra blinked, the forest fading away, and in its place he saw a garden. Pink and blue and red flowers hung from a dome-like structure above him, and the sound of water pattering gave him the idea that he was near a river. Terra caught the sight of his own wizened hands before his vision swam, and he was thrown back into his own body.

"Terra…?" Xion rose her hand to him, and he scrambled back, staring at her with a gaping mouth.

"Go," he rasped, his body trembling as the connection between him and the intruder was severed. Still, he felt the bitterness of the other soul, and he knew the person was not happy about being pushed back into his own head. "Xion, go. Run. I don't… I don't know where he went, and he wants you. He wants you dead!"

"Who wants me dead?" She looked betrayed, her eyes glistening with tears, and he realized she would never trust him again. "You attacked me. I didn't see anyone else."

"It's me," he whispered, pushing himself backwards. "He was inside my head! I can't—" Terra screamed again, feeling the other mind reach into his head. "Run!"

She didn't need to be told again. Xion pushed herself to her feet, her backing away slowly for a few moments, before she spun around and fled.

Terra slumped against a tree, his head pounding, and he listened as a voice hissed into his mind, Fighting will not help you.

"Who are you?" Terra growled pressing his fingers against his temples. "Get out of my head!"

You know who I am.

You know what I am.

You know why and where.

Terra panted, and the voice settled in his mind, triggering memories he had long since buried. Terra felt nothing but hatred.

"Father," he breathed.

Kairi awoke on a beach, sand scratching at her new legs. She sat up, her hair tangling around her arms, and she tentatively touched her knee, staring at it with awe. She poked her inner thigh, and giggled, but no sound escaped her lips. She reached up to her throat, tapping it lightly. It took her a few moments to remember she'd given up her voice.

Her memory of the transformation was hazy. She'd drank the potion the faerie king had given her, and soon after she'd passed out from the pain. She didn't feel any pain now though. Her legs felt fine, albeit odd. Kairi pushed herself up, her legs wobbling as she tried to straighten them out. She ended up flopping backwards back into the sand.

Sun glistened on the water, and she wondered what she was going to do now. She wanted to find Ven, to apologize, but she didn't know where he'd be. And she was sure she wouldn't hear his call if he tried it. She realized that even if she did find Ven, she wouldn't be able to apologize. Her voice was gone, and… she really had no idea how to communicate without it.

It had been a stupid idea, but she still felt unbelievably happy. She breathed in the scent of the ocean, noting that the air was fresh tasting, and not suffocating like she was used to. Sucking in a breath, she let herself bask in everything around her.

The beach was cool, a soft breeze tickling her bare skin, and Kairi smiled. She felt chilly for once, her body shuddering as the ocean lapped at her knees. She was so absorbed in her new human senses, she jolted in surprise when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She opened her mouth to scream, but of course no sound came, and she turned quickly to face the person who held her.

She breathed in relief when she saw Riku's glamoured face. He looked down at her sadly, shaking his head. "You're an idiot," he whispered, shrugging off his cloak, draping it over her shoulders. She stared at him, and managed a grateful smile. She mouthed, Thank you. He nodded.

"I have no idea what to do with you," he muttered. "Joshua said I can just leave you, but I'm not that cruel. I'm debating asking that Neku kid if he can lend a hand."

Kairi blinked, recalling the telepath boy, and she nodded eagerly. Someone able to read her mind would definitely help out. Riku's eyebrows rose. "Yeah, I'll get on that. Until then you can—"

"Riiiiiiiku!" sang a voice from a few yards away. Kairi peered past Riku's arm. Her eyes bulged, and she scrambled to hide behind Riku's cloak.

"Son of a bitch," Riku hissed, straightening up as Sora ran up beside him, his eyes on Kairi.

"Um, Riku," Sora whispered, his mouth dropping open. "There's a naked girl."

"Yes, Sora," Riku pulled Kairi to her feet, and she stumbled, grabbing his shirt to keep her balance. Her knees wobbled pitifully. "I'm going to take her into town, see if someone will take her while I—"

"Stupid!" Sora shouted, grabbing Kairi's arm. She opened her mouth, a silent scream in her throat. "Don't just dump her somewhere!"

"Sora," Riku said calmly, his face expressionless.

"Riku," he replied, scowling up at the silver haired boy.

Kairi, she thought, grimacing. She twisted herself, facing Sora with wide eyes. He knew Ven, didn't he? If he could bring her to him… She looked up at Riku, hopefully. "She's mute," Riku said suddenly. "I know what you're thinking, Sora, but she's not your mystery girl."

Kairi stiffened at his words, her eyes flashing to Sora. His expression seemed to be dampened by Riku's comment, but he smiled all the same. "Whether she's the girl who saved me or not, she deserves a little better than being shipped off to some brothel house."

"I wouldn't send her to a brothel," Riku sighed. "I'm disappointed you'd think that of me."

Sora said nothing to reassure him, and he watched Kairi with kind eyes. She smiled at him shyly, realizing this was the first time he'd seen her face. She wanted to tell him it had been her that had saved him, but she understood it was impossible. So she settled on waving at him, and he waved back with a short laugh. She noticed his lip was split, and there was a bruise on his cheek. She tilted her head, and thought of the spell she could've sung to make that go away.

Being speechless was going to be difficult.

Naminé had woken up in her bed that morning. Without any warning, she'd closed her eyes, and when she opened them she was in her bed again. She couldn't understand how that happened, and when she went to see the wolf, he wasn't in his cage. She'd asked Axel, and he'd told her off for even going down there. She wondered if Roxas would yell if she asked him, but then she remembered she was not allowed to speak with him anymore.

She pressed her lips together and thought about her wall back in the tower. She didn't understand her own logic anymore. Was being a prisoner in a tower much worse than being a prisoner on a pirate ship? She knew some would say it was better, but she had a different idea. In her heart, she wanted to be here. She had something to do, and she had to find out what it was. She had a purpose, didn't she? The wolf knew her, even if she didn't know him. Perhaps her answers were in that cell.

Now she was sitting alone, her veil in her lap and her hair falling loose around her legs. She was waiting for Roxas and Axel to return from wherever Vanitas had sent them. She enjoyed talking to them, even if Axel hated her.

She spotted them before anyone else did, and she frowned, leaning over the rail. Axel pushed a scrawny looking boy forward, scowling as he stumbled. Naminé squinted, rising to her feet, and her veil slipped to the ground. She ran to the ramp, her hair trailing behind her, and she grasped the rail tightly as Roxas trudged up the wooden ramp, managing to throw her a spare smile. Axel and the boy came right behind him, faster and more alert.

"Who's that?" she asked, pointing to the boy. He looked up at her, his blue eyes shining with something, determination perhaps, scruffy blue hair falling jaggedly across his cheeks.

"A prisoner," Axel said sharply, turning the boy's face from Naminé's.

She trailed behind them as they nudged the boy toward the mast, keeping quiet enough for Axel not to snap at her. Roxas did not acknowledge her again, but she knew it was because Vanitas was near. She understood it was for the best. The boy was scowling, but he did not betray any fear, and for that Naminé found herself admiring him. The first time she'd been brought onto the ship her legs had given out beneath her, and Vanitas had literally dragged her across the deck.

She flinched when the boy was thrown to his knees. He kept his head bowed until Vanitas stepped through the crowd of crew members, his body held with an air of pride. She stuck close to the mast, trying to blend into the shadows of the ship. Vanitas stood before the boy, taking the silence to a level that made her skin crawl. Everyone seemed interested in the boy, unlike her own arrival.

"Her hair is gone," he said suddenly, turning his head to Axel. Axel's eyebrows raised, and he choked on his own laughter.

"I'm a boy!" the boy growled, raising his eyes to the helmeted captain.

"You do not look like a boy." The crew snickered at this, but Naminé could only think of Roxas's comment the night before, and she scowled. "Who are you, if not the girl I sent for?"

"Her brother," the boy spat, glaring up at Vanitas with a boldness that Naminé desperately envied. "Calder."

"Calder." Vanitas seemed to test the name as he drew his sword and pressed it to the boy's neck. She gasped softly, pushing through the crowd. "Why would I want you, Calder? I asked for a woman, a girl of Light who lives in shadows. Who are you, but an idiotic child?" Calder cringed as the blade punctured his flesh, and blood dribbled against his jugular.

"Don't kill him!" Naminé cried, grabbing Vanitas's arm. He looked at her sharply, and she could almost feel his fiery eyes burn on her skin. "He could be useful to you!"

"Oh, shut up." He pushed her away, and she stumbled, tripping over her hair and her back slammed against the deck. She pushed herself onto her elbows, tears prickling in her eyes.

"Please, Vanitas, you can't!" She looked up as Roxas pulled her to her feet, and she nodded to him gratefully. "Isn't he so much more useful than a girl anyway? You can put him to work."

Vanitas turned to look at her. "Did I not just tell you to shut up, stupid girl?" He looked at Roxas. "Let go of her or I'll have your hands." Roxas dropped her arm and flung his hands into the air.

"Only undoing your mistakes, sir," Roxas said with a wane smile. "Not all of us can be pricks to the girl, can we?"

There was a pause from Vanitas, and Naminé stared at him hopefully. He said, "You can't see it, but I'm rolling my eyes right now. Back away from her, Roxas, or I will make you regret ever looking at her face."

"Yes, captain." Roxas bowed his head and stepped back. Naminé sighed and tucked her hair behind her ears. It didn't seem as if Vanitas was going to beat her, so she considered prying further. Once he turned to face Calder again, the boy raised his head high.

"The lass is right, captain." The boy looked around, a small smile gracing his lips. "I think I'm capable of being a part of this crew, if you'd have me."

Vanitas seemed to be staring at him for a short while, before he laughed loudly. "What makes you so sure of that, Calder?"

The boy shrugged and looked to Naminé, who was pleading in her mind that Vanitas would show him mercy. "Pit me against one of your men," Calder said, his gaze fixing upon Vanitas once more. "Then we shall see."

Naminé almost groaned. This boy was going to be trouble, she could tell from his pride. But she kept quiet and watched as Vanitas began to laugh again, this one harsher than usual. "As you wish!" he hooted, pulling his sword from his jugular. He walked past him and slashed through his bonds with a swift cut. Calder's eyebrows raised and he rolled his shoulders. He stood up, his face going stony, and he watched as Vanitas prodded Roxas with the pummel of his sword.

"Fight him," Vanitas said. Roxas's eyes widened, and he looked up at Axel. The man was expressionless, so he was forced to step forward.

"Captain, he's not armed," Roxas murmured, his hands on his hilt.

"That's not my problem." Naminé's eyes widened, and she shook her head. Would Roxas kill a defenseless boy? He was a pirate, but it just didn't seem like him to do so. He was kinder than the rest of them. Even as he raised his sword to Calder, she could see regret flashing in his eyes. He did not want this.

She stepped behind Axel, chewing on her lip. Be brave, she told herself. It will pay off. She eyed Axel's blade, which was hanging in its scabbard, and she reached out, grasping the hilt with two tiny hands. By the time Axel looked down at her, she'd already yanked it halfway out of its sheath, and when he cried out she had it in her hands. It weighed down her arms, the tip touching the wooden floor. She ducked Axel's arm as he tried to grab her, and she tossed the sword onto the deck.

"Fight!" she squeaked as Axel caught her by the hair and dragged her backwards against his chest. She smiled as Calder scooped up the sword, brandishing it against Roxas, who smiled as well. It seemed he was perfectly fine with fighting as long as it was fair.

Naminé closed her eyes when their swords met with a clang. She didn't want to see Roxas getting hurt, but at the same time she didn't want to see him hurting anyone. She was glad Axel was holding her, or else she might've sunken to her knees with fear. Her heart was pounding, and she continued to tell herself that she needed to be brave. She wanted to be a person who could be useful, not a silly damsel.

When she opened her eyes, Roxas was swinging his blade, only to have Calder slide away, retaliating quickly with a swift blow to the side. The sound of ripping fabric made her wince, but otherwise Roxas seemed to be fine, moving out of the way just in time. Naminé was awed by Calder's agility, his body moving slower than Roxas's but much more fluidly. She wondered if he would win, and she hoped that no bloodshed would be involved.

Roxas let his sword clash against Calder's and they smirked at each other. They moved toward and away from each other, a dance of metal and litheness. They seemed to understand each other's movements before they moved, and with every parry, with every strike, Naminé felt herself absorbed in the entirety of the sport. How did they manage it? Not getting hit, spiraling and slashing, and always one step ahead of the other.

She gasped when Calder flipped over Roxas's head and grabbed him by the neck, Axel's sword sliding under the boy's chin. "I win," Calder declared, glowering at Vanitas. "Let me join your crew."

"Aren't you going to kill him?" Vanitas pointed to Roxas, who didn't seem to be fazed by the fact that he was moments away from having his life ended. Suddenly Calder didn't seem so confident.

"No," he said, frowning down at Roxas. "I don't wish to kill him." Good, Naminé thought. He's kind.

Vanitas sputtered with his laughter, and Naminé shrunk back. "You want to be part of this crew?" Vanitas asked, a sneer in his tone. "Kill him."

"No!" Naminé cried, and Axel squeezed her shoulder. He seemed to go rigid at Vanitas's words as well, but he said nothing.

"He was a worthy opponent," Calder said.

"I don't care." Vanitas stepped forward. "Kill him or I'll kill you. Simple."

"Vanitas," Roxas gasped. "Vanitas, this is cruel, even for you. He beat me, you don't have to—"

"Kill him, or I'll kill you both."

"Don't," Naminé sobbed, reaching up and grabbing Axel's hand. She looked up at him, but he did not seem to have a reaction to any of this. "Please don't kill anyone."

"Didn't I tell you to shut up?" Vanitas snarled at her. She shrunk against Axel's chest, tears trailing down her cheeks. So much for being brave.

"Kill me," Roxas said. "Calder, do it. You have to."

"No way!" Calder moved the sword from Roxas's throat, and Vanitas moved toward them, his hands on his hilt. Roxas shook his head.

"Do it," he hissed. "Do it now!"

"No!" Calder's voice raised in pitch, desperation and fear sending it cracking. "I'm not killing him, alright?"

Vanitas stepped toward the two boys, his sword raised now. "This is a pirate ship," he said. "Killing is part of the job. Now, show me you have what it takes, and slit his throat."

Calder's hand was trembling when Vanitas stepped behind him, taking it in his own. Naminé felt herself moving forward, her screams muffled by Axel's hand, and she wanted to close her eyes, but she couldn't. Vanitas moved his hand, and Roxas sighed, squeezing his eyes shut as the blade pressed back against his throat. Her sobs were barely heard amongst the chuckling around them. How could they be so cruel?

She watched with wide eyes as the blade opened Roxas's throat, blood spewing from his jugular, and it splattered the deck floor.

Wow, now this is what I call a loaded chapter. Like, shit, I didn't even realize until I reread this how much shit goes down! I'm glad I didn't spread it out, though, I need this story to move faster.

Dang, Roxas, I don't think I even meant for you to be my first kill. IT WAS A HAPPY ACCIDENT. Oh, no TWEWY characters in this one. That's sad. I feel like they just belong in the story now. They're too fascinating to not expand on.

Mmm, if anyone wonders why Aqua didn't stop Vanitas, I'll give you the answer right now. I'm trying to make all these characters humanly flawed, even AQUA, who is like the poster child of strength, and I wanted to show that shock can stunt our thinking. Her body wouldn't move when she wanted it to, and she still wasn't sure what was happening when Vanitas decided to be the guiding hand.

Also Ho Yay on Vanitas's side, because he's one of the handful of characters I accept as bisexual. I just get the vibe from him. JOIN WITH ME, HERE AND NOW, he says to ven probs with a straight face. like hey dude did anyone ever explain to you how homoerotic subtext works? I wonder what Eraqus would have done in Xehanort's place. "VANITAS, ONE MUST NOT INDULGE IN THE SWEET ASS OF OTHER MEN, it makes for a very bad experience, please trust me."

I'm sorry, am I really making jokes about Vanitas's sexual frustration again? Damn, those never leave me. I really shouldn't explain the importance of serious flaws in a character and Vanitas's many many many sexual innuendos back to back.

seriously though can we appreciate that no one on the team played back some of his scenes and went, "HMM. THAT SOUNDS KIND OF DIRTY. ISN'T THIS A DISNEY GAME?" they must've been like, "oh look boobies bouncing, nevermind, gay subtext ahoy, it's getting an e10+ rating."