I don't own anything associated with Kingdom Hearts or Silent Hill. They belong to Square Enix/Disney and Konami respectively.

Chapter 28

The formerly white space was splattered with black and red. Each one of Vanitas' missed attacks scorched the pristine place, tainting it permanently. Still, Ven thought it was better that than him.

"Aqua and Terra aren't here to save you now," Vanitas said darkly. He stalked towards Ven like a panther creeping up on a deer struggling to stand.

Ven gritted his teeth. He knew that; that was why he had to win.

"Just give up, and then," Vanitas grinned, "I'll be gentle."

"Never!"

He flung his keyblade at Vanitas, who lazily leaned out of the way. So busy was the dark boy with smirking and mocking Ven, that it never occurred to him to check behind. On Ven's command, Wayward Wind arced back, still spinning like a twister until the moment it smashed into Vanitas' back. He looked stunned more than anything, and an ugly snarl appeared on his face as he realized Ven wasn't going to go down without a fight. But judging by the glint in Vanitas' eyes, he was perfectly okay with that.

Vanitas rushed at him, leaving a black streak in his wake. They locked blades, each trying to rip the keyblade out of their opponent's hands. Of them, Vanitas was the strongest, so Ven slid back and away, taking Wayward Wind with him.

Vanitas smirked. He pointed his keyblade at Ven, who rushed to evade the balls of darkness that came after him. Like comets, the darkness left blazing trails behind them, and they followed Ven doggedly. Ven ran, leaping over a shockwave Vanitas sent his way, and screeched to a stop as they closed in. He dove between them, rolling past, and cast a Firaga spell at each. The two forces collided, both cancelling out the other.

Just as he expected, Vanitas was already there. On one knee after his roll, Ven brought his keyblade up, holding it horizontally over his head to block Vanitas' downward stroke. Vanitas didn't waste any time in bringing his keyblade back for another strike, using his entire body in a way that was eerily similar to Pyramid Head. Ven scrambled back, Vanitas' keyblade nicking his forehead. Before any worse damage could happen, Ven cast a barrier between the two of them, offering him just enough time to stand.

When the barrier died, Vanitas stalked towards him. Ven backpedalled, wiping the sweat off his hands with his pants.

"Look at you," Vanitas said. "You're scared. Just do yourself a favour and give up."

Ven tightened his grip on his keyblade. "Not while my friends need me!" he said.

Vanitas' yellow eyes narrowed into slits. "Your friends," he repeated in a mutter, visibly growing angry at the words. "You've had your fun with them; now it's my turn."

"I'm not letting you touch them!"

Ven threw all his speed into his next action. He was a blur as he moved, with his keyblade shining a brilliant white from the strength of his light. Vanitas, clearly not expecting him to wield such power, cringed at the force of Ven's attack. Ven didn't stop there; he pivoted on the balls of his feet, lunging at Vanitas and tore through his back with Wayward Wind. Then he did it again, this time nailing Vanitas across the chest.

Vanitas slumped over and panting, Ven stood ready and sucked in oxygen. Although Ven swore he had made Vanitas bleed, the dark boy's bodysuit was still intact. Ven couldn't even tell where he had struck Vanitas. Slowly, Vanitas straightened up again, his head turning to face Ven's direction.

Vanitas cocked his head to one side.

He slammed his keyblade against the ground, and white tiles were flung into the air as columns of darkness broke through the white space, heading straight for Ven. They were about as wide as a town road, too wide for Ven to evade in time. He cast reflect over himself, hiding behind the spell as the darkness slammed into it. The barrier actually bent, curling over and around its summoner. Ven tried to hold it, but the force was too great, and he could feel it draining the strength from his muscles. He decided then to let it go, and conserve what little energy he had.

The darkness crashed into him. It was like being caught in an avalanche, and all Ven could do was try to keep his mouth shut and free of the darkness. He flailed like a drowning man, even after he was thrown from the mass and landed on his stomach.

Quickly, he looked behind him, but Vanitas wasn't anywhere to be seen. Nor was he to the side.

He stood, utterly confused.

His intuition flared and instinct took over, throwing him to the side as Vanitas flew straight down. His dark keyblade impaled the spot where Ven had been, and Vanitas clicked his tongue in disappointment.

"Thunder!" Ven shouted.

The bolt shot down, not fast enough to strike the elusive Vanitas. The dark apprentice seemed to glide out of the way, before reaching out his own hand. Between his fingers, there were arcs of black electricity, and that was what Vanitas used to cast his own Thunder. Unlike Ven, his spell did not come from the sky, but from his hands and so, was much harder to dodge. Still, Ven managed it and not only that, but countered with a quick burst of fire.

Vanitas slashed through it with his keyblade. The resulting motes showered the air around him, blinding him for one crucial second.

It had not been Ven's intention to follow up, but when he saw the opening, he couldn't resist. He sprung forwards, his keyblade glimmering with fire.

A single slash, and this time he tore through Vanitas' bodysuit.

The wound went all the way from Vanitas' left shoulder to his right thigh. All along that line, the suit was shredded, the remaining pieces doing little to stop the blood. Ven's eyes widened, in horror, and in relief. Was it . . . was it over?

But of course, things couldn't be that easy. Vanitas murmured a few words, and then the wounds healed. His bodysuit seemed to stretch, grow over the spots that were missing, until it was like new again. Grinning, Vanitas looked over at Ven, who was silent with shock.

"You're not the only person who knows Curaga." Vanitas purred, "Aqua can tell you that."

"Shut up! Stop talking about her!"

"Why not?" Vanitas twirled his keyblade in his hands. "While you were running around like a chicken with its head cut off, I was the one who saved her. She would be dead if it wasn't for me."

Ven snarled. "She wouldn't have been dying if it wasn't for you!"

Vanitas closed his eyes, lifting his chin to the heavens. "It was all meant to be," he said softly. "Just as we're meant to be one. Can you feel it, Ventus, our hearts merging together?"

"You're delusional!" Ven spat.

Vanitas laughed. "From where I stand, you're the crazy one."

Ven leapt, his armour enveloping him mid-stride. Twisting at the waist, he brought his keyblade back, then forwards in one final blow . . .

Only for Vanitas' keyblade to stop it cold.

The force of the impact sent shudders up and down Ven's arms. Vanitas didn't even move, having borne the attack without effort. Ven hesitated, unsure how to react, and Vanitas unlocked his blade from Ven's, slamming his keyblade into the side of Ven's head.

Black spots dotted his vision. Head swimming, Ven struggled to sit up. The world that he saw was unfocused, with Vanitas having impossible proportions. Once his vision returned to normal, he saw that this time, Vanitas had made no effort to follow him. Instead, the other boy was staring at the keyblade in his hands, stroking its long shaft.

Ven gasped in pain as he stood, and that served to finally draw Vanitas' attention. "It's begun," Vanitas said slowly. "Look."

He pointed his dark keyblade at the sky, a look of triumphant glee on his face. A few heartbeats passed where nothing happened, but then, a bright glow shone from the tip of the keyblade. Ven raised his arm, shielding his eyes, and although he was squinting, he could still see the glow spread downwards, until it devoured the keyblade completely.

And it began to transform. The end grew long and pointed, the handle wider. The glow faded, and Vanitas held an entirely new weapon in his hands. It was no longer one keyblade, but two crossed at the shaft. Bound to this crossing was a filigree, missing part of one side, and vaguely resembling a snowflake. The strange keyblade ended in a sword-like blade, albeit one that was cracked and brown with rust.

Vanitas lowered his new keyblade, staring at it with unbridled awe. "It's not complete yet," he said, "but it's a start."

"Wh-what is it?" Ven asked.

Vanitas grinned, seemingly eager to share. "The X-Blade, the one true keyblade, made from a heart with equal amounts of light and darkness. It's not completed yet because we're not truly one, but soon . . ."

Ven narrowed his eyes. "So when we become one . . ."

"Then the X-Blade will be complete!" Vanitas finished. He thrust his keyblade into the air again, and to Ven, the rusted blade seemed like a fuse measuring the time he had left.

"But if we don't . . ."

Vanitas laughed wildly. "Give it a rest," he said, "it's over, Ventus." He swiped the X-Blade through the air, and Ven could feel its power blast past him.

"No." Ven's tone left no room for argument.

Vanitas shrugged. "Have it your way."

Ven's swings were violent and laced with desperation. Vanitas just stood there, blocking them all easily, yawning with the clear aim to mock him. Finally, the dark-haired boy grew bored and with a single swipe, he tossed Ven through the air.

"I'm done playing around," Vanitas said, voice dripping with venom. "Let's end this, once and for all."

With that, he drove the X-Blade into the ground.

Like ice, the white floor shifted and buckled as it cracked. Through the spaces, black light leaked through, one that Ven did his best to dodge. More and more cracks spread, crisscrossing each other in an elaborate pattern.

The floor heaved once, as if taking a deep breath.

And then broke.

Shards of white fell around them as he and Vanitas plunged downwards to the glass station below. On it, Ven could see his own image, but also one of Vanitas. It was across from his, in almost the exact same position, like a dark mirror.

Gritting his teeth, Ven glared at his other half. Vanitas was falling calmly, his expression one of peace. He was poised to take everything, to swallow Ven's light and those of his friends. And Ven knew that he couldn't let that happen, no matter what it would take.

"Light!"

His spell caught Vanitas by surprise, and the dark boy howled as the light burned his insides. Without missing a beat, Ven transformed his keyblade, spinning to land upright on his trusty glider as it swerved to catch him. He shot through the air, crouched low, arm held out and ready.

And he leapt, transforming Wayward Wind back into its original form. He grabbed the keyblade's handle as he tumbled, bringing it up and around to strike Vanitas across the chest. The other boy gasped, fingers feebly gripping the site, but once again, the suit refused to tear.

With a growl, Vanitas summoned his own glider, taking off after Ven who had already transformed Wayward Wind again. They raced through the black sky, their gliders' black and white streaks weaving together. Ven was the fastest, the most agile, and set to outmanoeuvring Vanitas, so that he could be on the offensive instead of the defensive.

But what Vanitas lacked in speed he made up for in raw power; evading him was a tricky task, and whenever Ven seemed set to gain the advantage, Vanitas turned it around. The X-Blade gave him unparalleled strength, and even when Vanitas clearly missed, Ven still felt its power.

His skin felt raw and bruised, especially where the X-Blade had actually struck him. Curaga took care of the bleeding, but did little to quell the aches, and they only grew worse as the fight went on. Sensing this, Vanitas pursued him more intensely, slamming his glider against his. The two gliders locked, falling towards the platform, and neither made a move to stop them.

"This is where it ends for you," Vanitas said.

Ven's hands snapped open, humming with magic. "I don't think so."

He brought the light forwards just as Vanitas roused his darkness. The two forces clashed, equal in strength and purity.

And unbeknownst to them, the rust on the X-Blade faded.

The air whined as they tore through it. Like trailing flames, the cloud of light and darkness streamed behind them, lighting the sky for what seemed to be miles. Ven grunted, his limbs beginning to shake as his energy drained. From what he saw, Vanitas wasn't faring much better.

They broke apart simultaneously, their gliders taking them far from each other. There wasn't enough time for Ven to stop his descent completely, but at least he could slow down enough to land safely. Right before his glider crashed into the platform, he jumped and rolled, ending up in a kneeling position.

He stood and turned, facing his opponent on the other side of the platform.

"This . . . this is my heart," Ven said in amazement.

"Our heart," Vanitas corrected. Vanitas spread his arms wide, as if to embrace him. "Do you see now? We're meant to be one! Everything that has happened was just leading up to this moment."

Vanitas' steps cracked through the air. Ven, too stunned to speak, did nothing as the other boy approached. Vanitas had always insisted that he and Ven originated from the same heart, but it was this proof that struck him. Vanitas . . . really was a part of him.

But Vanitas didn't define him, just as Terra wasn't defined by his origins, or Xion by her home. Vanitas was not him, and Ven would tear his own heart apart if it meant putting an end to his darker half.

He made no sound, just pointed Wayward Wind when Vanitas got too close.

Vanitas responded in turn.

The X-Blade had incredible reach, unlike any weapon he had ever seen before. It soon became apparent that his main dilemma wasn't dodging or trying to figure out how to actually hurt Vanitas, but getting close enough to do anything in the first place. The platform, while appearing huge, quickly made its boundaries known as Ven scrambled to avoid the X-Blade's might.

Near the edge, he misjudged a step, and the shockwave from the X-Blade's swing was enough to knock him over the platform's edge. The glass was too smooth to grip, sliding away from underneath his fingers. At the last moment, he stabbed his keyblade into the Station, dangling there as Vanitas watched in amusement.

It was hard, but he hauled himself up and began to claw his way back onto the battleground. Then, just as he was bringing his hips over the edge, Vanitas stomped on his hand, pushing him back over with his other foot. Ven barely managed to hang on and helpless, he stared up at his opponent.

Vanitas smiled.

The X-Blade sparkled with a dark power. Vanitas crouched down, moving his lips close to Ven's ear as if to tell him a great secret. But what Vanitas said made his blood run cold.

"Goodbye."

With that final farewell, Vanitas stood up, laughing as a beam of energy connected Ven and the X-Blade.

And Ven screamed.

Hood up, Xion navigated the smouldering town. While it was a welcome change from the icy scene that usually greeted her, she still didn't like it very much. It stunk of charcoal, and the fires polluted the sky with plumes of black smoke. Even with its terrible secret, Silent Hill had always held an inexplicable beauty. This hell, however, couldn't be more hideous if it tried. The only good side to this fiery world was that it was easier to see the monsters.

Of course, that meant it was also easier for the monsters to see her.

They attacked on sight, although they didn't seem to chase her far and were few in number. Either Vanitas had decided to ignore her betrayal or more likely, he was too occupied with Ven and his friends to worry about an insignificant thing like her. She felt a flash of anger at that, but also a bit of pride. Vanitas' arrogance would be his undoing; she would make sure of it.

She pushed open the doors to Brookhaven, walking over the threshold with determined strides. Unlike the times before, Naminé did not come to greet her. A quick search revealed the blonde girl to be shut inside her room, no doubt awaiting the outcome of the events in the church.

"Xion?" From her bed, Naminé looked up from her sketchpad, her crayon ceasing in its movements.

"What are you drawing?" Xion asked.

Naminé shook her head. "I don't know yet."

"Are they . . . can they . . .?"

"Anything's possible," Naminé said, "but I don't know if they're strong enough for this."

Xion leaned on the side of the white bed, staring intensely at the other girl. "They are," she said firmly. "They just need a little help."

"Yes, but there's nothing we can do. I don't know how to help anymore." Naminé looked away, ashamed.

"Nothing?" Xion repeated.

"The battle they're fighting . . . it's not on this plane. It's a different place entirely, a place you will never be able to reach."

Her eyes hardened. "Because I don't have a heart." Xion said that coldly, without passion, but inside, she couldn't help but be hurt.

"No," Naminé said, "because you're not connected to his heart the way they are."

Absorbing that, Xion sat down on the bed, her back to Naminé. "Then this is the end. Either they'll win, or he does, and either way, I'll . . ."

She shut her eyes as the weight of her fate crashed down on her.

"I'm sorry," Naminé said.

They said nothing more, and the only sound was the scratching of the crayon.

Xion stood up suddenly, and marched over to the door. Naminé halted her drawing yet again, looking up to see what was the cause of the latest disturbance.

"If he's going to destroy me," Xion said, "then I won't go down without a fight."

"But Xion, you have nothing to fight with."

"I have an idea."

She shut the door to Naminé's room, racing down to the place where she last saw the subject of her current thoughts. Upon entering the cafeteria, she sighed in relief, seeing it still there. Carefully, as if approaching a sleeping lion, she tiptoed up to the table holding Rainfell's pieces.

She reached out, touched a shard, and then withdrew her hand with a hiss when it burned her.

Sitting on the table's bench, she stared at the broken keyblade and pleaded. "Please, I know I'm not your master, but I need your help. I can't fight them without you. I beat the Corruption, but that was only because I had the aglaophotis . . ."

She choked back a sob. "Please, help me."

She reached out again, praying with all her might.

The shard hummed as it allowed her to grab it.

He was floating in a sea of darkness. He had the sense that there was something important he had to do, but he couldn't recall what. The darkness around him was suffocating, soothing, and cloaked him on all sides. Not that he could tell. His eyes remained closed as he fell further into the darkness, his armour gone and no emotion on his face.

There was the sense of being lifted out of his body, a tugging at his heart. He tried to move, to wave away the feeling, but his limbs were as heavy as lead. Oh well. Maybe it was for the best. It wasn't that bad anyways.

He was so tired . . .

Far above him, there was a dot of light. It grew as something shot downwards, finally smashing into his hands which automatically grasped it. A wave of warmth rolled through him, lending him the strength to open his eyes.

Ven blinked, realizing that Wayward Wind had just came to him.

Sluggishly, he tried to spin himself upright, but sleep tugged at his eyelids, forcing them close. As his muscles went limp, the darkness began to drag him into a deep sleep . . .

"Wake up, you sleepyhead!"

He mouthed Aqua's name.

"Come on, you can't be giving up already . . ."

"Terra . . ."

"The three of us, we're family now . . ."

His eyes shot open. "Terra, Aqua!"

There was darkness all around, and no clue as to where he was. But Ven had been filled with new hope, and he wasn't going to anything stop him.

"The three of us," he mumbled, "will always be together."

His fists clenched in resolve, in rage and in promise.

"Terra, Aqua . . . I swear I'll put an end to this!"

His keyblade responded to his words, humming in its own pledge as it reformed into his glider. Ven grabbed it, and the keyblade took off. He made no move to steer it, trusting his heart to lead him.

The glider dropped him on the edge of the Station, turning back into his keyblade as Vanitas spun around, fully formed X-Blade in hand. "What?" he exclaimed. "I destroyed you!"

"Well, guess again!" Ven snarled. "This time, I'll finish you!"

Vanitas said nothing and charged, the X-Blade spitting out sparks as it was dragged across the glass. Ven watched, oddly calm in face of these events. Vanitas seemed to be moving in slow motion, slower than the heartbeat that pounded in his ears.

Ven closed his eyes. His hand curled over his chest, where his Wayfinder should have been.

"Give me strength," he whispered.

Vanitas was within a few strides now and grinning in triumph, he raised the X-Blade to strike-

Only for his eyes to widen as the green Wayfinder began to glow.

Ven's eyes snapped open as his heart responded to the charm's call. His keyblade glimmered with its own light, driving away the shadows that cloaked Vanitas' weapon. Moving almost solely on instinct, Ven lunged, hand outstretched . . .

Vanitas swung, missed, and the X-Blade's tip skimmed Ven's back. He hardly noticed, too set on his goal. He grabbed the metal chain and it stretched, biting into Vanitas' neck before giving way completely. And the Wayfinder returned to its true owner, clipping onto his keyblade as if it had a mind of its own.

"What?" Vanitas staggered back, hand closing on the space where the Wayfinder used to be.

"Worried?" Ven asked.

Vanitas growled, "So you got that piece of glass back, big deal!" Vanitas' words were scornful, but Ven could tell that he had rattled him.

"It's not just a piece of glass!" Ven snapped. He stared down at the charm, stroking it with his thumb. "You wouldn't understand."

"Oh? Why not?" Vanitas hissed that like a snake, his shoulders shaking with supressed rage.

"Because you get your power from darkness, from hurting others . . ."

At that moment, the truth finally hit him. He raised his head to look Vanitas straight in the eye, and the universe seemed to echo with his words.

"And if you're darkness, then I must be light . . ."

A bright white light shone from Wayward Wind, blinding them all for a few seconds. It faded slowly and when it did, Wayward Wind was no longer there.

Instead, Ven was holding a second X-Blade.

Vanitas' eyes widened. "How . . .? This can't be . . ."

Ven paid no attention to Vanitas' disbelief and spoke softly. "You can't defeat me, Vanitas, because my power comes from something greater than darkness; my friends are my power, and I am theirs. . ."

He slammed his X-Blade into the glass, and the entire Station trembled.

"And as long as they need me, you will never win!"

The last syllable of his sentence tore through the air, ringing in their ears. Chin held high, Ven calmly met Vanitas' stare. For once, the dark boy was the one whose eyes betrayed fear. But that was quickly masked by hatred and with a wild howl, Vanitas charged.

The two X-Blades clashed, locking together. As the two boys struggled against each other, a ring of energy pulsed through the air. From the glass around them, thick coils of light and darkness rose, carving out a circle around them. The speed of the spinning coils whipped their hair this way and that, and dried the sweat off their faces, but neither boy moved; Ven wasn't sure if they could move.

"No . . . you can't . . . this isn't possible!" Vanitas nearly screamed into his face.

Ven smirked. "It is now."

His hands burned with the power flowing through them. The X-Blade was channelling some sort of energy into his body, one that empowered him as much as it hurt. Its tendrils snuck into his heart, feeing a power that before, he hadn't known existed. Now he felt it swelling, roaring fittingly at the sight of the monster before him.

"I am light," he whispered to himself.

The coiling circle was blown away. The light and darkness separated, gathering behind their respective masters. Vanitas' yellow eyes stood out like a lantern's glow in the bleak darkness that cloaked him, but Ven felt no fear. He was shrouded in his own light, which encircled him like a mother's embrace.

He closed his eyes. "Terra, Aqua, help me . . ."

The Wayfinder shone even brighter than the light surrounding him, and a powerful surge of energy flowed through him . . .

Vanitas' X-Blade was wrenched out of his grasp, and sent high into the air, darkness trailing after it. With a clang, it smashed into the glass station, tumbling head-over-heels a couple of times before stopping completely. Vanitas cried out, reaching for it . . .

And Ven thrust at Vanitas' unprotected chest.

Man, that was a long one to write. At this point, you might not be able to understand this fight completely since it's occurring at the same time as the Vanitas vs. Terra fight (which is featured next chapter), and both fights are having major effects on one another. I'll get into that more in the next chapter's ANs once you've had a chance to see Terra's fight.