Chapter 6: Deep Dive
The next morning was all preparations, though Vanitas was ready right after breakfast. Aqua by contrast took forever getting dressed in the sewing room, and had screamed at him for some reason when he'd tried to enter to tell her to hurry it up. When she finally came out, Vanitas handed her a couple of Vile Phials in case she ran out of Mana for healing mid-battle. Aqua didn't look particularly happy about it, but she did accept them when he pointed out their lack of Ethers.
Aqua seemed in better spirits than she'd been last night, or at the very least wasn't crying her eyes out, so she explained everything Eraqus's ghost had said and done without hesitating too much. By the time she finished her story it was already afternoon.
"So your hand went straight through him? Like he wasn't solid at all?" Vanitas asked, leaning against the kitchen counter.
"That's right," Aqua said, placing the last dirty dish from lunch into the sink.
"Hmm… That might actually be a good thing, if the ghosts can't hurt us directly," he mused. "They'd need to possess some object to do that— in this case, those swords."
"So how do we fight them?" she asked, sitting at the servants' table.
"We've gotta break whatever they're attached to; release their hold on it."
"Easier said than done." Aqua crossed her arms. "How are we supposed to break metal?"
That was a good question. Thundaga would be useless. Firaga might make the metal malleable, but it would also be like handing the ghosts a hot poker. A Keyblade would be able to break an average steel sword with enough force, but not when there were dozens of them at a time.
"Remember when Xehanort used Dark Blizzaga to shatter Ventus's Keyblade Armor?" Vanitas asked.
"It's kind of hard to forget when your best friend is turned into a popsicle," Aqua said dryly.
"Yeah, whatever," he snorted at her defensiveness. As if Xehanort hadn't shattered his helmet dozens of times. "If Blizzaga can shatter Keyblade Armor, what do you think it'll do against regular swords?"
"We'd just end up with a bunch of smaller pieces— you know, more swords for them to possess," she pointed out.
"Not necessarily," he countered. "If it comes to that, we'll just cast Aeroga again and get out of there."
"I don't know… This isn't much of a plan."
Vanitas titled his head and gave her a lopsided grin. "Hey, who's the smartest person you know?"
"I also said you're impulsive," she said with a wry smile.
He raised an eyebrow. "You got a better idea?"
Aqua sighed. "I suppose I don't. It's just…" She hesitated, gripping her upper arms a little more tightly. The Vile Phials squirmed where she'd tied them to her belt.
"Aqua?"
"…I don't know if I can face the Master again," she said in a half-whisper. "I've never seen him so angry. He didn't even raise his voice, but what he said…"
"About you falling to Darkness? Bullshit. You're about as Light as they come without being a Princess of Heart." Vanitas tried to forget about the part where Eraqus had called him a monster.
Aqua blew out a breath of air and relaxed her arms at her sides. "I guess you're right."
"Of course I'm right." He put on his best reassuring smile. "If he shows up again, I'll fight him for you." Terra had managed to kill him, so the Light-blinded fool couldn't be that tough. Plus, Eraqus was a ghost now. What could he possibly do?
Aqua still looked a little uncertain, but nodded all the same.
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
Walking down a couple of hallways and down a flight of steps brought them back to the armory. Vanitas and Aqua approached the door slowly. The golden chains still held fast but the swords were no longer embedded in the wood. They must've gone back to their places on the armory racks, or perhaps were lying in wait to attack once the door was opened. Either option, really.
"Remember— you cast Blizzaga, I'll shatter them," Vanitas said.
"I know," Aqua replied. She took a deep breath and pointed Master Keeper at the chains, dissolving them into a golden mist. The door swung open to reveal the poorly lit armory, suits of armor and racks of swords sitting in the gloom. Aqua's night vision must not be nearly as exceptional as his because she lit a small orb of Fire and sent it inside to illuminate the room. Vanitas could already hear the faint rattling of swords.
The two Wielders stepped inside, Keyblades bared. A couple of swords lifted themselves off the wooden racks and into the air, spinning to point their blades directly at them. Vanitas readied his stance as Aqua shifted beside him, the Vile Phials clinking together at her hip.
"Steady," he muttered under his breath as three more swords joined the first two.
The tension was suddenly cut as all five swords rocketed towards them. Vanitas barely had time to shout, "Now!" before Aqua cast Blizzaga and a Barrier spell in quick succession. One frozen sword shattered against the Barrier, releasing a puff of wispy black smoke while the others glanced off it, wobbling and spinning in the air as if disorientated.
She released the Barrier and Vanitas sprang forwards, slicing through another frozen sword with an audible snap. More smoke poured out of it. The other three twisted in the air, two aimed at him and one at Aqua. The swords' movements were sluggish, and he easily caught one between Void Gear's teeth and smashed it against the stone wall.
He turned around to see that Aqua had already broken the other sword in half, smoke also raising from its shattered pieces. The last sword hovered in the air, twitching side-to-side as though observing them before fleeing further into the armory.
Vanitas chuckled darkly. "Looks like the ghosts are afraid of us, now."
"What's with all the smoke?" Aqua asked, frowning as it curled around the shards of broken sword.
"Must be the ghost. Maybe it's trying to possess the sword again, but can't." The smoke suddenly shifted, slithering low to the ground in the same direction the other sword had fled.
She glanced at Vanitas. "You think it went to possess another sword?"
"Probably, but that won't save it," he smiled wickedly.
Vanitas and Aqua walked further in, but nothing attacked them this time. They passed rows of armor and weapons, but everything was silent save for their footsteps. The ghosts were hiding, obviously too chickenshit to show themselves now that they were on the losing end. Vanitas had the distinct sensation of being a predator stalking prey… Oh how he had missed this feeling. A creak from behind signaled an incoming attack. He spun around, Keyblade clashing against a battle-axe, this one wielded by an empty suit of armor.
"Getting creative, are we?" he smirked.
"Vanitas, step back!" Aqua called out.
He quickly backpedaled out of range just as her Blizzaga spell hit the suit of armor, frosting it over. It slowly swung the axe in a wide arc, armor creaking as it did so, but Vanitas easy sidestepped, twirling Void Gear in his hand. "Too slow," he laughed.
"Would you just destroy it," Aqua said exasperatedly.
"Oh fine, but you're spoiling the fun." He rolled his eyes before plunging his Keyblade through the brittle armor. More black smoke wisped out as the armor crashed to the floor.
Aqua watched the smoke slink away, shaking her head. "I don't like this."
"What's wrong? Not enough of a challenge?"
"Yes, but not in the way you're thinking. Are they just going to keep possessing everything in the room until we destroy it all?"
"Probably," he shrugged, then grinned. "Good thing destruction's my forte."
Vanitas and Aqua moved through the armory, freezing and smashing weapons and armor, whether possessed or not. Black smoke began filling the room, along with mountains of ice crystals from Aqua's near-constant casting of Blizzaga. The temperature was dropping quickly. Aqua closed her eyes and hugged her arms around herself, shivering near the magical Fire she had cast earlier.
Vanitas supposed he was lucky his Dark Suit kept in most of his body heat— perfect for cold nights in the Badlands. The frost was covering the floor and sticking to his boots; he could see both his and Aqua's breaths now, pale fog mingling with black smoke.
The smoke coalesced and condensed into several hovering black spheres, each with a pair of gleaming yellow eyes and a jagged mouth.
"Of course!" Vanitas slapped a hand to his forehead, disturbing the dusting of snowflakes in his hair. "I'm an idiot!"
Aqua opened her eyes, blinking frost from her eyelashes. "What h-happened?" she asked, teeth chattering.
"Aqua, they're not ghosts. They're Heartless!"
"So we can k-kill them?"
"Exactly."
"Oh, thank the Light," she said, but didn't move from her spot near the Fire.
The Heartless —Possessors, Vanitas decided to call them— shivered and twitched as they floated sluggishly through the air. It seemed they didn't like the cold, either. Vanitas lazily cut them down one by one, each Heartless dissolving in a puff of smoke. The last Possessor seemed a little less disorientated than the others and tried to take a bite out of his arm.
Vanitas just laughed. "That ain't gonna work," he told it before slicing Void Gear through its face and grinning back at Aqua. Her eyes were closed again. "Hey, are you okay?" he asked, walking over to her. She was starting to look a little blue. Well, bluer than usual.
"Mhm?" Aqua blinked down at him. "It's c-cold."
"Yeah…" Vanitas felt a twinge of regret for letting her be cold for longer than she needed to be. "Well, the Heartless are gone now so… how about we warm up the place before you freeze to death?"
"Oh, I thought you'd never ask," she sighed in relief and cast Fira to melt the ice. Vanitas joined his own Dark Fira to hers, the orange and black flames mixing together before dying down again. They were left with a wet, trashed armory of broken bits of metal.
Vanitas shook some of the dampness out of his hair and inspected a shard of sword with his boot. "That was too easy. I thought I was gonna get a real fight."
Aqua tucked a wet strand of hair behind her ear. "Just be glad your plan actually worked."
"Yeah," he agreed mildly, eyeing her. She was soaking wet— definitely worse off when it came to clothing. His Dark Suit was waterproof, not that he'd been in water more than a few times in his life. At least Aqua had stopped shivering.
Vanitas turned his attention to the huge stone door. It was decorated with a carving of two gargoyles. Aqua had been right. It really didn't look like anything else in the Castle of Dreams, more like it had been transplanted here from another World entirely.
The Realm of Light.
Vanitas swallowed thickly. This was it. Once they walked beyond that threshold, his life with Aqua would end. She would abandon him, no matter if he took Ventus's heart or not. She would die, either by his hand or Xehanort's. Vanitas realized his arms were shaking, his whole body trembling. All he had to do was point his Keyblade and unlock that door, but… he couldn't do it. He was paralyzed.
Wild, frenzied thoughts raced through his mind, thoughts of grabbing Aqua and running back to the upper levels, thoughts of staying with her in the Castle forever. But she wouldn't stay… unless he made her stay. He could steal her Keyblade; she had trouble calling it back. She wouldn't be able to fight back as easily then, wouldn't be able to open locks…
"Vanitas?"
He could lock her up somewhere— a bedroom, one without windows. But she could burn down a wooden door… He'd have to find a room with a stone one instead. Have his Unversed guard her; make sure she couldn't escape. Keep her safe. Keep her near. Keep her for himself. Keep her—
"Vanitas, something's wrong."
Wait, he didn't have to do any of that. Just toss Master Keeper down the chasm. She'd never be able to open this door without her Master's precious Keyblade. Then she would have to stay with him forever. Eraqus couldn't have her. Terra couldn't have her. Ventus couldn't have her. She was his—
"Van—!"
Vanitas was brought out of his madness by Aqua's half-choked scream. The gargoyles— they had come to life. One had wrapped its giant clawed hand around Aqua and was crushing her in its tight grasp.
"No! She's MINE!" Vanitas howled as the other gargoyle's hand swiped at him. He jumped back, splashing in the water formed from the melted ice. It clenched its hand into a fist and tried to squash him. He dodged under it and ran in close to the other gargoyle, stabbing Void Gear into its elbow. The gargoyle roared and dropped Aqua. Vanitas caught her in his arms and sidestepped the other clawed hand.
Holding Aqua close as tightly as he could, Vanitas ran for the armory entrance, stopping only when he was sure they were out of range. The gargoyles couldn't move from where they were embedded in the door, but their arms had an extremely long reach. Vanitas set Aqua down on her feet, hands on her shoulders to hold her steady.
"Are you alright?" he asked, peering up into her face. Floods of Anxiety and Worry scratched and clawed at the insides of his heart. If she'd gotten hurt because of him, because he wasn't paying attention…
"I'm… fine…" Aqua panted breathlessly. "Just had… all the air… squeezed out of my lungs, that's all."
"I'm sure you'll make a full recovery," he joked to relieve the tension. She couldn't have been squeezed too tightly, as neither of the Vile Phials on her belt had cracked. Vanitas reluctantly let go of her shoulders and turned back to the gargoyles on the door. Even from across the room he could see their glowing yellow eyes. Just another Heartless, then. It was still swiping ineffectually towards them, arms stretching and bending unnaturally. It was honestly a little nauseating to watch.
"That Thresholder sure has a long reach," Vanitas muttered.
"'Thresholder'?" she frowned in bewilderment. "Wait, you named it?"
"You got a problem with that?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "Or did you wanna name it?"
She stared at him incredulously. "Are the Heartless' names actually real or did you just make them all up?"
Vanitas rolled his eyes. "Aqua, this really isn't the time. But I did name all of the Unversed, so I think I've got a knack for this sort of thing. I promise you can name the next one."
She laughed and shook her head. "So, what's the plan?" she asked, looking back towards the Thresholder. The Heartless banged its fists together in frustration.
"Well it's got two arms, and there's two of us, so I'd say we're even," he mused.
"That just means if it grabs both of us, we're dead," Aqua pointed out. "We'll be safe if we stay out of it's range, so a spell or a Shotlock is our best bet."
"I'll let you do the honors, then." She was the one it had hurt, after all.
He stood back as Aqua charged her Focus towards the tip of her Keyblade. She let loose her Prism Rain Shotlock, a bright volley of rainbow-colored orbs which flew straight into the Thresholder's two faces. The Heartless roared defiantly, but was no match for the beautiful display of color and destructive power that was Aqua's magic. Beautiful and destructive. It fit her to a tee. Vanitas grinned in awe. This was what he had admired about her heart, the first day they'd met.
The Thresholder gave one last feeble growl before melting off the door, leaving only two slabs of stone behind. A large, shadowy orb floated out, an almost shocked expression in its beady yellow eyes.
"Quick!" Vanitas shouted. "Kill the Possessor before it gets away!"
Aqua stabbed Master Keeper through the Heartless and it faded into nothingness. She turned to him and frowned. "'Possessor'? That's not very creative."
"Hey, it works," he shrugged. They walked together across the armory to the stone door. Vanitas watched warily as Aqua stepped in front of it, trying his best to stay calm.
She smiled at him. "Vanitas, I just want to say… Thank you, for everything you've done to help me. I wouldn't have gotten this far if it weren't for you, so… thanks for sticking by me for so long."
Is this a goodbye?
"…Yeah. What are allies for, right? We make a pretty good team." His voice cracked slightly on the last word. Vanitas suddenly realized he would have to let Aqua go. If he didn't, if he forced her to stay with him in the Castle of Dreams, she would hate him forever and neither one of them would be happy. He bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from crying. His heart had already been broken dozens of times. What was one more, right?
It was fun while it lasted.
At least he would have his memories. They would have to be enough.
"Alright. This is it," Aqua said with an air of finality and aimed Master Keeper at the door. A beam of light shot out of the Keyblade's tip and into the keyhole. There was an audible click, and the doors swung open to reveal—
…A spiraling stone staircase leading further down. A deep Darkness emanated from it.
Immense relief washed over him. Vanitas almost smiled before catching sight of Aqua's disappointed— no, devastated face. Then her expression turned blank, emotionless. It was a bad look on her, he decided. She took a step forward.
"Aqua… I don't think we should—"
"We have to keep moving forward," she interrupted dully. "No matter the cost."
"Wha— Are you hearing yourself right now?! You do sense all that Darkness, don't you? There's something down there and it sure as hell ain't the Realm of Light."
"We can't turn back."
"Yes, we can," he insisted. "We can go back to the upper levels and—"
"And what?!" she screamed, rounding on him. "Rot away in this Castle forever?!"
"…It's better than dying," he said quietly.
Aqua blinked and bit her lip, her gaze dropping to the floor. "I— I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you. I just thought we were this close to getting out of here and…" She sighed deeply, shoulders slumped. "I guess I knew escaping the Dark World wouldn't be so easy… But we haven't exhausted all our options. I'm going down there."
Stubborn to the end.
"I'll go with you," Vanitas said. He didn't want to know what was down there, but he couldn't let Aqua put herself in danger. Not like this.
She shook her head. "You don't have to risk your life for me."
"Who do you think you're talking to? I've risked my life plenty of times." He put on the best smile he could manage, though it probably looked more like a grimace. "Besides, I can't just let you go and get yourself killed. Who knows, maybe I'll actually get a decent fight this time…"
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
Vanitas reluctantly followed Aqua down the spiraling stone steps into the darkness. The only light was the Fire spell held aloft in the palm of her hand. The thin staircase finally opened up into a dungeon hall, the metal bars of the prison cells all rusted with age. Shackles were either falling off the walls or completely absent.
It looked as if the dungeon hadn't been in use for a while. Aqua mused that it was rather comforting that the Castle of Dreams hadn't been in need of such practices for a long time. Vanitas had to agree. The thought of being chained away for years in a tiny cell was more than enough to set him on edge.
The further they walked in, the heavier and more oppressive the Darkness felt. Aqua was covering her nose with the hand not holding the Fire. Vanitas sniffed the air but it didn't smell any worse than the armory, just of stone and rust. The hall finally opened into a wide chamber. The Fire couldn't do much to light the gloom. It was impossible to tell how big the room really was.
Vanitas nearly jumped and Aqua gasped as the chamber was suddenly illuminated by dozens of torches lining the walls, each carrying a bright blue flame. The room was large and ovular, with many stone columns supporting a high ceiling. The room's exact purpose wasn't entirely clear, but floating in its center was a massive, pitch-black ball of Darkness wreathed by blue flame.
"Another Heartless," Vanitas growled as the creature blinked open its beady yellow eyes and unfurled multiple red-tipped tentacles. It looked like a cross between an enormous Possessor and a gigantic Darkball— more face than body and uglier than both, iron chains crisscrossing its round form. Its mouth curled into a snaggletoothed grin as it floated there twitching, gyrating, and shaking with erratic energy. Had this thing been asleep under the Castle this entire time?
Vanitas glanced sideways at Aqua. "So, what do you wanna call this one?"
She gave it a thoughtful look as she extinguished her Fire. "…Shadow Stalker."
"'Shadow Stalker', huh? Not bad." He was going to go with 'Big-ass Darkball'.
The Shadow Stalker gave a loud shriek, rising into the air before diving into the floor, spreading a thick black substance across the stone. Vanitas and Aqua jumped back as Darkness filled the chamber, crawling up the walls and columns and up into the ceiling.
"It's possessing the entire dungeon?!" Aqua asked in shock.
"Looks that way," Vanitas replied, glancing back at the chamber entrance. Of course it was blocked by more of the black substance. There was no going back now; they would have to fight.
The Shadow Stalker burst up from the floor and launched a barrage of blue flames at the two Keyblade Wielders. Aqua cartwheeled out of the way while Vanitas flash-stepped to the side of the room opposite her, countering with his own volley of Dark Firaga. The Heartless swiftly evaded the black flames and sank into the shadowy floor.
"Where'd it go?!" he called to Aqua. She shrugged in reply, staring at the floor intently. The rattling of chains was the only warning Vanitas had before the Shadow Stalker burst out of the floor right in front of him, striking him hard with a thick, flailing tentacle and sending him flying several yards across the room until he skidded to a stop. He sat up with a groan just in time to see Aqua encase the Heartless in an icy crystal of Blizzaga.
He was about to give her a shout of praise when the Shadow Stalker suddenly burst out of the crystal, its blue flames melting the magical ice. Aqua jumped backwards as the Heartless swiped at her with another tentacle. She lopped it off with a strike of her Keyblade and the creature shrieked before sinking into the floor again.
"Slippery bastard, ain't it," Vanitas huffed, standing and brushing himself off while watching the tentacle twitch and writhe before it too sank into the floor. They wouldn't be able to use the same strategy as they had against the Possessors.
"What's the plan?" Aqua asked, jogging up to him.
He glanced around, keeping a look out in case it attacked again. "Ice magic ain't gonna cut it, so… Thunder, maybe? I could hit it with a Shotlock if it would just stay still."
As if on cue, the Shadow Stalker once again burst out of the floor, floating high up towards the ceiling before dive-bombing them. Both he and Aqua cast bolts of lightning magic its way but it quickly swerved into one of the stone pillars and disappeared.
"Damn, it's fast," Vanitas growled. Faster than both of them. Despite his mild irritation, he was honestly rather excited to have a challenge.
"Did it just possess that column?" Aqua asked incredulously.
It had Indeed. And not just one; multiple stone columns creaked and groaned, writhing as if in pain before striking out at the two Keyblade Wielders. Vanitas just barely dodged one column and Aqua blocked another with a Barrier. He shot a bolt of Dark Thundaga at the pillars but the spell just glanced off the stone. This would require heavier magic.
Vanitas charged his Focus to the end of his Keyblade. Three spinning white crystals materialized around the tip, firing a wide beam of Dark energy across the room directly into the columns. The pillars were blasted apart by the Dark Cannon Shotlock, forcing the Shadow Stalker out of hiding. It flew around the other columns, weaving through them and zigzagging up towards the ceiling. The Dark Cannon carved hunks of stone out of the pillars and ceiling as Vanitas trained it on the Heartless's erratic movements.
The columns began to collapse and chunks of the ceiling rained down, missing Aqua by inches as she cartwheeled away. "Vanitas! You're going to bring the whole dungeon down on us!" she yelled. One column groaned and collapsed between them, cutting off Aqua from view.
"Aqua?! Are you alright?!" Vanitas called to her, coughing through the resulting dust.
"I'm okay!" she answered from somewhere beyond the collapsed pillar. "Just don't do that again!"
"You don't have to tell me twice!" he yelled back, smirking even though she couldn't see his face. He jumped up on the column but was immediately bowled over by the Heartless and tumbled to the floor.
Aqua clambered over the column and hopped down, winding through chunks of rock towards him. "Are you okay?" she asked, slightly breathless.
He stood up again, shaking out his wrist. "I'm fi— Watch out!"
The Shadow Stalker swooped in. Aqua brought up her Keyblade to block, but it caught between the chains covering the Heartless's body and was wrenched from her grasp. The Shadow Stalker flew across the room, taking Master Keeper with it. She reached out towards it, but nothing happened.
"No, not now!" Aqua cried out in frustration. She opened and closed her hand, obviously trying to summon Master Keeper, but Eraqus's Keyblade was ignoring her calls.
"I'll get it," Vanitas reassured her before charging after the Heartless.
"Wait!" Aqua called behind him.
The Shadow Stalker turned towards Vanitas, hissing before diving into the floor as soon as he got close. Master Keeper was dislodged from its chains and clattered against the floor. Before he could retrieve it, he heard Aqua cry out. Vanitas spun around to see that the Heartless had burst from the ground in front of her, engulfing itself in blue flames and unwinding the chains from around its body. A burning chain shot out and wrapped around Aqua's legs, dragging her to the floor. She screamed in agony as the hot metal dug into her flesh.
Vanitas had to do something! Blizzard wouldn't work, Fire wouldn't work. He couldn't use Thunder, not when it had those chains wrapped around her; the lightning would just channel straight into Aqua. Focusing a Shotlock would take too long. Vanitas's mind whirled with all these thoughts as he rapidly closed the distance between himself and the Heartless, slicing Void Gear across the Shadow Stalker's back. It released Aqua and swiftly rounded on him, whipping the burning chain across his chest.
He was thrown through the air again, this time crashing so hard into the fallen pillar that it cracked from the impact. His vision swam. Vanitas was pretty sure the only reason his skull wasn't fractured was because of his helmet. Squinting, he could vaguely see that Aqua had raised a Barrier around herself. The Heartless breathed blue flames from its mouth like a dragon, attempting to roast her alive.
Vanitas knew the Barrier spell burned through Aqua's Mana like nothing else. He got to his feet as quickly as he could, trying to ignore the pain and his dancing vision. Even from this distance he could see her clumsily unhook one of the Vile Phials off her belt and pop off its crystal cap, grimacing before she chugged it down. He knew the Dark healing magic was working from the fact that she looked like she was about to throw up.
"Aqua, stay behind the Barrier!" Vanitas shouted across the room.
She glanced up, looking more green than blue. "Are you sure?!"
"Just shut up and trust me!" He fired a bolt of Dark Thundara into the Shadow Stalker's back. It hissed and turned towards him. A disgustingly wide cheshire grin spread across its hideous face. Vanitas gave it his biggest shit-eating grin in return. "Come on!" he taunted gleefully. "Come and get me!"
The Shadow Stalker soared towards him, quick as lightning, but he stood his ground. It clamped its jaws tightly around his left arm, jagged, razor-sharp teeth sinking deeply into his flesh. Vanitas bit back a scream as agony seared through his arm, but the sweet rush of adrenaline that accompanied it more than made up for the pain. He was pretty sure Aqua was yelling something, but that didn't matter. This was the first real challenge he'd had in ages.
He was going to enjoy this.
Vanitas stabbed Void Gear into the Heartless's eye, black ichor splattering out all over him. It shrieked in anguish, releasing his mangled arm only to burst into blue flames in an attempt to shake him loose. A peal of psychotic laughter forced its way from his throat as the fire scorched his Dark Suit. Even to his own ears he sounded demented; probably looked that way too, covered in a mixture of Heartless gore and his own blood in the middle of a raging blue inferno. Vanitas ground his Keyblade deeper into the creature's eye socket, the metallic scent of their mingling blood fueling his lust for more.
It felt good, making something really hurt. Really suffer.
He was only vaguely aware of the arms grasping around his chest until they forcibly yanked him off the Shadow Stalker, Void Gear loosening from his grasp. He tumbled backwards on top of whatever it was that'd grabbed him, thrashing and snarling to escape its grip. A familiar grunt of pain brought him back to his senses as he realized it was just Aqua. Vanitas rolled off her and she pushed herself to her knees, casting a quick Curaga over him. The flesh of his arm knitted itself back together and the burns healed instantly.
"Are you crazy?! What is wrong with you?!" Aqua yelled at him, eyes wide with worry.
"I'm fine," he snorted dismissively, pushing himself up off the floor. Vanitas felt better than fine, actually. The strange combination of adrenaline and healing magic was perhaps the most euphoric sensation he'd ever experienced, save for the scent of Aqua's Light.
The Shadow Stalker was still twitching in the air, Void Gear embedded deep within its eye socket. The Heartless glared at him with its remaining eye before wrapping a tentacle around the Keyblade and ripping it out, throwing it towards the far end of the chamber. Vanitas simply called Void Gear back to his hand mid-flight.
"Looks like we made it mad," he chuckled darkly as the Shadow Stalker gave a hissing snarl and dived into the floor again. Experimentally, he cast a Dark Fira at where it had disappeared but the spell just glanced off the stone floor.
"We need some way of slowing it down," Aqua said, still looking at him with a concerned expression. "And don't even think about using yourself as bait again."
Vanitas reluctantly had to agree. As thrilling as it was to throw himself into the Heartless's maw just to deal a little damage, there were probably smarter, less life-threatening ways to pin it down. As much as he hated to admit it, he needed some backup.
He spread his arms wide, searching his heart for useful emotions. Anxiety and Loneliness were at his beck and call. Tendrils of Darkness snaked out from his back, carrying with them a swarm of Floods and Scrappers. He coaxed Anger out too, though it took a little more effort. A half-dozen Bruisers joined his small army.
Vanitas blew out a breath. He hadn't made so many Unversed at once in a long time, but he felt better with the emotions out of his system. In place of the usual emptiness was the still lingering warmth of Aqua's Curaga. He grinned at her, but she had taken a few steps backward and was frowning apprehensively, her eyes flicking between him and the Unversed. His smile fell and a few Thornbites painfully tore themselves from his spine. Whatever; they would be useful, too. He gave a mental command and the Unversed scattered.
Several seconds later, the Shadow Stalker burst up through the floor and devoured a Flood. Vanitas flinched at the jolt of pain before ordering his Unversed to converge on the Heartless. One Bruiser grabbed a tentacle in its crushing grip and refused to let go. The Shadow Stalker rose into the air lopsidedly, just barely able to carry the Bruiser's weight. Another Bruiser tackled it to the floor. Scrappers dug in their claws and held on tight.
It attempted to fly again, but the Bruisers and Scrappers held it down while the swarm of Floods dog-piled on top. Thornbites latched on with their vines, their sharp thorns digging into its flesh. The Heartless bucked and writhed in an attempt to dislodge the horde of Unversed, breathing blasts of blue fire from its mouth. A terrible burning sensation built up in Vanitas's chest as his Unversed sizzled against the creature's flaming body, but he could bear it for a few more seconds. This would be over soon.
"Playtime's over," he smirked, lining up Void Gear with the Shadow Stalker to charge his Shotlock. The Heartless unleashed another barrage of fire blasts towards him. He dodged out of the way, gritting his teeth in frustration at his lost Focus. Vanitas quickly checked to see if Aqua was alright. She was standing across the room, out of range and not looking any worse for wear. He turned his attention back to the struggling Heartless, raising his Keyblade once again. If he could just charge enough Focus for another Dark Cannon while the Shadow Stalker was pinned—
Vanitas could smell the spell before she cast it, the pungent stench of ozone burning his nose. A massive lightning storm arced across Aqua's fingertips, pointing directly at where his horde of Unversed crowded around the Heartless. Thundaja was a spell he'd only seen performed once before, back when Xehanort had wanted to test the strength of his Trinity Armor. Needless to say, his most powerful Unversed hadn't survived.
"Aqua, wait—!" he yelled, but it was too late. Crackling streaks of white hot electricity shot from her hands and pierced through the Shadow Stalker, the lightning bolts chaining together through each and every Unversed. Vanitas dropped to his knees and screamed as excruciating agony ripped through his body down to his very soul. The sensation of lightning burned through his heart as if he had been struck himself, coursing down his spine and setting his nerve endings on fire. He gasped for air. It felt like his lungs were going to burst.
After what seemed like an eternity, but had likely been less than six seconds, it ended. Like always, the Unversed's pain left no physical mark on his body. Vanitas gulped air down into his searing lungs as he lay in a convulsing heap, twitching like his Unversed as they died. His fledgling emotions melted into puddles of black slime, slinking across the floor and burrowing back into his body.
Vanitas squeezed his eyes shut at the deluge of Anxiety, Loneliness, Rage, and Spite that returned to his heart, all merging with the pain and drowning out all positive feelings. The emotions built up into a cascading torrent which writhed and twisted inside his chest. It was too much, far too much at once. He'd never had so many Unversed destroyed so violently all at the same time. If only Aqua had waited just a few more seconds, if she hadn't been so stupid— Rage towards Aqua boiled up thick and black in his heart. He wanted to make her suffer, show him anguish—
NO!
He tried to bury his Anger, choke it down, just numb all his feelings as well as the pain. Worry and Fear and Panic joined the throng of emotions tearing at his heart, fear for what they— what he would do to her. He was so pathetic, just a slave to his own emotions; just an empty creature, just half a heart… Vanitas scrambled for purchase on the stone floor, choking back both Unversed and the thick bile rising in his throat. His skin crawled with uncontrollable emotions and he gagged at the sensation of them sliding along his spine, all as slick and disgusting as ever.
Vanitas couldn't hold them inside the sieve that was his heart and they all bled out of him again, Darkness bubbling up from beneath his skin and Unversed ripping themselves away from his back in waves. He was pretty sure he was screaming again as Distress, Anguish, Fury, Malice, Dread, Terror, and Hysteria burned through his veins and burst forth as a whole horde of Floods, Scrappers, Bruisers, Thornbites, Archravens, Axe Flappers, and Yellow Mustards. Their red, twisted eyes all turned on Aqua.
She had hurt him, and now the Unversed were hellbent on destroying the source of his pain. He could feel it starting again; the terrible, vicious lifecycle of the Unversed. Vanitas hadn't felt this way since his early years in the Badlands, back when he would hurt himself by killing his own emotions. The pain and negativity would replace itself over and over again, spawning more and more Unversed for each one he killed until he was an empty, sobbing husk.
Back then, he'd had only himself to hurt. Now, there was Aqua.
He couldn't let this happen, couldn't allow her to be hurt because of him. Vanitas lurched upright and stabbed his Keyblade through an Unversed, Void Gear easily rending its thick hide. He would kill them all if he had to— all these disgusting, wretched creatures. The bite of his own Keyblade was nothing compared to the pain of Aqua's spell. Even still, each one he struck down just sent another fresh wave of agony into his heart, the pain of the returning Unversed spawning twice as many more.
Aqua was keeping her distance; from the look on her face she was either too stunned or too disgusted to do anything but stand there and watch. It was honestly the best thing she could do at the moment.
Vanitas grabbed an Unversed by the neck, digging his fingers into its flesh and absorbing it into his skin. The emotion returned to him, made him sick, but caused him no pain. This was the only way to halt the explosive chain reaction of the Unversed. He continued to do this, grabbing each Unversed with either his hands or long tendrils of Darkness and stuffing them back inside the void of his heart.
When Vanitas was done, he was a panting, sweaty, shaky mess; but at least the monsters were once again confined under his skin. His mouth tasted of copper, as he had bitten the inside of his cheek hard enough to draw blood. He cast a quick Cure to soothe his aching muscles but the skin on his back still felt raw.
Vanitas wanted to cry. That those things were inside him, were a part of him… There was a time back in the Badlands when he had wished he could be like Ventus, empty and dead to the World. Surely being nothing would've been better than being this abomination. That was what he had thought back then, and now, catching the look of utter horror on Aqua's face, he just might believe it once again.
Stop it. Stop looking at me like I'm a monster.
He couldn't meet her blue gaze. Instead, he turned his back on her and surveyed the room, the destruction he had caused; broken pillars and chunks of stone… The black substance that'd covered the floor and walls had receded. There was nothing left of the Shadow Stalker but a smoking pile of gore, and even that was swiftly melting away.
"Some 'Realm of Light', huh," he said hoarsely, dismissing his Keyblade and reluctantly facing Aqua.
"I— I'm sorry, I didn't even know I could—" She stared at her hands, fingers still twitching with the aftershocks of the spell. "What happened?" she asked in a horrified whisper.
Looks like his secret was out. Vanitas sighed deeply. "…Maybe you should avoid killing my Unversed from now on."
"W-what?"
"I told you, they're my emotions; a part of me," he explained numbly, trying to keep his voice as steady as possible. "I feel everything they feel, so I'd rather you not kill them anymore."
Aqua looked like she was going to be sick as the implication dawned on her. "You mean, you feel their pain when they die?! But Vanitas, I've already killed hundreds, if not thousands—! Oh Light…"
"I know you have. I felt each one," he deadpanned. In some ways, he'd gotten used to the pain. Xehanort's tort— training had built up a tolerance.
Aqua stood there, wringing her hands. "How could you… How could I… Oh Vanitas, I didn't know…"
All of the anger and pain he'd just swallowed bubbled back up to the surface, but rather than Unversed it boiled over as words. "Shut up! You can't tell me if you'd known it hurt me back then, that you wouldn't have still killed them!"
She flinched as if he had struck her.
He couldn't hide this anymore; he might as well tell her the whole truth about the monsters inside him. "Whenever I feel a negative emotion too strongly, it becomes an Unversed. When it dies, the negativity returns to me, but with a nice dose of pain as a bonus. And if it hurts too much, the emotion just comes right back out as another Unversed… Sometimes more Unversed than what I started with."
Vanitas clenched his fists. Memories flooded his mind, of when he was just a lonely child in the Badlands, when he couldn't control all his Fear and Anger and Confusion… When he could do nothing but slaughter his own emotions until it made him sick. When he'd collapsed in the dirt and sobbed from the exhaustion and torment caused from suffering such constant, excruciating agony and his Master had just stood there and laughed…
"You think that was bad, what you just saw? Try my first week of living. You have no idea what it's like, having all your emotions claw their way out of your heart until you're numb and empty, just to crawl right back in and leave you worse off than before. Even after all these years, I can still just barely control them. Just barely hold on to my—"
To your what, Vanitas? Your humanity? You never had any to begin with.
He closed his eyes and took a steadying breath. When he opened them again he spoke in little more than a whisper. "…My emotions turn into fucking monsters, Aqua. And my heart's too broken, too unstable to hold them back or keep them inside. There's a reason I named my first Unversed the Flood."
Aqua stared at him, open-mouthed but with nothing to say. What was there to say?
The Unversed were evidence of the unnaturalness of his existence. They, far more than his Darkness, were what truly made him an abomination. Tears stung his eyes and his cheeks burned with the Humiliation of it all. The resulting Hareraiser peeled itself off him. Without even thinking, Vanitas grasped the leporine Unversed tightly by the throat and twisted its neck with a wet crack. Aqua flinched as its limp body hit the floor and dissolved into a puddle of nothingness.
She suddenly found her voice. "Why do you keep doing that?!" Aqua cried out hysterically. "You're killing yourself!"
Vanitas let out an exasperated sigh. "Look, they don't actually die. They're so unversed in their own existence it's impossible to really call them living beings."
"That doesn't matter!" She tore at her hair. Strange, that was something he would do. "I promised I would help you, but this entire time I've been murdering pieces of you, and you neglected to tell me?! Do you like being hurt?!"
Vanitas's eyes widened. Do I… like it?
Aqua's eyes were wet with tears. She scrubbed at them furiously, trying to stymie the flow. "You say you feel their pain, but then you go out of your way to kill them as violently as possible! You're hurting yourself like some kind of sick, sadomasochistic freak!"
He flinched. Monster. Abomination. Freak. Something inside of Vanitas snapped. His Keyblade was in his hand before he could stop himself. "I am not a fucking FREAK!" he screamed so loudly that his voice echoed, exacerbating his already raw lungs.
Aqua stared at him with wide, tearful blue eyes, wrapping her hand around the pendant on her chest before giving a choked sob and turning on her heel, walking swiftly out of the chamber. Vanitas wanted to call her name, call her back, but the words stuck painfully in his sore throat. Void Gear tumbled from his limp fingers and dissolved into a shower of gear-shaped sparks. For the first time in over three years, he let his tears fall.
It was stupid, pathetic, crying over— What? Some harsh words? It wasn't as if he hadn't heard them before. Monster. Abomination. Freak. It was all he would ever be. Why should it matter what Aqua called him; she wasn't wrong. But then… why did it hurt so much? Why did he feel the need to prove otherwise?
I made Aqua cry again…
Vanitas was no stranger to the feeling of regret. He regretted not completing the X-Blade. He regretted not managing to kill Master Xehanort when he'd had the chance. But this feeling, deep inside his heart… It was an emotion stronger and heavier than mere regret— the one he had felt when he'd slapped her. Vanitas finally realized what it was. He felt guilty. A heart of pure Darkness shouldn't feel Guilt, but he did; Guilt for making Aqua cry.
A Mandrake slithered off his back and burrowed into the stone floor. Vanitas grabbed it by its leafy head and yanked it out. It gave a weak shriek, wriggling in his grasp. He carefully studied its sad, disgusting little face. Why would Aqua care about creatures as revolting as this? He reabsorbed the Mandrake in a flash of black smoke. It didn't cause pain to recall his emotions that way; maybe if he had just reabsorbed his Unversed in the first place rather than killing them, Aqua wouldn't be so upset right now.
Perhaps he shouldn't reabsorb them at all. The only reason Vanitas had always done so before was because if he didn't, if he just let his negative emotions roam free, then he would feel stretched thinner and thinner until he was empty. But now he had positive emotions to help fill the void of his heart. It wasn't like being whole, exactly, but it was better than nothing. Better than being nothing.
Vanitas bent down to retrieve Master Keeper. The Keyblade was cold to the touch.
He wanted Aqua to stop hurting and the Guilt to go away. If he couldn't unleash it as an Unversed, then… maybe he could apologize. He'd never apologized to anyone before, nor was he entirely sure how one went about such a task. Was simply saying 'I'm sorry' really good enough to fix everything? No… he needed something bigger than that, more sincere.
Vanitas had already shared his Prize Pod snacks with her, so that idea was out. Although, Aqua did love sweet food… He gripped Master Keeper more tightly. Terra had given Ventus that stupid wooden Keyblade of his. Vanitas could do better than that. He needed to make Aqua something with his own two hands, prove to her that he could create more from his heart than just disgusting, slimy things.
It was settled, then. Vanitas nodded to himself and headed off towards the kitchen.
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
Aqua bent over the toilet in the bathroom adjacent to her bedroom, vomiting up the last of the Vile Phial's disgusting green sludge. The other Vile Phial squirmed on her belt; she had almost forgotten it was there. Aqua unhooked the bottle-shaped Unversed and it wobbled into the air, staring at her with unblinking red eyes. How many Unversed had she killed in the days before the Graveyard? How many times had she caused Vanitas such terrible pain?
Aqua didn't even look at herself in the mirror, didn't want to see her own guilt-ridden face, how red and tired her eyes must look. She washed out her mouth in the sink before entering the bedroom. The Vile Phial followed her, hovering beside her bed.
"Please, just go," she whispered to it.
Surprisingly, the Unversed obeyed, floating out into the corridor. Aqua closed the door behind it and collapsed on the bed, shivering in her still damp clothes. Her legs still ached where the Shadow Stalker's chains had burned her. She cast Cura over her wounds, the spell repairing the tissue damage so it wouldn't scar. How in the Worlds had Vanitas survived on just Potions and Vile Phials alone? How had he survived at all, when he threw himself into danger like that?
Why?
Why hadn't he told her the truth behind the Unversed, the pain he was going through? Perhaps she should've figured it out sooner; the incident with the knife that day in the courtyard, his overall viciousness in slaughtering the Unversed, his reckless, near-suicidal behavior in fighting the Shadow Stalker… Did Vanitas really believe his life held so little value? That he meant so little to her that he couldn't trust her with information as important as this?
'I'm asking you, as a friend… just… put an end to me.'
Those horrible words Ventus had said to her… They felt so long ago, now. Ven had been willing to throw away his life, too. And to think, just yesterday she'd had the passing thought of killing Vanitas… Aqua sobbed again, curling up in the blankets and burying her face into the pillow as tears flowed from her eyes, the memory of Vanitas's anguished screams echoing inside her mind.
She was so tired, and tired of being tired. Tired of crying and being trapped in the Realm of Darkness. Tired of questioning her beliefs and not knowing what to do. Tired of losing the people she cared about the most— Master Eraqus and Terra and Ventus and now Vanitas, too…
She just wanted to sleep.
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
Aqua had the strangest sensation of falling. She opened her eyes to discover she was rapidly sinking headfirst through a vast, empty ocean. Despite this, she felt more confusion than panic.
Where… am I?
Her descent abruptly slowed as her body righted itself, landing feet-first on the dark seafloor. It felt surprisingly hard; not like sand at all. Suddenly, a flock of bluebirds flapped out of the seabed, rushing past her and leaving loose feathers floating in the air… or was it water? But if she was underwater, then how could she breathe?
What is going on?
The birds' departure revealed a glowing, circular stained glass platform underneath her feet. Depicted upon it was her own image, asleep yet holding her true Keyblade— not Master Keeper, but Stormfall. Next to the stained glass Aqua's head were three circles which encapsulated portraits of her family. Terra, Ven, and Master Eraqus all smiled up at her from the glass, their faces reminding her of happier times.
If only things could've stayed like this…
Now that her body was illuminated by the platform below, Aqua was startled to find herself wearing her complete original outfit from the Land of Departure, not the new clothing she had borrowed from the Castle of Dreams. The silver pendant on her chest was completely unharmed.
"Hello?" she called out into the pitch-black darkness surrounding the platform. The stained glass was the only source of light in the gloom. Everything was eerily silent.
Wait… she could hear something if she concentrated. It was the low drone of a distant choir. Aqua jumped at the sudden appearance of a reddish-brown door in the center of the platform. She took a curious glance around it. The door was by itself, standing free of any walls. What was the purpose of a door that led nowhere?
I suppose it wouldn't hurt to open it…
It wasn't as if she had anywhere else to go. Aqua pushed the door open only to be blinded by a bright white light. She threw a hand up in front of her face, covering her eyes. After just a few seconds, the bright glow abated somewhat. Lowering her hand, Aqua found herself no longer on the platform.
She was back on the mountain summit in the Land of Departure. Aqua walked past the stone bench and looked out over the cliff's edge. Gone was the swirling, stormy vortex overhead. Instead, the castle sat completely intact under clear skies bathed in bright sunlight. Her home was no longer broken.
"Is this… some kind of dream?" she mused in wonder. "…Or was the Dark World all just a nightmare?"
"Both are true, from a certain point of view," a familiar voice said.
Aqua gasped and spun around. Sitting on the stone bench —which had previously been unoccupied— was a man in white robes with black hair tied in a high ponytail. He looked real, solid; not like a ghost at all.
"Master?! You— You're still alive?!"
Master Eraqus smiled sadly but did not answer.
"Or… are you just another illusion of the Dark World, playing more tricks?"
"Aqua, where do you think we are right now? Is it the Realm of Darkness?" the Master asked, gesturing towards their surroundings.
Aqua closed her eyes and concentrated. She couldn't sense nor smell any Darkness. No, this was not the Realm of Darkness, nor the true Land of Departure. This was somewhere else.
"Come, sit with me." Master Eraqus gently patted the empty space beside him.
Aqua sat on the stone bench. He placed his hand upon hers. His skin was warm.
"Master, why have you come to me now?" she asked warily. This was nothing like the way he'd acted the night before.
"Your heart was yearning for guidance," he said matter-of-factly. "You've begun to question your place in the Worlds, and my teachings."
Aqua took a sharp intake of breath. "Master—"
He squeezed her hand reassuringly. "It is nothing to be ashamed of. It is alright to reconsider your beliefs. I certainly have had to reconsider mine. Perhaps… I was wrong about the Darkness," he lamented. "I did not teach you as properly as I should have."
Aqua shook her head. "Master, no. You're the wisest person I know. You're a Keyblade Master."
"Does being a Master absolve one of all potential failure?" There was warmth in her Master's dark grey eyes. A warmth she didn't deserve.
"I…" Of course not. She herself was an obvious example that Masters could fail. "I'm not a true Keyblade Master. I wasn't ready."
"No one is truly ready for the difficulties of life, but we must still face them head on," Master Eraqus explained.
"B-but, you said I wasn't worthy."
"Did I?" he asked, a single eyebrow raised. "Or was that vision of me simply an illusion conjured by the Darkness?"
"I… I have no idea," she admitted solemnly. "What I saw acted nothing like you, Master. He… he wanted to strip me of my title, and my… I mean, your Keyblade."
"No, what you said the first time is true. Master Keeper is no longer mine to bear. It has been passed down to you, Aqua."
She frowned. "That can't be right. It won't listen to me." Or at least it only did so half of the time. "What must I do to bond with Master Keeper?"
The Master shook his head. "I'm afraid that is a question I cannot answer. I can only tell you what you already know."
"…You're not really Master Eraqus, are you."
He smiled sadly. "No, I am not. I am an Eraqus formed by your memories. If I believe I was wrong about the Darkness, it is because you do as well, deep down in your heart." He tapped her pendant. "Terra and Vanitas needed guidance, not scorn. True, within them runs a deep, powerful Darkness, but it isn't all they are. Terra is still fighting his Darkness, and Vanitas has proven himself capable of kindness and selflessness even when his heart holds no Light."
"How do you know about…" But of course. If he truly was created from her mind, then this Master Eraqus would know about Vanitas. "I don't know how to help Vanitas. I'm so worried for him… Can I really heal a heart of pure Darkness?"
"You met someone similar on your journey, did you not? One who was created to destroy, yet all he sought was friendship?"
She frowned thoughtfully, before a smile lit up her features. "Experiment 626!"
Aqua had befriended the little blue alien on a spaceship in Deep Space. Experiment 626 had been called an abomination by the gigantic Captain Gantu, as Doctor Jumba Jookiba had created him for the sole purpose of causing chaos and destruction. But 626 had gone against his destructive instincts all because Terra had befriended him and shown him his Wayfinder.
"Do you think Vanitas could be the same?" she asked eagerly.
"I can only think what you think. But yes Aqua, I do believe there is hope for Vanitas."
She wanted to believe him too, but… could she really trust her own heart, anymore?
The Master noticed her troubled expression. "Tell me, what is it you are so afraid of?"
Aqua sighed. "I'm afraid of losing myself to the Darkness… No, losing who I am; my values, your teachings, what I've known my entire life as a Keyblade Wielder."
"Is losing yourself really so undesirable?" Master Eraqus asked.
"I… What?"
"Aqua, you mustn't be afraid of losing." His tone was gentle. "Everyone fails. It is how we learn, grow, and change. The only true failure is if we give up."
"But I've already tried so hard…"
The Master squeezed her hand a little tighter. "You gave it your all, and sometimes that is all we can give. But all is not lost; there is hope in you yet, Master Aqua." His tone lacked the sarcasm Vanitas had when speaking those same two words. "I believe in you, because you believe in yourself. No matter what happens, you will always be my little girl. I'm so proud of you, Aqua." He smiled broadly.
"M-master Eraqus…" Aqua sobbed, but this time her tears were not of sadness, but of relief and joy. She wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. He returned it, smoothing her hair with his hand. There was a flash of light and the Land of Departure melted away into a sea of white.
Aqua blinked as her surroundings came back into focus. She was now standing in the central square of Radiant Garden. Out of all the Worlds she had visited on her travels, this was the most beautiful. It truly lived up to its name; everywhere she looked were multicolored beds of flowers, flowing artificial waterfalls, and giant fountains. Atop a hill in the middle of the city sat a grand castle of massive columns and sweeping buttresses, a giant bronze gear adorning its face.
Aqua had so many memories from this place, both good and bad. The last time she'd been to Radiant Garden the World had been cloaked in Darkness, and she had fought Terra— no, Xehanort, and fell into the Dark World. This was the World in which she had met both Vanitas and Kairi, one with a heart of pure Darkness, the other with such a pure Light. It was where she, Terra, and Ven had reunited and fought the Trinity Armor… and unfortunately, each other.
"This is where it all fell apart," she said despondently.
"Where what fell apart, Aqua?" a voice behind her asked.
She spun around, not daring to believe it. Sitting on a ledge next to one of the small waterfalls was a blond teenage boy with windswept hair and a black-and-white jacket. "Ven!" Aqua rushed over to him but then stopped in her tracks. "You're not real either, are you."
"I'm as real as I can be," he shrugged with a smile. "Or… as real as you imagine me to be."
Just another memory, then. Still, even if this wasn't the real Ventus, it wouldn't hurt to talk to him. Aqua took a seat next to him, closer to the waterfall. "I'm sorry, Ven. I wasn't able to save you. It's my fault you were hurt. I should've taken you home when I had the chance."
He tilted his head. "I told you already, I'm not a little kid anymore."
Aqua blinked. "That's what Vanitas said."
"Can you blame me? I mean, we used to be the same person after all…" Ventus grinned and folded his arms behind his head.
"Does that bother you?" Aqua asked.
"Well… I'm not sure," Ventus frowned thoughtfully. "I guess you'll have to ask the real me, if I wake up."
"I will wake you up, Ven," she assured him. "I promise as soon as I find your heart, I'll set this right."
"I know you will." He smiled, though his expression remained thoughtful. "Aqua, I've gotta ask you, what do you want most out of life? What do you wish?"
Before the Mark of Mastery Exam, she would've said the same thing she and Terra and Ven had all wished for, to be a Keyblade Master and travel the Worlds. But now… "I wish… I wish everything could go back to the way it was, before all this. When we were all still together."
He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "Is staying together really such a big deal?"
"Of course it is!" Aqua said, appalled. "Ven, how could you say that?!"
Ventus shrugged. "You didn't really think we could stay in the Land of Departure forever, did you? We'd all become Masters eventually. That meant getting out there, exploring new Worlds, meeting new people. It's what we always dreamed of, remember?"
She shook her head. "Ven, you weren't ready."
"Just like you weren't ready to be a Keyblade Master?" he said wryly, with just a hint of hurt. Had Ventus always been like this and she just hadn't noticed? Or were her memories of Vanitas overlapping with those of Ven?
"…I'm doing it again, aren't I," Aqua said quietly. "Being overprotective, pushing you away… You said I'd grown arrogant. That I'd let being a Keyblade Master go to my head. You… you called me awful." It had been the single worst thing Ventus had ever said to her.
He winced, setting his hands on his lap. "I'm sorry I said that, Aqua. I didn't mean it."
"I know. Thank you, Ven." Even if he wasn't the real Ventus, his apology still lifted some of the hurt from her heart.
Ven sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that sometimes… Sometimes it's just our time; everyone has to leave the nest eventually. But just 'cause we're not always together, doesn't mean we won't always be friends. You can't change the past, but you can keep moving forward into the future."
"Vanitas said that, too."
"So have you," he pointed out. "Promise me you'll keep fighting," he said earnestly.
"I promise," she smiled.
Aqua reached out and let the cool rushing waterfall wash over her hand as she took in the sweet scent of flowers. The Master had said her heart was yearning for guidance. If this wasn't the Dark World, and both Ven and Master Eraqus were formed out of her memories, then…
"I think I've figured it out," she said. "We're in my heart, aren't we."
Ventus grinned. "Yep! You know, for someone so worried about losing herself to Darkness, it sure is pretty damn Light in here."
"Language, Ven," she tutted good-naturedly.
He stuck out his tongue. "Hey, you don't complain when Vanitas swears!"
Aqua chuckled. "Honestly, I don't think I could get him to stop if I tried." It'd taken her long enough to get Terra to stop swearing in front of Ven.
"Probably not." Ventus leaned back and looked at the clouds. "About Vanitas… I was thinking —or maybe you were thinking, honestly this is all kinda confusing— if my heart is pure Light, then why can I feel negative emotions like sadness and anger? And why can Vanitas feel positive emotions like joy, if his heart is pure Darkness? Maybe the two aren't as different as we always thought."
Light and Darkness weren't so different? 'If it wasn't for Darkness, you couldn't even see the stars.' It was just a fact, Vanitas had said. Did the Worlds really need both Light… and Darkness?
Aqua closed her eyes and thought. The warm nights she had spent gazing up at the stars with Terra and Ven… The fireflies she and Terra caught in the evenings when they were younger… The dappled shade of the trees where she read books during hot summers… The moon shining down upon them when she and her friends camped out in the woods… Every night she had slept in her comfortable bed… And life, so much life in the Darkness, fluttering bats and moths, singing crickets and frogs, and the moonflowers upon the hill outside her bedroom window…
And Vanitas, who —for all his rough patches— laughed and played with her, shared with her, comforted her, saved her from loneliness and despair. Who would nearly sacrifice himself just to protect her, who would hurt himself to keep the monsters inside him from hurting her. Without Darkness there would be no Vanitas nor stars nor any of those things, and the Worlds would be that much emptier.
Aqua opened her eyes, tiny teardrops flecked upon her lashes. "You're right… There are good things that come from Darkness. And even natural-born pure Lights like the Princesses of Heart can feel fear and loneliness."
"I guess you could call me a Prince of Heart, huh?" Ven grinned.
"Now, don't go getting a big head." Aqua reached out and tousled his hair.
"I won't," he laughed. "No matter what happens, I'll always be your little brother."
She drew him into a tight embrace. There was another flash of light and white obscured her vision once again. When it faded, the sky was dark save for the massive, heart-shaped moon which hung overhead. Kingdom Hearts. Its blue light shone down upon Aqua as she stood atop a dusty plateau in the middle of the Keyblade Graveyard, the last place she'd seen Terra and Ven when they'd still been… themselves.
Aqua turned around. Standing across from her was a young man with ridiculously wide pants and long brown hair. After meeting Master Eraqus and Ventus, he was exactly who she expected to see. "Terra," she greeted warmly.
He startled. "Aqua? Can you see me?"
"Of course! Terra, what's wrong?" Aqua frowned, closing the distance between them.
"Where are we?" He was looking around everywhere but directly at her.
"Well, currently we're in my heart, but physically I'm in a World the Darkness has consumed; the Castle of Dreams," she explained, waving a hand in front of his face. Terra didn't respond to her gesture.
"Consumed? The Worlds fell?"
"What's gotten into you? Aren't you just a memory my heart created?" It was strange. He wasn't acting like the memories of Master Eraqus and Ven. This Terra had no idea what was going on; it seemed he couldn't even see her.
"Aqua, listen. I promise this is me. But I'm not myself," Terra said, his blue eyes staring vaguely at the space above her head.
"What do you mean?"
"You're using the name 'Terra'. That means you're seeing me the way that you remember me. But your heart is just painting the picture that it so wants to see. The real me is lost in shadow."
"What do you mean, 'lost in shadow'?" He wasn't making any sense. Was this the real Terra, or not?
"My heart has ties to the Dark. That must be why we can talk. But I can't see anything, Aqua."
"How did you find me?" she asked.
"I looked here…" Terra placed his hand on his chest. "And heard you in the Darkness."
This wasn't an illusion, vision, nor memory. This must be the real Terra. "I understand," Aqua said. Or at least, she thought she did. "It's Xehanort, isn't it. He's the reason your heart has ties to the Darkness."
He nodded solemnly. "Aqua, just… forget about me."
"No! Terra, you're not lost in shadow. I'll find you, I promise."
Terra shook his head. "No, Aqua. You were right. I'll go astray again. My Darkness? This hate and rage? It's still here." He clenched his fist over his heart.
Aqua bit her lip. 'How does that honor our Master's memory, Terra?' That was what she had said to him when he had promised to never go astray again. The last thing she had said to him when he was still… himself. There was a question Aqua needed to ask him, yet didn't want to bring up— not when they had just reunited. But… she had to know.
"Terra, please tell me… Why did you kill Master Eraqus?"
He stared blankly for a moment before lowering his gaze towards the dry, cracked earth. "I told you; he was going to kill Ven," he murmured.
"The Master wouldn't—"
"YES HE WOULD!" Terra roared, his eyes shining a horrible yellow. He suddenly shrank back as if terrified by his own voice, trying to regain his composure. "I'm sorry Aqua it's just…" Blue seeped back into his irises, but the yellow didn't fully recede. "I didn't know why, but the Master was going to kill Ventus. I couldn't let him do that, but I… I went too far…" He began to cry.
Aqua took both of his hands in hers. "It's not your fault. Xehanort tricked you."
Terra looked up and smiled sadly, his tearful blue eyes still flecked with gold. "Xehanort might've dealt the final blow, but it's my fault it escalated to that point in the first place. I allowed myself to be manipulated by Xehanort; my Darkness is my own, not his. I should've had more self-control."
"No, Terra. Master Eraqus and I should've tried to understand you, you and your Darkness; instead we just pushed you away. I pushed you away. I realize that now. I've done the same to Van…" Aqua trailed off before she could finish Vanitas's name, unsure of how Terra would react. Maybe he hadn't heard her.
He blinked. "Van?"
Too late; he had. "Vanitas. He's here with me, in the Realm of Darkness. I— It's hard to explain."
Terra's startled expression twisted into rage. "Vanitas is with— Has he hurt you, Aqua?!" The yellow in his eyes flared again as he squeezed her hands in a near-crushing grip. Aqua gasped. She needed to calm him down.
"No, it's not like that at all! We have an… alliance, I guess you could say. Honestly, I think we've become friends." She sighed. "Or at least we were, but I've already messed that up. I promised to help him and instead I insulted him, pushed him away."
Terra relaxed his hands and furrowed his brow, yellow eyes wary. "You do know what he is, right?"
She did. "Ventus's Darkness."
"Yeah, and—"
"The source of the Unversed. I know. But he's human, and he has a heart," Aqua insisted. "In fact, he looks almost exactly like Ven."
Terra blinked in surprise, still not quite looking at her. "Are you sure he isn't tricking you? Like how Xehanort tricked me?"
"I'm sure," she nodded, even though he couldn't see it. "Vanitas is changing. He was just as much a pawn of Xehanort as we all were, but now… He saved my life, Terra. More than once."
He frowned thoughtfully at that. "I suppose if that's what your heart tells you, then… you should listen to it. You are a Master, after all." He released one of her hands to scratch his head. "I have the strangest feeling I need to ask you this…" he muttered before clearing his throat. "Aqua, what's most important to you?"
This time, she was able to answer with complete confidence. "My friends. You, Ven, and Vanitas."
Terra smiled, the yellow finally gone from his eyes. "He must really be your friend for you to say that."
"He is."
Terra nodded, then took on a half-serious, determined look. "Let him know that if he hurts you, I'm going to come down there and kick his ass."
"Will do," Aqua laughed and drew him into a hug. "No matter what happens, we'll always be the best of friends," she assured him. "If Vanitas can change for the better, then so can you. I know you can."
"I… Alright. Thank you, Aqua," he whispered.
They stayed like that for a long moment. Strangely, her surroundings didn't disappear. Terra finally broke away from the hug, frowning deeply.
"Terra? What's wrong?" she asked.
"Aqua, I have to go. Xehanort is trying to locate Ven."
"Don't worry. I hid Ven well, in a place he'll never find him. He's sleeping."
Terra closed his eyes before opening them again. "…This 'place'. Is it the Chamber of Waking?" he asked, voice uncharacteristically deep.
"Ye—" She noticed the flicker of a much more sickly shade of yellow dancing in his eyes, strands of silver streaking his brown hair. "Xehanort!" Aqua hissed.
Terra-Xehanort groaned and clutched his head. "No, I can't control—!" His eyes blazed, equal parts blue and gold. "Aqua, get back!"
"Terra!" Aqua reached for his hand.
He grit his teeth. "I messed up. Xehanort is part of me. Now he's using me so you'll tell him where you hid Ven!"
"Silence!" a second, deeper voice growled from his throat.
"I won't give in! Aqua, you have to—!" Terra's words were choked off, his fingers wrapping around his own throat.
"Still you struggle!" Xehanort's voice hissed through clenched teeth.
"Terra! Keep fighting!" Aqua pleaded. Oh Light, what should she do? What could she do?
"That is ENOUGH!" Terra bellowed and wrenched his hands from his neck, breathing heavily.
"Terra…" she whispered.
He reached into his back pocket, pulling out an orange star-shaped charm. His Wayfinder. "I… still have it. Use the Wayfinder… to find me. Remember, we have… an unbreakable… connection…" he panted, his voice growing weaker as white light started to fill her vision for the third time.
"Terra, please stay strong!" Aqua called. "I'm coming for you as soon as I can!"
The World around her flashed white, and she was left once again standing in the middle of the stained glass platform, the afterimage of smiling blue eyes burned into her vision. Aqua blinked and looked down at the platform, gasping at what she saw. There, alongside the smiling faces of Master Eraqus, Terra, and Ven, a fourth member had joined them— one with spiky black hair, intelligent golden eyes, and an iconic smirk.
"An unbreakable connection…" she whispered to herself. Vanitas was a part of her heart now, just as much as the rest of her family. Aqua smiled as warmth, Light, and hope filled her, the glass below glowing brighter.
Terra hasn't given in. Ven is safe. And Vanitas is my friend.
Another door appeared in the center of the platform. Aqua pulled her eyes away from the stained glass image of Vanitas and placed her hand upon the handle, taking a deep breath before pushing it open and striding confidently into the white light.
Thanks for reading!