Chapter 10: Black Garden

Aqua awoke with a start. The bed was shaking. Quickly rubbing sleep from her eyes, she glanced at her companion. Vanitas lay trembling on his side, curled into a tight ball and whimpering— same as he had on the first night they'd shared a bed.

Another nightmare?

She laid a hand on his shoulder and concentrated on the Light in her heart, focusing it into a soothing touch. Vanitas quieted down, giving a sleepy sigh as the tension in his muscles relaxed and his breathing evened out. This had become a bit of a routine— the fourth night this past week she'd had to calm him from a nightmare. Apparently those were a regular occurrence for him.

Slightly troubled, Aqua brushed a few strands of hair out of Vanitas's eyes and studied his face. There were the same pale, youthfully round features and long eyelashes, but with a certain warmth to his countenance that hadn't been there a month prior. At least he looked healthier and much less malnourished, even with the dark circles beneath his eyes; she presumed they were from a lack of sleep.

Aqua sighed softly and rolled onto her back, closing her eyes and snuggling deeper into the warm blankets. What had started off as strange bedfellows had taken quite a literal turn. She frowned. It wasn't too… weird, was it? Sleeping with Vanitas?

Sleeping in the same bed as Vanitas, she corrected herself with a blush.

In the week since her fainting spell, Vanitas had once again taken to following Aqua wherever she went, sans the bathroom. She'd urged him on the importance of privacy, a concept which, like modesty and personal space, he seemed to find somewhat difficult to comprehend. Still, the royal suite had become their new shared living quarters, especially when it came to the evening hours. Aqua was reluctant to tell Vanitas that it wasn't exactly normal for friends to sleep in the same bed every night; the rejection would break his heart.

It wasn't as if she'd never had sleepovers with Terra and Ven before, back when they were children. However, that had been a long time ago and she wasn't exactly a kid anymore. Vanitas was no child either, even if his naïveté lent an air of endearing innocence to the whole situation.

Even if her bedmate hadn't been a being of pure Darkness, Aqua knew Master Eraqus would've deeply disapproved of what he'd surely label 'teenage mischief'. Her lips quirked as she felt an odd urge to grin at the thought of the scolding she would've received. Unlike the boys, she'd never been one for troublemaking. Vanitas really had rubbed off on her.

If truth be told, Aqua quite enjoyed the company; she knew Vanitas relished in it. She turned and smiled at his sleeping form, watching the peaceful rise and fall of his chest. At the very least he didn't snore, which was more than she could say for Terra. How Ven was able to sleep through all that racket, Aqua would never know.

Her internal clock, as unreliable as it was without a day-and-night cycle, told her it was sometime in the early morning. Seeing as she was already awake, Aqua decided that she might as well prepare herself for the day. She had to clamber over a pile of pillows and blankets just to reach the edge of the bed. The past few days, Vanitas had gathered nearly every pillow and blanket from each bedroom in the Castle and brought them all to the royal suite. The enormous bed certainly had enough room for additional bedding, though if he continued it would get to the point where she'd barely be able to see the bedsheets.

Aqua entered the bathroom and dressed as quietly as she could. Terra and Ven were heavy sleepers, but Vanitas woke more easily. Standing in front of the mirror, Aqua brushed through her blue hair, contemplating how long it had grown. It was shoulder-length now, as long as it'd been several years ago before her Keyblade training had become fully earnest. It had become a distraction during sparring sessions, so she had cut it. Part of her felt the need to do so again— for safety's sake if nothing else, but it was kind of nice, having long hair for a change. She'd leave it as it was for now.

Deciding to catch an early breakfast, Aqua headed down to the first floor. Reaching the kitchen, she warmed a mug of Moogle Coffee she'd fished from one of Vanitas's Prize Pods. She stirred in a couple cubes of Crystal Sugar and took a sip, scrunching her nose at the acrid taste. Aqua had never been much one for coffee, preferring the flavorful teas Master Eraqus would brew, but there weren't any in the Castle's stock and she needed something in her system to perk herself up. This would have to do.

While Aqua hadn't felt faint again since the first sparring session, she'd been getting tired more easily and there was a residual ache in her chest. It was possibly just a cold. Those could last for a while, as she had explained to Vanitas, and the Realm of Darkness wasn't exactly sanitary. Who knew what kind of diseases the Heartless were harboring.

Because of her illness, Aqua and Vanitas hadn't explored the Castle of Dreams since their trip to the dungeons. He had forbade her from fighting any Heartless until she regained her full strength; Aqua had reluctantly agreed. She'd been trying to take it easy in order to keep her energy up, keeping their occasional sparring sessions light and playing darts rather than Fruitball. Vanitas was helping more around the kitchen, which was always appreciated. He was getting better at cooking simple meals, even using the oven without incident. Soon Aqua would teach him how to do the laundry.

Vanitas had turned out to be quite the eager learner, much more so than when she'd tried teaching him healing magic. The way he marveled at mundanities never ceased to amaze her. It was endearing the way he would tilt his head in curiosity, golden eyes lighting up at the simplest things— his delighted reactions to trying new foods, his excitement at wearing a variety of clothing… Vanitas was absolutely adora—

Aqua sputtered into her Coffee as something warm rubbed up against her leg. She quickly glanced down to find the little blue Flood staring up at her. It chittered softly and wiggled its antennae. Aqua blushed, then shook her head. What was she getting so embarrassed for? Vanitas was adorable… Kind of. When he wasn't acting like a wild animal or a crazy person, at least. Plus, he looked nearly identical to Ven, and she called him adorable all the time. There was nothing weird about it. Although… despite their physical similarities, Vanitas wasn't really like Ventus at all. To her, Ven was like a little brother, while Vanitas was—

More handsome than you expected?

…A friend.

The Flood warbled again. Light, it could probably sense her embarrassment. It wouldn't tell Vanitas, would it? Could the Unversed even communicate with him like that?

…No, she decided, squatting down to pet the Unversed, careful not to spill her Coffee. Despite its vaguely murine appearance, the Flood behaved more like a cat as it arched its back into her touch. Aqua scratched under its chin, prompting it to purr. It wouldn't tell him —even if it could— for one simple reason. Vanitas didn't like this Flood. Not that he liked any of his Unversed, but this one in particular rankled him the most. In turn, this mysterious yet friendly Flood went out of its way to avoid him.

Aqua had seen it flitting about all week, peeking at her from around corners and under furniture. The disobedient creature had a habit of following her around, displaying far more personality and independence than the other Unversed. However, while it was bold around Aqua, the Flood became shy and ran or hid whenever Vanitas was nearby. It wasn't at all like the Archraven, his previous not-so-subtle way of keeping an eye on her. Indeed, ever since the Thundaja incident, Vanitas seemed reluctant to allow his wayward emotions anywhere near her— save for the pacifistic Prize Pods.

Aqua wasn't sure if she should be worried by the fact that Vanitas had accidentally created an Unversed he couldn't control— or how to feel about any of the Dark creatures, for that matter. On the one hand, they frightened her in a way. She'd faced down hordes of them in the Realm of Light, monsters with crushing claws and slashing talons, thrashing tentacles and razor-sharp spikes, twisted red eyes burning with malice… And the more Aqua had fought, the stronger they'd become.

But now that she knew their source and had befriended their master, learned of the pain Vanitas was going through and the burden he carried, the Unversed simply made her sad. Aqua hadn't forgotten what Vanitas had told her the night he'd finally opened up to her, his true feelings about the Unversed… 'I kill them 'cause I hate them'. Vanitas really believed that the Unversed —his own emotions— made him a failure? That they made him… less than human? Aqua winced guiltily. She had also thought the latter, before seeing his face— before she'd taken the time to truly know him.

Aqua placed a hand over the blue Wayfinder hidden in her skirt. This was why she was making Vanitas a Wayfinder of his own, working on it in the early mornings before he woke up. The star-shaped charm would be tangible proof that she cared, that he deserved friends— to be a part of something… an unbreakable connection.

The blue Flood chirped and pawed at her skirt. Aqua pulled out her Wayfinder and presented it to the small creature. "You like this too, don't you," she smiled. The Flood sniffed the Wayfinder before rubbing its face on it, a purr rumbling in its throat. "I knew you did." This was one Unversed that definitely didn't make her uncomfortable.

Aqua headed off to the sewing room with the blue Flood in tow. Closing the door behind her, she walked over to the row of wooden cabinets lined up against the wall and pulled out the bottom drawer. Within it lay Cinderella's glass slipper in the middle of its silk pillow. Aqua pulled the objects out and set them aside, revealing the item concealed underneath— Vanitas's unfinished Wayfinder.

She'd determined this was the best place to hide the Wayfinder; Vanitas seemed rather wary of the Princess's crystalline footwear, giving some vague answer about it having 'too much Light' upon her asking him why. Aqua figured he wouldn't touch it. She took the items and tools to the table and set to work. She'd already completed the wire frames for the five points of the star, but still needed to tie them together as well as cut and set the red glass. And of course there was still the matter of the pendant at its center…

The blue Flood curled up under her chair as she worked, its twisted eyes squeezed together into red slits and its chest gently rising and falling as though asleep. Strange… She hadn't known Unversed could change expressions.

A little while later, Aqua glanced at the clock on the wall— only to find that its hands were stuck at midnight. That's right, she'd forgotten time didn't actually pass in this Realm… Still, she figured it'd been a couple hours since she'd gotten up; Vanitas must be awake by now. As if on cue, there was a frantic knock on the door.

"Aqua?! Aqua, are you in there?!"

The Flood immediately woke up and scrambled under the table, cowering. "Shush… It's alright," Aqua whispered reassuringly before turning her attention towards the door. "I'm coming! Just a moment, please…"

"Oh good, you're here." Vanitas's relieved voice drifted through the door as Aqua quickly stashed the half-finished Wayfinder back underneath the slipper and pillow in the drawer. "I was worried 'cause I just woke up and the bed was empty and you weren't in any of the other bedrooms and—"

She opened the door only to be greeted by a mountain of pillows and blankets on legs. Vanitas, still wearing the black pajamas he'd worn to bed, was just barely able to peer over the pile in his arms.

"Seriously? More pillows?" Aqua asked, not sure if she should be exasperated or amused. "Where do you keep finding these?"

"Just told you; other bedrooms," he grinned. "Come on."

Vanitas turned down the hall towards the royal suite. Out of the corner of her eye, Aqua noticed the blue Flood slink out of the sewing room and off in the opposite direction. She followed Vanitas into the royal bedroom, gathering any stray cushions that'd been strewn around the hall along the way.

Aqua watched Vanitas arrange the pillows on the bed into something like a makeshift fort. It reminded her of when she and Ventus used to build pillow forts in the training hall at the Land of Departure, much to Master Eraqus's chagrin. Those'd certainly had more architectural structure; this was more like a giant nest.

"What's all this for?" she asked.

"I just want us to be comfortable," Vanitas shrugged, then wriggled his way into the pillow nest. "It's warm and soft in here," he smirked mischievously, poking his head out from the blankets. "Come on in."

Aqua rolled her eyes good-naturedly at his invitation and crawled in after him. Vanitas hadn't been kidding about it being warm— the blankets easily captured his unnaturally high body-heat. Space inside the nest was smaller than she'd anticipated as she brushed up beside him, close enough to take in his familiar smokey-sweet scent. Aqua licked her lips nervously.

"So, what do you think?" his smirk widened into a cheshire grin.

"Uh— It's… cozy?"

"Yeah," Vanitas chuckled. "You know, there were all kinds of small caves in the Badlands. Good for hiding." He paused, and Aqua caught the faint glimmer of his golden eyes as he quickly looked away— as if he'd said too much.

As she tried to think of something to say, her stomach growled loudly.

Vanitas blinked and raised an eyebrow as she squirmed with embarrassment. "Still hungry?" he teased. "I figured you already ate."

Aqua blushed. "Only a Moogle Coffee."

He patted her on the shoulder. "Well we'll just have to get you a proper breakfast, then."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Aqua stood in the center of the pantry, tapping her foot and frowning at the half-empty shelves. There were plenty of fresh fruits, fizzy drinks, and various sweets from the Prize Pods, but not much else. She didn't need to consult her journal to know they were running out of regular food. By her calculations there was only a couple week's worth, maybe three if they thinned it out and supplemented with Prize Pod snacks.

She returned to the kitchen. Vanitas —now dressed in a black shirt and matching trousers— was leaning against the counter with his foot propped against the drawers, opening a jar of Golden Jam while keeping an eye on two slices of bread toasting in a skillet. Aqua missed the toaster she'd had at the Land of Departure. She hadn't realized how much she needed electricity until it was gone.

Aqua pulled a couple of eggs from the ice box. "I'm worried about our food supply," she said, cracking them into a pan.

"Why? It seems like you can handle Prize Pod food just fine," Vanitas stated nonchalantly, flipping over each slice of bread to toast the other side.

"Well, yes…" Aqua agreed slowly. It was a good thing she could; otherwise they'd have an even bigger crisis on their hands. She'd never thought food made from negative emotions would be so… well, delicious. However—

"See? You won't starve," he smirked, interrupting her thoughts. "I was actually worried you wouldn't be able to eat Unversed food, but since you can, it won't be an issue."

"True, but we still need to leave before it reaches that point."

Vanitas frowned slightly, his eyes strangely distant.

He's still worried, Aqua thought. But was it at their prospects of escaping, or at facing Master Xehanort again? Probably both.

Perhaps their food situation wasn't quite as big of a deal as she was making it; it wasn't as if Prize Pod food completely lacked variety. There were fruits, nuts, and all manner of sweets, even —to Aqua's delight— rich, warm Apple Pie. Still, other food groups were sorely lacking. Meat, bread, vegetables… How in the Worlds were they supposed to acquire those?

"I was wondering, can the Prize Pods make anything other than fruit and candy? Some meat, perhaps?"

Vanitas shook his head, pulling the toast from the skillet and setting each slice on a plate. "Sorry. I've tried, but Prize Pods are strictly vegetarian— stubborn things." He brought the food to the servants' table and took his usual place, grabbing a spoon and digging into the jar of Golden Jam. He spread a generous dollop on his toast before taking a bite. "Wish the Heartless didn't disappear when we killed them," he mumbled around his food. "We could use the protein."

Aqua's eyes widened in shock. "Are you— are you suggesting we eat the Heartless?!"

Vanitas snorted, scattering a few breadcrumbs. "Obviously not; it's kinda hard to eat something that just turns to smoke and goo when you kill it." He suddenly straightened up, an excited look on his face. "Maybe we could search the trees for bird nests! The eggs might still be there."

Aqua scrunched her face in disgust before blinking down at the eggs she was currently frying. "…You had to scavenge for food often?"

Vanitas scoffed lightly. "Well, duh. Not like anyone was offering me table scraps. It was either Prize Pods or forage and steal."

The image of Vanitas starving out in the wilderness or wandering the streets like a beggar came unbidden to her mind. Aqua worried her bottom lip between her teeth. She really shouldn't judge him for his eating habits when he'd had so few options. She certainly hadn't judged Terra for what she knew of his life before Master Eraqus had taken him in.

Vanitas's eyes softened. "Hey, it's in the past, alright? And I'm stronger for it… Besides, you'll make sure I eat all my veggies from now on." He smirked and continued munching his toast.

"Mhm," she agreed. "Wait… That's it!"

"Hmm?"

"There must be a vegetable garden around here somewhere, right? I swear I saw a greenhouse in the back gardens." She shoved the plate of fried eggs in front of him. "Come on, eat up! It's high time we went exploring again."

"But Aqua, you haven't recovered yet!" Vanitas protested. "Shouldn't you take it easy?"

"I've been taking it easy."

His eyebrows furrowed. "The gardens aren't safe. There still might be Neoshadows, or who knows what else."

"It'll be okay. You'll have my back, right?"

Vanitas hesitated.

"I trust you," Aqua said gently, taking her plate of toast and sitting across from him. She lightly seasoned it with a dash of Crystal Sugar before looking him in the eyes. "Do you trust me?"

"…Alright, alright," Vanitas sighed, licking Golden Jam off his fingers and wiping them on his pants. She still hadn't broken him of that particular bad habit. "I can see there's no arguing with you," he muttered, prodding an egg with his fork. "But you better not faint again."

"I won't," she laughed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

As much as he didn't want to put Aqua in danger, Vanitas had to admit he was hankering for a real fight. Their sparring sessions had been light since Aqua had collapsed a week ago— just basic Keyblade exercises, no magic. Aqua had shown Vanitas simple drills, the same ones he'd seen her and her loser friends practice with their Master when he'd spied on them in the Land of Departure. Their training was child's play compared to the brutal regimen Xehanort had put him through. Despite that, Aqua had still managed to come out strong. It must be her natural talent.

Vanitas would never call sparring with Aqua boring —hell, it was some of the most fun he'd ever had— but she was still sick and holding back was difficult. The Heartless in the garden were tougher than the ones in the Castle; perhaps they could provide the outlet he craved. However, there was one breed of Heartless Vanitas never wanted to fight— Neoshadows. The thought of facing them again gave him pause.

He glanced back at Aqua, who was following him down a flight of white stone stairs leading into the back gardens. Vanitas hesitated before stepping onto the grassy lawn, peering at the sparse copses. There was no sign of any Heartless lurking amongst the trees.

"Over there." Aqua pointed to where the roof of a greenhouse peeked out over the foliage. She stepped towards it.

"Wait," Vanitas insisted, holding out an arm. "I'll go first." He summoned his Keyblade in a bright flash of gear-shaped sparks.

"Hmm…" She frowned but followed suit, Master Keeper materializing in her grasp.

They followed the dirt road leading into a large, rectangular garden surrounded by a tall stone fence. Plants were organized in even rows on either side of the path. A few of them Vanitas recognized; most he did not. Some were short and leafy while others had long, thin stalks; all were some shade of green occasionally punctuated by colorful fruits or vegetables. The greenhouse stood at the far end— a fairly sizable glass building connected to the back of the Castle.

Aqua smiled as she knelt down to rub a leaf between her fingers. "I knew it… It's a vegetable garden."

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "You sure that ain't a weed?"

"It's basil," she objected.

"Yeah, whatever." Of course Aqua would recognize some random plant. Vanitas turned and took a few steps further into the garden before halting in his tracks. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up as he was overcome with a sense of unease. "Hey, do you feel that?" he asked as the frigid pressure of Darkness increased.

Aqua slowly stood and covered her nose. "It smells like Darkness… But from where?"

The gardens were empty. Vanitas looked around cautiously and swallowed, nervous at the thought of Neoshadows. If he had a nose like Aqua's he could've just sniffed out the danger. Instead, he simply had to rely on his more general ability to sense Darkness. "It almost feels like… something's below us."

The ground below his feet trembled and he jumped back just as a large black object erupted from beneath the soil. It was a Heartless for sure— blazing yellow eyes with a wide, craggy maw set into a rotund body supported by three stubby legs. Its back bristled with rocky spines and purple markings adorned its face, surrounding a mouth large enough to swallow a man whole.

"It's just an Earth Core," Vanitas said, somewhat relieved. These certainly weren't easy Heartless to deal with, but they were no Neoshadows.

"It's not alone," Aqua cautioned as three more monsters dug themselves up from the earth, displacing a patch of potatoes and uprooting carrots. "They're ruining the garden!" she shouted, taking a ready stance with Master Keeper.

"Wait, Aqua! I've fought these before. See those spikes?" He pointed. "Our Keyblades will just glance right off."

"So we'll have to use magic."

Vanitas nodded, eyeing an Earth Core as it slowly stalked towards him. "I'll handle this." A blazing Fira formed at Void Gear's tip.

"No!" Aqua objected. "You'll set the plants on fire! No Blizzard or Thunder, either!"

He growled as the flames died down. "Then what do you propose?"

One of the Earth Cores charged at Aqua before she could answer, faster than its three-legged gait would suggest. She quickly cartwheeled out of the way, barely avoiding a patch of pumpkins. "Something non-destructive!"

"That's—" Vanitas side-stepped another Heartless as it lunged at him, its cavernous maw open wide. It clipped his forearm with its razor-sharp teeth as it went past. "That's not really my style!" he hissed through clenched teeth, checking the wound on his arm. It was long but shallow, and while it was bleeding profusely, it wasn't anything he wasn't used to.

"Quickly, over here!" Aqua called.

Vanitas ran to her just as she cast a Barrier spell, the hexagonal sphere of pink protective magic forming a bubble around them. They stood back-to-back, Keyblades raised in a defensive position as the Earth Cores stalked around them like a pack of wolves.

"Well, this is familiar," he quipped.

"Yes, it is," Aqua sighed. "You might want to Cure that, by the way." She nodded at his arm.

"Huh? Oh." Sometimes Vanitas forgot he could use healing magic— wounds this insignificant were hardly worth the trouble. Not wanting to displease Aqua however, Vanitas cast Cure on himself and the cut healed almost instantly.

One Earth Core broke from the pack, approaching the sphere of protective magic. It balanced on its single hind leg to lean its full weight on the Barrier— though the magic didn't give. The Heartless attempted to gnaw at the bubble, its thick tongue lolling out and spreading thick saliva across the shiny surface, but as wide as its mouth was it couldn't get a hold. The Earth Core slumped down and rejoined the other two in circling the Barrier.

"Why aren't they attacking?" Aqua asked, her face scrunched up in disgust at the Heartless drool slowly sliding down the bubble's exterior.

"They must be brighter than I thought," Vanitas grumbled. "Heartless don't need to eat or sleep; they're gonna wait us out."

"And destroy the garden in the process," she pointed out as more plants were trampled underfoot by the creatures' lumbering feet.

"It's either us, or the vegetables," he shrugged.

"…There must be some non-destructive spell I can use," Aqua muttered in frustration.

Vanitas looked over his shoulder at her. "Hey, you've kicked my ass before; these guys should be a piece of cake for you," he smirked. "Seriously though, you're great at magic. I know you'll think of something."

Her eyes widened, then warmed, something sparkling in their blue depths. "Thank you." Aqua's focus returned to the Heartless, her features set in a determined expression. "Their undersides aren't armored. Did you notice?"

"Okay, great; so we know their weak-point. How do we reach it?"

"We need something to push them over."

"What about Sleep?" Just because it wasn't a biological need of the Heartless, didn't mean magic couldn't knock them out.

Aqua shook her head. "I can only hold it on one at a time and it won't last long. Wind magic might work, but we'll have to keep it low-level to protect the plants."

"Those things are way too heavy for a simple Aero."

"I know…" She worried her lip between her teeth, then sighed dejectedly. "I think we'll have to give up the garden."

Vanitas's attention was drawn back to the three Heartless as the one closest to him snarled, jagged teeth bared.

Wait a minute— One, two, three… Where's the fourth one?!

"Wait, that's it!" Aqua gasped.

There was a rumbling beneath their feet.

"Aqua!" Vanitas grabbed her arm and flash-stepped out of the way. The abrupt movement disrupted Aqua's magical concentration, shattering her Barrier as both of them narrowly escaped the snapping jaws of the unaccounted-for Earth Core as it erupted from the ground.

The two Keyblade Wielders ended up a few yards away, backed into a corner against the stone fence. Aqua staggered to regain her balance, obviously disorientated from moving so quickly. Vanitas placed a steadying hand on her shoulder, watching as the formerly-missing Earth Core shook dirt out of its rocky spikes. It joined the other three as they stalked forwards menacingly, closing ranks around Vanitas and Aqua.

"Are you alright?" he asked quickly.

"I— Yes," she answered breathlessly. "I've never moved so fast…"

Unfortunately, Vanitas didn't have time for Aqua to regain her composure. He stepped in front of her, raising Void Gear in a protective stance. Despite the pulse pounding in his ears, Vanitas was ready to use himself as a shield if need be. "Now what?" he snapped urgently. If only he could open Dark Corridors in this Realm, he and Aqua could just teleport to safety.

"I—" Aqua took a deep breath. "I know what to do," she said confidently. "It's similar to our strategy against the Possessors— I'll immobilize them, you take them out!"

"Got it."

Aqua dismissed Master Keeper and raised her hands, eyes closed and brow furrowed in concentration. A drop of sweat rolled down her forehead.

The Heartless froze in place, puzzled expressions crossing their hideous faces as they were bathed in a purple glow. They began to float upwards like eldritch balloons, their feet scrabbling as they attempted to borrow into the dirt, but the pull of Aqua's magic was too strong.

An antigravity spell? Vanitas wondered.

The Earth Cores slowly spun in place, futilely waving their stubby legs and exposing their unprotected bellies.

"Vanitas, now!" Aqua yelled, her voice strained and arms shaking.

Vanitas rushed forwards, closing in on a Heartless and plunging his Keyblade into its gut. "Take this!" He sliced it clean down the middle, resulting in a shower of black blood and entrails that turned to ash as soon as they hit the ground. Vanitas dispatched the remaining Earth Cores in a similar manner, and soon peace was restored to the garden.

Aqua relaxed, letting out a relieved breath as her shoulders slumped. She wiped sweat from her brow before looking up and grinning. Vanitas dismissed Void Gear and returned to her side.

As soon as he got close, Aqua made a strange gesture towards him. "We did it! High-five!"

"Huh?" Vanitas tilted his head.

"Terra taught us to do this," she smiled encouragingly. "You hold up your hand like this." Aqua stretched out her hand, palm held high. "And then touch hands."

"Oh, I get it." Vanitas pressed his palm against hers.

She giggled. "Not quite. But you'll get the hang of it."

"…I think I prefer our version," he murmured, intertwining their fingers.

"You'll have to let go eventually…"

"What if I never want to?"

A blush blossomed across Aqua's cheeks. "W-we should check on the garden." She broke off from the hold.

Vanitas dropped his arm loosely at his side and glanced at his hand, already missing her warm touch.

Aqua let out another breath, surveying the damage. Somehow most of the plants had survived, but quite a few vegetables had been trampled underfoot. She picked up a carrot that had been snapped in half. "I guess we'll be having vegetable stew, tonight."

"Whatever happened to 'stealing is wrong'?" Vanitas teased, crossing his arms.

"You and I both know this is a nutrition emergency," Aqua sniffed, one hand on her hip and the other brandishing the broken carrot. "Besides, we can't just let all this food go to waste."

"Someone's lively," he grinned, looking her up and down. "Looks like there wasn't anything to worry about, after all. You seem back to normal to me."

She chuckled. "I'm actually kind of surprised. I thought Zero Gravira would take a lot more out of me— the first time I ever used that spell, I actually fainted."

"Good thing you didn't."

"Mhm," she nodded.

Vanitas knew it must've been nothing more than a simple illness— one Aqua had obviously recovered from if she could cast a spell that strong with little issue. She would be fine in the Dark World, especially now that they had the extra food she'd wanted. The more Heartless he and Aqua slayed, the safer the Castle of Dreams would become. Plus, now that Aqua was back to full health, they could play Fruitball and spar in earnest again. Everything was perfect.

"There might be more vegetables in the greenhouse," Aqua suggested. "Let's check it out."

Vanitas followed her inside and peered around. Seeing the greenhouse from the outside was nothing like experiencing it on the inside. There were dozens of plants— some in pots lined up against the glass walls, others hanging from baskets, and more plants tall enough to reach the pointed ceiling. Everywhere were splashes of color from vibrant flowers. The greenery reminded him of some of the Worlds he'd been allowed to visit.

"This is awesome," Vanitas exclaimed, awestruck. "Seriously, it's like a miniature jungle in here!"

"It really is something," Aqua agreed with a smile.

She knelt down to inspect some plants; Vanitas took the opportunity to look around. Most of the plants were flowers; nothing recognizably edible. Still, the smell of plants and rich soil was wonderful. One in particular caught his eye, a plant sporting delicate white flowers with pale yellow star-shaped centers. He closed his eyes and breathed in its heavy floral scent.

Aqua approached him. "Oh, how pretty! These are moonflowers. They only bloom at night, you know."

Vanitas looked up through the glass ceiling to the pitch-black sky above. "I guess this Realm is perfect for them, then." He hadn't known something so beautiful could thrive in Darkness. "Can we… keep them?" he asked hesitantly.

"You mean bring them into the Castle with us? I suppose so…" Aqua mused. "It's not like they get more sunlight out here than they do inside." She looked at him curiously. "You know, I never took you for a gardener."

"Nothing grows in the Badlands," Vanitas shrugged. "I've tried."

Aqua seemed taken aback. He didn't blame her. The Badlands wasn't exactly known for its vegetation, no matter how hard he'd tried to grow things of his own. Seeds never sprouted; trimmings withered. The Keyblade Graveyard truly was a dead World. The only living thing ever born on its dry, dusty soil was—

"Vanitas?"

"Sorry." He shook off the memories. "Just thinking."

Past was past.

"Alright," Aqua said a little uncertainly. "Well, I haven't seen any vegetables in here, just flowers."

"What about over there?" Vanitas nodded towards a door at the other end of the greenhouse which led back inside the Castle.

Opening the door, the two Keyblade Wielders found themselves in a room cluttered with a large assortment of strange objects— wooden shelves bowed from the weight of countless glass vials of powders and spices; racks of dried herbs and other ingredients sat on the countertops. A chalkboard stood in one corner, surrounded by stools.

"Oh, it's an apothecary!" Aqua exclaimed. She ran over to the shelves to examine a couple of potted plants. One was small and green with five-pointed leaves; the other was a curling vine with yellow spherical and crescent-shaped pods. "Vanitas, do you know what these are?!"

"…Vegetables?" he answered hesitantly.

"They're star clover and moon pods, silly!"

"So?"

"They're Potion ingredients."

"Oh," Vanitas blinked. That… might be useful.

"You've drank Potions before, right?"

"Yeah." He rubbed the back of his neck. "They're kinda gross."

"Not as gross as Vile—" Aqua stopped short. "I mean— Uh…"

Vanitas snorted. "Don't worry about it; I know they're terrible. Potions ain't much better, though. I always had to sneak them from the Moogle Shops, seeing as Xehanort never lent me any Munny— the bastard. Never taught me how to make Potions for myself, either."

Aqua bit her lip, her previous enthusiasm gone. "It's a good skill for any Keyblade Wielder to have."

"I'd love to learn," Vanitas offered, trying to lighten the mood. Shit, why'd he have to go and mention the old man? Every time he did, it just made Aqua upset. "So, you wanna do some Potion-making?"

"Synthesis," she corrected lightly. "And I don't see why not. I don't see any ingredients for Ethers, but I know the basic formula for Potions and Hi-Potions. If you want anything higher-grade, you'll have to ask the Moogles. Still, this'll save us in a pinch if we run out of Mana for Cure spells."

"You just don't wanna drink a Vile Phial again."

Aqua laughed. "I'd really rather not." She rummaged through the shelves. "If only we had some— Here it is!"

"What's that?"

She held up a vial of green powder. "Soothing Crystal dust." Aqua walked over to the chalkboard and began to write out Synthesis instructions and an equation on the board. Most of the symbols he didn't recognize. "We'll need two star clovers for every one moon pod…"

Vanitas sat on a stool and tried to pay attention to Aqua's lesson, but he was still on an adrenaline rush from fighting the Heartless and didn't want to sit still. He could feel the tick-tock of an Impatient Chrono Twister in sync with his heartbeat. His eyes drifted to another piece of chalk. Vanitas picked it up and inspected it. It reminded him of the white limestone rocks he'd collected in the Badlands to stave off boredom. Before he could stop himself, he began to draw on the chalkboard. Vanitas was distantly aware that Aqua had ceased lecturing and was watching him.

"That looks amazing!" she gasped as he set down the chalk.

"It does?" he glanced at his drawing. It was a more-or-less accurate rendition of the hourglass-shaped Unversed ticking away inside his chest.

"Yes!"

Vanitas's heart fluttered as the Chrono Twister evaporated.

"Where'd you learn how to draw like that?"

"Uh…" he hesitated. This was an embarrassing secret to share. "Remember when I said I used to do stupid kiddie stuff?" Vanitas glanced at the chalkboard. "Well, there was never anything to do in the Badlands besides train, so… I'd draw on cave walls for fun," he admitted, flushing a little. "And the only things around to draw were the Unversed, so…" He blew out a long breath. "I know it's childish…"

"Childish? Vanitas, you're a great artist!"

"I am…?" he blinked.

Vanitas had never been a 'great' anything, besides perhaps a great disappointment. Master Xehanort had called him a 'marvel' when he'd first learned of Vanitas's abilities, but with a predatory gleam in his yellow eyes— more like he'd happened upon a powerful weapon than a bright pupil. The old man hadn't been wrong…

However, Aqua said it like… like she was actually proud of him. Impressed, even.

His heart beat faster as he swallowed nervously, a certain warmth blossoming in his chest. "Th-thanks."

"You're welcome!" she said cheerily. "I could never draw as well as you can. Look." Aqua doodled something on the board. "There. Can you tell what it is?"

"Uh…" Vanitas stared at the mess of spiky scribbles. "…An Earth Core?" he guessed.

"It's you!"

"That's supposed to be me?"

"Of course!"

"What's all that pointy stuff on top?"

"That's your hair, silly!"

"Really," he deadpanned.

"I'd like to see you do better," Aqua pouted.

Vanitas raised an eyebrow. "Is that a challenge?" he grinned, lifting his chalk to the board. "Hold still for a moment, would you?"

Aqua complied while Vanitas glanced between her and the drawing as he worked. Within minutes he'd sketched a decent likeness of her.

"That's incredible!" she exclaimed in delight. "Can you do Terra and Ven?"

His smile faltered. "…Not from memory," Vanitas said hesitantly. It wasn't completely a lie. He'd only met Terra once and hadn't exactly taken the time to memorize the idiot's face. Ventus on the other hand… Vanitas didn't think he'd ever forget his other half's angry blue eyes— eyes that used to be his…

"Don't worry about it," Aqua assured. "I'll try my best." She started drawing again, sticking out her tongue in concentration. When she finished, there were two sketches of what were supposedly Ventus and Terra situated between the drawings of himself and Aqua. "Look, it's the four of us," she smiled fondly.

The warmth in Vanitas's chest quickly heated into something burning and sour. His eyes narrowed. "Yeah, the four of us…" He wrenched his focus away and forced a grin. "That's enough drawing for now, don't you think? I thought you were gonna show me this Synthesis thing?

As it turned out, Synthesis wasn't too far from cooking, and a hands-on experience was definitely better than a lecture. Vanitas sliced open moon pods to harvest their seeds while Aqua used a mortar and pestle to grind and crush the star clover into a fine powder. These ingredients, along with the Soothing Crystal dust, were mixed together and measured into glass bottles filled with boiling water. Soon they had a few Hi-Potions corked and lined up on the counter.

"We'll have to wait for the Potions to mature," Aqua said, washing her hands in the sink. "It'll take a couple of days."

"Got it." Vanitas stood up and stretched.

"Let's head back and take those vegetables to the pantry," she suggested, and went out into the greenhouse.

Vanitas hung back for a moment and glanced at the chalkboard, staring at the mocking images of Ventus and Terra between himself and Aqua. Throughout the entire Synthesis process, Vanitas had been trying to ignore the two idiot's likenesses; he'd felt their scribbled eyes on his back the whole time. He growled, a low, animal sound.

Why were those two always in the way?

They weren't even here and yet they still haunted him. He wished Aqua would just forget about them already. Grabbing a towel, he erased Ventus and Terra from the board. Vanitas smirked, satisfied even as he felt a twinge of guilt for ruining Aqua's drawing.

He returned to the gardens and helped her gather the scattered vegetables to store in the pantry, loading them into baskets —along with the moonflowers— and carrying them back inside.

"I can't believe we almost died for vegetables," Vanitas muttered under his breath while placing some potatoes on the pantry shelves. "Well, now we have more food at least." He turned to Aqua. "That's one crisis averted, right?" There was no more need to wander around the gardens and put her at risk.

"Yes, but for how long…?" she sighed, placing a hand over her heart. Her eyes widened. "Oh! I'm being negative again, aren't I?"

"I don't mind, Aqua."

She hummed and glanced at him. "…I hope I wasn't boring you too much, earlier."

"What?"

"The Chrono Twister," Aqua explained simply.

"Oh. You noticed that, huh?"

"I for one am known for paying attention in class." Her lips quirked mischievously. "You told me it's made from Boredom."

"Ah well, only sometimes." Vanitas rubbed the back of his neck. "It can mean Restlessness, too. Emotions are… complicated."

"Yes, they are…"

He placed a hand on her shoulder and looked into her eyes. "Hey, I enjoy spending time with you, Aqua. More than anything."

Her gaze softened. "Me too."

More than you wanna spend time with them?

The question was on the tip of his tongue, but he declined to voice it. "Where should we put the moonflowers?" he asked instead.

"They can go in our bedro—" She blushed. "I mean, the royal suite."

He tilted his head. "Something bothering you?"

"No… Yes… I don't know." She fidgeted with her gloves. "I guess I just haven't really felt this positive about something in a long time. I don't quite know what to do with myself."

"…We could play a game again." If it would help lift her spirits. "How about chess?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Truth be told, Vanitas didn't want to play chess again, not after his embarrassing defeat last time. While losing was an experience he was used to, it certainly wasn't a pleasant one, and being upstaged by a complete novice had been absolutely humiliating; no wonder he'd had trouble keeping his Unversed in check. Vanitas had thought Aqua had been mocking him at the time, laughing at his incompetence, but now he could see that hadn't been the case. She'd simply enjoyed the game, and while Vanitas hated losing, he'd let her win if it would make her feel better.

They set up the chessboard on a low table before the fireplace in the library. Vanitas sank into a cushioned chair at his usual spot on the black side of the chessboard. "Do you need a refresher?" he asked as Aqua settled in opposite him. It'd been weeks since they last played.

"No, I think I remember well enough," she replied, picking up a white pawn. "Chess is actually a bit simpler than shogi."

The chess match went by faster than it had the first time they'd played. Vanitas placed his pieces quickly, without much care for strategy. By the time it was over, more than half of his pieces lay defeated on Aqua's side of the board.

"Checkmate," she said as her knight trapped his king.

There, Vanitas thought. That should make her happy. The loss didn't sting quite so badly, seeing as he hadn't even tried.

But instead of smiling, Aqua frowned. "Vanitas," she started carefully, "You don't have to pretend to lose for me." Apparently she'd figured him out.

He scoffed and began to reset the board. "I don't have to pretend to lose."

"Hmm… I don't think that's true." She shifted in her seat. "May I offer some advice?"

Vanitas shrugged despondently. A few Gloomy Jellyshades bubbled up inside his heart, but he pushed them down before they could physically manifest.

"Try thinking of chess like Fruitball, or a sparring match— watch your opponent's moves and predict what they're going to do next. The difference is you can take as much time as you need, so use that to your advantage. There's no rush."

"…I'll try," he said a bit reluctantly. Anything to please Aqua.

She looked at him curiously. "Do you always play black?"

"Of course I do."

"Maybe we should mix it up a little," Aqua suggested. "But only if you want."

"Uh… sure," Vanitas blinked. "What do you have in mind?"

Aqua rotated the board so the opposite side was facing him, careful to not disturb the pieces.

"You… want me to play white?" he asked hesitantly, an odd sense of unease creeping up his spine. "But I never play white."

"There's a first time for everything," she shrugged. "Besides, there's nothing wrong with a little change. You know, in shogi the pieces can switch sides."

"Switch sides…?"

"Mhm. I'll play black and you play white— which means you go first."

Go first…? Vanitas stared down at the chessboard. He'd never taken initiative in this game before. He awkwardly picked up an ivory pawn and paused, glancing at Aqua. She smiled encouragingly.

Vanitas let out a breath and started their second match, trying to follow Aqua's advice. It was strange, playing white. From this side it felt like he was on the offensive rather than defending— a predator instead of prey. Vanitas suddenly felt… odd. Out of place; like he shouldn't be doing this, like he was—

Disobeying the Master's orders?

…Well, it wouldn't be the first time. And if he could please Aqua and spite the old man at the same time, then… Why not?

His mind now set in determination, Vanitas studied the game board. Despite taking the first turn, this was still harder than he'd imagined. Both sides had taken pieces but neither had gained an advantage. After several more minutes of gameplay, Vanitas was gripped by a surge of panic. He could already see how Aqua's next maneuver could trap him.

No, calm down. Think.

He moved his bishop back a couple squares. Aqua pursed her lips thoughtfully. Apparently, that'd been the correct move. They continued to play, taking it slow. A few moves later, he jumped up in shock, nearly knocking into the table. Aqua gave a little gasp, but Vanitas wasn't paying attention.

No way…! I— I actually won?!

That couldn't be true… But if he just moved his rook there, then… Vanitas let out a breathy laugh and ran his fingers through his hair, before placing his rook before her king. "Checkmate," he smirked. "And so Darkness prevails, and Light expires."

Aqua glanced up. "Well that's morbid!" she exclaimed.

Vanitas flushed and sat back down. "Just something Master Xehanort used to say," he mumbled sheepishly.

"I don't doubt it… Still, congratulations," she beamed.

He tilted his head in confusion. "But… you lost. Why aren't you more upset?"

Aqua gave him a small, sad look. "Because we're friends, Vanitas, and this is just a game. The goal isn't to win, it's to improve and have fun— Nothing worth getting angry over."

Vanitas nodded. That… sort of made sense. Still, he couldn't believe he'd actually won. A thought clicked in his mind. "So does white always win?" he wondered aloud. "It always has the first move…" Was the trick to winning just changing sides? Could the game really be that simple?

"It'd be a little unfair if white always won, wouldn't it?"

"I suppose so… But black always loses," he pointed out. "And it moves second."

"Not always. In shogi, black goes first. Should we give it a try?"

"If you'd like," he shrugged. What exactly was Aqua trying to prove?

It felt harder at first, with Aqua taking the lead, but soon enough it evened out into a regular chess match. To his surprise, he won again.

Aqua clapped. "See? I knew you could do it! It doesn't matter who moves first."

Stunned, Vanitas stared in amazement at his white queen which stood proudly in front of her black king. "I don't understand," he said quietly. "I've been playing chess for years, but I've never won…"

"Never…?" Aqua sighed softly and leaned back in her chair, a contemplative look on her face. "I have a theory," she mused carefully. "It's not a particularly pleasant one…"

"Spill it."

"…Do you think, subconsciously, you've been losing on purpose? If you've always played against Master Xehanort, and he's always played white, and you always expect him to win, then… he always does. Perhaps something is only unbeatable if you think it is." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I think Master Eraqus would call it 'self sabotage'… At least that's what he always told Terra."

Vanitas gaped at her. A deep, unsettled feeling coiled in the pit of his stomach. Playing chess had been some of the best moments he and his Master had shared— A reprieve from both his long bouts of loneliness and sessions of tort— training. It was quiet, painless— An activity where Vanitas didn't have to push himself too hard and there were no surprises.

Master Xehanort hadn't even disciplined him for losing— He'd just given him a smug glare or a sneer of disgust before taking the chessboard and leaving again. Could… could he have simply been too scared of Xehanort's backlash if he had actually won? So scared that he would purposefully lose and not even realize it? That… couldn't be true. No, the problem was that Xehanort was undefeatable— whether in chess or combat. It was as simple as that.

"How do I know you didn't lose on purpose?" Vanitas accused.

Aqua looked taken aback, even as a blush rose in her cheeks. "Of course I didn't! I only did that once—"

"Once?" His eyes narrowed in suspicion. "When?"

She winced before mumbling, "…The first time we played Fruitball."

"What?! No you didn't; I won that fair and square!"

"Well… You were so upset about losing at chess the first time, so… I might've let you win…"

Vanitas scowled. He wanted to be offended that Aqua would lose on purpose just to make him feel better, but found that he just couldn't bring himself to be truly angry over it. He'd just done the same thing, after all.

"I would've won even if you hadn't done that," he pouted, crossing his arms. "Still, I demand a rematch."

"Okay, okay…" She held her hands up in a placative gesture. "But first, aren't you hungry? It's already past lunch."

"Is that your way of deflecting?" he huffed.

"Well, yes…" Aqua admitted sheepishly. "But I really am starving."

He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, me too."

"In that case," Aqua stood and smoothed out her skirt, "I'll get that vegetable stew started. It'll need a little while to cook before its ready."

"I'll help," Vanitas said automatically.

Her eyes flickered to someplace behind him. "That's alright. I don't mind doing it on my own."

He glanced over his shoulder and caught a glimpse of something blue by the door. "On your own…?" he asked, turning back to her. "But we always cook together. Don't you need my help?"

Don't you want me around?

Aqua shook her head. "I'm feeling much better now; no need to worry. I just need a little time to myself, is all— to relax. Why don't you pick out a book instead?" She gestured to the library shelves. "You've been reading that same constellation book over and over."

"I—" Vanitas clenched his fists, digging his fingernails into his palms to stop himself from protesting. "…Yeah, sure," he muttered, eyes downcast.

She rested her hand against his cheek, drawing his attention back to her. "Hey, don't look so down. You should be happy; you did good today— especially at chess. I can tell you've been less impulsive, lately— For a second I was afraid you were going to throw yourself at those Heartless again…" She trailed off and gave an awkward laugh. "But instead, we did it together."

"Right," he said flatly, lifting her hand from his face and giving it a little squeeze. "We, uh… we make a good team." He wanted to feel happy at her praise, but…

Aqua nodded and walked to the door, turning back once she reached it. "I'll see you soon, okay?"

"…Okay." He tried to smile.

With a final cheery wave, Aqua left the library.

Vanitas stood alone in the dark.

Thanks for reading!