I don't really write one-off stories as much, but I've been thinking about how Vanitas has been characterized in the Birth by Sleep novel and the KH3 novel from what I've been reading in the wiki.
For further clarification, in regard to the order of the Re: Kingdom Hearts series, I think I was going to write Re: Birth by Sleep. However, I scrapped that at some point. I am planning to dabble more into talking about Kairi and Penelope's past specifically, but I think that would be better left for Re: coded with what I plan for that story.
Vanitas does show up in Radiant Garden during Aqua's story. Penelope was originally from Radiant Garden, like Kairi. I can't remember if I mentioned this vaguely in Re: Kingdom Hearts (especially as the story is older and I struggle to read my older writing).
And at work, while I've been mentally planning for later installments in the series as well as percolating some scenes for Re: Kingdom Hearts 2, this idea popped into my head.
The only character that is mine is Penelope. Everything else belongs to their respective properties and owners (Square Enix, Disney, Pixar as Monstropolis will be vaguely mentioned).
-o-o-o-o-
Between Dark and Dusk
He had only intended to seek out Ventus's heart once again, now that he had been reawakened from the depths of darkness and the past. Sure, his master had made him one of the so-called "True Organization XIII". Vanitas didn't care about it too much. He was fine crushing the weak and snuffing out the Guardians of Light if he had to. His concern was to merge back with Ventus once again, like they had a decade before.
On his path, he had encountered a curious monster. He was chameleon-like, with eight arms, purple scales that shifted to blue at his tail, and had some plumes on his head that were like mohawk tipped in pink. His name was Randall. He was some ex-employee that wanted revenge.
Vanitas could use that to his advantage. So, he did. He let Randall control his Unversed too, after his heart was reconstructed. Unversed were part of him—they were his emotions that bent to his will. And now, they were collecting negativity for him in Monstropolis.
Though. This figure. This girl rather. She was disguised to look like a monster like her teammates.
But he could see through her like the human she really was. It was strange. It was like she had picked up his presence. He had been keeping an eye on things in Monstropolis, especially now as that boy was there. The boy whose heart was protecting Ventus's sleeping one. It was pathetic for Ventus to be hiding there. It was irritating that he couldn't find where Ventus's body was hidden.
This girl. She was familiar.
She spoke sharply, her masqueraded eye peering fiercely at him. "Who are you? One of Organization XIII? I felt you briefly when you captured Sora!" Her tone was in a hiss, though Vanitas was unflappable. He had no reason to entertain the thoughts of this so-called guardian.
She summoned two Keyblades, staring down. "If you're after Sora, you'll have to deal with me first. I may have my role as we get closer to the inevitable clash, but you won't stop me from protecting those I care about."
He huffed. This girl—this annoying little girl. She was just as chatty as she was a decade ago. Granted, she seemed to be less curious and fiercer. More…invasive and interrogating.
But it was still annoying. Vanitas had been sent forward in time to be where he was now. The memory of this brat harassing him was relatively fresh, all things considered.
And yet, he couldn't help but laugh. "Even now, you're still an annoying kid. Masquerading as some guardian of light and darkness. I've heard about you." He mocked.
The girl straightened up. "That's probably because you lot have gravely underestimated me. I'm not pretending to be something I've not. I've earned my role, and I've grown into it. Your taunting will do nothing to curb that," she said firmly.
Vanitas rolled his eyes from beneath his mask. He heard that she was chatty. How she had blended into the background for so long, struggling to come forth into her own. Yet here she was, trudging up to him.
"What's the point of trying to snuff me out? You're in my way. It wouldn't be hard to crush you, and leave you to perish where you belong," Vanitas said coldly.
The girl couldn't help but scoff, a sly but confident grin appearing on her face. "Wow, arrogant much? We've barely known each other, yet here you are, thinking you can send me into nothing," she replied, straightening up. "I'm sensitive to the innate light and darkness within the hearts of people. It's part of who I am. They remind me of specific sensations and places."
Vanitas recalled that. Though her next statement was strange. "You… your heart is black—filled to the brim with deep darkness you cannot escape. It's unusual… I haven't felt anything like it," she began, only to furrow her brow. "But. It's strange. You seem miserable. You're searching for something to fill that void."
In the next moment, he was close. Too close. His Keyblade was inches away from her face, as if he was about to stab it through her. Maybe more. And yet, she didn't flinch. She stared, raising a brow.
She had touched a nerve. Just like last time.
She stepped back, shifting her Keyblades into a guarding stance. "I don't care what your role is. Who are you to make assumptions about me? You're nothing. You know nothing about me, or what I am. It would be wise to walk away." Vanitas hissed.
"What, or you'll kill me? You'll learn quickly that's a big waste of effort." The girl retorted calmly. "If anything, it's funny that I touched a nerve. You're clearly acting on your own here. You would have gotten rid of me by now, especially as I'm in your way."
Just like last time. Why? He didn't get it. She should have been easy to cut down. Yet she still stood in his way, intact and unafraid.
It was around then that Vanitas recalled when he first met this brat.
XxXxX
(Radiant Garden, 10 years ago)
He was looking for Ventus. He knew that Ventus was here somewhere, to meet with his friends. Although for now, he was just seeing if Ventus had gotten stronger—if he was worthy—there was something off.
Something was following him. It didn't feel like his Unversed, or anyone in this worthless little world. It didn't feel like Ventus or his little friends either.
Vanitas suddenly stopped, sharply looking back. The footsteps abruptly stopped as well, with a little gasp.
A kid. A little girl, hiding behind some flower boxes now. Her brown hair hung to the side as she tilted her head, her deep but sun kissed skin gripping onto the ceramic. Her brown eyes were fixated curiously on him.
He laughed. "Didn't your mommy and daddy ever tell you to not wander off with strangers?"
The girl blinked. She furrowed her brow, continuing to stare. She was young, looking around 4 or 5-ish.
"What? Do you have no self-preservation? What a dumb brat." He continued to mock.
The little girl was blunt. "I know I'm not supposed to follow strangers. There have been some weird people here today. You're one of those weird people," she quickly said, still maintaining her stare. "I only followed you because you seemed sad and lonely. Jealous, even."
Vanitas wasn't the type to get shaken up by little things. He had no reason to let the words of other people bother him. The only thing that mattered was him. The only thing that mattered was reuniting with Ventus again and becoming one.
But this little brat. Who was she to make assumptions? To boldly declare what he supposedly felt. He felt himself pull back, appalled at whatever this was supposed to be. But he regained his composure. "You'd better run away back home or else." He threatened.
The girl's eyes widened for a second, before they narrowed. She didn't seem afraid, which Vanitas found particularly odd. "I'm a kid. Who are you to go around, threatening a kid for an observation? Even Lea and Isa aren't that rude." The girl replied calmly.
"What would I have to be sad or jealous about? I'm better than feeling such pitiful emotions." He replied.
"Then why are your feelings running around town?" The girl retorted, maintaining a straight face. "I'm still learning to express my feelings. I don't think you know how to deal with yours."
She was a kid. How could she understand what the Unversed were? Besides her not being afraid, her seeming conscious of the Unversed made no sense.
"What? You're just some brat. How do you know about my Unversed?"
The girl blinked. "Those monsters feel like you. Those weird people have been taking out those monsters. But the dark went somewhere else when they went away. They went to you," the girl replied, relaying her observations. "Does it hurt?"
"Hurt? What do you know? You shouldn't be the one asking questions here, kid." Vanitas replied firmly, trying to regain control.
"Having your feelings get beat up. Does it hurt? I don't think it's a good way to get them out. Did your family not teach you how to deal with big feelings?" The girl continued to ask.
Vanitas didn't have time for this. He needed to find Ventus and check in on his progress. He turned around, walking away.
And yet, despite this, the little kid continued to follow and pester him. She continued to ask and ask questions, not relenting. He stopped in his tracks when the kid was on his heels, pulling on the skirt of his bodysuit.
He instinctively knocked the child away, sending her hurling back. She lay on the ground, processing what had just happened. Vanitas sneered, grinning triumphantly from beneath his mask.
The girl sat up, shaking her head. She got up to brush off her violet overall dress. She was a little scraped up from how she was thrown back, and it seemed to sting, but she tried to disregard it.
She took some big, deep breaths. "Grandma told me once that the dark isn't all bad. The scary thing is what hides there." The girl said, strangely going on a tangent. "You're a bully hiding in the dark. You can pick on people littler than you, but it won't change who you are."
"You really do have no sense of self-preservation." Vanitas commented again, beginning to get annoyed. "The Unversed make me stronger. Their negativity from their defeat fuels my power. All I need is to be complete."
"Oh." The little girl said suddenly.
"Oh, what? I shouldn't be entertaining this useless conversation."
"Oh. I get it now. That's why you feel so miserable," the little girl continued. "You have no friends. You just have yourself and your monsters. That's why you're jealous."
Just who was this brat, continuing to make assumptions about him? Whatever she was assuming, he shed long ago. He shed those useless emotions when he and Ventus parted. Those were for his Unversed. Those were for his power.
"I saw a boy with Lea and Isa earlier. He was the opposite of you. His heart seemed bright and sunny, like my friend Kairi. Most people don't have hearts of pure light or pure dark." She commented.
Maybe this kid did have a use. She was incredibly annoying, but she did have a use.
"You saw Ventus?" Vanitas asked suddenly. The girl peered up, trying to see through Vanitas's mask.
"I don't know who that is." Said the little girl. "I don't know you either."
"But you just said you saw Ventus," Vanitas continued to insist.
"No, I don't know who Ventus is." The little girl argued back. "I said I saw a boy with a heart of light earlier. He was with Lea and Isa. I didn't catch his name, because I wasn't worried when I sensed his heart."
"That's Ventus, you idiot! Where did he go?!" Vanitas demanded. The little girl stared and shrugged.
"You don't need to be so mean." The little girl replied, pouting. "I told you—I don't know who Ventus is. I don't know where he went. I sensed you, so I followed you."
Never mind. She really was useless to him.
This was going nowhere. Why did he even entertain this conversation? He was going to lose track of Ventus at this point.
And yet, the little girl asked one more question. "What's your name?"
"Why does it matter?" Vanitas groaned, starting to walk away again.
"I'm Penelope. What's your name?"
"The last thing you'll see before you vanish into nothing." Vanitas replied.
"That's not a name," said the kid, or Penelope. "You avoided my questions, threw me, and demanded for a Ventus. I think I'm allowed to ask for something. What's your name."
"Will it get you to shut up and go away?" Vanitas asked. The little girl nodded politely. "Vanitas. Now get out of my sight—or else."
"Okay, Vanitas." The little girl said back, turning around. "I'm going to go tell everyone that you're a bully who throws small children."
Finally, the little brat relented. Penelope skipped away, saying nothing else. Vanitas could finally go find Ventus. After a pointless conversation that went nowhere.
But part of him found it interesting. A being who could supposedly sense the light and/or darkness within someone's heart.
No matter. That wasn't important to him. Now, to find Ventus…
XxXxX
"I remember now. I was trying to throw away that memory, because it was ultimately pointless. You're just as irritating now as you were back then, Penelope." Vanitas hissed. Finally, he had some leeway. Something about him knowing her name got under her skin.
Penelope flinched at this. "I'm sorry? I don't believe we've met before. How do you know my name? I doubt any of your lackeys would tell you, let alone remember."
Vanitas laughed at this. "Oh right. You were little then. I doubt you'd remember," he mocked, grinning maniacally from beneath his mask. "Just like then. You're in my way. And you're wasting my time. Maybe now, you'd be smarter to run away."
Penelope braced herself, blocking sudden and furious attacks with her Keyblades. Leviathan and Skull Noise were locked firmly in a tight x formation, and Penelope kept her footing even though Vanitas pushed her back. She stayed on the defense, watching his aggressive attacks carefully to minimize damage.
Finding the endeavor pointless, Vanitas was quick to relent. Penelope found this exceptionally odd as he leapt up to the rafters of the factory. "You've distracted me enough. I'm going to find that remnant of Ventus."
From there, Vanitas slipped into the shadows. Penelope figured that he was looking for something. But she couldn't help but feel worried.
She got distracted. Mike and Sulley seemed capable, and Penelope knew that Sora, Donald, and Goofy were more than able to protect themselves.
Sora was probably going to get worried about her too. Although he knew that she could defend herself, he still worried about her pulling something reckless. Especially with how she managed her forms during their last big adventure.
She proceeded to head back in the direction from whence she came, before she started hunting that strange darkness she picked up.
And if that weirdo tried to hurt Sora, he'd have another thing coming.
-o-o-o-o-
That felt good to write out of my system! It is probably going to be a long while before I get to working on Re: Kingdom Hearts 3, especially as there's a few longer stories to go through before I get to it. I do hope that this was an interesting tidbit though! I had a lot of fun working on this.
Let me know what you think! These next few weeks are going to be pretty busy for me, but I'll try to get back to work on Re: Kingdom Hearts 2 soon.
See you later! Ciao!