Darkness mocks the Light

Ventus wandered the woods, then stooped down to pick up a fallen branch, adding it to the pile he was already carrying in the crook of his arm. He gauged the weight, thinking he could soon head back with them. Just a bit more. He had lost sight of the others, with only his Chirithy walking by his side. But he knew the way back, so he kept wandering onwards.

He spotted another stick and bent down to pick it up. But just as he got it in his hands he grunted, dropping it and the other sticks he had been carrying. His hands went to his head as a lancing headache ripped through his skull. At the same time there was an unpleasant chill in his heart. Chirithy called out his name, but he was in too much pain to reply.

"So, brother… how does it feel knowing the truth?" The voice of Vanitas echoed in his head.

"What do you mean?" Ventus spat back.

"That you have already lost. That the confidence of you friends is based on nothing." Vanitas taunted.

Ventus shook his head. "No. You're wrong. We're still here. We're together. We haven't lost anything."

"True enough, brother. Together you are. Well… save for a few." Vanitas countered.

"But Elrena told it true. The people of Scala ad Caelum… they were together as well. But you know now what became of them. They have been snuffed out, while I and my sibling Darknesses remain yet. All that work to get rid of me and here I still am, right in your heart. Honestly, it's pathetic how you keep flailing around, thinking it makes some kind of difference. And now you face even more of my kin." He continued.

"And now that you are here we are going to be destroying you." Ventus said defiantly.

"Oh?"

"I told you long ago. I was going to give you a form we can defeat. And so I have. One way or the other we are going to take you down. And then we are going to go after your so called siblings." Ventus declared.

Ventus had hoped his words might give Vanitas pause, but all he got was Vanitas's laugh echoing in his mind, causing a chill to pass through him.

"And do you honestly believe you'll triumph, Venty-Wenty? Considering haven't even managed me all the way? Sure, sure. You know, I'm going to allow myself a moment of humility in saying I'm actually a rather small fish compared to those other Darknesses. No harm in recognizing one's betters, right? And you know how mighty the Foretellers are. Sure you do. How much power do you think we will be able to wield through them? Our power combined with theirs? And you are seriously going to go up against something like that, expecting a victory? Yeah, right."

"We are going to find some way. We always have and we always will. That's what we do." Ventus argued.

"I don't know about all that. It seems to me all you light worshippers have ever managed to do is prolong the inevitable. I wonder, how much further will you go before you accept the truth? That no matter what you do or how much you sacrifice we have already won. How high will you stack your wall of corpses before you understand we will always flow over it to drown you all in darkness?" Vanitas replied.

"It's not over until it's over." Ventus said, with as much confidence as he could muster.

"You must have such faith in your friends to speak so readily. Surely you can't think a wimp like you could stand against us on his own? And you and Sora keep going on and on how your friends are your power. So which of your illustrious friends did you plan on having to champion your cause? Lauriam, so prone to temper tantrums he already tried to kill you once? Terra, who will be in our clutches the moment you and your blue-haired friend are no longer barring our way? Or perhaps you mean to call on Aqua, who is already rotting away from the inside thanks to her dark self?"

"You don't even know anything about them!" Ventus growled.

"Oh, but I do! Believe me, my kind can always sense what is dark in another's heart, even if they are blind to it. Take your friend Aqua for instance. Oh she was so smug after her Mark of Mastery. So very bright in her light. So certain she was safe and could not be touched by us. So sure you two were the only ones she needed to be concerned about. And yet from the first time I met her I could see the seed within her. The dark blemish in her heart. I knew what she could become with enough effort. So I… fed that part about her."

"You… what?" Ventus gasped.

"So you didn't realize it, huh? Well, I suppose I have time to enlighten you. Whenever I met her I made a point to egg her on in any way I could. Let me tell you, questioning her competence as a Master really got under her skin. Though I must say threats against her friends did an even better job. And it all served to waken her darkness."

Ventus tried to give an angry retort but his headache spiked, forcing him to remain silent. Vanitas was not done talking. Chirithy was almost panicking, trying to find a way to intervene, but there was little they could do. This waking nightmare was too potent for them.

"Of course I can't claim the sole credit for this. The majority of the work was done when she oh so willingly deposited herself into our home. I've just helped move things along. Still, I must admit, I've enjoyed working her over. To watch that damnable confidence turn to doubt, then despair. To watch her light flicker and dim, giving way to darkness, once again proving our case. And when her Phantom self gets to come out to play? Oh-ho, that shall be a glorious day indeed!"

"Monster! Scumbag! Piece of filth!" Ventus practically shouted.

"Ventus, stop! You have to stop listening to him! He's playing you!" Chirithy tried to tell him.

"Why all of this!? Why? All the pain you've caused… the lives you've taken… what is any of it for? Why can't you just leave us alone!?" Ventus continued on regardless.

"Hmph. And there it is again. Ever the light whines and pounds and wails on how unfair this all is. Of the damage we have done to you. Never a thought on what YOU have done to us."

"What we have done to you? What are you even talking about?" Venuts asked in confusion.

"We are a reflection of you. Your equal and opposite in all things. The shadow that you cast. If we are monstrous, then it's because you have forced us into this mold. But fret not. Your sin shall be obviated. The aberration that is the light will be corrected, and we shall return to the tranquility of before."

"A reflection…? Mold we forced you into? What do you mean?" Ventus asked. "Hello?" He queried when he received no answer.

His headache was relenting as the shadow within him retreated, thought his head still felt heavy, his thoughts foggy. With his head still clearing someone calling out his name did not register, the hand placed on his shoulder from behind surprising him. Startled, he gasped and called his keyblade, taking a swing.

"Whoa, whoa, easy there! It's just us!" Aqua said, jumping a short distance out of the way of his strike. As the fog cleared from his eyes he saw Aqua, Terra and Lauriam standing around him, worried expressions on all of their faces.

Ventus turned his eyes down to his keyblade, promptly sending it away.

"I… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that. Sorry." He said in a subdued tone, hanging his head.

"You're here?" He asked.

"We did say we wanted to talk to you. But you were taking your time so we thought we should go look for you." Terra explained.

"I see." Ventus said. Apparently he had taken more time than he had thought.

"So, Ventus… we've… we can't have helped noticing you've been acting a bit off lately. And the way you jumped at us right now… is everything alright?" Lauriam asked.

"I… um." Ven struggled, trying to find the right words to explain.

"He has started hearing Vanitas. He speaks to him." Chirithy unexpectedly supplied.

Ventus gave Chirithy a surprised look, then bowed his head again. "Yeah… yeah. That's about it."

Aqua, Terra and Ventus exchanged looks.

"He speaks to you? What about?" Aqua asked.

"Lots of different things. He taunts me and tries to get under my skin. He said terrible things about you all just now." Ventus said.

"And how long has been going on?" Lauriam asked.

"It first started when I first visited Scala ad Caelum with you. It's been going on ever since. Not all the time though. He seems to come and go as he pleases." Ven explained.

"From that time? I see…" Lauriam said.

"That was a while back." Terra pointed out.

"I wasn't thinking on keeping it a secret. I just wasn't sure what to do about it. Or what you might do to help. I can't exactly stop Vanitas from talking to me when he wants to. If I can't stop it then what could you do from the outside?" Ven explained.

"It still would have been better for you to tell us straight away. Ven… I hid my condition for a long time. And it almost cost me and those around me on several occasions. I don't want you making my mistakes." Aqua told him.

Ventus nodded somberly. "Yeah… you're right. I'm sorry I didn't mention this sooner."

"Vanitas… other than him talking to you are you able keep things under control with him?" Lauriam inquired.

"I'm… I'm not sure. I'm trying my best. And he hasn't been trying to take control of me or anything like that. I don't think he could do that yet. But… I can feel him now. A bit more clearly every day. Even if he didn't speak to me I couldn't ignore his presence if I tried." Ven replied.

Aqua looked down at the ground, then nodded to herself. "I think we should be paying another visit to Radiant Garden soon. We need an update on what progress Even has made."

"Agreed. And In the meantime you need to keep us updated on this, Ven. If this gets worse or if something else starts happening you need to let us know. Okay?" Terra said.

"Okay…" Ventus replied.

"And don't forget about the light vials. Usually I'd be wary of anything handed to us by the Foretellers. But if they can help you now…" Lauriam advised.

"I'll keep them in mind." Ventus promised.

Noticing a subdued embarrassment in Ventus that she recognized in herself, Aqua gave her friend a sympathetic smile so she could be on eye level with him.

She put his hands on his shoulders. "Ven… you don't need to feel bad that you didn't tell us at once. You did nothing wrong and you're not in trouble for it. It might have been better if you did but it's okay that you didn't… if that makes sense. For what it's worth I'm just glad this came up. Because now there is a chance we can do something about it. That's all we want: to help you. To be there for you when you need us."

A faint smile from Ventus. "Thank you. Really."

Aqua nodded. "We know the facts. We know that has changed with you. But… how are you holding up? How are you feeling?" She asked.

Ventus paused before answering. "Honestly? I'm kind of scared. He says such terrible things. And while I want to believe we can… we still don't have a plan on getting him out of me safely. And… I'm terrified if what he might do if he gained control of me… or if he managed to break out of me on his own terms. Both are things he has managed before. And if I can't stop him he'll do it again. And the thought… it frightens me to death. Because I don't want to end up becoming a danger to you."

"…Yeah. I know how that feels. I know all about what it's like to carry something terrifying within yourself." Aqua said.

"And Terra and I have had to carry Xehanort's heart, so that is a familiar fear for us too." Lauriam echoed, with Terra nodding at his comment.

"You're not alone in this. We've been where you are." Aqua said. She went to hug Ventus. "Were here for you. Your friends. You can trust in that. We'll find a way to set this right."

Terra stepped closer, hugging both of them. "We will never stop trying. We will always stand up for each other."

Lauriam joined the hug as well. "We do not abandon our own. Whatever we need to do, we will do."

Ventus smiled, feeling his courage bolstered. But then the words of Vanitas came back to him, and his worried expression returned. After a while the group separated.

"Come on. Let's get back. We've a party to get started. We've worked hard to earn it, so we should enjoy it while we still can. And once we've rested well get back to work on solving these problems of ours." Aqua said to Ventus.

"Yeah… lets do that." Ventus said, relieved that he got to set this aside for a while.

They turned back towards the camp. As they were walking Ventus could sense the mood of his Chirithy and dropped a little bit behind the others. "I'm guessing there is more you wish to say?" He asked.

"Yeah… some stuff." Chirithy said quietly. "Ven, you need to be very careful with Vanitas. He's trying to manipulate you. Your heart is pure light, and that's what's holding him back so effectively. He's trying to change that, so he has something to take hold of and twist against you. Making you angry is a big part of that."

"Like it was with Aqua…" Ventus thought. "Yeah, I know. I get it." He said aloud.

"And I know that you do. But do you remember it in the moment? I don't think you should be talking to him at all. That is never going to end well. The kind of being he is… he is too good at playing mind games." Chirithy said.

"I know I probably shouldn't listen to him… but it is kind of hard. Like I said I can't stop him from talking to me." Ven said.

"Look… I get what you're saying and you're probably right. And I'm grateful you're looking after me. I promise to try to do as you've said. But it isn't entirely up to me. I'll do what I can." He added.

"It's all I can ask." Chirithy replied.

"Well, I'm not going to be listening to him for this break at least. I don't care what he might have to say. And I've had just about enough of him anyway." Ventus said.

"Agreed." Chirithy echoed.


As the group returned to camp Lauriam spotted Kairi, reminding him that they also had agreed to talk. On seeing him Kairi stood up from where she had been sitting, clearly anticipating the same. Lauriam was just about to address her when he stopped, turning to look where Elrena was. He then led her a short distance outside the camp.

"You don't want Elrena here for this?" Kairi asked in puzzlement.

"I made her a promise. She wanted a break from dealing with matters like this. So I'd like to keep my word. I can fill her in on everything when it's time." Lauriam explained.

"So, before we got so rudely interrupted the last time you were going to say something about what you knew about unreality?"

"Yeah, I was. Because remember how we had traced Sora to a world called Quadratum? And how it's a world unlike any we know. Well, Ansem the Wise speculated that it's a world beyond our reality. Namely unreality. And that certainly sounds a lot like the Lands of the Unreal the mirror mentioned."

"So… that would mean that if Strelitzia is in *Lands in the Unreal*… that she might be in Quadratum as well?" He asked, his eyes lighting up with hopefulness.

"Riku went there. What path did he use? How does one get to Quadratum?" He asked, not bothering to hide his excitement.

"That… could prove to be the tricky part. You first have to go to the Final World. And even that world is hard to reach. And… I don't actually know how to get there myself. I've been there twice, but never on my own. The first time I was with Sora, and… he never had the time to explain how to find it. The second time the Fairy Godmother brought Riku and me there. And I did see it searching through my memories… but I don't think that counts."

Lauriam's face fell for a moment before brightening up again. "Well, if the Fairy Godmother knows a way then we can go ask her for help. I understand she is someone who comes and goes according to her own rules, but Yen Sid must know of a way to contact her."

"So once one reaches the Final World, what then? I assume there is more." He asked.

Kairi nodded. "Once there we found this… heart I believe it was. Of someone who knew Quadratum. I think she is someone originally from Quadratum who somehow wound up here. And she allowed Riku to use her as a portal to go there, using the Power of Waking."

"Someone from Quadratum…?" Lauriam pondered. He then snapped his fingers, coming to a realization. "The bridge! It must be what the mirror meant! She is the bridge! She and the connection back to her world of origin."

"Thank you. I mean it. I might finally be able to find my sister again, thanks to you." Lauriam said.

"I'm glad I could help. I hope you do find her. And since I'm planning on following Riku there when I can… perhaps we can even help each other." Kairi said with a warm smile.

Lauriam looked surprised, then turned intrigued. "Yes… perhaps we can. I'd welcome that."

"Good." Kairi said. They would make an odd team, but they were all better off doing this together than on their own.

"Well have to choose the time carefully. There is a lot going on right now. A lot of people who need us. And we don't know long we might end up being gone. We don't want to leave anything behind that can't wait until we get home." She continued.

"Yeah. You're right. But hopefully we won't have to wait too long for the opportunity." Lauriam said.

That might have been it, but then a thought occurred to Kairi.

"…Since I answered your questions perhaps you could answer one of mine?" She asked.

"I suppose I could." Lauriam said. "What about?"

"Earlier, Elrena was about to say something about the worlds possibly being doomed. What was it? What did you find?"

Lauriam's expression turned somber. "Ah. That."

"Looks like Elrena was right. Took no time at all for people to come asking." He said to himself.

"Well I do know what that is about. And I suppose since you asked I can't deny you. But if it's alright with you could this wait until after the break? It's kind of a heavy topic and I'd rather not deal with it today." He said.

Kairi considered. "I'm not sure I like being in suspense… but alright. A lot of things are on pause now, so I suppose this can wait too. So long as you agree to tell."

"Thanks." He said. "And one more thing. When we discuss this… for now you should be the only one we tell. Don't bring others into it. Aqua in particular should not know."

She frowned. "Why?"

"It could prove to be upsetting. We want to take care with this. As for Aqua… Elrena made a good point that this might be too much given her other worries. You'll understand once we explain."

"Alright, now we shifted from suspense to outright ominous. I like that even less. But I suppose given what this relates to…" She said. "Well… alright. If you insist. I'll leave the others out of it for now. But I hope you have a good reason to ask. Because I don't like keeping secrets from the others. We're supposed to trust each other."

"You're right. We are. I'm sorry. But we do have a reason." Lauriam said.

"Then… Let's talk again later." Kairi said.

Lauriam nodded and Kairi left to return to camp. Lauriam in turn took a while to let his thoughts wander. Knowing about Quadratum left him feeling strangely giddy. He could barely contain himself in fact. He had not been this close to finding his sister since he had started looking. It took some willpower to not just go grab Elrena and head out immediately. But Kairi had a point. There were many matters to attend to. While his instinct was to jump action at once, the rational part of him recognized he should leave things in decent order first. He would not be able to contain himself overlong though. Not when he was this close.

"Wait for us, Strelitzia. We've almost found you. We're almost there. Just a few hurdles more and we might see each other again. Just a little longer…" He said to himself.