Chapter XI

A few days later, Aqua found herself in a rare moment of privacy away from Vanitas's near-constant presence. A part of her felt guilty for not hanging out with him, but she also needed some space. She reclined on the purple couch in the antechamber— the same spot she'd first woken up in the Castle after Vanitas had rescued her from the Dark Thorn. The blue Flood lay curled at her feet like a sleeping cat. Aqua was doodling in her journal— a rather poor sketch of an Earth Core next to a new entry for the Heartless.

Maybe I should ask Vanitas to draw this for me…

"There you are."

Aqua startled, nearly dropping her pen. Speak of the devil…

Vanitas strode over and plopped down on the couch next to her, shooting the Flood an ugly glare as it scurried out of the antechamber before turning his attention towards Aqua. "You're not avoiding me, are you?" he grinned, canine teeth flashing.

"What makes you say that?" she frowned, sad to see the Flood go.

"I haven't seen you all day."

Aqua raised an eyebrow and tapped the pen against her chin. "You saw me at breakfast."

"I suppose…" Vanitas crossed his arms. "So, what are you doing?"

"Just drawing," she answered nonchalantly.

"Can I see?"

"Mhm, but you can't make fun of my art."

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Hand it over."

Aqua gave Vanitas the journal. His eyebrows rose at the sight of the scribbled Earth Core, but he said nothing. Vanitas slowly flipped through her notes on the Heartless all the way through to the sticker album at the back. "What's this?" he asked.

"They're the stickers I won in Disney Town. Aren't they cute?"

"Cute?" Vanitas peered at the image depicting her, Queen Minnie, and Daisy Duck having a picnic in a field of flowers. "You? Sure. The rat and the goose? Not so much."

Aqua blushed. "Y-you think I'm cute?" she squeaked.

"Well, I think beautiful would be the more apt word… The rainbows make me wanna puke, though."

Aqua was still mentally reeling. "Y-you're teasing me," she stammered.

"Of course I am," he grinned.

"Of course," she repeated, laughing nervously. "For a moment I thought you were…" Aqua shook her head and mumbled, "Flirting with me…"

"Flirting? Is that bad?" Vanitas asked, the confusion on his face too genuine to be an act.

"Uh, no… Never mind. It's not important."

"If you say so," he shrugged, handing back her journal.

Aqua closed it and stared at the blue cover, running her hand down the bindings. "This journal has been with me since before I left the Land of Departure. It's helped me keep track of so many things— the people I've met, all the Worlds I went to…"

"Really? Have any favorites?"

"Mhm," she nodded. "Radiant Garden. It was so beautiful— all those colorful flowers and fountains, not to mention that gorgeous castle…"

"You sure it wasn't just 'cause you gotta meet me?" he grinned.

"If by 'meet', you mean 'kicked your butt'," she sniffed.

Vanitas laughed, his golden eyes sparkling. "Yeah… Seriously, I'm glad you did. Otherwise I probably would've ki—" He winced before clearing his throat. "…Well, we wouldn't have become friends."

Ignoring what Vanitas had almost said, Aqua leaned closer to him and rested her chin in her hand. "I'd like to go there again someday, when all this is over— And not just so I can kick your butt again." She giggled as he raised his eyebrows. Over a month ago, Vanitas had been so certain they'd go back to being enemies after all this was over, but that was obviously no longer the case. Everything was different now. Vanitas was different. "What will you do, once we reach the Realm of Light?"

"…I assume forging the X-Blade is out of the question?" he smirked.

She smacked him lightly with the journal.

"Ow! Okay, okay…" Vanitas exclaimed, rubbing his arm. "I guess I hadn't really thought about it… What do you wanna do?" he asked hesitantly.

Aqua hummed thoughtfully. "After we save Terra and Ven…? Definitely a picnic, with lots and lots of food." She sighed. "I really miss the sun, and clear skies."

Vanitas tilted his head, squinting a little. "Really? I got enough of that in the Badlands. The whole place was nothing but open sky and rocks and wind— plus the occasional tornado."

Aqua hadn't stayed in the Keyblade Graveyard for long, but even that short visit had shown her how hostile and barren that World was. She couldn't imagine growing up in such a miserable place. "What about you? What do you miss the most?"

"Hmm…" He closed his eyes and leaned back into the couch cushions. "I miss storms— especially the rain. I like the way thunder sounds, and the rain is cool and refreshing. I never gotta experience it often, living in a wasteland and all, but some of the Worlds I went to had plenty of rain."

Aqua's blue eyes lit up. "Really? Oh, I love the rain!" That was probably why her original Keyblade had manifested as Rainfell. "There's nothing better than cozying up with a good book on a rainy day. Of course Terra prefers woodcarving instead, and Ven hates the rain. He always wants to play outside."

Vanitas glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "Sounds like you guys don't really share hobbies."

"There's always stargazing."

"Hmm…"

"But I guess you're right. Terra doesn't enjoy cooking like you do. It's far too 'girly' for him." Aqua shook her head with a slight smile. "Ven helps me sometimes, but only with desserts. Honestly I think he just wants to lick the spoon afterwards." She giggled. "You know… you and Ven have more in common than you might think."

"…Is that so," Vanitas deadpanned. "We're nothing alike, remember?"

Aqua chose her next words carefully. "I know you don't like him and Terra, but it'd be wonderful if you three could get to know each other."

His eyebrows furrowed. "And just why would I wanna do that?"

"To be friends, of course," she answered simply.

"Wha— Who said I wanted their friendship!" he sputtered.

Aqua laughed. "You'll never know if you don't try. You didn't want to be my friend before, remember?"

"Yeah, but I always hated you the least."

She snorted. "Well that's an interesting way of putting it."

"It's true," he shrugged.

Aqua didn't doubt it. Her relationship with Ventus had certainly started off much differently than it had with Vanitas. She'd liked Ven from the start, and despite his initial zombielike state, his arrival to the Land of Departure had brought a certain warmth to the castle's halls which hadn't been there before.

For the first few months, she had tended to Ventus, making sure he was eating and helping him dress. It'd been difficult to know what Ven was thinking or feeling, with how emotionless and blank he'd initially seemed. It had taken a little time for him to recover from his 'accident' —which Aqua now knew hadn't been an accident at all— but he'd soon begun playing, training, and attending lessons with her and Terra like nothing had happened. She bit her lip and glanced at Vanitas. Perhaps, in some ways… Ven was better off not remembering his past.

After his recovery, Ven's disposition had turned sunny and carefree. He had become an open book— or so she had thought. As they'd all gotten older, however, Ventus had begun to subtly change. He was more easily annoyed by her fussing over him and started taking sparring with Terra much more seriously. It'd become more of a competition to him than just simple fun, and when Terra had left on his mission, Ventus had resolutely followed.

Aqua had been so worried when Ven had run away from home. She'd thought he would be scared and lost, however Ventus had been protecting the Worlds as much as she and Terra had. Aqua had noticed how strong he'd become in the Enchanted Dominion, not just physically but mentally too, to face off against such a powerful Dark sorceress as Maleficent.

Ventus had shown such bravery in the Keyblade Graveyard, being willing to sacrifice himself to prevent the X-Blade from being forged; according to Vanitas, he'd given his all to protect her. When had Ven grown up without her noticing? How well did she know Ventus, really…? Aqua had wanted to ask Vanitas about him earlier, but it hadn't seemed like an appropriate question at the time.

She must've been staring for too long because Vanitas was giving her an odd look.

"What?" he asked shrewdly.

"I don't know if I should ask—"

"Aqua, you and I both know you're just gonna ask anyway."

She glanced down, kneading her skirt. "I was just wondering… How does Ven feel about Terra and me?"

Vanitas stared at her for a moment before letting out a long sigh. "Just a load of mushy bullshit. 'Best friends forever', that kinda stuff."

"That's it?"

"Pretty much. His negative emotions were always harder for me to read, so as far as I know he only had positive feelings for you… and Terra. And Eraqus. And everything, really…"

Aqua smiled. That did sound like Ven.

Vanitas regarded her with a strange expression. "He liked Terra best, of course."

She blinked. "What?"

"Ventus liked Terra more than you," he repeated flatly, his tone carrying an icy edge. "He was always running away from you and disobeying your orders, right? When he was looking for Terra?"

Aqua was taken aback by his sudden frigid demeanor. "Well yes, but—"

"He always looked up to Terra," Vanitas interrupted quickly, sitting up a little straighter. "Made him easy to manipulate. Just one word and he'd chase after Terra like a dog."

Aqua's throat tightened as she frowned deeply, eyes wide. "…Why are you saying this?"

"You asked a question," he deadpanned. After a moment, his eyes softened. "It's just a fact. Don't worry about it too much. If it's any consolation, I like you best."

"…I like you too," she said, relieved as his expression relaxed into an easy smile. Vanitas stared at her expectantly, as if wanting her to say more.

When she didn't, his smile faltered. "…I hurt your feelings, didn't I."

"…Yes," Aqua admitted.

"I'm sorry," he said automatically.

"You were just telling the truth," she reassured him— although he could learn to use a little more tact.

Aqua had always known Terra and Ven shared a close bond, one stronger with each other than it was with her. It was something she couldn't quite reach— the friendship between boys. But something about Vanitas saying it out loud like that… Well, it hurt.

Aqua shook her head. She should've known better than to ask that sort of thing, anyway. It was wrong to talk behind her friends' backs; gossip wasn't fun for anyone. However… Vanitas was acting very strangely, even for him. She still didn't know how to help him manage his mood swings.

Terra struggled to control his emotions too, sometimes— especially his temper. It'd been worse when they were kids. Terra had always hated losing to her, be it during sparring, practicing magic, or scoring on written tests. He'd throw terrible tantrums, in the worst cases bad enough that his Darkness would show. Master Eraqus had always urged him to push it down, that rage was a part of the Darkness, and that Darkness must be extinguished… But now Aqua knew that the Master's technique had been far from the best approach. She just wished she knew what the right one was. Still… regardless of his Darkness and their initial rivalry, she and Terra had become good friends.

"You know… Terra and I didn't exactly get along either, at first."

Vanitas scoffed. "I find that hard to believe."

"It's true," Aqua insisted. "He couldn't stand someone new and younger than him taking away the Master's attention, especially not a girl."

"What's that gotta do with anything?"

"Exactly!"

"Huh?"

"Never mind." Aqua tucked a strand of blue hair behind her ear. "My point is, people don't always get along at first. But little by little we made it work, and now we're best friends. So maybe someday… Terra and Ven will be your friends, too."

Vanitas shook his head, locks of black hair falling into his eyes. "I told you, it's different for us, Aqua."

"Is it really so different?" She reached out and took his hand, rubbing her thumb along his scarred knuckles. "It might start out a little rough, but I'll help you. Terra already knows you saved my life, and I'm sure Ven will come around."

He sat silently for a long moment, staring at his lap. "You really think Ventus would forgive me? After what I've done?" Vanitas murmured.

"He's always been the forgiving type."

Vanitas looked up, his yellow eyes flashing. "And if his heart truly is lost forever? He won't get the chance."

Aqua drew him into a hug. "Don't worry, we'll find him soon. There's still hope."

"…Yeah," Vanitas said flatly. He didn't return her embrace.

She leaned back and brushed the hair out of his eyes, frowning slightly at his sullen expression. "Here," Aqua offered him her journal again. She knew just the thing to cheer him up, even if it was at her own expense. "Do you want to see my drawings of the Unversed? I'll even let you make fun of them if you want."

Vanitas blinked in surprise. "You drew the Unversed?" he asked curiously, taking the journal and flipping through its pages.

Aqua winced at the sight of her own drawings. Despite her best efforts, her lack of talent was quite obvious— the Tank Toppler was nothing more than a circle with rough lines for limbs, and the two forms of the Sonic Blaster were a near unrecognizable mess of squiggles. At least the Jellyshades vaguely resembled what they were supposed to be.

Vanitas stared at each sketch, his smirk of amusement widening with each passing second.

"I know what you're going to say—" Aqua held her hands up in a preemptive gesture. "My drawing skills leave much to be desired. I'm much better at crafts than arts."

"Yeah, I'll say," Vanitas snorted, reaching to flip another page.

"Oh, wait! Don't turn that page!"

"Why not?" he asked impishly, doing exactly that. The next page was marred by an absolutely dreadful rendition of a black stick figure with a dark mask and a scribbled skirt. Vanitas raised his eyebrows at the drawing and read the caption aloud. "The masked boy— a mysterious figure with ties to Master Xehanort." He looked up. "Really? That's all you had to say about me? I mean, you're not wrong, but I think I would've left more of an impression."

Aqua groaned into her hands as her cheeks reddened. "I didn't have time to write any more down! Plus, I never thought I'd see you again after the X-Blade was destroyed. Ven fell unconscious and there was this horrible explosion…" She shook her head, as if it would dislodge the terrible memories of what had transpired in the Keyblade Graveyard from her mind.

The grin slipped from Vanitas's face as he regarded her silently.

"I still don't know how we all survived," Aqua continued as she curled in on herself, her next words quiet. "…For a while, when I was first lost down here in the Realm of Darkness, I had blamed myself for not taking Ven home, for failing to protect him." She clutched at the silver pendant over her heart. "I'd thought I was the one who had caused his coma."

"And now you blame me."

"I—"

"No, you're right," he stated bitterly. "It's my fault. I'm the one who shattered his heart."

"Vanitas…" Aqua started gently. "I've forgiven you, and so will Ven. We will make this right. All we need to do is find him once we get out of here— which means we need to keep searching for a way out of this Castle." She stood up and offered him a hand. "Come on, there's still Heartless to clear out and we've wasted enough time just sitting around."

"…Wouldn't you rather play chess instead?" he asked, staring at her outstretched palm.

She blinked at his non sequitur. "We've been playing chess for days."

"How about Fruitball? We haven't played that one in a while."

Aqua gave him a pointed look.

"Darts?"

"Vanitas…"

"Alright, fine," he sighed reluctantly, and took her hand.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Vanitas followed Aqua around the fifth floor, slaying Heartless without paying much attention to what he was doing. He was still dwelling on what Aqua had said. He hadn't thought her so naïve. Him? Friends with those losers? Never. Vanitas wasn't about to beg Ventus for forgiveness, and Terra could go die in a hole for all he cared. All he wanted —all he needed— was Aqua.

"That's the last of them," Vanitas announced, plunging his Keyblade through the ugly, snarling face of the final betentacled Darkball.

"All clear on my end," Aqua confirmed as she walked up to him, having finished eliminating the Flame Cores at the other end of the hallway. "How many Heartless do you think are left in this Castle?"

"No clue. There can't be too many more; we've explored almost everywhere."

"Well, we better start going through these rooms." She indicated to the doors lining the hallway.

Vanitas picked a door at random and tried the handle. It was locked. He pointed Void Gear at the keyhole and a beam of light shot into it, resulting in a sharp click. Vanitas pushed against the unlocked door, but found it stuck. "Help me with this, will you?"

Working together, he and Aqua finally opened the door with one heavy push. A swirl of musty clouds filled the air and they coughed, waving away the dust. Aqua walked around the room and lit candles with a small Fire spell, illuminating a number of brass and wooden objects. It took Vanitas a few seconds to recognize what they were— musical instruments, similar to the ones wielded by his Symphony Master. A large object stood in the middle of the floor, covered by a dusty white sheet. In fact, the whole room was covered in a thick layer of dust, which was strange— the lack of time passing had kept the other rooms free of dust. Perhaps this room had been in disuse for quite some time, long before the Castle of Dreams had fallen to Darkness.

Vanitas walked around the instruments to the back of the room and stared up at a large portrait depicting a regal woman with dark brown hair and a slight smile. She bore a striking resemblance to Charming, much more than the prince's portly father had. The queen, perhaps? Maybe this had been her music room…

"Is this Charming's mother…?" he mused.

"Probably," Aqua responded thoughtfully. "Your Majesty," she murmured respectfully to the painting with a slight inclination of her head. She pulled the sheet off the large object in the center of the room, revealing another instrument beneath. It stood proudly— its dark, polished wood and black-and-white keys of ivory having been saved from dust by the sheet. Vanitas recognized it as the same type of instrument that had been in the Tremaines' Château… What was it called again?

Aqua gasped in excitement. "Oh how wonderful, a piano!" She ran a hand along its keys. "I used to play the piano when I was little. My mother taught me, although the one we had in the bookstore was much smaller than this. I'm a bit out of practice, but I wonder if I can remember a few bars…" Aqua sat on the piano bench and stretched out her fingers, feeling the keys. She played a single note, and then some more.

Vanitas watched closely, fascinated by the graceful way her hands moved. Music was a concept he was actually quite unfamiliar with. He'd heard it at the ball before his Symphony Master had wrecked the place, and from the loudspeakers in Disney Town. The former had been pleasant enough, while the latter had irritated him to no end, but this… this was like no other music he'd ever heard.

Melody and harmony suddenly became apt words congruent with Aqua's motions as a most wondrous sound filled the room. Her hands flowed over the piano keys, producing what could only be described as an auditory beauty— notes of varying softness and intensity flowing into one another like an endless river. Vanitas stood enraptured, slowly swaying in time with the music.

Aqua finished the song and placed her hands in her lap.

"What else can you do besides play piano?" he asked, awestruck.

"Well I can sing a little, but I'm a bit rusty. Ven has a much better singing voice than me."

"I highly doubt that."

"You shouldn't; he's a great singer." Aqua smiled. "Maybe I'll have him sing for you when he gets back."

His eye twitched. "No thanks." Vanitas sat down on the edge of the bench and crossed his arms. "Cinderella sang a lot while she worked. It was… nice, I guess," he shrugged.

"I wish I could've heard her…" she said wistfully, placing her hands back on the keys. "I used to sing this one with my mother. It's called Don't Think Twice. Now if I could just remember the lyrics…" Aqua cleared her throat, then started playing the piano; after a few notes, she began to sing.

It was the most melodious, most beautiful, most wonderful sound Vanitas had ever heard.

"How did I live in a kingdom of thieves…? And people who say things they don't really mean, really mean? You're only everything I ever dreamed, ever dreamed of… ever dreamed of. You must be kidding me, did you really think I could say no?"

"I want you for a lifetime, so if you're gonna think twice, baby… I don't wanna know, baby, I don't wanna know. Everything is just right, but if you're gonna think twice, baby… I don't wanna know, baby, I don't wanna know."

"I really don't get what everyone else believes… So why do I say things I don't really mean, really mean? I'm only crying 'cause I never dreamed it'd take this long, it'd take this long."

"I want you for a lifetime, so if you're gonna think twice, baby… I don't wanna know, baby, I don't wanna know. Everything is just right, but if you're gonna think twice, baby… I don't wanna know, baby, I don't wanna— Vanitas? What's wrong?"

"I— I—" He hadn't even noticed he'd stood up. His vision blurred with tears as he swayed dizzily. Overwhelmed and starstruck, Vanitas turned on his heel, running out of the music room and down the hall as Aqua called after him. He vaulted up a spiral staircase into one of the Castle's tall towers, wrenching open the door at the top and slamming it shut behind him. Vanitas breathed heavily as he glanced around the almost pitch-black room.

It was empty save for a few bookshelves and a large, tube-shaped metal object standing in the center of the floor. Vanitas ignored it and instead quickly walked the room's length, stopping once he reached the far wall and curled up in a corner between some bookshelves. He tried to calm his breathing as he drew his shaking knees up to his chest. He'd always felt more comfortable having a small, dark space to hide in.

Aqua… was perfect; beautiful in every possible way… An angel full of so much Light. Even the pure heart of a Princess paled in comparison. And as for Vanitas… He didn't even belong in her presence.

His yellow eyes welled with tears, which he roughly wiped away. "What am I doing, crying like a baby? I'm not Ventus."

But that's just the problem, isn't it? You're not Ventus. He's the one she truly wants.

"Shut up. Ventus is gone; she can't have him. It's not like he deserves her, anyway."

Oh, and you do?

Vanitas paused. Did he…? Did anyone? Ventus and Terra were horrible friends. They'd abandoned Aqua. They didn't appreciate her, not like he did.

Although… did he really deserve her friendship? After what he'd done to her and her friends, how was she so easily able to forgive him? And if he didn't deserve her, then why…? Why did she care about him? Why would she ever be his friend? Why did she want him around at all? It didn't make any sense.

But… perhaps the answer was simple. The truth was he and Aqua needed each other. They relied on each other, trusted each other, cared for each other… They made each other less lonely. She was his happiness, his Light, his salvation. She was simply… his.

Mocking laughter filled his head. YOURS?! When has Aqua ever been yours?!

Since she'd declared herself to be his friend, that night she'd held him so close… The first time anyone ever had—

You think that makes you unique? the voice hissed. She has other friends. Or haven't you been paying attention? Aqua's just using you 'cause otherwise, she'd be alone too. As soon as she finds Ventus and Terra, she'll throw you away like the trash you are.

His guts twisted. "That's not true! And even if it was, it wouldn't matter," Vanitas insisted through clenched teeth. "She'll never see them again. I'm the only one she needs, and sooner or later…" His voice lowered to a predatory growl. "I'll be the only one she'll ever want."

Oh, Vanitas… Whatever happened to doing the noble thing and letting her go, huh?

"I— That was before we were— Well, there's no way out of here so it doesn't matter!" he shook his head. "That Thresholder door was the closest lead we had, and it's a dead end."

Such a pathetic excuse. Seems you're just a selfish little coward after all… So what happens when she does escape? You know it'll happen eventually. Are you gonna drag her kicking and screaming back down into this hell with you? Lock her away to rot in the Dark? This Realm is killing her. You know it is.

That wasn't true. Aqua was getting better; she hadn't blacked out again, and they had plenty of food. Things would be fine. Of course he wanted to keep Aqua close, but… but not like that.

You've considered it before, remember? Locking her away, taking her Keyblade…

Guilt churned in his stomach. Vanitas bit down hard on the inside of his cheek to stop himself from being sick. Those had been such stupid, terrible, selfish thoughts. He would never—

You will. And she'll hate you for it. But it's for the best, ain't it? It's what freaks and monsters do. You'll get what you want, one way or another— She'll never be able to leave you, no matter how messy it gets.

Nauseous visions of his nightmare flashed in his mind. He'd been having the same horrific dream over and over almost every night— the Dark beast with his face devouring Aqua's heart, and himself as Ventus —stupid, pathetic Ventus— powerless to stop it. He could almost taste her blood in his mouth…

Oh, that is still an option… the voice purred; Vanitas could imagine the beast's bloody, sharp-toothed smile behind the words. Aqua already trusts you. Convince her to spill Ventus's location and you can still merge with him; you can still be whole. You can go back to being the boy you once were, before the Darkness. Before the Unversed. Before the pain. Become who you were meant to be. Forge the X-Blade like you were designed to do; then kill Aqua. Take her heart and she'll be yours forever. She'll die eventually, either down here or up there, so why not speed up the process? That way you can keep her heart all to yourself, and fulfill the orders you've been oh so conveniently ignoring since you first tasted her sweet Light! The Master would be so proud.

Vanitas braced himself on his hands and knees and vomited on the spot. A dark, slimy mass splattered wetly against the wooden floor. He trembled as more of the thick black fluid dribbled down his chin, joining with the sticky mess below. The mass twitched as a glinting red eye slithered across its viscous surface. It was trying to become one of them.

That thing is a piece of me— of the Darkness.

"Shit," Vanitas panted, his forehead beading with sweat.

He hated this, when the negativity in his heart was too much for his body to bear, and it bled out through his mouth as an overflow of materialized Darkness. The vile substance tasted of decay from his rotten, blackened half-heart. Maybe this was what Aqua had meant when she claimed Darkness had a scent. If so, Vanitas wasn't sure even soap could mask the smell. No wonder she'd been so disgusted by him. No wonder he disgusted himself.

Damn it…

Damn the Unversed. Damn his subconscious. Damn Xehanort. Damn everything.

I don't wanna be a monster…

He didn't want to be, but staring into the twisted red eye of the fledgling abomination before him, Vanitas knew it was impossible to deny what he truly was. He grit his stained teeth and curled his fists against the hardwood. Fine. If that's how it was, then so be it. But just because he was a monster, didn't mean he had to act like one. Vanitas was sick of monsters, whether they lived in his head or his heart.

The voice was wrong. Vanitas didn't take orders from Master Xehanort anymore. The old bastard was irrelevant now. Xehanort would never harm Aqua, because he and Aqua would never leave. She was his; the Castle of Dreams was their home, now. Vanitas had never had a home, not really. He was a being of pure Darkness, and Darkness didn't deserve a home in the Realm of Light. But here in the Dark World, things were different. This cage may be gilded, but it was one he shared with Aqua; that was more than enough.

"Yeah, I'm a monster. But so what?" Then he'd become a stronger monster than everything else here. "Aqua is my best friend. I'll do anything to protect her— anything to stay worthy of her friendship. Whatever it takes." Those words felt truer than anything the voice in his head had ever told him.

His proclamation was met with silence.

Vanitas smirked. "What's wrong? Giving up already?"

There was no response. Vanitas chuckled darkly and stood on shaky legs, wiping the black tar from his mouth with the back of his hand.

To most, the Realm of Darkness was a hell. But with this Castle— his sanctuary, and Aqua— his angel… this was paradise. Aqua would be fine.

"She's stronger than you think," he said to no one in particular.

"Vanitas?" her voice called up from the stairwell.

He glanced at the puddle of Unversed slime and quickly crushed its half-formed skull beneath his boot. The fetal Unversed gave a feeble gurgle before dispersing like mist, taking the rest of the inky black goo with it. Vanitas flinched at the resulting sting of pain, disappointed in himself that he'd broken his promise to Aqua. But at least it was better than her walking in and seeing that… thing.

Aqua opened the door, letting dim light illuminate the room. "Vanitas? Are you in here?" she asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm here," he replied, turning towards her.

She sighed in relief and moved further into the room, the door softly swinging shut behind her. "Why are you just standing here in the dark…?"

He blinked. "I can see just fine."

Aqua approached slowly, as if scared she'd frighten him off. "Are you alright? You just bolted…"

"I know." He stepped forward and drew her into a hug. "Sorry for bailing on you."

She returned his embrace and rubbed a hand up and down his back. "Was my singing really that bad?" she teased.

"I— No, it was… more than I deserve."

"Vanitas…" she started softly. "You don't have to talk about it, but I just want to know that you're alright."

"Just peachy," he replied. "Come on. Like you said, we shouldn't be standing around in the dark."

Aqua followed him towards the door and promptly bumped her head on the large metal tube in the center of the room. "Ow!" she hissed.

"Watch it," Vanitas warned a little too late. He casted Cure on her, the sparkling green light briefly illuminating the gloom.

"Thanks…" She lit a small Fire spell and held it aloft, gasping at what she saw. "Vanitas, do you know what this is?!"

"No idea."

"It's a telescope!" Aqua exclaimed in excitement. "It's for stargazing," she explained further at his blank look of confusion. "This must be an observatory. You can look at the stars up close…" Aqua walked over to pull a lever on the far wall. There was a metallic rumbling as the walls rotated around them, the telescope extending through a newly opened gap in the ceiling. Her grin fell at the sight of the pitch-black sky. "Oh, I forgot… There's no stars here."

"Hmm…" Vanitas frowned, peering through the lens of the telescope. He spotted several dark shapes moving against the inky blackness of the sky. "Aqua, I see something."

"What?" she asked in surprise. He moved aside so she could peer in. "I don't see anything."

"They're right there; move over…" Vanitas looked again, but whatever it was had disappeared. "Huh, that's strange… Maybe we can get a better look outside." He opened a door leading out of the observatory and stepped down onto a narrow stone bridge which connected to a shorter tower. Aqua followed. As they reached the center of the bridge, Vanitas pointed to something shimmering in the sky. "See? Right there."

"What is that?" Aqua asked, squinting.

"I don't know… Whatever it is, it's coming closer." The shimmering abruptly stopped. A chill swept over both Keyblade Wielders.

"…I don't like this," Aqua said nervously, raising a hand to cover her nose. "We should go back inside."

"Yeah," Vanitas agreed; the hairs on the back of his neck were standing on end. He reached for Aqua's other hand. "Come on, let's—"

If there was one positive about the brutal training Xehanort had subjected him to, it was how well it had honed his instincts. Vanitas heard it before he saw it, the distinctive whistle of a sharp edge swiftly cutting through air accompanied by a shimmering to his left. His Keyblade was in his hand in an instant as he pushed Aqua out of the way before flash-stepping backwards, the invisible blade nearly chopping off a lock of hair.

Vanitas balanced precariously on the edge of the bridge. One more step back and he'd have fallen to his death. Before he could properly regain his footing, something sharp slashed deeply up his back. Vanitas cried out in pain as he fell forwards, dropping to one knee and nearly losing his grip on Void Gear.

"Vanitas!" Aqua rushed over and gave him her hand. "What happened?! Are you okay?!"

"Not really," he grimaced, barely able to stand thanks to the searing pain along his spine. "I don't think I can heal this one myself." Not without a Vile Phial, anyway.

"Here." Aqua placed a hand between his shoulder blades and the soothing warmth of her Cura washed over him.

"Thanks." Vanitas straightened up and glanced around, scanning the deceptively empty air. He could feel the icy pressure of the invisible attackers' Darkness surrounding them, but his sixth sense wasn't sharp enough to detect their exact locations.

"What do you think? More Possessors?" Aqua asked.

"Can't be," Vanitas replied. Those Heartless were only invisible while possessing an object. "It's not a Dark Thorn, either." He experimentally slashed a blazing flare of Dark Fira across the empty sky. Several spots within the Dark Fira's path shimmered as the enemies quickly evaded the black flames. So not only were they invisible, they were also fast. "Whatever it is, there's more than one," he muttered. "How the hell are we supposed to fight an enemy we can't see?"

Aqua's hand found his and gave a quick squeeze of reassurance. "We can do this."

Vanitas met her gaze and nodded in agreement. He closed his eyes and concentrated, waiting for the sound of rushing air. As soon as he heard it, he raised his Keyblade and blocked just in time, Void Gear clashing against hard metal. The air before him shimmered as the creature's cloaking spell deactivated. Vanitas found himself face-to-face with a pair of blazing yellow eyes set into a demonic visage, the beast's large blade locked with his. He snarled and shoved the Heartless off the bridge. It flew backwards and hovered in the air, where it and its companions fully revealed themselves.

Before him were six blue devils with curved horns and small demonic wings, each bearing a heart-shaped hole in the center of its chest. Their lashing tails ended in curved blades and they all wielded huge silver swords. One Heartless stood out in particular— twice as large as the others and carrying an impressive claymore the color of burnt umber.

Vanitas retreated to Aqua's side, standing back-to-back with her and watching warily as the five smaller Heartless began to circle lazily around them like a flock of vultures. "So, what're you gonna name these?"

"Uh… Invisibles?" she offered distractedly.

"That's not very creative."

"What else am I supposed to call them?!"

"I don't know, something awesome, like… 'Orcus'."

"I don't even know what that means!"

Vanitas pointed Void Gear at the largest Heartless, alining his Keyblade's reptilian blue eyes with the monster's empty chest. "That big one there. That's Orcus."

Unlike the others, the Orcus kept its distance, opting to hang back and merely observe while the other five Heartless raised their swords. Vanitas and Aqua braced themselves, but instead of attacking directly the Invisibles plunged their swords into the stone bridge and disappeared from sight. Purple flames shot forth from the blades, combining into a ring of fire surrounding the two Keyblade Wielders.

Vanitas's eyes widened in surprise as the ring began swiftly shrinking to enclose himself and Aqua. "Huh? What the—"

Aqua summoned a Barrier seconds before the fiery ring exploded. The protective bubble of glimmering magic shattered like glass and the two Keyblade Wielders were blown away from each other by the blast. Aqua fell hard against the bridge while Vanitas landed painfully on a narrow shingle rooftop a couple of meters below, his ears ringing from the sheer force of the explosion.

"Aqua?!" Vanitas shouted frantically as he staggered to his feet and glanced up at the bridge where she had landed.

"I'm fine!" she called back. "Worry about—" Aqua grunted as she spun around, her Keyblade clashing against an Invisible's silver sword as the Heartless appeared out of thin air. "Worry about yourself!"

The other four Invisibles dispelled their cloaking magic, summoning their blades to their clawed hands. Two broke away from the pack, evidently having chosen Vanitas as their target as they lobbed purple flames in his direction. He grimaced and braced himself. His first instinct had been to flash-step away to avoid the incoming attack, but his footing was unsure on the slippery roof tiles; he didn't want to risk falling off. Instead, Vanitas summoned an icy crystal of Dark Blizzara to ward off the flames before countering with a Dark Thundaga. The spell crippled the nearest Invisibles's small wings and it tumbled out of the sky, landing heavily on the roof below. Its sharp talons gave it steady traction as it perched on the uneven rooftop like a gargoyle.

Hissing in rage, the devil crouched low before launching itself towards Vanitas with its silver sword held high. Their blades clashed with a reverberating clang and Vanitas parried, slashing at the Heartless's legs in an attempt to knock it off balance. His attention was split between the Invisible he was dueling and the one which could still fly as he fought them off with blasts of Dark Firaga and swipes of his Keyblade, keeping an eye on Aqua all the while.

She was fending off three Invisibles at once, alternatively blocking with Master Keeper and attacking with short bursts of Fira and Blizzara. From the way she was avoiding using her Barrier spell and only casting mid-level magic, Vanitas could tell Aqua was attempting to conserve her Mana. The Invisibles kept cloaking and uncloaking, likely in an attempt to disorientate her as they swooped down and slashed with their blades.

Vanitas was worried. He knew the bridge was far too narrow to leave any room for Aqua to maneuver; that must be why she wasn't using her usual spinning kicks and cartwheels, lest she fall into the gloom below. Vanitas desperately wanted to assist Aqua; a Dark Thundaga might do the trick, but she and the Heartless were moving too quickly. If he missed his mark, his spell could hit her instead. Besides, he had his own demons to deal with.

His attention was brought back to the fight when his distraction cost him a slash to the shoulder from an Invisible's bladed tail. Vanitas incompletely healed the injury with Cure, bearing through the lingering pain. Now wasn't the best time to realize he should've invested in learning Curaga; he'd have to practice later however, because currently he and Aqua were being overwhelmed.

Vanitas chanced another quick glance at her. From the shimmering in the air, it was evident Aqua still hadn't managed to take down any of the three Heartless. Worse yet, it appeared she was beginning to tire. Just how long could she last? Vanitas considered unleashing some Unversed to help her— Red Hot Chilis or Archravens or possibly even a Blobmob… but he couldn't allow the previous incident to happen again. He wouldn't risk his monsters turning on Aqua. If they couldn't see the Heartless, even under his command they'd probably assume she was the target.

Vanitas grit his teeth. Aqua was strong; he had to believe in her.

Suddenly, he saw a blue blur scamper towards Aqua. It was that pesky Flood! Before he could shout a warning, Vanitas was attacked once again by the grounded Invisible, forcing his attention from her. The Heartless knocked him back a few feet, Vanitas just managing to not slip from the rooftop before locking blades with the demon. He desperately glanced back up at Aqua and was treated to a bizarre sight. The blue Flood was… helping her.

The Flood leaped through the air and body-slammed a Heartless just as it turned invisible. It didn't do much damage but it did disrupt its cloaking spell, revealing the beast. The Flood darted back as the demon took a swipe at it, crouching low with its antennae flattened against its head and red eyes narrowed into slits. Aqua took that opportunity to wound the distracted Heartless with a quick stab to the gut.

Vanitas sidestepped the Invisible he was fighting and knocked it off the roof with a well-placed kick. It fell, its crippled wings fluttering uselessly before impaling itself on a sharp, pointed spire. The Heartless screeched and writhed before melting into smoke. Vanitas looked up, nonplussed to see the Flood jumping on another Invisible's face and clawing at its eyes. The devil couldn't activate its invisibility while being physically attacked, nor could it shake off the stubborn Unversed. Aqua slashed clean through the Heartless's empty torso and it collapsed onto the bridge, its two dismembered halves dissolving into a puddle of black goo.

Two down, four to go…

As its minions began to fall, the Orcus had finally decided to join the fray. It hurled its massive umber sword through the air, which whirled around the battlefield several times before returning to its hand. Vanitas ducked the swiftly spinning blade and slid down uneven roof shingles, narrowly hooking Void Gear's teeth on the roof's top edge to halt his fall. He planted his feet firmly against the narrow stone trim.

The Orcus's gaze shifted to the bridge, a jagged smirk twisting its demonic features. It snapped its fingers and rings of purple fire surrounded Aqua. The rings quickly shrank, tightly closing in on her before exploding. Aqua screamed in pain, falling out of Vanitas's line of sight.

"AQUA!" he shouted frantically. There was no answer. Vanitas furiously clenched his fists even as fear trickled down his spine. This monster needed to die, now. Instead of manifesting it as an Unversed, Vanitas channeled his Rage into charging his Focus. Three spinning white crystals materialized around the tip of his Keyblade. "There's no escape," he growled and fired his Dark Cannon Shotlock.

An Invisible was caught by the wide beam of Dark energy and sliced in half, its entrails spraying out in a shower of blood and gore before dispersing into mist. As Vanitas trained his Shotlock on the Orcus, the energy beam sheared off part of the smaller tower behind it, splintering roof tiles. The large demon swiftly maneuvered but wasn't fast enough to completely avoid the attack. The Dark Cannon severed its right arm from its body and it tumbled into the gloom below, black ichor gushing from the wound. The Orcus gave a howling cry of rage at the loss of its sword-arm.

"Vanitas, get down!"

The sharp scent of ozone filled his nose. Instinctively, Vanitas flattened himself against the roof and glanced up in a mixture of relief and surprise. Amazingly, Aqua was standing, a lightning storm dancing across Master Keeper and illuminating her furious blue eyes. She was breathing heavily, blood dripping down the side of her face from a cut on her forehead and her singed clothing looking worse for wear. The Flood seemed to take the hint just in time and dived into a quivering blue puddle at her feet.

"Farewell," Aqua snarled and let loose a devastating Thundaja from the tip of her Keyblade. Bright white bolts of lightning tore through each and every Heartless. The Invisibles were electrocuted, their twitching bodies hanging in the air for a few moments before crumbling to dust. The Orcus, however, remained completely unscathed.

Her spell didn't hurt it?! No, more than that, it's—!

Vanitas's eyes widened in horror. The Orcus wasn't just immune to Thundaja— the lightning magic had healed the Heartless! There was a wet crack as its arm regenerated, muscles and tendons and bones growing and forming a fresh arm from the hole in its shoulder. The beast flexed its rejuvenated fingers and gave a low, demonic chuckle as it summoned its massive sword back to its hand. It set its sights on Aqua, who backed away slowly as a look of horror crossed her face.

That Thundaja spell must've burned through all her Mana, Vanitas realized. She would be near defenseless without her Barrier magic. The Orcus dived forwards, its sword pointed straight at Aqua's heart. Vanitas's feet moved faster than he could think as he scrambled across roof tiles and hoisted himself up onto the bridge with Void Gear. The Heartless's sword was coming closer, zeroing in on Aqua just as Vanitas reached her. He raised his Keyblade and then—

Pain.

It had always been his closest companion. Overwhelming agony blossomed where the claymore had impaled his abdomen and his ears rang with the sound of snapping ribs. Vanitas choked as a sudden gush of warm, coppery blood filled his mouth and trickled down his chin, but he could barely concentrate on anything other than the searing pain in his chest. He was pretty sure it had pierced a lung.

The Orcus's head was suddenly sundered from its shoulders in a flash of black and silver, both it and its umber blade dissolving into dark smoke. The sudden removal of the obstruction simply caused more blood to pour from Vanitas's wound. His knees buckled and somehow he ended up on his back, staring up at a pitch-black sky and only vaguely aware of his own ragged gasps for breath as he gurgled on blood.

The realization dawned on him that he was going to die.

Four years being alive, and only the last month or so spent truly living… It suddenly didn't seem like enough. Who was going to protect Aqua now?

Blue obscured Vanitas's blurring vision— sheets of blue hair like rain, bright blue eyes like the ocean… so deep and vast he was sure he'd drown. Her pale, pink lips moved frantically. She was speaking to him with that beautiful angelic voice of hers, but he couldn't decipher the words.

Aqua… will you cry… when I die…? he pondered as his sight dimmed. I guess I'll… never… find out…

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

There was so much blood.

Aqua's hands were covered in it, warm and sticky and red as she dragged Vanitas's heavy form back into the observatory, the blue Flood following closely behind.

Focus, focus, focus, was the mantra in her head. Vanitas needs you!

She peeled off her bloodstained gloves before unbuttoning his shirt as fast as her slippery fingers could manage and removed the garment, revealing the bloody, gaping wound underneath. There was a lot of internal damage— broken bones and ruptured organs and Light, so much blood—

Pull yourself together!

Aqua desperately took calming breaths, focusing on regaining enough Mana for a healing spell. Her body ached from the battering she'd taken —slashes from the Invisibles' swords and burns from the Orcus's explosive Dark magic— but she couldn't focus on herself right now. Every second was precious; every second Vanitas slipped closer to death. This was supposed to have been a routine sweep to rout the Heartless, not… not this nightmare.

Finally, her Mana returned— but just barely, only enough for a simple Cure. She placed a hand over Vanitas's chest and cast the spell over the injury. The edges of the wound began to heal, but not nearly enough to stop the blood flow. His wounds were just too deep for such low-level healing magic. This required something more, but the Hi-Potions were down in the apothecary and Aqua couldn't leave Vanitas's side to retrieve them— not when he was in such critical condition. She slammed her fist against the floor. Why, why, WHY hadn't they brought the Hi-Potions with them?! How could they have been so careless?

Her eyes welled with tears as she bit her lip in frustration, hard enough that she was sure she'd drawn blood. "Oh Light," Aqua sobbed, tears dripping down her cheeks. "What am I supposed to do?!"

The blue Flood warbled from where it watched her a few feet away, its antennae drooping. It was strange… Despite its friendliness, Aqua would've never guessed this little creature would realize she was in danger and come to her rescue. It truly was like no other Unversed. If Vanitas… If he died… what would happen to it?

"He's your master… Isn't there anything you can do?"

The Flood stood at attention, its pointed snout twitching.

"You… you can understand me?" she blinked in surprise.

It gave a slight nod.

Aqua didn't have time to question it. "I need the Hi-Potions from the apothecary on the first floor. Please, bring as many as you can."

The Flood nodded again in confirmation and took off as fast as its spindly legs could carry it.

Aqua would put her faith in this Unversed. It was her only option. She turned her attention back to Vanitas and refocused on regaining her Mana. "I'm sorry," she whispered, applying another weak Cure to his injury. "I am so, so sorry."

She had seen the Orcus's attack coming, but with the Mana depleted from her veins and therefore unable to cast a Barrier spell, she'd just froze. Aqua wasn't nearly as strong as Vanitas was without her magic, but she still should've done something to prevent him from having to sacrifice himself again.

What kind of Master was she that she couldn't even defend herself properly? What kind of friend was she if she couldn't protect the ones she loved? She'd failed— again and again and again she'd failed, and this time Vanitas was going to die. It wouldn't be the first time she'd let her friends down.

Vanitas suddenly coughed up more blood, his ragged breaths becoming increasingly shallow.

"No!" Aqua grasped his shoulders frantically. "Vanitas please, you can't die! You mean so much to me… I c-can't lose you…" Her voice cracked as renewed tears gushed down her face. "Vanitas… you're my best friend…"

Aqua froze, her eyes widening and the breath catching in her throat as the realization struck her. Vanitas was her best friend… more than Terra; more than Ven. She expected to feel guilty, but… her heart spoke the truth. And as Terra had said, she should listen to it. Vanitas was her anchor in the Darkness. He had kept her from going crazy; she had made him more sane. The thought of losing him was more than she could bear.

The blue Flood finally returned, two Hi-Potions dangling from its mouth.

"Oh, thank the Light," Aqua smiled through her tears, shakily retrieving the bottles from the helpful little creature. "Please stay with me," she whispered to Vanitas as she brought the Hi-Potion to his lips and tipped its bitter, green-tinted contents into his mouth.

A few moments later, his wound finally began to properly heal, organs stitching themselves back together and ribs arranging into place. Vanitas's breathing eased into a soft, yet steady rhythm. Aqua sighed in relief and wiped away her tears. She fed him the second Hi-Potion and continued casting Cure and Cura on him just to be safe.

As soon as his condition had fully stabilized, Aqua allowed herself to leave Vanitas in the Flood's care while she located a bathroom to clean herself up, taking a moment to heal the cuts and burns she'd sustained from the battle. She quickly returned to the observatory with a bowl of warm water and some towels.

Aqua kneeled by Vanitas's side, dipping a towel in the water and running the cloth over his mouth and chest, gently wiping away the blood and a strange black liquid she couldn't identify. It dissipated in the open air before she could inspect it too closely.

"He'll be alright now. He just needs some rest," Aqua assured the Flood as she set aside the dirty towels and stroked Vanitas's cheek. "You've been so helpful already, but could I ask you one more favor?"

The Unversed tilted its head and chittered curiously.

"Bring some pillows and blankets, please, and meet me in the library."

Utilizing a Zero Gravity spell to lift his unconscious form, Aqua levitated Vanitas down to the library. Soon they were situated comfortably in front of the lit fireplace, Aqua settling him down on an arrangement of pillows and blankets that the Flood had dutifully gathered for her. As she brushed loose strands of dark hair from his eyes, Aqua couldn't help but be struck by how handsome Vanitas looked as he slept.

Unbidden, her gaze drifted down his bare torso. Aqua hadn't had the chance to examine him before, so shocked was she at the sight of his scars. Now that she thought about it, everyone in her family had at least a few. Master Eraqus had several scars across his face, which according to him were from Dark magic, although he'd never said who or what had caused them. Terra's were mostly on his arms and hands, acquired during his hard working life before becoming a Keyblade Wielder. Ventus only had one scar that she knew of— a circular burn mark directly over his heart, and while he hadn't been able to recall how he'd received it, Aqua now had her suspicions.

By contrast, Vanitas had far too many scars to count— Although despite his heavy scarring, his pale chest and arms were toned and muscular. It was obvious where his great physical strength came from. Aqua admired the way Vanitas could lift her with ease, just as chivalrous knights would carry beautiful maidens in the fairytales she'd loved as a child. He had only done so a couple of times so far, but she wouldn't mind being held close in those warm, strong arms agai—

Why am I thinking about this?!

Aqua caught herself staring and shook her head, lightly slapping her cheeks to snap out of it. Luckily she was saved from her own… indecent thoughts as Vanitas's eyelashes fluttered.

He opened his golden eyes with a groan. "A… qua…?" he asked, struggling to sit up.

"You need to lay back down," Aqua insisted, placing her hand on his chest and pushing him into the blankets.

Vanitas flinched. Startled, Aqua quickly pulled her hand away, but he grabbed her wrist and pressed her hand back against the plane of his chest, her fingers splayed along the curve of his muscles. Aqua's face grew hot.

"You feel it, don't you? It's there."

She blinked, aware of his steady pulse beneath her fingers. "Your… heart?"

"Yeah," he chuckled deliriously. "I have one. You have one too." He reached out and rested his other hand on the center of her chest.

Aqua blushed deeper before taking his wrists and settling him back down. Vanitas lounged there languidly, staring up at the ceiling and looking for all the Worlds like he was about to melt into the pillows. He appeared to be absolutely blissed out of his mind. It would've been funny if his situation hadn't been so dire.

After a moment he asked, "…Am I dead?"

"No, Vanitas."

"Oh…" He blinked slowly and stared past her with unfocused eyes. "How many Cure spells did you hit me with?"

"Uh…" Aqua absentmindedly tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I think I lost count…"

Vanitas snorted and gave an odd, high-pitched giggle.

She smiled through a fresh wave of tears.

"…You're crying," he stated matter-of-factly, reaching up to touch her face.

"Yes." Aqua wiped her eyes. "That's what happens when someone I care about is hurt."

"Huh. You really do care…"

"Of course I do."

Vanitas nodded slowly. "I'm glad."

"You must be hungry." She stood up, noting the blue Flood which had hidden behind one of the plush chairs. "I'll go get you something to eat, okay? Just stay here."

"Where else would I go…?" his mumbling voice drifted after her as she left for the kitchen.

Once there, Aqua braced herself against the countertop and sighed in both relief and exhaustion. He would be alright. She took the last of the vegetable stew from the ice box and returned to the library. Vanitas's eyes were closed.

"Vanitas?" she prodded gently.

He roused again and sleepily blinked at her. "Hmm?"

Perhaps he was too tired for food just yet. Aqua set the bowl next to the fireplace to warm and sat down next to him. Her gaze drifted towards the hearth. "I'm glad you're okay, but…" Aqua let out a long breath. "I told you, I don't want you to sacrifice yourself for me anymore."

"Yeah…" Vanitas frowned, a distant look in his golden eyes. "Aqua, are you… happy, with me?"

She blinked, taken aback. "Of course I am; we're friends." Aqua peered at him curiously and brushed the hair out of his eyes. "What brought this on?"

It took him a long moment to answer. "…Nothing. If you're happy, then I'm happy." He gave a wide, delirious smile. "It's lovely, you know. You and me, together. You're lovely."

Her breath caught in her throat. "…Thank you?"

Vanitas grinned and closed his eyes. From the way his breathing eased out, it appeared he'd fallen back asleep.

Aqua licked her lips uncertainly. Would it be alright, if I…?

Hesitantly, she cuddled up against Vanitas's sleeping form, lightly tracing over the pale scars littering his warm, bare skin. She rested her head on his shoulder, taking in the slight cinnamon scent of his soft hair. Aqua closed her eyes and began to hum softly, a lullaby her mother used to sing…

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Over the next hour, Vanitas drifted in and out of consciousness. He was regaining his strength, slowly but surely; during that time Aqua never left his side. The sweet fragrance of her Light wafted over him, a sugary scent akin to Rainbow Syrup and Whipped Dream. Vanitas basked in the heat of the hearth and the warmth of her body pressed against his. Who needed Kingdom Hearts when true heaven was right here, in Aqua's embrace?

Eventually, he slowly opened his eyes.

"Oh, you're awake," Aqua said softly. "How are you feeling? Does anything hurt?"

It took him a few seconds to register the words, and a few more to process their meaning. Vanitas shifted a little in her arms to get a better look at her. "I'm kinda… numb? But in a good way."

Aqua nodded and smiled, seemingly satisfied with his answer. Vanitas looked down at himself. For some reason his shirt and vest were missing. Now that he'd regained coherence, he could pick up on the faint scent of blood and its lingering coppery tang in his mouth.

"…I almost died again, didn't I." Vanitas didn't really know how to feel about that revelation. His mind felt… foggy. Muddled. The last thing he remembered was fighting the… What had Aqua called them? Invisibles? "I think I have a new least favorite Heartless," he grumbled.

Aqua gave a slight laugh, sitting up and gently shifting him onto the pillows. She peered at him, inspecting his chest where the Orcus's blade had pierced through. "It doesn't look like it'll scar," she informed him.

"Well, that's a relief. Wouldn't want any more of those ruining my good looks," he deadpanned.

Much to his amusement, Aqua blushed. "If you're making jokes like that, then you must be feeling better."

"If by 'better' you mean 'no longer dying', then yeah. I think I'll make it."

"In that case, are you hungry?" she asked, fetching a bowl she had warming by the fire. "I brought the last of the vegetable stew."

Vanitas wasn't hungry per se, but he was exhausted and Aqua would likely insist if he refused to eat. Besides, he wasn't one to pass up her cooking, even if it was leftovers. Vanitas struggled to sit up but found that he couldn't quite manage it.

"Here." Aqua gathered stew on the spoon and held it in front of his lips for him to take a bite. "It's been a long time since I've done this," she said as she fed him another mouthful of stew. "Back when Ven was in a coma I used to feed him in bed, too."

Hot black tar roiled in his stomach as a Contemptuous Spiderchest attempted to crawl up his throat. Vanitas sputtered and choked around the spoon in his mouth.

Aqua startled. "Oh! Are you okay?!"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he coughed, trying to keep everything down. "It… was just a little too hot," he lied hastily.

"Sorry!" Aqua blew gently on the stew, testing it herself before spoon-feeding him more broth.

Vanitas accepted the slightly cooled stew, his thoughts reproachful. He hated being compared to that weakling… Although, Vanitas couldn't deny that he was in a rather vulnerable state, himself. If he had just been stronger, this wouldn't have happened.

The most powerful Vanitas had ever felt was when he'd held the X-Blade— incomplete as it had been. It's energy humming through his very bones, resonating with Kingdom Hearts above… He would never feel power like that again. Regardless, Vanitas had to become stronger. He needed that strength to make sure Aqua would never be hurt again. Despite his earlier joke, he knew the X-Blade was no longer an option— not without Ventus's heart.

And Sora's death.

Vanitas shoved the intrusive thought to the back of his mind. It was clear sparring with Aqua and slaying lesser Heartless wasn't enough to keep him from growing soft. There was a different way to become powerful, one he knew far too well. He felt guilty about what he was planning on doing, but… the Unversed had always been the perfect opponents…

"What's wrong?" Aqua asked at his troubled expression.

Thinking quickly, Vanitas replied, "I'm wondering if I should feel humiliated or not."

"Hmm… Consider yourself being pampered."

He scoffed before taking another bite of stew.

"…I hope I'm not embarrassing you," she said after feeding him some more.

Vanitas swallowed slowly. "That's… not quite the right word." He greatly enjoyed her attention, especially since she'd been suspiciously busy the past few days. He just wished he didn't have to be Ventus-level pathetic to get it.

"Thanks… for saving my life. Again," he said glumly.

"You saved mine first," she replied softly, setting aside the now empty stew bowl.

He picked at a loose thread in the blanket. "…Yeah, well. Better me than you. Only one of us knows Curaga, after all." Just how many times had she used that spell on him? Wait, had he asked her that already? He couldn't quite remember…

Aqua looked a little sad. "I couldn't have done it without him."

"'Him'?" Vanitas scrunched his face in confusion. She couldn't be talking about Ventus… could she?

"The blue Flood." Aqua nodded to the Unversed, which was peeking at him from under a chair.

Vanitas blinked. He hadn't even noticed the creature was still around. It twitched and pawed at the floor nervously.

"He brought me a Hi-Potion for you."

"I— What?! That's impossible!" Vanitas sputtered. "It shouldn't obey you."

"He doesn't obey you, either," she pointed out.

"…That's besides the point."

Aqua's lips twitched into a slight smile. "He needs a name."

"You wanna name it?" he asked incredulously. "It's a monster, not a pet. It doesn't need a name."

"Names are important," she stated simply.

Vanitas opened his mouth to protest before closing it again. "…Yeah. I suppose they are."

Names meant something. Otherwise, he would've never named his Unversed. Otherwise… his Master wouldn't have named him anything at all.

Aqua shifted a little. "My name means—"

"Water. I know."

Her eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Look, I'm not completely uneducated," Vanitas huffed. Master Xehanort had taught him a little of the ancient language, specifically the letter 'kye' and its relevance to the X-Blade— a symbol of death, of endings…

Aqua smiled wistfully. "My mother named me after the color of my hair." She twisted a blue lock between her fingers. "What about your name?"

His face fell. "My old name… Ventus… meant wind. But you probably already knew that."

She nodded, suddenly a little wary.

"My Master decided I didn't… deserve that name anymore, so he gave me a new one." The old man's first words to him flashed in his mind.

'Empty creature from Ventus riven… to you, the name Vanitas shall be given.'

"It means… emptiness. Nothingness. Worthlessness. Vanity— not as in arrogance but rather… futility." Vanitas looked away, remembering what his Master had told Terra in the Badlands while he had observed from afar. "It's a fitting name for an… 'an abomination beyond hope of salvation'," he murmured.

Next to him, Aqua took a sharp intake of breath.

He shrugged. "It's a terrible name, I know, but…" It was one of the few things he could call his own. "Besides my Keyblade, it's all I've got. It's what makes me… me."

"I'm going to kill him."

Vanitas looked up sharply. "W-what?"

Aqua's eyes were ablaze. He'd never seen her so furious, not even the time he'd snapped Ventus's wooden Keyblade and she'd first called him a freak. "I'm going to kill Xehanort. I can't stand this."

He blinked in shock. "Aqua, I admire your optimism, but—"

"Shut up," she snapped, her tone harsher than it had been in a long time. "We can do this. You, me, and Ven. Together."

Ventus, too…?

His eyes narrowed. Why is it always about Ventus… him and Terra?

"I can't— No, I refuse to forgive Xehanort for what he's done. Least of all to you," Aqua continued. "You're not an abomination, Vanitas. Master Xehanort is a liar; you can't believe a word he says. You're not worthless; you have to believe that." There was an almost… pleading look in her eyes.

Vanitas stared, stunned at Aqua's earnestness. "I— I know that now, thanks to you," he stammered, unsure of what else to say. He wanted to believe it, to be of use to her… Today had proven he still wasn't strong enough to protect her, but he would be.

Aqua finally smiled, her blue eyes softening. She must've been satisfied by his answer.

Vanitas heard a faint chirp and turned to see the blue Flood creep out of its hiding place from beneath the chair. It glanced between himself and Aqua.

"It's okay. Come here." She held her hand out to it.

"Aqua, be careful," Vanitas warned.

"Don't worry so much!" she laughed, wiggling her fingers as the Flood slowly approached. "I haven't had a pet since I left my Homeworld. Master Eraqus was allergic."

"I told you, it's not a pet," he protested, struggling to sit up. "It's not even an animal!"

"He helped save your life," Aqua insisted. "He's a part of you."

"I…" Further objection died in his throat as the Flood nuzzled against Aqua's hand. What the hell was wrong with it?

"So, what emotion is he?"

Vanitas sighed. "Bring it here. I'm not going to hurt it," he added at her reproachful expression.

"It's alright. He's not going to hurt you," Aqua told the Flood while giving Vanitas a pointed look. She plopped the little creature in his lap where it hunched down, regarding him warily.

Vanitas slowly laid a hand on its head, then flinched, startled at the emotion within the Flood. "It— he…" Vanitas stroked along its rubbery spine, just to make sure what he was sensing was correct. "He's made of my Concern… for you." He looked up at her, bewildered. "I've never made an Unversed like this before."

"He's unique," Aqua smiled. The Flood gave an approving chirp and she laughed. "So…?"

"So what?"

"So what's his name?"

"You name him if you care so much," Vanitas huffed.

"Hmm…" Aqua thought for a moment. "How about… Bleu?"

"…Well that's creative," he deadpanned.

"I'm not very good at this naming thing, okay!"

"You're really not."

"Hey!"

"What? I'm agreeing with you," he smirked.

"Oh, shut up…" she grinned. "Do you like that name, Bleu?"

The Flood perked up and bobbed its head up and down, wiggling its antennae.

"I think that's a yes," Aqua announced cheerily as the creature leapt from his lap and returned to her.

Vanitas rolled his eyes. He watched as she began to play with the Flood, Bleu nuzzling against her fingers and kneading her skirt with its tiny pointed feet. If it was truly made of his Concern for her, then perhaps this Unversed —and only this Unversed— was okay around Aqua. It didn't make any sense for an Unversed to be made of emotions for someone, but maybe that's why it hadn't attempted to harm her— No, more than that… This Flood wanted to protect Aqua.

Vanitas leaned back and yawned, still feeling a little drowsy from his Curaga high.

"You need more sleep," Aqua insisted as the Flood settled down beside the fire.

"Yeah…" he mumbled. "You'll stay with me, right?"

"I'm not going anywhere," she said as she snuggled up close to him, pleasurably stroking his hair and running her fingers down his sensitive back.

That's right… Vanitas thought as he returned her embrace, a low rumble starting up in his chest at the attention. Aqua wasn't going anywhere.

He'd make sure of it; no matter what.

Thanks for reading!