A/N:

It's been a really long time since I've posted here. I have about no excuses. Besides school and a lack of motivation, I suppose. (': But I'm here now, with another update! I can't believe I'm only halfway through this challenge after over two years. Sorry, guys.

gift.

Terra studied him for a second. "You've got a gift, Vanitas."

"At what, constantly being on the wrong side?"

"At making people hate you."

Vanitas trundled through Radiant Garden's back-alleys. It was his turn to patrol the town in case of Heartless - even though they were showing up in fewer numbers, even though all of the people who'd been summoning or making them in the first place were gone besides Maleficent - although that didn't mean he was as chipper about it as everyone else was.

Where everyone else would wave, he stuffed his hands in his pockets. Where everyone else would stop and chat, Vanitas ignored them and kept on going.

Where Ven would smile, he would scowl.

A lot of the townspeople didn't like him, thought he was too quiet, or too sharp, too brooding, too hateful. Unversed usually followed in his wake, even if they never attacked anyone. They didn't like that either. So what? He didn't care about any of them or their opinions.

So why did he stay?

Vanitas came out of the alley into one of the main squares. A few people were around, although it was approaching dinnertime and many of the people that would've been outside were in their homes preparing. The place only reminded him of where he'd lost to Aqua twelve years ago. As he walked in further, one of them, an old lady, saw him and scowled. She left the square in a hurry, not even bothering to pretend that it wasn't because of him.

Great stars, why did he stay?

He didn't understand what the others saw in him. Why did they let him live? He'd been working for Xehanort. He'd even enjoyed it. Why did it matter if he'd done it because it might've meant an end to his constant pain? Every single 'bad' thing that he'd done, he'd chosen to do. By all rights, he should be dead. By all rights, he was an evil person. He deserved this hate. In the end, he'd wanted to die. That would've ended the pain as easily as anything else.

It was Ven. It knew it was. Everyone else would've been glad to see him gone, but no, Ven wanted to spare him.

"We're like brothers. You did a lot of bad things, but... I don't want you dead."

As if on cue, a group of Heartless suddenly spawned in the center of the square. It was a weak group, only a set of Soldiers and Armored Knights, and Vanitas scowled in disappointment. Usually, battles were the only thing that set off the monotony of a patrol, but this group was pathetic. He wouldn't even need to take out his Keyblade.

"Unversed," he barked.

Around him, indigo-black clouds coalesced into a swarm of Thornbites and Mandrakes. A few Floods that had already been following him around in their signature pools of indigo joined them. Vanitas's expression, which had calmed as emotions left him, ever so slightly morphed into a grimace. Maybe he should've decided to use his Keyblade instead. "Go."

The Unversed swarm met the Heartless and, for a few moments, there was only the sound of battle before the pain started.

Vanitas was used to experiencing this every day, but the initial sensation still tore a grunt out of him. Unversed dissipated among the chaos of battle and returned to him, bringing back their associated emotions and pain with them. He kept a straight face after that, but in reality, he felt as if a swarm of angry butterflies were somehow mauling apart his insides. Thankfully, he judged the group of Heartless correctly, and they were finished off with minimal casualties. He reabsorbed the rest of the Unversed, feeling the negativity return to him, and Vanitas ended feeling much worse than when he'd started.

A few Floods reappeared around him, sinking into their trademark puddles.

"Hey!"

A boy ran up to him, stopping to look down at one of the puddles before looking back up. "I got trapped by a couple of them in a corner. Thanks for helping me."

After a pause, Vanitas said flatly, "No problem." Like he could admit that he hadn't even noticed the kid earlier.

The boy hesitated, sensing now that the older teen wasn't very friendly.

Vanitas took that chance to continue walking, the puddles of Unversed trailing behind him. He didn't want to talk to this kid; children were annoying. Another Flood appeared.

The next morning, Vanitas received a letter from the kid thanking him again. The huffy mother who delivered it made sure to let him know that he wasn't welcome at their home no matter what her son thought of him, and that she'd also taken out the few bits of munny that her son had so graciously wanted to give to him.

He only smirked at her and took the envelope before slamming the door in her face.