Birth by Sleep, Revised

Kingdom Hearts:

Birth by Sleep, Revised

Time: B.K.W. (Before the Keyblade War)

Ventus Memoryblade stared at Vanitas Darkblade apprehensively, his blond-amber hair done in the usual spiky hairdo. The elder teen scowled at him viciously, before shoving him aside and stalking off. Ven felt his smile fade. Many of the Dark Keyblade wielders had become like Vanitas, as they all desired a piece of Kingdom Hearts for themselves. Ven felt rather uneasy, until he glanced at his clenched fist. At some time while he was pondering, Lost Memory burst to life, humming merrily as it did so.

Vanitas glowered at the Light Keyblade wielder from where he stood, hidden in the shadow. His scowl deepened, as Ven summoned the Keyblade that rejected him, Lost Memory. Traitor. With a shudder, he repressed summoning Oathbreaker; the only Keyblade that would accept him after Promise refused him. The blue eye that was embossed on it, stared greedily at him, and was the cause of many of his nightmares. Instead, he allowed Broken Dream, a similar composition of Lost Memory, in tarnished silver and dull, dead blue. Ven always got what he desired, Promise, Lost Memory… next he'd be Keyblade Master, and edge out those who worked hard for it. He hated how everyone loved Ven. He wanted to tear apart his wonderland. He wanted to rip that smile to shreds.

Time: DKW (During the Keyblade War)

Vanitas smirked, lifting a new, deadlier Keyblade into the air. Black, warped strands curled into a smooth hilt. A slim, blood-red shaft stretched out to an unusually long four feet. Wisps of mottled, flawed silver formed unknown, sinister characters that drifted about the shaft to the blade, continuously changing shape. A black orb that reflected no light, and glowed from within with a bloodthirsty malice, hung from a chain. The true blade itself was in the shape of a claw, the tip holding the barest glimmer of light.

"It should work well on the Keyblade master and Ven…" Vanitas muttered to himself, setting off across the waste.

He glanced mournfully at the mass of dead Keyblades around him. His smile had vanished years before. So many dead. Ven hated Vanitas, hated what he'd done, and what he had left behind. All his destruction. Ven clenched his fist tightly, feeling Lost Memory quake in his hand. Enraged, Ven found the strength to stand, as the bubble of darkness long suppressed, burst to life. Lost Memory, as Ven's scream pierced the stifling silence of the Keyblade Graveyard, became corrupted within itself.

Vanitas was surprised, to say the least, to find himself pinned down by a new, more vicious version of Ventus. A Keyblade of black, twisted, metal was in the younger male's hand, a sickening rendition of Lost Memory. He pressed the tip of the blade into Vani's neck, glowering at the male, and watching the blood bead out of the cut. Vanitas stared coolly at Ven. His heart was still far too light for him to kill.

"My, my, what do we have here?" Vanitas asked, mockingly, letting a finger touch the vacant, dull blue heart. "My old Keyblade?" He stared at Ven's eyes solemnly, before bursting into mad laughter. "So now it's second best?" He gasped, his laughter winding down slowly. Ven dug the blade deeper into the cut, and Vani silently hissed at the pain. "Really, thirteen is such a young age to kill someone." He drawled lazily. "I should know, since I haven't killed anyone."

"Shut. Up!" Ven screeched, making several pieces of the foundation break apart and fall. The hollow clinking noises echoed loudly in the now eerie canyon. "I'd do Master a favor if I killed you." His light began to be devoured and destroyed, as he continued on. "Everyone is dead because of your greed, and idiocy," Ventus yanked him closer. "I'd be doing the world a favor by destroying you." Vanitas looked mildly alarmed at this new version of the young wielder.

"Truly? You'd do such a thing?" Vanitas let a disbelieving snort of amusement sound. "What happened to the peaceful little boy I knew?" Vanitas traced another curve of the sharpened blade, pressing an ungloved fingertip against the point. Blood welled up, and slid down his index finger, before letting his hand drop. "Now you're a bloodthirsty murderer." He looked seriously at Ven. "Tsk tsk, that's quite a drop." He let his hand press against Ven's chest, and then shoved for all he was worth. Ven tumbled to the ground, winded. Broken Dream skittered to the edge of the canyon's surface, threatening to fall. Vanitas summoned Insanity, and pinned the boy to the ground.

"Now, give me your half of the x-blade." Vanitas ordered viciously. Ven shook his head valiantly, attempting to keep at least somewhat of his own dignity. "Too bad sweetheart," Vanitas drawled, summoning the uncompleted x-blade. Vani drew out the shrunken, seething mass of darkness, taking care to make it hurt the blond teen viciously. Ven let loose an ear-splitting shriek, as the darkness stubbornly held onto his heart.

"Good boy." Vanitas stood up, feeling the ground quake and rip apart beneath his feet at the sudden displacement of power. "I'll make sure to give you a little bit for yourself." He muttered a Bind spell on him, and walked off, heading towards Kingdom Hearts.

Ven lay on the baked, dusty ground of the Keyblade Graveyard, a heavy, overwhelming sense of defeat encompassing his slim frame. He didn't even twitch when the crunch and click of gravel announced Vanitas's arrival. Vanitas propped him up, and forced him to take a drink of cool, fresh water. Ven drank, but made no move to do anything else. He felt a warm, glowing something plop into his hand. Ventus held a miniature piece of Kingdom Hearts. He felt the despair slowly drift away, and his eyes were drawn to the small object.

"Flip it over," Vanitas suggested softly, his hand still holding the icy and sweet water. Ven considered mutiny for a brief second, before sighing and doing so. The other side was pitch-black, similar to the dark creatures that fought against both types of wielders in the war. The small heart glowed lightly, providing a feeling of tranquility. Ven watched Vanitas offer him the rest of the bottle. When had the Keyblade wielder become so kind? Vanitas gently took the heart, before pressing it light-side first into his chest. A gentle sigh of contentment escaped the blond, and he sat up, able to look at the raven-haired teenager. The steady, comforting feel of timelessness encompassed him, slowly.

"I really was wrong, wasn't I?" Ven murmured softly.

Time: A.K.W. (After the Keyblade War) 10 yr. mark – Trust

Ventus did not trust Vanitas at all. Not at all. The older male was often cold and heartless, insulting Ven constantly. Yet as the pair continued on, traveling to a fledgling world called Agrabah; he wondered why he didn't ask the other of his true intentions. He was rude and irritating and yet… strangely comforting. Vanitas paid attention to him, and Ven tended to him as well, even though it was through insults.

"Watch it!" Vanitas pulled the dazed blond out of harms way, protectively shielding him form the flying rubble the NeoShadow threw. "You idiot!" He snarled, when the shadow was taken care of. "You can't go running around…" Ven listened dazedly, his eyes on his companion, and suddenly smiled. He trusted Vanitas, though it was under the guise of insults and fights. Perhaps trust was grown on it's own.

Time: A.K.W. 50 yr. mark - Sacrament

Ven rubbed his eyes tiredly, barely able to eradicate the last Heartless from the fledging world. Ven carefully placed a rune ward in the stone. Someday, maybe in a few centuries, the rune would wear off, and the heart of the world would be exposed. Ven managed to return home. As he trudged past the mirror, he froze, looking at himself in the mirror in shock. He pressed his fingertips to the mirror, and the image reflected back at him. He had been so obsessed with protecting the worlds; he had forgotten to actually do anything for himself. Now he saw a young man of at least fifteen, staring back at him in fright. Ven didn't notice Void Gear fall to the ground. Ven pulled his hand away. Who was he?

Vanitas found Ven staring into his image, a look of stunned incredulity on his face. Vanitas walked over to the teen, worried. Ven took hold of his shoulders, and then spun him around, forcing him to stare at himself in the mirror. Forgiven fell from his hand as Vanitas truly got a look at himself for the first time in fifty years. Neither had changed very much. The two hadn't even been aware of themselves, nor of the time that had passed. Fifty years had passed, and neither had aged past two years.

Then it hit Vanitas. They weren't going to die. Ever. Vanitas, his eyes wide with shock, looked at his hands. He would never die, never age. Time would go on, and he'd never once get older. He looked at Ven. The blond was crying, tears sliding down his face, glittering like liquid diamonds.

Ven cried miserably, bringing up a hand to wipe away his tears. He gave a sniff, bringing a hand to press tightly against his heart. He'd never get to see his family in the alternate world that existed after death. Never. He and Vanitas would stay in the world of the living forever, to see the worlds come back, to watch their beloved home come back, and to never enjoy it. The work it took to protect fledgling worlds gave them only an hour or so of rest, never any more.

Both knew that this was their punishment.

Their sacrament.

Time: A.K.W. 100 yr. mark – Invention of Sea Salt Ice Cream

Ventus Kingdomblade wandered aimlessly amongst the many corrupted blades in the Keyblade Graveyard silently. Tiredly, Ven sat down, his legs hanging off the edge of a large shelf, nothing but empty space below his feet.

Ventus and Vanitas Oblivionblade had finally managed to pull the Heartless, Unversed, and Nobodies into a controllable situation. They were careful to name them, love them, and supply the necessities needed to keep them under control. Their penance was now simply more of a minor part of the day, like brushing their hair. It was natural, normal.

Ven had spent a solid century of time with Vanitas. The pair was not romantically involved, despite the appearances the two had faked. Ven was alerted to the presence of his best friend when an ice cream bar was handed to him, still cold as ice. Without thinking, he bit into the bar.

"Ah!" Ven nearly dropped the dessert. The complex and startling taste of rich, creamy vanilla being cut through with the sharp, yet subtle taste of sea salt had Ven hooked. Vanitas glanced over, licking his ice cream slowly, enjoying the indulgent taste of chocolate and raspberries. "What is this?" Ven gasped, staring at the melting bar.

"Sea salt ice cream," Vanitas supplied. "Good, isn't it?" He swung his legs back and forth over the canyon slowly.

"It's a shame," Ventus grinned knowingly, as Vani looked on in confusion. "Rocky Road didn't last a week before I ended up with a new favorite!" Vanitas sighed.

"Figures, you're picker than a girl." Ven smacked Vanitas over the head. "Ow!" He winced. "What the hell was that for?" Ven smacked him again. "Ow!"

"Language Vanitas," Ven scolded, in a patronizing tone.

"Oh lovely, now you're my mother." Vani groaned. "OW!"

Time: A.K.W. 150 yr mark – Radiant Gardens is Born

Ventus absently watched the world burst into life. A complicated castle swirled about, piecing itself together to a lovely building. Fountains appeared the surface of the water smooth and mirror reflective. His eyes widened, the city a giant mosaic in the shape of a flower, though only at this distance was it noticeable. He wandered about, until he climbed the gears. Smack in the middle of the mechanisms there was a giant keyhole. Ven summoned Redemption and sealed the world's heart. Then he gently cast a protection ward on the gear it was on. The gears began to change color, and rumbled. Ven jumped off, as they began to move, steadily around in smooth, unhurried patterns, hiding the keyhole from view.

Time: A.K.W. 300 yr. mark - First Secondary Command Style

Ven squeezed in a Curaga spell just in time. Revival clashed with Dementia, blocking the attack out of sheer luck. Ven shoved him off, before giving a furious counterattack. As he cast Zero Gravity, he felt the strangest sensation. The spell terminated early, as a feeling of weightlessness took over. Ven was taken out of his musings by a very irate Vani, as balance was not his strong suit. Ven felt the power ebb and build depending on whether the hits he placed on the teen connected or not. After a particularly successful hit, the Keyblade took a mind of its own, as it swept under him in a move that would be later known as 'Skateboard' style. A barrage of strikes hit the boy on critical areas, leaving him winded. Revival landed next to Vanitas, giving off a blast of multicolored light, before knocking Vanitas off the ledge.

"Vani-chan!" Ven cried, sprinting toward the ledge in worry. Ven found his friend hanging off the ledge, looking very pissed off. Ven helped him up. Once he was safely away from the ledge, he gave the blond a half-smile… then smacked Ventus over the head "Owwww…" Ven whined, rubbing his head.

"Next time that happens, I'll smack you into next month," Vanitas warned. "Now let's go."

"Go? Go where?" Ven asked curiously.

"Merlin has a book full of some Magic and Attack Commands. He agreed to let us take a look at them today. Besides," he shot Ven an irritated look, "Fighting you is not very beneficial to me."

Time: A.K.W. 370 yr. mark – Olympus

Vanitas lay with his back on the ground, watching the world bustle with lively activity. To his surprise, the keyhole was in Hades's domain. It took 4 hours, some ice cream, a giant rubber ball (don't ask) and a cattle prod to bypass the security and lock the heart of the world. He sighed, watching Hades run around, plotting revenge. For a god, he was a fool.

Time: A.K.W. 420 yr. mark – Chocolate is Available to the Common Public

Ven steadily devoured a Keyblade-sized bar of chocolate hungrily. Vanitas looked on with a W.T.F. look on his face. As Ven polished off his sixth bar in a row, Vanitas wondered if giving Ven chocolate for his birthday was a bad idea…

Time: A.K.W. 490 yr. mark – Watching

Ven shrugged off the feeling that something was watching him. Vanitas slept, spiky hair in disarray. Ven shivered, reluctantly leaving the warmth of his bed to carefully draw the blinds shut in hope of eliminating the cold, along with the person who watched them. Vanitas stirred, sleepily. Ven quickly returned to the warmth of the blankets, unaware of the eyes of the Heartless, Nobodies, and Unversed. The creatures watched them a little longer, and then returned to their worlds, a whisper of sound all that was heard, as the two Valors slept.

Time: A.K.W. 560 yr. mark – Alice in Wonder

It was pretty. The light darted about; making images appear, and then disappear. This world was quite odd. A plump woman had two children. One was dressed in only white, and winced every time she stepped on the grass. The other wore red and black, and was gleefully stomping on the grass and crushing bugs left and right. Ven watched, feeling the steady breath of Vanitas blow over his shoulder. Vanitas was asleep, his arm healing after an attack from a curiously colored Unversed/Heartless. He watched the older male, and then sighed. He was slightly scared. Ventus had never seen his friend ever beaten in a fight.

And it scared him.

Vanitas was one of the most powerful people in the world, and an attack from that… thing brought him down. He trembled, stroking Vani's hair slowly. He hoped to Kingdom Hearts that he was okay. But in this upside down world like this, perhaps he was better off not hoping. He summoned Starcrest. It was time to go home.

The Cheshire Cat grinned. Such interesting characters. He hoped he'd see them again soon.

Time: A.K.W. 920 yr. mark – Vani's birthday – Strange Pet

Vanitas stared at Ven. Ven stared back, along with a dragon-esque Unversed/Heartless… thingy.

"Do I want to know where in Merlin's name you got that?" Vanitas asked sarcastically, while raising an eyebrow. Ven looked at the pet, then back at Vanitas.

"Nah, not really," Ven answered honestly. "Happy birthday anyway!"

Time: A.K.W. 940 yr. mark – Birth of Scrooge McDuck

Ven cooed at the image of a fluffy ball of feathers and a beak. A tiny quack made Ven go "Awww…" out of pure adorability. Vanitas snoozed absently, a magazine over his face. Ven consistently made comments about how cute he was. "Vani-chan, look!" Ven begged, tugging on his sleeve impatiently. Ven had been insisting that they visit children, as immortality had its' drawbacks. Vanitas looked at the duckling, watching it take its' first steps. He stuck the magazine back over his face.

"Adorable."

Time: A.K.W. 960 yr. mark – Birth of Yen Sid

Ventus cooed at the image of a tiny babe, watching it take its first steps. Vanitas was even more bored, sleeping upside down, feet hanging off the top of the couch. Ven was against fathering children, as he would live beyond them. Vanitas was sure that the heartbreak would be the least of what happened to the blond. Ven shook his friend's shoulder, waking him.

"Vani!" Ven whispered. "Let him touch your Keyblade." Vanitas looked at him like he was nuts. The child had a perfect heart, even and strong. However, there was only an aptitude for magic, and not the Keyblade. Vanitas bit his lip. Damn. Ventus knew that he would only be a magician, and it would be difficult to find him a teacher. Vanitas thought back to Maya Silverlight. She was only twenty, but a good teacher, raised by the two several years back. Vanitas and Ven kept in touch with her often, and it would be a simple matter to get her to raise the child. His mother had abandoned him.

"Alright," he sighed, summoning Mythica. Vanitas touched the tip of the blade to Yen Sid's forehead. A steady, multicolored light streamed into the child. "Come on; let's take the child to Maya."

Time: A.K.W. 965 yr. mark – Gliders and armor

Ventus picked up another piece of null metal, dropping it into the cloth sack. He spotted a bit of star metal, and picked that up as well. Various metals were scattered all over the place, and Ven was careful to pick them all up from the floor. Ventus warped back home from the memory crystal embedded in the dry, packed stone of the Keyblade Graveyard.

Vanitas absently melted down the Dark and Light metals into a smooth, flexible material. Leisurely, he molded the material into various rings and plates, embossing a smooth insignia into the slow-cooling metal. Vanitas poked in holes, using metal rope to stitch the material together. He hung the finished armor onto the cooling racks, coating them in ash and charcoal to control the cooling process. Ventus absentmindedly wandered in, his right hand cupping his left shoulder, massaging it slowly. In his left hand, he held a cloth bag of metals, from Water metal to Star metal.

"What's in the bag?" Vanitas asked curiously, as he wandered over.

"Metals. I was lucky to find the energy metal that the gliders used." Ventus picked up a large square of gelatin-like material. "But it is more like clay now." Ven gently molded it into a sphere. "Should we rename it?" Ven looked up at the taller Keyblade Master inquisitively. Vanitas opened his hand, gesturing for the material. Ven let it fall into his hand. Vanitas molded it into a smooth oval, before pressing it into a square.

"Sure, why not? It's not like there's going to be many people that are going to follow the old ways anymore." Ventus nodded, quietly pulling out the other metals.

Yeah, it feels kinda like clay, or gelatin" Ven agreed, earning a weirded out look from the raven-haired male.

"How do you know it feels like gelatin?" Vanitas asked curiously. Ven blushed.

"That's not the point! Hey, I know, let's name it Gummi!" Ven suggested.

"Alright, but I'm going to find out how you know what gelatin feels like sooner or later." Vanitas threatened, the tiny blond wincing. He should have never brought up that topic of conversation . . .

"Aside from the 'Gummi' stone I've also got Mithril (Silver), Star (Gold), Water (Blue), Earth (Green/Brown), Fire (red), Wind (Multicolored), Null (Colorless), Dark (Black), Light (White), and Magnetic Ore (Grey) that I found," Ven sorted out the materials quickly. Vanitas looked seriously at him. "What?" Ven asked drily. "Am I now that sparkly menace?" Vanitas snickered.

"No, you're not what-his-name," Vanitas said with another laugh. "I was just surprised that you found all of that." Ventus smiled briefly. "But," Vanitas sobered up, "Since we have all of these materials, we have more than enough to make two gliders." Ven nodded, taking the 'Gummi' blocks and beginning to melt them down to make the soft, stabilizing core of the gliders surface. Vanitas pulled the molds for the various styles of gliders, looking for the ornate, yet deadly style he had used before. Back then, nobody sane would go and fly next to him if they wanted their glider to still be in one piece. Ven mixed in some null metal to smoothen and stretch the material of the 'Gummi' block. Ven preferred to make his from scratch. The base was oval, tinted pale silver by the block of rubbery material. Ven noted that the 'Gummi' blocks were various colors; the only way to tell that it was the power source was to test the texture. Ven absently twisted the Star metal with a fraction of Dark and Magnetic Ore. The darkness would be repelled, and the gliders would be attracted to the fledgling worlds that consistently sprang to life. Ventus watched Vanitas, snickering in amusement as he recreated the glider that he used before the war. Vanitas glanced over, and smiled, dryly.

"Going to tell me what's so funny?" Vanitas asked.

"Sure thing, sweetheart." Ven answered with a grin. "Ya see, that glider style you use . . ."

Time: A.K.W. 970 yr mark – ?

Vanitas polished his glider, muttering about irresponsible fliers. Ven bounced about, looking delighted. The Unversed/Heartless thingy gnawed on a paintbrush. Ven stopped bouncing. The Unversed/Heartless thingy squirmed, covered in pink paint. Vanitas looked at it, and then resumed working. Ven pried it out of the paint can. Vanitas stared at a scratch on his glider. Ven giggled, dancing with the Unversed/Heartless thingy. The Unversed/Heartless thingy tracked pink paint all over Vani's paint job. Vani stuck it in a bucket, pocked some holes in the lid, and sealed the lid. Ven bounced about.

Time: A.K.W. 975 yr mark – Pridelands

Vanitas watched the world of the Pridelands slowly appear. He watched, curiously, as Ven was turned into a giant cat. Ven looked irritated at the fact he was a lion, then even more so when a lioness flirted with him. Vanitas simply stretched out, watching the flustered blond skirt about the female population, and smirked (somehow) as Ven was pursued with a fangirl–like tendency. Finally, Vanitas had enough of them stalking his best friend.

Ventus felt himself get picked up by the scruff of his neck, and carried off by a black-furred, amber-eyed lion. Ven hissed, irritated at his best friend.

"Let me go!" Ven snapped, his paws flailing adorably. Vani didn't answer until they were far away. Ven felt himself gently lowered to the ground, and then a large black paw cuffed him over the ear, sending him tumbling tail over snout.

"Say 'thank you'." Vanitas chided, his tail flicking back and forth, swiftly. His fur was streaked through with red strands. Ven glowered, and spat out the words aloud. His fur was ruffled, the light fur bristly and tangled. For some reason, the mess irritated Vanitas. It was probably because he was usually impeccable. Yes, that was it! No other reason was available. He pushed the brooding thoughts back, hastily, muttering an oath. This place was messing with his mind.

Ven felt Vani's paw hold him. "Wha- Eek!" Ven felt a large, warm tongue run through his fur, untangling the strands and comforting him. Ven felt calmer, his fur nice and combed through. A purr escaped his mouth, as he stretched his body out to relax.

Scratch that. This place was nice after all, if it let him take care of Ven.

Time: A.K.W. 975 yr. mark – Return of Home

Ventus stared out the window, watching the stars burst to life. A familiar star appeared, twisting his heart. Vanitas felt the familiar pang of agony from Ven that he typically felt. He wandered over to Ventus in concern.

"Look." Ven pointed to the North Star. "Destiny Islands returned." Vanitas softly hugged the upset looking blond. Ven had once said that in the last age of Kingdom Hearts, once a person left, they had only one more visit back home. Vanitas came from a place called the Land of the Graced, and was well aware it would never return.

Time: A.K.W. 980 yr. mark – First Sight

Ven lay on his back, his long hair spilled about him. He really needed to cut it soon. As he sat up, a loud cracking sound made him turn to the shelf nearby in alarm. A young brunet, perhaps fourteen sat curled up his spiky hair almost identical to Vanitas's own. A sibling, perhaps? Ven wandered over, the jumped back as it exploded into a million fragments of light.

Who was he?

Time: A.K.W. 1000 yr. mark – Poseidon's Realm

Ventus sped around, testing his glider carefully. It had gotten pretty banged up in a race with Vanitas. However, to his delight, it still worked.

His delight was crushed however, when he crashed into a giant ball of water. Sputtering loudly, he reeled back in alarm. Vanitas streaked over, genuinely anxious at the expression on Ven's face. Then, he saw how soaked he was. Vanitas's concern evaporated, and he roared with laughter.

"Only you would find a world this way," Vanitas told his companion seriously, before busting back into mad giggles. Ven glared sourly at his friend.

"…. ….. … …. …." Ven muttered something that contained a four-letter word and something physically impossible. Vanitas raised an eyebrow in surprise and interest.

"What was that?" Vanitas asked, seriously, as Ven tore off the shroud of darkness, peeling off the Heartless that watched them solemnly. Vanitas heard something else, and this time, his mouth dropped. "Okay, what happened to the little boy I knew that hated such coarse language?" Vanitas asked, staring at his blond companion in a whole new light.

And a look of shock.

F#k!

Ven landed on the world, only to end up with a tail. Not a cute, fluffy fox tail, but a giant, fish-esque (fins included) tail. His body slid off the glider, which disappeared when he landed in the water. Vanitas met a similar fate, his tail however dark grey and streamlined, instead of green and slim like his own. He stretched out, testing his tail and maneuverability. Vanitas was nearby, swimming in lazy circles and simply enjoying himself. Ven pointed to his summoned Keyblade, Seas End. He simply sighed, and summoned his, Mech Raid. The pair swam around, studying the terrain for the telltale glow of light from the world's heart. Ven spotted it first, surrounded by some very suspicious-looking Unversed. They squirmed, and sped off, looking guilty for some strange reason. Both shrugged, and sealed the heart of the world.

Time: 1010 yr. mark – The Sealing of The Death Eater Heartless

Ven gasped, feeling a large, clawed something rake across his chest, the metal of his armor squealing in protest, and winding him. Nearby, Vanitas struggled to stand up, his armor smoking and full of puncture wounds. His eyes stung as it released a rotten breath, the stench of rotten meat and blood sickening.

It was quite large, but not large enough to eat the Keyblade Graveyard, but enough to smother three-quarters of their world. Bright red eyes and a giant mouth made up most of its anatomy, though there was a body to support it. His hands were as large as Vanitas himself, and a massive torso melded seamlessly into its head. There seemed to be a neck of some sort, and stretched up to twice Ven's height. Gangly legs stretched outward, the feet only vaguely shaped to support it. It wore the tattered remain of humans, clumsily made in a sickening rendition of human clothing. It stretched a hand out to Vanitas to eat him, presumably.

Vanitas jumped back just in time. The hand crushed the ground below it, leaving an insanely large crater, the edges jagged and stained black by the liquid that gushed out of its hand. It roared, attempting to remove its hand, only to further harm itself. Ven swiftly dragged away his companion, and removed the destroyed armor, the better to get to his abrasions. Dark red eyes glared at them, as it finally removed its hand. Ven noticed the masses of Heartless first. Vanitas saw the Nobodies and Unversed instead. Ven watched, perplexed, as they mimed making a chain and tying it around something. The other creatures duplicated the process.

Vanitas felt their answer, and beckoned to them. They began to sprint to him, tying themselves into an endless chain of writhing creatures. Ven did the same, creating a massive lock. The pair had managed to move to an obscure part of the graveyard to set up the chain. The Unversed made up the first part of the layered hold they planned to use, twining endlessly in the air. The Heartless made up the next set of chains, layered in a star pattern on the ground. Finally, the Nobodies created a cage-like structure, suspended above the Unversed chain.

With a roar, the Death Eater Heartless lunged, and then froze as chains of the Unversed tied around him. As it swatted at the Unversed, a large claw caught the Heartless chain, whipping it around itself in the frantic attempts for freedom. At last, the Nobodies swooped down, entangling the massive Heartless and melding links with the other two chains of hearts. A deep groan cracked from the fissure beneath, and the Death Eater Heartless sunk to the bottom of the world, an empty howl echoing around the canyon.

Ven huffed, attempting to catch his breath. Vanitas gingerly stood up, wincing when he put weight on his bad ankle.

They definitely needed to become stronger.

Time: 1020 yr. Mark – First Vision of the Future

Ven quietly cuddled into the soft, fluffy blankets, hoping his migraine would go away. Vanitas sat nearby, caressing the soft strands of hair gently. Ven buried his head into Van's side, as spots of color dotted his vision. The spots elongated and merged, forming the boy he had seen forty years prior. He was chatting with two seemingly familiar shapes, before a Heartless appeared. He summoned Kingdom Key, and attacked. The brunet panted as he finished off the last one. His blue eyes showed little experience.

He gasped, bolting upright, sprinting out of bed and startling his companion. Vanitas watched Ven scribble furiously on a small pad of paper, his blank eyes staring at the words written on them. A dry sob left Ven's lips, as more images appeared in his mind. All he could do was sit and record the few, disjointed visions he had. When the final image disappeared, Ventus let the pad of paper fall to the floor, and he cried.

He cried for the brunet Sora, for his friend, and for everyone who was involved in this wretched future. He was going to change it if he could. He would change it, no matter what it took. Vanitas stood nearby, rubbing Ven's back gently. His amber eyes showed concern.

"Ven," Vanitas said, gently. "Please listen to me." Ven looked up. "What is wrong?" Ven mumbled out Sora's

tale in agony, tears running down his face. "Listen to me Ventus. The future can change, and in this case, it will change."

Ven smiled, faintly. Perhaps the future would change for the better.

First Ever KH Story!

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