Chapter Text
Vanitas woke up without wanting to open his eyes.
It felt like he had been in a coma for an eternity, only to be brought back as if dragged to a shore forcefully against his will.
And knowing the voices around him, it was probably something akin to what had happened.
The clearest voice among the clearly present people to be blamed for his revival was one he could make out easily, but he couldn't claim to have interacted with him enough.
“Everything seems stable, I don't know why he's not waking up.” Vexen, of course, with his highly educated tone spoke closely to his position. Vanitas supposed he was talking about him, yet he wouldn't dare to open his eyes.
“Perhaps his heart is still incomplete.”
Now that… was a voice Vanitas knew.
He opened his eyes in mild panic, turning around to find the face of the only person he had ever cared about — even if not for the most sane reasons.
Ventus looked surprised, startled when Vanitas moved almost hysterically to face him.
“Now, now. I told you his heart was complete.” Vexen said with pride, Vanitas now looking at him and trying to get off the bed he was on.
It wouldn't be difficult to jump from it and try to run away in a dark puddle on the floor, but the weird duo upon him made him unsure, curiosity getting the best out of him.
“What the heck is going on?”
He looked around, to find his…body? covered with a pale blue sheet, both his arms having needles inserted right between the point opposite to his elbow, the easiest place to access a vein… But he was sure he didn't have any of those.
“It's always good to know you didn't lose the edge to your speech. Ventus here had been worried.” Vexen said, now relaxed and walking in front of him.
Vanitas took the time to try and identify where he was, reaching the immediate conclusion of being in the lab of Radiant Garden. It was not the first time he had woken up there, and the memories were so deeply unsettling that his face immediately adopted a frown.
“What do you want from me?”
He wasn't going to do what Xehanort asked him to do that time twice. Dying to be discarded as a pawn of no value, only to lose once again to those pathetic Guardians of Light? He'd rather vanish, this time for real.
“Don't look at me like that, this was all his doing.”
The thing is, being mad to Xehanort and Organization XIII was easy — elementary, if he dared to say, but Ventus?
Ventus was a being of pure light. There was no doubt of it, especially since Vanitas hadn't returned to him after dying in the keyblade graveyard.
If he knew something about Ventus, was that he would NOT do something in favor of the Organization.
When Vexen pointed at the blonde, Vanitas was again left to rot within his confusion.
“Hello again.”
His tone, completely self-righteous and full of conviction didn't help to soothe his emotions.
“Can you please get to the point once and for all? Shit, even Xehanort wouldn't leave me in the dark for this long.”
Vanitas could tell when people weren't happy to hear what he had to say, he had grown accustomed to it, so it wasn't a surprise to see Vexen deeply uncomfortable.
It was, however, incredibly stressful to see how little had Ven reacted.
“I'll be brief. You died, your agonizing heart fled the replica body the Organization gave you and hid within Sora’s heart.” Ventus explained, Vanitas looked as if he didn't understand nor believe anything coming out of his mount. “Ever since he disappeared, you're the only remnant of his being we could find.”
Despite being incredibly blunt (something new for Ventus, that boy loved to yap about everything), Vanitas took those words as if they were extracted from a science book that he would never venture to read on his own.
“That sounds ridiculous.”
“Just because it does, doesn't mean it is not true.”
“Why would I flee to Sora’s heart? That loser?”
Ventus stood up from the stool he was sitting in. Once again, Vanitas wasn't clueless when he would get negative reactions towards his words, but Ventusʼ reaction quickly deviated from what he thought he would get.
“Listen. In the year you were there, you managed to grow a heart of your own.” Ventus said, his voice quickly dropping an octave, which meant he wasn't happy at all. “I wanted to treat you better than how you ever treated me and advocated to give you your own body, but I'm so not in the mood to… to whatever you want to say about the light or my friends.”
Vanitas didn't feel guilty, but something in his chest definitely wanted him to spark a bit of an emotion akin to it
“Do whatever you want now. There's no Organization, no Xehanort. If you want to go to the Land of Departure, I'll be there.” Then he left.
Vanitas wouldn't admit it, but his reaction surprised him.
Vexen cleared his throat, gaining his attention.
“Might as well introduce myself, you're in no condition to leave yet.” Vanitas raised an eyebrow, as if daring him to stand by that statement. Vexen ignored him. “I'm Even, apprentice to Ansem the Wise and currently a head researcher in Radiant Garden.”
“We already know each other and I can recall you knowing I don't care.”
“Oh, absolutely, but if you get rebellious and hurt yourself, I don't want to be blamed for it.”
“Blamed by who? Nobody would care.”
Vexen… Even, apparently , snorted in a mocking manner. While Vanitas was unable to feel offended, his state of confusion and unraveling still made him a bit mad.
“You're just as dense as Ventus said.” Evenʼs face was delighted. “Kid, if nobody cared, you wouldn't have a body to take.”
Vanitas couldn't help but look at his hands. He flexed them, feeling every inch of the movement, the muscles aching from being still for a long time.
He was alive, painfully and uncomfortably so, but alive nonetheless.
“For Kingdom Hearts, once you take that annoying frown off your face, the resemblance you share with him is deeply uncanny.” Even mumbled, but since everything was so silent around him, Vanitas heard him with little to no problem.
He preferred to feign not hearing him. Vanitas didn't need to ask who he was referring to, and even if he couldn't care less about his appearance and who he resembled… It was annoying.
Vanitas didn't speak much after that, letting Even do whatever he was with the machine connected to the needles sticking to his body. He had a lot to reflect upon, and without Xehanort monopolizing his whole attention and the clear sign of freedom he was being given, Vanitas just didn't know what to do.
He could leave, albeit that sounded unwise. Where would he go? His home had been a literal graveyard for as long as he could remember, and regardless of how frugal and unbothered he always seemed, it was something deeply unappealing. He could even get used to the stretcher he was in.
It was obvious when Even finished, the hum of the machines fading. He got closer to Vanitas, and just as he was about to become aggressive, the scientist just removed the needles and started getting ready to leave wherever else he could.
“Wait.” Against his best interest, Vanitas had to talk again.
Even looked at him, unimpressed and tired.
“You're just… gonna leave me here?”
“Huh? You look as if you want to kill me as soon as I'm within reach. I thought you wanted to leave as soon as I finished checking on your body.”
Vanitas thought… That made sense. For once something wasn't utter nonsense since he woke up.
“Of course I want to leave, but,” Quickly, he had to come up with an excuse if he didn't want to seem even more ridiculous. “Where to?”
Just great, he thought, that was even more pathetic.
Even relaxed visibly, his shoulders dropping as he stared at the dark haired boy.
“Perhaps start at the Land of Departure.” The advice probably made him frown without thinking, but Even was too tired to care. “Look, I don't know. I know nothing about you other than your existence being Ventusʼ fault and that somehow means you share a face with that Sora kid. I can't help you with nothing else than to tell you to talk with, at least, Ventus.”
“He doesn't like me.”
“That kid begged me for a body for you, he's obviously willing to help.”
“But…”
“Kid,” Even interrupted. “I'm tired, do that or stay here while you figure it out. Just try not to scare Ienzo if you're here tomorrow morning.”
Vanitas couldn't say anything else, Even just left without looking back and left the door open for him.
Now alone, only the light of the cold laboratory allowing his eyes to make anything out, he regretted but one thing.
Not asking what they meant when they said he had grown a heart.
He didn't leave. Everything was still confusing, and Vanitas wouldn't say it out loud, but his dignity wouldn't let him reach out to Ventus so easily.
Now that the laboratory was empty, Vanitas decided to put his body to the test, not knowing what he was now capable of since the pain was actually… gone.
Vanitas wasn't one to care about clothing, but from the glass cases all around him he could tell those robes were so unflattering they almost made him look ridiculous. He missed his old attire, at least it was imposing.
The first thing to try was to summon his reliable suit of darkness, but something happened once he did.
Yes, his appearance changed, but it wasn't the suit he was expecting.
It looked like normal clothes. Too normal, perhaps, the lack of dark energy surrounding them taking him out.
He ran to the biggest glass case and tried to identify what the hell was covering his body now. As expected, normal clothes, eerily similar to Sora’s.
He grunted, trying to summon something else, but only variables of things he could picture Sora in appeared, making him mad. No, he wasn't going to copy that clownʼs fashion sense, at least not willingly! The depressing hospital gowns it was then.
He quickly found out he could still summon dark corridors, but since his magic had something clearly wrong going on, he wouldn't dare to step inside one just yet. What if he thought about going to the Keyblade Graveyard, but instead reached Disney Town? Absolutely not.
Turning into a dark puddle was now impossible, and even if he was rather disappointed by it, he recalled the moment when that was the method of transportation he would have used to escape only mere moments before, so thankfully he didn't try that.
Despite his session of rediscovery, it eventually became very boring to stay there. Vanitas was so annoyed at himself for not leaving as soon as he woke up, thinking how pathetic it was for him to be seeking some kind of guidance.
But then again, even Xehanort had once mildly mentored him, why wasn't anyone here trying to explain the reason why he was back?
He swallowed a scream, then decided against it because, who the fuck would hear him there?
He screamed, loudly and angry, then summoned his keyblade, partially convinced it wouldn't work but;
“Huh.” Void Gear stared back at him, the keybladeʼs colors just as vivid as always. Somehow, he was expecting it to become rusted from the absence of its master, but keyblades were loyal in ways humans could never be.
Vanitas couldn't take it anymore, anyway, so he summoned a dark corridor with just one destination in mind. Hopefully he wouldn't mess that up too.
He didn't vanish his keyblade, the only thing that seemed to stay within his known territory, so he clinged onto it as an anchor.
Thankfully, once he stepped through the corridor, the sight of the castle of the Land of Departure welcomed him on the other side.
He was right in the middle of the circular platform upon the door of the castle, just by the stairs. His flawed magic wanted him to be there almost as much as he did.
He supposed that, since Ventus didn't want to kill him on sight — and, seeing how Vanitas wasn't actually a dumb person, he remembered quite well Even saying that Ventus actually wanted him there; so knocking wasn't forbidden, would it?
Walking up the stairs, he could feel the weight of the circumstances slowing him down until he reached the door.
Then, a voice in his head laughed at him. Knocking? Who the fuck was him and what did he do with Vanitas?
Of course, he ended up unlocking the door with his keyblade and noticed how dark everything was inside. Either everyone was asleep, or nobody was home.
Vanitas just hoped the latter wasn't the case.
“Ventus!” He yelled, voice echoing.
Deafening silence followed, reaching the conclusion that he was the most unlucky person in the universe.
“Aqua! Terra!” To further worsen his less than favorable opinion of his new self, he dared to call for the other people he could think of.
Still as silent. Well then, he tried.
Maybe going to the Keyblade Graveyard would have been the better option.
But then he looked back, Ventusʼ face receiving him.
That and a white and black keyblade pointed at his face, to be specific.
Now that Vanitas looked at Ventus with more detail, he made the mental note of not remembering the sight of a keyblade like one… ever.
And looking even further, he couldn't recall Ventusʼ making such a deep frown in his life.
No. It wasn't Ventus.
“Who are you?” The stranger asked, Vanitas immediately felt offended.
“ Who am I ? Who are you!?” Vanitas took a step back and also pointed Void Gear to the person in front of him.
The blonde stranger arched an eyebrow, as if completely convinced he wasn't asking the most ridiculous question ever. How dare he use Ventusʼ face in his place of residence and go around questioning people who they were? The absolute nerve!
Nobody said a word, Vanitas also mentally noting that said stranger managed to sneak past him.
“Why is there so much noise coming from…?”
Now that,
That was Ventus.
The light to the large corridor was turned on by Ventus when he walked down the stairs, and seeing the other guy not alarmed at all by his presence, Vanitas was now worried he had missed a few chapters.
“Ventus why the fuck is a copy of you guarding the door?” Vanitas asked, his eyes switching between the two people mentioned.
“Oh, I'm sorry, Roxas,” Ventus walked toward the other Ventus, urging him to drop the keyblade for a moment. “I thought he wouldn't get here today, this is Vanitas.”
Vanitas didn't drop his weapon. Roxas unsurely did, probably solely because Ventus asked him to.
“You forgot to mention he has Sora’s face.”
“Bold of you to say *I* have someone else's face, Roxas. ” Vanitas laughed dryly. “Come on, I came here for answers, not to be questioned.”
Ventus looked seriously annoyed, nothing new considering the way he left the laboratory earlier.
“What did you want to ask that couldn't wait until tomorrow morning? It's almost two in the morning.”
“What did you do to me?”
The way Vanitas was still holding his keyblade towards them had Roxas at edge, the sight of his own white keyblade still on his hand.
Vanitas didn't care, he needed to know.
“Did to you? As in what?”
“There's light in me.” Saying it out loud made it too real, but there was no other way to make Ventus talk. “How?”
Ventus left Roxasʼ side and stood right in front of Void Gear, grabbing it by the head of the blade.
“I explained to you already that you fled to Sora’s heart, and after that you grew a full heart for yourself.” Ventus lowered the weapon, far too easily for Vanitasʼ liking, but he had other things in mind. “I don't know how or why, but maybe since Sora has more light than darkness, you only had light to reconstruct yourself.”
“That's ridiculous.”
“Probably,” This time, Ventus didn't seem so annoyed by his words. “Anything else?”
Actually, no.
He was just as lost as before, the answer being so unsatisfactory he didn't know if he wanted to take it, yet it was exactly what he expected.
“You're a pain in the ass.” Vanitas said, finally withdrawing his weapon. “You can't just revive half of your heart and then abandon it inside a lab.”
“I was not in the mood to deal with your snarky remarks, I could've just let you wander without a body if I really wanted to abandon you.”
“My point still stands.” Vanitas shrugged.
“If I didn't know you any better, I'd say you're hurt by my actions.” Ventusʼ face quickly adopted a satisfying expression.
“No way.”
Vanitas was frowning again.
They could have bickered for a while more, but then Roxas cleared his throat and got the attention of them both.
“I'll go to sleep again.” He said. “Goodnight.”
He was dry in a way that Ventus could never be. Vanitas already could tell that Roxas guy was an interesting one.
“If you want to spend the night here there's an empty room beside mine. You're free to use it and we can talk tomorrow.”
Ventus then started walking to the stairs again, clearly exhausted.
“Oh, and, there's also clothes. You look terrible.”
Huh, at least he was honest.
Vanitas stood there dumbfounded a little while more.
He silently cursed himself for his decisions that took him there.
But how good a soldier was if nobody was there to order him.