#the dives to the heart in kh fill me with nostalgia

[chaobunnyarts]

Dive to the Heart - Amaurot

[penumbral-phantasm]

What I Am - Kingdom Hearts Fic

Finally cracked down on some KH fic. This one is post kh3 with a slight au, so beware! Basically this is me trying to bring Vanitas into the Sora click once everything has settled down u_u

Rating: Gen

Warnings: None

Characters: Sora, Ventus, Vanitas, Roxas ft. Riku, Kairi, Namine, Terra & Aqua

Summary:  Post KH3 with a slight AU where everyone is fine at the end. Sora can't stop thinking about his interactions with Vanitas who is now alive and somewhere out there. Lots of bonding between the look-alikes, somewhat redemption for Vanitas. Probably not as angsty as you think it is.

“Ven! Roxas! Come over here!” Sora beckoned from near the paopu tree. His island had never looked so small. Kairi, Riku and him were now grown up, plus they had so many more friends than what they started with two years ago, and all of them were gathered below to bask in the same warm sun. He was starting to see how Riku could call this place tiny.

The two of them perked up from the lower part of the island, running over to see what was up. Kairi passed them as they came, most likely to go and finally make some real conversation with Namine and Xion. Sora still didn’t entirely understand the Xion situation, but looking at her gave him a warm sense of nostalgia and she made Roxas and Axel /so happy/ that he instantly knew he could trust her.

“What’s up, Sora?” Ven asked as they arrived, huffing.

“I wanted to take a selfie with you guys! How cool is it gonna look framed between you two?” He pulled out his phone, already holding it up.

Roxas rolled his eyes, but he was smiling. Sora could tell he really liked selfies and had been eyeing everyone’s phones closely. He was probably going to nab someone’s soon.

“Get in close!” Sora said, angling the camera just right. “Cheese!” The camera clicked off and he eagerly looked at the result.

Ven and Sora were beaming, as per usual, while Roxas had a careful smile there. “You should smile more, Rox,” he said.

“Hey, if you want better smiles just look at Ven.”

Ven chuckled. “Aqua and Terra always did say I have a great smile!”

It was still a little weird to hear the two of them and see the two of them and even more shocking how easily they had melded into friendship, but Sora wasn’t complaining. It was kind of funny and adorable. Roxas, now that he was free to be his own person, could probably take a few lessons on happiness from Ven. There was nothing to worry about anymore!

He looked down at the picture. Well, mostly nothing to worry about. Seeing Roxas and Ven so close together reminded him of his own look-alike. Vanitas was somewhere out there. He hadn’t returned to Ven’s heart but he hadn’t died at the keyblade graveyard either.

It was terrifying to see himself all skewed in anger and darkness. Sora knew how to be angry, and he often was when people were trying to hurt his friends, but Vanitas just seemed to be angry because that’s all he was. Anger, hatred, darkness. Something about it still felt wrong, but the finality of Ven’s ‘okay’ stuck in his mind. He didn’t really know the full story of Ventus, Vanitas, Terra and Aqua. He didn’t know how terrible it might have been over a decade ago. After all, Vanitas was the reason Ven had to take refuge in his heart at all.

Maybe that wasn’t a guy he should think about or worry about. Maybe he was just sensitive about this because they looked so similar. Maybe it was time to put all of that behind them and move forward.

But Riku had struggled with darkness, had been engulfed in it, and he came out balanced and strong and inspiring. What if something was salvageable in Vanitas? He glanced at Ven who was laughing at another one of Roxas’ dry jokes. Ven didn’t seem to think so. Maybe if he knew someone like Riku, he would think differently!

Oh. But there was Terra. Ven /did/ know someone like Riku and had watched his friend struggle with darkness. And Aqua. She was in terrible shape in the Realm of Darkness. Ven probably came from way more experience than Sora could imagine when it came to darkness. Really, he should give it up, forget and ignore Vanitas until he eventually became a threat again.

“Sora? Are you okay?” Ven’s voice broke through his thoughts. “You’re staring at that selfie really hard. Is it not good enough?”

“Did you catch yourself from a bad angle?” Roxas asked.

“No, no! It’s perfect. Sorry, I was just thinking about a lot of things. It’s been crazy, you know?”

Ven nodded. “Life’s definitely taken a dive I did not expect. But it’s over now, we’re free. Don’t get bogged down with all that thinking!”

Roxas crossed his arms. “To be fair, he just came back from nearly dying to save Kairi’s life. Maybe some thinking is in order.”

Sora restrained a sigh. Why did he feel like he had an angel and a devil on each shoulder? He shut off his phone and put it away. “I’ll try not to think /too/ much,” he said.

“Good!” Ven smiled. “And if you ever need to talk we’re right here. I did spend nearly twelve years in your heart, after all!”

Once more, Sora tried not to groan at being reminded of that. He had done a lot of stupid things as a kid when he thought no one was looking. For all he knew, Ven had always been looking.

Roxas wrinkled his nose. “Glad you left it. It was starting to get stuffy in there.”

Ven shoved him playfully, which led to the two of them racing back across the bridge and down to the beach, shouting at and laughing with each other.

Sora hung back for a moment, watching everyone be so happy and filled with light. In his heart he always knew that this had to be the outcome. He wouldn’t accept sadness and death. It wasn’t an option. But things had been scary for a while back there, especially when he lost Kairi, and this image of joy had seemed more and more like a dream.

It was real. It was really, really real.

“Sora!” Riku called with a wave of his hand. It looked like him and Terra were setting up that beachside barbecue they had been talking about. Sora had never had one without the help of his parents or on this little island, but he was glad his first would be with so many friends, old and new.

The sun set quickly around them, the night air mingling with the scent of salt and dying embers. Everyone had settled down to sit on the beach and stare up at the stars. Quiet bits of conversation passed between them all in a comforting hum, some more talkative than others.

Somewhere behind him Ven said, “It’s been so long since I’ve seen these stars.” He almost sounded uncomfortable.

“They’re so pretty,” Namine breathed.

“They really are,” Xion said. “They almost beat sunsets.”

Sora didn’t realize he had taken the stars for granted. So many of these people had been trapped, stuck, waiting, and he had just been carrying on with life like nothing was wrong. He had forgotten meeting Aqua, forgotten taking Ven’s heart in his own, acted like it was okay at first when Roxas had returned to him. He should have acted sooner.

What if there were other people who needed saving out there and he didn’t even know it? All those stars, all those worlds, and he was just sitting here. Yeah, he needed the break, he really did, but how soon would he have to set off to help another heart in need? How long would he keep people waiting?

...What if Vanitas was one of those people? He still couldn’t chase him from his mind. Sora wanted to help people all the time. Something about that goodbye hadn’t sit right with him and that familiar tug to become someone’s savior once more stayed heavy in his heart.

There was a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see Kairi’s concerned face illuminated by starlight. “You look a little upset,” she said. “Is everything okay? Are you okay?”

He could tell there was extra concern over the last journey they had made together. To be honest, he was still concerned about her too, even though she was fine and sitting right next to him.

He put on a signature smile. “Yeah, don’t worry about it. I just need a minute.”

“You sure?”

“Positive!” He got up, dusting sand off his pants. He made sure to give Riku a comforting smile as he walked away from the group, just to ease the soft look of concern that was already dawning on his face.

He took refuge back up at the paopu tree, leaning against its sturdy trunk. He was surprised by how quickly he heard footsteps after him. They weren’t the familiar trot of Kairi or Riku, so they could be just about anybody from the group.

He could tell it was Roxas when he got close enough without looking at him, though. He took a spot right next to Sora, leaning against the tree like they were comfortable, life long friends.

“Hey Rox,” he said. “I, uh, kind of wanted to be alone for a bit.”

“Yeah, Riku said that.”

“So…”

“Well, it was Riku, so of course I had to do opposite to what he said just to piss him off. Don’t worry, you don’t have to say anything to me. I’ll go back in a bit.”

Sora chuckled softly. “Alright then.”

Roxas’ presence didn’t feel like an intrusion. It was almost a comfort, but it was scary to admit that if Sora let his mind drift enough then he could easily forget Roxas was standing there at all, like his shadow.

“Did you ever hate me?” Sora asked in a quiet voice.

Roxas crossed his arms like he was blocking something out. “Hate you? You… confused me. Annoyed me. Once I knew who you were to me I was constantly jealous. Bitter. Upset. But I don’t think I ever hated you. And now? I owe you too much. Trust me, there are a lot of other people that are easier to hate than you.”

He glanced toward everyone on the beach. Sora didn’t have to follow his line of sight to know he was looking at Isa.

“Is that what’s been eating you?” Roxas asked.

“I dunno. I’ve been thinking about doubles lately.”

“Doubles?”

“Don’t tell Ven, okay? But I’ve been thinking about Vanitas. Do you know who he is?”

Roxas tilted his head back and forth. “Axel explained some things. He’s Ven’s darkness, right?”

“Yeah, and he looks just like me.”

“He does? Well, I shouldn’t be surprised at this point. Basically every girl on that beach except Aqua and Olette have Kairi’s face.”

At least all of Kairi’s look-alikes were nice. Xion never looked like she wanted to rip a man in two.

“So you’re bothered you share a face?” Roxas pressed on.

“It’s more than that. I know he’s darkness, that it’s just what he is, but something feels wrong about it. Even Ven seemed kind of mad about it all. About being split perfectly. And Ven’s the light half! Vanitas just… told us that it was what it was, basically. That he was darkness. It made me think of the Nobodies and the Organization when Xemnas ran it. And of you.”

Roxas narrowed his eyes inquisitively. “How so?”

“When I met you in my dream you seemed so resolved to being stuck there. To thinking we were the same. But we’re not, and I /basically/ proved it by being your connection and bringing you back. Now, you’re happy!”

“...I see. And the Organization? What made you think of them?”

“I was thinking about how Xemnas lied to you all. You all had hearts the entire time. Ventus and Vanitas were broken apart, made to be just dark and light, by Xehanort. What if, like a heart, light can be regrown? It can come back? Xehanort would have never told them. What if Vanitas isn’t as dark as he thinks, or doesn’t have to be?”

Roxas leaned back a bit. “You’d also be implying that Ven is capable of having darkness in his own heart again.”

Sora looked to see Ven was dramatically telling a story to Riku and Terra with big sweeps of his arms. He was grinning from ear to ear. He still remembered the warmth and light that had lingered when he woke Ven’s heart. It was hard to imagine darkness could reach any part of it, just like Kairi’s.

“Look,” Roxas said. “If you don’t think darkness can reach Ven’s heart, then I don’t think light can reach Vanitas’ heart. And, if I’m being honest, it sounds like you’re creating a problem when there isn’t one. No one is looking for Vanitas. Maybe you should just enjoy the break for once. I almost regret telling you to think more.”

Sora sighed. “Yeah, you’re...you’re right. I’ll lay off. Let it go.”

He clasped a hand on his shoulder. “Sora, if you /do/ decide to do something, don’t forget you’ve got everyone here. And, uh, probably don’t do anything about Vanitas without telling Ven. Or at least Aqua.”

“Yeah, of course. Thanks.”

“No problem.” Roxas left him with a final wave and rejoined the others. Sora could see Riku leaping to his feet, flinging questions at Roxas. It warmed his heart that his friend was so concerned for him. Of course he had everyone here. He wasn’t going to do anything alone anymore.

And maybe… well maybe he really should just let it go.

It was only a few weeks later when Sora got a call from Ven. He had been relaxing on the beach with Namine, finally taking some time to really talk to her and watch her cute drawings, when his phone went off.

Namine leaned over his shoulder curiously as Ven’s disgruntled face appeared on screen. “Hello Ventus,” she said with a smile.

“Hey Namine, Sora. Thought I’d let you guys know that Terra, Aqua and I just got out of a bit of a situation.”

“What kind of situation? Heartless?” Sora asked.

“Unversed.”

“Oh.” They had all assumed it was only a matter of time before the Unversed returned to be a menace, but everyone thought it would be at least a few months. Vanitas didn’t waste time, it seemed. “Was it a lot?”

“No, not really. But that doesn’t mean it won’t be in the future or that they’ll only appear at the Land of Departure. Keep your eyes open, okay?”

There was a muffled ‘is that Sora?’ in the background before Terra appeared in view, squishing close to his friend. “Hey Sora!” He greeted. There was a bit of dirt on his cheek.

“Hey, Terra. You guys okay?”

“Yeah, those guys were no problem. You stay safe though! They’re no Heartless, but they’re not easy either.”

“Got it. I’ll let Riku and Kairi know.” He paused. “Are there any… long term plans to dealing with them?” Terra was right, the Unversed weren’t Heartless. They had a clear source and a clear way to stop that source.

“Right now, I’m not sure,” Ven said. “But you can leave that to us.”

“I want to help! If I can.”

He smiled. “Of course you do, Sora. But Vanitas is my --our-- problem. We know how to deal with him. Just call me back if Unversed appear on the islands, okay? I’m gonna let Lea and Roxas know.”

“Okay,” Sora said. “I’ll talk to you guys later.” He said his goodbyes and hung up the phone.

Namine was looking at him in a funny way. He raised an eyebrow. “Don’t worry,” he said. “We’ll deal with any Unversed that come this way. You’ll be safe.”

She shook her head. “I’m not worried about the Unversed.” She flipped through her sketchbook to what looked like Sora. No, the hair was darker, the outfit different. “I know loneliness. As a Nobody, I knew nothingness, too. But I wonder how lonely it is to wander the world of light as a creature of darkness.”

“Do you think Vanitas needs saving, then?”

“I don’t know. He either needs saving, or he needs to be stopped. But I really do wonder…” She sighed, flipping back to a clean page. “Whatever you choose to do, Sora, it’ll be the right thing because you follow your heart.”

He smiled. “Thanks, Namine.”

The Unversed that appeared on Destiny Islands were not the small rabbit looking creatures Sora had seen before. There was only one, for starters, and it was a big hulking mess. There were claws and arms reaching around in an innumerable amount and shifty eyes that bounced between Sora, Riku and Kairi. Parts of it were distorted too, like the monster just couldn’t get a grip long enough to be stable, which made pinning it down and hitting it all the more difficult. Leave it to Vanitas to take instability and use it as an advantage.

Riku struck it down with more ease than Sora or Kairi. He really did deserve title of Master, it seemed, and they all watched the creature fade away. Sora wondered where it was fading to, where Vanitas was that he could easily unleash the Unversed upon them when they were just relaxing.

Riku shook his head. “I thought it would be smaller.”

“I thought there would be more,” said Kairi, letting her keyblade disappear.

Sora considered searching the island for Vanitas, but he could be gone within a second. It wasn’t worth it. His phone went off with a text from someone.

“Who is it?” Riku asked.

“It’s Roxas. There was an Unversed in Twilight Town.”

Kairi frowned. An Unversed on their little island wasn’t nearly as disastrous as one in the populated Twilight Town. “Is everyone okay?”

“Yeah, it seems it. I’m gonna head to the Land of Departure.”

“What, why?”

“I want to talk to Ven about something.”

“I’ll come with you,” Riku said.

“No, it’s fine. I’m not doing anything dangerous,” Sora said. “Just wanna talk.”

Riku and Kairi exchanged a glance. He knew it was concern, but it came off with a level of distrust. He could admit that he may have made one too many rash decisions in the past to warrant their worry. Still, they let him go without further complaint.

When he arrived at the Land of Departure, Ven, Terra and Aqua were already outside talking with Roxas.

“Roxas?” He called, confused.

He waved at him. “Told you Sora would show up,” he said to Ven.

“You dealt with the Unversed?” Aqua asked.

“Yeah, with Riku and Kairi. Have you guys seen Vanitas?”

Ven shook his head. “No, but I can guess one place he might have slithered off to. He doesn’t have many options.”

“The Keyblade Graveyard?” Roxas guessed.

“Yup. You want to confront him again, don’t you Sora?”

“I just want to help.”

Ven exchange glances with Terra and Aqua. “You can come, both of you. We’ll probably need all the help we can get.”

“Thanks, Ven!”

The Keyblade Graveyard hadn’t changed at all since they last came. It was still void of life and filled with dull keyblades stuck in the ground. Roxas and Sora hung back a bit from the other three, the former leaning close to tell him something.

“Don’t get your hopes up,” Roxas said.

“I’m just going to do whatever I can to help. My hopes are at normal level, promise.”

Roxas only gave a small huff as an answer.

“Look!” Terra said. In front of them a large Unversed had formed with a bunch of smaller Floods surrounding it. Others were appearing too, wearing expressions of frustration or confusion.

“That’s the most yet,” Aqua said. “Vanitas can’t be far.”

“You won’t have to do much looking,” an irritating drawl said. Vanitas himself stepped out of a portal of darkness. His helmet was gone, leaving the snarl on his face in perfect sight. “Already eager for a rematch, Ventus?”

Ven’s keyblade was out. He was already flipping it around in his hand with anticipation. “Won’t be much of a match!”

“I can deal with Vanitas,” Aqua said.

“No,” Roxas interjected. “All these Unversed are going to be way harder than one angry looking Sora. Let Ven and Sora deal with him.”

Sora gave a surprised look to Roxas, which was pointedly ignored as he drew Oathkeeper and Oblivion.

“But-”

“We can handle this,” Ven said. He exchanged a look of determination with Sora. “Come on!”

The two of them broke off from the other three to pursue Vanitas, who was already using the keyblades to his advantage to fly around. Sora wished that strange boy would appear and give him the ability to ride the keyblades again, but it was definitely asking too much. That was probably a one time deal.

Ven had always been a pretty good shot with his keyblade. He threw it like it was a frisbee, aiming right at Vanitas’ back. Too bad Vanitas himself was pretty good at dodging things on his torrent of keyblades.

Sora threw a blizzard spell his way, catching part of his shoulder. He didn’t let up, instead diving back down towards them with his keyblade raised and thousands more charging close. Ven leapt in front of Sora, ready to throw up a guard and protect him, when there was a sudden falter in Vanitas’ attack.

The keyblades crashed to the ground, taking their rider with them. Even though he was up two beats later, Sora could see there was pain etched in his face. He looked behind him. Roxas had dealt a finishing blow to the giant Unversed and it was seeping back into Vanitas.

Ven attacked Vanitas with a signature swift blow, but Vanitas pushed back easily, tossing him right into the distracted Sora.

Sora was surprised to hear the annoyed growl coming from Vanitas as the Unversed Roxas had just taken down reformed itself by those three again. The Floods were seeping back into Vanitas, too, and each one seemed to spark a note of even more frustration in his face. Frustration that he was losing? But he wasn’t, not really. He couldn’t seem to help reacting to whatever Unversed was being destroyed.

Ven got back up, giving a confused look to Sora who still seemed dazed. Vanitas went in for another blow, but Ven was quick to use his magic. The light of Salvation surrounded them, it’s warm healing aura rushing over Sora’s body like a wave.

It only hurt Vanitas who was pushed back by its force. His face was held in a tight grimace as he steadied himself against the light.

Ven narrowed his eyes. “What are you even trying to get at anymore, Vanitas!? There’s no war, no Master Xehanort to follow like a dog. We beat you once and we can do it again. It’s /over/.”

Sora finally got to his feet. Was he imagining things? What did it feel like to have the Unversed flow in and out of his body on the whim of keyblade wielders? “We can stop fighting,” he said.

It was too much to hope that those words would reach Vanitas. He hardly looked bothered or contemplative over them. Just annoyed. Mildly inconvenienced by them trying to negotiate peace in a scrap.

“And do what?” Vanitas asked. “Sit around braiding each other’s hair?”

Ven’s hand became a tight fist. “Why does everything have to be so difficult with you?”

“If I’m difficult, it comes from you.” He raised his keyblade, done with talking. His glare felt so /personal/ as more Unversed poured out into the graveyard around them. It wasn’t the cocky aggression Sora was used to.

Ven was quick to act, leaping at the nearest Unversed to smack it away with his keyblade. Sora made sure to join in too and not zone out, but every once and a while he glanced to where Vanitas was at the heart of the Unversed swarm, surprised to see the tightness in his face as his monsters were destroyed.

“He can’t just keep making these, can he?” Sora asked.

“I don’t know,” Ven grunted. “Usually he’d rather fight me himself when I’m involved. If we can get through them we can get to him.”

“And then?”

“And then we stop this. Vanitas had a chance. I don’t think he’ll take another.”

Sora didn’t think so either, but part of him wanted to try. It really… he really looked like he was hurting. Sora could almost feel it, too. A broken heart aching for something. Completion, light, warmth. There must be something he could do.

Larger Unversed were coming out now, but with Terra, Aqua and Roxas rejoining them they were no match. Each one fell easily, all the while thinning out the crowd to reach Vanitas. At this point Sora knew he wasn’t imagining things. Vanitas looked uncomfortable, pained, irritated, and each emotion became more prominent as they pressed on.

Killing the Unversed was hurting him somehow.

He was blasted back by one of the larger Unversed. He stared up at its scowling, monstrous face, stunned for a moment. How much did it hurt? What was he feeling? /This was wrong./ He didn’t want to hurt him. He didn’t want to destroy him.

“Sora!” Terra dove in quick, grabbing Sora with one arm and narrowly missing a swipe from the Unversed. He put him down, concern prominent in his blue eyes. “Are you okay?” He was already pulling a potion out.

Sora blinked, stunned. “I’m fine. I think the Unversed are hurting him.”

“What?”

“Vanitas. I think something happens when we defeat one.”

Terra looked around. “Maybe we can use that to our advantage.”

“Wait! I want to try talking to him one more time.”

Terra blocked a Flood jumping at them with his large keyblade. “Sora, it’s /Vanitas/. Talking with him won’t get us anywhere!”

Sora was already rushing through the crowd, narrowly dodging attacks on his way to the source. He felt Aqua fling a cure spell on him as he passed by and Roxas’ penetrating gaze as he got closer to Vanitas.

Of course Vanitas was ready to fight with an outstretched keyblade the minute he got to him, his former glare shoved down under a smirk.

“Ready for round two?” he teased.

“I’m not here to fight you or your Unversed,” Sora said.

Vanitas snorted. “I won’t sing Master Xehanort any praise, but how you bested him is beyond me. You have to fight if you want to survive!”

Sora blocked the heavy blow with his keyblade when Vanitas launched at him, but he didn’t fight back. He stayed on the defensive as he held off Vanitas and his monsters, trying to find an opening to say something or prove that he wasn’t here to cause more harm.

Flood launched themselves at him, wrapping their twisty little arms around him as if they were Dusks. His keyblade vanished under his restricted movements and he fell to his knees.

“Sora!” Ven cried out somewhere behind him as Vanitas approached.

“Hold on,” came Roxas’ quieter voice. The battlefield had stilled.

Sora struggled in the hold of the Flood. He stared up at Vanitas. He looked so sure of himself now. “Killing the Unversed hurts you, doesn’t it?” he asked.

“So what if it does? We all have a little price to pay for power. I’m not afraid to pay it,” he said.

“But you don’t have to pay it at all! You don’t have to fight us. What’s the point in hurting at all?”

Vanitas narrowed his eyes. “It isn’t hurt. It’s the emotions I poured out coming back into me.” He put a hand over his chest. “This incomplete heart can take the damage.”

“That’s even worse! What’s the point? If you hadn’t sent the Unversed out we would have never come to fight you here.” He could hear Ven and Roxas approaching slowly from behind.

“And leave you all to live out your days in peace? No. This is much more fun.” His grin was wicked.

“Well, /I/ don’t think it’s fun! And quite frankly, I don’t think you’re having fun, either!”

Vanitas pointed his keyblade at Sora. “Since when did I care what you think?”

Sora continued regardless. “Even if you’re ‘just darkness’, no one likes to spend their days hurting and alone.”

“We’ve had this conversat-”

“And you can’t convince me otherwise!” Vanitas scowled at being cut off. “I think you’re acting out when it doesn’t have to be this way. You’re -- you’re creating a problem when there isn’t one.”

He could feel Roxas and Ven’s presence directly behind him. “Vanitas,” the latter said.

Vanitas’ eyes widened, like he had been too caught up talking to Sora to notice them approach. “Ventus,” he greeted cooly. He looked to Roxas. “You.”

Roxas raised an eyebrow.

“Sora’s right,” Ven continued. “We’re not the same but… acting out sounds like something I would do. Have done, in the past. It’s time to stop this.”

“Trying to have a heart to heart, are we? I told you I made my choice.”

“And I’m offering a second chance. I won’t fight you forever.” There was a familiar sound of his keyblade disappearing. Even Roxas followed suit, but Sora could tell the heavy presence of Terra and Aqua would never dream of lowering their keyblades in Vanitas’ presence.

Vanitas narrowed his eyes, looking genuinely upset for the first time. “I don’t want your second chance.”

“What you want is to be whole,” Ven said. “Or to not be alone. Always hurting because of what you are when you don’t have to be that at all. You know, I’m starting to remember what it was like training with Master Xehanort. Rather, surviving with him. This isn’t about surviving, Vanitas. It’s about living.”

Vanitas gritted his teeth, raising his keyblade higher. Sora refused to wince or cower away. “I’m not above striking an enemy while they’re down, you know.”

“I’m not your enemy!” Sora said at the same time Roxas said, “You wouldn’t make it.”

“You don’t know what to do now that the master is gone,” Ven said. “Well, we’re offering you an answer to that! You don’t have to keep being what Master Xehanort made you out to be. If you turn us away, I won’t fight. I won’t come looking for you. I’ll let you go if you let me go.”

Sora could practically see the gears turning in Vanitas’ head. He did think loneliness was playing its part here. Without Ven and the others Vanitas had no one, and prickly though he may be, very few creatures could truly thrive in loneliness. Xemnas’ final words still stuck out to him about it.

“You make it seem so simple,” Vanitas said, looking up at Aqua and Terra. They were close enough to do serious damage if they wanted to, even with Unversed flocking them on all sides.

Ven actually smiled, albeit in a small and sort of pained way. “Guess Sora’s heart rubbed off on me.”

He’d take that as a compliment, for now at least. “There’s no room for shadows,” Sora said.

“Who’d wanna stay in their shadows anyway?” Roxas chimed in, arms crossed. “Just because you look like Sora doesn’t mean you have to steal his IQ, too.”

“Hey!”

Vanitas looked like he might have been stifling a real laugh there for a second. His rare silence might have meant something. He lowered his keyblade and the Flood holding Sora down released their hold. They didn’t disappear so much as crawl back to their creator with twitchy legs.

Sora recalled how quickly Vanitas had bailed when Ven woke up. He considered himself outmatched against three keyblade wielders and yet had picked a fight anyway with five of them. Was this supposed to be his last stand? Slowly, he got to his feet.

“Charming though this all is,” Vanitas said. “I don’t think everyone cares to broker peace.” He was smirking at Terra and Aqua.

Sora looked back at them. Their glares were spine chilling. Aqua tightened her grip on her keyblade.

Vanitas scoffed. “Still mad I broke that stupid wooden keyblade?”

“You broke my wooden keyblade?” Ven pouted.

“Ven, Sora,” Aqua said, ignoring the tease. “Not everyone can be reasoned with.”

“But they /do/ deserve the chance, even if it is a second one,” Roxas said. “Stop being such a tool Vanitas, and actually take the step into doing something right. Trust me, I know what being a tool is like. It gets old.”

Sora held his breath, afraid the harsher words would make Vanitas draw back in on himself. Thankfully, he didn’t look mad.

“You won’t want me as a friend for long,” Vanitas said, his words laced with a threat.

“Try me,” said Sora in an equally challenging voice. He felt like he was on the successful end of diffusing a bomb.

Vanitas looked around the Keyblade Graveyard. “There /are/ things brewing on the horizon. You and yours might make a good shield when the time comes.” He sounded like he might have seen something, but he didn’t seem particularly rattled.

“What sort of things?” Terra asked.

“Oh, you’ll see. Maybe I /don’t/ want to be alone when it comes. All the luck seems to be on this side anyway,” Vanitas said with a smirk. “Alright then.” He looked like a smug cat. “I’ll stick around. I’ll stop sending the Unversed to other worlds.” He extended his hand towards Sora, staring at Ven as he did so.

Sora took it without hesitation, giving a firm shake. “No more looming in shadows. If you’re really by our side, then you’re /really/ by our side.”

“For now.”

Roxas shook his head. “Friendship with Sora is kind of a lifelong thing. Do something to destroy it and your life probably won’t be so long.”

“Sure, sure,” Vanitas drawled. “We can paint each others nails and talk about how spooky the darkness is with a night light on.”

“Or,” Sora said, pulling out his phone. “We can start with something friends actually do.”

“What in the name of the masters is that ugly piece of-”

“It’s a phone!” There was a small surge of pride at knowing more than someone else when it came to technology. “We can take a picture so we always remember the day we won over your heart, Vanitas!”

“You didn’t win over shit.”

“Aqua, Terra, do you want to join?”

The two of them exchanged a pained look. They still had their keyblades out. “I think we’re good,” Aqua said.

Sora held the phone up with the camera pointed toward them. “All you gotta do is smile. Rox? Ven? You guys joining?”

Roxas had no problem walking closer to Vanitas and Sora to get in on the picture, but Ven was a little more hesitant. He seemed happy, but he had nearly given up on Vanitas before. This wasn’t going to be an easy thing to mend.

Roxas took the far left, squishing Vanitas closer to Sora, while Ven stood on Sora’s right, glancing at Vanitas. Sora wasn’t stupid. He knew this could all go terribly wrong and Vanitas wasn’t on their side now with the best of intentions. But at the end of the day, he could at least say he got a selfie with all the doubles.

“Everyone, say cheese!”