Cheating Destiny

Vanitas' Ending

Vanitas' Song: "My Demons" by Starset

"Take me high and I'll sing
Oh, you make everything okay
We are one in the same
Oh, you take all of the pain away
Save me if I become
My demons"

[♥]

The first memory of Vanitas' life is pain. He was born in darkness, his body ripped in two as he was torn from Ventus. Flesh, organs, and soul were formed in searing pain, before blinding light flooded his eyesight.

Pain did not stop at birth, however. The first few years of his life were consumed with psychological, physical, emotional, and mental torment. Not a single day went past that he wasn't beaten to nothing by his creator, Master Xehanort. Fear and pain turned to madness, as he adjusted to such an existence and grew to love the tearing of his skin and the breaking of his bones.

Nothing can wake you up like the smell of blood.

The only steady thought that would run through his mind was that of Ventus. He was created because Ventus was too weak to summon darkness in order to create the x-blade. That pathetic person sentenced him to this hell, which would only continue until they fought and forged the infamous weapon.

He had to end the pain, no matter the cost.

But, when they finally fought... the unthinkable happened. Vanitas lost, falling to the darkness as the failed forge as well as his salvation slipped through his fingers. And the darkness is where he stayed for over a decade, the pain slowly disappearing the longer he stayed floating in nothingness. As the years passed, and the torment ended, his thoughts turned to one question.

Why?

Why did he try to kill Ventus, who's still a simpering idiot but never asked for Vanitas to be born? Why did Vanitas die to fulfill the wishes of a man who's given him nothing but torture? Why is his life less important than a glorified Keyblade?

He was born again in pain, ripped from the darkness without warning. He woke up in a blindingly bright room, a tall man with gray hair and warm amber eyes standing over him with a completely blank expression.

Xemnas. Xehanort. Ansem. No matter what name he went by, Vanitas would always recognize those dead eyes.

The man had a new mission for him. To kidnap some girl, and restart his battle with Ventus – this time for good. Was the man more insane than he already thought? He sentenced Vanitas to his fate in the darkness, and he expected him to go through such hell again?

He agreed, however, his curiosity piqued. The pain was replaced with an obsessive interest in that one itching question... why?

With a roll of his eyes, he started watching the old memories of his replica. He's still not sure what a replica is, but it sure looks like a slightly younger version of him. He watched as the copy followed and tormented the girl he's now tasked with bringing back to his old master. As the memories weave together, he finds himself sitting up straighter.

Why is the girl nice to his replica? Sometimes she even smiles his way, despite his nature. She doesn't want to fight him, even as a Keyblade is pressed to his neck. And then, Vanitas watches with a tilt of his head as he girl leans forward, pressing her lips to his replica's.

He feels a familiar sensation as he watches. Jealousy. It's an old friend of his, and it's back with a vengeance. The girl is friends with Ventus of all people, fighting alongside him against the forces of darkness.

He leaves to go find her, partially because he's unsure how to say no to his master. But also because he wants to meet her. She's afraid when her eyes land on him, but his twisted mind doesn't notice this. All he wants is to possess her, to ask her why she'd ever be so kind to a wretch like him?