"HEY YOU GUYS!"
Your ears perk up at the agitated cry downstairs. With a sigh you set down your book and exit your room, almost running right into Yuffie.
"What's wrong?" you ask.
"No clue," she replies with a shrug as she hops down to the bottom of the stairs, with you right on her tail.
Almost immediately your heart skips a beat at the sight of Sephiroth standing in the living room, flanked by Zack, Leon, and Genesis. Everyone else is standing around the room, their eyes on the two of you.
"Thanks for joining us," Sephiroth sneers, and you and Yuffie glance at each other and smile sheepishly.
"Sorry, Sir," she apologizes, throwing herself down on the couch.
You stay back, leaning against the doorway to the kitchen. Sephiroth still made you feel a little uneasy, and you were more than happy to keep your distance.
"Everyone will be going to Hollow Bastion, right now. I got an urgent call from Cid, something very bad is happening there," Sephiroth announces, glancing around the room. "I understand there has been some..." he trails off, his eyes setting on you, "infighting lately. That will come to a stop as of right now. Am I understood?"
"Yes, Sir," everyone mumbles grudgingly.
"Good. Now get going!" Sephiroth orders, patting Zack on the back before he marches to his office.
"Will we all fit on the ship?" Xion asks.
"I can think of one person we can leave behind..." Leon mutters, looking over at a sneering Axel.
"You'd like that, wouldn't you Scarface? Too bad we just promised to stop fighting and be good lil' soldiers," Axel mocks with a falsely sincere smile.
"Please," you interrupt, stepping between the two men, "can we please just stop fighting? For ONE mission? I have a migraine and we haven't even left yet."
Their faces drop as they both mutter, "Yes" under their breaths. You smile, continuing on your way out of the house, leading the way to the Gummi Ship waiting at the border of the forest.
"You were a lot nicer than I would have been," Xion comments, trailing behind you.
"That's probably why they all like her," Yuffie jokes, and Xion rounds on the giggling dark-haired girl. "Lighten up, I'm KIDDING," she adds.
"Not funny," Xion whines as you and Yuffie start to laugh.
>> Fast-Forward >>
"It's really quiet," Roxas notices as you all walk around the deserted streets of Hollow Bastion.
"Too quiet," Sora agrees.
"... Did you guys plan that?" Reno asks with a small laugh.
"Plan what?" Sora asks cluelessly as Roxas rolls his eyes.
"Must be something about the Nobody-Somebody relationship. Right Axel?" Riku presses, raising his eyebrows at the redhead.
"How the hell should I know? I've never met my Somebody," Axel points out with an annoyed huff.
"Guys," you remind them, your hands placed on your hips. "Arguing?"
"Sorry," Riku and Axel grumble.
Satisfied with their responses, you glance around the abandoned streets. Everyone seems to be hiding indoors for some reason. After walking past a town square filled with empty shops, you find yourselves winding through a narrow alley.
"Where are we going?" you speak up.
"Cid's. He should be able to fill us in," Zack replies.
"Who's Cid?" Xion asks you in a whisper.
"Something like an informant," Genesis answers.
"Did I hear my name?"
Everyone looks ahead, where a blond man wearing dark blue jeans and a white T-shirt is standing, his arms folded over his chest as he watches the approaching group. A lit cigarette is dangling from between his lips, which are curled up in a lopsided grin.
"Cid!" Yuffie exclaims, running forward.
"Good to see you," Leon adds, actually smiling as the two of them shake hands.
"How's it feel bein' home?" Cid asks as Leon releases his hand.
"Great!" Yuffie responds, hugging herself as she bounces inside of a house.
"Still a ball of energy," he chuckles, turning to everyone else. "Hurry it up, don't wanna be caught outside for too long."
"Why?" Cloud asks as everyone trails in after Yuffie.
"There's been a lot of disturbances lately, including a big increase in the number of Heartless and Nobodies. It's like they're preparing for a damn war!"
"That's troubling," Zack hums, tapping his chin with his pointer finger.
"You're tellin' me! Plus, to top it all off, the defense system ain't workin'. I've tried to get through to Tron, but he's M.I.A. So, Sephiroth figured it'd be best to send all y'all here, to lend me a hand."
You start to walk around the house, completely lost at their confusing conversation. You're all cramped inside of a small home, with a bed in one corner and a HUGE computer in the other. It was cozy, but lacked the spaciousness of your Headquarters.
"Want us to head to the castle? Genesis is really handy with a computer," Noctis explains.
"If ya don't mind. But first," Cid points between you, Roxas, Xion, and Axel, "who're these four?"
"Roxas is Sora's Nobody, [Name] came with Roxas, we found Xion in Neverland after her world was destroyed, and Axel... quit the Organization to help us," Reno explains, rushing through the last part of the sentence.
"... Sure he ain't your Nobody? You guys look like twins," Cid comments with a chuckle.
"No, we don't," Axel and Reno argue simultaneously, glaring at each other afterwards.
"Well whatever, welcome to Hollow Bastion. Now get goin'. I'll be here, if you need help," Cid says, shooing everyone out of the house. "You have my number, right?"
Leon waves his phone around in the air in an affirmative manner, and you all follow him back out to the empty streets. Silence has fallen over the group; you have a TON of questions, but you figure there will be time for that later. The journey up a stone staircase, down a walkway, and down another stone staircase leading into a three-story building is quiet, only filled with Zack whistling a peppy tune until Cloud hits him in the arm.
"Ow," Zack laughs, rubbing his bicep.
"Thanks, Strife," Genesis mumbles, earning a glare from Zack.
The group makes their way through the Bailey, a narrow hallway with the look of a stone dungeon. A whizzing sound can be heard and you come to a stop, glancing between two pillars. There's a large canyon in the distance and, careening towards you, a cluster of fireballs.
"Look out!" you hear someone call, but you're frozen to the spot in fear.
The fireballs crash into the Bailey with a loud 'BOOM', and you're thrown backwards by the crash. It feels as if you're flying in slow-motion, before your back hits the stone wall and you fall to the ground. Your ears are ringing as you sit up, glancing around. The Bailey has been practically demolished by the blast, the stone walls crumbled to the ground as a result. There is now a gigantic hole in the wall, opening the room up to the outside world and the view of the vast canyon. Reno is running towards you, waving a hand in front of your face to gain your attention.
"T-Thanks," you stutter, accepting his hand as he helps you up to your feet.
"You're bleeding," he tells you, pointing to your head.
You place a hand on your head, grimacing a bit. There's a gash running down your forehead, clotted with blood. You glance around the room. Everyone else is picking themselves up, looking rather shaky on their feet.
"I'm okay," you assure, smiling at Reno as he drops your hand from his. Your hearing was finally back to normal. "It doesn't hurt."
"Are you sure?" he asks, and you nod slowly, still in shock.
"What the hell was that?!" you hear Yuffie cry, and your attention is drawn to everyone else once again.
"... I've seen those fireballs before," Axel mutters, looking down at you. He's holding one of his arms, which is bleeding pretty heavily. "Remember?"
You narrow your eyes for a second before you let out a gasp of realization. The sight had been vaguely familiar, like something out of a nightmare.
"Vanitas?" you guess in a whisper, and everyone besides Axel glances at you with alarm.
"Ah, she remembers my name," a voice echoes throughout the destroyed Bailey.
A shiver runs up your spine as you slowly turn around, your gaze landing on a smiling figure dressed all in black and red. He's floating in the air, his yellow eyes practically twinkling as they focus directly on you.
"I was hoping to find you. The rest of your pack of idiots is a bonus," Vanitas smiles, raising a hand in the air.
He starts to float away, towards the ground below. You cautiously peer over the edge, watching him with dread only to be roughly pulled back by the arm by Leon.
"Stay away from the edge," Leon warns gruffly, and just when you're about to argue a blast explodes behind you, further damaging the wall and sending you and Leon stumbling backwards.
"C'mon, it's not safe here!" Sora yells, leading the way out of the Bailey and down a crumbling stone staircase.
Your head is pounding as you continue to run, and your outfit is covered in dust and dirt. No one has walked away unscathed, and your group is really starting to look like you just escaped from a bombed building... which actually isn't too far from reality.
"Where should we go?" you ask, turning in a circle.
Panic is starting to set in, along with the terrible memories of your first run-in with Vanitas. You walked away with only a gunshot wound that time, and there was little hope of this encounter culminating in a more positive manner. He was just too strong, even for the thirteen of you fighting as a group.
"He's this way," Cloud decides, taking a sharp left and heading out of the ruins of the Bailey.
Continuing to follow, your heart starts to race even faster upon spotting Vanitas in the distance. He's standing on the ground, at the end of the dirt path you're on. As much as you want to turn around and run away, you keep moving forward. This manhunt for you won't stop until he's defeated.
"And just where do you think you're going?" a voice booms from behind you, and everyone slows, turning around to find the source.
Walking out of a portal is Saix, Vexen, and Luxord, small smirks on their faces. Your heart sinks to your stomach. Vanitas is going to be a hard enough adversary, but now THREE Organization members?!
"What are you doing here?" Axel growls, summoning his Chakrams in his hands.
"If any of you think you're leaving this canyon, you're wrong," Saix announces, stepping forward so that his Claymore is resting underneath Axel's chin.
"[Name], get outta here," Axel orders without even looking at you before he leaps forward, flames circling him as he starts to hurl his weapons at the Nobodies.
"C'mon," Roxas adds, grabbing your arm and pulling you away as Yuffie throws her knives at Vexen; Sora's Keyblade clashes with Saix's Claymore as Cloud runs toward Sora to help; Genesis draws his red sword as he charges towards Vexen, who's dashing away from Yuffie's endless supply of sharp knives; Reno, Noctis, and Leon are squaring off against a laughing Luxord, who's calmly shuffling his deck of cards.
"Wait, we can't leave them!" you argue, tugging at Roxas' arm.
"Eight versus three, I think they'll be okay," Riku points out.
"Besides, you'll be needing our help with Vanitas, right?" Zack asks.
You reluctantly agree with him as you, he, Cloud, Riku, and Roxas start to run again, hurrying towards the waiting figure of Vanitas. He's leaning against a crumbled, stone pillar, his arms folded over his chest. It feels like you're walking through the ruins of a civilization, with tall, blue mountains surrounding you. The only thing separating you and the replica is a huge circular floor, with a green and blue pattern in the middle. Beyond Vanitas is a deep canyon, and the castle can just barely be seen in the distance.
"Took you long enough," Vanitas complains, pushing himself off of the pillar and onto his feet.
"Why are you here?" you ask, stepping ahead of everyone else as you walk towards him.
"I'm hurt," he mocks sarcastically, resting a hand over his chest. "Do you not remember what I told you the first time we met?"
His words are still scarred in your memory, as vivid as if they had been spoken yesterday:
"There has to be something about you, something that would make a Nobody risk it all just to be with a pathetic human..." Vanitas says, twisting your head slightly as he leans closer to you.
"So, you came here to kill me? Is that it? Kill me as a way of punishing Roxas?" you guess.
"If that happens, then so be it. But no, I was sent here to study you since I'm a bit more perceptive than Nobodies. You've caused quite the dilemma with the Organization, did you know that? We just can't figure out who would choose you over a heart."
"You wanted to study me, right?" you remember, as the four remaining SOLDIERs stand slightly behind you, not wanting to intervene just yet.
Vanitas smirks, starting to walk towards you. He looked rather calm, almost pleased as he watches you with a tilt of his head.
"Originally. I'm afraid our plans have changed."
Your eyes widen as Vanitas hops back, summoning his black and red Keyblade in his hand. Before you can even pull your sword out he rushes towards you, striking your side with his Keyblade. You roll backwards, almost immediately hopping back onto your feet with your black sword gripped tightly in your hands. A fireball appears out of nowhere, hitting the ground underneath Cloud's feet. He goes flying through the air, landing against the side of the mountain before crumbling down to the ground, unconscious. You start to run towards him, but Vanitas suddenly appears right in front of you, mere inches from your face. You swing your sword forward, managing to slash his shoulder. He staggers a little, glaring at you in shock as he grabs his bleeding appendage. You take the brief opportunity to glance around, noticing that there are three other Vanitas replicas running around, separately dueling with Roxas, Riku, and Zack.
"How many of you are there?!" you cry out.
"Are you blind?" he laughs, walking towards you. You hold your sword up, pointing it directly at his chest as you take a step back. "Four. But, the real question is, which one of us is the real one?"
He charges towards you with a smirk, and you manage to block his swing once, twice, three times. Each strike of his Keyblade has so much power, you can feel your knees starting to buckle. Finally, as he starts to slow down, you leap forward and swing your sword, managing to send him stumbling backwards.
"Good," he laughs, swinging his Keyblade over his shoulder. "You've improved. Still rather weak, but hey. Beggars can't be choosers."
You grit your teeth as you swing your sword towards him, which he blocks with ease.
"So, which of these lackeys are wrapped around your finger?" he asks, tilting his head as he studies you. "Just one?" He nods back towards a still-unconscious Cloud. "Two?" Oblivion is knocked out of Roxas' hand by the first Vanitas replica. "Three?" Vanitas presses, and your eyes are clenched shut as you hear Zack cry out in pain before he falls to the ground. "Or, could it be all four?" he finishes, laughing as Riku is slashed across the stomach by the third replica.
"You guys!" you cry out without hesitation, darting away from Vanitas and running to help.
Roxas and Zack are fighting off all three while Riku lies on the ground, holding his bleeding stomach. Just as you're about to reach them, Vanitas grabs your arm and swivels you around.
"Enough of this charade!" he growls, clutching your shirt with both hands as he pulls you forward. "I will not be made to look weak by a stupid little girl."
"I'm not stupid!" you yell, clawing at his hands as he lifts you up in the air.
"Hey, let her go!" you hear Roxas shout, and you glance over at him.
The three other Vanitas replicas have disappeared, you notice with a frown. Zack and Roxas are rushing towards you, and Riku is struggling to his feet, a pained look on his face. Cloud is stirring from his place by the mountain, rubbing the back of his undoubtedly sore head.
"Roxas, right? Heh, I heard we look alike, but man. You look just like me. Maybe a little shorter," Vanitas states, gazing over at the scowling blond. "Didn't anyone ever tell you that Nobodies aren't supposed to feel?" he adds in a mocking tone of voice.
"I've heard that, yeah," Roxas agrees, pointing Oathkeeper at Vanitas.
"So, if one lacks a heart, what happens if the person they supposedly love is killed?" Vanitas muses, his gaze turning back to you.
"Don't you dare," Zack warns as Roxas' eyes widen and your nails dig into his hands.
"Hear that? Boyfriend number three just threatened me!" Vanitas laughs, pulling you a little closer to him as you continue to dangle in the air. "And you know how I handle threats..."
His grip on you suddenly lessens, and you fall to your feet. You stumble a little, glancing over at Roxas, Zack, Riku, and Cloud, who are watching you carefully. As your gaze turns back to Vanitas you let out a gasp of pain as the tip of his Keyblade is embedded in your chest with one quick thrust forward. He has a twisted smirk on his face as as he pulls the blade out, watching your shocked expression with pleasure. Your body is numb as you hang your head back, looking up at the light purple sky as your arms rise up a little. A weird warmness seeps through your body as a beam of light flows out of the hole in your chest. You can feel four horrified gazes on you as you slowly start to fall backwards. Roxas rushes towards you, grabbing your limp body in his arms.
The second his arms start to wrap around you, your body disintegrates into millions of black specs, leaving Roxas kneeling on the ground with painfully empty arms as a single pink heart floats into the sky.