Fractured Twilight {KH Fanfic/Boy Of Choice}

Chapter XXII

"EMBERLYNN!"

Vanitas noticed the scene before him, watching with dismay and terror as the Heartless clawed its way through Ember's chest. Blood gurgled from the wound and a single fractured Heart was free from its chambers and floated to the sky.

"LYNN NO!" Ventus felt the weight leave his back as he flipped over, reaching up to grasp whatever was left of his friend.

Yet he grabbed only air.

Ventus's vision immediately blurred as he laid there on his back, arms reaching up to the sky as pieces of light fluttered away from his grasp. The heart in question floated back down to Ventus' chest, creating a simple Shadow to appear on top of him. Ventus growled and immediately seized his Keyblade, swinging wildly at the creature on him and killing it off with one swipe.

Xehanort took advantage of the distraction, slashing his Keyblade at Vanitas as it came into contact with him and forcibly threw him into the cold stone. Vanitas left a crater so large he was stuck in the wall, stone crumbling from where it once was.

"My work here is done." Xehanort smirked and quickly disappeared into the darkness and taking the Heartless with him.

Ventus laid there in disbelief, tears streaming down the side of his face. His arms were limp beside him as he laid on that cold stone ground, simply staring into the sky where she once was.

Vanitas groaned and used the edge of stone as leverage to sit himself up and bring himself out of the hole he made. He lept to the ground, landing on his feet before he cracked his back in an attempt to rid of the soreness Xehanort created. With an angry scowl he trudged over to his counter part, stepping over him before grabbing Ventus by the shirt and holding him up so they were eye to eye.

"Are you fucking stupid?!" Vanitas yelled in Ventus's face. "Are you serious?! Did Emberlynn really just lose her heart because you can't get your shit together?!"

His voice carried in the emptiness of the cliff, making Ventus wince and close an eye from the shouting. "I-I just... I don't..." He was at loss for words, shame and guilt creeping to his chest as his heart pounded.

"You're a fucking disgrace!" Vanitas threw Ventus to the ground in anger, both of his hands balling into fists. "Did you at least kill her Heartless?!"

"W-What?" Ventus was stunned. "Why does that matter...?"

Vanitas slapped the palm of his hand to his face. "You're so fucking stupid it makes my head hurt."

Ventus didn't have the will to even argue. He slumped to the ground, laying on his back once again in defeat and stared emotionlessly at the sky to avoid the King of Darkness's gaze.

"Her heart did turn into a Heartless." Ventus admitted softly. "She didn't have a lot of Darkness in her heart, it was a Shadow. I killed it because I was angry."

"At least you did one thing right." Vanitas muttered. "I need to get her back."

"We should get the others."

"No." Vanitas snapped. "I'm done working with you useless idiots. I'll find and save her by myself."

Vanitas extended his arm to summon a portal but he was stopped by someone else's corridor appearing. There the rest of the boys emerged, including Yen Sid. Vanitas clicked his tongue with disappointment, taking an appalled step back as he glared at the newcomers.

"I see two out of three who randomly ran away." Roxas scanned the area. "Where's the other trouble maker?"

Ventus and Vanitas fell silent, both of them connecting eyes of awkwardness. With a shaky arm Ventus forced himself to his feet, almost stumbling forward from shock. He caught himself and shamefully stared to the ground, not being able to bring himself to make eye contact with anyone else.