A Second Chance

Vanitas

Vanitas-centric chapter but it's really not because of bias! He's gonna be taking a small hiatus soon so gotta enjoy him while you can XD plus he takes the most time to develop IMO because I have to lay a lot of ground work to make him not /too/ OOC, hence this chapter :3

Also seems appropriate since as of today - April 24, 2019 - this story is NUMBER ONE FOR ALL THE STORIES WITH VANITAS TAGS

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I love you guys so much <3

[♥]

[RADIANT GARDEN]

It's been about a month since the fall of Xemnas and the Organization. Life has seemingly gone back to normal, with this world starting the long process of rebuilding what was lost. Hollow Bastion is a distant memory of the past, Radiant Garden now flourishing in its stead. Flowers are beginning to grow again, fountains are being rebuilt all throughout the world, the town square is being refurnished, and the castle is being remodeled. There's still a long way to go, but the progress had already begun.

But not all of the castle had been touched yet. Ansem's study was walled off from the public, and no one has been able to get inside of the room. It's as if the door has been sealed shut, locking out all potential invaders.

And it's down in the computer room that a young man stands. He's wearing all black, his shoulder-length white hair hanging over the hood of his robes as his bright yellow eyes scan the screen of the computer resting in front of him. He's typing away, a focused look on his face as he stands before the large computer.

The man is alone, working hard as he combs through Ansem the Wise's research. It's taken him weeks, but he's finally on the last bit of information. A pleased grin slowly grows as he finds the material he's been looking for all along. Yes, patience truly is a virtue.

"It won't be much longer now," he speaks seemingly to himself in a blank tone as he runs a finger down the screen, studying the research before him.

The elder Xehanort will most certainly be pleased with his progress.

[♥]

In the time since Vanitas returned to the Realm of Light from the Dark Realm, his life had been a blur. He lived in the castle in the World That Never Was most of the time, but he was also known to disappear for weeks at a time. He'd travel the worlds alone, watching the inhabitants and trying to understand their strange mannerisms.

Why did they shake hands in greeting? How did so many of them look so happy all the time? Where was the struggle? The strife? The pain?

His adventures would usually end in him becoming depressed, so he'd return to the Castle, back in his prison where at least he feels at home.

The only world he'd find at least somewhat peaceful was Olympus. He's not even afraid to admit it anymore. Seeing you made him calm, though he wasn't sure why.

When Vanitas first met you, before the war in the Graveyard, he personally felt nothing but hate. You were friends with his target, the boy who had stolen everything Vanitas wanted. Not only that, but you fought against him, and his Master, trying to stop their noble plans.

But then, he failed. He fell to the depths, where he met you again. This time, the hate was still there, but dulled. It was hard to tell if it was Ventus' feelings seeping into his own, or if maybe failure had made him care less about his Master's mission. But, in time, it became clear that he's developed his own relationship with you, separate from his brother (as he's grown to call him).