#!this is a queue

      You know that, don’t you?

      Words meant to be reassuring only made his heart ache. What was there to be proud of? Sora let everyone down. He continued to let everyone down each minute he sat rotting away in Never Was.

      They’re all counting on you, Sora, they’re counting on you to break free and come home!

      But were they really? Did he even matter if he couldn’t be the hero of light? As far as he knew nobody ever tried to rescue or come after him. Without his friends he was worthless and why bother rescuing someone who didn’t matter? What was the point if he couldn’t be there to save everyone? 

      And all that aside, what was there to be proud of indeed. Sure he saved the worlds and countless lives but he was still same ol’ hopeless Sora. He still needed to toughen up and get stronger! It doesn’t matter if he helped the worlds it’s never enough he always has to do more and more and more and more and mor e  an d  m o r   e    a    n  d      m   o    r   e

      Sora walked right into the Organization’s hands. He danced in their palm and they crushed him without wasting a second. Who would be proud of that? This entire situation wouldn’t have happened if he wasn’t hopeless, worthless Sora, if he ha d JUST B E E N   S T   O N  G E R

      Here was Kairi, though, despite everything. Saying she was proud of him. Proud of worthless, hopeless Sora. The back of his gold eyes pricked and his lip quivered, shaking his head. 

      “That’s…” voice quiet, the words faltered before even making it out. 

      Even if he was worthless and everyone was better off without him Sora still missed his friends. Kairi, Riku, Donald, Goofy, and the King all meant the worlds to him and more. Was it right to be so selfish? He wanted to see them every day, to be back in the light and free from the suffocating darkness constantly tightening around his throat. 

      He pursed his lips together and shook his head, tears pooling in the corners of his eyes. His disgusting, wrong, unbearable eyes. These weren’t the eyes of a hero. They didn’t belong to him.

      “There’s not much left to be proud of. You’re better off moving on, Kairi.

      Had it been anyone other than Gil Sora might have puffed his cheeks up and aimlessly swatted at their hands. Then he might proclaim ‘Heeey, you’re gonna mess it up!’ But since it was Gil it had the opposite reaction. Like a flower blooming to the sun Sora laughed, lifting his head up and into his palm. 

      “Y’think so?” He smiled, as bright as the sun itself, gold eyes staring into similar gold. “I mean, not to brag, but I am preeetty good in a fight, haha!”

      “I gotta be strong to help people out, y’know. Who else are they gonna rely on? I wanna be someone people can depend on. When there’s Heartless around I’ll be there to stop ‘em!” His fists balled up with a determined nod, smile as bright and present as ever. 

      There was something about Yozora that drew Sora to him. He couldn’t put a finger on it but it felt somewhat sad. Not a very nice to thing to say about his new friend but it was a sad feeling Sora could relate to. For that Sora felt a budding attachment to him-- Yozora and the rest of his friends, too. 

      However Sora desperately wished they would stay out of Never Was. The world on it’s own was bad enough but getting any closer to the castle just spelled danger. Both for their well being and Sora’s. As far as Sora was concerned his Superiors didn’t know about his budding friendship with Yozora and his friends. He was already cut off from the Guardians, please don’t take away his new friends too. Though be it his Superiors intervention or the natural Heartless inhabitants a horde of the creatures spawned upon the two.

      Darkness met with darkness. The vessel knew from experience that the Heartless in this world were hardier than most. Manipulating the darkness within became necessity and the exhaustion caught up to him faster than he expected. But he couldn’t stop now, he had to help Yozora, he needed to protect his friend!

      One knee hit the ground while he leaned on Luminous Surrender for support, chest heaving for breath. Sora was only dimly aware of his hood coming up and over his spiky hair. Squinting through the rain he caught sight of Yozora--

      --and then Yozora charged straight for the horde of Heartless.

      He’s going to die at this rate.       There’s no way he can take on that many Heartless at once.       What are you going to do, Sora?       I want to help-- I need to help Yozora!       You know what you need to do then. 

                                  J  u  s  t      A  s  k

       “Give me strength! Vanitas!”

       He bound forward. One arm outstretched for Yozora’s back. Darkness crawled up his arm and spread to his torso, encasing the vessel in a familiar dark suit etched in black and red. The rain, previously sliding down his face like tears, cut off completely as a mask manifested to block it out. With renewed speed, bordering on inhuman, Sora surged past Yozora in a flurry of darkness. Only to reappear again in the middle of the fray, weapon drawn. 

      Grasping his Keyblade in both hands, pointed at the center of the horde, magic begun to charge. One crystal appeared above him, then a second, then a third, in a triangular formation. Dark energy from each crystal fused at his blade. Not a second later a giant ray of the same energy fired off. The beam cut through the horde and demolished any Heartless unlucky enough to be caught in it’s path. 

      The Heartless were sufficiently vaporized and his Shotlock timed out. The ray faded out and the crystals with it. With the threat neutralized Luminous Surrender disappeared and a weight instantly hit Sora. His knees wanted to buckle beneath him and his eyelids just wanted to slam shut. But there wasn’t time to collapse just yet. Heavy arms managed to reach up and pull the mask off. The rain wasted no time in soaking him all the way through, but Sora turned around to face Yozora. Lips curled into a relieved but tired smile.

       “...You’re safe,” he mumbled. “You’re safe...! I’m so... I’m so glad...”

      THUD! Immediately the vessel hit the ground. The dark suit washed off his body leaving the Organization coat behind. He could afford to rest, he managed to keep his friend safe. 

       Everything’s okay now.

      What a strange thing to hear. I want to help you. For years and years all anyone ever had to say to him was how much they hated him, and they certainly expressed it-- actions speak louder than words and he had the scars to prove it. Why would anyone want to help him now?

      There’s no helping an abomination.

      But Vanitas supposed that’s just how Sora is. Always trying to help and do the right thing. If he really wanted to help he would bug off and leave him alone. Nobody could do anything to help Vanitas, he knew that much. 

      There’s no salvation for a creature beyond repair.

      Lips curled in a sneer, rolling his eyes at the mere thought of it. “Where do you get off thinking you know anything about me or what I want?” All Vanitas wanted was to be whole again and judging by Sora’s words he couldn’t do that for him. Therefore he didn’t care about living his own separate life. A separate life until now had been constant misery and negativity, why would he ever want to keep living in such despair?

      There’s no redemption for a monster.

      “You want to help me? Get lost. I don’t wanna hear your pretty words about saving someone or setting them free. Give ‘em to someone who needs it. Not me--”

      “...Vanitas? You’re here, too?” Sora canted his head, staring up in sheer confusion as his emotions whirled around. What was Vanitas doing here? Err, no, stupid question. What were any of them doing in this ghost town? Sora’s eyes traveled down to Vanitas’s wrist, staring at an all too similar bracelet.