From the graffitied alleyways to the aqueducts, no sounds could be heard.

The town itself was eerily quiet.

Sitting, with his legs crossed, atop the golden fountain in the plaza, Joshua stared down at the water.

The gushing sound it made as it tricked into the pool was soothing. In fact, this entire world seemed to be a secluded paradise.

However, what did he expect? It was a haven, meant to shield those who lost their own worlds to darkness.

“I thought I’d find you slumming up here,” a low voice spoke.

Without turning to face the figure, Joshua simply nodded his head and remained fixated on the water. “Why. Vanitas. What a cheerful surprise.”

“Spare me the pleasantries.” The masked boy emerged from the portal behind him, making it dissolve as he did. “After your escapades with Neku and the gang, I knew you’d be too ashamed to go back to your world.”

“Not at all.” Joshua’s tone was serene and blunt. “Now that they’ve successfully finished the game, their worlds were restored. My job was to save them from darkness and I did just that.”

Vanitas took a seat next to him. “Perhaps. But, darkness will always lurk within every world and heart. Xehanort’s demise hasn’t changed that.”

Joshua turned and stared directly at him. “Is that why you’re afraid to show your face? For fear you can’t quell the darkness in you?”

Vanitas let out a subtle laugh. “That’s rich. I am darkness.”

The blond boy shook his head. “No. You were an embodiment of it. Yet, as time passed, you crafted a heart for yourself. An entity of darkness cannot posses a heart.”

He leaned closer to him; threatening both his confidence and personal space. “I admire your darkness as well as your light.” Joshua’s lips curved into a ghostly smile. “Nothing is what it seems. Light isn’t always pure and darkness isn’t always evil. You and I are proof of that.”

For a fleeting moment, his advance caught him off guard. Vanitas even titled backwards a little. He didn’t know why, but there was something about this guy that intrigued him — that made him see everything in a whole new perspective.

“True. You claim to be a “friend”, yet you’re the one who entrapped them within this ‘game’.”

Joshua turned back to face the front of the plaza. “It was a test. To make certain their hearts were worthy.”

“A bit nasty, don’t you think? Especially for one that appears as a guardian angel.”

Joshua sniggered, then looked back at him. “Like I said. Neither of us are truly pure nor evil. We’re simply ourselves. A feat most will never accomplish.”

The masked boy nodded. “Touché. They cling to desperately to what is deemed the right path — never taking the time to comprehend themselves.”

Joshua again smiled. “That’s why you and I are drawn to each other.”

A slight laugh escaped Vanitas. An attempt at confidence, yet underlined with embarrassment. “Maybe…”

“One day you’ll show me your face without fear,” Joshua firmly remarked.

“Then what?” Vanitas did his best to refrain from showcasing any hint at emotion.

“Who knows? We might even start to like each other more.”

As the other boy grinned, his eyes sparkled.

Vanitas averted his gaze towards the front of the plaza. As much as he tried to deny it, there was something about Joshua he couldn’t resist. He was drawn to him like a magnet.

Though he’d never say it aloud, he enjoyed being understood. Not judged or berated. Just appreciated for being himself. A feat only Joshua had been able to achieve.

Placing his hands on his mask, he slowly removed it; revealing his face. Setting it next to him, he met the locked their eyes. “We may at that.” He proudly smirked.