The air is warm and smells of sea salt as it drifts through Vanitas’s hair, sending black strands fluttering and tickling his nose. With a groan, he allows his eyes to slide open and take in the iridescent blue carvings on the rock underneath him. The sound of waves lap at the shore as the picturesque familiar view of Galdin Quay looms in the distance.
Vanitas tries to focus on the familiar sight as he shudders, feeling as if the whole world is spinning as he slowly pulls himself upright, taking deep breaths.
So, it worked.
He really was given a second chance.
Vanitas stands up with great difficulty, his body protesting the movement. He pauses, though, when he reaches his full height.
Wait a minute.
Vanitas looks down at himself, noting that he’s not in his normal dark suit, but rather instead is wearing an unfamiliar outfit consisting of a simple t-shirt, jacket, and shorts.
What’s more, everything is… smaller somehow?
‘What…?’ He mumbles and summons an Unversed. A Chrono Twister.
The effort of doing so is… harder than usual for some reason, only adding to his growing list of questions. Deciding to ignore it for now, he approaches the Unversed. The glass surface of the creature’s hourglass shape doesn’t make the best mirror, but holds enough of an image to cause Vanitas to stumble back with shock.
He’s… a kid! Can’t be more than 4 years old at the most.
As Vanitas is left reeling with confusion, a sudden magical energy rings in his ears; an annoying low octave that forces words into his head. Vanitas cringes with pain and puts his small hands over his ears.
“Wish fulfilled, the price yet unknown. Beseech your chance and reunite as mirrored by the years you’ve lived thus far.”
‘That wasn’t the deal, moron!’ Vanitas yells with irritation towards the heavens. ‘I asked to come back here, not to be a stupid kid!’
The voice doesn’t answer his complaints, however, and the ringing gradually slows to a stop.
Vanitas huffs for a few minutes, the effort of his frustration consuming him. With a snarl he dismisses the Chrono Twister with a wave of his hand.
So that’s it huh? He’s only lived to be 4 years old as himself, as Vanitas, and now that’s the age he shall be…
Just great.
Vanitas tries to keep his irritation in check as he leaves the safety of the Haven rocks to wander curiously along the beach, a scowl twisting his face as he looks around. Galdin Quay looks different, as if it’s been hit by a recent storm or something. There are still people milling about, though, carrying wood and hammering nails into the foundation above the waves.
Seeing the familiar sight, regardless of its state of disrepair, has a nostalgic feeling bubbling up in Vanitas’s chest.
They found him here, on these shores…
‘Wow, this place is so romantic!’
‘And you get to enjoy it with us.’
‘All four of us.’
‘You are a lucky man.’
‘Hey, don’t bring Vani into this! That’s weird! He’s like our little brother.’
Vanitas can still hear their voices. There were times when their faces would blur in his memory, as if his mind was torturing him into thinking that none of it ever happened. But their voices, their laughter… Vanitas could still remember them clear as day.
And he’s here now. Proof that their connection did happen, and he’s going to find them.
But… how long has it even been? 10? 12 years?
Would they even remember him?
It would be understandable that they forgot all about him by now, right?
Still, Vanitas is nothing if not stubborn and selfish, and he desperately wants to hold onto those memories and the connections he formed here.
If they forgot, then he’ll just make them remember. It’s worth a shot anyway.
With this resolve in mind, Vanitas summons a Flood and sends it off into the shadows to listen for any useful information from the workers over at Galdin. Again, it takes much more effort than he’s used to for some unknown reason, and he surmises that it probably has something to do with his current state.
Right, maybe he could find a way to fix that too while he’s at it.
Vanitas pushes through the discomfort for now and makes his way up the beach, noting that the pier that Noctis had often fished from is still mostly intact. The shack is gone, though, ripped off its hinges right down to the foundation underneath. Its torn wooden pieces are found scattered along the beach.
The pier itself isn’t much better, rickety boards missing or bent in odd directions as the waves tussle them around. Still, the sight is familiar enough that a vision of Noctis passes through Vanitas’s eyes. Back then, he could watch the Prince fish for hours on end. Noctis had been in his element, hyper focused and passionate about his favorite pastime, and Vanitas can admit now that was inspired by him. He wanted to find something like that for himself one day. Something in his life to keep him going when the world was crashing down.
So far, all he had was fighting. Nothing more than a life-or-death necessity.
As Vanitas is standing there reminiscing, though, the sound of chatter reaches his ears as the Flood connects to his heart. Vanitas listens, picking up on some construction workers talking.
“Can’t believe we’re finally getting to work on fixing up this place.”
“Well, it’s been a busy two years rebuilding everything back up since the Endless Night.”
“I know. Man, I still thank our lucky stars that King Noctis came back and did what he did.”
“Oh yea? And what exactly did he do? He ran away into that crystal for 10 years and left us all to die with the daemons.”
“You’re still going on about that? Look, the Astrals gave the King a second chance, and he’s been busting his ass for all of us ever since. That’s gotta count for something, right?”
“Whatever, man. At least the sun’s back and there’s no more daemons running around anymore, I’ll give him credit for that.”
Vanitas disconnects from the conversation, looking across the water and to the floating resort offshore. He can just barely make out the two construction workers in question, who are having a lunch break conversation together on a newly built walkway. His Unversed is below them, sticking to the underside of the walkway like a sneaky spider.
‘King Noctis…’ Vanitas repeats the words. ‘I guess that’s not surprising.’
But still somehow it is. To think that enough time has passed not only for Noctis to complete his journey of finding the crystal and the ring, but also manage to save the entire world. Back then, Vanitas had heard bits and pieces about the crystal’s power, usually in conversations he was only half-listening to. There was something else about a plague, too, and horrifying creatures of the night called daemons, but Vanitas wasn’t able to stay in this world long enough to get the whole story.
Vanitas peeks a curious glance up at the bright orb in the sky. Back then, sunlight had oddly been growing scarce as the nights grew longer. Now though, the rays are bright and hot against his skin, nearly blinding his eyes.
So, those four managed to fix that too. He’d have to congratulate them when they reunite.
Whenever that is.
Redirecting back to his goal, Vanitas turns away from the sight of the workers and looks towards the parking lot. The Regalia isn’t there, unsurprisingly, but as Vanitas looks towards the road there appears to be a map on a sign. That’s a good a place to start as any to find a path to Noctis and the others. If Vanitas remembers correctly, Hammerhead would be the place to go at a time like this. It’s far from here but is more or less a straight shot north. Someone there always has information, too, and he remembers a nice blonde woman that can maybe help him get started. That is, if she’s still around.
With this plan in mind, Vanitas holds up a hand to signal for his Unversed to return to him. They’re too far away at this point to comfortably be absorbed back into his heart, however, so the creature moves in the shadows unseen to return to its master.
Vanitas makes a beeline for the map all the while, keeping a healthy distance away from the adults milling about in the parking lot and those rebuilding the shop close by. The ones in the parking lot don’t have the signature orange vests of the construction workers and are instead wearing black uniforms. A few of them notice him as he approaches, but Vanitas ignores them in favor of his goal. The map is hung up high on the sign, and Vanitas has to tilt his head back awkwardly to look it over. From what he can tell, nothing much about the roads has changed, so his original plan is still good to go.
But just as Vanitas is turning to head away from Galdin and up the road to the north, the sound of approaching footsteps has him tensing. He spins around as two of the people in black approach him. One is a woman with short brown hair, and the other is a man wearing a hat and scarf.
‘Hey there.’ The man greets Vanitas. ‘Are you alright? You look a little lost.’
Vanitas backs up as they approach him, wanting to keep his distance. They don’t look familiar to him at all.
‘I’m not lost.’ Vanitas huffs in a dismissive tone. He doesn’t move to turn away, choosing to keep both strangers where he can see them.
‘Do you need any help?’ The woman asks in a gentle tone. ‘It’s not often we see little ones like you all alone.’
Vanitas has to squash down the urge to glare in response to her choice of words. Already he hates this new body, and the way people look down on him.
‘I don’t need help.’ He hisses.
‘Where are your parents?’ The man asks, cutting straight to the point.
Vanitas doesn’t respond to this question, causing the man and woman’s expressions to fall knowingly. What? Are orphans a regular thing in this world? Makes sense though, now that Vanitas is thinking about what that guy said about the Endless Night.
He can’t imagine a lot of ordinary people would survive something like that…
The man gets down on one knee so that he’s eye level with Vanitas.
‘My name is Talcott, and this is Monica. We’re a part of the Crownsguard. You can trust us.’ He says as if that means anything to Vanitas. ‘We can get you set up in the city with other kids like you.’
‘Probably the hospital first.’ The woman says to her partner in a hushed voice, looking over Vanitas with a critical eye. ‘Who knows how long he’s been out here by himself.’
‘I’m not going anywhere with you.’ Vanitas states, backing away further, his eyes untrusting. He consciously reaches towards the connection with his Unversed, noting that it is now rapidly advancing towards the shore, sticking to the shadows.
‘It’s okay.’ The guy says gently, mistaking Vanitas’s hesitance for fear as he approaches him as one would a scared animal.
Vanitas, though, silently orders the Unversed to reveal itself. The creature scurries across the beach and into the parking lot, causing shrieks and cries from the unsuspecting workers and civilians.
‘What is that?!’
‘It’s a monster!’
‘No way! A daemon?!’
Monica and Talcott quickly turn around, and Vanitas uses this opportunity to run. He searches inward, pulling at the broken pieces of his heart in a way that he hasn’t done in years. A new Unversed, a new life is formed, and his fingers pulse with the deep darkness straight from his heart, just waiting to be released.
Vanitas flicks the darkness onto the ground, and a horse Unversed is formed, bearing a shadowy black mane, glowing red eyes, and the signature symbol of its brethren. The horse bends down and Vanitas grabs onto its mane, holding on tightly as the creature rears its head before taking off.
Vanitas casts a glance behind him, catching eyes with Talcott as the man watches him speed away. The eye contact is broken, however, as the Flood is slain by Monica. The pain of its death reaches Vanitas’s heart, resulting in an injury on his side to match the slash of the sword that had slain it.
Vanitas gasps and clutches onto the horse with gritted teeth, feeling the telltale etch of a wound burning across his skin much more than usual in this small body. He struggles to keep his eyes open against the pain as the horse speeds away and out of sight.
Talcott watches Vanitas run off with awe, wondering what in the world just happened. In no time at all, Monica is back at his side, asking where the kid had gone.
‘I…’ Talcott starts, before a memory comes back to him. ‘Wait, do you remember the guys had a kid with them for a little while back then? One that could summon monsters?’
Monica looks at him for a moment or two, neither of them needing to specify who ‘the guys’ are that he’s referring to.
‘Now that you mention it, I think so.’
‘I’ll make a call.’
Vanitas wanders for some time, sticking to the winding road and keeping out of sight of any passing cars. All the while he can barely keep his focus, eyes darting every which way, taking in the once memorable scenery that has now changed overnight. The entire world has been ravaged, recognizable wounds to the earth everywhere from daemons, animals, and people alike. Relics of battles long past against creatures of darkness.
Vanitas looks down to the obsidian steed he’s riding, remembering what the people said about his Unversed.
Monsters.
It wasn’t the first time he’s heard his creations called by that word, and he knew it would not be the last. He supposes though, that they would rightfully think of them that way, after what they endured during the Endless Night.
Doesn’t make it hurt any less, though, no matter how many times he’s heard it by now.
Vanitas and the horse Unversed ride from dawn until late afternoon, before eventually arriving at Vennaugh Haven. By this point, Vanitas can no longer stand to travel. He is starving, irritable, and exhausted. He begrudgingly admits defeat, deciding to stop here for now and pick his search up again later.
He dismisses the horse before sending another Flood out to look for negative emotions nearby. It’s not much, but in a pinch, consuming negative feelings can keep him going in times of hunger. It will no doubt prove crucial now that he is working off such a small body, which is quickly turning out to be a lot more trouble than its worth.
Vanitas doesn’t know squat about children in his current age bracket, but he’s beginning to learn just how useless he’s really become. His coordination sucks, and he’s already fallen off the horse once or twice to prove it. He has no stamina at all, and has been beyond tired since midday, as if all his body wants to do is nap. But the worst part of it all is that his emotions are no longer within his control. The Unversed themselves are, and he can still summon and dismiss them at will, but they no longer carry the brunt of his emotional burdens like they used to.
The Unversed are supposed to be a funnel for his emotions, an overflow to his cup of feelings that spill out to stabilize his heart. But now they offer barely any comfort, as if Vanitas’s emotions have grown too potent to funnel anymore. Instead, now the feelings are trapped inside his heart, and are annoying the absolute hell out of him. The urge to scream in frustration, and pace with worry and hopelessness are all there, threatening to spill out if he gives his emotions even one inkling of freedom.
The tears are especially brutal now that he’s all alone. Vanitas has never done well with loneliness, it’s the one emotion he can never contain, and is the one that often fuels most of his Unversed. He realizes absently now that spending the first four years of your life in isolation was an understandable culprit, but even knowing that doesn’t stop the prick of lonely tears that keep threatening to flood his eyes.
It takes all of his focus to force them back down.
This whole child thing is getting on his last nerve now, and part of him wonders if he should even bother. But Vanitas is also unbelievably stubborn, and his wish to get what he wants and see this through is too strong to back out now.
While the Flood runs off to gather negative emotions for dinner, Vanitas sets about looking for shelter. Back when he was living in the desert wasteland of the Keyblade Graveyard, he’d had his dark suit for protection, and could easily find caves or a collection of rocks to hide in and ward against the harsh elements. There is a collection of similar looking rocks near the haven, and it has a small space in between them that he could probably wedge himself into if he tried hard enough.
Just as he is thinking about how best to disguise his hiding spot for the night, though, the feeling of his Flood being shot reaches his heart. Vanitas stumbles, feeling the bullet wound etch into his own back as he falls and scrapes his knees against the rocks.
He grits his teeth, clenching his eyes shut against the pain, before all of the persistently haywire emotions in his heart get the better of him. Suddenly tears are rolling down his cheeks and Vanitas is startled by them before viciously swiping them away, angry with himself for the emotions of a child he harbors. The tears will not stop, however, no matter how hard he rubs under his eyes, and Vanitas can’t help but yell with frustration as he desperately attempts to control himself.
A strange sound catches his attention, though, and he grows tense, immediately quieting himself as he hears what sounds like high heels walking against rock.
‘Little one, why are you crying?’
Vanitas turns around to see a woman with dark hair. She has a gentle smile on her face and looks at him with kind eyes. He can sense right away that there is something otherworldly about her, but is unable to decipher exactly what.
‘I’m not crying.’ He snaps, swiping at his eyes again. ‘Buzz off.’
The woman does not in fact, buzz off, and instead approaches him to kneel at his side.
‘There is someone looking for you, Vanitas.’ She says, ‘They should be here soon.’
‘What…?’ Vanitas looks up at her suspiciously.
How the hell does she know his name?
The woman only smiles a bit wider and stands up, holding a finger up to her lips as if she harbors a secret.
‘My name is Gentiana, I am a messenger of the Gods.’ She introduces herself and holds out a hand to help him up. ‘Your dearest friend, the Chosen King, is waiting for you in the Crown City.’
‘Noctis?’ Vanitas sits up a bit straighter, though hesitates to take her hand.
Gentiana waits patiently for him to decide to trust her, and after a moment or two, Vanitas does so, eager to hear more about Noctis as he allows her to gently pull him to his feet.
‘He has heard of your coming, and you two shall meet again soon.’ Gentiana says before walking off from the Haven and towards the road. Vanitas curiously follows her and the two of them cross it, continuing onwards for a small bit of time.
She’s… comforting. In an odd sort of way, and his much-protected mistrust of others dissolves easily in her ethereal presence. The notoriously aggressive animals of the grassland seem to show her the same level of trust, too, as when they pass a pack of ferocious voretooths, the creatures merely step out of their way.
Eventually, Gentiana stops at a specific spot in the desert grasslands, and turns to Vanitas.
‘Little one, the road ahead is yours to take.’ She says, leaning down towards him. He instinctively flinches in response, but she only smiles and kisses his forehead. The spot where she touched him feels chilled, like icy crystals forming on his skin. ‘Go and pay your price with the blessings of the Astrals.’
When he looks up, she is no longer a woman in black but an ethereal fairy of frost. She smiles at him before flying off with a flourish and disappearing into a diamond dusting of snow.
Vanitas stares after her, wondering what in the world just happened as residual snowflakes dance all around him. Suddenly, though, he hears the familiar noise of a camera shutter behind him. He whips around, finding a man standing there. He’s wearing the same black uniform as Monica and Talcott, and he has very familiar, sweeping blonde hair.
The two of them stare at each other, neither saying a word, before Vanitas looks from the camera in the man’s hand and then up to his face.
‘…Prompto?’ He dares to question.
‘Vanitas?’ The man questions back, looking over his child aged appearance with awe.
Vanitas pauses, picking his next words carefully.
‘Still playing secret stalker paparazzi?’
It’s a memory the two of them share, an inside joke Vanitas had asked Prompto once. Back when the cameraman had taken a secret shot of Noctis sitting next to a statue of Kenny Crow. It had become a game to see how many secret candid shots Prompto could take of their group, with Vanitas often catching him red-handed whenever the photographer tried to sneak a picture of him.
The memory and Vanitas’s words instantly have the desired effect.
‘Dude, someone has to.’ Prompto responds with the same inflection he had back then, as an ear-splitting grin comes across his face. It quickly falls though, as he looks Vanitas up and down again. ‘Vani. What in the hell happened to you?’
‘Speak for yourself.’ Vanitas huffs and looks him over as well, crossing his arms with a scowl. ‘Why the hell do you have a beard?’
Vanitas’s words have Prompto guffawing, before suddenly there are arms wrapped around him. Prompto squeezes the preschooler close, shaking his head in absolute disbelief.
‘I can’t believe it’s really you, Vani!’ He says, the biggest grin overcoming his face. ‘Where have you been this whole time?!’
‘Around.’ Vanitas shrugs, not having the strength to share his story when his heart feels like it could soar into the afternoon-hued sky. It’s beating about a mile a minute as he hugs Prompto back, haywire emotions threatening to spill out as everything in his entire being recognizes his friend.
Their hug is cut short, though, as there is what sounds like static chatter. Prompto pulls away from Vanitas to put a hand up to one of his ears.
‘Yea, I got him.’ Prompto says in response to some unheard question. ‘Found him over by the Haven… Right, we’ll head back to Hammerhead. It’ll be easier to get into the city from there in the morning…. Okay. Thanks!’
Vanitas tilts his head as Prompto removes his hand from his ear.
‘Who was that?’
‘Those guys you ditched back at Galdin.’ Prompto teases, hooking his thumb back towards the coast. ‘They’ve been worried sick about you.’
‘Huh?’ Vanitas asks with one dark eyebrow raised. ‘Why?’
He barely knows them, why would they care?
‘Uh cuz you’re a literal child, dude. I’m surprised you even made it this far on your own.’ Prompto says and stands up. He gestures for Vanitas to follow him up the road, where Vanitas can just see the outline of a car parked off in the distance. ‘Where were you headed anyway?’
‘Just…’ Vanitas starts. ‘Trying to find you guys.’
The ride to Hammerhead is comfortable, filled with stories of time spent apart and familiar, relaxed camaraderie. Prompto shares the tale of how their group had travelled in a boat to Altissia to meet up with Lady Lunafreya. It had been after Vanitas had gone missing, and their plan to reunite with her didn’t quite work out as they had hoped.
‘The whole city got destroyed.’ Prompto says, one hand on the steering wheel as the other is waving about as he talks for emphasis. ‘Nothing but rubble at the end. After that, we headed to Gralea, and Noct got sucked inside the crystal. The whole world went to hell after that…’ Prompto sighs, the weight of those memories clearly heavy, before a smile slowly comes over his face once more. ‘But then Noct came back one day. Right out of the blue with no warning, just like you did. He defeated Ardyn, and the rest is history. Got the sun back, the daemons are gone, and now Noct’s been ruling the world from atop his high throne ever since.’
‘Why do I feel like you’re leaving out a lot of this story?’ Vanitas raises a dark brow suspiciously from his spot in the passenger seat. He’s too small to see through any of the windows, so he’s taken to raiding the stash of knickknacks in the glove compartment. The insides are nostalgic to him, the items consisting of various pictures, books, canned coffee, figurines, lures, and keychains bringing up thoughts of better days in the past.
‘Just giving you the sparknotes, dude. Now that we’ve found you again, there’ll for sure be all the time in the world to swap stories.’ Prompto says, glancing at Vanitas out of the corner of his eye. ‘Speaking of which, your turn. So, tell me. What happened?’
Vanitas pauses, letting out a breath.
Well, just what didn’t happen would be the better question.
He ran away from Xehanort over 10 years ago, and found himself washed up on a new world, the world of Eos. It was after he’d confronted Aqua in Radiant Garden, and learned that his master had stabbed him in the back to further his own agenda. He’d been absolutely furious that day when he overheard Xehanort encouraging Terra to kill him. It was as if he were a mere piece to be discarded. As if four years of pain and degradation training day in and day out to the literal brink of death meant absolutely nothing at all.
So, Vanitas was spiteful.
If Xehanort wanted to throw him under the bus, then why the hell would he stick around for the inevitable blade to fall? He ran, and said screw it to the X-blade, and any plans that they both had made for the future. In fact, he ran so far into the void of space that he ended up here, and washed up near Galdin Quay.
Noctis had found him that day passed out on the shore.
‘Hey kid. You alive down there?’ Noctis had asked while none to kindly toeing Vanitas with his boot.
The teen had groggily woken up and glared at the random stranger bothering him.
‘What do you think, idiot?’ Vanitas had hissed, irritated by the blinding sun and the pounding headache of crash landing onto a foreign world.
‘I think you’re in the way of my fishing spot.’ Noct had casually replied. ‘So, you gonna get up or move over and watch?’
Vanitas had opted to watch, and he’d done so for a long while. They both were quiet for some time, strangers unsure of how to interact with each other, but Vanitas does remember that they did talk. They’d talked about nothing much in particular even, just casual things that he’d never gotten to think about in his very sheltered life.
Something had happened that day, too. A bond formed that he had no name for, and it only grew the more time he spent with Noctis.
He was introduced to Prompto, Gladio and Ignis that night, and the rest had snowballed from there. In the long run, Vanitas was only with them for a few weeks, but it had meant everything to him at the time. Those memories were the ones that got him through his darkest days to follow, and no one else has ever accepted Vanitas as readily as they did. He didn’t have to pretend with them, didn’t have to think about the awful things going on across the worlds hundreds of miles away. He could just be here, with them, living for once instead of surviving. Making fun of Noct’s hatred for beans and vegetables, training in the early morning hours with Gladio, posing for pictures with Prompto, and learning new recipes with Ignis.
It was… the happiest Vanitas has ever been in his short life. He’d bonded with them instantly, and with Noctis especially. Vanitas couldn’t even begin to explain their bond. It had come out of nowhere, and was instantly stronger than any connection he’s ever had with anyone else. The two of them could fish for hours, talking about anything that came to mind. Noctis was actually the first person Vanitas had ever told about his long guarded secrets with the Unversed and about his plans with Xehanort.
There was no need for barriers, no need for second guessing.
A bond like theirs was like an avalanche, advancing powerfully and fast as the days wore on, and Vanitas knew that it couldn’t be broken, not without some outside force.
And then it all came crashing down.
‘He found me.’ Vanitas says, his hands clenching into fists on his lap as he glares at the notably clean car floor. ‘I don’t know how but he did. You guys were sleeping. I woke up and went for my usual midnight walk, and I heard something. I thought it was daemons… It wasn’t.’
It was torture; Xehanort had not taken too kindly to Vanitas running away and had made the teen’s mistakes known every single day that followed.
It had all happened so fast, too. The guys were gone from his life, just like that, and he had struggled to pick up the pieces ever since.
‘I fought with my other half. Ventus. We both died soon after.’ Vanitas says, before suddenly pitching forward in his seat as Prompto hits the brakes out of shocked reflex.
The blonde doesn’t look at Vanitas, only gripping the steering wheel tighter than necessary.
‘He literally kidnapped you. Right from under us.’ Prompto whispers in realization, glaring at the road ahead. ‘And for what? Just to…’
Vanitas lets the sentence hang for a moment or two, before forging ahead to finish his story.
‘I came back years later. Somehow, he put my heart into a new body. I fought Ventus again, and this time he lived, and I died.’ Vanitas continues, this time braced for the inevitable brake in the car. ‘After that, I remember drifting for a while, then I saw some black and gold dragon… thing? I don’t know.’ Vanitas makes a face. ‘He said something about a second chance, and asked where I wanted to go, and well… here I am.’
It was an easy choice; one Vanitas had made without hesitation. To return here, to them. It was all he ever wanted.
‘Black and gold dragon thing…’ Prompto chews over the words. ‘Well, I’m glad you’re back.’ He says as they can finally end up at Hammerhead and turn into the parking lot. ‘We’ve all really missed you.’
‘You did?’ Vanitas asks, unable to stop himself.
He’d always wondered what had happened after he was gone. Did they look for him? Did they know that he would never leave of his own free will?
His abruptly hesitant tone has Prompto turning to him seriously as soon as he parks the car.
‘Of course we did, buddy.’ Prompto reassures him. ‘We looked for you. For weeks. Noct wanted to look longer, but well… what else could we do but wait for you to come back?’ His face is grim, a look into the emotions that he and the others must have felt when their littlest friend had up and disappeared without a trace. ‘We asked everyone we knew to keep an eye out for you, and we checked in with them a lot in Altissia. Even when Noctis went into the crystal, we all kept looking for you, and one of the first things Noctis asked when he came back was if we ever found you.’ Prompto says, placing a hand onto Vanitas’s small shoulder. ‘Trust me, Vani. We never gave up on you, I can promise you that.’
The admission has something warm settling in Vanitas’s chest that he can’t name.
As it turns out, that blonde woman is still running shop at Hammerhead, and is quick to approach them once Prompto and Vanitas pull themselves together enough to get out of the car. She’s grown older over these past 12 years, just like Prompto, but that hasn’t stopped her notably eccentric fashion sense in the slightest.
‘Howdy.’ She greets Prompto as he sets about getting some gas for the car.
‘Heya Cindy. How ya been?’
‘Right as rain.’ She says, her smile bright and accent strong. ‘Been awhile. You just passing through?’
‘Actually, we’re gonna spend the night and head out in the morning.’
‘We?’ Cindy parrots and curiously walking around the side of the car to catch sight of Vanitas, who is currently taking in the scenery.
Hammerhead is so much different now, in a good way. It’s expanded to have a nicer motel and an even bigger garage, diner and warehouse. No longer is the decaying awning over the shop and the dustbowl sand carved paint that was peeling off the walls. Now the space just feels… more looked after. It’s clear that Noctis had made restoring Hammerhead one of the top priorities after the war, seeing as how it was probably the closest weigh station to the city for supply carriers back and forth.
Plus, it probably didn’t hurt that the guys owed a lot to Cindy and Cid. Noctis in particular had never been shy about thanking them for their help. So it really didn’t surprise Vanitas at all that the place was given a new coat of paint both literally and figuratively.
Still, something aches in his chest just looking at it, a reminder of all the time he missed here when he was stolen away to fight in a war he no longer had any interest in.
‘Well howdy there, puddin’ pop. What’s your name?’ She asks, bending down to meet him at eye level.
He looks at her, nostalgia coming back to him in waves. They’d met before, when he was taller, and it was a little awkward meeting her again in this state. Especially now as he can tell right away that there is no recognition of him.
‘Vanitas.’ He answers. ‘You’re… Cindy, right?’ He struggles to remember the name.
‘Sure am.’ She smiles and stands up to put her hands on her hips. ‘Best little mechanic of Hammerhead. Though don’t go saying that around Paw Paw. He’s still kickin and always ready to defend his title to nobody no how.’
Her laughter is infectious, and Vanitas can’t help the small uptick of his lips in response. Cindy was always kind to him back then, never afraid to strike up a conversation with Vanitas, regardless of his unorthodox black suit and prickly personality.
It was comforting, to be around someone so nice back then.
Not that he would ever admit it.
‘So where’d you come from?’ She tilts her head.
‘I don’t know.’ He shrugs, not really wanting to get into the details right now. ‘Where all babies come from, I guess.’ He sasses, causing her to laugh again.
‘It’s kind of a long story.’ Prompto says, coming around the car now that the tank is filled. ‘I’ll have to tell you some other time.’
‘Alrighty then.’ Cindy knows, knowing firsthand how wild and outrageous Prompto’s stories can be. ‘Well, while you’re here I’ll take a look at the old girl for ya.’ She says and looks over the car. ‘She’s still got nothing on the original, but she does shine up nice.’
‘Yea I know. Her successor here is doing just fine. Made the trip with smooth sailings.’ He grins, making a hand gesture of a plane taking off.
‘Glad to hear it. So when are ya thinking of taking her out for-‘
While the adults are talking, Vanitas watches them back and forth, before quickly growing bored. His stomach growls notably and he frowns, placing a hand to it. He’d nearly forgotten how hungry he had been up until now.
Looking at Prompto once more, Vanitas decides that it’s fine to sneak away. He’s seen firsthand how long the sharpshooter can keep a conversation going with Cindy. And while he has no idea if his friend still harbors his crush on her from way back then, he isn’t willing to stick around to find out.
Vanitas turns away from the adults to heads into the diner nearby. The air is much cooler inside the building, and it looks a lot nicer in here than what he remembers. There are several more tables and chairs set up, and colorful menu signs are hung above the kitchen. Not to mention what looks like stairs leading up to a second floor.
The cook catches his eye as Vanitas approaches to look up at the menu above the counter, his small form struggling to read the words from this height difference.
‘Need some help there, little guy?’ The chef asks.
‘Just looking.’ Vanitas says, before giving up with an irritated huff and deciding to hop onto a bar stool for a better vantage point.
He visibly struggles to climb up, though, having to jump and grab onto the stool to pull himself onto the seat. All the while he can feel embarrassment and frustration linger in his heart as a few other patrons quietly coo at him and watch with fond eyes.
‘Where’s your parents, kiddo?’ The chef asks once he’s settled.
‘Don’t have any.’ Vanitas says nonchalantly, having a much easier time looking over the menu now. His stomach growls again and he quickly puts a hand over it with more force than necessary, knowing that the guy must have heard it.
‘I see.’ The chef says, letting out a sigh. Thankfully he doesn’t ask about it further. ‘Well, what can I get you? Sounds like it’s been a while since you last ate.’
‘Not since before this morning.’ Vanitas shrugs, ignoring the guy’s concerned look.
‘How old are ya, kid?’
‘4?’
It comes out like a question.
‘Sit tight. I’ll make you something real quick.’
‘I don’t have any gil.’ Vanitas says, remembering that’s the form of currency in this world. He’d only been hoping to scope out the food for now and probably bother Prompto for some cash later.
‘It’s on the house.’ The chef says, though, looking unbothered about it. ‘Name’s Takka by the way.’
‘Vanitas.’
Takka nods, before walking away to go about his cooking. Vanitas watches him, reminded of Ignis from the way he moves about his kitchen with absolute control. In no time at all there is a child sized meal set in front of him consisting of a Hammerhead Hot Sandwich, a small side of mild Chili Con Carne, along with a fresh glass of lemonade.
‘Thanks.’ Vanitas says, unsure of how to further respond. It wasn’t often that others offered him their kindness, let alone a free meal.
Takka, though, only waves him off and goes to take another person’s order.
Whatever Prompto and Cindy had been talking about must have been quite important, as Vanitas is just about halfway done with his food when Prompto suddenly bursts into the diner, looking frantic.
‘Vani! There you are.’ He rushes over to the child’s side. ‘Geez, don’t scare me like that! When’d you leave?’
‘A while ago, when you were too busy with Cindy.’ Vanitas snarks as he takes a sip of lemonade.
‘You’re imagining things.’ Prompto laughs and scratches the back of his head sheepishly, before taking a seat next to Vanitas. ‘Ah anyway, I had to take a call and when I turned around you weren’t there. I see you swindled some food out of Takka though.’
‘If that’s what you want to call it.’ Vanitas shrugs. ‘He offered.’
‘Sure did.’ Takka says as he comes back over to the two of them. ‘The kid with you?’
‘Yup.’ Prompto nods. ‘Helping him get to the city.’
‘Hm.’ Takka hums knowingly, asking no further questions.
Vanitas tilts his head, recognizing now that this scenario is probably not a rare occurrence, as Monica and Talcott mentioned something like that too.
Ultimately, he decides that it’s better not to ask.
‘I’ll pay for his by the way.’ Prompto offers while ordering a bowl of chili for himself.
Takka refuses to take any money, though, and just saunters off to make the food without a word.
‘Who was that call from?’ Vanitas asks curiously.
‘Who else? The King’s royal retinue.’ Prompto says, and Vanitas nearly drops his spoon into his chili. ‘Word got to the guys that you’re back in Lucis.’ The look on Vanitas’s face has Prompto holding up a hand. ‘It was Iggy and Gladio that called, they just asked where we are and how you’re doing.’
Vanitas swallows and looks down at what’s left of his chili. It’s been so long since he’s talked to any of them. What is there to even say after so long apart? But then again, he’d somehow bridged that gap with Prompto. It couldn’t be that hard right?
Still, it feels impossible in this moment all the same.
Not to mention, something in his heart hurts a little to hear that Noctis hadn’t called. Vanitas forcibly squashes the feeling down, though, before it has the chance to fester. Noctis is King now. Of course he’d be too busy or whatever to check in on someone he hasn’t seen in over a decade. Probably has a lot of boring paperwork to do or something.
‘Okay.’ Vanitas says, letting the tension in his shoulders relax even as he feels that bitter, ugly feeling in his chest.
He suddenly flinches back, though, when Prompto attempts to ruffle his hair.
‘Don’t worry Vani, we can call them later, I promise.’ Prompto says, interpreting Vanitas’s bitter scowl as having to do with his missed call.
Vanitas scoffs at him.
‘Quit treating me like a kid.’
‘Uh, hate to break it to you buddy but you are a kid.’ Prompto says, his tone playful but not sugarcoated.
‘Don’t remind me.’ Vanitas groans, causing Prompto to laugh as Takka comes back with his order.
By the time the two friends finish with dinner and check into the motel for the night, Vanitas is beyond exhausted. The sun’s barely gone down and yet all the energy in his body has simply vanished into thin air.
Vanitas yawns as he comes out of the bathroom, rubbing at his eyes as if to forcibly stamp out the tired feeling. Taking a shower had been awkward, and looking in the mirror afterward was even more so as he got a full glimpse of just how much his body has changed. He noticed right away that his eyes were no longer gold, now holding a blue color resembling that of Ventus and Sora now that Xehanort’s gone.
He still hasn’t come to terms with that yet. Not at all, if he’s being honest.
It almost didn’t feal real that he wasn’t around anymore. That his influence was now gone forever from Vanitas’s life.
Honestly? Good riddance…
Dealing with the wounds from his Unversed was easier, though a bit awkward. He’s unable to stitch himself up with dark magic like he used to, but thankfully none of the wounds have bled, only leaving large, nasty bruises on his skin. That in itself was odd, too, as usually the wounds perfectly mirror the ones used to kill the Unversed. Somehow, though, these wounds were smaller, and less deep than what they should be. He supposes he should be counting his blessings, though, as he wasn’t sure if his smaller body could even handle the more serious injuries he used to get back in the day.
‘Why am I so damn exhausted?’ Vanitas complains once he finishes his long stunt in the bathroom. His wounds were covered for now at least with some ointment he found under the sink.
It was all he could do for them at the moment with such little energy.
‘Duh, you kind of had a really big day. What with coming back to life and all that.’ Prompto says unhelpfully from his spot perched on one of the beds. ‘Plus, last I checked little kids normally go to bed at his hour anyway.’
Vanitas glares at him in response, causing Prompto to laugh and shake his head as he casually goes through his camera. The sight of such a familiar scene, of Prompto going through the day’s photos, gives Vanitas pause, and he lets go of his anger to instead join him on the bed.
‘Can I see?’ Vanitas asks.
Prompto scoots a bit closer without a word as Vanitas takes a seat next to him.
There are photos of the landscape around Longwythe, including a snapshot of the mountain that Vanitas was told once held a gigantic turtle that the guys slaughtered for a hunt. The photos proceeding it are all of Vanitas. A blurry photo of a small black-haired child in the distance, one more of him standing next to Gentiana, another candid snapshot of her kissing his forehead in her ethereal fairy form.
‘Do you know what was up with that?’ Vanitas asks curiously, looking the picture over with a critical eye. ‘Gentiana said something about how I have to pay a price with the blessings of the Astrals or whatever.’
Prompto noticeably hesitates to respond, causing Vanitas to tense. Rarely is Prompto ever serious, at least enough to warrant such a look that passes over his eyes now.
‘Her real name is Shiva. She’s the goddess of ice.’ He carefully explains as the sound of his phone can suddenly be heard vibrating in his pocket. ‘But gotta be honest, I’m not sure what that means now. Noct might though.’ Prompto takes out his phone, before his signature smile is back again as he reads the caller ID. ‘Speak of the devil.’ He answers. ‘Yo. I was wondering when you were gonna call. Vani was just getting ready for bedtime.’
‘I was not.’ Vanitas growls, straining his ears to listen to the chatter coming from the phone as Prompto ignores him.
‘Uh huh… Yup, we will first thing in the morning… You got it.’ Prompto talks for a moment on the phone before handing it over to Vanitas. ‘Here, you guys catch up. I’ll head in the shower real quick.’
Vanitas takes the phone and stares after Prompto until the ensuite bathroom door is shut and he’s left alone with the other person on the line. From the context clues of their conversation, Vanitas can guess who is on the other end of the phone, but is hesitant to answer.
After a few tense moments, he holds it up to his ear anyway and clutches the device tightly in his small grasp.
‘Uh… hi.’
‘Hey Van.’ Noctis’s voice floats over the phone and into his ear, and Vanitas has to take in a steadying breath.
A simple reminder that he’s alive. That this isn’t a dream.
Vanitas must have taken too long to respond, as Noct continues.
‘Man, Prompto wasn’t kidding about your sudden growth decline.’ He says, voice light. ‘You really do sound like a four-year-old.’
‘So what?’ Vanitas shoots back, their familiar banter coming to him instinctively. ‘Bet I can still whoop your ass in a race either way.’
That has Noctis laughing over the phone. Vanitas always had an unrivaled knack for chocobo racing, and bringing it up never failed to get the friendly rivalry going between them.
‘But anyway uh…’ Vanitas starts once Noctis’s laughter dies down. There’s so much he wants to say, but better to start with the obvious. ‘How are you? I heard what happened and how you…’
Noctis pauses, digesting the question for what it is; I heard that you died.
‘Better now that the dust has settled.’ He says truthfully. ‘There’s a lot to do but, I’m grateful to be here.’ Noctis pauses for a moment. ‘Speaking of, I heard you also…’
‘Twice.’ Vanitas casually confirms, noticing how Noctis takes in a sharp breath in response. ‘Kind of a miracle really that I’m still breathing.’
‘I’ll say…’ Noct agrees before the line goes silent.
Vanitas can faintly hear the sound of Noct shuffling something, probably absentmindedly flipping through papers as they both struggle with what to say. Vanitas lays down on the bed, trying to get comfortable while still clutching the phone with both of his small hands.
‘Hammerhead’s changed.’ Vanitas breaks the silence, afraid to end the conversation. ‘Cindy and Cid are still around. Though, I didn’t get to see the old geezer yet.’
‘Oh yea.’ Noctis says, and Vanitas visualizes him shaking his head with fond nostalgia. ‘Those two haven’t gone anywhere. Probably never will honestly.’ He hums. ‘How do you like the new motel?’
‘It’s kind of fancy.’ Vanitas says, sweeping a look around the room. Nothing’s out of place, and there is this air of cleanliness and taste that is a bit higher than any of the other motels he’s stayed at before. ‘Nothing like Lestallum, though. At least I’m not sweating buckets here.’
‘Better to sweat buckets than to freeze your ass off.’ Noctis chuckles. ‘Learned that the hard way.’
Instead of laughing along, Vanitas instead pauses, remembering his cold encounter with a god earlier today.
‘Van.’ Noct starts, catching the child’s attention. ‘Prompto’s gonna drive you into the city tomorrow morning. Promise me that you’ll remind him to call when you guys head out.’
‘Mm.’ Vanitas hums, laying back further into the bed underneath him. He has half a mind to make a quip about Prompto literally needing to be reminded by a child, before suddenly the exhaustion hits him again and he’s struggling to keep his eyes open. ‘I promise.’ He hums, before closing his eyes. His sleep addled brain releases all his reservations in that moment, and suddenly he’s saying his most honest feelings; ‘I missed you…’
‘I missed you too, Van.’ Noctis says without hesitation. ‘It’ll be good to see you. You’re all we’ve been talking about over here all day.’
‘Really?’ Vanita asks, something in his heart clenching from this information.
‘Well yea.’ Noctis says as if the answer is obvious. ‘It’s not every day one of our good friends comes back as a toddler.’
‘Not a toddler.’ Vanitas protests, shifting to grasp the pillow with one hand and weakly hold the phone to his ear with the other. ‘Pre-schooler.’
‘Ah, my mistake then.’
The two of them go silent for a moment or two, before Vanitas shuffles to get more comfortable.
‘Hey Noct.’ Vanitas calls, causing him to hum in acknowledgement. ‘Do you remember that story you told me before? Where you caught the really big fish?’
‘Sure do. Why?’
‘Can you tell me again?’
‘Need a bedtime story?’ Noct asks, his voice light.
‘No.’ Vanitas huffs.
Noctis lets out a small, fond laugh, before obliging and weaving the tale of how he caught The Devil of the Cygillan. It took nearly six hours of constant focus and reeling, but somehow, he managed it without snapping the line. Prompto, Gladio and Ignis all had to jump in the water just to haul the massive fish to shore. In the end, though, Noctis let it go for someone else to catch some day, much to Ignis’s culinary chagrin.
All the while as Noctis is recounting this tale, Vanitas’s exhaustion consumes him while listening to the familiar, safe sound of his dear friend’s voice coming through the phone speaker.
A little bit later, the phone is gently removed from a sleeping Vanitas’s hands as Prompto picks up the call.
‘Geez. Out like a light.’ Prompto whispers, before quietly walking away to dim the overhead lights and take a seat at the chair by the door. ‘Did you guys even get to talk at all?’
‘Yea. We did.’ Noctis says, his tone thoughtful. ‘Listen, Prom, keep an eye on him alright? I don’t want a repeat of what happened last time.’
Prompto takes a deep breath. An angered expression comes over his face as he watches Vanitas sleep, thinking back to the night they had lost him. They had all woken up to a dawn of confusion, trying to piece together what had happened. There were slashes against trees near the haven, Vanitas’s blood on the ground, and the teen himself was nowhere in sight.
It didn’t take a genius to figure out what had happened.
He knows Noctis must have a similar expression as well, both of them looking back on what they could have done differently to prevent the inevitable. Ignis and Gladio had been beyond furious over the phone upon learning how Vanitas had been stolen away from them, and Prompto knew that Noctis had to be feeling some type of way about it too.
‘I’m way ahead of you buddy.’ Prompto nods, determination set in his eyes. ‘On guard duty for the long haul tonight.’
‘Thanks.’ Noctis says, ‘Talk to you in the morning then.’
‘You got it.’
Bonus Scene:
‘What? You’re… you’re joking right?’ Prompto asks in disbelief, nearly dropping his phone in surprise.
He’d just gotten a call from Talcott, who said he saw someone familiar down by Gauldin Quay.
‘Yea, I couldn’t believe it either.’ Talcott says, looking towards the road that Vanitas had disappeared down. ‘But it had to be him. You know I wouldn’t lie about something like this.’
Prompto knows that Talcott never would, not about something this important.
‘He left up north, following the road.’ Talcott continues. ‘You should be able to cut him off from where I last heard you were stationed.’
‘Got it. I’ll let you know when I find him.’ Prompto says, before quickly ending the call and getting into his car.
He can’t believe it… Vanitas is back? After all this time?
It couldn’t be real, could it?
Even so, Prompto finds himself slamming his foot on the gas pedal, quickly taking off down the road.
Dream Eater Allyphant Creations 
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