Hayner had returned into the forest before the mansion to retrieve a small clump of the glowing fungus to use as a makeshift torch. It didn't seem to dissipate once plucked, but he found he had to take care not to forget about it, because the fungus appeared to be still alive in some manner, trying to wrap itself around his hand. He kept having to pluck it off again, until he gave up entirely. He'd just have to get used to the darkness here.
The darkness held it's own share of difficulties for him though. As there was little light to go by, and his eyes had yet to get used to the depth of the darkness, he frequently lost track of where he was. The layout was the same as his own Twilight Town, but he was used to being able to tell where he was by his surroundings, and here in these unfamiliar surroundings it was impossible to tell where he was.
Several times he almost tripped up on uneven paths, too. They were in much worse condition here, and made getting around troublesome for the unwary. He was forced to slow down and test his footing along the rougher routes.
"This is absurd," he muttered to himself, finally finding his way back on to what should have been market street. "There aren't just a few things wrong, this entire world is wrong." Then he wrinkled his nose as an acrid scent reached him. Somehow he got the distinct impression it smelled red, and strongly of cinnamon as well.
He took a few moments to orient himself, then started to follow the scent where it seemed stronger, heading back down the street and down a back path. A smile formed when he recognised the area, and it grew when he realized the scent was coming from what was, in the real Twilight Town, the Usual Spot.
He brushed aside the curtain to find that it was completely different here though. Someone had turned it into some kind of plant shop, with only one variety sold. They were all set in various sized pots that oddly, were blue. Each of them reached upwards on a thin yellow stem, and they always had three large similarly yellow leaves that looked almost like shovels. Only the largest of these plants, kept not only behind the counter but behind a wire mesh, had four or more leaves, and none of them had more then eight at most. They all shared the same acrid red cinnamon scent though, almost overpowering this close to them.
These plants must be native to this world, he reasoned. He'd never seen anything like them in his own world, that was certain. But here in this world, in the place of his opposite, he could hardly ask what they were. No doubt he was meant to know what they were, and what they were for.
"Hayner!" a voice exclaimed from a small doorway, hidden behind the counter. Olette scrambled to her feet, though she looked nearly completely different, with totally white, nearly colourless hair, wearing blue in place of her usual cream and oranges, and with eyes that appeared larger than her own counterpart's.
"Uh... I didn't see you there," Hayner covered quickly.
"That's 'cause I wasn't there. I only just got back. Here," she said, reaching under the counter. "Your order came in." She brought up a smaller one, different from the others for having six leaves instead. "You've no idea how long it took me to get the Hexafaun to sprout like this. Make sure you save the seedlings, because they should sprout exactly the same kind of plant. Give them plenty of water, and they'll come up ready in three, maybe four days."
"Thanks," he replied, taking it off her. What did his counterpart want with this stuff, and what was it for? "Something told me you had it in, so I just... came in," he added, improvising.
"Sure thing," Olette laughed. "Like when something told you to go play in the briar, so you just went in? How did you think you were going to get out of that one without a scratch on you?"
"I dunno, I guess I just did," he shrugged. Evidently he and the other Hayner weren't as similar as it first appeared.
"You alright, Hayner? You don't look as pale as usual since getting back from the old mansion. Did something happen to you up there?" she asked, growing concerned.
"N-no, nothing, I guess I just... I dunno. I'm fine, don't worry about me. Anyway, where's Pence?"
Concern changed to contempt. "Who cares? The spoiled brat knows better than to show his face in these parts anyway. Why do you want to know?"
"So I can avoid him, of course. What else?"
This seemed to mollify her, so he thanked her again for the odd plant, then headed back out again. He'd solved the mystery of the acrid smell, but had gained the mystery of these plants.
For now there seemed to be little else he could do, so he headed to what he hoped was still his home. Maybe there'd be some more helpful clues there for him.
Along the way he paused beside one alley, listening to the voices he'd heard coming from it.
"Come on, just one leaf!" the voice was practically begging, but it wasn't one he knew.
"I told you, get your own!" Seifer's voice, though far harsher than usual. Well, Hayner had said the Seifer here wasn't as nice as their own. "Look, stop bugging me, old man!" Seifer snapped again after a few moments, closer. Hayner quickly moved on, though he continued to listen.
"Only one leaf of the Hexafaun, please!"
"Get lost, or it'll be my fist you'll be getting!"
So the leaves were meant to be eaten? Hayner hurried on until he was certain Seifer wasn't around, just in case he decided to pick on him next, then made sure he was alone before he plucked one of the leaves off the plant. Somewhat hesitantly he took a small bite out of it, only to find it tasted even stronger of cinnamon than it smelled, with a faint hint of apple to it. It wasn't unpleasant, and it didn't seem to have any immediate effect on him, so deciding it was probably a bad idea to stay out for too long, he quickly finished it off, spitting out the seeds to keep them, remembering Olette had told him to save them.
Maybe this was just the stuff they ate here, he reasoned. But then why had someone been trying to get some off him? If Olette was running a store for it, why not just buy it?
Unless it wasn't just something they ate, and the reason Olette's store was in the Usual Spot, hidden back out of the way, unobtrusive and only there to anyone who knew or caught the scent, and there was some kind of hidden secret to the Hexafaun. Maybe he shouldn't have eaten that leaf – but it was too late to be considering that now!
He poked gingerly at his stomach as if expecting it to react, but nothing happened. Still, a delayed reaction... it would take time to digest. Better that he get home sooner. He had to believe it would still be his home here, and that it would be relatively safer than this place looked.
So he checked the area again, then headed back out into the streets, concentrating on where he was and where he was going so he wouldn't end up getting lost in these almost familiar streets. He couldn't shake the feeling that there was someone watching him, and paused several times to look around, but every time he stopped, even when suddenly to try and catch any followers by surprise, there was never anyone there.
His vision seemed to improve as he continued along, and with that he started to notice more. He began to notice the chinks between the stones, previously hidden by the monotonous colours, and in the corners of the shadows he spotted tiny creatures, almost like mice but with six legs, darting around, clustering in alleyways to chew on anything exposed.
Then, when he caught sight of the door to his home, knowing he was almost certainly on the last part of this excursion, it hit him; a sudden wave of warmth that came accompanied by a feeling of pure bliss.
This was why Olette's store was kept out of sight, the part of his mind still working sensibly realized – it wasn't food, it was just a plant that caused euphoria. He managed to keep his sensibility long enough to let himself into his home, then slid down against the door to just let it wash over him.
The initial rush from it passed quickly however, though the warmth remained. He couldn't say how long it took, having been too distracted to pay attention to the time, but it couldn't have been long. He felt buoyed, as if the leaf had given him a new burst of energy. He hadn't felt tired before, but with the way this felt, that felt tired in comparison. This was obviously one powerful leaf, not one to be overlooked lightly.
But a nagging thought caught his attention. Why did it grow only here in this world, and not in his own?
There was no point in trying to reason it out, so he started to check his home here. It looked very similar to his own, of course it would be if his own one had been the basis for this. Some few things appeared out of place. One set of shelves had been shoved aside, with clear marks on the floor underneath where the carpet had been folded aside instead of underneath the shelves.
He set down the Hexafaun plant on a table, then shoved the shelves back to what to him was their normal place, a good half-dozen paces down the wall. Hidden behind it was a small door set in the wall, and a similarly small trapdoor in the floor. He tugged up the trapdoor, allowing him to reach under the one in the wall and open it too, then set off down the steep steps behind, ducking through the narrow doorway.
At the foot of the steps was a dark room, but his eyes still held on to their better night sight, and he was able to see clearly. Either that, or the improved sight he'd gained was another effect of the Hexafaun leaf.
What he saw was a small, square room, only just barely tall enough for him to stand up in. The floor was covered in earth, and neat lines of stems rose up out of the ground. One or two had tiny leaves starting to sprout.
The leaves and stems were all the same yellow as the Hexafaun plant he had up above.
As he turned to leave, he noticed a half-full watering can, and a tap on the end of a pipe that came down from above. He gave a glance back to this secret garden of Hexafaun plants, then took out the seeds from the leaf he'd eaten earlier, planting them where there was some space at the end of a line, then hesitated. How much to water them? He didn't want to ruin his counterpart's work with them, not if this was the kind of effect to be expected from the leaves.
A quick and careful search of the room revealed a small pad hidden in a far corner that held detailed notes on caring for them in Olette's handwriting, and further notes in his own scrawlings that kept note on each of the rows and plants. Once he understood the notes, he watered all the plants just enough, made a note on the pad to keep up his counterpart's work on them, then headed back upstairs and brought the newly acquired potted Hexafaun down. He didn't plant it in the ground; Olette's notes suggested that changing the soil conditions would be harmful to the plant, and he had no idea what the soil on the ground was like. For now, it could survive in the pot with a little extra water.
Then as it seemed like it wasn't something people openly dealt in, when he returned to the room above again,he closed the doors again and pushed the shelves back in place, this time ensuring the carpet did not get folded aside. If anyone had come looking for these plants and had seen that, it would probably have given them away, and he didn't want to get in trouble for growing these things. Even if the effect was worth it.