"Holy Shit." This was, honestly, the first thing to come out of my mouth when I saw The World That Never Was looming just beyond Twilight Town. I'd never seen it from space like this before—it suddenly looked a hell of a lot bigger and twice as creepy.

But despite the awe-inspiring view, my heart flopped with a sudden sense of familiarity. A smile tugged at my lips.

Only one word could describe what I felt at that moment—Home.

"Be on your guard," I warned, setting the ship down by Station Heights, "The fact that they've dropped the cloaking device means only one thing—a fight, and a major one at that."

"But you'll help—right?"

"You think I've gone all this way to let you die now? Hell no! You'd better stock up on Potions, Ethers, and Elixirs, though. We're gonna need as many Drive Forms as we can when we get there."

"Gotcha."

-u-

"Do you know where you're going?"

"Of course I know where I'm going!"

"Good—Where are you going?"

"This mansion."

I lunged for the picture in Sora's hand, ignoring his cry of protest as I stared at it in disbelief, "Where the hell did you get this?"

It seemed like a million years ago that I'd last seen it, sitting on a ladder that served as shelves in The Usual Spot. It seemed even longer since the picture was actually taken…

"C'mon, Aanyx, hurry!"

"Hold on, I think I've got it…there!"

"This one better not be blurry!"

I traced a finger over my half-blurred form, recalling the mad dash to get into the picture in time. It was just after Summer Vacation started—just after Roxas had shown up—and we'd gone camping in the woods beyond the crack in the wall. Back then, I never would have guessed that the mansion we'd discovered was really where it all came down…

"It was with the ice cream, wasn't it? When we found that box?"

"Which I obviously wasn't there for," I snapped back out of my trip down memory lane, turning on my heel, "Well, FYI, you're going the wrong way. The Old Mansion's this way."

"How d'you know?"

"Do you not use your eyes, dumbass?" I waved the picture in the air, though still didn't relinquish it, "I'm in this photo too, smart one."

"How does that work?"

"I'll explain later." I suddenly remembered what had happened the last time I tried talking to the others and decided to chicken out, "Listen, there's something I gotta do first. Follow the trolly tracks till you see a crack in the wall. There's a path through the forest that'll get you to the mansion."

"Where are you going?"

"None of your damn business, Duck!" Flipping the bird off I jogged to the Sandlot, deciding to take refuge in a familiar face.

"Hey, beanie boy!" I successfully gained the boy's attention, making him scowl at me, "Oh, great, what do you want?"

"Glad at least somebody in this world remembers me," I sighed and plopped uninvited onto the bench beside him, "Don't worry, my days of snooping are over…for now…"

"So that creepy guy isn't around any more?"

"Nope—he's been gone for a few years now, actually. But that's not what I'm here about."

"If you're just here to waste my time—"

"Nuh-uh. I've got a in-need-of-scientific-input situation."

If there was one thing I knew about Seifer, it was his love for scientific, mathematical facts. When I was still with the Organization, I'd first met him on Sunset Terrace during a recon mission. He proceeded to tell me why wearing big leather cloaks were bad for said recon missions, in great detail. When I was trapped in the other Twilight Town, I'd all but begged Seifer to be my tutor in Chemistry—much to Heyner's disapproval, but petty male ego fights weren't my concern. He was a go-to guy when it came to needing facts and scientific proof for things.

Seifer raised an eyebrow, and I took that as a 'go ahead'. "Okay, so I know you've mentioned the Strings Theory thing, but do you think it's possible for a fake alternate universe to clash with our universe?"

"Fake meaning…?"

"Artificially created. Like an RPG that you live and breathe in."

Seifer proceeded to string terminology together with seven-plus-syllable words that I sounded more like an attempt at PigLatin than anything remotely English. I blinked at him blankly when he paused, "In words I can understand?"

An aggravated sigh met this, "Well, assuming the fake AU has the same people with the same characteristics as our universe, it's possible that the simulated AU's programming may overlap with a real person's actions and reactions. Simple enough terms?"

"So if there was an Artificial Twilight Town, and someone were to go from living there to living here without ever knowing the real people…"

"Then there's a possibility that reactions towards that someone will be the same, yes."

"And if that possibility doesn't happen?"

Seifer shrugged, "Then it doesn't happen. Hey, this better not be another IOU—I've got plenty of those from that brother of yours."

I rolled my eyes and tossed a munny pouch at him, "That outta do it, Mr. Greedy. But hey, thanks for the jargon—it helped, even though I didn't understand about half of it."

"Glad I could help…" He waved distractedly, counting the munny orbs, but I paid the boy no mind as I portaled to the mansion, feeling a little better. Nothing puts a mind at ease like being rambled at in terms you don't understand for shit.

-u-

"…would explain how the King got that pouch and the crystal. Everything makes sense."

"He's right," I said, making myself known. Sora turned to me, confused, "He is?"

"Once upon a time, my best friend and I were part of Organization XIII. I was tricked into thinking one of the members wanted me dead, so I ran away. Roxas followed me. A man named DiZ created a fake version of Twilight Town to keep myself and him trapped—why, I'm not completely sure. But when he disappeared, I found myself here."

"That other town must be where everything that's missing from here went!"

"Including Kairi!"

"I get it!"

"Okay, enough shouting, we're all within hearing distance of each other." I mumbled, tired of them shouting. But before anyone could say or do anything more, five Dusks appeared, ready to attack.

"Aanyx!"

"Don't look at me, Duck, I didn't call them!"

"Then get rid of them!"

"I would if you'd stop yelling at me!"

"Watch out!" And, not for the first time in my existence, I found myself 'saved' by the Mouse King. I flinched as each of the Dusks faded into nothingness, hearing their screams of pain echo through my mind.

Mickey Mouse looked over at me, almost as though he expected me to fall on my knees and kiss his feet in thanks.

I think I'd rather kiss the rear-end of an elephant, honestly.

I ignored Sora and Mickey's conversation, instead turning to Heyner, Pence, and Olette, "I'm sorry about…before…" I trailed off meekly. Olette put her hand on my shoulder, "It makes sense, now that we know about the other Twilight Town."

"Right, let's go!" Rather than follow Sora and the King, I backed away from the mansion gates hesitantly. Sora turned to look at me, worried, "What's wrong?"

"I…" Part of me didn't want to say it. The mission called for Sora's cooperation, not some hopeful friendship. The mission called for me to bring him to Neon Town, not for me to back out now that I'm so close.

But the mission also called for myself to stay alive and sane.

"I can't go." I stammered at last, "I made a promise not to enter the other Twilight Town until I could bring him back."

"Bring who back?" Mickey asked, confused. I ignored him, biting my lip and scuffing my shoe in the grass.

To my surprise, Heyner and Olette flanked me, each grabbing an arm, "Then we'll all go, together."

"I—" but there was no way out of it. "…Thanks…"

So, with an increasing sense of dread, I walked foreword, somehow feeling the impending doom looming closer. If this was the calm before the storm, I really hoped it would be a quick and painless one.

But then again, journey stories are never quick and painless…