"Hey, Riku!"

Sora, Lea and Bryan snuck in on Riku while he was catching his breath and resting after a solo run of the obstacle course.

"Um, hey,"

"We've got a question for you."

"I want to start off by saying it makes me uneasy when all three of you gang up on me out of nowhere with a collective 'question'."

"It's nothing bad." Sora insisted.

"So you say."

"That mirror my sister gave you, can more than one person see the answer to the questions?"

"My mirror?"

For their first Christmas together Rachel gave Riku a magic item called a What-If mirror. Any kind of what-if or hypothetical question asked of it could be reflected in its mirror. But since it was a what-if sort of question, a single question could have hundreds of possible answers. Not any of them were absolute visons of a pre-determined future but they certainly could be fun.

"Um, I don't know. I've never tried to show a possible answer to more than one person. Wait a minute, why do you want to know?"

"Ever been talking with your friends and you find your topics changing more than you ever thought possible?" Bryan asked.

"And somehow that came around to something we all found ourselves curious about," Sora added. "So we were wondering if we could use the mirror to see a possible answer."

Riku looked over their eager faces.

"Fully aware I may regret this…okay."

The boys followed Riku to the room he used at the Mysterious Tower. These guest rooms were, like everything else, magic. The doors themselves were only separated by their frames yet despite their squished outward appearance entire rooms could be found beyond them. Each one also had a theme. Riku's looked like a stony cliff and rock quarry. Like the others, the walls were painted with such an exquisite illusion it was hard to see where wall and floor met. The wall scene showed a sun kissed ocean of stone that sloped downhill to a turquoise lake at the bottom. The back wall was textured like a rocky cliff and the bed was carved from a platform in the wall. A few personal items obscured the otherwise flawless illusion of looking across a vast landscape.

Riku took the small wooden-framed mirror from its drawer.

"I've got an idea. Everyone gather close and hold on to the mirror. Maybe if we're all touching it when I ask the question we can all see the answer. Again, I feel I'm going to regret this somehow, but what exactly did you want to ask?"

"What would the four of us look like as parents." Sora told him.

"What?"

"You already said yes!"

"I know I did. Now I'm wondering if I want to know what you three were talking about that led to this."

"Come on. We're all ready," Bryan said. "Let's see if this works."

Riku shrugged. No harm in trying. Holding the mirror firmly he repeated Sora's question.

At first nothing happened. Unusual considering the few times Riku had used the mirror the response was immediate. Nope. It did look to be working. The edges of the mirror slowly began to glow. Their reflections blurred. Then the glow became a blinding flash. Once it faded the room around them was no longer the same.

"Whoa! This is what that thing can do? Awesome!"

So the mirror could work with a crowd.

"So where is this?"

"Can we move in here?"

"The locations aren't always real," Riku explained. "A broad question gets a broad range of possibilities. And yes, we can move. We're like ghosts in these visions. No one can see, hear or touch us."

Knowing this the group spread out to explore the new room. It was mostly empty and only partially lit. In this vision, they found an older version of Lea. Everyone thought this an almost surreal experience and wondered how they'd feel when they saw what their possible older selves might look like.

Possible-Lea sat at a very sturdy yet elegant desk. There was a thick crystal on a wooden stand in front of him he was casting some kind of fire-based magic on. The exact purpose to this was unclear. The friends came up from behind the desk to stand and observe from either side.

"What are you doing there?" Sora asked the real Lea.

"How should I know?"'

Suddenly the lights dimmed and flickered. Possible-Lea paused, angling his eyes upward, only to flinch slightly when the lights came back completely. The friends however jumped, startled.

Two tall figures were suddenly standing maybe about six feet from the desk. They were very thin and dressed in identical extremely worn dresses. The outfits looked more like something you might expect to see on an old-fashioned doll. In fact, one of them limply held a raggedy blanket, the other carried a disheveled, one-eyed button-eyed bear. Their hair was almost the same red as Lea's. But while theirs also looked to be heavily layered, it was drawn down around their faces and shoulders in a very delicate, doll-like way. The teenagers also wore identical hairbow headbands. And on top of all that, they were boys.

"Hi, Dad," They spoke together in a dull monotone. "We're ready for the Halloween Town party."

Possible-Lea propped his right elbow on the desk and leaned his face heavily into his hand. If that expression was anything to go by he didn't know how they planned to dress for Halloween but wasn't in the least bit surprised by their choice.

"Boys…kudos on the creepy factor but honestly the skirts make me nervous. Actually the bear does too."

"You get twins?" Bryan observed, amused.

"That's crazy," Sora said, getting closer to the boys. "Without the makeup and the bows they look just like you."

Real Lea rolled his eyes and continued watching.

"Sister is ready to come with us." They continued in the same monotone and blank looks.

"Oh great. You've dragged her into-."

"Hello, Dad,"

Possible-Lea actually jumped this time when a little girl about nine was suddenly at his side without any whisper of warning. Actually everyone jumped, startled yet again. Where did that kid come from? How did she even get in? There was no way they were all so focused on the others they didn't see anyone enter the room. The girl also had dull red hair and was dressed exactly like her brothers. She carried a cloth doll dressed the same with no eyes and a creepy smile.

Possible-Lea composed himself for a moment at his desk.

"I will never understand how you do that."

"May we go to Halloween Town now?" She asked in the same monotone.

Possible-Lea sighed. "Fine. You just make sure you use your crazy ninja gift to scare Jack."

"I will," The girl answered emotionlessly.

"Can Little Sister come with us too?" The boys asked in equally emotionless unison.

"No! You've already corrupted one sister. I'd like my last one's innocence to last a little longer before she's inevitably dragged into…whatever this is."

"Okay," The three answered dully in scary unison.

The girl took the hand of the boy carrying the ragged blanket and they all left together. As they did the scene began to get foggy. The mirror was moving on.

"Wait a second!" Sora turned to his group. "So we just saw a slice of a possible future where Lea has four kids?"

"That doesn't bother me," Lea said.

The conversation couldn't be continued further because the world around them went all fuzzy and bendy as the mirror prepared its next answer.

The next scene was clearly in a childs' bedroom. This time possible-Riku sat on the edge of the bed of maybe a seven-year-old boy. That was easy to tell because apart from the possible-kids' fawn-colored hair he looked just like his father. Possible-Riku reached above the boys' head to put a skinny book back on a shelf built into the headboard.

"Remember what we agreed?" Possible-Riku asked. "That was the last one before you go to sleep."

"Yeah, yeah," The boy replied, slipping beneath his covers but still looking very awake. "Dad,"

"Hmm?" Possible-Riku replied as he tucked the boy in.

"Ghost stories are the best! They're my favoritest stories."

"I'm not a bit surprised," Possible-Riku handed the boy a stuffed toy owl whom he gratefully snatched and snuggled.

"Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"Just so you know, for our family trip this year, I want us to go visit a real haunted house this year."

"Oh? What's wrong with the one we live in now? G'night."

Possible-Riku stood up, gave the boy a quick goodnight kiss on the forehead, turned off the lights and left. The gentle glow of a moon-and-stars nightlight illuminated the room to show the child holding his owl tight and left to contemplate what that meant.

On the other hand, Sora, Bryan and Lea snapped their attention back to the real Riku.

"You straight-up lied to your own kid!"

"I cannot believe you said that to a child!"

"Riku, you are an evil, evil man."

"But in all seriousness though, could we use that if the opportunity ever arises?"

"Absolutely,"

"That was genius."

"It's strange. I'm astonished a version of me would do that but I'm also very proud of myself."

The next scene had them feeling a bit like idiots. They were underwater. The initial reaction, as one might expect in such a situation, was to freak out, concerned about being able to breathe. But that was stupid in a possible projection of the future. It was odd to just be floating or whatever but there was no risk of drowning. Moving wasn't too hard. They just sort of glided in the direction they wanted.

"Is this the ocean of Neverland?" Bryan asked, looking around.

"Can't be, there goes Flounder," Sora answered. "Wow, he got big. Oh look! He's got little ones too! So this must be Atlantica. And here we come."

A much bigger Flounder watched over a group of young fishes as they played tag games and hide-and-seek in a clearing on a reef. But they weren't alone. A young boy about twelve years old swam around absolutely delighted. By the look of his mussy burnt-brown hair he had to be Sora's possible-son. Holding on to the end of his dark copper tail was a little girl of maybe eight. She was also a brunette but her braided locks were much darker. Bryan's possible-daughter? The older boy was pulling her along. They looked to be thoroughly enjoying the game. She also had a necklace of a jeweled scallop shell. So that was how the children became merfolk. Just a minute later, older versions of Bryan and Sora came up over the reef.

"Wow, Sora," Riku said. "You actually get some muscle-tone in your arms, eventually,"

"Hey!"

"As hilarious as that is," Lea said, "Look. There's a third kid."

Sure enough another child swam very close to Bryan. This one was much younger, perhaps four. She kept very close to Bryan's underside as he swam. This was not unlike how whale calves stay in constant contact with their mothers.

"You're back," Flounder said when they approached. "What did his majesty want?"

Three of Flounder's children swam up to the little girl and with a lot of giggles and tickling of fins they coaxed her out to play.

"Nothing we can take them along for," Possible-Sora answered.

"What do you mean?"

"King Triton asked us to check this place out because of some unpleasant rumors of monster activity." Possible-Bryan told him.

"Not that surprising. He's a wise and fair ruler but at his age he isn't the warrior he used to be. Where does he want you to go? I haven't heard any rumors of monsters."

"MONSTERS!"

All the children shrieked and swam around like crazy screaming. But the screams quickly turned into squeals and giggles. Except the littlest girl. She stopped playing and snuggled back up to possible-Bryan.

"Are monssers weal?"

Possible-Bryan stroked her hair a few times before giving her a light fist-bump on the chin. "Absolutely. But most of them are easy to defeat and make everyone safe again. Some of them aren't even scary and actually make pretty good friends."

The tyke looked up at him, unsure of what to think of his response.

"Anyway," Possible-Sora said to Flounder. "Ever hear of a place called Shark Canyon?"

"Shark Canyon?" The oldest boy exclaimed. "Are there sharks there? I wanna see a shark! Can I go too? Please!"

"Shark!" The young fish screamed and ducked into the nearest hole or crevasse they could fit into.

"There are no sharks in Shark Canyon!" Flounder shouted, trying to regain some order. "It's called that because the canyon is shaped like a shark. That's it!"

"Awww!" The boy groaned, disappointed.

There was no finding out what might happen after that because the world dissolved away as the mirror had finished showing exactly what it had been asked.

"WHAT! That's it?"

"But that was amazing!"

"Do it again! Ask another question."

"Yeah, yeah! Ask the same thing but specifically ask to show us as parents of really little kids."

"Ohohoh! Yes! That's a great idea. Like with newborns or toddlers."

"I can't believe you three! You're really getting this excited?"

"This isn't something we typically think about and it's bizarre and incredible to see, so, yeah. We'd like to see more."

"Fine. But only one! Agreed?"

"Okay."

Shaking his head in disbelief at their eagerness Riku took the mirror once again and repeated the question with the new specifications. Just like before the mirror glowed and transported them into a possible vision of a possible future.

This one opened first to an expanse of beach. Before them was a path of two distinct footprints. One adult, one only a few inches. Down the beach they saw an older Sora walking away from them. In one hand he held his shoes, in the other the tiny hand of a little girl. She wore a yellow floral print swimsuit and waddled to keep up with him. By the time the real Sora and the others caught up something had caught her attention in the surf.

"Yook! Yook!" She pointed into the water and pulled at his hand, making sure her discovery had his full attention.

"What'd you find?"

"Sell! I finded sell!"

She let go and stamped her little feet excitedly in the wet sand at the edge of the surf. A sizeable shell could be seen in the shallows just a few feet away.

"Can I gets it?"

"Can you reach it?"

It took a few tries for the waves to pull back far enough for her to feel comfortable going in after the shell. She grabbed it and waddled back up out of the water, beaming at her prize.

"Can I keeps it?

"Make sure there's no one living in it first."

"What?"

The tyke held the shell in both hands and rotated it to see the open hole. No sooner had she done so a confused bright red hermit crab popped its head out. She screamed, dropped the shell and dashed back to possible-Sora. The scene began fading into the next one as possible-Sora knelt down to console her (even though it was clear he was trying not to laugh).

Next they were in a room no one recognized. But they also asked to see themselves with infants and toddlers, not detailed architecture. Still, it looked to be a large room of a house. In this room was an older version of Lea. He was lying on his stomach, propped up on his elbows with an adorable infant corralled in the space of his spread arms. This was also a little girl. Her short hair looked to have the potential to become as red as his. She sat up fine on her own. The real Lea reported from his experience with young cousins she was probably seven or eight months old. She babbled to herself, repeatedly stuck out her tongue and looked around the room.

Real-Lea sat down across from the vision to get a much closer look. His possible-self blew softly on her hair. Immediately both tiny hands went to her head. She turned to him, smiling so big her eyes scrunched shut. The little girl reached up and put her hands on his face. Possible-Lea closed his eyes, letting her. She tapped, squeezed and tugged but her little fingers couldn't ever really hurt. Judging his relaxed posture and look of utter contentment he would have let her do this all day. Luckily though he opened his eyes when he did because she had begun to pull herself up to him, mouth wide open and aiming for his nose. Possible-Lea pulled away in time to not get slobbered. But that didn't stop the tiny tyke from still exploring over his face and mouth her miniscule fingertips. And the way possible-Lea was looking at her? There was only one way to describe it, adoration. This was his little princess and his absolute center of everything.

"Well if that wasn't the most precious thing I've ever seen in my life."

"You're just a big softie, aren't you?"

"That can burn you to a crisp if you don't stop talking about me in that squeaky baby voice."

"Oh look at him getting all defensive."

"Shh! The next one's about me!"

The next room was quite dark. An older Bryan sat on a wide sill by a large window. Seger lay at his feet. A storm raged outside the window. Possible-Bryan held a drink of something while he watched the rain and listened to the thunder. Then Seger's ears swiveled up. The Spirit wolf raised his head and turned in the direction of a large door across the room. This action casually got possible-Bryan's attention and he too looked to the door. No sooner had he turned the door open. A little beam of light cut across the room. A small child, maybe two or three peaked in, clutching a blue and green checkered blankie.

"Hey, buddy. Weren't you supposed to be in bed an hour ago?"

"I…um."

A huge thunderclap paralyzed the toddler in his tracks for a few seconds. The little boy squeak-gasped before bolting across the room to the window. Possible-Bryan put down his drink in time to receive the boy in his arms. The child clutched his blanket almost as tight as he clutched his dad.

"The storm keeping you up, eh?"

The boy only whimpered. "I wanna s'eep!"

He looked it. He slumped heavily against possible-Bryan. But every time thunder clapped and lightning flashed he was as alert as a scared rabbit.

"Here," Possible-Bryan said kindly. "I think I know how to help."

He embraced the boy tightly. Suddenly they were engulfed with dark green and black magic. Immediately after the room was different. He was in a chair in a place they actually recognized. This was the belly of The Sky King, the ship Rachel and Bryan shared. Seger reappeared a few feet away as well. Possible-Bryan stood up, still carrying the boy. He sat down at his drum set and turned the child so he was facing forward on his right leg.

"Here," He said, wrapping the blanket around the boys' shoulders snuggly. "Let's drown out the thunder."

Possible-Bryan proceeded to pick up his drumsticks and played a tune with a lot of bass and cymbals to be louder than the storm. Yet, it was slow enough that the rhythmic paum paum was just the thing to lull a child to sleep. The boy slumped heavily against possible-Bryan's torso, just listening, occasionally being lightly jostled by possible-Bryan's leg as he tapped the bass pedal. The playing continued several minutes after the child had fallen asleep in his lap. Gradually the music became slower and lighter until he finally stopped. Possible-Bryan gently adjusted the boy in his arms, stood up and cast whatever that relocation spell was again. This new place was clearly a childs' bedroom. Possible-Bryan carefully laid the boy on his bed and tucked him in. Seger, surprisingly climbed onto the end of the bed and laid down.

"Seger likes kids?" Sora asked, amazed. "He doesn't like anybody."

"Probably just because it's Bryan's kid," Riku said.

"You like this," Lea commented, looking at Bryan.

"It is…it is nicer than I thought it'd be." Bryan answered. "And I can really see myself doing this."

The scene made its final change. This was of a charming beach house with a large wrap-around porch. An older Riku sat on a wide railing next to the front steps. In his arms he cradled a tiny bundle of white blankets. This possible-self was looking down at his charge similar to Lea's possible-self earlier. He smiled as the bundle squirmed and squeaked in his arms.

Then, things felt really strange as visons of all of their possible selves came up from a path that led from the beach. The real Sora, Riku, Bryan and Lea watched them approach.

"This is weird," Sora said, observing their doppelgangers.

Possible-Riku barely acknowledged he had visitors. Even when possible-Bryan jogged quickly up to the porch, jumped and twisted onto the wide rail next to him.

"Hey there!" He said more to the bundle than the one holding it.

Possible-Bryan's face lit up and he held out his hands expectantly like a child ready to accept a promised lollipop. Possible-Riku didn't respond to this at all. Possible-Bryan blinked. He scooched a little closer, just in case he wasn't being obvious enough.

"C'mon, c'mon, lemmesee."

To this, possible-Riku cradled the babe tighter in his arms, effectively making it impossible for the infant to be taken. Possible-Bryan observed this with a look like he wasn't sure he was seeing what he was seeing. He decided to give the Riku one more chance.

"I want to see her," He said slowly and clearly.

To this possible-Riku scooted a few inches down the rail and actually turned his back completely.

The possible-Bryan couldn't have looked more bewildered than if you'd slapped him in the face with a dead fish. His facial muscles slacked. His eyes grew wider and his eyebrows furrowed. Surprised, yes. But even more than that, offended.

"Excuse me?" He sputtered, his irked-ness showing. "You're denying me my turn?"

"In all fairness you did begin your interaction expecting to get what you want without even saying good morning first." Possible-Sora pointed out.

Lea's possible self didn't say anything but looked to agree with the other Sora completely. The Bryan ignored the comment.

"Hey! You get back here with that baby! I'm the only uncle she's ever gonna get-!"

"What was that?" Possible-Lea hissed at the nerve of such a statement.

"Honorary is just as good too!" Possible-Sora added, just as miffed.

Again they were ignored.

"I'm the uncle I have privileges! Now hand over the kid! I want my turn!" He scooted closer again and aggressively presented his arms as an indication.

Finally possible-Riku turned to him. His expression was completely neutral. His tone was about as calm and straightforward as it ever could be.

"Privileges? I helped make this. My turn ends whenever I say."

The question ended with possible-Bryan stopped dead in his tracks with no response and a terrible livid flicker in his eyes because he couldn't think of a decent counter-argument.

"Oh! Oh-hohoho! Snap!"

"That was the best response I ever heard." Lea said, giving Riku an 'atta-boy' punch in the arm.

"Wait a minute! Wait a minute! Wait a minute!" Bryan cried. "That vision had me calling me 'uncle' to your child." He looked at Riku, expecting him to fill in the blanks.

"What are you getting so riled up for?" Lea defended. "You had to have known that was likely."

Sora nodded in agreement. "I'm more upset we didn't actually get to see the kid this time."

"You don't suppose-?"

"Yeah, maybe just one m-?"

"No!"