AN: Thank you FluffleStar for the fic fanart, as well as the 2 new kudos on AO3. I appreciate it! Please R&R!

In your eyes, I see a darkness that torments you
And in your head where it dwells
I'd give you my hand if you'd reach out and grab it
Let's walk away from this hell
-The Juliana Theory, Into the Dark
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Warm shadows danced along the lids of his eyes as he slowly came back into awareness. Aeros grit his teeth as two heavy weights pinned him on the ground on either side, the hard poles of fishing spears digging into his chest and side. Peeling an eye open, looking up into a canopy of green, the warmth of sunset shining through the branches as he took a deep breath.

The brunette tiredly glanced down at Ruki, who was clutching onto his chest on his right in a daze, staring at his red shirt as she dimly attempted to process what was going on.

On his left was Vale, still unconscious and halfway on top of him.

He coughed, startling Ruki as she pulled herself onto her elbows, blinking rapidly as she glanced between the two men as Aeros gingerly got himself into a sitting position, shifting Vale until he could really look him over, their spears falling on either side.

He checked him over for any extensive injury, but none could be found so he lifted his hand and Cast Cura on him.

The green glow of Healing Magic seemed to do the trick as Vale grimaced with a groan before blinking his eyes open. He pulled himself into a sitting position as he dazedly glanced around. "...Where are we?" His voice was hoarse from screaming.

Aeros cleared his throat as he took a quick glance around as Ruki carefully used her spear to shakily pull herself up and replied, "I have no idea, but we're definitely not on the Islands anymore."

Aeros took a breath, the faint smells of suburban life and strange mechanical ones filled his lungs, "Looks like another World to me."

Twilight Town

He gasped, looking around as Vale looked at him oddly, "What?"

Aeros blinked before shaking his head, "I guess… this is Twilight Town."

His friend pulled himself up with his own spear before extending his hand to pull Aeros up off the forest floor.

Vale looked his wife over and Cast Cure on her, "What are we supposed to do on another World?" He looked at Aeros, "There's rules, right?"

Aeros stared at them before nodding, rubbing his shoulder as it had a lingering numbness from the impact of their fall, "Yeah. Don't let anyone notice you're from another World."

Ruki and Vale looked at eachother, eyeing their clothes before looking at him, "Uh… Well, it doesn't smell like we're near the sea…" Their fishing gear would stick out.

Vale stared at the sky as a warm gentle breeze caressed them, "I… it's not close, but I think… I smell water. Just… not salt water."

The other two looked at each other before Ruki shrugged, "Well, you were right about those ant creatures existing, so there's gotta be a big body of water somewhere."

Vale shook his head as he suddenly noticed something, "Hey, there's a house at the top of the hill…"

Aeros turned, and sure enough, there was a worn out looking building that they could just barely see. He glanced at the other two as they nodded, immediately walking towards the Old Mansion.

It was an easy enough walk, until they came up to the heavily bolted gate. They stood there, wondering if they should just climb over the outer walls when Sleeping Lion appeared in Aeros's hand. He looked down at it before he took a step back, the key pulling him as he held it out towards the lock. A swirling Light gathered at the end of his Keyblade before shooting out at it, a click resounding as the lock came undone. He glanced down at the Keyblade, faintly recalling the first time the three friends had seen Ava open Ruki's home with hers.

He sent it away as Vale grasped the oversized lock and unlinked the chain, pushing the one of the gates partially open.

The three friends entered the dilapidated yard, taking in the broken marble pillars with morbid curiosity as they made their way to the Mansion's front door.

Aeros grasped and turned the weathered handle, it creaked terribly as it allowed them entry into the dusty abandoned hall. Ruki shivered as she cringed at the spider webs and dust, "Oh… this can't be sanitary."

Aeros glanced at her before taking a step further in, looking around as Vale barked, "You think those Heartless were any better?"

Ruki frowned as she looked at her husband and sneered, "Vale-"

Aeros gasped, distracting the two as he walked towards the glass doors that led into the backyard. A winged Unicorn statue stood in mild disrepair as he felt an old memory bubble up, 'Ira, the bearer of the mask of the Unicorn…'

It felt like somehow this house was connected.

He turned and immediately made his way to another door on the floor. There was something… strange about it as Ruki and Vale came up behind him. Aeros stared at the strangely bright door handle as he grasped it, turning it slowly as it made no noise. Surprised, he pushed the door open.

The Library was free of dust, and the door was too well oiled for comfort.

Ruki came beside Aeros in the room, lamenting the dust she was tracking in before biting her lip, "You know… this place alone is creepy, but this room?"

Vale stepped in on his other side, "It's suspicious."

Aeros nodded as he walked along the wall to his left, noticing a Unicorn bust as he came to the center of it, before turning his gaze to the table in the middle of the room. He walked up to it, curious as he saw a red marker, and a strange set of drawings. He stared at it in confusion before he picked it up and uncapped it, drawing a heart in the empty space.

The floor rumbled, and he immediately jumped back against the bookcase as Vale shrieked and Ruki gasped as they grabbed one another and backpedaled.

The table and floor disappeared to show a set of technologically advanced metal stairs and an entry that led into a dark corridor.

Vale cleared his throat from his scream while Ruki looked at Aeros, "That's not normal. That is not normal Aeros, NO. We're getting out of here."

Aeros stared down at it before catching Vale's eye before he hopped down to the lower floor.

Ruki leaned forward and began yelling as Vale couldn't help but smirk as he made his way towards the stairs, "Aeros, oh my god, by the Light please, just this once let's not get ourselves into unnecessary trouble."

Vale couldn't help the chuckle that tumbled out of him, "Awe, c'mon Ruki. It'll be like old times!"

She flashed her teeth at him with a growl, "If there's some serial killer mad scientist down there I TOLD YOU SO."

Vale's laugh was cut off into a choke as Ruki simply jumped down, same as Aeros and slapped him on the shoulder, her fishing trident grasped defensively in her other hand, "Jerk."

She went on ahead of him as Vale grinned, holding his own spear in a slightly more refined grip as they followed after their friend.

The mirth on Vale's face bled away into astonished confusion as they entered into what could only be described as a laboratory. His eyes were wide as he stared at the foreign technology and flashing screens of data.

Ruki stood frozen, her trident close to her chest as she and Aeros stared down a shadow.

No. It was no Shadow, but a tall imposing man, wrapped in red bandages, red and black cloth robes, brown pouches filled to the brim, and a strange technograph at his front. His lone orange eye almost gleamed as he stared at them with dark charred skin in silent rage.

Aeros stood defensively, his right hand in position to call for his Keyblade as he locked eyes with the Stranger.

The imposing man held his hands behind his back as he bit out, "What brings you people to this room. You have no right to be here."

Aeros frowned with a glare as he bitterly replied, "You're not from around here either, so I'm not so sure if you should be talking."

The man's orange eye glared at him, a deep frown settling on his face, "That is true. Still. I am a Servant of the World, and to have others interrupt me in my revenge is something I could do without." He turned, his deep voice filling the room, "Leave. I have no use of the weak."

Vale took a deep breath before stepping forward, "Our World fell and we just woke up here after fighting off those… Heartless."

The man looked back to them in slight interest before once again giving them his attention, "Ah, so you know what those pathetic creatures of Darkness are."

Ruki stepped forward until she was a few feet away from the imposing man before slamming her foot down, the floor beneath her groaned as it sunk under her strength, nearly cracking, "Look. We're just as unhappy about being here as you are. However, if you know about the Heartless, maybe we can help eachother out."

The woman's bright aqua eyes pierced his before he sighed, tired of their presence, "You have nothing to offer me." He sat back down at his computer, "Go."

Lightning sparked along her trident, startling the bandaged man as she placed its sparking prongs near his face, "I don't think so." She smiled, a strange and dangerous gleam settling in her eyes as a frightening smirk spread across her face, "I think we can be of help to each other. We're looking for our kids, and you need some working hands. I think we can come up with a little… deal."

Vale felt a strange pleasure run down his spine as he smiled dumbly. Aeros glared at his friend and rolled his eyes before coming up beside Ruki. "I don't want anything to do with whatever you're scheming, but if we can be of any help to this World, since you call yourself a Servant, I think we can come up with something."

Ruki stepped back, a threatening toothy smirk on her face as she crossed her arms and leered at the Stranger.

The bandaged man glared at them before sighing as he stared at the computers in front of him. "The Heartless and Nobodies appear in this Town on occasion, its proximity to the Darkness of the World Where Nothing Gathers tends to spill into Twilight's borders. You three are the only foreigners other than myself that seems to have ended up in this place." He looked back to Aeros angrily, "If you three can prove an asset to cleaning them out, I will assist you in your endeavor to locate those you are searching for."

Aeros nodded, extending his hand, "So we've got a deal?"

The older man nodded, standing as he took the others hand, squeezing it, "My name is DiZ."

Aeros took back his hand as he motioned, "I'm Aeros, and this is Ruki and Vale."

The older man glanced between the husband and wife before again landing on the brunette, "Do you not have a weapon as well?"

Aeros gave DiZ a stony look before summoning Sleeping Lion, "This is my weapon of choice."

DiZ's eye widened before a strange smirk slowly crept along his face, "...Perhaps you will be of greater use to me yet." He turned before his strange thrill got out of hand, "You two, leave me your spears. I shall craft them into new weapons that you can also summon instead of carrying them at all times. I have no power to call my own, but I can feel the strength of your Hearts and the Magic that courses through your veins." He looked at the three of them once more.

"I will tell you what I can about the state of the Worlds."