Well, the first night turned out to be a bit rough. But things can only improve from there, right? You know, as long as they do a little redecorating.

They woke up earlier than Lea would normally prefer, but he had a plan for the day. After getting Roxas and Xion to change back into their t-shirts and shorts, he headed into town with them. All that time hanging around Twilight Town meant that he knew exactly where to look. A family hardware store that was tucked away near one of the tram depots had most of the needed supplies. And they opened early, before most of the foot traffic. He appreciated not having to deal with the extra people yet.

He knew that the nightmares probably had plenty of causes. None of them had exactly normal lives prior to that point. But there was at least one factor that he knew might have made things worse. A few paintbrushes, a couple of rollers, and several cans of paint would help banish any resemblance to the Castle That Never Was.

It took a little effort to convince Roxas and Xion that they could pick out any colors that they wanted for their bedrooms. Any colors at all. But that level of freedom and choice was never something that they'd been allowed before. Yet another reason to add to the list on why Organization XIII was horrible and Xemnas needed to be brought back specifically so Lea could set him on fire.

But after a while, they started eagerly comparing various shades. The excited conversation continued as Lea picked out a light tan color for the main room, hallway, and bathroom. There was nothing wrong with neutral colors as long as they weren't white. They'd had enough of the color white for a few lifetimes. They needed a home that didn't look like the Castle That Never Was and wouldn't remind them of the Organization. Which meant actual colors.

Eventually they all settled on their various choices. Roxas picked out a warm shade of sunset orange while Xion wanted a bright blue shade that looked like the ocean waves on a sunny day. Lea had a bit more trouble deciding on his own room. Despite his fondness for the color, a bright red didn't seem quite right. He did want a warm color though. Something not depressing or dark. He ultimately went with a cheerful golden-yellow. Not too bright or blinding, but something closer to the golden-light of Twilight Town before the reds and oranges started to creep in.

Lea picked a deep blue for the spare bedroom. A deep, rich, and soothing shade of blue. One that he hoped Isa would like. He knew that Isa wouldn't be staying with them any time soon; that would be a huge step that none of them were ready to deal with yet. There was too much history between… well, everyone. Including Lea and Isa. But Lea was optimistic. And he wanted to cling to the hope that all of his friends would be able to be around each other someday. So he would prepare for that distant day. He would give Isa a place in their home. It would be ready when that day came.

He also planned to get some glow-in-the-dark stars to stick all over the room. Because decorating the room like Isa was five years old amused him.

Carrying all the supplies back to the apartment was a little awkward. There were too many cans of paint and only six hands between them. But somehow they managed to get everything there without dropping a can and spilling paint all over the ground. Lea would consider that a victory.

Looking over the apartment, the sheer size of the project began to sink in. If they wanted to do things right, it would take all day to repaint the entire apartment. Possibly multiple days. But there were a lot of other things that needed to be done too. Which mean that the best way to handle the to-do list was to divide and conquer.

And that led to Lea handing over a decent chunk of munny to Roxas and Xion.

"First, get some more clothes. Normal clothes for Twilight Town. We'll try to get those three fairies to fix up some that can protect you from darkness later. For now, you two can pick out some that you like. Get at least one outfit today," he said, trying to ignore a tightness in his chest as he spoke. "And what you don't spend on new clothes, go buy some stuff to personalize your rooms. Blankets and comforters for the beds, pictures or posters for your walls, small rugs, or whatever you like. These rooms belong to you and should look like yours by the time we're done."

Looking at the munny, Xion asked, "Aren't you coming on the mission with us?"

Lea ignored her referring to the shopping trip as a mission. That was a conversation that he wasn't ready to start digging into yet. Missions were something familiar and easy for Roxas and Xion to understand. It was a concept that they knew. Besides, there was an uneasy feeling trying to form and it was very distracting. He didn't have enough focus currently to explain the difference between missions and errands.

"I'm going to be busy painting. I'm afraid you two are on your own with this one. Just stick together and you'll be fine. And no using dark corridors."

They both gave him faintly annoyed looks. As if they were dumb enough to try a dark corridor without their black coats. Lea couldn't help grinning at their expressions, even if he knew that the smile was a little strained.

"Fine," said Roxas. "We'll take our Gummiphones with us and call if anything happens."

"Sounds like a plan. Good luck and stay out of trouble."

Giving him a couple of nods, the pair headed out the door and out into town. And that unease from the idea of Roxas and Xion leaving rose into a terrified state of dread at the thought of losing them. Of the pair fading away like Sora. Of disappearing beyond his reach once more. Fear squeezed his chest and left him gasping. He needed to call them. Immediately. He needed to know they were all right. They were gone and there was no one to help protect them from disappearing again. Lea sank to the floor as he struggled to breathe past his mounting anxiety.

Don't fight it. Lea tried to hold onto that fragile thought as he continued to spiral down. Fighting his emotions wouldn't work. He could only endure them. It would pass. He just needed to ride it out. He could handle it.

They would be fine. He wouldn't lose them.

Sitting in the middle of the floor and struggling to breathe, Lea did his best to withstand the separation-anxiety-induced panic attack.

Locating a clothing store in Twilight Town wasn't difficult despite the fact that neither of them had ever gone clothing shopping before. They'd both explored the town plenty during their time in Organization XIII. There had been numerous missions there. Not to mention that their new home was above a store that sold clothes, though they realized quickly that Gina's merchandise was too fancy to be practical for daily life and moved on. The only real change was that they didn't need to keep out of sight of everyone. They could walk down the street without worrying about anyone seeing them because they weren't in the Organization anymore. They were allowed to be like anyone else. It was a new experience.

Well, almost. Roxas could remember walking around Twilight Town, open and relaxed. Feeling like he belonged there and didn't have to hide. He remembered being part of the community. But those memories were fake and that version of Twilight Town was equally fake. It was part of the reason that he would not be forgiving DiZ any time soon. Not completely. That illusion left him longing for something that wasn't real. He was grieving the loss of something that he never truly had. How sad was that?

Regardless, Roxas and Xion could go shopping without worrying about keeping a low profile. It was only habit that caused them to half-hide among the racks of clothes as they looked. They weren't actively concealing themselves. It just worked out that way.

Which might be why no one really noticed them in the store until someone bumped into Xion, causing her to stumble and fall since she wasn't prepared for the impact.

"I am so sorry. I didn't see you there. Are you all right?"

As Xion accepted the offered hand and climbed back up to her feet, Roxas struggled to regain his breath. It felt like all the air was driven from his body the moment that he heard the voice. A familiar voice that made him want to cry, scream, run away, and grab her tight all at the same time. Roxas stepped closer, moving around the clothing rack to spot the new arrival.

Though he was also actively trying to hide now.

A brown-haired girl with bright green eyes smiled at Xion apologetically. Her hair was shoulder length. And she wore a black tank-top with red detailing, red plaid capri pants, dark shoes, and a red-and-black bracelet and necklace. The clothes were different than what he remembered with regards to the colors, but the style was similar. There was certainly no mistake. It really was her.

"Are you new to town?" she continued, still speaking to Xion. "I don't remember seeing you around, but you look a little familiar."

Nodding a little nervously, Xion said, "We just moved here. But we've visited a few times before."

"Olette?"

Another familiar voice and two more very familiar boys approached. A black-haired boy in a black-and-white shirt with a skeletal dog design and the words "Dog Street." He also wore dark baggy pants, a headband, and an orange-striped bandana. The other boy had spiky blond hair. He wore blue denim capris, a white t-shirt with a stylized skull-and-crossbones design, and a short vest with red plaid detailing that matched the detailing on his shoes.

All three of them. All three of his friends from the simulated version of Twilight Town. Roxas knew that he would eventually run into the real Hayner, Pence, and Olette. He couldn't avoid them forever now that he, Xion, and Lea were living in Twilight Town. He'd just hoped that it would take longer. He'd hoped that he would have more time to prepare himself for the encounter.

"Did you find the shirt you were looking for?" asked Pence.

Shaking her head, Olette said, "Not yet. I got distracted when I bumped into…"

She trailed off before turning back to Xion. The dark-haired girl was silent for a moment before realizing what Olette wanted.

"Xion. My name is Xion."

Roxas swallowed the forming lump in his throat. It would be fine. They didn't know him. The real version of the trio had only met him briefly during his time in the Organization when their paths crossed. Not even enough to leave a lasting impression. Roxas would be a stranger, regardless of his memories of a fake life.

He suddenly understood why Axel reacted so badly when Roxas didn't remember him. Even thinking about it hurt. But it wasn't their fault that he was haunted by lies crafted by DiZ.

Something apparently catching his eye, Hayner turned slightly in Roxas's direction. And he froze when he spotted the boy tucked among the clothes racks like a misplaced jacket. Then a surprised and excited grin broke across Hayner's face.

"Roxas!" Hayner grabbed his friends' arms and spun them around. "Guys, it's Roxas."

As waves of shock, confusion, and disbelief washed over Roxas, all three of them lit up as they saw him. They were saying his name and he didn't understand why. Why were they saying his name? Why did they recognize him? They didn't know him in the real version of Twilight Town. Why were they reacting like their best friend had just shown up?

"You know Roxas?" asked Xion.

They didn't. He knew that they didn't. Not really. And yet they seemed to recognize him.

Was he back in the simulation somehow? Was he about to encounter a glitch or witness the world freeze around him? That quiet gnawing doubt turned into a roar. His throat tightened as the feeling of panic mounted. He wanted those illusionary friendships desperately, but he couldn't go back to that data version of Twilight Town. He couldn't get trapped in those lies again.

"Technically, we've never actually met Roxas," said Olette, "but we know about him. Sora told us about him when he was searching for Roxas."

"And," added Hayner, "he was our friend in the other Twilight Town."

As the reasonable explanation settled Roxas's frayed nerves a little and his panic calmed, they dug out a photograph. One that he recognized. It showed them posing in front of the old mansion. All four of them. A picture from a life that never existed. Roxas took the photo from them, staring down at it. A small and nostalgic smile tugged at his mouth.

"The… other Twilight Town?" asked Xion quietly.

Right. He never fully told her about what Ansem the Wise did. Not in real detail.

Nodding excitedly, Pence said, "Yeah. There's this whole other version of Twilight Town you can access through a computer in the hidden basement of the old mansion. Well, you used to be able to access it. Didn't work last time we tried it. But we did help Sora get there once."

"The old mansion has a lot of weird things about it," said Olette. "Like that old man in the black coat that we saved from the other guy in black."

Hayner grinned proudly and said, "It was great. I would have kicked him in the face if it wasn't for the black monster with him."

"And you would have got squashed like a bug if it wasn't for the squiggly white things that the third guy sent to help us," teased Pence.

That prompted Hayner to shove his friend, but it was more playful than genuine annoyance. While he was abrasive and even aggressive towards strangers or outsiders, he was actually a loyal and nice person once you got to know him. He had his flaws, but he was a good friend. And even with his impulsiveness and temperament, he was fun. Roxas remembered that much. The memories might be fake, but it still seemed like an actual reflection of the group's personalities.

It would be easy to reinsert himself back into the group dynamics. And Roxas wanted that. He wanted that life even if it wasn't real and part of him kept screaming that he was trapped in another illusion.

"Anyway," said Hayner after a moment, "since we were friends with you in that other Twilight Town, we all agree that we'd probably be good friends here too. I mean, any version of me would be a good judge of character. That's why we tried to help Sora find you."

As if it was that simple. As if being friends in a fake town and Sora believing in him was all that it took. And judging by how Hayner grinned and the other two nodded, they did think it was that simple.

Glancing between Roxas and Xion, Olette asked, "Are… you two related? You're dressed alike. But Xion… You also look a bit like another girl that we met. Her name's Kairi."

"We know Kairi," said Roxas slowly. "We saw her a few days ago before we moved here."

He didn't know how to answer the first part of the question. Were they related? Roxas came from Sora and Xion was originally a replica that copied Roxas and made from Sora's memories of Kairi. They were connected by their origins, but nothing about their origins were standard. They both had Lea as the adult who taught them, protected them, and cared about them. Which was apparently the definition of a parent. Roxas was still a little uncertain on the difference between friends and family. He honestly didn't know if any of that meant that they were related or not.

Apparently unconcerned with their silence on the topic, Olette said, "So you're both staying. That's great. And you're shopping for new clothes?"

"And bedding and maybe a few other things for our rooms," said Xion with a nod.

Grabbing Xion's wrist, Olette said, "Great. Looks like we're turning this into an all-day shopping trip. I'll help Xion and you two can help Roxas pick out something. We meet back here in an hour with what we find. Then we can figure out where to go from there."

And with that, they vanished into the clothing racks as Olette dragged her along. The boys could only stare in silence for a moment. Then, shaking his head, Hayner turned back towards Roxas.

"Whatever. What kind of stuff do you have already?"

Gesturing towards his t-shirt and shorts, Roxas said, "Uh… This?"

"Not even the stuff from the photo?" asked Pence.

Roxas shook his head. Despite wearing them in the datascape, he actually liked the black and white outfit. They weren't like Sora's clothes and now he knew that they weren't like Ventus's outfits. If he wanted to over-examine it, Roxas might consider the idea that the style was somewhere between the two. But not quite. Regardless, the clothes were uniquely Roxas's. Not a reflection of the others. And having at least one part of his identity that he could claim as his own felt important.

But those clothes were lost when he vanished into Sora.

"That settles it." Hayner gestured for him to follow. "Come on. I think we can find everything in the photo."

The anxious feeling never faded. He couldn't get rid of the horrible feeling in his stomach and his chest. Nor the irrational fear that Roxas and Xion would disappear before they made it back. But the choking feeling of panic that left him collapsed on the ground and struggling to breathe had lessened after a while.

And with that small achievement, Lea could focus on the task at hand. Painting the apartment was a decent distraction. He needed the distraction.

He worked on Roxas and Xion's bedrooms first. He wanted to get them done as quickly as possible. Their rooms needed to be fixed before the white walls and reminders of the Organization could cause further nightmares. It was only after he started getting a headache that Lea realized that he should have opened all the windows to get some fresh air first because paint fumes were a bad thing. He needed to climb up to the roof and gulp some fresh air when he started feeling really off. Once the headache faded and there was a steady breeze through the apartment, he moved on to his own room and the spare.

The project took longer than he expected. Lea also realized that he should have started painting before the furniture arrived. Then he wouldn't have to wrestle four different wardrobes out of the way. But he tried to be careful and not strain himself while moving heavy loads. Lea was healing and he didn't want to set things back again. He could take his time and be careful. Working slowly meant that the distraction could last longer.

They would be back soon. Roxas and Xion would be all right and would come back. They wouldn't disappear again. Lea kept mentally repeating those reassurances as the roller slid across the wall and erased all signs of the whiteness. He wouldn't lose the half-pints.

The warm golden-yellow light streaming through the windows had gained an orange tint and the distant bells were chiming the hour when Lea heard the front door open. He nearly dropped his painting supplies in his hurry to get out there. Roxas and Xion stumbled in, trying not to drop the numerous bags in their arms. Lea felt the tight knot in his chest loosen. They were back.

He really needed to work on his issue with having them out of sight. The kids were too independent for him to hover over them constantly.

"How did it go?" he asked, sounding surprisingly casual for someone who spent the day as an anxious mess.

Smiling as she set down the bags on the table, Xion said, "Great. We met a few friends of Roxas and Olette helped me pick out a nice outfit."

They'd already found the local kids? Lea shouldn't be surprised. The trio had a tendency to pop up often. And at least Roxas didn't look upset, so the encounter must have gone well.

"We both got some clothes, some blankets because Olette suggested we get a few since some evenings get cooler, Roxas got a skateboard even though Hayner told us that 'fad' has passed," continued Xion, shrugging at the unfamiliar word, " and Hayner also found some posters. I didn't want one, but Roxas liked the one about the Struggle Tournaments."

"Sounds like a busy day," said Lea.

Nodding, Roxas said, "We completed our mission."

"It wasn't exactly a mission. This isn't the Organization after all," he said. "It was just some errands." Scratching the back of his head, Lea said, "Look, I got the bedrooms finished, but we might need to let the paint fumes air out first before sleeping in them. Thankfully the skies should be clear this evening and it shouldn't be too cold at this time of the year. We can toss a few pillows and blankets on the roof this evening and see how many stars we can spot."

"Okay," said Xion. "That sounds nice." Then she started digging into one of the bags. "I almost forgot. We told Hayner, Pence, and Olette that we just moved here. They really want to be helpful. Especially Olette. She looked up and wrote out what we need to register for school."

Lea's thoughts came to a screeching halt. He mentally went back over her words. Then he did it a second time. It didn't change what he'd heard.

School.

Registering the teenaged toddlers for school. Like normal children instead of a former Nobody and the replica created to copy him. Neither of which had any legal documentation or experience in a school environment.

And starting school would involve them spending most of the day away from him. Out of sight and unable to call on their Gummiphones. No way of knowing if they were safe or if something bad happened to them for at least several hours a day. No way of knowing for certain that they hadn't disappeared somewhere that he couldn't reach them.

"Right," he said quietly. "School."

And so we have the kids getting proper clothes for themselves that they picked out (with some help). We also get the first encounter with the Twilight Trio. Who immediately claim Roxas, and thus Xion, as one of their own. Meanwhile, we get so see some of Lea's current issues. Some serious separation anxiety born of the fact that he kept losing them in the past. As I mentioned before, these guys were bound to end up with some issues after the events of canon. It'll take time to get past them.