I frowned. This was in no way the inside of the Gummi Ship. Why was I back…?

Groaning, I swung my legs over the side of the bed. Fuzzy slippers covered my feet, a white sleeveless gown hugging my hourglass figure and flaring out to the ankles. My hair was up in its braid as usual, my vision once more restored thanks to Xcaiyet having retrieved my contacts.

And then it dawned on me; dawned on me as the one person I hate the most stalked towards me.

This wasn't reality.

It was the past.

"Here, pretty. Come to me, my Princess. Come to Ikxe."

One of the worst days of the past, no less. My eyes went wide as I ran around the bed, as far from his reach as I could manage. I couldn't speak, my only thoughts to get as far away from him as possible.

I ran into someone, but I already knew it wasn't him. As long as it wasn't him I was safe.

So I hid behind his leather cape, pressed against his back for protection.

And then the shouting match began.

I covered my hands over my ears, now crouched in the corner.

It had to end.

It had to end now.

Or I would go insane.

"Shut up…GOD DAMNIT WOULD YOU TWO SHUT THE FUCK UP?!"

It gave me an adrenaline rush, knowing that it was my voice that made them quiet. Made Uncle's face light in pride. Made him scowl in annoyance.

And this time, when he came towards me, I knew. I knew I had power over him. My words could quiet him. My attitude annoyed him.

So I stood my ground, "You can't rule over me any more. I refuse to be almost raped every time you miss my Other. You aren't going to hold my creation against me. You aren't going to scare Xcaiyet or Kat. I'm going to be there for them. And you," I jabbed a finger at his chest, "You are going to get the hell out of my life."

It was the first time I had stood up for myself. The first time I'd escaped from him without Jareth's help.

And it was the last time I had spent more than ten minutes inside Memory Skyscraper.

Very many firsts followed this.

My first reunion with Demyx.

The first time learning how to summon my whips.

And the first time I met my best friend.

"Aanyx? Aanyx!" Aanyx growled, peeved that she had been interrupted from revisiting her memories. "What?"

"Why are you in a dress and slippers? And how did you get in this black-and-white world before us?"

"Yeah, you just disappeared!" Donald added. Aanyx growled, bending low to the duck's eye level, "If I knew how to disappear, don't you think I'd make you disappear, ya annoying dodo?"

"Me?"

"Yes, you! You've done nothing but ignore me this whole fucking trip!"

"Well maybe if you didn't curse every other word it would be easier for me to talk to you!"

"Have you ever cared to think that maybe, just maybe, not everyone grew up with the benefits of Disney fucking Castle, and that maybe I had to grow up too damn fast? Did your pea-sized brain ever care to think of THAT?"

"Guys!" Sora interrupted, making both glare at him, "We're here for a reason, so don't go messing it up!"

Aanyx raised her eyebrows and contemplated responding, only to stop as Pete ran past.

The large cat skid to a halt, turning to face the group, "Hey you! Seen any bad guys around here?"

Sora, Donald, and Goofy pointed at Pete, while Aanyx pointed at Sora.

Pete scuffed his feet, "Why I ought to…" The trio got out their weapons, and Pete began to back away, "Bah! I don't have time to waste on punks like you. So, I guess I'll go easy on ya!" and with that he ran away, making Aanyx scoff, "Same old coward…Huh?" It was then she noticed the large glowing orb in the center of the field they stood upon. "The Cornerstone of Light….Then this is really—Oh shit." She turned towards the others, eyes wide, "I can't be here…I shouldn't have come…Damn, damn, DAMN!"

And, as fast as Pete had, Aanyx took off in a random direction, trying desperately to get as far away from the large orb as possible. She ran all the way to the banks of a river, where she stopped to clutch a stitch in her side. "Damn. Now let's just hope that he doesn't come here…" She gulped, "Why is it always me, damnit!"

"He won't attack here, little Aanyx."

Aanyx turned to see Jareth standing there with his knuckles resting on his hips as usual. It was odd seeing him in this Toon-like form, but Aanyx could recognize him anywhere.

"What do you mean?"

"My brother. There's a spell on Disney Castle and the door to the past. He can only be here during your memories—nothing more."

"But why am I reliving my memories? Why now?" Aanyx asked, leaning against the tree. "Because you need to remember. The only reason you are here at all is so that you can remember who you are and why you are."

"You're about as helpful as the Cheshire Cat…" Aanyx muttered, biting her lip. She sighed, "Oh, fine. So I suffer through my memories. Then what?"

"Then you must decide. A great weight lies on your shoulders, and judgment day looms on the horizon."

"Exactly what am I deciding on?"

"Everything. Do you help Sora, and bring down the Organization? Do you tell him what you are? Do you give up on all hope of saving your dear little friend?"

"Never." She stood up straight, looking the Goblin King dead in the eye, "I'll never give up hope. He would do the same for me. He would keep on searching until he found me. I don't care if I have to give up my heart—I will save Roxas."

Jareth gave a proud smile, "That's the Aanyx I know. Now then; tell me why you ignore your past."

"I don't ignore it!"

"Really? Turn around."

Aanyx warily complied, only to find herself face-to-face with a large floating window. Theatre-style curtains hung from either side of the glass, a butterfly adorning the center of the top. On the other side of the glass a sort of film showed, revealing someone's perspective as they walked through The Castle That Never Was. "That's my first day at the Organization…Demy and Rox showed me around before I was introduced to everyone…"

"If you truly aren't ignoring your past, then why is it your memories are following you?" Jareth asked. Aanyx frowned, closing the curtain roughly, "Look, I can't go remembering that stuff here. What if Sora sees? Then he'd know I'm a Nobody."

"And?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Aanyx pulled open the curtain roughly, revealing a keyhole outline around Sora talking to Yen Sid. "Organization XIII…They're a bad group…" Sora said before the scene changed to him yelling at Xigbar. "I think it's obvious where he stands against us. If he found out what I am he'd stop me from traveling with him. And then I wouldn't be able to find a way to save Roxas."

"And you're sure that this is the only way to bring him back, is it? That king of yours isn't just using you to take down the heartless?"

With that Aanyx was left to her thoughts, anger boiling through her at the realization. What if it were true? What if the King just told her to go along with Sora to help him on his journey? She knew the light and the dark didn't get along well, but could that be true? And if it was, what was she going to do about it? Kill Sora? Roxas would be mad with her. Don't fight? Sora'd know something's up. Ditch Sora? What if she missed a chance to save Roxas?

Err ERR! "Aanyx!" Aanyx looked up from her brooding to see Sora, Donald, and Goofy all on a steamboat, Sora at the wheel as the steamboat chugged down the stream. 'That's it. I'm done here.' Aanyx thought with a scowl, walking away without acknowledging them. As she climbed the steep incline to Cornerstone Hill, she heard Sora calling her name, "Aanyx! Wait up!"

"We're leaving." Aanyx growled, not turning towards them. "What's with you? Ever since we got here you've been—"

"Been what? A bitch? An ass? Well I've got one major newsflash for you, you underweight, big-footed, incompetent jackass. I am not a hero. I am a bitch. I've been known to be an ass. I've seen a lot of things that would make even your high-and-mighty King cringe in fear. But the next time you feel the need to go running around trying to do Kingdom Hearts knows what, leave me out of it. I signed onto your little parade for my own personal gain. And you'd better remember that. I'm done doing your dirty work, and I'm done trying to be nice. Can you get that through your pea-sized brain, Key-boy, or do I have to get it to you in writing?"

As she spoke, Aanyx had grabbed the front of Sora's shirt, pulling him up off his feet by about an inch and pinning him against the door roughly. She glared at him a moment longer before throwing him to the ground and opening the doors to the present wide before stalking through them.

So she'd blown—big deal. At least now he knew she ment business. And maybe now he'd stop trying to get in her way.

But then why did she feel so bad?

She'd made the mistake of looking him in the eye when she'd let it out. He looked so scared…It reminded her of how Roxas looked after the Ghost Train incident. And as she walked through the doors to the present, she couldn't help but feel the need to go back and apologize.