"So this is the Twisted World." Riku looked around curiously. "…Interesting." He rubbed his eyes… the ceiling overhead was a bit disconcerting. So was the red lighting. It wasn't hard to see at all, but it gave the colors a strange tint.

"Wow!" Sora gaped, and Riku smiled at his reaction.

They had decided they needed to check out the mayor's tourism initiative more thoroughly. Really, who knew what might pop through that portal? They'd had to sneak into the mayor's house, though… he wasn't making the portal generally available to the public at all. Understandably, maybe… the visitors seemed mild mannered, but the Twisted World was probably a touch dangerous. But Sora and Riku could handle themselves. It was mostly looking extremely peculiar, though. At a loss for what to do, Sora and Riku wandered aimlessly, taking in the sights.

If they had been just five minutes earlier or five minutes later, they would have missed spotting the wizard standing on a street corner, frowning severely at something in his hand. And the rest of this story would not have happened. But they saw him, and so it did.

"Yen Sid!" Sora called happily and the wizard looked up with a blink as the brunette trotted over. "You knew about this place? You never told us!" The master wizard looked up from his work with a blink, then smiled.

"Ah, Sora. It's been some time." Whatever was in his hand vanished, and he smiled at them benevolently. "How have you been?" His voice had a kindly tone, and Sora grinned.

"Great! We just found out about this place. The mayor got a portal opened to the Destiny Islands to get tourists, can you believe it?" Yen Sid listened patiently, and sometimes gently prodded Sora with questions. It didn't take much to get the entire story out of the brunette… and more. But Sora and Riku were both oblivious.

"Well, Sora. I'm here for a purpose, actually, and I think perhaps you could help." Sora looked at Yen Sid trustingly, and Riku tilted his head to one side. This sounded interesting. "I'm looking for a special book. It's extremely important that it be recovered before it can be misused. I believe it has been hidden inside a person, a boy named Axel. Have you met him?"

"Actually, we have." Riku said slowly, but remembered what the other Sora had said about dop alts. "If it's the same one." Yen Sid looked pleased.

"It probably is. He would have been living here many years. Yes… unfortunately, I believe he's gone through a portal I cannot touch. It leads to a place called the Dark Land. The energies there prevent me from going through, but this boy will be in terrible danger until the book is removed from him. I was hoping you could retrieve it for me?" Sora didn't hesitate a moment. He was actually feeling a little bored, with no quests… he quickly nodded. But Riku frowned.

"This won't kill him, will it?" That would not be good. But Yen Sid shook his head.

"Oh no. Removing the book definitely won't kill him." That satisfied Riku, who nodded.

"We'll get him for you." He trusted Yen Sid as much as Sora. If he said that this boy was in danger as long as he held this book, then Riku believed it.

"Excellent. Although, I should warn you, he probably won't come voluntarily. Use this when you reach him." Yen Sid gave Sora a red gem. "It will teleport you directly to my tower, and I can do the rest."

"We're on it!" Sora promised happily, and both he and Riku walked off to find the portal to the Dark Land. Yen Sid watched them go, and smiled. It wasn't a nice smile.

But they didn't look back and didn't see.

"The Dark Land!" Rufus gestured widely with his hat, and Axel looked around, interested.

Despite the name, the Dark Land was bright and sunny. It was also hot… very hot. He'd been ready for that and he was wearing light fabrics under his leather armor, but still. Roxas winced and tried to adjust his straps. He and Sora had both been given armor as a parting gift from Mongo and Kilsera. The city they were standing in was vast… a huge, sprawling capital made out of stone and mud brick. Most of the buildings were covered in vines that were threatening to gradually tear them apart. Blooms and fruit trees were everywhere, even in the city, and as he watched a demon idly picked a fruit and ate it, spitting out seeds. In many ways, the Dark Land was a land of plenty. But it was also dangerous, and they kept a tight watch as they made their way out of the portal room. But a demon was waiting for them and greeted them warmly.

"Hello! I'm Marty." The man shook back soft, silky pink hair and smiled at them. The only indication of his demon status was tiny stub horns on his forehead. Bizarrely, he also had a tilted halo of light over his head. "I'm a member of the Hourglass, and I'll be your guide in our fair land." He smiled impishly, and Axel couldn't help but like him. He seemed like a sunny, charming sort of person. He was wearing a sleeveless, light green shirt and matching shorts that displayed some very nice legs. "I'm told you're organizing a safari into the deep South?"

"Absolutely! Pleased to meet you." Rufus beamed and tipped his hat at Marty, who beamed right back. It was a little disconcerting. Even more disconcerting, in Axel's opinion, was that Rufus was still wearing his waistcoat and didn't seem to notice the heat at all. "My word, what a fascinating place!" Marty seemed a bit taken aback at that, but shrugged and smiled.

"I'm glad you like it. Let me show you to the inn I have reserved for you, so you can put your things away." They did have a fair amount of gear, and Rufus nodded cheerfully. "I already have a bunch of Rage's and Blade's lined up to accompany us. I hope you don't mind?"

"Not at all! But why are you helping us, if you don't mind me asking?" Rufus couldn't help but be a little suspicious of this level of cooperation. Marty smiled as he led them through the teeming streets. Axel summoned in a chakram as someone tried to steal Roxas' wallet, and suddenly demons were scrambling away. "Ah… heh. The High Lord uses those weapons too." That was giving Axel quite a reputation by proxy.

"Quite. And that's why I'm helping you." That didn't make a lot of sense, but Marty quickly amplified. "The High Lord is a bit, ahem, upset with me at the moment. Really, it wasn't my fault but… well. Things got a touch out of hand. The rose bush that nearly ate Chem… well. Um. Anyway, I've been instructed to help you to the utmost of my abilities. Erm. Actually, I've been told that if you don't come back alive I shouldn't come back either." Marty grinned and shrugged. "Nothing like a good bit of motivation! I'll do my best for you, Doctor." Rufus laughed and nodded, accepting the explanation. He'd only spoken to the High Lord for a bit, but this sounded entirely typical of him. "So you'll have to stay in the town until you adapt to the heat, but that should be fine. Give us plenty of time to prepare the expedition. Just be careful, this place is full of savage beasts! And some animals too." Riku couldn't help but snicker at that, and Sora grinned at her before they both went back to watching the crowds.

The demons around them were quite interesting. They mostly looked like normal people… but often with the addition of wings, fangs, tails and other appendages. Almost every imaginable race, from elves to humans to faeries, was present. Roxas even spotted someone he thought might be the same race as Mongo and Kilsera, but couldn't be sure. The city was full of activity, with demons gliding overhead and going about their business. It reminded Axel more than a bit of the Twisted World.

The inn Marty brought them to was a great building of dark grey stone. It looked sturdy and comfortable, if not luxurious. The rooms they were shown to were the same… nice, clean and free of vermin but nothing too special. Which was just fine, really.

"Hey, Roxas? Want to go exploring a bit?" Axel was really curious about this place. And he didn't think anyone was going to dare try to attack him… the demons seemed to be erring on the side of caution and kept treating him like the High Lord. It was a bit odd. Roxas shrugged with a smile.

"Sure! I wonder if they would have Sea Salt ice cream?" He was feeling the need for some. Axel shook his head with a grin.

"I doubt it, with this heat. But you never know." They casually walked through the city, pausing to go into a few shops. "I can see why Rufus is interested in this place." Axel gently touched a weapon, and pulled back his hand with a hiss, his finger sporting a light cut. The weapon appeared to be a sword made of bone, but had a wicked knife edge and the store keeper claimed it was harder than steel. Axel didn't really doubt it.

"Yeah, there's a lot of neat stuff here." Roxas looked curiously at a plant in a jar. It hissed maliciously at him, and he took a step back. "A bit too neat. Definitely Rufus' style though." Man eating plants and creatures with bones that could be made into weapons would be just his thing.

Elsewhere, Sora was trying to find Roxas and Axel and not having much luck.

"Where could they have gone… ack!" Sora came to a stop, blinking, as several demons fanned out in front of him. He was in an alleyway… taking a quick glance over his shoulder, he saw two demons there as well. "Uh oh." Sora called in his keyblade as one of the demons sneered at him.

"Your money or your life, brat."

"I don't have any money." That was nothing but the truth. He'd left it at the inn, since Axel and Roxas would have plenty. The demon shrugged.

"Guess it'll have to be your life, then. You'll look good at a boy brothel." Sora's mouth dropped open at that suggestion, and he growled and launched his own attack. Mongo had said that sometimes the best defense was a good offense.

So it proved, and if the odds had been even close to even he would probably have won. But there were too many, and at least two of the demons were fast and strong. Sora parried an attack frantically and dodged, but he wasn't going to-

"HEY!" A familiar voice snapped and a demon screamed. Riku waded into the fray, the Way to Dawn flashing out with deadly intent. Between the two of them, they quickly turned the tables on the demons. Soon they were in running away, except for a few corpses left behind. "Sora, are you stupid? Marty said not to out by yourself! This isn't sa-mrph!" Sora had hugged her tightly and… was kissing her? Riku blushed, unable to stop the tight, painful feeling in her chest. Was he doing this just to shut her up? Or did he really…?

"Thank you so much Riku." Sora said as he pulled back, blushing. "You're the best friend ever." Riku blinked at him, and took a deep breath.

"Uh… yeah. Best friend." Riku swallowed. Her lips felt like they were burning. Did Sora have any idea what he'd done to her with that impulsive kiss? "C'mon, let's go back to the inn. Roxas and Axel will be coming back there anyway."

"Okay!" Sora gripped her hand and Riku smiled weakly as she took the lead, taking him back to the inn. Why did Sora have to be such an adorable, impulsive kid again? It just wasn't fair. But then, life wasn't fair…

"We just have to grab him and use the gem." Sora said happily. "We don't have to fight him at all." Riku nodded slowly. It was a good plan. They really didn't want to hurt Axel at all if they could help it.

The Dark Land was just as weird as the Twisted World. Fortunately, it hadn't been hard to figure out where Axel was staying. The demons remembered the strangers and were more than willing to talk about it for a bit of munny.

"There he is!" Sora hunkered down, and Riku couldn't help but grin. He reminded him of a little kitten getting ready to pounce. And as soon as Axel got close… they did. Riku grabbed his one arm and Sora the other, startling Roxas and Axel.

"Guys, what are you doing?" Axel said, puzzled. What trick were Sora and Riku pulling?

"Sorry, just have to borrow you for a bit!" Sora said with a grin and Axel frowned… and the gem glowed. And then they were gone. Roxas went white at the sudden disappearance.

"Axel? Axel?!?" He turned around, trying to find any hint of what had just happened. "…Froggy!" Roxas ran back to the inn, desperate to find some help.

But he had a feeling it was already too late.

"Okay, what in hell was that? This is not funny you two." Axel jerked away from the two keyblade wielders and turned to frown at them. Sora just grinned at him, but Riku looked around with a frown. Something… wasn't quite right.

Mostly it was the room they were in. It was black stone, and the floor was set with golden runes. There was a large chair in the centre… almost a throne. It didn't really seem like the kind of room he'd pictured Yen Sid in.

"Sorry! But Yen Sid wants to talk to you, he says you have a really important book inside you and he can remove it, no problem. He says you'll be in danger until it's done." Sora said happily, and Axel paused. Riku glanced over and saw a strange expression pass over the redhead's face.

Fear?

"A book." Axel said slowly. "A book? Or more of a… cube…" Axel paled and suddenly stepped close to Sora, who stepped back with a blink. "Where did you meet Yen Sid? Your world… or the Twisted World?"

"The Twisted World. Why?" Sora didn't see why that was important… but Axel whirled around, frantically looking for an exit.

"You're fucking retarded, both of you! Don't you under-argh!" Golden ribbons slid out of the runes on the floor and tangled all three of them. Axel tried to fight with his fires, but they seemed impervious and tightened around his limbs, holding him still. The same ribbons yanked Riku's and Sora's arms behind them, covering their hands to prevent them from summoning the keyblades. It happened so quickly they didn't have a chance to react.

"Yes, indeed." Yen Sid's old, kindly voice came, and he suddenly appeared in the centre of the room. He smiled at them, and it was the smile they knew… but… Riku stared. Something about this was not right. Was it his imagination, or was there an undercurrent of cruel amusement in the wizard's voice. "I must confess… I have tricked you both. Although you did walk right into it with your arms open. Quite the credulous fools, the two of you." Sora gaped, but Riku suddenly understood.

"You're not Yen Sid. Or rather, not OUR Yen Sid." Riku said, more angry at himself than the wizard. Why hadn't he seen it? Yen Sid nodded with a smile.

"Precisely. Consider this a lesson on shadow worlds… what is evil in one world can be good in another. And what is good…" He lifted a hand, and a bright purple light began building. "…can be very evil in another." Sora looked utterly horrified, struggling against his bonds.

"You burned the books." Axel said, his voice strangled as the light continued to build. "It was you, wasn't it? All for that cube mama put in my hand! What is it? What do you want with it?" If he was going to die, he wanted to know why. Yen Sid paused, then shrugged.

"It will do no harm to tell you, and it's always nice to have an audience… the book you hold is actually a cube puzzle. It is a tool of creation, lost by the Creator of Worlds long, long ago. It holds within it the words of creation. With it… anything is possible. You've used it a few times, accidentally, and I've been trying to track you all these years. Now, brace yourself… this will hurt." The light hit Axel in the chest and he screamed.

Hurt was a vast understatement of what he was feeling. It felt like acid, like molten rock, like vinegar on an open wound. It felt like his skin and flesh were being flayed from his bones, and he was unaware of his screaming as something so important, so vital, so utterly necessary was pulled away from him. He was briefly aware of an inconsolable loss… and the awareness went away.

Sora and Riku both flinched at the horrible screams… then stared as a tiny cube was pulled out of Axel. It was made of gold and seemed to be moving… the sides were endlessly flicking, rolling around each other and making new patterns. And they could feel the power of it… an immense, unbelievable power. Yen Sid's hand closed over the cube but it did not vanish. It just sat in his hand, quietly flicking, and he tilted his head for a moment before nodding.

"I have no more business with the three of you." He said to them, and flicked his staff, sending them all back to the Dark Land.

He had what he needed. What became of Sora and Riku, or Axel… he couldn't care less.