Note from forevermagik13: This chapter is (again) mine. rarmaster is currently busy with Dead Inside (though she did write a fricken huge multi-chapter scenario for this fic-but it takes place later in both of our universes and will be posted at a later date.) Enjoy!

Joseph had finished running wildly about the Tram Common and had settled down to leaning against a building with Vexen, attempting to look casual as he finished his ice-cream.

"So, how long are you planning on staying here? If you plan on leaving at all," Joseph asked.

Vexen nibbled on his own ice-cream, trying to wrap his head around the taste—as most people do when they have Sea-Salt for the first time.

"Well," he said, pausing in his ice-cream eating adventures. "To be completely honest, I don't want to go back."

Joseph cocked his head to one side. "Why is that?"

"Well," Vexen said, trying to see how he could phrase this in a way someone as young as Joseph could understand. "I really am tired of dealing with Xehanort."

"Who's that?"

"He's like your Xemnas, except worse," Vexen said.

Joseph made a face. "Is he worse than Saix?"

Vexen thought about this for a moment, then nodded.

Joseph winced.

"Does this Xe-a-whatsit person dislike you as much as Saix dislikes me?"

"You could say that."

Joseph patted Vexen on the arm. "That's okay then, I suppose you can stay here."

Vexen snorted. "Thanks," he said. He was a bit unsure as to what to do with Joseph's random show of compassion. Perhaps the sugar was wearing off.

Vexen stood corrected when Joseph launched himself off the wall and began zooming about the little alcove they were in. He paused only when he accidentally ran into someone coming out of a Dark Corridor. Vexen raised his eyebrows, apparently, everyone travelling here by Corridor came to this spot.

"Oh!" Joseph exclaimed, picking himself back up after he had fallen on his butt. "Hi, Roxas, didn't see you there!"

Roxas looked like he had just been awoken out of a gloomy trance. "Oh," he laughed a bit. "It's alright. Getting ice-cream again?"

Joseph beamed. "Of course!"

"Who brought you this time?"

"Vexen."

Roxas raised his eyebrows, wondering which Vexen Joseph could have been talking about. He had not been around when the whole commotion about the Original Vexen from another universe arriving had taken place. However, he did not ask Joseph to clarify.

Joseph dug in his pocket and pulled out two popsicle sticks. He handed them to Roxas.

"Here, use these," he said.

Roxas shook his head, laughing. "You know, Joseph, I do have munny."

"Yeah, and I have Winner Sticks," Joseph replied with a grin. "Tell Xion it's from me. It might make her feel better."

Roxas cocked his head to one side. "How is she?"

Joseph shrugged. "She was alright this morning, quiet, but alright. I haven't seen her since." He threw a backwards glance at Vexen. "I've been otherwise occupied."

Roxas ruffled Joseph's hair, something Joseph didn't approve of.

"You haven't been getting into trouble, have you?"

Joseph shook his head.

"Surprising," Roxas mused.

"I know, right?" Joseph replied, sounding surprised himself.

"Well, thanks for the Winner Sticks. Try and stay out of trouble."

With that, Roxas started walking up to Market Street.

Joseph walked back over to Vexen.

"How many of those sticks do you have?" Vexen asked.

"A million at least. I get one practically every time I come and get ice-cream. I always used to forget to bring them with me, so they just piled up in my room. But now I've learned to keep about half a dozen in my pockets for situations like these."

"Is that why the lady didn't even ask for money? She just stuck out her hand in anticipation for the popsicle sticks."

Joseph nodded. "Yup. Though, I didn't get a Winner this time."

He took a closer look at Vexen's stick.

"Oh! That's why! You have it!"

Vexen looked at his mostly eaten ice-cream to see the word 'Winner' printed on the stick.

"Interesting," he said.

"I told you I get one every time," Joseph beamed.

Vexen wanted to write that down, but his hands were otherwise occupied.

"Hey, do you mind if I ask you some questions?" Joseph asked. "You've been asking questions since yesterday."

"I suppose you may," Vexen said.

"Why did you create Riku?"

Vexen was taken aback; this was not the question he had been expecting. Not that he expected any question in particular, this one just seemed out of the blue.

"Well, I was working with the Organization…"

"Aren't you still?"

Vexen shook his head. "We aren't called by that anymore."

"What are you called, then?"

Vexen snorted. "To be completely honest, I don't know."

"That's not useful."

Vexen rolled his eyes. "Anyway, I was working with the Organization. I was stationed in Castle Oblivion with five other members. Marluxia was using Namine to try and get Sora to work for him. He and Larxene both wanted to overthrow the Organization. Zexion and I both thought his actions were deplorable. When Riku showed up in Castle Oblivion, we decided we would try and get him on our side, so we could battle against Marluxia. However, when Riku failed to turn to our side, I decided to create a Replica of him."

"Wow, the Organization really does just create a replica every time they need to solve a problem."

"Not true," Vexen said. "Well, perhaps. However, I mainly only made Replicas of myself to, first of all, to figure out the art of creating Replicas; and then to just help me manage things that I wouldn't be able to do if I was spending so much time Replica-making."

Joseph laughed. "Let me guess, like eating?"

Vexen frowned. "How did you know?"

"Some things never change across universes," Joseph said with a shrug. "So, what replicas did you make that weren't of yourself? Besides Riku, of course."

"Well, I made No. i," Vexen mused.

"Huh?"

"She was an imperfect Replica of Roxas. I never really got to see how she functioned. And, from what I can tell, she is long gone."

Vexen was slightly confused as to why his memory was fuzzy around Replica Number 43. But it probably had something to do with the fact that she wasn't around anymore.

Vexen sighed, regretting what he was about to say next. "Then I made six Replicas of Xehanort."

Joseph's eyes widened. "Why?" he asked.

"I was told to."

Joseph snorted. "I can see why you left."