"So here is where we live," Nana said as she pointed at the houses around them. "Each of us have our own houses in theory, but we sleep over at each other's places so often that it doesn't really matter."

"But if you're curious, Nana and I live in that light blue house over there," Popo said, pointing at the house in question. "Ness and Lucas live in the house on the right. Rosie lives in that yellow house over there with Pichu. Aaaaaand the Inklings live together at that house with the blotchy walls."

"It's… very colorful," Sora commented. "That's a nice shade of purple there."

"It was not this colorful when we first arrived here," he said.

"And Hunter and Duck live in whatever house they feel like sleeping in for the night," Nana said, before turning her attention to you. "That is, when they are clean. When they come back from playing in the mud, they sleep in that barrel over there."

All eyes turned towards the sad sight of the tumbled barrel near the light yellow house. You never liked how a simple messing around in the mud could land you in a barrel situation. After all, you never minded being covered in mud, so you could not understand why everyone made such a fuss over your dirty paws dirting the couch, but Sora appeared to sympathize with you enough to pet your head.

He was such a kind boy. You were right in rescuing him.

"Anyway, once Rosie wakes up, she'll be able to tell you which house it's okay for you to take, in case you want one all for yourself," Nana said, which seemed to cause quite a shock in Sora. "What?"

"You guys are just giving me a house like it's nothing?!" Sora asked.

"Yeah, dude, you're getting a free house!" Popo cheered. "Good for you!"

Before Sora could open his mouth, Nana turned around and said, "Come on, we gotta show the rest. Popo, open the gate."

The boy Ice Climber pulled the iron gate sideways, but not before claiming that Nana was "not the boss of him". You ran ahead the moment you saw enough space for you to squeeze yourself through, your duck friend catching up with you the moment he realized that you were about to leave without him. You always enjoyed seeing open doors, as they made you feel less stuck in life. The three kids followed right behind you and none of them seemed worried that you would run away, because you were more worried about sniffing the flowers planted near the fence.

They had your own smell, which was good. You enjoyed when your territory had your own smell.

You had to get back to reality once you realized that the three kids started to walk away without you. You all turned around the block and walked towards the empty basketball courtyard at the other side of the street, where the other members of the community you lived in were finishing up their training. The two Inklings and Pichu noticed you and your friends approaching them and immediately greeted you with either a smile or a wave, all of them seemingly out of breath. The whole courtyard was splattered with blotches of purple and green, with even the metallic hoop dripping with ink.

Not that you could actually see those colors, because you were a dog.

"Sora, these are Pichu, Mariamar and Silvio," Nana said. "They also live with us."

"Guys, this is Sora, our new resident," Popo said. "Be on your best behavior around him, okay? Don't embarrass us."

Mariamar got up from the bench and dusted off her plaid skirt. Placing her hands on her hips, she said in her thick accent, "Weee are always on our best behavior!"

Silvio, taking off the mask with the pattern of menacing fangs on his face and showing a friendly smile, said, "Welcome, Sora! Whate… whateverver thing Popo said about us, don't believe him."

"Thanks for the heads up, Silvio," Sora said.

"What?! I'm trustworthy!" Popo exclaimed. "Silvio's the one lying!"

"Well, Popo, now you made a very convincing argument," he gave a playful grin. "I don't know who to believe anymore."

"Beliewwe us!" Mariamar said.

"No, us," Nana said as she playfully elbowed him in the arm. "Anyway, Sora, this is where we usually practice our fighting skills. Not that we have been getting involved in any fights lately, but it's always good to stay in shape, right?"

"Can't argue against that, but why do you need to be prepared for a fight?" Sora asked.

"Ness will explain that better when you talk to him," Popo said.

Nana then pointed at the small store at the other side of the street. "That over there is where we do groceries," she said. "You don't need to worry about money, just grab whatever you need."

"If you can find wwhat you need," Silvio said. "No people, no one to restock shop."

"That over there is the drug store," Nana said as she pointed at the square house by the side of the grocery shop. "You don't have any health problems, do you? Any allergies or anything like that?"

"Not as far as I know, no."

"Oh, good! That's good to know," she smiled. "Still, if you ever need anything to patch you up, this is the place to go."

"Hey, Sora, your hair look super fresh!" Mariamar mentioned as she reached out to pet his hair. "Sooooo spiky! It is cool!"

"Thanks! I don't do anything special to make it look like this."

"I like your shoes," Silvio commented. "Where you buy it?"

"Well…"

It was amazing how Sora seemed to have the kind of aura that invited people in. The kids barely got to know him, but his openness and curiosity seemed to make the other kids feel comfortable enough to talk to him like a long time friend. It was truly a fascinating thing to see unfold. You truly found a special person.

You suddenly turned around, a former passive spectator of the socialization happening in front of you, now actively searching for something that made you alert. Your floppy ears perked up and your nose nervously twitched, trying to find the source of your sudden distress. The kids did not seem to notice you suddenly walking away towards the stores that Nana pointed out to Sora, but Pichu, who had been quietly resting on the bench the entire time, did. The little yellow mouse jumped off and started to follow you, probably worried over your shift in attitude.

You stopped at the other side of the street and looked at what had been bothering you. Lying on the concrete there was a single black feather much too big for any kind of bird in the region. You inquisitively sniffed at the feather, which made Pichu also look at it in curiosity. You did not know who or what it belonged to, but it certainly bothered you, because you started to growl at the entrance of the store, at the glass door that had the big "closed" sign set up. Duck also appeared to be in high alert, as he twitched in his place, also staring fixedly at the door. Pichu, probably confused by your sudden shift in attitude, frantically looked around him with his red little cheeks sparking with electricity, ready to shock whatever was about to leave the building.

Your growling did not stop even when you heard the sound of many hurried footsteps making their way towards you. You continued to growl as Popo gently scratched the back of your ears and asked, "Hey, Hunter, what's up? What did you see?"

"Hunter, stop growling, you're stressing Pichu out!" Nana reprimanded. "He's hurting himself!"

"What's the matter?" Sora asked. "Something inside the store?"

Before anyone could answer his question, the boy entered said drug store, big key in hand and without a single display of hesitation. Nobody told him to be careful, nobody believed him to be in danger. Nobody believed that something was not right, even when Mariamar picked up the suspiciously big feather and started to pester Popo by tickling him in the face with it. Nobody except for Pichu, who had to be talked down from preparing a blast of electric shock because his powers made him hurt himself.

Seconds later, there was the loud ring of a bell. Sora left the store without his key in hand and said, "Sorry, Hunter. Couldn't find anything there."

You still felt agitated, but there was nothing you could do about that. Nana gently pulled you by your collar, trying her best to avert your attention from the store without hurting you. Defeated, you decided to turn around and walk away, even though you were still certain that there was something dangerous around.

"Tomorrow we can show you around town a lot better, but I feel like these were the most important things to show you now," Nana said. "Now it's too dark and I'm sure that Ness and Lucas are waiting for us. Let's go back, everyone."

The first thing you did when you entered Ness's house was to jump on the couch. Since Duck decided to rest outside, you didn't have to be careful with how you jumped around. You adored that particular couch, it had the right amount of softness without making it too difficult for you to move around. The previous owners of that house had an impeccably good taste. Sora excused himself and entered, followed by the now much more serious duo of Nana and Popo, each carrying a lit candle.

You heard footsteps coming from the corridor, at first very soft, almost as if the one responsible did not want to be perceived, but then being joined by very heavy, loud footsteps. You turned your head at the corridor and found Lucas and Ness, now with a clean face and his arm wrapped around his shoulder, walking towards them. Lucas raised the gaslamp that he was carrying and gave his friends a nod, before asking Ness to let go of him. In any other time, Ness would probably just have tightened his embrace, but Sora's presence there forced him to be on his best behavior.

After all, Sora was, despite his very warm and friendly demeanor, still a stranger. Even though you knew that, you did not think it was a bad idea to receive a good scratch behind your ear from him after he plopped down by your side. If he kept that up, he would definitely become your number three friend, easily.

As everyone took their seats, Ness sat at the cushioned chair right in front of Sora and yourself. Ness, who usually had a cheerful and bright disposition, now looked strangely somber under the candle and lamp light. His usual jovial, playful face was overtaken by a seriousness that looked just so ancient, that it was hard to believe that that belonged to the same boy who had been childishly chasing his friend around with his hands covered in ash.

You lied down. You did not care at all.

"Okay, so… where do I even begin?" Ness pondered.

"From the beginning?" Sora suggested, a bit too playful for someone who still did not understand the situation that he was in.

"Right, you're right," Ness took a deep breath. "Okay, Sora, how familiar are you with the concept of other worlds?"

"Quite a lot," Sora said. "I'm surprised that you know about them, Ness. The existence of other worlds is not something that common people know."

"So you are aware…?"

He nodded and said, "Yeah, I know that I'm in another world."

"That actually makes my job slightly easier," Ness said in relief. "Sora, the reason why you are in this world is because you were born in it."

Sora still had his smile frozen on his face. He asked, "What?"

"You are a replica, Sora," he said, slowly, cautiously. "We've had more people like you in the same situation of waking up in strange places and without knowing that they are replicas, but I don't know why this is happening."

"Well… is there any proof to that claim?" Sora asked, perhaps a bit too calmly. "I'm not saying that I don't believe you, but I need to be sure that you're speaking the truth."

"Wow, you're awful calm about this," Popo commented, which promptly got him a poke from Nana's elbow. "What?! He is!"

"I've seen my fair share of replicated people," he said. "So? What's the proof?"

"I have no concrete proof, at least not one that is very unpleasant to show," Ness shook his head. "But the fact that you're alive in this world is enough to make me believe that you're like us."

"Like you means that you are also replica?"

This time, it was Lucas who spoke, "Remember when I called you a Smasher, Sora?" He saw Sora nod and said, "That's what I meant. A Smasher is someone born into this world with the purpose to fight and protect it when it's in danger."

"Well, it's one of our main jobs," Nana said. "It's our current one."

"And you believe that I'm a Smasher as well?" Sora asked, still unnervingly calm.

"Yes, because you're alive in a world that has ended," Ness said. "You noticed that, didn't you? How there's only us around?"

"Yeah, it kind of freaked me out, to be completely honest."

"The only people currently alive are us, the Smashers, and puppet fighters, who are basically zombies that look like us," Ness explained. "We haven't found puppet fighters roaming around lately, so I don't think we'll be facing them off so soon, but we hope to heal this world by getting rid of them. And I guess this is where we ask you to help us out."

"I see…"

Sora remained quiet and continued to scratch you behind your ear. He appeared to be lost in thought and the tension between the kids in that darkly lit room was almost palpable, even to you. He quietly said to you, almost jokingly, "Let me guess, you're also a Smasher, Hunter?"

Of course you were, what a silly question. You were also a fighter, were you not? Not only that, but you were also a bodyguard. The best bodyguard in the world, no less!

Ness said, "I know that this might not sound like a convincing point, but-"

"Oh, no, I believe you," Sora said.

There was an uncomfortable pause among them, all eyes except for yours were turned on him.

"...What?" Ness asked. He then exclaimed, "What?!"

"I guess stranger things have happened, so yes, I believe you," the boy said with a shrug of shoulders. "It saddens me that I won't be able to see my friends ever again, though, if that's the case. Is this something that you guys had to go through?"

"No, wait, I don't think you understand…" Ness said. "Sora, do you know what we just told you?"

"Yes, and I said believe you when you say that I'm a replica of the real Sora," he said, tilting his head. "Isn't this something you guys wanted?"

Nana moved her hands around, mouth agape and unable to utter a single word. Popo also was not faring any better and simply stared at the boy in front of him in disbelief. "Sora, are you… are sure you don't want to…" he stuttered. "I mean…"

"Don't you want to doubt us just a little bit?" Lucas asked, worried.

"I believe you guys."

"We just told you that you're not who you believe you are," Ness said, eyebrows raised. "We just told you are not the Sora from your world. You may have his memories, but you're not him!"

"I know," Sora said. "Unless, of course, you are lying and I am the real Sora."

"What?! No, I'm not! I'm telling the truth, but…"

"It's okay to have an existential crisis right now, you know?" Popo said. "Or tell us that we're full of shit?"

"Nah, I'm okay for now."

There was another pause. It was clear, even when everyone was drenched in darkness, that Sora was looked at with suspicion by the kids who took him in. You looked up, but did not join them in their suspicions, not when your spot on the couch and by his side was already so warm and comfortable. Perhaps it was because you did not understand the fine details of human interaction, but you still had a good intuition. Sora was trustworthy, for all you cared.

Ness seemed to understand your feelings. He said, "Well, if you trust him, Hunter…"

"I guess that's that," Nana said, her voice stilted. "Thanks for believing in us, Sora, really."

Sora smiled and said, "No problem. I have one question, though."

"Uh, shoot," Ness said. "Go on."

"Is it normal for a replica in this world to wake up with some missing memories?"

Ness looked back at Lucas, who gave him a shrug. Nana and Popo exchanged looks, but neither of them seemed like they wanted to answer that question. The older boy said, "I wouldn't say it's normal, but like… the way you were found was not normal anyway, y'know? None of the people we've been finding are waking up under normal circumstances, so like…"

"We don't know," Lucas said, plain and simple. "Do you have amnesia, Sora?"

"I don't know if I could call it that," Sora said. "I know who I am. I know where I come from. I know what I was doing before waking up here. I know… about a lot more stuff than I think I deserved to know. But still…"

"You feel like something is missing?" Nana asked.

"Never mind that, I'm sure that things will fall back to place in time."

"Are you sure-"

Ness was interrupted by your sudden barking at the front door. Everyone turned around and saw the slim silhouette of a girl, made more clear that it was Rosie's when she approached them. Her youthful face looked exhausted, with two eyebags accentuated by the shadows that gave her an almost ghastly expression and nearly took out the sparkle in her dark eyes.

You sat up and wagged your tail. It was your way of showing you acknowledge her presence and that you cherished her, but that you also knew that she did not like it when you jumped on her. You liked Rosie and how she usually took care of you on the rare occasions you got sick, you just did not have her at top priority in your list because she was way too severe with you when you begged for scraps. She was a stern, but gentle soul. Always reliable, but could be better in your eyes if she gave you everything you asked for.

"Guys, dinner's gonna take a while to…" her voice trailed off as she noticed Sora seated on the couch. "Who are you?"

"Rosie, this is Sora, our new resident," Nana said. "Sora, this is Rosie."

It took Rosie a good couple of seconds to register what it was said to her. She then took a deep breath, long and withdrawn. With a tired voice, she said, "Great, now I gotta cook an extra portion," before turning around and walking away.

"Do you… need help with anything?" Sora asked.

Rosie turned around, only her silhouette visible. "Don't worry, I can handle it," she said. "And welcome, Sora. Don't let Ness and company drive you crazy, okay?"

"Hey!" Ness and company exclaimed in unison.

Rosie left the house as silently as she had entered, taking away with her all the tension that had fallen between the kids in that dark room.

Popo complained, "How come she calls us 'Ness and company'? Who died and made him the star?"

"Personally, I think that she is absolutely correct and we should introduce ourselves by that name more often," Ness said.

His speech was received with a pillow to the face from Nana. It was decided then and there that their little reunion was over.

A/N: I like to think that when it comes to accents, the Inklings have a hard time making "w" and "v" sounds, so their voices tend to waver quite a lot. Also, here's a neat little list of the names I came up for each individual Inkling:

-Lila (orange)

-Louis (blue)

-Agent 3 (her civilian name is Aqua) (yellow)

-Silvio (green)

-Tina (pink)

-Ignatius (cyan)

-Mariamar (purple)

-Otto (violet)

All of them are shoutouts or puns to something, but I'm not telling what.