SUBJECT: Murder on the Mystery Train

# MEMBERS NEEDED: No specific.

PRIMARY LOCATION(S): Post KH3.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: The program that Diz constructed was based off of reality. An exploration of the parameters of the "Data Twilight Town" world program lead to the discovery of the disappearance of the boy who Roxas was based on.
Who was this person? Did Vaan truly exist? And if he did, what happened to him?
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: This is a post-KH3 story that deals with the disturbing notion of murder and crime. Please stay away if you are underaged or uncomfortable with any murder-related themes. The genre is murder-mystery.
CURRENT WRITERS: Me, /aerith, and /griever

MAIN PLOT POINTS:
"There was no one named Vaan there. I'm positive of it. No one named Vaan exists in Twilight Town."
But the question of whether or not he once existed plagues the Restoration Committee. With the knowledge that Ansem's programmed Data Twilight Town was based off of a real studied period of Twilight Town, the whereabouts of the boy that was selected to be replaced by Roxas in the Data world rises quickly.
Out of concern for "Vaan" the Restoration Committee and some help seek the mystery of what happened to the fourth member of the Twilight Town gang.
Did Vaan exist? Where did he go? And is the only solution left should failure rise to place Roxas in the Data Twilight Town world once again to live out the remainder of Vaan's days?
Research from the committee reveals that the program ended for "Roxas" at 13 days naturally.

[ Aerith ]
he existed once in reality,
a boy who dreamed of being a pirate.
   It was an anomaly in the programming. There was proof boundless that this was just a simple recreation of a world, with Roxas inserted into one area, like a block. But they uncovered more than she could possibly be comfortable with. And now there was an entire hidden access area of information that they couldn't place.

   "It's locked," she stated, fingers gliding over the keys. She selected another password, but it did not succumb. Finally, she conceded, at least for the time being.

   After some hours, Leon unlocked the remaining password. It opened to the most unusual interface, a design with a different purpose. This was Twilight Town - the infrastructure, the framework. This was how Roxas was kept still until Sora was ready. The framework was delicate. But it held vital information. It was programmed by Tron, to resemble the real Twilight Town. Days and days of observation lead to an accurate recreation of the town over a period. There was an entire summer of information gathered, processed. Diz himself admitted he did not look over all of it before selecting an ideal candidate to replace in the Data world with Roxas.

   Hearts beat quicker. Eyes flickered down to the information, processed, and now succumbed to the unusuality of the information. A foray of possibilities encircled the expanse like a wrought of rain but dried her mind completely. This was how he created an entire world. By removing a person and replacing them.

   "Vaan," she read aloud. "Close friend to Hayner, Pence and Olette. Struggle champion winner. Student."

   It was an exact echo of what Roxas had gone through. Friends he had never attained. Now the reality was here. Roxas had been living out life as another being. This Vaan, who once existed in the subterfuge of Twilight Town. Though she disliked the news, Leon felt it better to tell Roxas. To find out where Vaan went. It was better to shoulder pain than to hide from it, after all.

   She opened the picture to the profile set aside for Vaan, peered at the young face peering back, and felt her essence of disturbance. In part because no one had ever mentioned him before. And in part, because he reminded her so much of someone else --...

   "Open a communication link with the Gummi Ship."

   "Hey - what's this? Donald, I think someone's calling us!" "Whaaat!? Don't touch that !" "Hey who's there? This is Sora !"

   Aerith spoke up first, "Hello, Sora. We had a question for you. This is Aerith."

   "Yeah ? What happened ? Need me to come there right away ?"

   "No, just a question. When you went to Twilight Town, did you remember someone named Vaan ?"

   Silence fell through the control room, and on the ship, for a moment. "No, no really. Why ?" Sora asked back. "Think harder. Do you remember any mention of the name Vaan ? Especially from Hayner, Pence and Olette ?" Leon asked.

   This time Sora spoke back quicker. "There was no one named Vaan there. I'm positive of it. No one named Vaan exists in Twilight Town."

   After some niceties, they cut the communication line. Leon volunteered to find Roxas, and ask him to come here. Aerith stayed where she was. Worried.


[ Roxas ]
Patience.

That seemed to be the preferred mantra of his existence over the course of the last few weeks that Roxas had spent at the Mysterious Tower.  The days since he had arrived had practically melded into one as far as he was concerned; hours upon hours had been spent during his trek up and down the winding staircase which made up most of the tower’s infrastructure or the narrow corridors which led into rooms that were potentially more peculiar than any of Twilight Town’s Seven Wonders - all of  this with room for little to no deviation. His frustration with the blandness of each day’s regimen wasn’t exactly hidden beneath a false face; Master Yen Sid - a powerful sorcerer and keyblade user in his own right - had been able to deduce that much to his credit and as a precaution to avoid the boy storming off allowed him the remainder of his night to himself rather than enforcing the circuits of cutting through the usual spew of conjured enemies or a set of monotonous breathing exercises meant to bestow an understanding of control.  “What a bother.” Turning down the idea of spending what precious time he had to himself in his dormitory, Roxas allowed aching muscles to seep into the ground beneath him outside the tower’s foyer. With one leg propped above the other, hands cradled the rear of his cranium while hues were cast off upon the starry sky above; shooting stars were in no short supply as they showcased their lavish nature across the canvas that was the night sky.

The only sound that he could latch onto was that of the wind brushing back and forth through the surrounding foliage; there was an absence of crickets chirping or even rustling; it would’ve been unnerving but - much to his luck - a serene calm managed to sink its talons into him for the time being.  Would he get to go back soon - to his friends, to his real home?  Nose wrinkled almost as if on cue at the very moment that notion registered; Twilight Town and the warmth of the sun felt like a distant memory.  No matter how far his digits stretched outwards, no matter how tight his grasp - for the time being Roxas would have to exist without the familiar and welcoming warmth of the sun beating down upon his flesh.  Summer vacation’s over…. but… Hayner, Pence and Olette - we’ve still gotta make it to the beach.  And just like that his mind was off to a much more welcoming place; surrounded by his closest friends, the chatter of townspeople, even the soft scent of sea-salt ice cream on a blazing afternoon - but as expected even this was cut short.

“Young man - return to my study at once.”

The voice was low but sharp enough to startle him from the beginning of what he had hoped would be a peaceful slumber.  What a bother, Roxas managed to muse to himself while trudging up the stairs back to Yen Sid’s study once more.  By the time he arrived, a look of concern was evident upon the much older male’s features - something Roxas hadn’t been used to or even sure the Sorcerer was capable of given his usual demeanor was as dispassionate and aloof as they came.  “Is it something I did?”

“Your presence is required for a most urgent situation, young man.”

“What’s it this time - another squire needs saving from the impending darkness?”

“Not quite - you are to return to Twilight Town right away and search for Aerith and Leon; they are sympathizers for our battle against the Heartless and Xehanort.”

The normally thin line that was his right eyebrow practically shot off from his features the moment Twilight Town was mentioned, a very apparent sense of urgency enveloping him.  “Wait - is it spreading there now? I thought… I thought the gateway there was sealed!”

“There hasn’t been a breach in the town as of yet, Roxas - but there is an urgent matter that you must attend to there.”

Knowing that pressing the matter would only end up with another enigmatic answer and a remarkable amount of frustration, Roxas offered a simple nod before turning on heel and back through the tower.  By the time he had set foot back upon the ground level of the tower he had donned a refurbished set of keyblade armor - the very same Yen Sid had insisted he utilized during his travels to that distant world only known as Ivalice.  A glider materialized instantaneously, carrying him into a brief hover inches above the ground, halting when the palm of his hand pressed against his armored chest plate; it was as if he could feel, for the first time in a long time, that familiar warmth practically pouring out from deep within.

“Guys… I’m coming home.”

[ Sometime later… ]

It had took some time for him to arrive but after a rather intense battle with an outdated GPS and the pathways Master Yen Sid had drily warned him to never stray from, had arrived.  Cobbled streets, the trembling of the tram tracks - the chatter of the townspeople - to say that a sense of nostalgia and welcoming had smacked into him would be an understatement. Yet, any sense of obligation or duty for his mission was also tossed with little to no regard by the time Roxas had set foot back into the Tram Square; connecting paths all neatly intersecting with one another and two names - Aerith and Leon.  That wasn't much to go on, which prompted his index digit to scratch the back of his cranium for a second while hues darted around.  Normally he would’ve expected to see Seifer and his usual lackeys hanging about playing security - but that wasn’t the case.  “.. huh.”  It was undeniably an exceedingly good trip so far, then.  The beginning of a chuckle rose within his throat, quickly stifled when his tour of the town continued - albeit by the time Roxas reached the sandlot he was practically in a full-on sprint, whizzing past unsuspecting townsfolk and their various struggle matches.

Moments later his feet, with a life of their own and a zest to match them, had carried Roxas back into the tucked away alley that had been the hacienda for him and his friends nearly the entire summer.  It had been a staple of their friendship for as long as he could remember, “Guys!” Whatever attitude he might’ve held at the tower was quickly shed the millisecond his foot had raised, a grin adorning his lips now.  “Guys! I’m ba--” Pushing past the drapes he had hung with Pence above the doorway back when they first discovered this desolate corner of the town, hues were greeted by a practically abrasive and detrimental sight - emptiness.  “... huh. Maybe they’re… didn’t see them at the clocktower.” The look of confusion which had practically become his trademark for as long as he remember took prominence once again while Roxas made his way out of the alley. The square, the sandlot… even the tram and train station.  Where could they be?  Returning back to the hustle and bustle of the square.  “Mansion might be worth a shot… but what about that um…”  Muttering to himself, movement halted. “Aerith and Leon … they’ve gotta be around here somewhere, too.”  Silently cursing Yen Sid under his breath once more. He had never met the duo so to speak - he had but all Roxas had to go off were drips and flashes of memories that weren’t his own, all melded in neatly into the melting pot that was his consciousness.

Over the progression of his search, the boy led himself to one of the less  beaten paths the town provided; through a jagged opening in one of the Square's walls was a dense forest, the silent guardian of some spooky mansion that most of them dared not to venture to on the outliers of  the town's charted areas - until Pence and Roxas had all those months ago.  Upon first setting foot into the path, digits clenched into a fist - this area was unnerving to say the very least, even after everything.  "... hello?"

[ A Lingering Will/Terra ]
( I'm featuring in this post not as the Lingering Will but rather as Leon from KH and as Pence from KH2. )

    "Someone's in the area, I think it's your Keyblade Apprentice," Tron interrupted. The computer system was temporarily unfocused, and Leon turned his gaze to Aerith, then Yuffie, and finally stood. He turned to exit the room in the mansion, ignoring the flowering white decorum and plain inner sanctum of the mansion and walked through paths leading back outside of the mansion. Although it was partly cruel to leave someone grasping through the town they had lived in, even if it was a data version of it, all of them had decided it was a good idea to settle Roxas in Twilight Town before accessing his memories. There was an art to ensuring that Roxas had some sort of a chance to remember appropriately before they forced him to do what they needed him to do --

    Still, first, Leon saw Roxas scanning his area cautiously, likely due to the shock of being at the mansion again. From what he was told by Tron, in the program, Roxas's last time in Twilight Town was here, in the mansion, where he was introduced to Sora and then re-settled into Sora. It was an irony. They were bordering cruel by having him walk into the mansion, but it was necessary.

    He opened the front door to the mansion, making it apparent he was standing there, and shifted a heel. "You're in the right place. We're in the lower floor, in the room where Diz kept Sora," he interrupted, waving the kid over. Leon was still rough around the edges and felt he shouldn't wait too long. He turned and headed from the foyer towards the stairs, then into the room that opened up into the basement floor. He was easily able to navigate to the basement floor, and heard the sounds of Roxas thumping after him, querying everything he saw. When he was in the control room, from which there was a clear view of the white pod room that once allowed Sora to heal and held Roxas in his data prison, he settled his focus back on Aerith.

    Once Roxas was in the room as well, he didn't waste a moment. "We've been going through Data Twilight Town.. and trying to figure out more about how Ansem made it.. and inserted you into the program itself," he started. Yuffie seemed to perk up initially. "We found out he based it off of the real Twilight Town exactly! There was apparently a complicated attempt to track the movements of everyone in the town from when it first became a big landmark for some sort of.. struggling tournament!" Leon still managed a glance at Yuffie for sidetracking to something pointless.

    "Ansem didn't save any of the footage, and the data is incomplete. But what we did find was in concern to how your life in Twilight Town existed," he continued on. Where he stopped, Tron perked up.

    "He replaced a real subject of data collected during his viewing of Twilight Town with you. Though your personality and collective existence were replicated accurately into the program, your experience was a synthetic reproduction of someone else's experience. And while I was able to trace the beginning of your experience right to the end of it, the original experience was written over wiht your synthetic data, prompting none of the information on the original entity you were simulating being left, save for some information I gathered on his existence!"

    Despite the segway that Tron introduced, Leon was the first to bring up what really mattered. "We know his name, we know he existed, but Sora has never heard of him. Ansem's system records prove he existed. But he doesn't exist anywhere else.We need to find out more about him," he finished. "If you have time. We asked Merlin to make this a part of your training to become a Keyblade Master. You can start helping by asking his friends about him.."

    "You know them best," Aerith added in. "And while they may not recognize you, Roxas.Your heart knows theirs. You need to follow it and find out what happened to him. Because that boy is missing.. And it's our job to make sure he's safe."

    Leon reached for a small gadget device, and held it out to Roxas. "This has a list of people and their relationships to Vaan. Hayner, Pence and Ollette were his friends. He fought Seifer in a tournament. If you don't find anything, come back here. We have another way.. But we don't want to resort to it without going through every other avenue.."
[ Yuna ]
(Writing as Pence.)

How many months ago did they meet Sora? He was brilliant, if not a little unusual. Very brilliant, very odd.

At first it looked like Sora who showed up in the sandlot. Pence first spotted the kid who he thought was Sora. Then he saw him wander around, until finally he headed towards the mansion. He didn't want Hayner and Ollette to know about this right away.

At first Pence lingered near the gate, watching the strange boy go inside. Something about the tufts of blonde hair and strange way he stalked into the mansion made Pence's chest lighter. Yes, he knew this person. But he didn't understand how. When the path was clear, Pence raced into the mansion as fast as his feet could carry him. He saw the boy take a deliberate path to the basement with someone else. It was bizarre.

A full inspection of his surroundings revealed a trap door that had been opened. A use of his palm to open it. Walls pulled apart and his eyes widened to the sight of a room. It was full of gadgetry. And at the center of it all were three people -

The boy, a man and a girl.

"Oh, no way, this is awesome!" Pence exclaimed, the moment he was able to take in everything. He knew this mansion was special. Now he knew why. "I should have known this was where Sora disappeared to! Where is he? And who are all of you?"

[ A Living Will/Terra ]
( I'm featuring in this post not as the Lingering Will but rather as Leon from KH and as Pence from KH2. )

    Shock settled over the others when they finally noticed the other boy that raced into the basement. A fair portion of the room was full of gadgets and machinery that should have been better hidden. Leon stood up, stood before Aerith, and his arm stretched out to cover her.

    A harmless child, though. After a moment, Tron piqued up. "He's been here before. He was the one who helped Ienzo reform Roxas," he explained. "He's also one of Roxas's friends."

    As the awkward silence stretched over them, Leon sat back down and gave a once over the boy who had somehow found his way here at the most uncomfortable time. ".. Have a seat," he started. "We have things to discuss."

[ Yuna ]
(Writing as Pence.)

A period of time passed when he realized how mistaken he was to simply jump into the situation. Roxas was here, everyone else who was in here was a total stranger. Pence had been inside this room before, when helping with finding Roxas. Whenever he thought about Roxas now, he thought about how little he visited them. To find Roxas here with these strangers was disheartening. Why not visit your friends more?

Questions pushed aside, Pence tried to stay where he was. He had only one way out of the room. The tall man in the leather looked more intimidating. There was a timid looking woman. And he half expected to see that duck from back when Sora had been here. The strange visitors they were getting every year only became more and more weird each time Roxas visited..

"Roxas?" He asked, awkwardly. "What's going on? Why are all of you here again? Did something happen?" Pence looked at the screen behind them, eyes locking onto another face on the screen. He flinched and looked away immediately. His hand moved to his pocket, slipping in and gripping the fabric nervously. "What's that about? Did something happen?"


[ Aerith ]
he existed once in reality,
a boy who dreamed of being a pirate.

   Perhaps she was too far transcendent to truly be incomprehensible of the way this intruder behaved. She watched the finicky movements. Hands that appeared to sweat, the gripping of clothing to suppress anxiety and the nervous glance at the screen. Where Vasn stared back at them through the confines of glass, a singular picture locked into the confines of cyberspace, the boy named Pence who should have known him appeared to play shallow. There was no acknowledgment much to the dismay of the committee. For some reason, Pence was pretending not to know who Vaan is. He deferred onto Roxas.

    Aerith felt her lips shift into a frown. There was a tug at her chest, appendages wrapping around her form, in order to conceal her own discomfort. How did someone disappear and never be remembered once? Wasn't that what happened to those who died? If this boy was indeed dead.. Did he look on as his friends forgot him?

    Never forget, never forget, never forget.

    She moved her hand seamlessly, avoiding breaking eyecontact with the young, slightly overweight boy who was standing awkwardly in the room. Her finger pressed the button that shut down the door leading out of the room. The door, a sliding metal one, slid down and effectively closed the room off from entry and exit. Only those who were familiar with corridors of light and darkness would be able to enter the mansion's basement now.

    In the confined room, she moved her hands into her lap, and offered Leon another inquisitive glance. Would they question him? Was it even appropriate? For Roxas's sake, she pressed another receptacle and opened a direct line of communication to Yen Sid's tower. It flickered on the screen, replacing the youthful grin that was present only moments ago on Vaan's features. The name, the face, the identity was gone.

    "Master Yen Sid, this is Aerith. I'm afraid we have too much on our hands here.. Would you be willing to send someone else here to help?" she asked, voice rising a pitch to support the outflux of her kind, flowery personality. She made sure to obscure the view of Pence with her body. When affirmation arrived, she moved the screen back to Vaan.

    Intimidate him. Intimidate him until he said he knew who that was. An innocent life in danger.

    "I hope they send Lea or Xion," she offered. "Roxas needs a friend.. Vaan certainly did, and had none. Don't you think that's tragic?"

[ Yuna ]
(Writing as Pence.)

Oh no, the door!

Pence turned around, wildly racing for the door as it was sliding closed. He smacked into the sliding door as soon as it closed, hands gripping it tightly. He didn't want to let go of it. His knuckles turned white, breathing rising. He could almost feel his heartbeat out of his chest. Never did they think that these strange people from outside worlds would be dangerous to them. Roxas had been a friend, maybe in another world. But the danger from outsiders was there.

He turned back around slowly, largely to come face to face once again with the blue eyed boy gazing at him from the screen. The screen he had manipulated to help Roxas out was now being used for another purpose. To show them something that wasn't possible.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he lied. His voice quivered though. it was clear he was lying. He held his own head, lip turning red from the simple effort of biting his lip. There was something dangerous about where he was, who he was talking to. Roxas would never hurt them. Sora wouldn't even do that. But he didn't trust the woman who closed the exit. He felt like he was cornered. "Let me go. I didn't do anything wrong! I shouldn't have come here!" he urged. His back pressed into the metal wall, hands feeling for some way out. A special pulley.

Anything.