It was the Usual Spot at high noon. Sultry, hot wind swept in through the open beams that made up the ceiling and out under the maroon sheet which was masquerading as a door. A box in the corner, which had been converted into a trash can, was overflowing with sea-salt ice cream wrappers, and the cash box's open drawer was empty.

"Hayner," a brown haired girl in the corner panted, "it's really hot."

"Duh," Hayner muttered from his spot on the ground. "We all know that." The blond boy had taken off his token vest and had rolled up his camouflage pants in an attempt to forget what he had just pointed out was impossible to ignore.

Only one person in the room seemed unbothered by the heat. "If you two are so hot, why not ride on the train? The town line is still free, and you can put up the windows to catch the wind."

Olette glared at her friend. "That would be a great idea, Pence, if I could get up. How do you keep on going like that?"

Pence looked up from the book he was reading and grinned. "It's a talent."

On the floor, Hayner was getting impatient. "Pence had a good idea, Olette. I vote we go and think about what to do after that."

"Hayner. I'm really too hot to move."

Hayner frowned and jumped up in that energetic way of his. "Not buts! Pence, let us carry the lady to the station."

Pence smiled again and nodded, tucking his book under his (remarkably long sleeved) arm. Olette gave the surrounding world angry glares. At the point where both her friends were tugging on her arms, though, she gave in. "Fine," the girl snapped. "I hope this is a good idea."

Pence shrugged. "Doesn't matter either way. Seifer was saying that he'd be along to 'check up on us,' as summer's just starting. It would be best to be away."

"I really hate that guy," Hayner muttered as the trio walked out the doorway.

"We noticed," Pence and Olette said at once.

"What?" Hayner said defensively. "Don't you guys?"

"Sure," Pence replied automatically as he turned the corner and headed for the Tram Common. "But I'd rather back you up than fight him myself."

Olette nodded, a grim look on her face. For a while, the three walked in silence. Posters proclaiming the upcoming Struggle match were plastered on every wall. People walked at a sluggish pace as the heat danced in waves across the streets. After a while, even the walking ceased and Olette stopped in the shade of an overhanging. No one protested, so she sat down.

"I've thought about our options," Pence said after a while. "The first is that we go to the trail station as planned. It would probably take us fifteen minutes to get there, and that's in the boiling hot sun. Second option is that we head to the tunnels. It's like a cave down there, as you both know. Nice and stable, all year 'round."

At this point, Olette looked up, while Hayner put his hands on the wall he was leaning against, ready to spring up.

"One deterrent from going there is that most everyone would think of that, including Seifer." Pence sighed. "As we don't want to go home, one of the best placed I can think of going would be the forest."

Hayner got up slowly. "We haven't been there for a while."

"A few months," Olette agreed, slowly letting go the idea of the tunnels.

"Let's go," Hayner said resolutely. "I want to get somewhere."

Pence laughed. "You always do. Either way, I gotta' agree. It would be the best place for not getting interrupted and staying cool at the same time."

"Then let's go!" Hayner insisted.

Olette gave a brief smile. "Okay, then."

The forest wasn't far away. There was a swift couple minute walk until the friends came to a large gap in the town wall. Cool and defiantly green smells wafted from the hole, as if it were trying to become a separate world. For some purposes, it had. And old smell lingered in the area, the plants shifted rather unwillingly to one's foot, and for the most part, the only sound was the wind in the trees. However, the best thing was—

"It's cool," Olette sighed, sinking onto the ground and becoming surrounded by the still dewy undergrowth.

Pence looked back at the first they had entered through. "Going a little further might be best," he said. "Come on, please?"

Olette yawned. "After this, when you let me sit down, I'm staying."

Hayner nodded reluctantly. "Fine. How about we go as far as the Old Mansion?"

Pence nodded and Olette yawned again. "Sure. Fine. I just want to cool off." The girl got up slowly and began to walk off in the direction o the mansion, her face still pink from the heat.

Hayner shook his head and smiled. Pence paused before jogging after him. "Hey! You know what I think? I think we should plan what to do this summer."

Hayner waited as Pence caught up. "We could do what we've done every summer since we met."

"Sit around and calculate how much money we need for more ice cream?" Pence stuck out his tongue in protest. "No thanks."

Hayner looked up. "The mansion is just up ahead—but about thinking stuff up, what, do you have an idea?"

Pence closed his eyes and laughed, half coughing at the same time. "…I was hoping you'd have some."

"I have an idea," Olette said from where she had slumped down at the edge of the clearing. "You could shut up, cool down, and listen to the forest for ten minutes."

"Fine," Pence mouthed, smiling.

The forest was quiet. Light bounced off the white walls surrounding the Old Mansion and onto the undergrowth, giving the light just the right quality to be surreal. The remnants of a fountain outside the gates reminded on of the rainbows that would've been surrounding it in it's prime, water sprinkling high over the top, to be barely caught in the basin below. On the other side of the gate, the ruined pillars were only sad remnants of what there used to be. The parts least touched by dirt and grime shone vaguely white and the bases of the pillars projected enough to be sat upon. However, one of the most entrancing things about the Old Mansion lay almost out of view. Obscured by gates and ruined marble, there was the front door. The twin doors were high and lovely; the handles were ornate, yet tarnished. It gave off the sense of old things like nothing else in the town.

Hayner leaned back against the tree the trio was resting beneath. He gave a slight sigh. "It's a beautiful day."

Pence slapped his book shut. Completely ignoring Hayner, he looked over the boy to where Olette was sitting. "How are you doing now?"

"Better," Olette said in a surprisingly agreeable tone. "I doubt I would stand well to more heat, though. Today's not an 'under the sun' day."

"No," Pence agreed slowly.

Hayner frowned. "So, supposing we had to stay out of the sun all day," he said, "What will we do?"

Olette looked up and around. "We've never been inside the Mansion."

"You're right," Pence nodded. "Now that I think about it, we've only been up to its doors. Never inside."

"There doesn't look to be many holes in the roof, either," Hayner added in an offhand way. "It wouldn't have the sunshine for the Lady Olette."

Olette smiled. "I think we know the next thing on our agenda, then." She stayed sitting for a moment, then got up. Hayner swiftly followed her lead, as did Pence, in a more casual manner.

The trio made their way up to the rubble of the fountain and Olette commented that it could use some repair. A little ways further and Pence helped Hayner open the large iron gate. It creaked loudly in protest before slowly swinging open. Within a moment, Hayner was walking through the courtyard to the large front doors. Pence paused, then dug in his pocket and produced a camera. Right as Hayner was about to tug on the handles, Pence took a shot. He gave a smile and walked up to veranda, where Hayner was grating one of the doors open. Then, in a shower of dust and high pitched squealing, the doors were flung open, and the three children gave gasps.

(So. Rain here. I can only hope you like this story. If you don't, that's all right. I'm writing it for practice, for happiness, and for exploration. For exploration, you say? Yeah, for exploration. I want to see where this can take me and I want to see what stories I can come up with. Stretch my mind. You know, that sort of stuff. I like Twilight Town and its characters. I think it's awesome. It deserves to be written about and have stories devoted to it.

I'm simply writing, here. Thanks for your time.)