Author's Note: I tried to do something experimental here, switching between Riku's and Donald's POV. If it becomes too confusing to read, and let me know. I apologize for the long delay.

Why did Riku go to Radiant Garden? After all, he was a (former) henchman of Maleficent, who once conquered and despoiled it. But, he was also a former henchman of Ansem the Wise, who once ruled it. This meant he shared some top-secret info with the late king.

Such as the password to his top-secret files in his study's computer.

But even that didn't work, nor did an extensive amount of tinkering at the computer thereafter. Someone had hacked into the computer beforehand and corrupted all files pertaining to Nobodies. So much for that. They knew it must have been hacked, for Tron strongly denied the computer ever had such files – a sure sign of memory tampering.

"Didn't Sora tell you? From his second visit? He got nothin' good from the computer. Except for a picture of Ansem," said Cid over his shoulder.

"All relevant data have been corrupted," said Merlin next to Cid.

"Demyx. Demyx must have done this," the silver-haired teen remembered. Sora encountered and defeated the Organization member soon after accessing this computer, during the siege. Why else was Demyx at Radiant Garden, formerly known as Hallow Bastion? Surely not to challenge Sora; that guy could hack, but could he fight?

I told them they were sending the wrong guy...

"So … what are you gonna do now? Join Kairi in Twilight Town?" asked Cid. The middle-aged man scratched an itch under his chin. "You think maybe Ansem uses the same password for every computer?"

"Nonsense!" Merlin objected. "That would be most unwise!"

Riku shrugged, "Merlin's right. Ansem wasn't called 'the Wise' for nothing." Still, that wasn't an idea not worth trying. But not so soon; he refused give up so easily. Riku turned around, facing the two older men. "Since I'm still here, maybe you can help me out. Let's brainstorm a way to crack this computer."

Merlin nodded. "Any burden of Disney Castle, we'll gladly share."

Cid rubbed his nose once. "Helps if we know what kinda burden it is first."

The two men were watching him most closely, Riku noticed. Watching for signs of treachery, perhaps? He couldn't blame them; he was an underling of Maleficent, after all, and later a person so seeped in darkness he changed his very form. Reminds me. I'll have to watch Rufaus closely every time we meet. "A new group. Dark City Government, DarkGov for short," he explained. "Or just the Government. It was an ally to Organization XIII."

"More Nobodies?" Merlin wondered, raising a white eyebrow.

"DarkGov?" Cid snorted. "What a name. What is it, a sister organization?"

"You can say that. Different uniform, same aura of evil. They want something to do with Organization XIII. That's why they took Roxas in. Now they're planning something big. We don't know what," Riku said. "Not until Donald returns from his spy mission." Or the fairies. Kairi thinks they're just late. Are they?

"So that's why you want his files. The DTD, Door to Darkness," mused Merlin. Sora never did get access to the contents of the DTD, he learned from Cid.

"You think he was more information on Nobodies in there?" asked Cid.

Riku nodded. "Yeah, notes not from the secret Ansem reports." These notes would be nowhere as polished or complete as those released ones, he knew. But even half-done musings were better than none. "Our mistake was thinking Organization XIII was the end-all be-all for Nobodies. Xemnas wasn't it." He sighed. "We know so little of Nobodies."

"Indeed," agreed Merlin. The blue-draped wizard went off to grab chairs for himself, Riku, and Cid. Brainstorming was better if everyone was comfortably seated. "Unlike the Heartless, which mindlessly spread from world to world, the Nobodies kept themselves secret for as long as possible," he mused.

Riku gasped, "Until last year!" He nearly fell out of his chair the moment he sat on it. Castle Oblivion! Perfect timing, wasn't it? Right after we defeated the fake Ansem …

"Right! Right when Sora got the Keyblade," said Cid. "Wonder how that got 'em all riled up?" The middle-aged man plopped himself on his chair, pondering. He needed a smoke. Right when a new Key Bearer came about, thought Riku. Cid is onto something…

"We have to unlock these notes," said Riku. "How…? Merlin, can't you…"

The wizard shook his head. "Magic and machines must not be mixed, my friend."

"Trust me, tried it before," quipped Cid. "It's very risky. That last time … my damn keyboard blew up." Still, were not for the loony wizard special, corrupted computer files would have been the least of their troubles right now.

"But it can be done," Riku said. He felt hope. They tried it before, and the keyboard blew up, but it worked. He tugged at that hope. "Even as a last resort, it can be done. Keyboards are replaceable."

"But this computer ain't!" said Cid. "That last time, my computer nearly blew up too, just so to warn ya. I blame Merlin here." He cocked his thumb at the blue wizard.

"It was not my fault!" fumed Merlin. "It was you and your haphazard typing!"

Sensing the prelude to a fight, Riku stood up and urged, "Guys! We have to work together. Sora taught me that. C'mon, he's counting on us to bring him back." And destroy DarkGov. I don't care what Roxas thinks of DarkGov, he is not Sora.

He is not Sora. That mantra saved his life once.

His plea worked. Spurred by the memory of their mutual friend, Cid and Merlin nodded as one. From there, they worked together to conceptualize the Loony Wizard Special, Mark II.

At least, Cid and Merlin did.

What could Riku do? He had neither skill in programming nor wizardry. "We'll call you in as soon as we're done," Cid consoled him. "Mind you, projects like this a huge chunk of time. The first special took a whole day. This one's gonna take longer."

So the teen traversed the streets of Radiant Garden. Oh, how has it changed! "Not changed, restored," Aerith had told him. "This town looks just like its old self now."

The young woman spoke true. In place of a skeleton of a village (and a monster of a citadel before that) was a beauty of a picturesque postcard town, lined with shops and roofed homes. Clean grey cobblestone streets provided a nice contrast to the sky, no longer purple. Kairi would call it a storybook scene. Sora would call it awesome. Rufaus would call it kitsch.

Riku would call it a pity that he, Sora, and Kairi had not visited Radiant Garden earlier, like they had planned back when they first got their red gummi ship. Just the three of them ….

Since Cid had warned that the Loony Wizard Special, Mk. II will take at least a day (possibly more) it was best if Riku report back to Disney Castle first … after he visited the Market first, the teen decided. Riku bought some new accessories from Huey (Or was it Dewy? Which color corresponded to which triplet?), and a sea-salt ice cream stick from Scrooge, and whiled away some minutes. Seeing the old duck made him think of Scrooge's nephew. I wonder how Donald's doing ….

Donald was not doing too well right now.

Not that he was in any state of injury or anything. Far from it; he was in perfect health. He had hi-potions to thank for that. For the first time in his life, the feathered magician cursed the invention of potions and elixirs. His interrogator had used them to lengthen her "session." The wizard thought back to her hour with him, and shivered …

SWAP! "OW!" WHACK! "OWWW!" SLAP!

"Talk." Her gaze seemed as merciless as an arctic sea.

"I'm not talking, lady!"

"You will talk." SWISH! SMACK! Her weapon was a violet cat o' nine tales.

The lady would whap him silly, then heal him with her potions, then she would start all over again. That way, she could continue for as long as she liked. Until Donald cracked, or she got bored or busy with something else. Luckily, the second option occurred, and she had two Dusks escort Donald to a cell. The magician, thanks to a lifetime of enduring pranks at the hands of his nephews (one involved firecrackers), a stint in the royal navy before becoming a court magician, and other experiences, was not as traumatized as one would fear. Not right now. But the lady was right. Donald would crack eventually and talk, he feared.

By her, or by these awful surroundings? This jail was the most dreary Donald had ever encountered. Blank, bare, endless rows of identical clear cells, blinded by fluorescent lightning, hard plastic walls instead of airy iron bars, there was nothing nice or atmospheric about these dungeons. Donald felt he would whither in his cell. It reminded him of an office building, of all places.

He heard faint footsteps, and the duck gulped. Then he listened more closely and realized it was not the lady's harsh tap-tap, but a soft paddling. It was a sound he associated with … "Goofy?"

"Hiya Donald!" the knight whispered. "Had to search the entire building to find ya!"

"Goofy …"

"Uh-huh?" The knight listened in more closely.

"What's Pete doing here?"

"Hey! Don't look a gift horse in d'mouth!" snorted the fat cat next to Goofy. "Yer sooooo ungrateful! If it weren't for me, d'Goof here would still be – MMF!"

The fatso was yammering too loud, so Goofy clamped his mouth shut and whispered, "Maleficent's the reason the fairies are gone; Pete told me so. DarkGov's got nothing to do with them."

"Really?" That's good, mission accomplished, kinda. We know what happened to them now, if it's true. But was it true? "How'd you know Pete told ya the truth?"

"I did tell him the truth!" Pete protested. "I showed him the mirror, even!"

Ignoring Pete, Donald continued, "How'd you get Pete here with you?"

"Simple. Pete here's my prisoner. See?" Goofy reassured.

"It wasn't a fair fight! Can't help it dat I'm outta practice!" Pete muttered under this breath. "Holdin' a castle is hard work!" He clenched and unclenched his manacled wrists. Recent months have made him fatter and scruffier than usual, Donald noted. Goofy and Pete must have met and fought at the Castle, and Goofy must have won. Then what happened?

"The Brink of Despair was swamped with Heartless and Nobodies when we arrived," Goofy confessed, answering his question. "My ship was long kaput. Then Pete suggested we join up with you, if it wasn't too late."

"Your ship better be parked in a better place!" Pete butted in. "Oh! And you better treat me good! I was the one who had maps to Dark City and DarkGov HQ! I was the one who guided Goofy here under DarkGov's nose! I was th – MFF!" Goofy wisely shut Pete's big fat mouth again.

"My ship's at the Alley to Between!" Donald explained tersely. "Now get me outta here!"

They tried, to no avail. There was no way to break those walls open – the full impact of a killer whale and a tidal wave against them could not make them budge. There was no way to magick them open, either – Donald tried before. These walls were 100 magic-proof.

"Oh, I give up!" Pete finally huffed. "Goof, we gotta leave the duck behind."

Goofy protested, "Nuh-uh! We came for Donald, and we're not leavin' without 'im!"

Pete had no qualms with that. "Heh heh, fine by me! I'm going to the Alley in Between! Thanks for the ship, duck!" He sprinted away unexpectedly (his legs weren't manacled), running as fast as his fat legs could carry his fatter bulk. Soon, in the distance, duck and dog heard fast footsteps, a yell, a collision, and sounds of fighting. Stupid Pete just got himself caught, didn't he?

By Dusks, probably.

They were different from Organization XIII Dusks. Organization Ducks had open gaping mouths and forearms bounded by tight blue straps. These Dusks were the reverse. Their jaws, zipped and bound, could not open, but their hands were free, showing long, thin clawed fingers. They waved their hands dangerously, promising hurt with those fingers.

So, Government Dusks follow a different dress code than Organization Dusks, Riku thought grimly. He took out his trusty short sword. Who knew?

"Uh – oh!" Yuffie quipped nearby. She took out her giant ninja star. Scrooge McDuck simply ran for dear life and cover.

Their dress code was different, but their attack patterns were largely the same: diverting movements, Reversal, the works. They also liked to use their hands to grab at opponents' weapons and try to fling them away. Sometimes it worked.

"Hey!" Yuffie cried as her star was taken away. Fortunately, she had extras. "Ha! Come and get it!"

The battle was long, but more annoying than difficult. Riku made sure to keep a tight grip on his sword the whole time through. No worries! It was only after the last Dusk was destroyed that Riku got worried. Why did Dusks come here? This could mean only one thing …

"What's wrong, lad?" Scrooge asked when he came back out, shivering and snow-covered. A fridge does not a good hiding-place make!

"The computer," the silver-haired teen fretted. "Demyx hacked it. I mean, he hacked it before. Right now, Cid and Merlin are trying to un-hack it. They were alone…"

"Cid and Merlin working together?" The ninja giggled. "Get outta town!"

"Didn't they work before? During the episode with Sark and the MCP?" Riku took out a potion and chugged it down. The Dusks were just a distraction to keep us busy! There's probably a Government member inside Ansem's study already right now! He dashed off at once. "Yuffie, tell Leon! Cid and Merlin are in danger!"

No they weren't. On the plus side, the Loony Wizard Special, Mk. II was finished. "Hey ... you got back just in time," greeted Cid groggily. "We were about to call you, yeah …"

"Really? It's done?" Riku felt relieved and stupid. They weren't in danger? What was up with the Dusks? "So soon?" Now he felt puzzled. But it's only been an hour. They said it was going to be a day, at least.

"Yes … in the time we predicted," murmured an equally groggy Merlin. "Twenty … twenty four hours. Trust us, we counted them." Indeed, it seemed true. Cid and Merlin certainly looked like they stayed up for twenty four arduous hours. Merlin's beard was disheveled and uncombed, like a wild white whirlwind. Cid had a dull look on his face and bags under his eyes.

Proof of their work: on the desk was the nearly completed Loony Wizard Special, Mk. II. One could tell that hours and hours of careful coding and hard work went into it. "Thank you … Cid, Merlin," said Riku. He gingerly picked up the enchanted, enhanced disc and inserted it into the computer. "Are you sure it's been a day?"

"Of course," observed Merlin. "How it can be not?"

"But it's only been an hour. It's true. Go outside and ask anyone what day it is."

"Nope. Been exactly twenty-four hours since we got crackin'. No more jokes, kid … now we're gonna rest," said Cid. He and Merlin went to lullaby-land that instant; so much for telling them about the Dusks.

The Dusks! He hoped Yuffie told Leon by now. If the Dusks weren't here to attack Cid and Merlin (How could they? Who else would know of their project?), why did they come? Was it a feint? To draw Riku away from something else? What in Radiant Garden would the Nobodies want? They already have Roxas. Thoughts of Dusks turned into thoughts of Dark City Government, as Riku watched the Loony Wizard Special, Mk. II load on the computer.

Is a DarkGov member snooping around Radiant Garden right now?

This one had wavy sepia hair that fell to her shoulders and a tattoo of vertical lines on her right cheek. Tall and gorgeous, she wore her robe like a gown. Her face was beautiful, but one minute with her and you knew she did not deserve her beauty; she was so cold. But her eyes were the most terrible thing. Ice-blue in color, they saw Donald, and they hated. The duck kept his cool, however.

"Are you responsible for the appearance of that lackey of Maleficent?" she asked.

"I'm not telling you anything!" he told her. He wondered what happened to Pete.

She shook her head most faintly. "You will. Cooperate with me and you won't have to."

"Have to what?" Suffer?He could see it now; does she want him to willingly spill the beans on what Disney Castle knows and plans in exchange for less lashes? Fat chance! He'd rather work with Pete! "Over my dead body!" Donald spat. And spat for real, on the cell wall facing the lady.

The female DarkGov member looked upon her prisoner in distaste. "That stunt of yours was in bad taste. You'll learn to behave properly in front of your betters." Her grip on her weapon tightened.

In retaliation, Donald stuck out his tongue: "Phhhhppppttttfffff!" He didn't know why – that act would just earn him even more lashes, wouldn't it? – but he felt triumphant. Soon, he will be triumphant. How's that for bad taste, lady? "Whatever you're planning, you won't get a word out of me!"

"I won't," said the lady. She pointed behind her, her arm as straight as a fishing rod. "They will." Then Donald saw the Nobodies under her command. Uh-oh, she didn't bring Dusks.

They looked nothing like their mistress; huge, lumbering, potbellied beasts, they wore spiked whips around their shoulders and loose hoods over their heads. They look like executioners, the duck thought grimly. All they need is a guillotine. No time for careful dialogue - time for desperate measures! The magician bluffed, "If you're so smart, do your job yourself!"

She smiled. "We can try that during the third session, if there is one."

"What, first time around broke you down?" Donald retorted. "I bet you're past your prime, you old … you old widow!" .

That taunt was on purpose; years living with Daisy had taught Donald that females of all stripes hated being called old. Mention of her age roused the lady's ire, judging from her fading smile. At least he provoked her to distraction. That too was on purpose. "What did you say?" she inquired almost politely.

"I said you're an old widow!" Widow? I meant to say wrinkled old hag. Whoa, I didn't mean to upset her that much.

"Am I a widow? Do I look like a widow?"

"Are you?" That question just slipped out of his beak. "Did the Heartless take him?"

"No, a stupid loud-mouthed bore just like you." Quick as two flashes, she teleported him out of his cell, to his secret delight. Yeah, the plan worked! I'm out! "My lord husband will deal with you first," she seethed, clutching Donald's right arm with one hand, raising her cat o' nine tails with the other. Uh-oh.

The nearest Nobody lumbered toward the trapped duck. My lady, let us wait until we are in the interrogation chamber.

"Oh no you don't!" yelled Donald. That would ruin everything! Besides, he was on a roll! "C'mon lady, I dare ya! I dare you to hit me! C'mon, c'mon!"

The lady turned to face him, a sour retort on her lips – and was whacked in the head by an invisible shield. GOOOONG! Hurray for Knocksmash! Still invisible, Goofy ran forth to rescue his friend. That was the plan all along – Donald would provoke the lady into freeing him, then Goofy - an invisibility spell having been cast on him - would catch her unawares!

Hopefully; they didn't expect so many Nobodies to deal with.

Because the DarkGov member was clutching Donald like a trout clutching a lure, Donald braced himself for some collateral damage. Then he remembered something and yelled, "Goofy, watch out! The whip's poisoned!"

The lady demonstrated by lashing Donald in the beak. "Donald!" Goofy yelped.

There was a crash and a bump – Goofy had slammed his shield onto the lady's forearm - and Donald was loosed. But when he hit the floor, he did not get up. How could he? He was poisoned, and he had no magic to cure himself. "Donald!" he heard Goofy cry again. He felt woozy, seasick, strange …

"This is strange," said Leon. Riku had to agree.

The Dusks weren't after Cid or Merlin at all. They were after … some objects excavated from the fallen citadel formerly known as Hallow Bastion. The place was nearly cleared, its findings catalogued.

"They weren't after important stuff, either," observed Yuffie. "You'd think they'd go after all that lab equipment we found." The machines that created all those artificial Heartless, for example. No one would encounter Soldiers or Air Pirates again.

"What did they go after?" asked Riku.

"This," Leon said, and reached into his pocket, and gave Riku a list. It revealed itself to be the most boring list in existence; a list of everything the Hallow Bastion Restoration Committee found and excavated from the fallen citadel before Maleficent took it over (again). Machines, computers, furniture, miscellaneous items ….

One item on the list had a checkmark next to it.

"Was this one of the stolen objects?" Riku asked Leon; the elder man nodded. The object in question was a picture frame, made of wood. A picture frame? Riku tried to wrap his head around it, failed. What does DarkGov want with a lousy picture frame?

"Slippery, aren't they?" said Yuffie, reading over his shoulder. "Maybe all this was just a diversion to throw us off. Or to scare us! You know, make us go around in circles."

"That could be it," said Scrooge, eavesdropping. "But that would be a wasteful venture!"

"Scrooge's right. There has to be a reason for these objects being stolen," said Riku. An important reason … but what? What was the significance of a picture frame, a pocket watch, a wrinkled postcard, a lab journal, a photo album, and a camera? Next thing you know, they're stealing candy. Yuffie's right … this is slippery.

The lady was as slippery as a fish, but she fought like a poisonous water snake.

Her weapon flashed here and there like cobra tongues, promising venom with a touch. Goofy took care to stay far, far away from its reach after his initial attack. But that meant he could not reach his friend. Meanwhile, Donald remained slumped on the floor, woozy and weak, health rapidly diminishing.

Goofy's not doing too well, thought Donald dully. If only he hadn't cried out before. Then again, being invisible didn't prevent the Chameleon Heartless from being trashed by Sora and co. back in Deep Jungle. How could it be different here?

One of the large Nobodies lashed its whip against Goofy's shield. Goofy knocked it back, making it collide with a second Nobody. He was having more luck with the lady's underlings, at least. They were better bullies than fighters. Then something totally unexpected happened; the lady went over to Donald and gave him a hi-potion, healing him. "Huh?" wondered Goofy. Meanwhile, the Nobodies stopped fighting.

"What?" went Donald. He sensed something fishy.

Sure enough, the lady hoisted him high like a fisherman displaying his catch. "Surrender and he will remain healthy and unhurt," the lady told Goofy. "Fight and I will inject him with a poison that is immediately fatal and has no antidote."

"Fight, Goofy!" Donald sputtered. "She's bluffing!"

"I'm not bluffing."

"Yes you are! What kinda poison doesn't come with an antidote?" he sneered.

"One that works too fast to administer an antidote in time," she said factually.

"Um … oh." Donald giggled nervously; he knew that! Then he got an idea (A pity he didn't think of it before, back when he was dizzy from the poison.); he bit the lady in the forearm. She shrieked, but didn't let go. But she was distracted! Donald pantomimed madly to Goofy.

Goofy understood, and Donald got his magic back: hurray for MP Gift! "THUNDER!" cried the duck triumphantly.

The lady screamed as she was fried. Stupid woman! Still she won't let go! Instead she lashed him across the face. Luckily, Donald cast Curaga before the dizziness set back in. Meanwhile, the large Nobodies resumed fighting Goofy.

"FIRE! BLIZZARD!" Donald sputtered over and over. "THUNDER! Let go of my arm, you stupid widow! INVISIBLITY!" Whoosh! He narrowly escaped a lash from her lord husband. Were he not invisible, it would have struck true, and venomously.

In the chaotic melee, Goofy threw his shield like a Frisbee, intending to hit the woman – BONK! It struck Donald on the head instead.

Next thing Donald knew, everything was dark and cold and wetness was dripping all over his face. Am I dead? I feel so cold. Is this wetness blood? "Are you okay, Donald?" came the Goof's nearby voice. Gradually, the duck's eyesight lightened and cleared, and he realized he was alive; he was fine, just weak and woozy. His face was wet because Goofy just splashed his face with an elixir.

"Wugh … what happened?"

"We escaped," said Goofy. "I, um … I beat her, a-hyuck!"

That sounds iffy. Oh well, I'm too glad to ask now. I'm so glad, I feel like a million munny! "Where's Pete?"

"Gone," Goofy acknowledged sadly.

"Where are we?"

"Still in DarkGov HQ."

"What?" Oh no, were they captured? Then Donald noticed three strange things. First, he couldn't see Goofy, or his hands; they were still invisible. Second, their surroundings sure were cold and cramped! What was this place, an air vent? So it was!

"What should we do next, Donald?" inquired Goofy.

"Um …" Escape! Leave! Go to the Alley in Between! But Donald heard faint distant voices, and curiously overcame caution; he had a duty to Disney Castle – or maybe it was the poison influencing his head. He motioned Goofy to follow, and the two crawled silently through some ducts until they reached a vent opening. They peered below.

"You lost them? How could you lose your own prisoners, Lady Katherine?"

"With all due respect, Mayor, I was unconscious. And furthermore -"

"Furthermore you are a weak fighter, we know, women usually are. I understand - whoa, watch where you put that whip! It's true! There were statistics in my world!"

The first voice sounded like W. S. Johnson, and the second was definitely the lady's. Lady Katherine, her name was? Donald peered in closer, carefully and silently. It would kill him to be captured a second time. It like delight him to escape literally above the vile woman's nose. "If it gladdens you, the new prisoner has been very talkative," Lady Katherine was saying.

"You mean that fat lackey?"

"Yes." Lady Katherine's voice gained a business-like tone. "From him, we know this: Maleficent went to her homeworld in order to invoke the demise of Princess Aurora. She intends to return as soon as she deals with Aurora's fiancé, Prince Philip, as well. In the meantime, she left the Castle that Never Was in Pete's keeping."

W. S. sucked in his incisors. "Now that Pete is caught … great! Roxas' gonna love this! I love this! Finally, we have some good news for our meeting!" Above, Donald and Goofy shuddered. Donald could not believe it. It's true. Everything Pete told us was true … wait, a meeting?

"I suppose that means you plan our next meeting will be soon?"

"Yeah, send for everyone, including Roxas. I hate delays."

With that, Lady Katherine left the room. Only now did Donald notice the room below was not the same room as where he had spied Crypus talking to W. S. earlier. This room was larger, lighter-colored (still grey), wooden-floored, and fitted with a rectangular table and eight swivel chairs. It looked like a business meeting room, of all places. Again with the office space similes …

Goofy, anxious to find an escape, nudged his friend, but Donald remained fixed in place. They've come too far to leave now (Besides, who would look for them up here? Who could look at them? They were invisible!)! Besides they were kinda trapped. Oh well. Our mission continues! Now that they know what Maleficent is up too, let them now learn what Dark City Government is up to!

"What is Dark City Government up to?" lamented Riku. "Making a memorial to Organization XIII?"

The six missing objects turned out to have belonged to Ansem's six apprentices – Xehanort, Briag, Dilan, Even, Elaeus, Inzeno. "Weird. Told ya it was a feint," said Yuffie. "Cheer up! At least you got what you came for."

"Right … you're absolutely right." Strangely enough, what Yuffie said was true. Dusks and time distortions aside, Riku's mission had been most uneventful; everything went off as planned. He hoped Kairi's mission was just as peaceful.

Meanwhile, Cid and Merlin still haven't figured out the cause of their twenty four hours / one hour mystery (It didn't help that they were still asleep!).