---Sora53: -snore- -snore-
Fans: -snore- -snore-
Corita: -snore- -snore-
Joe: Hmm...they're asleep! TIME FOR THE TORTURE! -opens a random door- -Naminé walks in-
Naminé: Uh...what am I doing here?
Joe: Naminé, rewrite their memories!
Naminé: Hmm, okay.---

Disclaimer: Yeah, I don't own Kingdom Hearts or CoM. But I own Corita. Haha.

"This is insane." Corita muttered under her breath as the group left the vacant house. "How could this happen? They forget us, yet they remember us...what the heck's up with this castle?"
"I don't know..." Sora said thoughtfully. "The man at the start told us...that this town is an illusion created by these." He said, holding up some cards. The group walked down the steps that lead from the vacant house down into the wide area of the Third District. Everything was the same...the fountain, the wide door, the map.
"Look, it's Cid!" Donald said, pointing a feathered finger at a figure standing near the fountain.
"You're right!" Goofy said. "Gawrsh, let's go say hi!"
The group dashed up to the lone figure, who's back was to them. As he heard the footsteps approaching, he turned around, a grin on his face. "Well, whaddaya know. It's Sora!" He said as the group stopped in front of him. The grin from his face vanished in an instant as he looked down at the blue-eyed hero. "Wait, what am I saying? I don't know you."
"I guess everyone in Traverse Town is like this..." Sora said sadly.
"But you do LOOK like a Sora, what with the spiky hair and baggy pants... Guess I just call 'em like I see 'em."
"It's okay, Cid. That's my name." Sora muttered calmly, crossing his arms.
"So you've heard of me! Well, I can't say as I'm surprised." Cid said proudly.
"Anyway, maybe you can help us out. A friend of mine's supposed to be somewhere in this castle...er, town." Sora corrected himself quickly when he saw Cid's confused expression.
"Yer friend, huh?" Cid asked.
"Yeah! His name is Riku! He has silver hair and..." Corita started to say, but Cid held up a hand to stop her.
"Sorry, kiddos. Lately all this town sees is Heartless. Can't even take two steps without gettin' attacked. This plaza's the worst. Word is we'll have a jumbo-sized Heartless on our hands when that bell rings. If you value your hide, you'll get out of here while the gettin's good."
Cid took one last look at the area around them, and then stalked off towards the vacant house.
"Gawrsh, maybe we should go." Goofy said after Cid was no longer visable.
"Don't you want to see the Heartless?" Sora asked.
"No, we don't!" Corita said sternly. "Don't you remember? Every time you ask us that, it winds up with us almost getting killed...THE BELL!"
"Sora, look out!" Donald squawked as the light began to surround him. As Sora's friends began to turn into cards yet again, the bell's ringing caused an echo through the whole plaza, and a loud rumbling from behind him...

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"GAH! There's no one here..." Riku cried as he climbed the final flight of stairs to the Castle Chapel. Glaring at the doorway he'd gone in so many times, he approached it one last time. Throwing it open, he stepped through the doorway and proceeded down the hallway. In front of him, facing the opposite direction.
"I knew you'd return, Riku." came the cold, cruel voice of Maleficent. The witch turned to face Riku, who was staring up at her with mixed emotions.
"Maleficent! You're alive?!" Riku yelled.
"You haven't been paying attention. I am but a figment of your memory." She said calmly, staring down at Riku.
"Of all the people I had to run into, it had to be you..." Riku muttered as he turned his head away from her eyes.
"Who else? Your heart is steeped in darkness. You can only see people who exist in that same darkness...people like me."
"No..." He said softly, still refusing to look at her.
"Be grateful you have someone to keep you company. Your heart is empty. Were it not for the darkness in your heart...you would be completely alone." She said icily.
"That's sounding pretty good right about now." Riku said coolly, looking back up at her with loathing in his eyes.
"Come, now. You once clung to me to sate your hunger for darkness. You want me here. Who else but I can give you the darkness you long for?" Riku was silent for a few moments. He looked up at the witch, and she stared down at him, her eyes mocking him.
"There was a time I did want you around." He said slowly. "I surrendered my heart to the dark. But never again. You and your darkness have nothing to offer. All I did was lose myself... Empty myself! I'm finished with all that. If I'm stuck seeing people like you, people of the dark... I'll take you out one...by...one." He said angrily, whisking out his sword.
"Then don't forget to take yourself out last. Because you, like me, are one of the dark." She said, her voice growing more menacing.
"That's fine with me. I turned to darkness because my heart was weak. I hate that weakness. It's like I'm my own enemy. And seeing people like you embrace the darkness just makes it worse! Enough talk, Maleficent." Riku growled, gripping the handle of his sword tightly.
"So you hate the darkness enough to fight it... Oh, the agony you must feel! Let me end your pain, Riku...end it forever with the wondrous power of darkness!"

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"So your friend wasn't here?" Yuffie asked kindly as she looked at Sora. "No, I don't think I'll find him in this town. But he's somewhere in this castle. I just know it."
"Castle? Like this whole town's inside some humongous castle? Hoo, that's rich!" Cid boomed heartily.
"He's probably right, Cid. We may not understand what's going on, but Sora does. He can see that reality is bigger than just this world." Leon explained calmly.
"I wish I was that sure..." Sora said sadly.
"You'll be okay, Sora. No matter what shape reality takes, you can handle it. I may not remember you, but I know you in my heart." Leon said as he looked at Sora.
"Leon..."
"Take care, Sora." Yuffie said as she turned away.
"I'm a little lost...but best of luck anyway." Cid said, and he turned and followed Yuffie and Leon back to the vacant house.

Sora stood in the middle of the plaza, staring at the ground. He was alone now, utterly alone...
"Sora! We're back!" Goofy called from behind him. Sora turned to see his three friends in a pile behind him, untangling themselves from each other. The light that surrounded them was fading away, and Coritayelled outas Donald stood up onto her foot.
"OW! Donald...my foot!"
Sora smiled as he turned back to the fountain, but Aerith stood there now, looking at him with her kind eyes.
"What's wrong?" Sora asked. Behind him, he heard Corita and Donald's argument cease.
"I don't have all the answers, but there's something I thought you should know. Your memories created this town, right?" Aerith asked.
"That's what the guy who gave me the card said."
"If that's true, then this town is just a figment of your mind...and so are we." Aerith muttered with a touch of sadness in her voice.
"But...you can't be a figment! You're standing right here. The town is here, too!" Sora yelled.
"But I'm not really me. I don't remember the things I should. I sense things I shouldn't. Sora, beware your memories. In the journey to come, you'll be faced with more illusions. Sometimes the shadows of your memory will deceive you, try to lead you astray."
"So, uh...what exactly does that mean?"
"I'm just another illusion, Sora. The truth is out of my reach."
"Don't say stuff like that. It's depressing..." Sora muttered sadly.
"No, Sora! You mustn't let illusions distract you from what's truly important." Aerith told him.
"Okay." He said, more confidence in his voice.

"Sora!" Corita called to her brother. Sora turned around, and found that the three of them had stood up, and Donald was no longer standing on Corita's foot.
"...are you ready to go?" Goofy asked.
"Yeah, I'll be right there." Sora called to them. "Well, Aerith, I'd better be going... Aerith?" Sora said, looking at where she'd been standing. There was nothing there, however...nothing but the empty town.
"What about her?" Donald asked.
"She's gone! I was just talking to her, and now she's gone!" He cried wildly, running forward to where she'd been.
"Sora, Aerith was never there." Corita told him, stepping forward.
"Huh?!" He said, turning towards her.
"You were standing her by yourself. We wondered what was going on..." She said, walking towards him.
"So this is what she meant..." Sora muttered to himself.
"Sora? Did you say something?" Corita asked.
"No, nothing...let's get going." Sora said, looking up at Corita.
"Yeah!" Corita yelled happily, and she ran back to Donald and Goofy. Sora followed her, and they headed back towards the exit to town.

---Sora53: -snore- -snore-
Fans: -snore- -snore-
Corita: -snore- -snore-
Naminé: It is done, all-powerful Joe. When they wake up, their memories will be rewritten.
Joe: -cheesy grin- I LOVE being evil!
Sora/Riku Fangirls: Wh00t! Riku AND Sora goodness!
Naminé: ...maybe I should get out of here before they wake up...---