Ed, Eddy, and Jonny had just entered the First District of Traverse Town. It was night time. Street lamps were on and there was hardly any activity going on about. Also, Tony wasn't present; he was waiting in the Gummi Ship.

They were in the same clothing, but with a few minor differences. Eddy was attired in a bright azure T-shirt with red replacing the purple collar and edges of the sleeves. Like his other shirt, a red, vertical line was on the right side. On his head was an azure cap that was turned backwards. His pants and shoes were still there. He was also equipped with the magic staff.

Ed followed him, slouching slightly backwards. He was still wearing the traffic cone as a helmet. His jacket had been replaced by a matching green vest. His shirt could be seen a lot better now.

Jonny wore the same clothes as before. Plank was nude, as always.

"Eddy!" Ed stopped the group and pointed up. "A star!"

Eddy looked.

"Whoa, it's going out!" Jonny exclaimed. "Isn't that awesome, Plank?"

One of the little lights in the sky brightened, blinked, and flashed out of existence.

"We'd better hurry," Eddy declared. He continued walking, this time towards a shop. "Where's that Key?" he asked with a frowned brow and folded arms.

"Don't you remember, Eddy?" Ed followed. "We gotta find Leon."

"I know."

"Hmmm," Jonny inspected the entrance to an alley to the left. He entered it, straying from the other two.

"Uhh, Eddy..," Ed tugged on his shirt. "I bet that if we--"

"Aww, what do you know, you lump?" Eddy interrupted with a wave of his free hand.

"Good question, Eddy," Ed stopped to think. "………………………nope," he shook his yellow head, "can't think of a thing." He shrugged.

Eddy entered the shop.

"C'mon, Jonny!" Ed called down the alley before following the pink boy.

Jonny didn't hear it. He was inspecting an unconscious body resting against the wall.

"Do you think he's dead, Plank?" he asked the plank.

No answer.

"Are you sure?" it was as if Plank had come up with a crazy idea.

The piece of wood was silent.

"Alright!" Jonny exclaimed with a grin.

"Nnngh…," The body stirred.

Jonny jumped back, frightened. "You check it out, Plank," he held Plank up to the sleepy boy's face. The piece of wood didn't blink once.

The boy saw it groggily. "What a dream……."

Plank poked him.

"DAH!" Sora's head shot up, awake. "This isn't a dream!" He stood up straight, and asked Jonny without caring, "Do you know where I am?"

"Beats me," Jonny shrugged.

"I see..," Sora looked around the alley. "I don't suppose you know what's going on, do you?"

"Nope," Jonny shook his bulging head. He then smiled, "Actually, we're playing Hide and Seek!" He poked Sora's belly with Plank, "Tag! You're it! Naha-haha!" he ran off, laughing childishly.

"H-Hey!" Sora called after him, but it was useless doing so. He let his arms drop to his sides and went the way Jonny exited.

He stared in amazement at the First District of Traverse Town.

"I'm…I'm in another world…," he said to himself.

K-K-K-K-K-K

Elsewhere…

Riku awoke shakily. He inspected his surroundings to find that he was no longer home.

"Where am I?" he breathed. "SORA!" he put his hands to his mouth. "KAIRI!"

No answer except for his echo.

"…anyone..?"

Above him, a man attired in black was watching, exposing his pure-white teeth in a smile.

K-K-K-K-K-K

Sora walked into the first building he saw. 'The Accessory Shop' was the name on the sigh above the door.

"Hi!" a male voice greeted. "How can I--Aw, heck…just a kid..." He had dark blue eyes. A pair of goggles was on his forehead. His blond hair, like Wakka's, was in a quiff. His pants were blue, and his T-shirt was a plain white. He was chewing a piece of straw.

"Watch it, old man," Sora pointed as he approached the shop's counter. "I'm not a kid."

The room had a very cosy feel to it. A fireplace was set up next to the door. Behind that, there was a glass coffee table and a couch. To the left was a counter and shelve full of different items.

"Whoa, simmer down," the shop owner said. He added with a glare, "And don't call me 'old man'. Name's Cid."

"And I'm Sora. Can you tell me where I am?"

"You're in Traverse Town," 'Cid' explained, flicking the straw in his mouth.

"So…..I really am in another world," Sora grinned. "This so awesome!"

"Why don't you tell me what happened?"

"Okay."

K-K-K-K-K-K

"You don't say," Cid was polishing a glass display case for a crystal. "Tough break, kid."

Sora ignored that last remark. "Guess I'll just go and take a look around and see what happens."

"Be careful, Sora," Cid warned. "If you run into trouble, you come here, okay?"

"I'll keep that in mind, Cid," Sora opened the door and left the Accessory Shop.

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"Eddy, I think we're lost," Ed trembled in fright behind the one in front of him.

"Since when can you think, Ed?" Eddy asked him casually.

They were in the Second District now, still searching for Leon. The two Eds stood at the door to the Gizmo Shop.

"I still can't remember that either, Eddy."

"Exactly," Eddy reached for the handle. "Now, quit your belly-aching and follow me."

Ed shook in fear, but fearfully complied.

They entered the Gizmo Shop.

At that exact moment, Sora came from the First District through a pair of double doors on the other side of the current locality.

"Wow," he said to no one, "this place is--"

"AAAGH!" a someone's screaming cut him off. A man came running and tripped right in front of him. "Please…no!" he yelled, crawling backwards. His chest lit up as his heart was literally sucked out of his body. He disappeared, and the loose organ hovered towards a mini-warp hole. Once coming in contact, the two fused to form a dark creature.

This creature had eyes and a head similar to the ones from earlier. The similarities ended there as this one stood up straight on two curly-booted feet. Its body was blue--or maybe it was a full-body jumpsuit--and its claws were red. It even possessed silver wristbands. A matching knight's helmet was worn on its head. Lastly, it had an emblem on its blue chest. It looked like an elongated heart with two lines in the middle in the form of an 'X'. It had the same symbol on its palms, but these were just solid-black images of the same shape.

It disappeared……

……and several shadows appeared.

"Those things from the island!" Sora exclaimed. He wasn't in the mood for fighting at all. What good would it do if more would come? He ran the other way--

K-K-K-K-K-K

--but when he arrived to the previously safe First District, it was also crawling with them.

"The Accessory Shop!" he said, ducking a leaping fiend.

He was about to open the doors, when a voice stopped him.

"They'll come at you out of nowhere," a man in his twenties stepped stood at the shop's corner.

"Wh-What?" Sora stammered. He noticed that those dark creatures were gone.

This man appeared pale. His brown hair was at medium-length. His black pants reached own to his boots. A leather jacket covered a tucked in vest. A silver pendant stylized lion's head hung from his neck. In one black-gloved hand, he held what looked like a cross between a sword and a gun over his shoulder.

"Who are you?" Sora demanded.

"And they'll keep coming at you…," he stepped closer, ignoring the question, "….as long as you continue to wield the Keyblade."

"Huh?"

"But still," he stopped and scratched his brown head of hair in thought, "why would it choose a kid like you?"

"Hey!" Sora glared at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Never mind," he stepped closer, as if Sora hadn't spoken a word. "Now, let's see that Keyblade." He reached his free hand out to grab it.

"What?" Sora back-stepped and held a fighting stance. "There's now way you're getting that!"

"Okay then," finally, a response to Sora's words, "have it your way." He pulled his weapon over his shoulder and pointed it at the one who wielded the Keyblade.

"HAAAAAAAA!" without thinking, Sora ran at him with a warcry.

The stranger merely blocked the forward slash with the flat side of his gunblade.

Sora pulled back and slashed downward again.

The stranger side-stepped and kicked him in the side.

"Oof!" Sora tumbled down the stairs and into a large part of the District.

"Had enough yet?" the stranger asked as he calmly walked down the stairs.

"You kidding?" Sora used his Keyblade as a cane as he got up.

"Good," he said. "I wasn't even warming up." Fire charged in the centre of his chest, and formed a ball of flame, which flew towards Sora's position.

He ducked, and the grass behind him was scorched. He looked behind him, giving the gunblade-wielder a chance to slice a piece of his shirt off without breaking the skin.

"Gah!" Sora responded out of fright. He spun with a strike ready.

CLANG!

The unknown opponent blocked with his blade at a vertical angle.

Sora kicked his foot out, managing a childish blow to the man's shin.

He hissed in pain, and pivoted his weight back, spun, and swung his blade in the process.

Sora was hit in the hip by the blade's flat side. He fell over, and rolled out of the way of the gunblade's point that would have surely pierced his forehead.

He quickly got up. He gasped and quickly swung the Keyblade in order to block the punch. To his despair, it failed and he was socked right in the jaw.

He landed with his back to a lamppost.

"Give up?" the man asked.

"You wish!" Sora spat.

"Fine," he clenched his jaw and swung his gunblade horizontally.

Sora ducked, and a part of the lamppost was sliced clear off.

Another fireball flew at him. He dodged with a leap.

The stranger ran towards him, and swung the flat side of his blade down vertically.

Sora held his Keyblade up, blocking the strike. He pulled back and swiped at the man's leg.

He struck gold when he managed to break the skin. Blood pored out of the man's leg, dripping down. He frowned at Sora, "You're only making this harder, kid."

"I'm not a kid!" Sora was ready to swing again.

"Whatever," the man said dully.

He blocked the swipe, and tried to slash at the boy's shoulder. Sora evaded swiftly, and struck the man's chest region. He growled and attempted to trip Sora with his blade. He managed, but missed hitting him when he was grounded, because Sora rolled again. Sora got up, jumped and struck the man.

"Nnngh!" he stepped back, clutching his wounded shoulder.

"Now….," Sora was tired; very tired, "…you're gonna….you're gonna…--" he fell backwards.

The stranger held onto his shoulder.

"I think you're slipping, Squall," a feminine voice said.

"That's Lean," 'Squall' corrected her. "And I went easy on him."

Someone stepped by his side.

"Still…," Leon continued, "…I think we're in more danger than I thought."

K-K-K-K-K

Ed and Eddy walked won a dark alley in the Second District. It was dark and dank there. Ed's chattering teeth were biting his nails uncontrollably, causing little pieces to fly everywhere.

Eddy walked behind him, bored.

"This place sure is scary, Eddy," Ed's wide eyes looked left and right for fear of something jumping out at him.

"Eh," Eddy waved a pink hand, "there's nothing to be scared--"

Someone lightly tapped his shoulder.

"AAAAAAAAGH!" he jumped fifty feet and landed on Ed. The yellow boy didn't fall over, but he remained still with a shivering Eddy clutching onto him.

"I'm sorry to have startled you," a soft voice--definitely female--said from behind them.

Ed (and Eddy) turned around.

She was a very young-looking lady. Her green eyes were soft and warm. Her brown, braided hair was tied in a red ribbon. Her dress was a simple pink, exposing her shoulders and underarms. Her belt was purple, and her boots were brown. Her left wrist was covered in silver bracelets.

"Did Edd send you?" she asked.

Ed and Eddy were silent.

K-K-K-K-K-K

Sometime later…

"C'mon, lazy bum. Wake up!" a friendly, young, voice that belonged to a girl sounded.

"Nnnngh…," Sora drowsily sat up on the bed he was on. Kairi was leaning over him with a concerned look on her face.

"You okay?" she asked him.

"I guess," Sora put a hand to his head. His vision was still a little blurry.

"Those creatures that attacked you are after the Keyblade," she said softly, "but it's your heart they really want."

"…I'm so glad you're okay, Kairi," Sora smiled at her.

"'Kairi'?" she remarked. "Who's Kairi? I'm the great ninja Yuffie." She put her hands on her hips proudly. Suddenly, Kairi's form was replaced by another in a flash of light. The new person stood at the same height as her, but was completely different. Her short hair was jet-black. She wore a small, green tube top, and equally small yellow shorts with a loose, blue belt. Her orange fingerless gloves covered almost her entire forearms; and her lace gloves--which were under the orange ones--almost reached her bare shoulders. Her legs were covered in bright yellow stockings, her feet with mustard-tan boots, and her neck a regular yellow scarf. Her eyes were brown. She looked to the other side of the room, "I think you overdid it, Squall."

A grunt, "It's 'Leon', Yuffie."

Sora looked around the small room that seemed to be themed green. He was on a double bed. Leon was leaning against one of the two doors. A round table was set in the place's centre.

"We had to get the Keyblade away from you," 'Yuffie' said, gesturing with a finger as she stood up straight. "It turns out that that's how they were tracking you."

Sora looked to see his Blade leaning against the wall near Leon. "The Keyblade…..," he breathed.

Leon picked it up and examined it at eyelevel. The dark-haired swordsman sighed, "Keeping it away from you is the only way to conceal your heart from them. But it won't work for long." The Blade disappeared from his hands and reappeared in Sora's. "Still," Leon pondered, "why would it choose you of all people?"

"Hey!" Sora shot back.

Leon shrugged before folding his arms again, "I suppose beggars can't be choosers…"

"Why don't you start making sense?" Sora glared. "What's going on here?"

K-K-K-K-K-K

"Okay, so you know that there are other worlds out there, besides your cul-de-sac and this town, right?" the green-eyed women who had called herself 'Aerith' asked Ed and Eddy. They were in a small room that was themed red. She sat on a queen-sized bed with her hands on her lap.

"Yup…," Eddy leaned on his staff.

"But aren't they supposed to be secrets?" Ed looked scared and covered his mouth.

"They've been secrets, since they've never been connected," Aerith closed her eyes sadly before re-opening them. "When the Heartless came…everything changed."

K-K-K-K-K-K

"'The Heartless'?" Sora remarked. He was still sitting on the bed.

"The ones that attacked you," Yuffie said, leaning against the table.

"Those without hearts," Leon explained, still leaning with his arms crossed.

"The darkness in people's hearts--that's what attracts them," Yuffie continued.

"And there is darkness within every heart," Leon droned.

"Hey," Yuffie swiftly turned her head towards Sora, "have you heard of someone named 'Ansem'?"

K-K-K-K-K-K

"'Ansem'?" one of Eddy's eyebrows separated from his face as he raised it. He rubbed his chin

"He was studying the Heartless," Aerith told him. "He recorded all his findings in a very detailed report."

"Hmm, any chance of us seeing it?" Eddy asked.

"Does it have pictures?" Ed leaned in with a grin.

"Shut it, Ed--Can we see them?"

Aerith shook her brown head, "They've been scattered."

"'Scattered'?" both of Eddy's eyebrows rose.

"To many worlds."

"Guys, maybe, Double D went to find them," Ed commented.

"Yes," Aerith allowed a smile, "those were my thoughts exactly."

"Hold on a sec, Ed," Eddy pointed. "First, we gotta find that Key."

"That's right. The Keyblade," Aerith mentioned.

K-K-K-K-K-K

"So…," Sora held the said weapon to his face, "…this is the Keyblade."

"The Heartless have great fear of the Keyblade," Leon said. He turned around and walked towards the main door, "And that's why they'll keep coming at you…no matter what."

"But I didn't ask for this!" Sora said like a spoilt child.

"The Keyblade chooses its Master, and it chose you," Yuffie concluded.

"So, tough luck," Leon leaned against the door again.

"How did this happen?.!" Sora tried remembering. "I remember being in my room." His eyes bugged, and he shot up with a start, "What happened to my home?.! My island?.! Riku….," then a bit softer, "..Kairi."

"You know what?" Leon responded coldly. "I really don't know." In reality, he knew perfectly well. However, Sora had been through a lot, and telling him about the fate of his home would be tragic.

Sora hung his head in despair.

"You'd better prepare yourself," Leon barely looked at him as he spoke. "The Heartless will be here soon."

"Yeah…sure," Sora nodded.

"Good. Yuffie, let's--" Leon's words were cut off by the ninja.

"Look!" she pointed a gloved hand.

A soldier Heartless had appeared out of nowhere.

"Yuffie! Go!" Leon yelled, reaching for his sword. With his other hand, he pointed at the door to the adjoining room.

K-K-K-K-K-K

Eddy walked towards a door to inspect the source of all the noise--

WHAM!

He was sandwiched when the door suddenly flew open. Yuffie rushed in.

"Yuffie!" Aerith stood up, and ran after her, forgetting about the other two boys.

They left the room through another door.

K-K-K-K-K-K

"Sora, let's go!" Leon said before swinging his gunblade into the Heartless.

The window shattered as the dark fiend was hurled into the alley.

Leon jumped out the window.

Sora followed suit.

K-K-K-K-K-K

Back in the other room, Ed closed one of the doors.

Eddy was literally flattened against the wall with a frozen expression of fright on his cartoon face.

K-K-K-K-K-K

"Don't bother with the small fry," Leon said to Sora in the alley.

Shadows and soldiers were appearing left and right.

"Find their leader," he turned around and ran. A soldier leapt at him, but was killed by a single sword swipe.

"WHERE?" Sora called after him.

"THE THIRD DISTRICT!" and he was gone.

Sora was alone with several Heartless. He ran towards a door on the left. He jumped and a soldier slid under him and crashed into the wall.

He opened the door, and kept running; this time left. He had no idea where the Third District was, but he assumed it would be at the right turn he was approaching.

Soldiers ran after him clumsily.

A shadow formed in front of him. Sora batted it away with his Keyblade and continued towards the door.

K-K-K-K-K-K

The Third District was a square-shaped place. When one would enter from the Second, they'd see an abandoned house to the left. To the right, stairs would lead to the main area which was very spacious. A fountain was in one of the square's corners. Another part was separated from the main by a wall. A door that was currently locked lead to the First District. It was lavishly lit with neon lights.

Sora had just entered and was making his way to the centre.

K-K-K-K-K-K

"Ed…," Eddy stopped the other one, "…where are you going?"

"I saw someone run to the Third District," Ed answered, whipping around to face his friend.

They stood on a roof.

"And, you're following him, because……..," Eddy tapped his foot impatiently.

"I think I saw him use a Keyblade to kill a Heartless."

"Riiiiiiiight," Eddy nodded with a roll of his head.

"C'mon, Eddy," Ed pulled at his blue shirt. "Let's go!"

"Just because you 'thought you saw something'?.!" Eddy barked. "No way," he waved him off for the umpteenth time. "I'm going back to the Accessory Shop."

Ed grabbed Eddy, held him over his head with both hands, and ran the other way.

"Ed! Put me down--!" WHAP! Eddy was cut off when Ed accidentally rammed him into the wall above the window he was trying to get to.

"Sorry, Eddy!" Ed said before crouching and--

K-K-K-K-K-K

--taking them on a balcony. He set him down.

Instantly, the soldiers appeared and surrounded them from both sides.

Ed got brought his shield out from behind his back….just in case. The round weapon had the letters 'CN' in black and white in its centre. "Are these the Heartless?"

"Yup," Eddy bravely equipped his staff from behind his back. "Let's get 'em, Ed!"

K-K-K-K-K

FLASH!

Ed and Eddy flew off the balcony, screaming (even Ed).

This alerted Sora. He looked up and saw the two falling towards him. He tried to evade them, but was too late. Ed and Eddy fell on his with a loud whump.

Sora groaned.

Ed and Eddy saw stars while their eyes spun. They blinked twice and noticed Sora's weapon. "The Key!" they yelled in unison with equally large smiles.

The ground suddenly rumbled, and four pillars emerged from the ground, blocking all exits.

Soldier Heartless appeared, two per pillar. The eight dark things jumped down and converged on the three people.

Ed and Eddy quickly picked themselves up, chose an opponent, and fought it.

Sora didn't bother asking questions. He was fed up of running. So, he too chose a Heartless and went at it.

"HA!" he yelled as he struck the thing in its head. His second swing was interrupted by a fireball. He looked and saw Eddy attacking another Heartless, using flames to his advantage.

Sora decided to attack another one, but Ed just rammed into it with his shield, killing it instantly.

That was it; over as soon as it started.

Ed, Eddy, and Sora went to the middle of the area.

"You guys sure know how to--" Sora was cut off.

Two gigantic purple boots made of metal fell from the dark sky and clattered on the ground, followed by two sharp-clawed hands of the same size and colour. An hourglass-shaped object came down after them. It had the Heartless emblem in its centre. The hands and legs neared it and stood/floated like body parts, the hourglass acting as a torso. Lastly, a helmet came down on the body with a hard clang. Every body part kept in place, making this big Heartless look like some kind of Rayman clone.

Ed and Eddy stared.

Sora was nervous.

Guard Armour's body parts shifted menacingly.