Once the Heartless were confirmed to be cleared out, Leon and his friends, along with Taiyang, Qrow, and Winter walked through the doors leading to the First District. They saw the heart from the Guard Armor rising up into the sky as its body faded away. As they approached, wondering what happened, Sora explained everything about the fight as well as what they had been doing before then. Including how they searched each part of Traverse Town for the people they'd been desperately searching for, only to find nothing.

"So your friend wasn't here?" Yuffie asked with a sympathetic frown.

"No, I don't think I'll find him in this town," Sora said with disappointment. All of that effort for nothing.

Taiyang clapped a hand on Sora's left shoulder, smiling at him encouragingly. "Hey, don't let it get you down, Sora. If you guys managed to make it this far, I'm sure your friends will turn up eventually."

His paternal encouragement made Sora smile with a firm nod. He could see where Ruby and Yang got their optimism from. He only wished he could have spent more time with Taiyang while they were still at Traverse Town originally. "Yeah. He's somewhere in this castle. I just know it." he said, the resolve in his voice renewed.

His choice of words however made Cid raise an eyebrow and smirk. "Castle? Like this whole town's inside some humongous castle? Hoo, that's rich!"

The chuckling from the middle aged man died down when Leon spoke up. "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."

"And unlike me, he doesn't need a stiff drink for it." Qrow's remark earned him a slap on the arm and a scowl from an incensed Winter.

"MUST you be such an uncouth vagrant?" she asked angrily, earning a dismissive wave from Ruby and Yang's rugged uncle.

"Sticks and stones, Ice Queen." he retorted, causing Winter's brow to tremble angrily.

Fortunately, Sora spoke up before their...exchange got any more heated. "I wish I was that sure." Sora replied with an awkward smile. Despite what his friends were saying, he didn't understand a THING of what was going on.

At that point, Sora, Donald, and Goofy were treated to a sight they never thought they'd see again. It was...Leon smiling at them. "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." he said encouragingly.

"Leon…" Sora was at a loss for words. The fact he'd say such a thing, despite seemingly forgetting about Sora and everything they went through, brought a smile to the boy's face. Even if he HAD been forgotten, it seemed the positive feelings they shared as friends was strong enough to keep their relationship from fading. Deep down, the care was still there. Even with somebody as stoic and composed as Leon, the hearts of people had potential for great strength.

Realizing it was time for them to be on their way, the Traverse Town folk all gave their goodbyes, starting with Yuffie, who ruffled Sora's hair playfully. "Take care, Sora."

"I'm a little lost... but best of luck anyway." Cid said, rubbing the back of his head but grinning with care. Leon merely gave a terse nod as Aerith smiled.

"If you see Ruby and Yang? Tell them that we're waiting for them here. I'm sure they can't wait to go home." Taiyang said with a thumbs up as he walked off next.
"And please do the same for Weiss if you see her. Farewell." Winter said with a small, formal bow as she turned and departed with the poise of a military officer.

Qrow looked down at Sora with a much more serious expression than before. "...You take care of my niece when you find her, okay? If my memory serves me right...she cares about you three a great deal." Sora, Donald, and Goofy all looked up at Qrow with equally serious faces and nodded in response to his request. A nod he returned as he walked after everyone else.

With that, Sora, Donald and Goofy headed to the Third District. But just as Sora was about to follow Donald and Goofy, he stopped at the sound of heeled footsteps behind him. Turning around, he saw Aerith looking at him with an unreadable expression, prompting him to ask, "What's up?"

"I don't have all the answers, but I had to tell you something." Aerith said, her tone noticeably different from before. Much more...uncertain and worried. "Your memories created this town, right?"

Sora didn't expect any of them to actually ask him about this. Especially since he wasn't exactly sure himself, as he just shrugged in response. "That's what the guy who gave me the card said."

His answer made Aerith's face shift to a discouragingly downcast expression. "If that's true, then this town is just a figment of your mind… and so are we."

Sora was stunned at the implication of her words. Was she saying that she...Leon...Taiyang...everyone he knew from this town weren't real? "But… you can't be a figment! You're standing right here! The town is here too!" he said insistently.

Aerith shook her head softly, as if knowing Sora would say that. "But I'm not really me. I don't remember the things I should, and I sense things I shouldn't." she said glumly before looking him dead in the eyes, even more intently than Qrow did previously. "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."

Her cryptic words made Sora all the more disconcerted...and confused...which he was already IMMENSELY as is. "So, uh… what exactly does that mean?" he asked.

Aerith averted her eyes mournfully, as if realizing she was just making this harder for Sora. "I'm sorry. I'm just another illusion. The truth is out of my reach." she apologized.

Sora shook his head with a small smile on his face. "Don't say stuff like that, it's depressing." he said gently. He wanted to part from his friends with smiles on their faces. Not thinking of sad stuff like this.

Aerith smiled back at him, seemingly appreciating his effort to encourage her. "Stay strong, Sora. Don't let the illusions distract you from what's truly important."

"…Okay." was all Sora responded with, feeling a little mixed with the bittersweet idea that perhaps Aerith's words and warning were all true. But if they were, then...

"Sora!"

Sora perked up from his thoughts at the sound of his friends calling him. He turned to see Donald walking back from around the corner of the alleyway he and Goofy started going down, and insistently asking, "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, be right there," Sora said, trying to keep himself cheerful from the sullen conversation he just had and turned his head back to say one final goodbye to Aerith. "Well, I'd better get going."

But the moment those words left Sora's mouth, his eyes widened with shock as he turned to see...Aerith wasn't there anymore. But he knew for a fact she didn't walk away because not only did he not hear her footsteps, the kind of compassionate person he remembered her to be wouldn't just ditch a friend mid-conversation. Yet there was no sign of her anywhere she should have been easily seen. "Aerith?... Aerith!" he called, only to receive silence.

"What about Aerith?" Donald asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

Though not nearly as much confusion as Sora who wondered, "Where did she go? I was just talking to her!"

Goofy's head cocked to the side, as confused as Donald. "Aerith left with Leon and the others, remember?"

"Huh?!" Sora's exclamation was followed by him turning to the other two. They didn't see her while she was conversing with him? This didn't make sense. They had to have at least heard them talking.

"You worried us. Just standing there by yourself." Donald explained with an equally confused blink.

Sora looked back and forth between his friends and where he was certain Aerith was. Her warning for him to...beware his memories. That...she wasn't really her. "Is this what she meant...?" Was all of this just...in his head?

As much as he wanted answers, Sora figured it was best he move on. He wasn't going to get any by musing to himself. He still needed to find Riku and King Mickey. A list that now included Ruby. For their sake, they couldn't afford to linger. Besides, Aerith's words, regardless of whether or not that really was just an illusion of her...Sora felt there might have been at least something to her warning worth heeding. With that, the trio headed for an exit to this fictitious world they were in. They found one by climbing up an unusually long ladder one at a time, before a door attached to a building which seemed more than a little conspicuous, if not nonsensical. Sora had a gut feeling it was the way back. A feeling Donald and Goofy shared as they followed after him.

He only hoped that on the other side, they'd find at least some answers.