Traverse Town
First Appearance: KINGDOM HEARTS (2002)
Traverse Town has always been a homely kind of place, forever cast under the starlit sky of night, filled with ageless buildings and warm, receptive habitants who are more or less orphans from other worlds stuck in turmoil. That is to say, it is a welcome centre for refugees. Sadly, as soon as young Sora sets foot into this town, the attractions evade him completely as he realizes just exactly where he is. Of course, it seems strange to him that Traverse Town would be inside Castle Oblivion, but to answer his doubts is the mysterious hooded figure that guided him to the castle in the first place, claiming that the town isn't real. In fact, it's a simulation from Sora's memories embedded within the card he was given to access the world. After a short pep talk and demonstration on the power of cards used within the castle, Donald and Goofy - who were missing - burst in on the scene.
They speak of a strange light and how after it their memories are blank. They realize their clothes are different, too, but the figure tells them it's up to them to figure why; they must make their own way through the castle now. The stranger leaves one more cryptic message that hints to Sora remembering someone important, and then he vanishes. But Sora pays no heed and makes his tracks in this familiar town, using the cards to enter into other parts of the world. During his first few hours of exploration, he learns how to use objects and how to defeat Heartless, and after he is done with the basics, he moves onto serious business.
After more Heartless fighting in the town's districts, the group meets a tall, leather clad man in the Third District, who Sora remembers as Leon - but Leon doesn't know who Sora is and is suspicious as to how Sora knows his name; even though Leon insists he has never met any of the four before, he calls Sora by his name which surprises everyone, even Leon himself, who is confused. But his ninja friend Yuffie pays a visit, claiming that Aerith - their friend - could sense unusual power, and she requests that Leon take Sora to her because of it. After she leaves, Sora and Leon have a little battle in which he gives Sora some fighting tips and after that Sora battles his way to a small house - inside of which is Aerith, Leon and Yuffie - and once there he learns that Aerith feels like Sora belongs in the world but she doesn't quite know him. She deduces that it's because they don't actually remember Sora, but Sora's heart holds all the memories which in turn are affecting theirs; because of that she assumes that there is someone special in the town (Castle Oblivion) who is important to Sora. With that thought in mind, he and the gang set off in search of this 'special person'.
After yet more Heartless, Sora and co. are halted in the Second District by a familiar grumpy fellow, the blond Gummi Ship expert, Cid. Cid is genuinely happy to see Sora and remembers his name, but of course the effect of not really remembering Sora affects him, too. After some questioning they discover Cid knows just about as much as they do about this fabled special someone; and he talks about another fabled creature, too - a giant Heartless that shows up in the plaza when the bells of the town's clock tower ring. After giving them a warning about leaving, Cid departs and Goofy wants to follow suit, too, but Sora wants to stay... and when Donald shows his distaste for the idea, their worst nightmare comes true: the bells start to ring. Sure enough, a jumbo-sized purple Heartless in the form of a de-limbed suit of armor drops in - literally. It is the feared Guard Armor.
Like any other Heartless it is thirsty for Sora's strong heart, but Sora manages to squash it like a bug without sustaining too much damage. After the battle, the citizens of Traverse Town are there to get a quick catch-up on Sora's searching, but Sora tells them he has found nothing of his special friend, which is a 'he'. After that, everyone leaves except Aerith, who twigs onto the fact that the town and its inhabitants are a figment of Sora's imagination, stored inside Castle Oblivion, which is why she can't remember things she should and senses things she shouldn't. She gives him a warning he must heed: that his memories aren't always his friends and they will delude him at times - but despite that, Sora must soldier on. And with this in tow, the group leaves Traverse Town.
During Reverse/Rebirth Riku too battles through the swarms of Heartless that block his progression, and true to his fighting spirit he slays them all without so much as batting an eyelid. Also like Sora did during his time at Traverse Town, Riku is also victim to the vicious assaults of Guard Armor. But of course, this is Riku, and he turns the no-more-than-pesky Heartless into Heartless dust, before exiting Traverse Town to continue his journey.
