Hollow Bastion
First Appearance: KINGDOM HEARTS (2002)
Maleficent appears in Agrabah and destroys Sora's Keyblade before summoning Heartless to attack him. However, before the Heartless can harm Sora, Mickey and Riku jump in - having come from the outside world - and destroy them. Maleficent destroyed Sora's Keyblade because she didn't expect to meet him in the Data World, and Pete claims that bringing Maleficent into the journal was his doing; his own entrance into the journal is shown via flashback: Maleficent heard that the group at Disney Castle were up to something so she sent Pete to spy on them. As Pete was watching them after Sora went into the Keyhole to fight Darkside at Destiny Islands, he too was engulfed in the white light that came from the screen and was sucked into the journal, landing in a white room with the journal worlds displayed before him. Realizing that it was an opportunity to take over the worlds, Pete summoned Maleficent from the outside before going on to block the path that connects the outside with the journal. After Pete's speech, Maleficent declares that she will take over the journal worlds; Riku goes to stop her but she fells him and disappears with him and Pete. Wanting to get Riku, Mickey and Sora go back to the outside world to devise a rescue plan.
Back at Disney Castle, the group are fretting over Riku's well being since Riku has all of the journal's data stored within him; data which Maleficent could turn into darkness. Since Mickey is now the only one with a Keyblade, he rushes off to the last remaining corrupted world - Hollow Bastion - after telling Sora to stay put. Wanting to help his friends, Sora sneaks off after him. He finds Pete who says that he will only tell Sora where Riku is if Sora manages to catch him, so Sora - with no Keyblade or Debug abilities - follows him through the labyrinth that is Hollow Bastion. However, as soon as Sora reaches the Entrance Hall, Pete summons a wall of Bugs and Heartless to stall Sora from interrupting on "the puppet preparation"; just as Sora thinks all is lost, Goofy smashes through the Bugs, declaring that friends help one another. The two of them resume the chase after Pete; they find Donald amidst their search and fighting of Heartless, who was separated from Goofy on the way into the journal.
They finally find Pete tampering with a large machine in the Grand Hall, who sends Heartless and blocks after the trio; as the blocks aim for Sora, Donald and Goofy shove him out of the way, becoming entangled. Pete doesn't understand the sacrifice and claims that Sora is just artificial like his Keyblade and that he doesn't even have a heart, which Donald and Goofy contest, saying that they know Sora has one because he is determined to help his friends. The revelation that their hearts are connected suddenly empowers Sora and he regains his Keyblade in a flash of light, which destroys the Bugs and frees Donald and Goofy. Mickey then comes in, saying that something has awakened inside Sora - a unique power born from the bonds between his friends from the worlds that he's visited. With this power, Mickey says that Sora will be able to restore Hollow Bastion and finally, the journal. With new confidence Sora orders Pete to give back Riku, but Pete fiddles with the machine and the screen reads, "Collecting Data... 60% complete"; Pete makes a quick getaway by escaping through a Keyhole which he summons by jumping.
Sora follows Pete through the Keyhole and finds him; after a long, strenuous battle, Sora finally defeats him. However, Pete will not be bested, and he uses his last trick; a swirl of green data appears and it reveals Riku who is dressed in the black and red outfit that the real Riku wore when possessed by Xehanort's Heartless in Kingdom Hearts. Riku still has a sense of self about him and warns Sora not to come near him because Pete has turned him into his puppet by filling his body with Bugs. As much as Riku tries to resist control and tells Sora to escape, he ends up attacking Sora under Pete's command. The two friends have a long, arduous battle but Sora ultimately ends up victorious, and the both of them are sent back into the Grand Hall in a flash of light.
Back in the Grand Hall, Riku lies on the floor, motionless; it seems that he has fused with Bugs since they are sticking out of him at odd angles. Sora is extremely worried, but soon becomes confused when his Keyblade emits a light, which engulfs the room; after it dies down a new Keyhole is seen floating above Riku. Surprised and shocked at the sight of the new Keyhole, Mickey, Goofy, Donald and Jiminy join Sora, and Mickey realizes that if Riku's body is not freed of Bugs, he might never awaken. Sora is now frightened for Riku and his fate, and knows that the Keyhole is the only hope of waking him from his slumber. Now with such a huge responsibility on his shoulders, will Sora manage to save Riku, or is Riku fated to sleep forever? Will Sora ever repair the journal once and for all?
