Chapter 1: In Time

{Disney Castle, The King's Study: May 4th 2013, 8:04am}

King Mickey sighed in defeat as Master Yen Sid looked out the window at the early morning, and the two remained silent as they tried to reason what to do. Sora had seemed almost as if he was recovering completely when he had returned from the Destiny Islands, but it had started to decline once they'd brought him back. Master Yen Sid sighed and looked to the King. If there was one thing that he knew could remedy the situation, it was something that he recalled from his early years.

"King Mickey? Would you be opposed to having the children's parents come visit?" Master Yen Sid inquired.

"I wouldn't, personally, but….why would you want them here?" the aged wizard looked the King over.

"Sometimes, a mother's love is the medicine that can cure a broken spirit," he stated calmly.

"Ah, you believe having Himitsu come would help Sora recover faster." Master Yen Sid nodded slowly.

"Sora is falling apart. After the events of the Dream Drop, where both his heart and his mind were shattered, Sora has shown remarkable determination. However, his healing will take more than sheer determination to be successful. Therefore, please send Donald and Goofy for the children's parents, and give them the chance to recover," the wizard said in a soft tone.

"Very well; I'll send Donald, and Goofy to get them. We should let Sora, Kairi, and Riku know."

"Yes; however, Sora needs to be with his mother, and he needs time to heal as well…"

"I agree…"

"Then send for them, let the children be with their parents and give them time to heal. Sora, Riku, and Kairi will fare better if they have their families," Master Yen Sid stated.

"I will send for them right away."

Master Yen Sid watched as his former pupil called Donald and Goofy with an order to bring the children's parents to the castle. The court magician and the Captain of the Knights saluted the King before opening a portal and leaving through it to the Destiny Islands. Master Yen Sid looked forward to what he would see once he met Sora's mother. The aged wizard sighed in defeat as he recalled several details that were still hidden far away from others, and what would happen when it all came to light. The man took a deep breath as King Mickey jumped out of his seat and walked to the door, before looking back at Master Yen Sid as he followed him.

{Destiny Islands: 12:01pm}

Himitsu looked out to the sun as she stood on the beach in faint contentment. Her chocolate-brown eyes softened as she looked at the bright blue sky and the deep blue sea. Her hair whipped around her as she closed her eyes and took in a deep breath as her mind replayed the last time she had seen Sora. The boy had come back home torn up from his most recent battle, and had suffered greatly during that. Sora had many wounds and scars, both physical and emotional, that he would have to work through; however, Himitsu knew that, even then, when she held him in her arms the night he'd woken up from a night terror, that he had chosen not to tell her everything.

Despite the fact that Sora may have not been her biological son, it didn't make any difference. That chestnut-haired, sky-blue-eyed, bright-smiled boy was her son, and she adored him, and couldn't help but feel her heart ache at the notion that he'd suffered more than even he wanted to let her know. As she stood there, listening to the waves, a faint engine hum was heard in the distance, and Himitsu opened her eyes to see a Gummi Ship moving over to the shore.

"What are they doing here?"

The Gummi Ship landed nearby her, and slowly, the door opened. It was as Donald and Goofy stepped out that Himitsu felt her heart begin to race. The two of them appeared a bit tired and weary; however, she knew that it wasn't anything bad as she realized they were walking swiftly, but calmly. It was as she waited for them to come that she heard a series of breaths behind her. Himitsu turned to see Akira and Tadashi present and slightly out of breath. The two of them had told her earlier that they would meet her at the beach near her house to spend some time together; however, this wasn't exactly what she'd had in mind. Donald and Goofy stopped before Himitsu, Akira, and Tadashi and gave them a gentle smile, before Donald pulled out a piece of parchment.

"Is everything okay?" asked Tadashi.

"Oh, yea, everything is okay, but Sora, Riku, and Kairi aren't recovering as fast as anyone would like." Himitsu looked them over.

"Is Sora still having nightmares?" she questioned.

"Sometimes...but...would you like to see them?" the group looked the two over.

"Excuse me?" asked Akira.

"Yes, King Mickey and Master Yen Sid would like to invite the three of you to stay at the Disney Castle for however long it takes to help them heal." Himitsu, Akira, and Tadashi looked the two over.

"We'd be happy to go," Himitsu stated.

"Then please, pack up, and we will be ready to leave whenever you're ready." the three adults looked to one another in thought, and then Himitsu turned to look at the Court Magician and the Captain of the Knights.

"That sounds fine, but can we bring Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka with us? They'd really enjoy getting to spend more time with Sora, Kairi, and Riku," she asked with a sweet voice.

Donald and Goofy stared at the woman in surprise. They had wondered for quite some time how Sora had managed to gain details that they needed during the events of their first adventure. He had only had to ask in a sweet voice with a gentle look in his eyes to have someone tell him exactly what he needed to know. Despite Sora's shy nature and ever-so-slightly unsure disposition, he could be quite the little trickster. However, Himitsu was now showing them exactly what her son had almost two years ago, and it suddenly made perfect sense to them. If Sora hadn't gotten his looks from his mother, he had gotten some of his wit from her.

"Well, I guess so..." Donald said in thought. He knew, from his experiences with Sora, that arguing about this would do nothing but cause him trouble.

"Okay; Akira, you're closest to them, can you give them a call?" the woman nodded.

"Yes, no problem. See you guys soon," she said as she took off towards her house.

"Tadashi?" the man smiled.

"No problem, I'll see you in a few hours." With that, the man left to return home.

Himitsu turned back to Donald and Goofy before inviting them to come back to her home. The two agreed, and the three of them returned to her house, before the two off-worlders were left to the explore the downstairs area while Himitsu went to her bedroom, that was not far from the living room, and went to start packing. She got out her large suitcase and began to fold up clothing while she hummed a little tune with a small smile upon her face. As Himitsu was folding up her things and placing them into the suitcase, Donald and Goofy looked around the living room at the pictures on the wall. As they looked, they took notice of several photos of children in a cluster. The one nearest to Donald was of Sora, Kairi, and Riku when they were very young. Each one of them had a paopu fruit in their small hands and were smiling at the camera.

The next one in the photos were of the children at certain ages, between six and thirteen. The children had many pictures taken of them at the beach, or at some points when they were in school. The one picture Donald was looking at was of Sora when he was what Donald assumed was thirteen. The boy was wearing just his red jumpsuit and his crown pendant. The rest of his normal attire, the gloves, shoes, jacket, and his belt and chain, were missing. His hair looked damp, as if he'd been in the ocean, and he had a bright smile on his face. Donald and Goofy smiled as they recalled the boy from when they'd first met him, and then the boy they knew now, who was still recovering from what they both would agree was the most traumatic event Sora had gone through thus far.

"You remember when he was like that, too, Donald?" asked Goofy.

"Yea...think he'll be okay?" Goofy nodded.

"Of course he will! Sora is a strong kid!" he stated.

"Okay Goofy..." Goofy looked at a picture at the end of the table, and frowned.

In the photo was a blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl in a pale yellow shirt and pale jean-shorts. She looked to be about nine – roughly the same age as Sora and Kairi in the picture – she smiled brightly at the camera and had Sora, Kairi, and Riku beside her, with her arms wrapped around the three of them. As they stared at the image, Himitsu walked out of her room, and looked to where they were standing.

"That's Mina Hanamori, she was really close to Sora, Kairi, and Riku when they were little," she stated.

"What happened to her?" Himitsu looked down as she sighed.

"Mina drowned in a riptide when Sora, Kairi, and Riku were nine and ten. She was a really good artist...and Kairi and her were practically sisters..." the two looked down.

"I'm sorry..." Himitsu shook her head.

"Sora and Riku tried to save her, and the only person they were able to save who got caught up in the tide was Kairi...Sora saved her...but they both tried to get to Mina...the waves separated them." Donald looked around as Goofy looked at the little girl in the picture.

"She was real pretty," Goofy said.

"Do you have any children of your own, Goofy?" the Captain of the Knights looked to her.

"Yes, I have a son. He's a few years older than Sora," he stated. Himitsu smiled.

"I see...um? Donald, is something wrong?" the duck eyed the house in questioning.

"Do you always live here?" he asked. Himitsu laughed a bit.

"Yes, I actually come from a relatively well-to-do family...we co-own the hospital on the island..." Donald and Goofy eyed one another.

"Oh, I see..." Donald said.

"Wait..."

"WHAT?!" the two said. Himitsu laughed as the two stared, slack-jawed, as she smiled ever so slightly.

"So, Sora...comes from a rich family?" asked Goofy. Himitsu laughed again.

"Yes, he does. However, he never has acted like it, and neither have I. I have no desire to be so prudish about the people I associate with."

"Wow, I never woulda thought Sora came from this kinda background," Goofy stated, while Donald continued to stare at the woman with an open mouth.

"Donald? Are you okay?" the duck shook his head and then nodded.

"Oh, of course...um...so..." Himitsu laughed.

"I've got a bit more to get still, but please, explore the house, if you wish," she said as she turned back to her bedroom and walked into the room, before resuming her task.

Donald and Goofy took the chance to explore the large house in curiosity, before walking up the staircase and turning to the left. The door was open, and the room surprisingly clean. It had a bed by the window, a desk near the door, a closet across from the door, a wardrobe, and a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf filled to the brim with books. They were leather-bound and some were aged, while others were newer. All the books were classics until the middle shelf, which had newer works that were some they recognized, and others they hadn't. Goofy eyed the room once more, and Donald eyed the few photos on the wall. They were all of Riku and Kairi, and the others on the island. Goofy smiled, and mentioned that the room probably belonged to Sora. Donald nodded and looked around the room, as he moved towards the window and bumped into the desk. A book fell to the floor and laid open on a page with scrawling, but neat writing. Goofy walked to where it was, and journal was picked up by the duck as he started to read over the journal.

May 28th 2011,

I've been having these weird thoughts lately, and they always go into my dreams. I don't understand what's happening in the dreams, but...something keeps making me wonder if any of this is real or not. In every dream, I'm in the dark; the only light is coming from the stained-glass window I'm standing on, but the darkness is closing in on me constantly. Someone keeps talking to me, and I try to find out who they are, but they never answer me; they just assure me that I'm the only one who can do what must be done. What are they talking about? Every time I have this dream, I'm standing in the center of the stained-glass window, and a giant key appears in my hands; I know it's a weapon of some kind, and it worries me...but...I feel as if I know what I'm doing, and that I have to fight.

I run into the darkness and face it head on, I fight it, and begin to defeat it; however, I always feel as if something evil is hiding in it and waiting for me to get through the first series of trials it's put in my way. Then I wake up when I see yellow eyes looking at me. Recently, though, when I have the dream, there are more and more people standing beside me, with Keys of different shapes and colors. I never see their faces, but I keep thinking about the Keys...there are so many of them, and I feel their power, and the people who wield them. I think this is...real...that it's true.

These weird thoughts lately, whether or not all of it is real or not...I think it is real, and something is going to happen, to where I am going to have the life I've known changed into something else.

"Donald, do you think Sora..." the duck frowned.

"I think Sora was given an inkling of what the situation he and the others have come to be in. Someone or something was giving him hints from the beginning," he stated.

"But who?" Donald shook his head.

"I don't know...but it's strange..." Goofy looked back around the room.

"Do ya think someone is keepin' secrets?" he questioned. The duck looked to the other.

"I wish I knew...we should see if Sora's mom is ready to go." With that, the duck set the journal down, and the two walked out of the room.

{Disney Castle: 8:45pm}

Riku flinched as he felt a sharp sting come from a wound on his back. The area where Xemnas's energy blades had struck him was going to take a long time to heal, but thankfully hadn't left any lasting damage. However, it would need repeated treatments with a special ointment and a series of cure spells. This was why Riku was now standing in front of Sora's door with a glum look upon his face. He would have to ask Sora to help him out this time, even though he didn't want to. Sighing in defeat, Riku knocked on the boy's door, and Sora slowly opened it to peek out. Sky-blue eyes looked him over, and the door opened as he gave the silver-haired teen a smile. Riku was tense as he was let into the room, and Sora walked away for a moment before picking up a towel and placing it on his head to begin drying his hair. Cyan eyes looked him over as he realized the boy looked as though he had just gotten out of the shower, and he had failed to realize it when the boy let him in.

"Are you okay? You look tired," Riku said.

"Yea, I'm fine. Just a little drowsy. That potion that Donald made me makes me a little sleepy is all."

The silver-haired teen had noticed when the boy had begun taking the anxiety potion that he seemed a bit more chipper than normal; however, he also had days where he wasn't much better than if he hadn't taken it. Sora still seemed to be having nightmares, even though he never said a word on whether or not he did. Riku, and Kairi both could tell if he'd slept the night before or not based upon his personality during the day. If he was tired, irritable, and easily agitated, then Sora hadn't slept as well as he could have; if he was hyper, cheerful, and teasing, he'd slept rather well. However, there was another problem that Riku noticed about the boy. Sora glanced in his direction as he threw his towel into a hamper, and the silver-haired teen looked him over.

"You look a little thin," he stated. Sora shrugged.

"I'm small, okay? I get it!" Riku laughed.

"Nope, I'm not calling you a midget, I'm saying that you look as if you aren't eating enough," he said as he placed his hand on the boy's still-damp hair.

"Since I started taking the potions...I've not been as hungry as I usually can be..." Riku smiled.

"Well, that just means your appetite will get back to normal once you're off it," he said as he ruffled the boy's dark chestnut hair.

"Okay...but I've really gotten used to not eating much when I'm out on the field or fighting." Riku nodded.

"Just don't forget to eat something, you'll ruin that disgustingly perfect health of yours," he said. Sora rolled his eyes.

"Oh no, big brother mode has been activated..." Riku laughed as Sora returned it and looked at the flinch the silver-haired teen gave off as he stopped.

"Anyways..." Sora looked him over.

"Is one of your wounds bothering you? Riku?" sky-blue looked to cyan as Riku watched Sora look him over.

"Yea, one of the injures on my back. I was hoping you could help me out?" Sora smiled as he looked to his friend.

"Okay, just take off your shirt, and I'll have a look. I'm guessing you need the ointment you brought with you applied to it and don't want to ask Kairi because it would be embarrassing?" there was no teasing in his voice, and Riku was thankful for that.

"I guess so, and you also know how to use magic, and it needs a Cure spell placed on it to activate the magic inside the ointment. Otherwise, it doesn't really heal it," Riku stated. Sora smiled.

"No problem, I can take care of it." Riku nodded to him and set to removing his shirt, while Sora sat down on the bed, and Riku looked to him as he pulled his first-aid kit out from the drawer in his bedside table.

"And now his doctor mode has kicked in. There are times when I wonder if him coming from a family that runs a medical facility is a good thing or not..."

"Riku, sit down, okay? I'll check your bandages while I'm at it," Sora stated.

Riku did as asked and sat down with his back facing his friend, while the boy set to applying the ointment to the large, blackish-purple bruise across the center of his back. There was one good thing about Sora growing up in a medical family – he had very gentle hands. Sora knew how to care for someone when it came to medicine and treatments; however, he also knew how to do amputations and stop bleeding, and Riku knew from personal experience that Sora knew how to splint broken limbs, as he had done so with Tidus once, when they were eleven. The boy activated a Cure spell, and the temperature of the ointment changed some to where the magic within it would begin healing the damage done to his muscles.

As he let the other boy tend to his other wounds, Riku listened to the stillness of the room and found himself oddly tense. Riku could tell that Sora was irritated by this, because the boy growled a bit as he smacked the uninjured part of Riku's arm, and the silver-haired teen forced himself to relax. Another thing Sora had picked up on since he'd grown up watching his mother tend to wounds and other injures: he knew how and when to be rough on a patient. Riku smiled a bit as he heard the boy sigh and blow his bangs out of his eyes before setting back to cleaning the few cuts that Riku had on his back from landing against broken pillars and rubble during the battle. It was as Sora got to his shoulders that Riku felt the boy pause. Small hands pressed lightly to his back and Riku tensed, not liking the fact that Sora had stopped moving and working on his injuries.

"Sora?"

"Riku...why do you have a Dream Eater's mark on your shoulder?" Cyan eyes grew wide.

"I...think I need to tell you something," Riku stated. The boy moved a bit, and Riku tugged his shirt back on before turning to look at the boy, who was giving him a confused and concerned look.

"What are you talking about?" the silver-haired teen gulped.

"After Xemnas was defeated, your heart was fractured again...you weren't responding...and...you weren't breathing...I tried everything, but you were just..." Riku felt pain lace through his body at the memory.

"Riku?" concerned blue eyes looked to him, and he felt a faint chill go through him.

"Master Yen Sid told me a way to save you and restore your heart," he said.

"What are you talking about?" Riku took in a steady breath.

"I used a ritual that Master Yen Sid orchestrated, and...paid a price for your life to be spared," he stated. Sky-blue grew worried.

"Riku? What did you do? What kind of ritual did you use? What did you give up?"

He could hear it in Sora's voice – he was scared. Sora was practically his little brother, and because of that, he hated hearing that tone in his voice. However, Riku honestly never thought he'd be the one to cause him that type of fear – not after that first series of harrowing events – but here he was, receiving a pained looked by the same boy he thought of as family, and hearing fear in his voice again because of him. Riku took in a steady breath and looked Sora over as the boy waited his answer.

"I used an equivalent exchange and...I gave up my humanity in order to save you," he answered. Sky-blue widened.

"What? No! What are you talking about? What did you become just..." Riku smiled.

"I'm your Dream Eater now, Sora; and this way, I can protect you better. I promised your mom and Cloud that I would keep you and Kairi safe...so I..." Sora stood, his head bowed.

"Why?"

"Sora? What do you mean? I..." Sora shook his head.

"WHY DID YOU DO THAT?!" Riku stared in surprise, as he had never heard the boy yell before.

"Because...you're my best friend, you're practically my brother...you..." Riku looked to him and Sora clenched his hands.

"Why did you give up your humanity for me? I'm not worth that!" Cyan eyes grew wide as he gripped the boy's upper arms and stared at him.

"Don't you dare say that! Do you know how much it would hurt Kairi to hear something like that from you? She needs you! You're everything to her!" he said.

"YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO BECOME A DREAM EATER FOR ME!" Sora took in a rough breath, and Riku looked to the boy.

"Sora..."

"Why did you become a Dream Eater? Why did you give up your humanity for me? I didn't want that! Riku, I don't want you to..." Riku took in a steady breath as he looked at the boy.

"You're my best friend, I would give up anything for your sake. You've saved me countless times...what's wrong with me repaying you?" Sora jerked free from his grasp.

"I never wanted anything in return...I never wanted you or Kairi to give up anything for me...I was fine with being a martyr...but you...you can't...give up being a human, just because you want to repay a debt to me..."

"It's not just that! I want to protect you! You're family to me, Sora; you, and Kairi, and Selphie, Tidus, Wakka, Mina was, too! Come on, don't just shut me down like that! We've been through enough, and..." Riku reached for him, but Sora smacked his hand away.

"Don't touch me..."

"Sora, come on; I just did this because Kairi and I can't live without you being there. It's always been the three of us...please, I just..."

"You shouldn't have given up your humanity for me...that was my burden to bear...my life isn't worth the price of your freedom..." Riku grabbed the boy by the front of his shirt.

"Your life isn't worth it? Sora, you took the bullet for Kairi and me both, countless times! I fought alongside you as an equal in the Dream Drop, so did Kairi, so don't you dare say you aren't worth it! I still have my freedom, and my change of race is nothing compared to losing my best friend!" Riku snapped.

Sora shot him a cold glare before rearing back, and nailed him in the stomach. Riku stumbled back in pain as Sora looked up to him as tears welled in his eyes. The silver-haired teen looked utterly dumbfounded as he realized that Sora wasn't saying this because he felt as if it was his job to bear those burdens – Sora didn't want to worry them, he never had the intention of leaving them behind – but Riku had only just now realized why he had always taken the burden on himself: he never wanted to see the ones he loved in pain. He never wanted them to suffer any costs or troubles. Sora would happily take on the struggles, and trials if it just saved those he loved from suffering.

"Sora...I just wanted you to know that you don't have to face these things alone. Kairi and me are here with you," Riku stated. Sora gritted his teeth and shut his eyes.

"Leave me alone..."

"What? Sora, I...please, try to understand this, I..." the boy shook his head.

"GET THE FUCK OUT! LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Riku stepped back as Sora placed a hand to his chest where his heart was, and once again the silver-haired teen was given a realization that, while Sora's mind didn't remember what had transpired, his heart and body did. Everything within Sora knew what he'd done to the others and Riku, and because of that, he felt nothing short of guilt for his actions. Riku took a deep breath and looked his friend over once more, before deciding it would be best if he let Sora calm down before he tried to rationally speak to him about choice.

"I hope you can understand...Sora..."

{….}

I pirouette in the dark, I see the stars through a mirror...

{…...}

Author's Note: Here's the beginning of Recollection. I know Sora seems a little tense about Riku's sacrifice; however, if you take into account how Sora is viewing it, compared to what it was really meant to be, it will make sense. I hope you will enjoy the story.

Preview:

"I'm sorry..."

"THIS IS AMAZING!"

"Welcome to Disney Castle."

Chapter 2: All Wounds