Kira and Roka stayed alone in the Twilight Town mansion for a few days, just talking and catching up. Though it sounded like a boring way to spend ones time in theory, it was the most fun that the two of them had had in a while. Although they could have returned to Destiny Islands at any point, they stayed, waiting for DiZ's return in hope that he could help them find Riku, where Tsuki's light was. They only left Twilight Town a couple of times to check on Tsuki's Nobody who was still sleeping in Hollow Bastion.

It was so peaceful and quiet in the mansion's basement and that's why it gave the two friends a decent shock when a Corridor of Darkness appeared in the bedroom. DiZ stood there and greeted them with a nod. "Kira, I am pleased to inform you that your Reverse is now here with us."

Kira pushed herself off the bed. "Sora's here?!"

"Something has happened to his memories and so he is currently in a deep sleep while we are fixing him."

"Who's 'we'?" Roka asked.

"The Nobody of your Reverse, Naminé, is here with me. Riku as well."

"Wait, Kairi lost her heart?" "Wait, Riku's here too?!" The two of them spoke in unison.

DiZ tried to answer both questions. "Kairi's heart has returned to her and she is safe in Destiny Islands. Riku is here to aid me in my efforts in helping his friend."

"Can we see him? He has something that we need," Kira made a determined fist.

DiZ gave her a questioning look, "And what would that be?"

Kira's expression was very serious. "Half of my best friend's heart."

...

Kira did her best to explain the situation to Riku, who she actually hadn't met until now, while Roka stood there looking like he might punch him in the face at any moment. When Kira asked Riku to come with them to Hollow Bastion, he simply shook his head. He barely looked fazed by Kira's explanation on Reverses and worlds within worlds at all.

"I'm staying here with Sora," he said.

"Riku, don't you even care that someone else's heart is inside you?" Kira was shocked.

A bit more shocked than Riku, apparently. "It wouldn't be the first time."

Kira started breathing heavily as she fell into a panic. "But Tsuki...she needs...you have to..." With a sigh, she collapsed to the floor.

Roka rushed to help her up, but Kira was too weak to stand at all.

"What's happening to her? She has her light now, she should be okay!" Roka wasn't sure who he was talking to.

"It's Sora," Naminé finally spoke up. "Not only is he sleeping, but his heart is half-asleep, too. It'll be affecting Kira's heart."

"Then what do we do?" Roka held his friend in his arms in his crouching position on the floor.

Kira's eyes kept opening slowly, then blinking shut as she pushed herself to stay awake. Naminé and DiZ looked at each other as if they both knew the answer to Roka's question.

"Perhaps we could put her to sleep in a pod of her own?" DiZ suggested.

"Alright, how long would she need to sleep for?" Roka panted.

"The process could take several months," Naminé said in a sympathetic tone.

"Months?!" Roka felt sick.

"I'll do it," Kira whispered as she stood up slowly, using her friend's arm for support.

"Kira, no..."

"I'm going to fall asleep anyway, right? I know I'll be safe if I'm here."

Naminé and DiZ nodded in unison. Riku folded his arms, obviously not feeling a need to be a part of the conversation.

"Roka, I'm going to send you home, okay?" Kira smiled at him sleepily.

Roka shook his head, "But I just found you again! I don't want to leave you here!"

"It won't be forever. I'll see you again, don't worry." She wrapped her arms around him in a weak hug and Roka latched onto her tightly.

As Kira pulled away, she felt a lump in her throat when she saw tears run down Roka's face.

She turned and looked back at DiZ. "Before I go to sleep...do you think I could see Sora?"

DiZ gave Naminé a questioning look and the young Nobody nodded her head. "I think that should be alright," she said to Kira.

DiZ stepped behind the control panel and pressed a few buttons. Everyone's gaze turned to the huge white flower-like pod as it slowly bloomed open. Within a few seconds, the sleeping Sora was revealed, hovering in mid-air. His expression was calm and peaceful.

Roka helped Kira walk closer to her Reverse so that she could get a good look at him.

It's him. This is the boy that changed my life without even knowing it. Sora. You're just like me. I can see that now. You're just going along living life trying to do the right thing. I hope the end of your journey is a happy one.

"Sleep well, Sora." Kira whispered, smiling sleepily at the boy in red.

DiZ closed the pod and Naminé led Kira and Roka to the room where the other pods were kept. Riku stayed behind with DiZ. As Kira looked into the first two pods, she realised that there were two other occupied ones besides Sora's. They were definitely odd-looking characters.

"Who are they?" she asked Naminé.

"Sora's friends, Donald and Goofy," the blonde Nobody replied.

Kira breathed a short laugh. I remember Mickey telling me about them. Looks like they got the clues we left for them after all.

"Will this one be okay?" Naminé gestured to an empty pod next to the King's Royal Magician and Captain.

Kira nodded a couple of times and Naminé pressed a palm to it to open it. As the walls of the pod unfolded, Kira breathed in deeply, turned and embraced Roka again.

"Why can't you just come home?" he whimpered.

Kira stood there, slouched over her friend as she was barely able to stand. "I have to stay."

"But I could-"

"Please don't try and talk me out of this. I need to stay here and I need you to stay at home with your step-mom and Penelo and the others. Can you do that for me?"

Roka pulled away and looked into Kira's tired amber eyes. He couldn't believe that he was saying goodbye to her a second time. He was broken. He could barely breathe. Breathing without Kira was a painful task; he'd learned this quickly during the past week. Kira forced a smile, then leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on her friend's cheek. Romance was the last thing on her mind, it was only a mere gesture of comfort. "I'll see you soon," she promised.

Roka swallowed hard and his voice broke mid-sentence when he spoke. "See you soon, Kira."

Then Kira let go of Roka's arms and walked slowly and unsteadily to her white pod. She managed to climb into it with shaky legs and she stood on the bottom of it, looking out at Roka.

"Sweet dreams," he said as Naminé pressed a hand to the pod and made it close slowly.

Kira smiled to herself as she let her eyes slide shut. As she began to float in mid-air inside her white shell, she let sleep take over her mind.

On the other side, Naminé opened a Corridor of Darkness to Destiny Islands. Roka glanced at Naminé for a second before smiling sadly as he stepped into the portal.

...

"Wha- Who's there?"

Kira heard a boy's voice call out to her and she opened her eyes. She was standing in complete darkness.

"Hey...who are you?" the only other person that was there in that dark world ran up to her.

Kira stood there blinking in surprise as she scanned her eyes over the boy's brown hair, red outfit and yellow shoes. "Sora?"

"Huh? Have we met?" Sora folded his arms and tilted his head.

Kira was silent for a second, but then forced a laugh to snap herself out of it. "Uh, no. I guess not. I'm Kira," she smiled.

"Hey, that's a cool name. So, how come you know me when we've never met before?"

"Well, I've heard a lot about you-"

"Wait, the better question is why are you here? In my dream, I mean."

Kira looked around at the darkness around her. "I guess we're having the same dream?"

"So, you're sleeping too?" Sora knelt down on the dark 'floor'.

Kira sat down too. "Yeah. So, how come you're sleeping, anyway?" That part was never properly explained to Kira.

"Me? Well, this might sound kinda weird, but this girl called Naminé is erasing my memory of the past few days. In fact, eventually, I'll even forget this conversation we're having right now."

"And you'll forget all about me?"

"Yeah, I guess so. Sorry," Sora laughed nervously.

"No, it's fine! In fact...if that's the case... then can I tell you a secret?" Kira grinned excitedly.

"Wow, I never would have guessed that there was a whole other world behind that door!" Sora exclaimed after Kira had finished telling her story.

"It's true. Unbelievable, but true," Kira laughed and shrugged.

Then Sora's expression turned serious. "But, wow, I'm...I'm so sorry that you lost your heart because of me. If only I'd known..."

"Hey, you didn't do anything wrong, Sora. It was the only way to save Kairi," Kira smiled warmly.

Sora returned the smile and nodded, "At least we're both alright after everything that happened. You know, you seem like a really cool girl, Kira. It's kinda exciting that my heart's connected to someone like you," Sora said awkwardly.

Kira was genuinely flattered, "Thanks. I'm glad to be connected to a brave guy like you, too."

"It's kinda sad that I'll have forgotten all about you by the time I wake up, though," Sora pursed his lips into a sad smile.

"It's probably for the best, though. I'm just glad I got to meet you at all," Kira said in a grateful voice.

Sora nodded absent-mindedly before looking up at Kira, a bright sparkle in his blue eyes. "Keep going! Tell me more about your world...and your friends...!"

Kingdom Hearts: Scattered Hearts~