Chapter 1

"Sora?"

Her voice brought him back to life.

Partially, at least. He still struggled with an internalized tug-of-war between fragile consciousness and the desire to crash back into slumber. Despite the loud gasp of relief heard nearby, there was a lack of willpower to satisfy his curiosity. "Oh my goodness," they breathed. The voice sounded familiar; feminine, but mature. "Sora, can you hear me?"

He only grunted in response.

"Don't worry, sweetie! I'll go get the doctor. Just sit tight!"

With what felt like mountains of strength and determination, he opened a single eye only to watch the front door shut. It took another quarter of resolve to open the other eye and he found himself staring at the unfamiliar ceiling above him. Painfully white. His mind was blank. He perched himself onto his elbows and a sharp pain shot near his abdomen and he instinctively placed a hand there. That's when he realized that his waist was bound by sterilized bandages.

He examined his surroundings. The walls were pale, dingy, and besmirched due to laws of aging. Behind the monitor keeping tabs on his heart rate, there was an open window that allowed slivers of sunlight to slip through. The outdoor breeze did well in balancing out that traditional disinfected scent hospitals were notorious for with tropical aura of Destiny Islands. But why was he here again? He reviewed his memories and the last thing he remembered was blacking out. Was the war over? And if so, who prevailed—light or darkness? Was the X-blade forged? Were his friends okay? Were there any casualties? He needed answers.

"You must be exhausted," said a voice. He turned to find a nurse setting a glass of water on his table to the side and she seemed to be chewing some sort of gum. "Where's your mom?"

Sora thought back to the familiar voice from earlier and put two and two together. "Doctor... I think."

"Doctor? You mean she went to go get one? That's supposed to be my job," she added with a pout. After a deep breath, Sora found the strength to sit up while holding his stomach in slight pain. "Take it easy, okay?" She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Your wounds might still be a little fresh."

He groaned. "But why am I here?"

"You don't remember?" With a sympathetic gaze, she played with a few strands of his unruly hair. "Poor baby. Well, long story short, you ended up getting hit by a car a couple hours ago. The good news is that you saved some kid's life, but you were completely knocked out. You're lucky there were a lot of people around to call the ambulance."

What?

Was he hit by a car? The last thing he remembered, he was training with Donald and Goofy to recover the strength he lost after his Mark of Mastery exam in order to take on Master Xehanort and his true Organization XIII. Everything after that was just—blank. When did a car crash ever come into the mix?

Reluctantly, Sora decided to shrug it off and roll with it for the time being. He'd question it later. There must have been a logical explanation. "Uh, alright. Are the worlds safe? Is the war over?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Worlds? As in, plural?" She chuckled nervously. "Not too sure what you're talking about."

Sora wasn't surprised. There was a possibility that she wasn't aware of other worlds; few truly were. Donald used to always get on his case about meddling in world affairs during their first adventure. But he wasn't exactly thinking straight.

"Nothing," he reassured. "What about my friends, Riku and Kairi? They probably came to see me."

"Riku and Kairi, huh?" She tapped her chin. "Hm. Far as I know, they haven't stopped by. Your mom has been worried sick, though."

Ouch. That kinda hurt. He figured Riku and Kairi out of anybody would be the first to visit him after being sent to a hospital. Maybe they were just busy. Trying to save the universe for the third time might've clustered the schedule up a bit. Still, he wasn't sure how he felt about that.

"What about the King?" he continued. "Or maybe Donald and Goofy. Have they stopped by?"

The nurse ceased chewing and stared at the boy as if he grew nine heads. "Come again?"

"Donald and Goofy," Sora repeated without a trace of sarcasm. "They're really good friends of mine. One of them is short and kinda loud. The other is—"

"I know who they are," she interrupted. She figured he had an odd dream and was still a bit delirious. "Well, Donald and Goofy tend to visit the kids in the children's section. I guess I can set you up an appointment if you'd like?"

Why were Donald and Goofy visiting children at a dire time like this? Especially Donald. Sora recalled him never being the biggest fan of kids in the first place. "Uh, no thanks. I'm sure I'll see them again eventually."

After a brief silence, she decided to let it go and continued chewing her gum. "Sure, kid."

The door creaked open and in came a doctor with a clipboard. He had on a pair of reading glasses and a very rectangular chin that almost made him look like he was stuck in a constant frown.

"Good afternoon, Sora. I'm Dr. Sakamoto. How are you feeling?"

"Okay, I guess."

"Doctor, he's rambling a little. Something about being friends with Disney characters," the nurse said. "Do you think we should be cautious or do you think he's just a little delirious?"

"Wait—delirious?" Sora questioned. "What are you talking about?"

"I think you might be correct, Hayden," Dr. Sakamoto said, ignoring Sora. "But this is a typical occurrence with patients who were injured by external forces. It should go away soon."

"Hey, cut that out," Sora demanded. "I'm like, right here. I just wanted to know if you guys have seen Donald and Goofy."

The doctor seemed curious. Most patients weren't so passionate over their hallucinations. Rather, they'd be so incoherent that it would come off more as jibberish. This was a peculiar case. He removed his glasses for more intimate eye contact and pulled up a chair. Sora didn't know what to expect, but it all started to reek of bad news to come. "Sora, I'm not quite sure what to tell you, but I think you're still caught up in some sort of hallucination. You were only out for a couple hours so it's… impossible. Your dream must have just had a much bigger effect on you than usual."

That's when his entire world stopped.

The doctor didn't seem to be joking; his eyes were a mixture of concern and stern sincerity. What could have happened? Did the universe transition through some kind of bizarre makeover and as a sick, twisted joke, his memory went unharmed? Sora remembered everything, from the night when the islands fell to darkness, to closing the door to darkness with Riku and the King on the other side, all the way to defeating Xemnas and getting a letter from Mickey about the journey ahead. The memories weren't transparent or hazy. They were vivid. The sentiment of experience could be recalled.

"Geez, doc," the nurse said, breaking the momentary silence. "Way to break the news to him nice and easy."

"Sometimes, it's best to get straight to the point."

Sora didn't want to believe it. Maybe the doctor had just never met his friends before. That must have been it. He would just have to find them after he got out of the hospital.

"Hayden, do you mind stepping outside and keeping Ms. Hikari company?" Doctor Sakamoto asked. "She's pretty anxious."

She nodded. "Of course."

At her exit, he returned his attention to his patient. "Now, Sora, you may have heard by now that you ended up getting in the way of a car a few hours ago. It's a good thing you didn't undertake any serious injuries. But you saved someone's life, young man. You did good."

"I don't remember," Sora said, holding onto his aching head.

"That's fairly common when it comes to patients hit by vehicles. The good news is that you made it out with only minor injuries and a fractured rib. Since it isn't broken, no surgery is required. Just lay low for a bit and it'll eventually heal by itself. Do you mind telling me the last thing you remember?"

Sora scrunched his forehead, trying his best to recall his recent memory for answers. "I was with Donald and Goofy. We were traveling the worlds and I... I remember we ended up coming across Xehanort. After that, nothing."

The doctor shed an odd glance as he took some notes on his clipboard. "You must still be a bit delirious. I'm sure that'll shake off in no time."

"What? But I—"

The doctor put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, you'll be fine."

Dr. Sakamoto went on to ask Sora a list of questions about his recent habits and how he was feeling in general. Sora answered them to the best of his abilities, despite his throbbing head and shaky recollection.

"Well Sora, I think you're good to go," he said once the mini-interview came to a conclusion. "Just take it easy and maybe stay in bed for a while until you heal up, okay? If you ever need anything, please don't hesitate to call."

"Heal up? How long will that take? I can't just sit at home while my friends are all out risking their lives. The worlds are at risk!"

The doctor smiled politely. "That's quite the imagination for someone your age."

"Imagination? Don't you see that I don't know what you're talking about?"

Before the doctor could respond, a quiet knock came from the other side of the door. "Come in."

The nurse poked her head inside. "Doctor Sakamoto, Ms. Hikari is starting to get a little anxious. She really needs to see Sora. You almost done? She's driving me crazy out here."

He chortled. "Yes, everything seems to be in check. He just has a few minor hallucinogenic symptoms that I'm sure is only caused by a heavy dream. It isn't uncommon and it should wear off soon. Send her in and tell her that she just needs to check out at the front desk and they're good to go."

"Roger."

Dr. Sakamoto offered one last reassuring smile. "Go home and get some rest, Sora. You should be fine after a little rest."

Confused, Sora only nodded. "Sure. Thanks, I guess."

The doctor left, leaving him with a multitude of mixed feelings. A draft from the open window swept across his skin, making the hairs on his arms and shoulders erect. The more he thought about it, something didn't feel quite right.

He noticed a familiar woman enter the room, confirming the voice from earlier to be his mother. Despite her eyes being on the verge of an emotional waterfall, she held onto a loving smile. Her dirty blonde hair was a decent length, reaching the middle of her back fashioned as locks. Her eyes were blue and covered very slightly by her bangs. Her outfit was simple but spoke miles for her simple personality. She wore a white tank top overlapped by a sleeveless, purple bolero jacket that was buttoned up at the top, and a velvet skirt that reached her knees with a floral design trailing down the right side. Her feet garnered light blue sandals and there was a white bracelet of beads around her ankle.

"You're awake," she squealed, not wasting a second to snatch him into her hold and stuff his head into her chest. She allowed the tears of happiness to come as they pleased. "Oh, my poor baby, you had me so worried! Do you need me to get you anything? You must be so hungry after all that napping!"

He tried prying her off him but his protests were muffled.

"Oh, sorry!" He rubbed his head after she released him. There was a bandage over his right temple. "I'm just so glad you're okay. Losing my son would have definitely been a formula for the worst day ever."

She placed a hand to his cheek affectionately.

"But it takes a lot of courage to push someone out of the way of an oncoming vehicle. I'm so proud of you!"

It had only been a little while since he last saw his mom. The last time, he had to say goodbye since the king sent that letter requiring his assistance.

"How do you feel?" she asked.

"A little woozy..."

"Let's get out of here, then. I hate hospitals. I want you in bed as soon as we get back home, do you hear?"

He rolled his eyes. "Sure thing."

"Don't you ever scare me like that again!"

Sora stared out the window of his mother's car as his mother drove down the streets of Destiny Island. Everything looked the same as he remembered it. The houses were generally white and with gardens of green separated by fences.

But Sora couldn't be at ease. It looked the same, but something felt different.

"I appreciate the fact that you risked your life to save someone else's, but please try to keep the borderline suicidal heroic act to a minimum, okay? Oh, the doctor said something about a slight case of amnesia. He also said something about you being a little delirious, too. Apparently, it's normal though and only lasts for, at most, a week or two. Rough dream, huh?"

He pursed his lips. "Say, Mom, do you have any idea if Riku or Kairi came by to check up on me? Did you see them at all while I was in the hospital?"

"Riku? Kairi?" She pondered for a moment. "Who's that, sweetie?"

He stared at her wide-eyed for a moment before falling back into a frown. "Stop joking around, Mom. Riku and Kairi. You know, my best friends."

"Best friends?" she asked. "Well, this is the first time I've ever heard of them. Why don't you invite them over for dinner some time?"

His jaw dropped. "But... they have come over for dinner. Like, a bunch of times! Riku's been my best friend since I was just a kid. How can you not remember that?"

She glanced his way but quickly returned her attention to the road. "I would certainly remember a friend of yours, Sora. It's not like you seem to have that many in the first place, anyway. Are you sure you didn't make him up? Maybe you're still a bit confused and only dreamt him up."

To say that Sora was baffled would be the understatement of the century. She had to be joking. His mom could be a bit of a troll when she wanted to be, but this seemed a bit cruel. "You're kidding, right? This really isn't the best time to be joking around, Mom."

She cast him a quick glare. She was not a fan of being accused. "I could say the same for you."

Sora froze. She was dead serious. The idea behind the existence of a Riku was some sort of foreign concept to her. "What about Kairi? You have to remember her. She's the mayor's daughter!"

She blinked, her eyebrows weighed down in a mixture of concern and suspicion. "Sweetie, I've never met the mayor's daughter before and as far as I know, neither have you. You don't seem to socialize with... well, anybody really."

"W-Wha... what? I don't?"

Mom shook her head and concluded that Sora must have just been delusional like Sakamoto said. "You tend to not go outside that much, so I don't recall you bringing many friends home. You're kind of a shut-in and it worries me sometimes, but you always seem happy enough so I never pry you about it much." She pouted. "But since we're on the subject now, I do wish you would go out a little more, Sora."

"Mom, I just got back from an adventure not that long ago. What do you mean go out a little more?!"

"Goodness, you must have had one heck of a dream. It's been so long since I've seen you get so worked up over something."

He hysterically held his head. He searched his mind for some sort of clue as to what was going on but he found nothing. "No way. No freaking way is this possible..."

And then—he couldn't think at all. His thoughts no longer followed a path of logic and reasoning. They were only scrambled by irrationality and denial. He sat there, confused, distraught, and broken—with a blank look on his face. What sort of crisis could've befallen humanity that the memories of his two best friends would be erased? At that moment, the impact of brutal truth hit him like a prisoner in the path of a freight train. This was definitely not the same Destiny Islands where he grew up.

He gulped, looking towards his mother with eyes equally perplexed as hers. They both thought the other was insane or that there had to be some kind of faulty wiring in the other's recollection. The only difference between them was—

Sora suddenly felt alone in the world.

"You're probably tired, Sora. Maybe after you get some rest, you'll be back to normal."

"A-Actually, Mom, I think I'm gonna take a stroll around town." He had to see if there was anything else different that he wasn't aware of. He didn't know what was going on, but maybe if he could find Riku and Kairi, assuming they were even here... wherever "here" was, it could clear things up.

"Oh, no you are not! You're obviously not fully well just yet, so you need to rest. Besides, the school year will be coming up soon. This is the best time for you to start catching back up on your sleep. You know your insomnia is the worst during the summer."

Well, if he knew his mom, he knew that she wouldn't let up so easily. "But something isn't right, Mom. You have to let me take a look around town. I'll be fine and back before seven. I promise."

"Oh, sure, you'll be fine. Next thing I know I'll be getting a call from the doctor's saying you ended up breaking a butt cheek or something. Goodness Sora, if only you weren't so darn clumsy."

"But—"

"No buts! When we get home, I want you in bed. Maybe once you wake up you'll stop prattling on about fictional characters. I'll bring you up something to eat."

Maybe sleep wasn't such a bad idea. There was a possibility that he may have woken up and everything would be back to normal. "Not hungry."

"You should still eat something. As your mother, I demand you fill your belly before taking a nap! Am I clear?"

Despite his stress, Sora couldn't help but chuckle. On the bright side of all this insanity, at least his mom was the same as ever. "Sure thing, Mom."

They pulled into a small garage of a modest home. Good. His house looked the same as he remembered it. Sora got out of the car and held his throbbing head as he made his way inside the living room.

Upon hearing footsteps, a young girl no older than six whipped her head around. She glowed with excitement at the sight of Sora. "Big brother! You're not dead! I think that's supposed to be a good thing!"

Sora took a step back. He didn't recognize her. She leapt up from her spot in front of the television and hurried over to him with the biggest smile, hugging him by the legs.

Mom beamed at the sight as she entered the room. "Aww, Yoru, you missed your big brother, huh?"

She nodded. "Uh huh!" She then paused for a moment, making a look of what seemed to be deep contemplation for someone of her young age. "Wait, does this mean I can't play in big brother's room anymore?"

"I'm afraid not, sweetie."

She let go of him immediately with disgust. "Oh, couldn't you have stayed sick a little longer, big brother?"

Sora was speechless. He didn't have a little sister. Did he?

Turning around, he looked at his mother. "Who is this?" he asked quietly.

She frowned. "Don't tell me you forgot about your little sister, Yoru, did you? After your father and I separated, I met my current ex-boyfriend and we had a child together. You can't forget that, can you?"

"Wait, you and Dad separated?!"

His mother's face was etched with worry. "You're scaring me, Sora."

Breaking him out of his trance, Yoru kicked him in the shin.

"Agh! What was that for?"

"For forgetting about your little sister. You're the worst big brother ever, big brother!" She puffed and crossed her arms. "Mickey is a better brother than you!"

Sora paused. "Wait, Mickey?" He shook his little sister by the shoulders. "You know Mickey?!"

"Big brother, stop!" She was terrified. Sora never acted like that around her.

Mom pulled Sora back. "Stop it, Sora! What's gotten into you?"

"Mickey, I need to find him!" Sora yelled. "He might be able to tell me what's going on!"

Yoru rubbed her arm. "W-Well, um…" She hurried behind the couch, which was set up in front of the TV, and showed Sora her Mickey doll by holding it up high for him to see clearly.

"Mickey!" Sora yelled. He ran up to her and found that she had dolls of many familiar faces. Along with Mickey, there was Donald, Goofy, Minnie, and even that Daisy girl that he met at Disney Castle.

Sora dropped to his knees. His body was beginning to feel hot as he took the Donald and Goofy dolls in his hands.

"All my friends…" He held them protectively, hugging them as if they were alive. He sent a harsh glare at Yoru. "What have you done to them?!"

"I… asked Mommy to buy them for me?" Yoru replied curiously. She looked over at the screen next to them; her favorite TV show was starting. "Oh, it's my favorite show!"

Sora directed a glance at the TV.

On the screen, in a colorful environment, Mickey walked up to the camera with a bright smile. He had on red shorts with two white buttons, white gloves, and big yellow shoes.

"He-hey, everybody! It's me, Mickey Mouse! Say, do ya wanna come inside my clubhouse?" He put a hand to one of his large ears as if he was waiting for a response.

"Yes, Mickey!" Yoru shouted.

"Well, all right! Let's go!"

Yoru giggled. "I dunno why he always asks me that. My answer is always the same!"

Sora hadn't heard her. He was too busy gaping at the sight before him as if it were an omen sent from the heavens. "Mickey!" Sora dropped the dolls; he even stepped on one of them, as he ran up to the TV. He shook it violently as Mickey rambled on about making some sort of magic words to make a clubhouse appear. "Mickey, can you hear me? Speak to me! Tell me what's going on!"

Yoru tried to pull Sora away. "Big brother, stop it! Mickey doesn't like to play rough like that!"

Mom sped towards the scene and clutched Sora by the shoulder, hauling him away from the TV. Without warning, she delivered a hard slap to the cheek.

Sora was shocked; his mother usually never resorted to anything like that. She always had a peaceful soul. Though, he could admit that it did knock some sense back into him.

He touched his cheek, and as the stinging sizzled, he couldn't help but notice the tears in his mother's angry and disappointed eyes.

"Stop it! Stop it this instant! Don't you realize you're scaring your little sister?!"

Sora averted his gaze, watching the little girl whimper, holding onto her Mickey Mouse doll as if he'd protect her from her fanatical older brother. The lingering guilt inside him began to make its presence felt.

"I don't know what got into you after that car crash, but you need to go upstairs this instance and get some rest! I don't want to see my little boy acting like a delusional psychopath!"

In that moment, he realized what had become of him. The pain on his mother's expression spoke lectures of his foolish behavior, to the point where even he started to question it. "I-I'm… I'm sorry…"

He looked at the TV. The intro of the show was still playing.

"Roll call! Donald!"

"Present!"

"Daisy!"

"Here!"

"Goofy!"

"A-Hyuk, here!"

"Pluto!"

"Woof, woof!"

"Minnie!"

"Ooh, here!"

"Mickey!"

"Right here!"

"It's the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse~! Come inside, it's fun inside~! M-I-C-K-E-Y, M-O-U-S-E~!"

Sora almost felt like crying. What on earth was going on?

With his head hung low, he made his way upstairs. The eyes of his mother and sister never left him. As he left, he could hear Yoru's voice fading away.

"Mommy, has big brother gone crazy?"

It was the most legitimate question he heard all day.

At least, the house was the same as he remembered it. It would make navigating easier.

It didn't take long for him to find his old room, and with a sigh, he entered.

It was the same as it always was. There was a bed next to the window, where he would always gaze at the stars. His clothes decorated the blue carpet, and he found his eyes trailing upwards to an old toy of his hanging from the ceiling. It was a ship with a boy and girl on board, as if they were on a grand adventure across the sea.

"I just can't wait, once we set sail. It'll be great."

Sora slipped out of his clothes, leaving him in only a white tee and some shorts. He got into bed and pulled the covers over his shoulder, looking out into the sunset.

Perhaps, it was all just a dream. Maybe he really did make it up.

He reached his hand out and shut his eyes. He thought about the King, Donald, Goofy, all of those adventures that he thought he had. Was it all just a hallucination? He thought of the Keyblade and all of the great power he possessed using it. He was the key that connected everything, right?

Or maybe not, because when he opened his eyes, there was no Keyblade to behold in his possession. He clutched his hand tight into a fist.

As the tears began to well up, he laughed humorlessly. It was a laugh born of hopelessness, confusion, and sorrow. Of course it was all a dream. It was just a dumb fantasy to help him escape his dull, ordinary reality.

The Key that connected everything, journeying across countless words in a Gummi Ship while trying to dispel the havoc of darkness and bring about balance… it was nothing but something he fabricated. How could he become so heavily involved with his self-constructed lore that he forgot who he really was?

But it felt so real.

Sora tightened his hold on his sheets while curling up his legs.

"Riku, Kairi… tell me, what's happening to me?"

He closed his eyes.

Okay, I have no business putting out another story, I'll be the first to admit it XD, but why the hell not? The inspiration I got for this idea was crazy, so this is just kind of an experiment to see how interested people might be to see where this one goes.

I don't know why I'm so nervous about putting this one out here, but I don't think I've put so much care and effort into one chapter before ever, so I'm kind of anxious. But don't be afraid to be honest in any reviews and tell me what you honestly think! I could use the feedback! No pulling any punches!

I got the idea for this after reading a chapter out of SoraxKairi7's Oneshot Collection which you should totally check out, and I just got this burst of inspiration to see what I could do with this idea! It's sorta different from what I'm used to so I'd be really thankful if some of you bananas could let me know what you think in honest detail! Reviews are always a healthy motivator, so if you could be so kind, that would great.

And I know it's not in the categories but there will be some romance in this for all you couple shippers! ;) I never make a story without some form of romance.

Big thanks to SoraxKairi7 and Clogallie for helping me out with this one with their feedback and advice! Check out Winter Sunsets and Wavering Hearts!

#bananasquad