[Sora curls onto his side and watches Riku as he speaks, being a surprisingly good listener. He feels a deep ache in his heart when Riku goes on. He realizes that him and Riku never really talked about these things face to face back home. There was always something in the way or something happening or them being split up over and over. So to hear this from Riku, it makes him ache. Maybe he does have a second chance to be here for Riku better than he had been in the past.]

What I've learned-- What we've learned is that light and dark go hand in hand, there's no light without the darkness and the other way around too. It's two halves of a whole...

[The brightest lights cast the darkest shadows. There's no way the light would reject Riku. Riku would just have to decide which way he wants to walk.

He can't help but reach out to take Riku's hand in his, fingers tracing little circles over the back of it. Then he squeezes gently.]

It's special because it makes you strong enough to see the light and the dark for exactly what they are. You can find you way through the darkest places.

[And one day Riku will be strong enough to find Sora in the deepest darkness before it's too late.

He can't help but frown at Riku's last comment, though.]

And you know I get cranky when I don't get enough sleep, give me a break. Where you that worried I wasn't gonna wake up? [Then, quieter-] I'm glad you watched over me. That you didn't go away.