From Eternamente -- Heya, hope you all enjoy this. I'm really enjoying writing this story, as I've got more of a liscence to be a bit more creative with the Riku/Sora relationship. Now, I know Sora's death scene in chapter one was sad, and even a little graphic. But, it was essential. The good news is, as you will soon read, Sora is now immortal as an angel. This chapter is more or less a filler between the Riku and Sora relationship, as it takes a look at Sora's introduction to his new form, and we see Riku absolutely miserable and angsty (not that you can blame him. His best friend and boyfriend and was-going-to-soon-be-his-life-partner was take away from him). Normally Riku's angstiness is kept under lock and key (I swear, no pun intended), but I thought that since he was beside himself with grief he'd wear the emotion on his sleeve this once. In later chapters he morphs back into the reserved Riku that we all know and love, but I won't give too much away (I swear, I always feel like I'm just giving the plot away and I feel bad for teasing).

So, anyway, I am enjoying writing this. I get to have fun playing around with Angel Sora, as you will soon discover more details about his new powers and new features (the wings! The wings are essential to this story, and you'll learn why within this chapter as well as the early chapters. And moreso in later chapters. There I go again, teasing you with future plot teasers. Sorry!). Also, I apologize. I went into a lot of detail with Sora's look. I love clothing, I love looking good, and I have to have Sora looking amazing all of the time. Given that he'll only have one outfit for the entirety of the story, I made his look as cool as possible while still maintaining an angelic theme. So, his clothes are also mentioned a lot during the upcoming chapters. Please bear with me. It's my craze of clothing doing the typing at times, I swear.

Enough of my babble. Enjoy the chapter, and please review! I always say it, but reviews are a big help for me to improve my writing. Thanks!

Disclaimer -- Sora is, and always shall be, mine. I don't care that he's owned by Disney/Square Enix. He is mine. He's even nodding in agreement as he lounges on my couch. He keeps playing Kingdom Hearts 2 on my television. The boy is vain, I tell you... but not nearly as vain as Riku, who also belongs to Disney/Square Enix. As do all of the other Kingdom Hearts characters and references contained within this story. Is a disclaimer really necessary? I mean, it's kind of a given. Anywho... on with the story!

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Until Eternity -- Chapter Two

"Huh?" Sora opened his eyes and carefully looked around. Within a moment he realized he was staring up at the sky, and that he was on his back. Carefully sitting up he gazed upon a seemingly endless plain of clouds. "Woah. Where am I?" he whispered aloud. He clutched his chest and the back of the head. The last thing he could recall was a car careening into his side of his own, and the vehicle being tossed into the air. He remembered hitting his head during a bout of whiplash, and then remembered the shattering of his windshield. He didn't remember anything after that, but he could recall an incredible pain in his chest.

"You're in Heaven," a voice called behind him. Sora spun around to see a delicate woman standing there. Her long brown hair was woven into a tight braid, and was accompanied by a white bow. She wore a delicate dress seemingly made of ivory silk, and her gentle smile radiated. "Hello, Sora. I am Aerith."

"Nice to meet you," Sora replied as he stood up. Sora's mind flip-flopped, but before he could ask about what was going on, he realized his normal outfit of jeans and a hooded sweatshirt were replaced by a silken ivory robe. "Uhh… why am I wearing a robe?"

Aerith laughed. "It's what everybody arrives in. You can change it if you'd like. Just imagine what you'd normally wear, and you'll be in those clothes instead."

Sora shrugged and thought about his normal clothes. He could feel the silky fabric on his body change shape, and when he opened his eyes he saw himself wearing a pair of white jeans and a white silken sleeveless hooded shirt, accented by light blue trim. Both of his wrists bore silken white wristbands to match his outfit. "What's with the white theme?"

Aerith laughed once again. "It's Heaven's thing. Anyway, my name is Aerith, as I have mentioned. I've been charged with taking care of you and getting you acquainted with your new home."

"My new home?" Sora blinked and then realized where he was. "Wait a sec, I'm in Heaven? But, I was just at the grocery store. I have to go home and make Riku pizza, and then…"

Aerith gently cupped Sora's chin in her hands. "Sora, you were in a fatal car accident," she said in a sad-but-sweet tone. "I'm sorry."

"I'm…" Sora gulped and tried to find the word. "Dead?"

Aerith nodded sadly, and placed a gentle hand around the back of Sora's head. "I'm sorry, but yes, that car accident claimed your life. But, you have eternity now."

"What about Kairi? She was with me…"

"Kairi is fine. She was a bit scratched up, but she's just fine," she replied.

Suddenly Sora was washed over by a wave of sadness. In the past few minutes he now had a really cool outfit, but he learned he was dead. He slumped down and tried to cry, but realized that the tears wouldn't come. He looked up to Aerith with a confused expression. "I… Aerith, why can't I cry?"

"Angels don't cry," she responded.

Sora thought about that for a moment. "Wait, first you tell me I'm dead, and now you're telling me I'm an angel?"

Aerith nodded happily. "Yes. When an innocent and pure soul passes on, they are blessed to become an angel."

Sora laughed. "Believe me, I am NOT innocent and pure. I mean, if you had seen some of the things Riku and I…"

"Silly," Aerith laughed. "That rule doesn't take those things into account," she winked. "You were a good person on Earth, Sora. You were kind to everyone. And despite choking Tidus a few times for interrupting your… activities… you really cared about him because he was Riku's best friend. Kairi loved you like a brother, and accepted your love for Riku. And of course, Riku. He loved you with more passion than any love I've heard of. He would have died for you, and I'm willing to bet he wishes he had been in the car instead of you. He loves you so much he would wish his life were taken instead of your own. You meant so much to so many people. Not a single person in the world could hate you. You were truly innocent and pure, Sora."

Sora sat back in shock at Aerith's speech. He was so confused. He tried to cry, but the tears couldn't come. "Aerith… I…" Sora tried to grasp the concept of everything, but decided it was settled. His life on Earth was over, and he was an immortal angel now. But his thoughts veered towards Riku. He suddenly longed to feel his boyfriend in his arms again, and to feel his lips crushing his own. He longed to be with him. He longed to be making that silly pizza of his again for Riku. He wanted so badly to give his golden promise ring to his mate, but now he wouldn't get the chance. He stopped thinking for a moment when he realized a single tear had escaped from his eye. "Aerith, I… I thought angels couldn't cry?"

Aerith leaned down and gently hugged the teary-eyed angel. "They can when they miss someone their heart truly loves." Sora looked up at her and another tear rolled down his cheek. It sparkled like a thousand diamonds in the sun. Aerith gently wiped the tear away and helped the boy up. "C'mon. Let's get you taken care of here. There's a lot for you to see, and a lot of things you need to know."

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Riku was a wreck. For the past week since Sora's funeral he moped about Kairi's apartment. He didn't eat, didn't sleep, didn't go to work, nor did he go to classes. Kairi brought his assignments home for him, but he hadn't completed a single one.

"Riku Matabi, if you don't get started on these class assignments you're going to fail!" Kairi wailed as she entered her apartment and flopped a quantity of assignments on her kitchen table. Riku gave a muffled grunt from the living room couch, where he had spent the past week slumped upon. He absentmindedly flipped through the channels, searching for nothing in particular. Kairi deposited her purse onto the table as well and made her way to the couch. She gently slid in next to the mourning boy and placed an arm around his shoulder. "Sora would want you to continue on," she said softly as she rested her head on his other shoulder. "I know it's tough. I'm still crying. Sora was my best friend, but he loves you still and wouldn't want you to be like this."

Riku began to shake as a sob escaped from his lips. "We were supposed to spend the rest of our lives together. And he gets hit by some bastards trying to escape the cops." He had learned exactly why the other car was speeding so dangerously. The police report had mentioned that the offending party had just held up a nearby bank and were hightailing it away. Unfortunately, Sora's car happened to be the thing to stop them in their tracks. "It's not fair." He continued to sob as Kairi gently patted his back. "I told him I was going to the store. Me. I was going to take his car and go to the store. But he insisted on going instead. If he hadn't gone, he'd still be here. It's my fault he's dead." He looked at Kairi with painful bloodshot eyes. His cheeks were stained with tears. "I miss him so much. I'm so empty and lost without him."

"I know. I know," Kairi nodded and whispered softly. "But, he was a good person. He's in Heaven now, watching over you. I'm sure him seeing you like this is saddening him. C'mon. Get yourself showered and together. We're going out to eat tonight."

"But…"

"No buts, Riku. You've been sulking and moping around this apartment for the past week," she said crossly as she made her way towards her bedroom. You're getting some fresh air, whether you like it or not."

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Sora and Aerith began to walk through the vast field of clouds. Sora laughed nervously as Aerith looked on with a puzzled expression on her face. Sora blushed before explaining. "Hehe, well, you know, on Earth, like during Sunday School or whatever, everyone always imagines Heaven to be a world of clouds and stuff. I never actually imagined it would really be like this."

"Well," Aerith began to explain. "Heaven is an interesting place. It takes on the look of what the collective hearts on Earth imagine it to be, so that when people do pass on and arrive here they're not surprised by the scenery."

"Hmm. That makes sense," Sora replied. Another thought crossed his mind. "So, uh, I'm an angel, right?"

"Yes, you are."

"Do I have wings and stuff?"

"You can summon wings, yes. I'll teach you how once we arrive in town."

"Town?"

Aerith smirked. "Did you believe Heaven was just a vast field of clouds?" She chuckled as Sora nodded his head. "Heaven is just as modern and normal as Earth. We have towns, cities, everything. The difference is that here people live in peace, because there is no fear of death or war or crime here. Those are mortal concerns. Mortals have to make their own choices for survival, whereas we only have to make choices concerning entertainment and company. There's no reason to steal; everything is free. There's no reason to hate one another, because there's nothing here to be jealous of."

"Wow," Sora replied. "This is paradise, isn't it."

Aerith nodded once again. "Pretty much. There are no worries. People here spend their time either choosing to spend an eternity of peace, or spend their time becoming archangels."

"What is an archangel?"

"An angel who spends their time devoted to maintaining the good on Earth, and is a gracious example of the seven virtues. Any angel can become an archangel if they display the seven virtues. It's not required, but it's also fun," she winked.

"Are you an archangel?" Sora inquired.

Aerith nodded proudly. "Some on Earth also call us avatars. From time to time we make our presence known in an act of holy righteousness. Usually in a case for ultimate justice."

"What are the seven virtues?"

"The seven holy virtues?" Aerith asked. Sora nodded. "Well, the seven holy virtues are humilitas, humanitas, patientia, industria, liberalitas, frenum, and castitas."

"Uh…" Sora began awkwardly, his eyebrows arching at the strange words he had just heard. "I uh… what were those again?"

Aerith laughed, and Sora noted how her laugh chimed like a thousand bells. "My apologies. I forget that some need a translation. I recited them in Latin. Anyway, they are humility, patience, kindness, diligence, liberality, abstinence, and chastity."

Sora groaned at the last two. "How can I be an archangel if I have to be abstinent and chaste? The moment I see Riku up here when he finally arrives I won't be able to keep those virtues."

The archangel blushed and giggled. "Sora, to be abstinent or chaste doesn't mean you can't be in love. Abstinence means to be mindful of others, and chastity means to have a moral wholesomeness. Heck, as a mortal you've displayed that already. If you want to be an archangel, you just have to display them again as an angel…" she stopped for a moment. "Wait a minute, you want to be an archangel?"

Sora shrugged. He hadn't really considered that, but he thought it would be more interesting that sitting around for the rest of his afterlife. It would give him something to do while he waited for Riku. "You said I'm here for eternity. I may as well put my time to good use," he replied. He attempted to walk forward once more, but Aerith pulled him back into a tight hug.

"Ohhhhh Sora! This is amazing! Most of the people I greet upon their arrival are just content to staying in their homes for eternity, but I get to help you become an archangel! Ohhhhh, Sora, this is so exciting! I've always wanted to help someone achieve that," she gushed as she squeezed the poor angel to… well, you get the point.

"Uh… Aerith? You're choking me," Sora pouted as he tried desperately to remove her arms.

"Hehe, sorry about that. Anyway, come along. We have a lot to see!"

Aerith led Sora to a large building in the middle of the town. After the two entered the building Sora could see it was a woman's home. It was very well-decorated and cared for, with little knickknacks along the shelves. The furniture was upscale, the carpeting was soft, and the color tone was a gentle balance of light pink and white. Aerith spread her arms out. "Well, what do you think?"

"It's nice, but uh… where are we?" Sora asked as he placed a nervous hand on the back of his neck.

"This is my home," she replied. "And, until we find out where you'll be staying, it's going to be your home as well."

Sora tossed the word in his head a few times. Home. Riku was home. This was an eternity. The idea was too different in his mind, but he didn't want to offend Aerith's generosity. "Thanks," he said with a half-smile.

"Don't mention it. Anyway, this is also where I can help you train!" she said excitedly. "Sorry, I don't mean to be so excitable, but this really is exciting. I'm not kidding you. Every new arrival I've greeted has taken to an eternity of sitting back and retiring. You're going to be one of the few to become an archangel. This is so exciting! And it's fun, too! You'll get to learn all kinds of abilities the majority of the other angels don't have." She hurried over to the other side of the room and brought a large book back with her. A chair suddenly materialized beneath her as she sat down and began to flip through the book.

Sora was intrigued by her trick and tried to do so as well. He sat down, but realized all too late that no chair materialized beneath him as his butt landed sharply on the ground. He winced out of habit slightly, only to realize he not only felt no pain, but the floor was soft enough anyway where a fall wouldn't have hurt. Aerith laughed and waved her hand and suddenly a chair popped Sora into the air, and he gently fell back down into it.

"You'll catch on quick how to do that, by the way," she mused. "Anyway, ohhh you're going to have fun with these spells. Let's see, we'll start with some basic magiks. Hmm… Cure. Yes, that's an important one. Best to start off with a defensive spell…"

"Um… I thought you said you'd show me how to summon wings first?" Sora timidly asked. He had been nervously wrenching his hands together ever since the chair materialized underneath him.

"Oh, that's right. Silly me," she said as she smacked a hand on her forehead. "Forgive me. I'm getting ahead of myself. Even the angels who don't bother with rising the ranks learn how to summon their wings at least." She stood up and motioned for Sora to stand as well. She smiled and nodded as she took the boy's hands in her own. "Now then, it's very easy. You concentrate with all of your heart on something you truly love and care for." She closed her eyes and smiled, and suddenly a brilliant pair of silver wings arched from her back. Sora looked in wonder as her wings stretched themselves out.

"Wow," he said in a hushed whisper. "Alright, so I just think about something I truly love and care for," he said as Aerith nodded assuredly. Sora closed his eyes and his mind went blank for a moment. 'Something I truly love and care for. Riku. He's the only one who I've loved who's loved me in return. I wish he were here with me. I love him.' Suddenly Sora's back tingled and a pair of beautiful silver wings grew from his shoulder blades. Sora stared in wonder behind him as he saw the beautiful silver feathers flittering about upon his back. "Wow, I did it," he laughed happily. "I have wings! Wow. Riku would kill to see these…" Sora's voice faltered as he sadly looked to the ground.

Aerith gently lifted his face up to her own. "I'm sure he would. Hey, maybe someday you can even see him. You know, archangels are allowed to be on Earth. It's part of our duty to protect what's good and true in this world." Aerith didn't want to give Sora false hope, but she had already taken a liking to the young angel. He had touched her heart with his willingness to become an archangel, and how sad he was to have lost such a happy life. Aerith could relate. "Maybe one day you can be on Earth and visit him. I don't know, but I'm sure it wouldn't be a bad thing."

Sora nodded sadly. "I just… I miss him so much already. How long has it been since I… you know…" He had a hard time actually saying that he died, but he couldn't deny the truth. There was no way he could have sprouted wings if he were dreaming. And besides, the sensations he felt were too realistic to not be real.

"A week," she said. She then pulled the youth into her arms and enclosed him in her wings. "I know it's hard, but we've all lost family and friends. Everyone who passes on does, regardless of how they died. But, eventually your loved ones will reunite here with you so long as they themselves live good lives. So, someday you and Riku will be together again for eternity."

Sora tried to cry, but knew his immortality was preventing him from doing so. "I just… it would be selfish of me to wish he were here with me now, because that would mean he'd be dead." He sighed. "I just hope that after he lives a full, good life, that he still remembers me."

"Humanitus," Aerith smiled. "Patience. It is a virtue."

Sora laughed lightly. "Well, alright. I want to be an archangel so I can see Riku again. He will be my inspiration. So, let's get to work!"

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"Riku, my man, hiya doing?" Tidus said as he plopped on the couch alongside Riku. It had been a few nights since he went out to dinner with Kairi, and the night had been terrible. He had been horrible company, and Kairi tried her best to cheer him up, but nothing was working. Everything reminded him of Sora. Everything. The soda Kairi ordered? Sora's favorite. The table they were sat at? It was the one Sora preferred because of how the lighting was so ambient there. The waitress' name? Sara. She even shared Sora's height and hair color. Kairi felt helpless as she watched her friend sink deeper and deeper in despair.

"Eh," he grunted as he flipped through channel after channel. It was late afternoon, and the sun was beginning to dip down behind the clouds.

"I heard you and Kairi went out to dinner the other night."

"Yeah, we're not doing anything like that for a while," Riku grunted as he paused on a station for a moment. The Food Network. The chef was preparing a fruit salad or some such, and Riku couldn't help but sniffle as he saw the poor pineapple that reminded him so much of Sora's wild hair getting sliced into by the chef's knife. Bursting out a sob he flicked the television off, threw the remote to the other side of the room, and curled up in the blanket and laid back against the arm of the couch.

"Riku, man, I'm sorry, but you can't keep going on like this. You're going to lose it," Tidus said as he patted his friend's leg.

"I already lost it," Riku muttered. "Sora's not here."

"I know Sora's not here."

"It's my fault."

"It's not your fault."

"I let him go to the store."

"He insisted on going."

"He never got to make the pizza."

"Listen, man, if a pizza is that important to you then I'll make you one," Tidus said as he stood up and left for the kitchen. Riku watched and listened as his friend pulled out pots and pans. He purposefully banged several pieces of cookware against the floor and cursed loudly as Sora had so often done. He threw pizza ingredients on the table and cursed some more. He then proceeded to pull down a baking pan, and cried out a few real curses as the rest of the shelf's contents flew past Tidus, just barely hitting him.

Riku numbly got up and crept into the kitchen. Standing at the doorway Tidus could see a faint smile on Riku's lips. "Thanks," Riku began. "Thanks for trying, but… you're not Sora," he continued sadly. "I'll just order us a pizza. You can put the stuff away."

Tidus headed over to Riku and hugged him. "I miss him too," he nodded. "I even miss the chokeholds."

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A few days had passed, and Sora was still under Aerith's strict tutelage. He enjoyed her company, and was grateful to be learning so many new talents. She seemed amazed by how easily Sora picked up on some of the magiks he was presented with. Within a few days he had already master Cure magik, all the way to being able to perform Curagun. Never had she seen so much potential in an angel before.

"He's going to be a fine archangel," she kept smiling to herself throughout their lessons.

Today she was working on teaching him a simple spell designed to confuse a target. "Now, Sora, this spell is special. You only need to use it if in the event you're accidentally spotted by a mortal. That is, a mortal who isn't supposed to see you, like if you have to use a lot of magik and are noticed. There are two versions of it," she explained as Sora sat cross-legged on the floor before her, his argent wings absentmindedly fanning themselves. Although she had taught the boy how to dismiss his wings, he preferred to keep them spread out as if in deep infatuation with the idea of owning them. A smile formed upon Aerith's' gentle features as she thought about how much Sora enjoyed his wings; he hadn't dismissed them once since learning how to summon them in the first place. "The two versions are Glamour and Glamoura." Sora nodded. "Glamour is a single-target spell. It's low in energy, and within an instant they won't even realize you were there. They won't even see you, even if you're right in their face. Glamoura, on the other hand, is an area spell. It will cause the same effect on a large group of people, but it's weak. You have to get right out of there, because if they spot you the effects will immediately fade." Sora nodded once again, to which Aerith laughed. "Sora, you're so attentive," she commented.

Sora blushed. "Well, it's because I really want to see Riku again. So, I want to learn how to be an archangel so I can be with him again. Even if for a moment…" his voice trailed off sadly. He sighed once. "It's why I keep my wings out. Because Riku's the happiness I always think about. I never want to let that go."

Aerith nodded sagely. "I understand. I'll help you see him again, I promise," she assured the boy. "A few more lessons, and I'm sure you'll be able to go test your skills on Earth. Maybe you'll get to see Riku then."

Sora's attention crept back to Aerith. "I hope so."

"Okay, so, let's try it," she said as she stood up. "Granted, this spell only works on a mortal, so we can't actually test it. But, I can teach you how to summon the energy to cast it." She helped Sora to his feet and the younger angel anxiously awaited the archangel to display how to summon the energy. "Okay, you say the word 'Glamour' or 'Glamoura' as the case may be, so that your mind is focusing on the proper arts. You say this, all the while focusing on the clouds. What you're doing is causing their minds to cloud enough so they won't notice you. Glamoura spreads the energy about evenly, which is why it isn't as reliable as Glamour, but it will help if you need to flee in a hurry." Sora watched as her hands glowed a bluish gray, and within a split second a ball of energy of the same color floated in her hands. "Now, I did say you couldn't practice it on someone, but you can summon the energy. If a mortal were right here, I could touch them with this orb of energy and the effect would occur."

"Would that same thing work if I summoned Glamoura energy and threw it at a crowd of people?" Sora asked.

"Yes, actually. In fact, that's a tactic most use," she said excitedly. "The angel will spread her wings and take flight, summoning the Glamoura magik and toss it down at someone. The entire vicinity will forget, and if they looked to the sky they'd most likely mistake the angel for a bird of some sort. It's a very handy tactic." She clapped her hands together. "I'm so taken by how you can think up such advanced ideas!"

"I was a straight A student in school," he coolly replied. "I used to be." He looked to the ground sadly once again.

"Oh, Sora. We seem to go through this every five minutes," the archangel smiled sweetly as she took his face in her hands. "I want my student to be happy! I know. Tell you what. Let's go visit Riku."

"What?" Sora was taken aback by her words. "Visit Riku? Is that allowed?"

"Not really, but, you're an archangel in training," she replied. "I think it's okay. I personally think you need to see him. And, heck, it might even be a good chance for you to practice Glamour magik."

"I don't want to practice it on Riku," Sora pouted.

"You probably won't have to," she laughed. "Anyway, let's go," she said as Sora let her slip her arms around his waist and ascended towards Earth. "I think seeing you might even do Riku some good. It's nighttime on Earth, and because you're not on any mission or an archangel, well, you need to remain in the dark for him to see you."

Sora nodded in understanding and excitement as he let Aerith's wings and magik guide him to his hometown.

Next chapter, Sora and Riku are together again. Aerith rocks hard. Lots of sap upcoming in the next chapter, although sadly no fluff or (wink) et cetera. But, it's a great meeting, and I'm sure you'll love it. Still working out the kinks in the chapter though, so I'm not sure when it'll be up. So, yes, I'm being evil and keeping you in anticipation. Sorry!

Also, a small note. For magic in this story, first off I'm using the 'magik' spelling a la Final Fantasy. Secondly, whereas Kingdom Hearts generally has three ranks of each spell (Cure, Cura, Curaga), I'm having four ranks and possibly more. So, Curagun is Rank 4 Cure, which is very powerful. Some spells don't have high ranks, though. Glamour, for example, is only a two-rank spell as the effects of the spells are strong enough without needing higher ranks. Also, that spell is a completely made up spell... at least in terms of Kingdom Hearts lore. Anyway, I wouldn't mind suggestions of how to say rank 5 and up spells. I have Cure as Cure, Cura, Curaga, Curagun... perhaps rank 5 is Curaguna? I don't know. Suggestions are appreciated.

Lots of babbling from me, and tons of overexplanation, I swear. I promise I'll keep my headings and footnotes shorter for the rest of the story. Speaking of which, the story starts to pick up soon as the first few chapters are more or less introduction chapters. I'm not even sure exactly what direction this story will go in, or how long it will be. I'm kind of excited. I have several ideas floating in my head, and I hope to include them all. Stay tuned! Review! Love ya!