Yay, next chapter! Go me! I did this before I read any reviews for the first one, so if I don't mention anyone's nice reviews, it's nothing personal. I'm just jumping in.

And by the way, the grandma's nickname is spelled that way on purpose. And I don't own Within Temptation or their songs.

"When a man's in love, he's only got one story."- Lionel Richie,

Chapter 2: The Call of Aquarius

"Isn't that lucky, Riku?" asked Kairi at lunch.

"Hm?" he snapped out of his train of thought.

"Granda Megami's granddaughter is coming to the island to live with her," she repeated, "Isn't that wonderful?" Granda Megami (as she was called) was the oldest, kindest, richest, and most respected person on the island. She lived in a mountain estate in the very center of the island! She was also immortal, but no one knew about that except Sora, Riku, and Kairi, as well as their mayor and a few other trusted civic leaders. Anyone else who heard dismissed it as rumor.

"Oh," said Riku, "Yeah, wonderful."

"She'll finally have someone to talk to besides all those servants," Kairi continued, "I wish I knew when she was coming, though, so we could give her a proper welcome."

"I wouldn't worry about it," said Sora, polishing off his milk, "Knowing Granda, she'll probably receive her in private. I swear, the woman's like a recluse or something."

"She's not a recluse," Kairi reproached, "She's just lonely. I wonder what the granddaughter will be like." She then noticed Riku looking out the window and nudged Sora. He noticed it, too. They shared a mischievous grin.

"By the way, Riku," Kairi beamed, "Sora and I are double-dating with the King and Queen this Friday!"

"...That's nice," said Riku, not looking at her.

"And we didn't want you to feel left out," Sora put in, "so we set you up with Snow White!"

"Great..." Sora and Kairi shared a flat, this-isn't-working expression.

"And Axel was a Backstreet Boy!" said Sora.

'Hey!' Roxas objected from inside him, 'He was not!'

"Shut up, Roxas," Sora whispered.

"Riku!" Kairi got frustrated, "What's the matter with you?" He finally looked at him.

"Sorry," he said, rubbing his forehead, "I don't know what's gotten into me lately."

"Well, whatever it is, it's freaking us out," said Sora, "What are you thinking about, Riku?" He didn't answer for a while.

"I was thinking," he finally said, "that maybe...it's time for me to start looking." Sora and Kairi looked at each other again and then back at their friend.

"For what, Riku?" Kairi asked quietly. He looked at them both with a small smile.

"For my light."

Riku never cared when it rained because he and Sora and Kairi could always find ways to have fun. So when it started to rain after school that day, they decided to watch a movie at Sora's house. While Kairi was at an after-school meeting with the drama club, Sora went home to get everything ready. Riku started walking to his own house; it was his turn to bring the movie. The rain was straight, steady, and heavy, the kind of rain Riku preferred to the sprinkly kind that went with the wind and drove you nuts.

He was walking along a sidewalk that ran aside a stretch of beach that he and the others didn't hang out at. He watched the sea waves roll in their usual rhythm despite their disturbed surface by the raindrops. Suddenly, he heard one of his favorite songs from Within Temptation being sung. He turned his head to his left, where the beach was.

That's when he saw her.

I hear your whispers
break the silence,
and it calms me down

He stopped where he was and turned toward the beach: Dancing in the rain while wearing a shin-long pleated blue skirt and light blue button-up top, with brownish hair that reached her lower back, barefoot, facing the ocean, and with an ipod on her left hip, was the most graceful girl Riku had ever seen. She was dancing in what looked like freestyle ballet and tai chi and singing to herself while moving a stream of water around with her arms.

I taste on my lips
your salty kisses

She turned around to face Riku with her eyes closed; she was holding her arms and had her shoulders shrugged. Every word that fell from her lips was like the raindrops that fell from her body. As she sang the next part, a wind began to blow around her without moving the rain!

They say I'm seeking out the danger

Riku was amazed; her hair and skirt were flying! She turned back around.

That one day, you will let me go!

Her voice was earnest and powerful, and pierced Riku's heart; as she dropped to her knees, little streams of water flew about her!

I need you, Aquarius!
And try to learn, we'll have to stay (that might be wrong, someone correct me)

She floated up from her knees with a fist over her heart

I feel you, Aquarius
'cause you don't see, set me free
You call to me–

As she dragged out the last word, she started to lurch backward with her back in a perfect arch.

Aqua...ri...

By the time she finished with "us," she had fallen flat out on the sand and wasn't moving. Snapping out of his trance, Riku ran down to the beach to see if she was okay. He knelt by her side; her hair was a rich dark brown and strewn about, her skin pale as the moon with a breath of a tan, her body slender and strong. Everything about her bespoke the true essence of feminity; without question, she was beautiful.

"Miss?" Riku asked, shaking her shoulder a bit, "Miss? Are you all right?" He scooped her neck under his forearm and kept calling to her. Her eyes opened and looked at him with perfect focus; apparently, she hadn't fainted at all.

"Can I help you with something?" she asked with stinging sarcasm and a furious blush on her face.

"Um..." Riku was at a loss. "...Hi?" He promptly received a slap on his face by water controlled by the girl, who was now squatting across from him with fire in her midnight blue eyes before he knew what had happened. She wiped her bangs out of her face.

"Why were you watching me?" she demanded angrily, the little bit of water floating by her head with raindrops falling on it. Her face was all red now.

"I heard you singing and wondered why someone would be out on the beach in this weather."

"Maybe some people just want to be left alone!" she said, "You think about that?"

"You fell flat in the sand!" Riku protested, "How was I to know you weren't hurt?" She water-slapped him again and stood up. She stood there for a moment looking at him, then spoke softly.

"I am always safe," she said, "as long as there is always water...water...and music." Then she turned on her heel and ran off. Riku was shocked!

"Hey, wait!" he called after her on his hands and knees, "You never told me..." But she was already far down the sidewalk in the direction he'd come from.

"...your name." He sat back on his knees with shock and wonder on his face. Why was she so defensive and embarrassed? How did she control the water like she did? And just who was she? He remembered her unearthly grace, her ethereal voice, and her incredible beauty, and he resolved to find her again and make it better, and know her, no matter what. Whoever she was, this girl could very well be the life-giving rain his heart thirsted for. Even if she wasn't, he had to know her; his heart decreed it.

Riku stood up, shook the rain out of his hair, and ran the rest of the way to Sora's house with his arm in front of his face to ward off the raindrops.

Author's Review

Just to clarify, this is post-KH2. I hope you all liked that song! Thank you, Tubers! I love you all! See ya next chapter!