Of Ripples and Waves

Chapter 2

Do you think there's a god?

Why with the sudden influx of philosophical questions?

Because I find that you tend to think about life more when you feel like it's been taken away from you.

Are you still resentful?

No, just a little more thoughtful.

You were always thoughtful. It's what got you involved in your mess in the first place.

You still haven't answered my question.

The one about life?

The one about god.

But you know that it'll lead to a discussion and, most likely, an answer about life.

Does it really matter?

Yes, precisely.

What?

It doesn't really matter.

"You two are under arrest for the kidnapping and torture of the mayor's daughter," said Tidus, pointing his sword at Sora's throat. Sora could see others behind him, each with a different weapon. When had Destiny Islands become so militant? He wondered to himself.

It took a moment to register in Sora's mind. When it did, he started laughing. Everyone stared at him, excluding Riku, who was smirking to himself.

"I don't see what's so funny about this," said Tidus, tensing his sword arm a little more. The people behind him were muttering angrily as well.

"I-haha-I'm sorry," said Sora, holding his stomach. "It's just- hah- that that was the first thing Kairi tattled on us when we first met her. We got in so much trouble, remember Riku?"

Riku stayed silent, but his lips had formed a smile, indicating that it was exactly what he remembered. Tidus, on the other hand, looked at both of them bewilderedly before moving forward with his sword, closer to Sora. The laughter died quickly and Sora slowly stood straight again, though this time looking Tidus back in the eyes.

"Then are you denying it?" said Tidus softly.

"I can't tell you that I've protected her, because I don't believe that myself, but I would have died

before I let any harm come to her," said Sora in an equally soft voice, albeit with a bit more edge.

"Liar," said Tidus, and raised his sword. Sora tensed, but it was Riku who acted more quickly. He had Tidus down on the sand, one hand on Tidus' neck and the other hand on Tidus' wrist, keeping him from swinging his sword.

The small group backing Tidus stared for a moment- it had happened to fast- before moving forward towards Riku.

Fire.

A blast of fire hit the sand between Riku and his opponents, some of whom fell backwards from the magic attack.

"I'd stop right there," said Sora calmly, one arm up. "I don't want to lose my excuse to mi-"

A second blast of fire hit the beach, more powerful and efficient than Sora's had been. Sora was knocked off his feet and Riku jumped off of Tidus to avoid the wave of heat that followed.

"Lu! You made it!" said Wakka happily. A dour-faced girl with red eyes and flowing black hair jumped off her boat as it hit the shore. She held a little black doll in her arms.

"For Kairi," said Lulu shortly. Wakka looked a little crestfallen, but quickly regained his composure as Lulu walked past him to look straight at Sora, raising one hand.

That was a Fira, he thought to himself, assessing the situation. This is a problem…I don't know how much magic I can pull off without the Keyblade…

Wait, what am I saying? These are my friends! I can't just assess them like I did my enemies!

"Sora," said Riku, tossing another stick to him. Sora caught it and stood up, pushing his thoughts aside. Lulu had her hand raised and everyone else looked like they meant it, too, though it was obvious they were waiting on Tidus' word.

Tidus, who had also gotten up and dusted himself off, picked up his liquid sword again and, this time, fell into a battle stance, the same he had used as a kid and one very similar to Sora's own. Whatever hesitation he had had before in his eyes was gone.

"You take right and I'll take left," said Riku simply, swinging the stick around to get a feel of it. Sora looked towards the crowd and frowned. Lulu was on the right and Tidus on the left.

"What? I'm not going to fight a girl," said Sora, looking away away from the group and facing him. It turned out he didn't have much of a choice, as he only just moved quickly enough to dodge a magic lightning bolt that had fallen from the sky. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Riku moving forward towards the other group, stick in hand. Sora felt himself automatically rise and raise his sword, pointing it to the concentration of the group. All questions were gone. He could see them suddenly weakening under the sudden pressure…The thrill of powerful magic began to race up his arms…

Gravig-

"STOP!" shouted a voice just as Riku was about to jump into the middle of the group, sword point aimed at them. It was if someone had done a Stop spell, not just shout it. Everyone froze and Sora could feel the spell he was about to cast slip through his mind.

Kairi jumped down from a large yacht and ran towards them. Behind her, a rather portly man in a bulging suit also got off and made his way towards them.

"What is it, Kairi," said Tidus, who had not taken his eyes off Riku. Riku, in turn, hadn't eased his form, holding the stick next to his cheek as Sora had seen him so many times before.

So many times against him.

He shook his head and watched as Kairi ran over to Tidus and began to pull on his sword arm, forcing it down.

"Tidus! What do you think you're doing!" She took the sword from his fingers and held tossed it aside. Several people moved back to keep their distance from the sharp object.

"I'm arresting your kidnappers, Kairi!" he said, pointing at them.

"Kidnappers!" breathed Kairi. "I owe both these people my life twice over!"

The only sound for a while was the sound of lapping waves on the shore. Tidus stared- was it anxiety Sora saw in his face?- at her. It was, however, Selphie who spoke up.

"Umm…but on the island, when you were trying to run over to us and he," she pointed to Riku, "stopped you, we thought…"

"No!" said Kairi, looking from Tidus to Selphie. "They're the ones I'm always telling you about!"

"The ones who traveled to all sorts of worlds?" said Selphie, a look of incredulity on her face. "But, come on, Kairi, you know you just made that up…Remember? It's always been our little joke?"

"Can't you see that they're real? Look at them! They're-"

"Kairi," said Sora, cutting her off with a hand on her shoulder. He shook his head.

It's alright. You can stop. He told her silently. She looked at him, for a second before she bowed her head and made a little nod, tears in her eyes. Suddenly, though, Sora felt his hand pushed roughly aside as Tidus walked over to them.

"I trust her word," he said. "But I don't trust you." He led Kairi away to the others and, to Sora's surprise, she didn't resist. Sora felt a sudden pain run through him, a sudden concern grab him like a vice around his neck.

Sora didn't know what to say and only frowned. Tension started to build again, until the portly man who had gotten off the boat with Kairi- her adopted father and the mayor, now that Sora recognized him- coughed. And walked over to him and motioned Riku to come over, too. Riku threw the stick aside and strided over to them, his eyes now unconcerned and his silver hair flowing languidly behind him.

When he had stopped- a little further than the mayor would have liked- the mayor coughed again and said,

"Well, unofficially, I'd like to thank both of you for returning Kairi safely to us…Riku and Sora, is it?" he addressed Sora and Riku. They shook their heads.

"Ah, I mean, Sora and Riku. Well, you have my thanks, and you're welcome on our island any time."

Sora exchanged looks with Riku before saying,

"Actually, we were wondering if we could find a place there." He heard a collective gasp from behind them, only one of which was a happy gasp.

The mayor looked slightly flustered all of a sudden, but before he could say his case, Sora added,

"Money won't be a problem, of course. We can provide for ourselves, at least for the time being." He laughed inwardly at the mayor's relieved face.

"Ah, well, if that's the case, then I don't see a problem."

"Thank you," said Sora. The mayor shook hands with them both and invited them to go back on his yacht before turning around and walking away.

Sora and Riku, tensing, turned at the sound of footsteps running through the sand to them. They eased, though, as they felt Kairi jump and hug them, tears running down her face.

"You're staying, you're staying!"

Sora laughed and helped her up, only to have Kairi tackle him back to the ground again. I'm so glad, he could feel her heart saying as it beat against his. Sorry to have made you worried, he thought, and hugged her. Riku, after watching them for a second, stood up to make his way over to the yacht when he felt Kairi hug him, too. After a moment's hesitation, he returned the hug, albeit a little briefly, and let go, a tinge of red on his pale cheeks. Sora didn't follow for a couple of seconds, listening to the waves, those endless, eternal movements.

Riku's words came floating back to him, accompanied by his own response. He smiled, and added a small addendum to that. The waves don't change, may never change. But, for better or for worse, we'll change. May it be for the better.

"Sora, you coming?" said Kairi, waving to him. Sora smiled and ran over to her, the sound of the sea, the wind, and the gulls around him. The sounds of home.

Watching him, though, were two sea-blue eyes framedby a tanned face.

Tidus' hand gripped his fallen sword so tightly he felt his arm shake.