Kingdom of Loss
Chapter 5, Police Station
A/N
Lady Rittaker:
Anyway, I don't own kingdom hearts, even though, as always, I wish I did.
Hope you enjoy this part of Kingdom of Loss
The talking went on and on and on until Sora felt his head spinning. It had been a long time since he had to remember and explain all of his childhood. Leon had looked it all up of course, he and Auron were good cops. They did their jobs, and they knew the story now. They knew it from him, and soon they would hear it from the emotionally unstable Riku.
Riku. Sora hadn't seen Riku since he went ballistic in the hospital, but Auron told him, in his Auron way, that Riku was fine and resting more peacefully now. Aeris had found him a psychologist, but Sora still just wanted to see him. He didn't want to tell the story about Ansem anymore. Despite everything, he still felt like somehow or other part of it was his fault.
He wanted to take a shower. Or two. Or three. Or…twelve maybe, but he knew that wasn't even remotely healthy, and Kairi or Namine were bound to get on his case if he took to long in the shower. Even Cloud was bound to get pissed about it after a while, and Aeris would notice that there was something bothering him right away. He didn't have a problem telling her, but the thought that soon Riku would be talking to her as well…there was something frightening about that.
"Sora? Are you alright?" Leon asked him, and Sora realized that he had probably been sitting there blankly for about ten minutes.
"Right, sorry, what were we talking about?" He asked, and Auron sighed, clearly slightly annoyed. Another Auron thing. He was annoyed sometimes, a little faster than he should have been, but he never lost his temper. He would just give the infamous 'Auron Sigh Technique' but Sora didn't mind. Auron had been on his case long before Leon even joined up with the police, and Riku was his first lead since Sora had escaped.
"Your story hasn't changed Sora, we're got enough for now." The older cop said, looking at his partner. "We have to deal with Marluxia, his trial starts in two hours, and you're on the stand Leon. I'll handle Riku when he comes in, you need to go though."
Leon sighed and nodded. "Right, I had almost forgotten about him…" Marluxiawas a child pornographer that Leon and Auron had been tracking for almost two years, since Leon had joined the force, and they finally had enough evidence to take him down. He had been the guy abusing Namine from what Sora had gathered, but he never heard much more than that since Namine almost never talked to him. She was a lot more interested in Kairi, and Kairi was protective of her girlfriend.
…as in wild crazed bear with rabies protecting a piece of meat when it came out of hibernation protective. Sora liked to stay away from Namine for that specific reason. Still, he had heard them talking about one cop who had helped get Namine and a bunch of the other kids out, Detective Axel, but Sora had never seen him. Apparently, he was deep undercover in some sort of 'child lover' ring which involved the biggest, and worst of all the child sex trade workers. Marluxia was going to be the first one they brought down, so no one knew what Detective Axel looked like. Not even Auron and Leon, from what Sora had heard.
"I guess I'll head out then." Leon nodded, then he looked at Sora. "Oh, will you give this letter to Cloud? I had planned on doing it, but this could take a while and the sooner he knows, the better." Leon handed Sora a letter.
"This is…" Sora blinked in shock. "Cloud's police application! Did he get in Leon?" he asked, so excited that he almost forgot completely why he was even there.
Leon smiled a little bit, though not enough to reveal everything he was thinking. "Well, you'll just have to find out when he opens it." He looked as he usually did, but Leon got a different sort of look in his eyes when he talked about Cloud. A look that made him seem friendlier, and Sora was happy for that.
"Okay." Sora nodded, putting the letter in his pocket, and smiling at them. "Hey, don't look depressed on me, okay? We've found Riku, which means that we're one step closer to finding Ansem, and saving other kids like us! I just wanted to say thanks for always keeping me updated, it means a lot to me."
"You'll be fine Sora. I'm not worried about you…it's Riku I'm worried about, after his little outburst." Auron said, and Sora was on the defensive, feeling a little like Kairi and how she felt about Namine, right away.
"Riku has been through a lot! I know it isn't his fault, and I'm sure that Aeris can help him! I know everything is going to be alright now, I just know it is!" Sora declared, meaning every word he said. "Good luck with this Marluxia guy Leon, I hope you nab him! Namine is counting on you!" Then he ran out.
"…Cute kid." Auron said, not moving from his seat.
"Yeah. With Sora being there for Riku…somehow, I'm not so worried. Aeris will take good care of them, just like she did for Cloud and I…and Namine, and Tidus, and all the other kids who go to her. She just has…" Leon stopped himself. "Whatever. I have to go deal with scum. Good luck with Riku, Auron. I hope he opens up to you…if not, just give him some time with Aeris."
"That was what you needed, wasn't it? When I first caught your case, eh Leon?" Auron asked, flipping through his files for some new paper.
"Yeah, just like me." Leon nodded, heading out after Sora.
Sora stopped in the hallway to meet Aeris, who sat on a bench with her head in her hands. She looked up the second that Sora walked over to her, looking relieved. "Sora…are you alright?"
"Yeah, how is Riku?" Sora asked, sitting down next to her.
"He'll be fine, he woke up while you were in the interrogation room with Leon and Auron." Aeris told him softly, putting her hand on his shoulder. "They told me that he's much calmer now that he's had time to adjust to what's happening around him. They said he's been asking if you're alright Sora. The first thing he asked when he woke up was where you were."
Sora was ecstatic. "Really! You mean that right? You aren't just messing around with me are you?" He asked, standing up and bouncing off the balls of his feet.
"No, of course not." Aeris smiled. "I would never play such a cruel joke on you, you know that right Sora?"
"Yeah, I know! I was still so worried that none of this was real though…even what Riku did, I don't blame him!" Sora insisted. "It just doesn't seem real that I would run into him, but I did and that is what's important."
Aeris nodded, smiling back at her optimistic 'son'. "I'm glad you feel that way Sora. I'm glad that this might all work out."
"Might? Don't be silly Aeris! Everything will work out! I know it will, because as long as Riku is safe, then so is everything else! We don't need to find Ansem…as good at it would be if we did, but we don't need to! I'm just glad Riku is alright, and Leon and Auron, and maybe even Cloud will be able to track down Ansem, I know it! We'll all get our happy endings, I just know it!"
"You seem to know an awful lot, don't you…Sora?" Sora flipped around when he heard a familiar voice. It was Riku, standing there in some new clothes, which Aeris had paid for, supported by detective Tifa, a friend of Leon and Aeris who had also lived in Aeris' home at one point. Tifa had taken after her adopted mother when it came to taking in strays, and she had two adopted kids of her own. She was managing just fine supporting Riku.
"Riku!" Sora cried in excitement, practically jumping on Riku, if Aeris hadn't stopped him.
"I don't think that he can support you glomping him." Aeris mentioned kindly. Sora noted sadly that it was true, Riku was barely standing.
"Right…" Sora trailed off, slowly approaching Riku, who looked away.
"Sora…" Riku trailed off, moving back slowly. "I…I'm sorry. I didn't realize who you were…everything was so weird for a while there…"
Sora smiled. "Listen, Riku, it's okay. I'm just glad you're alright…I was so afraid that I lost you again, I should be the one saying I'm sorry! I ran away and left you when you needed me most!"
"No, I wanted you to get away." Riku shook his head. "I wanted you safe, and at least one of us got away. Now…everything is alright. Or going to be alright I hope. I just… this is kind of weird. I kept thinking of what I would say when I saw you again and here I am making an idiot of myself."
"No!" Sora insisted, shaking his head furiously. "I kind of…um… well…I did the same thing and right now I just…I…well…um…"
The two of them trailed off for a moment, staring at each other as if trying to decide what to say next, but both boys were at a loss for words. Just what did one say to another when one had not seen the other for seven years? It was the most bizarre thing they had ever encountered in terms of having to think.
"I think Detective Auron wants to see you, Riku." Aeris said softly, making the two boys snap out of their drawn-out and silent gaze. "Don't worry, you'll be staying with me when this part is over. I'll watch over you."
"Thank you Miss Aeris." Riku bowed his head a little bit, making Aeris smile.
"Just Aeris, Riku. Detective," Aeris looked up at Tifa. "Take good care of him alright?"
Tifa smiled and slapped Aeris on the back. "Hey! Not to worry my dear, Auron and I will watch him like a hawk, and I'll take down anyone who comes near him!"
Riku looked like he didn't know whether or not to be impressed with Tifa, or terrified of her. Sora just smiled, knowing Tifa as Leon's old partner, before he swapped over to Auron. She was nice, if a little violent at times, but she had always made him laugh, and had been good friends with Leon, and always supported him and Cloud, though she had a crush on the younger blond for a while before she knew her partner was dating him.
"Good luck you guys!" Sora encouraged, taking Riku's hand in his. "We can talk when you get back, okay? And don't worry about Auron at all! He might seem a little gruff, but he's a good guy! I've always been able to count on him to help me out."
Riku looked a little unnerved, but Sora's undying optimism seemed to keep his spirits up as her reached out and ruffled up the younger boy's hair. "Hey, don't you worry about me. I've always been able to take care of myself. After all, someone has to watch over you too, and I'd better get back on that."
"You had better." Sora said playfully, wishing that Riku didn't have to go. Somehow, he felt like they were just picking up right where they left off, seven years before.
"Can you two do this later? I need to speak with Riku." Auron said, coming out of the interrogation room and crossing his arms.
"Sure. Yeah." The two boys both said at once, glancing at each other and smiling.
"Wonderful. Come on Riku, I'll help you out." Tifa offered, helping the boy into the interrogation room gently.
Sora waved goodbye, and then the door closed and he let out a small cheer, startling Aeris a little bit. "He's okay! He's so much better! I knew things would be okay! I just knew it!"
Aeris got her breath back and smiled. "I know it seems that way, Sora, but Riku was trapped in that world a lot longer than you were. He really needs you as a friend right now, but he also will need to talk to me a lot. If you can help him open up, it would probably help him through this rough transitional stage, okay?"
Sora nodded. "Right! It won't be a problem, after all, Riku and I are friends!" Only I kind of hope that if things go okay… Sora decided to silence that thought in it's tracks. Riku was just out of the hospital! How could he possibly think about that already? But Riku was just so…beautiful. It was cheesy to think of, and Sora knew that, but there was something about Riku that was just…exactly what he had always pictured the one he loved as being like.
Except less emotionally scarred.
"Ready to go home, Sora?" Aeris asked him, but she was surprised when Sora shook his head.
"No, I think I'm going to wait here for Riku." Sora decided happily, then he pushed Cloud's letter into Aeris' hands. "This is for Cloud, I think he should get it from you if not from Leon. Auron or Tifa might give us a ride home." He then bounced excitedly. "Imagine that, Aeris! Riku is going to have a home!"
Aeris smiled and hugged Sora. "Okay, good luck Sora. Come straight home when he's done, alright? I have to prepare his room, after all with Cloud moving out we do have a spare."
Sora nodded. "I'm sure he'll like Cloud's room! I'll see you when I get back Aeris!"
Aeris nodded and waved goodbye, heading out the door and smiling softly. I hope Riku knows how lucky he is…to have someone like Sora there to love him.
FIN
A/N
Rittaker: SORRY! I'M SO SORRY! SO SORRY! SO SORRY SO SORRY SO SORRY! I've been played KH2 and got a little carried away…and forgot about this totally, and while transferring some files yesterday, I saw this --' I'm a horrible person who deserves to be shot.
Anyway, point is, I've played KH2, beat it, and now have some cool ideas! Though I'm not promising anything, because school musical starts when I get back to that life (ew) I should be updating every month from now on. I have an idea for a project I'd like to do after Kingdom Of Loss, but I won't start it until I'm done with this fic. I'm thinking it will end up being 10 or 11 chapters…maybe shorter, maybe longer, but that's what I'm aiming for. I'll probably be adding some KH2 characters as I go, but I don't know exactly what the plan is…we'll see. Axel and Roxas will most likely be added, and our other friends at Organization XIII but we'll see…
I'm not impressed with this chapter, but I wanted to get one out for you guys who have been waiting so patiently on me…I'm an awful person who deserves to be killed. In a horrible way. Possibly by a rabid Sora or Kairi… one of the two. SORRY! I'M SO SORRY! You guys need to bug me. Or shoot me, or something like that. Something to make me write more. My ratings are going to be awful after this…I'M SO SORRY!
The next one might be about Axel's undercover work…or Cloud joining the police force or something like that…we'll see….it might just be Riku and Sora some more…I'll get around to it….maybe one of these days I'll write a lemon…because I had originally planned to do one for this…I WILL DO IT! Perhaps that shall make up for my months of disappearing! I just need people to keep bugging me about it.
To bug me about it, e-mail me at slightlysadistic666yahoo.ca and title your e-mail "Kingdom of Loss" or "I'm shooting you!" I'll probably respond personally! Because I'm trying to be less of a prick…
