'The worst of the problem is the blood- the rips I can explain.' Riku sighed. 'Guess that means I'll get to go swimming anyway.' Riku turned to the ocean and began walking leisurely towards it. 'Not the cleanest water source, but I have to get back soon.' He quickly rubbed at the areas with blood, trying to get all of it out. When he was done with his jeans, he moved on to his vest. He shrugged it off into the water, scrubbing with a small rock he had found.
After ten minutes and being unable to get out the entire stain, Riku gave up and put the vest back on, quickly dunking his head underwater as well and scrubbing that too. He turned around and headed over to where the others were, mind coming up with a plausible lie for his friends.
"Riku! You're dripping wet- what happened?" Kairi asked when she saw him.
"Axel pushed me into the water." Riku said.
"Why would he do that?" Roxas wondered. Ignoring the question, Riku glanced around for Sora- green eyes met blue. Riku smiled- Sora's eyes clearly showed his relief at the silver-haired teens return.
"Hey, Sora, how about you and I have a race? I bet I can still beat you." Riku said.
"I bet you you can't!" Sora responded.
"I was wondering how long it would take you two to start fighting again." Namine said, smiling. For as long as any of them could remember, Sora and Riku had had a friendly rivalry.
"First one back to shore wins?" Sora suggested, looking directly at Riku, who nodded.
"Out to that rock- touch and then go back." Riku added, pointing out a rock less than a half mile from shore. Sora nodded.
"Who judges?"
"I will." Kairi, Roxas, and Namine all said at once. Riku motioned for them all to follow, laughing.
"You can all watch the first time I beat Sora since getting back!" They all walked quickly to the shoreline, Roxas, Kairi, and Namine spaced out behind Riku and Sora.
"On my count." Roxas said. "One... two... three!" Riku and Sora both ran into the waves, dropping so they could swim properly as soon as they could. They paddled quickly, switching off the lead.
"Who do you think will win?" Namine asked, watching as Riku tagged the rock, Sora right behind him.
"Sora will." Kairi said.
"It's too close to tell." Roxas replied, keeping his eyes on his brother and Riku as they pulled closer to the shore. Suddenly, Riku and Sora tagged the sandy ground, dropping to lay on the beach while they let the water splash them.
"Who... won?" Sora asked, in-between breaths.
"Well... you both did." Roxas said. Both Sora and Riku looked at him with confused expressions.
"You tied." Namine supplied. Kairi nodded.
"We all saw it." Casually, she glanced at her small, waterproof watch. She gasped.
"Namine- we should have been home by now. Sorry guys, we'll see you later." Kairi and Namine ran off in the direction of their house.
"Well, that was sudden..." Riku said, raising an eyebrow. "Why'd they leave?"
"Oh yeah, about that." Roxas said. "Kairi told me that it was family dinner night at their house. I guess their dad was big on that once Kairi and Namine got back from... you know." Sora and Riku nodded in understanding.
"So it's their turn to cook tonight too?" Sora asked. Roxas nodded.
"Namine saw this one dish in some cooking magazine and wanted to try it." Roxas glanced at the leftover food and the remains of the small celebration they had had. "Since I set up, how about you two clean up as the girls abandoned us?"
"Fair enough." Riku agreed.
"See you at home Roxas." Sora said as the blonde-haired kid turned and walked at an easy pace back to the residential area of the island.
"Should we just toss the extra food out?" Riku asked, walking over to the table and picking up some rather limp-looking veggies. "I doubt these are good any more."
"Yeah- where's that trash bag?" Sora glanced around, spotting the white plastic almost hidden under the table. He grabbed it, lifting it triumphantly. "Found it!"
"Keep it open." Riku instructed, shoveling handfuls of extra food into the open bag. Soon, the table was completely cleaned off and folded back down so it could be carried. No trace of the party remained.
Not quite wanting to go home just yet- and as he wasn't expected for another hour or two, Sora walked down to sit by the water, just out of reach of the waves. Riku joined him, sitting comfortably next to his friend.
"What did Axel want?" Sora asked suddenly. The thought had been nagging him since Riku had left with the redhead, but he hadn't wanted to ask in front of everyone else, and it had slipped his mind when they had been cleaning.
"A fight. I gave him one." Riku replied, laying down on the sand. "I don't think we have to worry about Organization XIII anymore. He's going to tell them I'm dead."
"Organization XIII?"
"A group of assassins, I guess you'd call them. They kill the Heartless, and other angels once the angel has been banished. they also deal out punishment- judge, jury, and executioner."
"Why would he tell them you're dead?"
"Because I told him the truth. I don't know if there are other reasons- he's taking a big risk. He could lose his wings for just knowing the truth, but now he's lying and hiding a criminal." Riku sighed. "For his sake, I hope they don't find me."
"Just how bad is losing your wings? I mean, you've mentioned it but you never really told me..." Sora said quietly.
Riku hesitated, thinking.
"An angel's wings are a very important part of them. If you break the laws enough times, or commit a terrible crime, a wing turns black. If you continue to break the laws, the other wings changes color. You're scorned by other angels when both of your wings have turned black. The next step is losing a wing, and being banished. By the time you've lost both you are considered a evil, and that's when Organization XIII goes after you." Riku said slowly, feeling the pain of his lost wings return.
"...can you ever get your wings back?" Sora asked quietly, hurting on Riku's behalf. It pained him to see Riku so sad- and it made it even harder to fight the urge to hold Riku close to try and comfort him.
"There are only two ways- you either have to be pardoned for your crimes, or find a force stronger than that which punished you. The first has never happened to someone who lost a single wing, let alone both. The second has happened once, and they only got one wing back each, both black as night." Riku said. "It's not very likely I'll be able to fly again."
"How did he get his wing back? Maybe if you knew, you could try the same way..." Sora suggested. Riku laughed lightly.
"No one really knows. It was over a century ago that it happened, but you still hear stories sometimes..."
"Could you tell me?" Sora asked. "I want to know more about all of this."
"It starts one hundred fifty years ago. An angel named Sephiroth had been banished for the murder of humans that had been using other humans and animals for twisted genetic experiments. Some argued that what he did was just, but... humans had been killed, and Organization XIII couldn't overlook that. Soon after, Sephiroth got caught by some remaining members of the lab he didn't quite destroy and was used in experiments himself, kept drugged so they could study him. It's said that that's the reason he went crazy." Riku told Sora. "Soon after, someone forgot to drug him on time and he broke free, killing everyone in the lab- even the other experiments. He lost his second wing because of that, and Organization XIII sent people after him. If they returned at all, they were hurt badly and couldn't move for weeks. It is possible to kill angels- but very difficult if you treat it like fighting a human opponent. Fifty years after Sephiroth was banished, Organization XIII sent an angel named Cloud. Cloud and Sephiroth fought many times, but one day something changed. Cloud didn't come back. Organization XIII assumed he was dead and sent another agent, but the agent returned and told them that Cloud and Sephiroth had been working together. Cloud was banished that same day. Angry, Sephiroth tried to call on the power of the planet to restore Cloud's wings, but it didn't work. We know from reports that Organization XIII nearly killed them both on their next attempt- they sent two that time. Cloud and Sephiroth went into hiding together. A month later when they were finally found, Organization XIII sent three agents, hoping to kill them once and for all. Only one came back, badly wounded. No one knows what happened, but from that angel's report we found out that Cloud and Sephiroth each had one wing restored, though no one knows how. The last angel to fight them said that Sephiroth and Cloud had said they had 'found their light' and that had returned their wings, but no one has been able to figure out what they meant by 'light'. Organization XIII stopped sending agents after them after that." Riku finished his tale, the silence stretching for what seems like eons before Sora spoke.
"Sephiroth was punished for killing people who used other people like that?"
"He killed humans- it's one of the most sacred laws. That couldn't be ignored, but he shouldn't have been punished for doing what he did."
"Why did Cloud stay with Sephiroth?" Sora asked, puzzled. "Didn't you say that banished angels weren't liked by other angels?"
"Most think it was because... well, it was never confirmed, but it's believed that they were in love." Riku said.
"But weren't they both guys?" Sora asked, already knowing the answer and surprised but slightly hopeful that Riku didn't seem disturbed by the thought of two men loving each other.
"Does that bother you?" Riku asked, his hopes for a chance with Sora sinking when he couldn't read the brunette's tone.
'Does it bother him that two men- two angels- loved each other?'
"No, not at all. I mean, love's love, right? Doesn't matter with who..." Sora replied back quickly, not liking the flat tone of Riku's voice.
"Oh." Silence stretched for what seemed like hours, but was in reality only minutes.
"I wonder what it was... the 'light' they found..." Sora said, wanting to find something to fill the silence between himself and Riku.
"Every angel ever banished has tried to figure that out, but they were all killed before figuring it out." Riku said. He stood up, brushing the sand off his jeans casually.
"Enough talking for now- I'll see you tomorrow. Your mother's probably wondering where you are." Sora nodded reluctantly, not wanting to say goodbye just yet. Riku lifted the small table and the garbage bag, heading in the direction of his apartment building.
"Bye, Sora. Good night."
"Night Riku- see you tomorrow." That said, Sora began heading to his house, in an unfortunately different direction than Riku's apartment.
Sorry for taking so long to update- I was at my summer camp! Go nerds!