A/N: Hey guys! I'm getting lots of great suggestions for worlds! Keep them coming! This is the second to last chapter, so your time is running out!
Also, the main ship in this story now has a name, curtesy of Luchux. It is now called auriku, hehe.
Review Reply to Gamergirl: I LOVE LONG REVIEWS. NEVER APOLOGIZE FOR THAT! Thank you! I loved the auriku moments, and Aurora and Kairi's meeting, and Aurora's moment with Goofy. That was planned from the beginning, to be honest. Mainly because I want to find Goofy and give him the biggest hug when I go to Disney World this summer. Ahem. YES! People are finally figuring it out! Ooo… Anastasia is a good one. I'm constantly forgetting that's not a Disney movie. I'm up in the air about Rhythm Thief, only because I had an inkling of a crossover for it, but I'll add it to the list. I'll add the others to the list too! Thanks for reading! Here's the next chapter!
Alright, I give you this chapter, called Destiny. Also known as The One Where Aurora Nearly Drowns Riku.
ONWARD!
…
Chapter Twelve: Destiny
Destiny Islands was beautiful. It was what Aurora had always imagined Hawaii and paradise combined to be like. The water was blue and crystal clear, reflecting the beautiful blue sky. The sand was extremely soft and fine underfoot, and almost white. Lush green lined the walkways beyond the beach, and the palm trees swayed gently in the breeze.
It was all so beautiful.
Too beautiful.
Aurora missed Riku.
(It's not fair. We were finally reunited, only to-) she cut the thought off, fiddling with her locket between her fingers as she sat in the sand, next to where Kairi stood, just above the water line. King Mickey, Donald, and Goofy had tried to comfort the girls, but nothing they said had any effect.
Hours went by. The sun began to set, turning the sky red which faded into purple. Aurora watched it, trying to imagine Riku was next to her.
(How fair is it that I get to see his home… without him here?) she thought, dropping her hand from her locket and sifting the sand through her fingers.
Suddenly, Kairi gasped. Aurora looked up at her, only to see her staring out into the water and up at the sky. Following her gaze, Aurora spotted two shooting stars, headed straight for the water.
"No…" she breathed in disbelief, standing up and brushing sand off of her hands and shorts. She stretched her senses out to the shooting stars, which was almost beyond her senses, and gasped.
She'd recognize that mixture of warmth and cold from that heart anywhere.
Both hit the water, and Aurora's heart jumped into her mouth, hoping the light that had surrounded them had protected them from impact.
Relief spread through her when two heads popped up where the shooting stars had hit.
"Sora! Riku!" both girls called at the same time. They glanced at each other and laughed, before turning back to the water, calling again and waving frantically like idiots.
Both boys looked over, before Sora let out a small, excited noise and began swimming over, Riku moments behind him. Once they got to where they could stand, Sora did so, running through the water, towards the girls. Aurora and Kairi grinned at each other again, only for Mickey, Donald, and Goofy to shoot past them. Donald and Goofy tackled Sora into the water, while Mickey ran past and jumped at Riku. Riku caught him in a hug, grinning at him.
Unable to contain herself anymore, Aurora shot into the water, rushing past Sora, Donald, and Goofy, and tackled Riku into the water as he put Mickey down. Because Riku was further back from Sora, and in deeper water, both went under. Riku's arms flailed, trying to reach the surface, as he wasn't expecting that. Aurora flailed slightly too, until they both finally came up, coughing salt water out of their lungs.
Once their airways were clear, they looked at each other, and laughed. The King, who was standing next to them, laughed as well.
Finally, Riku's laughter subsided, and he took Aurora's hand.
"Come on. I want to show you my home," he said with a warm smile. Aurora grinned at that.
"Okay," she said, allowing the young man to lead her forward, the King following.
Once they reached the shore, Mickey left them to their own devices. Riku showed Aurora all over the small Island, explaining how he, Sora, and Kairi would come out here every day, along with another group of kids, to hang out.
By the time they reached the smaller island, connected to the bigger one by a bridge, the sun had already set. The night sky was beautiful. There were more stars then Aurora had ever seen lighting up the sky, with a large, full moon low over the water. Riku picked Aurora up by the waist and sat her on the crooked tree, staying in front of her and keeping his hands around her waist. Aurora smiled at that, resting her wrists on his shoulders, her fingers idly twirling through his long, soft, silver hair.
"It's beautiful here," she said softly.
"Yeah," Riku agreed, warmth in his voice. "I can't believe I ever considered wanting to leave."
"Only because you were curious," Aurora countered. Riku smiled at that.
"True."
A comfortable silence fell between the two of them. Aurora tipped her head back, staring up at the stars.
"I used to think they were nothing but giant balls of gas so far away that they appeared tiny…" she breathed, before smiling. "But now I know they're the lights that shine in the hearts of countless worlds."
"It's amazing, huh?" Riku said with a grin.
"Beautiful."
"Yeah." Riku never took his eyes off the girl sitting in front of him. Aurora peeked down at him and noticed that he wasn't looking up. She blushed slightly, but smiled.
A few more minutes of silence. Riku glanced up at Aurora, a question on the tip of his tongue. He was scared to ask it, but knew he had to.
"Now what?" he finally forced the words out.
"Oh," Aurora muttered, looking down. "That's a good question."
Riku gently squeezed his arms around her waist. "You don't have answer that now," he said. Aurora smiled at him, before moving her right hand from his shoulder and placing it over the Themis Legal Academy patch sewed onto the left breast of her vest.
"I think… I'm going to go home and finish my studies," she finally said. "I know what happened to Edym—" her voice broke on his name, and Riku held her tighter, "—now, but after helping and saving so many people while working with the Restoration Committee… well, helping people is what I'm meant to do. And in my world, there are so many people who are falsely accused of crimes, every day. They don't need defending in the way you, and Leon, and Merlin taught me, with weapons and magic. What they need is someone who knows the law, and has the logic and wit." (Or bluffing ability, in Nick's case.) "Someone who can find the light of the truth, even in the darkest times. And I need to finish school for that."
Riku looked down for a moment, before nodding with a smile. "I think that's one of my favorite things about you," he finally said.
"Hm?"
"Your determination. Your ambition. You set a goal, and you fight for it. And from what I've seen, it's always to benefit others," he explained. Aurora blushed at that, but smiled at him. "And I'll support you in that. Even… if I can't be there, since I have to catch up on school here…" he added. Aurora laughed at that.
"Alright. But, for now, I'd just like to spend the night with you," Aurora said.
"Done," Riku agreed with a smile. After a moment, he glanced up at the top of the tree. "Do you know what that is?" he asked, motioning to the yellow, star-shaped fruit that was growing from the tree.
"A fruit?" Aurora answered. Riku laughed.
"It's called a Paopu Fruit. There's a legend behind it, you know," he said.
"Oh?"
"Mhm. When two people share one, their destinies become intertwined. They become a part of each others' lives, no matter what," he explained.
"Hm…" Aurora cupped her chin thoughtfully, a small smirk growing behind her fingers, invisible to Riku. "A legend, you say? Sounds more like a myth," she said.
"H-huh?" Riku stuttered. Aurora forced the smirk away and shrugged.
"It's just so farfetched." She leaned forward slightly, her forehead almost touching his. "If you want me to believe you, you need to show me evidence. Evidence is everything to a Lawyer," she said. Riku's eyes widened slightly, growing a bit larger when Aurora smiled at him.
Aurora practically saw the lightbulb spark to life in his head, and a blush flared across his cheeks once he realized she was flirting with him.
"A-alright, Attorney Wright. What kind of evidence are we talking here?" Riku stammered. Aurora fought the urge to giggle.
(And here I thought he'd be as smooth as silk…) she thought to herself.
"Well, witnessing it first-hand is the best kind of evidence there is," Aurora said thoughtfully. Riku looked up at the fruit, then back at Aurora.
"Well then… w-wait right here," he said, stepping back and letting Aurora go. Aurora giggled, watching as he jumped up and climbed the tree. She swung her legs back and forth happily as Riku grabbed one of the best looking fruits and plucked it off, dropping back down and landing easily. He walked back over to her with a smile.
"So, all we have to do is share one for you to gather your evidence?" Riku said, finally not stammering. Aurora nodded. Riku smiled and looked down at it for a moment, before carefully breaking it in half.
Inside the star-shaped fruit was a large pit, almost like that of a plum. Aurora took the side with the pit, carefully pulling it out and letting the pit drop to the side.
"On three?" Riku asked. Aurora nodded.
"One," he started.
"Two."
"Three," they said together, before both taking a bite of their halves. The sweet, yet slightly tart flavor of the fruit exploded across Aurora's tongue. She closed her eyes, savoring the flavor.
"Wow…" Riku muttered softly. Aurora opened her eyes to see he had closed his.
But that's not what made her gasp. Riku was surrounded by a soft golden light. Riku, hearing her gasp, opened his eyes and reacted in the same way.
"You're…" she began.
"…Glowing," he finished, pointing to her. She looked down at her hands and saw that he was right; her fingers were also surrounded by a golden light.
The light surrounding them grew, mingling together. Warmth flooded Aurora's system, from her fingers to her toes, and going by Riku's shiver, the same happened to him. The light surrounding the two of them suddenly shot into the air and faded.
"Wow…" Aurora breathed, still looking up at it. Riku moved closer to Aurora, wrapping his arms around her waist again.
"Was that evidence sufficient enough, Attorney Wright?" he asked. Aurora giggled, looping her arms loosely around his neck and dropping her head so that her forehead was resting against his.
"Yes. It does."
"Then I rest my case," Riku said. Aurora laughed at that, and Riku joined in.
"You're kind of a dork, you know that?" Aurora asked once their laughter subsided. Riku grinned.
"You bring it out in me," he said. Aurora studied him for a moment, while he gazed back at her. She suddenly became aware of his warm breath brushing against her lips, and her cheeks tinged pink.
Looking back on it later, neither one was quite sure who started it. One minute, they were forehead to forehead, the next, their lips were locked in a kiss. It was everything that Aurora imagined and more: passionate, warm, awkward, and right. Riku's lips were surprisingly soft, and still tasted like the Paopu Fruit. The only thing missing was the fireworks, but Aurora didn't need them – they were going off under her skin all over her body.
If it wasn't for the need of oxygen, neither were sure they would have pulled back from the kiss. Unfortunately, they were forced to. Aurora rested her head against Riku's shoulder with a breathless giggle. He hugged her, one arm around her waist, the other hand on the back of her head.
"Wow…" Aurora whispered. Riku smiled at that, his already flushed cheeks growing redder.
"Yeah…" he muttered.
…
Riku and Aurora walked along the beach, hand in hand.
"I'm going to graduate in a year. Promise," Aurora said.
"I'll be there. Promise. Maybe not at your graduation, but I'll come see you once you graduate, and I'll watch one of your first trials," Riku said, lifting their combined hands and brushing his lips against her knuckles. Aurora smiled at that.
"I can't wait."
They came to a stop in front of the King, Donald, and Goofy.
"Aurora?" Goofy asked.
"Hey, guys. Your Majesty." She dipped her head in the direction of the King.
"Aurora's decided to go home," Riku said, giving her hand a squeeze. "Do you think you could take her?"
"Sure," the King said with a smile. "Which world?"
"The Legal Age," Riku said.
"That's what my world's called?" Aurora asked. Riku nodded.
"Heeeeeey! You're not leaving without saying bye to us, are you?" a voice called from behind. Aurora turned and smiled when seeing Sora and Kairi run up to them.
"Of course not!" Aurora called back. Sora and Kairi stopped in front of Riku and Aurora. Kairi noticed their joined hands and smiled at Aurora, who grinned back. She then sighed and stepped away from Riku, letting go of his hand, and hugging Sora.
"Thank you, for everything. Both of you," she said softly. Sora hugged her back.
"Of course," he said. She let him go and hugged Kairi next.
"Keep them in line, okay?" she said. Kairi grinned.
"I always do," she replied, and both girls giggled. She stepped away from her, and turned to Riku, who hugged her tightly.
"I'll miss you," he said softly.
"I'll miss you too. But the connection between us is even stronger now, and nothing can break that," she replied. Riku nodded, kissing the top of her head. She tipped her head back to look up at him, and they kissed again, this time much more gentle then their first.
Sora, Donald, and Mickey grinned, chuckling, while Goofy acted bashful, covering his eyes. Kairi smiled warmly at that, glancing slightly over at Sora.
Riku and Aurora finally pulled back, both blushing at their audience. Goofy recovered first, holding up something Aurora had thought she lost.
"I think you'll need this back at home, ahyuk!" Goofy said. Aurora gasped, taking it.
"My bookbag!" she said, unzipping it. Inside was her books, from both Themis and Twilight High, as well as the stuffed dog. Riku laughed at it.
"You still have that?" he asked. Aurora nodded with a smile, before noticing three extra things. The most obvious was a blue book. Aurora looked closer at it, pulling it out. There was no title on the front, so she opened it.
Spell Arts
Beneath the title, in loopy, curvy writing, was a note.
Aurora. I don't know if you'll be coming back to us, so I'm sending this along with Sora, to you. This will help you practice your magic. You have great potential, and it would be a shame if you never got to complete your training.
Sincerely,
Merlin.
She smiled warmly, putting it back in the bag. Next, she pulled out a purple ID card.
Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee Member. And in Leon's handwriting was her name: Aurora Wright.
The last thing was a picture that she had taken with the Committee at the Castle Postern, celebrating the day they finally cleaned up and got through all the rubble separating the town from the castle. There was her, Leon, Aerith and Yuffie, and even Cid, Merlin, and Cloud. Aurora smiled warmly at that.
Sora watched that for a moment, before stepping forward, taking a picture out of his pocket.
"Here," he said, holding it out. Aurora looked up, surprised, and took it.
"Wha—?" she cut herself off as she looked at it.
It was both familiar and unfamiliar. It was her with the Twilight Gang in front of the Haunted Mansion. The only difference from the picture she remembered was that Roxas was in this one. Aurora smiled, holding both pictures over her heart.
"Thank you," she said softly. (I've made so many friends in such a short amount of time…) she thought. Mickey seemed to get an idea.
"Wait right here!" the King said, rushing off. A few minutes later, he returned with a polaroid camera and tripod. He quickly set it up, then rushed over to the group. Riku smiled, wrapping an arm around Aurora's waist. Goofy grinned and wrapped an arm around her shoulders from the other side. Sora crouched in front of them, his arms slung around Donald and Kairi, who was also crouched, while the King stood on Donald's other side.
The camera clicked, flashed, then spat out a picture. Sora jumped up and ran over, carefully taking the picture and shaking it until it became clear.
Everyone gathered around to see it, and it was perfect. The water, with the full moon hovering over it, was their backdrop, and the picture came out crystal clear.
Sora smiled and handed it to Aurora.
"Here."
"Thank you," Aurora said, carefully putting all of the pictures into her bag. Another round of goodbyes were said, with another kiss between Riku and Aurora, until finally, Aurora followed the King, Donald, and Goofy onto their Gummy Ship.
Aurora watched out the window as Destiny Islands faded away, until finally, it became just another star.
"Aurora? Are you okay?" Goofy asked. She smiled up at him.
"Yeah. I guess it's finally time to go home."
…
A/N: Don't forget to continue posting world suggestions!
*explodes from cuteness/emotional overload*