Ch 6: And Future

Lightening crackled across the beach haphazardly, and Riku held up his hand with a laugh, deflecting it away from him with a shield. Sora ducked with a yelp that only made Riku laugh harder.

"You stop laughing," Kairi pointed her keyblade at Riku menacingly.

"Learn how to aim," Riku countered.

"But not at me," Sora shook sand from his hair.

"You're both impossible," Kairi huffed.

"But you love us anyway," Sora smiled a little too sweetly.

"Of course," Kairi tossed her hair. "That's why you're both still breathing. Show me again."

Sora demonstrated the spell again, aiming at a hapless rock along the water. Kairi missed again, but came less close to hitting the boys.

"It's alright Kairi," Sora shrugged. "Stuff like this takes a while to learn."

And maybe you didn't learn it as fast when your life didn't depend on it, Riku thought a little dryly. It was alright though. He wouldn't have wanted anyone to have to learn to work magic the way he and Sora had, to know that if the spell went wrong at the wrong time, you could die and the people counting on you could die.

He wished Kairi didn't have to learn to fight at all, he wished he could always be able to protect she and Sora, but he had learned the hard way that he couldn't. Xenhort's heartless was gone, Xemnas and Organization XIII were gone, but there were still heartless and nobodies scattered across the worlds. It would only be a matter of time before the creatures found their way back to the little world that was home to a Princess of Heart and three keyblade wielders.

The best way that he knew of to make sure Kairi was safe when they came was to make sure she could protect herself.

"Two out of three, loser forfeits."

Sora jumped, and barely managed to catch the wooden sword Riku tossed to him.

"Um… Riku?" Sora frowned slightly, caught between wanting to tackle him in a hug, and wanting to tell him that he didn't have to.

"No magic," Riku stuck the tip of his sword in the soft sand while he tied his hair back. "If I win, I want a caramel apple every day for the next week."

"So that's where the taffy came from," Sora paused in reacquainting himself with a stagnate weapon.

"If you're nice, I'll keep sharing," Riku smiled and flipped his sword up.

"If I win, I want a pint of ice cream every day for the next two weeks."

Riku snorted. "You'll get sick."

"I'll share it with Selphie. She can eat a pint of ice cream in under five minutes and not throw up," Sora grinned, slowly circling Riku.

"I don't want to know how you know that," Riku watched where Sora put his feet, how he shifted his weight.

"Tidus told me," Sora hesitated to make the first move.

"I don't want to know how Tidus knows that," Riku was relaxed, patient as he waited for Sora.

"Me either," Sora's first attack was fast, but not unexpected.

In the palm trees high above, sea birds were startled from their perch by the sound of wooden swords and laughter.