Summary: The Keyblade Wielders gather on the Destiny Islands for an important event following revelations made in the Forgotten Worlds. Omake/Teaser for my Reconnect: Kingdom Hearts Saga.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but a few OCs. The rest is owned by Disney/Square Enix.

A/N: This is my annual reverse birthday gift to my readers.

This story will aim to have plenty of humor but there is going to be some definite hurt/comfort moments in this too as it's going to partially lead into the events of the next RKH entry: Keys of Chaos.

Timeline wise, this story takes place a few days after Prophecies of the Past, so spoilers are to be expected. If you need some help getting an idea of the sequence of events, check out my DeviantArt profile where you can find my "Reconnect Kingdom Hearts Primer" to help explain things. This story is divided into three parts.

And so, without further ado, enjoy…

Part 1 – Blood Runs Blue

Destiny Islands…

It was late in the afternoon, the seas were calm, quiet, and peaceful. Kairi, Princess of Heart and Keyblade Apprentice, sat on the sideways tree of the play islet, alone, with an uncharacteristic frown on her face. She sat with her hands in her lap, absently stroking her lucky charm in her hands with her thumb, lost in thought. She didn't even notice the wooden planks of the bridge leading to the tree creak beneath someone's weight.

"Thought I might find you here."

Kairi turned and saw Riku approaching.

"Oh, Riku. Yeah, I'm just waiting for them to arrive." She replied as they both turned to look over the ocean.

"Have you spoken to Sora?" Riku asked but Kairi shook her head.

"No. But, I think it's best that we give him some space right now. He needs some time with his family given everything that's happened." Kairi said as Riku nodded.

"They'll call us when we're needed." Riku said. After a moment's silence, Kairi finally stood up, spotting something on the horizon: three twinkling stars that seemed to be moving rapidly closer.

"They're here." Kairi said, hurrying towards the beach, Riku following after her. They arrived on the beach just a few seconds ahead of three armored Keyblade Wielders riding on their Keyblade Gliders, the three setting down on the beach and their armor disappearing.

"Aqua, Terra, Ven. Glad you could all make it." Riku said.

"We wouldn't miss this." Aqua replied with a smile although there was a hint of sadness.

"How's Sora doing?" Ven asked.

"He's hanging in there. We'll see him tomorrow. For now it's probably best to leave him be." Riku replied as Ven scratched the back of his head.

"Fair enough, but…uh isn't this thing tomorrow?" Ven asked, Riku and Kairi both nodding.

"Tomorrow morning, yeah. Don't worry, you, Terra, and Axel will be staying with me at my place." Riku said.

"And Aqua will be staying at my place." Kairi added.

"You mentioned Axel…where is he?" Terra asked, looking around.

"Right here."

They turned and saw Axel leaning against the wall of the small shack on the islet, his arms crossed over his chest.

"He got here just before you three did." Riku said.

"Well I suppose we better head on over and get situated. Tomorrow morning's going to be quite the day." Kairi said, summoning her Keyblade and then changing it to its glider form. The others did the same and mounted up, Axel riding along with Terra as they flew towards the main island.

"I don't think I've ever seen your home, Riku." Ven said as they flew.

"Same here." Axel commented.

"We've met your parents but not seen your home." Aqua added.

"It's nothing special." Riku replied with an absent shrug.

"Your dad's the chief of police, right?" Ven asked.

"That's right." Riku replied as they touched down onto the shore of the main island, dismissing their gliders and starting to walk up the path into town.

"We're not going to get locked in jail are we? I mean, that's not your family's idea of a spare room is it?" Axel asked but Kairi giggled.

"No-no. Riku's parents are really nice. Besides, the worst crime we have is the odd vandalism so they're kinda relaxed…for the most part." Kairi replied.

"Terra you've stayed with Riku before. What are we in for?" Ven asked. Terra just smiled a little.

"I'll put it like this. The first impression you'll get is gonna be off the mark." Terra replied as Ven, Axel, and Aqua exchanged confused looks. They soon approached a set of large wooden wall that lined a whole block. The walls were reminiscent of a traditional Japanese manor-house's exterior walls. A plaque by the large gate bore the shield of the Destiny Island Police Department.

"So we're stopping by the PD before heading to Riku's place?" Axel asked. This earned him a confused look from Riku and Kairi.

"What do you mean? This is my place." Riku replied as he pushed the gates open.

"You live at the Police Station?" Ven asked.

"I suppose it's to be…ex~pec~ted?" Aqua commented her speech slurring in stunned amazement as they walked through the gates and pausing in surprise. The Police Department was a large one story house in traditional Japanese style, two large wings forming a courtyard in the center and with rooms lining the interior through sliding shoji doors. The external walls had a few windows. What made Aqua, Ven, and Axel blink in disbelief was…

"Young Lord! We welcome you home!" two rows of roughly forty men greeted whilst knelt before them, their heads bowed and with both hands on their bent knees, forming an aisle to the house from the gates. Riku, Kairi, and Terra didn't seem nonplused but the other three were astonished.

"Hey fellas. Mom and dad in?" Riku asked as he, Kairi, and Terra walked between them towards the door.

"Yes, Young Lord! Your father awaits your return!" the men all replied in unison. Aqua, Ven, and Axel cautiously walked between the men, following after their friends. The men quietly gave the newcomers a suspicious gaze.

"Yeow, I feel like I just stepped back into the Castle that Never Was here." Axel muttered, looking the men over as they passed.

"Getting a kinda criminal vibe here." Ven muttered.

"Riku, who are these guys?" Aqua asked, earning a confused look over the shoulder from Riku.

"Hmm? You mean you can't tell? They're the Destiny Island Police Force." Riku said, causing the other three to freeze mid-step.

"Wait, they're cops?!" Ven asked as they continued on into the courtyard in the center of the house. The courtyard had a small garden lining the edges, complete with a few bonsai trees and a small koi pond. Hanging above the doors were white signs with calligraphically written phrases in black ink such as "Serve," "Defend," "Protect," and "Justice" to name a few.

"Yeah, you got a problem with that, maggots?!" a gruff voice called from ahead of them. They looked to see an older man with short greying brown hair neatly combed back. He wore a yellow work shirt and white business suit and trousers. Hanging out of his breast pocket was a metal shield with the letters DPD on it. He wore his jacket on his shoulders, his arms not in the sleeves, and crossed over his chest as he sat on a cushion. His feet were bare but his shoes were on the ground just in front of him while he sat on the porch.

"Chief Rikujou, good to see you again sir." Terra greeted with a bow. The man smirked at him.

"Terra, glad you could make it. We've got a room for you and two others all set up." Rikujou, Riku's father, said before eyeing the others.

"I don't think we've been properly introduced to the other maggots with ya, son." Rikujou said as Riku glanced towards the others.

"Dad, you met them about a week ago. You remember that sleepover war at Kairi's? Remember Mayor Kaisui got clocked in the head." Riku said, earning a glare from his father.

"Doesn't mean we've been properly introduced, boy! Now, you three! Step forward!" Rikujou ordered. Aqua, Ven, and Axel immediately were shoved forward by some of the DPD Officers that had gathered behind them.

"I'm Master Aqua, sir. Sora's Master." Aqua introduced with a slight curtsy.

"Ah, right. My boy's told me a lot about ya. I imagine you're stayin' over at Kaisui's cushy place with Kairi. Well if the Mayor can't accommodate ya, we've got plenty a room here! I know Rikka 'd love to have ya!" Rikujou said as Aqua smiled and curtsied again.

"Much appreciated, sir." Aqua replied. Rikujou then scratched his chin in thought.

"You know, we should talk shop sometime. We're both in similar lines of work after all, except you're probably higher up the chain than I am." Rikujou said with a gruff chuckle.

"I suppose so, sir." Aqua said before Rikujou turned to glare at Ven who swallowed nervously.

"Ventus, sir. Keyblade Apprentice." Ven introduced, fumbling into a salute.

"Do you recall ever getting deputized, boy?! Cut that saluting out! You ain't one of my fellas! Only the fellas salute me, ya got that ya pissant?!" Rikujou roared, as Ven stood at attention and then bowed.

"Yes sir!" he yelped.

"Hmph. Now that we've got that out of the way, I've heard about you too. Ya got guts kid. Riku's got high opinions of ya. We'll put you up for the night and treat you right so don't worry about that." Rikujou said as Ven relaxed a little.

"Oh, uh thank you, sir." Ven replied. Rikujou then turned towards Axel who seemed oddly brave for the situation.

"Guess we're saving the best for last. The name's Axel, that's A-X-E-L. Got it memor-."

BANG

Axel froze with his eyes wide open as the tip of one of his red hair spikes fell to the ground in front of him. Rikujou sat with a smoking semi-automatic pistol held in a sideways grip towards Axel.

"That was for kidnapping the Mayor's little girl, maggot." Rikujou growled. Riku, Kairi, and Terra didn't seem too bothered by this but the other three were visibly stunned.

"Crap, Axel's gonna be in jail." Ven muttered.

"More like under the jail." Aqua added.

"I wish I could, but the fiery punk got his sentence commuted. Mayor's orders." Rikujou muttered, holstering his gun in a holster on his left side.

"My-my it seems rather lively here this evening." A sweetly toned voice said from the entrance. Everyone looked to see a beautiful older woman, wearing a simple yet elegant purple kimono with yellow and white obi sash around her waist and a pair of wooden sandals on her bare feet. She had long, waist length, white hair worn down the back. She carried a basket of flowers on her left arm while Lightning Farron followed behind, carrying a long object wrapped in white cloth with a yellow ribbon tied around it near one end.

"Hey mom." Riku greeted, earning a kiss on the top of the head from his mother as she passed.

"Ah, Rikka. How's the preparations for tomorrow?" Rikujou asked as Rikka knelt down next to him on a cushion that was quickly laid out for her by one of the other cops.

"They're as ready as can be. The whole island's going to turn out for this." Rikka said, setting the basket down to her left and then setting her hands in her lap. Lightning set the wrapped object down between Rikka and the basket.

"I'm sure." Rikujou muttered soberly. Rikka then noticed the newcomers.

"Oh! Riku's friends are here, I'm sorry. Where are my manners, I'm Rikka, Riku's mother." Rikka greeted with a sweet and friendly smile.

"I guess we better do introductions again." Aqua said, scratching the back of her neck.

"Oh don't worry about that. I know who you are. You're Aqua, the Keyblade Master, you're Ven, Riku's fellow Apprentice and you're Axel the Flurry of the Dancing Flames. I got it memorized." Rikka replied.

"Mom's got something of a photographic memory." Riku commented, leaning against one of the posts.

"Helps when you're the Chief of Police." Kairi said, quietly looking through the flowers in the basket Rikka had brought, admiring the flowers.

"I thought Riku's dad was the chief." Ven said.

"I am, maggot!" Rikujou barked. Rikka then giggled effeminately.

"Oh, I think I understand the confusion. I was chief before I married Riku's father. I inherited the title from my father and then abdicated after we got married." Rikka explained with a happy smile.

"Wait, you were the chief? I'm kinda surprised you stepped down, ma'am. What happened?" Aqua asked, concerned. Rikka merely smiled and giggled.

"What happened? Why, Riku happened." Rikka commented, causing Riku to run his hand down his face in embarrassment.

"Ugh, Mo~om, don't tell them that!" he groaned but Rikujou just laughed raucously.

"Rikka was one of the best cops on the force. Gave it her all! Then after we got married and found out Riku was on the way, she wanted to leave the cop life behind and pursue a different but no less noble path. The Way of the Gardner." Rikujou explained with a proud smile.

"It's true. Had the highest closure rate of any officer. It just wasn't my cup of tea though." Rikka explained.

"That's pretty impressive ma'am." Axel commented, Ven and Aqua nodding in agreement.

"Couldn't you go back to being a cop though?" Ven asked.

"I could if I wanted to. I just…well I just don't want to. I found my calling. Besides, it's not like I'm not surrounded by cops all day. What would I do without me boys?" Rikka replied with a wide smile, the cops letting out an enthusiastic cheer of support. Riku then stood up off the post, looking at Ven, Terra, and Axel.

"I guess we better get you guys situated then." Riku said to Ven, Terra, and Axel.

"And I suppose we better be going too." Aqua said but Rikka frowned a little.

"Oh you don't have to go so soon. We'd be honored if you stayed for dinner." Rikka said as Aqua curtsied.

"The honor would be mine, ma'am." Aqua replied as Kairi stood up.

"I'm afraid I can't stay, ma'am. My parents expect me back at home for dinner and I've gotta do some preparations for tomorrow." Kairi said as Rikka gave an understanding nod.

"Of course, dear. Maybe next time." Rikka said as Kairi bowed and started for the exit.

"I'll make sure the spare bed is ready for you when you get to my place, Aqua." Kairi said as Aqua smiled and nodded appreciatively.

"Thanks." Aqua replied. Ven then looked to Lightning who seemed to be lurking in the shadows.

"Kinda surprised to see you here, Lightning." Ven commented as Lightning shrugged.

"Not sure why. I was a cop in my world. Seemed appropriate to enlist here as well." Lightning said as Rikka nodded approvingly.

"She's one of our best." Rikka commented.

"Alright, dinner's in about an hour so feel free to relax!" Rikujou said. Riku quietly started slipping his shoes off.

"Oh, should we have removed our shoes?" Ven asked.

"It's not required but appreciated." Riku replied. Terra quietly shrugged and looked down at his feet, his armored boots vanishing, leaving him barefoot. Aqua did the same with her pointed boots, both hers and Terra's shoes being part of their Keyblade Armor. Ven and Axel both sat down on one of the porches, removing their shoes.

"So where's your room, Riku?" Ven asked.

"Yeah, I'm curious to see where you hide the girly magazines." Axel said with a teasing grin.

"Oh he keeps those beneath the tatami mats on the floor in his room." Rikka replied with a smile and slight giggle as Axel and Ven both winced.

"Ouch, busted." Axel sniggered.

"My mom's a detective and dad's chief of police. I can't keep secrets from them, not that easily." Riku replied.

"Yeah, like that stunt you pulled last year with that whole siding with Darkness and running away from home for a year." Rikujou said, Riku not batting an eyelash.

"Bet you got some hair shot off your head too after that." Axel commented but Riku glared at him.

"Axel, I'm still in the doghouse for that." Riku replied.

"You better believe it. Punk kid of mine going off and turning on his best friend…You're gonna be working off that debt to society until you're eighty, ya pissant!" Rikujou roared before Rikka gently placed her hand on his arm.

"Calm down, dear. He's well aware of his sentence." Rikka said as Aqua cleared her throat.

"I almost hate to ask but…what exactly is your sentence?" Aqua asked as Riku started stretching.

"A whoopin'." Riku replied casually, startling the others.

"A-A whoopin'? You mean a spanking? Like over the knee with a belt kind or-…geez." Ven commented, wincing.

"It's not exactly like that, but it's more than merciful compared to what I've done." Riku said, still stretching.

"Mmm-hmm, our idea of a whoopin' isn't exactly what you'd call…normal. It's more…extreme." Rikka said, standing up. Lightning noticed this and quickly picked up the long bundled object. The other cops seemed to freeze in alarm.

"My lady?! You gonna rumble?!" they asked, almost fearfully. Rikka quietly nodded as she started to untie her obi sash.

"Riku, you've gone a while without a proper whoopin'. I get you've been away on Keyblade Business and that's excusable. But you're home now so you know the drill." Rikka said as Riku stepped out into the middle of the courtyard, still stretching as he did.

"I know." He replied before summoning his Keyblade.

"What's going on?" Aqua asked as Terra started ushering her, Ven, and Axel onto the porch.

"We're going to want to stay clear for this." Terra said, stepping up onto the porch with them. Rikka removed her obi and turned towards Lightning. Lightning quietly held out the bundled object, allowing Rikka to undie the yellow ribbon from the end, the entire bundle of white cloth falling away with the ribbon to reveal a long wooden box. Lightning held it horizontally in her arms as Rikka opened it, pulling out a long katana in a white sheath with a yellow dragon engraved upon the sheath. The Katana had a yellow hilt with a white tassel hanging from the pommel.

"Whoa wait, are they going to fight?!" Axel asked as Rikka glanced towards her son, a look in her eyes that seemed to change her whole aura from a sweet and kind woman to a serious and dangerous one. Rikujou was quietly studying Riku's posture and stance while Rikka quietly removed her kimono.

"What the-?!" Ven exclaimed in shock. Rikka wore nothing above the waist except white ribbons of cloth wrapped tightly bound around her chest to protect her modesty, while she wore purple hakama held up with a belt made of common rope. Her feet were bare, having stepped out of her wooden sandals. Her figure was slim and fit for a woman her age, showing a truly active lifestyle. On her left bicep was a colorful dragon tattoo with the words "Truth" and "Justice" written across the dragon's body.

"Whoa momma!" Axel yelped with a grin, shooting a thumbs up.

"That's my mom you perv!" Riku yelled in annoyance.

"Let him stare, he knows a good thing when he sees it." Rikka said but in a tone completely different than the friendly and sweet tone she'd had earlier. It was lower, darker, and more serious. The smug grin that appeared on her face even implied an almost sadistic pleasure feeling towards the impending "whoopin'."

"You guys wonder how Riku got to be such a good swordsman? This is how." Terra said as Rikujou moved to stand next to them, a smirk on his face.

"Are ya ready, Riku?" Rikka asked, drawing the katana from its sheath, handing the sheath off to Lightning. Riku dropped into his fighting stance, Keyblade at the ready. Rikka dropped into a matching stance, mother and son staring each other down across the courtyard, an explicable wind scattering a handful of cherry blossoms. (A/N: If you want to cue up "Field of Honor" from the KH2 soundtrack for ambiance, it might help to set the pace). Axel and Ven glanced over to see two of the "fellas" holding a fan and occasionally scattering the cherry blossoms into the wind.

Riku and Rikka suddenly launched towards one another, their blades flashing and giving off sparks on their first strikes. The two glared at each other, their blades crossed between them before Riku leapt back in time to dodge a swing from Rikka. Riku then turned and leapt onto one of the slanted roofs of the house's east wing, moving to stand at the peak of the rooftop. Rikka grinned and nimbly leapt up to stand in opposition to him, their standoff continuing. Riku then leapt towards her, swinging at her but she leapt backwards, performing an impressive double backflip before landing on her feet and then charging back towards him. Riku raised his Keyblade defensively but when Rikka struck at him, she used the force of her blow to keep going, flipping over Riku's head and spinning around with a swing that would likely have decapitated an ordinary person but fell short and cut most of Riku's hair on the back of his head just below the jawline. He rolled forward, turning to see Rikka holding the long lock of hair in her free hand.

"You're overdue for a haircut." She said with a taunting grin. Riku smirked back, running a hand through his shorter hair.

"It was starting to get tiring anyway." He replied before she threw the hair away into the courtyard and the two charged at one another again. From the courtyard below, Aqua, Terra, Ven, and Axel watched intently.

"Whoa she can really move." Ven commented as Rikujou moved to stand next to them, watching his wife and son duel on the roof.

"Quite a woman ain't she? Proud to say Riku gets his swordsman-ship from her." Rikujou said with a grin and a chuckle.

"Ha! He gets his good looks from you dear!" Rikka called down as she and Riku exchanged blows.

"Ah come on! This is a whoopin'? Riku's holding his own! Come on! I wanna see him get whooped!" Axel jeered.

"You're cheering against Riku?" Terra asked him.

"Like any good buddy would." Axel replied with a grin. Terra laughed understandingly.

"Seems you understand friendship better than I assumed, Number Eight." Terra said in his Xemnas voice, causing Axel to flinch a little.

"Stop doing that." He grumbled. Just then they heard a loud clang and looked back in time to see Rikka's katana get knocked airborne from her hand. Riku pointed his Keyblade at her but her grin didn't disappear. She turned and attempted to run off the side of the roof but Riku blocked her with a Guard Wall. This didn't stop Rikka who bounded off the wall towards the other side but Riku again blocked her with another Guard Wall. This time though she flashed him a grin and bounded off this wall straight towards him. Riku blinked in alarm but couldn't react quick enough for her to grab him in a flying cutter from out of nowhere, slamming him down onto the floor before swinging her body around to pin him down in a hold, threatening to break his right arm, forcing him to drop his Keyblade. Riku quickly started slapping the roof tiles with his free hand, tapping out of the hold.

"Yield! Yield!" Riku grunted. Rikka chuckled and released the hold, leaping to her feet before turning and extending a hand to her son to help him to his feet.

"Your sword work has improved but you're still holding back." She said as she helped him to his feet.

"I'm not going to bring magic to a sword fight." Riku said as Rikka smiled, closing her eyes with a nod.

"Even if you lose?" she asked. Riku dismissed his Keyblade.

"Not when my opponent's holding back too." Riku replied before getting kneed in the stomach by a smiling Rikka. He smirked despite a slight wheeze in response as he held his stomach.

"You've grown good and strong, son. I'm proud of you." She said before turning and stepping down off the roof, landing on both feet without incident. Lightning quickly hurried up with Rikka's kimono and sheath, draping the kimono around her while moving to collect Rikka's katana.

"Hope you all watched closely. If you stay tomorrow, you'll get a repeat performance, assuming my son can last as long." Rikka said as she closed her kimono, tying it.

"I watched pretty close." Axel commented with an implying grin and a wink. Rikka smirked at him. Suddenly a bolt of black magic flew perilously close to Axel's head, cutting off another of his hair spikes. Axel froze in stunned terror and looked up to see Riku pointing at him.

"That's my mom you perv." He hissed.

…

"Thanks for the meal!" Everyone declared as everyone sat in the main hall of the estate. The main hall had four long banquet tables with short legs so everyone had to sit or kneel on cushions at the tables. Rikujou, Rikka, Riku, Aqua, Terra, and Ven all sat together at one of the tables, with Rikujou sitting at the head, Rikka to his left, Aqua to her left and Ven to Aqua's left, while Riku sat to his right and Terra and Axel to Riku's right. The cops were seated around and chatting with one another.

"Ha! Rikka's always been a spitfire! She was the island's wild child back in the day." Rikujou laughed.

"I like to think I mellowed with age though. I had to work out that rebellious streak." Rikka said with her gentler tone.

"Guess rebellious streaks run in the family too." Riku muttered. Rikujou tousled his son's shorter hair with a chuckle.

"And I wouldn't have it any other way. Youth might be living a carefree life but it also is about learning those life lessons that shape and mold us into the adults we become." Rikujou said, taking a swig of a pint of beer.

"Which makes me pity the five of you plus Sora and Kairi all the more." Rikka said, earning curious looks from the others.

"You pity us, ma'am?" Aqua asked. Rikka gave a sad smile and nod.

"Very much so. You all have had your carefree lives taken from you. Years of fellowship and ease of mind snatched away. You've had to grow up faster than you needed to. But such is the way of life sometimes. You can't reclaim such lives but you take what moments you can to have those fleeting moments." Rikka explained as Rikujou nodded.

"Riku tells us that the two of you learned what happened to your parents recently." Rikujou said, looking at Aqua and Terra. The two looked at each other with slight discomfort.

"Word travels fast it seems." Terra muttered.

"Listen, we know we're no substitute for your real flesh-and-blood, and we're certainly no substitute for your Master, the man who raised you. But Rikka and I are here should you need anything. Even if it's something as trivial as a hot meal and warm bath. Our doors-…" Rikujou said, taking Rikka's hand.

"…and our hearts…" Rikka added.

"-…are open to the four of you." Rikujou added.

"Even if one of you does keep ogling my mom." Riku muttered into his cup. Aqua, Terra, Ven, and Axel exchanged small smiles amongst themselves.

"Thank you sir. We appreciate the gesture." Aqua said.

"But we wouldn't want to impose." Ven added.

"Oh nonsense. No imposition whatsoever." Rikka replied.

"Yeah, Riku's always wanted siblings." Rikujou said, earning a glare from Riku.

"Ah the obligatory, 'embarrass your son in front of his friends' period has begun has it?" Riku asked as Rikujou snickered.

"Nah you do that enough on your own." Axel chortled, earning laughter from the rest of the table. Even Riku was smiling at the comment.

"I don't suppose that warm bath offer is doable, is it?" Ven asked.

"Sure, but I hope you don't mind sharing the tub. It's a communal bath." Rikujou replied, earning confused looks.

"Communal?" Ven asked.

"Yeah, as in two large bathing pools. Divided up into two halves. Men on one side, women on the other." Rikujou explained.

"Oh you mean like a hot springs? What was Master Eraqus's word for it? On-on-…" Ven stammered.

"Onsen?" Terra asked, Ven nodding in agreement.

"Exactly. It's like that." Rikujou replied. Aqua blushed a little with a smile.

"I should be headed over to Kairi's house but the thought of soaking in a nice warm bath…" Aqua said.

"I'm sure Kairi wouldn't mind if you were late. I'll call them and let them know if you'd like. Speaking personally, I'd like it if you'd stay. It'll give us girls a chance to chat." Rikka said as Aqua smiled and nodded.

"Alright then." She replied.

…

About an hour later, Riku, Axel, Terra, and Ven were all soaking in a large Japanese themed outdoor bath.

"Ah~h this is ni~ice. Riku, you're pretty lucky to have this." Ven sighed, relaxing in the warm water.

"I'm more of a shower guy." Riku replied.

"I'm sure if we asked, Aqua could alter the pool we have at home into a bath like this." Terra suggested.

"Tempting." Ven replied, sitting back with his eyes closed. His eyes then shot open as the water started to bubble a little.

"Whoa-whoa too hot!" he yelped, Terra quickly casting a Blizzard spell overhead and allowing a large block of ice to drop into the water, instantly cooling it and creating a slight layer of steam.

"What hap-…Axel?!" Riku asked, noticing Axel was kneeling near the edge of the bath, arms resting on the edge as he stared towards a large wooden wall directly in front of him.

"On the other side of this wall, heaven awaits." Axel muttered, earning unison sighs and groans from the others.

"Heaven's the right word, because that's where Aqua and Riku's mom will send you if they catch you peeping." Terra warned, standing up. He had a towel around his waist. Axel looked away in thought.

"I'm weighing my options." He muttered.

"And I'm making it up for you! You peep and you're a dead man!" Aqua shouted from the other side, causing Axel to leap backwards, falling into the water in alarm. Terra and Ven both started laughing while Riku simply smirked. On the other side of the wall, Aqua sat with her Keyblade summoned and raised above her head while the rest of her sat submerged up to her neckline.

"We'll keep an eye on him Aqua!" Riku called.

"You better!" she mumbled before hearing the sloshing of the water around her, noticing as small ripples betrayed someone else getting in with her.

"Ah youth." Rikka commented as she moved through the water to sit next to Aqua, a towel wrapped around her head and body.

"Oh, Ms. Rikka, I-…" Aqua said but Rikka raised a finger.

"Ah, no honorifics please. Rikka will be fine. Besides if anything I should be using such terms with you, not the other way around." Rikka replied.

"Oh no, please, that won't be necessary." Aqua replied.

"And that's acceptable too. And don't worry about the boys. It's a triple layered wall with a steel slab in the center. But that fiery one does make me a little self-conscious. Kinda nice to know I can still turn heads." Rikka said as Aqua glanced at her.

"Really?" she asked.

"Hey, if ya got it, flaunt it…hmm, speaking of which, you've sure got a lot to flaunt." Rikka commented, looking at Aqua who instinctively covered herself even though she was wearing a towel and was submerged up to the neck.

"I'd rather not." She muttered.

"Understandable. Besides I'd never be unfaithful. I love my husband too much. Why have hamburger when you can have steak at home?" Rikka said as Aqua smiled a little.

"No offence ma'am but you're kinda hard to pin down." Aqua commented.

"In more ways than one, I imagine." Rikka replied, giving Aqua a smile.

"I'm just trying to figure out a decorated cop like you would-…" Aqua said but was interrupted by Rikka raising a finger.

"Because it wasn't the life I wanted. I was good at it. I won't argue that. I love fighting, being surrounded by the fellas, heavy metal, and was practically a tomboy growing up. I even had a punk haircut. Whole left side of my head was shaven. But I love gardening. To really get down and dirty, to do something with my hands. I'm good at that too and I do what I love. Rikujou was the only man who could see through my rough-and-tumble outer layer and see the woman inside. It's one of the reasons I love him. That and he's pretty sexy." Rikka chuckled. There was a faint groan from Riku on the other side.

"So you do what you love." Aqua said with a smile as Rikka gave a nod.

"Being a gardener and a mother is perhaps the best job I could want. But what about you. Are you doing what you enjoy? Or are you doing what you've known?" Rikka asked.

"I'm not sure I understand." Aqua replied.

"If you had a choice, would you remain a Keyblade Master or would you walk a different path. Does your sense of duty keep you as a Keyblade Master?" Rikka asked as Aqua smiled and gave a confident nod.

"You're asking if I love what I do, and fact is, I do. Admittedly I'd love to spend all day reading books or experiment with magic spells, but what good is studying if I never get to apply what I've learned? For me this is the best of both worlds. There is a sense of duty, but I have no desire to ever stop doing what I was trained to do." Aqua said as Rikka smiled approvingly.

"Good. I'm glad you feel that way. But as we both know, life sometimes takes us down paths we never anticipated. Could you make an allowance for another person in your life, even if the life you love would conflict with the life they love in some way?" Rikka asked. Aqua chuckled and stretched.

"Meaning, could I allow love for another person into the mix." Aqua said as Rikka nodded.

"Could you?" Rikka asked. Aqua glanced back at the wall, thoughtfully.

"I'm willing to try…at least in a few years." Aqua replied as Rikka chuckled.

"Fair enough. You're more together than I first thought." Rikka commented.

"The guys sometimes say I overprepare." Aqua said, earning a couple of groans from the other side.

"It was the one time!" "And it was when you packed four first aid kits for that camping trip Master Eraqus sent us on!" Ven and Terra argued from their side of the bath.

"There were three of us going!" she argued back, earning a laugh from Rikka who stretched with a relaxed sigh. After a moment of silence, Aqua glanced towards her.

"I've been meaning to ask…" she said.

"Yes?"

"What do you remember about Sora's sister? About Misora?" Aqua asked. Rikka's smile turned to a sad frown.

"She was a good kid. Reminds me a lot of Sora as he is now. I wonder if perhaps he inherited some of her personality traits as a means of coping. But she was fearless, courageous. A bit rebellious. She adored Sora. They were the best of buds, the two of them plus my Riku and one other were always together. I think Misora even had a crush on Riku." Rikka chuckled but her smile quickly faded away.

"I wish I could've known her." Aqua said as Rikka gave a nod.

"You're not the first person to have said that lately." Rikka said, glancing away towards the wall on the opposite side.

"I'm not?" Aqua asked.

"Kairi's been asking too. But she asks both out of duty and out of love for Sora." Rikka replied.

"Duty?" Aqua asked, confused.

"Kairi's the daughter of the mayor. Once she's turned eighteen and once her father steps down, she'll inherit the title, and with it she'll inherit much of the same responsibilities. Now that she's older, she's being asked to perform more of those duties, to sort of ease her into the role. Tomorrow is one example." Rikka explained.

"Tomorrow? I would've thought she'd want to be at Sora's side during the-." "She asked to lead it. She wants to be strong for Sora. I admire her determination. She's a good woman. I feel for her." Rikka explained. Aqua looked towards the back wall as well, both women able to see the top of the Mayor's Mansion in the distance despite the darkening night skies.

"I do too." Aqua added softly, wondering what awaited them tomorrow.

End Part 1.

I deliberately based Riku's father Rikujou after Getsubura Seto from "My Bride is a Mermaid." I thought that a pseudo-yakuza styled police department would be funny.

Rikka is a mix of Retsu Unohana from Bleach with General Olivier Mira Armstrong from Full Metal Alchemist.

And yeah I felt it was time for the "obligatory fanservice episode" with the hot springs thing.