Crowned Hearts Chapter
Four
By Blue Dragon
Riku rushed to Mr. Barzhad's bar.
He hoped to get some answers, but also hoped that Sora wouldn't be
there to complicate things. He wouldn't want to reveal any part of
his experiences to his friends just yet for fear that they might
spill the beans to everyone on the coast of the sea division of
Destiny Islands.
As he went further into the village, it gave
way to a town and then a city as the buildings grew taller and the
people began to move faster, and soon there were more people. The
normally coconut-skin streets became a newly discovered mineral
called concrete and sometimes even this ultra rare mineral called
asphalt.
In the business area, there were a lot of fancy
restaurants, but fortunately there was always the old-fashioned bar,
"Fate: Sion's Bar and Pub."
Sora and his friends
were always welcome in, even though it was a bar and pub. Riku went
through the crowds of people and into the bar where there were some
nice wooden chairs and tables as well as the old-fashioned big glass
mugs.
"Hi, Mr. Barzhad"
"Hey there Riku!
Why isn't Sora with you?"
"I came alone because he
was somewhere else at the time. And also I have something kind of
private I wanted to ask you about"
"Heh! You know
I'm the master of love! I'll finish wiping these countertops and I'll
be with you in the 'back room' in a second"
Mr. Barzhad
put up the mugs and prepared to leave his position outside of the
counter.
The "back room" was a place where Mr.
Barzhad would get rich by letting big spenders gamble and play cards
in his room. Very few people knew about it, and Mr. Barzhad always
felt better saying:
"The DIPD (Destiny Island Police
Department) should have better things to do than cheat a bar owner
out of a little money"
By that, he meant that he would
murder anyone that ever gave wind of his little plans, and to help he
always referred to it as the "back room".
Riku went
through the secret compartment in the plaster walls that revealed a
very expensive looking room of marble walls and floors with
professional card tables and every illegal gambling facility known to
the islanders.
Riku took a seat at a table, and a while later
Mr. Barzhad came to join him.
"Alright, boy, what is it
you need help on?" he asked as he sat down across from his
company.
"Well I.I mean my friend met this girl, and
wants to ask her out. But I.I mean my friend just met her and doesn't
want her to get the wrong idea. What should I.or, my friend do about
it?"
Mr. Barzhad was a good man, but unfortunately a
little on the slow side. When people say their friend, they count on
the listener to know they are referring to themselves and help them
without humiliating them, but Mr. Barzhad on the other hand.
"Your
friend!? You mean Sora!? NO SO OF MINE WILL HAVE GIRL TROUBLE LIKE A
HELPLESS WIMP AND STILL BE CALLED MY SON!"
Mr. Barzhad
jumped through the window with a crash and started running
of.
"SORA! YOUR DADDY IS 'A' COMIN'! YOU WON'T HAVE ANY
GIRL TROUBLE IF YOU'RE MY SON!"
Riku sat there with his
eyes wide open and his jaw dropping to the ground.
"That's
what I get for asking an adult about adolescent problems"
Riku
walked off feeling no relief of his current situation and did Sora's
father a favor be closing up and locking the doors.
That's it.
He thought to himself. I can't go through this forever. I'll ask her
the next time I see her.
"I'm telling you Sora, Solidus
Snake is alive!" Tidus fumed.
"Tidus, even if he
held on to the bottom of that statue, it was still a fifteen foot
fall, and he was already injured"
"Yeah, but we
thought Vamp was dead like, two or three times and look at
him"
"Tidus six, Sora five" counted Wakka,
keeping score of the argument. The group was still stationed at their
little relaxing spot, Riku's absence long forgotten.
"Well,
we thought Fortune was dead twice, and she IS"
"Good
point" said Kairi. "I have no idea what you're talking
about, but it's still a tie."
"Well, we thought
Liquid was dead but he's alive!"
"Tidus seven, Sora
six" Selphie now counted.
"Well, we all thought
Ocelot was dead, and he is" Sora countered.
"DON'T
GIVE HIM A POINT FOR THAT!" yelled Tidus.
"Why?"
asked Sora.
"BECAUSE HE'S ALIVE!"
"No
he's.see! We started all over again. First it was about Gray Fox,
then Raven, then Solidus, now Ocelot! Where not getting anywhere,
Tidus. Who will we argue about next? Raiden?"
"No,
we both know Raiden's alive"
"I thought he was
dead"
"HOW CAN HE BE DEAD!? HE WAS AT THE END! YOU
THINK EVERYONE IS DEAD!"
Sora finally lost his
cool.
"WELL YOU THINK EVERYONE'S ALIVE!"
"Everyone
just happens to BE alive"
"They all happen to be
dead"
"Stop! Lets let Tidus get half of them alive,
Raiden, Solidus, and Ocelot, while the dead can be Gray Fox and
Raven, and Fortune"
"I guess." muttered
Sora.
"That sounds about right."said Tidus.
Riku
came to the large entrance and sat at the table with his
friends.
"Hey Riku, where have you been?" asked
Kairi.
"I was just doing some stuff"
"Did
you hear about the crazy man that was arrested for yelling about his
son and girl trouble in the streets?" asked
Sora.
"Uh..yeah."
Riku would hate to hear
Sora complain about his father not coming home that day.
"Riku,
tell us whose dead and alive" asked Tidus.
"I
thought we were done with this!" Selphie mentioned.
"Yeah,
but Riku knows everything!"
"Fine. Whom are you
talking about?"
"From Metal Gear Solid 1 &
2"
"Can't you just play the game?"
"Sora
actually said Raiden was dead!"
"He is, you
know"
"Guys, I have something else on my mind. I
wasn't going to tell you at first, but I think know might be the
time. I met this girl, you see, named Lisa, who is why I was gone. I
just met her and I don't want her to think I'm a flirt if I ask her
too soon, but the prom is coming up. Should I ask her to go with
me?"
"Sure! Any girl that would like you must have
good enough judgment to know the truth, man. She won't mind"
Sora helped much more than his father who was now in custody.
"You
really think so?"
"We all tink so, mon. Just go wid
it" Wakka helped as well.
"Alright! All do it first
time I see her tomorrow."
Riku got up to leave.
"Hey
wait, Riku, we just saw you. Don't you wanna do something?"
Tidus asked.
"Like what?"
"I don't know.
We could all go to the skate park"
"I think I'll
pass," said Selphie and Kairi immediately.
"Yeah,
and I promised to meet Lulu today. Maybe I'll bring her by."
"Okay,
then just you, Sora and me" Tidus changed the plan.
"Well,
I have nothing better to do, why not?"
"Count me
in!" said Sora.
With that, Tidus, Sora and Riku went off
to the skate park where they knew little of what they would find
there.
