Crowned Hearts Chapter Five

By Blue Dragon

Tidus, Sora and Riku had just made it to the skate park, a place with great wooden trails, half pipes, big ramps, quarter pipes, pools, rails, benches, and just about anything else a self-respecting beach skater would enjoy in a skate park.

"Awesome!" Riku for the first time forgot about his predicament and decided the he might actually take some time to enjoy himself.

"I wonder if Solidus really died because of that statue."

"You're pondering, aren't you Sora?" Tidus started cross-examining Sora.

"NO! I was just exploring a different view!"

"Right. Let skate already!" Tidus, Riku, and Sora ran to the wooden rental shack and strapped on some roller blades.

"How about the half-pipe?" Riku suggested.

The group speed-skated towards the pipe and started their skating.

"I LOVE skating!" Tidus yelled as he achieved maximum air. "Sometimes I think of myself just soaring through the air, actually flying"

"That's just fantasy, Tidus" Riku said as he followed him.

"But I doubt its your final one" Sora said, flying behind.

The group flew higher and higher on the half pipe, when Riku got an idea.

"Hey! I have an idea!"

Sora and Tidus skid to a stop in the middle with Riku.

"What?" asked Sora, sitting beside him.

"I bet that if you and I acted as propulsion markers, Tidus could get higher than ever!"

"What's a propulsion marker?" asked Tidus.

"And why do we have to be the ones?" asked Sora.

"Duh. You and I are heavier. What we do is, we all skate up hand in hand, you and Sora push off of me to get higher, then Tidus can push off of Sora, then he could go higher than I bet any skater has"

"Cool!"

"Great idea" added Sora. "But how do we know that will work?"

"Gravity in the islands is way lower, it has to work!"

The three skated up and down, hand in hand preparing for the big plan.

FWOOOM!

The three of them went to twenty feet.

Sora and Tidus pushed off of Riku.

Riku smiled as the landed back on the half pipe. His plan was so great.

FWOOM!

Tidus pushed off of Sora, but they went so high that the gravity temporarily carried them.

"Ahhhhh!" Tidus screamed.

"Ahhhhh!" Sora agreed.

The poor boys landed in a sand bar far away from the park, leaving Riku alone like he wanted.

"I can't believe they forgot about last time!"

A three-year-old Sora and Tidus were in the air sailing away to a sand bar.

"I'm so good! I'll be able to pull that off at least three more times in their lifetime!"

"Ey brudda Riku!"

Riku took off his skates to see Wakka and a girl his age with black hair and clothing.

"This is Lulu! Say hi, Lulu"

".This is the nice friend? He seems awful"

"Lulu! What gave you dat idea? He's great"

Lulu scoffed.

"Ask him where Tidus and Sora are," she said, smiling at Riku.

It was then clear to Riku that Lulu had somehow witnessed his dirty act.

"They're, uh--"

There was a thud in the beach far away.

"--Temporarily grounded" Riku finished.

"See? Riku's a good guy"

"Wakka, you have chosen some strange friends"

"You're such a card, Lulu! Dat's why I like you, dough"

Riku gave a nervous chuckle that the girl was no tattletale.

"Lulu and I are goin' to meet Selphie and Chuckis at a party on the beach. Feel free to come. Later!"

"See you later, Wakka and Lulu"

The two walked away from the skate park, finally leaving Riku alone.

I got rid of everybody. Now all I want to do is talk to Kairi. Alone.

Riku thought up the apology he was going to make to his friends as he ran to Kairi's favorite spot near the docks where he knew he would probably find her.

Kairi sat on the docks staring out at that fateful spot, remembering the great day that the two boys she loved most had returned. She was even happier that they had no differences and still seemed to be great friends. The sun was setting on the horizon even better than it had seemed the day that the islands were attacked. She was almost becoming afraid that it would happen again.

No, she said to herself. After all that Sora and Riku did for the world, or worlds, it could never happen again.

So much had happened since then, and they had all recovered so well. But still, something had been troubling her. Everyone seemed to have a relationship to look forward to save Riku. He had always looked like something was eternally troubling him, and now even more so.

She knew that Riku cared for her, but also knew that Sora did more, and that was whom she belonged with. Even though Riku was a great friend and irreplaceable she felt she had shrugged him off. Riku had stepped aside to let her and Sora come together. But now she felt horrible, as if abandoning Riku, even though he never complained.

At least he's found someone now. I just hope that he can get the courage to ask her out before the Crowned Hearts prom. He'll be crushed if he has no one to go with.

"Kairi?"

"Hmm?" Kairi turned to see the blonde-haired brown-brown eyed Jerris Seinfeld.

"Hey Jerris" Jerris was one of the friends from school that Kairi had been glad she could talk to again. He was one of those guys that you could consistently count on to be there if you ever fell back.

Jerris sat beside her.

"Are you staring out there into space again?"

"Yeah. But there's more to it, this time"

"You're worried about Riku, aren't you?"

She sighed.

"Yes. I want to know if he'll be able to find a girl. If he'll be lonely"

"Hey, I know Riku, a guy like him shouldn't have any trouble. As a matter of fact, I and half of the other boys wish we were him!"

Kairi laughed at the thought.

"Everyone seems to think Riku's cool except for Riku. He doesn't know that people are fond of him, and he seems to forget just how many friends he has."

"Don't his parents tell him"?

"Good one Jerris. His father is a silver-haired Cetran, and his mother is a busy Al Bhed woman from islands a few miles from here."

"I suppose. But you told me he met a girl, right?"

"I just hope he doesn't feel like he's abandoning us. I know how much he cares about his friends"

Tidus and Sora's legs were sticking up from the sand dune that they had crashed into headfirst.

"That's true. I say you should just talk to him"

"You're right. Thanks, Jerris"

"Don't mention it. I'm going to go to that beach party. You should come too"

"I'll keep that in mind"

Jerris stood up and ran off. Not noticing Riku standing behind a tree and smiling.

Now I know my friends support me all the way. I'll ask Lisa to Crowned Hearts with no fear!