Crowned Hearts Chapter Eleven

By Blue Dragon

The day I met you made a change I finally found compassion My heart was right within your range My heart had known no passion

We laughed and talked and would always smile Our hearts were light with bliss We'd only part for a little while But yet to share a kiss

All I want now is to stay with you But now my heart's still and lonely I only hope you loved me too My angel and my only.

Riku felt a wave of party when he went into the wonderful gym, where he looked upon the brilliant lights and decorations that was what he had been dreading, but now wanted to dive into. He was no in Crowned Hearts, and the girl of his dreams by his side.

Of course it was traditional at these dances to formally introduce yourself to anyone you didn't know and to mingle in on certain sides of the room divided by gender.

The room had no light, and therefore was black with only lights from the disco ball and occasionally from the posted lamps. Mr. Barzhad was the D. J., but was of course supervised by staff because he made continuous attempts to put in songs from 'The Bouncer'.

The doors opened, and both Riku and Lisa turned away from the currently empty dance floor to find Sora, Tidus, Wakka, Lulu, Selphie, and Kairi in a friendly group.

Sora looked at Lisa and smiled.

"Hey. You must be Lisa. I'm Sora"

The group introduced themselves except for Lulu who decided at the last minute that she would let her stoic attitude get in the way of any socialization.

Riku looked on at the right side of the room, boys' standby section.

"Guys?" he prompted.

They broke socialization and Tidus Wakka and Sora joined Riku's position.

"This is where we 'mingle', some weird custom. The couples will be ready to dance in like, five minutes," Riku explained to Lisa.

"Okay, I look forward too it" she said with a smile that partially hypnotized her partner.

Lisa left to the left side of the room, answering questions that Selphie and Kairi were asking. Lulu was scarcely visible due to her completely black dress.

When Riku sat down at one of the marble table he was bombarded with questions from his male peers.

"Whoa, I didn't know you were that involved."

Riku looked at Sora strangely.

"What are you talking about?"

He rolled his eyes.

"Tidus, Wakka, you guys saw the way they looked at each other. It was like Riku was glowing!"

"Really?"

Tidus and Wakka nodded their heads.

"Maybe it just seems weird because we've never seen Riku that happy?" Tidus suggested.

Riku only shrugged his shoulders. The plain truth was that that was probably the reason. He put his head on the table and had a neutral look.

"See!" Wakka pointed. "You around her, you glow. Otherwise your just big ol' rock hard Riku again. What is it about you?"

Riku really didn't feel like answering, but gave it a shot.

"You guys ever wonder why I'm not always as happy as you? Sure I'm happy sometimes, but not always. And one reason may because of a hole that developed in my heart after a while when I got older. Lisa is like something that fills that. That's why being around her makes me happy. And I hope that being around her more and more can permanently fill the hole"

Riku's friends just blinked for a while.

"Whoa man, dat's deep" Wakka finally said.

Riku shrugged.

"Well in that case, it sounds like the best thing that ever happened to you, buddy. I'm happy!" Sora held up his hand for a high-five.

Riku hesitated, smiled, and then slapped it.

The time for music had come, and the performers lined up for a series of slow and fast dances.

"They sing three songs every year, the last one is a hit. I'm saving my energy for that" Riku stated.

As it turned out, previous arrangements had already been made.

The first performer, Faye Wong, began a song called Eyes on Me. Riku sat down and listened to the whole thing, hoping that it would keep his mind off of what was only two songs away. This had seemed like the actual climax in Crowned Hearts that he had been afraid to reach.

"Where are you from?" Selphie asked Lisa.

"The Sunny District of the islands, the eastern area"

Sunny District was on the opposite side of where Sora and his friends lived.

"And you met Riku on the beach? That must have been cool" Kairi casually tried to make conversation, to ease the mood.

"He probably didn't notice it, but he looked lonely, and pretty sad. But he didn't talk that way, it was as if he felt some way that even he wasn't conscious of"

Selphie and Kairi exchanged worried glances. Lulu remained sober.

"Do you think Kairi and I haven't been paying much attention to him? He did seem a little sad about not having a girlfriend, now that I look at it. But he's been a bit happier, and more willing to do fun stuff after he met you."

Lisa was flattered to hear that she was doing such things. Then she remembered what would happen on the dance floor and the feeling was nullified.

The next singer for middle class students named Rikki stepped up to the stage when Faye finished. Her song was in Japanese. Suteki da Ne was a song perfect for the middle class lovers of Destiny Islands High School.

"I'm tempted to dance right now," Tidus said, shifting in his seat.

"Don't worry, the very last song is meant for us, the upper class," Sora said.

Riku lost all signs of anxiousness and began to look happy. He was actually starting to feel good that he could have a good long dance, and get this over with. He could go right back to his normal life. He had even forgotten about the announcements of the Crowned Hearts of the dance.

Rikki finished, and the final diva stepped up to the podium. The youngest of them all, Utada Hikaru.

Tidus, Wakka, Sora, and Riku along with about twenty-five others walked over to the other side across the center floor, which was once again empty.

In a flurry girls that had their dates were being asked to dance. Riku's friends had gotten it over with. Now his heart pounded in his rib cage.

"Lisa?"

She smiled, stood up and took his hand. Simple and Clean was the song, the mood was clear. It was to be a slow five-step dance.

Sora gave him a thumbs-up as he prepared to dance with Kairi. It was almost time.

Riku put his arms around her waist and she put hers on his neck, sending a familiar tingle of electricity through him.

The diva began her lyrics that Riku soon knew had been perfect. He noticed the scent of white roses on her very white clothing.

He was now looking into her eyes as he slowly danced, with her looking back at him. It was then; Riku knew he had to say something.

"Lisa. After this, I want to see you again. I really like you, and wanted to ask you to be my girlfriend."

At first, Lisa looked as if she were happy. And then her hazel eyes glistened with tears.

"Why did you have to say that Riku?"

The two hadn't noticed that they dancing in the middle of the floor.

"Did I say something wrong?"

She gave a sad smile.

"You've shown you truly care. Now my purpose is filled"

"What!"

"Riku, I'm not who you think I am. Your friends could only see me because your thoughts and wish for love made me real"

"What are you saying?"

"Riku, I'm not real. I'm only a part of you. The part of you that aches for affection"

"But I can feel you! My friends saw you!"

"It is rewritten. Now they don't remember me ever existing. As a matter of fact, they only see you dancing with air now. Soon I'll truly be gone. I'm so sorry."

Everyone stared in pity at poor Riku, who was dancing with air, he was so lonely.

"Lisa!"

"Riku. Look"

She was disappearing.

"I can ask them about you!"

"They won't remember. You have proven you could love, now I have no choice. I want to stay with you Riku, but I-"

Slowly she peeled out of existence and disappeared in a shower of crystal shards that disappeared just as Utada Hikaru finished her song.

"I can't lose you!" he yelled into the sky.

"Is he talking to God or what?" Jerris asked.

Riku fell, unable to control the tears. It couldn't end that way. He could even still smell the perfume on his shoulder. The white rose.

In anger he ran out of the gym to an unknown location, sounds of sympathy following.

Mr. Barzhad got to the podium.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Riku and his non-existent date have been voted 'Crowned Hearts'"