Crowned Hearts Chapter Twelve

By Blue Dragon

Riku ran. He ran so fast that the tears in his eyes flew past and his bow flew off and he lost his shoes and over shirt, and soon he felt he would lose his mind.

Well, this must have been some cruel and unusual punishment for whatever he had done in other world. Was he meant to live a life of despair? It seemed that ever since the heartless had first attacked and he was consumed by darkness misfortune had followed him.

He really didn't care where he was running, but soon he found he was running in the water. Then through the water, and for fourteen seconds he was running on water. After that he looked down and immediately fell in. From there he swam. His hair was no longer slicked back and waved behind him in the water. For a while he didn't care where he was or how far away from the shore he was. He thought that if he could swim or run fast and far enough, the tears would go away. But they kept coming. Or maybe the pain would evaporate? But it stayed. Or would he have the fortune to feel his heart stop breaking? Impossible. It had broken into two, then four, eight, sixteen, thirty-two, sixty-four, one hundred and twenty-eight, and then two hundred and fifty-six. Soon the water got shallower and he was running on water again, this time for seventeen seconds. After that he ran on shore and smack into a coconut tree. A coconut fell out and bonked him on the head. Then two more fell.

"Damn tree!" he kicked it with all his might. Eighteen coconuts came out and landed on him, three breaking. Riku thought he would have a concussion. Then a rock fell out and he DID have a concussion.

He awoke later, in a soft bed inside an old style tropical hut made of straw and bamboo. To the left of him was a desk, and then up ahead near the doorless doorway he saw a wooden device with an uncharacteristic plastic dome covering it.

He got up, quickly lying back down when his head immediately began to ache.

"Ow"

An old man in clothing similar to standard attire that contradicted the setting walked through the doorway that Riku had intended to come through.

"You shouldn't be trying to get up yet. You were hit pretty badly back there. I found you in a pile of coconuts with a large rock on your melon"

"Have you seen that tree?" Riku asked from his back.

"Yes, its out back"

"Thank you" Riku walked outside and pulled out the Oblivion.

"DAMN TREE!" he slashed at it, cutting the trunk perfectly away from the roots.

"Take that!" he yelled.

The tree fell down and smashed him on the head.

Riku woke up again, but this time on the floor and his head wasn't as foggy as it had been.

"You shouldn't be attacking trees, they're known to kill people" the old man said from over him.

"I.can't imagine how." Riku said rubbing the twenty big lumps on his head.

"You might want to stay her for a while" the man walked to a dome he was studying.

"You know, my trees aren't normal trees. They have spirits"

"Spirits.?"

"They like to tell me when there is unrest in the 'other' world. That's probably why your noggin was smashed. They were bringing you to me to give me a message."

"Oh yeah?" Riku tried to sit up.

"My name's Riku."

"I apologize, how rude of me. Just call me old man"

"Okay. Hey geezer"

"That's old man"

"Alright, its old fart then?"

"How about I call you faggot?"

"That won't be necessary then, old man"

"Thank you. Now what I wanted to tell you is that I am a researcher with the world of spirits"

"Yeah right, old man. Listen, what I've been hearing really doesn't make any sense, and sounds lame. I don't care about anything anymore. I really don't"

The old man was suddenly interested.

"What did you say? Your sad? What about?"

"I had this friend that.forget it. You won't believe me"

"She disappeared, didn't she?"

Riku's expression became angry.

"What did you say! What do you have to do with that! If you did anything then I'll-"

"Calm down, boy, calm down. I know these things. If she's gone, I might be able to help you get her back. You see, I have met patients like you and am rarely unable to help them. I can help you get your friend back, but you have to cooperate."

Riku sat back down and his breathing softened. He didn't really know what he would do if Lisa was gone forever.

"She said she was a product of my mind. She said I imagined her into this reality because of my need to be loved."

"This is because all minds are connected to the world of the spirits. She was born in it and produced, and with your need for love she came into this world, and then left with all traces of her existence. She now only resides in your mind, which is the link. My machine can utilize that link to your advantage so you can visit that world."

"Huh?"

"Put on my clear cap and you'll see your lover again"

"Oh"

Riku made his way to the machine and wanted to do something with it, but the old man stopped him.

"Hey there, you still need rigorous preparation."

Riku eyed him.

"What kind?"

"You have to make a journey into many different worlds before you can gain the energy for this to work"

"How do I know it won't work now? I've been to a lot of worlds.

The man was surprised to hear that.

"Apparently not enough or this thing would have already worked."

"Oh." Riku looked down at the floor.

"All you need is two keyblades, and you already have one"

"Crap!"

"What?"

"Sora has to go with me."

"?"

"I'll tell you about him later. I'll be right back!" Riku was about to run to the water.

"Wait! First I wanted to tell you something that has happened to all of my patients before you run off to get that other keyblade. Usually I have noticed that my three previous patients had friends with a keyblade, and they also owned one. You are another case, just like the previous. I wanted to ask you a series of questions."

"Shoot"

"Does your father own a sword?"

"Yes"

"Has he ever used it?"

"Many times, yes"

"On who?"

"He says that he has this annoying co-worker named Cloud that he almost killed with it, and he almost stabbed this other one, Aeris because he says she's always hitting on him. But he mostly uses it to mow the lawn"

"How old are you?"

"Fifteen"

"What's your favorite color?"

"Silver"

"Have you ever liked a girl?"

"Yes"

"Did your best friend get her?"

"What is the relevance of this?"

"That's a yes. How many girls have you met?"

"Lots"

"Do you skate?"

"Yes"

"Are you involved in any illegal activities?"

"Ye-I mean no"

"Have you ever stolen a bar of chocolate?"

"Once when I was nine"

"Have you ever had a pet?"

"Two years ago"

"What happened to it?"

"It walked in on my father and he cut it in half"

"Are you from this region of Destiny Islands?"

"No, the eastern"

"How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Nine"

"What is the color I'm thinking of?"

"Purple"

"How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?"

"Old man, are you done?"

"Sorry, I got carried away."

Before Riku left to get Sora, he turned back.

"How do we get back? Will you come?"

The man looked thoughtful.

"Have you ever heard of something called a gummi ship?"