Crowned Hearts Chapter Sixteen

By Blue Dragon

Sora and Zidane hacked their way through the crystals with Ultima Weapons, double-blade and keyblade. Old man's gun was basically useless in getting through the deep thicket of crystals they were in so he just followed them.

"I had asked Riku a series of questions . . . " Old man muttered from behind them.

Sora turned to face him as he hacked.

"What do you mean?"

"Before Riku, there were eight others. After the first three I noticed they had more than several things in common, so I began asking them all sorts of questions. And even Riku has the exact same things in common with them"

"What kind of things?" Zidane asked without turning away from his work.

"Like, they all had friends with certain attributes, girls that they lost in a sense, stuff like that. Anyway, when I went here, I also noticed that they were all keyblade bearers"

"I was wondering about keyblade bearers. What were they like?" Sora asked another question.

"Well, the ones I took here all had the dark keyblade. Oblivion. While their close friends would have an Ultima Weapon keyblade."

"That would be me, right?"

"Precisely. But my worry is, the same thing always happened to them. . ."

"What?"

"You see, the dark bearer would come close to finding his disappeared love somewhere here. And then they would disappear and become one with this place, never again to return to their world."

"Does that mean Riku will . . . ?"

"Probably so. And it also means that you'll become a part of this place as well."

"!?"

"Their friend would always get stuck here. The final question for you, Sora. If Riku was stuck here with the threat of remaining here forever, then would you try to save him?"

Sora paused, and then nodded his head.

"Just like all the others"

"Well, he's my best friend!"

Old man laughed.

"I'm not criticizing your decision. It is a very loyal one. I'm just wondering if the result will be the same"

Old man looked at Sora with a sense of understanding.

Riku contemplated how he could get Lisa out of her "prison". He decided to try talking.

"Lisa? Lisa can you hear me? I want to see you again, to talk to you, hear your voice or something. . . "

She remained motionless in the crystal.

"Please? I don't know what else to do. Talk to me!"

Her body didn't move, but Riku heard Lisa's voice in his head.

WHY DID YOU COME HERE?

Riku jumped. Her voice was loud in his head, but not at all angry. Just neutral, basically.

RIKU, PLEASE LEAVE.

"I'll never leave you!"

THIS IS A TRAP. I CAN'T COM OUT OR YOU'LL BE IN DANGER. PLEASE, FORGET ABOUT ME.

Riku laughed.

"How could I ever forget about you? I friggin' love you."

She laughed happily in his head.

REALLY? WOW. . . THAT MAKES ME FEEL GREAT, RIKU. BUT I WANT YOU TO LIVE.

"What will happen if I stay?"

HORRIBLE THINGS, RIKU. THIS IS ONLY A TRAP. DON'T BE LIKE THE MANY OTHERS. I KNOW YOU DON'T WANT TO LOSE ME, BUT SOON YOU MIGHT BE WITH ME FOR ETERNITY. . . THAT WON'T BE COOL.

"For eternity? Lisa?"

She said no more, and left Riku looking at her seemingly slumbering crystallized body.

"Lisa . . ."

Old man started to smile. But it wasn't a good smile. It was an evil one. Sora and Zidane stopped to stare.

"What the hell YOU smiling like that for?" Zidane asked.

"Heh. Just like all the others!"

"What do you mean?" Sora asked desperately.

"You haven't figured it out yet? What happened to what I told you."

"You didn't tell me anything!"

"Look!" Zidane pointed. They could see Riku in the distance, but a well of dark energy began to pool near him.

"Riku! NO!" Sora yelled, rushing at him with Zidane following.

"Your not going anywhere" Old man's voice had changed into a different one, a scary one in fact. He slowly lost age and began to look younger, muscled bulged out, his glasses disappeared, and his hair lost its grayness. His eyes glowed purple as he floated above Sora and Zidane that now faced him.

Lisa flew into Riku's arms, back into her normal clothing.

"Lisa!"

"Riku. We're in trouble! You have to get out of here!"

"I'll NEVER leave you! Why can't you understand that?"

"Riku. You have to listen. He won't let me leave"

"Who's 'he'?"

"You'll wish you never knew. Your friends are in danger. Come on!" she ran leaving Riku panting behind, wondering why she ignored him.

'What could it be that's making her so nervous'? he thought.

Sora and Zidane had their weapons drawn at 'Old man'.

"O-old man?" Sora asked, making sure he was an enemy.

"Ha. I'm not so old anymore. You will all stay here forever like those before you! Except for monkey-boy over here"

Zidane decided it was pointless to get a temper over his tail.

Riku and another girl rushed up with Sora and Zidane.

"Who's that?" Sora asked hurriedly.

"Lisa. I told you she existed!"

"Hey, I'm--"

"Pleased to meet you, but I've seen you before. This isn't any time for introductions." Lisa said cutting him off.

"You ALl hOLd On, MY TranSFORMATION iS ALMOst COMPLETE!"

"I have no weapon!" Lisa panicked.

"Take this" Zidane handed her the discarded Kalashnikov.

"What? How do I use this?"

"Take these, too" Zidane handed her three clips that he found on the ground.

"Look, this is an automatic weapon. Just pull the trigger and take out the empty clips from the bottom. Replace 'em with these"

"I don't know how to reload or fire"

"Well I'm from a world with no guns. Can't help ya, good luck"

"Are you done talking down there?" Old man who wasn't really old anymore asked as he floated above the crystal with familiar purple darkness spewing out behind him.

The four stood before the unexpected.

"You see, I'm not really a scientist of any kind. I camp around worlds looking for fools such as you. You act as friends, but one of you takes the girl. The other is lonely . . . but you remain friends. Well it has been these two with the hearts worthy of keyblades. Surely many have hearts just as strong and even stronger in a lot of cases, but the blades choose you simply because they know that the bond you share is unbreakable. It is this very 'strength' that is actually a weakness. You trap yourselves here trying to save each other."

"Just who are you!" asked Riku forcefully.

"Who am I? I don't think we've met before. Let me introduce myself. I am a wanderer that studied the heartless, and found the power of darkness inside them. . . wait a minute. I know you, don't I!?"

"Ansem" Sora and Riku sneered at the same time.