Crowned Hearts Chapter Seventeen

By Blue Dragon

"Come on!" Ansem held out a hand to the Sora and Riku, who didn't know what was happening until they noticed that Zidane and Lisa were gone.

"I can't have anyone interfering! You two show me what you've GOT!"

Sora crouched down and circled to one side in the dark dimension they were in. Riku circled over, the same way to give themselves a two-on-one advantage, keyblade held low as he slowly moved to the opposite side. In a second Sora tensed his muscles and tornadoed into Ansem, spinning up with an aerial sweep and then a six hit combo followed up by a vortex finisher.

At the same time, Riku tornadoed in, aerial swept, came back down with three quick air hits and then three more ground hits, after which he raised his left leg behind his right with the Oblivion held high, and came down with a blitz.

Of course Ansem didn't sit around and get smashed. He slashed himself around with his own double-negative energy sword (double negative as in energy, not language), and then flipped backwards while driving himself forwards. The result: Sora and Riku flew into each other and landed back on the ground.

Riku looked at Sora.

"Well, he's too strong."

"I agree. We might as well give up"

"I don't know why we even tried"

"Huh? That doesn't sound like them!" Ansem crept up and looked over the boys' shoulders.

"We won't get to ever have fun again if we die," said Sora.

"Or skateboard"

"Or love"

"Or eat!" Riku added.

"Or drink for that matter" Sora helped.

"I used to have a favorite one. What was it called again?" Riku said, putting his hand to his chin.

"PUNCH!" They both yelled, turning around and socking Ansem in the jaw and nose.

"Arragh!" Ansem flew back into an unseen dark wall.

Sion paced around the house. He had just gotten back from jail and wasn't satisfied to see his bum brother-in-law Dauragon had been lounging around on his favorite chair, denying the fact that he had undoubtedly kidnapped his son.

"I'll ask you once again. Where did you take Sora!"

"Sister, are those cookies ready yet?" he called into the kitchen, ignoring his idiot brother-in-law.

Mrs. Barzhad walked in with the cookies and set them on the table.

"Honey, are you being mean to my brother?"

"He's the one that called the police on me!"

"Hey, you were a friggin' lunatic!"

"Listen Mikado" Sion poked a finger in his chest.

"You're not welcome here. Get OUT OF MY HOUSE"

Dauragon stood up.

"Make me"

"You don't want me to"

"I could whip you, Barzhad"

"Its about what I can SAY that will make you sad, my friend" Sion said calmly.

"Boys! Especially you, Sion! Why do you hate him so much?"

"He fired my co-worker! I liked her!" Sion yelled.

"You WHAT?" Dominique became suspicious.

"Sorry, sister. He has the hots for that Orchid girl I fired."

"Shut your hole, Dauragon!"

"Make me!"

"I screwed your sister!"

That did it. Dauragon jumped on Sion with his sister struggling to get him off. No one noticed the dark hole behind them.

"Strife! What'd you do with my kid!" Sephiroth was in his own living room and pointed his sword dangerously at his co-worker.

"What makes you think I can be brought in for questioning? Leave me alone!"

"I'll take your sword"

". . . "

"Where's Riku! I'll have you fired! I'll call the police!"

Cloud just stared at him.

Sephiroth smiled slyly.

"I'll kill Tifa"

Sephiroth had a sword to his chin before he could react.

"Listen. I don't know what you think gives you the authority to talk about killing people, but you'd better cut it out before you become a victim of your own stupidity, Osterot."

Rikku stepped in.

"Honey? I investigated. Cloud doesn't have our son."

Sephiroth looked at him sheepishly.

"Sorry, Strife"

"Just go away"

"Its my house . . . " Sephiroth pointed out.

No one noticed the dark portal.

Ansem began stood up as if unharmed. He looked directly at Riku.

"Give it up, boy, you're no match."

"I have Sora!"

Riku looked around to see that Sora was nowhere to be found.

"Uh . . . "

Ansem beamed him on the head.

"I said give it up!"

Riku slowly rose up. He felt a million powers swirling within him.

"Blitz Ace! Grand Lethal!"

He performed two simultaneous attacks that knocked Ansem back into a wall. He spiraled up and gathered energy in the keyblade, looking down.

"Ansem, you know those boring stories where the good guy always wins and the bad guy is always defeated?"

" . . . What's your point?"

"THIS IS ONE OF THEM!"

He unleashed the Fallen Angel attack his father had taught him and the dark dimension disappeared. Sora flew backwards from nowhere and into a hole. Riku tried to follow him but went into a dimension of his own. When he looked up he was in his parents' house, the living room at the front door. He saw Ansem on the couch.

"What?!" Riku ran to attack before Ansem dodged.

"Osterot! Your kid's attacking me!"

"Huh?" Sephiroth came out of the kitchen.

"Riku, this is my friend Ansem. Leave him be"

"I don't know what he has against me"

Riku's mouth dropped open.

"What about the fight? The other dimension?"

"What are you talking about? I've never seen you before in my life! But my name's Ansem--"

Riku stormed out of the door and ran into Sora.

"Sora?"

"Hey, Riku" Sora said, leaning on the wall of Riku's house.

"What happened?"

"Well, I asked to come over and you said it was okay" Sora said slowly.

"What about Ansem? Remember?"

"Quit joking, dude. And I thought--"

"Oh no! What about Lisa?"

Zidane looked at his castle that was good as new and turned his head around, back and forth. Everything seemed fine. He couldn't even remember why he was in the dungeon. He shrugged and walked up the stairs.

Riku looked down.

"Now she's really gone . . . Lisa . . . "

"Lisa . . .?" Sora asked.

"You don't remember her. Now you'll never know her."

"Riku? What the heck are you talking about? Lisa lives just around the street!"

"What? Whachyootalkinabout Sora?!" Riku asked.

"She's been living there for the past, like, eight years. I think she likes you but you never paid any attention to her."

"What are you talking about? I thought . . . ?"

"If you want to see her she's home alone right now. I saw her parent's cars drive--" Sora fell on his face because of the sonic boom Riku created when he ran.

"Lisa!" Riku burst in. He ran up the stairs to find her reading a book in the hallway. Without a second though he embraced her.

"Riku? What's gotten in to you?"

"Lisa . . . I though I lost you!"

"What? You though you lost me? " She asked, dropping the book.

"You smell like strawberries. I never noticed that before"

"Riku? You're really starting to freak me out. You always ignored me and-- "

"Can I kiss you?" He asked, suddenly looking straight in her eyes.

"What?"

Riku took that as a yes and felt warm when he stuck to his word. Lisa almost kept her eyes open the whole time.

"R-riku?"

"Are you offended?"

"I'm happy!" she hugged him.

"I never thought you liked me!"

"I . . . love you"

She paused and hugged him deeper.

"You're finally returning my affection"

"I'm so sorry. I wanted to go to Crowned Hearts with you . . . "

"Riku, your so silly. Crowned Hearts is tomorrow!"

Riku just stared.

"Have I really been ignoring you that much?"

"For eight years, Riku."

"I don't understand. But I'll make it up more than you can imagine"

Everyone stared into the starry sky that night. For some reason, one star disappeared and a new star came back. The sun set in a way so that the moon looked like an imperial heart.

THE END