Happy Fourth of July!!! Boo scuttles across with a lit firecracker Boo returns with his tail on fire Author pours water on him Anyhoo. No getting drunk or eating hot dogs for me... Kind of sucks. Oh, well. At least I got to dye my sister's hair. I did a gold blond on the top layer and a dark blond underneath. Doesn't look too bad. Isn't too obvious. That is exactly what she wanted. I am not satisfied. I say she should have went darker underneath... sighs Can't get what you wish for. Oh, here's a note from Niki:

I was mentioned again! And I got Boo! starts cheering I'm also all for a Kingdom Hearts all about Riku. That would be good sigh. I think we're a little obssessed...but who cares?!?!?!?! sways and sings "twenty-thre shots o' rum on da' wall, twente-tre shots! take hiccup five down hiccup pass em' hiccup 'round, hiccup twenty-thre shots on-" hiccups and passes out -niki :)

Just for the record. I only gave her one. She got the rest. (Boo probably snuck her somethin') ... Anyhoo, I'd like to agree with Niki and confirm that I AM obsessed about Riku. His hair...his eyes...his butt...clamps hands over mouth Ooops a little too revealing. We SHOULD make a game with just Riku, Niki! Screw all the other characters. Well, call it "Riku's Day At the Nude Beach." Mmmmmmm... Got Riku?

Chapter 4

New Awakening

Riku had reached the world. A few returning workers eyed him and his ship oddly after he landed. The smell of moisture, manure, and straw reached his nostrils. It was a cloudy night here. In a tower, not to far away, a light reflected off of a bell as the bell was rung repeatedly by a hunched figure twelve times for midnight.

The city of Notre Dame was quiet as he tucked his black wing further under his cloak. Lewey didn't say anything and Riku knew that he wouldn't, which was a good thing, he guessed. The hood covered his face with shadows. When he passed, people looked at him both anxiously and warily. He ignored them and continued on. Shadows flitted everywhere. The night seemed more ominous when there was a single high pitch scream in the sudden rain.

The Heartless were running amuck and trying to steal some hearts to feed their thirst. One sword pulled from his sheath annihilated ten of them in one sweep. Smirking cockily, the dark figure continued on the somewhat paved streets.

Turning to a gaping peasant, he asked, "Where's Sora?" The peasant, that was about ready to go home, shrugged his shoulders with fearful glances at Riku. Riku scoffed. He continued on, knowing Sora wasn't there at all. Sora would have made his name plain and clear, plus the heartless wouldn't smell so strong here. But, he had to double check just in case.

So this is what it is like to drown. This is what it is like to die. The water that filled both of my lungs spluttered out of my mouth to the ground. I was sent spinning because I had gasped in the air too fast. The air then, in turn, entered my brain, which in the first place had lacked too much oxygen up to this point causing dizziness. (That doesn't sound very scientific... hmmm.. -AN) I was very close to going back under the black waves. I assessed that it was night (though that is kind of hard to do when you have both white spots and a black ring around your vision). Where am I?

My chest felt like it was going to explode from all the sudden air in my lungs, when I saw old stone buildings. There was both manure and trash all over. It seemed like a foreign town. Am I in a third world country? Nah, they wouldn't have stone like these.

The only soothing thought was of the ground below my body. (Because I am terribly afraid of heights [like the author- AN].) It was wet with rain. The rain still beat down upon my laying, broken body.

At least it isn't ocean water. I smiled grimly, as the wet earth suddenly tilted and I threw up to the side. Someone walked by without a glance in my direction. Thinking sadly about the world, I closed my eyes and dreamed.

Riku checked the tower, spoke briefly with the deformed boy, and then started down the backstreets. In a shadowed area, there were five Heartless gathered around something. One cocked its head (Like a dog. Wouldn't it be wonderful to own on of these cute things?- AN === is slightly insane) and started to go forward to the limp piece of cloth. The heartless nearly touched it, when all of them were gone with two slashes from his double blades.

When Riku scanned around and found no more present, he knelt down. These people never say thanks when their lives are saved. (I would say "thank you"..maybe give you something else. tee hee. -AN) Sighing, he stood up to leave the child, when he heard its small gasping breaths. No, I saved its heart from being taken, and yet it seems as if it is dying. The child shouldn't be out in the streets. The streets in this town don't have any homeless children. (must be a pretty cleaned up town. ya know, strict officers. homeless programs... -AN) I looked practically all around this town, and there wasn't one. But why this one? Why doesn't anyone else care about it? Well... it isn't my problem.

He turned around and took two steps before he heard, "the light" uttered from its lips. How did it know? Maybe, it didn't. Maybe, it was thinking of lanterns and a nice warm fire. Snarling, he turned back around to the huddled form. He still wanted to do the right thing. Even if the darkness in his heart nearly consumed left him without a heart, he still had compassion. (he has half a heart-AN) Kneeling once more, he shook it gently. It groaned and coughed weakly. Its hood was pulled over its features, but now that he was closer he could tell it was a young girl.

"Excuse me. Are you all right?" He felt around in his pockets to find a potion, but didn't fine one. Examining her closer, he saw that she had out-of-place clothing for a medieval town. Such as the word, "B.U.M," on her long-sleeved sweater.

He chuckled at the indication of the word. It seemed she WAS a bum, from what he could see. The small figure stirred and made to get up. Riku reached out a hand to help her up (like a knight.. sighs and swoons or is it swoons and sighs? -AN) . The young girl pushed away his hand with amazing strength for such an ill person. She then got on her hands and knees, pushing her face nearly an inch from his.

"Why are you doing this? I never wanted this. Why do you treat me so bad? I never deserved this treatment. Jessie and Rebecca, where are you? I am happy you were never hurt." the voice babbled. The whispering voice died down. So many emotions were shown in those six short sentences, from the changing of her tone from anger to sorrow to adoration.

The small form made one sob and fell sideways. Blinking blankly, Riku stared. (sighs men never know how to handle a crying or upset woman-AN) Umm. I think she is sick or..just needs to rest. Maybe, I should pay for a room at the Inn here so she could recuperate. Riku felt around in his pockets and found at least 1,000 munny. 100 should do it. Even though he was delaying his quest to find Sora, he picked up the limp form.

ooDREAM (or hallucination-AN)oo

Mother was yelling at me in a three walled room, with chains on the walls. The room tilted over, to show another room with the strange boyfriend eyeing me hungrily. In the red room, heads pushed through the wall screaming (been playing Silent Hill 3. i know it is old, but it was CHEAP. doesn't take away the quality of the game. it is still kind of scary.-AN). Again, the room tilted to a pastel blue room, with my girls -Jessie and Rebecca. I cried out their names, but the room turned black and they disappeared into the shadows repeating, "the heartless have come back."

!o!o!BACK TO REALITY (oh, poop. -AN)!o!o!

I sat up and got on fours. I glared at a dark figure before me. The shadowed face transformed from the boyfriend, then to mother, then to the girls as I sobbed the words out. The darkness grabbed me and pulled me down.

End Chapter

I am beginning to notice that I am getting more "able" to do this writing job. Thanks to the confidence I have gained from Niki. Thanks! Mmmm... beans.- AN