The hospital room was painfully quiet, the void filled by nothing but the ticking of a clock. Master Xehanort sat at Eraqus's bedside with his hands clasped and his eyes closed in deep contemplation. He could have stayed like that for another few hours had it not been for Eraqus stirring out of his state of unconsciousness. He gasped for air and grunted to stifle the unfathomable amount of pain coursing through his bones. Master Xehanort placed a hand over his friend's in hopes of settling his nerves.
"Rest easy, old friend," Xehanort said. "We'll get you what you need soon."
As if on cue, the door shot open as a team of medics came rushing in with a cart of medical equipment. "Is the Master ready?" one of the medics asked.
Master Xehanort acknowledged him with a nod and stood from his chair, stepping away with his arms tied behind his back to make room for them to work. Xehanort was glad to see Eraqus get the treatment he needed, but to see the medics preparing shots of saline while he was hooked up to wires, IVs, and tubes was a bit much for him to bear.
Rufus Shinra entered shortly thereafter and approached Xehanort. "So, how's your trump card holding up?" he asked with a tinge of sarcasm.
Master Xehanort didn't respond. He only glared as if it were a warning to keep his mouth shut. He sauntered into the hallway, Rufus taking the wordless clue to follow as he shut the door behind them.
"Has Roxas enrolled into SOLDIER yet?" Xehanort asked.
Rufus sighed. "No, he hasn't budged. I did what I could at our formerly-known-as-Ms. Lockhart's little get-together, but it went about as well as I expected."
Xehanort closed his eyes. "I recall you assuring me you had everything under control."
"And I stand by that," Rufus insisted. "I've come up with an offer that he couldn't refuse. All you need to do is afford me a little patience. I assure you that everything will fall into place in due time."
"I should hope so. To not acquire and groom such a valuable asset to use at our disposal would be a waste."
"I still say we just get rid of the kid if you're that worried about him."
"Why kill what you can control?"
"He's not a tool, he's a threat. We both know it, so why entertain this foolishness when we can have him... dealt with?"
Xehanort scoffed. "Because he's just a boy. That aside, in the likely outcome that an assassination attempt against the son of the most revered soldiers the galaxy has ever seen with evidence potentially tracing back to us ends in failure... what then, would you suggest?"
"I think you underestimate the element of surprise."
"I think your rashness will get the both of us incriminated," Xehanort spat back. "We mustn't take our blessings for granted. Being in the good graces of the public gives us an advantage to work in the shadows. To jeopardize that would be asinine. Don't be a fool."
Rufus sighed. "With all due respect, Master, I think your paranoia is a tad misplaced. Who we really need to worry about is Sora. The Kingdom Key's chosen isn't to be taken lightly. Aren't you the one who's always saying destiny is never left to chance?"
"Ah, yes." Xehanort put on one of his infamous sneers as he stroked his beard. "That dull, ordinary boy—a Keyblade wielder so unlike any I have ever seen. I will admit my own curiosity as to why the Keyblade would choose such an unremarkable young man to act as the destined protector of this generation and I trust that the reason is sound. However, I've met him. In his current state, he's unsure of himself and lacks ambition. One look into his eyes will tell you enough. The time to strike is now—when the boy hasn't reached his full potential." Xehanort began walking down the hallway.
"And how do you suggest we do that?" Rufus asked, catching up to Xehanort.
Xehanort stopped and looked at him halfway with a smirk.
Sora took in a deep inhale before letting out a slow, but long-awaited exhale.
It was the fourth and final day of the Guardian Festival. Sora stood in the backstage area, mentally preparing himself for the day ahead. Per tradition, the last day had always been dedicated to a struggle tournament that took place in a large stadium with banners advertising the clash of two signature blue foam bats. He and Riku had been training for this moment for weeks and it all came down to this. The contest had a reputation for its highly competitive and thrilling matches that were usually the talk of the town for the rest of the summer. While there were many struggle tournaments that spread across multiple worlds, the Destiny Islands rendition was often the most celebrated and grandiose to the point where it was televised across many local stations.
However, to Sora this was more than just a struggle tournament meant to attain bragging rights and a couple bucks. There was a lot he needed to prove to himself: if his hard work paid off, if he could hold his own against the competition, and if he was truly worthy of the Kingdom Key. It may have sounded silly to others. After all, it wasn't like the fate of the universe rested on the outcome of one measly tournament. But if he couldn't even hold his own against his peers and contemporaries, how was he supposed to fare against legitimate antagonism that threatened the safety of the worlds? It was a self-appointed test. He spent so much time comparing himself to his peers and those who came before him like Zack. It was time to see if he had finally broken into their league.
"You ready for this?"
When Sora felt a hand grasp his shoulder, he nearly jumped out of his own skin. However, he was able to calm down at the sight of his best friend and offered an embarrassed smile in response to the coy smirk of Riku, who didn't happen to be wearing his glasses for the occasion.
"Oh, uh... hey," Sora greeted lamely. "I'm not sure." He looked past the curtain and out into the massive stadium filled to the brim with spectators. "I was pumped for this a few weeks ago, but now that we're finally here..." He sighed, but kept a sad smile. "Guess I just feel kinda overwhelmed."
Riku took a few steps past Sora. "Well, you better get whelmed. You're not going to get very far with an attitude like that. You need to be sure of yourself that you can hold your own." He stopped, looking back at Sora halfway. "Fair warning, though. I'm not pulling my punches."
Sora felt his eyebrows crease with confusion. "Okay..."
A moment of awkward silence passed between them before Sora broke it.
"Oh, yeah. There's something I forgot to tell you," he said. "You see, Kairi ended up asking me to hang out after the festival yesterday."
Riku's eyes widened and turned to give Sora his full attention. "She asked you out? Just the two of you?"
Sora waved his hands. "No, no, it's nothing like that! I'm like, ninety-nine percent sure it's just a friend type of thing." He scratched his cheek embarrassingly. "But I thought I oughta let you know so you didn't get the wrong idea."
"No problem with me."
"Really? You're okay with it?"
"Should I not be?" Riku asked with a chuckle. "You said it was platonic, right?"
"Well, yeah," Sora admitted. "I guess I just didn't want to do anything that made you uncomfortable. Say, maybe you could come with us and I can put in a good word for you!"
Kairi asked Sora to "hang out" after the festival and the boy was still thinking about being a wingman for him? Riku shook his head. For all he knew, maybe it really was just a platonic gesture, otherwise he couldn't comprehend why Kairi would go for someone so clueless. But if it were platonic, why didn't she invite Riku? Or anyone else for that matter? Kairi wasn't usually one to play favoritism—for her, it always seemed like the more the merrier. He let it go yesterday when the two ran off together because they had Haru with them.
But this was different. For her to ask Sora...
"Nah, that's okay," Riku declined, waving his hand. "She asked you, not me. Besides, quite frankly, I don't think I want to sit there and spell things out for you."
Sora couldn't help but wince at Riku's delivery. "What's that supposed to—"
"Hiya!"
"W-Whoa!"
Yet again, Sora nearly jumped out of his skin. Like before, he was able to settle down once he saw the familiar sight of Kairi with a hand over her lips as she stifled her giggles. She was with Amaya and Haru as well, the latter holding hands with the former.
Sora didn't look quite as amused. "Gimme a break, Kairi."
"Hee hee! It's not my fault you're easy to scare," Kairi said as she pinched Sora's cheeks teasingly, much to Riku's chagrin.
"Haha! Sora got scaaared!" Haru teased while pointing at her big cousin.
Sora rubbed his nose stubbornly, unsuccessfully ignoring Kairi as she poked at his cheek. "Did not."
"Did too!"
"Okay, cut it out!" Sora said, knocking Kairi's hand away, sending her into another fit of laughter and Sora returned to his usual friendly demeanor.
Riku felt like he was going to lose his breakfast. But he wasn't ignorant; he noticed how attached Kairi seemed to be to Sora lately. But why? What was it about Sora? And it wasn't just about Kairi. His antics from last night at the concert were proof enough of that. Riku found his best friend to be an odd, but fascinating one sometimes; that despite being generally average and unremarkable, he seemed to touch the hearts of others in a way he didn't see often.
"Wait a sec, what are you guys doing here?" Sora asked, his question bringing Riku back into reality.
Amaya signaled the badge hung around her neck. It was only then that Sora and Riku noticed Kairi and Haru had ones as well. "It looks like Axel was able to get us V.I.P backstage passes thanks to his performance last night," Amaya explained. "I guess he actually does have the capacity to be useful sometimes."
"Look, look! I got one, too!" Haru said, proudly flashing her V.I.P badge.
"That's awesome, Haru," Sora said with a smile.
"Soooo, we came to wish you guys good luck," Kairi said.
"And to tell you both to be careful," Amaya added. "I don't want to see either of you get hurt. Of course, I have my first-aid kit on standby just in case."
Riku smirked as he crossed his arms. "Aww, she does care."
Amaya rolled her eyes. "More like I'd rather not be stuck cleaning your wounds in the case of you two being needlessly reckless. So, please, don't give me a reason to worry."
"We'll be okay, Amaya," Sora said. "I promise."
"Yeah, bring home the gold," Kairi said. "I know you're gonna do great!"
Sora rubbed the back of his head. "I dunno about that one. It'll be a first if I even get past the second round."
Kairi initially furrowed her brows with frustration and huffed one of her bangs out of her eyes. "Hey now, don't be too hard on yourself," she said. "Do your best out there and don't compare yourself to the others. In times like this, it's best to believe in yourself." She sent Sora a smile that kindled a warm glow. "But don't forget that I believe in you too, okay?"
Sora was prepared for another one of her playful teases rather than such heartfelt words, but it wasn't an unwelcome surprise. He returned her smile graciously, showing off his pearly whites. "Thank you."
"And me, too!" Haru shouted, making sure she was acknowledged. Sora knelt down and ruffled her hair as his form of gratitude.
"Can I get a good luck kiss before I go out there?" Sora asked.
Haru giggled. "Ewww!"
"Aww, I only meant on the cheek," Sora said with a toothy smile.
"Okaaay," Haru said, wrapping her big cousin around his neck and planting one on his left cheek. "Good luck!"
When Sora stood and turned around, he took another deep breath before hesitating to walk towards the curtain and into the stadium to get a look around before it was time for the tournament to start. Riku kept a close eye on him all the while, failing to notice Amaya was watching him carefully as well.
Riku cleared his throat before turning to Kairi. "Guess I don't get a good luck kiss too, huh? Could use a little morale boosting myself."
Kairi smirked. Riku wasn't sure what to make of that smirk anymore. At one point in time, he thought it was a flirtatious gesture. But the more he saw her interact with Sora, the more he became unsure. Now he was beginning to come to the conclusion that she didn't take him seriously.
"Whaaaat? Is the great Riku himself actually losing confidence?" Kairi asked jokingly while pretending to gasp. She turned to Amaya and nudged her on the shoulder. "That'd be a first, huh?"
"Oh, far from it," Riku said with a grin. "I've got full belief that I've got this in the bag. I guess the only thing left after the fact will be finding someone to celebrate with."
"Hmm, is that so?" Kairi said suggestively. "And here I thought you would've had one of your many fangirls to cover that for you."
"Eh, maybe. Could probably find a nice girl to take for a spin on a Friday evening when it's all said and done if I really wanted to. But there's one problem with that." Riku took a step closer, deliberately decreasing their proximity. He gave her a lopsided grin. "It wouldn't be with the one who matters."
For a moment, there was silence. The way Kairi looked into Riku's eyes, it seemed as if she were enchanted. His sudden boldness seemed to catch her attention and it was the exact outcome Riku was hoping for. Even Amaya was starting to think she and Haru were becoming third and fourth wheels to a moment of emotional intimacy.
And then, Kairi smiled. "Well, I hope you'll find the lucky girl and give her a good time, Riku."
Riku almost frowned with disappointment before catching himself. "And what if that lucky girl was closer than you think?"
Kairi gave a somewhat blank stare. "Well, it's always good to consider the feelings of others first and foremost. Not everyone likes feeling like they're being imposed on, Riku. But don't worry, I'm positive there's a lucky girl out there for you somewhere."
Her smile hurt him more than Riku cared to let on. "Maybe so," he said. "Guess we'll see after I win the tournament today."
"Well then, Mr. Stud," Kairi teased, saluting him as she moved past him. "Just make sure those shapely biceps of yours don't get to your head, m'kay?"
Amaya held back a snicker at Kairi's joke but immediately stopped when Riku shot her a glare and she was quick to clear her throat. "I'm—I'm sorry," Amaya apologized insincerely.
"Hey, you said it to Sora yourself," Riku said. "He needs to believe in himself. And that's just what I plan on doing."
Kairi didn't respond. She simply continued smiling at him jovially. Riku darted his eyes back and forth, waiting for her to say something, but she never did.
"What?" Riku was forced to ask.
"Hee hee! You know, Riku, they say there's a thin line between overconfidence and insecurity," Kairi said as she walked past him with her hands tied behind her back. "I should know," she whispered to herself, quiet enough for Riku to not catch it.
Riku furrowed his eyebrows. "And what do you mean by that, exactly?"
Kairi turned around to face him, once again sporting her usual smile as she shook her head and waved him off. "Nothing. Best of luck out there, Riku. But I have to tell you, I've got my munny on Sora."
"Me too!" Haru added, though she was lost throughout most of the conversation.
Riku almost wanted to scoff. "Is that right? Well, I'd hate to be the one to kill your enthusiasm. Let's hope he doesn't let you down."
"Oh, he won't," Kairi said with confidence. "Trust me. He's stronger than you think."
Kairi started making her way back to where she, Amaya, and Haru came from before noticing both girls weren't following.
"You ready?" Kairi asked.
Amaya glanced at Riku. "I'll catch up! I just want to... give Riku some battle tips."
Riku nearly blew her bluff. "You?!" he asked incredulously.
"Yes, me," Amaya bit back with gritted teeth.
"But since when did you—"
"I read a book." Amaya gently patted Haru forward. "Go with Kairi, Haru. I'll catch up with you guys shortly."
"Okay!" the little girl said, quick to rush over to Kairi and take her hand. Kairi had no complaints and pressed forward. Once they were out of earshot, Amaya turned to Riku.
"Full offense, but I don't think you're going to have anything useful to say about any of this," Riku said.
Amaya rolled her eyes. "This isn't about battle tips, genius. It's about you. Remember what I said about those playful competitions turning into something uglier if you're not careful?"
Riku groaned. "I don't need to hear this right now, Amaya."
He turned to leave before Amaya grabbed him by the arm and practically pulled him back to her. "Just promise me you won't do anything stupid."
"Amaya," he warned.
"I'm serious," she said with no trace of mirth. "The last thing I want is to see either of you getting hurt. Admittedly, I don't know the full extent of this Kairi situation between you two, but I need you to accept whatever happens and move on. Can you promise me that much?"
He snatched his arm away from her. "You know what? I'm honestly getting really sick of you. You've done nothing but yap in my ear about this like I'm some sort of monster the whole time you've been back. Well, could you cut it out already and maybe mind your own business? You know, for once? You seem to have a hard time doing that."
Amaya took a few steps back with a hand on her chest, not expecting his voice to inflate in volume. Usually, she was one of the few who could talk sense into Riku—considering she was probably one of the select few who could actually outwit him and thus, making him value her opinion over the average person. "I'm sorry, I just don't want you to—"
"I don't need a supervisor. I can handle myself perfectly fine on my own. Now, if you'll excuse me."
Without giving her a chance to respond, Riku walked towards the curtains that led to the stadium just like Sora had done earlier. Amaya didn't put up much more of a fight. She could only stand there and hug her arms.
"I hope so, Riku," she said to no one in particular. "For your sake."
As Roxas stood backstage, watching the stadium fill to the brim with anticipated spectators, their buttered popcorn and iced drinks at their disposal, he was beginning to have second thoughts about his current situation. While his friends might have thought his ego got the best of him yesterday when Seifer challenged him to the struggle tournament, Roxas knew the real reason he signed up at the last second.
The prize pool of 10,000 munny.
With that, he could finally make some steps towards his dream of gummi ship piloting. He could easily lay that munny down on his own personally customized gummi ship and it would be more than enough to attend school. The only thing that kept Roxas hesitant was his lack of desire to fight in the first place. Not to mention the fact there would be scouts watching him closely waiting for the opportunity to strike. He knew it was a gamble, but he figured it was a gamble worth taking.
"Whassup, Roxas!" said someone with a familiar foreign accent. Roxas craned his head to find Tidus, Selphie, and Wakka approaching him, the voice belonging to the latter of the three. "Best of luck today, man."
"Same to you two," Roxas said.
"Yeah, no hard feelings when I trounce ya," Tidus said with a cocky grin. "It's just business, that's all."
Roxas only shook his head but maintained his smile. Tidus never changed. "What are you doing back here, Selph?" he asked.
"Isn't it obvious?" Selphie asked with a cheeky grin as she modeled her outfit for him. "I, Selphie Tilmitt, was personally asked to be the head announcer for this thingy! Isn't that amazing? I get to make my television debut while having the best spot in the house when I watch my beloved come out on top!" She clung to Tidus's arm. "No offense, Roxas."
Roxas raised his hands defensively. "None taken."
"Hey, what about me?" Wakka asked defensively.
Selphie rolled her eyes. "Oh, please, Wakka. As if anyone expects you to get past the first round."
Tidus snickered. "She's got a point, Wakka."
"Hey!" Wakka said, a discouraged look on his face. "A little below the belt, ya?"
"Anyway, I better get ready," Selphie announced. "Wish me luck!"
Selphie gave Tidus a peck on the lips before skipping past the curtains that led to the main stadium.
"Later, Roxas. We better get prepared, brotha," Wakka said, stretching his arms.
Tidus averted his eyes for a moment before giving Wakka a look. "You go on ahead. I'll catch up."
Wakka raised an eyebrow but shrugged, walking off to the locker room by himself for the time being.
"Hey," Tidus said, his voice nearly trailing off.
"What's up?" Roxas asked.
"You're... Naminé's boyfriend, aren't you?"
The question caught Roxas by surprise, though he admitted it shouldn't have. "No," he answered, slightly humored. "What makes you say that?"
Tidus frowned. "Well, there's rumors spreading around that you two are a thing," he explained. "Seems like every heartbroken girl on the island is upset about 'Cloud's son hooking up with the mysterious girl with the glasses.' Besides, you two seemed mighty close back at the dinner party. It's like you're always seen together."
"There's rumors already?" Roxas asked dreadfully. He figured the incident with the two catty girls from the other day must have been the catalyst for them. "Can't a guy get a little privacy around here?"
"So... you're not a thing?"
Roxas sighed, raking a hand through his hair. "No, we're not. And don't take this the wrong way, but even if we were, what would it matter to you?"
Tidus furrowed his brows. "Just curious." He stopped shoulder to shoulder with Roxas. "Whatever the case, don't hurt her, okay?"
Roxas would've reiterated his point that he and Naminé weren't a thing in the first place, but he withheld his tongue as he didn't feel like repeating himself and simply watched Tidus press on. Roxas lifted a curious eyebrow. Why did Tidus care so much?
"Hey, handsome."
The new voice belonged to Xion as she approached him with the friendliest smiles alongside Axel. To Roxas, after having to put up with Selphie's vanity and false rumors regarding his relationship status, his best friends were a sight for sore eyes.
"Hey, pretty lady," Roxas returned. "And let's not forget the next big thing himself."
Axel scoffed. "Next big thing? Roxas, buddy. Please. You mean the current big thing. Got it memorized?" He pulled out his phone and practically shoved the screen in Roxas's face. "Five hundred thousand hits on MoogleTube already! And that's just after one day, man. Not to brag or anything, but I think it's pretty safe to say you two are in the presence of a bonafide genius."
"Well, as long as you're humble about it," Xion riffed.
"So, let me guess, you guys here to wish me good luck?" Roxas asked.
"Actually, we were comin' to tell ya that your nudes accidentally got leaked a few minutes ago," Axel said. "Social media sure's gonna be a bitch."
"But don't worry, we know this really awesome press agent who can totally—"
"Yeah, you guys are hysterical," Roxas cut off, making them both snicker. "So, where's Naminé?"
Xion furrowed her brows so slightly that it would've taken a microscope to notice before answering with a nonchalant shrug. "She's still in the stands. Guess she didn't feel like coming."
"Oh," was all Roxas could muster.
"Guy to guy, I tried to get her to come with us when I got everyone backstage passes, but she wasn't budgin'," Axel said. "Guess she'd rather stick to her old man right now, buddy. She prob'ly feels safe with 'im."
"Ah, well," Roxas eventually said with a smile, though Xion could tell it was laced with more disappointment than she cared to admit. "At least she's here. I know these kinds of events aren't really her thing, but she's trying. That's good enough."
Xion inwardly sighed. "Yes, she is."
"Helloooo, ladies and gentlemen!" They heard Selphie's booming voice from the speakers outside. "Struggle-fiends of Destiny Islands, as well as our amazing guests and tourists for this year's spectacular Guardian Festival. It's time for summer's most sizzling clash. Thaaaat's right! I'm Selphie Tilmitt, your fabulous host for the thirty-eighth annual Guardian Festival struggle tournament!"
The crowd uproared with excitement.
"Oh, shit, guess we better let you go," Axel said. He moved past him and slapped Roxas on his rear end, making said boy cover his derriere protectively. "First place or bust, ya cum dumpster!"
Xion giggled as she moved closer to Roxas. "Remind me why we hang out with that guy again?" he asked, still glaring at the retreating Axel.
"At this point, your guess is as good as mine." Xion looked over to her friend who seemed to be stretching his shoulders. "So, the prize munny, huh?"
Roxas chuckled. "You figured it out. I kinda knew you would."
She offered a sympathetic smile. "I get that it's a one-way ticket to making your dreams come true, but I know how you feel about fighting. Not to mention SOLDIER. Are you really sure you want to go through with this?"
"I think it's a little too late to back out even if I wanted to," Roxas said with a light chuckle. "What, no faith in me?"
"I just don't want you doing something you'll regret. We're talking about a lifelong decision here Roxas and you're betting on a stupid tournament." She set her fists against her hips with a scolding look on his face.
"I know it's a risk, but it's one I'm willing to take," Roxas said. "Sometimes in life we need to take that leap of faith."
Xion slumped her shoulders in defeat. "But aren't you at least nervous?"
Roxas took a moment to answer, taking a few steps ahead of her. "Yeah, sure I am. Seifer might be a jerk but he's no slouch in the ring. I know he's getting past the third round for sure. It won't be easy but getting past him could be the first step."
"And if you lose?"
Roxas sighed. He honestly didn't know what else was left for him in Destiny Islands. Maybe having an excuse to get out of town would do him good. Besides, with Snow watching Roxas like a hawk, he wasn't sure how much he could push his relationship with Naminé forward. And that was if he even wanted to in the first place. If anything, this could've been the first step for him in finding a purpose.
"Then maybe I can finally do something about this geostigma crisis," Roxas said at long last with a smile laced with sadness.
Despite his smile, it didn't help uplift Xion's spirits much.
"Anyway, I better get ready," Roxas said after not much conversation followed.
Xion nodded as Roxas began making his way towards the locker room before she spoke up. "Hey, Roxas."
He stopped and turned to face her.
"Best of luck today," she said with a smile full of concern, but it was still filled with mirth.
Roxas returned the smile. "Yeah."
"Helloooo, ladies and gentlemen! Struggle-fiends of Destiny Islands, as well as our amazing guests and tourists for this year's Guardian Festival. It's time for summer's most sizzling clash. Thaaaat's right! I'm Selphie Tilmitt, your fabulous host for the thirty-eighth annual Guardian Festival struggle tournament!"
The energy in the air was electrifying and spectators felt the jolt of their own adrenaline like static. Naminé sat near the top of the stands alongside her father and Claire, both to her right side. Snow didn't look very enthusiastic about the ordeal as he had his arms crossed, watching the scenery with indifference. Claire didn't seem as invested either but at least she had some popcorn to keep herself occupied.
Naminé would have liked to go wish Roxas good luck in person, but her anxiety got the best of her. What if on her way to see him she bumped into someone and spilled their nachos or popcorn? More importantly, she couldn't help but feel as if Snow wouldn't have wanted her to leave if she did. He didn't even seem happy that Kairi left to find Sora and Riku.
"Where the hell is Kairi?" Snow muttered to himself, tapping his foot. "The show's about to start. She should be here by now."
"Not if she's busy having a normal social life. You know, like most teenagers," Claire deadpanned. "Now shut up and don't give me a headache."
While she thought her father's paranoia was somewhat overbearing, Naminé inwardly admitted she was anticipating her sister's return as well. Otherwise, she wouldn't have had anyone to feel comfortable enough around with Larxene and Demyx sitting a row in front of them—the latter on the edges of sleep while the former was filing her nails with a look of disinterest.
"Among our sixteen combatants, we're here to find out who's the best of the best! Who can go against all odds and come out on top? And do they have what it takes to take on our defending champion, Setzer?" Selphie took a few steps back and presented Setzer, who stood in the ring with his champion belt slung across his right shoulder.
"SETZERRRRR!" his fangirls once again shrieked in the large pool of people filling the stands. They shrilled and screamed as they held up their signs with his name attached to them and their Setzer t-shirts and merchandise proudly on display. The crowd repeatedly chanted his name. Setzer put on the slightest of grins, waving to his adoring public.
"Setzer Gabbiani, you have some tough competition out here today! Not only might you have to potentially compete against Roxas Strife, the son of Cloud Strife—a treasure to the hearts of millions galaxy-wide, but also Riku and Seifer, two previous winners of the struggle tournament before you claimed the championship for yourself in your insanely memorable performance last year! Do you have any thoughts on that?" Selphie asked before offering the microphone for Setzer to speak into.
"We'll see what lies ahead, and while discrediting a good number of impressive athletes is far from my intentions, I do fully intend to retain my championship," Setzer said. "To those good men, I say let's have a go, shall we?"
As he winked to the audience, made visible thanks to the giant monitor overlooking both sides of the stadium, many girls in the audience screamed or sighed dreamily.
"Well, there you have it, folks," Selphie said, fanning herself. "Looks like Setzer isn't one to back down from a challenge! Now that's a true champion if I ever heard of one!"
"Tch, would you get a load of that jackass?" Snow said. "Man, if I didn't have a bad back—"
"He'd still mop the floor with you," Claire deadpanned.
Snow wanted to retort but kept quiet after that one.
"Hey, hope we didn't miss anything," Kairi said cheerily as she and Haru came walking down the aisle and reclaimed their seats next to Naminé.
"Not unless you care to see someone's inflated ego," Snow said.
Eventually, Axel, Amaya, and Xion returned as well, the former taking a seat next to his girlfriend and the latter two snagging spots next to Haru and Kairi.
"All right, I think it's time we introduce today's combatants!" Selphie said. "Captain of the Besaid Aurochs and a guy who I've had the displeasure of having to pick up his leftover pizza boxes and dirty underwear over the years, Wakka Nakai."
As she stated his name, a picture of Wakka appeared on the giant monitor above—he gave a wide, toothy grin as he held a blitzball. In the backstage area, Wakka slumped his shoulders while Tidus patted his friend on the back reassuringly, albeit with a humored grin.
"She's so cold, man," Wakka said.
"He calls himself the freeshooter and he's got shot of a sniper," Selphie continued. "The one, the only: Braig Otsuka!"
A picture of a young man wearing an eyepatch appeared on the monitor.
"I'm gonna call him the cyclops," Axel said with a grin.
"Wow, so original," Larxene droned. "Betcha you were proud when you came up with that one."
"You could at least pretend to laugh at one of my lame jokes every once in a while."
"Next up is the man of few words—Neku Sakuraba!" Selphie announced as a picture of a lanky teenager with spiky orange hair appeared on the screen. He had his left hand on his headphones while the other was reaching out to the camera.
"Ugh, not him," Xion gagged.
"You know him?" Kairi asked.
"My ex," Xion answered regretfully. "Please don't ask."
Though, she could tell simply by the suggestive and sly look on Kairi's face that she was wordlessly communicating 'oh, we are so talking about this later, young lady.' Xion groaned.
"A lover of flowers and one of the leaders of the union, Lauriam!" Selphie said.
"Pffft, a lover of flowers?" Axel said. "Get a load of the testosterone on that guy, huh? Right? Right?" He nudged both Demyx and Larxene, though he didn't get much of a reaction out of either of them.
Claire sighed. "Larxene? Could you please?"
Larxene continued to examine her nails but wordlessly complied as she used her free hand clutch Axel's lips shut.
"Our sole female competitor who isn't afraid to step up to represent women all over the world and kick some booty, Penelo Kozawa!"
This time it was a blonde girl with pigtails who seemed to be in a sitting position as she gave the camera a big smile.
"Well, 'least it's not a total sausage fest," Demyx said.
Larxene narrowed her eyes at Axel. "What?!" he asked.
"You ogle, you die."
"You probably could have signed up if you wanted to, Kairi," Naminé encouraged. "You did well in the struggle tournaments back in Radiant Garden."
"Oh, so you know how to fight, Kairi?" Amaya asked.
"Once upon a time," Kairi said with a shrug. "But I don't think it's for me anymore."
Selphie continued. "Some, uh... I dunno. Just some guy I've never heard of before: Vaan!"
A picture of a boy with blond hair and blue eyes appeared on screen with his hands tied behind his head.
"Seems like an... unprofessional way of introducing somebody," Amaya observed.
Everyone looked to Axel, fully expecting him to have something dumb to say but instead he just leaned back in his chair before noticing all eyes were on him.
"I got nothin'," Axel said with a shrug.
"Sora Valentine. Woo hoo," Selphie said plainly as a picture of Sora showed up on the screen, flashing one of his toothy grins while having a struggle bat slung across his shoulder. Despite the lackluster introduction, Kairi and Haru cheered enthusiastically.
"Oh, come on! What kind of lame ass introduction was that?" Xion complained, sitting back in her seat with her arms and legs crossed stubbornly. "Frickin' Selphie, man..."
Kairi sighed. "She must still be bitter about what he did to her back at the dinner party."
"I'd have him do it again if I could," Xion mumbled, punching her fist into her palm.
"Um... what exactly did Sora do to her?" Amaya asked, somewhat anxious for what the answer might be.
"Selph was messin' with Naminé and he slammed a cake on her face but faked like it was an accident," Axel answered casually.
"Oh, thank God," Amaya said, putting a hand to her chest, relieved to know she wouldn't have to kick her cousin's ass. Not that she really thought she would, but just in case.
"An underground favorite and a much hotter version of his little brother, Sora, Vanitas Valentine!" Selphie announced, with a picture of Vanitas flashing a malicious sneer came into view.
"Okay, that comment was just plain unnecessary," Xion said with a cringe.
"And false!" Kairi added.
Meanwhile backstage, Sora pouted while standing next to Vanitas himself, who gave Sora a smirk. "You win some, you lose some, little bro."
"One of the leading Dragoons from the kingdom of Baron, Kain Highwind!"
A man wearing full body armor with a spear in hand showed up on the monitor. Axel rolled his eyes.
"Aw, man. He's one of those assholes," Axel said in reference to Kain still wearing his armor off duty and in a different world from his own. Axel cupped his hands around his mouth like a makeshift megaphone as he shouted. "We get it, buddy! You're hot shit!"
"Lead keyboardist of the Melodious Nocturnes who put on a rockin' performance last night, Isa Sato! And let's not forget his fellow bandmate and lead drummer, Aeleus!"
A picture of both Saïx and Lexaeus appeared onscreen, both looking as serious as they usually did.
"My boys!" Axel cheered. "Now that's more like it!"
"Heck yeah, bring it home, you two!" Demyx cheered. "Okay, I've expended enough energy for the day."
"Regular finalist and leader of the Destiny Islands Disciplinary Committee: Seifer!"
Seifer appeared on the monitor in his usual getup as he held up his right hand.
"Boooo!" Haru hissed.
Amaya folded her arms with a chastising look. "Now, Haru. That's not a very nice thing to—"
"BOOOOOOOO!" Kairi and Xion hissed, making Amaya nearly jump out of her own skin. She sighed, worried for the type of impression this new group of friends were leaving on Haru at times.
"The son of Cloud and local teen heartthrob who's making a comeback for some sizzling struggle action this year after his last match nearly four years ago, Roxas Strife!"
Roxas appeared on screen with his right hand attached to his hip, his usual laidback and easygoing smile on his face. Seeing Roxas on the big screen, as well as hearing the positive reception given to him by the crowd did make Naminé smile, albeit it was a small one. She even began giggling. To everyone else, he was this highly esteemed air to the Strife name destined for greatness, but to her he was just a goofy kid in severe need of dancing lessons.
"What's so funny?" Kairi asked, giving her sister a playfully suggestive look.
Naminé tucked some hair behind her ear to distract from her blush. That blush didn't go unnoticed by both Snow and Xion.
"I was just thinking about something funny on a show I watched the other day," Naminé excused.
"Up and coming weapons specialist and the man who's been on a legendary winning streak in struggle tournaments across multiple different worlds, Yozora!"
A picture of a man with silver hair and he seemed to have heterochromia iridum, with his right eye being blue and his left eye being red. He almost looked emotionless but still determined.
"That dude reminds me of someone," Axel said, tapping his chin. "Is it just me?"
"Riku?" Larxene suggested.
"Nah, not him. Like, kinda him but kinda not?" Axel said, turning around to face the girls. "C'mon, it can't just be me."
The four girls, being Xion, Amaya, Kairi, and Naminé exchanged confused glances before returning their attention to Axel.
"Sorry," Amaya said.
"Beats me," Kairi said.
"Yeah, I'm not seeing it," Xion said.
Naminé only shook her head while Haru stared at all of them, having a hard time following the conversation.
"Damn. It's right on the tip of my tongue," Axel said.
"Yo," said Noctis as he walked down the aisle with a medium-sized popcorn and offered who he viewed as Roxas's friends with a casual salute.
Everyone (aside from Larxene and Snow) sent a friendly greeting to the young prince.
"Hey, Noct! My main prince!" Axel said, pointing to him. He then returned his eyes to Yozora. "Anyway, it's crazy how this dude reminds me of someone. Just can't put my finger on it."
Claire pinched the bridge of her nose with a deep and heavy sigh.
"Son of the brilliant Kyoko Miyano, CEO and co-owner of the Fleuret modeling agency, making him both extremely hot and loaded, Riku Miyano!"
The screen displayed Riku with a determined expression as he held his struggle bat in his left hand.
Everyone cringed at the unnecessary comments made by Selphie.
"Geez, how the heck did she get hired?" Xion asked.
"And last but most certainly not least, my future husband who is totally going to blow all of you away this year! He's smart, charming, one of the most athletically gifted and savvy people I've ever met in my entire life, and clearly the most attractive individual on this list! Not to mention the son of the highly esteemed star player of the Zanarkand Abes who also happens to be one of our lead sponsors of the tournament, Jecht. I want to hear you scream your hearts out for my love, Tidus Fleming!"
When the picture of Tidus holding his struggle bat with a confident grin appeared on the screen, it was accompanied by pyrotech that lit up the outer ends of the stadium.
"Ah, that explains it," Xion said.
"Seriously? That guy of all people gets the big fancy entrance?" Axel asked, rolling his eyes. "What a load of bull."
"A perk of being the son of one of the sponsors, I guess," Amaya said.
Naminé gulped. It was a surreal experience to see who was technically her ex on such a big screen. She wasn't sure how to feel about it.
"Now, I say it's time we get this show underway!" Selphie continued. "I suggest our combatants listen to the rules before we begin. If you would all please take the AR devices attached under your seats. Press the right-hand switch to turn them on. After that, just sit back, relax, grab your popcorn, and enjoy the upcoming spectacle. You know the drill, let's..."
"STRUGGLE!" the crowd all chanted at once with Selphie.
After the crowd of over twenty-eight thousand situated their AR devices on their faces and turned them on, all sixteen combatants made their entrances from backstage, eight of them coming from the left side and the other eight from the right. Some waved at the crowd, some nodded respectfully, while others acted as if they didn't exist. Once they were all in the square ring and huddled up, the referee blew his whistle upon approaching them.
"All right, guys," the referee said.
Penelo put a fist to her lips. "Ahem!"
"And... girl," he finished poorly. "I wanna assume you all know the rules but is there anyone who needs a refresher?"
"I could use one," Vaan said. "This is my first struggle tournament, after all."
"...Who are you again?" the referee asked. When Vaan opened his mouth, he was cut off. "Never mind. Don't care."
Vaan pouted, though he got a reassuring pat on the back from Penelo.
"It's easy," the referee said. "When the match begins, you each start out with one hundred orbs. Attack your opponent to take away their orbs." He handed out the same virtual goggles that were given to those in the crowd. "These AR devices from San Fransokyo create a CG overlay that augments your vision. You'll be able see holographic images of the orbs in order for you to see how much damage you're doing to your opponent. You have to gather the orbs by running towards them, that's it. Just make sure you don't get hit."
Sora looked at Riku, who happened to be standing across from him in the huddled circle, and gave him a smile and a thumbs up for good luck. Riku gave a weak smile back before putting his AR device on. Sora pouted at the lack of a reaction and put on his device on his face along with the others.
"There's a time limit of ten minutes per match," the ref continued. "If the time limit runs out, whoever has the least amount of orbs will be the loser. Alternatively, you can win much faster if you're able to take all of your opponent's orbs before the time limit. Easier said than done, but not impossible. Sounds good?"
Once the referee made sure no one else had any further questions, he left the ring. "All right, it looks like our combatants are ready and it's time for our first match," Selphie announced from outside the ring. "Let's look at the randomizer and see who'll be going up against each other first!"
All eyes and heads watched the giant monitors above as the pictures of all sixteen fighters spun like a slot machine until it landed on Sora and Neku.
"Well, there you go, folks! Sora Valentine versus Neku Sakuraba," Selphie said. "Buckle up your seat belts and let's watch Sora get his butt handed to him! At least, we can only hope," Selphie added bitterly. Sora frowned at her.
The remaining fourteen competitors exited the ring. Sora expected Riku to at least give him some sort of acknowledgement, but instead he watched as Riku passed him by without sparing him so much as a glance. Someone else did the honors and placed a hand on Sora's shoulder.
"Good luck," Roxas said.
Despite Sora's disappointment at what seemed to be the cold shoulder from Riku, he appreciated Roxas and smiled at him with a nod. Eventually, after being given his foam bat by the referee, it was just Sora alone in the ring with his opponent.
"Long time no see," Sora said as he began approaching him.
Neku didn't care to respond.
"I know you had a thing with my sister before, but I hope there's no hard feelings between us," Sora said, extending his hand. "Let's do our best."
Neku scoffed. "You think this is some friendly competition?"
Sora blinked. "Uh... yes?"
"Sorry, that's not how I roll. My only concern is reaching the top of the bracket so that I can win that prize munny. You're just an obstacle standing in my way." Neku hopped backwards and pointed his bat at Sora. "When I wipe the floor with you, tell Xion I said sorry."
Instead of taking it personally, Sora chuckled lightly. "You don't change at all, huh?"
"W... What?"
"Okay, then. If it's that kind of fight you want." Sora bent his knees and held his bat protectively behind him. "I won't back down!"
Neku rolled his eyes. "I don't get you."
A timer showed up on the monitor starting at five. Selphie took it upon herself to count it down at ringside. "Three... two... one..."
"STRUGGLE!" the crowd cheered.
The fight was on.
Kairi was quick to cheer Sora on with everything she had in her. Sora made the first move as he charged towards Neku, who remained firmly in place with a hand attached to his hip. Sora swung his bat but Neku was quicker than he looked, catching Sora by surprise as he somersaulted into the air and kicked Sora in his back. Sora went crashing onto the mat and ten orbs came flying out of him through the perspective of the AR device.
Kairi winced at the blow but continued clapping and cheering. "That's okay, that's okay! You got this, Sora!"
"Get him, Sora!" Haru chanted along with her.
Sora got back up to his feet and shook off the blow, returning to his battle stance. He charged at Neku once again and the two clashed bats in a string of intricate combos.
Snow looked at Kairi through his peripheral vision. She had her fists clenched and she clung to every movement the two opponents made. "You seem very... enthusiastic for this kid, sweetheart."
"Huh?" Kairi glared at him. "Please don't start."
He raised his hands defensively. "Just an observation."
Kairi rolled her eyes.
Riku watched the fight from backstage along with Roxas and Vanitas on one of the small monitors mounted on the wall. The former of the three had his arms crossed as he carefully dissected every wrong move and mistake Sora made.
"He's not taking his time like I told him to," Riku said. "He always wants to attack preemptively without any thought. It's like everything I say goes in one ear and out the other."
"A little harsh on him, don't you think?" Roxas asked, his hands in his pockets. "I think he's holding his own."
"Hm," was all Riku murmured in response.
Vanitas had his hands tied behind his head with a bored gaze. "Either way, the kid isn't making it to the second round."
"Oh, and I suppose you think you're gonna be the one to blaze to the top?" Roxas asked with half a smirk.
Vanitas returned the smirk. "Not like there's anyone who's gonna stop me."
"Well, then you better not underestimate Sora," Roxas said, returning his focus to the monitor where they bore witness to Sora delivering a swipe to Neku and getting five orbs in return. "He's not as weak as you think."
Sora leapt into the air with his bat held high above his head and came down with a slash of his own, but Neku dodge rolled out of the way and managed to rush towards Sora with a quick spinning move that would claim him another ten orbs.
Sora took a few steps back to catch his breath, eyeing the scoreboard on the monitor that revealed Neku with 104 orbs while Sora still had 96. With a minute remaining, he didn't have much time. He had to make a move quickly and decisively, especially considering he wasn't in the lead. There was the possibility Neku would try to keep his distance and wait for the time to run out.
As he predicted, Neku kept his distance. Sora had no choice but to rush at him once more.
Neku took a harder stance, making sure to keep his feet firmly planted on the ground in preparation to block whatever incoming attack Sora had next. He was thrown for a loop, however, when Sora's bat was hurled right past him. Neku turned around for a split second but before he could turn back, Sora had already caught his weapon, held it in reverse, and striked Neku with a piercing slash that was almost as quick as lightning, knocking out a solid fifty orbs for him to collect. Neku gagged and clutched his chest, falling to a single knee.
The crowd erupted at the unexpected but highly impressive display. With Sora able to gather a good portion of the scattered orbs, he was able to retake the lead by a decent margin with ten seconds remaining. The match was practically won.
"WOO HOOOOOO!" Kairi gave a round of applause along with an equally enthusiastic Haru, Amaya, and Xion.
"Okay, I know it's a little petty," Xion said, turning to Amaya with a cheeky grin, "but watching my brother beat the snot out of my ex-boyfriend is incredibly satisfying."
Meanwhile, Vanitas, Riku, and Roxas all watched the TV in a shared state of shock. "Whoa, he actually pulled off a zantetsuken," Roxas said in disbelief before forming a smile of his own. "What'd I tell you guys?"
"Guess I gotta hand it to the little squirt," Vanitas said. "Didn't think he had it in 'im."
Riku kept quiet.
Back out in the arena, Sora, who was still in his kneeled over position, stood up to his feet and turned around to look at Neku with a warm smile as if nothing happened. "Good game," he said.
Neku eyed Sora with disdain before looking up at the monitor to watch the countdown reach zero and the screen present a colorful "Winner" flashing brightly next to Sora's picture. With a sigh, he accepted defeat and nodded to Sora in a show of respect.
Selphie returned to the ring with a less than enthusiastic look on her face. She approached Sora and eyed him up and down. Sora simply kept his smile and shrugged, making her roll her eyes.
"Ugh. And your winner, Sora Valentine," Selphie said.
Sora waved at the crowd with both hands as they sent him a wealth of cheers and whistles. He hadn't felt that sort of adrenaline in a long time.
As the next match was about to start, Sora entered the backstage area to approach Riku, Roxas, and Vanitas.
"Nice going, man," Roxas congratulated. "You're going to the second round! I think it's worth noting that I was the only one here who believed in you, therefore I have automatic dibs on you treating us to sea salt ice cream after the tournament."
Sora chuckled. "Thanks, Roxas. Consider it done."
"Props to you, little bro," Vanitas said, passing Sora with a hand on his shoulder. "Enjoy it while you can, 'cause it'll take more than that if you end up meeting me next round."
"Am I supposed to be scared?" Sora challenged. "I'll hit you with all I've got."
Vanitas smirked and headed out to the stadium to have his match, as he was paired up with Wakka. Sora turned to Riku with a wide grin.
"So, what'd ya think?" Sora asked. "Pretty cool, huh? Looks like you kicking my butt all these years finally paid off!"
"Yeah." Riku put on a ghost of a smile before returning to a more serious expression. "Excuse me. I think I'll go squeeze in a bit more training before I'm up."
"Oh, well I'll go with you," Sora said.
"Nah, don't worry about it. Looks like you could use a breather."
Before Sora could protest, Riku had already turned the opposite direction and made his way towards the locker rooms. Sora slumped his shoulders with a pout tugging at his bottom lip. He turned to Roxas.
"Hey, Roxas? Have you noticed anything different with Riku lately?"
"Well, he seems focused," Roxas answered. "He probably just wants to keep his mind set on the tournament. You know how competitive he can be sometimes. Not that you're much better."
Sora thought it over for a moment. "...Yeah."
Roxas noticed the change in Sora's disposition and folded his arms. "Why do you ask? Is something going on?"
"Well, sort of..." he scratched his cheek bashfully. "He's been acting kinda strange ever since I told him about me and Kairi."
"You and Kairi?"
Sora rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, she asked me to hang out with her after the festival."
"So, she asked you out on a date," Roxas reasoned.
"No, not a date! It's a, uh... get together?"
"A get together, huh?" He rubbed his chin. "Well, Riku does have a thing for her. And we all know how rare that is for him. So, it's understandable if the idea rubs him the wrong way a little."
"I know," he sighed. "And the last thing I want is for us to get into a fight over something like that. He's been my best friend since we were elementary."
"What about you?"
"Huh?" Sora tilted his head. "What do you mean?"
"I'm asking how you feel about her."
"How I f-feel?"
Roxas shook his head but kept a smirk. "Just asking. It seems like you've got a thing for her and if you do, well, that definitely complicates things."
Sora dropped his head in embarrassment. He figured it would be no use trying to deny it. "Is it that obvious?"
"Pretty much." Roxas chuckled.
"I wonder if Kairi knows..."
Roxas had a strong hunch that she did, but for the sake of not wanting to get his friend's hopes up, he kept the tidbit of info secret for now until he discovered the truth for himself.
"Let's say, hypothetically speaking, Kairi ends up returning Riku's feelings and goes out with him," Roxas said. "What would you do?"
"Well, I'd just have to accept it and move on, right? If I care about Riku and Kairi, then I want what's best for both of them." Sora smiled. "As long as they're happy, I'm happy."
Roxas could tell Sora meant what he said. "And what if she, also hypothetically, had feelings for you instead of Riku? Then what?"
"Then... hmmm." Sora crossed his arms and closed his eyes.
"I don't think you need to think about it so hard. If you found out Kairi likes you, what would you want to do?"
"I'd... want to tell her how I feel."
"There you go."
"But what about Riku? Won't he be upset?" Sora averted his eyes and stared at his palm, his thoughts momentarily trailing to the Kingdom Key. "I know how he gets sometimes..."
"I'm sure he'll get over it. If Riku is upset about Kairi being with the person she wants to be with, and that person is you and not him, then he isn't your friend," Roxas said. "And I know for a fact that's not true. So, have a little faith in him. I'm sure if I asked him the same question he would've said the exact same thing you just said."
"You think so?"
Roxas nodded. "I know so."
"So, maybe it's okay if I hang out with Kairi," Sora said excitedly. "I mean, not that I'm expecting much out of it or anything, but... you know, it'll be nice." Sora raised an eyebrow when Roxas started laughing. "Hey, what's so funny?"
"Guess I've just never seen anyone take everyone else's feelings into consideration before themselves the way I have with you, Sora."
Sora smiled embarrassedly. "I can't help it sometimes."
"Don't worry. It's honestly refreshing."
Before their conversation could continue, they heard Selphie from outside.
"And the winner, to the surprise of absolutely no one, Vanitas Valentine!"
Soon, Sora's older brother returned backstage having barely broken a sweat as he approached the two with a cocky sneer. "And that, ladies and beta males, is how it is done."
"That was fast," Roxas observed.
"Yeah, well, only took me three minutes to snag all of that loser's orbs," Vanitas explained. "That right there is what you're up against, little bro. Sure you don't wanna back out while you still can?"
Sora tied his hands behind his head. "Not really. Man, it's a shame I wasn't paying attention to your match at all, Vani."
"Oh, so you got jokes now, huh?" Vanitas snarled, hooking his little brother by the neck. "We'll see how carefree you'll be when I squash ya."
Sora knew Vanitas was trying to intimidate him, but he wasn't going to let it work. The last match taught him that even though he wasn't expecting to win, he had a chance.
"But don't forget that I believe in you too, okay?"
This time, he wouldn't sell himself short.
Sora grinned. "We'll see about that."
Memories of Rivalries
So originally I wanted to get through all of the tournament in one chapter but once again my word count is getting a bit high so I decided to split it here for now. The conversations before the tournament actually started ran on a bit longer than I anticipated, but I hope they weren't boring to read through!
Lots of little references to stuff in here. The AR devices they use for the struggle tournament are from Big Hero 6. Kairi greeting Sora for the first time is an obvious reference to KH1. And Neku being Xion's ex is a nod to another fic of mine, Sex Sells where he is her ex there as well. That's just to name a few. Let me know if you caught any other references!
Big thanks to everyone who took the time to review last chapter! SoraxKairi7, SourCherryBomb, BlissfulNightRain, SummonerDagger88, DyingofFeels, and SirAngelo, you're all wonderful human beings and I appreciate you all so much. Seriously, I don't think reviewers sometimes know just how much it means to a writer when you take the time to not only read but give some sort of feedback. For me personally, it makes me feel like I'm not wasting my time and that the story has a purpose, so it really means so much more than I can even explain. You guys keep me going.
Also shoutout to TheaBA121 for your reviews on AO3 as well!
Cover photo art for this update is an updated MOY picture by BlissfulNightRain!
The plan is to pump out the rest of these chapters out relatively fast because I'm at the point where I really want to move past the Guardian Festival. I feel like we've been here forever but I do feel like a lot of important setup takes place in these chapters as well. I hope my lack of enthusiasm doesn't show too much in the quality of chapter, though. It's not so much that I'm unenthusiastic, I'm just kind of itching to get past this section of the story already. There's so much development to come and I'm just dying to get to that point already. But hopefully it'll all be worth it in the end.
Also, I hope everyone is staying safe with all of this COVID-19 stuff going on at the moment. Please be safe out there everybody and be sure to stay healthy! :D
