Warning: The following may contain gameplay spoilers from the KH3 ReMind DLC.
PROJECT: TEENAGE WASTELAND
XXI | blitzkrieg II
At first he thinks that this could be a mistake.
At first he thinks he can't do it.
At first he thinks that his body had probably forgotten everything it had learned, but the instant Riku takes hold of Sora's old Oblivion keyblade later that night for practice, he finds that keyblade wielding is much like riding a bike: no matter how long he'd stowed it away for, everything came flooding back to him with muscle memory.
Swing right, swing left, upward slash, he recites while performing the basic combo. Downward slash, sonic dodge, thunder.
After blowing a few strands of hair from his eyes (he'd almost forgotten that it was much longer now than it was a year ago), Riku inhales deeply, feeling whole once again. Before it was as if he'd lost a sixth sense, but relief washes over him upon regaining it. Sora's old silver tier keyblade may not have let him tap into the more powerful spells he'd mastered, and its reach may not have been what he was used to, but it would do.
"I see you're getting back into the swing of things," Sora observes while entering the empty gymnasium, duffel bag hanging off of one shoulder.
Riku nods, cracking the kinks in his neck and rolling his shoulders.
"It's strange," Riku admits while looking at his hands, "but it's like I never stopped."
"I don't think you'd ever forget," Sora says while sending the bag down. "How's the keyblade?"
"A little short," Riku admits while dismissing it, "but I'll manage."
"I had a feeling you'd say that," Sora says while unzipping his bag and pulling out some contents. "So I brought you these."
He then walks over to Riku and presents him with some new battle garments and an unfamiliar keybangle resting on top, a dark Mickey Mouse shaped charm attached.
"What are these?" Riku asks.
"New gear from Aqua and Ventus," Sora answers. "When I asked for our gear a few days ago, I had them ship some of your stuff, too. Just in case."
Riku almost smiles. He may have knew his friends well, but they knew him, too.
"And this?" Riku questions, curiously taking the keybangle.
"Oh," Sora says, reaching into the side pocket of his bag and pulling out a small envelope that reads Riku on one side. "Sorry, I was supposed to give you this first."
Riku takes the envelope with skittish eyes, but after recognizing the handwriting as Aqua's, he slowly accepts it.
"I'll give you some privacy," Sora offers amidst the long silence. "Meet you out here in a few."
While Sora heads into the locker room to change, Riku turns the envelope, fumbles with it for a bit, and eventually opens it.
Riku, he reads.
Terra told us to give this keyblade to you when you were ready. If you're reading this, I'm assuming it's because you've decided to put your past behind you and take up your discipline again for a good cause, even if only temporarily. We're so proud of you, and I know it's painful to hear, but I know he'd be proud of you, too. I know the road behind you hasn't been easy and that the road ahead may seem even more daunting, but don't be afraid. We're with you always.
Good luck,
Aqua
After letting the words sink in, Riku folds the letter and sets the envelope aside. He holds up the keybangle and examines it in the light, noticing the name Braveheart engraved on the inside. After a deep breath he summons it, surprised by the look of the unique blade. Unlike Sora and Kairi's keyblades designed for classic lever tumbler locks, his was designed for a simple pin tumbler lock, and unlike his Way to Dawn (which he'd angrily cast into the ocean a year ago), the Braveheart was a monochromatic steel grey colour. Overall simple and practical, but sturdy.
One look at it, and Riku immediately knew that his master had crafted it. He could immediately tell by the make and handiwork. The thought almost makes him want to dismiss it, but if there was anyone who knew the way Riku preferred to fight, it was his master. Its reach was impressively far, the weight surprisingly light, and the blade itself wasn't too bulky. He grips the handle, where his hand fits like a glove, and the Braveheart hums, already responding.
To test its magic, he casts a Firaga spell and the keyblade answers, releasing deadly blue flames. For a brief moment the familiar sight frightens him, but the dark magic feels strangely… controlled. When he'd accidentally tapped into such magic on Kairi's sixteenth birthday, his Way to Dawn felt unstable. His hand shook, and possessing that power was overwhelming; this time, however, it felt bearable. Manageable.
Riku sighs as he ends the spell. This keyblade was especially made for him, and no one else. Yes, he wasn't fond of its creator, but to refuse using it during this desperate time would be foolish.
"Ready?" Sora asks, re-entering the room in his activewear and Oathkeeper in hand.
Riku forms a battle stance in response. "Ready."
The following morning in the chambers, Sora (dressed for the final battle) and Kairi (holding herself steady with crutches) await the arrival of Riku.
"Where is he?" Sora asks nervously while glancing at his watch. "He should've passed the obstacle course by now."
"Relax, Sora. I'm sure he's on his way," Kairi assures softly, and just as she predicts, the double doors open to reveal their mutual best friend in his new battle getup; however, his clothes aren't the only thing that's changed.
"R-Riku, your hair!" Sora exclaims, nearly falling over in shock with his jaw agape. What used to flow far past his shoulders now rested just above them, freely and comfortably. It was the shortest they'd ever seen it since they were in middle school, but oddly enough, it made him look more relaxed and mature this time round.
"It looks good," Kairi compliments. "And not that I'm complaining, but what brought this on?"
"During practice I discovered that fighting with longer hair was pretty uncomfortable," Riku confesses. His thoughts then drift onto the progress he'd made over the last few weeks alone. "But… I also figured that it was time for a change."
Acknowledging this as a potential new chapter in their best friend's life, Sora and Kairi both place a hand on each one of his shoulders, assuring him of their presence and support.
"Well," Kairi then starts in a teasing tone, "now that Riku and I have cut our hair…"
Riku and Kairi jokingly turn towards Sora who begins backing away with his hands raised in surrender.
"Oh no," he says with dread, "don't look at me. I'm not cutting my hair for an emotional glow up."
Riku and Kairi chuckle, the former of the two giving him a playful noogie. "Don't worry, we wouldn't do you like that."
A ding from Kairi's phone suddenly distracts the trio from their playful moment.
"No way," Kairi says, reading the text from Olette with wide eyes.
"What is it, what happened?" Sora asks impatiently, already invading her personal space to get a look.
"The person who claimed to have won the Lucky Emblem challenge lied," Kairi informs. "So Olette, Pence, and Hayner are on the hunt for the last of the emblems!"
"That's awesome!" Sora cheers.
"So there's still hope," Riku concludes.
Kairi, despite being in crutches, nods in agreement. "There is."
The door on the other side of the chambers then slides open, signalling the start of the third and final stage of the tournament. Fully aware that it was time to part, Kairi offers each of her best friends a one-armed hug, the other arm balancing herself on a crutch.
"Not that you two really need it, but good luck out there," she says. "If there's anyone who can kick ass together, it's you two."
"You don't give yourself enough credit. You helped secure this spot," Riku reminds.
"True, but I have no doubts that you two will finish it," Kairi says while ushering them forward with her crutches. "Now go. Give those SoRiku fangirls a show!"
"Ah, yes. That's exactly the kind of motivation we need before a final battle," Sora jokes.
"See you in the winner's circle," Kairi says as the door slides closed.
"See you," Riku says with a confident nod.
After a deep breath, the two boys turn around to face the music and are greeted by cheers and applause from the crowd. Some cheer for the other teams, some (an overwhelming amount actually) hold up handmade SoRiku signage, but all are excited for the third stage of the competition. Six platforms sit in the middle of the arena, four of which are occupied by Cloud, Tifa, Noctis, and Prompto. Sora and Riku secure the last two spots, initiating the official start of the final round.
The underworld fades away, and a magnificent city with glistening white and gold buildings stands in its place. Up ahead, a large citadel towers over the breathtaking mountain town, and the countdown begins.
"Good afternoon competitors," comes the voice of Zidane, "and congratulations on making it to the Goddess of Fate Cup: the final round of the Underdrome Tournament! You're here because you've proven to be the best of the best, but after today's challenge, only one team can emerge victorious."
"You stand before the world of Scala ad Caelum," Garnet explains. "Each team will be assigned to their own quarter to fight a boss battle; however, these bosses are not like the ones you've faced in previous rounds of the competition. To deal damage, you'll need to power up your weapons."
"Hidden throughout the map are precious glowing ores called Orichalcum," Zidane continues. "Finding these will power up your weapons, allowing you to deal damage to your assigned boss, but only for a short period of time. Once the power up wears off, you'll need to keep searching for more."
"The first team to successfully defeat their boss by repeating this cycle will win the tournament," Garnet clarifies. "But be warned: in this round, critical hits will feed the health of your boss, ultimately taking longer to kill them."
"That is all for today's challenge, and best of luck to you all!" Zidane exclaims.
With twenty seconds left on the countdown, Sora and Riku are teleported to their quarter of the city: the Breezy Quarter. Upon first glance, it's a seemingly urban area with apartment buildings and a central marketplace. Splashes of colour, scattered windmills, and perpetual sunlight give the place an overall airy and friendly feel, but knowing what was to come, that feeling likely wouldn't last long. The countdown hits zero, the bell goes off, and Sora and Riku begin making their way through the town. In the northwest area of their quarter, a large, serpent-like monster with an incredibly long neck spawns.
"Looks like that's our guy," Sora voices. From afar, the two can make out a shield covering its scaly body, rendering it immune to any of their attacks.
For now, at least.
"Let's start hunting for those ores before we even try to face that thing," Riku advises, fully aware of Sora's impulsiveness and eagerness to charge in.
Sora slumps his shoulders and trudges behind him. "Fine…"
The two make their way through the marketplace where they find themselves surrounded by their first wave of creatures; this time, however, there's a mix of dark-coloured heartless and newer, paler types of enemies that swiftly slither their way to them. By pure instinct, Sora and Riku form a back-to-back formation, summon their keyblades, and begin to retaliate.
For Sora, the battle immediately feels different with Riku by his side. While Kairi focused more on magic and precision, more likely to hit from afar, Riku was more aggressive, unafraid to get up close and personal. He fights with the agility and precision that only a tier three gold belt could possess, his attacks and forms clearly more disciplined and experienced. Sora notices his best friend casting Dark Firagas, but this time, he doesn't try to fight it. In fact, he seems to accept it as part of who he is, giving him the ability to be in control. The two move and attack like a well-oiled machine, clearing their enemies efficiently, and when they've all faded away, Sora turns to Riku with a delighted and satisfied smile.
"It's nice to fight alongside you again, Riku," he says, reaching out for the diagonal fist bump. He didn't think he'd be able to do this again, but he gladly stands corrected.
"You too," Riku says while returning the gesture.
The two continue their hunt for Orichalcum by heading north, eventually coming across an elaborate fountain – or at least, what should have been a fountain. Beneath the center but caged away, a mint-coloured ore awaits.
"I see something down there!" Sora observes, but he begins rubbing his chin in thought. "Why is there no water though?"
"Maybe because we have to create some," Riku theorizes.
"Oh, good idea," Sora says. He casts a Waterra spell in hopes that it'll bring the fountain to life and launch the ore upward, but his sphere of water just splashes onto the ground with no effect.
"Hmm," Riku hums, observing the make of the fountain. There were four gold structures spread around it, each with a winding path leading towards the center. Riku curiously casts an Aerora spell at one of the structures, and as he suspects, it begins to spin, causing some water to rise from its corresponding pathway; however, it quickly dies down. He tries again, this time with an Aeroga spell, and the structure continuously spins, causing the water to rise to its maximum capacity and retaining its level.
"We need to make sure all four structures are spinning and producing water at the same time," Riku figures. "Sora, mind helping out?"
While Riku works on the neighbouring structure, Sora casts his share of Aeroga spells and gets the other two structures up and running. When all four produce their maximum water capacity, water spews upward from the center like a geyser and launches the mint-coloured ore upward and into Sora's hands.
"Whoa," Sora breathes, awestruck by the glowing object. In a flash of lights, it suddenly splits off into both their keyblades, seemingly empowering them.
"Well, shall we give it a try?" Riku asks, examining the mint-coloured sparks surrounding his Braveheart.
"You bet!" Sora says excitedly. Fearing that the temporary power up would wear off soon, the two hastily make their way northwest towards the open area where the serpent-like beast waited. The instant Sora steps foot into the square with elaborate floor detailing, he doesn't hesitate to inflict damage onto their foe. He goes for a Thundaga spell but is surprised to find that his Oathkeeper immediately releases a Thundaza, something that could only be achieved with at least two keyblade wielders or solo casting multiple Thunder-oriented spells.
Angered, the beast whips its head towards Sora, but the brunette sidesteps and instinctively performs a vertical slash, effectively slicing the beast's head.
"Sora, no!" Riku yells when he catches up.
"What?" Sora questions. "I cut it's head off – I think we've got this thing on the ropes!"
Riku nearly slaps his forehead. "Did you pay attention at all in third year History class during the Greek mythology unit?"
"Are you seriously asking me if I paid attention in class right now?" Sora asks incredulously.
Riku crosses his arms as the headless beast shrieks in the background. "I'm gonna guess that's a no then."
"Don't ask questions you don't want the answers to," Sora mumbles.
"Well if you had listened, you would've noticed that our friend here was a Lernaean Hydra," Riku says. "And you would've learned that if you slice off one Hydra head…" What he was trying to explain was unfortunately already happening right before them. "Two more grow back."
"Well sh–" Before Sora can finish, he and Riku find themselves knocked to opposite ends of the square, the two new heads hissing at them with intimidating faces. After getting back onto their feet and dodging a few more head bashes, the two link up again in the middle.
"So what's the game plan?" Sora asks, keyblade raised.
Riku eyes the main body of the beast. "Well the only way to kill this thing is to strike at the heart. Think you can keep the heads distracted while I go for the body?"
"You got it," Sora answers. "All right, you want some of this?" he taunts while pointing at his chest. He has the attention of both heads. "Come and get it!"
Good, good, Riku thinks while Sora runs around, distracting the heads. He eyes the main body of the beast, stealthily runs towards it and lands about two Dark Firaza spells before a panicked cry stops him dead in his tracks. He looks up and immediately casts a shield over his head to block two new incoming heads. Riku frowns and turns towards his partner: the likely (and only) culprit for causing more heads to appear.
"Sora!" he growls disapprovingly.
"Sorry, they're spitting acid at me!" Sora cries, clinging onto his Oathkeeper with both hands for dear life. He doesn't hesitate to slice off another incoming head, bringing the grand total to five. "What do you want me to do, let it melt me?"
"No, just try not to slice any more heads!" Riku retorts. The five heads suddenly close in on both of them, forcing the two to retreat back to the center.
"So now what?" Sora gulps, his back touching Riku's. The sparks on their keyblades begin to wane, indicating that their power up was nearing its limit.
"Now we run," Riku advises. "We need to find more Orichalcum and face this thing when we're evenly matched again."
"Now that I can do!" Sora says, bolting towards the town without a moment's hesitation. Riku nearly rolls his eyes, but some incoming acid forces him to retreat as well.
The two continue their hunt for Orichalcum by heading south of their current position, eventually coming across an ornate gold structure with wheels (red, blue, and green in colour), a large rotating mural in the background, and what appears to be a globe in the center.
"What is this thing?" Sora questions, standing on the contraption and whacking the red coloured wheel in the center in curiosity.
Riku rubs his temples at his best friend's impatience, but thankfully it actually manages to give something away. The three arms surrounding the globe begin to move in different directions, ticking like clockwork, but the moment Sora had whacked the red wheel, the arm specifically with the red gem in the center stopped moving. Assuming that whacking was always the answer, Sora continues to whack away at all three wheels mindlessly, unsure if he was actually making any progress.
"All right, that's enough," Riku insists, taking Sora by the wrist to stop him from breaking the machine. "Hmm," he then hums, examining the contraption. After circling it twice, Riku manages to figure out its mechanics. "Look carefully. The globe has coloured points. Maybe if we time it right and align the appropriate arm with its corresponding colour, it'll unlock something."
Sora begins scratching his cheek with a sheepish grin. That certainly made far more sense than his mindess whacking.
Facing the red wheel once again, Sora waits until the arm hovers over the red spot on the globe and, with precise timing, whacks it when they align. A clicking sound is heard followed by the shifting of the mural, assuring the two boys that they were on the right track. While Riku does the same with the blue wheel, Sora deals with the green wheel, and when all three arms are aligned with the correct coordinates on the globe, they're rewarded with a complete mural of Scala ad Caelum. The tip of the citadel in the mural begins to glow, and another mint-coloured ore floats its way into Sora's hands.
"All right, you ready for round two?" Riku asks when their weapons power up once again. He rolls his eyes when Sora giggles childishly to himself at his choice of words. "Dude, really? Your mind had to go there?"
"Sorry," Sora apologizes, still holding back a laugh.
"Ugh, let's just go," Riku says, shoving him forward.
After clearing another wave of attackers, the two arrive back at the square, and Sora gulps at the sight of five heads, all hissing and ready to attack.
"Okay, now what?" Sora asks fearfully.
"Well there's too many heads for me to get to the body undetected," Riku reasons, "so we'll have to stagger and confuse them first before going for the core."
"Stagger and confuse," Sora repeats. "Got it."
"Yes, and please notice how I didn't use the word slice," Riku reminds cheekily.
"All right, I get it!" Sora yells with flailing arms.
"Ready?" Riku asks while raising his keyblade.
Sora clings onto his Oathkeeper with both hands and nods. "Ready."
Two heads whip themselves in their direction, and by unspoken agreement, Sora and Riku swap places, causing the two heads to bash into one another. Riku leaps and scales the neck of another head, ducking to dodge the bite of another, and when he finds an opening, he casts a Blizzaga spell on the head that just tried to eat him, and after somersaulting off the head he was just climbing, he freezes it as well, mid-tumble. After a few dodge rolls and Reflega shields, Sora manages to trick his Hydra head into spinning its neck around the others, effectively dizzying it and trapping it in place.
"Nice work," Riku compliments when all five heads are either frozen, dizzy, or knocked out entirely. "Now let's kill this thing."
While Sora hops onto the beast's back, Riku remains fixated on its chest, and the two hack away at it with a series of spells. Judging by the wailing of the conscious heads, everything was going according to plan, but just when Riku catches a glimpse of the serpent's glowing heart beneath its scales, the power up on his keyblade dissipates, causing his next attack to reflect off the beast's body and send him flying back to the edge of the square.
"Riku!" Sora cries, running over to his best friend with a Cura spell. "You okay?"
Riku wipes the dirtied edge of his mouth in response. "I'm fine, but we have this thing on the edge. We just need one more power up, and we can finish this."
Sora nods and offers his hand to help his partner up. "Then let's find it fast."
At the top of one of the town's buildings, Sora and Riku scour the area for possible Orichalcum locations.
"All right, where can we find one more Orichalcum?" Riku asks while shielding his eyes from the sun.
"Shh," Sora hushes, his eyes closed and arms outstretched. "My Sora senses are tingling." His body turns, eventually facing a large tower with the largest windmill northwest of their current position. "There," Sora says, pointing in its general direction. "There's one there."
Riku raises an eyebrow with crossed arms. "How do you know?"
"I just do," Sora whispers dramatically. When Riku looks unconvinced, Sora explains his reasoning. "If this were a video game, wouldn't that totally be a place to hide an objective?"
Riku remains silent. He did have a point.
"Come on, let's go!" Sora urges.
When the two arrive at the tower, they scale the walls but quickly come to realize that there's no way inside.
"Looks like you were wrong," Riku comments. "It was worth a shot, but we can't waste anymore time."
Sora shakes his head, refusing to quit. "No, that's just what they want us to think. My senses tell me there's another way in."
Sora runs past the greenery, around the winding pathway towards the edge, and without warning, hops off.
"Sora!" Riku yells, running after him. He looks down, fearing the worst, but finds that his best friend has stuck the landing in some water. "What the hell?"
"Ha, there's an entrance to an underground pathway down here!" Sora yells, his voice echoing. "Told you there was another way in!"
Riku jumps off the edge and sticks the landing himself, immediately noticing the entrance Sora had mentioned.
"Well congratulations, Sora," he remarks. "Your senses led us to a sewer."
Enemies spawn a few steps in, only confirming Sora's suspicions.
"They're guarding something," the brunet reasons. "There must be a piece here."
Not wanting to waste any more time, Riku just rolls with it and helps him clear the wave of creatures with a Dark Divide shotlock, sending multiple dark flames careening towards their enemies. The two boys run through the watery pathway, dimly lit by blue-coloured crystals on the walls, and eventually come across a wrought iron gate guarding a glowing piece of Orichalcum inside.
Sora turns to Riku with a sly grin. "What did I tell you?"
The oldest of the two crosses his arms with a smirk. "All right, I'll give you this one. Now hit the wheel so we can get this open."
Sora does as he's instructed and whacks the wheel to the gate's left, pulling it open. Inside, the Orichalcum appears to be encased in what appears to be an elaborate iron cage. Riku tries attacking it with both force and magic, none of which seem to have any effect.
"Hmm," Sora hums, circling the cage. He notices that the ceiling above it appears to be hollow, much like an elevator shaft. "If we can get all the way up there, I bet we can smash this thing open."
"Valid idea," Riku admits, "but how are we going to get up there? Last time we checked, we couldn't even find an entrance from the outside."
Sora turns towards the entrance and notices how the gate is positioned like a ramp towards the wall.
"I think I climb this wall," Sora says while leaping onto the gate and steadying himself.
"Well your Sora senses have worked this far," Riku says, giving him this one. "So I trust that it's worth a shot. Just be careful up there."
Sora turns to him with his signature grin and bumps his chest. "Don't worry. I got this."
Sora hastily scales the wall upward and reaches the top. He finds himself rewarded with a breathtaking view of the town and, as expected, access to the cage straight down below. After a deep intake of breath, he jumps down, free falls for a few moments, and when the timing is just right, he throws his Oathkeeper in front of him and successfully smashes the cage open. The cage shatters to pieces, and the Orichalcum floats its way into Riku's awaiting hands.
"Great work, Sora," Riku compliments when their keyblades are powered up for the third time.
Sora playfully dusts his shoulder. "See, I've got some brains. I'm not just a pretty face."
Riku grimaces, but in a teasing manner. "Well unfortunately you don't have one of those, either."
Sora clutches his chest, feigning pain. "Ouch."
After releasing a chuckle, Riku's sights turn towards the entrance again. "Well, shall we finish this?"
Sora nods, this time with more confidence. "Yeah."
When they arrive back at the square, Sora wastes no time. With his empowered Oathkeeper, he performs a Sunray Blast shotlock, raining down shards of light on all five heads and staggering them once again. Riku takes this opportunity to go for its core, each hit making the serpent's heart more and more visible through its scales. When the heart-shaped purple jewel finally exposes itself, Riku takes a step back to perfect his form and takes a deep breath, recalling a powerful move taught to him by his master. After charging his Braveheart with light energy, he slashes the Hydra's heart faster than the eye can register with a Zantetsuken finisher, effectively vanquishing it.
The beast lets out its final wail, and Sora watches with awe as it disintegrates in a flurry of twinkling lights.
"Whoa," he breathes, almost as if he couldn't believe it himself. "We did it!" he then cheers, throwing a triumphant fist into the air.
"But were we the first?" Riku asks, his chest tight. Yes, they did well, but were their efforts enough?
As if to answer his question, the air horn sounds, the scenery around them changes back to the underground coliseum, and the ground seemingly begins to rumble at the cheers sounding from the crowd. On a large screen before them, Riku watches with lips parted as he reads Winner on top of footage replaying their victory only moments ago.
"Ladies and gentlemen," says Zidane's dramatic voice; this time, however, he is physically present in the arena with his co-host Garnet by his side. "I present to you the winners of this year's Underdrome Tournament: Sora Takeuchi and Riku Kenbishi!"
The crowd roars even louder when Zidane hands over a first place trophy to Sora who raises it proudly. Garnet presents a large cheque for 25,000 to Riku, and the older teen accepts it with a grateful nod and a sigh of relief. In his hands, he held the grandest prize of all: the ticket to Xion's recovery. All of a sudden, the burden of taking up his keyblade again washes away, and all that's left is an overwhelming sense of fulfillment.
"Let's wake her up," Sora says while raising his arm for their signature diagonal fist bump, eyes twinkling at what they'd just accomplished together.
Without a moment's hesitation, Riku returns the gesture. "Yeah."
"Good evening Kingdom Hearts Resort, and welcome to the fourth episode of Teenage Wasteland! Last we heard from our friends in the Disney Castle, they were on a quest to wake Xion from cryogenic sleep by raising funds to treat her critical condition. How did they do? Let's find out!"
"How would you guys feel about filming the Oathkeepers' very first music video?"
"First and foremost, the Oathkeepers have been winning the hearts of the entire island since the launch of their very first music video. With a new website, additional gigs, and an outstanding performance last week led by Sora Takeuchi, the Oathkeepers have become the talk of the resort!"
"I can create more designs for different products," Naminé says, chipping in.
"And let's not forget their new merchandise line designed by lead singer Roxas Akiyama's girlfriend Naminé Sato! With all the art competitions she's swept, commissions she's completed, and hits she's received on her online gallery, I'm sure you've seen her name all over the resort's illustration scene. Looks like Kingdom Hearts has a new power couple!"
"I'd like to give all my winnings to you – to help your friend."
"Yuna Riel and Kairi go head to head in the Dance Party finals, but as expected, our Pop Princess emerges victorious. But in a shocking act of kindness, Yuna Riel offers up all her winnings for Xion's cause!"
"I also found out that the island is hosting something called the Lucky Emblem challenge," Pence informs. "Basically there are a hundred Mickey-Mouse shaped symbols scattered throughout the entire island, and the first to capture all of them wins 5,000 munny."
"Pence Montague, known for his work in directing the Oathkeepers' first music video, decides to participate in the island's Lucky Emblem challenge but happens to fall short when Reno Harada claims victory; however, recent events have proven that Harada's claims to have won the challenge were false. Pence takes another stab at the competition, and with the help of both Hayner and Olette, he secures the grand prize!"
"Well I don't know about you guys, but the two versus two competition for Alliance of the Ancients is coming up, and CuTiePie and A Tasty Meatball are ready to crush some plebs together," Hayner says while dramatically punching a fist into an open palm. Beside him, Olette giggles at his wording.
"Hayner Arundel, more commonly known as CuTiePie online, has surprisingly teamed up with A Tasty Meatball! For those of you unfamiliar with the latter, she actually defeated him in the Alliance of the Ancients solo competition a while back; however, her identity at the time was unknown. Now, she's revealed herself as none other than Olette Lovet! The two absolutely dominated the Alliance of the Ancients duo competition with no mercy, but could 8-bit hearts be in the air for our two gamers? Could our supposed lone wolf have found his Player Two? If so, what does this mean for Hayner and Pence's supposed 'best bro' bond?"
"Guys, check it out," Hayner says breathlessly as he raises the flyer to reveal its contents.
"The Underdrome Tournament?" Sora reads with raised eyebrows.
"Upon hearing about the Underdrome Tournament, Sora, Kairi, Axel, and Roxas put their fighting skills to the test in order to try and win the grand prize of 25,000 munny. The four face off admirably against ten other teams of two in a series of dangerous challenges, but unfortunately, Roxas and Axel are eliminated in stage two, and Kairi injures her leg in a surprising act to save Sora. Could it be that the evil witch has a heart after all?"
"I'll do it," he volunteers, and as expected, shocked expressions fill the room. "I'll fight with Sora."
"With Kairi unable to fight, Riku Kenbishi agrees to take her place, and our favourite dynamic duo heads off to the finals together. It's a close match, but the two manage to take first place and secure the grand prize of 25,000 munny! With enough munny raised, will Xion's procedure go well, and if so, who will she pick when she wakes: fiery redhead Axel Kiryu, or brooding and mysterious Riku Kenbishi? More details to come on the next episode of Teenage Wasteland!"
In the hospital cafeteria, Riku stands before one of the vending machines, deciding which energy drink to chug to keep his eyes open whilst tapping his foot and rubbing his chin. Yesterday night, Xion was successfully treated in the surgical wing and afterwards moved into her own private room to recover, and when (not if) she woke, he didn't want to miss a single moment. After eyeing the pineapple mango-flavoured drink, he reaches for his wallet in his back pocket, but someone else tosses in the appropriate amount of munny into the machine before he can.
"I got it," says a familiar voice.
Riku turns and surprisingly finds Axel standing before him. The redhead's face is impassive, but Riku decides that the neutral expression is far better than the scowls he's used to receiving.
"Um, thanks," Riku says awkwardly, turning his attention back to the machine to punch in the code. As the mechanical arms search for Riku's beverage, Axel clears his throat.
"So, uh… I just wanted to thank you," Axel starts. "For joining the tournament," he then clarifies when Riku looks confused. "Roxas and Sora briefly told me what happened with your master, so it must have taken a lot of courage for you to take up your keyblade again."
Riku remains silent, unsure what to say.
"If it weren't for you, Sora wouldn't have had a partner for the finals, and we wouldn't have been able to raise enough munny for Xi's procedure, so… uh, thanks," Axel repeats while scratching the back of his head.
"You're welcome," Riku says, his tone genuine. Another awkward silence passses between them, but Axel breaks it by reaching into the bottom of the machine and retrieving Riku's drink. He hands it to him, and the silver-haired teen accepts it wordlessly.
It's not the most emotional interaction, but they both note that it's the most civil one they've shared in a long time.
Call incoming from Roxas Akiyama.
"Hello?" Axel answers while pressing his phone to his ear.
"She's stirring," Roxas informs, and even Riku can hear the excitement in his voice.
"Okay, we're on our way up," Axel says before hanging up. When Riku and Axel arrive on the fifth floor, majority of the team is asleep on the chairs in the hallway. They tiptoe their way across (Riku not failing to notice how Kairi is snuggled up against Sora's shoulder) and eventually get to the door.
"You first," Riku offers, opening the door for Axel. "It's better if she wakes up to you and Roxas first. We don't want to overwhelm her."
Axel nods gratefully and walks inside, gently shutting the door behind him. Before him, Roxas sits on a chair beside Xion's bed with twiddling thumbs and eager eyes. As Axel approaches, he immediately notices the difference in Xion's appearance despite her still being asleep. When she'd fainted into Roxas arms two weeks ago, she looked pale and lifeless. Now, colour had returned to her face and arms, and judging by the machines monitoring her status, she was alive and well.
He joins Roxas by taking the spot on the other side of her. He supportively takes one of Xion's hands in his and notes that it's warm, not cold. Tears well up in his eyes at the feeling of having his little sister within his reach again, but before he can continue thanking his lucky stars, her grip suddenly tightens around his hand, and her vibrant blue eyes flutter open.
tbc
A/N: Hooray, Xion is awake again, and another update just over a week to hopefully make your Monday night better! I debated including the interactions with the newly awakened Xion in this chapter as well, but I felt like this was a good place to end it. In my opinion, Riku wielding a keyblade for the first time in a long time deserves most of the attention here, so I hope I did him enough justice! Originally that Teenage Wasteland episode wasn't supposed to air in this chapter either, but I figured that we needed a recap of what happened while Xion was asleep just to show how much was accomplished. It's surprisingly tame in comparison to the previous episodes since there wasn't much for Selphie to manipulate (unless I totally missed an opportunity, in which someone please correct me), but I think some of it will play a part in events to come.
Also not going to lie, I think my favourite scene in this chapter may have been the one between Riku and Axel. It was brief, but after all the tension that started in chapter thirteen, it's nice to see them finally put their differences aside and respect each other. If you've also read the original Teenage Wasteland, that scene with Sora and Riku fighting the Hydra for the first time may have looked familiar! Back then they had also participated in what was called the "Underworld Coliseum Tournament", and Sora was equally guilty for slicing off multiple heads; this time, however, I think I had a lot more fun writing their battle banter. Was it too playful for you, or just right?
Now I do have some sort of an outline prepared for the next chapter, but I'm afraid I need to go back to the drawing board just to see how it can set up the rest of the story. There's still so much in store, but I've got to sort out what happens when. Let's hope I can pull it off!
Again, not much personal excitement from the last update, but much like Riku and Kairi, I did get a haircut! I've successfully gone from KH2 to KH3 Kairi, but I'm afraid it's more for comfort than an emotional glow up. It's heatwave after heatwave where I'm at, and the longer hair needed to go.
Special thanks to Tyjet Ansatsu, BlackJakXXI, ChuckleBunny, Aundielen, Michelle, and Mr. Spinner for reviewing the last chapter! I apologize if I missed or misspelled any pen names.
I hope you enjoyed the twenty-first installment of Project: Teenage Wasteland! Please kindly leave a review to share your thoughts and/or feels, I apologize for any grammar errors I might have missed, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!
xoKyorii