PROJECT: TEENAGE WASTELAND
XXVIII | the show must go on
On a normal morning, Skuld typically started her job with little to no enthusiasm.
Nothing exciting really happened until around noon when the park would've been open for about three hours, but on this particular morning, she stumbles across an exception. When she approaches her assigned snack bar at the Atlantica water park, she's surprised to find the side door already ajar. She pockets her key card with a raised eyebrow and cautiously swings the door open, unsure what to expect.
Inside, she comes across an unlikely sight. Sora Takeuchi of the Oathkeepers appears to be asleep on the floor with his back against the counter, and Kairi Hart, whose head had just been resting on his shoulder, begins to stir. The two also appear to be in semi-formal wear, but judging by the crinkled state of their clothes, they must have been soaked at some point.
For a moment Skuld is too confused to make any moves. She was supposed to start prepping toppings for the day, but how could she with two people asleep on the floor and in her way? She briefly considers prodding them awake with a pool noodle (she figures it'll be more merciful than banging a bunch of kitchenware around), but thankfully Kairi wakes up before she can. She locks her wide indigo eyes with Skuld, and as if all the memories from the previous night come rushing back to her, she turns to her side and jumps a bit when she sees Sora there.
She shakes him awake (it takes a couple of tries), but when his groggy eyes finally open and adjust to his surroundings, he checks the time on his phone and immediately gets to his feet. He hastily apologizes to Skuld and runs out, followed suit by Kairi.
As Skuld watches their retreating figures, she can't help but recall the recent statement released by Selphie Tilmitt admitting that she and the editing crew had been manipulating footage on Teenage Wasteland all along. If that was the case, did that mean Sora and Kairi were actually really into each other?
Huh, she considers. Honestly she didn't think much of them at first, but now that she saw them together… she actually kind of shipped it.
Back with Sora and Kairi, the former attempts to contact help while the latter catches up to him. When Riku fails to answer his phone multiple times, Sora curses and tries Hayner instead.
"Everything okay, Sora?" his best friend asks, alarmed by his frantic state. She can't help but think that the Sora she knew a few weeks ago would've been thrilled at the prospect of sleeping beside her all night, but times have clearly changed.
"Not really," he admits as he waits for the gamer to answer. "I was supposed to meet Shiki for brunch in ten minutes, so I'm running really behind."
Thankfully Hayner answers, and as Sora pleads to be picked up, Kairi can suddenly relate to the melted milkshake they'd long abandoned last night. After being caught by the security guard, they'd scrambled for a place to hide, and after playing the cat and mouse game for a bit, they sought refuge in the snack bar, shut the lights, and the guard had been none the wiser. A few hushed and tipsy giggles later, they'd eventually fallen asleep, and despite their uncomfortable position, Kairi had never slept so soundly.
Now, however, her body begins to ache, but it has nothing to do with spending the entire night leaning against a kitchen counter.
"Sora, do you remember anything from last night?" Kairi asks when he gets out of the call.
"Honestly?" the brunet asks while scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "No. Everything after prom is a blur to me."
Kairi deflates. So he remembered nothing of their fun-filled drunken escapades, their trespassing shenanigans, and most notably, their almost kiss in the pool. But what hurts the most is that she'd been completely wrong last night. He wasn't into her at all—it was just the alcohol acting.
When Hayner and Olette arrive at the entrance in a golf cart, the latter notices the solemn look on her roommate's face and asks her what's wrong, but Kairi only shakes her head wordlessly. She could ponder over her breakup with Sora all she wanted, but even if she did admit to crushing on him again and being wildly jealous (yes she was jealous—how could she not be?), it wouldn't change a thing. He didn't like her that way anymore.
She was too late.
In the Disney castle, Riku and Xion lay dazed in her teacup bed, blissfully having the exact opposite of Kairi's morning.
It took a while to get used to the completely new sensation last night, but by the third attempt, they'd finally found the right rhythm, and it was the most pleasurable feeling either of them had ever felt. It was as if fireworks had lay dormant in their bodies, and all of them had been set off at once. Now Xion, dressed only in her undergarments, lays on top of a shirtless (and delirious) Riku with a dreamy smile on her face.
"Not that I'm complaining," she starts while tracing circles on his muscled chest, "but why haven't you had sex before?"
Riku, who has one arm behind his head and the other around Xion's waist, shifts slightly so that he can get a better look at her.
"Call me old-fashioned, but I guess I wanted it to be special," he answers with a small shrug.
"It's not old-fashioned," his girlfriend insists. "It's sweet."
He notes the teasing edge to her voice and squeezes her as she chuckles.
"Whatever. I will tell you this, though." And Xion shudders when her boyfriend inches his face closer to hers, his eyes sultry and breath right on her lips. "It was definitely worth the wait."
"Oh really?" Xion challenges despite her reddening cheeks.
"Mhm. We should do it again sometime," Riku suggests while slowly running a hand up her thigh. "And again after that… and maybe again after that."
"You know, I'm not totally opposed to this idea," Xion comments breathily when his lips move to her neck.
"Good," Riku whispers before flipping their positions and crushing her lips with his once again. Before they can get too far, however, someone knocks on Xion's door. While the first few go by unnoticed (they were preoccupied), the two immediately stop at the sound of a weary voice on the other side.
"Xion?" Naminé whimpers, and although the door muffles her voice, it can't hide that she's completely miserable. "Are you in there? Can I come in?"
After sharing an understanding look, Xion rolls off of Riku and runs to find some suitable clothes from her closet. As she does so, her boyfriend tries to clear away every article of clothing from the room (although some are hanging in rather peculiar places) and swipes his phone (which has multiple missed calls from Sora) and the pack of condoms from her nightstand drawer before hiding everything (including himself) under the bed. When she's dressed in a t-shirt and shorts, Xion quickly brushes her hair and runs to answer the door.
On the other side, Naminé is a mess. She's still in her periwinkle-coloured prom dress, her mascara is running down her cheeks, and her eyes are all red and puffy from a night full of crying.
"Roxas and I broke up," the artist announces mid-sniffle. At the news, Xion immediately aches for her and outstretches her arms. Naminé doesn't hesitate to walk into them and sob, thankfully too distracted to notice Riku rolling out from under the bed and sneaking his way out the door to give the girls their privacy.
In the kitchen, Axel nurses the other half of the heartbroken couple back to health. By the looks of it, Roxas' way of coping with an emotionally heart wrenching night was to down half a bottle of elixir, consume an entire bucket of sea-salt ice cream, and sob to sad love songs just outside the freezer.
"Rox, I'm taking the headphones off now," the redhead warns.
"No," Roxas whines. "Leave them, please. They're speaking to my soul."
"Rox, they have to come off. Ready?"
And as his best friend counts down from three and removes his headphones after "one", Roxas blubbers as the harsh sounds of reality fill his ears. With his headphones, he had been in an angsty world of despair, caught up in all his feels, but at least the music comforted and understood him in a way. Without it, he was forced to face the world that was in front of him, and in this world, he and Naminé were no longer together, the Battle of the Bands finale was just on the horizon, and he felt like absolute ass.
"Here, drink this," Axel advises while forcing his best friend to sit up straight and handing him a glass of water. When Roxas takes a few sips, Axel presents him with a pill, and the blond looks at it questioningly.
The redhead rolls his eyes, but he had his own reputation to blame for that reaction. "Relax, it's a refocuser pill. It's gonna help with that throbbing in your head."
Roxas reluctantly takes the medicine, but after gulping it down, his head admittedly starts to feel less heavy.
"I take it things didn't go well with you and Nam after prom?" Axel asks, although he's pretty sure he already knows the answer.
"We broke up," Roxas croaks. His best friend places a sympathetic hand on his shoulder and listens intently as Roxas explains every painstaking detail, and when he's done, he offers him the most comforting words he can think of.
"Hey, I know it hurts like hell," Axel starts, "but look on the bright side: it's not like you guys hate each other. You split up because of the complete opposite, so if it had to end, at least it was on a good note."
"I guess…" Roxas considers while tapping his hands on the edge of his glass. He the looks up at his best friend with a pleading expression. "You're good at this, aren't you? Letting girls go? How do you do it?"
Axel looks taken aback by the question, almost as if he were questioning it himself, but clears his throat before answering.
"Um, sure," he starts, although his tone is unconvincing. "But I don't want to impart those teachings onto you. Nam was, and still is, a great girl, and before it got rocky, you guys had a real nice thing going. It wasn't like she was just some one night stand that you can just throw away. She's worth cherishing, Rox."
His eyes water at the words. "You're right. So what do I do?"
"Well, not this," Axel says while gesturing to Roxas' current broken state. "First things first: you need to shower and get into a change of clothes."
"Okay," he sniffles. "Then what?"
"Then you're going to eat a hearty meal and meet me in the practice room. You need a distraction, Rox, and what better one than music? It is the reason you two broke up, after all. The finale is tomorrow. The best thing you can do now is get up and fight to win, otherwise you would've broken up for nothing."
Roxas' once watery eyes now harden with determination. Axel was right. He could either mope here and let his emotions consume him, or fuel them into his music instead.
"All right. Tell the boys we've got extended practice this afternoon."
At Be Our Guest, a Parisian brunch place near the Disney Marketplace, Kairi, Olette, and Xion comfort a sniffling Naminé by treating her to a girls day. Their first stop, evidently, was brunch, but for Kairi, the ambience is far from cozy. The decor had nothing to do with it (in fact it was actually very aesthetically pleasing and Quickgram-worthy, particularly in the patio area where they were seated), but it was the combination of brunch and the patio setting itself that triggered an unpleasant memory to resurface within her.
It took place just about a year ago in her family's backyard patio, where she and Sora had been having brunch with her parents.
Destiny Islands, one year ago, 11:20AM
"These red velvet pancakes are delicious, Sora," Kairi's mother compliments as she digs into another slice of fluffy goodness.
"Thank you Mrs. Hart," Sora says, accepting the compliment with a pleased smile. "But I can't take all the credit. My mom was the one who taught me how to make them."
"Then she's taught you well," Kairi's father comments.
"Thank you sir," Sora says, though his tone is noticeably a bit more formal. Beside him, Kairi squeezes her boyfriend's shaking hand under the table with a giggle. Being the best friend of a political dictator's daughter was intimidating enough, but being the boyfriend of a political dictator's daughter was even moreso.
"So Sora, have you given much thought to what you'd like to study after high school?" the mayor then asks.
"Father," Kairi whines, clearly expressing her distaste for school talk during summer vacation.
"What?" her father asks. "You two are going into your junior year soon. Your performance in the last two years really counts towards your future, so it's perfectly natural to start questioning these things, princess."
"Fine, but don't feel pressured to answer, Sora," Kairi mumbles.
"It's okay, Kairi," Sora assures while politely wiping the edge of his mouth with a napkin. "I've given it a bit of thought, and I was thinking of maybe becoming a pastry chef. I hear Twilight Town University has a really good culinary arts program."
"Oh, you'd be wonderful at that!" Kairi's mother comments. "You have your mother's talent, that's for sure."
While Sora blushes, flattered, Kairi pictures an older Sora in a pastry chef uniform hard at work, and the vision is both so adorable and endearing that it brings a smile to her face.
"Twilight Town University," the mayor repeats. "An excellent choice. That's Kairi's first choice, too."
"I'm thinking of studying Global Business," Kairi voices after taking a sip of freshly squeezed paopu juice.
"Yes, and with her grades and recent acceptance to Radiant Garden Academy, I'm optimistic that she'll get in," her father says with pride.
Kairi's face falls. With their fall term fast approaching, she knew she was cutting it real close, but she hadn't told Sora about her acceptance to Radiant Garden yet, let alone applying in the first place. She's shocked that her father had brought it up so casually (clearly under the assumption that her boyfriend knew), and judging by the way Sora's grip on her hand slackens under the table, he too was in shock. She turns to him, expecting to see a matching facial expression, but instead, he puts on a proud smile for her parents.
"Yes, I was very happy for her when she told me," he lies. "Kairi's the smartest girl I know. I had no doubts that she'd get in."
The mayor nods as he returns to his pancakes, pleased with Sora's support, but when Sora grips his girlfriend's hand tightly under the table, Kairi knows that it's time to face the music.
Later that evening, the two head to the empty park near Sora's house and swing idly side-by-side on the swingset they'd played on since they were children, but the mood is hardly playful between them now. For a moment all that can be heard is the eerie creaking of their swings and the waves crashing in the distance, and the space between them is no longer one meter, but three thousand miles.
"When do you start?" Sora then asks solemnly.
Kairi looks down at her lap and twiddles her thumbs in shame. "I leave in a week to get settled into my dorm."
Sora's shoulders sag. Upon hearing the news that his girlfriend would be attending a prestigious boarding school, he knew that their physical parting would be inevitable, but he didn't think it would be so soon.
"When were you going to tell me?" he then decides to ask.
"I don't know," Kairi admits weakly. "I know I had to eventually, but I didn't want to hurt you."
"I would've understood," Sora assures softly, but sadly. "Yeah, it really sucks, but I would've. This is a great opportunity for you, Kairi, but… I would've preferred hearing it from you directly rather than from your dad."
His girlfriend turns to him with teary eyes. "I know. I'm sorry, Sora. I just didn't want to ruin things between us."
"Ruin things?" Sora questions. He gets off his swing, takes both of Kairi's hands in his, and kneels before her on the sand. "Why would this ruin things?"
"Radiant Garden is three thousand miles away and there's a six hour difference," Kairi laments, and Sora knows she's beyond devastated when he feels her hot tears hit the back of his hands.
"So what?" he asks while squeezing her hands tightly, although he'd be lying if he said that he couldn't feel his own chest being squeezed from the inside, too. "We're going to make it work, okay? You and me, we'll be alright."
When his girlfriend fails to respond, he places a loving hand on her cheek and gently forces her to look at him.
"Kairi?" he whispers softly. "We are going to make it work, right?"
"I…" she starts, but her voice gets caught in her throat. "I don't know. You'll have to give me some time to think about it, Sora."
And although her boyfriend says "Okay", she can tell by the look on his face that he's incredibly hurt that she wasn't as optimistic as he was.
"Kairi?"
Back on the patio at Be Our Guest, Kairi tunes back in to Olette asking her if she's done with her French toast, and the redhead just nods languidly as their server takes her plate away. Sensing the distracted atmosphere, Xion suggests that they move onto the next activity on their list, and within the next half-hour, the girls find themselves participating in a beginner's yoga session in a luxurious Scandinavian spa nearby.
For an hour they are transported into a tranquil space, but by the time they are ushered into their private sauna room, Naminé is in tears once again.
"I'm sorry," she wails. "Kairi did warn me that a breakup would hurt, but I didn't think it would hurt this much."
Olette, who is dressed in a towel much like the other girls, pats Naminé on the back comfortingly.
"It's understandable," the brunette consoles, validating the artist's emotions. "You and Roxas felt really strongly for one another."
"I just," Naminé sniffles, "I just don't know if I can handle it. I couldn't even handle going outside the institution until Roxas came along."
"Of course you can handle this," Xion says encouragingly, joining in. "You're tough, Naminé."
"I feel like that's an oxymoron," the blonde mutters. "The words tough and Naminé just don't belong together."
Xion shakes her head. "I know you may not think so, but it wasn't like it was just Roxas who got you out of that institution. Sure, he may have given you a nudge and opened the door for you, but you're the one who stepped out. You're the one who got yourself this far. Not many have the strength or courage inside them to take those steps towards recovery. Give yourself some credit, Naminé."
"And it's sad that you two grew apart," Kairi adds, "but at least it wasn't a hateful breakup. You can look back and still be grateful for the time that you two had together."
"Yes!" Olette agrees. "The terms in which you broke it off may have been unfortunate, but still in each other's best interests, so take it from us: you can handle this."
"But even when it gets hard, you won't be alone," Xion reminds. "You have us now."
Naminé's bottom lip quivers when the three girls agree, and when they all pull her into a sweaty group hug, she begins to sob again but for an entirely different reason. When they'd walked in, they'd been tears of misery, but now they were tears of gratitude, and by the time they move onto the last activity, which was giant therapeutic colouring, Naminé appears to be carrying a much lighter weight on her shoulders despite the giant paintbrush that she has in her hands.
"Good evening Kingdom Hearts Island Resort, and welcome to the moment we've all been eagerly waiting for: the finale of the Battle of the Bands competition! I'm your event host, Penelo, joined by my co-host—"
"—Vaan. Tonight, only two bands remain. Who will take the crown and secure the 100,000 grand prize and a recording contract with Gullwing Studios? Will it be the Oathkeepers, the band led by MeTube sensation Roxas Akiyama, or The Noize with their hypnotic beats?"
"As the viewers, you have the power to select tonight's victor literally in your hands. After both bands have performed, you'll have ten minutes to vote for the band you think should win on the resort's app, and the band with the most votes will win it all!"
"But before our finalists show us what they've got for the last time, we have a surprise performance for you! Please put your hands together for Yuna Riel, Rikku Hokkaido, and Paine Matsuda!"
The lights in the amphitheatre suddenly blast bright purple, and everyone in the crowd goes absolutely wild when the silhouettes of their three favourite pop stars appear onstage. While the three stun the crowd with their complex dance moves and flawless vocals, Roxas pulls the Oathkeepers together backstage for their final huddle of the competition.
"All right guys, this is it," the lead singer reminds, much like on the evening of their very first performance; this time, however, they're no longer in their bomber jackets of varying colours, but their own matching Oathkeeper-branded leather jackets, and despite their differences, the bond holding them together is much stronger than it was before.
"We're in the endgame now," Riku comments.
"Tonight, we either leave this stage as Oathkeepers or break every promise we've made coming into this," Axel says dramatically.
Hayner snickers. "Wow. No pressure at all."
"What we should be focusing on is the fact that this is our last chance to wow the crowd, so let's give it all we've got!" Sora encourages, ending their huddle on a good note. The boys nod in agreement, and in no time at all, they're called onstage to perform first.
When Roxas walks up to the mic, the amphitheatre is dark and the crowd is so quiet that a pindrop can be heard. He closes his eyes and breathes it all in, the last time he'd ever perform on this stage, and swears he'll make it all his one last time—not just for him, but for the boys behind him, for all his supporters in person and online, for Xion, and for Naminé. As much as it hurt to think about her, she'd helped him become the star he was today, so tonight he'd burn as bright as he could.
At the end of Axel's cue, all lights in the amphitheatre are on the Oathkeepers, and they captivate the crowd with their playful charm, high energy, and Roxas' impressive vocal range. He engages with the crowd, Sora harmonizes perfectly, Hayner, Riku, and Axel are all in the zone, and as an added bonus, Roxas and his cousin absolutely kill their guitar solos. Judging by the crowd's shrieks and standing ovation, they had just performed the perfect recipe for success, but when The Noize is called onstage, they recall that they aren't quite in the clear yet.
As the two bands collide, Kairi catches Sora giving Shiki a good luck hug, but the sight no longer makes her gag like it used to. It does something much worse: it reminds her that her chances with Sora are truly dwindling by a (soon to be non-existent) thread, and the pang in her chest hits ten times harder than it ever has before.
The Noize finishes their performance to equally deafening cheers and a standing ovation, so when it's time for the voting period, the Oathkeepers (particularly Roxas) are a nervous wreck. The allotted ten minutes feel like ten years as they wait for the results on opposite ends of the stage, but when the votes have been tallied, Yuna Riel herself has the honour of announcing the winners. The crowd falls silent as she walks up to the mic with an envelope in hand.
"Good evening everyone, and thank you for supporting and participating in tonight's finale," Yuna Riel starts. "We've seen a lot of talent on this stage. It's been a brutal battle, and it has been an absolute pleasure watching both the Oathkeepers and The Noize flourish with every challenge, but unfortunately only one of them can take the crown. The votes are in, and I hold the fate of the winning team in my hands, so without further ado…"
As Yuna opens the envelope and pulls out the slip of paper, the Oathkeepers (along with their immediate household watching backstage) cross their fingers and hold their breath against the deafening silence.
"And the winner of tonight's Battle of the Bands competition is… The Noize!"
The hearts of five boys stop before they break into uncountable pieces.
"This is Penelo reporting to you live! The Noize has just won the Battle of the Bands competition, and the Oathkeepers have been eliminated! I repeat, The Noize has just won the competition and the Oathkeepers have been eliminated!"
And just when Roxas thought that there could've been no greater pain than the one he'd suffered after his breakup with Naminé, he quickly stands corrected.
"C-Congratulations," he whispers to The Noize, although he barely hears the words leave his lips. Everything is a muddled blur, but he can't even be mad. He'd known from the moment he'd heard The Noize perform on the first night of the competition that they'd be the biggest threat to the Oathkeepers, and he can't help but respect their talent and unique sound. Their style was a distinctive fusion of hip hop and electronica that he couldn't compete with. They deserved to win.
"Thank you," Neku, leader of The Noize, says cordially. He outstretches his hand, and Roxas doesn't know how, but he somehow manages to take it without falling over. "You put up a really good fight, Oathkeepers."
Sensing that Roxas was too devastated to respond (the rest of the band looks paralyzed with shock), Neku offers the lead singer a sympathetic pat on the shoulder before joining the rest of his band at the center of the stage. They accept their trophy and cheque, and as the crowd chants their name, confetti rains all around them.
Unable to face their failure any longer, the boys make their way backstage where their friends prepare to offer their sympathies. While Kairi, Pence, and Olette rush over to Sora, Riku, and Hayner, Xion approaches her two best friends with her arms wide open.
"Xion," Roxas starts when he accepts her embrace, his voice shaking and body warm. Soon enough he wouldn't be able to hold her like this anymore, and it would be his fault entirely. "I'm… I'm so sorry."
"Hey," Xion starts softly, "don't worry about me. It's going to be okay."
"How can you say that?" Axel growls, his hands balled into fists so tight that everyone is surprised that his drumsticks haven't snapped in half; however, instead of cowering in fear at his tone, Xion too hugs him, because she knows that it's not her that he's really mad at, but himself. "This was our only chance of raising the munny for your treatments, and now…"
For Riku, that's when it hits the hardest. He had been so caught up in the initial shock of losing that when it finally wore off, the weight of the consequences hits him with full force.
Xion was going to die.
Without her treatments, her body couldn't fight the stigma, and her clock was ticking fast. How could he not have seen this possibility coming? He berates himself for missing it. He had been so caught up in the honeymoon phase of their relationship that he failed to remember that Xion's life was still very much in danger, now more than ever.
He, Axel, and Roxas tense as the possibility of that harsher reality sets in. Oathkeepers? What a joke. Oathbreakers was more like it.
At dinner, Sora tries to lift everybody's spirits with a batch of his freshly baked cookies for dessert, but even the heavenly aroma of the sweet treats can't seem to boost their morale.
"Come on guys," Sora urges amidst the depressing silence. "I know it's crappy that we lost, but… it's not like the competition was all or nothing for us."
Everyone at the table turns to Sora with incredulous looks.
"Uh, yeah, it kinda was," Axel voices.
"No it's not. We can still fix this," Sora insists with optimism. "So we should stop drowning in our sorrows and swim instead."
Hayner raises his hand. "What if we can't swim well?"
The brunet rolls his eyes. "It was a metaphor. What I really mean is that we should stop dwelling on the fact that we lost and focus on fixing things instead."
"And how do you suppose we do that?" Axel asks with his arms crossed. "It's not like a record deal and 100,000 munny is just going to pop out of nowhere."
"Well, no," Sora agrees. "We can't get the record deal, but we can raise the munny. We've done it once before, and we can do it again."
While murmurs fill the room as everyone considers the idea, Xion shakes her head.
"No. I can't let you guys do this for me again," she argues.
"Why not?" Riku, who sits directly beside her, asks. "We want to do this, Xi. The alternative is that you don't get your treatments, and I won't let that happen."
"Neither will we," Kairi says, speaking on her and Olette's behalf. Pence and Hayner also show their support with a mutual thumbs up gesture.
"And neither will I!" Sora exclaims. "The Oathkeepers keep their promises, no matter what."
Hayner rolls his eyes. "Augh, dude. Every time."
"The name sticks. Deal with it," Sora says while playfully brushing something off his shoulder. "So how about it? Are you guys in?"
The lead guitarist directs his question towards the drummer and lead singer in particular. After hanging his head low for a little longer, Axel eventually nods. Physically his body felt as if it weighed a ton, but he wouldn't let that stop him from saving his little sister.
"If we fall together, then we'll rise together," he says.
"That's the spirit!" Sora cheers. He then turns to his cousin with a hopeful expression and a tray of cookies to persuade him.
Roxas sighs heavily. His dream may have been crushed, but at least Xion wouldn't be. Not if he could help it. "My music may not have been able to help you as much as I wanted it to, but my friendship will. I won't fail you again, Xion."
Through watery eyes, Xion watches as everyone in front of her reunites for her sake once again.
"Then it's settled," Sora decides. "We're doing this again. As they say, the show must go on!"
The following morning, Riku rolls over in Xion's bed and is surprised to find her side unoccupied. Where he expects to feel her warm body pressed against his, all he gets is cold air, and the emptiness jolts him out of bed. Panicked, he scans her room and eventually finds her standing outside on the balcony, still clad in her night dress. After sighing in relief, he picks his shirt up off the floor and throws it on before joining her outside.
At the edge of the balcony, Xion squeaks when a pair of strong arms wrap around her midsection, but when Riku rests his head on her chin comfortably, she willingly leans into his touch.
"Everything okay?" he asks, concern very evident in his voice.
"Mhm," Xion hums.
"You've been thinking," Riku says knowingly. "Care to tell me what about?"
Xion turns to face her boyfriend, but his arms remain planted around her waist.
"If I tell you, will you promise not to be mad?" she asks while looking up at him.
Unsure what she could say that could possibly anger him, Riku nods.
Xion breathes deeply. "Okay. I don't want everyone raising the munny for my treatments."
Riku's body tenses. He wants to frown at her words, but because he promised not to get angry, he opts for an annoyed look instead. "Xi, I've told you, we're all fine with it."
Xion shakes her head as she gently pushes on his chest. "Yes, but I'm not fine with it."
Riku takes her by both wrists before she can pull away.
"Xion, please," he pleads. Ever since she'd agreed to be his girlfriend, he'd found himself daydreaming about where they'd be when they left the resort. Come fall, he'd start university, and he'd already started picturing her in his dorm room. She'd be wearing his Twilight Town University hoodie, which would be way too big for her petite frame, and doing her homework on his bed while he finished some paper on who-knows-what. They'd laugh at a few jokes as they studied over instant noodles, eventually getting distracted by each other, but with Xion's request, the vision begins to fade.
"I can't lose you to geostigma," he says hoarsely. "I just can't. I..."
Riku pauses. He'd almost just used the L word right then and there but thinks better of it since this was hardly the time. Xion, however, doesn't seem to notice.
"I really care about you," he whispers instead.
Xion rests her palms on his chest. "Then if you really, truly do care, please listen to what I have to say."
When she feels the hammering of his heart calm beneath the palms of her hands, she takes it as his way of complying.
"Ever since you guys paid for my procedure, I've been thinking, and… well, I feel like I've been given a second chance at life for a reason. Not many who have geostigma are as fortunate as I, and that's not fair."
"So what would you have us do about it?" Riku asks. The thought is considerate, but he's unsure where she's going with it.
"Raise the munny and donate it to geostigma charities instead," Xion answers. "That way, we'd be contributing towards scientific discoveries that could help others suffering from the disease as well."
She then pulls out the teenage bucket list from her dress pocket, unfolds it, and Riku reads the newest addition at the bottom: make a positive difference.
Riku finds himself at a loss for words. Here Xion was, standing before him with offers from all of the Oathkeepers to raise munny for her treatments, yet she wanted to give it to other people instead. If he wasn't totally into her, he'd probably be very impressed with the idea, but alas, she was his girlfriend now, and that changed things.
"It's an admirable idea," Riku admits, "but I'm just not sure if I can support it. It doesn't guarantee your survival."
"But it has the potential to save so many," Xion reasons. "Please, Riku. This is what I want. Besides, as a Funtertainer, I'm pretty sure you're bound by contract to help me with whatever I want."
Riku scoffs. "I feel like boyfriend greatly outweighs Funtertainer."
She offers him one last pleading look and he suddenly finds himself in Axel's shoes: on the verge of saying "no" to something that could be detrimental to her health. But he wasn't Axel. If he held her back now, she'd survive but be silently furious with him, and he couldn't—wouldn't—cage her in. Even back when they'd been Riku and Alice, he'd always let her do what she wanted despite the risks, and he wasn't about to stop her now. As much as he wanted to be selfish, he couldn't be. Like Axel, he had to let her fly and trust that things would somehow work out.
So with a heavy heart, he eventually crumbles beneath her gaze and nods in agreement.
Axel paces outside the door of his personal bathroom, unable to stop moving. Finally, after what feels like forever, Larxene emerges with a plastic stick in hand.
The redhead stops in place and jerks his head towards her. "Well?"
"Negative," she breathes. "It's negative. I'm not pregnant."
She raises the test in her hand and, surely enough, it indicates that she is negative. Axel releases a sigh of relief before hugging her. If he had to deal with Larxene being pregnant on top of the pressure of raising the munny for Xion's treatments, he may very well have fallen over. Things were starting to look up.
"Well," Larxene says while pushing herself away from his embrace. "Now that we know I'm negative, we can just go back to the way things were before!"
And just like that, things started looking down again. Axel didn't want to admit it out loud, but he quite enjoyed having her close for the past week or so, and surprisingly enough, he didn't want to go back to the way things were before.
At the edge of his bed, Roxas sulks with his back hunched over. Gone were the glory days when he truly felt like a god in his own Olympus-themed room. If anything, he now felt like Hercules when he'd been forced to live among mortals: lost and unsure what to make of himself. In the middle of another angsty sigh, he hears a knock on his door and groans at the sound.
"Go away, Axel. For the last time, I'm not doing any performances."
Roxas' ears perk upward not because the knocking persists, but because someone has just gained access into his room. He turns around expecting to find the owner of a master key card, but surprisingly enough, it's Naminé who enters his room. In her hand, she holds the spare key card he'd given her at the beginning of the summer.
"Naminé," he whispers in disbelief. They hadn't spoken since their breakup, and to make things easier during yesterday's finale, she'd decided to support the Oathkeepers online as her physical presence may have impacted Roxas' performance.
Not that it mattered now, anyway.
"What are you doing here?" he asks.
"Just because we broke up doesn't mean I'm going to abandon you when you're down," she answers while stopping a few feet in front of him.
"Oh… thank you," Roxas says. It comes out awkward, but he's genuinely grateful.
"So what's this I hear about a music hiatus?" she asks, the very air around her changing as she places a hand on her hip. "Are you really going to stop singing?"
Roxas' cheeks flush. "It's just… I couldn't lead the Oathkeepers to victory, so…"
"So that means you're just going to give up on your dream?" Naminé finishes, her voice stern and disapproving. "That doesn't sound right. The Roxas I know wouldn't go down without a fight."
"But my dream's been crushed," Roxas protests. "We lost."
"Just because the Oathkeepers lost doesn't mean they're necessarily done for," his ex-girlfriend reminds. "They still have a massive fan base. And besides, your dream was never for the Oathkeepers to win Battle of the Bands. It was always to share your music with the world, and Roxas Akiyama still has a long way to go."
Roxas pauses as the words sink in. He was so convinced that it was all over for him, that his entire world came crashing down when Yuna Riel had announced The Noize as the winner, but apparently the tunnel vision mentality had gotten to him yet again. He'd been so focused on winning that he'd forgotten that he had been achieving his dream all along just by sharing his gift.
"Your fans don't care if you lost. They still want to hear your voice and your music," Naminé assures softly. "And if you want to help Xion, she'll need your talent now more than ever."
Feeling a little less lost than before, Roxas cracks a small smile at the faith Naminé still had in him. He may have stumbled trying to remember who he was, but now it was crystal clear: he wasn't a quitter, and he certainly wouldn't hide his voice when his best friend needed it most. It wasn't over for the Oathkeepers, and it definitely wasn't over for Roxas Akiyama.
"Thank you, Naminé," he says while standing up. "I really needed that reminder."
He then takes another step forward, but Naminé hesitates at the distance (or lack thereof) between them. As if he just recalled that they broke up, Roxas stops dead in his tracks, but Naminé kindly outstretches her arms.
"I think it's okay if we hug," she voices, and Roxas immediately takes her up on the offer. He wraps his arms around her small frame, feeling warm all over, and grins into her hair. Then, without thinking, without realizing that his body was acting on its own accord, he pulls away slightly and inches his face closer to hers—
—only to have her place a finger to his lips.
"Roxas, no," she says weakly, and she feels his lips lower into a pout against her index finger. "As much as I want to, you and I just broke up, so we're in a vulnerable place right now."
Roxas reluctantly removes his lips from her hand but knows it has to be done. "You're right. I'm sorry."
Naminé shakes her head. "Don't be. It's pretty normal for couples who have recently split up to relapse, but… I don't want to complicate things. You still have work to do, and I'll continue to support you... just from a distance this time."
"Okay," he whispers, but the way he says it sounds as if he's far from it.
"Now come on," Naminé says while heading towards the door, though with tinted cheeks. "Xion wants to meet with everyone."
In the den, Xion pitches her idea to the entire group, and it is surprisingly well-received. Axel and Roxas take a bit more convincing, but eventually they too hop on the support bandwagon.
"You guys saved me once before," Xion finishes. "If it's okay with you, I'd like to help save others, too."
"Well I think this is a great idea!" Sora cheers enthusiastically. Encouraging nods of agreement follow suit.
"We could even host fundraising events for awareness and everything," Olette suggests. "It could be a whole campaign!"
"Okay," Xion says in the midst of more eager nods, "but I want to help coordinate everything. I won't sit idly by while you all do the heavy lifting again."
Riku can't fight the smile that makes its way onto his lips. That was his girl.
"So does anyone have any ideas?" Xion asks.
"For the campaign, I could help design a logo and some informative pamphlets," Naminé offers. "Give it its own look that people can recognize."
Kairi immediately piggybacks on the idea. "Oh, I could create an entire social media presence for it! It could keep everyone up to date on events and progress. We could even utilize a hashtag. Maybe we can call it the #fightgeostigma campaign?"
"We are on a roll," Sora voices when everyone agrees. "Keep it going!"
"Well," Pence starts, "despite their loss, the Oathkeepers could really help with spreading awareness, but…"
The rest of the band turns towards their lead singer, still under the assumption that he was on a music hiatus.
Roxas, however, beams. "Actually, Pence, that's a great idea."
"Aww yeah, the Oathkeepers are back!" Axel cheers.
"I don't think we were ever over just yet," Roxas says with a grin. For a brief moment he locks eyes with Naminé who looks pleased.
"We could also dedicate an entire line of merchandise to it," Hayner suggests. "Maybe some #fightgeostigma t-shirts?"
"We can definitely add that to the online shop," Olette adds. "With a note saying that all proceeds will go towards geostigma research to save current and future patients of the disease."
"Oh, and what about a bake sale?" Naminé pitches. "Sora could definitely rack in a lot of munny with that. His cookies alone would sell like wildfire."
Sora scratches his cheek in embarrassment as everyone cheers him on.
"The sports festival is also coming up," Riku reminds, "so there will be plenty of opportunities to gain more funds."
"Wow everyone, this is much more than I'd ever hoped for," Xion voices timidly. "Thank you."
"We have a chance at making a real difference here," Kairi says. "It's us who should be thanking you for the idea, Xion."
The two girls share a smile, but Axel is quick to break the moment.
"Well it looks like we're going to have our hands full for a while," the redhead says while stretching, "so if you'll excuse me, I'm going to take a nap."
Everyone else, however, decides to get straight to work.
"Okay everyone, places!" Sora calls out. "It's time for an encore."
tbc
Chapter inspirations: The song Roxas kept listening to because of his breakup with Nam was Happiest Year by Jaymes Young, the song the Gullwings performed at the beginning of the BOTB finale was MORE by K/DA (I'm obsessed with their sound, and I can really imagine the Gullwings saying "YRP" instead of "K/DA" in the beginning lol), and the song the Oathkeepers performed at the finale was 5SOS' cover of Killer Queen (I love Queen, but I think the 5S0S cover is more the Oathkeepers' style).
Real talk, I didn't think that SoKai flashback was going to get to me as much as it did. My notes for it were actually really brief, but as I wrote it, it just extended itself and you best believe that I rode that feels train. I think it's because we know what's eventually going to happen between them, so seeing Sora that hopeful makes it all the more upsetting. Bah, what have I done! On a lighter note, you actually weren't supposed to find out what Sora and Kairi wanted to study after high school until the last chapter, but it was such a good segue for Kairi's father to accidentally reveal that she was going to boarding school, and I figured a little sneak peek wouldn't hurt!
Now if you've read the original Teenage Wasteland, then you know that this is the part where everyone teams up to make up for the Oathkeepers losing the Battle of the Bands competition! For those of you who are unfamiliar with the original, it has always been a known thing for me that the Oathkeepers wouldn't win, but fret not. There's still hope on the horizon! This also means the next chapter will probably be lengthy or take me a while to write given all the upcoming activities, but let's see how it goes.
Originally I was also still going to have the gang raise munny for both Xion's treatments and her campaign, but I figured that it would be difficult enough for teenagers to raise 100,000 munny, let alone more. So I decided to have her give the munny to charity instead to give her character more dimension. For the last few chapters she's just been enjoying her relationship with Riku, so I figured it was time to start a new arc for her, but that's just my opinion! Pacing-wise I also thought a lot happened in this chapter that I would typically space out (in fact I debated splitting it in half), but better to move it along than add additional scenes "just because" without substance.
Special thanks to Tyjet Ansatsu, Aundielen, and Mr. Spinner for reviewing the last chapter! Hope you all enjoyed the twenty-eighth instalment of Project: Teenage Wasteland! Please kindly leave a review to let me know your thoughts and/or feels, I apologize for any grammar errors that I might've missed, and I'll see you all in the next chapter! Four more to go if all goes according to plan.
xoKyorii