Background Information:

Battle of the Brains: a popular trivia game show.

Guitar Saviour: a rhythm-based game played on a guitar-shaped controller.

What's That Tune: a music game show in which contestants must identify pop songs played on various instruments within a certain amount of time.

PROJECT: TEENAGE WASTELAND
XXIX | encore

Roxas Akiyama posted on The Oathkeepers official page: (32 minutes ago)

Hey everyone! The Oathkeepers are still alive and kicking, and we can't wait to share some exciting news with you! Over the next little while, we will be raising funds for Xion Shidehara's #fightgeostigma campaign. We will also be hosting a number of events, and all proceeds will be donated to geostigma charities.

To kick start the campaign, we're announcing our first ever mini tour! Throughout the next week or so, we will be performing at multiple venues around the resort. Tickets can be purchased on our website or at the event, space-permitting, alongside our new line of merchandise made especially for the campaign. You can also check our social channels and website for more details, regular updates, and upcoming events. Hope to see you all out there—it'll be a great way to have some fun and support a good cause!

Sora Takeuchi, Riku Kenbishi, Hayner Arundel, Axel Kiryu and 1,210 others reacted to this.

Contrary to everyone's fighting spirit, Kairi appears to be lacking in determination. Her heart is in the right place to help Xion, but her body seems rather unwilling—at least, that's what Riku concludes when he finds her laying down in bed on the first official day of launch.

"We missed you at breakfast," he points out while sitting on the edge of her bed. "What's up with you?"

"Nothing," Kairi insists, but Riku doesn't fail to notice the polaroids scattered beside her, and she doesn't bother hiding them, either. Upon closer examination, they appear to be photos of her and Sora at fake prom.

Ah, Riku thinks when he puts the pieces together. So Kairi had finally admitted to herself that she still had strong feelings for Sora. Part of him wants to throw a fist into the air because about freaking time, but another now knows how much it hurts to pine for someone, so he restrains himself.

"Sorry Riku," Kairi apologizes, though wearily at his silence. "I have no right to be feeling this way about something so trivial when you're worrying about Xion."

Riku shakes his head. "You can feel however you want to feel, Kairi. What I'm going through shouldn't affect that. Besides, I hardly consider your feelings for Sora trivial."

Kairi groans as she buries her face into a pillow in shame. "So you know, huh? How?"

He almost laughs. "Anyone with eyes can see it. In fact, even if I was blind, I could probably feel your jealousy radiating from a mile away."

Riku doesn't know it, but Kairi turns slightly red against her pillow. Was she really making things that obvious? Or was Riku just that observant?

"I don't get why he's still dating her anyway," she can't help but mutter when she sits up, her pillow now clutched to her chest. "She's a member of The Noize. Isn't he, like, technically dating the enemy?"

"We're focused on the campaign now," Riku chuckles. "Battle of the Bands is pretty much ancient history now."

Kairi huffs indignantly.

"You know, I have to say I'm disappointed," the older teen then confesses.

"Disappointed?" Kairi repeats. "About what?"

"About how you're acting," Riku clarifies. "The Kairi I know doesn't give up so easily. She's a hard worker and fights for what she wants."

"But he's with Shiki now," Kairi argues. "Sora doesn't like me anymore."

Riku purses his lips to hold back a speech about how impossible that was. Sora not liking Kairi? Hell was more likely to freeze over. Sora not liking Kairi… yeah, right. Not in this universe. Not ever.

"So? It's not like they're official or married," he chooses to say instead.

Kairi's eyebrows furrow in confusion, but when she picks up what he's putting down, a sly grin graces her lips. "Why Riku, are you suggesting that I meddle?"

"No," he answers, although it sounds an awful lot like 'yes'. "I'm telling you to win your man back. There's a difference."

"Uh huh."

"All I'm trying to say is that Sora never stopped fighting for you even when you were with Tidus," Riku reminds as he gets up. "Why shouldn't you do the same?"

His words fuel a new kind of determination within Kairi. Memories of being bested at keyblade training back home come to mind, but no matter how many times Kairi fell, she'd get right back up again—an attitude which she applied to many other aspects of her life, and she wasn't about to stop now.

Riku was right. Just as it wasn't over for the Oathkeepers, it wouldn't be over for her and Sora just yet.

He'd fought for her all this time, and now it was her turn.

For the first stop of the Oathkeepers' mini tour, Kairi is tasked with pumping #fightgeostigma beach balls for their beachside performance while Xion and Olette man the registration and merchandise table. In the midst of setting up their equipment, Kairi catches Sora's eye as he lugs an amplifier onto the stage and offers him a wave.

He smiles and waves casually back but quickly does a double take. Kairi observes his surprised expression with a victorious grin. She had thought back to what his weaknesses were during the night of their bumfuzzle agreement, and he had explicitly told her that she could no longer wear tank tops or high-waisted shorts around him, so what better way to grab his attention than to wear both? The campaign-branded tank top and shorts hug her frame nicely, and judging by the slight tint in his cheeks, he seems to agree.

Or so Kairi thinks.

She hears a girlish squeal behind her, and Kairi turns around to find Shiki running towards Sora in the same campaign-branded tank top, looking just as adorable. She helps him with the rest of the equipment, and the corner of Kairi's lip twitches. Behind the two, Riku awkwardly witnesses the exchange and offers Kairi an encouraging thumbs up from afar, a gesture she has long associated with the words "it's okay, you got this".

Kairi returns it, but shakily.

Axel Kiryu posted on The Oathkeepers official page: (15 minutes ago)

Two words: Kissing. Booth. Be there or be square! #puckerup to #fightgeostigma

Roxas Akiyama, Xion Shidehara and 450 others reacted to this.

In front of the Disney Castle, Axel stands behind a booth painted in romantic pinks and reds with heart-shaped balloons floating on each side. Atop the booth, the words "Kissing Booth" have been printed on a large sign, and in front of it, there are about fifty girls in line.

"Not sure if it's just me," Roxas says when Axel takes a well-deserved break beside him at the registration table, "but you look kind of miserable."

The redhead reflects on his best friend's words in the midst of downing a water bottle. If he was going to be truthful, he was miserable, but he doesn't need to say it out loud for Roxas to get it.

"I thought you'd be pumped at the prospect of kissing a bunch of girls," the blond says. "That's why Xi and I pitched it in the first place."

"On a normal day you'd be right, but…" Axel's voice trails off, and that's when Roxas realizes it.

"No," he gasps. "Don't tell me… have you finally realized that you actually like Larxene?"

Outwardly, Axel scoffs, but inwardly, he feels his insides do that weird thing again; like his organs, particularly his heart, are doing somersaults. He'd kissed about thirty girls that morning, and he'd felt absolutely nothing when their lips touched. And yet, all Roxas had to do was mention Larxene's name, and he felt goosebumps all over.

Could that be it, then? Could there really be more than just a physical thing between them after all?

"Do you want me to close the booth?" Roxas then asks. "I'm sure Xi will understand."

Axel shakes his head. "No. I promised her I'd do it."

"Okay," Roxas sings. "If you say so."

But another twenty meaningless smooches later, Axel really starts to think that he should've taken Roxas up on that offer.

At Arcadia, Hayner and Olette reach the final round of Battle of the Brains. As they approach the last question, all the lights in the studio dim to a deep green colour.

"Now Olette and Hayner, this is to win it all," the host, a teen named Ava, says dramatically. "Answer correctly, and the grand prize of 5,000 munny on top of the 2,500 you have already earned is yours. Answer incorrectly, and you'll lose it all. Would you like to walk away with your winnings now, or would you like to risk it all?"

All around them, the audience chants risk it all! Hayner and Olette share a look and nod in agreement.

"Ava, we'd like to risk it all," Hayner says into the microphone, and the crowd erupts into cheers.

"All right!" the game show host cheers. "For a total of 7,500 munny, here is your final question: what is the name of the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth?"

On the large, curved screen behind them, the question is also displayed in large letters. The timer for fifteen seconds starts, and after whispering amongst one another behind their assigned podium, Olette and Hayner press their button at the five second mark.

"Do you have your answer?" Ava asks. "Are you certain?"

Olette nods. "Yes Ava. The answer is arachibutyrophobia."

Ava checks the envelope that she has in her hand for confirmation.

"That is…" she begins. "Correct! Congratulations Olette and Hayner, you are the winners of the Battle of the Brains!"

The studio bursts into a series of bright pinks and yellows at their victory, and Olette embraces Hayner as confetti rains around them. As they receive their cheque and trophy, the two share a look, and for the first time since they'd started dating, they suddenly begin to wonder if what they had together could go beyond the resort; if their connection was more than just a summer fling; if it could last.

If they were willing, could they, too, risk it all?

In the midst of preparing baking ingredients, Sora hears something peculiar by the kitchen doorway. Two muffled voices sound as if they're bickering, but clearly one wins, because the door bursts open, and Kairi stumbles in dressed in a short pink dress and a frilly white apron. The ensemble is cute upon first glance, but has the potential to leave much to the imagination of a teenage boy.

"Riku, I feel ridiculous," Kairi mutters, red-faced. "Why would anyone in their right mind bake in this getup? It's terribly uncomfortable."

"You look great though," the older teen reassures when he walks in. "This will get his mind going. Just trust me."

Sora, however, doesn't seem to react.

"There you guys are. I was expecting you ten minutes ago," is all he says. "Shall we get started? There's lots to do."

"Well you two can get started," Riku says with one foot already back out the door. "I have to help Xi and Naminé assemble the bake sale booth for tomorrow."

"What?" Kairi whispers as she grabs onto his arm. "You're leaving us alone?"

"You're welcome. Bye now!" And without wasting another second, Riku leaves before Kairi can even grumble "buttsack" under her breath.

Kairi then turns towards Sora who continues to collect ingredients as if he were never interrupted in the first place. After clearing her throat and standing up straighter, she begins to walk towards him while making sure to add an extra swing to her hips. When Sora still fails to notice her, she places her hands on the stainless steel counter, leans over in what was supposed to be a suggestive manner, and pulls off a smile makes her eyes twinkle, just as Sora had said during their bumfuzzle agreement; but much to her annoyance, not even that captures his attention. After accepting that he wasn't going to fall for her miserable fail at seductive charms, Kairi gives up and decides to ask how she can help instead.

"Can you start putting the stickers that Naminé designed on the pastry boxes?" he asks without even sparing her a glance. "I'm still sorting out ingredients, so we can't exactly start baking yet, but we'll eventually start with cupcakes."

Kairi only nods. "Yes chef."

But when she leaves to do as she's told at the next counter over, she feels more disheartened than ever.

Sora Takeuchi posted on The Oathkeepers official page: (1 hour ago)

Hey sweet tooths! I'm hosting a bake sale at the Disney Marketplace for the #fightgeostigma campaign today. Come check it out for some homemade goodies, but nothing is sweeter than giving to charity!

Riku Kenbishi, Kairi Hart, Shiki Misaki, and 820 others reacted to this.

Hayner Arundel (2 minutes ago): Can you save a box of cookies for me?

Riku Kenbishi (1 minute ago): Hayner Arundel they sold out within the first fifteen minutes bro.

Hayner Arundel (30 seconds ago): Hello darkness my old friend…

That same evening, the Oathkeepers come across some shocking news during dinner.

"Guys, all the campaign merch just sold out," Olette announces with her tablet in hand.

Roxas nearly drops his utensils. "What? We just launched the campaign two days ago. How is that possible?"

"The preorders are full, too," Hayner adds while checking the inventory on Olette's tablet next to him. Everyone becomes equally confused, but when Pence speaks up, they get their answer.

"No way," he breathes. He projects the screen of his tablet to the screen in the dining room and shows them two recent Quickgram posts from Yuna Riel and Tidus Clearwater, both of which are donning a #fightgeostigma t-shirt in their selfie and have close to a million likes. In their descriptions, they encourage their fans (inside and outside of the resort) to support Xion Shidehara's campaign, and judging by the fact that the new line of merch had just sold out, their admirers seemed to have taken action.

"Well that was unexpected," Roxas voices.

"Looks like we need to order more shirts," Naminé says.

"Yeah, over two-hundred thousand more by the looks of it," Hayner specifies, his eyes still on Olette's tablet.

Everyone's eyes nearly bulge out of their sockets at the sheer amount of orders. Three nights ago they had been in the same place, devastated by the loss of the Oathkeepers, but now, the air is not as somber. They were moving forward, and they weren't alone, either.

Things were officially looking up.

Riku Kenbishi posted on The Oathkeepers official page: (30 minutes ago)

We're working at the car wash today to #fightgeostigma! Bring all your vehicles and shades 'cause it's sun's out guns out!

Xion Shidehara, Kairi Hart, Sora Takeuchi, and 763 others reacted to this.

Sora Takeuchi (1 minute ago): SUN'S OUT GUNS OUT XD

Riku Kenbishi (30 seconds ago): The first and last time I ever give you access to my account to make announcements.

In the parking lot of the resort's largest gym, the car wash is well underway. Vehicles of all kinds are either being serviced or waiting to be, and other teens supporting the cause bob their heads to some music supplied by DJ Demyx and purchase refreshing drinks from Xion's lemonade stand.

As expected, most of the customers flock towards the Oathkeepers. As they service a car filled with giggling females, the boys do their best to ignore the fact that pictures of them are being snapped from the inside; Riku, however, goes for a less subtle approach and sticks up his middle finger as girls on the sidelines try to record a video of him. They aren't fully exposed, per se, but their shirts and swimming trunks practically cling to them like a second skin with all the water and soap being splashed around.

On the girls' side, Kairi is hard at work cleaning off a convertible with Olette , but she can't help but flinch every time Shiki's giggles reach her ears. Beside them, the bombshell wipes a motorcycle clean with her fellow bandmate Rhyme, who generously offered to help alongside the rest of The Noize, but the sight of Shiki tossing her hair back and giggling while surrounded by boys brings about a bitter taste in Kairi's mouth. Sure, she was attractive, but how could Sora be okay with this? Even Neku Sakuraba looked annoyed by it, and back when she and Sora were dating, he'd posessively hold her to his side if another guy so much as looked at her (which, honestly, was actually kind of adorable).

Now, he didn't even mind others noticing the girl he was seeing, and the lack of protectiveness makes Kairi frown. Shiki was changing Sora for the worst, and she would only be doing him a favour by stopping it. To turn thoughts into action, Kairi briefly considers "accidentally" aiming her hose at all the boys ogling Shiki, but before she can, a familiar voice calls out to her.

"Hey, mind if I help out?"

Kairi turns around and surprisingly finds Tidus Clearwater with a squeegee in hand and an earnest look on his face.

"Tidus," she greets, her lips parted slightly in surprise. Some distance away, she can hear a series of excited honks at his very presence, undoubtedly attracting more attention.

"Um, sure," Kairi decides while handing him a bucket. Who was she to deny his help? "Thanks a lot, Tidus." And before he walks away, she adds one more thing. "And thank you for the Quickgram post. You really influenced a lot of people to help."

He smiles his signature charming smile, but this time, Kairi reciprocates it gratefully, the frost in her heart reserved just for him melting away.

"No problem." And with that, he gets straight to work.

Meanwhile with Axel, he finds it difficult to concentrate on cleaning when Larxene, scantily clothed and also surrounded by ogling teenage boys, is in his direct line of sight.

"You know," Roxas starts when he notices that his best friend has been languidly scrubbing the same side mirror for ten minutes, "instead of standing here all miserable, maybe you should do something about it?"

"She's made it clear that she just wants to go back to the way things were," Axel grumbles.

"But did you ever tell her how you felt about that?" Roxas asks. "Maybe she only said those words because she thought that it's what you would've wanted."

Axel stops scrubbing. He'd never thought about it that way before.

"Let's say I do tell her how I feel and she rejects me. What happens then?" the redhead asks. "That'll pretty much ruin our agreement and we'll never speak again."

"Well what would you rather do: confess and have it blow up in your face, or continue to have sex but with unrequited feelings that you're forced to keep to yourself? Not that I have any experience with unrequited intimacy, but it sounds like a pretty terrible way to live."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Axel agrees while nodding absentmindedly. He then pauses as something occurs to him. "Wait, you and Naminé had sex before?"

"Bye, Axel," Roxas says while walking away with a small grin, but the pyromaniac notes that while he may not have said yes, he didn't exactly say no, either.

The thought, however, is pushed to the back of his mind when one of the ogling boys starts hitting on Larxene. Axel downright growls as he squishes his sponge to a pulp.

Oh, screw it, he thinks. He'd always lived on the wild side. Why let fear or consequences stop him now?

"Hey buddy, you're gonna want to back off a bit," he says while forcefully butting in between the two to put some distance between them.

"Axel, what's your problem?" Larxene barks.

"Who the hell are you to tell me to back off?" the other teen challenges. "Last I checked, you weren't her boyfriend or anything."

Axel takes a step forward and boldly pokes the other guy in the chest. "No, but I'd like to be, so piss off before I make you."

It takes a while for the meaning of the words to sink in, but when they do, the other guy and his cronies do as they're told and leave. The stories on Teenage Wasteland may have been a series of lies, but the punches that Axel had thrown at Riku on a few occasions definitely weren't scripted. When only Larxene and Axel remain, the former's jaw is agape.

"I… I don't want to go back to the way things were before," Axel confesses. Larxene doesn't respond for quite some time, but when she does, Axel's face pales.

"You idiot," she growls with clenched fists. "It took you this long to tell me?"

Colour floods Axel's face in relief.

"So… you…" he starts, but she shuts him up with a kiss before he can finish and a chorus of wolf-whistles from nearby observers (Roxas included) follow suit.

Hayner Arundel posted on The Oathkeepers official page: (52 minutes ago)

What's up fellow gamers? CuTiePie and A Tasty Meatball are hosting a gaming livestream for the #fightgeostigma campaign tonight! You name it, and we'll play it in exchange for donations. Anything is fair game (anything except Dance Party, because screw that). Aspiring game developers are also encouraged to share projects that are still in development for exposure. Catch you all online!

Pence Montague, Olette Lovet, and 840 others reacted to this.

Kairi Hart (5 minutes ago): Sora Takeuchi and I are both in agreement that you shouldn't blacklist Dance Party. 120 likes.

Hayner Arundel (3 minutes ago): Stop before I unfriend you both.

For the next few days, the Oathkeepers keep the momentum going with nonstop efforts. Olette reigns victorious in a chess tournament, Hayner dominates the hack-a-thon, Naminé's artwork, as well as her craft fair, continue to take off, Sora takes first place in Guitar Saviour, Xion and Kairi work tirelessly to restock their merchandise and secure more venues for fundraising events, Riku and Axel surprisingly team up to take the crown in a beer pong competition, Roxas wins big on the What's That Tune gameshow, and Pence's coverage of all their efforts inspire everyone to keep supporting Xion's campaign.

The arrival of the following week brings about the start of the resort's renowned sports festival, where athletes of all fitness levels could compete in a number of activities that tested their physical prowess (much to Hayner's dismay, as his domain lay in e-sports). As plenty of the team's efforts would be required for a handful of the events, most of them spend their time beforehand working out in preparation for it.

On the first day of the festival, the gang gets right down to it. Axel wins the disc golf competition by a landslide, Riku ruthlessly obliterates every competitor that has the misfortune of facing his wrath in the Keyblade Arts tournament (Sora, Roxas, and Kairi inclusive), and Sora and Roxas both score top tier style points in the skateboarding contest. The following day, Roxas and Axel tackle male doubles in tennis and take second place (in the female division, Kairi and Olette secure third), Sora and Riku win first place in synchronized diving, and the Destiny Islands trio crushes the swimming relay.

Beachside activities were scheduled on the third day, and after taking second and third place in surfing that morning, Riku and Sora prep for volleyball. The bleachers surrounding a total of three courts are packed with teens for the males doubles division, most of which are SoRiku fangirls with signs that read "sun's out guns out", much to Riku's dismay and Sora's obvious entertainment.

The matches begin, and it doesn't take long for Sora and Riku to breeze through to the semi-finals. As Destiny Island locals, they'd grown up playing volleyball pretty much their entire lives. Both were members of the varsity team back home (with Riku winning MVP pretty much every year), and much like how they worked during the Underworld Tournament, the two boys move with high-powered efficiency, predicting and building off of one another's movements seamlessly.

What surprises Kairi, however, is how much Sora had improved over the last year. He had never been bad at the sport, but with his new (slightly more muscular) build, he was admittedly much more mesmerizing to watch. The way his biceps stretched for an overhand serve, the way his muscles tightened just before a spike...

"Enjoying the view?"

Beside Kairi, Olette wiggles her eyebrows suggestively, and the redhead only turns away with a shameful blush. Beside Olette, Xion giggles knowingly, for she'd be lying if she said that she wasn't watching her boyfriend in the same way.

The final match commences in the center court, but unfortunately Riku and Sora find themselves bested by two teens named Zack and Cloud, both of which had proven to be strong and worthy competitors. Riku and Sora come in second, but that doesn't stop them from having good sportsmanship and shaking hands with the first place winners.

As the courts are set up for the co-ed doubles division, Kairi grabs her duffle bag and makes her way down to the change rooms to get ready. Being captain of the girls' volleyball team at Radiant Garden Academy, it was only natural that she was chosen by her friends to compete. As Kairi changes, Riku, half-covered in both sweat and sand, approaches Hayner, Olette, and Xion who remain in the bleachers with a towel.

"Did you do the thing?" he asks, his strange question directed towards Olette in particular.

The brunette nods, and Riku rubs his hands together mischievously.

"Excellent," he says before bounding down the steps again.

"Wait, what's going on?" Xion asks.

"I gave Sora's jersey to Shiki. When Kairi sees it, she'll go ballistic," Olette answers. While Xion ohhh's at the devious plan, Hayner shakes his head in disbelief.

"What?" he fumes. "You guys gave Axel and I crap for meddling with Roxas and Naminé, but when you meddle with Sora and Kairi, it's totally okay?"

"This is different, honey," Olette insists.

"Your plan also kind of sucked," Xion adds cheekily. With a childish huff, Hayner crosses his arms around his slushie at both responses.

"Whatever," he grumbles.

When Kairi emerges from the change room, she's just about to throw on her own volleyball jersey over her swimsuit, but Riku stops her just in time.

"Wait, you're not actually thinking of wearing that, are you?" he asks.

Kairi looks at him questioningly. "Wearing my volleyball jersey to a volleyball game? Seems like a pretty natural thing to think."

"It's beach volleyball, Kairi," Riku says. "Show some skin, why don't you?"

When Kairi's face turns the same shade as her hair, Riku suddenly realizes how awkward she must've felt given his previous crush on her.

"Kairi, I'm happily taken and over it," he reminds, much to her relief. "Right now, I'm just trying to help you get Sora's attention."

"And you think this is the way to do it?" she asks while holding up her jersey in disbelief. This hardly seemed like the way to go about it, but then again, Riku was a teenage boy, so he'd naturally have more insight on the male mind than she did...

"Yes, I do," Riku affirms while outstretching his hand. "Now hand it over."

"What? No way!" Kairi cries while holding onto the article of clothing protectively.

Riku rolls his eyes. Kairi never had a problem prancing around a beach in her swimsuit before, but he was well aware of her self-consciousness towards playing volleyball in one. Due to the amount of physical movement required, she preferred a bit more coverage, but if she wanted to capture Sora's eye, then the modesty had to go.

A spark that looks an awful lot like trouble flashes through Riku's eyes. If he wanted her to play dirty, then he would have to.

"Whoa, is that Master Aqua?" he suddenly asks while pointing behind her.

"What?" Kairi asks, excitedly turning around in search for her master and role model. What would she be doing he—

And then all too late, Kairi notices that her volleyball jersey has been snatched from her hands.

"Riku!" she screeches as he runs away with her jersey in hand. With an angered huff, Kairi crosses her arms over her chest in defeat. She had no choice but to walk out onto the court dressed only in her high-waisted sports bikini, so with nervous strides, she makes her way over to her teammate. She peers around uneasily and eventually reaches him at the second court where he's in the middle of downing a water bottle. She sets her bag down on the sand and, after sensing someone behind him, Sora turns to face her.

In the universe where all was right with the world, Sora would probably do a spit take at the sight of her, clear his throat to play it off, then tell her that she looked nice with adorably tinted cheeks. But this was reality, and in this universe, Sora smiles at her with no dramatic spit take or pink tint to his cheeks.

"You ready to kick some butt?" he asks casually.

"Um, yeah," Kairi says meekly.

Sora then picks up a volleyball and hands it to her. "Shall we?"

Kairi places both hands on the ball and gazes into Sora's comforting eyes. They were downright infectious, those ocean orbs of his, and Kairi can't help but feel her lips turn upward as her disappointment and self-consciousness melt away. With both their hands on the ball, she suddenly feels content.

It felt just like old times: her and Sora on a sandy court with a white hot sun beating down on them, balanced with the sea-scented breeze tickling their skin. Being in the same year in school meant that they'd often practiced together more, so she'd admittedly felt a bit odd practicing with strangers at Radiant Garden Academy at first, but the familiarity of being Sora's teammate again brings about a wave of relief that washes over her refreshingly. Much like their friendship, she knew he'd have her back, and she'd have his.

The whistle blows, and although Sora and Kairi are off to a rusty start, they quickly regain their mojo after a few rounds of back and forth, and with every victory, they gain more confidence as a team. Their forms are near flawless, their faults minimum, and their accuracy is outstanding. It isn't long before the two are playfully dancing on the court and high-fiving energetically, just as they used to do back home.

Just before the start of their semi-final match against Noctis and Lunafreya, however, things take a turn; and just in time, because their upcoming matches would be their toughest yet. As Riku gives the two of them some intel on their opponents, Shiki walks through the entrance and rushes towards Sora to wish him good luck while the rest of The Noize takes their seats. Kairi tries not to pay too much attention to her, but when she sees the name Takeuchi sewn across her back on an all too familiar light blue jersey, she's forced to do a double take.

"Do you like it?" Shiki asks while playfully twirling and posing for Sora in his volleyball jersey—the same jersey Kairi herself had the privilege of wearing on a few chilly summer nights back home. What in the name of Moogle was she doing wearing it?

"Looks great on you," Sora compliments with a look of pleasant surprise.

Looks great on you? Kairi mimics in her mind. Not to be boastful, but here she was, practically half-naked in what she considered to be one of her more flattering swimsuits, and Sora chose to be transfixed by the girl wearing his t-shirt?

The day is beautiful with barely a cloud in the sky, but beside Riku, he can practically hear the storm of anger and confusion brewing inside of his redheaded best friend.

"Now Kairi," Riku starts in a calming tone. "I know you must have a strong urge to cut a bitch, but I personally think you should channel those strong emotions into your playing. Besides, this is a prime opportunity for you to show Sora that you two make the better team."

And just when he thinks he's lost her, she manages to regain control and hold herself back.

"You're right," Kairi growls, her voice like thunder.

"Show him why you should be the one wearing that jersey," Riku continues, egging her on while massaging her shoulders. "Playtime is over. Modest Kairi has got to go; instead, you need to channel Bad Bitch Kairi. Can you do that?"

Kairi nods determinedly.

You know, it's actually more attractive if you try, Sora had told her when she had pretended to be rusty at tennis for Tidus' attention towards the beginning of the summer.

Well then, she thinks while cracking her knuckles. If Sora found it more attractive when she tried, then she'd try as she'd never tried before.

The semi-final match commences, and when the opportunity presents itself, Kairi doesn't hesitate to spike the ball as hard as she can to the back of the opposing court.

"Whoa," Sora breathes, impressed by the strength behind her attack. "Where did that come from?"

"Just really want to win," Kairi answers sweetly. When she feels Shiki's eyes on them, she makes a show of flipping her hair in a flirty manner, but if the other redhead is intimidated, she doesn't show it.

The two quickly advance to the finals, but before Shiki can even get close enough to Sora again, Kairi butts in with a bottle of sunscreen and innocently asks for Sora's help in applying it onto her back. From the bleachers, their friends, particularly Riku, laugh and wipe tears from their eyes at Kairi's power play.

Riku asked for Bad Bitch Kairi, and she did not disappoint. Jealousy may have brought out the worst in his best friends, but it sure did provide the best entertainment.

For their final match against Snow and Serah, Kairi doesn't hold back on her ferocity. At some point she manages to spike the ball at Snow's head, and the boy looks near concussed; in fact, Sora is almost certain that if he were to stab the guy with his keyblade, he probably wouldn't notice.

When they're one point away from victory, Serah volleys the ball to the center of their side, almost as if she were asking them for an epic finale. Sora briefly winks at his teammate before weaving his hands together in front of him, and Kairi, being his best friend and teammate for many years, knew precisely what this meant. She runs towards him just as she did on the night they'd escaped the Clearwater estate, and after placing a foot on his hands, he launches her upward, granting her enough air time for a graceful tumble and a powerful spike to the back corner of the opposite court. It was needless to say that Serah and Snow couldn't even save the ball, for it looked like a streak of fire had been trailing behind it.

Kairi sticks her landing, and the audience cheers as Sora and Kairi are crowned the first place winners of the co-ed doubles tournament.

"That was incredible! You were amazing, Kairi!" Sora cheers.

"Oh, that was nothing," Kairi insists while waving her hand. He then outstretches his arms for a celebratory hug and walks towards her. "Ew, no! You're all sweaty!" Kairi squeals, but she laughs while pushing him away.

"Sweaty with victory! Share it with me!" he yells dramatically.

But before she can take him up on the offer, Shiki happily bounds down the steps and launches herself at Sora instead. Kairi awkwardly gives them their space by turning away and picking the volleyball up off the ground, but by the time she stands back up straight, she feels her entire body seize in shock.

Sora and Shiki are kissing.

And it isn't the cute kind, either, but the full kind: full, wet, and absolutely disgusting.

An ember of rage ignites inside Kairi's chest, and in the bleachers, Neku Sakuraba practically combusts on the spot. While Shiki's eyes are closed, Sora's are wide open in surprise, but their moment is short-lived.

The two suddenly pull away, startled by a noise, and turn to see Kairi with her teeth bared and a deflated volleyball in her hands.

"Play it again, play it again."

With a giggle, Xion complies with her boyfriend's request and restarts the video on her phone. The two watch as a livid Kairi grips the volleyball in her hand so hard that it pops, causing Sora and Shiki to break apart from their liplock. As they did about five times before, Xion and Riku burst into a fit of laughter at the video clip that was spreading like wildfire all over the island and shamelessly play it again.

Beside the couple, Kairi sits on her own adirondack chair at the fire pit with her arms crossed.

"I'm glad you guys find my misery entertaining," she grumbles.

"Sorry," Riku apologizes, but the half-chuckle makes it sound less sincere. "Your reaction was just so priceless."

"The sudden PDA just caught me off guard, okay?" Kairi reasons. She then rests her elbows on her knee caps and leans her chin against her hands. The fire reflecting in her irises is no longer burning, but reduced to nothing more than dying embers. The memory of Sora's lips, which had only ever touched hers, on someone else's, is enough to send another fresh wave of anguish upon her.

"I've tried getting Sora's attention multiple ways, but nothing's working," she groans. "What am I doing wrong, guys?"

"Maybe it's the tactic," Xion suggests. "If I'm not mistaken, all your attempts have relied on physical charms, right?" When Kairi nods, Xion continues. "Well, that would be effective for someone who's only into looks, but Sora doesn't strike me as that kind of guy."

"Trust me, the guy notices looks," Riku insists.

"Perhaps," Xion says, throwing him a bone, "but clearly they aren't the most important thing to him. If physical charms aren't working, then maybe Kairi needs to try a different approach."

Kairi reflects on Xion's words as she makes her way back up to her room. In the shower, she lets her thoughts flow like the water hitting her body and comes to a sudden realization. When Sora resorted to desperate measures to prevent her from going on a date with Tidus, he'd violated nearly every rule in their bumfuzzle agreement. Naturally, they'd gotten into an argument because of it, and the words she'd told him come rushing back to her like the steady stream of water pouring out of the showerhead.

"Don't you see, Sora?" she'd asked, her eyes half-lidded with tears. "I don't find you attractive solely because of those little things mentioned in our agreement. You're most attractive when you're yourself."

Kairi's heart tightens in her chest. How could she have forgotten about that? She'd gotten so caught up in trying to get his attention the wrong way this entire time. It wasn't just the physical things that attracted them to one another. Just as she preferred Sora as himself, he preferred her as herself. He didn't like her solely based on looks, and clearly she couldn't beat Shiki at that game even if she tried. She could, however, beat her effortlessly from an emotional standpoint. Nothing, and Kairi repeats nothing, could compete with the bond that she and Sora had built over the years.

Kairi leaves the shower feeling refreshed in more ways than one, and after wrapping a towel around herself, she walks over to her closet to get dressed for bed. She absentmindedly rummages through her clothes as she thinks of a new approach to win Sora back. To get him to look at her as girlfriend material again, she'd have to use an emotional tactic, one that would hit him right in the feels. But what could do it?

In the midst of looking for a shirt, Kairi's hand grazes over a familiar pink sundress, and her thoughts immediately drift onto the first time she'd worn it.

Destiny Islands, one year ago, 7:00PM

At the mayor's mansion, sixteen-year-old Sora rings the doorbell and rocks back and forth on his heels as he waits for someone to answer the door. It had been three days since he'd passed the mayor's test and officially received permission to date his daughter, and although he and Kairi had celebrated that same evening, Sora had yet to take her on their first official date.

He stops his nervous rocking and rigidly stands up straight when he hears someone approaching, but much to his pleasant surprise, his girlfriend is the one who answers the door. His eyes soften as he drinks in her demurely flirtatious pink sundress and the excited twinkle in her indigo eyes.

"Kairi, you look amazing," he breathes.

"You don't look so bad yourself," she compliments, taking in his navy blue golf shirt and beige chinos.

He leans in to kiss her, his desire palpable, but thinks better of it when the door swings open even further to reveal Kairi's parents standing right behind her.

"Good evening, Sora," her mother greets with a knowing grin on her face.

"Evening, Mrs. Hart," he answers. Before his nervousness can take over, he offers her the bouquet of flowers that he has in his hands. "These are for you. As a thank you for letting me take your daughter out on her first date."

While Kairi's eyes soften at the thoughtful gesture, her mother lights up as she accepts the gift. "That's very sweet of you, Sora, thank you!"

"I want her back home by 10 p.m. and not a minute later," Kairi's father says when the two teens lace hands.

Sora nods firmly. "You got it, Mr. Hart."

"Have fun!" Kairi's mother calls out when they're halfway down the steps.

"But not too much fun," Kairi's father adds while playfully doing an "I'm watching you" gesture towards Sora in particular. Sora only laughs nervously as the door shuts behind them. When they're at the bottom of the steps and certain that the mayor and his wife are out of sight, Kairi squeaks when Sora suddenly lifts her up by the waist and shushes her laughter with a sweet straight-out-of-a-fairytale-book kiss. She sighs dreamily into his lips and barely feels her feet hit the ground when he gently sets her back down.

"So where are we going?" she asks, her arms still around his neck.

"Right here," Sora answers, much to Kairi's surprise and confusion.

"Here?" she repeats with raised eyebrows.

"What, not your ideal spot for romance?" Sora teases.

"On the lawn of my house where my parents can constantly loom over us? No, not really."

"Well then perhaps you should read that note over there for your first clue," Sora suggests while glancing ever so slightly at a hydrangea bush nearby.

Curious, Kairi lets go of her boyfriend and walks over to the bush next to them. Atop one of the hydrangeas, she finds a folded note. She takes it in her hands, opens it, and immediately recognizes Sora's writing on the inside.

Right at this spot is where we first met.
We were both four, and it was during sunset.
By the new girl, I found myself completely perplexed.
Now can you tell me where we ran into each other next?

Kairi's heart swells as she recalls the hazy memory. It had been twelve years since her parents had adopted her, and Sora's mom, who was (and still is) good friends with Kairi's mom, was dropping something off. Curious, four-year-old Kairi had gone to the door to see who was there and found a brown-haired woman speaking to her mother. Behind the lady on the other side of the door, a little boy that looked around her age with unruly brown spikes peered at her from behind his own mom, and the two had been introduced for the first time.

Sixteen-year-old Kairi turns to sixteen-year-old Sora with fondness in her eyes.

"Sora, what is this?" she asks while holding up the note.

"Isn't it obvious?" he answers. "We, or rather, you, are going on a scavenger hunt."

When Sora hands her a helmet, Kairi's eyes light up with excitement. They both board his scooter, and after revving the engine, Sora turns to his girlfriend with a testing look.

"So, where to next?"

Kairi taps her chin, feigning thought. "Well, judging by your note, I'd say our elementary school."

"Correct," Sora says, rewarding her with a quick peck before pulling out of the driveway.

Back in the present, seventeen-year-old Kairi tenderly runs a hand through the dress. That night, Sora had taken her on a thoughtfully crafted tour of their relationship around Destiny Islands, which blissfully ended with dinner by the boardwalk where they'd officially become boyfriend and girlfriend.

Not many were fortunate enough to say that they had a perfect, unforgettable first date, but she did, and now that she thought about it, that night, too, deserved an encore.

The following day at the Struggle tournament, Roxas and Hayner happily accept their winnings amidst the cheering crowd. Roxas, who had taken the first-place trophy, had the greatest pleasure of whacking the crap out of Seifer with a bat after what he did to Xion and Riku at the Kingdom Karts track. The bully had been on house arrest since, and on his first day out, Roxas managed to bruise him all over and knock him off the stage. With immense satisfaction, he watches as a groaning Seifer is hauled off by the medical team and shares a well-earned high five with Hayner.

When the crowd disperses and Roxas gathers all his things, ready to leave and prepare for the Oathkeepers' performance that night, he is approached by none other than Yuna Riel.

"Y-Yuna," he stammers, startled by the sight of the international popstar. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"We never got a chance to speak after Battle of the Bands," she answers.

"Oh," Roxas says, the very mention of the competition reopening the wound that had been healing.

"For what it's worth, I still stand by what I think," Yuna says when she notices his discomfort. "You are very talented, Roxas Akiyama."

"Thank you, Yuna," Roxas says graciously. "That means a lot."

An awkward silence falls over the two musicians, but Yuna breaks it with a shocking offer.

"The Oathkeepers are ending their tour at the Pier tomorrow, aren't they?" she asks.

"Yes," Roxas answers, surprised that she still kept track of them. "Thank you for advertising the campaign on your Quickgram account, by the way. It really helped spread the word."

"That was nothing," Yuna insists. "If you're up for it, I have an idea that could help the cause a bit more."

"That's very generous of you," Roxas comments. "What did you have in mind?"

Roxas Akiyama posted on The Oathkeepers official page: (28 minutes ago)

#ICYMI, the Oathkeepers are ending their tour at The Pier tomorrow, but we have a little surprise for you: Yuna Riel and The Noize will be joining us for a benefit concert! Hope to see you all there to #fightgeostigma!

Yuna Riel, Tidus Clearwater, Neku Sakuraba and 25,956 others reacted to this.

"Good evening Kingdom Hearts Island Resort, and welcome to the livestream of the #fightgeostigma benefit concert! I'm your event host, Penelo, joined by—"

"—Vaan. I don't know about you, Pen, but I've never seen The Pier so packed this summer! It's well beyond its capacity limits, that's for sure."

"Well what did you expect? This is the hottest music event of the summer! Teens from all over the resort have gathered to watch their favourite artists perform on the same stage, but more importantly, to support a good cause."

"To all our viewers watching online, if you'd like to support Xion Shidehara's campaign, you can contribute through the Oathkeepers' website! All donations are welcome and appreciated. Let's all team up to #fightgeostigma!"

Backstage, Roxas sneaks a peek at the massive crowd through the curtains and nearly loses his breath. Easily, the crowd before him would be the biggest he ever performed in front of; even bigger than the outdoor amphitheatre that hosted Battle of the Bands, for there was even an audience by the beach watching a broadcast of the concert from afar, and that didn't even take online viewers into account.

"You ready?"

Roxas turns around to find Neku Sakuraba standing before him with his signature headphones around his neck. The Oathkeepers may have lost to The Noize, but the tension between the two leaders dissolves in the face of a much more important cause. Now, for the first time ever, they would be sharing a stage and actually performing with Yuna Riel in front of the largest crowd they had ever attracted.

"Yeah," Roxas answers with confidence. "And thank you for helping. Not just for tonight, but for helping with Xion's campaign in general. It really means a lot."

"Of course," is all Neku says.

Roxas grins and joins the Oathkeepers as they're called onstage for the opening act.

The concert is a high-energy success: a perfect mix showcasing the musical stylings of all three performers, and for the grand finale, all share the stage for a moving performance. Yuna Riel and Roxas Akiyama's voices build off of one another's effortlessly, and together, they have the entire resort on their feet with their hands up.

Backstage, Naminé also finds herself moved, but not just by the music. Much like the performers, the seemingly never ending sea of teens are dressed in #fightgeostigma merchandise, all of which feature the logo she had designed. She had never seen her art on so many people before, or on so many products, and feels proud to have contributed her talents to such a successful campaign.

Roxas may have influenced people with his voice, but she, too, influenced others with her passion. Her voice may not have been vocal like his, but her art spoke volumes in itself. Her stylus pen was her voice.

The Oathkeepers, The Noize, and Yuna Riel bow to tumultuous applause, but just when the crowd thinks that the concert is over, Xion approaches the microphone with a speech about the campaign and another surprise up her sleeve.

"Good evening everyone, and thank you so much for coming out tonight to support a very important cause," she starts. "As someone diagnosed with geostigma, believe me when I say that each and every one of your contributions are greatly appreciated. With your help, we've raised enough munny to make a significant difference in the lives of many people. Our original goal was to raise one-hundred thousand munny, but through your generosity and the kindness of many helping hands, we've managed to not double, but triple our goal, which is more than I ever dreamed of."

The audience roars with approval, and those backstage share hugs and high-fives at their shared success.

"But before we wrap up the campaign, I'd like to—"

Xion's speech is suddenly cut off by a sound that sounds an awful lot like a siren, alarming everyone in the crowd. Xion herself seizes in shock when a police officer emerges from the curtains backstage.

"C-can I help you, officer?" Xion stammers.

The officer tips his hat in response. "Sorry ma'am, but we're going to have to shut this concert down."

Shouts of protest sound from the crowd, but Xion stands her ground.

"Why? Have we broken any laws?" she asks with a hand on her hip.

The officer nods. "Yes, actually. You see, according to resort by-law number eighty-four, it's illegal to throw a concert that's… too sexy."

The officer suddenly removes their hat to reveal none other than Roxas Akiyama, and the crowd (predominantly the girls) shrieks when the curtains raise to reveal the Oathkeepers, all dressed (or rather, semi-dressed) in similar police officer attire, for a suggestive surprise performance. The lead singer of the Oathkeepers throws his hat into the crowd, and whoever has the pleasure of catching it nearly faints. The crowd swoons as Roxas Akiyama seduces them with his velvet smooth voice and slightly risqué moves, but the way Sora and Riku strut across the stage with their instruments and interact with the crowd can't be ignored, either.

By the end of what was truly the final act of the evening, the Oathkeepers receive their loudest applause yet (something their crazed fangirls may have contributed to with their deafening screeches), and Xion makes her way back to the center of the stage to explain the final event of her campaign.

"To end the campaign with a bang," she starts, "I'm excited to announce that the lovely gentlemen of the Oathkeepers have agreed to participate in a service auction!"

Applause and excited whispers fill the crowd.

"Each and every member of the Oathkeepers has a specialty," Xion continues, "and in exchange for donations, they'll dedicate their time to one training session with the highest bidder; however, I would like to point out that they will not be doing package deals, which means that bidders can only win the services of one Oathkeeper. You cannot, and I repeat cannot, have two."

Groans sound from the audience—likely SoRiku and AkuRoku fangirls whining at having their wildest fantasies crushed.

"Told you she'd need to add that caveat," Roxas mutters to the band onstage.

"That is so messed up," Riku comments. Beside him, Sora chuckles in agreement.

"That being said, let's get this auction started!" Xion exclaims. "Our first Oathkeeper up for grabs is... Axel Kiryu!"

The redhead saunters over to the center of the stage, waves at the cheering crowd and, as a newly taken man, holds back his flirty and playful salutes.

"Axel Kiryu, drummer of the Oathkeepers, is known for his fiery red hair and matching personality. To the highest bidder, he will be providing…" Xion pauses and squints at her cue cards. She moves the mic away from her lips and turns to her older brother figure with confusion. "Ax, you didn't fill out what you'd be teaching."

He leans down to whisper something into her ear and Xion immediately hits him with the mic. "What? I cannot say that!"

"But I consider it a specialty!" the redhead argues.

Xion shakes her head in disbelief before raising the mic to her lips again. "Okay, to the highest bidder, Axel Kiryu will be providing flirting lessons. How does that sound?" Beside her, Axel nods as if saying good enough. "Okay, shall we start the bid at fifty munny? Do I hear fifty munny?"

"Fifty munny!" a teen from the crowd calls out while raising their phone with the flashlight on.

"We have fifty! Do I hear seventy-five?" Xion asks in classic auctioneer fashion, moving things along.

For the remainder of the auction, the bids run smoothly. Riku is auctioned off for keyblade training, Hayner for pro-gaming tips, and as expected, Roxas receives the highest bid yet for singing and guitar lessons.

"And last but definitely not least, we have lead guitarist Sora Takeuchi!" Xion announces. Sora walks up to stand beside her and flashes the crowd his signature grin, oozing charm. "To the highest bidder, Sora will be providing baking lessons, because let's be real, those goodies from his bake sale were out of this world, right?"

The audience applauds in agreement.

"Shall we start the bid at fifty munny?" Xion asks.

"Fifty munny!" a familiar female voice calls out. As expected, it's Shiki Misaki.

"Seventy munny!"

"A hundred munny!"

"One hundred and fifty munny!" come the swift bids.

"Two-hundred munny!" Shiki exclaims.

"Two-hundred fifty munny!"

"Two-hundred and seventy-five!" come more responses.

"Three-hundred munny!" Shiki offers, and silence follows.

"We have three-hundred munny!" Xion announces. "Do we hear three-hundred and twenty-five?"

Crickets.

"Going once…" Xion starts dramatically. "Going twice…"

"Five-hundred munny!"

Heads turn alongside gasps and whispers, all trying to find the source of the voice. The owner was undoubtedly female, but it couldn't be Shiki Misaki. She looked just as shocked as they did. Sora himself squints against the spotlights to get a better look, but he doesn't need to see to know. He could recognize that voice anywhere, but it couldn't be…

A few more seconds pass in silence, but just when Sora starts to think that he could be wrong, the crowd parts to reveal Kairi Hart in a familiar pink sundress with her phone raised in the air.

tbc

Chapter inspirations: There's plenty here, so get ready! The Oathkeeper's mini-tour setlist is as follows: Fresh by Artist vs Poet, I Like It Like That by Hot Chelle Rae, Kiss You by One Direction, Any Kind of Guy by Big Time Rush, Don't Stop (Acoustic Version) by 5SOS (A Sora and Roxas duet of this would be so cute), Jumpstart by These Kings Wear Crowns, Shades On by The Vamps, Sucker by the Jonas Brothers, Youngblood by 5S0S, Windows Down by Big Time Rush, and Beside You by Marianas Trench (seems like a touching finale to an otherwise high-powered concert).

The song that inspired Kairi's quest to win Sora back was Want U Back by Cher Lloyd, the song DJ Demyx was playing at the car wash was Satisfied (feat. MAX) by Galantis, boyfriend by Ariana Grande (feat. the Social House) inspired Axel's confession to Larxene, and I imagined Let's Go (feat. Icona Pop) by Tiësto playing throughout the sports festival. For the benefit concert, the song Yuna/the Oathkeepers/The Noize performed was Heroes (we could be) by Alesso and Tove Lo, and the song the Oathkeepers performed during their "striptease" performance was Naked by Jonas Blue and MAX.

A/N: Confession: The SoKai first date was a last minute addition, as were the social media posts from the rest of the Oathkeepers. I spent a lot of time rethinking this chapter, and both were never included in my outline, but honestly they're actually my favourite parts now. It was fun making them bicker online, and SoKai's first date will play a huge part in the next chapter to come—which, if I'm not mistaken, is the one people have been eagerly waiting for! I hope I can live up to the fluff that's expected.

Also, did you notice that Bad Bitch Kairi is basically Kairi's version of Fuck Shit Up Sora? Oh, how I love making these two lose themselves to jealousy.

In the original Teenage Wasteland, the team's efforts were split across two chapters, but I figured one would suffice this time round as they'd raised funds together previously for Xion's procedure. Still, do you think it went too fast, or was it just right? I also feel like it was a lot more playful than other chapters, but hopefully not in a bad way? Real talk: I nearly had the Oathkeepers do a full on dancing strip tease at the end, but I just really couldn't see Hayner doing it lol.

Special thanks to Anon, Tyjet Ansatsu, Aundielen, and Mr. Spinner for reviewing the last chapter! I apologize if I missed/misspelled any pen names.

I hope you all enjoyed the twenty-ninth installment 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 have missed, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!

xoKyorii