Here's Chapter 9, everyone!
Oh, and I decided to expand my use to music beyond the Kingdom Hearts and Avatar franchise, just for some variety.
Riku stood out in the middle of a dirt clearing in the back of the tea shop. Toph told him to wait out there while they prepared his next test.
I'm only playing along with this because she might be able to help me find the Avatar…
Riku crossed his arms in frustration.
They could've given me something to look at.
Eventually, Lea walked out of the tea shop behind him, walking around Riku.
"The last preparations are done. Just go along with it and it'll be nice and painless," Axel smirked, "gain their trust, then get what you need, right?"
Riku looked at him suspiciously.
"…Oh! No, no no. I didn't mean that about us. You, me, and Rox…I mean Sora have a history and everything. No need to point fingers," Lea waved his hands, "I want to help Roxas as much as you want to help Sora, you know?"
"Yeah…" Riku looked at him frankly.
"STAY STILL!" A voice rang out from behind him and Riku froze. A large, open, metal box descended down upon him from above, trapping Riku before he realized what had occurred. The bottom of the metal box closed rapidly, sealing him in. Only a small window with bars allowed him to see out of it.
"Wh-what the hell?" Riku summoned his keyblade, but realized he had too little room to use it effectively. He quickly dismissed it.
"This is your test," Toph's voice rang out, "if you want to be a metalbender, you need to get out of the box. No help, no cheating, and you only have one day to do it. I better see that box peeled like an orange, runt!"
"Hey! I didn't agree to this! Let me out!"
"I'm not preventing you from getting out of the box, am I?" Toph countered, "If you want out so badly, just metalbend yourself out. I'll let you out in 24 hours if you fail." Toph yawned and left.
"Dammit…" Riku leaned back, and then hit the metal wall.
"DAMMIT!" Riku yelled.
"Just indulge her a little bit, alright? It'll pay off in time."
"I don't have the time!" Riku yelled harshly, but then lowered his voice, "I need to find the Avatar…and Kairi."
"Kairi?" Lea asked. Riku's face grew dark.
"I brought her with me, but we got separated when I landed. I looked everywhere for her the first few days I made it here, but…" Riku sighed, "I was thinking that if I found the Avatar, I'd eventually find her."
"Besides, I didn't want to tell anyone that I lost her again…"
"Hmm…" Axel shrugged, "it can't be helped, I guess. I'll try finding her while you're stuck in here."
Riku shook his head, "No, Lea. This is my responsibility. I lost her again. I'm the one who needs to find her again. I don't want anyone else breaking their backs for me."
"Meh, I hate when people get all selfish," Lea crossed his arms. Riku's eyes widened.
"What did you say?" Riku glared.
"Look, I owe her too, you know. After everything I did to her a year ago, I'm sure she still hates me for it. I acted selfishly back then too, all for Roxas. I have just as much reason to find her as you do." Axel looked down, reflecting, before meeting Riku's gaze.
"Whether we find her or the Avatar first, we're sure to find her, but don't get cocky and think you can do this on your own. Got that?"
"…Thanks," Riku smiled.
"I'll gather as much information as I can. I can't break you out without any doors or keyholes on this thing and I can't exactly explain this to Toph, so you're just going to have to try your luck," Axel moved away from the box, mumbling audibly, "Besides, she'd have my hide if I broke her stuff."
"What?"
"Nothing…"
Lea waved jokingly, leaving Riku trapped in the box.
Many hours later…
[Pokémon Diamond and Pearl: Snowpoint City Daytime Theme]
Riku's eye had been trained on a bird sitting on a small, barren tree at the other side of the courtyard. He was done pounding on the box and his keyblade was useless in such close quarters, so he decided to just observe. The sky grew cloudy overtime as the sun began to set, the wind frigid and relentless. Riku noticed several flocks of birds flying south overhead…well, at least as much Riku can see overhead…and several smokestacks from the inner city releasing crisp, warm smoke into the winter sky. Riku knew it was likely going to snow soon and realized he was still wearing a short-sleeved shirt.
"Hey, Toph! At least give me a jacket, huh," Riku yelled.
"If you want to be warm, then get out of the box. Deal with it otherwise."
He thought about creating a dark portal, but without the Organization coat to protect him, it would damage his body and he couldn't afford to injure or weaken himself right now. He really had no choice but to try and metalbend…but he didn't even know how to earthbend. Perhaps Toph left him a hint of some kind, something he didn't consider until now…
The snow gently fell from the sky as Riku contemplated his escape, the first flake landing with a gust of wind on his nose. The bird looked up at the sky, but remained on the branch as if facing the snow with Riku. He smiled sentimentally.
"I guess this is my first snowfall, huh?" Riku sighed. Riku's been to worlds where snow existed, true, but he realized that this was the first world where he's seen it fall.
"It's as if each flake is merely frozen light falling down from Kingdom Hearts," Riku smiled, "soft, delicate, yet reassuring. I'll have to bring Sora here sometime."
Riku had to remind himself, though, that even the prettiest of snowflakes still had the potential to kill him. Just look at Kairi! Riku laughed darkly at that sentiment.
"I should try once more to get outta here," Riku breathed in and closed his eyes.
Maybe, rather than thinking about metalbending, I should think about the metalbender…what do I know about Toph?
Hmm…
An idea fluttered into his brain as fast as the next snowflake landed on his eyelid.
"Hey Toph! Can you get me a blindfold?" Riku yelled.
Toph smiled, ripping off a piece of fabric from her tunic. She threw it into the cage.
"About time you asked, 'Flakes," Toph said, walking away. Instead of returning to the tea shop, however, she earthbended a seat and watched.
"The hell does 'Flakes mean?" Riku tied the cloth around his eyes.
"I give all my students nicknames," Toph smirked.
Riku breathed in, remembering, with little fondness, of the year he spent blindfolded. Fooling Ansem, or really his heart, wasn't his proudest of achievements, but the training gave Riku heightened senses when he stopped relying on vision. He figured that if Toph was blind and could metalbend, perhaps that's just what he'd need to get out of this box.
Recalling his martial arts training as a kid, he struck the metal with his hand, feeling the presence of his cage though touch. He didn't quite get what 'bending' was, except in the most literal sense of the word, so he attempted to get a feel for the box, for the metal. Almost as if he was peering into a microscopic world through touch, Riku began sensing slight differences in the metal. The metal, in reality, was no different from the snow; each part of it was unique the more you observed it. The only real difference between the two was that the metal was separate, yet connected though many bonds. To redirect the energy Riku placed in each of his movements in order to target these fragile bonds rather than the metal itself…perhaps this is what Riku was missing.
Always find the path of least resistance and accept what you cannot change… Riku remembered his old martial arts master telling him. Rather than challenging an opponent you cannot defeat, challenge their weaknesses and make them your advantage.
Riku breathed in once more and jabbed his hand into the box, severing the bonds of the metal with precision. The metal yielded to his hand, denting as Riku breathed in once more to expand the severed bond with his other hand. Slowly, but surely, he felt the harsh winter wind on his chest. Riku, with a peaceful smile on his face, stepped out of the box and into the snow.
"Congratulations, 'Flakes. You're a metalbender." Toph patted him on the back, nearly making him fall over.
"Now let's get inside. My feet are freezing."
This was a relaxing chapter for me to write on a Saturday afternoon. A chapter for some reflection, and some metalbending, was fun to write.