Amidst Twilight Town's constant state of dusk, the hourly ringing of the Station Tower bells dictated the time of day for its residents. The seventh hour chimes alerted Roxas and Naminé of how late it had become—as well as startling them, since they were sitting so close to the bells—and it was time for them to meet back up with Riku and Xion.
Hand in hand with Naminé, Roxas sent Xion a text message with his other hand as they walked out of the station, but by the time they hit the intersection, she still hadn't responded.
"Huh, Xion usually answers right away. I wonder what's keeping her?" he wondered aloud.
Naminé wasn't all that concerned about finding their friends; she was far too busy absorbing the colorful sights and sounds of the busy street. Most of her time in Twilight Town had been spent cooped up in the dusty, abandoned mansion, and it was almost surreal to finally see the bustling streets for herself. Having Roxas at her side made the experience even more special.
Suddenly, Roxas slapped his forehead in realization. "Duh! Of course!" he exclaimed, then lead Naminé in the direction of the Sandlot, "Come on, I know where they are."
Efforted grunts echoed down the corridor, and Roxas immediately recognized Xion's voice among them. As expected, they emerged from the short tunnel to see a large square platform set up in the middle of the lot, with the distinct Struggle logo plastered along each of the sides. Atop the platform were Xion and Riku, currently engaged in a heated bout. Armed with Struggle bats, both were wearing the trademark vests and headgear meant for holding onto colorful orbs—the objects of the game itself.
"Every week, they set up the Struggle court so people can practice in between tournaments," Roxas explained as he watched their friends fiercely compete, muttering, "But this sure doesn't look like practice…"
Finally paying attention to the game underway, Naminé immediately understood what Roxas meant. Riku and Xion were going at each other with such speed and force that the clashing of the relatively soft toy weapons created thunderous booms. The other competitors watched in awe from the sidelines and bleachers. An electronic clock near the referee booth indicated that there were only thirty seconds left to the round.
Riku was coming back from a one-to-two deficit against Xion in a best of five. Though his new Keyblade was much larger and heftier than his last, the Struggle bat reminded Riku of his original weapon, Soul Eater, and he wielded it with the same style and skill. On the other hand, Xion was much more experienced with Struggle, and knew more techniques that were specific to the game. She also had the advantage of being a smaller target, and her superior agility allowed her to collect orbs more easily. Other than that, they both agreed to not use their light or dark powers, so the match was strictly a contest of physical prowess.
Having taken the previous round, Riku was confident that he held the lead in the current one, and Xion's aggressive playstyle had him convinced. The raven-haired blur swooped at him from multiple directions in quick succession, and Riku was getting frustrated with constantly swatting her away. A spinning counterattack finally managed to parry the assault, sending Xion recoiling backwards, and knocking a few orbs loose from her vest. Riku tried to take advantage of the opening, but Xion was able to react in time, dodge rolling out of the way of his dashing thrust, picking up even more orbs than she dropped in the process.
Not pleased with the setback, Riku immediately followed up with an overhead strike, but Xion avoided that as well with a quick hop backwards, and his attack landed hard against the Struggle platform.
"Ten seconds left!" shouted the referee.
The fixated crowd counted down with the clock as it fell into single digits.
"NINE! EIGHT! SEVEN!"
The pressure was on now. Riku was determined not to be defeated again, making desperate but targeted swings at Xion, trying to find the crack in her armor. Xion was now the one on the defensive, choosing to evade most of Riku's attacks instead of blocking as the clock kept ticking away.
Roxas and Naminé joined in with the chanting.
"SIX! FIVE! FOUR!"
Xion's artful dodging had suddenly backed her into a corner, and Riku was bearing down on her. Falling out of the arena would be an immediate disqualification—which Riku discovered by losing the second round—and all he had to do now was swing at his trapped opponent to win.
There was a brief facedown as Riku prepared the finishing blow.
"THREE!"
Xion smirked in preparation.
"TWO!"
In one quick motion, Xion redirected the incoming attack with the edge of her bat, slipping past Riku as the momentum carried him onto the same edge she was just trapped against. Riku struggled to keep his balance, which gave Xion the opening she needed to deliver her patented Struggle Raid.
"ONE!"
Hurling the toy weapon like a boomerang, Xion barely grazed Riku as he tried to pivot himself out of the way, dislodging three of the colorful spheres on his shoulder just before the buzzer went off.
"And that's the game!" the referee shouted, motioning for the competitors to approach the judge's table. After collecting her Struggle bat, Xion and Riku went over to count the orbs, silently glancing over at each other as they removed them one-by-one from the Velcro equipment.
Riku finished counting first. Roughly dunking his last orb in, he declared, "Forty two!"
Whispers could be heard from among the audience. Some of them had been counting the orbs still left on stage.
Xion casually dropped her last orb into the basket, innocently holding her hands behind her as she revealed her count, "Forty four."
The ref raised his hand in Xion's direction and declared theatrically, "Weee have a winner!"
"Yyyes!" Xion cheered, enthusiastically pumping her fist at her side.
Riku collapsed onto his knees with a dramatic gravitas, then covered his face in shameful defeat. "That throw was soooo unfair; was that even legal…?" he could be heard moaning through his hands.
"Generally, yes," Xion responded plainly, still grinning ear to ear.
Riku just groaned again, sorely getting to his feet just as their friends approached.
Roxas looked sympathetic. "Don't feel too bad, Riku. She gets me with dumb stuff like that all the time."
"What do you mean, 'dumb'!?" cried Xion. "I talked to the ref about it, and he said that as long as I don't hit anyone in the face or below the belt, then my signature move is perfectly legal!"
"So, what you're saying is that you had to rely on a technicality to win…?" Riku pointed out teasingly.
"No, I'm saying that I strategically used a technicality to my advantage to win," Xion adamantly corrected.
Roxas shrugged, "Call it whatever you want, Xion. I just say you're no fun to play against."
Xion crossed her arms with an annoyed huff. "You guys are such babies! Maybe learn some new tricks of your own instead of complaining about mine," she snidely suggested.
"Well I would, if the ref would let me dual wield like I want…" Roxas complained, glaring at the rotund man standing nearby.
The referee overheard the comment and met Roxas' look with a grimace of his own.
Riku tilted his head, "I don't know, Roxas. Throwing the bat is one thing, but I think having two of them would definitely be against the rules."
"Well, I've read over the rules a dozen times, and none of them explicitly mention that you can't have two bats at once. Everyone is just afraid of my potential, is all," said Roxas, defiantly.
Naminé finally joined the conversation, wondering aloud, "But wouldn't it actually be a disadvantage since you wouldn't have a free hand to pick up orbs?"
Xion and Riku were flabbergasted, pointing at Roxas with distinctly impressed looks that communicated, "She totally got you!"
Roxas was just as speechless, looking back and forth between them and Naminé before bowing his head in defeat.
"O-Oh, Roxas, I'm sorry!" Naminé apologized with a small laugh, realizing the large hole she poked in his argument, "It was just an observation, I'd bet you'd do great if they let you dual wield…!"
"Yeah…" Riku flashed a tight-lipped smile, "I think she's just saying that."
Xion snickered in response, but still gave Riku a playful punch in the arm.
Roxas lifted his head to briefly glare at Riku before turning back to Naminé. "Alright, I'll forgive you for that… but only if you come to next week's Struggle practice so you can watch me beat Xion, and everyone else, with only one bat," Roxas held up his index finger illustratively.
Naminé smiled, "Okay, deal."
Witnessing this, Xion turned to Riku. "You should come, too. Not that you'll actually beat me or anything, but it'll be fun to see you try," she teased, putting her hands on her hips proudly.
Riku scoffed with a playful smile, "Well, when you put it that way…"
Xion continued, her expression softening considerably, "In all seriousness, it would be great to see you more often. I know you're probably really busy searching for Sora—and I'll do whatever I can to help with that—but… maybe, once in a while, I could help you forget about everything?" she suggested with a wink, a hint of rose coloring her cheeks.
Xion's charm worked wonders on Riku yet again, and he turned away briefly in hopes of hiding his own blushing face. Still worried what Roxas would think about someone else dating his best friend, Riku assumed a professional demeanor. "I think I'll take you up on that," he replied, stuffing his hands in his pockets before smugly adding, "If only to show you what a fluke today was."
"That's the spirit! I look forward to our next battle then…" she offered a friendly handshake, staring into his eyes with far more sentimentality than her words evoked.
Riku accepted the handshake, staring back at her with the same emotional intensity. "Likewise…"
Naminé picked up on the electric vibes Riku and Xion were giving off. "So, it's getting pretty late..." she spoke up, capturing their attention before things could escalate.
They got the hint, hastily letting go of each other's hand.
Taking out his Gummiphone and seeing the time, Riku exclaimed, "Woah, you're right! I need to get you back to Radiant Garden."
Xion turned to Roxas, "We should probably check in with Axel and Isa, ourselves."
She and Riku then went to collect their belongings from the judge's stand. Xion had her phone and the giant Meowjesty plush to pick up, while Riku had taken off his jacket in order to wear the slightly small Struggle vest more comfortably. Xion couldn't help but stare as Riku put it back on a little too quickly, and saw the thin plastic tube hidden in one of the inner pockets come tumbling onto the ground at her feet.
"Hm?" Xion instinctively reached down to pick up her friend's lost item. "Hey, Riku, you dropped your…" she examined at the tube curiously, "What is this?"
"Oh, that's—" Riku's stomach dropped when he saw what Xion was holding. The horrible evil imprisoned within that cylindrical container was not to be unleashed, and he scrambled to come up with a reason to keep her from opening it.
One glance over at Naminé's horrified expression made it clear that she felt much the same. After all, they had told their friends that they were not on a date when they first came to Twilight Town—which was technically true—but the embarrassing portrait carried a contrary connotation. Xion and Roxas could easily get the wrong idea and call them out on telling a convenient half-truth.
"I-It's just a painting we got at the carnival," Riku explained matter-of-factly.
"Oh, from that Jean Pierre guy?" Xion's eyes lit up, "I saw that booth, he was standing out front offering portraits! Me and Roxas almost got one done, but we didn't want to lose out on time for rides. Let me see how yours came out!" she cheered, preparing to take a peek.
Riku lunged for the tube, grabbing it while Xion was still holding on. "Nononono, you reeeally don't need to see it actually," he assured with a nervous chuckle.
Naminé bit her lip anxiously.
Xion raised an amused eyebrow, "Is it that bad? You're just making me want to see it even more!" she pressed, lightly yanking the forbidden art closer to her.
"Yeah, come on! I'm actually curious now," Roxas chimed in excitedly. He turned to Naminé with pleading eyes, "Can we please see it?"
Naminé was caught between fearful reservation and shameless adoration. "U-U-Uh…" she stuttered, finding it hard to refuse Roxas' request. Riku wouldn't be able to help her this time, considering he literally had his hands full with Xion. Ultimately, she came up with a clever copout. "I-I mean, I'm okay with it… but Riku paid for it, so it's up to him!" she confirmed, offering the silver-haired boy an apologetic smile.
"Gee, how thoughtful of you, Naminé…" Riku scowled at her, then pulled back on the tube with a tight-lipped smile, "But it's very late and we should get going, so if you'll just let me have this tube..."
Xion stubbornly hung on, "Aw, it'll only take a second! Just a glance; that's all we're asking for!" she begged, pulling back again.
"No."
"Yes."
"No!"
"Yes!"
Roxas and Naminé watched intently as the miniature game of tug-of-war raged on.
Riku gave one final jerk, "Enough, Xion, just let it go!" wrenching the tube from Xion's grip.
"Okay, okay!" Xion was startled by his aggression, recoiling her hands timidly. She looked away with a somber expression, "I'm sorry for prying, you don't have to show us if you don't want to…"
Again, Riku wasn't sure if Xion knew what she was doing, but her display of sorrowful regret was far more effective at swaying him than the playful begging. He looked at Naminé, who was clearly feeling bad about upsetting Xion as well, and realized he had no choice anymore. After all, it was possible that they were just overthinking the consequences of showing it. How much harm could one painting really do?
Riku sighed, "No, I'm sorry. That was an overreaction. You can see the picture, alright?"
Xion's mood did a complete one eighty, "Do you mean it!?"
"Yes…" Riku begrudgingly replied. Feeling like a complete sucker, he offered the container to Xion.
With no hesitation, the girl popped open the tube and upturned it to let the contents slide out into her hand. Roxas let go of Naminé's hand and rushed over to watch for himself as Xion unfurled the piece of paper.
Riku and Naminé shared one final look of concern before their shame was revealed.
Xion and Roxas finally gazed upon the portrait with faces full of eager anticipation, which, as they processed the illustration, morphed into complete bewilderment. The two hideous creatures on display were clearly meant to represent Riku and Naminé, but their proportions resembled the reflections Roxas and Xion had seen in the hall of mirrors. They looked up at each other, and after a quick pause, their bewilderment transformed into hysterical laughter.
"AHHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!" they hollered, Xion throwing her head back while Roxas doubled over, using his right hand to support himself on her left shoulder.
As embarrassed as they were, Riku and Naminé were mostly just relieved to see that their fears were indeed completely blown out of proportion. No drama was to come of the ridiculous portrait, only the much preferred joyful howls of mockery.
Xion gasped, "This…this is just… too good…" between spurts of laughter.
"I…I can't breathe… I seriously can't…" Roxas coughed as he crumpled to his knees.
Riku rolled his eyes. "There, you saw it. Can we get going already?" he crossed his arms impatiently.
"Wait, hang on…" Xion pleaded weakly, wiping tears from her eyes. She then pulled out her Gummiphone and took a commemorative photo of the comedic masterpiece.
"Hey, I didn't say you could do that!" complained Riku, aggressively snatching the paper from Xion and quickly rolling it back up.
Still giggling, Xion apologized, "Sorry, Riku, but that thing needs to be documented." Looking again at the picture of the picture, Xion was suddenly inspired. "Hey, how about we take a better photo to make up for it?" she happily suggested.
Roxas was still recovering from the hysterics, but was able to express his agreement. "That's a great idea, let's get one of all of us!" he encouraged Naminé, who was helping him to his feet.
Riku sighed as he slid the portrait back into the tube, "Fine, let's just be quick about it…"
Without further ado, Xion gathered her three friends around her: Roxas on her right, Naminé to her left, and Riku standing directly behind them since he was tallest. "Ready?" she asked, holding the phone out in front of her. Xion waited for everyone to smile, then snapped the picture.
Everyone stayed close together to get a good look at the photo, which did not disappoint. Xion, Roxas, Naminé, and Riku were each framed evenly in one quarter of the screen, and were all wearing their own interpretation of a beaming smile. The composition looked professional—a picture worth a thousand words, all of which perfectly described the subjects captured in the image.
Naminé reached for the phone, hoping to examine the photo further, and Xion obliged. Not only was it an infinitely more flattering picture than the painted portrait, but it was concrete evidence of the bond Naminé had formed with her friends; more memories she was making for herself. Holding it in her hands made Naminé indescribably happy.
It was because of her powers that Naminé held the value of pictures in such high regard. She drew them because it was easier to organize the immaterial chains of memories when she could see them in front of her. However, despite her genuine interest in art, her recreations of those memories were usually impressions at best. Naminé envied the camera's ability to perfectly replicate what it sees. She wondered why she didn't use her own Gummiphone more often to take pictures—or for anything at all, really. Her answer was another reminder of the lack of pockets on her iconic white dress, and Naminé finally realized why Ansem was always insisting she get a purse.
"Naminé!" Roxas' voice brought her train of thought to a halt, and she looked up to see his concerned face, "Are you okay?"
Naminé suddenly felt the tear rolling down her cheek, hastily wiping it away with her left hand. "Y-Yes, I'm fine, don't worry! It's just…" she paused, handing the phone back to Xion with a smile, "The picture came out great."
The others appeared relieved by her response, and Riku stepped forward to get everyone back on track. "Now that that's settled, can we get going already?" he asked expectantly.
Naminé nodded, reaching out her hand for Roxas to hold again, and the four of them headed for the Gummi ship on the outskirts of town.
By the time they reached the underground tunnels, the girls and boys had split into their own pairs. Riku and Roxas were discussing Struggle, with Riku reminiscing about other sports he used to play on the island, while Xion was showing Naminé more of the photos on her phone, providing commentary for her favorites.
The girls were walking slightly behind, and seeing how distracted the boys were by their own conversation gave Xion an idea. She whispered something to Naminé, who blushed, but still nodded her head with a small smile. Naminé gave Xion her phone back and the two of them continued on as normal, glancing knowingly at each other and giggling occasionally.
As they reached the final corridor before the staircase, Xion interjected herself between the boys with her giant Meowjesty plush. "Hey, Roxas, would you mind holding this for me really quick?" she asked, batting her eyelashes at him.
Roxas blinked, "Uhh, no? Why would I—" his refusal was cut off by Xion stuffing the massive stuffed Dream Eater in his face.
"Thanks so much, you're the best, be right back!" blurted Xion, pulling Riku along by his wrist as she hurried down the tunnel.
Finally getting a better hold on the bulky cargo, Roxas yelled, "I did not agree to this…!" but his protests were ignored entirely.
Riku was just as confused as he was led away, "Uh, later, Roxas."
Roxas sighed, "See ya, Riku…" It was clear that they were both resigned to Xion's machinations, whatever they were.
Just then, Naminé grabbed Roxas' attention with a few taps on his shoulder. "Hey, Roxas, can we talk?" she asked tentatively.
"Yeah! Let me just…" Roxas glanced at the giant plushie under his arm. Searching his surroundings, he chose to set it down on top of a random cardboard box leaning against the wall before quickly returning to his spot in front of Naminé, "What's up?"
Naminé twirled the strand of hair hanging over her right shoulder around her finger as she replied, "Nothing, I-I just wanted to say a proper goodbye, is all…"
Roxas exclaimed, "Oh, okay!" trying to think of what counted as a "proper goodbye".
It seemed Naminé was also struggling with this, as an awkward silence briefly hung between them.
Finally, Roxas took a deep breath, adopting a cool and collected demeanor. "Today was really different from what I was expecting," he reached out and took Naminé's left hand, "but sometimes different can be…" his smile broke through his aloof façade, "very nice."
His attempt at flirting had left Naminé unable to answer, and she silently cursed herself for it. Roxas was already so adept at speaking from his heart—perhaps that was why he had such an effect on Naminé—and as much as she wanted to match him, she still struggled to find her voice.
Then, Naminé wondered, did she even need her voice? She realized that there was a way that she could make her feelings undeniably clear. Something she had already done, which required a level of boldness that Naminé didn't normally have, but was determined to muster.
At the same time, Roxas was perplexed by her contemplative silence, and his confusion filled him with doubt. "A-Anyway, um, I was kidding before about the dual-wielding thing. I wasn't actually upset, so don't feel pressured into coming to practice next week if you don't really wa—"
Roxas was stopped by Naminé's hands cupping his face suddenly, and he had no time to react before a yearning kiss was planted on his lips.
Naminé had abandoned almost every inhibition at that point. Having already experienced things she once thought impossible, listening to her gut once more felt like an easy choice. Roxas was shocked, but far less so than their previous kiss, and quickly responded by covering her hands with his own. In his eagerness to reciprocate, Roxas erased any of the doubt in Naminé's heart towards his affection. She could only hope that her lips would communicate the passion she felt for him.
The kiss lasted several interminable seconds, and when Naminé finally pulled away, Roxas was reluctant to let go of her hands. He kept his eyes closed for a moment, trying to memorize each sensation coursing through his body, then finally opened them up with a deep exhale.
Still suffering from infatuation, Naminé finally managed to speak her mind, "I can't wait to see you again."
"Y-You too…" Roxas stammered.
Giving him a much more confident smile in response, Naminé followed after Xion and Riku down the tunnel, holding her hands coyly clasped behind her back.
Roxas watched entranced as Naminé sauntered away, but snapped out of it when he thought of something. "Hey, you have a Gummiphone, right? Message me when you get home?" he asked sheepishly.
Naminé paused to look back at him endearingly. "Okay, I will. Talk to you soon!"
Once turned back around, she and Roxas both let out a deep sigh of contentment.
Meanwhile, Xion led Riku around the corner at the end of the corridor, and pushed him against the wall just out of view.
"Woah, is there something I can do for you…?" asked Riku, pleasantly surprised by her forcefulness.
Xion gave him a pouty look, "Come on now, Riku. Use your imagination."
Riku caught on to what she was getting at, but decided to play dumb. "Hmmm, nope! I'm drawing a blank here to be honest." He leaned back against the wall with his hands in his pockets, flashing a teasing grin, "Maybe you could spell it out for me?"
"You think you're funny, but you're not!" Xion argued, lightly stamping her foot.
"Oh, but I am," Riku assured confidently.
"You really aren't…" she leaned in stubbornly.
"I really am…" he leaned down a little to match her.
"No."
"Yes."
"Nooo~."
"Yeees~."
Xion was now right up against Riku's chest, craning her neck back to stare directly up at him. Their faces were infinitesimally close to each other, evaporating the playful hostility. Riku could no longer deny knowing exactly what Xion wanted, because it was something he wanted as well.
In an instant, the gap between their lips was closed.
Xion reached up and wrapped both arms around Riku's neck, standing on tiptoe to get better leverage. Feeling her effort, Riku instinctively took his hands out of his pockets and used them to hold Xion by the waist for support. He was still not used to her assertiveness, but Riku simply adored how Xion challenged him to be better in so many ways. More and more, the girl was proving to be well worth the effort and more.
Finally breaking the kiss after , Riku and Xion stared enamored at each other for another couple seconds.
Then, Xion released his neck and stepped away from him, straightening out the front of her outfit. "So, you're definitely coming next week, right?" she asked, reverting back to her usual bubbly tone.
Riku chuckled, "Well, alright! You don't have to beg me or anything…"
Ignoring his blatant sarcasm, Xion replied, "Great! See you later, then, Riku!" waving as she rounded the corner back into the tunnel.
Riku hurried past the corner to keep watching as she walked away. Feeling the urge to get one more look, he called out, "Hey."
Xion turned back at him expectantly.
"Text you later," said Riku.
"Yeah, you better," Xion shot back playfully.
They stared at each other again, and Naminé interrupted again by tapping Xion on the shoulder.
Naminé smiled, steepling her fingers cordially, "It was great seeing you today, Xion. Let's keep in touch!"
"Yeah, totally!" Xion vibrantly smiled in return, then pulled Naminé into a deep hug, "Don't be a stranger, okay?" She then continued back down the corridor in a joyful half-skip.
Riku was there waiting for Naminé as she met him at the foot of the exit ramp. "Ready to head out?"
Naminé nodded, "Yes, I'm ready." She and Riku climbed out of the tunnel and into the woods,
Xion met back up with Roxas and saw what he had done with her stuffed prize. "Oh, that's real nice, Roxas! I thought I asked you to hold it for me?" she questioned.
"Yeah, and I told you I didn't agree to do that!" Roxas huffed indignantly, turning away "I had other stuff to worry about."
"Oh, I'll bet you did…" teased Xion with a knowing grin. She retrieved the Meowjesty and used it to taunt Roxas further, poking the blonde boy's red cheeks with the Dream Eater's snout.
"Quit it!" whined Roxas, shoving the pudgy face away. "Let's just head home already. It's been a long day…"
Xion obliged, smiling to herself as they headed back into the tunnel.
"That's one way of putting it."
AN: Yeah, I know I said "one more chapter", but this one just got more and more inflated as I realized how much I still wanted to write. To be honest, I had completely forgotten about that caricature from a few chapters ago just like Riku did, and I couldn't not bring it up again for the gag. And, you know, some extra shipping fluff never hurt anybody (which is probably debatable, but I digress...).
In any case, hope you aren't too bummed that the story isn't quite over yet, but don't worry! I really only have one more chapter left in me for this one, and I promise it won't be a long one. Just tying up a few loose ends and all that. Hope you're looking forward to that, and I hope even more that you enjoyed the chapter you just read. If you did, leave a comment because I'll be habitually refreshing my email for the next few days to see if anyone did (but, you know, no pressure!).
Thanks again for reading, I'll be seeing you soon!
-Skippy