This took me almost all day to write! So you'd better like it ; ^ ; AND REVIEW.
Disclaimer: All Characters owned by Square
Chapter 39: Game Day
Sora knocked on the front door of Pence's house, waiting for someone to answer. It was early morning, just before school. He saw the door open, Pence just coming out. "Sora," He said surprised. "What are you doing here?!"
"I thought we could walk to school together, like old times." The brunette rubbed the back of his head, nervously hoping Pence would accept this.
Pence looked Sora up and down before focusing on his shirt. "Oh! Today is game day, isn't it?"
"Yeah," Sora pinched his jersey. "Are you going to come and watch me, Hayner, and Roxas play after school?"
"No." Pence began walking, leaving Sora behind him frowning.
"Oh, well-"
"I'm just kidding silly," Pence turned to look at the boy and smiled. "Of course I'm going! I mean, I know things have been different with you but I'm glad you're here again!"
"I'm glad too."
"Let's get going," Sora ran up to Pence's side. "Does Kairi still walk with you?"
"Sora?!" He heard a girl's voice yelled from behind. Looking back he saw the auburn girl rushing towards them, a smile on her face. "You're here! I thought you'd never walk with Pence and I again!"
"I realized that I missed it," Sora told her. "I missed having you guys. Even if I like Riku, he's too much of a headache right now for me to deal with…"
"Yet a couple days ago I had thought I liked it better with him now than with him in the past."
"He did seem really rotten." Pence commented.
"Hey," The brunette pouted. "Don't say that. He's still a friend of mine, as long as we're a part of the same team."
"That makes me think," Kairi tucked some hair behind her ear. "What about you and Roxas? You guys are a part of the same team, yet you're torn apart right now."
"I want to fix that, but I'm not sure if he'll-"
"He will, Sora!" Kairi chimed. She didn't want the happy-go-lucky brunette she knew to feel discouraged.
"Roxas and you have shared a good connection ever since you've become friends," Pence noted. "You know how they say there's always another side to someone? Well Roxas seems like your other side."
"I don't know about that," Kairi put her finger to her glossy lips. "Roxas has been seemingly…'sweeter' since he's been hanging around Axel more lately."
"What?! He would always dislike being around Axel." Sora exclaimed.
"I guess people change when things go bad," Pence commented. "By the way, how come the back of your shirt says Hikari?"
Sora sighed before giving an explanation. He wasn't too happy at first, wanting to be recognized as his self on the field and not something similar to an alias, but he somewhat felt like Hikari was a new beginning for him. The boy had reached an epiphany, and the epiphany was realizing his true friends. Even though Riku was his first best friend, his first small kiss, his first crush, his first loss…he couldn't hold onto him. "I'll wait until you remember."
"Selphie, you can't pig out on ice cream the day of our first game!" Riku snatched the stick of sea salt ice cream out of the girls hands, tossing it into the nearest trash can in the school hallway.
"Riku," Selphie retorted, her hands on her hips. "I can do whatever I want, okay? Besides, our first game is against Radiant Garden right? Easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy.~"
"Actually," Tidus frowned. "I heard they have a new team player this year who might be a formidable opponent."
Riku looked down at Tidus, crossing his arms against his chest, waiting to see if the boy had more information.
"Ahh, I heard about that ya," Wakka put his hand to his chin. "I think his name was Xehanort junior."
"Xehanort junior," Selphie seemed anything but intimidated. "You mean he's related to the coach of the team, Xehanort?" An image of the old geezer popped into her head as she saw Wakka nod.
"What did you hear about him that makes you think he's a threat?" Riku asked as he put his arms down at his sides.
"My friend from Radiant Garden said he saw the team practicing and noticed something weird about the guy," Tidus began to explain. "He would be running with the ball on one end of the field, but then appear on a different side of the field in the blink of an eye!"
"That's definitely weird…" Selphie placed a hand on her hip, trying to think of how someone could do that.
"There has to be a trick to it," Riku said, catching all of their attention. "Once we figure it out, his team will be easily defeated."
"With you on our team Riku, we've certainly had an advantage from you being a good strategist," Tidus commented. "As well as an amazing player."
"Being a good strategist doesn't mean I'll figure it out easily," the snow-head responded. "If you notice something, no matter how little, report it."
The three nodded.
"Wakka and I should start heading to class now!"
"We'll see ya later, ya!"
The two boys walked off.
"Make sure you tell Sora, Roxas, and Zack what's up." Selphie looked at Riku with deep concern in her eyes.
"I'll make sure to."
"Don't be childish!" Selphie teased, sticking out her tongue only to irritate the boy.
"I'm so sorry, Roxas!" Sora quickly got up from the table and apologized when he saw the blonde walk into the courtyard with Axel. "Please forgive me for hitting you."
Axel smiled and put his arms around the boys' shoulders, pulling them in close. "Look," He said. "We're a family again!"
"An abnormal one." Olette commented.
Kairi giggled from her seat at the table.
"So, do you forgi-"
"Yeah," Roxas cut the brunette off. "I do!"
The two smiled at each other, feeling Axel remove his arms.
"Huh? Hey," Axel moved Sora around by the shoulders, looking at his back. "Has your last name always been Hikari?"
Sora frowned. "How many times am I going to get asked this?"
"It's always been Hikari, Ax." Roxas responded as he walked over to the table, taking a seat.
Axel raised a brow, watching the others at the table try not to laugh.
"A guy who can go from one spot to another?!" Zack exclaimed as he worked on his project with Roxas.
Sora was sitting next to Riku, listening as he drew on their paper. It was first period, art class with Miss Vanille.
"That's what they say, but there's definitely a logical explanation to it." Riku replied as he punched in some digits on his calculator. He was trying to complete his Algebra homework. Luckily Miss Vanille always stayed in her small office, or she probably wouldn't have let him do it.
"If we don't figure it out, that team is definitely going to be having a field day." Zack dropped his pencil on the table.
"That's why I need you to keep an eye on him," The snow-head explained. "You're the only one who has the vision of a hawk on the team, therefore I think you're the only one that can do it."
"Vision of a hawk?" Roxas looked up at Zack confused.
"Yeah," the ravenette grinned. "Some of us on this team have things up our sleeves. A special ability I guess you can say." Roxas' lips parted a bit as he got more interested in what Zack had to say. "I've trained myself to be able to see everything on the field. There's nothing I can't miss."
"Do you have something like that, Riku?" Sora asked.
"I'm a strategist," The snow-head grinned. "How do you think I knew your weak points?"
"I just thought they were obvious…," Sora murmured, going back to the project. "But, for a strategist it doesn't seem you know how to do a simple algebraic equation."
"What do you mean?" Riku furrowed his brows, getting angry when he heard Zack and Roxas try to muffle their laughs.
Sora looked up from the project. "You're doing it wrong," He began to direct the boy, placing a finger in the text book. "You have to move the equation around by subtracting this number on both sides, and once you find the value of the 'x' you have to substitute it into this equation."
Riku combed his fingers through his snowy mane, frowning displeasingly at the fact that Sora knew how to do this and he didn't.
"What are the other talents on the team?" Roxas asked Zack and Riku.
"You'll have to wait till the game starts to find out." Zack winked.
Axel slumped down in the seat of his first class, a sloppy grin on his face.
"What's up with you, dopey?" Larxene asked from behind him. The red-head tilted his head all the way back, his hair sprawling out on the girl's desk.
"Roxas," Axel let out a deep relieving sigh. "He gave me a hug before I left."
"Oh so you guys are finally dating?!" Demyx yelled, his eyes dancing with happiness.
"No." Axel moved his eyes to look at Demyx, frowning. Zexion was sitting behind the dirty-blonde, partially hiding his face behind his book as usual.
"Anyway," Larxene gave a look of disgust as she brushed Axel's long red mane of hair off her desk, to which the boy sat up and turned to look at her. "Tonight's his first game, right?"
"Yeah, but he might be benched the whole time," The red-head responded. "He's only a substitute."
"Are you going to go see him play?" Zexion's shy voice came out from behind his book.
"I feel like that's the most I've heard him say all year…"
"Of course he is, Zexion!" Demyx told the bluenette.
"You'll probably be the most obnoxious person there." Larxene stated, crossing her arms against her chest.
"You're wrong," Axel corrected. "I'll definitely be the most obnoxious person there!"
"This is going to be so cool!" Kairi squealed in the beginning of History class. She was sitting near Olette and Sora.
"Yeah," Olette chimed. "Watching you, Rox, and Hayner play will be interesting!"
"Well, Hayner and Roxas are only substitutes," Sora explained. "They only go in if something happens to a player."
"Awe, that sucks." The auburn's excitement died down.
"Right now I'm so nervous I'd rather be a sit out," The boy put his hand to his heart, feeling it's fast pace. "I remember the days that we would see a couple games. It had looked so brutal…"
"I remember that," Olette bit her lip. "I swear, guys are so over competitive."
"But don't forget Selphie. She was really aggressive as well when playing," Kairi commented. "Probably the scariest player on the team!"
"Riku is pretty intimidating too. Especially since he has trouble controlling his actions when he's angry." Olette remembered the incident that happened with him and that one kid last year and when he had hit Roxas. "So much in school drama." She thought.
"I think Riku's changed from being that way," Sora caught the girls' attention. "He's been acting kind of lazy…or uncaring. I've made him mad so many times and he-"
"You're just his weakness, Sor!" Kairi gave a soft grin, calling Sora by a nickname. Olette nodded in agreement, giggling when she saw the brunette blush.
"I think he just has a lot on his mind. And Coach has been threatening to kick us off the team if we do anything stupid." Sora explained to them. He lay his head in his arms on his desk, beginning to think about the moment Riku had met Beat. "I wonder how he would feel if he knew Beat said he'd come and see me every day now. And that he's going to started attending school again soon."
A chirp began to sound in his ear, and looking up he saw the baby chocobo had flown over to his desk. Holding his finger out, he watched as it hopped and perched itself on his finger.
"Time to start your favorite class of the day everyone," Mr. Katzroy said. "Get out your textbooks now."
Sora sat in class patiently until the bell had rung and he waved Kairi and Olette goodbye, heading to the locker room for gym. When he got inside the locker room he began to open his locker to get his clothes and change.
"Sora." The brunette looked to the side to see Riku approaching him.
The brunette quickly pulled on his gym shirt. "Yeah, Riku?"
"The answers you helped me get for my homework," The snow-head said. "They were right."
"Oh, see I told you that you were doing it wrong!" Sora grinned.
"Tutor me." Riku quickly told the boy, as if ordering him.
"What," Sora exclaimed. "I can't! I don't have a lot of time on my hands anymore since I got on the team, and-"
Roxas and Axel came into the locker room.
"We can do it after practice then," Riku told him. "I'll go over your house, or you can come over mine. Please? I need this, badly."
"I never thought I would ever reach the day where I hear the Star Player Riku Satoshi beg," A grin slipped on Axel's face. "Especially for sex."
Sora blushed, Riku furrowing his brows in frustration at the red-head. Roxas began to giggle, covering his mouth with his palm as he went on over to his locker.
"It's not like that," Riku said sternly, his cheeks a bit red as well. "I need Sora to tutor me in Algebra."
"And here I thought you were good at everything." Roxas sarcastically commented as he slipped on his gym shorts, finishing getting changed.
Sora got done changing. "Guys, don't tease him," He looked up at Riku. "I'll see if I'll have time to help you…with your algebra that is." He grinned, deciding it'd be best to give a less vague sentence.
Sora heard the whistle blow from the gym, his teacher yelling afterwards.
"C'mon Sora, we're late." Roxas tried to hurry him up.
"See you soon, Riku."
Sora left the locker room, participating in his gym class which played volleyball. The junior gym class had gone outside for a run with the Coach. After gym, Sora had continued his schedules school routine until the end of the day when he met up with the rest of the team on the Blitzball field in uniform.
"Take a seat, Hibari," The coach ordered, pointing towards the grass where the rest of the players were sitting. Sora sat between Hayner, Roxas, and Aqua. "Today is our first game. The game that will determine our team's future standing. Radiant Garden has never won against us, and that shouldn't be changed." The coach continued to finish his talk before telling the team to practice one on one with each other so that they could build a teamwork connection which each person. Wakka was teaching Hayner how to be a better goalie if he ever needed to sub for him, Tidus then helping Hayner with defensive maneuvers. Seifer and Rai helped Aqua, her first feeling intimidated by the two but then growing to learn they were as sweet as cake. Zack, Riku, and Selphie decided to help Sora and Roxas, Zack training Roxas in defense.
"Riku," Selphie watched Riku help Sora with a kick off. "I gathered more information on Xehanort Junior."
Riku helped Sora up after knocking him to the ground once again. The brunette dusted himself off. "What did you find out?"
Selphie took a tiny note pad that she had sitting tight against her hip, held there by the elastic waist band of her shorts. It seemed to be a mini version of her original one. "He's a freshman, interesting right? He grew up being trained in martial arts since he was five, but after a misdemeanor he had quit," She flipped a page. "Afterwards, I'm guessing his Grandpa, which also happened to be his coach Xehanort, trained him in blitzball."
Riku put his hand to his chin. "I'm hypothesizing that it's not magic that makes him move from one side of the field to another in mere seconds, but his training. It must've increased his speed and-"
"Ahh!" Sora yelled with a huge smile on his face. "I figured it out!"
"What?!" Riku and Selphie exclaimed in unison.
Sora pointed at Selphie. "Your talent! It's gathering information, and then Riku makes deductions from it and is able to strategize! Like detectives!"
"Heh heh…" Selphie gave a nervous grin while Riku rolled his eyes at the brunette. "You're right, that is my talent!"
"So Riku is a strategist, Selphie is an information gatherist, and Zack has a hawk eye."
"Do you think you'll acquire a special talent, Sora?" The girl asked him.
"No," Sora pouted. "I'm sure I'll just be average."
"Wouldn't it be funny if you turned out to be a strategist!?" Selphie teased, sticking out her tongue at Riku when she saw the evil glare he gave her.
"Ha ha, very funny Selph." Riku said irritated.
"Don't call me that!"
"So…hawk eye huh?" Roxas said as Zack moved the blondes body into a better stance.
"Yep," Zack ruffled his hand through the blonde hair when he was done. "You look so similar to Cloud when he was younger!" In annoyance, Roxas frowned. He looked over the ravenette shoulder, watching Sora fall to the ground in another attempt to get the blitzball. "It doesn't seem like Sora will be getting the hang of that, hmm?"
Roxas quickly batted his lashes, looking at Zack surprised. "He saw that, even without looking? I guess they weren't just trying to fool around with us."
"If you have the vision of a hawk, then how come you have the spot of defender," Roxas asked. "A goalie would have been a better place for you, since you can see where the ball is at all times and when it's coming."
"You're quite clever," Zack grinned. "I took the spot of defender to help out Riku. He's a very highly skilled prodigious player when on his own, don't get me wrong. But with me, as well as Selphie and the other defenders, his skills are increased and are able to be put to a greater use than before."
"But why help Riku?" Roxas asked, getting out of his stance.
"You're supposed to support the captain," Zack responded. "Am I wrong?"
"With ability like yours, how come you're not one of the star players?"
"Just not my type of scene."
Aqua blocked another attempt of Seifer trying to get the ball out of Rai's hands.
"You're pretty good at this already!" Seifer grinned.
"Y'know!" Rai chimed.
"Awe, thank you guys," Aqua held her arms out, giving the boys a group hug. She let go after a couple seconds. "But I feel like you were going easy on me."
"It's hard when there's just the three of us to actually try," Seifer told her. "But you are really good. If you can keep a steady defense now, just imagine how good you'll be on the field with your adrenaline pumping."
"I guess you're right."
"C'mon Hayner, you're missing almost every ball I throw!" Tidus yelled as he threw another ball, Hayner missing it and letting it get into the goal box.
"Wakka," Hayner whined. "How do you do this!?"
Wakka held back the ball Tidus was about to throw. "I have an eagle eye, ya."
"An eagle eye," Hayner frowned. He hunched over with a sigh. "There's no time to joke. What if something happens and I end up having to sub for you!?"
"Hmph, Wakka isn't joking!" Tidus grinned, holding the ball against his stomach in both of his hands.
"Anything within my field of vision," Wakka explained. "A penny hidden in the grass, a pebble mixed in with the dirt, I can easily see much quicker than the average person."
"Well I guess this team just has a bunch of hidden secrets, huh." Hayner murmured.
This small talk and easy training went on until an hour before the actual game, when they went inside the gym seeing the food stands being set up on the outskirts of the blitzball field. They had sat down in the bleachers.
"The Radiant Garden blitzball team's bus should arrive soon. For the new members, don't look at them when they come into the gym. They'll be getting ready in the girls locker room. Your chance to meet them will be on the field before the start of the game."
As if by jinx, the opposing team began to walk in. The team quickly moved their heads to look at their laps, the coach putting his hands together behind his back. When they heard the door close to the locker room, the tension that was in the air seemed to blow over and after thirty minutes they began to hear the crowds of people chattering outside on bleachers.
Sora felt his heart beat quicken when the coach told them to get into the boys locker room. There was a door from there that lead to the outskirts field, which they would walk out onto the field from. They had lined up, waiting for the moment to leave.
"I don't think I can do this…"
He began to let out heavy breaths.
"Riku." Selphie tapped the boy on the shoulder from the front of the line, concerned at Sora whom was at the back of the line. He peered over his shoulder to see Selphie point her thumb towards the back, where he saw Sora hyperventilating. Riku bit his lip before heading to the back of the line.
"Sora, calm down." He said in a low voice. A beep went off near the door, which meant it was time to get onto the field for the other team was already there awaiting them. Selphie lead them out instead of the captain, hearing the announcers of the game begin to talk in confusion on the subject.
"Where is Satoshi?" One of them asked. The confusion was also seen within the crowd, who were looking around the field trying to find mister star player himself.
Kairi, Axel, Pence, Olette, Larxene, Zexion, and Demyx sat in the bleachers together.
"Where is Sora?" Kairi asked, watching as their schools team lined up on the field in front of the Radiant Garden players, the two teams facing each other.
"I don't know, but look it's my Roxy," Axel stood up and began to cheer. "GO ROXY! MAKE ME PROUD! WOOOO!"
Roxas' eyebrow began to twitch as he glared at Axel in the bleachers. "I swear…"
"So this is Xehanort Junior." Selphie thought as she stared at him. His skin was tanned and his hair was of a silvery color.
"Where is Satoshi?" Xehanort asked, his voice stern and emotionless.
His golden eyes sure were intimidating, but Selphie brushed past it and gave him a snakey grin.
The door shut.
"Riku I can't do this! Let Roxas take my spot for this game," Sora began to cry. "I can't-"
Riku stopped the brunettes whining by giving him a soft kiss to his lips.
"You're fine," The snow-head said. "Just be strong and…ugh!" He quickly grabbed his forehead, hunching over in pain.
"Riku?!" Sora quickly went to hold the teen up.
"My head feels like it's splitting," Riku thought. "Not now…" The boy forced himself to stand on his own, his head still hurting. Headache's like these were the norm for him ever since his memory loss. "I'm okay. Like I was saying, don't let your guard down. You might get hurt, but you have to get back up. Now get ready."
The brunette wiped the tears from his face.
"Where the hell are those two!" Coach Villier's murmured to himself.
Riku opened the door, watching as the crowds confusion died down and instead began to cheer for him.
"There he is, the MVP of Destiny Island's Blitzball team," The announcer said through the speaker. "But who is the one behind him?!" The announcer focused the field camera onto Sora's back as he and Riku got into the line, facing their opponents. "Hikari!"
Riku looked down the line towards Xehanort, the boy looking back at him.
Not realizing, Sora had grabbed onto Riku's hand and squeezed it tight. When Riku squeezed back, Sora quickly removed his hand. They turned in the line to face their side of the field, holding out their arms to give the other team high fives showing their respect for each other and the expectance of a good game.
But Xehanort grabbed onto Sora's hand for a moment, and in the moment he looked into the eyes of the other boy. Leaving Sora startled.
When the team got to their side of the field, they huddled together with their arms over each other's shoulders.
"Any ideas, Riku?" Zack asked, looking at Riku from the other side of the circle.
The snow-head looked to his left. "Sora, I want you to start the game."
"But-"
"You can do it. You know your weak point so take advantage of that," Riku told him. "You're the only fielder who can do it. Selphie and I need to keep watch on Xehanort. That being said, Zack, make sure you keep a good eye on him as well as the other players. Ready?"
The players nodded before dispersing to different parts of the field.
The brunette bit his lip as he walked to the center. Selphie and Riku were standing far on either sides of him, the defenders forming a square on either side of him as well.
"Do you think Sora can do this?" Aqua asked Hayner and Roxas from the bench.
"Even if he doesn't get it, it still gives Selphie and Riku the opportunity to observe the players." Roxas explained to her.
"Hmm." Aqua held onto her thighs.
Sora watched as a person from the opposing team made his way into the center. Radiant Garden's team had a different field formation. The defenders stood in a rhombus shape behind the middle line, and the two other fielders stood in the center of the rhombus close together.
"Ready to lose?!" The boy who was starting the kick off for the other team asked.
"That's my line." Sora responded calmly, before getting into stance.
"Hmph," The other boy got into stance as well. "Hikari is it?"
Sora nodded.
"I'm Nobue."
The whistle blew and Sora noticed Nobue was already watching his shoulders.
"Take advantage of your weakness."
The brunette was moving right, so he quickly stretched his left arm out as he tried for the ball. Nobue ran into the arm and flipped onto his back, Sora rushing with the ball at his feet.
"That brat!" Nobue got up from the grass enraged, running after the brunette.
The defenders ran beside Sora, trying to keep the fielders of the other team a good distance away. But something changed in a second.
Zack's face became shocked.
A blur of silver rushed passed the brunette, the ball disappearing and Sora was confused.
"Over there!" The ravenette yelled, pointing back to their team's side of the field.
"He got the ball from Sora in the blink of an eye." Riku thought, he then grabbed his forehead as he felt another sharp pain.
"What is this," The announcer exclaimed enthusiastically. "The new player of the Radiant Garden team seems to have gotten the ball within a mere second from Hikari!
The team began to run towards Xehanort.
"I can't let him get the goal!" Sora thought as he watched the silverette. His speed began to increase, getting farther and farther away from the other players and closer to Xehanort. He saw Xehanort skillfully kick the ball up into the air, and as it came back down he deliver a fast punch shooting it towards the goal.
"No!" Sora reached for the ball, it just grazing his finger tip before being missed by Wakka.
"Eagle eyes my butt!" Hayner yelled, his fist in the air.
"Hayner," Aqua said. "Did you not see how incredibly fast that ball went? No one could block that! I'm surprised Sora even got close to it!"
"And that's one point for the Radiant Garden Tiger Lilies!" The announcer said, watching as the score board changed from 0 to 1. The Radiant Garden side of the bleachers began to cheer over the 'boos' and encouragements of the Destiny Island side.
Xehanort looked at Sora once again.
"What's your name?" He asked the brunette.
"Sora Hibari."
"Well Sora, I've never seen anyone with a speed almost as close as mine," Xehanort's face remained expressionless. "I thought Satoshi here would've been the one to give me trouble, but I guess it was you I should've watched out for." He began to walk over to his team's side of the field. "And by the way, I think you need to get the name on the back of your shirt fixed."
"I never even knew I could run that fast." The brunette watched Xehanort walk off. He rubbed the sweat from his forehead.
"Riku," Zack approached the snow-head. "I can't watch this guy and play at the same time. He's too fast for me to see what he's doing as well as concentrate."
"We'll switch Roxas and Aqua in for us," Riku responded. "We'll be able to build up a strategy from the bench. Even if they continue to get goal points, we have a lot of time to change that later on."
Zack nodded in agreement. They went over to the bench, Snow yelling at them to get back on the field instead of sending two newer players old. But they informed him of their reasons, making him agree.
"I can't believe this! Riku Satoshi is getting off the field!" The announcer yelled.
"Hm, that girl and Roxas are getting put into the game." Pence said, trying to figure out why.
"GO ROXY WOOO!" Axel stood up a screamed once again.
"Aargh," Roxas balled his hands into fists at his sides, getting angry at the boy who was embarrassing him. "AXEL SHUT UP!" He screamed back, watching some of the people in the crowd try to hold back their laughter.
"I LOVE YOU TOO RO-" Larxene quickly pulled the red-head down into his seat, being just as annoyed as Roxas was.
Zack and Riku watched as the game went on, Xehanort scoring another point just as he did before.
"At least now we know it's not magic, it's his agility." Riku said watching as Xehanort scored yet another goal, Wakka just missing the ball by a fraction of an inch.
"That diamond formation of theirs makes it easy for Xehanort and the other boy in the middle to get through openings," Zack saw the ball get stolen from Roxas' hands. "Hmm, hold on! Have you noticed Sora?"
Riku looked at the brunette to see him panting in front of the goal before returning near the middle line, where Roxas decided to start the game for this time. "What about Sora?"
"He keeps getting closer and closer to Xehanort each time he tries to run after him!"
Riku kept his eyes on the brunette, watching as he was even closer in speed to Xehanort this time around than how he was when the game had initially started. His eyes became wide when he saw something he didn't think would happen. "No way…"
"This kid." Zack grinned, impressed.
The crowd in the bleachers quieted down, watching Sora. Even the announcer was speechless.
The brunette had gotten to the ball before it reached the goal, and began to run it back the other way. He stormed past his team mates as well as the opposing team, the defense unable to keep up with him. But Xehanort ran beside him.
"Sora," Selphie stopped running, observing the brunette as he threw the ball at the goal post. "I expected a lot from you when you made the team, but this…"
The ball went through the goal, the crowd instantaneously beginning to cheer.
"What a play! Hikari seemed to be running as fast as…as fast as Light," The announcer cheered. "Just like the player from twenty years ago, Lightning Farron!"
"Hmph, her name even gets announced when she's not here." Coach Villier's thought as he crossed his arms against his chest.
Sora put his hands on his knees, panting with a smile. His face dripped sweat. Bringing himself up, he took a look at the score board. One to three, and only a minute left in the game. They decided to end it a minute short, not wanting the game to be stopped midway through. Right now was their five minute rest time before another fifteen minute round.
"I've got a plan," Riku stood up from the bench, gathering the team into a group after they had gotten some water. "Roxas, Aqua, Zack and I are going back in. I don't know how you did it Sora, but you speed is now faster than Xehanort. Because of that, I want you go after him like you have been. We're also changing our field formation. Defenders, form a rectangle. And whichever one of us gets the ball, form a tight diamond. Selphie and Sora will stand in the middle, unless they make Xehanort be the starter of the kickoff, then Sora will be at the middle line."
"If Sora has the ball, I don't think we can get up with him." Seifer commented.
"It's okay. The only person that can keep up with him is Xehanort," Riku heard the timer buzzer finish. "Alright, let's go!"
"As long as none of the other Tiger Lillie's has something up their sleeves, we'll be okay."
Riku went to the middle line, Nobue starting the game as usual.
"So finally I get to go head to head with Riku Satoshi," He grinned. "But tell me how you're the MVP here and not Hikari?"
The whistle blew and Riku put his foot on the ball, maneuvering it to the side and then kicking it back towards Sora before kneeing Nobue between the legs. He saw Sora rush past him from the corner of his eye as Nobue fell to the grass, hands on his crotch.
"That's why."
He heard the crowd cheer as Sora made another goal.
"I'm useless in a game with an opponent like this," Riku watched Sora make goal after goal throughout the game. The Destiny Island's side of the crowd cheering his name, even some of the people who had been cheering for the opposing team began to cheer for the brunette. "If giving up some of my limelight is what it'll take to win this game, then it must be sacrificed."
The game continued until the fifteen minutes of the second round ended, the score 18 to 10. They were put on their five minute break before the third and final round.
Sora went up to the snow-head smiling. "Thank you for helping me earlier, Riku!"
"N-no problem." Riku blushed, his hand on his forehead.
"Does your head still hurt?"
"Yeah, but it's okay," The snow-head responded. "Just make sure you drink a lot of water. You'll begin to over exhaust yourself if you don't."
"Who would've thought there'd be a day where Riku was completely stagnant in a game?" Olette said.
"Well it's only because Sora is the only person able to match Xehanort's speed," Pence was eating the popcorn he had bought. "Selphie, nor Tidus and the other defenders, can do anything either."
The buzzer rung and the teams went back onto the field, Riku's team continuing their formation. Riku waited for Nobue to come up to the center line, but instead he saw Xehanort approach him.
"I was looking forward to playing you in this game, but it seems Sora is much more worth my time."
"Sora, go up there." Selphie ordered the brunette. He listened, jogging up to the middle line.
"Riku." He said.
The snow-head understood, making his way over to Selphie.
The boys at the middle line said nothing to each other. All they did was stare and wait for the whistle. And when the whistle blew and Sora tried to rush off, he felt a large pain in his abdominal area. He felt to his hands and knees on the ground when Xehanort removed his fist, coughing up blood.
"As long as I'm a part of this team, you will not win," He kicked up the ball to his hands, throwing it to Nobue. "Because while you, Sora 'Hikari', are the light of your team, I Xehanort Yami, am the darkness of mine. And the closer you get to the light, the bigger your shadow becomes."
"Stop the game, stop the game!" Coach Villier's yelled out as he got onto the field, rushing to aid Sora. The timer on the clock stopped.
Riku clenched his fists, his eyes closed tight as he tried to calm his anger.
"Riku, don't attack him," Selphie grabbed onto the boys shirt, making sure he wouldn't run off. "He took martial arts; you'll end up getting hurt."
Snow helped Sora up, bringing him over to the bench.
"Roxas, go in." He said as he tried to clean Sora up.
"Right." Roxas let out a breath, before standing up and entering the field.
"It looks like they're switching Hikari out. Not a good idea." The announcer said.
"How are we going to win," Tidus worriedly asked Riku. "Sora was our only chance."
"While I was at the middle line, I was trying to think of a strategy if something like this happened," Riku said. "But I realized it was impossible."
"Riku, where do you want me to go?" Roxas asked the snow-head.
"Stay here with me, Selphie you're at center," Selphie nodded and went to the centerline where Nobue stood. "Everyone disperse."
Roxas looked at all the defenders get into random spots on the field. "It's over, isn't it?"
"Yeah." Riku looked at Xehanort at the other side of the field, the team still in their diamond formation.
"I don't know if this will help, but while I was sitting on the bench I was observing Xehanort and Sora play," Roxas explained. "And I noticed that Xehanort had longer leg strides than Sora," the whistle blew, Nobue getting the ball and running towards their side of the field. "And so I thought what if he was only able to do shorter leg strides than he usually does?" A goal was scored when Xehanort had rushed past Nobue, stealing the ball and hitting it into the goal. "Would his speed be hindered?"
"So you're saying, Xehanort is only able run as fast as he does with long leg strides?"
"It's a hypothesis."
Riku grinned. "During try outs you came in second, right after Sora in the race. So I'm going to take a guess and say that your speed is ¾ of his," The snow-head said. "So I want you to try and get close to Xehanort and force him to make shorter strides."
"Gotcha!" Roxas went stood as close to the other fields side as he could, the rules of the game not allowing a player to be on the opposite side of the field until the whistle blew.
Selphie gave a snake-like-grin when she noticed Roxas. "I'm assuming Riku came up with a plan?!"
"I guess you can say that!"
The whistle blew, Nobue once again retrieving the ball. Seeing Riku finally run after the boy, the defenders followed.
Roxas had after Xehanort, catching him mid stride. He began to mimic his movements, making sure he couldn't move far past him.
"Get out of my way!" Xehanort yelled, throwing a punch towards the blonde. Roxas however caught his fist, as well as the other fist from the second punch the silverette tried to throw.
"As if!"
Riku got the ball from Nobue, kicking it up in the air and over to Selphie. The brunette caught it and rushed towards the goal, the defense of her team catching up with her to stop the invasion of the fielders from the other team. She made the throw, getting it through the goal.
"And yet again the tides seemed to have turned!" The announcer exclaimed.
"Heh," Roxas let his grip Xehanort's fists go. He saw his face become angry. "I guess that broke your careless exterior."
"Are you feeling any better, Sora?" Hayner asked.
"Yeah," Sora responded. "I'm glad, Roxas and Riku worked together."
The game continued on with each team making their goals fairly, Riku not having to worry about Xehanort. When the buzzer rang, the scores had been tied.
"Shit." The snow-head cursed under his breath, looking at the score board.
"Well it looks like the Tiger Lilies and Waves have tied the game at twenty one points," The announcer reported. "Now we'll have to go into a golden goal! This means that whichever team makes the next goal will be determined as the winner!"
"This is so iffy, it's making me tremble!" Demyx shivered.
"But look." Zexion pointed toward the field.
Sora had gotten up from the bench and walked onto the blitzball field. "Roxas, I can come back in and-"
"Take me out instead," Selphie told him as she approached the two. "Roxas is your failsafe Sora."
"Alright." Sora agreed, watching Selphie walk off the field. He felt someone place a hand on his shoulder. Turning around he saw Riku.
"You're okay, right?"
"Yeah, I think I can make this last goal for the team."
"Okay, I'll be at middle line," Riku said. "Roxas, I want you to get behind me and Sora will be a couple yards behind you," He turned to the rest of the team. "Star formation!"
The defenders got into the ordered position, getting into the other four points of the star with Roxas as the top point. Sora was in the middle pentagon.
Riku saw Xehanort approach the middle line.
"Don't think I'll fall for this," Riku told him. "We've figured out your weak point. You continually had Nobue at middle line because you knew you wouldn't be fast enough yourself, only being able to make a short stride for the ball."
"I underestimated you."
"I would've done the same if I were in your shoes." The snow-head grinned before hearing the whistle. He shifted the ball to the right, Rai and Seifer quickly blocking his path from Xehanort. Zack, Tidus, and Sora followed after Riku who moved aside for Sora to get the ball.
The three eventually fell behind, watching Sora kick the ball up in the diamond shaped goal.
"AND DESTINY WAVES BLITZBALL TEAM HAS WON THE GAME!" The announcer yelled, getting up out of his seat in pure excitement.
The bleachers began to roar, Sora's team mate's running into a group huddle with him.
"Well it seems we have something good to look forward to, huh Sephi?" Genesis licked his lips.
"Something good indeed."
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