Peanut

Ven never answered Namine's question, too into the match. It was an intense one to be sure. As it went on longer, it seemed like the two of them were able to predict the other's moves, as if they had done battle before. Ven watched it all with wide, excited eyes, cheering for both sides until the point where Zack made his final move: When Aqua cast a magic spell and Zack was in close range, he dodged the spell, kicked her feet out from underneath her and put the edge of his sword by her neck to end the match.

Ventus leaned forward on his seat, eyes wide at the unmasked contestant. "That's Zack!" he gasped mostly to himself. He remembered Zack and how they met at this very coliseum before. They fought off Unversed together and while Zack wasn't the best fighter, he had potential. Apparently he improved his skills over the past few years, dodging Aqua's spell and charging at her with his sword.

"At least it's not a 'no'," the soldier said. He lifted one of his hands away from his sword, placing it on his helmet. He remembered those words from long ago, which meant that Aqua had to remember him as well. And just to be straight with her, he took off the helmet and tossed it aside. "How about now?" Zack asked with a brighter smile. "Now I'm not some creep with a helmet asking you on a date."

"I wouldn't let down my guard if I was you," Zack warned then, jumping back and holding his sword in front of him with both hands. He could have taken advantage of Aqua in that moment, but he wanted to win this fight fair and square. "What do you say?" Was she up for his wager?

"If I win, you have to go on a date with me," the soldier said with a bright smile. "And if you win, I have to go on a date with you." It was a win-win for him, since he wanted to get to know this girl since the first time he laid eyes on her. Today wasn't the first day that he met her; in fact, he met her when he was just a wanna-be hero.

The soldier quickly drew his sword, easily blocking the smaller Keyblade that came his way. Considering the sheer weight of his sword, it was no wonder Aqua's made little impact. Nevertheless, he humored her, pressing back against her blade with some pressure. "Would you like to make this more interesting, Keyblade Master?" he inquired.

The soldier confidently walked out of the other side of the arena, a silver helmet concealing his face. He wore black pants and a knitted black shirt that had no sleeves, which greatly complimented his toned arms. His large Buster Sword was on his back, attached until he was ready for the fight. He waved to the audience, smiling for more reasons than one. ...He knew this warrior in front of him, and she hadn't aged more than a year over the span of over ten.

"Yeah Aqua!" Ven cheered, letting out a shrill whistle after his call. She had this in the bag for sure. Yeah, she was facing the helmeted guy who nobody else could beat, but he mainly relied on physical attacks while she was more focused on magic. It would be close, but Ven believed Aqua would come out on top.

Lightning smiled weakly in appreciation, wrapping one of her arms around Riku's back. She did look forward to the day when she could walk independently, but needing help wasn't too bad since it gave her an excuse to be close to Riku's side. Leaning on him physically was a reminder of how she could also lean on him emotionally without fail.

Light nodded in agreement, witnessing others rise to their feet. She set her hands on the table and pushed herself up along with them, stepping back and over the picnic bench before her hands returned to her sides. The pain in her legs was gone, but there was weakness present because of the lack of use they got and because of some of the effects of Cedric's bullets. She'd have to work to regain full strength, but that was much better than what she was facing a week ago.

Lightning said a "good luck" along with others at the table, the teen having faith in Aqua. Aqua mentored her in magic for a while at Disney Castle and taught her other techniques useful for a fight. Seeing her skill firsthand, Lightning knew that Aqua had a good chance of winning the entire competition.

Ven heard the bell ring, and he glanced back at a clock. "Looks like it's time for the semi-finals," he said with a bright smile. He was excited to watch them, even if he wasn't going to participate himself. At least he could watch Aqua fight and hopefully win. Even if she was forced into it initially, he knew she would put her all into it. She always did devote herself completely to whatever she did.

"I'm not like Sora," Roxas smirked, catching the brunet's attention. "I can sit still for more than ten minutes." He heard Sora give out a "hey" in protest, but his smirk remained. They all knew that it was true. Roxas was a lot more patient than Sora was.

"Bummer," Roxas said as he lifted a hand and rubbed the back of his head. "I'd offer to go in with you, but I think I'm more of a distraction than anything." He looked over at her and smiled weakly, finding truth behind his own words. She tried to keep him occupied when he was in that room instead of getting too deep in her own pieces.

For some reason, Roxas fought off a blush. He was used to getting feelings of warmth when he looked at Namine, but when she looked at him like that in return... He chased the thoughts away by bringing up a conversation with her. "So, you, uh, get any further with that clay project?" But of course, as soon as he said it, he realized that was a dumb question. He was with her when she last worked on it.

Roxas snapped out of his thoughts, looking over at Namine. "I'm good," he responded with a brave smile. I'll just have to work harder, he decided to himself. I'll get stronger and come back again. And once I win, I'll know I'm strong enough to keep her safe. And then... And then what? Would he have the guts to tell her his feelings then?

Roxas too witnessed the kiss that Riku gave Lightning, though he was smart enough not to giggle at it. He was on better terms with Riku now that the fighting with Xehanort was over, especially since Riku apologized for his secret keeping and what it cost them. Roxas was mostly worked up now just because he hadn't been able to protect Namine back then. He worked and trained hard at Disney Castle, but it hadn't paid off today. He made it into the third (of five) rounds and lost like everyone else except Aqua did.

"You impressed me in the sense that you made an impression," Lightning smirked. She reached an arm across her stomach, lightly poking Riku in the stomach. He impressed upon her that he was the same Riku from back on the Islands: he sought to impress a lot of girls back then and could get cocky with it. He hadn't completely outgrown that part of him--that was what he showed her today. But at least the cockiness and pride was harmless today.

While Sora spoke of Ven and his match against Hercules, Lightning leaned closer to Riku and spoke only to him. "You really should have been more focused on your matches, you know," she stated softly. "You could have gotten hurt." He told her to always stay focused during a fight, but Riku was so busy trying to show off fancy footwork or flashy moves that he was left open to the opponent's sword a lot of times.

"You were too busy showing off to stand a chance against him," Serah laughed, elbowing Riku as she sat on his one side. She looked across him and saw Lightning smirk in agreement, but other than that, she kept her mouth shut. There was no need for her to say it, since Serah just vocalized her thoughts.

"But seriously," Sora was groaning. "A previous champion knocked out that early in the tournament? This one's tough." He was disappointed with himself, but at the same time, he was amazed at the strength of all the warriors. This was the coliseum's most intense competition in years, so it made sense that everyone was strong. He wished he could have competed longer, but he lost to an honorable fighter in a helmet.

Lightning slowly lowered her arm after a moment, simply holding Riku in a light embrace. She was comfortable in his arms--a safe haven for a person like her who almost always felt like she was in a battle. She rested her cheek on his shoulder and breathed evenly, soaking in the comfort without even realizing that she was falling asleep on him.

Light hummed quietly, setting one of her hands on the back of Riku's head to keep him close. They found one another in the darkness. She wouldn't have thought it was possible but that was how it worked out. And now she knew that if she ever fell into Darkness again, he'd be there pulling her out of it.

Lightning smiled softly at the nickname--one that she often protested before. But today, she didn't fight it. "You found me," she said quietly. He was key in bringing her out of the darkness the plagued her the past week. As much as he claimed that she was a light to him, he was also a light to her.

Light smiled softly at the small kiss, her eyes remaining shut as she placed her chin on Riku's shoulder. She was glad to be here with him, even if she couldn't walk yet. Just knowing that someday she could walk by his side again was enough for now.