Survival of the Cutest

Genre: Adventure/Romance/Humor
Rating: T for language
Disclaimer: The author does not, in any way, own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy. The following material is solely fan fiction, and purely meant for entertainment purposes.

Enjoy!

He was in trouble.

He stole another fearful glance at the ripped cheque.

Correction, he was in big trouble.

What am I going to do? thought an apprehensive Sora. He clutched both sides of his head while pacing around the abandoned cash register. His first instinct was to call his best friend, which he did the instant he pulled his phone from his pocket.

"Hello?" answered an all too familiar feminine voice. The speed at which relief flooded through him was incredible.

"Kairi," he breathed, "I need to come over. It's urgent."

"Code red?" she asked.

"Code red," he confirmed.

"I'll get the Disney movies and the pizza ready."

Sora faked a sniffle. "You're such a good friend."

"Oh, shut up."

1
Desperate Measures

When Kairi opened the door, Sora almost had a heart attack.

"Mother of Buddha," he gasped, taking a step back with a hand over his heart. "I am never going to get used to that," he admitted, walking inside her house for what could possibly be the billionth time. He took in its usual vanilla scent and immediately felt at home.

He then looked at his best friend and cringed. Her entire face was covered in some brown substance that hardened overtime, and her eyes were covered with cucumber slices. Overtime, his facial expression softened, and he chuckled lightly as he took a cucumber slice from one of her eyelids and popped it into his mouth. Kairi lifted the other slice from her eye and looked at Sora in disgust.

"You know that touched mud, right?" she asked. "And you just ate it. That's nasty."

"Says the one who has it all over her face," Sora retorted playfully, victoriously.

"Touché," said Kairi. She handed him the TV remote whilst walking towards the bathroom where she could wash her face and blush in secret. There was something about Sora in his work uniform that she found highly attractive. Since he worked at a sporting goods store, he was forced to wear a tight fitting red sports shirt with matching black shorts. It was simple, but it did well to compliment his fit figure.

Thinking such thoughts may have made it seem like Kairi had a crush on her best friend, but she didn't. She had gone down that road before, and she was sure not to travel it again.

Sure, his ocean blue eyes may have been alluring and his unruly chocolate brown hair could have been the most adorably messy thing in the world and his well chiseled features and healthy tan may have been irresistible, but all that was behind her now. Literally.

When she walked back into the living room, Sora shielded his eyes from the couch.

"Augh, it's hideous!" he shrieked with fake horror. "Put the mask back on!"

Kairi rolled her eyes and sat next to him with her legs sprawled across his lap –a proximity they were both highly accustomed to. "So, what exactly is the urgent matter?"

In response, Sora dug into the pockets of his shorts and tossed the ripped cheque onto Kairi's transparent coffee table.

Kairi blinked twice. "Well shit."

"I know," Sora groaned, rolling over so that his face was near her neck and chest, causing his next words become muffled. "What are we going to do?"

"We?" Kairi giggled. She began playing with his unusually spiky hair. "It's not my fault that you got fired from work. You should've been helping customers as opposed to texting in the warehouse."

Sora lifted his head up to look at her with a smirk. "Actually, you're to blame as much as me."

"Excuse me?" Kairi asked incredulously.

"Who was I texting in the warehouse?" Sora asked slyly.

Kairi turned red. "Okay, that's-"

"Exactly," Sora chuckled, poking at her sides. "You are now obligated to help me."

"Ew, no," Kairi giggled, pulling his wrists away from her weak spot.

Sora pouted at her. "Fine, then do it because you love me?"

"Gross," she teased. The doorbell rang. "That's the pizza," Kairi sung, skipping towards the door while digging for munny in her short shorts.

"Fingers crossed that it's that really hot guy from last time," Sora teased. Kairi rolled her eyes at him before answering the door.

"You know, if you keep ordering this stuff you're going to get fat."

"Ew," Kairi whined, "it's you."

"Yeah, yeah, as if I'm thrilled to see your hideous face," replied the delivery boy. He walked inside and tossed the pizza boxes onto the coffee table. He was tall, rather lanky for his height, and sported the same red hair colour as Kairi.

"How many times do you need to get depressed anyway?" the young man asked Sora.

The brunet greeted him with a toothy grin. "Nice to see you too, Axel."

"What is it this time?" asked Kairi's older brother. He spotted the cheque on the table and laughed. "Oh, you're screwed. Don't you need to help pay for your university tuition or something?"

Sora stood up and bowed before him sarcastically. "Thank you, Captain Obvious. Thank you for that completely new information." He proceeded in taking a pizza slice from one of the boxes and disrespectfully spoke with his mouth full. "I need a job!"

"You need a beer," Axel advised.

"Its noon," Kairi reminded with a disapproving hand on her hip.

"So?" Axel ran for the kitchen. "Here's my personal philosophy: somewhere in the galaxy, its midnight, so bottoms up!" He tossed Sora a can and began chugging his own. The brunet caught it with ease but didn't open it. "You're not drinking," Axel pointed out.

"Kairi's right, its noon," Sora admitted sheepishly.

Kairi patted his head appreciatively. "Aww, who's cute?"

"Me!" Sora replied like a child. He then looked at Kairi with an adorable pout. "Can't I just work at your place?"

"Sorry, my manager isn't looking to hire anyone for the summer," Kairi informed with dismay. "A lot of people have asked, but they've all been rejected. We have too many workers as it is."

"But it's a froyo place! It should be packed during the summer!" Sora whined. "Surely he needs to hire more people?" Kairi shook her head with disappointment.

Axel let out an obnoxious burp. "Whatever. You don't really need a job; you just need a lot of munny, and fast."

"So you're suggesting I rob a bank," Sora answered.

"Or you could become a male stripper," Kairi laughed.

Sora sent her a dirty smirk. "Kairi, if you wanted to get with all this, all you had to do was ask."

"Anyway," Axel continued, getting impatient with the unnecessary flirting, "I have an idea."

"Does it involve anything illegal?" Sora asked.

"No, shut up. Remember my friend Demyx? The one who moved to Twilight Town?" Axel paused to make sure the two were following. Judging by their nodding, they seemed to be doing just fine. "Well, he now works as an audio producer for some TV show. I think he can help you guys out."

Sora immediately looked at Kairi with a hopeful smile on his face.

"No," Kairi replied almost instantly.

"Aww, why not?" Sora whined.

"Because it's Demyx," came Kairi's reasoning.

"Hey!" Axel exclaimed, offended. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Hm, oh I don't know, maybe the idea of trusting you guys is just a little sketchy considering that you all used to be part of a gang called the XIII?" Kairi asked as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"That was like six months ago!" Axel claimed. "We are all changed men and women who have put our troublesome ways behind us."

"Oh I'm sure," Kairi replied sarcastically with narrowed eyes.

"Kairi please," Sora pleaded. "Just give it a chance. We'll hear what he has to say, and if it seems like a bad idea, then we won't do it. Please, Kairi." He held her by her elbows. "Just give it a chance."

Kairi sensed the desperation in his eyes and sighed. "All right, but the instant it becomes dangerous, we're out."

"Yes!" he squealed, lifting her off the ground. "Thank you, Kairi! Thank you!"

"Don't get too excited yet," Axel warned. "You need to get the job first."

"Yes, Axel, yes. We'll do anything," Sora eagerly agreed.

Axel took another swig at his beer before setting it on the coffee table. "All right. Meet me at your training grounds tomorrow at lunch then. See you there."

"Wait, why?" Kairi asked, clearly suspicious as her brother walked towards the door.

"You'll see," Axel replied mysteriously before kicking the door shut behind him.

Sora closed his eyes and took a deep breath, breathing in the familiar scent of grass, dirt, and trees that he had come to know since he was a child. He felt the warmth of the sun against his face and exhaled. He slid a foot in front of the other and raised his arms to form the stance he was most accustomed to. He then raised his blade towards his opponent and opened his eager eyes with a smirk.

"Are you ready?" Kairi asked, adjusting her protective gauntlet.

"Are you?" Sora taunted playfully.

Kairi smiled in return. "Don't hold back."

"Oh I won't," Sora promised.

Then he recklessly sprinted forward.

Kairi easily dodged his first attack by performing a back flip with ease. The instant both her feet planted themselves on the ground, Sora swung his blade above her head. She blocked it with her own blade, and the blades sang upon contact. When Sora stumbled backward, his best friend immediately switched to an offensive position and bombarded her opponent with many swift attacks, all of which Sora dodged with ease.

"What's wrong, Kairi?" Sora asked playfully in the middle of her attacks. "Not in the mood for magic today?"

Kairi smirked in return. Her key shaped blade began to glow bright orange at the tip. Sora waited and listened for the flame before deflecting it with his own fire. Kairi struck again, but this time with thunder. Sora dodged it by quickly sidestepping to the right. He tried to hit his opponent from that angle with a blizzard spell, but Kairi had already sent a current of air in his direction, causing him to fly backward. Sora managed to land on his feet, but not after receiving a few scratches from his previous tumbling.

Sora took a deep breath again and examined their surroundings. The training grounds they had been training on since they were fourteen had hardly changed over the years. It was located at the backyard of their masters' house, located on the highest hill of Destiny Islands. For the most part, it was full of grass and trees, but a large portion of it was covered with elaborately designed cement to create a circular shaped arena that was surrounded by large rocks.

"Come on Sora!" Sora's master, Ventus, cheered from the cemented stairway. His student wiped the side of his mouth before turning his keyblade a strange red colour.

The instant Kairi came running towards him, Sora sliced the air horizontally, causing the red spell to spread and hit his best friend before she could dodge it. She immediately slowed down in mid-air as if she were moving in slow motion. Sora took this opportunity to run forward and slash her, but he was too late. "Slow" was his most recent and weakest spell. It only lasted two seconds.

When Kairi broke out of the spell, she readied herself in a defensive position. Sora's blade then began to glow orange and red. Transparent roman numerals swirled around the edges in a circular fashion, and soon enough, they consumed him. He immediately began to move two times faster than he did before. His keyblade became a staff, and as he swung it forward like a windmill, he sent a series of powerful and quick spells towards his opponent.

All Kairi could do was dodge each attack by holding her blade in front of herself, taking a step back as each spell hit her with more force. She was nearing the edge of the arena, she was well aware of that, and she wracked her brain for some sort of evasive strategy.

"Kairi is more conservative and strategic with her magic," her master, Aqua, observed from beside Ventus. "Sora is much more impulsive and reckless like someone I know."

Ventus scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

When Sora delivered what could presumably be his final blow, Kairi's blade turned white, and a large dome immediately surrounded her, sending Sora flying backward, out of the arena, and into the trunk of a nearby tree.

"Woo!" Kairi cheered victoriously, "Ring out!"

Kairi's master, Aqua, immediately ran to Sora's side and began healing his aching back.

"Good job, Kairi," Ventus congratulated when he ran to her side. "I never knew your Reflega was that strong!"

Kairi blushed modestly. "What can I say? I've been practicing."

"That was a good one," Sora complimented hoarsely when he returned to the arena. He dismissed his keyblade in a flurry of twinkling lights. "A little cheap using my own attacks against me, but smart, nonetheless."

Clap. Clap. Clap.

"Bravo, Kairi. Bravo. And bravo to you, Sora. That was simply incredible."

All sights turned to the top of the staircase where Axel and Demyx were standing. As they made their way down to the arena, Demyx continued to applaud them.

"M-my apologies Master Aqua and Master Ventus," came the panicky voice of one of the household maids. "They just barged in without permission and-"

"It's okay," Ventus assured with a smile. "We know them."

"So do you think they have a decent chance?" Axel asked, pausing just before the arena.

"I think they have a more than decent chance," Demyx replied with a smile.

"What is this about?" Aqua asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"Well Sora here is in dire need of munny, and we know just how he could get it within a week's time," Axel answered proudly.

"So you're suggesting he rob a bank," said Aqua.

"Or he could become a male stripper!" Ventus chimed. Kairi high-fived him. They officially had the coolest masters ever.

"No, we suggest that they make themselves contestants on Survival of the Cutest," Demyx answered excitedly. "We start filming in about two weeks."

Aqua, Ventus, and Kairi busted out laughing. Sora, on the other hand, actually seemed to be considering it.

Survival of the Cutest was, by far, the most well known TV series that aired galaxy wide. It consisted of ten young couples, all of which had to face gruesome challenges in a simulated arena. Twilight Town currently had an abundance of teenagers and young adults, so naturally it was no surprise that such a show became an instant hit. Everyone knew the whole point of the show wasn't just for survival, but to bring out some drama amongst the contestants, and everyone loved watching drama unfold before their eyes live on the big screen.

Well, almost everyone. Kairi found it stupid.

"You told me Demyx worked for some TV show, but you didn't tell me it was the stupidest show known to man!" Kairi giggled.

"Hey!" Demyx screamed, offended. "It happens to be the most successful show in Twilight Town, thank you very much!"

"Gaining votes and winning money just by faking cuteness?" Kairi snorted. "That's just pathetic. And have you seen the couples on that show? They're all annoying, fake, and desperate. Who even watches that stuff?"

"Adults, young adults, teenage girls?" Sora responded. Then, in a secretive whisper, "And some teenage boys…"

"I think it sounds like fun," Ventus chuckled.

"It sounds dangerous," Aqua and Kairi said at the same time. Aqua smiled at her pupil. She truly saw a great deal of herself within her.

"It's not like they actually let anyone die in there," Sora pointed out. "The simulations were originally created for military use, so it's totally safe. Besides, we all know that the real point of the show is to get some drama and cute moments out of the couples."

"But that's our one crucial problem," Kairi mumbled. "Survival of the Cutest is for couples only."

Axel snickered and leaned an elbow on Demyx's shoulder. Everyone would thank him for this later.

Sora didn't even blush. "Girl, please. I know you, and you know me. We've been best friends since, well, birth almost. All we need to do is talk cute and hug a little and bam, insta-couple."

Kairi hugged one of her arms. "Sora, I don't know…"

"Come on Kairi. Why wouldn't you help your best friend in his dire time of need?"

"Because you see, normal best friends ask for things like movies, emotional support, and bail money. Mine asks me to join him on a lethal teen survival show as his pretend girlfriend," Kairi answered.

"I think it's a great idea," Ventus intervened.

Aqua elbowed the younger man and discreetly whispered a reminder into his ear. "You're being insensitive. Don't you remember that Sora and Kairi used to date?"

"I know," Ventus whispered in return. "This would be a great opportunity for them to get back together." Aqua pursed her lips together, now unsure.

"I'm going to say no," Kairi decided with dull eyes. The air immediately grew tense.

Demyx's smile turned upside down. "But Kairi, it only takes a week of filming-"

Kairi interrupted him. "No thank you, Demyx."

Sora took a step towards her. "But Kairi-"

"I said no, Sora," she said sternly. It came out as a warning. "I told you that the instant this became dangerous, I would back out. Please respect my decision." She then started walking back towards their master's mansion wordlessly.

Sora sighed heavily. He hated upsetting Kairi.

"Kairi, wait!" Aqua called out, but her pupil didn't stop.

He tried calling, texting, facebooking, tumblring, and skyping her for three days, but he got no reply.

He visited her at work on the fourth day.

Kairi worked at Brain Freeze: a successful self-serve frozen yogurt bar with a bubbly atmosphere. It was about a fifteen-minute walk away from her house and was located at the heart of Destiny Islands, thus attracting many young children and students from all over the island. The bar was circular in shape and had a lime green and hot pink colour scheme. In the center, the cashier/ bar/ topping station was also circular in shape. Various sized white bubbles served as lights in the center of the ceiling. Yogurt machines housing a vast array of flavours were built against the wall on the edges, and small tables for two were set up near the front of the store with beanie bag chairs for comfort.

"So are you and Sora still not talking?" Kairi's co-worker and close friend, Selphie Tilmitt, asked with concern.

"Nope," said Kairi, popping the "p" as she wiped the bar clean with a towel.

"Well it looks like you're going to have to," said Selphie, pointing at the curved wall made entirely out of glass.

When Sora walked through the door, Kairi immediately noticed that his right hand was behind his back and that he was dressed in a pastel blue button up and beige chinos. Kairi raised an eyebrow. This was going to be interesting.

"Hey," Sora greeted as he approached the bar.

"Hey," Kairi responded, clearly surprised to see him there.

"I'll be in the back," Selphie informed, already making her way there.

"What are you doing here?" Kairi asked, putting herself behind the cash register.

"Well, since you weren't answering any of my messages, I figured that I'd come visit you personally," Sora explained. He then brought his hand out in front of him, revealing a bouquet of purple hyacinths and a Kinder Surprise on a stick in the center. "My mom told me that the flowers mean 'I'm sorry' and I know that purple's your favourite colour and that Kinder Surprises are your favourite, so…"

Kairi ended his rambling by accepting his gifts with a warm smile. "Thank you, Sora. You are forgiven."

The brunet jumped over the counter and enveloped her in a tight hug.

"I'm sorry if you felt like I was forcing you," he murmured into her hair.

She smelt his cologne and sighed in delight. "It's okay."

"Aww," they heard someone from the back room squeal.

Kairi only rolled her eyes as she gently pushed Sora off of her. "So what are you going to do about the munny thing now?"

"Roxas tried helping me find a job, but no one's hiring part time anymore since the summer's coming to an end," Sora answered with a crestfallen expression. "So I really don't know."

Kairi pouted when she saw the panic in his eyes. The only option he had left was in Twilight Town, and she was holding him back.

"Sora," she started soothingly. "I didn't hear you out last time, which was pretty unfair on my part, so let me hear what you have to say."

"No, Kairi. I'm not forcing you again." Typical Sora. Always running from the problem.

"But I want to hear your side. Please," she pleaded. When he said nothing, she realized that she would have to be the one to ease it out of him. "Sora, you do understand why I refused, right?"

"Could you enlighten me more?" he asked.

Kairi chuckled. "Because it's dangerous," she answered simply.

"But no one's actually died on that show," said Sora.

"I didn't mean just physically, Sora."

Sora grabbed her by the shoulders and held back a laugh. "Wait, wait, Kairi. Are you implying that this might affect us emotionally?"

His redheaded beauty blushed. "I-I mean, the idea isn't exactly farfetched!"

He finally let out his laugh and shook her. "You are so cute!"

Kairi turned even redder. "This isn't funny!"

"This isn't some Korean drama, Kairi. This is real life!"

"Sora, people change in that arena," Kairi then said seriously. "You may be fit physically, but if you're sensitive, which you are, then you could get really caught up in the jist of things and turn into some sort of monster. You may never be the same again."

"Kairi, I am nothing but true to myself," Sora reminded. "I do what I want, and the matter of how I do it is highly dependent on my personality, which, as you can tell by my childishness, hasn't changed much. I'll be fine." He then gripped her shoulders tighter for reassurance. "You'll be fine."

"I don't know." Kairi pouted. "This is kind of a shot in the dark. There's no guarantee as to what will happen. What if you lose?"

"Then I lose, live life as a hobo, and live on your couch for the rest of my life," Sora answered with a cheeky grin.

Kairi rolled her eyes. "Sora, I'm serious."

Sora sighed. "I don't know, okay? I may be eighteen, but I don't have the answers for everything. I'll figure it out eventually. I'll deal with that problem when we get there, but for now, we shouldn't let the fear of missing keep us from shooting the ball."

Kairi pouted even more. "I guess, but-"

Two new customers then entered the premises, both blond in hair colour with smiles on their faces.

"Hey Roku," Sora greeted as his twin brother approached them with a girl on his arm. "Oh, and Naminé! Hey girl!" Sora greeted with a flick of his wrist.

"And as you can see, you're dating the more masculine twin," Roxas informed his girlfriend with a chuckle.

"Ha ha, funny," said Sora.

"You know what I find funny?" Roxas asked as he and Naminé walked over to the cash register. "The fact that you lost your job." Naminé elbowed him for being rude. "Okay, sorry! But really, this is what happens when you don't take your job seriously."

"You've never had a job!" Sora complained. "I'm sorry not all of us can get into Twilight Town University with a highly valued scholarship!"

"Calm down, Sora, we can fix this," his brother assured with calming hand gestures. He knew his brother was sensitive about the topic of their fast approaching post-secondary life. "I think we should really consider the Survival of the Cutest idea."

Sora smirked at Kairi but directed his question towards his brother. "Isn't it a great idea?"

"Oh no, we think it's completely barbaric," answered Naminé. Kairi smiled triumphantly.

"However," argued Roxas (Kairi stopped smiling at this); "it is the only option we have that guarantees the highest chance of success."

"You seriously think that participating on a fatal teen survival show guarantees more success than Sora getting another job?" Kairi asked with disbelief.

Naminé cleared her throat, put on her fake hipster glasses, and selected the calculator app on her phone. "According to our calculations, if Sora somehow manages to find a job now, he'll only get paid minimum wage. At this rate, he'll never reach his goal by the end of the summer. He has only made 1500 munny out of the 5000 his parents have requested, see?" Naminé turned the screen towards her cousin.

"It just says cosine-"Kairi started, but was rudely interrupted.

"However," Naminé continued, "if you and Sora, two of the three teenagers that can call upon the keyblade on Destiny Islands, join the competition, you could win a minimum of 6000 munny and a maximum of 10,000. Furthermore, to increase his chances of winning, it is highly reasonable to-"

Roxas interrupted her. "Babe, I'm sorry. Let me handle this." Roxas snatched the phone from her hands and cleared the commands on the calculator. "Here's what's going down bitches. Survival of the Cutest states that a maximum of 4 competitors from each world may compete in the competition with two guests per team to keep them company from the sidelines, so you will go with Sora into that arena to ensure victory while Naminé and I monitor you."

"Do I have to?" Kairi whined.

"Hobo, couch," Sora reminded jokingly with a half-laugh.

The upbeat Sora may have laughed, but his best friend could see right through him. Kairi could see in his eyes that he was terrified –not of the challenge, but of letting the opportunity slip away. Without this opportunity, this last chance, Roxas and Naminé were right. Sora had no chance. He'd stay behind on Destiny Islands until he could afford to leave. He needed this, and the only person standing in his way was her. As his best friend, she shouldn't have been holding him back. She should've been helping him grow, and if joining something risky was what it took to do that, then something risky was going to be done, just as long as Sora was happy. She didn't want him scared. She didn't want him upset for disappointing his loved ones. She wanted him to smile. Always.

With that being said, Kairi inhaled sharply and sighed. "Call Axel and tell him we're in. We leave for Twilight Town in two days."

tbc

Fun fact: This has been collecting dust on my computer for about a year now. I just reread it this afternoon, and I thought it was a shame to put it to waste. Was I right in making that decision? That remains to be seen lol.

The writing is a little different from what I'm capable of doing now and I'm not entirely confident in some parts, but I decided to keep 99% of it the same for reference. I hope you liked it, because I thought it was quite an entertaining read when I reread it! My old documents suggest that I have a few chapters already pre-planned, so I hope I can figure out the rest on the way with some input! Overall, the story shouldn't be too long. I'm guessing around ten chapters or so, give or take a few.

The reason I posted this is actually because I originally had another Adventure/Romance story in mind, but since majority of my readers are accustomed to Romance/Humor, I decided to bring this back to life for a test run. This does have more emphasis on romance and humor, but the easing in of the adventurous twist will determine the results of my upcoming story. However, I will admit that this concept is pretty farfetched and unrealistic. Hunger Games meets TFIOS and Twilight?

I'm totally kidding. Shh.

If you've read my material before, I know what you're thinking: what the heck are you doing writing this crap when you could be writing Teenage Wasteland? Good question. I'm in the midst of rereading it right now, and amidst the cringing at dat writing doe, I'm slowly but surely trying to get back on my high horse. To those of you who are still here, I truly appreciate your patience!

Please kindly leave a review to tell me what you thought of this hot mess, I apologize for any grammar errors, and I'll try to have the next chapter up as soon as I can!

Kyorii

PS. If you've purchased my book "Eighteen", I think around two scenes in this chapter may have been familiar to you. They actually originated from this story.