Love this fic. It's obvious by your writing style you're passionate about it. A shame I only have 19 awesome chapters to enjoy at the moment!

I've always been a sucker for stories that are really one big flashback while occasionally giving you brief glimpses of what is to come. I also like how you incorporate all of the FF and Disney characters and elements into the larger universe and their connections to the main characters. The romance aspect is very well written, realistic, and sweet. I'm also really digging the characterizations. That said, probably the biggest thing I'm looking forward to is Roxas' journey in becoming one of the "Galaxy's Keyblade Masters" like it was mentioned in the very first chapter. You've really sold his struggle between carving his own path and following the one his father laid out extremely well. I can't wait to get caught up with the present and see where everything leads. I hope you stick with this and we all get a conclusion!

Keep up the good work,
CG

This is so goddam good please keep it up

It's the end of an era! Last chapter of this little arc and you're really not holding back.

For Riku I got everything I basically wanted/expected to happen:
- His little emotional crisis when he faces against Sora (God, I hate to see it happen but also I've been waiting for Riku to finally be a bit more honest with the more negative side of him
- Him failing against Roxas b/c he was became off his game
- And more time with Amaya! Although you cut it off at the good part lol.

Let's be real, you put Roxas in a Struggle tournament with Setzer, we already know he's getting to the championship round. That being said, I like that little detail where he actually considers taking the bribe! If he lost at this moment, people might actually get off his back about being Cloud's son.

Then we got some nice moments with Sora and Kairi, which is always welcome. I loved how she made her charm then and there on the play island.

And then we have our girl Namine! I'm really glad she pulled a Kairi and snuck away from her father, not to mention Claire is a GOAT Aunt, I swear. Things are really starting to shape up between her and Roxas (if they weren't already)

Can't wait for the next one :D

I am torn. Roxas beating Nomura's Totally Original Character is a good thing, but hmm. On the one hand, I am sad we didn't get an extended scene of Roxas delivering a beatdown on not-noctis, but I am also relieved we didn't have to read an extended scene focusing on not-noctis.

Either way, ROXAS IS A WINNER (in general) NOT-NOCTIS IS A LOSER (in general)

So obviously there's a lot of stuff calling back scenes from the games, and with my current sourness and darkness regarding the franchise, I'm not entirely enthused by that. So, I'll focus on something wholly original to the story: the short scene with Namine and Tifa. In a meta-sense it's nice to have an interaction between two character who never have, of you actually using the Final Fantasy characters, and letting characters breath and interact with others instead of pigeonholing them into contrived groups they can never break out from.

But... it's also just a cute little scene. Namine coming out of her shell little by little with more new people. And Of course Tifa is understanding and forgiving of Namine, and is happy her son has a new friend that's already been a positive influence on himself. It might be a bit presumptuous to assume, but it's even possible Tifa sees a bit of herself (the anxiety) and Aerith (the kindness and free-spiritedness) in Namine. Just doing a lot with a little bit. It was nice.

also hell yeah for Kairi and Namine standing up to their dad. And for Lightning being the cool aunt once again. Can she and Hope just adopt the two; it might just work out better for everyone that way.

That was brilliant.

IM SO READY TO SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECHHHHHHH

Last chapter of the Guardian Festival I'm sooo here for it

skdlf;ja this flashback my heart T_T
I love the way you characterized all the kids first of all. You not only captured their voices, but also their perspectives extremely realistically. I felt like i was in elementary school again, watching kids race each other in the school yard
And that instant respect Riku has for Sora, and Sora's eternal optimism just hhhh inject it into my veins pls T_T

And then the transition straight into Riku's insecurities. GOD you captured that so well - all the frustration over the effort he put in, how responsible and well he's played everything to still come short, it was all extremely relatable and also really reflected his canon arc in KH1 soooo well T_T

Then you fffff use his quotes from Hollow Bastion are yo to tear my heart out?

I just love how you're able to seemlessly transition between POVs, from Riku's, to Sora's, to the general audience - it does a really good job of setting up all sides and helps flesh out the scene and add to all the grandeur of it!
And your fight scenes hhhhh the pacing is absolutely perfect this time around - a perfect blend of action and emotions. Even though not every action was described, I could feel the impact of every one of their blows.
I find the fact that Sora chose to back off at one point very interesting, and then of course Riku takes advantage of it. It's not a largely touched upon point, but it makes me wonder how genuine Riku's win even was then.
Hhhhhhhhhhhhhhh my Rimaya heartttttt when she calls out to him to make him stop I hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Squall is such a hard ass lmao, let Aqua kick him in the butt one of these days
I do love how unwavering her faith in Sora is though, she's been shown to understand him better than a lot of other adults we've encountered so far. Even though she agrees he's not ready, I feel like she's much more optimistic about the potential he has

lmfaooooooo Roxas with the "I don't lose either"
(I wish I had my Discord emojis skdlfj;as)
Omg I was legit worried for Namine there for a sec because her faking out caught me by surprise too! Lmaoo i love how she's slowly been growing throughout the story and finally begun taking initiative herself! And dragging Kairi along with her yaaaas

Can I just say I love how you captured Donald and Goofy? I can hear literally every line in their voice. I feel like a lot of authors tend to neglect their speech patterns, but you captured every single little nuance, and I just love seeing the Trinity Trio interact
The Sokai plsssssss inject it into my veins
I love that you're exploring how already complicated their relationship is with the love triangle. It's clear where Kairi's heart lies, but that doesn't stop her from feeling bad, which feels really realistic. I also love that this "love triange" isn't just a ploy for drama - it's here to develop all three characters organically which I'm already sensing
THAT FLASHBACK EXCUSE?
PALETTE I NEED ANSWERS KASDJF:OSIEJFOWIEJRFIWEJHGIOWRHJGUIWRHJEF:KL

I'm surprised Tidus is still relevant. Not complaining about it, but it makes me wonder if his role will expand in any way going forward, especially given how talked up his lineage is and how much we've alluded to his past with Namine
But he gets cucked lmaooooo
The interactions here with Namine and Roxas are so sweet. The affection between them isn't necessarily subtle, but they're at a place where they're comfortable and not feeling like they have to force themselves with interactions - a real testament to their growth. And I just love that it puts a pep in Roxas' step going forward to the final match

You know, at first I was surprised that we went Riku vs Roxas for this, but then I had flashback to Another Side Another Story and chillllllsssss
I loved the way you explored Riku's POV here too - so caught up with "being better" that he forgets the basic rules, which leads to his defeat. I thought it was an almost poetic way for him to lose, and also a great testament to why Roxas is so revered by SOLDIER here. It was awesome getting to see his talent on display, and how casual he was about everything which still garnered him the win

Tifa Nami bonding yesssss feed me moreeeeeee

I loved all the callbacks to KH2 with the setup of the championship match, though it was a little sad not seeing those lines coming from HPO, but I think the characters you chose here to replace them only fit too well.
And yep, I still wanted to punch Setzer in the face the whole time here xDDD
Seeing Sora being supportive of Roxas is everything tbh T_T Makes me realize how much I want to see more of their bond expanded on in canon

And of course Sora's first worry is where Riku is T_T I know Riku's been acting like a bit of an ass, but having a friend who sticks by you through the worst of your anxieties is hhhhhhhhh best bromance
xD Poor Sora. I know I'm technically in charge of how Amaya reacts to situations, but girl calm down, best big bro has got this
Omg I absolutely love how Claire keeps shutting Snow down xDDD MVP of the chapter tbh

The Sea Salt Fam at the play island hhhhhh i love it T_T I love the way you described the wonder in Namine's eyes as they approach it too, it makes it seem all the more magical
Fricking Axel lmfaooooooo I swear I cackle every time that dingus opens his mouth
Lmao Kairi "maybe in another life" little do ye know
Poor Xion, left alone to sulk xD Though I have to say, I do love SoKai/Haru moments .
And I love the way you went about the cave drawing in this AU T_T Having Sora draw himself all those years ago, and Haru carving Kairi in to keep the aesthetic ahhhhHHHH
I jsut need Sora carving the paopu arm hhhh
Also everytime you write out Haru trying to pronounce a new word my heart just akldjf;

SO MANY CALLBACKS THIS CHAPTER
Kairi making the Oathkeeper with Xion
And AHHHHHH the trophy callback scene, I absolutely LOVE that you did it with the Seasalt Fam here. Is2g if canon does something like this i wil CH
I also love that Roxas is officially calling Namine one of his closest friends ahhhh the development my hearttttt

lmfaooo Amaya calling RIku out "sorry for interrupting your daily brooding hours u dweeb" ka;djf
That flashback
IVE BEEN ASKING FOR ANSWERS FOR 11 CHAPTERS PLS GIB
I do love the combination of quiet awkwardness and respect that you capture between these two, it's absolutely perfect. They understand each other wordlessly, and though there's a bit of resistance, they both kind of implicitly realize how comfortable they are with each other
AND WHEN HE HOLDS HIS HAND OUT TO HER AHSISJR:FIWJF:SOIDJFSDLKFJL WHERE IS THE NEXT CHAPTER WHEREEEEE KSDJF:

OKAY
OKAY
YOU
CANNNOT
END THE CHAPTER ON THAT LINE

WHERE IS IT
WHERE IS THE NEXT CHAPTER IKSDIJF:IOWEJF:SODJKF;
* has stopped functioning*

I really like the added layer of jealousy, not only with Kairi but the "friendship" with Sora. It's tough feeling like you'll never be good enough, especially up against someone who doesn't seem to put in as much effort. But then you should think, do you really need to try so hard? I hope Riku can understand that life doesn't have to be a competition.

I also thought that the parallels between here and canon were really nice! The marbles, the shells, etc. And of course Haru is just adorable. I like how she pronounces Namine's name, lol

I bet you're excited to move past this tournament arc, but like you said, you definitely had plenty of good moments. I was happy when Namine "rebelled," haha. Snow really needs to chill, but I kinda understand why he's so protective. But Namine stood up to him, in a way, and did what she wanted! And ofc she and Roxas were adorable. Even her exchange with Tidus was an improvement for her, by saying what was on her mind!

"Anxiety is a funny thing," truuth

Lol alright so Sora has Cloud's memories and he is gonna tell Aqua. I am looking forward to what you do next!

I’ll admit, I didn’t have as much sympathy for Riku before as I do now thanks to something I read recently. Paraphrased, it goes “when something is consistently taken from you, you can smile and bear it, but it keeps piling up until you explode. When that happens, everyone around you is confused wondering where all this emotion is coming from. It feels like the world is against you and that you can either give up on your feelings and risk losing a part of yourself or keep stubbornly fighting against the norms.” That stuck with me. Riku’s whole thing really reminds me of this. Could be the same with Xion too, really.

I was rooting for Sora but I can’t say I’m that surprised that he lost. What I am surprised about is how much of a power boost Riku seemed to have gotten from it. I may sympathize, but someone needs to knock some sense into him lol. Especially with how he doesn’t seem to consider Sora a friends anymore. Like wtf this KH1 all over again. XD But heck yeah, Roxas won! Knocked some sense into Riku, proved himself, and doesn’t have to do anything he doesn’t want to.

I’m so glad Naminé and Roxas are back. Claire is the real MVP, I love her and I wish she was around more. I was half expecting Amaya to start drawing paopu fruits between Sora and Kairi because of how convinced she is that they’re in a relationship lol. And aww the marble sharing moment was so cute. Axel, life isn’t just about getting laid. Calm down. More Amaya and Riku stuff next chapter?

Awww that flashback T_T soooo cute

Sora is such a sweetheart OMG! I love him!

Ugh, Riku, stop being a jealous bitch! Haha I actually know where he's coming from though xD and I understand his frustration

Damn, that was intense...

Shut the fuck up Squall, Sora did great. I'm actually glad he didn't win and you gave Riku such a conflicted victory

Glad Yozora was beaten lol, but Roxas is using EZ Codes, you can't fool me xD

Sisterhood moment :3 yesss

Sora is so shounen, kawaiiiii

Aww YESS RokuNami fluff!

NO ONE UNDERSTAAAAAANDS! Haha, I had to xD

This revenge for canon Riku cheating by using the darkness during his and Roxas' fight lol

YESS bonding time with the mother-in-law! That's my girl

I seriously don't like KH version of Setzer xD

Awww Kairi hugging her future brother in law is so adorable :3

Ooof, screw you Jecht

lol Axel the horny piece of shit xD

LMAO fucking Axel, it's impossible to hate him

Sora is husband material for sure

Aww there she is, my jealous Xion!

Naminé and Roxas are in a shoujo manga on their own haha, I love it. But I do feel bad for my girl Xion

Jesus, Riku, you're too young to hit rock bottom lol

Oh boy, contacts hurt my eyes xD I admire Riku for being able to fight wearing them, but he looks way hotter with glasses anyway

Terquaaa!

Broooo, what a nice chapter's ending line!

You did it sis! Congrats! Writing fight scenes is sooo hard, but you put it off so nicely! :D

namine will snap at her father in the next chapter.

I have to admit I don't like it kairi I can't stand her she is insensitive and silly she knowing that riku likes her she stands like this with sora even taking into account that she likes riku I can't stand her kairy becomes so ignorant and for her his friendship will be harmed for not understanding that, I know I want to support him but he hardly sees that dayo is taking hold (I like the kairy story it would be serious one of my problems (well I am not a lover of putting oc in the istories of known istories I hope that the new character does not end with riku) I hope you do not mind my comment the istory this good maybe read me more kiero see more of roxas namine and xion that triangle if I'm interested :3

I’m really excited to see how roxas and naminé will become comfortable being more intimate again.

Oh that's some bullshit, stopping the chapter at the fight that's been building up for a while now lol. Granted it's like the best spot to end the chapter, but god dammit how dare you blue ball the readers like that. Speaking of fights, I do want to talk about them since they're obviously the focal point of this chapter.

I like the decision you made to have Riku's fight happen off screen. We all know that he's going to win, so the fight he has with Braig doesn't matter, what matters is his bout with Sora in the next. The rest of the fights are paced pretty well, no one overstayed their welcome. Not to mention the fight itself isn't the focal point of them, it's the characters behind it. Text isn't exactly the best medium to do fights in, I feel like you understood that and put more effort into what the fights mean for the characters within them.

Going down the list, it's important that Tidus lost that fight b/c it shows that Selphie is more focused on her reputation because of it. Roxas finds camaraderie with Vaan since they both want the prize money to become gummi-pilots, not to mention that little seed you planted about Roxas losing control. Vanitas acts as an obstacle, both literally and metaphorically, to Sora's growth. Finally, Roxas going up against Seifer feels like Roxas' final attempt at making him understand that he will not join SOLDIER in any way, shape, or form.

All that's left, at least from what I'm picking up, is Sora Vs. Riku and then Roxas Vs. whoever wins the former fight. Tbh I'm still up in the air about who will win, only b/c both sides have something to prove.

And while she played a minor role in this chapter, I don't want to ignore Namine's part in this chapter. I'm gonna play devil's advocate here a bit, I think it's somewhat understandable that Snow does not like Roxas. It feels like less of him protecting his "little girl", and more the fact that both Roxas and Namine have gone to lengths to hide any relationship they have, whether it. However, Snow has shown that he can be a bit over protective of Namine, something that she wants to move past. Snow sees it as her going through a rebellious phase and changing for the sake of Roxas, but how I see it, Roxas is helping Namine by bringing the best out of her. She may not realize it, she's changing for her own sake.

That being said, being Cloud Strife's son certainly does paint a target on ones back. It's part of the reason why I understand Snow's motives, it's just that he may be going about it the wrong way.

Ah yaaaaas an update for my current favorite long-running fic eeeeee

Annd we start the chapter off with Riku crushing it, only to see him return to being a lil bitch lmaoo
Sora's your friend you dingus, be nice
(god I wish I could code more emojis in ffn reviews)

Ooh, a fight between Seifer and Tidus :o
It was an interesting dynamic between the two for sure - Tidus seemed to be a bit more the crowd favorite, especially given his legacy. But Seifer came out on top, a surprise but not really? to all
I find it interesting that even Namine felt bad for him, especially given their history with each other - I wonder if there's some development to be had from this?

Oof, and we go straight into the next scene with Tidus getting ripped to shreds
ngl, I think a fight between Kain and Saix would be pretty interesting to see xD
God, Selphie is so over-the-top, but I'm really glad she got called out over here, though I don't think it'll lead to much development for her. I DO think that some of the developments with Tidus in particular though are interesting - what's got him so out of it? And he seems to have some guilt over Namine still, which makes me more curious to see if there'll be any future interactions between the two of them
so many questionssss fff

friggin axel lmaooooo
Amaya covering Haru's ears got a good chuckle out of me xD
Ah, so Roxas and Namine are still in their rough patch it sounds like :/ I hope they're able to resolve things sooner rather than later here
Gah Snow is so overbearing. I mean on the one hand I get it, but I take Kairi's side here - Nam is not a four year old! I really hope he starts trusting his girls soon, though I feel like it's going to be a little while before that happens

Ugh and he just gets worse
I mean, again, I get where he's coming from, he just wants to protect her
But at the same time, he's stunting his daughter who's barely coming out of her shell even further and akjd;fjsdf I just feel like people should be required to take parenting courses, this is how you get your children NOT to trust you
That "okay" at the end of the scene definitely sounded a bit foreboding

oooh some FF12! I need to go back and finish that game lolol, but the sky pirates thing is a nice throwback
It was cool to see Roxas in action too - we've heard a lot about his prowess as a fighter so far, so to actually see him use his skills was really neat! I wonder how this will affect Snow's opinion of him...And Namine swelling with pride for him was super duper cute

*shake eyes emoji* (GOD FFN NEEDS EMOJIS)
Bro matchhhhhh
omg yes the PuPu referencesssss
I just love Kairi and Haru's relationship and how it keeps blossoming throughout the guardian festival, it's too darn adorable
Lmaoooo tbh I was in Axel's vote for a second xDDD Poor Vani has no one on his side but at the same time I can't blame everyone else for choosing Sora lolol
Vani's "Too Slow" gave me flashbacks oh god
Hehe I had a feeling Sora might win, but I loved the way you portrayed the way he struggled, Vani's cockiness, and the way Sora was able to turn the tables - it was an extremely satisfying mini-arc in a way, though I'm interested in seeing if this develops into even further sibling rivalry between these two

Squinting my eyes at MX's appearance here -_-

You know, despite Riku being a bit of a bitch here, I'm happy to see some SoRoku bromance shine. I feel like they haven't really gotten too many moments so far in the story, so seeing them get to be the good friends they are and supporting each other here is really sweet, and I'd really love to see more moments of these two in the future
Seriously someone give bbby Sora a hug tho T_T

Panelo vs Yozora has got to be the most interesting combination of characters I've ever seen lmao
PFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFffT "Sorry but I don't lose" my eyes literally rolled into the back of my head lmfaoooo

d'aww my heart just swelled reading Tifa coming after Roxas T_T God I love her
Roxas vs Seifer *shake eyes*
Hhhhhhh THAT FLASHBACK THOUGH? SORA IS SEEING CLOUD'S PAST EXCUSE?
My brain sdkfjs;df
I'm VERY curious to see why and how this is happening
I also find it interesting that you used a scene from FF7R for it too...amazing how perfectly you were able to tie that in :o

ROXAS HAS OATHKEEPER AND OBLIVION TOO? HOW MANY SWORDS DOES THIS BOY HAVE STACKED UP AT THIS POINT LMAOOO
oooooooooh Seifer i Ngl it felt really good seeing Roxas stick it to him lolol

I can't stop thinking about Rufus' pants tbh

oOoOoO a pilot SOLDIER? Innnnteresting, I'm curious to see that concept revisited in the future tbh - something tells me that this isn't the last of it, especially given all of Roxas' internal struggles with his future

Annnnd a SoRiku fight to end things...or at least the beginning of it ahhhhh

Overall, this might not have been my favorite chapter, but it certainly wasn't bad either. There were a lot of really interesting character developments here and definitely a lot of necessary set up for what's to come - which is stuff that I'm super stoked for!
I have so many questions akjf;sidjfslkdjfsd;if PLS FIND THE STRENGTH WITHIN YOU TO UPDATE THIS SOONER RATHER THAN LATERRRRR

Not the cliffhanger! Ooh I’m so torn between who should win, though I think I’m leaning towards Sora more atm. Snow is being a pain rn. Like yes, you do have a point, but at the same time, kids are supposed to make their own paths and you are just supposed to be a guide for them, not completely stop them from experiencing life.
Also, guessing a plot twist: None of our main people win, it’s Yozora. I genuinely wouldn’t be surprised if that happened lol. I like that edgy line of his that you included, I laugh every time I hear it.
I’m only in the beginning part of ff7 so I did understand that Cloud flashback scene but I don’t know why Sora experienced it. Is it supposed to be tied to his keyblade? Don’t answer ofc lol. These chapters are like an event to me and I don’t really have any complaints about them.