So this was written within a few minutes. It'll have a continuation later on… I actually got the inspiration for the next one-shot in this little theme, which will focus on the original game, before I could think of this one. I'm sorry it's a bit scattered; it's about 1 AM my time and I tried my best. I want to upload this now because I know I'll get no chance to tomorrow.

Full of hinted TerraAqua. Set pre-BbS, and pre-Ventus. This was kind of a reference to when Terra randomly in-game says something along the lines of "I used to be all about getting stronger" blah blah blah. Since there was no sense of Terra-transition along those lines in-game… This is how my tired mind interpreted it.

Please, enjoy!

How I Taught Her

I taught her to fish.

It took an entire morning, and Aqua didn't actually seem all that excited about it, but it was a day that Master Eraqus was "visiting" his friend Yen Sid, so I guess she decided to humor my bored mind. With no other apprentices around, we were stuck with each other. And it just so happened that our shallow streams were deep enough to harbor some smaller game fish. So I picked up the hobby when I wasn't training-Eraqus said it improved my focus and I thought it helped with my strength, so I wasn't just wasting time. But I was tired of being alone.

"See, then you bait it-just like this," I said, demonstrating before handing Aqua the live bait so she could try it herself.

She made a face. "Um, could you do it for me this time? I don't think I…understood…"

Typical female behavior. I hooked the bait for her and handed her the rod. "Ready?" I asked, a trace hint of irritation beginning to show in my tone.

She cast well enough, all right. Technique was nothing Aqua couldn't handle; she was incredibly mature for her age. I'd never admit it, but she very well might be more mature than even I am. In fact, her maturity generally meant she never flinched from something as 'gross' as worms and bait fish.

"Hey, Aqua," I began casually, nudging her elbows into a less awkward position so she wouldn't break her arms if she actually managed to hook something.

"Yes?" she responded.

"Well, it's just that I, uh, never really would have pegged you as the squeamish type," I shrugged.

She laughed. I'd complain at her over how girly and bubbly her giggle was later, leaving out the part where it twisted my stomach into complicated little knots.

"I'm sorry," she chuckled, "was I being selfish? I've been waiting for this opportunity for weeks."

That was weird, coming from her. She's been wanting to go fishing for weeks? Shouldn't she have been building her tolerance for slimy things?

"Well, you know I've been working at trying to form a full Barrier for a long time now, and I just can't get it right. So I asked him, and Master Eraqus said I was too self-reliant," she explained. "He told me that instead of 'making an attempt at the role of perfect apprentice' and studying the spell from a book, I would do better to learn how to ask for help, from someone other than him. You're my only peer, so… I've been waiting for something I could ask you to help me with. Sorry, Terra."

I might've liked the fact that she'd been paying so much attention to me for weeks, but that the Master would put her up to something like this and that she would knowingly have to look for something she didn't top me in…. Outraged at what I was sure was her jibe at my fate as second best, I stormed away, dropping my line and kicking over the cans of bait as I went.

I didn't talk to Aqua for two days. The morning of the third day of my "Snob-Girl-Hiatus" saw me awake early, to find her just leaving her room for breakfast. Her eyes were bloodshot and sagged with dark circles. She made a weak attempt at a smile and retreated towards the safety of her bathroom.

I didn't make eye contact the whole day after that first meeting, though I did spend an admittedly generous amount of time worrying over her apparent sleeplessness. But I was determined to show her that I did not need the blue-haired nuisance. I had no dependence on her whatsoever.

And I didn't…until that night that would change everything.

As I was headed to my room to prepare for sleep following a hard day of training. I was pleased at my physical strength, which far surpassed Aqua's and was approaching the level of my Master's. Ever since Aqua had shown up and wowed us all with her prowess, I was determined to be strong for strength's sake. I could feel my proximity to my goal now.

Then, all of a sudden, the very air around me buzzed as the earth shook with a violent tremble. I heard Aqua give an alarmed half-shout from the other end of the hall, not too far. Looking at her, I could tell she was about to fall. I ran for her, the ground still quaking as I went, and tried to steady her, a feat that was difficult because she kept looking up with her arms held out widely. She stumbled suddenly and made me trip, and I landed on my back a few feet away.

I guess I must've decided to wait out the earthquake from my apparent safe spot on the ground. I could see a weird shadow on the ground around me-I wondered what could make such a shadow-I heard a loud rumbling but failed to connect the pieces-

"Terra!"

A shimmering light spun around me, forming what was no doubt a Barrier spell. I gasped; this Barrier was as perfectly formed and as strong-looking as though it had been conjured by an old and experienced spell caster.

Somewhere along that train of thought I got the sense to look up. There, resting against the Barrier, pushing against it as though determined to fall in its allotted path, was a huge chunk of the hall's ceiling.

It took a minute to register what had happened. Aqua released the Barrier just as I dashed out of the way, and the rubble crunched to the ground, along with other pieces of wall, ceiling, and unidentifiable stone structure that I hadn't noticed 'till now. I stared at the blue-haired wonder for a long moment until she let out a half-hysterical bubble of laugh that sounded akin to a relieved shriek.

"Terra," she breathed, a smile on her face.

"Yeah," I said with a grudging smile. "You…You finally mastered that spell, huh?"

I stood, turned away and was about to leave her to go sing her own praises to Master Eraqus when light, running footsteps approached and two thin, shaking arms wrapped around me from behind. She pressed that warm face against my chest when I turned back around to face her in surprise.

"I'm so amazed," she whispered. "You gave me the key I've been looking for all along. I needed you to help me learn to truly care about someone else. And I've finally done it."

The only thing my bewildered mind could think to do was to command my arms to embrace her tightly, comfortingly. Then I realized that I was shaking, too.

As we stood there, suddenly two broken pieces of the same glasswork, I was glad for the first time in my life that Aqua was the better apprentice.

END: "How I Taught Her"

Thank you for reading.

-RSS