Don't get use to me uploading this quick, I usually take longer.
-KH-
Two years have happen since then, the difference between the me from then and now, at least in power is like comparing day and night, that stance I use to practice has now become my permanent one, I learned the Thunder, Fire, Blizzard, and after bugging for long enough Master Eraqus, Stopra spells, After some study time (that's what I and Terra came to call it whenever we had to learn theory from Master Eraqus (uff… the horror!)) I learn that –Za level spells such as Stopza were really advanced, and if not prepare enough one could end up passing out, it came as a shock to him, that I only got tired and wasn't capable of using magic during sometime.
Right now though I was engaging in a sparring match between me and Terra.
CLANG!
I was sent sliding from the force of the attack, a meter and half, still standing thought, if people says that Terra cant pack too hard a hit, they haven't see him fight for real, I'm actually very proud of my blocking skills, seem as Terra is the only ones capable of pushing me back when I block (Master Eraqus doesn't count as he quite literally breaks through it), when Aqua figure out that she couldn't break it with physical force earlier today, she started throwing spell after spell, something I wasn't prepare for at the time, that's how it begun, after a while I begun to get the hang of it and was capable dodging them.
But when I started to get close, a few magical burst hit me, she saw I was open so she threw more spells as she reduce the distance between us, and got a few physical hits with her Keyblade when she got close enough, the Master called the match them, little after I figure out she had use magical mines.
When she faced Terra, he didn't even manage to get close, thought he had seen our match and had an idea of what he should do, he was just not fast enough making it impossible for him to avoid all her spells, it was a slowly but surely win for her, that made:
Aqua=2
Xander=0
Terra=0
Master Eraqus said it wasn't a competition but… me and Terra couldn't look at it any other way, that being the reason why we been at this for more than two hours.
"Aero!" I shout, I use to study physics (I still do just not as much), and if what I try works it could put the battle to my advantage.
Terra quickly raise he's Keyblade in a defensive manner and steadying his position expecting the gust of wind that the spell usually do, he and Aqua (who was watching the battle alongside the master) seem surprise as the wind seemed to flow through my body not around it like the master had shown us before either.
It all happened in a second.
Terras's eyes widened along with Aqua's, Master Eraqus remain stoic but I could discern the ghost of a smile in his face, I had pretty much disappear from where I was standing and reappeared just in front of Terra, his guard broken.
I had successfully broke Terra's guard, but not only that I had broke his balance too if his feet parting from the ground was any sign of that, I still had some momentum and I planned on using it, spinning once more taking advantage of my already high momentum I manage to plant hit in the lower right part of his torso, not losing time I begun to give slash after slash at him with my kingdom key, I had broke his impenetrable defense, and if he recovered he would most likely counter.
Something that is remarkable about Terra is his will, he literally force his feet to the ground planting it firmly in it, he had both of his hand in the handle of his Keyblade and swung with all of his strength at me, I (luckily so may I add) manage to spin in my heels and avoid the hit, I also spun my Keyblade now holding it in a backhanded manner trusting it back at Terra, who was about to swing his Keyblade at my left side, seems as I could (possibly) avoid the hit I tried to crouch while keeping the momentum of my Keyblade and succeed (by a hair) while Terra was incapable of avoid the stab at his head, now pushed back he falls to the ground knock out.
I stand again and put my guard up; Terra is tough so there was a chance that he could stand up once more.
"Stop! That is enough" until the master called it.
We them stand in front of him…
Well two of us did.
"… (Snore)… (Snore)…"
I could feel the greatest bead of sweat going down my neck.
"Maybe I hit him too hard."
"Did you use all your strength in that hit?" Aqua asks me, I nodded.
"That's good; he would probably make a fit if you had held back on him."
"Been honest I would probably do the same, I rather lose to someone at their full than losing to someone that held back, it would be kind of insulting."
"Well let's leave it at that for today, do make sure to rest up, tomorrow were finally finishing the theory of the Shotlock and begin its physical training, I hope you did the exercise I assign you, dismiss" he said and just like that he banished.
Next technique to bother him about: Afterimage.
"Hey Aqua, mind giving me hand with Terra?"
"Sure."
I started to pick Terra up an-
"Only if you teach me how to use Aero the way you did" she finished, I could get something out of this as well though.
"Fine, but you got to teach me the barrier spells as well, deal?" I counter giving my hand for a handshake.
"Deal" she said shaking my hand.
"Now give me a hand please, this guy is heavier than he looks."
-KH-
"Now tell me what you saw when I used Aero." I told Aqua, we were now at the great hall inside the castle, as I tried to explain the theory behind the move I used.
" When I heard you calling out the spell I thought you might try to take Terra off guard by using the gust of wind and try to lift his guard after, but then I notice the wind was controlled and was spinning around you, giving me the impression that you would try a 'give more than you take' approach"
I nodded, if I was in her position I would more likely reach the same conclusion.
"But I notice the wind was not around you in a barrier like manner, it was as thought it was a second layer of skin, and seem to flow all trough it"
"That's it pretty much what I did." She tilts her head to one side, obviously wanting an explanation.
"When using aero in an offensive manner you focus your mind in to create a force that push every way around you." (1)
She nods.
"When using it in a defensive manner, you concentrate into creating a strong current that diminish the force of impact and may even repel projectiles thrown at you."
She nods once more.
"I, knowing this both principles, tried to morph them together, concentrating the wind around my body but instead of using it as protection; I use the pushing force to give me more speed and momentum, I also manipulate the wind in the direction Terra was in, so that it pulled me towards him"
"The equation I think fits would be: MF+WF+PF=Momentum."
"… What?" she seemed confuse.
"MF: My own force, WF: the force the wind gives me, PF: the pulling force the wind around Terra gives, understand?"
She nods once more getting what I meant.
"Even with all that, it probably would be pointless if I didn't direct it at its guard weakest point."
"The teeth of the Keyblade."
"Indeed, had I hit the handle or its torso it would be pointless, he could have counter if I had, I have to give Terra some credit thought."
"How so?"
"He figure it out, and tried to reinforce his guard, but for once I was faster than his reaction time, and even after taking punishment, he force his feet's to the ground, and started fighting back."
"You still give a decisive blow, thought at the last minute you made a dangerous move" she said giving me a knowing smile.
"You notice then?" I'm not surprise she did; she can be pretty sharp herself.
"Yes, moments before giving Terra the final blow, he tried to counter, if he had hit you without you trying to crouch then, you would still have won, the force behind your strike wouldn't be affected that much."
"Mmhm, but if I had crouch and wasn't either fast or low enough, it would end in a one hit KO, Terra's strength is scary like that… well anyway why don't you give it a try"
"With only that brief explanation!?"
"I manage with less; you should have no problem at all."
She nodded, thought she seem uncertain.
"Aero!"
At first the wind went around her as a barrier and slowly started to go closer to her body, before she had done exactly as I.
"Did I…?"She asks while watching the wind flowing through her body.
"Yes you have, but is it exactly the same? That I doubt, try moving around see how your speed improved or more like if it improve at all."
She try moving and running around, and she did improve, quite a lot too, while she didn't beat me she was way faster than usual, she jumped and reached at least seven meters high, she seem as much surprised as I, when she landed she lost balance and was about to fall, but I reach her hand quickly enough so that she stabilized.
"Thanks."
"No problem."
"You think we could use it for more?" she asks.
"What you got in mind?"
"Well you said we could manipulate the wind around us, so perhaps we could manipulate it in to let in us remain above ground."
"It's is something we could work on, I can only imagine how draining that could get though so I don't expect we can use it right away even with the Keyblade as catalyst."
"A work in progress then?" she ask to which I nod.
"Well you did manage so… could you teach me the barrier thingy now."
"I guess I could try, what you need to do is to call out to the power within, gather it around you and believe that it won't break."
"Faith?" I wonder.
"Barrier IS a kind of white magic, so having faith is important."
"Barrier!"
A dome made up of hexagonal mirror like plates appears around me, Aqua seems to like the result but I wanted to make sure.
"Aqua, try breaking the barrier."
She didn't hesitate to and summon her Keyblade and swung it at me, as she did the barrier broke completely and I block with my own.
"Maybe you just need some practice."
"I guess."
"Well its kinda getting late maybe we should leave it at that" I told her, and she nods.
"Should we head back then?"
"Go ahead without me, I gonna see in the library if I find any physics book."
"'Kay g'night."
"Likewise" I said as we both parted ways.
-KH-
It was now morning and we all were call to the training field, were Master Eraqus told us the last bits about the Shotlock.
"Now that we have finished the theory, is now time to go to the practic- Terra are you okay?"
"Huh? Oh yeah, I just feel a little lightheaded." He said shrugging it off.
"Sorry, dude" I said knowing pretty well why he was lightheaded.
"Don't be, but when someday these rolls are backward, don't hold it against me either."
"Deal."
"Where was I? Oh right, we are going to put the knowledge in to practice."
He then summons his Keyblade and put his palm on its shaft and channels light energy into it, a few white orbs made of light energy appear before us little after.
"I trust you three been doing the exercise I assign you." He was more stating than asking.
"Of course" we said.
"Good then we'll start with a basic one, the Meteor Shower, Terra you're going first."
Terra stood in front of the orbs stance at the ready waiting for instruction.
"Now just as we had covered, focus in your targets, don't lose sight of them and channel that power through your Keyblade and when you release it don't stop and keep focusing, if you do well enough then you may be capable of doing a follow up" Terra nodded.
Terra seem to stare intently at the orbs before he started swing his Keyblade around and this little white spheres seem to come out of it and going straight towards the orbs, a quarter were destroyed, and a white field appeared around Terra and a few more spheres came out again going straight at the remaining orbs, he had destroyed half of the orbs.
"Good focus, little control and great power, all in all good for the first time, it's your turn Aqua" the Master judged.
Aqua did pretty much the same but more… graciously perhaps? It kinda gives me that impression, now the difference was that after the white field appeared more spheres came out and it lasted longer, she had destroyed just as Terra, half of the orbs.
"Good focus, great control but lacks power, again pretty well done, lastly Xander" the Master said.
Again the same thing happened, I didn't last as long as Aqua but did more than Terra, so I hope I did well, and only a quarter of the orbs were left.
"Good focus, good power and good control, it seems that today is Xander who shines." The master said.
"Finally, kinda was getting tired of being second always." This got a few chuckles from Aqua and Terra.
"Now we're going to focus in the unique kind of Shotlock." The master told us.
"Unique?" I wonder out load.
"One that only a certain person can use, this kind of Shotlock will be done by you and only you can do it."
"By us?" Terra asks.
"Yes, I will of course help you, but the main objective is for you to develop a move that goes with your specialty, an example for Terra, an attack that an opponent can't avoid, for saying something."
"Yes!" the three of us said.
We then began to train with meditation and focus and control exercises, Master Eraqus pointing us in certain directions and advices and after a few hours the master told us to step up once more.
"Terra you're first" the master said while he summons some orbs.
Terra nodded, and went to stand in front of the orbs; he took a few seconds before disappearing in flash of dark, and re-appeared just by the orbs and hit them all, he keep disappearing and reappearing when he was over, all the orbs had been destroyed.
"Good control, good focus and great power, very admirably Terra, how are you going to name that move?"
"We get to name it?" he wondered.
"Of course you made the move, so obviously you get to name it" the master told him.
"Sonic Shadow" Terra said without hesitation.
"Good, Aqua it's your turn."
"Yes."
Aqua then, stand a few meters away from the newly summoned orbs, she focused on the orbs and started to in a more gracious form than before spun her Keyblade around and send bubbles at the orbs, and after a great quantity of them were shot, a water based shield? (I think?) appeared and more bubbles were launched, all orbs were destroyed by her.
"…" I, Terra and even the master just watch her for a few seconds.
"…What?" she asks.
"Wasn't that just a water based meteor shower?" seems like I was the only one that snapped out of it.
"Hmp!" she said while giving a pout (I could feel this aura that made me shudders though, I don't know why), seems like Aqua took offense from that.
"It probably was better if I just had shut up wasn't it?"
Terra nods and says "Now she probably won't talk to you in a while."
"Well, anyway, great control, good power and great focus, very well done indeed, Xander is your turn now" The master said.
I stand just a few meters away from the re-summoned (again) orbs, focused in the orbs and before I could wave my Keyblade, I felt something weird, I didn't give it much thought and started to focus once more, now this time I fell it again but I didn't let it stop me, that was until I realize what it was…
Darkness.
My first instinct was to stop, I didn't even let the darkness form in a physical way so Aqua and Terra were confused at me stopping so suddenly, but a look to the master told me one thing, he was… confused?
"M-master I-"
"I know, keep going, this time don't stop."
"But!-"
"I cannot tell what's wrong until I see for myself." He told me with a smile.
"Right" I said while getting ready again.
I felt the darkness once more, but now I didn't let it stop me this time, and I sent a dark wave in an arc form a the orb I didn't stop there either, when I try to follow this time a warm and pure felling went through my arm, as I made the next wave and a light base wave came out instead, I didn't stop and end up throwing two more, they were dark and light in order too, and to finish things up darkness build up in my feet and a was expelled in a barrier of darkness that destroyed the orb that were in my way, the last orb was just in front of me and as I got to it I started to spin in my hells and gave a side way sweep with my Keyblade that was enhance with dark energy, I let the momentum move me a take advantage of it doing a 360 spin and one upward swing this time enhance with light energy, quickly I held my Keyblade still up with both my hands and deliver one falling swing enhanced with both dark and light energy, finishing it off, something was off thought.
"By the look on your face I guess you noticed too" I was so focus on the attack that had forgotten that I wasn't alone, I look at the master who had speak, while also giving a glance at both Terra and Aqua, they were surprise.
"Yes, there was something off about the darkness."
"Can you describe it?"
"Well I myself coming here through a dark corridor know pretty well that even I, a nobody, could fell the shilling cold embrace that promise nothing but pain and sadness" I will never be capable of forgetting that.
"But" the master inquired.
"This time it didn't fell like that, instead it is still like a cold embrace but not chilling at all it was more… soothing."
The master seems to be thinking it through, when he finally stopped he looked at me, and I wasn't expecting his next words.
"I see, to be completely sure of this I need to feel it firsthand, use your Shotlock on me."
"What!?" I wasn't the only one who said that, both Terra and Aqua said it as well.
"It seems as though your own darkness cannot hurt you or corrupt you, but what about others, darkness usually react to itself, for example if you used darkness with Terra or Aqua their own darkness would react too making it harder to control" the master lecture.
"I see, but wouldn't it-"the master cut me off.
"It would yes, but I'm a Keyblade master keeping at bay our own darkness is part of the job, this shouldn't be too difficult for me."
"Alright."
"Aqua, Terra go practice your Shotlock's while I help Xander."
"Yes…" they said (though they seem to want to protest) going off to the training field were the target practice were, not without giving me a glance and a reassuring smile while doing so, to which I nod.
"All right now do it again" the master said while putting up his stance.
"Hehehe…"
"What is it?"
"I, seen it for the first time make me realize that, my stance is pretty much the same as yours."
"Great minds think alike."
"Hehehe."
-KH-
We spent a little less than an hour on it, wave after wave he block it, it wasn't a though I wanted to hurt him but he told me that if he wanted to have a full understanding of my ability then he needed for me to actually try to hurt him, and so came the reason as to why I'm not holding back.
"Stop that is enough" the master told me.
I took a look around a found both Aqua and Terra sitting a few ways away in little hill watching me and the master.
"When you guys came?" I asked.
"I just got here, I got a little curious" Terra told me with a smile.
"A few minutes, pretty much the same" Aqua said with a smile also.
I nod to them and make eye contact with the master.
"So what is the verdict?"
"This is not a technique you should use on others" he told me with a serious face.
"Because?" better to know now, and work on it.
"Tell me how do you feel; does the darkness changed at all?"
"No, feels the same, why?"
"I thought perhaps you had some resistance towards darkness but it doesn't seem to be the case, rather it's more like you have almost full control over your own darkness."
"My own?"
"If you had resistance over all darkness in general then you shouldn't had felt what you did when you came to this world."
"But you have control over your own darkness, meaning that darkness in general cant corrupt you, it may damage your body but not your mind or soul, more impressive is that you can manifested in a physical way without been affected at all, many Keyblade wielders tried that and failed."
"But you don't posses full control, your darkness maybe incapable of corrupting you but it can indeed corrupt others."
"How so?"
"I could feel it your dark energy attacks tried to make my own darkness surface, per say it was trying to corrupt me, I'm fine because I can keep it at bay but others would have trouble doing so, that is the main reason why I can't allow you use it during practice with Terra or Aqua."The master told me.
"Master I think we could handle it" Aqua said Terra nodded to showing support.
"I am in no way doubting your capacity to control your darkness, but stimulation such as that can be more difficult that what you can handle perhaps further on, but now I simply can't allow it."
"This doesn't mean that you won't train with it, any training that has to do with darkness must be in my supervision and on my supervision alone, is that understood Xander?"
"Yes, Master" I said, understanding where he's coming from.
"That should be all for today, unless any of you have a question?"
"I actually have one" I said winning the attention of my classmates and master how nodded in approval.
"Why is your Keyblade different than ours?" Aqua's interest seem to have been piqued while Terra was smirking triumphantly…wait, did he?
"You little… you already knew!?"
"I actually been here longer than Aqua and the first time I summoned my Keyblade I noticed immediately" he said, the little… Aqua seems to notice I was bothered by this and got between me and Terra.
"H-how a-about we listen to what the master has to say X-Xander?" she said a little nervous by the aura of anger that seems to come off me.
"A Keyblade-"me and Aqua immediately center our attention on the master"-is the manifestation of our hearts (2), at first all Keyblades look the same as a kingdom key, but as time goes by and you grow so does your Keyblade until the time it has its first natural metamorphosis" the master told us, I couldn't help but wonder though.
"Metamorphosis?"
"Yes, a Keyblade can go through many kinds, there are two main types, those are the made metamorphosis that is done by replacing its keychain, or natural metamorphosis, that is when your heart grows and make your Keyblade change to reflect you and your battle style."
"The one you will end up using most and the one you probably want to master first, is the Keyblade's natural form, it is literally made according to your own style making it easier to use."
"The second state of the natural metamorphosis, it's a different matter tough, while the first mean grown of heart, the second it's your own Keyblade's recognition as a Keyblade master, it's the hardest to reach and for good reason, it's your Keyblade recognize you as a master then you ARE a master."
"As you can see my Keyblade its different as it has reach it last natural state, and unless I change it by replacing its keychain it will remain this way, that's basically a crash course of the states of a Keyblade" He then looked at the sky that had stated to turn red.
"It's getting late we should leave it at that for now, I'll explain more tomorrow."
As he walk away I end up staring at my Keyblade, Aqua doing the same, it took me sometime to snap out of it, but now I knew a facts that I didn't before, I could handle the darkness without problem, but seen the master remain unfazed by my attack hurt my pride a little, it just to be noticed how far away from master ship I am…
But it's not like there's any rush, before when I begun to train with Terra and Aqua under master Eraqus, the only thing I knew was that I didn't want to make the kindness that the master and my friends have show me to be for nothing, now tough, I realized what my goal is.
"In my home world we had a say about masters" I gave a glance at Aqua and then to Terra, they were staring at me waiting for me to continue.
"'A masters greatest joy is to see his pupils surpassing him'" I extended my arm and summon my Keyblade.
"How about we make pact, to make sure master Eraqus can feel that joy?"
It didn't last a second before the teeth of their Keyblades connected with my own.
"It will be a long way tough and a hard one too, so you guys better don't give up" Aqua jokingly.
"Who you think you're talking to, we're master Eraqus top students there's no way we'll do that" Terra said also joking.
"We're also his only students so what she said still hold meaning" I said playing along; we laugh for a while and looked at the stars before finally decided to go back to the castle.
Just like that time seems to fly by and two years went, and for the surprise of all three of us, we end up becoming seniors.
-KH-
(1): I not sure how they actually use magic, I believe that they use the Keyblade as catalyst and perhaps that simplify the process but, if I'm wrong don't mind telling me.
(2): I also think that this is how it works but I'm not sure either, and even if I'm wrong I probably will still use this logic, I would still like to know whether I'm right or not.
