Alright, chapter 2 time.
Disclaimer: Blah
-A-D-
The Tower of Trials
Chapter 2: Mathmagical Analysis
The tower took less time for them to explore than any of them thought it would, mostly due to only the first three floors being open to them. The doorway to the fourth floor was barred by a blue door with the golden outline of a single five-pointed star on its centre. The doorknob wouldn't turn, and for some inexplicable reason not even the Keyblade would unlock the door.
Besides that, they found that the first floor of the tower appeared to mainly exist as a welcoming/sitting area. There was a stairway leading up in the second room, and both rooms were nicely decorated with rugs, loveseats, and armchairs.
The second floor was clearly designed as living quarters, outfitted with a kitchen, pantry with ice box, dining area, washroom, and a large bedroom.
The third floor, however, was one massive library. There were a couple of rooms off of the central location with long tables and whiteboards in them, but nearly every wall on the floor was lined with bookshelves.
"Look at all of these books," Yuffie said in awe as they entered the floor and began to look around. "There's got to be hundreds of them here."
"And look at these titles," Naminé added, pulling a couple down from the shelves. "Wrath of Khan: Tactics Used by the Mongol Warlord, 'Caution's Nothing Without Charisma: The Tactic of Intimidation Over Force as used by Edward 'Blackbeard' Thatch, De Re Militari, Firebrand: A Comprehensive Look at Flame Magic and its Usage in Warfare...this library is loaded with books on weapons, strategy, and historic analysis of battles!"
Sora was silent for a few seconds as he scanned some of the titles on another shelf, seeing much of the same thing as Naminé was. "Am I the only one getting the vibe that we're here to learn how to become commanders?" he asked the group at large.
"Ow, learning, my head," Roxas groaned, clutching his skull in mock agony. "The Spirit told us to party, remember? Let's go downstairs, leave this library alone until morning, and party."
"Forget partying for the moment," Sora said, glancing down at his stomach. "I just want some food. Who wants to help me cook something?"
-A-D-
It was a few hours later, after a long time spent eating and talking and drinking (there was a surprisingly large storage of pop in the tower, and a well-stocked liquor cabinet and wine cellar that Yuffie ventured to for a cooler), that the six finally allowed the entire day's events to wear them down to sleep.
It wasn't until they had returned to the sleeping quarters that they remembered that there was a problem with them. There were three large queen-sized beds in the room with hanging curtains around each, as well as wardrobes and vanities, but that was all in terms of bedding.
The six stared at the beds for a few seconds, and awkward silence falling between them.
Kairi coughed.
"Do you guys get the feeling that Mr. Adventure knows about how intimate we are and is toying with us?" Yuffie asked.
"Toying or not, I need sleep," Sora said, carefully massaging his face with his hands. "Come on, Kairi, let's get our armour off."
"Why were you guys still wearing it anyway?" Roxas asked, venturing into the room and picking the bed on the left to sit down on. "The rest of us got out of ours, and Naminé even went ahead and got dressed again."
"Considering that I was practically topless but for your cape, Roxas, I'm not sure why you're surprised by that," Naminé said with a sigh, moving to sit next to him. "Besides, compared to what the rest of us still have, theirs looks to be a pain to take off."
"You've got that right," Kairi confirmed, sitting down on the edge of the middle bed and letting Sora get to work at helping her peel off the body-hugging metal suit.
Riku and Yuffie had moved quietly to the bed on the right side of the room, and quickly began changing into sets of comfortable cotton and fleece jammies that they found in the wardrobes while Kairi kept up a quiet conversation with Roxas and Naminé about the differences she had so far noticed between her Chaser armour and their Acolyte armour.
"But how did you get it?" Roxas asked, more than a touch of jealousy in his voice.
"That's just it," Kairi said with a pondering look on her face. "I didn't."
Roxas looked at her, thoroughly nonplussed, as Kairi slipped out of the last piece, dressed in just a dirty white chemise and pair of black shorts. She didn't seem to be all that embarrassed, though, as she went to Sora's back to assist him. "Sora does have a theory, though, and it makes sense."
At her prompt, Sora looked up from taking off his gloves. "I think that the Acolyte armour actually evolves into the Knight armour," he told them. "One time when I tried to summon the Acolyte stuff, this came onto my body instead. You can see just how well it fits me, like it was made especially for me, and the same with Kairi's, but we've had absolutely no time to see anyone about making anything like this and we wouldn't know who to go to in the first place."
"So you think that the armour itself adapted to you and changed?" Roxas asked.
"I buy it," Riku murmured as he joined the conversation. "The only way it could possibly fit like a glove is if the blacksmith measured your body in detail, but like Sora said we have no idea who even made the Acolyte armour that Mickey got for us. Then the only thing that could possibly know your body's shape and size that well would be the armour itself after wearing it a lot."
"Ex...actly," Sora said through a particularly wide yawn. He smacked his lips a few times and quickly worked with Kairi to get out of the rest of the armour. Whispering to Kairi, the two of them got into the bed, and practically melted at the softness of the mattress and plushness of the blankets and pillows. Kairi drew the curtains around the bed, and Sora called out, "Look, we know that you guys all do it and everything, but if you're going to while we are all in the same room, please be discreet about it."
He smiled at the shouts of indignation that reached his ears and could just imagine the looks on their faces while Kairi turned back around. She smiled warmly at him, still in her stained shirt from the entire day's activities, and swooped into his shoulder. He held her loosely, sharing soft kisses until the lights went out and they eventually fell to sleep.
-A-D-
While their sleep had been deep and peaceful, morning came as a very rude awakening on the wings of trumpets. Their eardrums felt like they had been blasted open by the brass, and everyone jolted awake in a snap.
"What's going on?" Yuffie asked quickly, straining to make her voice heard above the trumpets. Suddenly they stopped, leaving only a dull ringing in their ears.
Good morning, the Spirit of Adventure spoke to them with an annoyingly chipper tone. I trust you all slept well.
"We could have done without the wakeup call, though," Riku grumbled.
Come now, Riku. It would be a waste of time for you all to remain lying in bed. Even though time is a unit we have in excess quantities, you shouldn't be wasting any on your first day of lessons.
"Lessons?" Roxas said doefully, mashing the heels of his palms into his eyes to prevent sleep from returning to them. "What lessons? Can't I go back to sleep and cuddle with Naminé all day? We missed our cuddle time yesterday because of the..."
He trailed off, eyes widening as he remembered. His muscles certainly did, with their dull aches serving as a more poignant reminder.
"The battle," Riku finished for him.
"We can't be wasting anymore time, then," Kairi said quickly, reluctantly removing herself from Sora's embrace and pulling back the curtains around their shared bed.
I think that you will still be able to find some time for yourselves, chuckled the Spirit. Remember, time is flowing here twelve thousand times faster than it is in Radiant Garden. That's two hundred minutes for every second. You are allowed to wash up and eat breakfast before we begin in the library. You may arrive when you are ready.
"Well, in that case," Roxas said, and promptly turned over and buried himself in his pillow, draping an arm around Naminé as he did so and trapping his girlfriend in bed with him.
A bugle appeared out of thin air next to him, floating about a foot away from Roxas' head. The bugle had eyes, and was observing Roxas curiously. It shook itself left and right in disappointment and took a deep breath.
-A-D-
An hour later Roxas' ears were still smarting as the six of them entered the library. He gently rubbed at his forehead from the headache it was giving him, and glanced around at the group. It had been a while, as far as he was concerned, since he had really seen everybody in casual clothing, even moreso in clothes that were different from the ones Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather had made for them all. Sora was in a plain black t-shirt and pair of blue jeans with his silver crown pendant around his neck, digivice clipped to his hip, and the Crest of Valour hidden underneath the shirt. Remembrance was sheathed in the Keyblade scabbard attached to his belt. Kairi was in a soft pink blouse and cream knee-length skirt, her own rose-silver pendant on its new chain around her neck and digivice and crest in the same places as Sora's. Riku was in a plum purple polo shirt with a white vest overtop and jeans like Sora, while Yuffie clothed herself in bright blue.
Roxas initially had to take a double-take when he first saw it. Yuffie had put on a bright baby blue t-shirt and tan-coloured pair of shorts. This was the first time he had ever seen her in anything with colour, ever, so it had more than shocked him enough to leave him staring.
Naminé went for a stylish and simple contrast, going with a white slip with a single strap slung over her left shoulder like some kind of toga, and a black knee-length flat skirt, unlike the pleated one Kairi wore. Hopefully she wouldn't take the shirt off in ten minutes without realizing it this time. Roxas, himself, had decided to be somewhat formal and put on a wine-red button-up and pair of black slacks.
He felt that he looked pretty sharp. Combined with Naminé, Roxas figured that they were the best-dressed couple of the three.
"Okay, we're here," Yuffie declared after they had all entered the library and stood around awkwardly for a half minute.
Very good, the Spirit of Adventure said. Please, come into study room number three. The room in question suddenly had yellow arrows leading towards it on the floor. Glancing at each other, Roxas shrugged, and Naminé led the way.
Two-inch three-ringed binders already containing about three hundred pages of looseleaf lined paper were already sitting on the long table and waiting for them, along with a cup full of pens and pencils. Each of the binders already had their names on them, with Roxas, Sora, and Riku one one side of the table and Naminé, Kairi, and Yuffie on the opposite. They took their seats without prompting, and quietly looked around.
"So...?" Kairi wondered.
A green dry erase marker suddenly became surrounded by sparkles and levitated into the air by the whiteboard. The cap came off, and the marker began to write on the board.
Vital Statistics
Vital statistics, the Spirit of Adventure said. Can anyone tell me what I might mean by this?
"Are we seriously in class?" Yuffie whispered.
"Looks like it," Kairi answered, and tentatively raised her hand.
Yes, Kairi?
Oh, Athena, it really does feel like I'm in class, Kairi thought before answering. She really had no idea where to look at, since the voice sounded like it was coming from all around her, and it was simply off-putting to speak to a void. Eventually she settled on looking at the green marker floating in a cloud of sparkles to speak to. "Um, do you mean like vital signs, like heart rate and breathing?"
Not exactly. Would anyone else care to venture a guess? Riku?
Showing little outward signs of apprehension at suddenly being called on, Riku looked up at the floating marker. "Uh...statistics that are in some way vital to something's existence, like how profitable a business is?"
In a way, correct. Vital Statistics in this case is referring to the statistical data that makes up every creature and every object that exists. While he was speaking, the marker started to draw pictures of people and objects on the board. Roxas raised his hand. Roxas?
"Are you saying, then, that all of us are made up of mathematics?"
Not that you are made of mathematics, but that mathematics can be used to describe who and what you are through your personal statistics.
"But we're all Keyblade Wielders," Sora said. "As far as I'm concerned, we're all equal. What's math really got to do with any of this?"
Let's examine that, said the Spirit. Would you rather fight one Shadow, or one Decimator? Holographic images of both Heartless appeared, momentarily causing them all to scream in panic before realizing that the Heartless weren't actually there, especially since the Decimator's image went through the roof before being shrunk down so that it was only just small enough to fit into the room.
"Well that's a no-brainer. The Shadow!" Roxas responded as his heart restarted. "We had to pull out almost all of our summons and we still almost died fighting that thing!"
That's because the Shadow and the Decimator have different attributes.
"Attributes?" Sora asked.
Quantitative measurements of their characteristics. In essence, qualities that can be described with numbers. And where there are numbers…
"There's mathematics," Riku finished. "Alright, shoot. Give us the lowdown then. What are these attributes?"
There are four basic statistics that determine how well you can fight. These are Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, and Spirit. As he spoke, the floating green marker wrote them down on the board while an eraser wiped off the drawings.
"How strong you are and how agile you are," Kairi said, "but I don't get the other two."
Correct, Kairi. Strength is simply a measure of how physically strong you are, taken from all aspects of your body from how much you can bench press or overhead lift to how strong your legs are or how much force you can put into any given physical attack.
Dexterity represents not only agility, but speed, flexibility, and coordination. Acrobats and master knife throwers are both very dexterous but in different fields. While an acrobat has a high flexibility throughout her whole body and is very coordinated in moving it, a knife thrower has superb hand/eye coordination that makes his aim excellent.
Constitution is a measure of your physical health. It determines how well you can take damage and resist poisons. It also determines how much energy you have. Those with high constitutions can work harder for longer periods of time.
"And can drink others under the table," Yuffie added with a faint snicker that caused smirks to twitch up on their lips.
Spirit is slightly abstract. While all of the other attributes denote physical characteristics, Spirit is a measure of magical strength and ability. Higher spirit means more powerful spells and less energy expended for each spell, eventually being able to cast basic spells almost effortlessly.
A see-through grey window appeared in front of the Shadow, white letters and numbers written on it.
Shadow Heartless
Strength: 5
Dexterity: 12
Constitution: 4
Spirit: 1
"Well that doesn't seem like a whole lot," Naminé said happily.
Now in comparison.
Decimator Heartless
Strength: 250
Dexterity: 52
Constitution: 260
Spirit: 86
Sora gulped. "Okay, now that looks terrifying on paper. Especially that absurdly high dexterity score considering how jumbo it is."
"Do you remember how fast it was swinging that sword?" Yuffie asked. Sora flinched at the barb. His body sure remembered how fast it had been swinging it.
Comparing these two Heartless at opposite ends of the spectrum, we can also compare them through a different means, and that would be their approximate level.
"Level?"
In answer, underneath each of the Heartless' windows appeared a line break and another status.
Shadow Heartless
…
Level: 6
Decimator Heartless
…
Level: 162
"So what's this 'level' stat?" Riku asked, after writing some of this down on one of the pages in his binder, an act the rest of the room hastily moved to copy. "I'm assuming that it sounds like an arbitrary number to denote how strong something is like in any sort of role-playing game."
Correct. 'Level' is a number that provides at a glance how powerful a creature is based upon its mean strength, dexterity, constitution, and spirit. However, in cases like the Decimator, where its strength and constitution are far higher than its dexterity or spirit, just looking at the level can be misleading. If you are in a pinch, though, the creature's level can be a good indicator of what to expect. Naminé raised her hand. Yes, Naminé?
"So, if everything about our fighting abilities can be quantitatively measured and displayed as numbers, and if these four Vital Statistics: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, and Spirit denote our...biological...base, what then shows our current status? Like, say we're fighting against a Stealth Sneak and Sora's hit it eight times with Remembrance and it still hasn't gone down. How are we supposed to tell how much closer it is to being defeated?"
Very perceptive, Naminé. You are correct. These base statistics only determine your maximum values of various secondary statistics.
The whiteboard was wiped clean, and the marker started to write again. Across the length of the board the words 'Hit Points', 'Attack', 'Defence', 'Magic', and 'Energy' were written.
Any guesses?
Sora raised his metal left hand with an easy smile across his face. "HP are how much damage you can take; Attack is how strong your physical attacks are, Defence is how strong your defence is; Magic is how strong your magic attacks are; and Energy is your magical energy."
Not quite, Sora. Energy denotes all of your energy, from physical and mental exhaustion. If you're physically exhausted, you cannot cast spells as that would further tire you out. However, if you push through the block your body naturally puts up to stop you from doing so, you may cause yourself to lose consciousness or even expend your life.
"Right…" Kairi mumbled. "I think Piximon might have said something about that."
Sora looked at her funny. "You were being possessed by Maleficent at the time. How would you even remember if he did?"
Riku blinked and looked between them. "Wait, Kairi was being possessed by Maleficent? How in the hell did that happen?"
Sora and Kairi glanced away from everyone else. "Didn't we already tell everyone this?" Kairi asked quietly.
"It was Hades," Sora stated, and his tone was one of such finality that nobody asked again. Kairi's eyes were drawn to his left side and the automail arm free for all to see. While the pair of them were mostly comfortable with it now, thinking about how Maleficent and Hades had gotten her possessed painfully reminded her that at the end of that road was her blasting Sora's arm off.
"How did Hades-?" Yuffie started, ignoring the silence of the others.
"It doesn't matter how, just that he did," Kairi answered. "Now let's drop it and move on."
Roxas raised his hand and waited for the Spirit of Adventure to call on him. It didn't take more than a couple of seconds. "If level is just the average of base stats, what's supposed to show experience levels?"
There is nothing.
All of them stared blankly at the floating marker. "What?"
Progression is determined by a creature's statistics. As you train and live your base statistics will change. As they do, so too will level as the average changes. For example, if you catch mono and your health deteriorates, your constitution score will go down as will your level until you fully recover.
"Well that's... different," Sora muttered. "Usually in an RPG you gain levels as you gain experience and you gain stats with the level gain. What you are saying is that we gain stats and our level changes depending upon our stats."
Correct. But remember, your life is not an RPG, and this is simply an easy way to quantitatively define your strength. Now, about these secondary statistics...
-A-D-
For the next hour and a half the Spirit of Adventure kept them in that room with only a short ten minute break after forty-five minutes, going over the statistics and special properties of various Heartless that they had encountered and other special attributes that they hadn't seen yet. Then he gave them a half-hour break before speaking to them about resistances, such as how some Heartless were resistant to certain elements while others were doubly weak to opposites.
Lessons you should have learned long ago, Crowning Flame said into Kairi's head. Kairi let her forehead hit the table with a loud thump.
Yes, I know, Al. You made that clear during the fight with the Alpha Worg.
"What's up?" Sora asked quietly.
"Alcezeran's razzing me about not picking up on elemental immunities," Kairi answered lamely. She looked down at the notes she had been taking. "And my head is full to bursting with this stuff."
There is only one more thing I have for you all today.
Everyone looked up eagerly, glad to hear that they would soon be free. Scrolls appeared on the table in front of each of them.
In these scrolls is a spell that you should all master. It is called 'scan' and it will allow you to see the base stats and primary secondary stats of any creature or person you come across as well as any resistances. Learn it quickly.
"Why?" Roxas asked.
Because in five days the door on the fourth floor of this tower will unlock, and you will be unable to return to this section of the tower until you have completed the task the floor will set for you.
Their eyes widened. "Five days!" cried Yuffie. "But we need to get back as soon as possible!"
Remember, you will be unable to avail yourself of the materials on these three floors of the tower after you enter through the door until you pass the floor's task. The five days you have would be wisely spent learning and training from the books in the library.
There are twelve levels of this tower, and you will only be able to return to your dimension after you clear the twelfth floor. No matter how long it takes you, I have confidence that you all will be able to learn and develop the skills you will need in order to succeed and return to the battle that needs you.
However, I feel that you may be overestimating how much they need you back right away. Isn't that right, Sora?
The others turned and looked at him. Sora shifted a little in his seat, clearly uncomfortable. "Sora, what's he talking about?" Naminé asked.
Put on the spot, Sora sighed and opened his mouth. "Before Xokor popped up and sent us here for whatever reason he's got in his head, I felt a lot of Keyblades suddenly picking Wielders at the battle."
"Really?" Riku asked, interested. "How many?"
"A lot," Sora answered. "Tidus, Olette, and Selphie for sure, and I think Kia as well. I can't remember if any of our other friends got them too, but there were definitely at least thirty that suddenly popped up and chose Wielders. Leon might have gotten one too..."
"At least thirty?" Yuffie asked incredulously. "Why would that suddenly happen?"
Sora was silent for a moment and stilled, as if he were listening to something, and then he opened his mouth to speak again. "Cosmos, the Kingdom Key, is telling me that when we beat the Decimator, it was a signal to all the other Keyblades sitting in the Keyblade Graveyard that we could be trusted to do good again and to protect the Realm of Light. After Nhaerto brought about the destruction of the Chasers with the war he orchestrated and hunted down all other Wielders of the Keyblade barring King Mickey and Asterix, the other Keyblades were concerned that they might make a mistake like that again and cost the Realm of Light dearly. That's why there were only nine chosen Wielders, because so few Keyblades could muster the courage to place themselves in someone's hand, but, with things in the Realm of Light as they are now, with Maleficent running rampant and everything, by beating down that Heartless we proved that we could do it. With their power we could safeguard the Realm of Light, and they jumped at the chance to join in the fight; to do what they were created to do."
"So we suddenly have a whole bunch of new Keyblade buddies because you were really flashy?" Yuffie asked. Sora rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, a guilty sort of smile creeping onto his face to compliment the blush.
"Uh, yeah, I guess."
Yuffie started to slow clap.
"Well, I suppose that helps my nerves a bit," Kairi said slowly, though she was looking at Sora with scrutiny. "Why didn't you tell us sooner?"
"I'm sorry but I forgot," Sora answered. "You came up and glomped me right after I sensed it and then Xokor showed up and everything spiraled from there."
"Makes sense enough," Riku remarked. He picked up the scroll. "So this will allow us to learn the attributes of our enemies?"
Correct.
"Then I guess we'd better learn it," Riku added. "C'mon. Even if we have five days, I'm terrible with actual magic. One of you had better help me with this."
-A-D-
The time passed faster than they anticipated. It took only the course of the afternoon for all six of them to be able to cast the scan spell, and the rest of the week they spent studying and practicing under the direction of the True Spirit of Adventure. The library on the third floor had a wealth of knowledge in it, far too much for them to take in in just the five days, but Sora felt that he might be able to retain at least some of it.
On the sixth morning since they arrived in the dimension of the Spirit of Adventure, they all assembled in front of the door to the fourth floor, dressed in their armour and, in Naminé's case, a leather cuirass she had found and a long red skirt that reached just past her knees. Sora had Remembrance sheathed to his hip in the Keyblade scabbard given to him by Lord Elrond, and the others all had their Keyblades ready in their hands for whatever may wait beyond the door.
The trial of the fourth floor is about to begin, said the Spirit. Are you ready?
"Bring it on!" Sora challenged. "We'll take anything your tower can throw at us."
Very well. Good luck. The golden outline of the star filled with silver, and the door opened. White light shone through the doorway, hiding their view of what lay beyond.
"Let's go!" Sora shouted, and raced through the doorway with the others hot on his heels.
No! Wait! two voices screamed inside Sora's head. Sora don't-!
The moment he passed through the doorway, his Keyblade and armour disappeared.
-A-D-
Well, that did it. More pitchforks for the pitchfork god!
In other news, I'M OF TO THE CARIBBEAN! HAVE FUN EVERYONE!
May the Grace of the Valar Protect You
Shire Folk