AUTHOR'S NOTES:
So as I've mentioned, some of these earlier chapters are already basically done, which means that all I really have to do is edit for consistency with the main story.
I will be posting new chapters as and when they're ready. I won't be holding on to them to fit with any kind of posting schedule. I know who I am; if I hold on to chapters then I'll just forget to post them. It means that updates will be very irregular, especially once I run out of pre-drafted content, but I'll try and keep momentum going as best I can!
Enjoy…
CHAPTER FIVE | SIMPLE TESTS
Saying goodbye took most of the morning, and it was almost midday before they finally got in to the arena (a feat that was waylaid one last time by Naminé who, having been apart from Kairi for less than five minutes, had called immediately to test Kairi's new phone and had burst in to tears upon confirming it worked before promising not to cry next time they were together).
Kairi was flagging before they'd even begun; Axel could see it in the stoop of her shoulders and in the way her fingers trembled when she summoned her Keyblade (which, when it appeared, filled Axel with such a swell of emotion it was almost like he'd found his heart all over again). She denied her exhaustion fervently, fixing him with a pointed look that reminded him of too many hours spent in Merlin's Time Chamber and Axel found that he couldn't quite bring himself to argue.
"You guys ready?" Ven asked, summoning his Keyblade. "Terra and Aqua won't go easy on us."
"I'm countin' on it," Axel answered, though it was less for his sake. He turned to Kairi, hoping to draw at least some kind of response, but her eyes were fixed on Ven's keyblade and his peculiar grip on it. It didn't take Ven long to notice and he laughed.
"Yeah, I know, I hold it weird," he said, twirling it around himself in a blur. Kairi tilted her head thoughtfully as he slowed the weapon, resuming his backhanded grip with a grin. "You should try it sometime."
And try it she did, though she ran in to problems almost immediately when the swirling hilt of Destiny's Embrace was too unyielding to allow her hand to settle backwards. She gave it a couple of test swings before shaking her head.
"I don't know how you do it," she said with a smile. He shrugged, twirling the blade again.
"It's not for everyone," he agreed. "I mean there's no way I'll ever hit as hard as Terra, but I'm faster so it works out okay. Plus, I can do this!" And with a cry he whirled on his heel, launching his Keyblade out across the training ring. It span like a disc, slicing through the air before looping back to his hand. Axel suddenly found himself missing his chakrams.
"Can you teach me that?" Kairi asked, her eyes alight with possibility and… something Axel couldn't figure out. Ven grinned.
"Sure! It's easy once you know how to do it. The first thing you gotta do is-" He was interrupted by a deep chuckle as Terra and Aqua finally joined them.
"Easy there, Ven. Let's not run before we can walk," Terra urged, coming up behind him and placing a firm hand on his shoulder as he passed. Ven frowned.
"But Kairi's already trained with a Keyblade," he objected.
"Strike raid is still a difficult skill to master," Aqua countered with a fond smile. "Why don't we just see where everyone's starting from first? Then we can look at sharing skills." Ven pouted, though it quickly dissipated when Terra ruffled his hair.
"So what's first?" Axel asked.
"Well first we'll need to assess your abilities," Terra began. "We're going to put you all through a series of exercises, and once we know where everyone is starting from we'll be able to make a training plan for each of you."
"Wait, all of us?" Ven asked.
"Yes, you too, Ven," Aqua confirmed. "Think of this as a test to see how far you've come."
"Axel, you're doing this too?" Kairi asked. He flashed her his best grin.
"Of course! We're on this journey together, remember? I can't have you gettin' the edge on me." He puffed out his chest and summoned his Keyblade in a wash of flame, earning a slight giggle at his dramatics. At least there was still one way to make her smile, he thought, though it quickly faded to confusion as she stared at his keyblade.
"It looks different," she murmured. The hilt was mostly the same – an homage of sorts to his former weapons of choice – but the blade was new, featuring long lines of gleaming silver and red metal that criss-crossed around a central twisted core. The teeth were jagged and fierce, angled and tipped with red like the blades of his chakrams.
"Yeah well after Xemnas shattered its old form I figured I'd go for something different." Kairi's fingers started at the tip and worked their way down, dancing over the details before coming to a stop over the glistening gem where the shaft met the hilt – a glistening yellow gem shaped like a paopu fruit. She tilted her head, staring at it for several long seconds before lifting her eyes to his. He felt a flush rushing up the back of his neck and he scratched it to keep it from bleeding in to his cheeks. "What can I say? I missed ya."
"What's it called?" she asked. He grinned.
"Heart's Flame." Her brow furrowed and she looked at the blade again. He grinned and lowered it away from her fingers. With a flick of his wrist the blade erupted and tongues of fire danced along the blade, ending in a white-hot blaze that clung to the teeth with a roar. Kairi stared wide-eyed, watching the flames for a moment before looking up at him again with a smile.
"It suits you."
They started with a physical challenge. Terra had created an obstacle course that looped around the outskirts of the castle involving hurdles, nets and a marker at the halfway point placed atop a tower which could be scaled by any non-magical means. Despite it not being a race they set off at the same time and Axel made it back to the finish nearly a full ten minutes before the others (though given that he was racing against a boy who'd barely recovered his strength and a girl who was still coming to terms with having lost hers in the first place, it was hardly a real victory).
Next came magic, with Aqua testing them one by one to see which spells they had learned and how well they had been able to master them. Ven went first, beaming with pride as he performed spells which had been completely outside of his grasp mere months earlier. Axel followed; his control of fire magic was by far his strongest suit (this news coming as no great surprise to anyone), and he tried not to frown too much when Aqua critiqued his weaker defensive magic. When it came time for Kairi's turn, Axel could practically feel the frustration pouring off her in waves as spells that once came easily to her now seemed weak or lost entirely.
"It'll come back to you in no time," Ven cheered. "You're doing great!" Kairi nodded and smiled, but both actions fell flat. Axel didn't have time to question it as Terra quickly called for them to help clear the arena for the final assessment: a spar.
"Are we fighting you?" Ven asked as he helped Terra roll up one of the nets that had been draped over a series of low-hanging branch.
"Not us," Terra answered. "We'll need to be able to watch all of you in order to assess your strengths and weaknesses, so you'll be fighting each other." Axel felt himself start to object, his mind flying back to the last time Kairi had been faced with multiple opponents, but one look at her determined face had him biting his tongue. She summoned her keyblade and held it tightly.
"I'm ready," she said. Axel didn't miss the uncertain glance that passed between Terra and Aqua.
"This doesn't have to be a big fight," Aqua began, her lips curving in to a motherly smile. "We just need to get an idea of your fighting styles so we can figure out how best to train you."
"There probably won't even be a winner," Terra added. "Once we've got you figured out we'll finish up for the day."
"Already?" Kairi asked. The word – or perhaps the urgent undercurrent in her voice – left Axel's gut twisting uncomfortably. Aqua laughed lightly.
"It's almost dusk," she said. "It'll be getting dark soon, and we all need food and rest."
"Will we train again after we've eaten?" Kairi pressed.
"We can't tonight!" Ven answered. "Looks like there's a huge meteor shower heading in. You gotta see it!"
"You'll have to get a picture for Naminé," Axel added, throwing an arm around her shoulder. "She's been dyin' to see a star shower for years." She nodded slowly, though she seemed lost in thought until Terra called them in to spread out around the arena.
For a moment they all stared at each other, each sizing up their opponents and deciding how best to begin. Axel caught Kairi's eye and tilted his head a fraction towards Ven. Receiving a nod in response he grinned and charged towards her. She likewise sprinted towards him and from the corner of his eye Axel saw Ven stumble in his confusion. He and Kairi met in the centre and he reached out to grab her forearm, swinging her around in a high arc and sending her barrelling towards Ven who barely had time to block her flurry of attacks. By the time he had recovered his footing Axel was at his back, landing several blows on his arms and his legs. Ven leapt away from them the first chance he got, throwing up a shield and assessing them with laughter in his eyes.
"Is that how you're playing? Fine!" he called with a grin. The barrier shattered and Axel was forced to shield his eyes from the shards of magic that skittered through the air towards them. Taking advantage of their surprise Ven began to charge through the air at lightning speed, taking aim at Axel, then Kairi, and then back to Axel again in a series of sweeping slashes that left Axel's exposed side stinging. Kairi managed to block his next attack, and her parry sent him skidding backwards across the sand.
There was no doubting that the two of them were fast. Ven's natural speed and Kairi's too-light body made for an almost equal match. Axel leapt back a few paces, twirling Heart's Flame as he watched them face off against each other. Ven swung and Kairi blocked but the parry she landed on his shoulder was barely more than a gentle tap. Axel frowned and folded his arms.
"C'mon, Kairi, you can hit harder than that." Ven blocked her keyblade, tangling their teeth together as he stared at her through their crossed shafts.
"You're holding back?" he asked. His face split in to a grin. "Oh, this changes everything!" He untangled their blades and leapt back, a spell on his lips. The firaga spell roared towards her and Kairi's eyes flashed with fear before she and her shield disappeared behind the roaring wall.
She emerged not a second later, the fire in her eyes now as she charged at Ven, swinging her keyblade furiously to block all of his incoming attacks as she closed the distance between them. Her first hit smashed through Ven's hastily-erected shield before her second knocked him back several paces. Axel cackled.
"That's more like it!" He dove back in, blocking Ven's attack with a wall of fire as he skirted around behind him. With Kairi at his front and Axel at his back, Ven didn't last long, and was quickly retreating to the sidelines with an exhausted grin.
Kairi wasted no time in shifting her focus to Axel, managing to catch him by surprise. She sent him skidding through the dirt with the strength of her first attack, and she had nearly halved the distance between them by the time Axel managed to throw a wall of fire between them. It didn't stop her; with a blast of ice she created a gap that she flew through with ease, stunning him again and landing a series of blows from head to toe that had him yelping in surprise. At last he saw an opening and he lifted his keyblade to block her next combination, but it did little to deter her. She kept on swinging, her keyblade glancing off his as she continued to wear down his defences.
"Y'know," he grunted, "when I said you should hit harder, I didn't mean hit me." His joke fell flat as Kairi continued to hack at him, laying in to him with such force that he had to take a step backwards. Still she pressed him, the attacks small but too frequent for him to risk dropping his guard. He risked a glance to Aqua and Terra who both gave him a swift nod; it was over.
"Okay, Kairi, I think we're done here." No response. Axel leapt back, dropping his guard in an attempt to signal that the fight was over, but Kairi only charged at him again, running fast enough to whip her bangs away from her face. That was when Axel saw her eyes – clouded with rage and leaking tears that raced down her cheeks. He was so surprised and distracted by the sight that Kairi managed to land three more hits across his chest before he was able to block again.
"Kairi, stop! I yield!" She didn't seem to hear him. Destiny's Embrace was a blur as it danced around him, looking for any way to break through his guard. It was becoming harder by the minute to keep it in place, and no amount of pleading with her could get her to stop.
Relief finally came in the form of a flash of light and a deafening ring of Kairi's keyblade clashing against Aqua's as she dove between them.
"Enough!" she shouted, tangling their blades together and forcing Kairi to finally stop. From his place within Aqua's dome shield Axel finally dropped to one knee, his arms shivering as he dismissed Heart's Flame in a pitiful shower of embers. Nobody spoke. Nobody moved. Axel barely breathed as he watched whatever rage had possessed Kairi begin to fade, and his stomach twisted painfully at the warring emotions that washed over her face.
"Axel…" she gasped, her red eyes pooling with tears again. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to…" He forced a grin and winked.
"Hey… You don't apologise to me, remember?" He tapped his temple and Kairi nodded with a sniffle.
"I remember." The corners of her mouth lifted a fraction and her tears seemed to slow. "I got it memorised."
"That's my girl," he said. She took a step back, dismissing her Keyblade rather than face untangling it from Aqua's.
"Kairi," Aqua began, banishing her own Keyblade, "where were you?"
"What do you mean, Aqua?" Ven asked. "She was right here… Wasn't she?" Aqua didn't reply; her attention focused solely on Kairi who had begun to tremble from head to toe.
"Kairi?" she pressed. At the sound of her name Kairi dropped her gaze, hiding behind her bangs like a scolded child. From his vantage point on the ground Axel could see how she bit her lip and screwed her eyes tight as she shook her head.
"I'm sorry," she whimpered. "I don't… I can't…" Aqua placed a hand on her shivering shoulders.
"Do you want to lie down?" Kairi took a moment to think about it before nodding slowly. "Do you want me to walk you back to your room?" Kairi shook her head, finally lifting her head again.
"I'll be okay," she answered. Aqua took a moment to study her before lowering her hand with a nod.
"Well if you get lost call us and we'll come find you," she said. "The castle can be tricky sometimes." Ven took a step closer, his face crumpled with concern.
"Are you sure you don't want me to take you up, Kairi? I don't want you to get lost because you're tired-"
"Actually, Ven," Terra interrupted, "I could use your help with some of the equipment." Ven looked torn, but after an unspoken exchange he finally nodded. Terra turned on his heel and strode away from the ring, quickly disappearing around the side of the castle.
"I hope you feel better soon," he said, jogging to catch up to Terra. Kairi nodded and quickly excused herself to hurry back towards the castle. Axel dragged himself to her feet, ready to head out after her until Aqua placed a firm head on his elbow.
"Let her go," she murmured.
"Shouldn't we go after her?" he pressed. Aqua shook her head as her hand fell back to her side.
"The first time I sparred with Terra, I lost myself in a memory," she answered. "My body was here but my mind was trapped in the Realm of Darkness… Even now I refuse to spar with anyone alone. If Ven hadn't jumped in the way, there's no telling the damage I could have done to Terra. All the years of fighting… It was hard for me to walk away from it all."
"Do you think she's been fighting?" he asked.
"I couldn't say. You know her better than I do. What do you think?" Axel paused, thinking back over their match, and trying not to linger on how difficult it was to think about how she'd fought before. She'd always been stronger with magic, less inclined to land direct blows. She'd once spent a month (or, at least, the equivalent of it during their time in Merlin's Time Chamber) trying to build her physical strength only to end up drained on all fronts.
That didn't seem to bother her now. Somewhere along the way she seemed to have learned that if she couldn't hit hard then she could at least hit fast, and with her magic weakened to the state it was… By the end, her blows had felt frenzied and almost desperate.
"How did you pull yourself out of it?" he asked finally, unable to find the right way to answer the question. Aqua didn't answer right away, her eyes fixed on the door through which Kairi had disappeared. After a long pause she closed her eyes and shook her head, resting a hand over her heart.
"I don't know that I have," she confessed. "I train less than I used to, less than I want to, and when I do train…" She trailed off, dropping her hand and opening her eyes. "Recovery is a process, it doesn't happen overnight. Then again, you know that already." She glanced at him kindly and he nodded, all too familiar with the depths he had pulled himself back from (though perhaps it was more accurate to say that he'd been dragged back from the brink by Roxas and Xion). He supposed, in a way, he wasn't fully recovered either. None of them were.
"We'll look after her properly this time," Axel muttered. Aqua nodded.
"Time and patience," she added. "They'll do more to help her than all the magic in all the worlds."
They made their way inside, heading for the kitchen to make a start on something to eat. Terra and Ven joined them shortly after, the latter fairly subdued, and it didn't take much for Axel to surmise that some conversation had transpired between them, likely about more than just Kairi's situation judging by the way Ven kept stealing glances at Aqua (who, likewise, kept stealing glances at Terra). It took them nearly half an hour to find enough ingredients to feed five people, and Aqua frowned at their remaining supplies (or lack thereof).
"We may need to take a trip to Twilight Town to get our stores back up," she murmured, closing another empty cupboards as Terra passed her a chopping board and several freshly-peeled carrots.
"One dinner and one breakfast shouldn't have wiped us out this hard," Ven sighed.
"Well we were feeding nearly three times as many as usual," he said, ruffling Ven's hair as he passed.
"We should all go. Kairi too," Axel suggested. "It might do her good to get out and about, and Twilight Town's not exactly dangerous."
"We don't have a ship," Ven pointed out.
"So teach us how to do that thing you all do with your keyblades," Axel said, helping himself to a stick of carrot. Aqua swatted his hand away when he reached for another. "You guys used to travel to all sorts of places without a Gummi ship. Why can't we?" Aqua paused, her knife halfway through a carrot as she turned thoughtfully to Terra and Ven.
"Do you think there's anything left in the armoury?" Aqua asked. Terra folded his arms, his brow furrowed thoughtfully.
"I'm not sure," he answered. "I don't remember seeing any other armour."
"What do you need armour for?" Axel asked.
"When you use your Keyblade to travel between worlds, you slip in to the Lanes Between," Ven explained. "The armour protects us from the darkness." Axel shrugged.
"Easy fix, we'll use our cloaks," he said. The trio frowned, sharing confused glances. "The Organisation used those black cloaks because the dark portals they use to travel between worlds cross in to the lanes between. They're as good a protection as any."
"You have yours with you?" Ven asked.
"Of course. I never go anywhere without it. Just in case." Aqua nodded, sharing one last silent exchange with Terra before speaking again.
"Well I guess that settles it," she said. "We'll start working on that first thing in the morning. It shouldn't take too long to learn."
"Axel, why don't you go up and get Kairi? It won't take us long to finish up here," Terra suggested. Axel nodded, stealing one last carrot stick before darting out of the kitchen before Aqua could catch him.
He took advantage of the lonely walk to Kairi's room to check his messages. Already he had several from Naminé, checking on Kairi (and him too, of course) before one final message from Xion. She and Roxas had confiscated her phone until she had learned how to deal with her emotions. It was followed by a handful of picture messages of the trio in some world Axel didn't recognise, standing in front of a looming tower draped with ivy. His response was pretty vague, reassuring them that in the handful of hours they'd been apart the world hadn't ended and that he and Kairi were both fine.
Well… He wasn't sure exactly how to describe Kairi's condition. Fine certainly wasn't it. He thought back to the arena, to the frenzied panic in her tear-filled eyes as she hammered against his Keyblade, staring right through him at some unseen enemy. He thought about what Aqua had said, about how years of fighting the darkness alone had left her unable to separate sparring with friends from the real thing. And, most of all, he thought about how much stronger Kairi's blows had felt.
He shook himself from his thoughts and slipped his phone away before knocking on Kairi's door a little harder than he'd meant to.
"Hey, Kairi, it's only me," he said, hoping he hadn't set her too on edge. When he received no response he knocked again (at a more reasonable level this time). "Kairi, it's Axel. Dinner's almost ready so I thought maybe you'd wanna come down get somethin' to eat." Still nothing. He knocked again, and upon receiving no answer a third time he reached for his phone.
"Maybe she's not here," he murmured as he scrolled through his contacts. He pressed her name and held the phone to his ear, waiting for the call to connect.
The ringing definitely came from behind the door, so either Kairi had dumped her phone in her room before disappearing somewhere or she was just ignoring him. Acting on a hunch he cancelled the call and pushed the door open.
"Kairi, I'm comin' in," he called, stepping slowly in to the room, giving her plenty of time to object. Last time he'd tried to enter her room uninvited he'd received a pillow to the face, closely followed by a keyblade. This time he received… nothing. The curtains had been drawn, and it took his eyes a moment to adjust to the darkness. He finally spied her, half-buried beneath the blankets with her back to the door. He pushed it open wider, allowing the light from the corridor to wash over her shoulders.
"Kairi, you hungry? Food's smelling pretty good." The only response was the sound of her steady breathing. He moved closer, reaching over to tentatively shake her shoulder. Her hair fell away from her face, revealing tear-stained cheeks and a ruddy nose. He reached out to shake her again but decided against it; she probably wouldn't want to know that he'd seen her in such a state. So instead he backed slowly from the room, pausing to collect several empty flasks and phials from Kairi's nightstand before slipping back in to the hall, vowing to bring her a plate of something to eat in case she woke in the night.
We're really whizzing through these first few chapters! Things will start slowing down soon, but until then – enjoy the ride! See you in the next one.