Final Fantasy XV - Kingdom Hearts
Part 62
Summary: Two warriors of Light, the Chosen King and Keyblade Master, face an unseen Darkness.
A/N: So remember how I said this was gonna be a two part arc…? WELLL…given the ideas I have with this arc, two isn't gonna be enough…so flip it, we're gonna keep going till I'm out! ON WITH THE SHOW!
*The Secret Forest*
*Month One, Day Four*
With a front flip, Sora gracefully flips over the buzz saw spinning chunks of ice and upon landing on his feet, he runs forward. With his keyblade, he hacks and slashes several spheres of light that flew towards him while running down the course.
One more swing to destroy the sphere, he steps more to the left to avoid a stone pillar erecting in front of him. He performs a clumsy dance of sorts to avoid being smacked in the jaw from many other rising pillars, getting thinner and thinner as more began to surround him.
Sora felt the earth slowly rise beneath his right foot, prompting him to jump over the pillars just another followed him to the air. He escapes the canyon of pillars and lands back on the raised course for him, running on the stone ground. The obstacle course was very similar to the ones he endured back at the coliseum years ago, except where he used to test how quick he could destroy barrels, here he was trying to get to the end without being crushed, burnt, frozen, impaled and other methods that would end with him being dead.
He rolled to evade a swarm of blade-shaped aero magic that probably would give him more than just a haircut, he feels the force of the winds smashing into his back from it. Sora raised his head to see a wave of water rushing towards him, making the boy yelp in surprise and quickly scamper to his feet. Luckily the boy had the smart idea and fires a large chunk of ice at the wave. The moment it struck the wave was frozen solid in cold crystal-clear ice.
He thrusts his keyblade and shattered it to pieces with a loud "bang" like noise and ran onwards to the end.
Sora finally slides to the finishing line and throws both arms up with a loud "YES" announced by his vocal cords. He bends down and rests his hands on his knees, panting heavily and groaning with the aches growing in his body. Maybe Phil took it easy on them during his training, if he had something like this when Sora first started then he had a good feeling he wouldn't be here right now.
"Six minutes and thirty-three seconds", commented his master, sitting down on a pillar overlooking the course. In her hands was her phone using the timer on it, along with several other records of Sora's times. Aqua is proud to say his progress of improving himself is at a very steady pace, granted they had only started in their year-long training, but the master knows based on his achievements this will be a consistent thing with the boy.
Sora lifts a hand to give her a thumbs-up, still panting. After several attempts to beat his record with Aqua constantly changing up the traps every re-attempt to keep him on his toes, this being his fourth attempt. He was just glad it was finally over for now and maybe the next thing she could mentor him on wasn't something that would push his poor body to its physical limitations. He hears the master push herself off the pillar and join his side, handing him a potion to rejuvenate him.
"At least your mobility has improved", she praised, "Next course we'll see how well you handle with just using the flow motion".
"Another obstacle course? You sure you're not trying to tell me something about my weight?", groaned Sora. Aqua giggled and playfully pats his stomach. "If that were the case I'm sure Kairi would've been the first to fix that", she playfully remarks. Sora rolled his eyes at the jab, not entirely wrong on that. The master ruffles his hair and dispels her magic around the area to return it to normal and together they went back to their make-shift camp to resume his magical training.
Since they separated from the main group Aqua had been adamant in helping Sora become a more fledged wielder of the keyblade. Though he was already one of their most if not THE most skilled member of their party, she still sees there is a lot of refining to be done with him since like Donald and Goofy mentioned to her he was is mostly self-taught. Only having a smidge of training from Yen Sid before their attempt at Mark of Mastery exam.
After seeing his magic a day before, when she discovered he couldn't use the fourth and fifth tiers without gathering up a lot of magical energies compared to herself, Mickey, Donald, and even Kairi, she believed with the right training and refinement he could cast them easier. Maybe not as easy as herself and the king but still on par with Kairi.
His fighting style does show his self-taught training doesn't need refinement thankfully, the boy has his style of fighting, and given the victorious, under his belt, she was safely assuming he'd be ready for whatever comes their way. Truly Sora didn't need any more education on the basics or even the advance lessons unlike the others, and Aqua would even go so far as to say he might be the only one who wouldn't need any additional training.
But she knows the boy still has so much more untapped potential within him, and with faith in him, she knows when this year ends the boy would be a true adversary to the seeker of darkness.
Their makeshift camp was located just a few minutes away from the clearing where they trained, set up by a river near a waterfall. Two small tents for sleeping and nothing else with a campfire with newly added wood, a makeshift cooking station Merlin left for them. Their supplies regarding food were in a separate pocket dimension to preserve them.
The master already had a small lunch prepped for them before the course, a simple bowl of rice with some herbs and a bit of meat. Small and simple but very filling. She handed a bowl to him as she takes her place on a chair near him. "After this, we'll be having a sparring match", she says after swallowing her meal. "Already?", Sora asked with a smile. She nods kindly and replicates his smile. "I've got make sure I don't fall behind, what sort of master would I be if my apprentice surpasses me?", she says.
"The kind who could still kick my butt?", Sora replied. Aqua gave him an approving nod, glad the boy knows who he's dealing with. As they ate, Sora leaned in his seat with a thoughtful look on his face, looking up. Noticing the boy's look, Aqua says: "Munny for your thoughts?". Sora smiles back to her as he leaned forward.
"This is the first time since we reunited before Eos, it's been just us", he explained. He raises his spoon and says: "We've never really hung out before, there was always somebody else with us". "Or you were too busy ogling Kairi and being adorable with her", remarks his master with a knowing smirk. A blush darkened the boy's cheeks as he sheepishly rubbed his neck, awkwardly chuckling at the very accurate assessment. When did Aqua get so cheeky?
The master giggles at him as her smirk shifts into a gentle smile and stirs her food. "I don't mean it in a bad way, I'm happy for you two", she says honestly, "The way she always finds a way to be by your side, how she smiles at you when she thinks no one is looking, and you've helped her grow".
Maybe it was the little romantic within her, but it warms the woman's heart whenever she saw those two together, the innocence they have, the love they displayed to each other, it was too cute for her sometimes. Sora gives her a gentle smile as he looks up at the skies, likely thinking about her Aqua presumed as she finishes her meal. As important as it is for Sora to be trained alone without distractions, she feels partially guilty for separating the two once again but the master side of her reminded the blue head why this was needed.
Pushing Kairi aside, Aqua leaned back into her seat after putting her bowl down, but then she sees Sora was sporting his smirk. "What about you? I'm kinda surprised you managed to pry yourself away from Gladio", remarks the chosen one.
The smugness and cheekiness within the master kindly ran out the door and leaves sheepishness and shyness in their places as the master's cheeks go rosy and memories of that night conjured in her mind. Aqua cleared her throat and replied: "I…can put aside my desires for him for the sake of training". Sora gives her a raised brow of disbelief, his smirk never leaving. "Uh-huh, and you're not dreaming of his muscles when we sleep, right?", he teases.
That boy is too perceptive for his own good.
Truth be told she doesn't miss Gladiolus as much as the boy claimed she does, too be fair they've only been apart for three days so far. However, that might change in the coming weeks she was sure, but like she says for the sake of their training she'll manage.
By god, she hopes so anyway…
"I'm just really surprised you and he got together…I mean, to be fair I don't know your type…", he says, but then fumbled and looked down. Somehow that last sentence struck something in Aqua, a slow realization. Looking at the boy, it saddened her just now realizing, for all the times they had spent together adventuring. When she thinks about it, she doesn't know anything about Sora. And vice versa, for all they knew of each other, they only know their keyblade achievements and not the person as much as they liked.
"To be fair, I didn't think he was my type either…then again I have so little experience in that field for all I know, I could have fallen for Prompto", she says with a small giggle. She folds her hands on her laps and sighed. Looking back at the boy who places his bowl down, she smiled to herself and decides its time to fix that plague of ignorance between them and get to know each other not just as comrades, but real friends.
"But before we get started, maybe we could talk more?", she offers. Sora looks at her, confused as she settled into her chair. "I think since we have more time and since its just us, maybe we could get to know each other? I mean, I know so little about you bar your achievements and you admitted you don't even know my type". At this, Sora beamed and nodded with enthusiasm.
As the boy begins to tell what life was like on the islands at her request the master listened intently, deciding training could wait for a little longer…
*Month One, Day twelve*
Ignis parries the flying chakram by knocking it aside as he races towards Axel, both daggers imbued in black ice. He slides underneath a torrent of fire from the pyro, managing to close the distance between the two as he rose to deliver the final bow.
Axel leaps backward and vanishes into a pillar of flames just before Ignis could put an end to their bout, and then reappearing behind him from a few feet. The redhead crosses his arms as his body bathed in flames, before outstretching them in a t-pose stance and slowly formed two massive spheres of fire. Ignis spun around in time to throw his daggers at him in time for Axel to throw one sphere at him.
The sphere consumes the frozen daggers and even evaporates the ice turned water in a matter of seconds while soaring towards Ignis. The dark wielder grunts before he pushes up his glasses and places a hand down on the ground. He pressed the earth and sends a wave of dark spikes towards the sphere, extending the blade until it was as tall as a small building. Splitting Axel's attack in half, the sphere vanishes into tiny embers.
Ignis looks towards Axel, now carrying only one sphere in his hand before he aimed his right hand at the man of Eos and fires a torrent of burning rocks at him like a machine gun. The dark advisor of the king raised his left hand and forms a black barrier to protect himself. The barrier isn't like Riku's, rather it had crystal akin to Noctis' Armiger except instead of crystal blue-white it was violet. The torrent of flames bounces off his barrier.
With a yell he pushes forth with the barrier still erect in his hand, protecting himself while closing the gap between himself and Axel.
The former nobody grunted in equal measures of annoyance and desperation before he decides to go for it and throws the last sphere at Ignis. The moment Ignis saw this, he stops running and crouches down and just as the sphere closes in on him, he leaps into the air. Jumping over the sphere as it blazes past him, Ignis crosses his arms, calling his icy daggers and then spreads them open while throwing both at Axel.
They landed six steps away from Axel, bursting with black ice and completely covering the ground in a thick sheen of ice. Trapping Axel by his feet, the pyro couldn't pry his legs out thanks to Ignis. Above him, Ignis calls for his spear and dives down to the pyro. Axel calls for his keyblade and as Ignis reached him, he brought the burning weapon to the dark lance. Their combined might was so strong the shockwaves sent from their clash cracked the ice below them.
Feeling some wiggle room in his feet, Axel dismisses his weapon and grabbed the polearm of the spear and flung both it and Ignis over his shoulder to give himself space. Once Ignis tumbled onto the ground with a grunt but quickly gets to his feet, Axel heats his hand his gloves. Now sporting a golden reddish glow, he slams the palm of his hands onto the ice and melts his trap enough to free his feet.
Axel calls his keyblade once more as Ignis zips towards him, daggers sparking with violet lightning along with his movements leaving trails of lightning to follow him. Not backing down from this other elemental user, Axel clashes with Ignis' quick attacks and even against the flurry of his speedy daggers, Axel held his ground against him and even landed a hit or two. Ignis slashes his shoulder and during a spin, he elbowed him in the chest, knocking Axel backward.
He attempts to plunge both daggers into him from above, but Axle raised his left arm to catch both arms of the advisor, stopping their descent. Being physically stronger than the man, Axel used his right elbow to strike Ignis and cause him to stagger back, dismissing her weapons. Axel swung his keyblade, missing when Ignis back-flipped away from the burning weapon. He draws his weapons again as Axel readied himself for the next bout.
"That's enough".
Both students turned to see Riku entering the clearing, tossing them both potions. He gave them both nods of approval, pleased by their progress. So far since he started helping Ignis master more of his dark powers, the man has more than mastered using the three elements he's known for, both normal and dark. When it came to who was catching on the training fastest, Ignis easily managed to get the basics of magic down almost a day into their training.
Sure, he hadn't practiced the same magic the others have but Riku mostly trained him using the darkness within him. He only asked him to spar with Axel just to see how far they both came, and sure enough, it is a pretty close match of strength between them. He just wished Axel would start learning other methods of fighting since as Ignis and Lunafreya had proven earlier this week his natural element had a great weakness.
"So, how'd we do teach?", Axel asked after downing the bitter drink.
"Much better than your fight with Luna, that's for sure", Riku says with a smirk, "But all jokes aside, you held your own against your element's opposite, and a with your manipulation of fire and being able to teleport with it, I think you've a better chance against the organization".
Axel smirked cockily at the praise while Ignis rolled his eyes at the ego. The master turns to Ignis next. "Looks like you've gotten the hang of the elemental stuff, think you're ready for Donald's lessons?", asks Riku. With a light push of his glasses, the scarred man nods. "I feel more than ready for it. But tell me, do our lessons stop here?", asked the man. "Nope, but it'd be a weight off the shoulders once we have you practicing other spells", Riku explained, "Keep in mind I've gotta learn a few myself".
He waves off the rest of the questions and tells the two to take it easy for a while before Axel joins him for another round, heading off to check on the others. With him gone, Ignis and Axel take the few moments given to them to rest up by sitting down by a few stumps and relaxing their bodies.
Ignis plucks his glasses off to clean to them, all the while thinking about his progress since they had started the training. As Riku had explained to him before he began, the darkness within him had to be treated delicately, for any temptations it provides him could be the one thing that turned him into a heartless. Last thing they needed for their training, certainly. But so far as he could see there is a steady sense of progress being made.
He felt much stronger than he did back home, his senses sharpened, and magic talents are only beginning to grow. Ignis could barely wait to fight with Ardyn again, and maybe teach that man the definition of fear.
"Still can't believe Luxord paid you a visit", Axel comments, likely tired of the silence. Ignis turned to him as the man laid on the stump with eyes gazing into the skies and hands behind his head. "Guy never leaves the base unless it was to screw with someone or go for a mission", he remarked.
"Did you know him well before you became a human again?", Ignis asks, putting his glasses back on. Axel shrugged. "Bout as well as anyone else in the old days…save for Roxas and even Demyx…", he huffs. "Back when you were a nobody, bonds didn't mean much to ya…not to mention Roxas was the only one I liked". Ignis hummed in thought, crossing his arms and looking at the ground. "Mind telling me more about our enemies? Provided you knew them of course", he inquired.
"Why? Curious if I know any dark secrets about them? Cause I got a few~", Axel teased with a wicked smirk. "If those secrets help me understand what to expect, then certainly", Ignis says, not missing a beat, "Though keep the risqué subjects to a minimum unless they can undo our foes completely". Axel rolled his eyes, a tad disappointed but regardless he answers the question. "Well from what Sora told me, we've got Marluxia, Larxene, Luxord, and Xemnas back, ya know Xigbar", he says.
Axel goes off explaining the four to the man, even bringing up his mission back in Castle Oblivion. At this, he detailed what their elements were along with their personalities, at least from what his memory served considering they could have changed. Then he frowns as he sat back up and rests his arms on his knees. "Then…there's Isa…or Saix", he laments. Ignis looks at him, seeing the usual cocky attitude of his shift into one of loss and regret.
Strange as it was to see this man from the day he first met him look sad, Ignis could not help but feel a pang of sympathy to him. "Is he someone important to you?", he says slowly, wondering if these were shallow waters he was treading on. The redhead nodded with a huff. "Yup…best friend before we went all nobody…but things changed when me, Roxas and…someone else, got closer", he grunted out the final part.
"Sora beat him back at our old home years ago…but like half our organization he went crawling back to his boss and turned into the old man's vessel…", explains Axel. He looked up to the face the world. "And knowing my luck? I'll end up fighting him…". Ignis shows the poor redhead a look of sympathy, realizing the man was going into this great battle fighting a friend on the opposite side. Looking down at the ground, Ignis would not dare to imagine what that could be like.
A semblance of respect for him grew within Ignis' heart, knowing himself, he couldn't even think of raising his arms against his brothers. Much less Noctis. Axel sighs and folds his arms before Ignis asks: "Then why are you fighting then?". He looks at the older man as Ignis gives him a wondering look. "You don't want to do battle with him, but you'll go anyways?". Axel smirks and laughed at the question before he says: "Simple, Isa was always a stubborn pain in the ass, but give him a good wallop or two then bam! I'll get my old buddy back, then the three…four, of us can hang out together!".
Axel looked his hand before summoning his keyblade and looked deep into it. "…I promised Roxas, that I would always be there to bring them back…and if beating that old Xehanort is the way, then that just makes my job easier".
"Bring Roxas and Isa back?", Ignis says, noticing the man's struggle with his explanations. This makes Axel frown as his smile leaves him. "There, was someone else with me and Roxas, somebody who looked a lot like Kairi and Naminé. But, nobody can remember her", he lamented, "It's like she never existed but I know in my heart she did".
The pain laced within this man's voice, the haunting of this person who means so much to him and the trials he must have faced to get here, Ignis' small respect grew. The most common thing he's seen with these people is loss of those they held dear, and that bond that even apart their hearts are still linked. The fact even a person who may not exist any longer and despite apparently none of his old co-workers having any memory of her, Axel still genuinely believes she was real.
Ignis touched his old scars, remembering that same level of dedication to his king and friends he was willing to go for them. Surprisingly, he and Axel are going the same lengths for those closest to their hearts. It is here he realized that ever since he had been reborn as a human, did Ignis put together that Axel had been alone. Nary a friend to re-join him since Roxas returned to Sora's heart and with this mystery girl lingering in shadows, the man may have been on his own for some time.
Ignis pats his shoulder kindly. "If your heart says you remember her, then clearly she must have existed at some point in your life within the organization", he says wisely. Axel looks at him as he gets off his stump. "Perhaps when the time comes, when we face them, your answers might be waiting for you there", he says, "But until then, keep hope that we will see them again".
He gives the young man a smile before walking off to continue his training, now more motivated than ever. Axel smirks and chuckles to himself…silently thanking the man for his faith…
*Month One, Day Twenty*
Mentally counting Gladiolus grunts with exertion as he swung the giant weight within his hands like a sword, striking the air slowly like he was practicing kendo. In his hands was a long rod as tall as himself with at least heavyweights around it, altogether weighing a hundred tons. To excel and break the human limitations as Riku explained, he needed to push himself over that wall of limits. And outside of fighting, the best way was to train his body.
These weights would have broken him years ago, now he could lift all six without much worry and even manages to follow up his routine easily by the second week of doing this. He was just glad potions existed.
Reaching the three-hundredth stroke, he finally lies the tool down and exhales a breath. His body coated with sweat, shirt left aside as the sun began to dimmer to show "night" had finally taken over. It is still bright but from what Aqua had said before her and Sora leaving, the sun doesn't exactly go down since its truly a creation of magic. A forever going light bulb as it were, only dimming to allow the night to come and grant sleep.
He grunts while rolling his shoulders, cracking a few joints and popping some muscles, feeling satisfied by the workout. It got easier to keep it up, and soon enough he'll be able to do this with just one hand he thought. Tomorrow he'd be sparring with Noctis, and as much as the gap in power had greatly extended since the last time they had sparred, he is excited to see how far he came. Better than fighting Riku again.
Gladiolus cleaned himself via using one of the buckets of river water and some soap he borrowed from the cottage. No point in going back to shower since he would still be doing a few push-ups and some other exercise but smelling of sweat did nobody any favors.
Once he was as clean as he could be, he throws back on his shirt and even equips the gauntlet Terra had left for him. Straps locked, he turns to the pathway back to the cottage and makes his way down. Halfway through it, he heard grunts and movements, prompting him to face another pathway to a clearing. There he sees Ventus training himself, flipping around some spells he's likely conjured to dodge and strike.
Curious to see more of the boy's skill, Gladiolus walked over and leaned against a tree to study him.
The boy flipped over a sphere of light and backflipped away from another charging him, striking behind him in time to split a spell in half. The shield spots the boy was sweating and panting, making him wonder how long he's been at this. Without his armor and even his jacket removed, only his black tank-top covering his torso. A smart idea to test how light he is without his armor sure, but Gladiolus frowns when he spotted several bruises and marks on him.
The boy gets caught off guard and is hit on the back by a speeding sphere, throwing him off his feet and on to the ground. He grunted and pushes himself up by the elbows as the spells around him began to quicken and blitz all over the place.
They soared above to the air and all came down onto Ventus like rainfall. Gladiolus quickly intervenes and with Raging Earth called, he struck the spheres into oblivion. They barely made him move an inch, either he was that strong or the shield was just that powerful. He dismissed his shield when there was no further danger and turned to the boy.
"You doing alright, kid?", he asked, grimacing at the bruises and other marks. Ventus slumped into the ground with a groan, barely getting out a "no". The shield heaves him back onto his feet and hands him one of his spare potions. Ventus downed it quickly, his body glowing green for a moment before he heaves a breath. Once healed, the boy rubbed his neck with a frown, likely frustrated by his defeat of the training regime.
"The hell were you doing? Playing ball just a bit too roughly?", asked Gladiolus, crossing his arms. Ventus rolled his eyes as he replied: "Trying to see if I can dodge a few attacks from all directions, that's it".
"Didn't Blue say your speed isn't the issue?", reminded the shield, "The fact you can't handle those things is a sign that you'd be a one-hit kill if we pit you against Xehanort's group". Ventus glares at the man like he was insulted but years of putting up with Noctis being a brat had given the shield near limitless patience. He got the idea Aqua and likely Terra were gentle on the kid during their years of training, and certainly, he understood they were, are, protective of the kid.
Sadly, for Gladiolus, coddling him isn't a helpful method of training. Ventus had skill but he didn't seem to have much of a structure or even a way to shape himself. Gladiolus knows he's more closer to Noctis with him being a speedy kiddo and sure from what the king had told him back in Eos he could handle himself against normal foes, but he dreads pitting him against somebody from Xehanort's group.
"Well everyone else was busy, so I had to…find something to train with…", argues the boy, once again sounding like Noctis. However, instead of wanting to stop, Gladiolus could hear that want of being strong. Did they coddle him that badly that he wasn't giving the same training? He had to remember Aqua and Terra were training as well during their time, so maybe Eraqus was more focused on them then the boy. It doesn't take a veteran to see Ventus' loss against Riku was bothering him greatly, and no doubt seeing how strong everybody had got was doing something to his confidence.
Maybe the boy could do with a mentor…
"Well you got someone to spar with now", Gladiolus says, walking away and stopping at a decent distance. He calls for his sword and prompts the boy. "Come at me with all you got". Ventus blinks before he steeled himself and calls for his keyblade.
He rushes into Gladiolus, striking at his sword. The older man barely felt any force behind his strike, it was nothing more lethal than just the wind, and that alone makes Gladiolus grunt. He gives him the benefit of the doubt, maybe he was just warming up. He throws the boy off him and retaliates by swinging his sword at him, making Ventus flip over it and behind the warrior. He tries to strike at him again, only for the more skilled Gladiolus to sidestep him.
Ventus swung his keyblade upwards at the moving warrior, just missing his torso with Gladiolus stepping backward. He jumps at him and brought his keyblade down. Gladiolus raises his armored arm to block the attack, sparks exploding from their contact but again like the first time the attack had nearly no weight behind him. For Ventus' sake, the shield truly hoped it was because he had gotten so strong he could weather out such attacks.
He knocks the boy's weapon aside and grabbed him by the collar of his tank top. He spun around and slammed Ventus into the ground with a heavy thud, making the boy grunt out in pain. With superior strength Gladiolus keeps the boy pinned, trapping him.
"Are you holding back, kid?", he asked, "Because I've shaken off worse hits from my sister!". Ventus grunts back, insulted by the taunt as he struggled to get up. Gladiolus growled and lifted the boy and throws him a few feet from him. Ventus landed on his back, quickly rolling onto his feet as Gladiolus stands there, waiting for him. His eyes glowed with irritation and patience was wearing thin. "Try again, actually make me try to protect myself!".
Ventus yells and rushes in again, wildly attacking him at every angle and spot. Gladiolus kept up with the boy's angry and wild attacks, each one being no more a danger to him than Noctis when he was just a twerp. Plus, with his temper running wild, he could see many more mistakes with Ventus' attacks, his anger getting the better of him along with his frustrations. If it took this little to cause Ventus to become careless with his anger then Gladiolus had a worrying good guess on how long the boy will last.
Gladiolus finally retaliates against the onslaught of weak strikes by parrying one attack to create a small gap between himself and Ventus. Next, he grabbed his sword with both hands and with one upward swing, he creates a gale of wind that sent Ventus flying into the air. With Ventus already airborne, this attack sends him up into the air at least ten feet off the ground. He performs an aerial recovery and maintains himself in the air.
He performs his Shotlock ability, the Pulse Bomb. With the tip of his keyblade glowing with a small bomb sphere of light, he flings several bombs at Gladiolus. The mighty warrior calls for his shield and lowers himself with the shield raised. The bombardment blasted the ground around him but with his shield repelling them all, it was like weathering through a heavy hailstorm.
When the final bomb hits and Ventus returns to the ground, the boy dashes around Gladiolus and tries once more to finally land a hit. Alas, Gladiolus turned far too quickly for Ventus to counter and the next thing the boy knew, Gladiolus smacked him aside with his wall of a shield and throws him back to the ground.
Ventus rolled again to his feet, however only by one leg while the other was resting. His body shakes with both weariness and frustration slowly shifting into anger. He didn't even face Gladiolus, eyes glued to the ground as a wave of uselessness and defeat washes over the youngest warrior. He grunts and punched the ground, frustrated.
Watching him, Gladiolus held back that groan, remembering this familiar scenario. Yet unlike with the prince who was just being a little sore loser, he sees the clear frustration in the boy's body. Looking at his armored limb, remembering the oath he made to his rival, he turned to Ventus and approaches him. He knelt before him and sighed.
"Hey, you're not giving up now, are ya?", he asked with light tease and light seriousness in his voice. Ventus hisses, breath hitching as it sounded like he was trying to not cry. The shield started to believe it wasn't the loss that truly bothered him, maybe something else was weighing down on his heart. "…Kid, you know this loss isn't the end right?", he asked, "I mean, I can't even start to count how many times I've had my ass handed to me back home".
Ventus still wouldn't look up at him, making Gladiolus resist the urge to groan impatiently. He feels like the kid needed a royal kick to the backside and was close to lecturing him on being this wimpy brat instead of being a keyblade wielder. He reeled back, however, remembering Aqua telling him about the kid's background and how much he endured thanks to Xehanort. As if he needed any more of a reason to kick that old man's backside.
Looking at the arm again, he then turned to Ventus. "Do you think you're not gonna stack up with Aqua and the others?", he asks. Ventus uttered a weak "yeah" and faced him, tears of frustration ran down his cheek. "Ever since Aqua came back, she's so strong now it…it feels like I'll never catch up to her…or the others…", he confesses, "And Terra…I can't…I won't be able to keep my promise…".
Doubting himself, fearing he wasn't ready. Truthfully he wasn't wrong, Gladiolus knows that. "Not like this you won't", the shield reprehends, "Not if you're gonna let every roadblock in your way turn you into this". Ventus looked away, shamed but Gladiolus ruffled his hair with his armored hand, this makes Ventus look at him. A smirk donned on the shield's face as he says: "You wanna keep that promise to Terra, then you're gonna have to pick yourself up and get stronger, kid".
He stands up and folded his arms. "Back at Eos, Blue was in the same place you were in. Worried she wasn't good enough to be a master, doubting herself…and terrified she wouldn't be able to keep you safe and bring Terra home", he revealed. The boy gives him a look of surprise as if he couldn't even imagine Aqua being in such a state of mind. "I know, it took my off guard too", he laments, before he continuing: "But then she dug deep into herself, asked what was it that keeps her going even with all things went against her".
Ventus reached into his pocket and plucks his Wayfinder out, looking at it while remembering the day he got this. A bond, a promise that no matter what happens, the three of them will find their way back to each other. Brushing his thumb against the crystal surface, he thinks to Terra and Aqua, both so close yet so far from him at the same time. Gladiolus knelt to him and showed him his armor. "Your buddy's will had come to us on the night we stayed in her world, and he gave this to me so that I can be strong enough to protect what's important to me", he explained.
Ventus placed a hand on the arm, remembering the day Terra was given it. His proudest moment, a step closer to realizing his dream of becoming the keyblade master Ventus and Aqua knew he'd become. A dream that lived on through Ventus and Aqua, a dream that can be fulfilled when they bring him home. A dream that he shared with his brother…
"So, take this loss as a reminder, you've still a lot to learn, but every loss is a step closer to getting better", the shield remarks. Strangely close to what Terra said to him all those years ago. Every loss, every time he had failed, his brother would do nothing but assure him he was learning, he was growing stronger. And this was just another step towards that goal…
A hand was offered to the boy, a smirking Gladiolus that for a moment made him think of Terra. "So? You gonna sit there and mope all year? Or you going to get strong enough to rescue him?", he asked. Ventus grinned and took his hand, "Will you…give me a few pointers?", he asks while being pulled up. With a nod, Gladiolus draws his sword once more and turned to the boy after making some space between them.
"No more of those pansy attacks, come at me like I'm your worst enemy!", ordered Gladiolus.
"Yes sir!", shouts Ventus.
He may never reach Aqua's power, nor Sora's, but as the boy challenges his newly appointed mentor, his heart glowed with confidence and determination. A promise will be fulfilled, and with friends like Gladiolus, he had a wonderful feeling his rival was in for a surprise…
*Month One, Day Twenty-Three*
Rubbing her throat with a grimace, Kairi tried to recall the spell her master had taught her for the past twenty minutes. Each passing minute the silence was beginning to annoy her, the fact Lunafreya had mostly been sitting there waiting for her student to recall what she was taught with all the patience in the worlds irked the girl.
For as kind and gentle as the woman might be, she certainly had no qualms with torturing her student.
She crosses her arms in silent growls from her voiceless throat, pondering the spell needed to resolve this predicament she finds herself in. Even her former nobody was merely standing beside the former Oracle, though her face showed boredom and drowsy eyes, occasionally dosing off. She could at least have given Kairi a hint.
As she burrowed through her brain, Kairi suddenly remembered the spell. With Dearly Beloved in hand, she raised the blade and mouthed a word. A wobbly white and purple ring appeared around her neck before like a soapy bubble popped and thus her voice returns. Rubbing her neck while making some throat-clearing noises, Kairi coughs. Lunafreya nodded and gets up from her log. "You finally remembered the spell", she praised, although her voice is laced with obvious exasperation.
"Sorry, but when you lose your ability to speak, most people tend to freak out", Kairi retorts, still rubbing her neck, "It was so weird…".
"Now you can silence anyone who bothers you along with knowing the cure to it", Naminé remarks with a slight teasing tone. "I'd say Sora best behave himself, but knowing you? You'd never do it to him".
Kairi stuck her tongue out at the ghost girl, to which Naminé retorts by sticking her tongue out and pulled an eyelid down at her. Lunafreya clears her throat with a restraint smile, trying not to giggle at their childish activities. "Girls play nice", she lectured. They both cease the "argument" as Lunafreya gestured Kairi to the cliffside.
A spot Kairi had found one time during her walks in the forest for her time alone, the location oversees most of the forest along with the campsite Riku had the others stationed at. No sign of Aqua or Sora, however, to her dismay.
She hoped he'd be training without a shirt and she'd have the best viewing spot for it.
Their campsite was small with a single tent, one fire pit and a small makeshift stove and cooker for themselves. Kairi is mostly the chef along with Naminé since Lunafreya, for all her holiness is tragically a horrible cook. In her defense, she did warn Kairi this, but the redhead had faith she was just being harsh on herself and encouraged her to try it again.
Never again did she do something so foolish. Those cramps would forever haunt them.
With her training, the first part anyway, nearing its end Kairi is eager to get everyone back together to see how far they had come along in their first month of training. The Oracle had mostly been teaching another school of magic that even Donald and possibly Aqua didn't know about. These were mostly catered to healing and removing certain aliments that she remembered Sora had endured before in his adventures.
Spells for curing poison, removing barriers or buffs/debuffs from herself and enemies, and even cast spells that could free a person from being petrified. How nobody ever learned these spells was at first beyond her, but the Oracle revealed to her that these spells are exclusive to the purest maidens of hearts. She did explain that from the very first purest seven, these spells are passed down from the previous generations whenever the light is passed on to another.
Only when Aqua began teaching Lunafreya some of the magic she and Donald used did her divine light implant the spells within her heart. As she expects, Kairi's slow but sure education on these spells would be worth it, seeing as she has a deep and vast pool of mana within her. Sure, there were days where she spent hours trying to get the spells down to pat, many a times the Oracle had to use the spell herself on the girl.
Lunafreya feared little, but the idea of explaining to Sora why Kairi was petrified and could stay like that scared her to no end. Not even Noctis would stay the boy's rage.
Outside of the mishaps with spells, she taught the girl other spells outside of healing, ones that could paralyze her foes for a while for examples, spells that would empower those with superior strength and magical potency, and even ones that could slow her enemies to a crawl while make her friends run as fast as the wind. Kairi had a better grasp on them as the month went on, to the point where she nearly memorized them all save for one or two.
The only spell Lunafreya had been adamant in her not teaching her yet was the spell she used during the assault on Radiant Garden.
"Today, we will be focusing on nulling magical harm", Lunafreya explains as she had Kairi stand a few feet from her. Kairi tilts her head at this as the Oracle calls for her trident. "I want you to cast a fire spell and throw it at me", instructed the older woman. Kairi gave her a frown but reluctantly calls for a small low tier spell of fire.
Once the Oracle gave her a nod, Kairi hurls the sphere at her. Lunafreya chanted quickly and then a see-through orangey-red orb floats around her, just in time for the fire to strike her. The flaming sphere disappeared after contacting Lunafreya's body along with the orb that circled the woman. Kairi mouthed "whoa", amazed by this new spell. "This will serve you and the others well, but it is only a one-hit use, do not forget it", lectures the woman.
Much to Kairi's disappointment the spell that makes herself and the others immune for one hit only has the four elements. Wind, earth and other natural elements were not included and Lunafreya had no means of teaching the spell unless she and Kairi could come up with the spells themselves. At the very least she had methods to keep the others safe from those spells.
She wasn't taught much combat training by the woman; which she didn't think it'd be part of her regime giving the woman has even less combat experience than Kairi. The spells were helpful enough and even with the fourth-tier healing magic that Aqua doesn't possess made the girl feel more empowered than ever. They spend a few more hours with the Oracle teaching her water magic and combing that with ice magic, how to imbue their weapons with elemental properties and more of the purest heart's light.
As the comes to an end, the three sit near the ledge of the cliff on a log, sweaty and tired but feeling satisfied by their progression of strength. One month soon to be completed, another eleven to go. Kairi watches the sun begin to darken as Lunafreya quietly muses to herself. "I wonder how the others are faring", she says to herself, making Kairi hum in thought. "I'm just wondering why Aqua wanted to take Sora for, I mean, he's kinda on a different level than all of us", she says.
Naminé had a secret smile on her face at that.
"Perhaps the master believes there are still a few things for him to learn? After all, he is still an apprentice when all is said and done", Lunafreya offers. "Maybe…", Kairi says.
She clasped her hands in thought. It is bizarre to think that the moment they exit this place, they will have one more day of normality and peace before going to a climactic battle that will decide the fate of all worlds, the fate of the light even. Her greatest fight yet, the first time she'd stand by Sora and Riku in the final battle between light and darkness. Together with her friends, family even, they will be the final safeguard for those who reside in the realm of light.
"Are you afraid of the war?", Lunafreya asked, gently.
"Would you be disappointed if I said "maybe"?", the princess asks.
"I'd be concerned if you were not".
Kairi looked up to the landscape and says: "I know it's still a way from now since we have got a whole year to train…but the last time I was here, it was just for the basics. Then coming out of here, just before we were supposed to go fight". Kairi calls her keyblade and lays on her hands, looking at the more powerful and far less flowery thing in hand, she sees herself in the shine of the steel. "Now looking back, I realized just how unprepared I was for it".
Lunafreya gently rubbed her back comfortingly and says: "Rather foolish and careless of Merlin to merely leave you and Axel to your own devices". Kairi giggled in agreement. "Part of me always wondered, if I had stayed at the tower until Sora came back, would it have been better if I had just gone with him on his journey to find the others", she says. Then with a sigh and defeated giggle, she looked at Lunafreya. "Or maybe, I'd just get in the way".
Naminé peered into her face with a cheeky smile. "I believe your time in Eos strongly suggests otherwise, you probably would have saved him a lot of trouble!", the ghost girl remarks playfully. "Indeed, maybe you could have gotten even stronger with him", concurs the mentor. Kairi smiles at them both for their faith in her, before dismissing her keyblade. "Then again, we may never have met if things had played out differently, would we?", she asks.
Lunafreya hums in thought as the three turned to the darkening sun. "For what it is worth, I'm happy things turned out the way the did", she says wholeheartedly. Naminé hummed in agreement as Kairi smiles. "Yeah, a whole new bunch of friends, family even, I've gotten so much stronger than ever, and now", she says, placing a hand on her heart with Sora's necklace still around her neck, "Our hearts are forever connected".
These next few months will be difficult, and some may even push her to the very limit but come what may the princess was ready. No matter what happens, for the boy who owned her heart, she could fulfill the promise they had made together.
"This time, we all go home together".
A/N: You read the first Author's Note, you know what we're doing next. For the next few (two or three maybe) we will be having a mix of training, bonding, humorous and fluff, along with some other bits and pieces.
The reason? Once we hit the keyblade war, it will be fighting…fighting…fighting and…oh yeah, more fighting! So, I'm gonna try and give as much chill time as I can before we get there!
QUESTIONS!
Q1: Thoughts on this chapter?
Q2: How do you like whose bonding with who?
Q3: Who do you wanna see more off?
Q4: Hot Spring down time with hilarity insured?
Q5: Anyone wanna see more of Roxas? How about Regis?
Q6: What do you want to see next?
This is a question and something I've been pondering on, should I make the party age? I mean we all know bar the Island Trio, NOBODY seems to age in this series, but in this canon by the time Sora and co were supposed to reach the Keyblade Graveyard, almost an year had passed and with Eos, they have gone up a year. So, it's just something I'm thinking on, let me know what you all think on it.
