Moogle's was only three blocks from Twilight Academy, so getting there was no great adventure. However, Axel was finding it as more a game of survival with every word that spilled out of Terra's mouth. That said, Axel was finding it very hard not to tune him out. This isn't to say Terra was annoying, it was just that he had a habit of talking too much and meaning too little. Every once in a while Axel would catch a piece of the one sided conversation.
"...she has a great laugh too..." Was the last of Terra's tangent that Axel heard as he pulled open the door to Moogle's.
Quickly Axel made a beeline for the energy drinks and candy, leaving Terra at the door who actually had stopped talking long enough to go into the restroom. Axel breathed a weary sigh. He liked Terra. He always had. On more than one occasion, the two of them would spend entire days in town flirting with girls or blowing what money they had at the Wonderland Arcade. It was only when Terra would flirt with a girl enough to get some time alone with her that Axel didn't like. Every time he did this, Terra would make a point to avoid the girl afterward and it just didn't seem right.
After paying for the drinks and candy, Axel waited for Terra. He still hadn't come back from the restroom. In no mood to wait, Axel left.
Just like before, Axel's walk home was quiet and uneventful. Thankfully he had grabbed a candy for himself. It was a sandy colored package with a golden lamp on the front. Blue smoke rose from the lamp forming the words "Three Wishes." They were blue gummy Genies covered in a sour powder that crackled in your mouth like PopRocks. It was a cleaver concept and it reminded Axel of all the movies he had ever seen involving a Genie using magic. Finally he made it back to the dorms and started climbing.
"What took you so long?" Asked Riku.
"Yeah seriously, we thought you got caught." Sora added. Axel shrugged and tossed them each a drink.
"I ran into Terra on my way out."
"What was Terra doing out?" Riku asked, his eyebrows knitting together with his question.
"Sneaking out of Aqua's room. Rane is her new roommate." Axel explained. There's was a sharp crack followed by a hiss as he opened a can of Thudaga for himself. Riku followed suit and raised his now open can.
"Well Rane, it was nice knowing ya. I'm sorry we couldn't save you from. The clutches of the school hottie." He said as if she was in the room with them.
"You don't really think Terra would try anything on her do you?" Sora asked. The eyes of his friends fell on him then.
"Dude, it's Terra. Rane is a woman and now she is a woman going to our school. There isn't a girl here he won't try something with." Riku explained to his young friend. Sora looked to Axel for support.
"It's true. He's part of the reason Aqua and I didn't work out." He confirmed, taking another drink.
Sora shook his head.
"I always thought he was a nice guy." He said sadly.
"Oh don't get us wrong, he's an awesome guy. He's just not exactly aware of what he's doing. He's cruel." Axel tried to help.
"That's kind of harsh." Sora countered.
"You misunderstand." Riku jumped in.
"He is like a natural disaster. When a hurricane rips through a coast line, you wouldn't say it was mean, you would call it cruel. It wasn't mean in any way. It was just doing what it's nature tells it too do. He doesn't do what he does with ill intent, he just doesn't see the long term damage." Sora seemed to wrap his head around the concept but still looked sad.
"Can't we help him?" Sora asked.
"Can you help a hurricane?" Axel asked in return. Sora shrugged.
"I see what you mean."
The trio of friends finished the night as any high schoolers, hopped up on energy drinks and video games on a Sunday night would. They crashed mere hours before Axel's cell phone buzzed it's scheduled, weekday alarm. Axel reached over and shut it off, realizing he had forgotten to plug it into it's charger. Sora sat up from the spot on the floor he had claimed as his. His normally spiky hair hadn't changed much save for the whole right side of his head had been pressed flat, giving him a sort of bed head look. Riku on the other hand was already awake and dressed. It was odd seeing him alert before 10am.
Chemistry with Prof. Vexen was first. The demonstration at the front of the class was actually rather interesting to Axel. Vexen was holding a long candle lighter over a coffee can. The can had a single hole punched on the top and bottom and was sitting lid down on the table.
"The gas inside the can isn't nearly as light as helium so it will take it longer to escape. But if I can trap the gas inside the can with a flame." Vexen clicked the lighter on and touched the little flame to the hole on top. The fire caught the gas that was escaping and sat on top of the can for a moment before disappearing inside. When it did, the professor took a large step back. A few seconds later, there was a loud bang and the coffee can of gas exploded. The lid of the can acted as a launch pad sending the can itself into the air. The whole class laughed and clapped. Vexen was a sort of favorite among the students for these little experiments he would perform.
The excitement now over, Axel slid back into his chair and waited for the bell to ring. When it did, the class packed up and left. Axel was about to pass the Fencing hall when he noticed the crowd.
"Axel!" Riku shouted from the crowd. Axel pushed past the other students into the hall.
"What's going on?" He asked.
"Terra challenged Marrik to a duel."
"Marrik?"
"The new guy with the sweet bike." Riku explained excitedly. The excitement heard in his voice could be heard in every student around them. Axel remembered Marrik. But he wondered what was so special about the duel. Terra wasn't really all that great. He was a great fencer sure, but he was too predictable. In every duel Axel had seen him in, Terra had always gone straight for the kill. He practically abandon his defense all together.
"So what do you say we raise the stakes a little?" Asked Terra. Marrik shifted his grip on the foil he held and smirked.
"Ok what do you want?" He asked. Marrik's voice was deep but not as intimidating as Axel had anticipated.
"If I win, I get to ask out Rane." Terra said as if there was no other alternative. Marrik smiled over his shoulder at Rane who stood nearby. She shrugged and smiled back. Axel couldn't be sure but he could swear Marrik winked at her as if telling her a joke.
"Ok that's fine." He replied.
"What do you want if I lose?" Terra asked.
"Nothing. I just get the satisfaction of kicking your ass." Marrik taunted. Terra rolled his eyes and slid on his mask. Marrik followed suit, smiling all the while.
The two duelists took their stances on opposite ends of the strip. Presenting their sabers, the duelists shouted, "Allez!" And the duel began. Terra, as expected, was the first to strike. Taking the easy shot, Terra struck out for Marrik's torso but was deflected quickly. Marrik parried the blade and immediately followed with a strike of his own. Grazing his opponents blade, he aimed for the shoulder. Terra feigned right to avoid being hit and shot back straight for Marrik's ribs. His blade was back handed just before it could make any contact. Then Marrik did something every duelist is told not to do. The boy spun a full circle which put him just out of reach and slapped away Terra's blade with his own. The move was so unexpected that, Terra seed a little stunned. Quickly recovering, Terra struck out again and again, each strike quick and precise but none hit their mark. Finally, just as Marrik's saber was about to make contact with Terra's mask, his jacket flashed red. Terra had managed to sneak under Marrik's strike just in time to hit him. The whole thing was over only seconds after it had begun.
"He threw the match." Riku muttered. Axel looked at him puzzled.
"Marrik could have had him three moves ago. He let Terra hit him." Riku explained.
"How do you know? It seemed pretty straight forward to me." Axel replied curiously.
"The angle Marrik struck out with. It was off. It looked like he was trying to hook a basketball."
Axel looked back at the duel that was now over. The two boys had removed their masks and shaken hands. Rane stepped onto the strip between them.
"So I guess I'll pick you up at 8? Say Friday night?" Terra asked with a triumphant smile. Rane smiled back.
"Nope." She said. Terra's smile fell.
"What? But I won." He protested.
"Yes and you wagered the chance to ask me out. Not that I would have to say 'yes' so no." She explained with a laugh and turned to leave. Marrik smiled and followed her out leaving a rather humiliated Terra alone.