Sorry for the wait! Here's Part I of the training arc; I wasn't able to get everything I set out to accomplish done before Anime Expo, but this is still a pretty large chapter (4000 words), so I'll get to part II when everything settles down.

Anyways, enjoy!

Iroh's Tea Shop – Stables – Ba-Sing-Se

A week and a half ago…the following Morning

"Rise and shine, Flakes!" Toph roared over Riku, who jarred his head from sitting up.

"Ugh…" Riku supported his back against the wooden wall behind him. He felt the crisp, firm texture of hay as his fingers coursed through the grains beneath him. Yawning, he looked up at Toph, who stared down at him…that wasn't quite right, but meh…as if he were merely a dog begging for food, a smirk etched across her face. In this moment, Riku began to suspect a bit of a Napoleon Complex emanating from her, especially as she earthbended the ground underneath her to give her some height.

Assuming she even knows who Napoleon is… He chuckled.

"What are you laughing at?" she became dead serious as she spit into a jar, which rang at the other side of the room, "you're training begins now, grunt. No breakfast until you've given me one hundred! And I'll add an extra fifty for that chuckle!" She then pounded the raised earth underneath her back into the ground, rattling the ground and Riku with it.

Riku rolled his eyes.

"I felt that! Congratulations, you have to do two hundred now, Flakes!"

I already miss Master Yen Sid's training…

Sighing, Riku resigned to the Earthbending Master's whims and got on the ground, beginning his push-ups. To add sand to his wounds, Toph sat on him carelessly, making Riku grunt. She even rattled the ground occasionally!

"If you fall on your face even once, I'll make you start over again," Toph crossed her arms, letting Riku return to his regimen.

Large Water Tribe Ship – Refugee Camp – Base of Southern Air Temple Mountain Range

Present day - Midnight

[Kairi's theme - Kingdom Hearts II]

"Kairi?" Katara walked up to the Keybearer, wiping her eyes. Kairi was gazing out at the stars and the ocean from the port bow lazing, catching her breath for what seemed like the first time in three days. The moon hovered over their ship, watchfully warding off the darkness surrounding them as it casted a faint silver light upon the Earth. The wind was nonexistent; the waves were calm, the ocean becoming more like a mirror in the lifeless night, almost as if time had been paralyzed completely. Katara felt as if she's only experienced a night like this one other time…the night before the battle at the Northern Water Tribe against Zhao, actually, and a feeling of anticipation grew on her, but she felt more comforted by the in-animation rather than the pure dread that festered in her previously.

Kairi exhausted eyes met Katara's warm gaze and a feeling of mutual camaraderie touched Katara's heart before Kairi turned away.

"Long day?"

"I shouldn't be complaining, but…" Kairi couldn't finish her sentence, but instead leaned against the railing, hunching over to let her head rest on her folded arms.

"I know. You'll get used to it eventually," Katara sighed, "but you do miss the battlefield every once in a while."

"Yeah…" Kairi sighed, "What can I say? I've been on the sidelines too long; I want to fight. Is that selfish?"

Katara shook her head, "If anybody understands that feeling, you'd be looking at her…" Katara shook her head. "I've even fought my grandfather for the right to be taught waterbending, you know."

Kairi turned her head shockingly at Katara, "Really? You did?"

Katara chucked nostalgically, "Yeah. I got in a few good strikes before I was overpowered, but I was a novice back then." Katara shrugged indifferently. "It's what happened after the fight that really mattered…but that's a story I'll save for later."

Kairi laughed matter-of-factly. "I picked up the Keyblade when my friend needed me the most." Kairi began tapping her cheek rhythmically. "I didn't know a single thing about fighting except from the swordplay Sora and Riku used to do. I ended up fighting anyways…even if I only scratched the surface of what my friends had to deal with." Kairi turned herself to face Katara completely. "But since then, fighting over the last year has become everything to me. It's the only way I feel like I can be helpful."

"You know…I'm sorry if this is sudden," Kairi stood back up with renewed energy, glaring at Katara with resolve, "but I'd like to start my waterbending training as soon as possible."

Katara looked at her with surprise. Kairi really did seem dedicated and Katara did promise Kairi she'd take her under her wing…but shouldn't Kairi get some rest?

"I know what you're going to say…you think I'm too tired, but I feel like mulling around doing nothing is only worse," Kairi crossed her arms indignantly, "besides, that's all I did when I was recovering."

"I need this, Katara, please." Kairi bowed her head, her eyes pressed shut.

Katara remained silent. A few seconds passed before she closed her eyes, nodding her approval.

"We will begin tonight. Waterbenders draw their power from the moon…and there is no better place than here to begin training. But you better get some rest tomorrow."

"Alright, alright. I will," Kairi surrendered with her hands up while smiling with resolve, which made Katara chuckle. After a moment of laughter, Kairi took a deep breath and bowed to Katara in respect. Katara smiled and returned Kairi's bow.

"Let us begin."

Training Arena – Southern Air Temple

Present day - High Noon

"Wow," Aqua looked around in amazement as she stepped into the arena alongside Aang. The majesty of the inner temple reminded her of the Land of Departure, but the air held a mysterious, ancient presence as she saw the towering, smooth tan columns enclose the smooth, sandy floors, columns who have witnessed the birth of masters. Aqua tilted her head upward, staring into the oculus at the top of the dome that granted the sun's radiance to bathe the temple in gold. Her eyes trailed downward, following the overgrowth above as it laced down the ceiling, the vines making their way down the dome and around the columns. Upon closer inspection, she realized that the pale, smooth wall slowly blended into reliefs, halting only for the great statue of a great master, likely from many generations ago. The reliefs showed the art of what Aang called "airbending", an ancient technique his people held for millennia. To Aqua's knowledge, the airbending technique was nearly as old as the Keyblade Wars themselves and she wondered if this civilization ever saw the ancient days where light and darkness clashed.

At the center of the temple, a large Airbender symbol was etched into the floor. Aang stood in the middle of the symbol, breathing in deeply.

"Sifu Aqua, I am ready," Aang bowed in respect. Aqua returned his bow.

"Sifu?" Aqua questioned.

"Sifu is what we call 'Master' in my culture," Aang responded simply.

"I see…thank you," Aqua looked away. She was a Master, undeniably, but taking on a student almost felt…unnatural to her.

Aqua…now that you're a Keyblade Master, you've let it go to your head…

She shuddered at Ven's words. She knew better than to take them personally…so she decided to focus on Aang, who was beginning to look at her questionably.

"Alright…let us begin. Summon your keyblade."

"But I don't know how," Aang shrugged.

"Stick out your hand and focus. The Keyblade is a part of you. Always remember that."

"Ok…" Aang closed his eyes and held out his hand. He took a deep breath and a flash of light emerged from his hand. What Aang held in his hand was definitely his Keyblade, but it somehow looked different; the form his keyblade took made it look a lot like his staff, except the edges were rugged and sharp as if it were a two-sided Abloy Key. The long staff met at the wooden handle at the center where a small charm was wrapped around the handle by a red and yellow lace. Gyatso's airbending charm dangled from the end of the lace, acting as the keychain.

"It…looks different from last time," Aang wielded the odd-looking keyblade naturally, however, and Aqua placed a thoughtful finger to her chin.

"It seems…" she pondered, "that it took the form you prefer most."

"I see…" Aang examined his blade; it bared a striking resemblance to the staff Monk Gyatso gave him over a hundred years ago, except the teeth of the blade gave it a rugged, yet distinguished appearance.

"A Keyblade can take on any form the user finds most fitting, but Masters can only pass on so much knowledge to their students, so most apprentices begin their training using the most basic form. For now, let's see if we can summon your Keyblade's original form before we begin. Dismiss your Keyblade just as you summoned it."

"Ok, I've got this," Aang focused and a flash of light dismissed the keyblade.

"Now focus on the shape of my blade," Aqua summoned the Master Keeper, showing Aang the ancient white Keyblade.

"I'll try," Aang said.

"Do not try. Just do. My Master used to tell me that," Aqua corrected him.

"Monk Gyatso used to tell me that as well," Aang smiled as a light appeared in his hand. The staff-shaped Keyblade returned to him again.

"What?!" Aang's eyes widened at the blade. "Not again!" It must have been because he was thinking of Gyatso! Aang needed to clear his mind, but the familiar environment was making it difficult not to think of his former Master.

"It's fine. We can keep on trying," Aqua reassured him as Aang dismissed the Keyblade.

"Aren't you the one who told me not to try?" Aang pointed out.

"Oh…right," Aqua looked down embarrassed. Aang breathed in, staring at Aqua's blade. A light appeared for a third time, yielding the simple, light, wooden Keyblade he originally had.

"I…I did it," Aang smiled.

"This is your Keyblade's basic form," Aqua compared the Master Keeper to Aang's Keyblade and Aang's face lit up in pride. "Congratulations, Aang. You have taken your first step towards becoming a Keyblade warrior."

Aang bowed excitedly, "I will do my best, Sifu Aqua."

"This is your first test," Toph and Riku stood at opposite ends of the empty, desolate courtyard. The air was crisp, the sun barely over the horizon, eclipsed by distant clouds. Toph had disposed of the metal box from the day before, which could be seen in all kinds of distorted, strange shapes sticking noticeably out of a trashcan on the sidelines. Riku almost thought it was modern art and chuckled internally, but stifled any noticeable signs of pleasure in fear of drawing the strict attention Toph's watchful feet. He was doing this to find the Avatar…and besides, he was a Master already; he could ace anything she threw at him.

Iroh, who was only beginning to prepare today's tea, stared out the window, observing quietly. Lea was helping him, trying to sneak a peek himself without Iroh noticing.

"All you need to do is walk over to me, but your feet cannot leave the ground. You have until Iroh opens shop."

"Really? That's it?" Riku shrugged, "What does this have to do with metalbending?"

"Just do it, Flakes, if you think it's so easy," Toph grinned, "I like your cocky attitude, but do you have the skill to back it?"

"Fine by me," Riku began shuffling over to Toph, going slowly. This was easy enough, but he felt like the earthbender had something up her sleeve…wait…why wasn't she doing anything? It's been a whole ten seconds and she hasn't done a thing. Is it really as easy as she was making it? He began shuffling faster, moving cockily as if skating on ice.

I might as well have fun with this before I have to do more push-ups…

Toph shakes her head.

"They never learn," Toph tsks before stomping one foot into the ground. The entire courtyard rumbles with vigorous energy as earth is decimated from underneath, jarring Riku. Each rock, each pebble, each grain in the courtyard is crushed beneath him, leaving only a pool of very fine sand. Riku, losing balance, falls over, his feet flying up into the air as his face hits the sand.

"Start over, Flakes. And get it right this time. I thought you were the one who said walking was easy," Toph mocked as he returned to the beginning.

Riku quickened his shuffle even more this time, moving across the sand with a renewed attitude as he headed straight for her; he felt ashamed and embarrassed to become so careless during training, but Toph's own cocky attitude must have been bringing out his old habits. This felt too much like how he and Sora acted on the islands, except now he wasn't one step ahead. Was this how Sora felt? Toph, noticing that Riku was looking away in thought, decided to jar him back to reality, using the sand piling up on Riku's feet to bind his feet to the earth. Riku struggled to move as the sand resisted him, anchoring him to the spot.

"Focus already, Flakes! You are the Earth. Get your head out of the clouds!" Toph scolded, "You really can be a flake, huh, Flakes?" Riku tried moving his feet forward, but the sand wouldn't budge; he couldn't lift his legs up or else he'd have to start over. After a while of uselessly flailing in the sand, a haunting feeling of uncertainty began forming in the pit of his stomach. Riku was no stranger to this feeling…he felt it all too often when he thought of Ansem or the last few years, but this felt different somehow. It almost felt like he was a toddler who'd forgotten how to walk and the uncertainty of getting back up on his feet felt crushing.

More than anything, this was just plain embarrassing, especially for a Keyblade master.

"I swear sometimes…GET UP ALREADY, YOU DIMWIT!" Toph yelled out at Riku, whose head snapped back up to look at her.

"You're the one who's making it hard! You're an earthbender. Move the earth!" Riku nodded, returning his focus to the task at hand. Remembering his self-defense training, he got into stance and shuffled forward, moving the sand away from his feet effortlessly. Continuing to shuffle in his stance, Toph formed small rocks stubs in front of him, forcing Riku to move sideways. Upon shifting right, the sand's resistance suddenly returned, making Riku fall to the ground once again.

"If you're Earth, then why are you avoiding earth?" Toph pointed at the rocks in front of him, "start over! And it looks like you're running out of time." Toph pointed at Iroh, who was already boiling the tea, keeping a keen eye on the action outside. Lea, on the other hand, was just sitting on the porch, abandoning his post in favor of grinning at Riku.

Returning to his starting position, Riku focused, taking a deep breath.

"Look. Just look at me. Don't look at the ground, don't look away, don't wander off in your ditsy little head of yours. Just look at me and keep moving forward."

Riku nodded silently, staring right at Toph. His eyes not moving away from her, his head void of thoughts, he began shuffling through the sand, moving right towards her. The shuffling sand underneath his feet yielding out of his way…and he could have sworn that he could feel something against his knees…but that didn't matter. All that existed was him and Toph and he was going to stand next to her. Nothing else mattered. In mere seconds, he managed to stand right next to her, tapping her shoulder just to verify that he made it.

"Nice job, Flakes," she turned him around, and Riku eyes nearly fell into his dropped jaw as he witnessed the aftermath of what he had done. Boulders nearly half his height and twice as thick were fractured into large pieces, a line representing the path he shuffled down the only evidence of his involvement. Somehow, he plowed through and destroyed all of these boulders without even noticing and without a scratch on his clothes.

"Now for some breakfast and tea," she patted his back and started walking, "I could really go for some nuts right now. If only I still had Aang's glider…" She trailed off as she headed towards the tea shop.

"Wait," Riku managed to stop her, but Toph didn't turn around.

"How did I do that?" he asked simply.

"You walked. You had a goal in mind and you walked. That's all earthbending is. Know where you want to go and don't let anything stop you. There aren't any clever solutions, there's only doing."

"Now that I know you can metalbend and now that you can do that, I can really train you."

"If you weren't really training me yet, then what were all the push-ups about?" Riku asked.

"Oh, you didn't actually have to do those. I just like to mess with my students," Toph grinned and Riku could hear Lea crack up from afar as they went into the tea shop.

Iroh just smiled and nodded before walking away.

"Allow yourself to feel the push and pull of the water," Katara directed Kairi, who was bending with the soft, yet vibrant waves crashing against the makeshift land Aang created for the camp "Let yourself become immersed in the cycle of eternal balance."

"Katara…" Kairi looked over to her, groggy, "I understand you're trying to teach me, but you're going to put me to sleep if your voice gets any softer."

"Oh…sorry," Katara became silent, the only sound now being the push and pull of the waves Kairi was manipulating. She inhaled as she pulled and exhaled as she pushed, letting her bending move to the rhythm of her breathing. The dead of night allowed her to focus on this singular task, absorbing her attention, making it seem as if nothing except her and the water existed. Then, as if her arms became fish out of water, she stopped, the water falling back into the ocean, the calming water undergoing a metamorphosis into a mirror in the silvery light of the moon. Kairi stared deadly into the water, seeing her reflection for the first time in days; a pale husk returned her stare.

A tear fell from one of her eyes.

[Namine's theme - Kingdom Hearts II]

"Kairi…"

"No, just stop." Kairi halted Katara's advance with her outstretched palm. She looked back at the dead, empty husk in the mirror.

"Why am I so weak? So helpless? I couldn't even land a scratch on Xehanort…and I was too late to save him…" tears for the first time since she saw Sora as a Shadow fell from her eyes, her knees collapsing beneath her as she fell onto the ground. Ripples began forming in the water from Kairi's tears as she stared at the now distorted image.

"I'm nothing compared to Riku…to Master Aqua…to Aang. How can I be useful? Why am I even here?" she slammed a fist into the earth, the water in front of her flying upward from her ability. Katara stood there for a minute, letting Kairi cry before she kneeled down next to her.

Katara sighed, "You know, Aang may be powerful, but he's just as human as the rest of us." Katara placed her hand on Kairi's back in reassurance. Kairi was shocked by her response, but remained quiet.

"He has his own weaknesses and faults, some that even make it difficult for him to fight sometimes, but Aang finds a way to keep himself balanced and compensate for those weaknesses, even if he has to approach it in his own way…"

"But even if that's true, he's still leagues above me! He's more powerful than I'll ever be!" Kairi turned to Katara, tears leaking from her eyes as she yelled, her face scrunched up in agony.

"Power is not the only strength a person needs, Kairi. They also need a strong heart or else their power will erode their humanity away. And I know you have a strong heart," Katara smiled.

"And no matter how powerful Aang is, he probably needs even more support from his friends than most people because he's the Avatar…it's all that keeps him from falling apart, sometimes." Katara got back up, helping Kairi to her feet, Kairi wiping her tears away.

"Funny enough," Katara sighed, "this reminds me all too well of the first time we visited the Southern Air Temple." Katara reminisced darkly at the old memory. "Aang hadn't learned that the Fire Nation wiped out the Air Nomads when we first came…my only regret I have from that day is that I didn't tell him sooner."

"Why?" Kairi asked, confused.

"When he did find out…"Katara looked away, "he learned that Gyatso, his old master and friend, was killed during the purge. He blamed himself; thinking if he hadn't run away from being the Avatar a hundred years ago, he could've saved Gyatso and the other airbenders…but I'm certain that he would have died alongside them or have been captured if he hadn't fled. He wasn't strong enough to face the Fire Nation then…he'd have to fight another day when he was stronger in both power and in heart…and not alone."

"And even when he did become powerful and found friends to help him, he still doubted himself, just like you are now." Katara returned her gaze to Kairi, who looked down at the water.

"Now that I think about it, I remember how many times Riku has questioned himself over the same things. I suppose even masters have to worry, sometimes."

"We do," Katara grinned, "you can be the best in the world and still feel like the worst." Kairi nodded, considering the bender's words.

"So...then what happened?" Kairi asked.

"Well, after many months of hard training with me and Toph, the week before the Invasion of the Fire Nation finally came around. Aang was so nervous, he couldn't sleep for days and he had nightmares every night. I was so concerned for him, I was probably losing just as much sleep," Katara chuckled before continuing, "Anyways, we did everything we could to soothe him to sleep, but he only kept getting worse and worse…"

"But," Katara enunciated her transition, "in the end, after some bitter work and a lot of wool, we managed to soothe him to sleep."

"Wow…What happened after that?" Kairi asked, rubbing her eyes of her tears.

'Well, the invasion itself was a complete failure," Katara admitted, "but only because Azula learned about our plans ahead of time. They moved the Fire Lord to an underground bunker ahead of time and cornered us before we could retreat. Honestly, Aang still needed to learn firebending and Zuko might not have joined us, so maybe it was best that things turned out as they did."

"So the Fire Lord was in another castle, eh?" Kairi chuckled. Katara was oblivious to her reference, but she was happy that the Keybearer was getting her gusto back.

"But regardless of what happened then, Aang understood something important. Being the Avatar was difficult and tiring at times, but no matter the pinch he finds himself in, no matter how difficult being the Avatar is, he knows he will always have his friends fighting alongside him and supporting him. And I'll always be there for him when he needs me, just as he will always come rushing back when I need him."

"When I became his girlfriend, I told myself one thing: Like the moon and the ocean, we will keep each other balanced so that neither of us has to face the world alone."

Kairi remained silent, processing Katara's beautiful words. So she wasn't the only one…she secretly knew this, but hearing this from Katara relieved her somehow, as if making this fact undeniably true. When she considered the last year…when she considered how supportive Riku, Master Yen Sid, Donald, Goofy, King Mickey, and especially Sora were of her training…Kairi couldn't help but crack a smile at the warmth and advice she received. Her friends did support her in the end…they were her strength, her reason to keep fighting. She'd fight for her friends…for anyone she needed to protect.

"Thanks, Katara," Kairi bowed respectfully, which Katara returned graciously. Kairi felt the blood rush to her head, her vision becoming blurry.

"I'm going to go back to sleep, now…I think my body has caught up to me. Thank you again…" Kairi croaked out in pain, hunched over, holding her head as she guided herself back to the ship's sick bay.

Katara, however, remained behind for a moment. Sighing, she looked briefly at the mountain range as if looking directly at the Southern Air Temple.

That's also the day that Aang, Sokka and I became a family…

She gave the looming temple a bittersweet smile, turning her body groggily before heading back to bed.

"Good. Now keep your stance steady and keep deflecting," Aqua instructed Aang as she walked him through basic sword training. The two of them parried keyblades softly, walking through the basics of sword training: stance, deflection, and basic movements. Aang's Keyblade felt awkward in his hand; as the Avatar, the only weapon he ever needed was his staff, and as an Air Nomad, learning how to use an offensive weapon felt even stranger. Aang understood Aqua's words, but translating them naturally into movement only made him lose focus.

"Hmm…" Aqua muttered. She continued to pace the through the motions.

"What?" Aang asked.

"This…doesn't feel right," Aqua dismissed her Keyblade, stepping back. Aang's arms fell to his sides, his Keyblade dismissing. "I don't think this is the best way to train you."

"Then…what should we do?" Aang asked her.

"Hmm…" Aqua turned to the side, looking up at the domed ceiling, becoming lost in thought. Aang, feeling the need to mimic her, did the same – not out of mockery of Aqua, but rather out of duty to his master to find a solution – but failed to gain the same intensity and focus as the Keyblade Master. The Avatar merely resorted to looking around the room awkwardly, a hint of curiosity and boredom motivating him to explore every little nuance the ancient room provided him.

Aqua, on the other hand, was recalling the first day of her own with Master Eraqus…

(Aqua's theme – Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep)

"You're keyblade wielding can use a little bit of work," the master spoke to her as she stood attentively. Her heart was sinking; she wasn't nearly as strong or as skilled as Terra. What if she wasn't ready?

"But your aptitude at magic is incredible," Eraqus bent down to look at her, giving her an earnest smile, "some might even call you a genius, Aqua."

"But people other than Keyblade wielders can use magic," a younger Aqua looked down in disappointment, "if I'm no good with a keyblade, then why was I given this power? How can I live up to Terra?"

"You have a different kind of strength than Terra, Aqua, because you are two different kinds of people," Master Eraqus then pointed at her chest, "nurture that strength and you will be able to do great things if you follow your heart."

"Maybe then, you can learn how to make your weakness into your strength."

(Continue Aqua's theme)

"Aang," the Avatar's head swayed in her direction, his body moving with it.

"I can tell I'm going to need to figure out your abilities with the Keyblade a different way," Aqua spoke honestly, "and I think the only way I can do that is if I spar with you."

"Wait…what?" Aang looked at her, confused.

"This isn't going to be a fight that determines superiority or anything." Aqua shook her head. "Rather I want to understand how you fight and how I can train you based on that."

Aang considered this, his eyebrow furrowing, "but what if I hurt you?"

"I'm a Keyblade master. I'll be fine."

"Well, alright. But I would prefer if we did it somewhere other than this," Aang requested, "this is a sacred place and I don't want to bring harm to it." Aqua looked around at the mysterious beauty of the temple once more, reminded that this place is more than just a mere shelter, but a sacred relic of the past, containing thousands of years of history.

"I understand," Aqua respected, and even admired, Aang's concern for the temple.

"I know a good place," Aang lead Aqua out of the training hall.

And that's Part I. Favorite, follow, review, and as always, Stay Golden!