Taking on an apprentice

"So Kairi is finally coming here today?" Elrena asked of Lauriam.

"So Aqua and Terra would have me believe." He replied.

The two of them were taking a stroll field on the outside of the castle. For now it was still necessary for them to wait for their gummiphones to arrive. Though they had not had time to get bored while they were waiting. With Kairi on her way, Terra and Aqua had been busy preparing for it. The Land of Departure had not been used for training purposes for some time, so there was certainly much to get ready. And for Aqua personally training someone else was entirely new situation. She had memories of her own training to fall back on of course. And times informally instructing Ventus during his time here, adding to the training he received from Eraqus. Even so, this was an entirely different thing. So she had spent a lot of time figuring out the particulars of how to go through with this. More than once they had discovered her asleep over one book or another after a long day of studying.

Elrena and Lauriam had chosen to pitch in to fill their day, helping getting things ready and offering feedback to the ideas Aqua came up with. They passed on what tips from their own training they could, though honestly they did not know any more about teaching than she did. It was a worthwhile thing to do, but Aqua pursued the matter with such intensity it was also quite tiring. Hence their decision to take a small break with this stroll of theirs. Plus since they were to be staying here a lot they wanted to get to know their home a little bit better. All the more so since Aqua's discovery in the armory. This place held mysteries from the ages they had skipped by. Now that they knew they existed, the two of them wanted to uncover them. Who knows, maybe that knowledge would shed light to the events that were occurring now, how it all fit together. At the very least it would provide a fascinating distraction.

"Which means we're probably in for another awkward conversation? Since our Nobodies tried to turn Sora into our puppet, and those two are special to each other?" She asked dryly.

"There is a good chance of that, given the circumstances. But if we managed to have some kind of truce with Naminé, then Kairi should be easier of the two." Lauriam pointed out.

"Maybe. But on the other hand a lot of people react more poorly to messing with people they care about than if they themselves are the target. And if Sora is any indication I think we can include Kairi in that category." She said.

Lauriam suppressed a smile. She was probably right about that. The former part in particular. That was something he knew better than anyone. Perhaps Elrena had even realized that when she had said it.

"Well, even in that case we won't be bothering her too long. Once we have our phones we can begin our own search. We can take our time with her. And if she is not feeling like making peace we can just stay out of her way as much as possible." He said.

"Speaking of which, have you heard anything new on those phones?" She asked.

"Not yet. But I don't think it will be very much longer. And then we will be free to get started." He said.

"I was wondering if you'd perhaps want to stay a bit longer, even after they are delivered. You know, until Ven wakes up." Elrena said.

"I've thought about it. But there is no telling how much longer that might still take. And I think it's high time to get our search underway. But once he wakes up I'll return to him first thing." He said.

"Got it." Elrena said, nodding. "In that case once we have what we need, how do we begin? Where do we start looking?"

"Hmm. I think we will need to call Yen Sid first. He did promise to find probable worlds for us. He might have an update for us. If not… then I think it might be best for us to start with one of the worlds we know that we are allowed to visit. In the absence of a clear lead to follow any world will do I suppose." He said.

"Yeah, I guess so. But I still hope they can nudge us in the right direction. We are not going to get anywhere with this if we don't find a trail. We need to keep careful tabs on anything, so we don't end up missing any leads about either your sister or the Foretellers." She said.

"Hey, what's that over there?" Elrena then asked, nodding ahead of them.

"I believe that is the memorial for the Master of Ven, Terra and Aqua." Lauriam said.

"Ven said they put it up right af…ter…" He continued before he suddenly stopped. His eyes went wide and he took off running towards the memorial.

"Huh? Lauriam, wait!" Elrena said, running after him.

When she reached him again he was standing right in front of it, staring at it, mouth open and as white as a sheet.

"Lauriam, what's the matter? You look like you've seen a ghost?" She asked of him.

"This keyblade… its Brain's."He explained.

Now it was turn for Elrena's mouth to fall open in surprise.

"What? Brain's!? Are you sure of it?" She asked.

"I know this is the one. The one he gave to Ephemer before we left the data world." Lauriam said. "Do you know what this means? Ephemer must have made it out of the data world as well. Who knows, maybe Brain did too?" He explained, suddenly full of excitement. Did he really dare hope it could be true?

Elrena's eyes lit up at well. "Hey, you could be right!"

"But… in that case how is this here? Why did it belong to the master of the local trio?" She then wondered.

"We should ask them. Come, let's go see them." He said.

They headed back, and as they walked Lauriam could barely contain himself. Ephemer and Brain might have made it into this age! He knew he still needed to not jump to conclusions to avoid being disappointed. They might not both have made it. And while he would have loved to reunite with them, he had already given voice to the possibility they had arrived at a different point in time. But even so, just the possibility that they had arrived here gave him such joy.

He had to know if it was true. Truly this place held mysteries to pursue.


They found Terra and Aqua at the foot of the stairs leading to the castle.

"Ah. There you two are. We were wondering where you were at." Aqua greeted.

"We decided to go for a walk, since we had a moment of downtime. But listen, we happened across the memorial you left for your former master. It's about the keyblade you used in it." Lauriam said.

"What about it?" Asked Aqua.

"Well it turns out that keyblade at one time belonged to Brain." Elrena explained.

"Brain? Your fellow union leader?" Terra asked.

Lauriam nodded. "And he gave it to Ephemer. I'm certain it's the same one. So do you know how your master came by it?"

"Sorry. Master Eraqus didn't really speak of himself. Up until now it thought it was a keyblade he had forged himself. I had no idea it had been bequeathed to him." Aqua said.

Then she considered. "It might be worthwhile to ask Yen Sid about this. Master Eraqus did mention that they were friends. Perhaps he could tell you more."

"Wouldn't he have already told us of this if he knew?" Elrena asked.

"Not if he didn't realize there was a link. It could be he didn't know any better than us who that weapon originally belonged to. You might as well ask him. Otherwise I don't know who else might be able to help you with this." Aqua said.

"Very well. Then we shall see what he has to tell us. We were planning to contact him in any case." Lauriam said.

"Oh, and good news for you two on that front. Your gummiphones are finally prepared. Donald and Goofy are bringing them here along with Kairi." Aqua added.

"Good to hear. Then we will be able to begin our own work." Lauriam nodded.

"Since they were told to bring our phones here, I take it those two already know we are here?" Elrena asked.

"As does Kairi, I'm sure. And I'm sure Yen Sid has given them at least a summary of your case." Aqua said.

"I'm sure it will be fine." She added, guessing Elrena's thoughts.

"This might be a different case, Blue. We haven't fought you lot directly, so it was easy enough for us to call a truce. And we had Ven to speak for us." Elrena pointed out.

"This isn't the first time former enemies have become our allies. So long as you don't betray our trust you will find us forgiving." Aqua countered.

"Ah. There she comes." She said, nodding upwards. Overhead a gate opened, the gummiship swooping down. It circled around the castle, preparing to touch down.

"Say, have you ever thought about making more of those ships? If you know how, that is. It doesn't seem practical to be forced to rely on just the one to take people around." Elrena commented as they watched.

Aqua shook her head. "I don't think that will be something we would need in the end. Most of us already know how to get around without it. And I intend to teach Kairi to make a glider of her own. With that and the armor I'm making for her Kairi will be able to use the Lanes Between to travel to other worlds as she likes."

"Yeah, those gliders… how do those work exactly? We didn't have those in our times." Elrena asked.

"They're… an altered form of a keyblade. You really didn't have those during the Age of Fairytales?" Aqua said.

"There was never any need. All the worlds were still one, so we just used portals to reach other places." Lauriam said. "Though… even that may not have been quite what it seemed."

"Really? How so?" Elrena asked, curious.

"Well, Ephemer once told me some strange theory of his that the worlds we visited were actually projections of some kind. I didn't know what to think of it when he told me to be perfectly honest." Lauriam explained.

"Sounds like he was rambling to me. Conspiracy theory stuff." Elrena commented.

"Maybe…" Lauriam said, though he felt less certain. Spoken out loud their whole life sounded like a conspiracy theory. Were Ephemer's claims really all that outlandish in the face of that?

Kairi emerged from the ship, with Donald and Goofy shortly behind her. Those two apparently wanted to see the situation for themselves before turning her over. It was strange seeing them again. When last it had happened they had been enemies. Once more he was reminded of Castle Oblivion, the most noteworthy of their encounters. Of what he and Elrena, or rather Marluxia and Larxene, had tried to do there. It had felt so necessary then, though he had all but forgotten the reason as Marluxia. Would he even have known what to do with the Organization if he had gained control of it? Or had the whole plot been a farce from start to finish because of missing memories?

In a way he was glad he had been stopped. Even if his schemes had worked perfectly and he had found his sister, Strelitzia… would not have approved of the way he had done it. When his body had just been reformed after arriving in this new age he and been too desperate and hurting to see it, latching on to the first group that might give him what he wanted. People often claimed willingness to do whatever it took to accomplish things that mattered to them. But few knew the meaning of such a declaration as well as he. In retrospect perhaps he knew it too well. He knew it was not always a positive thing. After all that singular drive had been behind the actions of his first time as a Nobody.

The second time by contrast had been coerced out of him. Knowing he would be destroyed if he refused, he had tiredly resigned himself to his fate, accepting whatever would come. When he had returned to being Marluxia he had not felt so bad about it. One benefit of being a Nobody. To his considerable surprise Elrena had rejoined shortly after as well. Then again, maybe he should not have been. From the day he had met her Elrena had been loyally by his side, no matter where he led her. He had often wondered her motive for such unwavering support, though of late he had started to have his suspicions. And perhaps he had started to see her in a different light as well. Truly he did not deserve her. All too often he felt he had abused her devotion, making her share in his mistakes. One day he would have to make it up to her.

His time in the Organization was a mess, one that he now regretted. He had gone astray, trading his soul to the organization, betraying what he had stood for, all for the possibility of finding Strelitzia again, even knowing she would have disapproved of his methods. At the time getting to see her again had seemed more important. He supposed once they found Strelitzia he would need to earn her forgiveness too, over all the things that had been done in her name. At least this chain of events had brought him to new allies that had already proven truer than the Organization ever had been.

As for Aqua, when she saw Kairi, for a moment she had to squint, her hand almost rising to protect her eyes. She was so… bright. She had sensed that light before of course, many times. But never quite like this. Now it felt like the sun had decided to drop down for a visit. Fortunately her eyes seemed to adjust after a brief moment, allowing her to see normally. But she also noted that none of the other had been similarly affected. Maybe she was more sensitive to this than she had been in the past. She decided to leave pondering the potential implications to another day.

"Kairi! Welcome! How was your flight?" Aqua greeted her.

"There were some fights with Heartless along the way. But Donald and Goofy tell me that's not out of the ordinary." Kairi replied.

"I'm glad. Donald, Goofy, thank you for bringing her here safely." Aqua said to the duo.

"Of course!" Donald replied. Kairi's eyes meanwhile had turned to Lauriam and Elrena, looking at them warily. For their part the two met her gaze calmly, not flinching before her.

"Yen Sid has explained the situation to you I hope?" Aqua asked, having noted Kairi's stare.

"He has… but I wasn't at all sure what to make of that." Kairi replied.

Elrena snorted. "We get that a lot."

"You're really… on our side now?" Goofy asked hesitantly.

"We are. For our own reasons obviously. We would rather work with the Guardians than get in each other's way. There are things afoot that could be a threat to all of us. We must face them together." Lauriam said.

"But before you worked for the Organization. Both versions of it in fact." Kairi argued.

"As have many others who are now your allies." He countered.

"And the fact that you two tried to turn Sora into your puppet?" She demanded.

"…A mistake. No question about that." Lauriam said. "As was fighting you, Donald and Goofy, to which I would like to apologize now." He added to the duo.

"Unfortunately it's too late to take those decisions back. All we can do is own up to it and try to do better." He said.

"And Riku?" She continued to insist.

"That on the other hand was not at all us." Elrena spoke up. "Not when it came to the original Riku at any rate. That was more Vexen, Zexion and Lexaeus. Now, the Riku replica is a different story. Which, ok, bad, and not something we should ever have been messing around with. But like Lauriam said, too late to take that back now. But if you are actually still angry about the real Riku, then maybe you should be having a chat with Even, Ienzo and Aeleus."

"I believe Aqua and I can vouch for Lauriam and Elrena in the here and now. They've made it clear they aren't here to harm us, and everything they've done so far supports that. The things they've done in the past are bad for sure. But they have said they wish to leave that behind them and start over. And if they're willing to, then maybe we should do the same." Terra said. Elrena looked at him with a mildly surprised expression, then gave Terra an almost imperceptible nod. A sidelong glance from Terra showed that he had noticed the gesture.

"And we can promise you'll be safe here. This is our home. We are not going to allow our guests to come to harm here." Aqua joined in. Her words were primarily intended for Kairi, but the reassurance was also offered to Lauriam and Elrena on the side.

Kairi considered. "Fair enough. But I shall keep my eye on you." She finally said.

"By all means. We don't expect you to be our friend right from the beginning. We will prove that we are not your enemy in good time." Lauriam said. Kairi offered him no response to that.

"Before I forget, we were asked to bring these." She said next, handing a pair of gummiphones to Aqua, who promptly passed them to Lauriam.

"My thanks. We have been waiting for these." Lauriam said. Kairi simply nodded.

"Donald, Goofy, thanks for bringing me here. I think I can take it from here." Kairi said.

"You sure about this Kairi?" Goofy asked, obviously still a bit hesitant.

"Yeah. Aqua and Terra seem to think its ok, and I trust them. I'll be alright." She said.

"Okay…" Donald said reluctantly. "Just remember to be good."

"And that goes for you too! We're watching you…" He added to Lauriam and Elrena, a slight hostility in his voice.

"You and everyone else…" Elrena muttered, so quietly that no one heard her.

"Come on, Goofy! We need to get going." The duck concluded, and the two headed back towards their ship.

They watched the ship depart together. "I believe I have a call I need to make." Lauriam said afterwards.

"Very well. Kairi, we can talk more inside." Aqua said. Kairi nodded and she and Terra left with her, leaving Lauriam and Elrena on the castle grounds. Those two got busy figuring how to use their new gadgets, so they could make the call they wished to make.


"By the way, how is Ventus? And Naminé?" Kairi asked as they walked toward the castle.

"Ven is still asleep, and Naminé has continued her work on him. You can visit them if you want to. Just keep it brief. Naminé is very busy, and I don't think she would want to be disturbed for long." Aqua said.

"Got it." Kairi replied.

"So… you wished me to train you?" Aqua asked as they went inside.

"I would, yes, if you would agree to it." Kairi confirmed. "I… need to be stronger. So I can be there for Sora and Riku. I need to learn to do better than I have been, so I won't be in anyone's way next time."

Aqua gave Kairi a long look. Had she not had similar thoughts recently about the need to be able to do her part, although for very different reasons? How interesting it was to note they had a few things in common. Hopefully this was the only similarity in their circumstances. But if Kairi wished to improve her skills and become stronger, then that was what she was going to receive.

"I understand that before the Keyblade War you had some training under Merlin? In a world where time doesn't matter?" Aqua asked.

"Along with Axel, yeah. But it's not enough." Kairi replied.

"But it does mean that you have already gone through basic keyblade training. And I remember you holding your ground reasonably well during the fighting, so those lessons must have stuck. That is good. It means we can focus on more advanced learning with you. The kind leading up to becoming a formal Keyblade Master." Aqua said.

"Does… that mean you agree? You will teach me?" Kairi asked.

"There is something I need to find out about you first." Aqua said.

"Take a moment to settle in. Go and see Ven and Naminé if you like. Once you are ready, meet me in the main hall. And then we will duel. I want to see what you can do." She instructed.

"O-okay." Kairi said hesitantly. She had not really expected to face Aqua in a duel straight on arrival.

"Terra, I'd like you to act as our referee." Aqua continued.

"Of course." Terra said, nodding.

Aqua turned back to Kairi. "Come along then. I'll show you to the room we have set aside for you."


"So you believe Master Eraqus's keyblade once belonged to one of your companions?" Yen Sid asked over the phone.

"Yes. Two in fact. Brain had it first, but then passed it on to Ephemer." Lauriam replied.

"Hmm. When you mentioned Ephemer in your story, I began to wonder. Your discovery would appear to confirm my suspicions." Yen Sid said.

"Meaning?" Lauriam asked.

"You see, the city of Scala ad Caelum was founded by an ancient keyblade wielder. A wielder called Ephemer.

"Ephemer… founded… a city!?" Lauriam repeated, barely believing his ears.

"He did. And if Eraqus's keyblade indeed once belonged to the Ephemer you knew, then I am quite certain we speak of the same person. You see, Master Eraqus received his keyblade training in Scala ad Caelum. This ancient weapon was bequeathed upon his completion on the Mark of Mastery exam." Yen Sid explained.

"So there is a connection…" Lauriam said.

"Yes. If you seek more answers, perhaps you can find them in Scala ad Caelum. I shall inform Mickey to expect a visit from you, should you decide to go there." Yen Sid said.

"Thank you. We will discuss this between us and decide. And thank you also for suggesting worlds for us to search through." Lauriam said, then ended the call.

"To me there isn't much to discuss about this. I'd like to find out what we can." Elrena said at once.

"I would agree. And in that case I think out next course of action is clear. We will begin our work with a visit to Scala ad Caelum." Lauriam said.


Some time passed, Kairi unpacking the few things she had brought, then going to see Ventus and Naminé. She and her former Nobody were glad to see each other after some time apart, though Naminé soon shooed her away, wishing to resume her work.

Aqua meanwhile waited in the main hall for Kairi's return. To Terra she explained her intentions for asking for this duel, made sure they both agreed on the particulars. Elrena and Lauriam dropped by briefly to inform them that they were planning on going to Scala ad Caelum, asking some directions on how to get there. And then, just like that they left, not wanting to waste any more time. They did not say it, but they seemed to be relived to be away from here, given the recent tension. Aqua was sure Kairi would come around like the rest of them, but for now it was clear there were still some lingering issues. But maybe by the time those two showed up again Kairi would have gotten used to the notion of those two being around, so they could settle their differences properly. For now she was glad this animosity would not be an issue in the short term. It would allow them to focus on the things that were truly important now.

Kairi finally returned. Aqua gave her a smile, then nodded to Terra.

"Right. The rules of this duel are as follows: Combat with keyblades and magic is allowed, any kind of hand to hand combat is not. To avoid serious injury, only low level spells are permitted. The duel ends when one participant yields, sustains a direct hit to their head or torso, or when their back touches the ground. As our referee I shall rule on unclear cases." Terra instructed in a formal tone. Aqua was struck by how much he sounded like Master Eraqus at this moment.

"The duel begins when I blow this whistle." He continued, showing it to both of them. "When I blow the whistle again both participants are to halt the duel immediately. And the duel will not resume until I blow the whistle again. Failing to comply with any of these rules will count as an immediate defeat for the violator."

"Are there any questions?" He asked.

"What about healing spells?" Asked Kairi.

"You are free to use them as you will. But only while the duel is ongoing, or if I give permission to use them during pauses. And keep in mind the terms of the duel still apply. As soon as one of you gets even a single direct hit to the head or torso, the fight ends. So be on your guard." He said.

"Any further questions? No? Then prepare yourselves." Terra declared, then stepped back to observe.

"Now don't hold back Kairi. Because I'm not going to. Give this your best shot." Aqua said, then summoned her keyblade. Kairi nodded and called for her weapon as well. Immediately Aqua was tempted to make a few comments about Kairi's stance, how she was holding her keyblade. But she refrained from doing so. That could wait for another time. Right now it would just be interpreted as taunting. But she made a mental note of her observations for future reference.

They waited for the signal in silence, evaluating each other. Then Aqua heard the whistle blow, and immediately launched into action, charging toward Kairi. The fight nearly ended in those opening moments Kairi's eyes going wide, caught completely by surprise by the suddenness of the attack. But she got herself together just in time and blocked, a loud clang echoing as keyblades met. Kairi then had to retreat from a flurry of blows, blocking furiously. Kairi then jumped back to put some distance between them.

"Fire!" She shouted, a blast of flame erupting from her keyblade. Aqua called up a barrier, then responded with an ice spell, which Kairi dodged. They continued like that for a while, at times dueling with magic, at times closing the distance to trade blows with their keyblades before separating again.

As they fought Aqua once again noted how bright Kairi appeared to be. Her light shone even more bright as she fought. That would be a tremendous source of power for her once she learned to tap into it fully. And what being close to her did for Aqua herself… it made her darkness feel so far away, distant. She could almost forget she had it now that Kairi was here. It was a most wondrous feeling, like seeing the sun shine through parted clouds after days of rain. It was really quite shocking how much of a difference this was making. This… this made her feel like she once had. It reminded her of the brightness she had held within, before the shadow had marred her. Kairi had given that back to her, at least for now. She felt so grateful…

"No. I need to focus." She scolded herself. She still had a job to do here. She was better than Kairi for sure, but Kairi was still skilled enough to win this if Aqua allowed herself to be distracted.

Kairi was clearly keeping the rules of the duel in mind, focusing on staying on her feet while directing all her attacks towards Aqua's head or body while protecting herself from the same.

"Maybe there is a room for a quick lesson there." Strikes to the head and body would end the duel. But it did not meant the other parts were off limits.

When they next were in close proximity to each other, Aqua sidestepped out of the way of one of Kairi's blows, letting her keyblade slide along her own. Then Aqua brought her weapon around the flat of the blade hitting Kairi in the wrist. Kairi gave a shout of pain and dropped her keyblade. Aqua tried to follow this up with a blow to the side of the head, but Kairi jumped out of the way again. Kairi then reached out with her unstruck hand, recalling her weapon while holding the other arm to her chest.

Aqua would have attacked again, but then she heard the whistle and froze.

"Better take a look at that arm before we continue." Terra explained to the surprised looks he got from Aqua and Kairi.

Kairi nodded, extending her hand and letting Terra feel her wrist with his fingers. She tried to keep her expression neutral, but Aqua could see a flicker of discomfort in her eyes.

"Hmm… it doesn't look like the bone is broken, but there seems to be some swelling." Terra commented.

"I'm okay if we heal that before we resume." Aqua said.

"Actually… I'd rather you didn't." Kairi said suddenly.

Aqua tilted her head at her.

"You hit me in the arm to soften me up. If this was real then you would have just given yourself an advantage. So please… let me manage the handicap myself, while we are fighting." Kairi explained.

After a pause Aqua gave a small smile and nodded. Kairi caught on quickly…

Terra considered, grasping his chin. "Very well." He said then and backed away again. Then the whistle sounded again, restarting the duel. Aqua darted forward immediately, thinking to press her advantage. But Kairi stayed well away from her, unleashing a few desultory spells to keep the other woman at bay.

"Heal!" Kairi shouted as soon as she spied an opportune moment, and green light briefly glowed on her wrist. She switched her weapon back to her dominant hand, the wrist moving again like she had never been hurt at all.

Kairi then sent a sizeable wave of water hurtling toward Aqua. It did no damage, but the liquid briefly robbed Aqua of her sight. When she opened her eyes Kairi was no longer in her field of vision. Before she could locate her again Aqua felt a sharp pain on the back of her leg, falling to one knee. On instinct she raised a barrier again, stopping Kairi's keyblade mere inches from her back.

That was a very close call. In the back of her mind Aqua was impressed. But before Kairi could strike again or back away Aqua made the barrier explode outward with a gesture, sending the readhead lying. Kairi hit the ground with a grunt, and the whistle sounded immediately after.

"Kairi, your back has touched the ground. The duel is over. Aqua is the victor." Terra said.

Aqua sent her keyblade away and walked to Kairi, offering her hand. Kairi nodded and let Aqua help her to her feet. Once upright Kairi hung her head, looking disappointed in herself.

"Not bad. Not bad at all. You actually held your own there." Aqua said. "It's a good foundation for your training.

Kairi's eyes shot up. "My… my training? But I lost?" She asked, confused.

"I never said winning was the condition of me training you. I have already made that decision. I just wanted to see what I had to work with. I didn't tell you so you would give this your all." Aqua explained.

"I… wasn't meant to win?" Kairi said.

"It would have been astonishing if you had just beaten someone a lot more experienced than you on the first try. And in that case I would have to consider the possibility that I would have nothing to teach you." Aqua said.

A smile appeared on Kairi's face as she understood. "So, how did I do?"

"Not bad, like I said. But of course there is still room for growth. Your style could use some refinement. You've been trained, but you lack experience, and that shows. You showed quick thinking that way you managed to strike at me right at the end. I'll help you display that sort of creativity more consistently. And… well since you asked, you do seem to shy away a little from getting hurt. It's not an unusual thing, but it's hampering you efforts somewhat. We'll work on getting past that, building up your tolerances. And of course there is a variety of advanced keyblade forms I can pass onto you…" Aqua said. Kairi nodded attentively, taking in the feedback.

"But a word of warning: This is going to be pretty intense. More so than it would be for most training to be a Keyblade Master. Usually that's something that takes years of work, but we may not have that kind of time, so this will follow a more compressed schedule. And you are a bit behind the more experienced wielders among us, so we'll be playing catch-up." She added.

"Work hard to reach far. I get it. I'm ready." Kairi said.

"Very good. That's exactly the kind of attitude you are going to need. We'll begin our work tomorrow at first light. If necessary we will return to the world you trained in with Lea, so we can be sure we have the time we need. But we will begin here in this world until I've taught you the means to travel on your own."

"I understand. Thank you… Master Aqua." Kairi said, bowing.

Aqua smiled, shaking her head. "No need to be so formal. Just Aqua is fine."