To Avalon
Bright and early in the morning the people in the Land of Departure gathered in the main hall. The day had finally arrived when they would be making their move to Avalon to begin their training there. In the middle of the room a large pile of suitcases and crates had been assembled. The personal belongings of those here, and several items from the castle that were to be moved to their new training grounds.
Kairi had just got there when she noticed some were missing. "Wait, where is Master Aqua? And Xion?"
"Aqua is on her way. She just needs a bit longer to prepare." Terra said.
"And Xion is fetching something from Twilight town. She'll be back soon." Roxas said.
"While were waiting… I've been wondering what is the plan on getting me to Avalon? Are we going to be calling the gummi ship here? Or… was the plan for me to stay here?" Naminé asked.
"No one can stay here. We need to stick together so we can protect each other in case the Foretellers or somethings else comes looking for us. We'll be turning this place back into Castle Oblivion until we are ready to come back here." Terra said.
"So how will I get to where we are going?" She asked.
"That's actually what Xion went to get. She's bringing her black coat here. Since you are about the same size you can use it for the duration of the trip. The clothes provided by Yen Sid have the same protective properties, so she won't be needing it herself." Roxas explained.
"I see. Thank you." Naminé said.
That was when Aqua arrived in the hall as well. In place of her normal clothes she was now wearing a black coat. When Elrena saw it a pleased smile tugged the corner of her mouth. Terra and Naminé had already known of this, but from the rest Aqua got surprised looks. Moments later Xion climbed the stairs into the hall, joining the others.
"Naminé, I've got the coat here for you. I trust Roxas already explained what our plan is?" Xion said. Then she noticed Aqua. "Wait. You have one of these coats too? Since when is that?"
"It was a gift. A fairly recent one. I thought now might be a good chance to test it out, see what it can do." Aqua explained. She glanced at Elrena, giving her the tiniest nod of her head, which Elrena returned.
"Now then, seeing as we are all here, let's get moving." Aqua told the rest. They all moved to collect items they could carry, mainly focusing on their personal belongings for this first trip. It would take several back and forth trips to move all the materials to their destination, particularly with the heavier items that would need several people moving them.
"Hmm… I never would have thought I would be wearing one of these." Naminé contemplated as she was putting on Xion's coat.
"I can't say ever expected to be using a black coat either. But it's not so bad. This actually feels... quite comfy." Aqua said.
"Watch out if you ever go to a world with hot climates, though. The coats can get rather sweltering. I remember making a scouting trip to Agrabah once and if I had had a heart at the time… it would have been unpleasant, to say the least." Elrena commented.
"Noted." Aqua said. She and Naminé exchanged glances. For a moment it looked like they were about to say something to each other. But neither seemed to find the words, averting their eyes.
"Lea, Kairi. You can show us the way, and the rest of us will follow you." Aqua said instead.
Kairi nodded and pointed her keyblade forward, opening a gate for them. Keyblade armors were activated, hoods of black coats raised, and together they proceeded into the portal. Kairi and Lea led the way, the rest of them following a short distance behind in a tightly packed cluster.
The coat… did work, Aqua noted. Better than she had dared hope in fact. Her keyblade armor had warded off darkness for sure, but she had still been able to feel its presence, almost like wind blowing against the skin. But the black coat seemed to shut that feeling right off. She had admittedly been somewhat concerned about going to another world. But it seemed that between Kairi's light (which shone brightly even here) and the coat she had nothing to worry about with the darkness in these spaces. Only the darkness already within her heart…
"So this is Avalon. It's lovely here." Lauriam said as they arrived.
"And you really say that time does not matter here?" He asked.
"Nope. Kairi and I trained here before the fight with Xehanort. It felt like ages. But when we got back we found out very little time had passed." Lea said.
"But some had?" Elrena asked.
"Yeah, some. But basically none. Still a lot of training shrunk to a fraction of the time." Lea confirmed.
"Exactly what we need." Lauriam said.
"Convenient that Merlin would know of a world such as this." He commented.
"He said he had found it for a friend of his. A king in one of the worlds that got wounded in a terrible battle against the Heartless. So Merlin brought him here to heal." Kairi explained.
"Is this king somewhere here then?" Lauriam asked.
"Not anymore. This was all a very long time ago. Well, a long time ago in the world he came from at least. I hear he went back to his world to help lead his people in the fight against the Heartless." Kairi explained.
"Then I wish him well. One more ally on our side." Lauriam said.
"Though if his people don't have keyblades I'm not exactly sure what the long term plan is. I do approve that he's trying. But normal weapons won't drive away the Heartless for good." Elrena commented.
"So perhaps a world that we should visit then?" Lea said.
"Perhaps. At some point. But with so many possible worlds, one is as good as another. Besides, one thing at a time. This training must be done first." Isa opinioned.
"Yeah, I wasn't suggesting we go there right at this instant. Plus we can't fix every problem. Not with these numbers. We have to put our attention where it's most use." Lea replied.
"Agreed. And I think our focus should be where the Princesses of Heart are, and whatever worlds the Foretellers show an interest in." Aqua said. "But first… we make ourselves ready."
"So, what shall we do first?" Lea asked.
"Let's just take a look around. See what we have to work with. We can take this day getting to know the place and setting things up." Aqua decided.
"Kairi, you can show me around. Lea, you can introduce the others to this place." She continued.
Lea was momentarily confused why Aqua wanted him to take charge of all the others, but then he understood her intentions. She clearly wanted a word in private with her student.
"Alright then. I'll take care of it." He said.
"Very good. Then let's meet back here in… say… one hour?" Aqua said.
"Better make that two. This place is pretty big." Kairi commented.
Aqua nodded. "Two it is then."
Lauriam and Elrena exchanged glances. "If you don't mind, we might like to do a bit of exploring on our own." Lauriam said.
Aqua considered, then nodded. "Alright. If that's what you prefer. Just don't get lost. And do remember to come back in time to lend us a hand when we get to work."
"Not to worry. We won't be out of earshot." Elrena said, waving her gummiphone before putting it back in her pocket.
The three groups went on their ways, soon losing sight of the others.
"And here is the dueling ring. Lea and I did a lot of training here." Kairi detailed about an hour later.
Aqua hummed in acknowledgement. Kairi gave her a long look. She turned her eyes towards the ground and crossed her arms.
"So… what was it that you wanted to speak about?" She asked.
"You guessed I wished to, huh? I guessed I should not be surprised. I wasn't that subtle." Aqua said. She motioned at some benches lining the edge of the fighting ring and they both sat down.
"I've just been thinking… I realize I've not been fulfilling my duty as your teacher as well as I should have lately. I'm sorry for that. But… I can't really promise I'll be able to do better for a long while yet. Or at all. And so… perhaps you deserve to be taught by someone who can." Aqua explained.
Kairi blinked, not believing her ears. "Aqua? "W-what are you saying?"
"I'm wondering if it's time to find you a new master. I'm not the only one there is. There are others we can turn to." Aqua said. "Riku… is not an option at present, obviously. But I can ask Mickey to take you under his wing and finish your training. And Terra may not be a formal Keyblade Master, but I believe that to be a technicality these days. One that I'm sure will be rectified before long. If you prefer then I'm certain that he would be more than willing to…"
"But it's not what I prefer! I already have a master. And a good one at that. I wish to continue my training with you!" Kairi protested.
Aqua sighed in frustration. "Kairi, I'm a mess. I didn't want to face that before, but that is the stone cold truth. If you stick with me as your Master, it could affect your training. And I can't let that happen."
"So… what? You're kicking me out?" Kairi asked.
"No one is kicking any…! That's not it at all. Kairi, as your teacher I have a responsibility to put you before myself. To think about what's best for you. Because you deserve the best, and I'm not at mine. I may still need your light to survive. But you can do far better than me." Aqua told her.
Kairi shook her head. "I don't believe that. You are the best teacher for me. Even now."
"Are you sure of that? Are you sure you don't wish to stay with me simply because you want to make me feel better? Because in that case… do not. Don't sacrifice your future for my sake." Aqua said pointedly.
"And are you sure this is really about me and not your self-doubt? Are you sure this worry is justified? Because I don't think so. And I think deep down you know it too." Kairi countered.
After a moment's silence she leaned in and took her mentor's hand. "I don't want this because I pity you. I chose you as my Master long before I knew anything of this problem with the Phantom. This issue has been going in the background the whole time you've been training me. And you've still done a wonderful job with me. I've learned so much with you. You've been forging me into… something far more than I have been."
"But… I'm not complete yet. There is still more to do. So I'm asking you, for my sake, to believe in yourself. I chose you for a reason. And not just because I happened to meet you as a little girl. No, my heart knew there was no one else who would be a better fit in training me. And I know, without a doubt, that I've made the right choice." She told her mentor.
"You have a lot to figure out, and you've had truly bad few weeks. I can see why that would make it hard to focus on training me. But all the same I trust you, even if you have a hard time trusting yourself. All I would ask now is that you would finish what you started. Help me be ready." She concluded.
Then she bowed her head. "Unless of course what you're saying I'm a distraction to you. That I'm hampering your ability to deal with this. Because that I do not want. If I'm a burden… I guess I'd have no choice but to stand aside."
Aqua was quiet for a moment before answering. "Kairi… you're not a distraction. And you're not a burden. If anything I thought I might be a burden to you. But if you truly won't accept anyone else to do this in my stead… then I suppose I need to double my efforts to make sure my personal problems don't interfere with anything. I owe you that much."
She looked down at the ground. "This arrangement… I can't make promises on how long it will last though. Yen Sid is going to hear about my condition sooner or later. And then there is no telling what he might choose to do about it. I don't know if the title of Keyblade Master can be revoked once it is given, but he might well decide I'm no longer fit to teach you."
Kairi shook her head. "It's not his call to make. This decision is between you and me. If we both decide upon it, what is he going to do about it?"
Aqua gave a faint smile. "I suppose that is true. But just so you understand: I'm going to be keeping a close eye on my situation and how it affects your performance. If things get worse I may revisit this decision."
"Of course." Kairi said with a nod. "Like I said I don't want to be a burden to you. If you start to truly feel like you can't manage both me and yourself, then we can reconsider."
Aqua took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment. "I have a lot to figure out, just like you said. About the choices ahead of me. Too much is uncertain to promise I'll make it in the end. But for as long as I can, I'll do my best to help you. And the others too."
Kairi nodded again. "Thank you… Master Aqua."
Aqua smiled and shook her head. "No. Thank you. For believing in me. I hope I prove worthy of that."
"And if I wish that… I suppose I should start by attending to my duties." She added.
Aqua let her eyes move along the ring, examining the place. She nodded with approval. "This looks like a very good setup. It will have its uses I'm sure."
"Though I think we will be needing something different. We all know how to fight one on one. But we need more than that to take on the Foretellers. From what I have been told it sounds like they outclass any one of us one on one. We need to work on our teamwork, all of us, make ourselves more than the sum of our parts. It's the only way to have a decent chance against the Foretellers I think." She continued.
As Aqua kept on speaking Kairi watched her and began to smile. There was the Master she had been waiting on. It was heartening to see Aqua could still bounce back despite the hardships she faced. They spent some time there, with Aqua detailing her plans.
"Come. I think we should head back." Aqua finally said, standing up.
"And then I need to speak with Naminé. There is an apology I need to make. Past time for it. If nothing else, she meant well." She added in her mind.
"I guess some things just don't change." Elrena said as they walked on in another part of the forest.
"What do you mean?" Lauriam asked.
"Have you noticed who tends to be giving the orders whenever something happens?" Elrena asked as her response.
"Well that… would be Aqua I guess." Lauriam replied.
"Yeah. And I just noticed she's still doing it. I thought that might end up going differently given her situation. But it looks like she is still the one in charge" Elrena said.
"She is the only formally recognized Keyblade Master currently here. The Guardians don't seem to be too big on formality of course. But the title does still carry some weight. And honestly who do you see taking charge if not her?" Lauriam said.
"That… is an excellent question actually." She conceded. "Who could do her job if she couldn't? Or wouldn't? Not me. Even if I wanted the job I'm not enough of a people person to do it. Terra maybe. But I think he much prefers being the right hand man to her. Don't believe he would be interested in a promotion, especially if it came at her expense. Isa might be able to do it, since as Saïx he used to pass around orders in the Organization. But the whole business might be a bad memory for him. So… maybe in an emergency. But I don't see him taking charge otherwise. Then there is the King, or maybe Riku. But I'm not at all sure I'd be comfortable in taking orders from either of them. Blue I've gotten used to in that regard. But them? Hm. And of course both of them are busy right now, so in the short term they wouldn't be an option either way."
"And Sora…?" She contemplated before she began to laugh under her breath.
"Oh, boy. The day we have to rely on that half-pint to actually lead and make decisions for other people… is going to be a horrible day for all of us. The kid is a good fighter, sure. And his friends like him for a reason I'm sure. But leadership? I don't think he would be cut out for that." She said.
"Considering how often he has been baited to charging straight at a problem without thinking..." Lauriam said in agreement.
Elrena nodded. "Yup. Exactly. If you ask me we might as well ask Demyx in that scenario. He at least might feel too lazy to do the job and we could find someone better."
"Ouch. I can't decide which one of them would be more offended by that." Lauriam commented.
"No thoughts on Yen Sid in your consideration?" He then asked.
"Yen Sid already has a job as a link above the likes of Blue. He plans out the overall strategy, and Aqua and the others make the decisions on the field to see it done. And I think that's all that is reasonable to expect from him, given he considers himself retired. That one time he intervened directly I think was the exception that confirms the rule." She said.
"It's true enough." Lauriam said. "And certainly I couldn't be a leader. I had my shot at that kind of thing a long time ago. And I blew it."
"Not entirely. I'm still here. And I've got no complaints to speak of." Elrena consoled.
"Really? All the stuff we went through. All the bad decisions, the mistakes we made. And you're completely okay with that? Seriously?" He asked incredulously.
"Well… okay. There may have been a few bad calls. Or maybe more than a few. And several rough spots along the way." She admitted with a grimace.
"But hey, at least the company has been nice!" She then quipped. Her tone was playful but Lauriam could hear she wasn't truly joking.
Lauriam gave a short laugh. "Yes, I'll give you that. It has at least been nice to have a good partner on this wild ride of ours."
"So, partner. How long do you see us training with the Guardians?" She asked.
"I think we can take our time. The nature of this place means we can stay with them without losing any time on our search. Strelizia won't have to wait any longer because of it." He said.
"A while back Ven told me he wanted to visit Scala. He is going to try to persuade Terra and Aqua to let him come with us, so we can go there together. Afterwards he is planning to return to Radiant Garden. And I think that will be a prime time for us to resume our search." He detailed.
"…And when we do get back to it I have a new idea we can try. Something that might finally get us the answer we need." He then said.
"Really?" Elrena asked.
Lauriam nodded. "I've done some asking around lately, and Terra told me of this magical mirror that supposedly can answer any question. I intend to seek it out and ask it about Strelitzia's whereabouts."
"Any question you say? Sounds incredibly useful. Where is this thing supposed to be then?" She asked.
"In the Dwarf Woodlands, located in a castle thereabouts. From what I understand the place is abandoned now, so we shouldn't have any trouble getting to the mirror." He explained.
"Wait, wait, wait. You're telling me that it's in the world we first woke up in?" She asked. She began to laugh. "Unbelievable. All this searching, all the shenanigans over the years. World after world. And this whole time the answer may have been staring at us in the face at the starting line."
She kept on laughing for a while before she got herself back under control. "Well… I do hope it works out this time. It would be nice to finally have a solid clue after all this effort."
"Yes, it would. We have been patient long enough." Lauriam agreed. "You perhaps more than I have." He added.
"Me?" Elrena asked in surprise.
"Strelitzia is not your sister. And you did say you weren't really friends. I imagine this must all feel like trying to rescue a coworker. Valuable if it can be done. But not the kind of thing one would go to the ends of the world for. I'm aware we haven't exactly procured a whole lot of results during our search. But despite the lack of success you have stuck with me." He pointed out.
"…I have my own reasons to be here." She replied.
"Yes. I imagine that you do…" Lauriam said with a slight smile.
They emerged from the forest to an open space at the edge of a cliff. Beneath the cliff a further expanse of forest spread to the horizon, all illuminated by golden rays of the sun overhead.
"Wow. This is… quite a view." Elrena said with approval.
"Indeed. A gorgeous sight. This whole world looks to be like it. And there is a strange sense of tranquility here. You could stop counting time in this place. Like a summer vacation that lasts for as long as we want it to." He said.
"Now there is an image. Wouldn't that be wonderful?" She mused.
Lauriam meanwhile spotted a patch of flowers close by. He walked over and knelt down to take a closer look. Having noticed the focus of his attention, Elrena soon joined him.
"What have we here? Pretty. Do you know the species?" She asked, standing next to him.
"No, much to my surprise. Must be some local variety." He replied. "Oh, if only I had the books from my original home. I might find it somewhere in them."
He picked one up. It had five petals, white in the center, followed by blue gradually shifting to darker tones towards the edge, the tips of the petals almost black. For a time he continued to examine it, rotating it between his fingers. Then he looked at Elrena from the corner of his eye, and a smile tugged at his mouth. On impulse he stood up and in a deliberate, unhurried motion placed the flower behind her ear. Caught completely by surprise, Elrena went rigid, her eyes wide. As he withdrew his hand, his fingers traced the outside of her ear and the line of her jaw, his thumb and index holding her chin for a few seconds before he let his arm drop.
Eyes still as wide as plates, her hand slowly rose to touch the flower. Had that… seriously just happened? Was this real?
"Lauriam… wha… wha…?" She stammered, a fierce blush appearing on her cheeks.
Lauriam continued to smile warmly. "Think of it as a sign of acknowledgement. And appreciation. I realize how much you have been doing for me when you don't really have to. And I have a hunch on why you have done that. So I just wanted to show you that it matters to me. A great deal. I wouldn't want to take you for granted. So take this as my promise that I won't."
"Lauriam, I…" She said, holding back tears of joy. "Oh, you hopeless sap!" She exclaimed as she darted in to hug him. They stood there for a long time embracing each other.
"There is… something I should probably tell you about. Earlier I mentioned my home village to you, and my liking for storms. I mentioned something about that to someone else, and… I don't think it would be fair if she knew more that you do. And it could be important for you to know. So I think it's time for you to hear the full story of that." She eventually said to his ear.
Lauriam released her from his embrace and nodded to her, and they both sat down on the ground.
Elrena took a moment to collect her thoughts. "So my village…. it basically only had one way of making a living. Namely fishing. Just about everything there had something to do with it…"
