Jessica was alone in the school courtyard.
She couldn't remember what she was doing, or why she was at school. But she couldn't shake the feeling she shouldn't be there.
"Get out." someone said behind her.
Jessica turned around. She gasped. It was her, but younger in her casual dress overalls and fuzzy boots.
"Huh?" Jessica said
"Get out," young Jessica repeated.
A strong gust of wind blew over the school. Jessica fell to her bum. Storms masked the lit skies and thunder roared.
Young Jessica rose. Her body glowed and transformed into her initial gormiti form. Her eyes completely milk stared down menacingly.
Fog steamed from the cracks and corners of the school building. Young Jessica disappeared into the mist.
"Get out!" her yell echoed all around Jessica, she couldn't tell where it came from.
A tornado circled Jessica. Debris, plants and trash were caught in the wind.
Jessica was swept off her feet and pulled into the air.
"GEeEeeET oOooOoOuUtT!"
Jessica awoke.
"Jessica? Are you okay?" Toby said. He sat by her bedside.
"Toby?" Jessica smiled wearingly, "For once I don't want to gauge my eyes out."
"Haha. very funny." Toby said sarcastically.
"What are you doing here?" Jessica asked, sitting up. Jessica spotted the flask Toby held "You're not up to something are you?"
Toby raised his hands in defeat, "I confess, you caught me!"
Jessica raised a sceptical eyebrow. That was the problem with Toby - you couldn't tell whether he was serious or plotting a "harmless" prank.
To her better judgment, Jessica took the flask. She cautiously opened the lid and gave the contexts inside a sniff.
"Mr. Ono said you were sick so I brought you some of Mom's tea." Toby said, watching Jessica take a sip, "but since you're fine to joke around, I guess I had nothing to worry about -"
"Wait -"
Toby stood to leave but Jessica grabbed his arm.
Toby was befuddled, looking around awkwardly - "You want me to stay?"
Jessica just nodded, unable to commit to the words.
Toby sat back down. It was the first time in a while they were alone together and weren't butting heads.
It was strangely wholesome.
"Wanna watch something?" Jessica proposed. Toby agreed.
Jessica fetched her laptop. They made themselves cosy on her bed, wrapped blankets over their legs and set the laptop on the blankets.
Jessica aimlessly scrolled through movies to rent online. She didn't care what they watched - anything was better than twiddling their thumbs in silence.
They settled on a random episode of Breaking Bad.
There wasn't much of any chatter. Jessica didn't mind either way. She wasn't paying much attention to the episode, content soaking in the warmth of another.
She leaned into Toby and coiled her arm around his. Toby jerked but he didn't make any motion to push her away.
Jessica didn't know what compelled her to do it. Maybe it was because she was mad at Mark and wanted to get back at him, the revelation her orb was slowly eating away at her or how she missed the everyday calm before Gorm inevitably called her back.
Letting her head fall onto his shoulder, Jessica closed her eyes. She breathed in Toby's scent. He smelled of seawater and Mr. Trip's cologne he's always forced to wear before leaving the house.
"Uh…is it okay to be so close," Toby spoke softly, "You, know Mark…"
"What about him?" Jessica said, "He shouldn't have a problem with me sitting here with a friend."
Toby was a lot of things. Some days he was her rival, other days a pain in the ass, and many times a comrade-in-arms. Forever he was her friend. And it was in times like these, it was ever the more apparent.
You could mistaken the two for being a couple – Jessica thought herself.
What if things were different and those 4 years ago, Jessica dared to go up and confess her feelings to Toby? Perhaps they'd be sitting here together, not as friends but as boyfriend and girlfriend.
Jessica snuggled closer to Toby. At least for now, she can indulge in that reality.
Obscurio stood on top of the crevasse leading to the lair of despair. Lava soldiers went in and out conducting experiments for Vestalt. Lairless, Obscurio could do nothing more than stare, seething in unbridled fury at his loss.
Just the thought of that scoundrel Vestalt gaining a lair, and it having it be Obscurio's former lair! Obscurio tutted.
Fireblaze materialized beside Obscurio.
"Any news?" Obscurio asked.
Fireblaze kneeled before him. "Of course, master. I've informed the girl of Vestalt's experiments."
"Good." Obscurio said. The increase in 'test subjects' and the chatter of a new spell – Obscurio saw through Vestalt's sloppy attempt at secrecy.
"And how's the girl?"
"You should've seen the look on her face when I told her! She's miserable sir! it won't be long before she defects to the Lords of Nature!"
"Defect you say…" Obscurio pondered on Fireblaze's words. "Say, Fireblaze why not give the Lords of Nature a helping hand?"
"Excuse me, sir?"
"The Lords want the girl, yes? Then let's give them a slight edge." Obscurio smirked.
Obscurio smirked. Vestalt will rue the day she stepped foot in Volcano Mountain.
Kagami stood by a small lava pool out in the Lava plains. She focused intently, commanding the levitating floating lava bubble. Kagami strained her mind, - she grunted and the bubble broke into two smaller bubbles. Kagami divided the bubbles again and again until there were floating small droplets of lava.
Kagami strained under the pressure of her mind splitting in all directions.
The lava droplets poured down.
Whipping out her fire canon, she blasted a rock boulder behind her. No movement. But her senses weren't wrong.
"I know someone is there."
"You can identify me by my body heat? Color me impressed." Anchor revealed himself from behind the boulder.
Kagami relaxed.
"What are doing out here?" Anchor asked.
"Training," Kagami replied levitating out another blob of lava.
"You call that training?"
The lava blobs split into two. "I'm trying to grasp the scope of my powers."
"And what have you determined?"
"Controlling large masses is no problem. But if I try to parse them into smaller pieces - "demonstrating, Kagami split the two bubbles into many smaller bubbles again. "My attention is divided. I struggle to control them all."
The bubbles splash to the ground. Kagami felt her consciousness fade but quickly recovered.
"You should rest," Anchor said.
"I'm fine," Kagami said. "I have to keep going."
"Then let me help." Anchor extended a hand. Kagami took it. Anchor showed her a rare smile.
He slammed her to a boulder. "Let's spar," Anchor said, the gormiti who flashed a smile long gone, "Get up."
Kagami did as told, though slower than she would've liked. Anchor would've taken advantage of her sluggedness if she were in a real battle.
"Hiya!" Kagami propelled herself with a blast from her feet.
The two engaged in a short bout of dodges and punches.
"Adjusting to life in Gorm yet?" Anchor huffed.
"Yes!" Kagami said. She brandished her sword and launched forward for another slurry of attacks.
"You aren't having second doubts? Life on earth must've been a lot easier."
"It wasn't," Kagami said.
Anchor must've been holding back. He telegraphed her moves and grabbed her sword mid-swing. " This isn't a game."
Kagami burned her sword brighter, harder anticipating a reaction out of Anchor.
He doesn't flinch. "We're at war. Serving Magor will lead to the destruction of your home." He forced Kagami to the ground.
Kagami propped herself onto her sword for support. Her orb's glow faint.
Kagami caught his expression softening. Was he…sorry for her? It was brief before Anchor shook his head. "Takahashi Ono. Shujin Akatsuki. Are you still sure of your decision? There is still time to turn back before it's too late."
"No!" Kagami thrust forward. Anchor deflected, kicking her back.
"I can't give up!" Kagami wobbled. "I can't..give up."
Gearing up for a large attack a swirl of fire surrounds Kagami turning into a raging fire tornado. In a last-ditch effort, she sent the attack out to Anchor.
Anchor doesn't move.
But before it could reach, the tornado slowed down. Right as it reached Anchor, the roaring fire tornado was a slight hot breeze, blowing past Anchor. Not even a scratch.
"Wha-" a jolt came over Kagami's body. Her body locked into itself. "I..I'm..not..done…" She lost her balance. She closed her eyes waiting for impact. However, something warm and firm held her up.
"A-Anchor?"
"You've completely exhausted yourself. How long have you been out here? Hell, when was the last you slept?"
When was the last time Kagami slept? "I..don't know."
Anchor shook his head, "When you're tired you consume more energy from the orb! You need to rest to get stronger. Otherwise, all that training will be wasted."
"But how am I supposed to get stronger quickly!" Kagami pushed Anchor away with the little strength she had.
"You've got the wrong mindset. What you need is patience."
Kagami pouted. She was being scolded, just like her father would. She didn't like it.
Anchor sighed. "Look. I've been in your footsteps before. When I first came here all I could think about was getting stronger and I put my all into my training, but I didn't realize that getting stronger was a marathon, not a sprint. There was no secret technique. You have to take it each day at a time. That was what Vestalt taught me."
Kagami collapsed to her knees. "But I don't have time! I have to get stronger soon or else Vestalt … she will never approve of me!"
"If you want to win Vestalt's approval fast you've got to show her you're in it for the long haul. That you're committed to the bitter end. Rushing things isn't Vestalt's style."
It was as though a lightbulb was switched up above Kagami's head.
Anchor was right.
By rushing for results, Kagami made herself seem untrustworthy and flaky.
Vestalt was a planner. She was patient and didn't care how long she'd have to wait - what mattered most was ensuring her plans succeeded. She was careful and took her time.
But Kagami in her stubbornness and short-sighted desire for instant, immediate approval didn't stop to think what Vestalt would've wanted from a loyal warrior. Vestalt wanted her to take her training slowly.
How could she have been so blind?!
Anchor extended a hand. "Let me help you back to your chambers. And this time I won't fling you across."
Kagami had to go against the irrational urge to refuse. Training now would lead nowhere except fulfil a delusion she was making progress - getting somewhere.
Kagami took Anchor's hand. He was true to his word.
They walked together back to Kagami's chambers.
"You know, Vestalt can be swayed. She's not inflexible." Anchor commented.
Kagami appreciated the attempt to cheer her up, but her doubts won.
Vestalt and Flamma were outside Kagami's chambers.
"Kagami! Good, you've arrived," Vestalt said. "I'll be assigning you to your first mission. Consider it a reward for your hard work."
Kagami's jaws dropped. There was no way
"Congratulations Kagami!" Flamma went in for a hug. "Your first mission! Ah, I can remember my first mission!"
Her first mission in Gorm. Kagami balled a fist. This time, she'll prove to Vestalt she's in it for the long haul.
A/N: Its here! Its finally here!
Things are slowly building up to the finale of part 2. We're so close!
Did you like the blizzardstormingshipping crumbs? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) Well enjoy the sweet fluffy times cause there won't be more where the story is headed.
Speaking of heads, Mark rears his head in the next chapter as we get another Mark POV and ... GASP !( ˶°ㅁ°) ! a confrontation with Jessica!? ( ˶°ㅁ°) !( ˶°ㅁ°) !
In the meantime, Kagami begins prep for her first eva Gorm mission!
Catch the next chapter ¨̮(ง ˙˘˙ )ว ¨̮ ~ dancing in September ~ ¨̮(ง ˙˘˙ )ว ¨̮