Aqua, closer to how she looked now, though much younger in the eyes and far less confident, sat at the edge of a roof, her hands clinging to the bricks, her skin sick pale as she looked down below her. Her short blue hair ruffled in the breeze.
In the courtyard below, a kid a little younger than her - with spiky hair - was helping a dozen younger students with a simple Keyblade exercise while older kids worked with training dummies. One person, either an older student or a young something else stood off to one side, working on his own with a grim determination.
was the The same man from the other memories, but with as few scars as he had when she was a child, came to stand beside her.
"Aqua..."
"Master," she said, glancing up at him then quickly away, down to her knees.
"Master Stars said you wished to speak to me, I admit I was surprised when he told me where you were to be found. May I join you?" When she nodded, he sat beside her. "Aside from the obvious, what troubles you, young Aqua?"
"Young..." She repeated. Then she tightened her grip on the bricks. "I think Terra is wrong, Master. I think we should wait, take our Mark of Mastery exam with Ven, when he is ready. We should not be tested tomorrow."
"We've allowed you two to put off many parts of your training, while accelerating his so that you three could remain together, but some things must happen in their natural time, Aqua. The time is now for you and Terra. Ven has two years yet, at least. Or is there some other reason you wish to delay?"
"Additional, not other." She looked away.
He rested a hand on her shoulder and she yelped slightly, then flushed. "S...sorry," she mumbled.
"Should I guess the other then?"
"You don't need to," she said. "We both know only one of us is passing the exam tomorrow," she said, a bit bitterly. "One or none, but not both."
"Crystal's vision power are still new, she is still training it. Neither you, nor she, yet know enough of the Mastery of it to make such a decision based upon it. It sees in cloudy ways often and misses much."
"It isn't just that, Master Eraqus.... I hav every faith in Terra. He will be a Master by tomorrow night, and a good one. But I am not yet ready." A deep breath. "And maybe I never will be. There are other paths open to me, I know. I can teach without taking the exam. And not everyone takes it at this age. I still have much work to do before I will be ready to be a Master. I know this. And so do you."
"I know no such thing, Aqua. I think you are ready or I would not have put you on the schedule for the exam, even if that meant you and Terra tested separately. I have faith in you both. Is this because one of the old Masters is returning to sit as a judge?"
She started to shake her head, then stopped herself. "No. You've told us so many stories of your day training with Master Xehanort that I have wanted to meet him."
"So if it is not my old friend, and it is not about Ven, not truly, what is this actually about, Aqua?"
"Must I say it, Master? Why these games when you know the answer?" she asked, voice sad.
"Because I do not know the answer. But I suspect that if I accept your request without knowing the answer I will do you more harm than I would if I broke your legs."
"Legs heal," she murmured.
"They do indeed, especially with the aid of talents such as this Isle, and your Keyblade, hold. Hearts heal as well, though there is no special power for that." He smoothed back her hair gently. "You are my heart's daughter. Will you tell me what is upsetting you so? Why do you think you are not ready?"
She took a deep breath. "I've not Mastered my greatest fear. I will fail the test because of it. I am still afraid of heights. Enough so that I freeze."
"And yet you are here."
"Terrified to move," she countered.
"Perhaps. But Aqua, dear one, Mastery is not the end of the journey. It is a mile marker. A part of a longer harder road. And I suspect that this is not your worst fear. I can think of things that scare you far more than heights."
"You are wrong for once, my Master. This is my greatest fear. And nothing I have done has taken it from me."
"Really?" he asked, stroking his chin. "And if Ven, down there, were to be terribly hurt..." She lurched, looked stricken, he continued, "And you were all the way up here... You know the fastest way to get to him isn't the stairs... Would you let him die while you take the safe way down?"
She shook her head, eyes locked on the spiky haired older student now.
"And if Terra pushed himself too hard and punched that wall, shattering his hand... Would you leave him in pain for the extra time it took to use the stairs?" He kept speaking as her eyes locked on the old student or young something else working on his own. "Come to think of it, how did you get up here exactly?"
She mumbled something, gaze lashing between the two males below her attention had been called back to.
"What was that, my dear?"
"Glider," she mumbled a bit louder.
"Really? When there are stairs? Indoor stairs? Why, I wonder? Could it be that you are still testing yourself? And that you passed?"
"I'm terrified, Master."
"Ah yes. But you know what else you are, Aqua? Here. Yes, you're afraid. But if someone needs you? You'll do what you have to do for them, even though you are afraid. Just like you did coming up here today."
"Who did I help coming up here?" she asked, confused, and still shaken.
"You. You helped you. And I thank you for that, since you aren't ready to. But for now, I think we should go inside. You have a big day tomorrow. Mark of Mastery Exam. Unless you're planning to run away?" he asked offering her a hand.
She hesitated then pealed hr hands off the roof's edge and took his hand, trying not to look down as he helped her to her feet and the memory faded.
Aqua | OTA | Warning for KH and 1d10 emotional damage. Part 3
Aqua, closer to how she looked now, though much younger in the eyes and far less confident, sat at the edge of a roof, her hands clinging to the bricks, her skin sick pale as she looked down below her. Her short blue hair ruffled in the breeze.
In the courtyard below, a kid a little younger than her - with spiky hair - was helping a dozen younger students with a simple Keyblade exercise while older kids worked with training dummies. One person, either an older student or a young something else stood off to one side, working on his own with a grim determination.
was the The same man from the other memories, but with as few scars as he had when she was a child, came to stand beside her.
"Aqua..."
"Master," she said, glancing up at him then quickly away, down to her knees.
"Master Stars said you wished to speak to me, I admit I was surprised when he told me where you were to be found. May I join you?" When she nodded, he sat beside her. "Aside from the obvious, what troubles you, young Aqua?"
"Young..." She repeated. Then she tightened her grip on the bricks. "I think Terra is wrong, Master. I think we should wait, take our Mark of Mastery exam with Ven, when he is ready. We should not be tested tomorrow."
"We've allowed you two to put off many parts of your training, while accelerating his so that you three could remain together, but some things must happen in their natural time, Aqua. The time is now for you and Terra. Ven has two years yet, at least. Or is there some other reason you wish to delay?"
"Additional, not other." She looked away.
He rested a hand on her shoulder and she yelped slightly, then flushed. "S...sorry," she mumbled.
"Should I guess the other then?"
"You don't need to," she said. "We both know only one of us is passing the exam tomorrow," she said, a bit bitterly. "One or none, but not both."
"Crystal's vision power are still new, she is still training it. Neither you, nor she, yet know enough of the Mastery of it to make such a decision based upon it. It sees in cloudy ways often and misses much."
"It isn't just that, Master Eraqus.... I hav every faith in Terra. He will be a Master by tomorrow night, and a good one. But I am not yet ready." A deep breath. "And maybe I never will be. There are other paths open to me, I know. I can teach without taking the exam. And not everyone takes it at this age. I still have much work to do before I will be ready to be a Master. I know this. And so do you."
"I know no such thing, Aqua. I think you are ready or I would not have put you on the schedule for the exam, even if that meant you and Terra tested separately. I have faith in you both. Is this because one of the old Masters is returning to sit as a judge?"
She started to shake her head, then stopped herself. "No. You've told us so many stories of your day training with Master Xehanort that I have wanted to meet him."
"So if it is not my old friend, and it is not about Ven, not truly, what is this actually about, Aqua?"
"Must I say it, Master? Why these games when you know the answer?" she asked, voice sad.
"Because I do not know the answer. But I suspect that if I accept your request without knowing the answer I will do you more harm than I would if I broke your legs."
"Legs heal," she murmured.
"They do indeed, especially with the aid of talents such as this Isle, and your Keyblade, hold. Hearts heal as well, though there is no special power for that." He smoothed back her hair gently. "You are my heart's daughter. Will you tell me what is upsetting you so? Why do you think you are not ready?"
She took a deep breath. "I've not Mastered my greatest fear. I will fail the test because of it. I am still afraid of heights. Enough so that I freeze."
"And yet you are here."
"Terrified to move," she countered.
"Perhaps. But Aqua, dear one, Mastery is not the end of the journey. It is a mile marker. A part of a longer harder road. And I suspect that this is not your worst fear. I can think of things that scare you far more than heights."
"You are wrong for once, my Master. This is my greatest fear. And nothing I have done has taken it from me."
"Really?" he asked, stroking his chin. "And if Ven, down there, were to be terribly hurt..." She lurched, looked stricken, he continued, "And you were all the way up here... You know the fastest way to get to him isn't the stairs... Would you let him die while you take the safe way down?"
She shook her head, eyes locked on the spiky haired older student now.
"And if Terra pushed himself too hard and punched that wall, shattering his hand... Would you leave him in pain for the extra time it took to use the stairs?" He kept speaking as her eyes locked on the old student or young something else working on his own. "Come to think of it, how did you get up here exactly?"
She mumbled something, gaze lashing between the two males below her attention had been called back to.
"What was that, my dear?"
"Glider," she mumbled a bit louder.
"Really? When there are stairs? Indoor stairs? Why, I wonder? Could it be that you are still testing yourself? And that you passed?"
"I'm terrified, Master."
"Ah yes. But you know what else you are, Aqua? Here. Yes, you're afraid. But if someone needs you? You'll do what you have to do for them, even though you are afraid. Just like you did coming up here today."
"Who did I help coming up here?" she asked, confused, and still shaken.
"You. You helped you. And I thank you for that, since you aren't ready to. But for now, I think we should go inside. You have a big day tomorrow. Mark of Mastery Exam. Unless you're planning to run away?" he asked offering her a hand.
She hesitated then pealed hr hands off the roof's edge and took his hand, trying not to look down as he helped her to her feet and the memory faded.