The Oracle

Chapter 57: Rightfully Yours

SORA

"You wanted to talk to me?" I ask, staying behind with Cordelia while the others go ahead and explore the rest of the castle.

"More or less," Cordelia nods her head back and forth in a debating manner. "Follow me."

"Okay..." I trail off warily, unsure of where this is going.

I follow Cordelia out of the dining area and through a long hallway until we reach a sort of courtyard out by the back, glass windows making up the left side of the hallway. Cordelia walks over to the left side of the hall and slides open a sliding glass door, motioning for me to pass through. Hesitantly, I go through the opened doorway and enter the courtyard. The courtyard itself has a few cherry trees here and there, but is mostly made of grass and open space, surrounded by glass castle walls on all four sides.

"We have a designated training ground, but I like to come here every now and then as my own personal training grounds," Cordelia says. "It's much more peaceful that way, and it gives me time to think about my own life instead of the lives of everyone around me."

"It must be tiring," I offhandedly say, making Cordelia raise her eyebrows slightly. "I mean, taking care of everyone else all the time. You take care of them because you know that if you don't do it, nobody else will, and you're the best at it anyway. But, nobody gets to take care of you, so it must be nice to take a break once in a while for yourself."

"Yeah..." Cordelia's lips form a small smile. "Something like that."

"So, why exactly did you ask me here?" I ask.

"I wanted to get more of a feel for who you are," Cordelia says. "You seem like you have a kind heart, Sora. Perhaps you're one of the ones who will finally understand. Tell me, do you know how to use Wrath properly?"

"I mean," I rub the back of my neck sheepishly. "Kind of?"

"I thought so," Cordelia sends me an amused smile. "Alright, then. Show me what you can do."

"What?" I furrow my eyebrows.

"I'm telling you to spar with me, moron," Cordelia rolls her eyes, and for the first time since I've met her she seems strangely...finally human.

"Like...with my sword...versus just your hands?" I question, making Cordelia raise a brow and place a hand on her hip.

"You'd be surprised what a woman can do with just her hands," Cordelia smirks. "But seriously, yes. Come on. Show me what you can do."

"Well, alright then," I take her up on her offer, hoping she truly knows what she's doing.

I summon my longsword and watch as it lights up in flames before I run towards Cordelia. As I approach closer and closer, I start to panic whenever Cordelia refuses to make any sort of movement. Just as I'm about to swerve my strike to the side to avoid hitting her, Cordelia grabs my blade between her palms and raises a brow at me.

"What did I say about hesitating?" Cordelia chides.

"Nothing?" I furrow my eyebrows.

"Exactly," Cordelia says before she releases my blade and spins to kick me backwards, smirking as I slide across the ground. "You should already know. There's something else you should also know that I feel you don't have a full grasp on. I can see it in your soul, in your heart. Wrath's flames are influenced by emotions. Destruction comes from anger, creation comes from love."

"I know, but something that I haven't quite figured out yet is why," I start. "I understand that anger destroys and love builds, that makes sense to me, but what if I'm fighting someone to save someone I love, motivated by my love to protect them? What would my flames do to my enemy? Leave them be? Because that's what they do when I don't want them to hurt anyone, when it involves love. How could I possibly protect someone if my flames only destroy when anger is involved?"

"You still don't get it, do you?" Cordelia smiles sadly, knowing in her eyes. "You control your flames, nobody else. You were given the power to destroy and the power to create. If you let your anger and your grief consume you, the flames will swallow you and everyone around you until there's nothing left. If you let your intentions be guided by love and protection, your flames will only destroy that which poses a threat to the good of the world."

"So, you're saying, that when motivated by the right reasons, my flames can't hurt anyone who's good?" I ask.

"More or less," Cordelia nods. "Think of it as a sort of form of lie detector, except, you know, you're not detecting lies. You're reading souls, but only if you keep your intentions true and good."

"Thank you, Cordelia," I smile softly at her, and the hardness in her features seemingly fades away as she genuinely smiles back.

"No problem," Cordelia says, and with her apology I somehow feel that she knows I was thanking her for not only teaching me but also taking my fears away, for letting me know that I'm not a danger to my loved ones as long as I keep myself level headed, and that means more to me than anyone could ever know.

"Hey," Gambit calls out as she peeks her head in through the sliding glass door, her eyes flickering curiously between me and Cordelia, Sekai by her side. "Everything alright out here? Or is he causing you too much trouble?"

"No," Cordelia flashes a small grin, her gaze going between the others and me. "I'd say he's just the right amount of trouble."

"Yeah," Gambit smiles back at Cordelia before her eyes lock on me, "I'd say the same."

"Geez, guys," I sigh and sheepishly rub the back of my neck, "what would I do without you to look after me?"

"I dunno," Gambit shrugs, "probably die."

"How comforting," I mutter as the three of them burst into laughter.

***

A few hours after training with Cordelia, as well as Gambit and Sekai, who decided to join me and Cordelia, I find myself wandering to the room that Cordelia said I could stay in whenever I run into Kat, who's just coming back from the kitchen with a mug of hot chocolate.

"Hey, Kat," I stop her whenever I realize I finally have a chance to privately talk to her, "hang on a minute."

"Is everything okay, Sora?" Kat frowns, her emerald eyes worried. "Look, if it's about Ca—"

"No," I shake my head, cutting her off. "It's not about that. I'm not questioning your loyalties, I know where those lay. Trust me. It's more...well..."

I reach around my neck to slowly unclip the necklace Raciel gave me before I make my way over to Kat and carefully place it around her neck, making sure not to bump her hot chocolate.

"What? Sora? You can't give me this," Kat protests. "Raciel—"

"Raciel gave it to me to protect me, yeah, but it was your father's. You deserve to have it," I say. "Besides, it's rightfully yours in the first place. I've wanted to give it to you since you first became the new Sloth, when you told us the truth about you."

Kat's breath hitches before she gives me a sad smile and a nod.

"Thank you," Kat says quietly, her emerald eyes honest and grateful.

"No," I shake my head, my eyes meeting hers. "Thank you for being my friend."

Kat takes a moment to place her hot chocolate on the banister by the left side of the hall before she pulls me into a quick hug, winding her arms around my neck. I smile as I hug her back, placing my arms around her waist before I pull away and she goes to grab her hot chocolate.

"I'll see you around, Aisawa," Kat smiles teasingly. "Stay safe, okay?"

"I'll try my best," I grin in return before we both head our separate ways.

I'm only a few steps down the hallway when I sense someone behind me, someone other than Kat, and I turn around to barely catch the flash of a blonde ponytail swooshing around the corner of the wall. I raise a brow suspiciously before I decide it's probably better to go to my room even though my curiosity tells me otherwise.

"Penelope Andres..." I hum to myself once I enter my room and rest my back against the wooden door, "what would you be sneaking around for?"

Something tells me that Kat isn't the only member of Carmin's special team with her fair share of secret motives.