Dark Road || Xehanort x Reader (x Various)

Practice || Chapter 3

(I spent an hour and a half trying to draw a pose/stance that looks decent SO HERE'S THIS. Your stance is sorta a mix of Ventus' and Aqua's. I also spent an extra 30 minutes doing some research on the characters and estimated their heights and included a height chart YOU'RE WELCOME.)

[Unedited]

Words: 1055

After a few more minutes of mindlessly following our Master around, we arrive at the supposed 'courtyard.' I'm not going to lie, it looked really nice and I would live here if I could. There was so much greenery I almost forgot why we were here.

Awes and multiple gaping faces of other students continue to observe the luscious environment. Some of the town's structures were apparent from here and the ocean was also clear in view. In short, it looked beautiful.

A chuckle comes from the Master, snapping all of us out of our trances as we immediately pay attention.

"For those who have not yet received their Keyblades, please step forward." Four students walk towards the Master with three (including myself) remaining behind. 'So Xehanort and Eraqus also have their Keyblades?'

The students who walked forth included Bragi, a tall female and male, and Vor if I can recall. Master Odin raises his arms and halts them there for a few seconds. Within that period of time, I glance to the side to see Xehanort and Eraqus who continue to have their gazes set on the students in the front.

Suddenly, a bright flare flashes from the group. The brightness made me wince, but I remained firm in my position. After a few seconds, everyone has their identical Keyblade in-hand. Gasps and awes could be heard from them before they all respectfully bow in synchronisation to the Master.

"Thank you, Master Odin!" The elderly man nods in gratitude.

"Now that you all have your Keyblades, I will guide you through what this lesson is for."

We all listen intently.

-

Within the couple of minutes of listening to an explanation, turns out this lesson is basically training but with stages to improve with the help of a supervisor; in this case, Master Odin. In a 'training' period, it's a choice whether you continue to hone or expand on your abilities but with different personalised strategies. Sitting out is not a recommended option unless in need of a break. That's what I can recall.

"Understood?"

"Yes, Master Odin!"

"We'll start with the basics of combat. Summon your Keyblade." Everyone does so but I end up slacking behind a bit. A one-eyed glance from the Master is enough for me to bring forth my Keyblade with a bit of bitterness. "Get into a fighting stance. I don't recommend forcing yourself into one; use your subconscious so you're immediately comfortable when entering combat."

Simultaneously, everyone gets into their own stances, most looking almost the same except for Xehanort's. He has his right hand with the Keyblade positioned confidently in the air while his left arm remains towards the front. The amount of strength he has to be capable of wielding a weapon this heavy is beyond my comprehension. 'Has he been training prior to the the start of this academy? Or is that just natural strength?'

I end up subconsciously pondering about my stance and completely contradict the Master's suggestion.

"[Y/N]." Master Odin calls out. "Remember what I said." The class looks at the two of us, probably expecting a snarky remark from me. Instead, I restrain myself from doing so. The PTSD is coming back from being ordered around but I force myself to not think about it. Instead...

"Seeing as though your personality is rather divergent, I believe people will notice you right away."

"Fine." It wasn't the best thing to answer with, but at least I wasn't acting like a bitch before. What Bragi said back there must've subconsciously affected how I acted and felt. It might not have a massive impact on my personality, but it's an improvement. A good improvement- especially for a first day. Seems to be a few of the students are surprised as well and even Master Odin looked pleased.

The others begin to watch attentively as I start getting into my stance with my non-dominant hand extending forward. Bending both legs of one shifting forwards and the other shifting back, I twirl my Keyblade as it now faces the opposite direction. In fact, it's facing backwards behind my legs- not forwards like the others? (DRAWING CAN EXPLAIN BETTER THAN I CAN ^)

Faint 'woah's' could be heard from the back, even I somehow caught myself questioning my intuition.

Master Odin hums in interest, his hand petting his beard as if it's a cat.

That's not weird at all.

"Well done, [Y/N]. Onto our next task." We all pay attention.

"We will perform individually, I want you to practice swinging your Keyblade. For those who have already received them prior to joining will have the choice to practice one magic spell." A few of the students gasp in jealousy while Eraqus does a little dance to most likely mock them.

"Go." 

Everyone goes their separate ways across the courtyard to try out their combat skills. Master Odin remains on the sidelines to observe. 

Seeing that there was a shit ton of greenery, I decide to work on my water spells to not severely damage the environment. I summon my Keyblade and transfer most of my growing energy into the tip so it can shoot out a water projectile. It was actually surprisingly difficult but I managed to succeed after a few more attempts. 

After a couple of minutes of shooting out water blasts in multiple directions, I stop and survey the other students- specifically, Xehanort and Eraqus. They didn't seem to have much difficulty with the tasks, except Eraqus since he appears to keep falling over every few seconds. The laughter could be heard from that distance, and that's when I realise how alone I felt. I won't let that affect me, though. We were meant to work on our own anyway, but why is it that I still feel isolated in this moment?

I continue practicing, pondering about it for a while until the end.

-

I've already started chapter 4 today, so expect another update soon. 

Apologies for any grammatical errors.