The dust had barely settled.
Aqua and Skuld sat on the floor, their chests rising and falling with deep, heavy breaths.
For a few long moments, neither of them moved.
Then—
Skuld let out a breathless laugh. "That…" She exhaled, arms barely holding her up. "Was awesome."
Aqua let out a tired chuckle, still staring at the ceiling.
She felt completely drained—her magic was spent, her body ached, and yet… she felt good.
Skuld, despite being just as exhausted, didn't seem nearly as fatigued.
Aqua turned her head toward her, studying her for a moment. It was a marvel because she spent most of the fight moving and dodging while Aqua stayed put only moving when absolutely necessary.
The thing that surprised her the most was that Skuld still looked ready for more.
That… was strange and a little scary.
Aqua slowly sat up, running a hand through her sweat-dampened hair.
She flexed her fingers, still feeling the lingering energy from their battle.
Her keyblade had changed and her magical prowess had expanded in ways she never thought possible.
But why?
"Why did our weapons change again? Can it change again?" Aqua murmured out loud.
Helios, who had been lounging against a stack of books, stretched his arms with a smirk. "No, it can't change again. The keyblade weapon transforms twice to the best of my knowledge," he said simply.
Aqua's eyes narrowed.
Helios sat forward, resting an elbow on his knee.
"As for why the keyblade is connected to the heart, right? Your will to push past your limits resonated with your weapon. But if you ask me…"
He tilted his head slightly.
"It probably had a lot to do with the amount of magic you dumped into it at the end."
Aqua hummed in thought. That made sense.
But then—
"Speaking of which," Helios said casually, "Aqua, you know that you used your weapons poorly right?"
Aqua's head snapped toward him.
She wasn't sure if she wanted to argue or demand clarification.
Her irritation was visible, but she held it in.
"…Alright," she said, voice tight. "What should I have done better?"
Helios smirked, standing up and stretching his shoulders.
"For one," he started, "you didn't experiment with the weapon's ability as much as Skuld did. While you were fighting her focus seemed to be on understanding her ability."
Aqua blinked.
"When you were creating those floating water orbs," Helios continued, "you stopped at three. But what if you had tried to make them smaller and created, say, ten? Maybe that would have let you control the flow of battle better."
Aqua's fingers twitched. She hadn't considered that.
"Then there's the way you used those water tendrils of yours," Helios added. "You wasted them. You sent them in one direction and Skuld easily dodged them. Instead, you could have had them weave through the battlefield, like extra limbs. You were too direct."
Aqua gritted her teeth.
He wasn't wrong.
"And then there's your bow."
Aqua's head snapped up.
Helios grinned.
"At the end, you combined multiple elements into one big arrow," he said. "Which was cool and all, but if you can use all four elements at once why didn't you try mixing before? If you had mixed just two or three, you could've created specialized effects without expending too much magic."
Aqua frowned, processing the idea.
Helios gestured with his hands. "For example, adding wind to fire would have boosted the explosion's impact. Fire and ice combined with thunder? Could've created an electrified water arrow."
Aqua slowly nodded.
That made sense.
"Continuing on since your arrows are made from your own magic," Helios continued, "it's probably possible to create entirely new arrow types."
Aqua raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"
Helios smirked.
"You're a Master of magic," he said smoothly. "Why not try making an arrow of light? Maybe an arrow that induces the sleep or stop spells."
Aqua's breath caught, she hadn't even considered any of these possibilities.
Helios shrugged. "All in all, you were too rigid. Skuld fought with creativity. You fought too rigidly and failed to try to understand your weapons capabilities."
Aqua narrowed her eyes. "…I am rigid?"
Helios grinned. "Exactly."
Skuld, despite being just as exhausted as Aqua was, sat up with a satisfied refreshed stretch.
Aqua frowned.
She should be completely drained.
And yet—
Skuld looked relaxed. Like she had just finished a good workout and had rested already.
Aqua watched her closely.
Something about Skuld's recovery rate wasn't normal.
But before she could say anything—
A sudden puff of smoke filled the doorway.
Aqua and Skuld turned their heads.
Merlin stepped inside, surveying the absolute devastation of the training room.
Books were scattered everywhere.
The floor was cracked.
Magical energy still faintly hummed in the air.
He crossed his arms, stroking his beard.
"Well," he said, his voice calm but amused, "I see you've all managed to enjoy yourselves quite well."
Aqua and Skuld exchanged nervous glances.
"…Sorry my apologies," Aqua muttered.
Helios grinned, brushing dust off his jacket. "For the record, I had nothing to do with this," he said, lifting his hands. "But I'll help clean up."
Merlin gave him a knowing look.
Then—with a flick of his wand—
The entire room reset itself.
The cracks sealed.
The dust vanished.
Books floated back into their proper places.
Aqua blinked. "Oh."
Merlin nodded, looking satisfied.
"I went out to get food," he said, turning toward them. "You three should join me downstairs."
The meal was simple—but far better than anything Helios had eaten in a long time.
Grilled chicken, mashed potatoes, and sautéed vegetables.
As they sat at the table, Helios stared at the plate for a moment. Such a meal was reminiscent of the dinner he had with his parents in Nightfall. He missed his mother's cooking.
Then—he took a slow bite.
Aqua and Skuld continued talking, reflecting on the battle, but Helios barely listened.
It had been a long time since someone cooked for him. The people who he associated with weren't exactly helpful in that department.
Maleficent never cooked anything.
Sephiroth never cared to eat with others.
Olympus' food had been… basic at best.
This?
This was comforting.
As he ate, Helios made a mental note.
Someday, he would learn how to cook properly.
He had no idea when—but he would master this skill for the sake of his tastebuds.