John felt nothing for a few seconds. He doesn't remember what happened. He was facing Drexel and...nothing. ‘What happened?’ He thought. Feeling started to return to him as he felt the floor beneath him. He felt sore all over as well. He must have damaged himself will good with the Command Styles. He groans from his sores and tries to get up. He felt a hand push him back down softly. “Stay down. You need to rest more. You body is in pretty bad shape.” A female voice said. He could swear he heard that voice somewhere before.
He opened his eyes to see the worried look of Aqua. “Aqua? What..what are you doing here? Should..shouldn't you be in Equestria now?” He asked. She looked at him a little confused. “I walked through the portal and ended up here. I don't fully know myself.” She said.
“We have much to talk about you two. This is important.” They looked over and saw Hollow leaning against the wall. “ You really pushed yourself this time John. You almost died from your techniques alone. Not to mention what Drexel did to you. Your very lucky to be alive.” Hollow told him.
“Speaking of which.” Aqua said before smacking John on his cheek so hard he was sent flying towards the wall. “ARE YOU INSANE OR SUICIDAL!?!? My master forbidden me and the others from combining our command styles saying the strain would be too much and that the negatives outweigh the positives. Why would you try to combine so many at once?! I saw TEARS form on your body and BLOOD shoot out from your self inflicted wounds!”
John rubbed where he was smacked before answering. “I had no choice. If I couldn't beat him then what would happen if I face someone like that again? Doesn't matter anyway. I lost after I used them.” He said which confused Aqua and confirmed something to Hollow.
“It appears I was correct. After you took that attack from Drexel you passed out, but what you don't remember is that you subconscious took over and fought Drexel. Held its own pretty well.” John was shocked at this. “Wait? I couldn't before then what changed?”
Hollow smiled. “You seemed to half...taped into something while fighting him. I'll give more info if it appears again, but for now we need to talk.” Hollow then proceeded to inform both John and Aqua about what is going on. About the coming war, the group John must collect, that Aqua was a member which explained why she was here, and how their training must be increased.
John signed. “Let me get this straight. We not only have another Keyblade War on the horizon, but I must gather a group of powerful individuals, which Aqau is already one, accelerate our training massively to prepare, and there is a powerful group that my group will have to deal with correct?”
“That's right. I'm basically taking your training from five and kicking it to twenty.” Hollow said. “This is going to suck.”
“I'm sure it won't be that bad.” Aqua tried to cheer him up.
Hollow waved his hand and their keyblades were next to him with a Void mark burned onto their right hands. John tried feeling the Void like he used to, but for some reason it was much harder to use. “What gives? I can't access Void like I used to?”
“That's the idea. I realized I made it to easy to use Void through the mark. John you have a unique ability called Void Construct which so far lets you create anything nonliving with Void be it a sword, gun, or even machines. But. The mark made it to easy to control. You formed a sword before you could use the ability. Now you and Aqua are starting from square one. I used some of my power to change how time works here compared to your world. Like a hyperbolic time chamber in a way. Now. Work on your control of Void. When you can make a sword we will continue.”
So they began their training. John decided to meditate to improve his control. He used it before so it should help this time. While he was meditating he let the Void flow though his body. Into each of his limbs. He felt them get stronger from the power. He also held a strain. So he has to work and improve how much he can take. All the power in the multiverse won't make a difference if your body breaks down before you can use it. He looked over at Aqua to see her meditating to. Although she wasn't channeling Void correctly. “Aqua. Your doing it wrong.”
Aqua looked at his both surprised and confused. “What do you mean?”
“Your use to channeling light. Which is warm and bright. Void is completely different. It has a coldness to it. Different from Darkness. It doesn't feel evil. It feels cold. Empty. Like it's a bottomless abyss that can never be filled. An Abyss that neither light, darkness, nor anything can even begin to fill. Void itself...is infinite.” John told her. She thought about what he said and tried again. It took a little while, but she finally felt it. The coldness that John described. She began to try and access it. It took a little longer before she felt it flow.
“Good. Now. Let it flow through your whole body. Each limb. Your arms, legs, head, and torso. Feel not only it empower you, but feel the strain it puts on you. Before we even try to make a weapon. We must first increase how much Void our bodies can take.” She began to spread the power across her body. She felt cold, but...stronger. It was a strange feeling. As she brought in more of it she felt her body react. Her muscles started to strain from the pressure of Void. It was different from using the Command Styles. When the strain started to get worse she eased up on the power intake. She distributed the power as evenly as she could across her body. When she was done she tried to hold onto the pressure till he body adjusted to it.
“Great Job Aqua. Your getting it. Just keep this up. Try not to let it go wild or it could backlash.” John instructed while he continued to improve his own control.
They had continued this for the next week. Steadily improving both their control and how much Void they can take. Hollow informed them that while they can draw in an infinite amount of power from the void. It's only true limit is how much the user can take. When you go over the limit terrible things can happen. You could break apart into atoms, you could mutate into an abomination of creation, or much worse. They got to a point that when John tried to practice some martial arts he noted that he was moving faster and that some control slipped. He talked with Aqua and both agreed that for the rest of the current month they would practice sparing to make sure they don't lose control in a fight. They started slowly. Moving through the motions to make sure it was not only correct, but strong and precise when it can time to fight. John taught Aqua both the Magic and Balanced fighting styles of the Vulpes and Unicornis Unions. Although he doesn't know how he knew them. He guesses that Drexel transferred the moves into his memories.
When the month was over both have gotten pretty efficient at fighting while using Void throughout their bodies to enhance them. John was meditating while also thinking of ways to improve his control more. He knows that both Aqua and him must be able to make a sword from Void before they can proceed, but even after training for that month it's still incredibly hard. Time is passing differently here so John technically won't be gone as long as he thought. He looked at his hand and had an idea. He decided to start small with forming objects like spheres, squares, triangles, or even small platforms in his hand. The platform was the easiest to from while the square was the hardest.
He informed Aqua of this and helped her form shapes as well. After a week John was able to form three squares in his hand and rotate them while Aqua can form a square in both hands and spin them as well. Even after this forming a sword was still very difficult. While trying to figure it out John had an idea. He told Aqua of how Tenno form an Exalted Blade with Void. He figured she would be able to use the stance to form it since he doesn't have his other arm. After a few days Aqua not only learned how to form the sword but was able to increase its efficiency. John took a little longer but can now make a sword out of Void from one hand. Hollow was impressed with this. Saying it normally takes much longer for someone to form a sword. He said before they move on he wants them to not only cloak themselves in Void again but to practice with their Void swords to improve their control and power. They went like this for the rest of the month.Making it two months since they started.
Hollow decided it was time to move on to the next lesson. He then split himself into two with a doppelganger and took them into different areas of the dojo. He brought them two different sparing rooms. For Aqua she will practice using the Void sword and keyblade spells for now. John has to relearn some abilities of his.
John began with Blink. It was easier to use the first time he got his powers, but now it's really hard. After a few hours he finished was able to blink. He continued it till he was sure he had it down pat. He then practiced Far Reach. It took an hour to get a void arm to form. The first attempt pulled him into a wall...as did the next ten times. After he was finally able to use it good enough he used Wind Blast. Another hour later and he can now send concussive winds to blow things away. He wanted one more of his old abilities back before he tries something else. Bend Time. It was one of his if not the most versatile ability he has. He wished he trained it more. His Rage was able to use it to get out of Stopga so it could influence other time altering abilities. This was the hardest to use. Manly because it was hard to tell if he was using it or not. He noticed a water fountain/pond that was set up it the dojo by Hollow. He went to it and tried Bend a Time again. After half an hour he noted the water was slowing down. So he can use it. Although it will probably be a while before he can stop time with it.
Aqua was training with the Void sword when Hollow stopped her. He wanted her to try and use her spells with just her hands. Incase she couldn't use her keyblade for them. She admitted it was a good plan so she trained this. After an hour she was able to use a basic Fire, Lighting, and Blizzard spell. This not only was harder to do but she felt they drained more magic than she thought it did. Showing that the Keyblades don't only just allow easier spell casting but reduces the magic cost as well. She kept up at this while also trying to increase her magic capacity. After another hour she was able to cast the basic spells easier then before and more often. Showing her magic capacity has increased a bit. Now she need to master their third lvl and she can safely say her magic skill is much stronger.
After another month John and Aqua have come along way. John and Aqua have both practiced hand magic and can now use the third lvls of their spells as well as having increased their magic capacities. Their control of Void is much better to. John is now able to summon a new arm of Void and their Void swords are much stronger and efficient. Hollow decided that now was a good time to send them on a quest of sorts.
“You two have come far. John it's been about a year since you started and half a year for Aqua. Now though begins the next step. You two must head to another world...and find the next member.” Hollow told them.
“Next member? You mean like Aqua?” John questioned.
“Yes. This next world will have the next member. John your group will be made up of Five members. The Champion. The Knight. The Paladin. The Sorcerer. and The Berzerker. You already have The Paladin. Aqua here. When you gain a new member I will tell you what they are. Now. Go.” Hollow explained as a portal appears.
John and Aqua looked at each other and nodded. Both headed through the portal. Ready for whatever the challenge may be.