The blade refracted every instance of light in the room. It's golden highlights shimmered and gave mature and ceremonial compliments to the deadly steel.

That was it. My sword was finally reformed to what it once was. I still felt as though I wasn't fit to wield this sword. But I made a promise to myself, and to the memories, that I wouldn't keep hiding from my past any longer. Enough years were wasted this way.

After giving it a quick final inspection, I sheathed the sword.

It was time to go and meet with the others, but I found myself staring at the floor in thought.

I wasn't sure how much time passed before Sora entered the room and tore me away from my thoughts, but when he did, I was more than happy to take a break from the demons of my past.

He spoke as he looked around, glancing over the empty room. "Are you still working on that sword?"

I pat the sheathed blade. "Just finished. Hopefully I didn't keep anyone waiting."

Sora shook his head, then waved for me to come. "Not to any noticeable amount. But I do need your help."

"Good. Good." I grunted as I stood from the floor.

Carefully, I place my sword on the pedestal below my suit of armor. Easily distinguishable by the sun lily still bloomed sitting in the crevices of the breastplate.

Sora's voice echoed through the roughly fashioned wood walls. "As for me needing your help. Could you show me how to use a sword?"

I stared at Sora with surprise. Eventually I regained myself and spoke. "Uh... Alright... Why the sudden interest?"

He spoke as I turned to face him. "I realized that I rely on you and the others to protect me if something were to get close. And that's unacceptable."

I had mixed feelings over that sentiment. "Expanding your range of skills is good. But you're not going to be skilled with the sword overnight. And you'll still need to rely on us." Sora frowned, so I continued with a lighter tone. "But that's perfectly fine. We all rely on each other here. If you hadn't run the yokai off with your arrows, there's no telling what would've become of us."

Sora gave a tight nod in understanding. But his goal was all the same. "I still can't be a detriment to anyone. Are you going to help me or not?"

I made my way to Sora. "I'd be happy to help. But only if you get yourself a coat."

He opened the door with a shrug. "It's not that cold." With which I replied with a sneer. "But I could use one anyway..."

I snatched the fluffy coat which hung off a hook next to the door as we left the building. As I draped the cloth around my shoulders, I joked. "I guess I've finally settled into my role as the camp nanny!"

Sora humored me with an exhausted snort. "I'll go get a coat while you prepare us a spot to spar."

With a nod, we split directions.

My sandals crunched against the thin sheet of icy snow on the cold mud.

It had snowed for sure. But not the soft and inviting type of snow. It was a slippery and wet slush.

With every step the icy packed snow splintered and cracked, Leaving the busy center of the camp a giant slippery spiderweb.

Soon I reached the only patch of grass free of the snow.

Luckily there weren't many people using the plot of land, so I easily found us a spot.

I leaned against the rack of training weapons for Sora to come back.

But as I waited, I was greeted by Lee. "Hello, Kenshi."

He wasn't as enthusiastic as he used to be. It tore me to see him like this. I knew what it was like to have all you had worked for shatter before you. Never the less, I greeted him back with a smile. "Hello to you, Lee."

Lee joined me in leaning on the rack of faux-weapons. And after a moment of just taking in the day, he spoke. "So... I've come to ask you if you want to spar. What do you think?"

Sparring was therapeutic for Lee. I could see his anger release with every blow. And his thoughts displayed with every form he took. But this time I had simply promised my time to someone else. "I've already agreed to teach Sora about the sword today. I'm sorry Lee."

He frowned and nodded his head. "Maybe I'll see if Mahiro is free..." Mahiro was even more narcissistic than I was, and had a special despise for Lee. Whatever the reason... Maybe he was a vision of a younger Mahiro, one that could have made better decisions. If it was that, I could relate... Or perhaps it was just that he found Lee clumsy and unreliable like he had stated before.

I shook my head. "Mahiro spars with a lack of honor. I'd stay away. At least until he's calmed himself."

Lee rolled his eyes. "Honor, honor, honor... You are quite the enthusiast, aren't you?"

It seemed I may have hit a sore spot with my talk of honor. And sadly there wasn't much for me to do to help that heal... For the time being. "Ha. I can be a bit obsessive sometimes, I guess..."

Lee sighed a small bit. "But you're right. I haven't seen Mahiro cool down since whatever happened between you two. I can sense the tension." His attention was brought off into the distance for a moment, which brought him to push off of the rack. "It looks like Sora is back. So I'll leave you be."

I nodded. "I'll see you soon. And I'll also make sure to talk to Mahiro... Whenever I feel like I have the strength to fend for my life..."

Lee gave an exhausted chuckle as he walked off to do whatever next he was tasked to do.

And as he faded into the crowd, my attention was brought over to Sora, who was now wearing a large cloak. He raised his arms as he saw me. "Are you satisfied now!?"

I smiled and nodded. To which he cracked a small grin.

Finally, I pushed myself off my comfortable spot on the supply rack and pulled a few training swords as I went. "I hope you're aware that casual lesson's don't make a master of swordplay."

Sora accepted the wooden sword I held out to him. "We'll see..."

Those words made me frown. And before I could give a retort, he started to walk to our designated spot.

I muttered a "We will see indeed.." as I followed him.

And with that, our session began.

Sora had already drawn his sword when I got in position.

His words flowed with an air of angst. "Let's start with just dueling, to see where we both stand."

I nodded and unsheathed my wooden sword from its grainy holster.

Sora took a step to the left, so I took one to the right. I had no intention to move forward, not yet.

We circled and studied each other. For a while, our eye's locked in a staredown, but quickly enough he gave up and moved his gaze to my feet.

I could see him think carefully as his eyes flickered to each destination of my steps right before they hit the ground.

He looked like he wanted to strike defensively, which meant that somehow I had to find a way to make him strike first.

If I could force him out of his comfort zone I would gain the upper hand.

And how I could do that was simple. He was focusing so intently on my feet that he wasn't paying attention to everything else. A side effect of shooting in the safe backlines. Nothing to worry about than the one thing you set your focus to.

I spoke loudly and spontaneously. "Why are you so scared of relying on us?"

His eyes darted up to my face in surprise. And while he was distracted, I brushed my feet against the dirt. Making a sound but not actually getting any closer to Sora than I already was.

Since Sora was already so intent on my footwork, he suspected prematurely that I was attacking, which made him recklessly jump to the side, in an attempt to dodge a strike that wasn't coming.

And while he was off balance, I took an actual step towards him. A simple slice while he was unprotected along with his momentum was enough to tumble him to the ground.

I peered over him. "Although dodging is an attractive option, usually it doesn't have as attractive an outcome. Only do so when you're sure I can't profit off your vulnerability."

He grumpily pushed himself to his feet and made his way back to his spot in the dirt. "I was sure, but you tricked me."

With a bit of effort, I kept myself from smiling at my victory. "You focus too specifically. And break focus too quickly when prompted. But that's something you'll learn to do when you fight more intimately than just shooting arrows from afar."

Sora slouched and sighed, then regained his posture. "Sure..." He looked at me for a moment. "And what you said to me... I am not scared..."

I did feel a bit bad using that as leverage against him. But if he wanted to act apathetic, I would treat him as such. "I didn't mean what I said. I merely wanted to distract you."

He thought about what I said for a moment, then spoke hesitantly. "I am not scared. I... Just know that people can change in an instant. And I want to be certain that in that situation, I'm prepared..."

My throat clogged with the need to say a thousand different sentences at once. But I could only muster an. "Oh..." With a clearing of the throat, I started again. "Well... Yes... Let's do another, shall we?"

Sora held back a grimacing expression. It looks as though I might have brought something back to mind.

I may not have been the most therapeutic of conversationalists. But I felt like I had started this behavior, and I wanted to at least try to fix it. "Do you... Want to talk about-"

Sora quickly replied. "I do not."

Well. I did try...

An impenetrable silence fell over the both of us as we went back to our positions.

And without another word, I took a stance, with Sora quickly copying.

Once more we circled each other. This time Sora seemed more alert to everything I did, making sure not to focus on one part for too long.

He seemed lost, though. It was as if his mind was somewhere else completely.

In all my effort to better my self and help others, I realized I might have pushed too far. Especially with someone so closed like Sora.

I couldn't let that push him away from people further. So some damage control was in order.

This time I blindly took the first swing, letting Sora do as he pleased.

Sora responded by quickly sidestepping out of the way. With enough effort I could have kept pursuing him, but I reframed. I would teach my lesson of blocking over dodging another day.

I took a short step back to let Sora regain his balance.

He needed to let his frustrations out. Sorting them could come later.

Now Sora took a swing. He did so furiously and with a lack of precision all the while still barely keeping his blank expresion. Easily blocked.

Again and again, he would repeat this. Each swing with slightly less energy than the last.

It may have not been much, but it was precisely what he needed at that moment.

Another swing, and another swing, and another swing. But with each, he still didn't seem satisfied.

And although it hurt my pride, I knew what I needed to do if I wanted Sora to keep talking to me.

As he reared his sword back again to swing, I loosened my grip. With the next attack, my sword flew from my hand and into the distance.

Sora watched the piece of wood plummet to the ground in surprise. But after the initial shock, he turned and pointed his sword to me.

I lifted my hands in surrender. "Good work." But Sora refused to answer. I believed he knew that I had given the victory to him, but it still seemed to sate him enough. I awkwardly continued in an attempt to fill the silence. "Well... You definitely had room for improvement. But you did well for your first time." Again, nothing but silence. "We'll have to schedule another lesson sometime in the future."

He did nothing but nod.

With that seemingly finished, I started walking over to retrieve my wooden training sword. But as I moved Sora took a sharp inhale of breath and spoke. "I..." Turning back, I saw him stare at the ground looking for words. And eventually, he had decided. "Nevermind."

I let out a sigh and continued walking away. "We'll talk again soon, Sora."

We parted ways and went on our own for the rest of that day. Sora barely even made eye contact when we would bump into each other.

An expression constantly as cold as the oncoming winter. An intellect constantly resisting to be shown. And a personality insistent on hiding itself.

The cure was a patient teacher. And I was all but patient.

So perhaps it was both of us learning a lesson.