Vol 2. - Memory Lane

A month and a half has passed since then with me focused on trying to learn how to better control my powers from Gaia, when the day's lesson finally completes.

"Alright little Kazu, that's about it for today. Get ready because tomorrow we'll have a lot more time!"
She laughs as she sends me off, while I wave her goodbye and head for the exit.
'A lot more time... Well maybe next time I'll be able to heal that plant finally. I didn't expect healing magic to be simple, but this hard is crazy. I wonder what I'm doing wrong...'

As I'm about to reach the doors leading outside, I don't pay attention when someone comes running in, bumping right into me, and causing us both to fall.
I quickly look up with a worried face and check on who it was.
'Damn it, I'll need to apologiz-'
Before I can finish my thought I look at him, only catching a glimpse of his face as he had already stood back up, which catches me off guard.
He was a lanky guy with very pale skin and dark hair, with some slightly dark circles under his eyes, wearing some normal looking clothes.
'...Right that was it! I had almost forgotten his name.'
"Hey there Katsuya. Sorry about that, I was distracted there."
I start getting back up when he finally manages to blurt out an apology as well.
"S... Sorry..."
'Classic Katsuya, always the same.'
"G... Gotta go!"
Before anything else can be said he sets off deeper into the hero HQ.
'Always a scaredy cat.'

...

After a long while of remembering what she taught I finally reach my house and get inside.
'...And then it was... Sigils are... something with runes? Damn it, I don't remember, I always have a tough time with those.'
"Hey there, finally home I see."
I look up at dad who was sitting on the couch.
"Oh hey dad. Done with the visit? How was mom?"
He looks down before answering.
"Oh you know... The usual. I can't have enough of these days off...
Oh! Speaking of which, I bet you're glad huh? Finally free!"
I do a small laugh before answering.
"I would if that didn't mean I'd have nothing but full days of training with Gaia for the next month and a half."
"Ah right... Well, not all your vacation can be winners... I guess."
Sighing I then say.
"I guess..."
'It's for a great cause anyway...
...! Runes... Now that I think about it.'
I quickly turn around and head for the door.
"I just remembered I needed to check something, I'll be back later!"
"Oh sure, see you later"
I close the door behind me as I head back, only to stop, realizing what time it is.
'This late, I don't know if Echo would even be there to give me more insight about runes...'

I look up at the cloudy sky, and think up off a different idea as I send a message to club chat.
"Heading out to check for any fights."
"Diligent even during the summer? You're finally taking the club seriously. How great!"
"Shin are you really still acting like the club leader?"
"Hey shut up! Tarou is still sometimes busy training his magic!"
"Woah!!!! Great work Kazu!!!!! I'll make sure to work even harder! I have to make sure my discipline matches yours!"
'Heh. These guys always make me laugh.'
With a smile on my face I head forwards, in a different direction.

After a while I finally reach it, a place filled with marks and rubble, not that far from where construction is still taking place, or it would if it was earlier in the day.
"Still not fixed, even after all this time... Well, it's great for me."
I walk past all the broken storage tanks and bits of rock all over the place until I find it.
Drawings that Thunder did all over the place back then.
'...So many emotions coming back.'
I inspect one nearby closely, before moving on to another one. I look at each one hoping that it'll somehow give me insight on runes.
'Well I guess it doesn't matter who draws them, as long as they match the one with the caster... I guess?'

I take a deep breath and sit down for a moment, trying to remember, both what I was taught, and what happened.
'I can't be caught like that again...'
Finally I stand up and take one last look around, spotting a circular black mark on the ground not far from here.
"...One day."

I make my way towards the nearby river, when something catches my eye on the ground.
Underneath some rubble was a necklace with a sharp looking animal tooth embedded with an eye shaped crystal.
"The hell..."
I go to pick it up and the moment I touch it I suddenly remember.
'Sigils are a stronger version of runes, a step above them. Used for bigger and stronger magic.

Wait... What just happened?'
I close my eyes as I keep holding onto the necklace, with more and more things Gaia taught me coming to mind, until finally a memory appears and suddenly my eyes are wide open.
"No way... Is this what upgraded him?"
'Inferno's artefact... Wasn't it perception?
...Can it help with focus...?'
I look around in case anyone is nearby. After seeing no one, I quickly take the necklace and put it on, placing it beneath my shirt.
"So they never found it..."
'It's not what I was looking for out of this but... This will do.'
Quickly I head out, and start walking back home.

...

It's the next day as I stand in the hero HQ's training grounds with Tarou next to me and Gaia in front.
"Welcome you two! I hope you're ready now that we have full days ahead that we can use! Let this first day of vacation mark the first day to becoming true heroes!"

The more she yells out a speech that she clearly prepared for us, the more heroes around us start leaving and in turn basically allowing us the whole grounds just to ourselves.
'I wonder if she wrote it herself... She seems proud.'
Suddenly I put up my arm before saying.
"I'm ready to learn more about healing!"
As soon as I say that Tarou looks at me with wide eyes, clearly surprised by my unusual burst.
"Woah... Dude... THAT'S AWESOME!"
'...I can hardly believe I did that myself... In any case, better to just get to it.'
Gaia looks at me as a tear comes to her eye.
"That was beautiful... ALRIGHT LET'S DO THIS!"

The first thing she does is separate us to different sides of the grounds to make it easier for her, since each of us is trying to learn something different.

I watch as she starts guiding Tarou as he attempts to master another wind based magic he learned.
'He has really made quite some progress this past month... Didn't notice until now.'
Over the past month he had been diligently practicing, so much so that he even almost looked like he gained some muscle and got slightly leaner.

"Got it? Now try."
Tarou takes a deep breath, and then suddenly shouts as quickly extends his right arm forward.
"Tornado!"
From his hand a gust of wind suddenly grows forward and circles on itself turning into a nice breeze.
"Well, that was a good try. You still got a lot to learn though."
Gaia smiles at him, as his big shiny eyes stare right back at her as if he had accomplished the greatest thing ever.
The tornado had only become the size of a dog and didn't have the power to do much more than just provide a nice breeze around us.

"Now."
Gaia suddenly turns and walks towards me.
"Your turn, maybe the fresh air will help your healing ability."
Gaia chuckles slightly.
'No doubt remembering the failure from yesterday. Hopefully this thing really does help with focus...'
"Are you still sure on using healing from holy magic? Once again you should really consider choosing from another type of magic, one that has a known god that you can use to power up."
I look at her in the eyes, determined.
"Absolutely, as I said, it's the closest to moms magic... Besides I wouldn't even know where to start with any other magic."
Gaia sighs, and accepts defeat.
"Fine then. Since you're her son you do have a little connection to it, better than anything."

Without wasting much time she head towards one part of the room and grabs a dead plant from the table before returning to me.
"Here's the plant, same as always. Remember to think of good thoughts, it helps for holy magic."
I kneel down and hold the vase with both my hands, focusing and trying to think of good thoughts.
Moments pass with nothing as Gaia then says.
"Remember, you have to foc-"
Before she can finish a rush of emotion shoots through my body and as I feel the power coming I shout.
"Heal!"
A slight glow slowly appears around the plant, and in the next moment I see it happen.
'I did it? I... I DID IT!'
"Gaia look! I did it!"
As I say that Tarou rushes in to look at the plant as well.
It had gone from definitely to dead, to alive but almost dead. The most progress with healing magic I'd done in all the time I trained with Gaia.
"Woah. Congrats dude!"
I stand up, and Gaia suddenly puts a hand on my shoulder.
"Good job little Kazu, you're learning."
Upon hearing that I get a wide smile on my face and look back at the plant.
'One day...!'

...

A whole day's training later and I'm exhausted as me and Tarou head for the exit together.
"I feel so reinvigorated! I should petition the school to open up a magic program, then Gaia could teach everyone there!"
I chuckle.
"Heh, maybe."
'I think Tomo has quite the fierce competition in terms of being a number one fan. Would they be rivals or new best friends if I introduced them...'
As we pass by the exit I hear someone on the phone and turn to look. It takes me a second but then I remember.
'Katsuya?'

"Yeah... But are you sure? Doing... Yes, but... in the same place?

Ah! Y... Yes... I'm sorry..."

'He looks afraid as usual. Wonder who he's talking too. Good luck guy. I mean... Good luck Katsuya.
Can't believe I forgot the name again. He's so forgettable. Sorry Katsuya.'

I stop paying attention, only for Tarou to wake me up from being distracted.
"You okay?"
"Oh, yeah. Sorry, got distracted."
"I get you. I also get distracted all the time when learning some new tips for being good with magic, I just keep studying it in my head over and over."
When he says that I laugh, causing him to laugh as well.
"You totally would."

'Well, time to go home.'