(Oh man, we got another story from me! So for anyone who has read or has at least heard of A New Age of Darkness by my friend Nan The Keyblade Master and his fellow writers, I took part in putting the Legion of Darkness into the ground, along with the Malevolent Seven. And now, we start off with me finding out that I am eligible for Keyblade Master status! So I'd like to thank a couple people before we begin. First off, I wish to thank Nan and them for letting me be in that fic. I'd also like to thank my buddies Girl of Darkness 10 (for this chapter) and New Era of G for several appearances of his. And I can't forget to thank my girlfriend Mastermind Enoshima Alicia for letting me have her be in this.

But before I begin, I must add that I only own me, myself, and I in this fic, and everything else goes to its respective owners. Skye and Yxeks belongs to Darky, of course.

So forgive me for talking your ears off, but let's kick this bad boy off!)

Episode 1: The Call Knows Where You Live

Darkness was such a weird word to Flash after the events he was part of had transpired, but he had a general idea. There were two kinds. Sacred, and corrupt, the latter of which was bad.

One less Legion of Darkness threatened the world, and seven less Malevolent beings existed in this plane of the Morphogenetic Field, he reminded himself. And he was okay with that. In fact, he was humming a merry tune as he sailed his Samoorai origin Galleon, Imperial Palace, away from the Citadel, and off to somewhere else he had in mind. The Land of Departure. He was already a far distance away from the Citadel now, the aforementioned place now just a speck behind them.

A little while later, Flash had finished his voyage from the Citadel to The Land of Departure, where he had heard a Keyblade Master was, and was more ready than ever. Eraqus had been waiting outside his home, having a feeling that he'd have to help someone today. That time would be now as he would witness the ship approaching. Flash got off and hit the beach, looking for him. Eraqus had gone to meet him.

"Oh, there you are." Flash greeted. "Don't worry, I come in peace."

"I would have shot you out of the sky if I thought otherwise." Eraqus said. The sky pirate sheepishly scratched his head. "Yeah, I know how tough Imperial Palace is, but I doubt she could be on par with your strength." He then introduced himself properly. "Name's Flash. Captain of the Lightning Shadow Vagabonds, or LSV for short."

"I am Eraqus, a Keyblade Master." Eraqus said.

"I was hoping you'd say that." Flash lit up. "Y'see, I found out a week or so ago that I had the potential to be a Keyblade Master myself, all I needed to do was take this exam. And when I heard you would give me a chance...here I am."

"You'll have to stay a couple days." Eraqus said.

Flash agreed with that. "Is someone else looking to take the exam then?"

"...One of my students." Eraqus replied. Eraqus showed Flash to his room and introduced him to Ven.

Meanwhile, at an undisclosed location...

There was a middle-aged king sitting on his throne somewhere far from The Land of Departure. He was known as Garon, King of Nohr, and he was scheming. He had heard from Xander about this 'Flash' fellow who could serve as a pawn for his plan to win a war with their neighboring country Hoshido. The question now was how to get him there. He was speaking with one of his underlings, Iago, on the matter.

"So...he has left the Citadel. Good. If we tried taking him there, our forces would have been slaughtered." Garon said, then let out a single laugh. "As if."

"Word has it he was going to become a Keyblade Master. Should I go to where he is now?" Iago wondered.

"Wrong. You do that, and whatever master he is going to will no doubt kill you." Garon advised against it, sounding like he cared about Iago, but really didn't. "But, if you're so certain about it, go. But wait until after he does the exam. He'll likely be tired out by then, making it easy for you to 'hire' him."

"Yes sir." Iago bowed, heading out. Garon chuckled as he left.

"I cannot wait to meet my newest soldier..." He mused.

It was a few days later, the day that Flash and Ven would take their Mark of Mastery Exam. And Flash was wondering about something. All his Keyblades were designed, so he didn't really have a 'natural' Keyblade. Maybe Eraqus would help him out there, he thought. Ven had been training with Vanitas, Skye, and Yxeks in the meantime. Flash had arrived, seeing the three new people. And he cracked a smile seeing Skye.

"Aww...that's the cutest person I think I've ever seen!" He exclaimed with joy. Yxeks should be cute too... She's Skye's Nobody. In the eyes of Flash, yes. Yxeks was cute as well. He went over to introduce himself. Vanitas had quickly noticed him and got in front of Skye in a protective manner. "Easy...I'm a good guy." Flash held his hands up, showing he would not harm Skye. "Name's Flash. Captain of the Lightning Shadow Vagabonds. LSV, as we're more commonly known as."

"Vanitas." Vanitas said.

"I'm Skye!" Skye cheered.

"...Yxeks." Yxeks said, crossing her arms.

Flash told Skye and Yxeks how cute he saw them to be. "Not everyday I see adorable people like you two." He stated.

"You're creepy." Yxeks said bluntly.

"And it's also not everyday people call me that." Flash deadpanned suddenly. "Any of you seen Master Eraqus around? I need to ask him something regarding my Keyblades." Ven pointed, leading to Flash heading off where Ven pointed, hoping to get this out of the way before the Exam. Eraqus was training when Flash found him. The sky pirate waited for Eraqus to finish before asking, and he stopped when Flash came over.

"Hey, Master Eraqus." Flash greeted. "I had something to ask you regarding my keyblades..."

"What is it?" Questioned Eraqus.

"Well, I don't have a 'natural' keyblade, so to speak." He explained. "I was hoping you could hook me up with one, and make it a bit more fair if I have to fight Ven." Eraqus chuckled, summoning his own keyblade and holding out the handle to Flash.

"In your hand, take this key. So long as you have the makings, then its wielder you shall be. Nothing will contain you then. No more borders around, or below, or above, so long as you champion the ones you love."

"I love my crew more than anything." Flash smirked, taking the handle. "Their lives are my responsibility around the clock, as their captain. They're like my family...even if none of them are my birth family." The keyblade glowed, resulting in the sky pirate staring at said glowing weapon. "Woah…"

"You have been properly chosen by the keyblade now." Eraqus informed.

"We're gonna be good friends..." Flash seemed to say that to the keyblade. "Alright, now that that's dealt with, are you prepared for the exam?" Eraqus nodded to that. "Alright, let's get this show on the road!" Flash was ready for whatever, after hearing stories from the other 'Heroes of Light' about their Mark of Mastery Exams. They all sounded hard, but Flash was more than prepared for what awaited him.

Eraqus lead everyone to the throne room. Flash had his arms at his sides, just thinking over what Eraqus could be having them do. Eraqus seems to be talking with Vanitas and Skye about it.

"Hmm...I know my friends from the hero group I was part of went through crazy exams..." Flash mused, seemingly to himself, but loud enough for Ven to hear. "Wonder what ours will be like."

"We'll probably fight something then spar each other." Ven said.

"Maybe." Flash shrugged. "Seems easy...but doable. For the both of us."

"Unless those two decide to cook up Boss Unversed." Ventus said.

"Hmm. Considering the amount of cheating enemies I've encountered, I hope to every god and goddess I know they don't cheat...try having a guy who summons a mook every time you hit him." Flash rolled his eyes. "Screw you, Captain Blood..."

"It isn't cheating." Ven frowned.

"I would forgive him for jumping to that conclusion...y'know, if he wasn't re-dead." Flash let out a sigh. "It felt underhanded, seeing as how he cheated Death in a card game."

"No, summoning an Unversed Boss. It's supposed to be challenging." Ven corrected.

"Oh. Then it that case, I'm all for a challenge." Flash's mood took a total 180. "This is going to be awesome!" Ventus grinned, and Eraqus explained the rules of the first test.

Destroy all the Unversed. Skye and Van-Van (Vanitas) summoned the first wave.

"You take one side, I'll get the other." Flash didn't feel like wasting his Buccaneer powers with the Unversed first wave, so he summoned the keyblade Eraqus gave him and started attacking. Ven summoned his keyblade, Wayward Wind, and started attacking. Wave 1 was soon completed.

"Grizzzleheim strong, baby!" Flash cheered. Skye and Vanitas sent Wave 2. Cue more beatings! Wave 3 shortly followed! "I've heard of the Rule of Three..." Flash mused as he swiped the blade at another Unversed.

"I don't think there's only gonna be three waves." Ven said.

"You kidding? Three waves is a warm-up to me." Flash chuckled.

Later...Wave 20…

"Whew..." Flash rolled his shoulders. "That, was a workout. And I slayed 100 clockworks in Sivella, all in one night." Ventus was still going strong, and Flash still was ready for battle, making sure not to waste any mana or any of his powers. Wave 21 then came. "How many Unversed do you have?" Flash asked, exasperated only in the name alone.

"When you kill an Unversed, it goes right back into them." Ven said.

"That would have been nice to know...beforehand." He sighed.

"Thought you already did." Ven replied.

Flash shook his head, saying he didn't know this. He looked at Skye. "You're cute, but you're also a bit of a troll..." Skye smiled cutely. "Or I would be saying that second part if I was an angry Xbox Live user. Which I'm not." He added, with a similar smile. "By the way, I must thank you."

"For what?" Skye asked.

"I forgot to mention, one of my talents as a pirate of the Spiral." Flash mentioned. "Turn the Tide. My health isn't doing the best...but that does make me a bit stronger." Skye smiled. "So I guess, we move on to whatever's next?" He asked.

Wave 22! Skye would notice Flash was fighting much more savagely now, thanks to his Turn the Tide having been activated. She secretly summoned a couple Boss Unversed: A bunch of Symphony Masters and Trinity Armors.

"Hey Ven, what're those guys?" Flash pointed them out, deciding to now get serious. He casted Kraken's Coils on himself, buffing his strength a little.

"Symphony Masters and Trinity Armors." Ventus said before attacking.

"Let's take 'em down together, one at a time!" Flash requested. Ventus nodded to that plan. And so they got to work on that. Additionally,

"Eraqus, are we to fight these guys until we drop?" Was on Flash's mind. As it turned out, they would keep going till the Keyblade Master said they were done.

Even later…

After what seemed like an eternity to Flash, when it reality it was a half-hour, we would see a familiar Ultimate Nurse come into the place where the exam was going. And when she saw the state Flash was in, she shrieked out in shock.

"C-Captain-san! What's going on here!?" The voice of Mikan Tsumiki rang out loud and clear. "I...I thought you said you wouldn't be long, and we got really worried..."

"Y-Yeah...try telling that to Skye." He responded. "But y'know...I think those Heroes of Light would be amazed at how two guys cleared out that many Unversed." Flash then smiled. "Heck, I was having so much fun fighting, I stopped caring about all my other trivial matters." He gave a thumbs up to Skye. "That oughta show them I'm just as good!" Flash really did hope to be a tougher fighter than Hina, Nan, Maria, Sabrina, all of them! They might have had forms, powerful keyblades, and all that other good jazz, but what did he have? He was a pirate. "Only the strong survive where I grew up. And those just as strong can hold there own for this long, maybe more." Skye smiled again at that, even cuter than the last time. Flash couldn't help but smile back. "Heck, I think someone might have dropped a little while ago…"

"Good to know." Vanitas said.

"...Oh, right. This here is Mikan Tsumiki, title holder of Ultimate Nurse, and the LSV's main doctor." He introduced her. "She's helped my crew through their worst injuries."

"Nice to meet you." People bowed at her.

""So uh...what wave were we on? I lost count at 25 when I was more focused on venting my grievances I had with my time in the Heroes of Light..." Flash really did lose track.

"Wave thirty." Ven reminded.

"Only the strong survive in Grizzleheim!" Flash now was ready for action, Tsumiki standing back to watch the rest of the exam. "Time to go to work!"

Even later…

After about a total of forty waves, Eraqus stopped it. Flash was handed an ice-cold bottle of his holy water, Root Beer, by Mikan, draining the whole bottle in one go.

"Ah...that's the stuff." Vanitas tossed Ven a drinking canteen. "So Master Eraqus. How'd we do?" Flash just had to ask.

"You both passed that trial." Eraqus said. Flash fistpumped, Mikan congratulating them both. She then, with a Medigun in hand, wasted no time healing them back to full strength. Flash certainly needed it. But Ventus seemed to be less damaged. Once the two were healed up, Flash commented,

"Still don't remember what Nan did...wasn't this, that's for sure." Ven grinned at that comment. "Eh, I'll ask him later to remind me." Flash shrugged. "So what're you going to do from here, Ven?"

"I'm probably going to go with Vanitas, Skye, and Yxeks." Ven replied. As for Flash?

"I'm going wherever the winds take me. To the next adventure." That was his answer.

"As always, Captain-san." Mikan smiled. But what none of them knew, was that the 'winds' were taking him somewhere sooner than he expected. And they weren't taking no for an answer.

The next day, we'd find Flash moving things into his new office onboard a Royal Navy Galleon, one he had proudly named Royal Champion. He had already moved in most the heavy furniture with help from his other crewmates, and was moving in the lighter stuff, setting his laptop down on his desk. Outside, however, Iago was hiding, holding something in his right hand. As Flash left to get something else, he was soon grabbed from behind, Iago performing some sort of spell, knocking Flash unconscious. This was the one downside of having the call come at any time. It came without warning. It didn't care if you were doing something. But the 'best' part of all?

The call knows where you live.

(What DID you do for your Mark of Mastery, Nan? Curious to know.

Anyway, please be sure to read, follow, favorite, and REVIEW for the next chapter! Can we get 4 reviews on the first chapter? That'd be nice. -Flash)