A/N: EDIT: Fixed some grammatical errors.

Chain One

~Rendezvous~

"Even, am I right?"

I nodded frankly at the tall man standing at the castle gates in front of me. He had short jet black hair, all combed back, and wore a neat set of grey clothes. My face looked rather blank then. Yesterday, I was just a random scientist working in a random lab. I had been waiting forever to get myself out of that hell hole of brainless idiots! So I was greatly surprised when, this morning, all of a sudden I was recruited to work for Ansem the Wise, a very well known sage and a genius scientist! Surely, my shock was overtaken by overwhelming joy. I had packed my belongings quickly, immediately coming here. I tightened my grip on the handle of my light green umbrella as another strong gust of wind threatened to blow it away. I could tell that my ponytail had gone loose and my long hair, usually kept very tidy, must have been in a total mess.

"This way, then," the man continued, after hesitantly looking me over from head to toe and back again, turning to lead me down the winding rocky path which would, I suppose, ultimately lead to the entrance of Ansem's castle. Giant rocks surrounded us on either side. I picked up my suitcase and obligingly followed him.

A bolt of thunder tore across the dark gray sky. I should say that the man, AND the castle, however brightly coloured it may be, looked rather menacing in that split second of a lightning flash. It was an unusually cloudy day in Radiant Garden. The light drizzle patted against us and the rocky floors, but the man in front of me didn't seem to bother getting either an umbrella or a raincoat. I had this urge to lecture him about health but decided against it in the end. The rain seemed to get heavier and heavier with every step I took. For a moment, I felt as if my arrival here was unwelcome, but still, I followed closely at his heels as he led me.

It was at this moment, as I continued to ponder about the issue, that the man in front of me suddenly drew out a pair of amethyst spears and attempted to swipe my head clean off its rightful place on my shoulders. "Shit!" I only managed to squeak out the curse as I arched back and performed a cartwheel to avoid such fate, leaving my umbrella and my suitcase scattered across the ground. Just because I spent most of my time behind lab experiments, doesn't mean that I'm not a good fighter.

I jumped back a few meters. Bewildered, I animatedly shouted at my companion, "Have you lost your mind?!" The man did not answer. Instead, he just glared and charged at me with full speed. "Tester Zero!" I summoned my white shield just in time to stop his spears from making two holes through my stomach. I gave a hard push to my shield and knocked him back. That didn't stop him from trying again, though.

He attempted to impale me a few more times, but I just blocked all his attacks without much of a problem. "Being persistent now, aren't we?" I teased, starting to get a little cocky. My wide grin faded as soon as I saw a smirk across his face in that short moment when our weapons locked.

He jumped back and directly threw one of his spears to my right side, swinging the other spear a few times in his other hand. I wasn't sure what he was trying to do, but once again, I blocked the spear thrown at me. "Ha!" I exclaimed, lowering my shield. But before I can utter any other form of insult, I felt something graze against my cheek and a sharp pain down my left arm. "Ack!" I clutched the wounds on my arm, falling to one knee and using Tester Zero as a support. "H-How did you--?!" I stuttered as my left hand's grip on my shield loosened. Some of the cuts were pretty deep...and painful. Blood was now oozing out of them and my left cheek. "...I see... So you control the wind...," I deduced, slowly getting back on my feet. The other man just smirked. Apparently, he had just decided that his playtime with me was over, and now it's time to be serious. I shuddered slightly, shifting Tester Zero to my right arm. My shield arm was my left, so I was a bit...not used to holding it with my right. But for now, I have no choice but to trust my right arm.

I'd have to wonder why the man ahead of me waited for me to regain balance before attacking again. Does he want a fair fight...or is he not serious about actually killing me? Either way, I shouldn't take this battle lightly. I panted, trying to ignore the pain, quickly raising my shield and falling back into a battle stance.

"Run, Even, run! Leave this place while you still can!" The man laughed, malice in his voice. I glanced back at the path behind me. A small voice at the back of my head kept nagging at me: run, run, RUN! ...And leave a very bright future behind and regret it for the rest of my life?! No way!! The rain continued to fall. I shook my head and charged at the dark haired man.

Once I got close enough, I swung Tester Zero with all my might at him. He blocked it with both spears and threw me high into the air. I smirked.

The weather is on my side.

I quickly did a back flip, freezing the raindrops around me and shooting those newly acquired shrapnel his way. He was caught off guard as he had no idea about my powers, and I was able to give him a few cuts. Good, he's distracted! I landed on the ground and darted at him, giving him an uppercut.

The man landed some distance away. I dashed at him to deliver a finishing blow. Suddenly, four more spears shot out from around him, all pointed towards me. "Eek!" If Tester Zero was just slightly tinier and I slightly slower, I wouldn't have gotten away with just a few more scratches. The impact of the collision did send me crashing down and sliding a few meters on the ground, though.

I pulled myself to sit up. Darn, my green ribbon was gone and now my disheveled long flaxen hair was all over my face. I brushed it aside to see my opponent float up, six spears swirling around him protectively like a whirlwind. When I saw his gritted teeth and anger apparent in his dark eyes, I knew that I was in for an even bigger trouble. I stood up and evaded a gust of wind sent my way.

Within moments, he was already behind me. I swung my shield by reflex. "Too slow!" He shouted, slashing his spear and sending a strong gust of wind which gave me a cut across the back. I shrieked as it knocked me back to the ground. I turned around to block another attack, but with a strong swipe, he managed to knock Tester Zero out of my hand.

The shield flew through the air and made a resounding ring as its sharp metallic edge hit the ground. My opponent dismissed four of his spears and floated back down to earth, roughly shoving me back down with a boot to my chest. "Weaklings like you don't deserve to live," he barked, pointing the sharp end of one of his remaining spears to my face. "Now, once I release you, I want you to run and never come back! Run away for the rest of your pitiful life!" "I...," I glared at him, "I'm NOT a coward!"

The puddles of water around me suddenly gathered behind my foe and formed a giant diagonal ice pillar, effectively knocking him off and away from me. He fell to the ground as I shambled up, calling Tester Zero back to my possession. "I'll fight you until I die if I have to!" I shouted to him, holding up my shield, "But I'll never, EVER run away!" The water around me began to freeze.

My opponent was still sprawled on his back on the ground, staring at me as I said those words firmly. "Hmph," he muttered as he closed his eyes, a smirk crawling up his features, "Well fought, Even." I had the look of surprise on my face as I watched him stand up and dismiss his spears. He proceeded to walk towards me. I was still on guard and took a few steps backwards as he approached. But soon the pain on my back proved to be too much and I, as much as I hated it, had to fall to my knees, again seeking support from Tester Zero.

I was about to send some ice shrapnel at him when he extended his hand at me, "I'm Dilan. Nice to meet you." I raised an eyebrow and gave him a questioning look before taking his hand. Dilan helped me stand up and gave me a bottle of Potion, which I devoured greedily, rejoicing as the pain I felt slowly faded away. Feeling safe, I dismissed Tester Zero. He picked my umbrella and suitcase and offered to carry them for me. And soon we were back on our way into Ansem's castle.

As we walked down the long, winding path, I asked my new acquaintance why he had attacked me, only to save me in the end. "It was all a test," Dilan said, his eyes trained to the castle in the distance. "A test?! What test?! You almost killed me back there!" I shouted in anger. "But I didn't, did I?" Seeing me waiting for more answers, he sighed, "If you wanted to work for Master Ansem, you have to first go through a test. It had to be taken seriously. He wanted to see whether or not you're fit to be his apprentice." He paused to take a breath, "It's not like you're the only one who wanted to join him—it's every scientist's aspiration to. You see, Master Ansem, the ruler of Radiant Garden, was well known for being a genius, and many scientists wanted to do research under him...and learn from him," Dilan turned his head to look at me, "Unfortunately, some of his research could be dangerous."

"So that's why he sets up a test... He just wanted us to be safe. So nobody was involved in something they can't handle. That's very thoughtful...," I mused, scratching my chin. "That's correct. To carry out his experiments, Master Ansem needs people with a strong will...," Dilan said, pausing for awhile, "...And more importantly, a strong heart." "A strong heart, huh?" I echoed. "Yes, he asks his apprentices to sort out the people, and battle them to test the power of their will and their heart." I stopped dead in my tracks, "Wait, are you telling me that you're one of his apprentices?!" "That would be right, yes," was the reply. "Wait, wait. So...I passed the test, right? Right? So that means now I'm also an apprentice, right?" I was already grabbing him by the collar overenthusiastically by now, waiting only for a positive reply.

He stared at my impatience for a moment as if I had grown a few more heads, before briefly replying, "...No." I let go of his collar, "Why?!" I asked, my voice raised, annoyed by the unexpected answer. "Uhh...because after this there's one more test?" "Wha-at?!" I asked again, with my voice still raised. "It's the ultimate test, which only involved Master Ansem himself deciding whether or not he accepts you. Several had failed." "You mean even if I survive through your test, the old man's words may still kill me?!" I asked, now with a scared squeaky voice. Dilan frowned and snapped at me, "That's utter disrespect! If you want more chances of passing, you'd better start learning how to be respectful!" "Uhh...right, ahem," I cleared my throat. "You mean even if I survive through your test, Master Ansem's words may still kill me?!" I repeated the exact same question, with the exact same tone and squeaky voice, with the exact same actions. "How's that?" I asked with a normal voice, looking up at him. Dilan slapped his forehead, not sure whether I'm too scared or too silly.

"How many apprentices does he have right now?" "...Counting me, two." "Oh," I shuddered, "I just wanted to weigh my chances of passing, ha ha..." My companion wasn't at all amused by how I was trying to hold myself together from breaking into pieces like my ice shrapnel.

"You know what? Let me tell you one thing. Unlike any other scientists, you had been invited here personally by Master Ansem. So I'm sure he had faith in you. I trust you'll be able to pass through it, too," he shook his head and placed a hand on my shoulder, "I think you needn't worry so much..."

"...You said the exact same thing to everyone who failed the second test, too, didn't you?" I said, the smile on my face failing to conceal my worry as comical tears began flowing like a river down my face. Dilan looked as if his head was just hit by a rock when I took his encouragement as a discouragement, "I'm not lying about the invitation part!"

Before I knew it, we had arrived at the postern gates of the castle. My companion pushed open a not so decorative door that loomed in front of us. It led to a set of long labyrinthine corridors. I was wondering where these would lead. Why didn't we go through the castle's main entrance? Dilan caught me spacing out at the doorstep instead of following him. He called out to me and I jumped in surprise, "Coming!" And I ran to him.

He led me down the dimly lit corridor, full of twists and turns. I was just starting to get rather irked by my wet hair which persistently stuck to the sides of my face. The next time Dilan glanced back to make sure I was still there instead of spacing out elsewhere, he caught me indulging in trying to twist the rainwater out of my hair and clothes, leaving big puddles on the ceramic floor in my wake. He cleared his throat in protest, loudly, to catch my attention. "Aww, c'mon!" I retorted, "We're already dripping and leaving a trail. What's a little extra water to you?" "Small drops don't matter. But with your 'little extra water'? I'm afraid someone might just...slip." "Dilan, my friend... These halls are empty." Thinking of giving him a déjà vu, I shook my head and placed a hand on his shoulder, "I think you needn't worry so much..."

Just then, I thought I heard someone shriek up the corridor (at a turn we passed) and a loud resounding thud on the floor. I was startled, and thought that I heard Dilan mutter a curse before grabbing my wrist and pulling me away as quickly as he could.

After that, we ran (no, I probably flew, since Dilan was running so fast I felt somewhat like a kite) down the rest of the corridor and ended up in front of a room. "Ready?" Dilan asked. I just nodded absentmindedly. I gulped as he opened the door. Oh, my... The end is near!

I put a hand over my eyes as the door opened, leading to a white room with blinding light (blinding, compared to the dimly lit corridors we had been going through at least). As my eyes adjusted to the brightness, I can see that I had been taken to a large, white study. The wall across me had posters of an atom and the anatomy hung on it. The opposite side was filled with shelves of books, books and more books. I wouldn't have ever dreamt that my old workplace could have this many books, even if I were to gather all of them and put them together. Then there was a large portrait of a man on one of the walls. I also noticed some things that look like...hearts (are those hearts? They're certainly not the biological hearts) floating in some tubes lined up along the wall. There was a crescent-shaped desk in the middle, with books and various paperwork scattered on and around it. Behind that desk was a middle-aged blond haired man clad in a lab coat with a red scarf, whom I easily identified as none other than Ansem the Wise himself, as I had seen him in a few of his speeches.

Ansem stood up from his chair upon our arrival, welcoming us. "Master Ansem," Dilan took a bow and began, "I present to you, the scientist Even." He stepped aside and motioned to me. I felt obliged to bow, and did so, nervously. "Good day, Even," he greeted with a pleasant atmosphere about him, which just succeeded at dispelling most of my nervousness. "Good day to you, too, A--," Dilan's quick reflexes managed to give me a light kick in the foot, cutting me mid-sentence, the moment he realized what I was about to blurt out. "Master Ansem!" I quickly said, hoping that he had not heard what Dilan had called 'utter disrespect'. ...Good going, friend, I think you just succeeded in making me nervous again...

Master Ansem stared at us for a moment. "You're both wet," he remarked, stating the matter of fact. "I'm sorry, Master, we meant no disrespect," Dilan replied (Oh, how respectful!). "Never mind, Dilan, I'll make this quick so you can both change. Why don't you take a seat?" Dilan nodded. We took two chairs from the corner of the office, placed them in front of the desk across Ansem...I mean, Master Ansem, and seated ourselves. He took a seat, too. I should say that this was one of the scariest moments of my life. Countless thoughts ran through my mind as I waited for him to make his final decision.

"So...," he began, "Dilan, tell me about your analysis." Dilan started reciting the report he had made and compiled in his head, "Even was a mediocre fighter, with lots of space for improvements..." 'Mediocre'? 'Lots of space for improvements'?! I thought he was on my side. Why's he criticizing me?! "He prefers to defend rather than attack. He had not realized the full potential of his powers either. If I had used my full power against him, he'd have probably not made it out alive," my friend continued with a blank expression, listing out all my shortcomings. Oh, how I hope I can go there and tear the traitor to shreds. But I dare not do that for I fear what Ansem could do. It may affect his judgment and, who knows, I might be the one torn to shreds after that! So I remained on my seat and tried to look calm.

"I see," Ansem said, folding his arms and leaning back onto his chair, "Is there anything good you want to tell?" "Yes, he said he'd fight to the death if he had to," Dilan chuckled. Was that supposed to be an insult?! "Well...," Ansem waited, a worried expression plastered on his face, "Anything else?" I waited, too. But Dilan just happily shook his head, smiling, smirking. My anger and worry was starting to get the better of me! I think I may have really jumped out of my chair and pounced at him if it wasn't for Ansem, who banged the table with both palms.

"I had made my decision!"

We both looked there, the serious expressions back on our faces. "Even...," he started, I held my breath, Dilan smirked again. Time seemed to have stopped.

...

"...you failed."

...

I think my heart skipped a beat upon hearing those words. This time, my anger did get the better of me! I jumped out of my seat and grabbed Ansem by the collar, lifting him out of his seat, "Failed?! What does that mean?! Do you have any idea how hard I fought out there just for this?! How much time I had spent studying as a scientist?!" I wondered why Dilan haven't killed me yet. Actually, I don't think I minded anymore if he did. When Ansem said those words, it's as if my entire world and dreams were shattered.

"I'm sorry, Even, I can't help it. You had too many shortcomings," Ansem replied, his face calm as if nothing had happened. "But...I thought," I trailed off, looking away, my grip loosening. I tightened my grip again. Looking him in the eye, I retorted, "I thought all you need is a strong will! And more importantly, a strong heart!"

Ansem just smirked at me, "Prove it." "I had!" I shouted, using one hand to point at Dilan, comfortably watching the whole scene unfold from his seat (I felt like he's mocking me), "He told about many of my shortcomings, but those were only physical weaknesses... Isn't it more important that I didn't run away although he was stronger than me?!"

Ansem sighed, "But still, Even, a fail is a fail. I'm the one making the decision: you're not fit to be my apprentice." The room was silent for a few minutes. My grip on his collar never loosened and I never took my eyes off Ansem, glaring at him with an unwavering will. No one moved a muscle in the tense silence.

I was just starting to panic, thinking that there's no hope left, when suddenly, a small chuckle escaped Ansem's lips. And he soon broke into a loud whole-hearted laugh as he began clapping his hands. Dilan had started his own quiet laugh as well. I turned my head towards Dilan, "What's so funny?!" My tone was still that of anger. I turned at Ansem again when he began speaking between his laughter. "Congratulations, Even," he said, patting me on the shoulder with one hand.

"You passed!"

I stared at the man, my face now showing more confusion rather than anger. "Is this some kind of joke?! Answer me, Ansem!" I shouted, rattling him a little. "Oh, it's not, Even. I mean it. Now, it'll be very nice of you to put me down." I hesitantly complied. Ansem tidied his ruffled scarf while Dilan walked over to congratulate me. "I don't get this! First you said that I failed. Now you're saying that I passed!" I looked up at him and asked with a dumbfounded expression, "Someone explain to me what's going on...NOW!"

Dilan laughed again, "Ha ha, you don't really think that the test was as simple as 'Master Ansem's decision only', did you? The first test was to determine your strength and skills in a battle. It's easy to pass because you automatically pass if you reach the 'satisfactory' level, that is, able to survive in the battlefield, defend yourself, use your powers and attack to a certain extent. Of course, you get plus points if you let your strong will and heart show. Most people either ran away because their opponent is too strong or they're just too weak. In this test, the second test, your knowledge, reactions, judgment, will and heart—all are tested."

"Yes," Ansem continued his explanation, "Dilan's purpose was not only to see how good you are in fighting. He was also meant to analyze all your strengths and weaknesses. These points are then taken to the second test, where he'll tell me nothing but the truth. This test is full of traps. All your weaknesses are listed out before you in order to provoke you. Attacking him will mean you're reckless, not able to read the situation and stay calm. He should then tell me only one of your strengths, to make it fell like you're treated even more unfairly. This serves the same purpose as the previous point, except that now you had been given a weapon, as he will tell only the most striking strength you have." Ansem paused to take a break from his long explanation.

"I'm sure that Dilan must have told you about 'will and heart' somewhere along the way. That was meant to be a weapon, too; your knowledge and awareness. When I 'pretended' to decide that you have failed, I wanted to see if your anger had clouded your thoughts and destroyed your weapons. That is the exact time to strike. Your sense of justice should be able to tell you right from wrong. I don't want my apprentices to back off and give up on anything. If they feel like they're being wronged, they should fight for what they think is right. Of course, with a certain degree of control, instead of just attacking recklessly. That's the main idea. Physical shortcomings can be overcome by practice. But it can't be done without a strong heart and will. That determines how far you can go in life." He looked at me with joy in his eyes, "I'm glad you can grasp that concept very well, Even."

"That's...very nice...," I spoke, slightly blushing at the compliment, "But I'd still like a few questions answered." "Go on," Ansem replied. "First of all, why did you invite me here? And since you did, why test me if you want me to become your apprentice? Won't I have a chance of failing?" "You're invited here because of your superior knowledge and power of analysis compared to the other scientists. And it's not about whether I want you to or not; it's about you. I have faith in you that you will pass, but I also care for your safety. I'm testing you just in case." I thought again, "Well... You said that Dilan only told about one of my strengths. What else am I good at? I think I could really use some encouragements right now..." Dilan opened his mouth and was just about to tell me. But Ansem had been SO kind to stop him, "That, my dear scientist, is for you to find out." I stuck out my lower lip in a disapproving pout. "Any other questions?" I sighed and shook my head.

"Alright, then let's proceed, shall we?" Ansem raised his hand high up into the air, "With all due respect, from today onwards, I declare you, Even, to be my fourth apprentice." Suddenly, a bright light shone in front of me. I jumped back in surprise. As the light faded, I can see Tester Zero afloat in front of me. "Discover the strength within your heart and walk by my side." I slowly reached out and touched my white shield. I suddenly felt a comforting warmth emanate from within my chest. Tester Zero shone brightly again with a blinding light. I closed my eyes reflexively.

Once I opened my eyes, I found that my white shield had now transformed into a bigger sapphire blue one, shaped like an upside down water drop with white metallic lining. Five blue spikes protruded from the top. "The power of your heart had brought forth your true worth," Ansem spoke again, "Even, you had the pride of a scientist—a pride that will never let you give up. Freeze that pride so that it may remain and give you courage. Thus the Frozen Pride shall be your shield, and protect all that's most important to you." He smiled at me, "May the light guide your path."

"Yes, Master Ansem," I replied, "I won't let you down."

A/N: Tell me what you think XD!