Ok so the test is not in this chapter but it will be in the next one. This one focuses on Adrianna's struggle between her good and evil. Also you get to see a little interaction with Keegan too! ;-) enjoy!

Chapter 25

-A month later-

Keegan, Adrianna, and the twins were training on the deck of the Bounty. But instead of the other ninja fighting against them, Sensei had instructed the four teens to race each other on the training course. He and the others watched from the sidelines, timing each of their runs.

After about two hours of constant training, Sensei declared that they were ready.

"Tomorrow we will arrive at the Cave of Illusion where each of you will undergo your biggest test yet," he told the four teens.

"Why is it called the Cave of Illusion?" Kailee asked.

"You will find out soon enough," Sensei replied. "Just remember, sometimes your worst fears aren't as real as they seem."

The four looked at each other, puzzled, as Sensei headed in the direction of the bridge.

"I wonder what he meant by that?" Jayne thought out loud.

"I guess we'll find out soon enough," Kailee told her with a shrug of her shoulders.

"I can't wait to get my weapon!" Keegan exclaimed, standing in his battle pose, pretending to fight off an enemy with a pretend weapon. "I wonder what it's gonna be? Maybe it'll be a sword or maybe even something better!" His eyes were lit up with excitement as he thought of all the possible weapons he might get.

"I bet it'll be a stick," Kailee said and Jayne snickered. Keegan looked at her funny.

"Why a stick?" he wondered.

"Well, you're so good at using sticks as weapons, I just thought it would be funny if you ended up with a golden stick," Kailee answered. Keegan looked a little worried.

"You don't think that's possible, do you?" he asked her. Kailee smiled and shook her head.

"No, I'm just teasing," she assured him. "I honestly have no idea what it will be."

"What do you think our test will be?" Jayne wondered.

"I don't know, I just hope it's not too hard," Adrianna said. She had come a long way in learning to trust people and everyone on the Bounty was actually starting to like her.

"Yeah, but with the way Sensei kept pushing us to train, I have a feeling that it will," Jayne told them.

"Do you think I'll get a weapon too?" Adrianna wondered out loud.

"I would think so," Keegan told her. "Most ninja always have a weapon."

"Uncle Lloyd doesn't," Kailee reminded him.

"I said MOST," her cousin emphasized.

"That's something I've always wondered," Jayne said.

"What is?" Kailee asked, puzzled. Jayne sighed.

"Why Uncle Lloyd doesn't have a weapon," she repeated.

"Oh," her sister said. "I don't know."

"Hey, since we're done with our training for today, let's do something fun," Keegan told the girls.

"Sounds great to me," Kailee agreed. "But what?"

"How about capture the flag?" Jayne suggested.

"Yeah, I haven't played that game since I was little," Adrianna told them excitedly.

"I guess we're playing capture the flag then," Kailee surmised as Keegan nodded his agreement.

"Kailee and I will be team captains," Keegan stated.

"Oh, and let me guess, you're gonna go first and pick Adrianna on your team?" Kailee guessed, a sly smile on her face. Keegan felt his face heat up.

"Well, you were gonna choose Jayne if you went first," Keegan pointed out.

"Yeah, I was," she agreed.

By dinner time that night, Keegan and Adrianna had captured Kailee and Jayne's flag twice while theirs had been taken five times. It was obvious that the twins knew how to work together as a team.

"I think we need to split the two of you up next time," Keegan told Jayne and Kailee as the four of them joined the others at the table. "What you think, Adrianna?"

"Sounds like a good plan to me," she replied, filling her plate with some of the stew Nya had made and taking a large bite.

"Aw, you're just jealous of the way we work together," Kailee said as she took a bite of her stew.

"Yeah, not to mention the fact that we can talk to each other without talking out loud," Jayne added.

"You kids need to eat and not do so much talking," Cole told them. "You all need a good night's rest to be in shape for tomorrow." The teenagers nodded and the rest of the meal was finished in silence.

"Are you guys nervous about the test tomorrow?" Adrianna asked Kailee and Jayne later when the three of them were getting in their room ready for bed.

"I am," Jayne admitted from the end of the bed where she sat brushing out her braid. "What about you, Kailee? Are you scared?" Kailee snorted.

"Me, scared?" she asked sarcastically. "Never! I'm not afraid of anything!" Jayne gave her a look that said she didn't believe her, making Kailee sigh in defeat. "Yes, I am a little nervous."

"I just hope that we all can stay together," Adrianna said.

"Yeah, there's safety in numbers," Kailee added.

Jayne laid her brush down on the vanity and began fingering her broken heart pendant.

"I wonder what kind of power this has," she thought out loud.

"I don't know," Kailee said. "I've been wondering the same thing since Sensei said that."

"Maybe it'll help me with my lightning power," Jayne suggested. She had been having trouble controlling the lightning. Lloyd had tried to teach her, but even he didn't seem to be able to help her.

"I'll bet you'd be able to control it if Dad were still here," Kailee told her sister.

"Yeah," Jayne agreed with a sigh.

"Where is your father?" Adrianna wondered. She was sitting on her cot waiting for the twins to finish getting ready for bed.

"He was killed in an accident in Tortchfire Mountain," Kailee told her sadly.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Adrianna apologized.

"We were only babies when he died," Jayne added.

"Has your mother told you anything about him?" Adrianna asked.

"She didn't when we were younger," Kailee said. "She kept the fact that he was a ninja a secret from us. She even made our uncles stop being ninja whenever they were around us."

"Why would she do that?" Adrianna wondered.

"She said she wanted to protect us," Jayne said. "Being a ninja is the reason she lost our father."

"That must be hard on her, loosing your father and then having to watch the two of you train to be ninja," Adrianna said sympathetically.

"She still doesn't talk about him much," Kailee stated. "We don't like to mention him around her because it makes her sad to think about him. Uncle Kai too. He and Daddy were best friends."

"Yeah, whenever we have a question about Daddy, we always go to Uncle Cole or Uncle Zane or Uncle Lloyd," Jayne said.

The girls were silent for a moment as Kailee turned out the lights and crawled into bed beside Jayne.

"What about your family, Adrianna? Do you remember them?" Kailee asked.

"Yeah, you haven't said anything about your family in the entire almost two months that you've been here," Jayne pointed out.

"Uh, I, uh, I was young when they died so no, I don't remember anything," Adrianna replied. There was something in her tone though that made Jayne feel uneasy. Almost like she was hiding something. She started to ask Kailee if she had sensed it too, but a quick glance at her sister's face told her that she too had sensed it.

No more questions were asked that night and soon, Adrianna heard the sound of the twins' easy breathing punctuated by Kailee's soft occasional snores. Adrianna lay on her cot, desperately trying to go to sleep. Sleep, however, seemed to have fled far from her reach.

After lying there for about an hour, she found herself still no closer to sleep than she had been earlier. Slowly, she allowed her mind to wander as she began to think about things other than sleep.

During the past almost two months she had been living with the ninja, she had learned a lot of things. They had taught her how to do spinjitsu and some of the ninja ways of fighting. But most importantly, they had taught her how to trust people again. She had almost forgotten how it felt to completely trust someone; to be able to go to sleep at night and feel safe. She had to admit that it felt good.

She looked out the window next to her bed. There was a full moon that night, so the outside of the ship was unusually lit up. Her stomach rumbled softly and she almost giggled. Maybe there was something in the kitchen she could grab to snack on, she thought to herself as she stood to her feet and grabbed her purple robe. Wrapping it tightly around her, Adrianna silently tiptoed out of the bedroom, making her way to the kitchen.

Once there, she quickly grabbed an apple and headed back towards the bedroom, though she was stopped and stood on the deck for a few minutes. Well, it started out as only a few minutes. She stood, leaning against the wooden railing, munching contentedly on her apple and enjoying the night view. A gentle breeze blowing was the only thing that interrupted the stillness of the night.

When she had lived with her mother, the darkness had made her feel safe. She had always had an abnormal ability to see in the dark which had come in handy when she had needed to hide from her mother's angry tantrums. Now she understood why she had that ability. She was the ninja of darkness. It also made sense why the darkness had a calming effect on her.

"I thought I had heard someone come out here," a voice behind her said, startling Adrianna from her thoughts. She turned to see Keegan standing there. "You couldn't sleep either?" he asked. She shook her head.

"I thought a snack might help me go to sleep, but it doesn't seem to be working," she told him. He smiled.

"The moon's real pretty tonight itn't it?" Keegan asked as he leaned up against the railing next to her.

"It is," Adrianna replied. They were both silent for a few minutes, an uncomfortable silence hanging between them.

"So, why can't you sleep?" Keegan wondered.

"I don't know," Adrianna replied. "I guess I'm just not sleepy."

"You're not nervous about tomorrow are you?" Keegan asked her.

"Yeah, I guess I am a little," she admitted. "What if I can't complete my test? What of I'm not good enough? What if I fail?" She stated that fear in a voice barely above a whisper.

"Believe me, you're more than ready. You'll do just fine," Keegan told her.

"How can you be so sure?" she wondered.

"Trust me, I just know," was his reply.

Adrianna looked up at him. He had gotten a growth spurt a few weeks ago so he was finally taller than her and his cousins. Her pale gray eyes looked deep into his bright green ones as she felt her breath catch in her throat. She felt her heart begin to pound so loudly that she was sure Keegan could hear it too. But if he did, he showed no indication that he had, he only continued to hold her eyes in his deep stare.

There was something in his eyes that she had never seen before. She had seen them filled with concern, laughter, sadness, and even fear, but never this. This was something different. The fact that she couldn't interpret his stare probably would have frightened her if it had not been for the fact that she felt captured by it.

"Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?" Keegan asked, his voice soft and meaningful, his eyes never leaving hers. Adrianna swallowed hard.

"I believe I recall hearing you say something to that effect when I ran into you that day," she told him, flirting just slightly with him.

Keegan didn't reply. He only continued to stare at her, a small smile on his handsome face. Again, she felt captivated in his gorgeous bright green eyes. He was so handsome!

What a minute! Did I just think that? she asked herself in alarm. I shouldn't allow myself to think like that. I can't get attached to anyone, she reminded herself. After all, I'm only supposed to be here long enough to gain the information mother needs. But oh how much she wanted to stay! As much as she hated to admit it, she really was falling in love with this teenage boy. It was something that seemed to be happening faster and faster the more she tried to quell it. She knew that Keegan had feelings for her, but would he still care for her if he knew who she really was? She was afraid to find out the answer to that question.

Keegan noticed the worry lines that creased her forehead. She dropped her head sometime during the process of her thoughts.

"What's wrong?" he asked in concern. Her head jerked up to look at him.

"What makes you think something is wrong?" she asked innocently. Gently, he ran his fingers over her forehead, tracing the lines that troubled her pretty young skin.

"Most people only get these when they're worried about something," he told her softly. She sighed.

"It's nothing really," she told him. Keegan knew from her voice that she was lying, but he said nothing to contradict her. If she wanted him to know what was wrong, then she would tell him when she was ready.

Instead, he continued to stare deep into her eyes, a smile on his face. He could feel his heart pounding and knew that hers had to be doing the same. Even in the dim moonlight, she looked amazing! The gentle breeze was blowing her thick black curls that hung over her shoulders. Her gray eyes, though, held a puzzle. He could see the emotion in them as she tried desperately to hide it. He knew because the emotion he saw in them was the same that he felt and that was obvious in his own his. Love. As stood there on the deck of the Bounty staring into her eyes, he realized how much he loved her. He REALLY loved her. This wasn't just some schoolboy crush. No, this was the real thing.

Suddenly, he felt the urge to kiss her. He took a step closer to her. Slowly, he began to lean down until her lips were within reach of his. Adrianna's eyes widened slightly as she realized what he was going to do, but she didn't object. Keegan hesitated, his lips a few inches from hers, his searching hers as if asking for permission. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, tilting her face up towards his a little more. That was all the permission he needed.

Gently, he pressed his lips against her soft ones.

"I love you," he told her when the kiss ended.

Suddenly, Adrianna whirled around, her back facing him, breathing heavily. Immediately, he felt afraid. Afraid that she was angry with him for kissing her. Maybe he should've made sure that she wanted him too. He rested his hand gently on her shoulder. That's when he realized that she was crying.

"Adrianna, I'm sorry," he apologized softly. She shook her head.

"It's not you," she told him. "It's just that if you knew who I really was, you wouldn't feel this way about me."

Keegan was puzzled. What was she talking about? What could she be hiding that could be bad enough to make him stop loving her.

"That could never happen," he assured her. Gently, he turned her around to face him. He lifted her chin until his eyes locked with hers. "Tell me," he said.

Adrianna considered telling him everything right then. She wanted to tell him. She needed to tell somebody. But as she stared into his eyes, she became afraid. What if he didn't love her anymore after she told him? What if he got angry with her? She didn't think she could handle that. She needed him to love her. She hasn't really felt loved since her father had been killed. No, she couldn't tell him now. She shook her head, a fresh wave of tears coming to her eyes.

"I can't," she told him, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I'm sorry," she said just before fleeing the deck.

Keegan remained on deck. He leaned against the wooden railing, staring out into the night. Why couldn't she tell him? Surely there was nothing she could tell him that would cause him to stop loving her. The kiss had left him feeling breathless and his heart was still pounding. He had kissed many girls before, but never had he felt this way about them. He smiled slightly. She was absolutely perfect! He just wished she would tell him what was bothering her.

When Adrianna had fled the deck, she stopped in the hallway, desperately trying to get a hold of her emotions. Why hadn't she told him? She knew that it would make her feel better to tell someone. Why hadn't she?

Fear. Fear had kept her from telling him. She was afraid of his reaction. She wished she hadn't've been so afraid. Now he probably thought that he had done something wrong. But he hadn't. She smiled as she remembered the kiss. It had been wonderful. She almost wished he had done it twice.

Stop it! she scolded herself. You shouldn't be thinking such things, Adrianna told herself as she silently tiptoed to the bedroom that she shared with the twins. As she climbed into bed and lay down, sleep was the furthest thing from her mind.

What did you think? Let me know in the reviews!

As for the contest, so far there are four entries: SergeantSarcasm7, Jayandnyaforever, Night-core circus, and Lady Marissa Garmadon. Anyone is still welcome to enter, just be sure to let me know!

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