'Today's the day. I honestly hoped that it wouldn't have come so fast. I've grown so attached to them. They've been training every day. Luna even got Kenji and Mynx to succeed in meditating together. They've grown so close. They're just like how we used to be. I've watched them train. I've taught them what master Eraqus taught us. In one year they've learned everything that we did. I hope that the exam goes well.'
-The Mysterious Tower; Open Lawn-
Kenji sighed softly as he sat on the soft grassy lawn that surrounded the Mysterious Tower. He smiled softly, looking at the expanding and unending sunset that expanded along the abyss around the lawn.
"It's been an entire year since I left Twilight Town…" he said to himself before he looked down at his hand. Kenji summoned Void Gear, staring at the keyblade in his hand. Kenji wielded his keyblade in his right hand, while Mynx and Luna wielded theirs in their left hands. He chuckled to himself, watching the eternal sunset in the distance illuminate the space around everything it touched. On Kenji's left shoulder was a pauldron of a silver color, multiple darkening layers overlapping each other so that the brightest layer rested atop the darkening layers. "I can't believe all this stuff…Keyblades, light and darkness…Luna…" Kenji could feel the blush coming back over his face as he thought about his friend. That was, until he was suddenly knocked on the back of the head. "Ow!"
Kenji held his head as he looked up at his assailant, Mynx, who scoffed. On her left shoulder was a pauldron just like Kenji's, albeit hers was a light red hue. "Come on already!" Mynx said to her partner of light. "The Exam starts in 10 minutes. This is what we've been training our butts off for. So you better not cry like a baby right at the end!" Kenji gulped as he listened to Mynx's words. But at least over the year that they had come together, she hadn't been beating on him as much.
"R-right. I get it already." Kenji said as he stood up, looking over to Mynx, chucking a bit. "You should try to lighten up. We've been training a whole year for this. Master Aqua says we're as good as she was back then." He explained, crossing his arms. "If that's true, then we'll ace this test without a doubt. So stop beating on me just because you're worried."
"What was that?" Mynx asked, getting Kenji to jump slightly, losing the confidence that he had a second ago.
"I-I mean, we got this!" he stuttered a bit, getting Mynx to nod and turn towards the tower, away from Kenji.
"That's what I thought." Mynx said, walking towards the tower. "Now let's get going."
"Wait! Mynx!" Kenji extended his arm, making Mynx stop as she blinked and looked back at him. "Um…I was just wondering…Luna…is she…um…is she seeing anybody?" he asked, getting Mynx to raise a brow.
"What kind of idiotic question is that? She sees us every day. You, me, and Master Aqua."
"N-No, I meant-"
"Yeah I know what you meant." Mynx shook her head. "And my question still stands. Kenji, we're the only four people here. And none of us have gone back home since we came here a year ago. Who could she have POSSIBLY seen other than us in that time?!" Mynx threw her hands in the air and walked off, leaving a confused Kenji. Not about her question, but about something else.
"What's her problem? She's a lot tenser than normal…" he said to himself as he looked up at the tower. He took a deep breath and smiled to himself before he ran forward, dashing past Mynx. "Last one in is a puny heartless!"
"Hey! You could at least give me a heads up first!" Mynx shouted. Not being one to simply walk away from a challenge, especially from Kenji, she took off seconds after hearing the challenge being announced.
-The Mysterious Tower; Sorcerer's Loft-
Luna and Aqua were both waiting in the Sorcerer's Loft section of Aqua's Tower. Luna herself looked especially nervous about the whole ordeal.
"Luna, you should relax a bit." Aqua tried to reason with the girl. Luna looked over to Aqua, her back turned towards the adjacent room in the loft. "You've been training for such a long time. I've watched you strain yourself just as hard as those two. You'll do great. Just focus okay?"
"Focus…okay…" Luna took a deep breath, her hands behind her as she nodded to Aqua. "I'll do my best, Master Aqua." Before she could go any further, Luna heard the sound of running on the other side.
"It looks like they're here." Aqua said, getting Luna to nod again.
"They're racing again."
"I wonder who today's winner will be." It was then that they heard a loud thud on the outside of the door.
"Ow!" cried one of the racers before Mynx slowly opened the door, walking triumphantly through. Kenji groaned and walked after her. "You cheat…" he groaned, getting Mynx to snicker.
"You said we had to make it up here. Not how we do it."
"Yeah yeah…" Kenji was about to go on, until he saw Luna, who smiled at the two of them. Luna's pauldron was also on her left shoulder, but it was noticeably skinnier than Kenji's and Mynx's. Her pauldron had a mix of light pink and violet layers, and snaked down to the midsection of her arm, halfway to her elbow. Mynx smacked Kenji's head, getting the young man to yelp before he snapped at her. "What was that for?!"
"We're here to take an exam. Get your head in the game." Mynx scoffed. Luna giggled softly and walked over to Kenji and Mynx. Luna stood between the two, Kenji on her right side, Mynx on her left, as they all looked to their master.
"Well then. Now that everyone's here, it's time that we get to the exam you've been training so hard for." Aqua stated. The other three nodded and looked to each other before they took deep breaths. "Before we start, you three should know something. This exam is not about who is the best at using the keyblade. It's not about who is the strongest, fastest, or most resourceful. This exam is about testing your ability to fight against the darkness. To test your ability to fight alongside the light." Aqua smiled at the three, who were solely focused on the words that she spoke to them. "You are all strong in your aspects. And you all have certain weaknesses. Just like the light itself. You will have two sections of the exam. The first section will test your ability to work as a team."
"Hah! No problem!" Kenji said, looking to Luna. "We're gonna ace this exam!" before he could go any further, he was smacked in the back of his head. "Ow! Why?!" he shouted to Mynx, who shrugged.
"I felt like it."
"Oh you gotta be-"
"That's enough you two." Luna interrupted, getting Kenji and Mynx to groan. "We all have to work together for this test to be successful. Okay?" Kenji and Mynx nodded to each other upon hearing Luna's words, and looked back to Aqua.
"The second part of your exam will pit you three against one another." Aqua finished. "Again, this isn't to test who is better than who. It's easy to get frustrated in the midst of battle. Especially when things don't go how you plan. But remember, no matter what happens, the light will always be by your side. Fight alongside it, and you will always remain in control of the battle." Aqua slowly stood up, walking to the adjacent door in the room. "Are you ready?" she asked.
Luna looked between Kenji and Mynx, before she bowed softly. "Ready."
Mynx crossed her arms, but nodded, a small smile coming up to her lips. "Ready."
Kenji looked down at his hand. "…" He took a deep breath, then clenched his hand into a fist, throwing it forward. "Ready!" he shouted.
Aqua couldn't help but smile at the sheer determination the three held. "Alright. Let's get going then." Aqua opened the door to the adjacent room, allowing the three to go first.
Upon entering the room, Kenji widened his eyes. "Whoa…" Inside of the room was Aqua's old Exam area. Or at least a replica of said area. It was huge, bigger than the island that the tower lied on. "How is this possible?!" Kenji asked, looking around the large room.
"Tch. Master Aqua can do a lot of things. You should pay more attention sometimes." Mynx scoffed, getting Kenji to look back over to her.
"Aren't we supposed to be working together here?" he asked. Mynx said nothing, having been one-uped. And she didn't like it. Before Mynx had the chance to pounce onto Kenji like a rabid animal, Luna got between them.
"Now, now." Luna tried to calm them down. "Let's focus on the test first. You two can settle your quarrels later. Okay?" Mynx and Kenji looked at each other and nodded.
Aqua closed the door after walking through the room, walking over to one of the large chairs that rested at the end of the room. Kenji would be the first to notice something.
'Her keyblade…it's changed.' He thought to himself. The keyblade that Aqua held was no longer Stormfall. Instead, it was a longer, more normal looking Keyblade. It actually looked more like a key than a weapon. But as Kenji found out in his year of training, looks can be deceiving. Aqua stood in front of the seat at the end of the hall, and looked back to the three she was training. She could see how serious they were about passing the exams. She took a deep breath and smiled lightly, and repeated her master's words.
"Today, you have been chosen for the Mark of Mastery. Not one, but three of the Keyblade's chosen stand here today as candidates. But this is neither a competition nor a battle for supremacy. Not a test of wills, but a test of heart. All of you may prevail, or none." She gave a soft giggle and continued. "But I'm sure that after the year of training you've had, I won't see any of you fall short of the mark. I trust you are ready."
"Yes." Both Luna and Mynx stated, standing at attention as they looked upon their master. Kenji looked over at his companions, then to Aqua, before he took a deep breath and did the same. "Yes!" Aqua held her master's keyblade in her hands, and stood back a bit.
"Then let the examination begin!" Aqua held the keyblade up a bit, then tapped it softly with her free hand. Upon doing so, a few orbs of light appeared around the group. Mynx, Luna, and Kenji all summoned Bond of Flame, Lady Luck, and Void Gear.
"Let's go!" Luna shouted.
"Right!" Kenji and Mynx shouted back, each one dashing after their own orb of light. Aqua would pay attention to each of their fighting styles. Luna was like her. She preferred to place her strength in magic. Luna raised her keyblade towards an orb of light and released a ball of fire, which dissipated the ball the moment that it came into contact.
Behind Luna, a second orb quickly made its way over. Before Luna had time to react, Mynx jumped to her side, and swung her keyblade fast enough to destroy the orb before it had time to shake from the force of her blows. Luna looked back, only to see Mynx there, both girls nodding to each other. They got ready as two orbs made their way forward.
"Ready?" Luna asked, getting another nod from Mynx. However, Kenji jumped over the two, Void Gear raised high above his head. He swung the large keyblade down and struck one of the orbs, which violently shook from the impact before dissipating. Kenji spun his body and swung his keyblade again, striking the last orb, the same result coming up. Kenji had swung so hard that a gust of wind appeared after the last strike.
The three split into their own, rushing into different sides of the hall. More orbs of light appeared, and Aqua continued to observe their differences, taking into account how strong they each were in their own aspects. Once the last of the orbs had been dealt with, the three stood beside one another in front of Aqua. Said keyblade master couldn't help but smile at the three.
"One must keep a still heart even in the most trying of circumstances. You all did well. I have faith that you can keep it up for your next trial." Aqua said to the three. Upon hearing those words, Kenji, Luna, and Mynx all separated from one another, giving each other a large amount of room. "Now, Mynx, Luna, Kenji, the three of you will face each other in combat." The three keyblade users summoned their keyblades, staring each other down. "Remember, there are no winners, only truths, for when equal powers clash, their nature is revealed." Luna took a deep breath and pulled her keyblade back, mimicking Aqua's stance. Mynx spun her keyblade in her hand, holding it in a reverse grip, lightly bouncing on her feet to stay mobile. Kenji rolled his shoulders and got into his own, stable stance, unknowingly reminding Aqua of Terra. Aqua hesitated to go any further. These three looked just like she and her companions did. "Begin!"
Kenji was the first to rush in, heading towards Mynx. Luna did the same, rushing towards the quick-paced woman. Mynx gripped her keyblade and got into a defensive stance. Kenji jumped slightly into the air, spinning his body to strike downwards towards Mynx. Mynx was able to block Kenji's strike, only for Luna to swing her keyblade horizontally towards Mynx.
Kenji pushed hard against Mynx's keyblade, before Mynx used her speed to back away just before being hit by Luna's keyblade. She rushed back in towards Luna, swiping at her. Luna swung Lady Luck fast enough to defend herself, having trained to keep up with Mynx's speed in at least reaction time. Kenji ran back at the two, spinning with his keyblade rising. He jumped into the air, stopping himself from spinning midair while raising the blade over his head before he struck the ground between them.
Both Mynx and Luna jumped back to avoid the strike. Where Kenji's blade had touched, a small crack had formed from the impact. Luna raised her keyblade into the air, as Mynx pointed hers towards Kenji.
"Thunder!" Luna shouted.
"Fire!" came Mynx's voice.
Both girls unleashed magic towards Kenji, who jumped back from Luna to avoid the lightning that struck the ground around him. Kenji raised his keyblade to block Mynx's fire, the ball of flame making a small explosion from the impact, barely enough to push Kenji back.
While he was skidding, Luna rushed forward, jumping over Mynx and spinning her keyblade before chilling the air around herself. Luna pointed her keyblade down towards Kenji and released a trail of frost down around him.
Kenji covered his eyes as ice crystals started to form on the ground around him, rising like a chilled fence around him. With Kenji trapped, Luna swung her hand horizontally through the air, getting a reaction from the ice around her target. Kenji looked to the ice that surrounded him, watching as it started to grow. He suddenly jumped into the air, just in time to see the ice suddenly grow around itself, attempting to trap Kenji had he still been there.
Kenji threw his keyblade down into the ice, the blade spinning and striking the ice hard enough to shatter it. He then dashed down and grabbed Void Gear, pulling it out of the ground before striking towards Luna, who raised Lady Luck to defend, but was smacked away from the raw force of the keyblades clashing.
Mynx caught Luna, sliding back a bit before she looked up at Kenji, who soon landed on the ground again. Mynx and Luna both ran Kenji, who got ready for the both of them. Aqua payed attention to how each of the three fought even closer than she did before. Mynx dashed ahead of Luna, rushing behind Kenji. Luna soon raised her blade and swung down toward Kenji. Mynx did the same from behind. Kenji had to bend backwards and raise Void Gear to block both of the keyblades that crossed around each other.
Both Luna and Mynx pressed down against the slowly falling Kenji. Their keyblades stood strong against each other, none of them backing down. After what seemed like an eternity of struggling, Kenji pushed the keyblades back, both Luna and Mynx being pushed back to control their keyblades. However, they used the momentum that Kenji gave them to spin their bodies. Both Luna and Mynx struck Kenji in the back, hard enough to send him flying forward a bit.
"Gah!" Kenji groaned when he hit the ground. He looked back to see Mynx and Luna continuing to fight each other. Slowly, he pulled himself up, pressing his keyblade into the ground to help give him stand. At that moment, something inside of Kenji snapped. Both Luna and Mynx were fighting on, and here he was on the ground. He couldn't help but growl.
Kenji began to feel something strange, and it only grew the more that he watched the two fight. He looked down to his left arm, the one that didn't hold Void Gear. There was a strange dark aura surrounding it, ranging from a dark purple to a midnight black. "What the-?!" Kenji stared at the mysterious aura around his arm, then back to the fight. Mynx used her speed to knock Luna aside, and rushed over towards Kenji. Luna chased after her, while Kenji clenched his fist, dissipating the dark mist around his arm.
Aqua watched as the three continued to fight, getting a good feel for what they strengthened themselves in. After watching the three keyblade wielders for a little longer, Aqua slowly stood up.
"That's enough!" she exclaimed, getting the three to stop. They all walked over to Aqua, Luna to the left, Mynx in the middle, and Kenji to the right. All of them stood at attention as they awaited Aqua's judgement. "Mynx, Luna, Kenji, you all performed commendably. Luna." Both Kenji and Mynx remained where they were, while Luna took a few steps forward.
Luna placed her hands respectfully in front of her, holding one in the other while she bowed respectfully. "In a single year you advanced greatly in the use of magic. Your strong heart and strategic mind allowed you to keep up with the others and set traps to snare them. Your magic prowess will allow you to keep engaging enemies at bay." Aqua stated as she smiled a bit. "Congratulations. You've shown the Mark of Mastery, and have passed the Mark of Mastery Exam." Luna looked down to the metal arm bands that covered her skin. The Mark of Mastery appeared on each of the bands, while Luna tried her best not to bounce in joy.
"Thank you, Master Aqua." Luna said softly, stepping back. Aqua nodded to Luna, and looked to the next keyblade wielder.
"Mynx." Mynx took a deep breath and took a step forward. She kept her hands to her side, and gave a soft bow, while Aqua continued with her analysis. "It seems your temper isn't the only thing quick about you." Aqua said, getting Kenji to snicker. Mynx looked back at her companion, making Kenji immediately cease his chuckling. "Your speed is almost completely unmatched, Mynx. It keeps you on the offensive. With speed like yours, you're able to spot and react to enemies more quickly than your allies and with that increase in reaction times, comes the ability to always watch the backs of both you and your friends." Aqua gave a small giggle. "Congratulations. You've shown the Mark of Master, and have passed the Mark of Mastery Exam." The hair barrettes that kept Mynx's hair in her dual tails were covered with the Mark of Mastery, and the back of her hoodie was marked the same.
"Heh…thank you, Master." Mynx said as she stood back straight and walked back to her companions. Kenji looked over to Mynx and Luna, and gave them both a thumbs up.
"See? Told you we'd make it!" he said, getting a small smile out of Mynx, and a nod from Luna. Aqua sighed to herself, and looked to her last student.
"Kenji." The chocolate-skinned boy looked over to Aqua before he took a step forward. Kenji placed a hand in front of his chest respectfully and bowed, waiting for Aqua's analysis on him. "You've focused your light on the strength you possess. Instead of focusing on speed or magic, your raw power is the center of your focus. It helps you push back any attackers that get to close, and force enemies to think twice before attacking closely. I have no doubt that you'll be the finishing blow for many servants of the darkness, especially if you work together well with your team."
Kenji chuckled a bit and stood back up straight, waiting for the satisfaction of gaining the title he and the others had worked so hard for. However, the only thing he received was silence, getting him to tilt his head. Kenji looked back at Mynx and Luna, who were just as confused as he was, before he looked back to his master. Aqua took a deep breath and continued.
"However, I'm afraid that you haven't shown the Mark of Mastery." She said, getting a shocked reaction from all three keyblade wielders. Kenji stood wide-eyed in front of Aqua, who looked at his arm. "Kenji, you fought extremely well. You used what tactics you had at your disposal to stand strong against Mynx and Luna. However, when you started to fall behind, your anger surfaced. The want that you had to keep up with Luna and Mynx tapped into the darkness within you, and you couldn't keep it in check." Aqua walked down the small steps to Kenji, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You're strong, Kenji. But you can't be afraid of losing. For that fear leads to the want of power. And that want beckons the darkness, as it did today. I'm sorry, but for the time being, you aren't capable of holding the Mark of Mastery, and have not passed the Mark of Mastery Exam." Aqua smiled softly and placed her hand upon Kenji's head, ruffling his frostbitten hair. "But there is always next year. And with enough training, I'm confident that you can pass the exam then."
Aqua pulled her hand from Kenji's hair and walked back up the small stairs, turning to face her students. Kenji took a step back, lining himself up with the others. Mynx and Luna looked over worryingly to their companion, before they all turned their attention to Aqua again.
"Mynx, Luna, as the new Keyblade Masters, you are entitled to certain knowledge. Kenji, I highly recommend that you start training right away. The more experience that you have, the greater the chances that you'll pass the next exam. And remember. No matter what the situation, the light will always be by your side. As will your allies. That is all." All three keyblade wielders bowed respectfully to Aqua, who bowed back and walked past the trio. Feeling that they needed to speak to one another, Aqua left the room, returning to the Sorcerer's Loft. Luna looked over to Kenji, noticing that his hands were clenched tightly into fists.
"Hey…Kenji…" Luna started. Mynx walked over to her comrade as well, sensing now wasn't the time to be sarcastic. "…It's okay, Kenji." Luna continued, placing a hand on his pauldron-covered shoulder. "You did really well. You fought just as hard as we did."
"Yeah…sorry…you really gave it your all." Mynx told him. Kenji looked down to his hand, opening it to stare at his palm.
"…The darkness…where did it come from?" he asked, disappointment lacing his words. Mynx and Luna looked to each other, trying to figure out something that would help Kenji, but they couldn't say anything. After a few moments, Kenji sighed. "I…I need to be alone guys." He said before smiling to the both of them. "Congrats on becoming masters. The two of you deserve it with how hard you've been training." With that, Kenji turned, and walked off. Luna and Mynx watched him go, before looking to one another, hearing the door to the Sorcerer's Loft open and close.
-The Mysterious Tower; Sorcerer's Loft-
Aqua sat behind her desk, sighing softly as she pulled something out of an open drawer in the desk. She stared at the light blue Wayfinder in her hand. A small smile appeared on her face. Aqua looked up to see Kenji exit the adjacent room, closing the door before he bowed to Aqua.
"Master. I'll be outside training if anyone needs me." He said softly. The disappointment was obvious in his voice, and yet he still tried to put it off. Aqua gave a soft nod to Kenji.
"Alright. Keep a clear heart. The light will always be there to guide you, Kenji." She told him, getting a nod and a respectful bow from her student.
"Thank you, Master." Kenji walked out of the Sorcerer's Loft, leaving Aqua to herself. After a few moments, Luna and Mynx exited the adjacent room as well. Both girls went over to Aqua's desk before they took a deep breath. Aqua raised a brow and smiled at her pupils.
"Firstly, congratulations on becoming Keyblade Masters. Especially after only one year of training. You've been training harder than any Masters before you. I'm proud to be the one who has taught you what you up to this point." Luna smiled softly and nodded, while Mynx bowed softly. Mynx looked to Luna, the two nodding to each other before they stood straight.
"Master Aqua…" steeling her resolve, Luna continued to speak, and asked Aqua something that caught the master off guard. "Please. Give Kenji another chance to become a Keyblade Master.