After a year of grueling training, Mynx, Kenji, and Luna finally took the Mark of Mastery Exam. They did an amazing job. I can tell that as a team, they'll be nearly unstoppable, even if they haven't realized it yet. Mynx and Luna both passed and became Masters, but Kenji couldn't control the darkness within his heart. When I left them, I could feel the darkness suddenly spike inside of him. Just like it did with Terra. And now, Mynx and Luna have asked me to give Kenji another test. A second chance to prove his worth. Truth be told, I'm scared… I have this odd sense of Déjà vu. The way that things are going now, history will repeat itself. I must do my best to make sure that they fight against the darkness, not accept it. But there's only so much I can do alone. Terra. Ven. Master. If you can hear me, what should I do?

-The Mysterious Tower; Open Lawn-

"Hyaaah!" Kenji shouted as he swung his keyblade, striking the air as he held on with both hands. He swung the large blade around his body, spinning when necessary as he slammed the blade into the ground, quickly pulling it out to swing in the other direction. He let one hand go of his keyblade, then held it behind his back before suddenly tossing it forward. Void Gear spun violently through the air, only to return to Kenji like a boomerang. The young man caught the keyblade before he tossed it directly above himself, high into the air.

Kenji crouched to one knee, placing a hand on the ground before he jumped up, flipping his body backwards to do multiple reverse somersaults. Kenji caught the keyblade in the air, still flipping back before he headed to the ground. Right before he landed, Kenji straightened himself, and slammed the keyblade down into the grass, creating a shockwave of light around himself that spread out into the starry ocean.

He took deep breaths as he slowly stood to his feet again, looking at Void Gear. He tightened his grip upon the keyblade in his right hand before he looked out into the aurora in the sky.

'There's darkness in all of us.' He thought to himself, his free hand balling up into a fist. 'Why did only my darkness show? Why only me?'Kenji took one last deep breath before he looked back onto the land he stood on. He retook his stance before he started training again.

-The Mysterious Tower; Sorcerer's Loft-

"No." Aqua said firmly, looking at her two pupils as she crossed her legs, her hands placed firmly on the desk in front of her. "I'm sorry. I know that Kenji is your companion, your teammate. But the test has already been set in stone." She explained. This in turn got Luna to take a step forward.

"But, Master Aqua, I know Kenji can pass the exam." She tried to reason with her teacher, holding her hands out to emphasize her point. "I know there's darkness inside of him. But didn't you teach us that we all have darkness inside of us? Me, Mynx, even you Master. Kenji would never let his darkness get out of control on purpose."

"And that's exactly why he failed the exam." Aqua said, standing slowly to her feet. "Against any normal enemy, Kenji would stand tall. I have no doubt that his light would surpass any mere shadow. But when met with a power of equal nature or something stronger than himself, he will inadvertently tap into the darkness, and the more that he comes into contact with it, the deeper that darkness will run through him. The closer he'll get to losing his light."

"But-"

"That's enough!" Aqua shouted, slamming her hands down onto the desk. Both Luna and Mynx jumped slightly as a result. Luna slowly stepped back and aligned herself with Mynx, both students looking into Aqua's stern, narrowed eyes. After seeing that she had their attention, Aqua sighed and looked down to her hands upon the desk. "I nearly lost everything to the darkness once, including myself. I lost my home, my master, and even my friends Terra and Ven. I refuse to lose anything else." She said, closing her eyes. Mynx slowly stepped up to Aqua, taking a minute to get her words together.

"Master Aqua." She started. "It's not that we don't trust your teachings. In fact, they're the reason we both became Masters. It's just…do you think Kenji will really keep down the darkness inside of him like this?" she asked. Aqua looked up, at Mynx, her hands still firmly placed down onto the desk. "You yourself said that even a day of training can make all the difference. That a single day could be the turning point between someone failing the exam, and someone passing it." Mynx looked back at Luna, who slowly took a step forward again. "Well-…" she looked back at Aqua, gulping slightly. "Both Me and Luna arrived more than a day before Kenji did. We've had just that much more time to prepare. Mentally and physically." Aqua widened her eyes. She was right. "So, if we were to honor your words, couldn't you give Kenji another test? Or at least, another day to prepare? To catch up?"

"…" Aqua was lost in silence. She sat back down in the chair behind her desk, sighing softly as she placed her hands back down onto her lap.

"Please, Master Aqua." Luna said softly, staring at her Master. "Give him just one more chance. He can prove himself. You'll see."

"I…" Aqua didn't know what to say. It wasn't as if they were wrong. By her own words, the two of them had a head start, no matter how small, and that may have just been the deciding factor. Although she wanted desperately to deny it, they were right, and she knew it. Aqua gave a small sigh, but slowly nodded her head. "Both of you. You really care for your comrade, don't you?"

"Kenji's more than just our comrade. He's our friend." Luna stated. Mynx nodded her head in agreement, both waiting for their master's words. Aqua took her time, and her breath, before she stood up again.

"I have another test for Kenji."

-The Mysterious Tower; Open Lawn-

Kenji dashed from one end of the field to the other, striking the air with each passing dash. He definitely wasn't fast like Mynx, but he could cover enough ground to get a safe distance should an enemy strike. Upon another dash, Kenji jumped, spinning his body horizontally to the ground, dragging his keyblade behind him before he slammed it into the ground, creating another shockwave of light. Before he could perform any other strikes, He noticed the door to the tower suddenly open. Kenji stood up straight, only to witness his two comrades and master exiting the tower.

"Master Aqua. Luna. Mynx." Kenji exclaimed as his keyblade dissolved into light. Mynx chuckled and placed her hands upon her hips.

"It's Master Mynx now. We worked hard for the title." She said, getting a laugh out of Kenji before he crossed his arms.

"You earned the title. That doesn't mean you earned my respect to call you by it. It was Master Aqua who trained us, not you." He teased back, getting a grunt from Mynx.

"Why you little-!" Mynx had steam leaving her ears, while Luna laughed at the two of them.

"Mynx, we didn't come here to fight Kenji. We came because of something else, remember? I know your memory's not THAT bad, right?" Luna asked, getting in a bit of teasing of her own. Mynx's attention suddenly shot towards Luna, while Kenji laughed a bit harder.

"Who knows? Maybe she took a nasty bow to the head and it scrambled her brain during the exams?" Kenji asked, while both he and Luna laughed. An eventually, Mynx gave a small chuckle herself, shaking her head.

"On a serious note, there is something we came to talk about with you." Mynx stated, before looking to Aqua. Luna did the same, waiting for her to speak. Kenji raised a brow, looking to the two of them before he looked to his master. Aqua herself seemed to be having second thoughts at the last second, but soon opened her mouth to speak.

"Kenji…Your heart shines brightly. I can see it. It's obvious with how well you use your keyblade. And while the darkness does exist in your heart, as it does all of ours, I'm certain you can overcome it. And so…with the convincing of your comrades, I've decided to give you another test. Another chance to become a Keyblade Master."

At these words, Kenji's heart started racing. It was as if the world suddenly slowed down. His eyes widened as he looked over to his two friends, as if to confirm if what Aqua said was true. The two of them looked at each other, then to Kenji, nodding to him with a smile.

"I…another chance? Really?" Kenji asked, as if he had just been told that he had the ability to wield the keyblade, though with want to do so this time. Aqua smiled softly, and nodded to her student.

"Really. I know that you haven't had as much time to prepare as Mynx and Luna. So, I have another test for you. This one will still test your ability to fight the darkness, but this time passively, instead of directly." Kenji tilted his head at this, as did Mynx, while Luna hummed.

"You're talking about using the Lanes Between, aren't you?" Luna asked, making Aqua nod.

"There's a world that I want you to go to. I've unlocked the Lane's Between to allow you to access this world, and it's the only one available other than ours so there's no way you'll miss it." Aqua stated before she showed the three of them something that she held dear. It was a blue star. "On that world, there's a fruit that's shaped like this. You are to retrieve that fruit, and immediately return to our world here."

"And then…then I'll be a Keyblade Master?" Kenji asked, hope rushing through his eyes as he looked to his comrades, then his teacher. With a warm smile, Aqua nodded, looking to her young student.

"That's how it works."

"ALRIGHT!" Before Kenji could go any further, Aqua raised a hand, attempting to get everyone's attention. It took a while for Kenji to calm down, but when he finally did, Aqua could finally speak.

"Before you go, I want to give you three something. Think of it as a present for all your arduous work. I know for a fact that training can be grueling sometimes. But you've all come so far. And I'm proud to see how you've grown." She said before pulling out three more of the metallic stars that she held, each one shined a different color than the last.

"Whoa…" The three students all whispered as Aqua smiled at them. She then tossed the three stars into the air. Aqua extended her hand, letting the young ones know that they should remain where they were standing.

"These are called Wayfinders. Let them choose you." Aqua explained. Kenji, Luna, and Mynx each extended their hands, letting the stars slowly glide down to their palms.

In Luna's hand, a light-pink Wayfinder attached itself, shining with as much radiance as the girl's heart. In Mynx's hand, a bright red Wayfinder rested, burning with the fire that resolved within her heart, and her magic. And in Kenji's hand, a shining silver Wayfinder, that glistened with a warmth that he found…familiar.

As the three continued to stare at their Wayfinders, and eventually stare at the others, Aqua continued to speak. "In the world that you're going to, the star-shaped fruit represents an unbreakable connection. So as long as you and your friends carry good luck charms shaped like it, nothing can ever drive you apart. You will always find your way back to each other. An unbreakable connection." She said, repeating the words from her past. It hurt as she remembered her two dearest friends, but she was happy to share any words of wisdom with her pupils.

Upon hearing this, Luna smiled and looked to her friends, holding the Wayfinder to her chest. "She's right. I can tell. Nothing will keep us apart. Not Darkness, nor any trial. We'll always find our way back to ourselves." She said before smiling softly. Mynx and Kenji both nodded to this before Kenji looked to his own Wayfinder. Placing the metallic object in his pocket, Kenji looked to the sky.

"I should get going." He finally said, getting looks from the three women in front of him, while he kept his gaze to the Auroras above. "Can't just sit here while there's a golden chance in front of me, now can I? Besides. If I don't get back soon, Luna and Mynx will be another step ahead of me." He chuckled and looked down to the three of them, nodding his head. "I'll succeed with this test. I swear it. I won't fail you again, Master Aqua!" Kenji said cheerfully. Aqua gave a sad smile, remembering those words as Kenji turned around. And then, Aqua quietly gasped to herself.

As Kenji walked further on the open lawn, Aqua saw a memory of Terra, the two of them walking side by side. Kenji was copying Terra's every move. Or, was it the other way around? Either way, each step they took, each foot that hit the ground first, Aqua watched as they mimicked each other's movements. 'Terra…' Aqua thought to herself as she remembered her friend, the memory of Terra first leaving playing into her present-day life. The two men stopped, extending one arm before balling their hand into a fist. Now Aqua was sure, it was Kenji who was copying Terra's movements from so long ago. Not on purpose. It was just his instinct to move in this manner. If only it didn't hurt his master so much. Kenji and Terra then slammed the connecting point of their fists onto the pauldrons that covered their shoulders.

Kenji closed his eyes as the light slowly covered him, while his comrades watched Kenji's slow transformation. When the light had died down, Kenji was now in a large metallic set of armor. Aqua's memory of Terra was no longer there, though Kenji's armor, albeit silver, looked so much like her friend that the pain was still there. Kenji then extended his armored hand, summoning his keyblade before taking a deep breath. He grabbed the keyblade with both hands, before extending it to the sky, a beam of light shooting from the tip of Void Gear, into the Auroras above. When the lights clashed, a vortex of space soon opened, making the three Keyblade Wielders gasp softly in awe.

"Lucky…" Mynx huffed as Luna gave a small smile.

"Be careful, Kenji. Remember, it's the three of us. So, make sure to come back so it can stay that way." Luna said, nodding her head to her armored friend. Kenji looked back to the three waiting a few feet away, and nodded back.

"I won't be away long. I swear it. When I get back, I'll be a Keyblade Master, just like you three." He gave a soft chuckle before suddenly twisting his keyblade. Kenji held it in a reverse grip, before he suddenly tossed it into the air. Taking a deep breath, he watched as the Keyblade was suddenly engulfed in light. Five beams of light suddenly shot out of the area where the keyblade was. One beam of light attached itself to Kenji's back, before the other four attached to the beam itself. When the light died down again, there were four thrusters attached to Kenji's back, all held together by Void Gear's frame. Kenji gave a light jump, the thrusters immediately going into work, a silver aura leaving the openings, keeping Kenji propelled above ground. "You'll see! I won't be long!" Kenji shouted again, before finally taking off into the sky, heading to the open portal. Aqua watched with a worried expression, hoping that she hadn't made a mistake. Soon enough, Kenji faded into the light, while the portal slowly closed itself, returning space to the way it should have been.

"When do you think he'll be back?" Mynx asked, looking over to Luna, who gave a soft shrug.

"Soon. But it's up to him when he wants to come back. When he does though, let's try not to bash on him too hard. 'Kay, Mynx? I'm sure this was a sensitive topic enough as it is for him."

"Hey! I'm not THAT bad!"

"Heh. Yeah, you really are."

As the two continued to joke around, Aqua continued to stare at the spot where the portal was opened. She narrowed her eyes in worry, a part of her drastically hoping that Kenji would turn around and come back. But, she knew that such hope would have no answer. So instead, she looked to the two beside her and smiled. "Let's go inside. You two still have your own activities to do until he gets back." She told them, while both Luna and Mynx nodded.

-The Lane's Between-

Kenji soon entered the Lanes Between, the halls of space that encompassed the worlds, and the strings that held them all together. "Whoa…" Kenji whispered to himself as he flew through the open space, following the Lane beneath him. "This is…everything's so…so open!" Kenji laughed, twirling around a bit, his mobility greatly enhanced thanks to the thrusters on his back. As he continued to enjoy the freedom he had of exploration, Kenji suddenly remembered why he was out here in the first place. "The Test!" He shouted, straightening himself up as he continued to follow the lane.

He looked to the armor that covered his arms, then the rest of his body. "Hah. There's not a crack anywhere. The darkness doesn't have a chance standing against me! If I keep this up, no doubt I'll be a master when I get-…huh?" he said, soon spotting something up a head. "Is that…another world?" he asked himself, spotting what he could only describe as a rather peculiar looking world. "That must be where I'm supposed to go. I wonder what this world's called." He asked himself. Somehow, however, his answer was given mere moments later. He took one good look at the small island mainland of the new world, and instantly knew. "Destiny Islands…" he whispered to himself, flying into the world moments later.

-Destiny Islands-

The sandy beaches of Destiny Islands had never been calmer than they were now. At the moment, there wasn't a person in sight. The waters swayed onto the warm sand that etched itself around the island's outer regions, soaking the lowest parts of the materials surrounding the island. The wind presented itself in slight bursts, strong enough to blow one's hair back, without messing with their clothing. The crisp feeling of salt in the air was matched only by the cool feeling that followed. After a few quick moments, small jolts started to appear in the space above the island sand. The jolts started flowing faster and more violently, until finally another vortex of space was opened. Moments later, Kenji stepped through the vortex, onto the sandy shores of the islands. His armor remained active, clanking softly as he walked through the sand.

As he walked through the island sand, the armor that he wore slowly started to glow, until it was completely covered in light again. When the light died down, Kenji was back in his normal clothing, hands placed firmly to his side as he stopped walking. He looked around the island, his feet planted firmly on the center of the beaches small inlet around the island, humming softly to himself.

"I…I know this place." He said to himself, looking around. Kenji crossed his arms, raising a brow. "Have I…been here before? No, that couldn't be it. So, why do I remember this place? Destiny Islands, right?" He asked no one as his eyes spotted what looked like a large ship on the other end of the island. On the opposite side of the ship's end of the island was what looked like a bridge, which led to a small separated piece of land from the island. It was there that Kenji spotted what he needed.

"That's it!" he said to himself, running towards the bridge. When Kenji had finally crossed the bridge to the smaller island, he climbed one of the trees, picking off the star-shaped fruit that he was sent to get. With a giddy grin, Kenji jumped off the tree, hopping around as he held the strange fruit up to the sky. "I got it! I got it!" Kenji shouted with a laugh, jumping up a bit as he stared up at the fruit. He reached into his pocket, pulling out his Wayfinder to compare the two. As he calmed down, Aqua's words resonated within his mind. "We'll always be connected." He repeated in a whisper, smiling softly to himself as he placed his Wayfinder away, holding the star-shaped fruit he had come for in his hand. "Now. I just gotta get home and get the title of Keyblade Master. I wish the others could have come. It sucks that they have to miss this."

With butterflies in his stomach, Kenji prepared to head back home, placing his Wayfinder back into his pocket, holding his objective high. He began to tread back over the bridge, just taking in the feeling of success that came over him. But just as quickly as that feeling came, it suddenly left. When he was about halfway across the wooden bridge, Kenji felt an odd sensation. Like a ripple through the world around him. "Huh? What the heck?" taking a few seconds to gather himself, the young man turned behind him to see the source of the ripples. In the center of the small island platform where he found the fruit was an opening portal of darkness, one that filled the young man with a mix of curiosity and dread.

When the portal finally opened completely, a figure slowly walked out. One that Kenji had seen before. With a confused look upon his face, the young man looked upon the newcomer, observing everything that he saw. As the figure stepped fully out of the portal, the darkness seemed to shift a bit, as if activating its own sort of gravity to suck in the air around it. When he was certain that he wasn't seeing things, Kenji gritted his teeth, dropping the strange fruit that he had come to retrieve before extending his right hand to the side. Immediately, Void Gear was drawn out as Kenji recalled the name that Aqua used. "Vanitas."

It didn't take long for Kenji to understand that the figure in front of him, Vanitas, wasn't here to discuss any friendly terms. From the way that Aqua reacted, and the fight that they had in Kenji's heart, it was easy to determine that this Vanitas was a threat. Although there was something Kenji noticed about the Vanitas he saw now that was different from the one he saw in his heart. This Vanitas had color, instead of being a simple black and white form. The most distinct color was the red around his waist area. It gave a dreading sense to everything around him.

Kenji got ready for a fight, knowing that one was coming, tightening the grip upon his blade. The young Keyblade Warrior narrowed his eyes, taking a deep breath as he waited for Vanitas to summon his own Keyblade. But to his surprise, the dark shadow of a masked man did nothing. After getting over the shock a bit, Kenji's guard was lowered to a point where his muscles relaxed, but not to the point where Void Gear faded into light again.

"That's your name, right? Vanitas? That's what Master Aqua called you anyway. Why are you following me? What do you want?" as Kenji asked this question, the only response that he got was silence. Not even a gesture or a disdained grunt, which only got the young Keyblade wielder even more angry. Before Kenji lost his cool and decided to strike, however, Vanitas turned to one side, staring out into the sea adjacent to the island he stood upon. He extended his right hand outwards, as Kenji was on his right side, and beckoned for the young man to follow, as if taunting him.

Kenji never got the chance to ask what Vanitas was doing, as the moment his taunting was finished, he rushed back into the portal in front of him. With wide eyes, Kenji threw caution to the wind. "Hey! Get back here and answer me!" he shouted, his Keyblade vanishing as he ran for the portal of darkness. The portal slowly started to close, forcing Kenji to suddenly break into a full sprint, not wanting to miss his most-likely only chance to get anything out of this Vanitas character.

Right before he got to the portal, however, he felt another ripple through space. He turned to where Vanitas had been staring before, seeing the source of the ripple slowly opening. Another portal, but one that was made of light. He didn't have any time to dabble upon it, however, as he couldn't afford to lose Vanitas now. Tossing any thoughts of the portal he had aside, Kenji suddenly jumped into the darkness before him, the void closing itself shortly after his entrance. Right before it closed, he heard someone calling his name on the other side. When the hole in space closed, there was no trace of Kenji there, only the star-shaped fruit that he had come to retrieve.