Aqua was trying to focus on getting herself in the mindset for the exam but she just couldn't, not with him sitting right there in front of her, watching her.

The person in question was Xehanort, her old mentor that she hadn't seen since he'd dropped her off on the castle's doorstep four long years ago. He eyed her keenly as if wondering too if she had what it took to be a master like him. Why did she get such a strange chill down her spine every time they met eyes…?

The clinking of keyblade armor brought the apprentices to attention. Master Eraqus looked especially wise and dignified this morning, he always looked nice but it seemed today, for some reason, he was trying to look even better. Could it be for his fellow Master or just the occasion? Maybe both.

"Today, you will be examined for the Mark of Mastery…" Eraqus announced to his elder pupils, looking between them with stern seriousness. "Not one, but two of the Keyblade's chosen stand here as candidates... but this is neither a competition nor a battle for supremacy- not a test of wills, but a test of heart. Both of you may prevail, or neither…"

Aqua stared back. If Terra and I pass… we will finally be masters together, just like we always dreamed… And if we fail, it's another long year of training ahead of us… She felt her wayfinder latched securely on her hip. Whatever happens, Terra and I will get through it side by side, just like we always have.

Eraqus looked to his fellow master who gave him a gentle smile and then nod.

"I am sure our guest, Master Xehanort, did not travel all this way to see our youngest prospects in years fall short of the mark... I trust you are ready."

"Yes." Aqua heard herself declare.

"Then, let the examination begin." Eraqus declared.

He raised his keyblade into the air, concentrating only slightly to summon several spheres of light.

Aqua readied her keyblades in anticipation while Terra did the same.

Suddenly, the spheres were snaked in darkness, surprising nearly everyone, even Master Eraqus.

Aqua felt herself go dizzy at the sight for merely a moment, the small change caused her expectations to plummet. Darkness, her mortal enemy as both a keyblade wielder and a being of light, it was there to test her!

She sprang into action, blasting various spells at the spheres of corrupted light. She gasped at seeing one getting near her younger friend, he was going to get hurt! "Ven!"

To her relief, he sliced through the orb before nodding to her and Terra. "Don't worry about me. You two focus on the exam!"

"But Ven, you're in danger here!" She couldn't help but yell. He needed to get out of here right now! "Go wait in your room!"

"No way! I've been looking forward to this, seeing you two become Masters. I'm not gonna miss it now!" She watched in worry as the boy ran out onto the battlefield.

"He can take care of himself. He's been out there training just as hard as us."

She wanted to disagree but found she couldn't. Terra was right and he'd managed to calm her as he always did. She sighed in worry before nodding to the boy. "Stay sharp, Ven." And stay safe!

The pupils finished in record time and Eraqus rose to move on, gently signaling Ven with a small wave to please leave the testing area.

Aqua watched him go with slight concern, scanning him quickly for any injuries he may have sustained. Once she knew there wasn't a scratch on him or Terra, she focused on the exam once more.

"That was unexpected... but one must keep a still heart even in the most trying of circumstances. It was an excellent test, one I chose to let unfold… Which brings us to your next trial."

Right, Terra and I… have to duel each other with everything we have. Aqua turned to her friend and summoned her keyblade before going into her battle stance. We've faced each other plenty of times in training but never with all we had, every fiber of our being fighting to become masters…

The two locked eyes.

"Now, Terra and Aqua, the two of you will face each other in combat. Remember, there are no winners, only truths, for when equal powers clash, their nature is revealed."

Don't hold back, Terra…

"Begin!"

As expected, Terra made the first strike which she dodged easily before twirling around to cast ice at the man.

He guarded with the usual stance, letting Aqua know he was sticking to the basics instead of trying to show off like he used to. Good, this was serious after all.

Suddenly, a chill overtook her body, causing her to falter slightly. It felt strangely familiar… She was being watched by someone new.

Terra ran at her and she guarded with a grunt at the raw strength he'd put into the swing. She took the chance to look into his eyes and saw fierce determination. She'd seen this face before, was he about to go overboard? Sometimes when they were training, he went too far and accidentally hurt one of them, especially if it was a test.

She glanced around the room to see if someone else had entered the arena as cold whispers filled her ears, she couldn't make out what they were saying, nor where they were coming from.

Surprisingly, Terra eased up on her at that moment, giving her a chance to weave under the blade and attempt to strike him in the back, he was always so focused on what was ahead.

The man grunted in surprise before swinging around to catch the blade.

Aqua's keyblade was nearly knocked from her hand but she reset her grip quickly.

Soft laughter filled her ears and she again looked around the room. Where was it coming from and who was its true target?

Her eyes then landed on Ven and she felt her heart drop. A dark aura surrounded the boy's hand as he held himself tightly, looking near the point of tears.

Her body moved on its own, running out of the battle and to the boy's side. "Ven!"

The boy was startled when she grabbed his hand and she felt the cold feeling envelop her entirely as the darkness seemed to spike towards her, and the faint laughter finally disappeared from her ears. "Ven, are you okay?!"

"Uh, yeah, I'm fine!" Ven pulled his hand quickly before shaking it until the dark aura faded away.

Thank goodness… She thought. The darkness can't have you, Ven… It can't have anyone I hold dear…

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt, but there was this voice and it kept-!"

"Enough."

The exam! Aqua remembered, turning to see she'd abandoned Terra midbattle while Eraqus and Xehanort looked down upon her. I… I left in the middle of the Mark of Mastery exam… Does that mean…?

Aqua straighten when the masters finally returned. Master Eraqus did not look very happy at all… Did we fail?

She glanced at Terra and wondered if he was worried about it too.

"We have deliberated and reached a decision. Terra, and Aqua, you both performed commendably. However… only Terra has shown the Mark of Mastery."

It took Aqua a few stunning moments to understand after repeating the results again and again:

What…?

But I trained so, so hard, how could I…?

Terra's proven himself a master and I…

We were supposed to be masters together but…

… I failed…

I failed the Mark of Mastery.

She stared silently as Eraqus explained what she'd done wrong: "Aqua, you let the darkness from Ventus distract you from the task at hand." Eraqus explained quickly. "It preyed on your weakness, your love for your friend, and you went right into its trap…. Perhaps you will fare better next year."

So that's why… I couldn't let the darkness hurt Ven, but Master Eraqus taught us to abandon a friend if the darkness had a hold over them… She bowed her head in shame and disappointment in herself. Am I supposed to feel this bad… for trying to save my friend? …No, I'm supposed to feel bad about letting the darkness have such an influence over me. I will never apologize for saving Ven.

"That is all. Terra, as our newest Keyblade Master, you are entitled to certain knowledge. Please wait here for further instruction."

With that, he and Master Xehanort simply walked off as if they hadn't crushed the woman's dreams right in front of her.

She felt all eyes turn on her and Ven quickly grabbed her hand. "Aqua, I-I'm so sorry, this is all my fault-!"

"No." She gently ruffled his hair, trying to assure him she was at fault, not him. Her own emotions had cost her the title. "The master was right, I did let the darkness distract me when I was told time and time again to build a resistance against it. I thought I had but… I need more training."

"Aqua, I…" Terra started, unsure what to say.

She brushed them both away. "Please, I just need a few moments alone…Oh, and of course, congratulations, Terra."

The two watched downcast as she walked away, so much left unsaid.

Xehanort finally stepped out of the hallway before walking to a young woman who'd been watching the exam from afar. "You did perfectly, my dear."

She smiled, envigored by the praise. "Of course, I know you expect no less. …Now, Ventus has awakened the power, and better yet, Aqua was drawn to it.."

"And what do you make of her?"

"Oh, she's strong, her light shines so beautifully…" The woman whispered before placing a hand on her chest. "If only I could whisk her away now..!"

"She's not strong enough yet, have patience." Xehanort growled.

She nodded, knowing the truth and feeling quite angry at herself for showing such desire. She pulled the black hood over her head to cover the angry flush, letting the veil topped with dying flowers cover her face. "You're right, she'll be all the better when she's ready… I'll have to have some sort of motive to get her away from this prison. And I think I know just the thing…"

Aqua trudged into her room, beyond depressed about the outcome of the exam. She glanced up to see her little blue music box she'd been given early on while training. It always helped her sleep, maybe she could take a short nap just to get her mind off the results.

She wound it up before collapsing onto her bed.

The sweet and sorrowful melody soothed her pain and she found her eyelids begin to grow heavy…

The loud chime from the bell awoke her at once. They were told to always gather in the foyer, for the bell meant an emergency.

She sprang to her feet, about to run out of the room when she heard a sudden snap.

Aqua turned to see her music box had been clamped shut by a shadowy woman around Aqua's height. She wore a black body suit with red accents, a veil adorned with dead flowers, and a black hood covering her face. She got an eerie sense of familiarity from the woman but shook it off, glaring at the woman. "Who are you?! Why are you-?!"

"Here in your room? Oh, I just wanted to see you again…" The woman purred in an unfamiliar voice.

"What?" Aqua grunted in confusion as the woman vanished. She'd never met this woman in her life, at least, not here in the Land of Departure.

"You're even lovelier than when I saw you last, my light…" The lady sighed, appearing in front of her and placing a cold hand on her cheek. "Don't you feel it now that we're so close? Don't you feel what I do..?"

Aqua shuttered away in fright, somehow knowing how dangerous this woman was. She didn't even know this person and yet they acted like they'd had some kind of relationship, a strong one at that. She summoned her keyblade at once. "S-Stay back!"

The other woman didn't seem to be shocked at her fear and her hand dropped at once. "Shh, no need to be frightened, Aqua, I could never harm you… Your friends though, heh, that's a whole other matter."

Aqua could feel the woman's pure hatred for her friends, it was nearly suffocating. She gritted her teeth. How dare she! "Is that a threat?!"

"Oh, absolutely!" The lady giggled, leaning over Aqua's keyblade with ease. "Those idiots are always hogging your attention and love, it's not fair for me! And so…"

She disappeared again and Aqua gasped in surprise when she heard her whisper in her ear:

"I'm going to destroy them both… Starting with your precious Ventus. He's already taken the bait and soon, he'll be at my mercy. Poor little thing, if only someone could rescue him!"

Aqua swung back but found no one there, only hearing the woman's threat echoing in her ears. She was gone…

Ven!

The woman burst out of her room and quickly checked Ven's, nothing.

Wait, the bell, he had to be in with Terra and Master Eraqus!

"-eliminate the Unversed…

"Ven?!" She ran to the foyer as Eraqus was explaining a mission to Terra, trying to find the boy but he was nowhere in sight. Did that crazy woman already have him?!

"You're late," Eraqus grunted sternly.

"Aqua, what's wrong?" Terra asked at once, seeing her distress. "Why are you looking for Ven?"

Aqua shook her head, there wasn't any time to explain!

The woman raced outside just in time to see the boy depart. "Ven!"

"Aqua!"

She turned to see Terra and the Master running to her. "Aqua, what's going on?!"

"It's Ven, he's in danger, I have to go after him!" She placed a hand on her heart, trying to steady her breathing. She then slammed her hand down on her shoulder pad, forming her keyblade armor before throwing her weapon into the air, making her vehicle.

"Aqua, wait!" Eraqus cried. "You cannot leave this world, I forbid you from following Ventus!"

Aqua winched. She'd never disobeyed her master before but… "Don't worry, Master, I won't allow the darkness to have either of us… We will return to you safe and sound, I promise!"

She soared off, her master yelling for her to return.