Disclaimer: There will be some mature content near the end of the chapter. You have been warned.
Ash and his friends looked at Xedrek with confusion. There was silence all around.
"The Mark of Mastery? And how will that go down?" Ash asked.
"You will be facing a multitude of challenges that you will have to accomplish. But not here." Xedrek said before creating a portal. "Everything will be talked about at the destinated grounds. Come." He said while stepping aside for him and the others.
"What about Mercury's body?" Weiss asked.
"I will take him from here." Winter said before pulling out her scroll and messaged for an immediate pickup.
"Be careful, Winter." Weiss said before she and the others entered the portal.
On a far distant world away from Remnant, another portal opened, and the others exited. They all gasped in amazement at where they ended up when the portal closed.
"Everyone, I welcome you all to Scala ad Caelum." Xedrek said while facing them.
"This place is so beautiful." Yang said while they continued to look around.
"But why is it so…empty?" Ruby asked while seeing no one around.
"She's right. I can't sense anyone else here." Ash said while trying to find out if any other life form was around by sensing their aura.
"This world, also known as the Stairway to Heaven, was once a proud, peaceful world that connected all worlds together. Tens of thousands of Keyblade wielders, masters, and apprentices thrived here. Before the dark times…before the worlds separated." Xedrek explained while they all looked back at him.
"You've been here before?" Ash asked.
"Sort of. My previous self, Derek Bellaminus, the apprentice and adopted son of Master Zachuria Bellaminus, has been here. He and a couple of his friends used to sneak out here to train and hone their original fighting styles. When their masters caught them one day, they were praised for keeping up with their training, but they did get punished a bit. But that's not the point now. I invited one of his friends here with another Keyblade wielder for the Mark of Mastery." He continued.
"Who?" Ash asked.
"They should be here any moment now." He answered. Just then, another portal opened up right by him. "Ah! Speak of the devil." Xedrek said as two people appeared and the portal closed.
One was a boy in his mid-teens with spiky brown hair, blue eyes, and was wearing mostly black with red accent garments. He wore black and yellow sneakers, similar color wrist gauntlets to his clothing, and wore a chain necklace with a king's crown on the front.
The other was a woman with long blue hair stretching past her shoulders and blue eyes. She wore a black and blue sleeveless halter that had two pink straps around her chest and wore short black shorts with drapes hanging on her hips. On her arms were bell sleeves and fingerless gloves underneath. She wore thigh-length stockings while wearing hooked short heels.
"Derek!" The woman said happily when she embraced him, to which Xedrek chuckled and held her.
"I still haven't returned yet, but I am sorry I couldn't join you all against Xehanort." He said before they let go of each other.
"We understand. Anyway, are we ready to begin?" She asked.
"I am." The boy said.
"Everyone, this is Master Aqua. And this is Sora. Ash, you and Sora will go through the final tests today." Xedrek said.
"Alright." Ash said.
Aqua and Xedrek stood by each other while Ash and Sora did the same.
"Today, you stand before us to show us the Mark of Mastery. These tests will show the strength of both of your hearts. There are no winners or losers, meaning that both of you may prevail or fail." Aqua said.
"To show fair play for both ends, each of you will participate in separate trials, with the final being a one-on-one match. Are you two ready?" Xedrek asked them.
"Yes." Ash and Sora said.
"Then let us begin. Sora, you are to face an obstacle course with me to the east of town." Aqua said before they departed.
"Ash, you are with me to the west." Xedrek said before they left. While the others joined them, Xedrek summoned his Keyblade and created a barrier around them. "You must not use your semblance in this challenge. Rely on your instincts and find the orbs of light. Each one will generate a powerful aura, one that your semblance will catch on. Good luck." He explained.
"I'm ready." Ash said.
"Go get them, Ash!" Blake called out.
Ash rushed in and began to explore the location within the barrier. Not using his semblance is a challenge. He found the first orb and struck it. What he didn't expect was that it didn't burst at first, but instead, it ricocheted off the walls.
"YIKES!" Ash shouted before barely dodging it, making Xedrek and Weiss chuckle a bit and the others burst out laughing.
"Looks can be deceiving." Xedrek said with a bit of singing in it.
"Reflega!" Ash yelled before creating a barrier just as the orb came zooming back at him, making it deflect off of it and hit Xedrek's face.
"OWW!" He shouted in pain while holding his face.
"Sorry!" Ash yelled before taking one final swipe at the orb and it burst.
"Ho-ho-ho okay. You'll pay for that." Xedrek said with a bit of an evil grin on his face.
As Ash continued to go through the challenge of searching for more of the orbs of light, Xedrek went by Blake and began to channel a bit of twilight-colored energy into her from Nightmare Realm. She gasped a bit before she calmed down and closed her eyes. She slowly opened her eyes, and they were shown to be a bit more orange.
After Ash destroyed the last orb, he rejoined Xedrek.
"That's the last one, I think." He said.
"Indeed it is. Now, onto the next challenge." He said before he snapped his fingers.
Blake charged in at Ash and pulled out her sword and cleaver. Ash gasped, and he countered the attack. He began to dodge her attacks.
"BLAKE!?" Yang screamed before she attempted to go in there to stop them but was stopped by Xedrek.
"This is the next phase of his Mark of Mastery. His history was clouded by betrayal by those who hurt him six years ago. He must learn to keep that darkness of his in check should this happen a second time." He explained.
Weiss gave him a rather menacing glare.
"You're just doing this to get back at him when he hit that orb towards you, right?" She asked.
He snickered a bit before looking at her.
"A little bit. But in all seriousness, this is actually something I planned." He said.
As Blake continued to fight back at Ash, he confusingly kept blocking and dodging. When they got into a lock, their eyes met.
"Blake! What's gotten into you!?" He asked while pushing her back, only for her to push back harder.
"Making you relive your past! You hate me because of it!?" She asked before kicking him away.
"I won't give in to this!" He yelled before he struck back at her, only to see her catch fire and glow bright. "What!?" He cried in shock.
Suddenly, her clone exploded, and he fell backwards onto his back. When he tried to get back up, Blake attacked again and landed on top of him with her katana and cleaver around his neck. She then turned to stone, revealing another clone to him. He was trapped and he had to destroy the clone to break free.
"Thundaga!" He cried out with his Keyblade in the air.
A large lightning bolt crashed onto the clone and destroyed it, turning it into rubble.
As he got up, he saw Blake on the high ground. She glared deep into his soul as if she were waiting for an attack. As he assumed a fighting pose, Blake jumped high into the sky and summoned another clone of her. It took her arm and swung her down towards Ash.
Just then, something hit Ash within his mind and heart. This was making time around him to slow down.
'This feels familiar. Almost like…six years ago. I get it now; this is a test for me to see how I grew after all that. I cannot end this fight like how it all went down that fateful day.' He thought before standing down and closing his eyes.
Team RWBY gasped at what was happening, and even Xedrek's eyes widened from what he was doing.
"NO!" Team RWBY screamed while attempting to intervene, but it was too late.
Ash simply dodged the attack and Blake gasped as she collided onto the ground and rolled away. Ash turned and faced her while Blake got up.
"Why won't you fight!?" Blake demanded with anger and venom.
"If I continued this fight, I would be no better than the traitors. I will not let you all deceive me like this. I will not fight any of you like this, even if it means I fail this exam." Ash answered before dismissing his weapons.
Blake growled a bit before rushing towards him once again. He didn't move a muscle and allowed his girlfriend to deal one last blow to him, sending him into a wall and he fell onto his knees.
Xedrek fired a small beam of light at Blake, making her stop and come back to her senses.
"Wha…what? What happened? Why am I in a fight? And…ASH!" She screamed and quickly rushed to him and helped him up. "Are you okay? Did…did I do this?" She asked while trying to tend to his wounds.
"You played a wonderful role in this challenge in the Mark of Mastery. This test was to see how he would fare if such an act happened once again." Xedrek explained, gaining her attention.
"Wait…you! You did this to me! I will hurt you so badly!" She cried as she aimed her cleaver at him.
"I'll do what I can to make it up to you." He said before he looked at Ash. "Nevertheless, congratulations. Now you have but one final test to face. A one-on-one match with Sora." He continued.
"Okay." Ash said.
Everyone gathered around the central part of town. Ash and Sora approached each other with their Keyblades ready.
"Now for your final test. Each of you are to face each other in combat." Aqua said.
"Now remember, there are no winners. Once you all clash, your natures will be revealed. Now…begin!" Xedrek announced.
Ash and Sora rushed towards each other and their Keyblades collided. Ash's six years of training and honing his skills were finally put to the test. Sora may have failed the Mark of Mastery test once before, but now he truly felt ready. Sora relied on mainly aerial attacks while firing spells at Ash. Ash, on the other hand, took a more cautious approach while trying to predict Sora's movements.
Keyblade Analysis
Kingdom Key
A standard-size Keyblade that has been passed down to the chosen one by the great Kingdom Hearts to defend the worlds from the spread of darkness.
Primary Effect: Gives the user a balance boost to both Attack and Magic/Dust.
Secondary Effect(s): Enhances all Pokémon moves in the user's current party.
Attack Power: +2
Magic Power: +2
After an hour, they began to show signs of exhaustion.
"That's enough." Aqua called out as she and Xedrek got in the middle of them. "That's all for the Mark of Mastery." She said as they all stood down.
"All of you performed commendably. And I am pleased to say that neither of you showed any signs of using your darkness in battle. Ash, Sora, step forward to us." Xedrek said.
Ash and Sora approached them.
"Take a knee." Aqua said. They got down on a knee while she and Xedrek raised their Keyblades.
Keyblade Analysis
Master's Defender
An ancient Keyblade dated back from the time of fairy tales that have been passed down from generation to generation. It is said that this Keyblade was used to be the main key to defend the world from the darkness.
Primary Effect – Increases the power of defensive powers to the wielder and its Pokémon.
Secondary Effect(s) – Power up the moves of all the Pokémon in the user's party and seal the World of Departure into another location.
"Ash, Sora, by the right of a master, by the will of the heart, and by the light of Kingdom Hearts, we hereby dub thee…Keyblade Masters." She said as they tabbed their shoulders with their Keyblades.
They rose and smiled at them.
"Great job, Ash. We did it!" Sora cheered.
"We sure did." Ash said while looking at him.
"Now that you both have become Masters, we have a gift for each of you." Xedrek said while he and Aqua presented a case for each of them.
When they opened the case, they saw pauldron armor that fitted their left arm. Sora's was gold, while Ash's had a variety of colors that resembled that of all the Pokémon types. When they put them on, the armor locked into place.
"Now, do as I do." Aqua said.
She slammed her hand onto her armor, and it began to glow. Her armor glowed and so did her body. A similar-looking armor now covered her from head to toe. On her back was a cape that was silver on the top, and dark blue underneath.
Sora went first and slammed his hand onto his pauldron. It glowed, and his body followed. His armor color was mainly gold with silver accents. His helmet had sharp hooks and his visor was black. On his back was a gold cape. Ash did the same, and his armor had the colors of the Pokémon types. His cape was yellow with the electric type symbol on the top.
The three of them took off their helmets and smiled.
"Now that you both have become Keyblade Masters, you now have pathways you can go down. You can take on apprentices and pass on your knowledge to them, or you can go on your own pathway. Just as long as you fight for the right side, you can do as you wish." Aqua said.
"If you ever need to seek guidance, we will be available to you when needed." Xedrek said.
"Yes." Ash and Sora said.
"Oh, I almost forgot. Reach out with your other hand as if you are about to summon another Keyblade." Aqua said.
Ash went first, and a new Keyblade appeared.
Keyblade Analysis
Oathkeeper
A standard-size Keyblade that is passed onto one who has vowed to one day make him/herself stronger when all hope seemed lost from the past.
Primary Effect: Boost the power of all Magic/Dust attacks
Secondary Effect(s): Increases the chance of dealing a critical hit, and enhances all Pokémon moves in the user's current party.
Attack Power: +3
Magic Power: +5
"Sweet! I used that Keyblade many times. It will serve you well." Sora said before he too raised his hand outward, and a new Keyblade appeared.
Keyblade Analysis
Two Become One
A slightly smaller size Keyblade that is passed onto one who seeks to conquer the darkness from within his/her heart, and become one with the other.
Primary Effect: Boost the power of Attack and Magic/Dust attacks.
Secondary Effect(s): Balances the heart's light and darkness, and enhances the power of all Dark Type moves in the user's current party.
Attack Power: +4
Magic Power: +3
"Now that you all have accomplished this test, you are now free to return home. Ash, this place can be a wonderful place to train with a new apprentice if you wish. I know your world is in danger, but we will be ready to help when you need us." Aqua said.
"Yes please." Ash said.
"I'll take you and your friends back to Remnant. I think Hasx will now have more to deal with now." Xedrek said.
"Right. Sora, Aqua, I'll see you guys soon." Ash said before he and Sora bro-fisted each other.
Afterwards, they all went their separate ways. Xedrek took Ash and his friends back to Remnant. When they returned, the sun had just set, and they were going back to the hotel.
When Ash and Blake returned to their room, Ash took off his pauldron and they got changed. Soon after, Blake climbed into bed and gently embraced him.
"Ash, you are so cool." She whispered before she began kissing him all over his face, eventually reaching his neck. "And don't forget, we have a match tomorrow late morning." She continued before going back to kissing his neck, making him moan a bit.
"Don't worry. But for now, let's get some sleep. Love you." Ash whispered.
"I love you more." She said before she snuggled into his arm and rested her head on his shoulder.
Meanwhile, Hasx returned to the hideout. He threw Omen towards Raven, making her look at it and then back to him. Hasx sighed while giving her a dirty look.
"Disappointed. That's how I feel right now—sending your little bird to give your family an advantage. I'll admit, I'm impressed by it. But now that you have your little sword back, it's time for you to claim some more allies from other tribes in Mistral. I'll even lend you a few Heartless to aid you in this exploration." He said.
"And why should I listen to you?" Raven asked while taking Omen and withdrew it so her blade nearly met his neck, to which he didn't even flinch.
"Because you disobey me again, I'll bring your husband here and kill him right in front of you. And I'll even use your sword and impale his heart, making it so you killed him. So, get to it, or he'll die." He threatened while dark electricity was channeled through his arms.
Raven growled a bit before slowly standing down. She created a portal with her sword. Xedrek grunted and some Heartless followed her through the portal.
This is the part of the story where there is some mature content. If you don't want to read any of this, skip to where this font will pop up next. If not, viewer discretion is advised, and you have been warned.
The following morning, Ash woke up and saw Blake was already awake and was caressing his chest and stomach.
"Morning Blake. What's gotten into you this morning?" He asked.
"Just how much I truly love you." She said before she chuckled and crawled on top of him. She moaned before kissing his neck passionately. "I think we should be in bed for the day." She whispered.
"B-but, what about the tournament? Our next match is within a few hours." Ash pointed out. While trying to reason with her, he noticed she seemed a bit lighter-skinned than normal. "Blake? Are you feeling, okay?" He asked.
"Of course. In fact…" Blake was saying as her eyes rolled upwards and she closed them. "I feel…so…" She paused before shooting her eyes open, which they were no longer amber-colored, but now light blue. "Alive!" She finished with a bigger grin.
"What the!?" Ash yelled while trying to back away from her.
Blake began to moan as her hair began to turn snow white and grew slightly longer. A sickening sound can be heard as her cat ears begin to shrink into her skull. She began to laugh while it was happening. After a bit, her cat ears were gone, and she was now pure human.
"That was amazing! And I haven't even gotten to the best part yet!" Blake said with excitement. Just then, her face began to make cracking noises as it began to morph. "Oh god! Yes! Change me!" She moaned while holding her face.
"Get away from me!" Ash yelled in fright while shoving her off of him and he got up.
"Ah! Hey!" Blake complained as her voice began to go down an octave when he grabbed his shirt and tried to make a break for it. Just then, her body began to get hotter, and it began to change. "OH! YES!" She screamed while falling backwards on the bed.
Ash tried to get away, but there was a huge problem.
"Where's the door!? What is this place!? Someone, help!" Ash called out before looking back and saw Blake thrashing around as she had gotten taller and slightly bigger. He tried to summon his Keyblades, but nothing was happening. "What!?" He asked while trying to find something to use.
As he was searching, he heard a ripping noise coming from Blake. Her yukata pajamas were tearing from her growing body. Her moaning and laughing continued as she continued to transform.
After a while, everything stopped with Blake, and Ash found a chair to use. She slowly sat up with her bare back facing him and she was using the sheets to cover her front. She looked back, and a face Ash immediately recognized was looking back at him seductively.
"W-W-W-Winter!?" Ash asked with his eyes shrunk.
"Hello, Ash. Like was you see?" Winter asked.
"What have you done to Blake!?" He asked angrily.
"She was never here. And besides, I'm better than her in many ways. I'm way better for you. And I'll prove it." She said while flicking her finger, causing a glyph to appear by Ash, and used it to destroy the chair.
"Wha…?" He asked while being caught off guard. Winter created another glyph behind him and forced him towards her. "Whoa!" He yelled before he was slammed back onto the bed and Winter pinned him down.
"Now just calm down and relax. Don't you dare resist this." She whispered before smashing her lips onto his.
As she kissed him passionately, Blake's torn pajamas began to turn into goo, and it began to reform around Winter's body. It turned into a gray tight suit that covered her front minus a portion of her chest and latched around her neck. Just above her chest formed a heart that has a red outline with a cross in the center. The goo stretched down just past her ass and her back was still fully exposed. Arm gloves were formed that stretched from her biceps to her wrists. On her legs, the goo tightened on her knees down to her ankles.
Winter pulled away and began rubbing her body a bit.
"What do you think now, Ash? Do I look irresistible?" She asked.
"Well…this is getting too weird. But…" Ash was trying to say while not being distracted.
"You…you don't…" Winter was saying as anger grew. Her eyes began to turn black, her light blue color turned red, and diamond pupils formed. "Like me?" She asked just as her teeth began to turn sharp and her canine teeth grew a bit.
"Not what I-ack!" Ash was interrupted when she began to gag him, and she used her other hand to tear his shirt off.
Winter's nails grew longer and sharper to the point where they almost looked like monster claws.
"If I can't have you, no one can!" She said as her voice turned demonic, making Ash's eyes shrink more than ever and his heart was pounding so hard it was to the point where he felt it about to burst out of him. "Give. Me. Your. Heart!" She growled and she plunged her hand into his chest, making him see crimson red.
This is the end of the nightmare. Enjoy the fuel.
"AAHHH!" Ash screamed as he woke up from that horrifying nightmare. He was hyperventilating while trying to recover from the nightmare. He felt something pinning him down and he looked over and saw a stone version of Blake with her face mere inches from his. "YAAAHHH!" He screamed more out of fright.
Just then, the door swung open and Blake, her team, her mother, Delia, and Anabel stormed in. Blake got rid of the clone and sat by him with Delia going by his other side.
"Ash! Thank god! You've been thrashing and screaming in your sleep! I had to pin you down to go get help." Blake said while Delia used a cool cloth she got from the bathroom and dabbed him a bit.
"Wait a minute." Ash said while inspecting Blake by touching her ears, checking her hands, and looking into her eyes.
"Um…what are you doing?" She asked while feeling a bit awkward at what he was doing.
"Well… let's just say that I'm thinking of staying away from Winter for quite a while." He said while breathing a sigh of relief.
"What? Why? Winter is trying to protect you and look after you with all that has been happening." Weiss said while joining them.
"I guess the reason is…" He said before telling them all about the nightmare he had, catching her, and Blake off guard.
"Wait…Blake turned into Winter and, therefore turned into a human, but then became part demon, and pretty much went yandere on you. That's not messed up at all!" Yang said sarcastically.
Many of them glared at her for the comment.
"Seriously, sis?" Ruby asked.
"Maybe you got a point." Yang said sheepishly.
"Either way, we'll get through this together. If you are not feeling completely well, you can sit this match out and Blake can handle this in a handicap match." Anabel offered while using her Empathy semblance to learn more of what his heart was feeling about all this.
"No, I can't. If we win, we go into the semi-finals. She needs me." Ash said while getting up.
"Ash, slow down." Kali said while she and Delia held him.
"At least try to take it easy." Delia suggested.
"I will. I promise." He said.
With all the commotions dying down after Ash became a Keyblade Master, how will Ash and Blake handle this upcoming round? Who will they face? Find out next time as the story continues.