Patches would never admit this, but he was proud of his students progression. In one short year, they all had the skills on par with a Keyblade Master, however, Willy was still the weaker of the group, he was able to hold his own well, but his faults were a simple matter of practice and execution. “Alright ya brats line up!” He called out.

The group all lines up, Violet, Louise, A.J., Ruby, Aasim, Mitch, Willy and Tennessee.

“So what’s on today’s docet chief?” Violet asked simply.

“You have all performed well, in fact your skills all far surpassed my expectations. Except for Willy, you can use more work.” Willy proceeded to give Patches a look of disbelief and annoyance. “Regardless, I feel you are all ready for your Mark of Mastery Exams. However, A.J, Tennessee, and Willy, you three will not be taking the exam.”

“What? Why?!” A.J and Willy both asked.

“Because, A.J., Tennessee, Willy, while you three have the same skills on par with your friends, save for you WIlly, simply put, the rules state you must be at least fourteen to take the exam. You’re too young by a year, several in A.J’s case.”

“You sure? At least Tenn and Willy have seen more hell than whatever these Mastery Exams can offer.” Violet pointed out, given the world they all came from.

“It’s not about experience, it’s simply a rule of the kingdom that the minimum age for anyone to take a mark of mastery exam to be fourteen. I know A.J would easily pass, his skills are far surpassed his age, but rules are rules.” Patches said. “That said though, the one to give you all your Mark of Mastery, is arriving soon.”

“And by ‘soon’ you mean about now?” Violet asked curiously.

“Possibly.” Patches said.

As the group waited around their usual fireplace, time passing fast as they ate a snack. “So, what do you think this exam will be?” Louis asked.

“Combat likely.” Aasim said.

Violet had a bad feeling in her gut as she thought about what could possibly happen from what she learned about the Mark of Mastery tests and other documented successes from Ben and Heart. “It’s gonna have to be something that pushes us passed something important to us…”

“Wonder what that will be.” Ruby sighed.

“Whatever it is, we can take it.” Mitch said.

Violet wasn’t sure as she gently stoked the fire with a stick. “Well...as long as we’re together right?”

“That’s the hard part.” The group turned, a familiar voice they had not heard in what seemed like an eternity spoke behind them. Clementine. She was wearing a dark camo green pair of pants, heavy boots, and a simple white shirt. But her hat was still atop her head. Immediately Violet and A.J ran up and hugged her.

“It’s been forever Clem!” Violet said happily, tears filling her eyes at seeing her beloved friend again.

“We’ve missed you!” A.J said.

“I know Goofball, Violet. Being an… Admin apparently has been weird, and then apparently being a Queen of an entire empire, one of many, but one nonetheless, has a lot of… paperwork. So much paperwork…” Clem sighed.

“Hey, hear the lovin is nice if gosip is anything to go by.” Violet chuckled, remembering hearing some stuff about Ben’s raging sex drive among other’s in that god knows how large harem.

“Heh, yeah… part of the family but, still a minor, and not that interested really. Mostly I’m either in the office and training with Lord on some Admin stuff. Heart with Keyblade stuff, mostly either training or paperwork.” She said, letting both go. “So, are you all ready for your Exam?”

“Ready as we’ll ever be.” Violet said honestly. “So...you can tell I have a bad feeling in my gut I know where we’re going right?” Violet asked, a look of uncertainty and sadness crossing her face.

“Kinda. You each will be getting individual mark of mastery exams, then we form up, and take back our world from the Walkers.”

Everyone's face grew determined, their reason for training, all their work, leading this moment was within view.

“Well then what are we waiting for?” Violet said simply, pulling out her Keyblade and resting it on her shoulder.

“Right then.” Clementine said, opening several DTL’s with a snap of her fingers. “That never gets old.”

“I can bet.” Aasim said.

Aasim, Ruby, Mitch, Louis and Violet proceeded to enter the DTL’s, Willy headed off with Patches for more training, and Tennessee and A.J walked with Clementine. “So Goofball, care to give me a tour?” She asked the young child.

Violet walked out from the DTL and into a world where the moon hung high in the night sky. She was in a forest of sorts, a few animals from the distance could be heard.

“Alright...so far this doesn’t seem out of the ordinary…” Violet muttered as she checked one of the trees to see if she could tell what species it was.

It was a tall birch, looking around the forest where she arrived it was hard to see anything. Looking back up her eyes spotted something flying above the trees, too high to make out details but low enough to be noticed.

“Well...that’s interesting.” She said while starting to climb up the tree to get a better view as to what was flying around. “Might as well get a good look at the land…”

Climbing the tree was fairly easy, managing to reach the top, she saw nothing but trees for miles around, and in the sky, flying around, was a Heartless, it’s bright yellow eyes piercing through the darkness around them as she got a good look at it. It’s appearance was almost angelic, pale grey wings out it’s back, attire something akin to a toga, with a large golden sword in it’s right hand, and a smaller buckler shield in its left.

“Well...I don’t remember that being covered…” Violet muttered to herself. “So...forest for miles on end, and an Angel Heartless...goodie.”

She saw the Heartless’s eyes suddenly shine, like searchlights piercing through the trees looking below. Was the test having to deal with the Heartless… or something else?

Violet frowned, slowly moving down the tree as she wondered if it was searching it’s territory, or hunting. “Let’s hope it’s just a normal search…” She muttered, landing on the ground and moving swiftly and quietly.

As she was exploring the area, keeping distance between that Heartless and herself, she heard something, a faint noise… crying? Picking up pace, she soon found a tree with a large hole under it’s base, and inside was a small girl, in a white dress… with a blue hat. She recognized her easily. Clem!

Violet immediately bolted over to her and kneeled down. “Hey hey, it’s okay.” Violet said gently. “No need to cry.” She said softly, trying not to panic as to why Clem’s alone and crying.

“Who...Who are you?” The young version of her friend asked, keeping a small distance between herself and Violet.

Violet felt a little twinge in her heart at not being recognized by her friend. ”Remember Violet, this is a different Clem…” Violet thought...before taking a moment. ”Wait, didn’t Clem say that she was fuzed with every other Clem in Existence?” She thought to herself, remembering Clem talked about having memories of other Clems across all sorts of Reflections. “My names Violet.” She said gently. “What’s your name?” She asked politely.

“Clementine. Why are you here?”

“I’m here to help.” She said. “Are you hiding from something?” She asked, pretending to not know about the Heartless.

“No, I got lost.”

“I understand.” She nodded while gently sitting down near the young Clem. “What were you doing before getting lost?”

“Well, Lea, this man I’ve been traveling with, and I were walking along the roads when there was some of those Monsters ahead. He hid me here and then left to deal with them. It’s been hours though.”

“What did the monsters look like?” Violet asked gently.

“Like people, but… not.”

Walkers, Violet figured. A familiar enemy, so where did that Heartless come from?

“Have you seen any...other strange creatures around?” Violet asked softly.

She shook her head, so she hasn't noticed the Heartless.

“Where were you heading?” She asked gently.

"I don't know." She said, Violet shifting inside a bit more, This Clementine getting more comfortable around her, and that Heartless's light waved by, missing them, but it was nearby, making Violet uneasy. "All I can remember before we ran was heading to Atlanta."

“Alright.” She nodded. “But we better get moving soon…” Violet said, trying to keep her nervousness down so Clem didn’t get scared.

Careful, they emerged from the hiding spot, Violet looking around, seeing that now there were walkers all around, but the heartless was gone. Quickly, she grabbed a rock, throwing it at a tree some distance away, gaining their attention as she soon bolted out, carrying the young Clementine in both arms.

Maybe my test is to keep Clementine safe? Violet thought, taking a quick breath as she checked to ensure none of the Walkers followed them.

“So why were you going to Atlanta?” Violet asked gently as she carried her off to find some road.

"Lea, we were going to find my parents. They were on a trip to Atlanta before this all happened." Clem whispered, Violet could tell she was keeping an eye on the rear.

She paused, hiding under a thick tree as that Heartless flew overhead again, it's light missing them as it moved on. Walkers and a Heartless unlike others before, definitely an issue. If she summons her Keyblade or Key-arms, the Heartless will find her instantly, and noise will draw the walkers.

”God I hope these things aren’t controlling walkers…” She thought to herself, fearing what would happen if Heartless managed to control the Walkers.

Once the Heartless was a distance away, she ran from tree to tree, keeping cover from the Heartless above and thankfully not seeing any walkers around. The more she walked the more the woods began to itch at her mind, something almost familiar about them as she ran through the trees.

To her joy, she came across a road, running along it till she came across a highway exit. “Wait a minute…” She said aloud, seeing the sign. “This is… “

“What’s wrong?” Clem asked.

“N-Nothing.” Violet asserted, carrying the young Clem into the ruins of her old home town. Did my Clem send me back home after all? And why here of all places? Violet pondered, passing several places she’d pass by all the time back when she was young.

Seeing Walkers ahead, she rushed for the shelter of a nearby pool house, lights still worked, to her surprise, and so far seemed empty. She smirked, glad to know have picked up a few easy spells for wandless, or even Keybladeless magic. “Detect.” She whispered, her magic activating as soon, anything in the building, dead or alive, was visible to her. She loved this spell, perfect for sneaking, and clearing an area.

There was one possible walker laid down by a pool table in the back, two definite walkers in the bar kitchen walking around, one possible walker in the men's bathroom, and another possible one in the manager's office. Careful, she placed Clem onto a chair, a fair distance from them all. “Wait here, if anything happens, call me, alright?”

“Okay.” Clem said.

Violet proceeded to walk over to the one layed on the floor in the back, seeing it’s unmoving body did not assure her of its state. She grabbed a dusty pool cue, the wood still in fair condition. She stood just behind it, poking the thing. It did not move, but, it was better to be safe, as she jabbed the pool cue’s tip into it’s rotting skull, the smell was bad, she had forgotten just how horrid Walkers could smell. It was a male, clothes, leather and was clearly a biker, no bike outside so it was likely looted or tossed elsewhere. She felt in their pockets, finding a large boot knife. “Useful.” She said.

The feelings all seemed to flood back at once, the feelings of worry at every corner, looting the dead, walking or not for anything useful, the clear lack of food in all directions. The dead and fears hit her hard, but she held onto her heart, and remembered, remembered the year she spent to come back here, to fight… “Fight… Right, that’s why I did this. I’m going to take this place back.” She said to herself, quickly rushing to the bar kitchen.

The two walkers there took immediate notice, walking slowly at her. Smirking, Violet wasted no time grabbing one walkers neck, and jamming the knife into its skull, splitting it as it dropped dead. She yanked it out, throwing it at the other with practiced force and aim. The knife landed right between its hollow eyes, sliding into the hilt, knocking it over as she walked over to it, pulling it out of the corpse. “Feels good.” She said, quickly checking the manager's office. Here, was what was likely the manager, dead unlike the others, a clear gunshot in their head. Nodding, she rushed to the men’s room, the final walker in the bar was laid against the wall, starting to move as Violet entered. She smirked, having a small running start, she stopped right in front of it, and swung her boot into its head, a splatter of blood, gore and chunks of wall sprayed about. She forgot just how much stronger she had become, since learning about Keyblades and their enhancement magics.

“Jeez...and in hindsight, why was I afraid of these things?” Violet wondered to herself. “These stupid things basically kill themselves just on biology alone.” With a nod, she did one final sweep, she lugged all the bodies out the back door, then walked up to Clementine. “Alright, I’m gonna need you to stay here while I go and make sure things are clear, okay?” Violet asked young Clem.

“Okay… You’ll come back, right?”

“Of course.” Violet said. “I promise.” With a smile and nod, Violet left Clem in the bar, casting a barrier spell around it for safety. She then adorned her Keyblade armor, and summoned her Way to Dawn Keyblade, and Hope, her Key-Arm machine pistol. With a smile, she saw as the Heartless arrived immediately. Looking at her. "Bring it ugly."

The heartless roared, it's sound echoing for miles, and attracting every walker around for those miles. It charged at Violet, who gracefully dodged, shooting off a few shots at it with Hope at it's lower half. It crashed into the barrier, bouncing off the magic wall as Violet cast a barrage of ice spells to stop it dead before taking a deep breath, the Heartless frozen in ice as she raised the tip of her Keyblade to it, pulling the hilt to her chest as her Keyblade glowed. "Shift, Blade Charge." She said, a crystal like extension across her Keyblade in the shape of a sword appearing as she attacked, with swift, calculated movements, she struck, each attack landing a hit and dealing powerful damage. When the ice broke the Heartless was sent flying into the building across the road. “Time to get started.” She said, cracking her knuckles.