Gohan Roxas: Since you guys liked "The Return", I figured I'd write a sequel. Hope you like it!

Sora: I bet they will! I know I did! *cheesy grin*

Gohan Roxas: Sora! No spoilers!

Masters

Kairi flopped down onto a chair, breathing heavily. "This Keyblade training thing is a lot harder than I thought it'd be."

Beside her, Lea chuckled. "What, you thought it'd be a walk in the park?"

"You know what I mean," she dismissed him. He laughed.

The door of the tower opened, and Goofy, Donald, and Riku walked in. Donald and Goofy were laughing openly, and Riku had a broad smile on his face. Kairi's eyes widened. It'd been a long time since she'd seen that smile.

"Master Yen Sid," Riku said, bowing to the tall old man in the blue robe.

Yen Sid smiled and nodded his head. King Mickey, who had been talking with his former Master, rushed to Riku and jumped up into his arms.

Riku laughed. "Mickey, calm down! It's not like I went a long way away."

The King laughed. "Aw, Riku, you're my pal. I just missed ya!"

Goofy laughed his slightly annoying 'ah-hyuck' of a laugh.

Yen Sid smiled. "Riku, where are our guests?"

"They're coming."

"Yeah," Donald rasped, "but they're sure taking their time!"

"Aw, come on, Donald," Goofy reprimanded him. "Sora's been kinda strugglin' since he didn't pass the test last time. He just didn't wanna let us know that."

"I know that!" Donald shouted.

Kairi laughed.

There was a knock at the heavy wooden door, and a deep voice said, "May we come in?" There was a familiar laugh that followed; Kairi's heartbeat quickened involuntarily.

With a wave of his hand, Yen Sid opened the door. Everyone in the tower was confronted by what almost looked like twins. Both of the people at the door had spiky brown hair, blue eyes, and a bright smile on their faces. The differences between them were minute. One was taller than the other, and the taller one also had a scar running across his face. Kairi reflected that it was similar to Leon's.

"Kazen, welcome back," Yen Sid said then.

"Thanks," the taller of the two grinned at him. He then looked at the others. "Donald. Goofy. Your Majesty. Lea. Kairi."

Kairi smiled at him.

"Oh, guys," Kazen said then, "have you forgotten about that…thing that we need to do at the base of the tower?"

"Huh?" Goofy asked, bewildered.

"You know…the thing?" Kazen nudged his head towards his son and Kairi, then winked.

Goofy looked at him for a moment, confusion still on his face, before comprehension dawned. "Oh, right, the thing! Come on, Donald!" He then grabbed his friend's arm and dragged him towards the door. Smiling, Riku followed him, as did King Mickey and Lea. Yen Sid smiled tolerantly and went to another part of the tower. Sora and Kairi went to follow everyone else, but Kazen stopped them.

"No offence to you guys, but we don't need your help for this." He nudged Sora with his elbow and whispered something in his ear. Whatever he said, it made Sora turn bright red. Kazen laughed uproariously and stepped out the door.

Kairi stood up from her chair and looked apprehensively at Sora. He held her gaze only briefly, before blushing again and looking away. Uneasily, Kairi began to draw patterns on the floor with one foot. She and Sora suddenly looked at each other.

"I have something to tell you," they said together. "No, you first." They laughed.

"Go ahead, Kairi," Sora offered.

"No, you go first," Kairi replied.

"Okay, we are not going to do this all day," Sora muttered. "How about I count to three, then we both say what we were going to say?"

"That sounds fine."

"Okay. One…two…three!"

"I love you," they said in unison.

Sora's eyes widened. "W-what?"

"I love you," Kairi repeated. "Did…did you say that you loved me too?"

Sora blushed. "Yeah."

Kairi stepped closer to him and held onto his hands. Sora smiled cheekily and moved his head closer to hers.

This was the kiss they'd both been waiting for. They'd been waiting for it for so long.

**KH**

Later, Kazen and Yen Sid were in the main room of the tower. Their topic of discussion: Sora.

"He's ready," Kazen assured his former Master. "Believe me, he's ready."

"I believe that he is not yet ready to be given the test," Yen Sid disagreed.

Kazen's eyes bulged. "What?"

"He failed in his last endeavour to show me the Mark of Mastery. Not only that, he failed to return here as he promised; he only came back because you fetched him."

"You can't seriously believe that's enough to prevent him from becoming a Keyblade Master, do you?"

"Unfortunately, I do."

Kazen straightened. "With all due respect, Master, that's a joke."

"What?"

"Sora's faced far worse than almost every single one of us combined," Kazen continued. "If I'd tried to do half the things he's done, I'd be dead. Who cares if he didn't show you the Mark last time? He beat me in hand-to-hand combat! Me! A fully-fledged Keyblade Master!"

"I will not give him the examination," Yen Sid proclaimed, keeping his voice calm.

"Then I will!"
Yen Sid's eyes widened even further than they already were. "You will what?"

"You heard me. I'm a Master too. I can hold an examination for him, no problem."

"You are only saying this…"

"What? Because he's my son? No. I'm saying this not as a father, but as a Keyblade Master. Sora is ready! And I don't care if you can't see that!"

Briefly, Yen Sid looked as if he was going to give off a sharp retort. Instead, he laughed uproariously.

Kazen's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Did I say something funny?"

"You truly are a Keyblade Master, Kazen. You stood up to me. Just as I knew you would."

"Just as you… Wait. Were you acting just now?"

Yen Sid chuckled. "Yes. I, much like you, believe that Sora is ready to face another, more simple examination."

Kazen smiled, despite his bewilderment and anger at his former Master's subterfuge.

"He will face the examination tomorrow. You may go tell him the good news now."

Kazen scoffed good-humouredly. "Yeah, if I can prise Kairi's lips off his."

**KH**

The next day, Sora stood in front of the tower, with his friends standing off to one side, while Yen Sid, King Mickey and Kazen stood in front of him.

"Sora," Yen Sid proclaimed. "Today you will be examined for the Mark of Mastery. If you show us this Mark, you will be a true Keyblade Master. If you do not, the world, and the light within it, will be in grave danger."

"No pressure!" Kazen grinned.

Yen Sid eyed Sora's father; his attention returned to the spiky-haired boy in front of him. "Are you ready to face this examination?"

"Yes," Sora replied promptly.

"Then let us begin." Yen Sid nodded to his former pupils, who summoned their Keyblades. Frome those Keyblades arose several orbs of light.

"Sora," Kazen began, "your task is to battle against these orbs of light you see before you. All you must do is be uninjured by their attacks. If you do so, we will consider whether or not this shows the Mark." He looked at Yen Sid. "Did I do that right?"

Yen Sid nodded.

"Good," Kazen breathed, relieved. "My tongue was in knots saying that."

"Begin!" Yen Sid shouted.

On cue, Sora struck the surrounding orbs with his Keyblade, whilst everyone else watched on.

Soon there were but two left. Sora quickly disposed of one, but the other was a worry. Its movement was erratic. Suddenly, it made a beeline for its target. Kazen's eyes widened.

It was headed for Kairi.

"No!" Sora yelled, throwing himself in front of the orb, which fired a blast of light. The blast hit Sora in the chest and knocked him down.

"Sora!" Kairi cried in a distressed voice.

Grimly, Kazen slashed at the last orb, destroying it. He looked back at his fellow Masters. Mickey's face was solemn; Yen Sid's was indecipherable.

Some time later, everyone gathered in the tower, where Yen Sid would make the announcement. Almost everyone's faces were sad. Sora had failed again.

Yen Sid looked Sora dead in the eye.

"It is good to meet you… Master Sora."

Kazen laughed happily and hammered his son's back. "Way to go, kid!"

"Hooray for Sora!" Donald and Goofy cheered.

"Nice work!" Riku smiled.

Kairi's response to the news was simple. She put her hands on either side of Sora's face and kissed him full on the lips.

Goofy covered Donald's eyes, causing the latter to yell, "Get offa me!"

Sora looked back at Yen Sid. "But…why? I was meant to do it without getting hurt."

Yen Sid smiled. "You put yourself in danger to protect a friend. That is the true Mark of a Keyblade Master."

Sora smiled back, hugging Kairi to him almost absently.

Kazen looked over at Lea, who was unobtrusively leaning on the wall with a smile on his face. "You're next, kid."

"I'm what?" Lea shouted.

Everyone laughed at Lea's indignation.

Sora looked at Kairi and kissed her. He now had everything he wanted.

There was no way the darkness could win now.

Kazen: Hoo boy. Sora's never gonna be training now.

Riku: Why's that?

Kazen: "Why's that?" Because he's got a girlfriend! Keep up, kid.

Riku: Sorry.

Gohan Roxas: Bickering notwithstanding, feel free to REVIEW! :D