Tenroujima Is The Best Exam [Arcadia's B-Rank Exam]

Man, if there was one thing that Mura was, it would be nostalgic. Walking around in a circle in the middle of an opening in a very, very, very familiar forest had him all worked up; the sweet Ace of Fairy Tail was going to proctor an exam - specifically a B-Rank Exam. He still didn’t understand the terms ‘B-Rank’ and ‘A-Rank’ or all the other ranks, but he knew that they were mandatory for wizards to appear on the map and gain more and more requests, which would further their economy, fame etc. He, himself, as far as he remembered, was gained the rank of ‘A’ after he randomly returned from that creepy house with all the demonic creatures who laughed at him - how and why was never answered by Sorano, though.

Anyway, this day was to honor Arcadia, the lucky, sweet girl who had worked her way up to deserve this exam. Mura had asked Zirconis, the green dragon ghost, to meet her at the guild hall and lead her down to the portal at the lower floor that would teleport her to her destination. They would meet here, in Tenroujima, the mysterious island belonging to Fairy Tail. This place was like an isolated ecosystem, unknown and unseen by anyone else in the world.

He remembered when he was having his B-Rank exam here with Kanix, at this very spot… that memory displayed in his brain like watching videos of your old days, keeping him in his own world for quite some time.

Meanwhile…

“Arcaaaaaadiaaaaaaaaa,” Zirconis called out in the middle of the guild hall, “You’re wanted downstairs! Mura needs to see you! Take the portal… that’s about all that closet pervert asked me to do.” Zirconis would float around as a green ball with a dragon’s face in the hall, looking around for the wanted wizard…

Arcadia sat a table, working on her latest glass of watermelon-strawberry slushie in one hand, and making notes on her iLac in another. She thought out loud as she made her notes. "The pamphlets still need some wind magic. And maybe a wind spell can be modified to give them their voice too"

The young slayer's green faerie eyes widened at the sight of ball of dragon ghost floating her way. She rubbed her eyes,smiling once she was sure it was real. Arcadia closed off her notes app for now, and slipped her iLac into a pocket sewn into her dress. With a llast depe sip of slushie, she stood and left the rest of her drink on the table.

Arcadia hurried over to meet the ghostly Zirconis, bowing reverently. color=#28b463]"It is an honor to meet you Mura wants to meet me? Uh right away, of course![/color] She would promptly follow Zirconis quickly to the elevators. The ride down was mercifully short for the slayer's stomach as it turned queasy most of the way.

Her stomach settled as she stepped on off the elevator, and the sights in the basement probably would have held more of an impact, if not for her green gaze falling on frozen figure down there. She couldn't put her finger on it, and maybe she never would. The moment she set eyes on that...stature? she got this creepy feeling of deja vu. She didn't wanna think too hard on why either, so she hurried along. Arcadia kept her eyes on the ground or Zirconis, very grateful once they reached the portal. Arcadia needed no motivation to walk on through.

She squinted at the relatively brighter light around her as her bare feet stepped out onto the island. Arcadia breathed a small sigh of relief, "Phew.. I dunno why, but that there's something super creepy about that statue in the basement."

Arcadia's deep green eyes were adjusting the light, and she had her first real look around from where the portal emerges on the island. "Now this place is awesome!"[/color][/i] She followed Zirconis away from the portal, and began keeping an eye out for Mura.

While looking about for Mura, she asked the dragon ghost curiously, "Uh if you don't mind me asking... did you know my mom, Khione Glacier? She wasan ice dragon, appearing to me made of living ice."

“Oh, there you are!” Zirconis called as Arcadia made her way to him. Upon first impression… slayer. It was another Dragon Slayer. His facial expression changed from relief to mildly livid and heavily burdened. His thoughts were even worse, may Arcadia be spared from knowing them:

… This guild just doesn’t take a goddamn break with these Dragon Slayers - I’m surprised I haven’t heard the weeps of babies ‘cause they apparently breed them like bees! Why am I the only Dragon out there who’s suffering the fate of having to associate with these time bombs!? What braindead society did Mura bring me to?! I was king, KING OF TENROUJIMA! Of all the ancient spirits there, I stood on top! And then I’m suddenly pulled into a whole other world where my left neighbor could end my existence as a Dragon worthy of praise and reverence - just because of some stupid wannabe Dragon Magic that they got from some hopeless Elder Dragons who wasted their own strengths and thought that they couldn’t do better than a human carrying their powers! For the Dragon God’s sake, if society was the problem, any Dragon could turn into humans! Hell, and even worse, why does Mura have to use me every time he fights a Dragon Slayer?! What the actual lizard buttocks, that is a hole in the head, damn it!!! For all I could care, this little new addition to the Dragon team could stomp me and send me to Heaven or Hell or wherever I deserve to go; at least, I’d join up with my brethren and vent at them instead! THEY’D UNDERSTAND ME! THEY ARE DRAGONS LIKE ME! THIS IS-

“Y-Yeah, Mura wants to meet you. Tenroujima Portal. Now,” Zirconis spoke to Arcadia, keeping his thoughts for himself. He’d lead her to the elevator and take her down to the -2nd or -3rd floor, he didn’t count; he’d simply pass by the frozen figure (no comment) and lead her through the portal. She was oddly curious for a collected woman… or was she that collected? Even weirder, despite his venting earlier, Zirconis always took interest in Dragon Slayers and genuinely didn’t have any actual problems with it; he was just easily triggered, angered, offended, provoked, etc.

Once they were back in Tenroujima, Zirconis felt home. This was his kingdom - or more specifically, the invisible part of Tenrou was; before Mura hired him as a guardian spirit, Zirconis wandered around Tenroujima’s spirit world as a chief. He was sought out by Mura due to Kanix’ request and thus the shaman and the dragon ghost met each other. Now he was back, things had changed; apparently, fairies began appearing in the spirit world due to immigration, but whatever.

The dragon was suddenly asked a question from Arcadia; yes, he did know her. He knew many dragons. This made him gaze into Arcadia’s eyes thoroughly, trying to find something similar from Khione’s eyes. “… Hnnnnnnn,” the dragon growled in focus, “You have her eyes… I wonder if you also have her instantaneous change of thoughts…”

Back to Mura…

“Oh, there you are,” he called over to them with a warm smile, “Over here.” He waved for Arcadia and Zirconis to join him on a huge rock that he sat on. “Sit here, and I’ll properly begin your B-Rank Exam.” He made no trouble in revealing her purpose here; it came very bluntly. He couldn’t wait to see her expression…

Arcadia's heart soared to meet anyone, even a ghost, who had known any part of her old world. Though that put Zirconis' confusing rant back at the guild hall in a new light. Were you one of the dragons she was training me to fight? If so, I hope we can put the past behind us. No thanks to that traitor, Acnologia, betraying her, and my mom having to put me under a Sphere spell because of it.. I have no idea long its been. Besides it's a whole new world now! I meanlook at us.. we're guildmates! And we sure didn't have anything like this phone lacrima." Her voice and gaze growing momentarily bitter around her brief recounting of Acnologia's betray of her foster mother. That bitterness slipped away as she talked on.

She pulled her light blue iLac from its pocket in her dress and snapped a quick selfie with Zirconis. "This hella awesome meeting someone who knew mom! U even if you are a ghost.

Arcadia heard Mura right about then, she smiled brightly and waved. She bit her lip and pouted, "Aww man.. I was hoping I cold skip it, like I did my C rank exam. I hate tests, even the ones mom set up for me. Ummm.. unless its one of those tests that's like a game! If it's is I'm totes gonna win!"

She rushed on over to Mura, climbing right up onto the rock he was on. She took seat beside Mura, and snapped a quick selfie with him too. One quick photo of the view from the rock, and the young slayer slipped her iLac back into her pocket. She smiled excitedly "So what kinda test is it?"

A… a selfie? Mura’s and Zirconis’ expressions were similar, both quite mildly surprised by the sudden iLac that was put up in front of their faces. Arcadia did comment on something interesting; why couldn’t she just skip this exam? “… Oh, please. It’s not a test… it’s more like a bridge,” Mura explained to her in a calm tone, “You see, I’m confident that you have all the terms and attributes that are required to be a B-Ranked Wizard. This exam is just an experience that you need to have deep in your mind, sort of like a dormant companion that you don’t always think about but is always there. Sort of… sort of like a guardian memory.”

Mura would point back with his thumb and elaborate: “This island, Tenroujima, houses a very great affinity with the spirit world. You know, ghosts, magical beings, spiritual monstrosities, nymphs, deities, celestial spirits and many more. Your test is to enter this world of spirits, find Kyuken *showing picture of Kyuken* and find your way out again.” A strong wind passed by them as he finished the sentence. There were many ways to enter the spirit world per experience, but Mura would have to explain that as well.

“Take a deep breath and enter the forest… don’t worry, you’ll be heading the right path.”

------------------------------------------------------------

Here’s the challenge for Arcadia’s B-Ranked Exam! As soon as you enter the forest, you’ll be finding yourself in another realm that is similar to Tenroujima, except that all living beings like Mura and the others are absent. In this realm, you’ll have the task of finding a blue spirit ball head with a samurai sword named Kyuken - but wait, it won’t be so easy! A cute, little girl all alone in such a vast plane of existence attracts lots of beings that will try and kidnap you!

(Your total wordcount must be 1500 words stretched over these stages!)

Stage 1: Walking around Tenroujima v.2ghost alone catches the attention of a flying monster; with the body of a female lion and the head of a human woman, this abomination will try and lure you to join her family. If you say no, then the sphinx will get mad and ask you the riddle: What walks on four legs in the morning, then two legs in the middle of the day, then three legs in the evening, then on its back at night? Answer correctly or not; the sphinx’ strength will differ whether you answer correctly or not at all. If you answer correctly, then every attack from its ‘desperate’ assault will deal 1x C-Ranked Spell Damage and it’ll take just as much to knock it down. If you answer wrong or not at all… 1x B-Ranked Spell Damage per hit and just as much to take it down.

Stage 2: As you dive deeper into the spirit world after the perverted samurai spirit - oops, that was a trait that Mura didn’t tell you of yet - you’ll be attacked by none other than yourself - as in clones of you! They’ll charge at you and possess the very same strengths and weaknesses that you possess! As limited as they are in terms of endurance, they only need 2x B-Ranked Spell Damage to dissolve into their original, powerless spirit forms, but they’ll do whatever it takes to prevent you from doing anything! They’ll come as a group of 3, but one of them doesn’t want to be your enemy in her heart. It’s up to you to use that trait as it’ll be shown that 2 of them will be complaining to the third one in whether or not they should take you hostage. Use the situation to your liking!

Stage 3: You found Kyuken! The blue spirit ball head was wandering around a small waterfall, but he is also the last challenge to you. This will not be a direct battle; rather, it is a battle of the souls. You will be instructed by the ghostly samurai to sit down with him on the waterfall (you’re in the spirit world, it’s possible) and meditate. With your calm energy, you’ll be required to fend off his spiritual energy simply by sitting still and focusing on nothing but you, yourself, your presence contra his. As a 600 year-old samurai ghost who’d been wandering around the globe for ages, Kyuken is no joke.

By the end of the ‘meditation battle’, Mura will find you and Kyuken meditating on the very same lake; just in the real world. That will be the end of your spiritual journey… good luck!

Arcadia listened in carefully once Mura started to explain the challenge set ahead of her.  She frowned thoughtfully, thinking it funny she would find herself traveling to another world so soon after Nessa had taken her to visit Valhalla. This was a lot of otherworldly traveling for a young mage who normally had no way of traveling anywhere but around Earthland on her own.

The wind picking up drew her attention to the direction the wind came from. Her extra long blonde hair and her dress all fluttering the strong breeze. Since she had to pick a direction to take into the forest, she chose the direction the wind had picked up from. She smiled back over her shoulder to Mura and Zirconis, Arcadia giving a little wave. Her bare feet speeding her off into the woods. She took a deep breath as she hurried through the underbrush and disappeared through the trees.


Health: 375
Magic Power: 300

The young slayer was rather surprised when that worked. She never would have guessed she could do that. This was a more wondrous island than she imagined when she first emerged from the portal. Her deep green eyes swept around her changing surroundings, noting how the scenery looked familiar. There was something she couldn't quite put her finger on that was different about the spirit forms of the undergrowth and trees around her.

Arcadia was starting to feel a little creeped out. A feeling like she was being watched. The feeling grew the deeper she wandered through Tenroujima's spiritual world. Looking around though, she couldn't see anything, except for the trees. About then, a shadow of some winged creature fleashed across her path, and she looked up. The young blonde slayer readied herself for the attack when the creature who cast the shadow swooped down, landing a few meters ahead.

She head never seen anything like it, a winged creature with the body of a powerful lioness and the head of a human woman. Arcadia was mildly surprised when it started talking rather than springing to attack, surprised enough to to forget taking a little precaution. She wracked her young brain for what this thing could be called.

The creature folded her wings and, fixing her gaze straight on the young human girl she had spotted from up in the trees. ”Hello, sweet little one. Wandering out here all alone are you? That could get dangerous for a cute little thing like you all alone. You really should come with me. You'd really be quite safe with my family around.”

Arcadia smiled to the winged creature, and bowed graciously for the offer, ”Thanks.. ma'am. But I'm afraid I can't go with you right now. I'm looking for someone. He looks a little blue spirit ball head. He might have a samurai sword with him. His name's Kyuken. Have you seen him?”

The creature sneered when her invitation was rebuffed, long leonine tail twitching in annoyance. ”Don't be foolish, girl. Fine if that is the way you wish to play it. Answer me this, and I may help you. What walks on four legs in the morning, then two legs in the middle of the day, then three legs in the evening, then on its back at night?”

When creature asked its riddle, the name came back to Arcadia all at once. Her memories went back to one of Khione Glacier's more academic lessons. Her foster mother had handled most of her schooling on top of martial and magical training. The memory of a particular lesson on legendary creatures is what sparked the name to mind, ”Oh! That's right. You're sphinx. You really do love asking riddles! Huh, let me think.” Another of Khione's academic lessons popped into mind, brought forth while thinking on a sphinx's love riddles. It was a series of riddles her mother had asked her to help exercise her mind, because a warrior had to keep their mind sharp as well as their skills in magic and battle. This riddle happened to be one of them, which brought a bright smile to Arcadia's face. ”Oh! I know this one! The answer is a human! Man or Woman, they crawl when their babies, walk then they're grown up, walk with a cane when their old and lay down when they die. Morning, Afternoon, Evening, Night.”

The sphinx briefly showed surprise, before sneering again, having not expected this child before her to come up with the answer so readily. She smirked, ”So you've a little schooling after all, girl.”

Arcadia celebrated, ”Yes! I knew I was right! Now you gotta tell me where I can find Kyuken!”

The sphinx snarled, ”You presume too much, girl. I said might, not that I would. Even if I did know, it doesn't mean I would tell you.”

The young slayer's face went crestfallen, ”B-but..that's not how it works in the stories. If you solve the sphinx's riddle, they're supposed to help you give you treasure.”

Maybe that last bit about the stories of sphinxes worked this sphinx's last nerve or she was just going to attack anyway, because the legendary creature sprung toward Arcadia. The sphinx caught the young slayer off guard, the swipe of her left forepaw raking the young mage across her left side and middle.

Arcadia winced as she knocked back and her dress torn where the sphinx drew blood across her side. So it was going to be the hard way. Warriors of Dragnof were built for doing things the hard way. The slayer launched into two back handsprings, one after the other to put some quick distance between herself and the sphinx.

The sphinx turned and coiled up her spine as Arcadia breathed in deep... extra deep. Arcadia unleashed her roar a split second before the sphinx went to pounce again. The whirling torrent of freezing mist laced with glittering razor shards of ice knocking the legendary creature off her path toward the slayer. The now frosty sphinx crashed back to the ground, already out cold when she hit.

Arcadia sighed, holding her wounded side. She'd be fine, but geeze did that hurt. ”That wasn't very nice, kitty. Guess I havta keep looking on my own.” She headed further on in her journey.

Stage 1 Word Count: 886
Exam Total Word Count: 886/1500

Health: 315
Magic: 300

Spells

Ice Dragon Roar – Duration 1/1

First thing was first. Arcadia could not afford to be taken by surprise again. Surprise was her forte after all, it wouldn't do to just hand that advantage over to anything else that might be watching her in this strange spirit mirror world of the island.

The young, pale blonde slayer refracted the light around her, so that the image of her appeared a few meters ahead of where she really was.  She would walk along a few minutes more, keeping an eye out for any sign of this Kyuken.

Somewhere along the way, a familiar small blob of inky darkness formed in the air ahead of her. It was right where her displaced image's face and eyes were. Arcadia didn't have time to think about it because two giant columns of glacial ice pounded right through her image less than a second later.

This was too much to be a coincidence, someone was definitely using her own spells against her. Not only that, they were using them faster than she ever could. There was no way she could ever conjure two columns of ice at once like that.  Figuring out who would have to wait. Now that her image had been exposed as a decoy, she would be a sitting duck.

To keep the principle of uncertainty on her side, she reached into her magic power.  She formed some of it into her own blob of inky darkness, this one big enough to envelop the bases of the twin ice columns stuck into the ground ahead of her.  Arcadia raced on out of her newly created blob darkness, fifteen shadow clones of herself racing right on out with her in all other directions.  

Not so far off in the trees she heard, what sounded like her own voice start to bicker with another two voices? She couldn't be sure, but voices sounded a lot like herself, but not quite the same either.  There was something a tiny bit different each one.

#1: "Great! Now we don't know which one is the real one!."

#2: "What're you yelling at me for?! I'm not the one who threw a wimpy little inky blob instead of throwing an ice column like the rest of us!"

#3: "It's not like that woulda done any good, that obviously wasn't the real her we hit anyway. Besides I don't see why we havta hurt her."

It was then that a small army of Arcadias filtered out of the trees. About fifty in all. If you counted Aracadia's own fifteen shadow copies plus herself, there were about sixty-six Arcadias gathered around that small clearing.

The real Arcadia knew trying to guess which if any of the fifty other copies might also be real of any of them would only give herself away. She knew, because that's how she would flush out who to target.  The one true Arcadia and her shadow clones took off again, scattering from the clearing completely. Arcadia added five more shadow clones to leave her lingering blob of inky darkness for good measure.  Those shadow clones joined the rest in scattering to the trees.  

#2: "Don't let your clones just stand there! Go get them!"

#1: "Don't tell me what to do!  But oh yeah, I see what ya mean. We can use our clones to see which of her is the real one. Hey! You better send your clones too!"

#3: "I guess that wouldn't really hurt her."

Arcadia focused magic power out into each of her hands and feet. The frosty chill in each of her limbs allowed her skin to freeze and unfreeze to a tree the slayer had chosen to climb. She had each of her shadow clones also climb a different tree of their own. The hostile clones were in hot pursuit.

Being made of semi-solid shadowstuff, the most any shadow clone could do was gently tap Arcadia. Anything harder than that and the clone would disperse back into the shadows it came from, but that was the idea. Any Arcadia the hostile clones attacked that was also a clone, would mean the two shadow clones would pass harmlessly through each other. Only the real Arcadia would disperse a shadow clone back into shadow, revealing her location in the process.

Arcadia wasn't about to give her pursuers another free shot at her. Not if she could help it. At least, not before she could find her pursuers too. She sprouted a pair of dragon-like wings made entirely from pure white hoarfrost from her back. She leapt from from tree to tree, gliding between gaps too wide to jump. Her shadow clones all did the same, all playing the avoidance game with the hostile clones chasing them.  It created a popcorn effect up in the canopy of Arcadias all leaping and gliding from different trees. All either leading a chase or pursuing one.  

The young slayer knew she couldn't keep this chase up. Her pursuers had numbers on their side, so it was only a matter of time before one of the hostile clones might fly into her.  

Lucky for her, the pursuers behind the hostile shadow clones were an argumentative sort. Following their voices helped her home in on their direction. She began to pick out possible scents too. With some luck, skillful aerobatics and acrobatics to avoid the maelstrom of shadow play around her, she landed in a tree overlooking the only three Arcadias still on the ground.

These Arcadias must be more than shadow of they could cast her spells, plus they must've smelled her. Not long after she landed in the tree above them, all three looked straight up at her. That instant all the hostile shadow clones dissipated back into shadow, so the true Arcadia allowed hers to slip back to shadow too. There was no use or need for them now that the real Arcadia and her three doppelgangers were all quite aware of where each other were.

Arcadia narrowed her deep green eyes down at the imposters, and two them narrowed their deep green faerie gaze right back. The third imposter seemed to be the one that had been arguing against this fight in first place. She seemed more anxious to the true Arcadia, now that they were all face to face.  

Appealing to the third imposter might be the real Arcadia's only option here. She was badly out numbered if this was coming down to a straight up fight.  Maybe Arcadia could get the third imposter to switch sides or help her convince the other imposters that there was no reason to fight.

The true Arcadia called down to the third imposter, "Hey! Why do you let these two tell you what to do? If you don't want to fight, then we don't have to." Arcadia shifted her gaze to the other two imposters, "There's no reason for us to fight either. We don't have to do this."

#1: "Eh! Don't listen to her! She just knows how badly she gonna lose!"

The third imposter began tear and choke up,  #3: "No! I won't! I won't fight her! She's not my enemy!"

#2: "Then you're our enemy!"

The two more aggressive imposters turned on the third, each scoring the first couple punches. The true Arcadia formed five icy darts one her left hand, one per finger.  She flung them all at the nearest aggro imposter, three striking the target imposter in the back.  Arcadia had formed five more icy darts on her right hand and flung them all at the other aggro imposter. Only two of those struck true.  

The third imposter formed an icy blade on one arm, striking back at her attackers. Her blade slice through the most grievously injured aggro imposter, returning it to its previous powerless spirit form. It sped off in annoyed little bob and weave. The third imposter then brought her icy blade up just in time to block one blow from the remaining aggro imposter, but another slipped past her guard.

Arcadia had formed an icy blade of her own, and had leapt from the tree. One leg extended, Arcadia folded in her hoarfrost dragon wings to knock the last aggro imposter to the ground with her flying kick. The true young slayer immediately followed with a slice of her icy blade, returning the last aggro imposter to spirit form as well.  

Standing straight, Arcadia caught her breath, and turned to face the third imposter who was back in tears.  The real Arcadia was compelled to offer a hug.

The third imposter accepted the offered hug and stammered, (#3) "I-I'm sorry."

Arcadia smiled softly, squeezing gently to offer a little extra comfort, "I know. I'm sorry too."

The third and last imposter slowly calmed and was finally able to voluntarily return to spirit form.  Arcadia, once again the only Arcadia around sighed in relief, but also dried her own eyes. She gladly went on her way.



Stage 2 Word Count: 1487
Total Exam Word Count: 2373/1500

Health: 315
Magic Power: 170

Spells

Refraction - Duration 1/1
Gloom - Duration 1/2
Shadow Puppets - Duration 1/3
Ice Dragon Glacier Geckowalk - Duration 1/3
Ice Dragon Wings - Duration 1/1
Ice Dragon Frozen Claws - Duration 1/2
Ice Dragon Frosty Blade - Duration 1/3

Arcadia continued on, her side still bothering her a little. She was beginning to wonder if she was ever going to find this, Kyuken. Now that she thought about it, it would've been a good idea to ask that last clone of herself, if she knew anything about Kyuken.

There was something different than more what  felt like the neverending forest right about now. The young slayer heard rushing water, like a stream or maybe something bigger like a river. She hurried ahead, her bare feet taking her into a little sprint until she broke out of the treeline. Arcadia laughed, going down the bank, and kneeling to get a small drink.

To her disappointment though, a quick look up and down the either river bank, upstream and down, didn't turn up anything. Upstream, the river disappeared back into the forest. Downstream, looked like there might a waterfall. Nothing unremarkable, strange considering this was a spirit world reflection of the island. Arcadia kinda expected everything here to be remarkable. She was completely expecting more surprises like sphinxes with riddles or clones who had it out for her.

A flash of blue down by the waterfall, raised her spirits. The pale blonde slayer glanced back downstream, watching the waterfall more closely this time. Watching long enough, she saw the source of the blue light appear again. A point of bluish light that from this far away..

Arcadia sped off again along the river bank, rushing toward the waterfall fast as she could. The little blue spirit ball hovered  over the waterfall as Arcadia drew closer. The young slayer slowed  once she arrived closer to the waterfall's edge. She could feel the spray of the water as it cascaded over the little cliff.

She smiled with a curious tilt of her head, ”Hello! Kyuken?” The ancient blue samurai spirit ball grinned back to the young slayer. The spirit ball's energy flared and rather than hearing him out loud, Arcadia heard a voice in her head that was not her own. The green-eyed mage looked kind of freaked out, but only briefly.

The slayer figured she should've expected something like that. Arcadia smiled again, nodding to Kyuken, ”It's good to finally meet you too.”

She thought for a moment and shook her head, ”Really? Sweet. Uh but if it's all the same to you, I think I'll just keep answering out loud. Feels a little less freaky to me.”

Arcadia folded her arms, supporting her chin thoughtfully on one raised and upturned palm. Again she nodded, ”Interesting.  Hmm so does that mean I passed? Am a I B-Rank wizard yet?”

She gasped in shock and dropped her arms back at her side, adding a soft sigh to her answer, ”What do you mean one more challenge?  Didn't I already do all that? I went through all the challenges,came all this way and found you here in the spirit world. I mean wasn't all that other stuff like part of a spiritual metaphor somethin'?

Arcadia snorted and then laughed hard enough she had to hug her sides. ”Kyuken! That's just mean! But SO true! Alright, alright. I'll take you on in this last challenge. Lead the way.”

The blue samurai spirit ball floated further out over the top of the waterfall, and took a seat. Arcadia hesitated for a moment, but she followed Kyuken out onto the waterfall. She found herself walking over the water. Giggling, Arcadia seated herself down beside the spirit ball.

Turning her deep green faerie gaze to Kyuken, she smiled, eyes sparkling with curiosity, ”So let me get this straight, you want me to fend off your spiritual energy by remaining as calm and present as I can?”

She sighed and nodded her agreement, ”Alright. Here we go.” Closing her eyes, Arcadia began to breathe in more deeply, and exhale more slowly. She focused her mind to bring herself into a meditative state.

The world around her, the waterfall, the spirit world, the island, all melted away. It was all replaced by a gentle breeze, warm sunshine and grassy field. A grassy field in a very familiar park. The park she once called home in the southside of Dragnof. This was her happy place. She spent years her training with her foster mother, Khione Glacier. Most of the happier memories in her life were formed here. She was sure  she could weather anything Kyuken could throw at her here.

She was enjoying the warmth of the sun on her face, the birds singing in the trees scattered around the park. Arcadia smiled to herself, and glanced up toward the clear blue sky. Or it was clear a moment ago. Grey storm clouds were rolling in fast. By the hue of the blue lightning she saw flash across and within the clouds, she had to guess that was Kyuken beginning her last challenge.

The storm picked up energy quickly, thunder and almost constant blue lightning forking across the sky. That gentle breeze was quickly picking up, fluttering her dress and long hair around. A few cloud to ground strikes came pretty close to hitting Arcadia as the storm just kept on intensifying.  Arcadia let out a frightened squeak, but she maintained her meditative concentration.

Arcadia took a few deeper breaths, and focused back tot he loving memory of her mother.  In the park, Khinone Glacier walked on out of her cave to stand by her daughter, spreading one great wing of ice over the young slayer to shield her from the storm and rain. Smiling again, Arcadia huddled close to her mother's side, and suddenly the storm's intensity dwindled, and seemed to pass.  A few stray rays of sun shone through a break in the clouds.

For a moment, it seemed her challenge was over, but Kyuken was not finished. The storm and blue lightning quickly regaining steam for second, more intensive pass. This time the winds remained steady, instead carrying the dull, distant roar of some dragon other than her mom. A roar that brought an undeniable dread into her heart. Out of the roiling gray maelstrom above came exactly who's he knew that roar belonged too. The massive dark, draconic form of Acnologia burst down from the low stormy cloud ceiling.

With one more dread roar, the great black dragon swooped down on the attack. Acnologia unleashed his devastating breath attack, and Khione Glacier moved to take the brunt of the breath attack. She nudged her daughter to run for her cave. The Great Ice Dragon managed to shield Arcadia from Acnologia's deadly breath, and moved to intercept him. Arcadia didn't dare look back until she had made it into the cave's cover.

Tears rolled down the meditating girl's cheeks, but her trance was not broken. Looking out from the cave, she glanced back just in time to see that though her mother fought bravely, as she had in life, Khione Glacier fell to the monstrous black dragon. Arcadia knew this time around, she couldn't run out to her mother.  This time she just had to keep hiding, so she retreated further into the cave.

Going around a corner, she was met by a sight, she never would have expected to see in Dragnof. Yet it felt natural to see Nessa and Aven sitting around a warm little campfire. Their warm smiles and welcoming gestures bringing comfort to the young slayer. Glancing back the way they came, it seemed the warmth of the fire grew as she joined her teammates. Indeed it was now a roaring bonfire, and the terror of the park felt almost another lifetime ago.

Arcadia noted a few other guildmates joining them around the blazing bonfire. The warmth and security of the blaze kept on growing, until  Arcadia noticed an iced off section of the cavern. A dull roar sounded behind it. The cavern beyond the ice wall lit up with Kyuken's tone of blue light. Backlit behind the wall of ice in the space beyond another massive draconic form. It's face grew lit enough to make out the large, deep green eyes.

From the other side of the fire, Acnologia's hulking form came around the bend in the cavern, and roared. Arcadia, waved Nessa, Aven and her other guildmates in closer to the fire. Huddling together, Arcadia somehow felt invincible, as they surrounded her.  The bonfire blazed into an inferno that would not consume Arcadia or her newfound family, but turned Acnologia to ash, and sealed away the eerily deep green-eyeed dragon fro all sight.

When the warmth of the blaze finally subsided, she found herself sitting back at the waterfall with Kyuken. To her surprise... Mura? Stood no far off. Glancinga round, it looked like she had left the world of spirits behind. ”I'm feeling... different.”


Stage 3 Word Count: 1462
Total Exam Word Count: 3835/1500

Health: 315
Magic Power: 170

Spells

Gloom - Duration 2/2
Shadow Puppets - Duration 2/3
Ice Dragon Glacier Geckowalk - Duration 2/3
Ice Dragon Frozen Claws - Duration 2/2
Ice Dragon Frosty Blade - Duration 2/3

… Oh, hey, now that she looked over to him, it appeared that Arcadia Fairchilde had done it. Jumped into the heart of the spirit world and come out unscathed… no, rather, developed. Evolved. Changed… not in the long run, but inside, deep down in her heart, her soul found an innate adaptation to what she had went through, and that adaptation triggered newfound strength to emerge from her spirit and directly affect her body and soul as well as her magic. She may not have realized it just yet, but… a second source of power had emerged, slowly becoming part of her Dragon Slayer Magic.

He approached her slowly, seemingly walking on the surface of the lake over to her position, then gently wiping small pearls of tears off her eyelids. A wide smile grew on his lips as he then declared: “Congratulations, Arcadia. You’ve passed the test, so you’re from now on one step higher… a B-Ranked wizard.” He would proceed to pick her up by waist and swing her around to celebrate her graduation. Zirconis would just watch the scene and grin rather shyly, seeing the reflection of Khione Glacier on the water's surface...

[Congratulations for your B-Rank!]

Arcadia threw her arms up, cheering and laughing all the way being whirrled around. She was sure she felt her mother's spirit closer to her heart than ever. "WOoooo!! I wasn't sure I as gonna make it. If those other me's had worked as a team or I was just a little slower getting away from Acnologia, I might be one of the many spirits that call Tenroujima home."

She grinned warmly on over to Zirconis and Kyuken, "This really is a pretty place, when you're not running for your life. Thanks, Mura. Thank all of you"

The young slayer glanced skyward, speaking with another smile, if softer voice, "Thanks, Mom."