Disclaimer:. I do not own Kingdom Hearts or its characters. All rights belong to Square Enix. I do, however, own Tiān, Hǎi and the king. I hope you enjoy this fic and please review. Criticism is welcomed, just do NOT flame please. Thanks so much. Raspberry.

Ancient Keys by ; a Kingdom Hearts FanFic

"This can't be happening...this dream. It isn't real...it can't be. It's impossible! There cannot be Light and Darkness...can there..?"

Chapter One: Blinking Stars

The boy stood sighing heavily on the balcony. Becoming the Keyblade Master had its perks and it also had its lows but right now he couldn't think of any of those perks. It was another stupid, fancy dinner for the king to honor his newest adversary and made him look like a trophy. This had to be the third party this week…it was tiring and how could the king expect him to fight if he was sleep deprived from these pointless gatherings.

The brunette folded his arms on the rail and rested his chin on them as he stared off into the night sky. It was nearly one in the morning and his eyes drooped sleepily. He could hear the party continuing behind him and the booming laughter of the king echo around him. He glanced over him shoulder and stared at the bright lights and the ball gowns as they danced across the floor.

He turned away and looked back into the distance. There were other worlds, he had found out, and he had to protect them all from the Heartless. He sighed. Seemed like an unlikely task. He stood up, catching a stare in his eye as it suddenly blinked out. The King had mentions world blinking out and the stars were connected to that…The king's stupid party had destroyed another world, another people, another home…The brunette groaned.

"Tiān," a voice cooed.

The boy spun around and smiled as his ears burned. "Hǎi!" he looked at the girl in her ball gown and his blush deepened, he was glad there was not enough light to see his reddening face. "Wh-What are you doing out here..?"

Hǎi smiled lightly as she walked to the end of the balcony and stood beside Tiān, looking out at the horizon. "To get some fresh air," Hǎi stated. "Oh, and to find you," she added as she turned and smiled brightly at the young boy.

Tiān jumped slightly at Hǎi's statement and his face was tomato red by now. Hǎi laughed at his reaction and sighed contently to calm herself before resting her arms on the balcony rail. Tiān watched as the crimsonette suddenly became serious and her face fall sadly.

"Hǎi, are you alright?" he asked as his burning face began to cool.

She nodded. "I'm fine, I think." She glanced at Tiān. "We know very little about one another, Tiān, but everyone expects so much from us…we're children."

"Well, I'm fifteen…almost," Tiān joked lightly.

"I know, I've barely been fourteen though. My father says I'm a Princess if Light…I don't know what it means, Tiān, but I feel like I'm connected to the other worlds…and to you," Hǎi stated.

"T-To me?" Tiān stammered nervously.

"Yes," she turned and looked at him as she spoke, a soft breeze appearing to lift her hair. "You are the Keyblade Master, you wield the Kingdom Keyblade and you are connected directly to Light. If I am a Princess of Light…then you are directly connected to me."

Tiān stared down at her, his face red hot again and she was directly in front of him suddenly. Her face was only inches away from his and he could feel her body heat almost. He knew that she could see the redness of his cheeks by how close she was. Tiān looked away, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"Uhm…Hǎi, would you l-like to…dance?" the brunette asked softly, his voice barely audible.

"Yes," Hǎi answered smiling brightly.

Tiān smiled and bowed deeply as he held his hand out to her princely, and she took it with a small curtsey before being pulled into the boy. The brunette wrapped his arm nervously around the crimsonette waist as she draped her hand elegantly on his shoulder. Tiān blush lightened as he began to move with Hǎi. They moved in a small, awkward circle and they're feet barely moving from they're spots.

Hǎi smiled as she swung herself out from Tiān, still holding his hand as his eyes widened in curiosity as she twirled under his arm and came back against his chest. She looked up at him laughing with joy and he smiled. They continued in that little circle and Hǎi's occasional turn until they both heard the voice of the king.

"Tiān, my boy! Your guests are waiting for you," he stated. Tiān looked at Hǎi before he stepped away from her, his hands falling at his sides, the king stared at them.

"I'm quite tired actually," Tiān said. "I think I'm going to just get some sleep."

Tiān said nothing else as he moved past the king. He entered the ballroom and the music flooded his senses and sent his mind spiraling. What type of music was it anyway? He looked to the orchestra; magic. The instruments had no players and that was why it sounded so odd to him. He apologized and pushed through the girls and other guests that crowded around him and once the stairs were in sight he ran them, taking two at a time.

The brunette sighed once the doors closed behind him, muffling out the music and voices of the party. He leaned against the giant doors and put his head into his hands as he slowly slid down to the floor. It was becoming too much; the fame, the expectations, the worlds and lives in his hands and now…now he was connected to his newly found friend and ally! The princess of God's sakes! Tiān sobbed and his shoulders shook, no actual tears were falling nor would form.

Part of him wanted to go back to Destiny, away from Radiant Garden and away from this war. He didn't ask to be the Keyblade Master, nor did he ask to save worlds or their people. He wanted to go back to his home.

He stood up and took a deep breath before he went off in search of his room among the long, winding hallways. He knew it would take him forever and he knew he'd end up lost at least twice, but eventually he found his room and crawled into bed and went to sleep.

Tiān woke up from a soft chime echoing through his mind. He sat up in his bed, still dressed in his party clothes. The strange noise could wait, he was still half asleep and very uncomfortable in his wrinkled clothes. The brunette changed quickly into his everyday garb and then went to find the chimes. He opened his door and stepped into the dead-silent hallway. The candles still burned, signalling the earliness of the morning and the windows still shone with the moon and stars. Tiān headed for the court yard instictively. He smiled as he looked and saw Hǎi standing in the dim moonlight.

"Hǎi!" he called to her. He gasped as she turned around slowly and stared at him with dark, lifeless eyes with long black tear-like lines descending down her cheeks. He reached a hand out to her and went forward, but his feet wouldn't move. he looked down, eyes wideneding at the sight of Darkness coiling around him. "Hǎi! Help! Hǎi!!"

The crimsonette didn't move, she only stared at the boy as he was attacked and consumed with the shadows. Tiān reached his hand out again and as the Darkness consumed him completely a blinding light sprang forth from his palm. Hǎi recoiled back and shielded her eyes as she screamed. The brunette closed his hand as his eyes shut tight and felt a firm object in his grip. He opened his eyes and found himself wielding the Kingdom Keyblade, the Darkness completely untouching him and Hǎi lying on the ground.

Tiān looked down at the unmoving crimsonette with wide eyes, not knmowing what to do. It was silent. Eerie and creepy. The girl suddenly began moving and Tiān crouched and held his keyblade in front of him. His eyes scanned her body, looking for some kind of sign of her humanity and not that teary-lined lifeless...thing. Suddenly her body began convulsing and Tiān shrieked in fear as he let up on his fighting stance and jumped back. Her body fell back to the ground and lay still and flat again until a small shadow began wriggling out of her back.

The brunette couldn't move as teh shadow locked eyes with him, piercing yellow holding gaping blue until the creature dove into the ground and disappeared. Tiān stood there for a moment before his legs collapsed and he buckled down to his knees. The Kingdom Keyblade dropped to the ground with a loud 'clang' and then disappeared in a flash of light. He sat there silently and gaping at Hǎi for what seemed like ever until he heard the 'thud' of metal footsteps.

"Tiān!" the king's voice snapped Tiān from his daze. "Tiān! What happened?"

Tiān looked up at the king as he circled around him and kneeled by his daughter to craddle her in his arms. The brunette said nothing as the young king held the unconcious girl. He flinched when the king's eyes flashed up to meet his.

"Tiān! What. Happened!!!" he shouted.

"I-I don't know!" the boy screamed back. Tears formed in his eyes. He was terrified for his life and for Hǎi...was she dead..? Pocessed..? Would she wake up..? "I don't...know. I came out and she was just...lying there. Nothing happened." He lied.

"Nothing," the king whispered as he began to stand with the crimsonette in his arms. "No Heartless?"

Tiān shook his head. He put two and two together as he did: that shadow was called a Heartless. That was what was causing the worlds to blink out, for the sky to grow darker and darker. Heartless, creatures of the darkness.

"Well, get some sleep. We train tomorrow," the king ordered.