Author's Note: And now where our story begins, with one of the main characters becoming the youngest Recruit.

Induction

KAI: It had been four years since I made my vow. I wanted to protect my little sister no matter what. But in order to protect, needed power. Self-taught practicing was not enough. In this town, there was only one place I could go... to obtain the power to protect.

At the Front Doors of Radiant Garden Castle, a duel was going on. It was between a brown-haired man in a gray uniform, wielding an ax, and a red-haired boy, no older than twelve, wielding a katana. The man's name was Aeleus, one of the Castle Guards, and he was testing a few young warriors to be a part of the Castle Guard Recruits. He was amazed to see a boy three years younger than the minimum age had the guts to try out.

The boy was fighting bravely, attacking Aeleus with swift attacks. But the brute kept knocking his blows back. Despite his futile attempts to lay a scratch on the man, the boy continued his assault. Soon the guard managed to punch the boy in the stomach knocking him back away, flat on the ground, dropping his sword.

"You should go home, Kid," said Aeleus as he shouldered his ax. "You're too young for this."

But the boy grabbed his katana and tried to get up. He was a little shaky but he managed to get up rather quickly. The guard stood by to see what he'd do next. The kid then got into a stance; one that looked familiar to Aeleus. He charged at the brute with a series of attacks that are a bit more unorthodox. Aeleus managed to guard his attacks and then threw a backswing punch, only for the kid to crouch down avoiding it and then immediately performed a jumping upward slash. He successfully nicked him in the shoulder, but couldn't stick the landing and fell on his butt.

The guard then pointed his ax at the boy at close range, cause the boy to freeze in place. "Interesting," he said. "Well, you get points for actually laying a scratch on me. No examinee has done that before." He then lowers his weapon. "But that style you just used, where did you learn that? What is your name?"

The boy took a minute to answer. "My name... is Kai," he said. "I used to watch my father train."

"I see," Aeleus said. "You're Suzaku's boy... aren't you." Kai nodded. "So you decided to follow in you fathers foot steps. I'll admit, Kai, I'm impressed that you were able to imitate his style through mere observation. Though you still have much to learn." Aeleus shouldered his ax as he stood there, in thought. Kai stood up and await the guard's decision. "You do show some promise, but I'm still concerned about whether we should let in someone as young as you. Hmm. For this, I'm going to need to consult His Lordship. If you're serious about joining, I want you to meet me back here later. You'll have you're answer then."

Kai bowed as he said, "Yes sir."

Wanting to pass the time, Kai went out to the gardens outside of town. He laid down on the field, as he gazed up at the clear sky. Soon he decided to rest his eyes. He didn't know how long he'd been like that; could've been an hour, could've been ten minutes. Then he felt a shadow looming over him. Curious to what it was, he opened one eye. As his vision focused, he saw the face of red-haired, violet-blue-eyed, four-year-old girl. This startled Kai, making him jump up to a sitting position, as he knew who it was. "Kairi."

Little Kairi giggled. "Kai, you sleepy head. What are you doing taking a nap all the way out here?" Kai didn't answer, only blushed as he rubbed the back of his head. He was embarrassed that he just made himself look lazy in front of his sister. She giggled again. "You are hopeless, Big Brother." She gave her brother a quick hug. "So... did you get into that... guard thing?"

Kai took a minute to answer. "I... don't know yet. I'm supposed to meet with them later."

"Oh, can I come? Can I come?"

"Um, well..."

"Pleeeeaase!"

Kai always found it difficult to deny her anything. Of course, he couldn't think of a reason why not anyways. So he just shrugged, stood up, and took her hand.

The siblings walked back to the area of the Castle's Front Doors. They sat as they waited for Aeleus to return. They didn't wait that long when the brute showed up with unexpected company. Walking with him was a middle-aged man with long blond hair slicked back, and a short mustache and goatee. He wore white lab coat with a red sweater draped over his shoulders, like a scarf.

"Is that him?" said the man.

"Yes, My Lord," answered Aeleus.

The man walked up to Kai, who stood up with his sister behind him. "You are Kai, son of Suzaku, are you not?" the man asked.

"Uh... yes." Kai replied.

The man then noticed the little girl. "And who is this?"

"This is... my little sister."

"My name's Kairi," the girl said as she smiled and curtsied, "Hello!"

The man nodded with a smile. "I am known as Ansem the Wise, ruler of Radiant Garden." Kai was surprised to hear that the man standing before him was the lord of the castle in person. "I knew your father, Kai, he was a good man, and our finest warrior. I had a feeling you would one day request to be part of the guard just like him. But I must say, I didn't expect it to be this soon. You are how old now? Twelve years old?" Kai nodded. "Normally we don't let anyone in the Recruits until they are fifteen." Kai's expressionless look didn't change. "But you already knew that, didn't you? You could've waited another three years. Why are you in such a rush to join in?"

Kai looked at his sister, who stared back with a slightly confused expression. Kai smiled at her as he petted her red hair. Kairi made a cute smile at this gesture. Kai looked back at Ansem, with a serious expression. "I have something that... I really want to protect," was all he would say.

Ansem the looked at the duo and understood what he meant. "I see. But you do know that becoming an official member of the Guard is not an easy task, and as a Recruit you are expected to devote much of your time and effort into your training, am I correct?" Kai nodded again, his expression telling His Lordship that he was serious about this. Ansem looked back at his subordinate. "Aeleus, what are your thoughts?"

The guard thought for a second. "He's young, naïve, and not to mention stubborn. But he does have a lot of potential for someone his age. It's not as refined, but he was able to mimic his fathers style pretty well. Allowing him into the Recruits now may not be a bad idea."

Ansem the Wise went into deep thought for a minute. Kai waited in anticipation for his answer. Soon, the Radiant Ruler smiled as he made his decision. "Very well," he said. "From this day forward, Kai, son of Suzaku, you are now a member of the Castle Guard Recruits."

Kai was stunned at what he heard. He couldn't believe they actually let him in. Kairi was jumping up and down in excitement. "Yay! You're in, Big Brother! Isn't that great?"

It took a minute, but the boy was able to regain is composure, and bowed to Ansem the Wise. "Th-thank you sir."

"Alright then," said Ansem. "I'll see to it that a Recruit Uniform will be sent to you shortly. You and a few others will be presented to the group a week from today at the Central Square at noon. Try not to be late."

"Yes sir." Kai nodded. Kairi then giggled as she gave him a big hug. The boy hugged her back with a smile.

KAI: All I wanted was her safety, her happiness, and whatever bright future may be waiting for one as special as her. And now I had a way to ensure all that. But as Aeleus pointed out, I still had a lot to learn. Whatever power I needed, I was willing to obtain it. Whatever the price, I was willing to pay it.

Author's Note: And there you have it. I know it may not seem like much, but hey I'm just getting started. I'm also open to some suggestions. Please review.