A/N: Man, this took me a while to do. Partially because I was debating on where I wanted to end this fic, but mostly because I was just lacking the motivation. Out of the two fanfics on this site, this one has less views, currently less than half of the views of the other one.

Keyblade Master

KAIRI: I had just met the most amazing woman. I couldn't wait to tell my brother about her.

Kai was rushing through the city, looking for Kairi, cutting down every red-eyed monster that got in his way. His was worried about his sister, and determined to make sure she was alright. Soon he made it to one of the gardens where he finally spotted her with Grandma Elise. He felt relief as he dashed to them. "Kairi!" he said.

Kairi smiled seeing her brother and waved. "Hey, Kai!" The two of them share a big hug.

"Kai," said Grandma. "Thank goodness."

"All these monsters..." Kai said, being the socially awkward kid he is, trying to find the words. "...I was getting worried."

"I'm okay, Brother." Kairi then jump up and down excitedly. "But you'll never guess what happened! I was around here picking some flower, when this red-eyed monster came out of nowhere and chased me to castle!" Kai was startled by this news. "Then more of them came! I was so scared! But then this blue-haired woman came to my rescue! You should've seen her! She was amazing! She teamed up with this mouse almost a big as me, and they fought those monsters off with those...um...I think she called them Keyblades."

Keyblades, Kai thought. He had heard about the mythical weapons called the Keyblades. He didn't know much about them other than they were swords shaped like keys, and that they are rumored to be the most powerful weapons. This was the first time he heard of someone actually possessing one.

Kairi continue. "They got rid of them, the mouse left in a hurry, and I gave Aqua the flowers I picked to thank her. She even casted a magic spell to protect me."

Kai could see how excited his sister was to have met this woman. But something was bugging him. He doesn't recall any blue-haired woman being in the Guard, nor one that wielded a Keyblade. He guessed that this 'Aqua' was not from around here. She just happened to be around while those creatures are attacking the town. They attacked Kairi and he wasn't there to protect her. If it wasn't for this Keyblade Wielder stopping by, who know what could've happened? Just that thought depressed Kai. He felt guilty for not being there for Kairi in her time of need, and after vowing to always protect her.

As if reading his mind Kai's mind, Kairi said. "Hey. Don't worry, Big Bro. I'm alright."

Soon they all heard weird whirring sound. They looked up and were startled to see a large armored propeller-like monster. It swooped down, barely missing them. The monster plowed itself through a large metal door at the top of a set of stairs.

"What was that?" asked Elise.

Then a blue-haired woman carrying a key-shaped weapon leaped down the ledges, dashed up the stairs and into the busted open door.

"Aqua!" Kairi shouted.

So that's Aqua, thought Kai. He watched as the Keyblade wielder ran out of sight. He was curious to see this woman's power himself. With that in mind, Kai instantly dashed toward the door.

Kairi was surprised by her brother's action. "Kai!?"

Kai stopped for a second and looked back. "Stay here!" he said as he continued to follow Aqua. Kairi tried to follow as well, but Grandma held her back.

Kai ran through the busted door and finds himself on the upper platform of the Reactor. He looks down at the lower platform and spots Aqua, along with two other individuals. Both had spiky hair, one was a tall man with brown hair, the other was a teenaged boy with blond. All three of them each held a key-shaped sword in their hand. Above them he saw three armored creatures in the air. Soon, they transformed and combined into one giant monster. The monster then engaged the trio. Knowing this battle was out of his league, Kai just sat on the upper platform and watched.

The battle was intense. The monster kept trying to either crush them with its armored body or zap them with lasers. The Key Bearers fought it off with skillful strikes and magic. The brunette hit it with powerful blows, the blond was quick and agile, and Aqua mostly used strong magic. Soon the monster split back into three were the warriors took them down one by one.

After the battle, they gathered together proud of their successful teamwork. Kai couldn't help but overhear their conversation. The blond boy handed them these passports to someplace called Disney Town. Kai also heard them mention a masked boy, to which he wondered if it was the same masked figure he saw in the outer gardens. What really got his attention was the tall one's outburst, 'Were you spying on me?!' That started a loud argument, in which the tall one was snapping at Aqua, the blond kid siding with the tall one, and Aqua trying to explain to them. Unfortunately, it didn't end well. The tall one left first, followed by the kid soon after.

As they left, Kai looked at Aqua with pity. She looked hurt by what they said to her. The young Recruit wanted to help, though he's never been good with other people's feelings. But because she saved his sister, and he wanted to thank her for that anyway, he thought he had to at least try. He looked down the edge of the high platform and found a spot he could climb down, which he carefully did.

Kai slowly approached the young woman, who was too lost in thought to noticed the quiet boy. He took a second to think of what to say, until finally he stammered, "E-excuse me, Miss? A-are you alright?"

Aqua snapped out of her stupor and looked at the boy who, to her, seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. She looked back down before answering, "I-it's nothing." Not very convincing.

Kai look toward the direction the other two went then back. "So..." he paused for a second, "what was that all about?" This caused Aqua to give him a somewhat surprise look as she held her fist up to her chest. Kai, thinking he's upset her, looked down in shame. "I-I'm sorry," he said nervously "I-I didn't mean to eavesdrop. I saw your b-battle with the giant monster and I-"

"It's okay," the woman reassured. Seeing this boy's shyness made her giggle a little. It was a refresher from that argument. She had to admit, for a shy kid, it took guts to walk up to a stranger and show concern. Seeing that he's calmed down, she kneeled and said, "My name is Aqua. What's yours?"

"Kai," the boy answered. "You...saved my little sister earlier."

"Little sister?" Aqua then saw the resemblance. The red hair, the violet eyes, as well as remembering said girl mentioning a brother. "You mean Kairi?"

Kai nodded. "I wanted to thank you for saving her."

"It was nothing, really. I saw that she was in trouble and, naturally, I did what was right."

The boy looked down. "But it was supposed to be my job to protect her, and yet I was too far away. If you hadn't been here, I doubt I would've made in time."

"I see. Well, you're welcome then." Aqua paused as she noticed the boy looking somewhat depressed. "You care a lot about Kairi, don't you?"

Kai hesitated for a minute. "My dad died before she was born. And mom died giving birth to her. Besides Grandma, she's the only family I have. I decided to join the Guard so I can get stronger, so I can protect her."

Aqua raised an eyebrow. "Someone so young, is one of the castle's Guards?"

Kai scratched the back of his head nervously. "W-well...n-not yet exactly. I-I'm...uh...actually apart of the Recruits, the...uh...underaged rookies...pretty much. But, I-I am three years younger than the n-normal minimum age."

"You must be pretty skilled for them to accept you."

"I've been told that I take after my father. H-he was considered the best." Kai then looked back down. "My first chance to prove I would always protect my sister...and I wasn't even there for her."

Aqua could see where the young Recruit was coming from. She too wants to protect those she considered family. If she were in his position, she'd probably feel the same way: powerless despite the efforts. "Hey, don't blame yourself. Those monster's, the Unversed, they haven't been wreaking havoc until just recently. We don't know where they came from. All we know is that they are negative emotions brought to life."

"I saw this person wearing a mask and wielding a similar weapon as you controlling those things earlier. If I heard correctly, those other guys mentioned a masked boy. Who is he anyway?"

The young woman stood up as she thought. "To be honest, I don't know. That was the first I've heard of him. We were only told about the Unversed and the disappearance of Keyblade Master Xehanort."

"Sounds like you three are on an important mission."

"It was actually supposed to be just mine and Terra's mission. Ventus, the...younger boy, wasn't even supposed to be here. Apparently, he was so worried about Terra that he went after him." Aqua looked down. "And with these rumors I've been hearing about Terra, and Ven mentioning that masked boy badmouthing him, I'm starting to see why."

Kai was wondering if these rumors had anything to do the argument he witnessed. He debated as to whether or not he should bring up this touchy subject. Curiosity getting the better of him, he hesitantly asked, "I-is there...something wrong...with Terra?"

Aqua sighed and said. "Terra and I recently took a Mark of Mastery exam. It's...how us Keyblade Wielders earn the right to be name Keyblade Masters. During the test, Terra accidentally let his darkness show. And because of that, he failed, while I passed. When our master gave us this mission, he told Terra that this would be a second chance to earn the Mark of Mastery. Behind Terra's back, Master Eraqus told me to keep in eye on him. I was confident that Terra wouldn't fail again. But then I heard these rumors about him doing terrible things and succumbing to the darkness. And now a decide to confront him about it." Aqua looked down, depressed. "Maybe I should've just kept my mouth shut. Terra and Ven both misunderstood mine and the Master's intentions. Terra accusing me of spying, and Ven accusing me of letting my new title go to my head."

Kai saw a tear run down Aqua's cheek. He saw just how hurt she was by those words coming out of the mouths of her own friends.

"How could they even think such things?" she said. "Those two are like brothers to me. Master Eraqus even told Terra that he views him like a son. We're just worried about them. Neither of us want to lose them. Now...I don't know what I should do."

Kai felt sorry for the Keyblade Master. This was one of the reasons he mostly kept to himself: He didn't want to say something that would upset anyone. If that didn't bother him enough, he feared what would happen if he ever got into a serious argument like that with Kairi. He didn't know what he'd do. Still, he wanted Aqua to feel better. So he decided to try. "You said you consider them brothers, right?"

Aqua hesitated for a second. "Yes."

"I've never been in an argument with Kairi. But if I ever did, I'd find a way to work it out. I-I mean...I've heard arguments are common among siblings, but no matter what it was, they still love each other, whether they admit it or not. Even if it was h-her who made me angry, I'd still always protect her from any harm. A-and if I made her angry, I'd do my best to show her how I feel, regardless of what she thinks of me. No matter what...I will get stronger...I'll become as strong as I must...for her."

With that, Aqua felt a little better. She still had her doubts, but she took the young swordsman's words to heart. She looked at the kid with great interest. She admired his devotion to his sister. For a seemingly shy kid, he had a big heart. And the fact that he was accepted into the rookies of the Guard at such a young age, she guessed that he must a prodigy swordsman. While his urge to become stronger did worry her a little, she figured if it was for his sister's protection and not personal interest, there was nothing to worry about. She thought he was a trustworthy person. Perhaps that's why she felt she could tell him about her problems.

After a bit of thinking the Keyblade Master knelt down and smiled at Kai. "You know, I believe in you, Kai." This got Kai's attention. "Kairi is a very special girl. When I met her, I could sense a very strong pure light within her. She should be protected, especially from the forces of darkness. I can tell just by looking at you that you will become a fine swordsman someday. And your strong devotion to your sister is admirable. I believe you should be the one to protect her." She then held out her hand and in a shaft of light her blue Keyblade appeared. "In your hand, take this Key. So long as you have the makings, then through this simple act of taking, its wielder you shall one day be. But beware, as darkness lingers in every heart, even yours. If you are not careful, then hatred and lust for power could lead you off your intended course." She held it by the shaft, facing the handle toward the boy. "But keep the light in your heart strong and you'll rise above, so long as you champion the ones you love."

Kai stared at the Keyblade. He hesitated at first but then calm down as he slowly grabbed hold of the handle. After a few seconds, he felt a slight jolt on his hand and a tingling sensation running through his arm.

"Big Bro!" shouted a familiar voice. Kai let go of the Keyblade and turn to the upper platform and saw Kairi waving at them excitedly. Both Kai and Aqua waved back.

Aqua then whispered in the boy ear. "Let's keep this whole thing between us, okay?"

"Okay," replied Kai.

"I'd best be going." Aqua petted the top of the boy's head. "Perhaps we'll meet again someday."

"Yeah. And...I hope things work out between you and your...brothers."

Aqua nodded as she walked away. She was hoping performing the Bequeathing was the right thing to do. But then she thought Kai would need all the power he could get to protect Kairi. Suddenly, a thought occurred to her. She remembered that Kairi had touch her Keyblade during their encounter. She wondered if the Bequeathing was accidentally performed on the little girl.

As the Keyblade Master walked away, Kai walked toward the upper platform. On his way, he couldn't help but be impressed with himself. That was the most he had ever spoken in a single conversation, and he did seem to cheer her up a little. Perhaps my social skills are starting to get better, he thought. Being in the Recruits must be starting to rub off on me. He climbed back up the high platform and met up with his sister.

"Well," said Kairi, "Is she as awesome as I said?"

"Yes," Kai said caressing his sister's hair. "Yes, she is."

"So, what were you two talking about?"

"W-well, I was just thanking her for saving my sister. That's all."

"Oh really?" she said sarcastically. She may have been four, but she wasn't stupid. She knew it was more that just thanking her.

Kai then looked at the hand that touched Aqua's Keyblade.

KAI: The Keyblade. A truly magnificent weapon. To be able to see one in person and in action is such an honor. If I had a weapon like that, I could be unstoppable. I could protect Kairi from anything. How I wish to have that kind of power.

A/N: I was debating whether or not Kai should meet Aqua. Finally, I decided it wouldn't hurt. I also decided to do my own version of the Keyblade Bequeathing ritual. Since the one Terra did with Riku seemed to refer to the island they were on, I figured I'd make one that was more fitting for the circumstances.