Chapter Text
She spotted him as she was leaving Twilight Town’s station. A boy slicing down monsters that had appeared in the plaza around him. There wasn't any skill or technique in his actions, but she could see from the way he used the blade in his hands that he wasn't a stranger to it. How odd, she thought to herself, that a boy his age would have a Keyblade, but no Master to be seen.
Not only that, but she only knew of three other Masters besides herself. And as far as she knew, neither had this boy as their apprentice. Eraqus had only two, Yen Sid just one, and Xehanort none. Therefore she could not think of how such a boy would have obtained a Keyblade in the first place. And then there was the matter of the darkness she sensed within him. How much suffering had this child experienced for him to hold so much negativity in his Heart? Hoping to find an answer to at least one of these questions, she approached the boy.
“Hello there. My name is Iqarus, and I am a Keyblade Master.” She smiled softly and bent her knees so that she was eye level with the child. He looked to be around 10 years old, but was short for his age, with shaggy black hair covering his face. “Might I ask your name?”
The boy brushed his hair to the side and looked at her with wide, solemn eyes for a long second, until at last he whispered, "Minato."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Minato. I see you have a Keyblade as well." Iqarus gestured to the blade still in his hands, and Minato's gaze followed. Now that she was closer, it looked vaguely familiar. "Are your guardians nearby?"
Minato's eyes darkened. "No. They're gone."
Gone? Then… “Do you not have any place to call home? No friends? How have you been eating?”
"You’re pretty nosy." The child said this defiantly, but his shifting weight gave Iqarus the answers she was looking for.
"Hmm... It’s no good for a kid like you to be on the streets, you know. How about you come stay with me? I could teach you how to better use the Keyblade, and you might even become a Master yourself."
At this, a glimmer of interest appeared on the boy’s face. “A Master, huh?” His gaze wandered off to the side as he considered, then a small smile began to form on the boy's face. "Okay, sure. I'll go with you."
Iqarus straightened and offered him her hand. He shook it firmly and she held back a smile. "But first, how about you and I get some ice cream, hmm?"
"Ah, Iqarus. It's good to see you again." Eraqus stood and greeted his old friend cheerily as she entered his office. "And who is this? Have you at last taken up an apprentice?" He looked at the boy standing shyly behind Iqarus.
"As it so happens, yes I have." She put a hand on the boy's back, nudging him forward. "This is Minato."
"Well, it's certainly a pleasure to meet you, Minato. I am Eraqus." Eraqus eyed the boy. He could sense something dark in the boy's Heart. Iqarus didn't seem to pay it any mind, but Eraqus felt he should keep close watch over him.
"It's nice to meet you, too." The boy fidgeted before asking timidly, "Are you a Keyblade Master too?"
"I am. And I also have my own apprentices. Would you like to meet them?"
A small nod from Minato had Eraqus calling out the door to the office. Soon after, a boy and a girl entered the room. The boy was taller than Minato was, with bright eyes exuding excitement. The girl was a little shorter, with blue hair and matching serious eyes. Minato found her extremely pretty. Their gazes passed over Iqarus before settling on Minato. The boy stepped forward, opening his mouth and letting loose a surge of questions.
"Hey there! I'm Terra! That's Aqua. What's your name? Where're you from? Did Master Iqarus bring you? Are you also training to be a Master? What's your favorite Keyblade? Do you like—"
Aqua cut Terra off in the middle of his interrogation. "Terra, give him time to answer!"
Terra hung his head apologetically. "Sorry."
Minato eyes darted back and forth between the two of them, overwhelmed. "I-i-i... Y-yes." The duo stared at him.
A long silence.
Then Terra started laughing. Aqua giggled a little alongside him.
"Wahaha, what was that? 'Yes'?" He was laughing too much.
Minato puffed his cheeks with a stubborn pout.
"S-stop laughing! Of course I'm gonna be a Master!"
"Oh, oh yeah?" Terra kept giggling, tears starting to leak from his eyes.
"Yeah! And I'm definitely going to become one before you!"
This got Terra to quiet down, but a grin was still wide across his face. "Yeah, right. Like I'm gonna be beat by some little kid."
This turned out to be the last straw, because Minato summoned his Keyblade and jumped at Terra. The two Masters, who had previously been watching silently, quickly stepped in to stop the fight before it could truly begin. Iqarus pinned Minato’s arms to his sides in a tight hug while Eraqus stood between the boys.
"That is enough!" Eraqus glared down at Minato. "Control yourself, boy." That child's darkness was a problem. Why would Iqarus...? Eraqus then saw the blade in the boy's hand. Could it be? That shape... Of course, what with that Key combined with his... issues, it would be better to have the boy under a trained eye. It would have been troublesome to leave him be.
Eraqus took a breath and calmed himself. "Iqarus, take the boy to the library, let him cool his head."
The visitors left the room. "Are you alright, Terra?" The Master looked down at his pupil.
"Huh? Yes, Master." Terra looked at the door. "But what was up with him? Can't he take a little teasing?"
"Not everyone is like you, Terra," Aqua spoke up. "Some of us are a little more sensitive than you are. And, to be fair, you were pushing a little hard."
"Aqua is right. The boy is still adjusting to his new life. Be more careful with him, and don't be afraid to come to either me or Master Iqarus if anything goes wrong!"
The children nodded. "Yes, Master."