Kingdom Hearts 0
Chapter I – Time to Train!
Sunlight streamed through the dusty window, illuminating the small room. Zephyrus was snugly cocooned his bed, facing away from the window and the door.
Soft footsteps came from the hallway, and the door creaked as someone stepped into his room. "Wake up, sleepyhead~" she teased.
He groaned and sunk deeper into the cream-colored quilt. "Not yet, Celeste..."
She laughed. "Guess again!"
Zephyrus' eyes shot open as he began to fight with his quilt, which ended up in a humiliating loss as the tangle of sheets tripped him up and sent him face-first into the hardwood floors. A resounding thud echoed throughout the house, followed by hearty laughter from the great room below.
"Love you too, guys!" He rolled his eyes and continued to force himself out of the mess of sheets.
"Need some help?" She laughed, offering her hand.
He stopped and looked up at the girl in his room. She was no older than him, with fiery red hair and piercing green eyes.
"Phoenix," he whispered, not believing who was standing above him. It had been months since they last saw each other, and in that time she had definitely grown older. He felt a little ashamed that he hadn't changed a bit.
"That's my name; don't wear it out!" She chimed while untangling the quilt. She might have looked older, but her personality hadn't changed.
It wasn't too long before Zephyrus was on his feet, looking his best friend eye-to-eye. It was a little shocking to be at eye level with her, instead of looking up to her. Maybe he had grown a little as well.
"Wow, little Zephyr got taller while I was gone~" Phoenix also noticed. "Not fair!"
"That's not the only thing that's changed!" He decided to boast. "Let me get ready and I'll show you how much stronger I've gotten!"
She scoffed. "You're not the only one, Zephyr. While traveling with papa, I got to spar against some of the swordsmen and knights we delivered to, and picked up a few tricks~"
"Oh yeah? Bring it on!" He paused for a moment, and looked down at his sleepwear - old shirt, old pants, bare feet. Not something to fight in. "But first, get out of my room!"
xXx
Changed into something more appropriate for battle - clean shirt, clean pants, leather boots - Zephyrus ran out the back door with a wooden sword that he had crafted himself clenched in his hands.
Waiting for him outside the door was Phoenix, holding her own toy sword over her right shoulder and bearing a smirk on her face. "So, Zephyr, you've gotten stronger, right?" She pointed her sword at him. "Show me!"
"With pleasure!" He made the first move, swinging his sword towards her abdomen.
She quickly sidestepped to the left, dodging the strike. "That's it?"
"Not even close!" He quickly dove into his second attack, a clockwise spin attack.
Caught off guard, his sword crashed into her right side. She winced and rubbed the forming bruise. "Ouch. Not bad." She recovered and spun around to face him, quickly following up with an x-slash. "But I'm better!"
Zephyrus leaned backwards and managed to avoid both strikes, but by mere inches. He lost his balance and fell onto his back, knocking the wind out of him.
Phoenix pointed the tip of her sword in his face. "I win~"
He smirked. "Today. I'll get you tomorrow."
She laughed and sheathed her sword on her belt. "Famous last words, Zephyr. When are you gonna give up and admit that you got beaten into submission by a lady?"
"How about never?" He stood up and wiped the dirt off his backside, then picked up his own sword off the ground. "I tripped up today, that's all."
"Excuses, excuses! You boys are so prideful. That's the only reason I'm not a knight yet - the men don't want to admit that a lady like myself can outshine them all~"
"Outshine them all, you say? Look who's getting prideful now!"
She puffed out her chest and folded her arms in front of it. "Well, it's only true! I'll prove it to everyone at the tournament!"
Zephyrus raised an eyebrow. "Tournament? Where?"
Phoenix rolled her eyes and sighed. "In town, dummy. You know, the Summer Festival? They're holding a sword-fighting tournament this year, and I'm entering!"
"The Summer Festival, huh?" He muttered under his breath. "That's a week from now..."
"Exactly! If we're gonna enter, we're gonna have to train hard, hard, hard! No slacking, lazybones! We're gonna win this thing and become real knights!"
"Real knights..." He mouthed the words a few times - the statement felt so foreign to him. A smile began to grow on his face, and he looked up to her with determination in his eyes. "You're on!"
xXx
For the next five days Phoenix and Zephyrus would follow the same routine: wake up, eat breakfast, train, eat lunch, train, eat supper, and sleep again.
The sixth day began as usual - Zephyrus woke up at the crack of dawn, dressed in his usual attire, and went down to the great room's kitchen area to prepare for the day.
However, that morning his grandmother, an aged woman a little over fifty years of age with a brittle stature, had woken earlier than usual and already served breakfast to Phoenix, who had also arrived early.
He raised an eyebrow at the unusual sight. "What brings you two here so early?"
Phoenix looked up from her meal and waved at him while she swallowed. "Tomorrow's the tournament, and I want to make sure we're ready!"
"Well, we've been training-"
"Wrong 'ready'," she cut him off. "Equipment."
"Oh yeah..." He laid his chin on his palm in thought. "I've got father's old sword…"
"Oh no, no no no," She pointed her fork at him half-threateningly. "That rusty thing won't do. I've got you covered already."
Zephyrus' felt his eyes go wide. "YOU got me something?"
She rolled her eyes. "Nothing big, Zephyr. A new sword, basic armour; you know, to protect yourself."
Phoenix's father was the town's blacksmith, and famed throughout the kingdom for his craftsmanship. Anything she got him would come from him, and Zephyrus found himself barely containing his excitement. "Can I see it?"
"You can see it for yourself after breakfast, dear." His grandmother decided that moment would be a good time to get in on the conversation. She held a plate of food in one hand, and pointed to an empty chair with the other.
Feeling his face turn red, he looked down and quickly took his seat. "Yes, grandma..."
xXx
After the satisfying breakfast, the two friends walked down the dirt road towards the city's gates.
"So," Zephyrus was gazing up at the blue sky, a few clouds here and there, but mainly clear, "why couldn't you just bring it with you?"
Phoenix let out a laugh. "You expect me to carry everything out to the farm? Geez, you may have gotten taller, but you sure haven't gotten any smarter!"
He scratched the back of his head and let out a sheepish laugh, realizing that her logic made sense. He should have thought that through more carefully before opening his mouth.
"Besides," she continued, "Papa needs to do some fitting and adjustments, so it's more convenient for you to come to us."
"True, I guess..." He had definitely not thought that through enough.
The two reached the strong stone walls, with its large wooden doors and metal gate open. For as long as they had lived in the town, the two had never seen the gates closed. Rumour had it that the gates had never been closed before. They entered the town and followed the left path to the blacksmith's shop.
After a short walk they arrived at the open-air shop, conveniently located on the same plot of land as Phoenix's home. Her father, a large balding man, waited for them near the road.
"Well, well, well! If it ain't lil' Zephyr!" His thick accent and bellowing voice echoed throughout the street. He gave Zephyrus a playful but rough slap on the back. "Ya got taller while we's were out yonder. `Bout time!" He gave Zephyrus a few quick glances. "`Tho you's still skinny as a twig! How d'plan t'be knight without muscle?"
"Papa!" Phoenix whined.
"Jus' jokin', darlin'." He let out another hearty laugh. "There's plenty more t'being a knight than strength." He pointed towards a table sitting in the middle of the shop. "Now then, let's get'cha suited up."
On the table were the basics, just like Phoenix said there would be - chainmail body armour, thick leather gloves, shin and arm guards, and a slightly shorter-than-your-average sword. Zephyrus was immediately drawn to the sword, the light from the hearth reflecting in it and showing off a few of the designs etched into the blade. He picked it up and gave it a few quick swings. "It handles quite nicely."
"It better!" Her father grunted. "I helped Phoenix craft it!"
Her face went from normal to deep red in a matter of seconds. "P-papa! That was our secret!"
"Whoops, sorry darlin'." He winked at her, causing her to bury her face deep within her hands.
Zephyrus took a moment to further admire the sword, tracing the detailing with his fingers. The etchings reminded him of a fierce wind, and were something that Phoenix would have come up with. "Thanks Phee. It's a great sword."
From between her fingers, Phoenix looked up at him and glared.
"What? I'm serious!"
Her father let out another bellowing laugh. "Why don'cha ferget the sword fer a while? Gotta make sure e'rything else is working jus'right. Can't have yer armour failing ya during the tournament!"
xXx
That night, Phoenix and Zephyrus returned to the hill of their childhood, laying on their backs while looking up upon the moonless night and admiring the countless stars.
"You know, Zephyr," Phoenix said in a near-whisper, "I really missed this."
Zephyrus could feel his cheeks getting hot as he turned his head towards her. "M-missed what?"
She laughed, spreading out her arms as if she were trying to hug the sky. "This!"
He sighed and returned his gaze to the stars. "Why are girls so bad at giving a straight answer?"
She gave him a playful nudge in the ribs. "Like you're much better, Sir Avoids-a-Lot."
He took a deep breath and let it out to clear his mind. He knew what she was talking about, and even though she was his closest friend, he still felt like he couldn't tell anyone about it.
"Hey!" Two voices in the distance shouted.
Zephyrus and Phoenix both sat upright and turned towards the voices, one belonging to his sister, and the other to a boy slightly older than her.
"Jovani!" Zephyrus called back, an uncontrollable smile lighting up his face.
The younger boy was the first to reach the hill, and promptly tackled Zephyrus to the ground.
Zephyrus swiftly got on top of the younger boy, trapped him in a headlock and proceeded to ruffle his short brown hair.
"Owowowww!" Jovani shrieked while he tried to pull away.
Celeste was the last to arrive at the hill, taking a seat next to Phoenix. Zephyrus decided it was the right time to release the younger boy, and the four of them looked up to the stars and shared a laugh.
I guess the legend of the wishing star is true.
"So, Phoenix, Zephyr!" Jovani's grin reached from ear to ear. "I hear you're entering the tournament! Me too!"
The two of them looked at each other, then stared at their younger friend wide-eyed. "WHAT?"
The young boy frowned. "You guys think I'm weak."
"Pretty much," Phoenix cut in before Zephyrus could open his mouth.
A devilish grin slipped onto Jovani's face. "Just you wait and see."
Phoenix's smile was over-confident. "Bring it, farm boy."
Celeste stifled a giggle, amused at the two's antics. Zephyrus could barely contain himself as he let out a burst of laughter.
It's just like we used to be.