"A Little More Than Kin..."

By: Crystalis Blade.

Chapter 1


With a loud clash of blades, a young man stumbled back in the sand as his short and shaggy dusty-blond hair came in front of his face as the other pulled his blade to his side with a smile.

"You're laggin', Sabin," he yelled to the ladder as he swept his own long blond ponytail behind his shoulder. With a heavy sigh, Sabin responded,

"Don't get cocky, Edgar" At that, he rushed his older brother holding his blade with two hands. The two collided except this time, Edgar took his step back holding his brother's blade against his own, face to face.

"Not" Edgar said with a little effort as his brother smiled. Using his momentum, Edgar let his knee bend and pushed his brother forward, but Sabin saw it and swung backhanded around to catch Edgar's right forearm.

"Hey," Edgar yelled seeing the small formation of a thin red line on his arm.

"Heh, sorry" Sabin began to laugh at his brother's expression. The circle of onlookers, mostly Figaroian guards, began to smile at the younger brother's small well earned victory. Up on the battlements, both the king and chancellor watched, each rolling their eyes.

"Okay, that's ityour mine!" The two went at it once again across the scolding sands; the older with apparent skill as the younger kept his steady ground. Finally, Sabin fed up with his brother toying with him, clipped Edgar's hilt on a surprise move, flipping his sword into the air. Meanwhile he kicked Edgar's feet from under him and gently, almost mockingly placed his sword to his brother's neck as the other sword landed in the sand a few feet away.

"Well," Sabin asked with a massive smirk on his face. Edgar rolled his eyes and pushed his brother's sword away from his neck with a touch of contempt.

"Oh, I let you win" As Edgar finished his sentence the crowd began to laugh. He continued, "after all, you are my baby brother. Now gimmie a hand up," putting out his hand. Sabin added, "sure" rolling his eyes as he grabbed Edgar's hand at the wrist and heaved him up. Standing next to each other, you could tell that the two were brothers and that Edgar was older; he was about an inch taller and had longer hair than Sabin. Sabin was leaner in the shoulders with darker and much shorter hair and look just a bit younger, if not more meek in that childlike sense. What you couldn't tell was that the two were twins, furthermore, that they were princes.

Sabin turned putting his sword in the sheath and walked away waving to his father on the battlements. Edgar turned in the opposite direction and picked up his sword and smiled at his father as well. As if struck by lightning, Edgar saw a perfect opportunity to return the "favor" to his brother. He put his sword in its sheath and very quietly started running at his brother's back to, at the last minute, dive at him and land in the sand wrestling with him.

The King sighed, "only my boys." The chancellor smiled as he watched the two wrestle in sand as the guards cheered on their favorite prince.

"At least they are trying to live a normal life, after all, they are princes, Your Majesty."

"Heh, I know, I know. I wouldn't have it any other way. By the way, who do you think will win?"
"I'm rooting for Sabin My Lord, just because Edgar usually beats him to death, but I have a strong feeling Edgar's going to win."

"Ah, we shall see," the King sighed and smiled as he went inside all the while the two continued their little dispute on the sand.

"Your Majesty," the chancellor yelled as he followed. "What are we going to do about the Imperial visit tomorrow, sir?" Figaro was probably the smallest castle, but, they were the second largest kingdom in the world and a very content and well respected one at that. Figaro was almost strategically placed as well; the western continent in the middle of the desert. They were allied to the largest kingdom in the known world. This kingdom was growing so large, so fast that it was creating unrest in the areas around, even Figaro. It was just referred to as "The Empire."

The King slowed his step a little down the corridor and down the stairs for the chancellor to catch up. He thought for a moment and added,

"We are still on for the ball when they arrive, correct?"

"Well, yes sir"

"Then what's the problem?"

"The fact of our treaty"
"Yes. Let me handle that chancellor. When my sons are finished, talk to them about the ball either today or tomorrow. Send them to me when you're done, but at the moment, I have a meeting with my General." He turned his attentions to the well armored man holding the throne room door.

"Thank you, Collin. Now, are you ready?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. Thank you for discussing this with me, I know you are quite busy," the general said following the king in.

"We shall continue this later chancellor," the king said as he closed the door. The chancellor nodded and went to his other affairs. His thoughts were stuck on this Imperial visit issue, though. A few weeks ago, one of their generals already came. They discussed the fact of the Empire's rapid growth, but more their ways of acquiring lands. At times, the Empire could be ruthless when they didn't get what they want. And now, Figaro questioning their methods was getting to them, so was the talk of breaking allegiance. To add insult to injury, the King had become ill that week as well and even today, he wasn't doing too well. The chancellor thought to himself what might happen just in case

"Oh, poor Sabin and Edgar. They not only will have no mother, but no father and have to balance a kingdom on their shoulders. Too much for a 17 year old," he said shaking his head. When the boys were about 12, the queen of Figaro had died. She went to sleep and never awoke.

The chancellor continued down the sky-lighted corridor and through the double doors that led to the open portion of the castle. People yelled and talked to each other about their daily lives in the country. Some people waved and even said hello to the chancellor. He returned the smile and walked to the end to the double doors at the end of the paved walkway. He went through the small entrance way and out to the front steps of the castle. He stopped and looked up at the patrolling guards on the upper walkway shielding his eyes.

"Hello up there!"

"Ah! Chancellor! Hullo down there," said the guard holding the spear.

"Hey Liam. Have you seen Sabin or Edgar today?"

"You mean after their littleplaytime?" Liam was a good friend to the two. He was one of the younger guards, only about 18, and he grew up with them. He had shoulder length black hair that he kept back with a small, uniform tiara. He had a slight tan from being on watch all day and his deep brown eyes showed to be tired.

"I see that you watched."

"Of course! I was really proud of SabHe finally got Eddy," Liam laughed back. "But really, no, I haven't. Check the usual places in a little while, chancellor, you know that." He rolled his eyes,

"I know, your right. Thanks!" He waved and sighed, "I should have known that. I'll talk to Matron first, then find the boys."

He went into the entrance hall and out the right side door to Sabin's room. He crossed the sand past the chocobo watch guards and went up the stairs to Sabin's room. When Edgar and Sabin decided to have their own rooms, Sabin had opted for the smaller of the two. It contained only what he felt he needed; his desk with a few books and scattered papers (mostly pages of music), pencils and pens and a picture of he and his brother was on the right wall. His bed that was messily made with a small nightstand next to it that had a picture of his parents was across from his desk on the opposite side of the room. Across from that and to the left, there was a small mirror that had a sink below it which held upon it a toothbrush, a comb, some toothpaste and a few other things. His closet was on the wall in front of the bed right next to the stair case that led up to the outside deck above his room. This also portrayed the way he felt about his kingship; he wasn't a fan of it and personally didn't feel ready for it. He also figured that his brother would make a better king then he would.

As the chancellor walked up the stairs and to the left to enter the room, he found Matron fiddling with Sabin's bed. Matron was the boys' governess. She had taken care of them since they were about 3 and especially when their mother died. He was in her late 40s with graying hair (supposedly from taking care of the two). She was always warm hearted with a massive amount of patience.

"Good afternoon, chancellor," she said upon noticing him. "I thought you were Sabin."

"Me, too," he responded. She smiled.

"I take that you're looking for him or Edgar."

"Yes, I am."

"Well, he was here. His shoes are in the corner," she pointed to a pair of sand covered boots. "Try Eddy's room."

"Thank you, Matron. If you see either of them"

"I will. Good day," she said as she finished straightening Sabin's bed. The chancellor walked back down the stairs and across the castle grounds to the room on the opposite side; it was Edgar's. When the two were younger, they shared this room. Anyway, the chancellor walked up the stairs to reveal a nice and orgainzed room, fit for a prince.

"Matron was here," he mused to himself as he entered. Edgar had a lot more books in his room with notes and paper scattered everywhere on his desk. On the top shelf, it had a family portrait and a few of his favorite books; two leisure and the other three "The Science of Engineering," Volumes 1-3 of course. On the floor next to his desk were a box of tools and a few projects, for example, his automatic crossbow prototype. In the center of the room, more off center to the right was his bed. It was neatly made, on the top at least. His closet was to the left of his desk and he had a nice private bathroom and shower, which his brother still used. He too had a staircase that led to a look out deck above his room. To the dismay of the chancellor, Edgar had mystically disappeared, as well.

"Oh! I am really getting fed up with them! Maybe Liam was rightI'll send someone to find them." He turned and headed back down the stairs and headed to the sky-lighted corridor in the main hall. As he walked in, he could hear the sweet sounds of a piano concerto being fluidly played in the background. He smiled to himself thinking, yes, I know where they are. He walked into the room to the right of the throne room and sent a guard out to find the two.

"Edgar will most likely be in the library and Sabin is probably in with the piano." The soldier nodded and left. The chancellor paced the room, fed up with the two's game. About ten minutes later, Edgar walked in holding a book and notebook with a few pages sticking out. He came in and nodded to the guard sitting in the corner. He stood in front of the chancellor with his books in his right hand and his left hand in his side pocket of his blue pants. His white shirt was loosely tucked in and his boots had a little sand to them. A deeper white could be seen on his right arm that had left a small red mark on his sleeve. His long ponytail sat in the center of his shoulder with a blue bow tying it off.

"You rang," he asked with a hint of sarcasim.

"Where were you and where is your brother," the chancellor snapped back.

"I was where I always am, the library."

"With your nose in a book, no doubt," Sabin said as he entered the room. His brother shot him a look. Sabin walked up and stood to the left of his brother except in his left hand, there were pages of piano music. He stood with his right hand in the back pocket of his kacki pants with his weight on his right leg and his left leg forward. His long sleeve black shirt sat just above his waist line and his hair sat parted down the middle at about his eye level and got longer as it was shaped around his head. The chancellor smiled and began to laugh as he looked at the two, side by side. He walked between them.

"What" they both asked in unison as they turned to look at him, exchanging looks with each other.

"Heh, the brothers of Figaro, same date of birth and as different as night and day." The two brothers looked at themselves up and down then looked at each other and shrugged.

"So," Sabin said. "That's a bad thing?" Edgar smiled at his brother's remark and the chancellor rolled his eyes and said,

"Anyway, you know of the ball in a few days, correct?" They nodded each with a touch of grimace.

"I know how much you hate them, but you must make an appearance full attire."

"What!?! Oh no. No, no, no, no" Edgar said shaking his hands "I don't think so."

"I am NOT wearing that stupid little crown thing, let alone the full armor and the dancing and theoh, by the gods" Sabin added to his brother's protest.

"Yes, you areBOTH of you. And you will act the part as well."

"Ah, manthere are times I hate being a prince," Edgar said rolling his eyes. To everyone's surprise, Sabin heaved a sigh and subtly added,

"So be it" He's usually the one who makes the biggest protest of us both, Edgar thought. He furthered, "he's right, it just has to be done." This time the chancellor's eyes got large and guessed that either they were growing up, or maybe they had just hit their heads wrestling.


Author's Note: Sabin and Edgar both belong to Squaresoft. All other characters (Liam...) belong to me and tell me what you think, too.

Hey, visit my site, The Blackjack Casino, too!