A Little More Than Kin...Chapter 3

"A Little More Than Kin..."

By: Crystalis Blade.

Chapter 3


Sabin slowly walked to the chair where his brother sat and let himself fall into it. That wasn't like him. I've never seen Edgar do that. What could be wrong, Sabin thought. He looked over Edgar's notes and blueprints,

"Heh, figures" he said whimsically. He figured it'd be better to leave Edgar alone, so, he neatly gathered all of them and headed to his own room.

He immediately noticed the light slowly dimming over the horizon as he walked into the foyer. He looked out the windows with a vacant look and watched the sun set. As he saw his reflection, he thought of Edgar again. Maybeit's dad? Or, yes, the succession. Cause and effect. We lose one, we get the other, not a compromise I desire. I wish I wasn't a prince. I want a normal life, Sabin thought with a puzzled look on his face. Then he smiled, jeez, I'm getting selfish

He walked like that for a while, letting his mind wander. If Sabin feared anything more than his older brother in the morning, it was the fact of him being a king. He thought he couldn't handle it; the idea of having a nation of people depend on him. That's what he respected and admired most about his brother, that Edgar could do that.

Sabin thought he was in his room when he realized to his surprise, he ended up in the music hall. It was a large room with high ceilings and windows everywhere. The sound bounced beautifully off the walls here and echoed throughout the castle. Sabin always came here to think, read, write, paint, or whatever. When he came in, the sun was giving its last plea to the succumbing darkness. He lit only three on the candle holders not to give the sun any help and took one to the piano. He set down Edgar's notes on the bench and set the candle holder next to the music board. He had left his new music back in his room when he originally left the throne room.

He sat down and ran a couple scales to warm his hands up. He loved this piano; he loved the sound, the shinning black reflection as the candle light flickered, and especially, the memories. His mother taught he and his brother how to play here; Sabin stayed with it, Edgar only came in once and a while.

He ran a couple more scales and began to play. The sound reverberated through the walls and through his head. He let his fingers do the work and his mind enjoy the performance. He played whatever songs that came to his fingers. After a while, he stopped and thought about what he wanted to play; only one song came to his head.

His fingers graced the piano with such fluid motion and skill you would have thought that he was a part of it. The song was one not only embedded into his head, but heart as well. It was the first song he learned and the favorite of his family, especially of his mother and Edgar. Edgar had called it "Coin Song" because he said that it reminded him of a flipping coin or of one spinning; Sabin thought he was nuts. But still, he let the music play out, the subtle bass clef like tranquility pour through the room as the sweet treble set the spirit of the candle light ablaze. He was so engrossed in the song he didn't even hear the sounds of someone lightly padding across the tile floor. When he finally finished he heard a familiar sigh.

"I always loved that." Sabin quickly turned to find Edgar to be very unobtrusively standing barefoot with his right armed crossed over his left a few feet behind him.

"How long have you been there," Sabin asked amazed.

"Long enough" Edgar smiled and sat next to his brother after moving his own notes. "I was looking for these."

"I, ah, was going to bring them back to you, but I kinda got caught up here."

"Heh, that's fine." Edgar played a couple notes on the piano and looked at his brother, "What's on your mind?"

"nothing."

"Liar" Sabin only put his arm on the piano by the music board and let his head rest on it with a slight smirk. He didn't like talking to his brother about his troubles, especially when they were about him. He'd usually come here to do something to let his thoughts out, but unluckily, his brother caught up to him before his self-help therapy took affect.

"Just practicingthat's all." Edgar raised a brow and let his lip curve to one side and said,

"Saaabinnn. Come on, talk to meI'm sorry if I offended you earlier." He let the last part of the sentence drift.

"Oh, no. Don't worry about that I" but before Sabin could finish, Edgar interjected,

"I'm worried about you." This flat out caught Sabin off-guard. Edgar had always said that in his playful I'm-your-older-brother-pestering-you' tone, but now he said it so seriously that it worried him.

"Did you hit your head when we wrestled today," Sabin responded lifting his head in an innocent tone. Edgar only laughed,

"Hell when I show you compassion Seriously, I'm worried about you. You've been acting" Edgar made a couple hand gestures; he couldn't find the right words. "You've cut yourself off to us, and today, I thought that you finally said something or hinted towards why. But when you finally spoke, I snapped at you. Sospill, what's up."

Sabin looked down. He wasn't sure if he should speak his mind or not. After all, his brother was honestly being sincere, but still, there was that stubbornness that he and his brother shared. Edgar knew exactly what he was thinking and decided to push,

"Well?" Sabin made his decision,

"Edgar, what would you do with freedom?" This caught Edgar in one of his naïve moments. He had no idea what to say to his brother. The one word that lingered in his mind was "freedom."

"Idon't kn-know. I" Edgar stuttered. He had the most absent look on his face; massive eyes, slightly parted lips, and breath held.

"Eddy, Edgarbrother," Edgar looked at him, "breath." Edgar took the advice of his brother then finished,

"I never really thought about it. I guess, I just never thought about it. I mean, I'm kinda sick of this life, even though it hasn't really begun." He laughed then regained his composure. "Why? Oh" he sighed with a grin. "That's what's been bugging you."

"Huh?"
"Are you worried about the succession aspect of it or just dad?" This angered Sabin. He had never cared about succession, he could have let the world deal with it. He always had compassion for his family more than anything.

He abruptly stood up and snapped, "what do you think, Edgar? You know how I feel about things like this." He shook his head and closed his eyes in anger, "I'm tired of everyone acting like, like" Sabin couldn't find the words to finish. Sabin was less articulate about what he was feeling than Edgar and that made him rather shy, even to his family. He just, didn't how what to say what he felt. Edgar then stood to try and comfort his brother. He put his arm out to his shoulder,

"Sabin, relax. I didn't mean for it to come out like that. I-" He interrupted and slapped Edgar's arm away,

"Well it did. I'm beginning to wonder, Edgar, are you more worried about being king, then"

"What's that suppose to mean?!?"

"Look how you've been acting lately"

"Look at you! You're standing here accusing me of absolutely nothing! I swear, Sabin there are times."

"Such as"

"For example now. The things I doyou wouldn't understand." This enraged Sabin further.

"Why do you treat me like a child!?! I have earned my right to an answer!"

Edgar raised his voice back at his brother, "because at times you are! I mean again Look at you! You're standing there ah-ah-accusing me of absolutely nothing about things that I have" He paused and finished, "you want your answer brother? Well, here: the things I do, I do to make dad proud. You don't understand, I get the kingdom next, and the last time I checked, you weren't too fond of being king. I do it for the kingdom, dad, myself, and you You always complicate things, or seem too. Now, if you'll excuse me, , I have unimportant and self-centered things to do" He started to storm off offended at what his brother had thought of him. As he was just about out of the room when Sabin stopped him,

"Edgar" He stopped and thought for a minute, then turned around,

"Yes, Sabin." He noticed Sabin standing by the side opening to the outside walkway, about to leave.

"What is simple, is true" With that, Sabin turned out the walkway and left the words to reverberate off the walls and in Edgar's headjust like the music of his life.


Author's Note: All characters are property of Squaresoft, all other original characters belong to me. Please tell me what you think!

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