Old Souls

A/N: Ok, This chapter is about Barak again. I hope you enjoy where I am taking this story! ^^

Chapter Song: What Are You Waiting For - Nickelback

Reach For The Top

Barak skidded to a stop, panting frantically as he pushed off of the ground and flipped in mid-air to get away from the short sword that would have taken his head off if he had been just a bit slower. He gulped slightly as he slid back into a defensive stance with one Falchion parallel to his body while his other one was pointed down and to the side of himself ready to attack. The now ten-year-old watched with weary eyes as his opponent paused and looked him over before waving a hand through the air as he slid his saber into its scabbard.

"Good Good, That is quite enough for today child. It's getting late and you should not miss your evening classes." The palace combat instructor said as he glanced up at the sky. Barak slammed his own weapons into there scabbards before doing the same. The boy took in the late afternoon light and gave his own nod.

"Yes, I should not keep the prince waiting should I?" The purple haired boy said with a sardonic smile and turned to leave retying his hair into its low tail. He grimaced as the sweat-soaked strands stuck to his hands and wondered if he should cut the ridiculously long strands. While his bangs where manageable hanging just around his eyebrows in messy spikes that spilled to his shoulders by his ears the rest of it was now nearing his shins. Nah, He finally decided as he headed into the palace of Balbadd it would be unmanageable if it was any shorter. It had just now finally stopped it's random spiking when it had reached his knees.

As the boy wandered into a room that held a truly massive amount of books he let his gold eyes trail to the blond boy of fourteen that sat on one of the comfy chairs that surrounded a sturdy table. Taking a long look at the older boy Barak let himself fall back into memories as he made his way over to an empty chair.

Just a little less than three years ago Barak had made his way to the kingdom of Balbadd after losing his mother to a bandit attack. The man who had led him there had actually been one of the King's many personal spies that he had around the kingdom of Balbadd. The king had met him personally when he had arrived and told him some rather hard truths. First was that his mother had not just been from any old noble family in Kou but had actually been a princess before she had been banished. The second was that she had been protecting him because her family would have used him against his father. His father who was a King apparently. Third and finally was that they were the ones who had sent the bandits to look for him and his mother. Oh, and while the King knew who his father was he was not going to tell ether party because of the shit storm that would hit the moment one side found out just where he was.

Needless to say, Barak had been pretty pissed about it but had held his tongue because while he did not necessarily respect authority he knew he was a guest and could be thrown out (Or worse, Imprisoned) whenever the man felt like it. Still, despite all of that he actually felt that he owed the man quite a bit since the King had allowed and even encouraged his education. Up to and including knowing how to create and maintain a business.

It was only after his first few weeks in the opulent palace that he had run into the third prince of Balbadd. Alibaba was his name and he like Barak was a bastard prince, though he was sired on a maid that the King had feelings for. Sadly the woman had died when Alibaba was around eight years old and the King had gone looking for him only when the boy was around ten. Barak carefully never asked about the time he spent on the street and Alibaba in turn never asked about Barak's mother unless he offered information first.

Alibaba was actually the first friend that Barak had ever made in this new world though he was a bit silly with his obsession with women. (Due to an incident during Barak's childhood he was actually pretty traumatized by a woman to the point he could never understand why someone wanted to have anything to do with them in that way.)

The less said about the other two princes the better in Barak's opinion. The first prince was a fat pig of a boy who was so self entitled that Barak was actually having flashbacks to Dudley whenever he was around the older boy (Though that could be because the other boy looked at him with a mixture of fear and disgust, so it was a bit of a toss-up really.). The second prince, on the other hand, was somewhat redeemable if a bit of a coward. (He was also an idiot)

Still, the three years had passed somewhat peacefully but now with the Kings failing health… Barak shook his head and sat next to Alibaba who was still buried in his reading. A sly smile lit up the younger boys face as he took in the awed expression that was on the blonds face. Only one thing could put that look on the prince's face. Leaning over slightly Barak placed his mouth right next to the blond's ear and said in a loud tone:

"Still fanboying over that perverted womanizer?"

Alibaba shrieked like a little girl and shot up out of his seat falling to the hard floor as he came down from his impromptu flight. Barak was laughing so hard that it was silent with tears threatening to fall as Alibaba glared at him from his place on the floor. The blond jumped up, grabbed the younger boy in a headlock and began to rub his closed fist into the boys head.

"OWW!~" Barak chimed in fake pain while Alibaba growled at him.

"You little brat! Don't sneak up on me like that! Ew, what the hell is this?! Did you just come from practice?! Go take a bath that's disgusting!"

"You know you did not deny your fanboy habit right?"

"I don't want to hear it from a boy afraid of even flirting with a woman!"

"I told you if you have ever seen a courtesan break a man's thingy off and shove it somewhere you really don't want to think about then you would be afraid of women too!" Barak shuddered as he remembered that particularly traumatizing memory.

"..."

"..."

"Where did you even see that anyway?"

"*Shiver* I don't want to talk about it."

A/N: Barak again this chapter. I hope you liked it. Oh, I have put up a Poll for the main Pairing on The Red Wing's of Fate. Please let me know what pairing you would like for that one. Anyway, Thank you for reading and please favorite and review!