Fables/Fairytales Fan Fiction ❯ To Break a Spirit ❯ A Birthday Surprise ( Chapter 1 )

To Break a Spirit

Chapter one: A birthday surprise

 

“Oh, Zeeeeeeeelda!!! Get down here!”

I looked up from my book, slightly surprised. When my older sister Storm calls me, it was usually for a walk around Falador, my hometown, or to talk to the tutors at Lumbridge.

“Yeah?!” I called back.

“What!? Have you forgotten already? We're supposed to meet Sky and Faln at Varroc Square today!” Storm yelled.

Well, when she put it that way…

“Okay, I'm coming!” I finally answered, then asked, “Will I need my stuff?”

“I got your stuff here! Now get down here already!”

I gave my book a wistful glance. I had really wanted to find out what happened next…but it couldn't be helped. If Faln was there, so was I.

I looked around my room real quickly before leaving. Being a princess certainly had its advantages; I could decorate my room however I wanted to. I had painted the walls a light lavender color, with hand-painted white roses adorning them. One side of the room was partly concealed because there were shelves covered with trophies and keepsakes littering them. My favorite was an award for being the first female knight in my class to graduate to adamant armour, which had led to many boys asking if they could take me on a date. Those I had to politely refuse, as Storm would have beat up any of them.

“ZELDA!!!!!”

“Alright, alright!” I finally left my room and went down the stairs. There was Storm, with her shoulder-length black hair and blue-gray eyes. She had inherited our mother's looks and faint ditzy air, while I had Father's brown hair and rather irascible attitude. She was wearing a simple black tunic and pants, and I was garbed with a lilac bodice and pants with a leather sash around my waist.

“Hey Zelda,” Storm greeted me, “Ready to go?”

“Depends. Why do I need my stuff if all we're doing is hanging out in Varroc?”

“It's a surprise,” Storm said slyly. Knowing her, it wasn't a vacation in Karamja. My sister was reckless and, as Sky always says, vicious in battle.

The walk to Varroc happened mostly in silence. Finally, Storm said, “I also have your ranger stuff, just in case.” I stopped abruptly.

“Just tell me where we're going!” I yelled.

“We're going to Varroc. Now calm down.”

Still seething, I silently followed Storm to Varroc Square.

“Hey Storm! Zel! Over here!”

“Zel?” I repeated, boiling up again.” Only one person can call me that. AND IT'S NOT YOU, SKY!!!” Of course I knew who had called us. Sky and Faln were standing by the fountain, waving at us. Sky was a good-hearted fellow, if a little annoying at times, and had hair and eyes the color of dark chocolate. He was wearing black pants and a white shirt with a black jacket. Faln, meanwhile, had tan skin, pale blonde hair, and friendly blue eyes. He wore a green tunic and tan pants.

Anyway, Sky threw up his hands and said, “Whoa Zelda, I didn't know, okay?”

“Just remember that next time, you pompous pinhead!” I snapped, giving him an icy glare.

Faln laughed. “Wow Sky, you sure touched a button there!”

My glare switched to him. “Watch it, buddy.”

Faln recoiled in surprise. Honestly, those boys had no backbone. Course, they could just do that to support my ego, but still.

“Sooooo is everyone ready to go?” asked Sky.

“GO WHERE?!?!?!” I screamed, causing more than a few passer-bys to stare.

“Ya sure ya wanna know?” Storm asked me,” or do you want it to stay a surprise?”

“I do want to know!”

“Okay, but first-“I groaned-“Tell me what today is.”

“The fifth of October, of-oh!” Today was my thirteenth birthday!

“Since today is such a special day, I talked to Mom and Dad about it, and they think you're ready, too.” Storm smiled.

“Ready for what?” I persisted.

“Drum roll, please!” Storm looked at sky and Faln, and they began hitting their thighs in a fake drum roll. Storm then began talking like a game show host. “And today's winner iiiiiiiiissss… Princess Zelda!!!!! Sky! Tell our winner what she's won!!”

Sky took out a scroll from his pocket. “Today our prize on who's the lucky person in town is a trip toooooo……..CLAN WARS!!!!!!!”

“WHAT!!!!!!!” In my entire life I had never, ever been to clan wars. I had heard that it was a lot of fun, and my heart had nearly burst with jealousy when my parents said Storm was allowed to go. “You're kidding! Clan wars! Seriously?!”

“Well, first we have to have to celebrate your birthday the traditional way, but yeah!” Storm grinned. “Happy Birthday, sister!”

 

“Wow Sky, it's awesome!” I exclaimed, holding up an amulet of power. The diamond in the pendant glittered as I turned it from side to side, examining it.

Faln, Sky, and Storm had set up a picnic lunch just outside of the Barbarian Village, where it was quiet and peaceful. After eating a scrumptious lunch of chicken, fresh bread, assorted fruits and vegetables, and finally a delicious cake baked by Faln, they had pulled several boxes out of Storm's pack, presenting them to me one at a time.

“Now we match,” said Storm, taking off her own amulet of power and holing it up next to mine. “I think mine looks better, though.”

“Hey!” I said indignantly.

“Now now now,” admonished Sky, “We don't want to spoil the birthday girl's special day, do we?” He shook his finger at Storm, giving her a reproving glance. I cracked up. Sky was the funniest guy I knew. There was just no way he could pull anything serious off without an air of childishness, and today was no different.

Storm also knew he didn't mean it. She just smiled and handed me her present, a long, thin, undecorated box. I opened it to reveal an oak longbow with steel arrows, the best I was trained to use at the moment.

“Omigosh Storm, it's great!” I said happily, taking the bow and trying it out.

“Use it well, it wasn't cheap!” was my oh-so-cheerful sister's reply. I smiled. Storm sometimes just pretended to be grumpy most of the time…unless it was that. Then she could be pretty crabby.

“My turn!” Faln said cheerfully, handing me a little square box about thirty-two inches in perimeter. I opened it and gasped. Inside was an elegantly designed tiara with a medium- sized emerald surrounded by tiny diamonds set into it.

“Faln, it's…it's…it's beautiful!” I said softly, reaching to my right, where he was sitting, and gave him a big hug.

“Made it myself at my family's smithshop,” he said proudly, “I tried to find amethyst, because I know that it's your favorite color, but I couldn't find it in any of the shops that I looked into, nor could I find rose zirconia, your birthstone, so I decided on your second favorite-“

I silenced him by putting a finger over his lips. “It's the most wonderful thing you could give me, so stop beating yourself up over it.” I told him quietly.

“Ugh, stop it with the lovey-dovey stuff!” Storm yelled, putting her hands over her ears. “You know I can stand that stuff about as much as a dog tolerates fleas!”

“Who said you had to be here anyway, Storm?” I asked, my eyebrows raised.

“I am not passing up a chance to go to clan wars as a nice big group, Zelda. The day that happens is the day dogs-“

“Dogs tolerate fleas, I know,” I finished for her. “So, um…where is the clan war arena?”

“Oh, about two miles into the wilderness,” Sky said casually.

I froze, staring at him. “…What?”

The wilderness, wildy for short, was a dark, treacherous place teeming with ghosts, skeletons, big rats, hill giants, and only Saradomin knows what else! What genius decided to build the arena there?

“Don't worry Zel,” said Sky, winking at me, “We'll protect ya.”

Don't lose it girl, I told myself. No way was I gonna get mad today…at least, I hope not.

“Sky,” I said, taking deep breaths. “Did I not deliberately ask you to stop calling that?”

“You did, Zel,” said Storm, putting emphasis on the last word. Ouch, that put a bruise on my ego.

“Storm, you're seriously ticking me off,” I said through gritted teeth. My temper control was slipping. Any minute now, I would explode.

“Zelda, it's your birthday. Try not to ruin it please?” Faln whispered in my ear.

“Why are you acting like it's your birthday?” I whispered back. “I can do whatever I want today.”

Faln only smiled and put his arm around my shoulder.

“Hey Sky,” an unfamiliar voice greeted. I looked up to see a teenage boy with the same brown hair and eyes as Sky. “Oh oops, am I crashing?” His voice was very pleasant, not that it was my type of course.

“Nah, it's okay, Royal,” said Sky, “Have you met Storm's younger sister Zelda? Today's her birthday.”

“I don't believe I have had the pleasure of meeting her,” said the boy called Royal. Heh, who came up with a name like that? He gave me a pleasant smile. “Hi Zelda, I'm Sky's younger brother Royal. Happy birthday!”

“Uh, hi!” I said uncertainly. Was it just me, or was he looking at me kinda funny…?

“Hey Royal, we're going to clan wars in a few minutes,” said Storm, “Wanna join us?”

Royal shrugged. “Got nothin' else to do really. Yeah, I'll tag along.”

“Well, I can't think of any reason to stay,” said Sky, standing up, “You ready to go Zelda?”

“Yes I think I am,” I answered, also standing up. Faln and Storm rose with me. Together, we cleaned up our picnic lunch. Then we set off on the journey of a lifetime.

Little did I know that the leader of a dark clan was watching us, especially Storm and me.