"Oh lord, I'm screwed," I whispered to myself.
"You sure are," laughed Roxas.
I could feel some of the spirits laughing and some dying inside like I am right now.
"It's so bad that I want to cry and laugh at the same time," I said to myself as I went to greet my new 'knights'
"Stand in attention," I said sternly as they finally noticed my presence and lined up.
Except Vinny who struggled a bit before getting up and saluting me lazily.
"We stand under the command of the princess," they all said in unison.
"Show me your beastial forms," I commanded.
The girl was a Doe beast.
The one with peach hair was a Chicken beast.
Vinny was a Boar beast and the one with black hair was a cow beast.
"A chicken, a pig, a cow, and a deer--,"
"Boar," Corrected Vinny as I took a deep breath in.
"Is my father mocking me? No this is exactly what I should've expected," I groaned wanting to cry.
Vinny looked slightly offended as the other three looked like they had accepted their fate and knew they weren't exactly the best.
"What are your names?" I asked, trying to be as kind as I could.
"Arian Velos," said the peach haired boy.
"Mary ann Hall," said the girl.
"Vincent Green," Said Vinny.
"Hero Gates," Said the one with black hair.
"Hero? Quite a name," I said in shock.
"Yes, that's what my parents expected anyway," he laughed sheepishly.
"So you don't believe you're a hero?" I asked curiously.
"... Well, I'm happy being average," he said awkwardly.
"I can see how Vincent and Hero became knights but what happened to you two?" I asked pointing at Mary ann and Arian.
The two of them flustered, "T-They said I was pretty good with a sword but... I get scared easily by loud noises," Explained Arian.
"Um, I passed most of the exercises for knights and am extremely fast at running but... I just... Can't hold up the sword properly," she said, clearly extremely embarrassed.
"So... Why are we even here? We're like... The worst of our batch. What does the princess want with us?" Vinny asked rudely.
Hero elbowed Vinny as I answered, "I bet my father I could train you to defeat the best knights in Sterling," I answered honestly.
"Pfft-- HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! You?! Train 'us'? HAHAHAHAHAH, that's rich, Princess, sorry to tell you but you're losing, no doubt about it," Vinny laughed.
I looked at the others who refused to meet my gaze knowing what Vinny was saying was true.
"You may be quick to dismiss it but I think I can work with this," I sighed.
I snapped my fingers and Harley, Glade, Lumiere, and Rafael appeared.
"Meet my elemental spirits. I will test your skill as you spar with them since you're not exactly ready to take me on directly. Arian, you'll spar with Lumiere, Mary with Glade, Hero with Rafael, and Vincent with Harley, go," I said as the spirits stepped up to introduce themselves to their partner.
"No way I'm battling a kid," Scoffed Vinny as Harley looked a bit annoyed.
"My other spirits can't hold back as well as these ones, compared to the other three Harley has less self control therefore the strongest opponent for your level," I explained.
"Still a kid," Vinny said stubbornly.
"I'm gonna kill him, Snow," Harley smiled as I told him that he can't.
"Harley, use your adult form for the time being," I sighed as Harley huffed but obeyed.
"That's more like it!" Vinny laughed.
Then they started sparring.
I felt a tap on my shoulder and it was Lumiere.
"What happened?" I asked, eyeing Arian who looked fine.
"He's requested if he could spar with earplugs," smiled Lumiere apologetically.
I thought for a second and smiled. "Tell him he can do it if he can promise to give knock you off your feet, in any way necessary," I smiled mischievously as Lumiere nodded, understanding.
"Snow," Glade called.
"Yes?" I asked slightly annoyed.
"I know how handsome I am but she's completely paralyzed by me, I can't spar with her like this," he said as I looked over his shoulder and saw that Mary had her eyes glued onto Glade, blushing madly.
I sighed, "Use your girl form for now,"
Glade happily did so as he or should I say she, finally got to spar with Mary.
Suddenly I heard a bang and saw that Arian really did knock Lumiere down. I looked at Lumiere shocked as he looked at Arian even more shocked than I was.
The look in Arian's eyes were different, his doe eyes suddenly taking a sharp turn, like he aimed to spill blood and he displayed skills that certainly could do so.
"Well, isn't that a nice surprise, there's hope for me yet," I smiled.
After a few more seconds the spirits bowed to their opponents and told them to line up in front of me.
I glanced at Arian as he removed the earplugs and his sharp war crazy look faded into his normal timid, and doe eyed look.
'How strange,' I thought to myself.
They all lined up in front of me and my spirits gave their summaries.
"Reporting to the princess about sir Hero. Average skill, nothing special, but he knows the basics, and has good form," Rafael reported as I nodded and he dissappeared.
"Reporting to the princess about sir Arian. Good skill, speed, strength and techniques are for that of advanced swordsman but stops immediately and becomes clumsy after earplugs fall out," Reported Lumiere as I nodded and he dissappeared as well.
"Reporting to the princess about sir Vincent. All strength no technique, reaction time and movement speed are both slow," Harley reported as I sighed and he laughed before dissappearing.
"Reporting to the princess about miss Mary. Extremely sensitive to small movements and has a quick reaction time, great footwork and she knows the form and techniques, but the sword really does throw her off," Glade reported with a sigh as he disappeared.
"So what do you guys think about your summaries?" I asked them.
"Nothin we haven't heard before," Vincent shrugged.
"... Well, princess, this really is the best we could do," Hero smiled apologetically.
I was quiet for a while before I looked at them and nodded.
I snapped my fingers and ankle and wrist weights appeared on Mary.
"W-What the--," she exclaimed.
"You are not to take those off while you're here on the field under my supervision. The moment you do, I'll make sure to make it ten times heavier than it is now," I said with a threatening smile as she gulped in fear.
"Y-Yes, ma'am-- I-I mean princess," she said.
"This should be only a little uncomfortable, not the weight of a sword but every 3 days we increase the weight until you can. Now go run 100 laps."
"100!? But--!"
"No buts," I smiled as she went to go start.
"Hero, go home. You start tomorrow, 5am sharp," I said seriously.
"I still have training--"
"No. You're working under me now. Not the knight commander, go home," I dismissed as he awkwardly went home.
"Arian, 50 laps," I said simply as he started for the oval.
"Stop. I meant 50 laps in the pool. You know how to swim right?" I smiled.
"I-I know how, but I don't like water in my ears--," I cut him off.
"Suck it up, Arian. 50 laps. Lumiere will supervise and count," I said as Lumiere appeared and walked with Arian to the 100 meter pool.
Vincent was surprised with the different work outs and for me to send Hero home early.
He looked at me curiously.
"And you'll follow me this way,"
-------------------
"Please! I'm begging you! I can't take another second!" Vincent panted, tired and laying on the grass again.
"It hasn't even been an hour yet, I thought you said taichi looked easy? Flare? Stand him back up into first position," I commanded.
"Yes, Princess," Flare responded.
Using wind magic to keep Vincent in place I was forcefully making him do it and his muscles really were straining. He was trembling in exhaustion but I wouldn't let him rest until he reached the full hour which was just in a few minutes.
"Mary! How many have you done?" I shouted.
"T-Twenty-four," she panted out.
"Alright! Water break on the 25th!" I said happily.
"Lumiere?" I shouted.
He held up 1 finger on the left and 5 on the right meaning Arian has done 15 laps and was on his water break.
"Alright, 1 hour. Break time, Vincent," I smiled as he dropped to the floor.
"Flare, pour water on him," I sighed.
"Yes, Princess," Flare responded.
"This is hell!" Vincent screamed into the grass.
"Sure it is, buddy. Sure it is," I said, drinking my water.
°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°and cut!°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°