Birth of the Data-Knights

by Arguyus

Chapter 4: Time to Train

(Disclaimer: I do not own any copyrighted material you will encounter in this or any other story.)

AN: Hey guy, I know it has been a long time since I have updated this one... or any of my stories for that matter, I have an unfortunate problem with procrastination mixed with being easily distracted, not to mention my dad's attitude about me writing.

Chapter 4: Time to Train

As the sun rose into the sky to greet the world on this new day, it woke many of the land's inhabitants, including two of its newest ones.

"Uhg, It has been three days since I got that injury, and it still hurts." Stephen complained as he out of the bed in the room he has been staying in, holding his still aching shoulder.

It has been three days since the scouting party of Heartless attacked and the shoulder that had been clawed still hurt, despite the fact that a healing spell had been used on it. He was beginning to think it was the fact that magic had been used on it was the reason it still hurt, seeing as there was so little magic in his home world that it was almost nonexistent.

A knocking on his door brought him out of his thoughts, "Mr. McIntyre, the princesses have asked for you to meet them in the throne room."

That was different, they hadn't called on him before, "Thank you, please tell them I'll be there in a little bit."

It went without saying that he was nervous about receiving this news, he knew that they only called for someone to meet them in the throne room if it was serious.

<|-0-|>

David had been waiting in the throne room for ten minutes before Stephen walked into the room, doing the his best to hide the fact that he was favoring his left shoulder as he walked into the room.

"Is that shoulder still acting up?" David asked out of concern for the wellbeing of his friend.

"Yes, but it's more of a dull pain than anything." Stephen told him, rolling said shoulder as he did.

"That is good to hear, considering what my sister and I have planned." Someone said, announcing the arrival of a third person into the room.

Both boys turned towards the voice, and found that it was Luna. But she was clad in armor made of black protective cloth with thin dark blue metal plates covering all of the vital parts of her body. This armor was clearly made to protect the user while allowing them full range of movement.

After looking at their dumbfounded expression for a few seconds, she chuckled, "Long before we were royalty, we were warriors. Both of us were highly skilled, and we have kept those skills sharp. During your battle with the Heartless we couldn't help but notice that your fighting styles were unrefined, much like those of new guard recruits."

"What can we say, we only got our Keyblades less than a week ago." David explained while Stephen rubbed the back his head in light embarrassment.

"That much we guessed, so my sister and I decided that there is only one way we can ensure the both of you are capable of protecting yourself and others. You are to be trained in combat, with me and my sister being your teachers." She stated, a large smile on her muzzle.

To say both boys were surprise would be an understatement, the prospect of the royal sisters taking time from their duties just to teach them how to fight. Their thoughts were interrupted by the sound of shifting metal coming from the same doorway Luna had come through. It was soon enough revealed that the sound was Celestia, and the boys' jaws dropped at the sight of her. She was covered from head to hoof in thick, gold colored plate armor that made her look more like a Dwemer automaton than a princess.

"Sorry I'm late," Celestia began, her helmet making her voice echo slightly, "It takes me a while to get my armor on, all of these interlocking plates and all."

It was a few moments before Stephen found his voice, "So... you two are going to teach us?"

Luna was once again all smiles, "Actually, I will be teaching you while my sister teaches David."

"I noticed that each of your weapons is built for a different combat style, the Paladin style for David and Striker style for you respectively. I happen to be well versed in the Paladin style, and Luna is well versed in the Striker style." Celestia explained to them, her armor clanking with every small movement she made.

The two boys looked at each other for a short time before they asked, "When do we start?"

<|-0-|>

The two boys stood in the newer guard training grounds with magic walls surrounding areas of combat, with Stephen and Luna in one while David and Celestia were in the other. Twilight and a few of the guards who were on break sat outside of the walls to watch the fight. Right now, the princesses were letting the boys spar with them and giving them advice on how to improve their fighting style.

"You're putting too much strength into your attacks, focus on speed and recovery." Luna said as she used her silvery sword to block the attacks of her sparring partner.

"I know, I just want to feel like I'm doing something." The boy commented as he went for a stab, one that Luna easily countered with her own blade.

David was having a much better time sparing with Celestia, who was now having to defend himself as well as attack.

"That's good, keep making your movements flow together." The armored princess told him, her gold colored broadsword moving seamlessly from defense to attack.

"I got it." David replied as he deflected the blow and moved to counter attack.

<|-0-|>

The sun was a fourth of the way above the west horizon when the real test began, both boys ready to face their opponents. Stephen made the first move, rushing in with his blade ready to swipe and shield up to block any incoming attacks. Luna blocked his keyblade with her sword, but was forced to leap back to avoid a shield bash.

Celestia and David circled each other waiting for the other to make the first move, the princess suddenly surged forward intending to deliver a horizontal slash. The keyblader swatted the broadsword away with his tower shield and swung his own blade at her. She raised her heavily armored leg to block the blow.

Stephen presses his advantage and went in for a stab. Luna used her wings to get out of his line of attack and sent her sword in for a stab of her own. He barely had time to block her attack, a part of him wishing he knew how to use magic. 'This certainly would be a lot easier with magic.' He thought to himself.

After blocking the last strike, Celestia was now on the defense with David giving her no chance to retaliate. She knew that she would win this fight hooves down if she wasn't going easy on him, but perhaps she could take the difficulty up a notch. She began to try to press the attack, but her opponent wouldn't give her an opening.

Luna continued press Stephen back with quick swipes and jabs, as was her style. Stephen knew he had to do something soon or he would lose, so he tried something new. He quickly curled into a ball and rolled to her side before going for a slash.

Celestia now realized she had lost her chance to recover her lead in this fight, she had apparently taught David well. He relentlessly attacked taking a step forward with each strike, his shield moving only as far as was needed to provide constant defense. It was all she could do just to defend herself, but she knew she could not last forever.

Stephen's change in tactics caught Luna off guard, she barely had time to move out of the way. The boy decided to press his new advantage and used both his keyblade and shield in an aggressive manner. Luna went for a stab, but her sword got hit by his shield with such force that it got flung away from her.

Slowly but surely, Celestia found herself being backed into a corner. Had she tried to increase the difficulty sooner she would be on even ground with David. 'Oh well, this is only for training after all.' She thought as she was forced further back.

Luna, now without her sword, was trying desperately to stay ahead of her opponent. She knew she had also been going easy on her partner, but perhaps Stephen could handle a higher amount of difficulty next time. The flat side of Stephen's keyblade smacked her right foreleg out from under her and sent her to the ground, and she soon had the magic weapon at her neck.

The heavily armored princess was now in a corner, using her broadsword to deflect the continuous attacks. She swung her sword to stop a swipe that she saw that David was about to deliver, only for him to reveal that it was a fain. He used the opening he had made to bat Celestia's weapon away.

"You did well, Stephen, I yield." Luna said, giving the young keyblader a nod.

"It appears I went a little too easy on you, David, you win this fight." Celestia told the paladin in training.

[stop music]

The crowd of off duty guards cheered at the conclusion of the fight as the barriers faded away. Both keybladers dispelling their weapons and deactivating their shields, Stephen helping the night princess up. The four of them moved to the center with Twilight also walking over to them.

Twilight smiled at her two newest friends, "That was impressive guys, the princesses may have been holding back, but it was still impressive."

Luna nodded, a smile forming on her muzzle, "indeed, we may have held back to much in all honesty."

Both boys chuckled at this, then Stephen decided to comment on that statement, "That is only true of David, I just got lucky back there."

"In any case, that was a good fight." David said, extending his hand to Celestia.

The sparring partners went to shake hands and hooves respectively, but as soon as the boys' hands touched the princesses' hooves a bright light erupted from the boys' hands. The keyblade wielders pulled their hands back and looked at them, the light dying down till they could see what was now in their hands. What they saw was surprising, each boy had a CD looking thing in their hand and a keychain. The CD Stephen had had a crescent moon in a blue circle and a keychain that looked like a stylized moon, David had a CD with a yellow, orange, and red solar panel like shape and a keychain that looked like a coin emblazoned with a sun on it.

Twilight, along with everypony that was nearby, stared at them with the lavender mare asking the question they all had in mind, "What was that?"

"We just got new keychains, and these CD things look like they go on the devices on our wrists." Stephen answered with a stunned look on his face.

The three mares looked at us in confusion for a bit before Twilight asked, "What is so important about getting a new keychain, neither of you have any... keys... oh, their for your keyblades aren't they?"

Stephen smiled as he put the CD in his pocket and then summoned his keyblade, "Yes they are, observe."

He then removed the keychain that was currently on his keyblade and put his new one on. In a flash of dark blue light his keyblade changed, it was now mostly dark blue with a crescent moon on the hilt and with purple stars on the blade. He noticed it now seemed slightly heavier.

David interchanged his own keychains and his blade changed in a blight gold light. It was now mostly differing shades of gold with a golden sun on the end of it. The magic that ran through the blade felt warm.

Stephen then figured out how the get the CD off his wristband and then replaced it with the new one he got. He activated his shield and it burst out in silver ones and zeros that formed themselves to look like the moon. He also noticed that it had a slight sheen to it.

David saw how Stephen got the CD off his wristband and so did the same. Upon activation, his shield bust from yellow ones and red zeros and formed themselves into a solar panel like shape that had a yellow outer rim, orange on the inner part, and with red rectangular sections. He felt like some energy was flowing into him from his shield.

"That is truly interesting, do you get new keychains every time you go through an event of importance?" Luna inquired.

David gave her a shrug, "As far as I know, yes."

Stephen took a few experimental swings of his new keyblade, "Whatever the case may be, now we have new weapons to use against the Heartless."

<8>|:|<8>

Author's Note:

New Key chains unlocked!

Luna's Vengeance: A short bladed Keyblade that gives an increase to attack.

Celestia's Wrath: A long bladed Keyblade that does both Holy and Fire damage.

New Data Shields unlocked!

New Moon: A Buckler class Data Shield that has a 10% chance of reflecting blocked damage.

Solar Panel: A Tower class Data Shield that heals the user for 1% of blocked damage.

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

4735184 Does this mean that the mane six will NOT get weapons of their own?

[Arguyus]

7163045 Wait and see...