#- but i think time travel is fun. and ive been thinking about those comics snd scenarios of people meeting their younger selves

[kursed-curtain]

Deja Vu

-❣️-

Royal Guard No.1 stood in front of his home – his old home. He smiled, looking at how well-kept the outside was back in the day.

"Hello," chimed a young voice from behind No.1. No.1 turned to see a bright-eyed young boy in a little vest and tunic.

He saw himself.

"Greetings." No.1 replied back.

The young No.1, Ken, held his hands together in a meek sort of way. Ken tilted his head. "Why are you in front of my house?"

No.1 took a few steps away from the door, a tinge flustered. "Oh, I just… got a bit nostalgic."

Ken tapped his little foot. "No-stal-gic. Nostalgic. Nostalgic. That's a fun word. I'll look at what it means later." Ken smiled. No.1 sighed. That's what he missed – smiling this much. The desire to learn more. All of it.

Ken walked up to No.1 until they were practically on top of each other. Ken commented, "That's a nice mustache. I like it."

No.1 touched his mustache, as if he forgot it was there. "Hm. I don't believe I receive compliments for my stache that often. Thank you, I suppose."

"You're welcome." Little Ken seemed to glow every time he smiled. Ken looked up and down at No.1's outfit, then gasped. "Are you a royal guard?"

"Why, yes, I am." No.1 was taken aback, though he shouldn't have been so surprised. He did his research on practically anything wearing armor. He owned a few copies of books detailing the extensive defense system of Daventry. Of course he himself would recognize the royal guards. No.1 added, "As a matter of fact, I am captain of Daventry's royal guards."

"You seem very brave." Ken declared.

"Well, yes, that is one of the traits that makes a guard truly successful," No.1 tapped his finger to his chin.

"Truly successful…" Ken looked up with starry eyes. "Can you teach me to be brave, captain?" Ken clapped his hands. "I wanna be big and strong and brave like you. Then I can defend people… successfully!"

No.1 chuckled, seeing his younger self so excited. He missed this. "Alright, though I'm unsure how to train bravery. It's… simply something you learn."

Ken gave a quiet 'Ooh…'

"How do you become brave? If you're not just born brave," Ken asked. "Is it something you learn from other people, or do you do brave things to get better?"

No.1 out a hand to his chin. "A bit of both." The captain knelt down to his child self's level.

"'Doing brave things' doesn't just happen just because you want to do it," No.1 explained, "Occasionally… Your fear can oppose you. And that can be a challenge to deal with. You have to fight your own fear."

"Fight your own fear… how?" Ken gestured, mimicking claws. "Does it have a face like a dragon, or does it live inside your head?"

The word 'dragon' was a bit too much. No.1 rubbed his scar, yet kept going. "I suppose fear can look like anything, or nothing at all. You just have to persevere, if you know that word yet."

Ken giggled. "I do! Persevere – It's when bad things happen but you keep going. Like bravery!" He bounced on the balls of his feet. Then paused, tapping his chin. "What if it's something really scary? The scary that makes you stop moving."

"Well, if you feel like you can't do it alone, know you have allies - people who care about you." No.1 patted young Ken's back.

Ken's gaze wandered to the scar creeping up No.1's neck. "Were you afraid? When you got that scar?" He asked.

No.1 shivered at the thought. The claws and venom and a massive array of draconic heads…

"Yes... Yes, I was afraid. I still fought, even when I felt powerless. I got what I came for, and that's what mattered." No.1 took a shaky sigh. Ken, with two soft hands, took No.1's hand and massaged it – like how Mum did when he was younger. No.1 subtly wiped a tear from his eye. "I learned then not to get too ahead of myself. And that I had people who could guide me back to safety if I went too far."

"My mum and dad are like that, they help a lot…" Ken's gaze fell to the floor, thinking. "But… sometimes other people are not helpful safety people. They think I'm strange, so they aren't nice all the time."

No.1 leaned in close, touching foreheads with his younger self. "Look, Ken. No matter what obstacle stands in your way, fight for what you believe in. Hold your ground, and defend your beliefs."

No.1 shook his head, masking his tears. "Don't let anyone treat you with disrespect."

"Hold your ground… defend your beliefs." Ken repeated the words. "That sounds like something a brave person would do. I'll make sure to do that."

Ken looked up at No.1 "You sound like a very good captain. I bet people like you a lot, and you have lots of good friends, because you're perseverant." He bounced, starry-eyed. "I wanna be just like you."

No.1 smiled through his mustache. He hugged the younger Ken tight. "Don't worry. You will be."