So I'm still on a Tangled kick, even though I saw it a month ago (tee-hee!). I am totally open to any and all discussions on its awesomeness and stuff like that.

This chapter will officially introduce what every one of us fangirls cannot live without: A hot guy! Remember last chapter, when Paul mentioned a Jonas? We're going to meet him in this one, and guess who I'm pairing him up with? Go ahead and guess, but I'm not telling! (Though I'm sure Luna-chan will figure it out, like she has everything else ;P)

So please enjoy the chapter, enjoy the SNOW, and if I don't update before New Year's, Happy New Year!

"Rapunzel…Did I ever tell you I have a thing for brunettes?"- Zachary Levi as Flynn Rider, Tangled (best line ever)

Chapter 13: Contention
Riku, Ame, their friends, and the members of the Council all stared at this random newcomer.

"Wait," said Sora, "What?"

"I'm Don Faria," the young man repeated as he strode into the court, "I'm a born and bred waterbender, an honest worker, and am well acquainted with Ms. Lenne Hakari." He stopped before the Keyblade party and looked wide-eyed at Ame. He slowly walked to her and knelt low on one knee.

"My lady," he said breathlessly, "I am honored to be in your presence." He looked up at Riku.

"You must be Lenne's father," he smiled, "She gave me a perfect description of you. It is an honor to meet you as well, sir."

"Pleasure's all mine, I'm sure," Riku nodded, "What's this about fighting for my daughter's hand?"

Don's eyes sparked back up and he stood tall.

"Mr. and Mrs. Hakari," he declared, "Lord Hopa, lords and ladies of the Royal Council, esteemed guests: I have come to invoke the right of contention!"

The Royal Council broke out in murmuring.

"What does that mean, Ame?" Kairi asked.

"It's the right for a chance to contend for Lenne's hand in marriage," she answered skeptically, "but we're trying to get her released from marriage, Mr. Faria."

"So am I," he smiled slyly, "With your permission as her parents, I'd like to offer Lord Hopa a wager."

"What kind of wager?" asked Hopa.

"With her parents' permission, my lord," he said, "I will challenge Lenne's fiancé to a waterbender's duel. He wins, he marries Lenne. I win, and you release her from her engagement and let her go home with her family." He looked at Ame and said, "It won't save everyone, but it will save her."

"Preposterous!" Daro stormed, "You can't possibly think this Council will allow such a farce to take place!"

"With no due respect," said Don, "I don't need the permission of the Royal Council. The law of the Tribe grants me the right to contend; the only consent I need is that of Lady Ame and her husband. You councilors only need to say yes or no to the wager."

Ame shared a silent look with Riku and he nodded.

"Mr. Faria," she said, "if His Lordship is agreeable, we give our consent to contentd." They all looked at Hopa, who had recovered his composure.

"The Council will meet and decide," he said, "You will all wait here."

'Go ahead,' Ame thought smugly, 'and take your sweet time about it.' She knew it was only a matter of time until her two inside men found Lenne. As a matter of fact…

A shadowy figure slunk through the icy town, slipping through the dark like a river through a cave, as he and his cautious followers did their utmost to avoid the beautiful yet revealing moonlight.

Finally they reached their destination and the figure plastered his back to the wall. At his signal, his companions quickly followed, the younger staying close to the elder. He pointed at the balcony window directly overhead.

"There's your swan," he said quietly, "Go to her if you must, but there'll be an uproar if you try to escape with her now. I'll keep watch down here; one of you keep watch above while the other visits."

"Thank you, Jonas," nodded the older one, "Aang, you can go first. I'll be just behind you."

"Thank you, Robin," Aang said fervently. He was itching to see his sister; Robin could tell. Aang closed his eyes and imagined he was standing on that balcony; when he opened them, there he was.

And there she was, dressed in blue, with her hair in a braid. For a second, he almost mistook her for their mom! Her hands were over her mouth and her eyes were misty.

"Lenney," he breathed.

"Aang!" she exhaled. The two siblings ran to each other and embraced.

"I can't believe you're here!" she almost cried, "Where are Mom and Dad?"

"Square dancing at the Royal Palace," he smirked, "Mom sent me and Robin to sniff you out." She gripped his arms.

"Is he here with you?" she asked.

"Yeah, he's outside," he answered, "He knew how badly I wanted to see you, so he let me come up first."

"Aw," she smiled and flipped his hair, "Thanks, Aang. You don't have to worry about me, though!"

"Oh, right," he chuckled, "Like I'm not gonna worry about you getting married off to some creep." Lenne blushed as a second male voice chuckled amusingly; Aang looked behind her and saw she wasn't alone.

"Who are you?" he asked, startled. He chuckled again.

"I'm the creep she's supposed to marry," he smiled, "Unwilling though I am."

"Unwilling?" Aang blinked.

"Yes," Lenne nodded, "Aang, may I present my fiancé, Mr. Shota Matthews. Shota, this is my brother, Aang."

"Nice to meet you," said Shota.

"What do you mean unwilling?" Aang asked suspiciously.

"I'm in love with someone else," he said.

"Then why are you marrying my sister?" the boy almost accused.

"Aang," she caught his eyes, "it's not his fault. The Council arranged this." He looked sad and nodded.

"Uncle Sora and Aunt Kairi are here, too," he told her, "and Rin and Jory-nii."

"Awesome!" she said, "How did you find me?"

"Some cab rower guy named Don," he shrugged, "Apparently, you've got some kind of secret fan club."

"Aang," Robin interrupted, "Jonas wants us to hurry before we're discovered."

"Why, is someone coming?" he spun around.

"Actually, yes," said Robin, "I picked up a couple of those blood hunter chaps Paul told us about. At any rate, we've completed our task: We've found Lenne."

He smiled at her and slipped a lock of her hair over his finger; Lenne's cheeks and nose turned red and she teared up.

"Robin," she whispered and jumped into his embrace, unable to help herself. He held her closely and she felt like a puddle of water warmed in the sunlight.

"Your fireflies were beautiful," she murmured, rubbing her face in his coat. Robin smiled at her and looked up.

"Pleased to meet you, Shota," he nodded, "Christopher Robinson, at your service—Robin for short."

"Same here," Shota smiled, "I've been waiting to meet you, Robin. Lenne's talked you up and down ever since we met! I'd shake your hand if it wasn't more happily engaged. If I had my way, I'd have my arms full of my own sweet thing."

"If I've anything to say about it, Mr. Matthews," Robin vowed, "you will." He said it calmly but with such conviction that Shota believed him.

"Lenne," Robin said quietly, "I'm afraid we must go."

"No!" she cried and clung to him, "You just got here!"

"And we'll be here for a while yet," he said, holding her face, "No one's leaving the North Pole anytime soon. I'll come back tomorrow night, with your parents."

"Promise?" she asked. He gently touched his forehead to hers.

"I promise," he murmured. He pulled back, but Lenne caught him in a kiss on her tiptoes. Shota snorted with amusement. Aang's eyes popped. Robin's propriety alarm was going off, even though he was ensnared by her kiss.

"Lenne!" he popped.

"Sixteen is 'of age' here, buddy," Lenne grinned shamelessly with pink cheeks, "As long as I'm here, I'm an adult!" She grabbed his face and kissed him again!

"Uh, Lenney," said Aang, "We seriously do have to go now." His magic sensed the blood hunters, too. Robin had to hold her back by the shoulders now. He stared at her with his own pink cheeks, like he was seeing her for the first time. Lenne was loving it.

"Good night, Robin," she said, "I hope you'll sleep well tonight, 'cause I sure will!"

That kiss remained in his head as he jumped down with Aang to where Jonas was and invisibly followed him until they came to rest in the shadows of the buildings across from the Royal Palace.

"Jonas," Robin whispered, "do you know the layout of this place?"

"Yes," he nodded.

"If I make you invisible," Robin asked, "will you help us find the court?"

"It's just through the main doors," he answered, "but I'll go if you want me to."

"Thank you," he said and turned their guide invisible.

Robin was intrigued by Jonas; he was as tall as he was, but a little broader, had a light tan, brown hair that as short but messy, a beard (like a close-cut one) and brown eyes—not bright and sparkling like Robin's, but a normal brown that had an attractive color but gave one the sense that was a deep person. He was 24 years old, wore a black trench coat, and had a katana strapped to his back, like The Highlander. Robin had a feeling he was a drifter, somewhere on the same emotional and intellectual level as Cloud and Master Leon, and he liked that. It made him feel comfortable around him. Aang found his aloof manner somewhat off-putting, but if Robin trusted him, so did he.

The three young men were magically transported inside the throne room by Robin and, at Jonas' suggestion, settled themselves in a corner near the front so that one, they could hear over the water, two, Ame could sense their presence, and three, they were invisible and the Council wouldn't detect them, so it didn't really matter all that much.

"So that's Ame," Jonas whispered almost too quietly to hear, "Those posters in the Academy don't do her justice." Robin touched his shoulder.

'Yes,' he said telepathically, 'I've heard she's quite the celebrity up here.' Jonas asked him silently.

'Is that Riku, the Keyblade Knight?'

'It is,' Robin answered, 'He's her husband.'

'I see,' he half-smiled and looked at Aang, 'You look just like him.' Aang smiled. 'I see Sora, the Keymaster, and Kairi, the Princess of Heart.' Aang volunteered.

'They're married, too,'

'Figures,' he smirked, 'But who are these other people?'

'They're my cousins,' Aang answered, 'Jory and Rin. They're on my mom's side, but it's a long story.'

Jonas suddenly removed the young boy's hand from his shoulder.

"Sorry," he whispered, "They're back." Aang focused on the Council. Lord Hopa faced off against Ame.

'Go, Mom!' he silently rooted.

"We reject your wager, Mrs. Hakari," said Hopa, "Lenne's wedding will proceed as planned. If you or anyone of your party comes within fifty feet of her, you will all be arrested and imprisoned."

"Maybe you've forgotten, but we have a contender," said Ame, "He has our parental consent to be so and we fully intend to issue a challenge."

"Challenge overruled," said Hopa.

"You can't do that!" said Don, "The right of contention is granted by Tribe law and can't be overruled!"

"I know what you're trying to do, cabby," said Hopa with a sneer, "You'll release her engagement if you win, and this Council will not allow it to happen! You'll all have to do better than that."

Just then a clock chimed midnight.

"We'll say good night for now," said Ame, "but we'll be back first thing in the morning. I am a citizen of the Water Tribe, a daughter of the spirits, and a handmaid of Yue and by her name, I will NOT leave this Pole without my daughter! Do you understand me, sir?"

Without waiting for one of his condescending replies, she turned and marched with her party out of the palace. The invisible men slipped out behind them and followed them back to the boat.

"I have to go," Jonas said to Robin, quietly but urgently, "Make me visible again and I'll slip back in the shadows."

"Where can I find you again?" Robin asked, somewhat alarmed at his sense of urgency.

"I'm staying with Paul in the cab house Don took you to," he said, "If you need me, he'll take you there again."

"Right," Robin nodded, "Thank you for your help, Jonas. I hope we'll be seeing you again."

"Yeah, me too," he said vaguely as he escaped into the comfort of the darkness.

"What's the matter with him?" Aang murmured, "He acts like he just burned his hand."

"Well, in a sense," Robin answered, "He did. Don't worry, though; he's tough. He'll be fine." Aang nodded and they followed everyone onto the Albatross, where they unveiled themselves and gave Ame their intelligence.

Unfortunately, their intelligence was compromised, because at that very moment, Agents Amos Devereau and Olivia Hewitt were paying an unscheduled visit to Lenne and Master Hana.

Lenne was startled awake by a familiarly rough pair of hands grabbing her upright by her wrists. She gasped her surprise.

"Wha…?" she blinked, then saw the two clamps back on her wrists!

"Mr. Devereau?" she exclaimed, "What's going on?"

"Something's come up," he said shortly and grabbed her arm, "You're coming with me." He pulled her to her feet, which hastily jumped into her white-furred boots, and tossed her coat at her. He dragged her out of her apartment and into the hallway, where they were joined by Miss Hewitt and Master Hana. Lenne was shocked to see a blue chi blocker on the old woman's wrist!

"Miss Hewitt," Lenne said, horrified, "What are you doing?"

"There's no time to explain, Lenne," she replied, "We have to go. We're relocating you."

"Where are you taking us?" she demanded as the agents escorted them out. Neither of them answered. "Master?"

"It's your mother," the old lady said calmly, "They know she's here and they've panicked. Isn't that right, my dear?" That was for Olivia.

"You won't get away with this," Lenne stared daggers at them, "My parents are gonna dropkick you both over the Great North Wall! My dad will beat you with his Keyblade like a piñata! My mom will keelhaul you under her yacht!"

She continued to elaborate on their punishments until Master Hana told her to calm down and trust in her family.

'Robin and Aang will be back tomorrow night with my parents,' she thought with worry, 'and I won't be here!'

Author's Review:
Oh, no! What a terrible turn of events! Too bad we don't have Lupin III here! (Yes, I've seen it and I love it!)

A whole lot has happened in between typing sessions for this chapter, so I'm really glad to get it out of the way; I'm really excited about the next one, 'cause it's a special one just for my favorite made-up firebending chick, Rin Johnson! Boo-yah! It's gonna rock!

Questions, comments, cookies? You know what to do! See y'all next time!