I'm back with another chapter!

Because of the snowstorms, I'm having more time to work on the story. Thus, a chapter that's here earlier than usual! Yay!

I'm going to hurry up on answering some questions that could be running around in some reader's heads. To those who just want to read the JuKou reunion, just skip to the chapter. You can always come right back up later. Or never if you're not interested.

Why were Foras and Zagan worrying so much? Sheba managed to carry Aladdin fine and fight so why can't Amani?: Good question. I want to make it clear that Amani is indeed capable of fighting through the whole dungeon while not going through a miscarriage...physically. The problem is: Amani was depending on Foras too much. I have a hunch that the baby depends on its mother's magoi to grow, which depletes Amani's supply significantly. If she had used Foras' djinn equip for too long, the stress of using too much magoi would have caused a miscarriage. Zagan took her to replenish her magoi supply and keep her and the child safe.

Does Yasmine want to die?: No, not really. I mean, I get where this idea is coming from but no. Yasmine is by no means suicidal or wishing for death. She technically already died and look what that got her? In this world. Yasmine is just overly pessimistic and depressed because of all the shit her grandfather and father put her through. Especially since they technically took away her father-figure away from her.

Yup! That's it. Now with those questions all cleared up, let's get to the chapter!

Onwards!


Children of Solomon

Chapter 27: Could Shatter and Break


The moment Judal and Tao landed, soldiers were upon them with their spears pointing at the brothers. Judal, on instinct, almost laughed and jeered at the soldiers and their puny weapons. But then he remembered that he wasn't exactly well armed himself, so he swallowed the words back up.

Judal was here to make an apology, not play around with the Sindrian military.

"Kido, watch out!"

Tao suddenly pushed Judal to the side. Judal realized why just a second afterwards when a pair of familiar rope darts whizzed past his face. His face contorted into an instinctive sneer when he realized just who tried to attack him. "Oh. It's you."

Ja'far pulled his weapons back with a disappointed grunt. "Dammit. Wrong one."

'What the hell is that advisor yapping about now?' Judal wondered.

"K-Kido. Now is not…the time to butt heads with…old enemies…" Tao wheezed out between pained pants.

Judal whipped his head around and realized with a panicked pang that Tao was hit. His horrified gaze landed on the bleeding gash on his brother's side. "T-Tao?"

'Tao was hit. Tao was hit. His brother. His brother. His brother. Taowashithisbrotherwashit.HemightdiedieDIE!'

Noticing his quickly rising panic, Tao gave Judal an assuring smile and touched his shoulder. "I'm fine. It's not that bad, just…stings. But I've faced worse. Clumsy…remember?" When he was sure that his little brother had calmed down, Tao turned to Ja'far and flipped the hood of his cloak off. "I…apologize for the ruckus we…caused, but is there really a…need for physical violence? Can't we…talk it out like…normal people?"

Ja'far appeared taken aback both by Tao's similar appearance to Judal and his politeness. He paused in his attacks to consider the older brother warily. "I don't think that we have ever met."

"I don't think so either." Tao agreed good-naturedly. "Though, I am willing to overlook the accidental injury and make peace with you if you take the time to hear us out."

Ja'far lowered his weapons slowly. "Fine." He agreed reluctantly. "But if you make any threatening movements…"

"We won't." Tao promised agreeably as he gave Judal's shoulder a warning squeeze. "Ki – I mean, Judal came here to Sindria to speak with… 'Princess'?"

Judal blushed brightly when Tao used the affectionate nickname. He never really got to telling Tao her real name. It was more out of forgetfulness than conscious withholding of information.

"Kougyoku." He muttered under his breath.

"Kougyoku." Tao repeated in a louder voice. "Erm…can he meet with her? Or her with him? Really, he's not that picky. Just desperate."

Judal shot him a withering glare for the last comment, but didn't say anything against his statement. Tao was right. He was getting desperate. He just…didn't like admitting it to others.

Especially to that small-fry, loser vizier

A very amused laugh sounded throughout the courtyard, gaining everyone's attention. Judal bristled at the familiar voice. "Idiot king…" He muttered darkly under his breath.

"Is Judal really? Well, that's a first."

And there that idiot king was with that stupid smile on his face.

Tao's gaze landed on Sinbad's form and his eyes widened in recognition. He bowed as deeply as he could with his wound. "Your majesty."

"None of that." Sinbad waved his action away. All pretense of being cheerful was completely wiped away from the king's face. Judal grimaced. Now this was a face he knew very well. "Who are you and what is your true intention in being here in Sindria?"

"Ah, well," Tao rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "my name is Tao Gui and I am here as…moral support for Judal. We are honestly just here for Princess Kougyoku. We really didn't mean to cause such a ruckus here."

Sinbad's eyes narrowed coldly with distrust.

"Is it that organization who sent you to do this?"

Confusion flittered across Tao's face while Judal's expression exponentially darkened. "Stop talking shit, idiot king." He finally spat out venomously. "Tao is not part of Al Thamen."

Sinbad's expression remained scornful. "You shouldn't even talk, Judal. You're part of that organization. Did you forget what you did to us…during that time in Partevia?!"

A heavy stone dropped in Judal's stomach at the mention of the atrocities he committed during his past. All those lives. All those fates he sullied and stained with his own hands. Shame and anger settled in his heart when he realized the weight of his crimes. Those things he did because it was 'fun'…well, they weren't really that funny, were they?

"Kido?"

It was whispered, but he heard it. Tao was calling to him.

And just like that, Judal suddenly felt a rush of red, hot anger. There was shame, yes. But Judal couldn't help but feel wronged.

"I fucking get it already." He gritted out. "I massacred your people. I screwed up fate. I did wrong things my whole life. Every. Part. I know that. Those annoying shadows have reminded me almost a thousand times already. But just when they leave, you lot take no time in replacing them."

He raised his red eyes to Sinbad and his guards.

"Don't give me that look, Sinbad." Judal snarled. "It's not like you're the only one fucked over by that organization! At least you knew what they were doing to you! Oh yes," he sneered when he saw the comprehension seeping into Sinbad's eyes, "I, too, was one of Al Thamen's victims!"

Judal didn't even take a second to look at Sinbad's reaction.

Honestly, he didn't even want to.

"That Chibi showed me my past through some unknown magic." Judal let out a humorless laugh. "I was chosen by the rukh and was born in a small, eastern village. But…but my father, my mother, everyone were immediately killed by that organization." Well…not quite everyone. But Tao only got out of it alive through sheer, dumb luck. "They took advantage of me before I could understand anything. Ever since I was an infant…"

Judal trembled violently.

"I never knew. They…they were the ones who taught me to curse my fate. They were the ones who taught me about war and bloodshed. How was I supposed to know that I was doing terrible things? How was I supposed to know that I was doing wrong? You know, I could've grown up normally as you did, with parents that taught me the right things. I wouldn't have had to kill your people as I did or cause wars. I could've been the good guy who did his fucking job right. I didn't have to be some screw-up."

Angry tears began welling up in his eyes.

"If it weren't for them, I could've been more…more…" Judal threw his hands up and sent an explosion of rukh upwards. "BETTER!"

Sinbad looked at him in shock. "Judal…"

"I…just wanted to live a normal life." He finished weakly. "I just -

Silence filled the courtyard after Judal finished his rant. The magi didn't even bother to rip his gaze away from the ground.

Drops of water splattered onto the ground, alerting Judal that it was going to rain. He really, really hoped that he could get his apology to Kougyoku over with. He already knew now that she wouldn't forgive him anyways. But still…he had to tell her. He wouldn't be able to live the rest of his life peacefully not telling her. Even if he was a monster -

Warm arms wrapped around his shoulders. "Easy there, Kido. Easy. I'm here with you, yeah? I'm here. You don't have to cry."

Cry?

Judal hadn't even realize that he was crying. Now he realized that the growing wet spots on the ground were his tears. Hot, fat, big tears were rolling down his face and he could do nothing about it. Judal buried his face into Tao's scarf to hide his crying face from everyone else.

"This is humiliating." He muttered into the woven material as the tears continued to stream down. "Why am I crying?"

Tao shushed him. "This is a normal thing. It's called an emotional breakdown. All humans who have gone through a lot of stress experience these at least once in their lifetime." He murmured into his ear quietly. "I'm sorry that I didn't notice your inner struggle, Kido. It must've been hard, huh?"

Suddenly, Tao stiffened. Judal opened his mouth to question his brother's abrupt unease, but cut himself off when he felt small hands on his leg. The rukh around them began going crazy at the newcomer's presence. He looked down in surprise, recognizing the reaction in the rukh. "Chibi-er Chibi?"

Shion looked up at Judal with a small smile and took a step back. "Hey. Long time no see. I know it's kind of late and all, but welcome to Sindria. If it's Kougyoku you want to see, I can take you to her. Don't worry. Father gave me permission."

Then he turned to Tao.

"Um…who are you?"

Tao blinked.

"I'm Tao." He said simply. Then, he gestured over to Judal. "I'm this troublemaker's older brother."

Shion's eyes opened a little wider at Tao's proclamation. He looked back and forth between Judal and Tao. Then he took a moment to think about what to say next. "Ah…twins?"

"I'm older." Tao corrected patiently. "Though, we do look a lot alike. I think it's our mother's strong genes."

"Okay." Shion nodded. "You…do know that you're bleeding, right?"

Tao looked down at his side as if he'd completely forgotten about the wound.

"Well look at that. You're right. You don't think your father would mind sparing me a bandage, do you?" He began swaying. "Actually, forget the bandages. A bed would be even more appropriate. Please."

Tao then proceeded to pass out, causing another round of chaos.


"A baby…a baby…my sister is pregnant with an honest-to-Solomon baby and we let her come with us into the dungeon." Alibaba moaned while rocking himself in place. "I'm such a failure of a brother."

"Don't be like that, Alibaba. You didn't know." Aladdin tried to soothe his friend.

Morgiana and Tiare, meanwhile, were trying to bring Hakuryuu back to life. He was all but dead to the world by this time.

"Hakuryuu-san! Please, Amani-san is safe, so you do not need to be like this!"

Hakuryuu whimpered and curled up into a ball.

Tiare waddled up to the little Hakuryuu-ball and nudged him, making him roll away a little before stopping. Tilting her head to the side, she stared at the Hakuryuu-ball intensely. Then, reaching to some unknown conclusion, Tiare proceeded roll Hakuryuu all around the floor.

"No, Tiare-san! You shouldn't do that to Hakuryuu-san." Morgiana scolded the once-Toran girl. "It's not nice."

"No, Morgiana-dono…let her continue. I deserve it." Hakuryuu insisted, depressed. "I have completely failed Amani-dono. How would Hakuei and Sister Kougyoku think of me if they heard about this?"

The mini-Zagan stared at the sight blankly.

"Wow. You lot are all so hopeless, especially the blondie and the one with the scar."

"SHUT UP, YOU MASKED WEIRDO!" Hakuryuu and Alibaba chorused angrily.

Mini-Zagan sulked. "Fine…I guess you two don't want to know how to get to the treasury, then." He smirked when everyone centered their attention on him. "Now that's more like it. Listen closely. I arranged with the original Zagan to reverse the magic we placed on the Toran people once you get there."

"…And Amani-dono?" Hakuryuu asked with eyes narrowed suspiciously.

The mini-Zagan sighed. "I told you before. She's fine. The girl simply is trying to recuperate from the toll of using her djinn equip while being pregnant. It's for the best if she doesn't use Foras too much until after she gives birth to the child."

Alibaba nodded. "I understand."

"Okay, so this is how you get to the treasury…"

Everyone listened raptly to the mini-Zagan's instructions, completely unaware of the dark silhouettes eavesdropping on the conversation.

"…Got it?" Mini-Zagan finished. "That's how-

SPLAT.

The whole group stared with horror as a sharp rock rose from the ground and impaled the dungeon creature. Tiare instinctively turned around and growled at the newcomers.

"Who are they?" Alibaba asked as he and Aladdin turned to face the attackers.

Alarmed recognition flashed across Aladdin's face at the sight of the silhouettes. "Everyone…hurry up to the treasury. We can't let them get there before us!"

Alibaba asked no questions. He scooped Amani up and began to run toward the treasury. Aladdin followed after on his heels at full speed. Tiare took Morgiana and Hakuryuu onto her back and began flying toward her destination.

'Don't worry, Amani! We'll be out of this dungeon soon!'

Unbeknownst to Alibaba, Amani began to stir in his arms.


Amani's inner mindscape shook a little, causing its inhabitants to look up in alarm.

"…Mistress, I think that you are waking." Foras commented after a moment of silence. Beside her, Zagan nodded in agreement and wrapped an arm around Foras' waist. "I think that it is time for us to part. Thank you, Blessed Child for listening to our troubles."

Amani shook her head. "No problem. As long as Foras is happy, I'm happy."

"Isn't she the most amazing master, dear?" Foras cooed with pride. "My Mistress always places my well-being above all others! Well…aside from her brother, of course."

Zagan hummed. "It's such a pity that she couldn't take my test. I would have loved to have her as my Mistress."

Amani shrugged as her form began to fade. "If the thought counts, I would have loved to have you as my djinn too, Zagan. But I think that Foras is enough for me."

"Mistress!"

Zagan sighed. "A pity. Well, good luck to you, Blessed Child. I will be seeing you in my treasury. Oh, and please be careful. Your comrades are currently fighting against people from Al Thamen."

Amani blinked. "Wait, what?"

But then she was gone.


When Amani opened her eyes, she found herself being carried by Hakuryuu and…they were on the back of a dragon?!

"…Hakuryuu? What's happening? Where are Alibaba and the others?" Amani asked drowsily. She looked back down on their supernatural steed. Was she hallucinating? "And why are we on a dragon?"

Hakuryuu looked down at Amani with surprise written over his worried features.

"Amani-dono! You're awake!"

"Indeed I am." Amani informed him dryly. "It seems that you got into a bit of trouble while I was out. What happened? And why are we on a dragon?"

Hakuryuu seemed taken aback by her last question. "A dragon?! You don't mean the ancient creatures that decorate the emperor's robes do you, Amani-dono? Amazing! Is that what Tiare is?"

Amani was about to remind Hakuryuu that he needed to focus on the main issue, but paused at his last question. "Tiare? Are you saying that this dragon is Tiare?"

The dragon rumbled in acknowledgement, confirming Hakuryuu's claim.

"Oh, you poor girl." Amani said pityingly. She felt the small respect she had for the djinn diminish greatly at the sight of the little girl's state. She patted Tiare's back consolingly. Then, she turned to Hakuryuu. "Was Zagan the cause?"

Hakuryuu nodded grimly. "Zagan wasn't exactly clear about how she came to be this way. He promised that he would revert her back to normal once we reach the treasury." He patted Tiare consolingly. "Don't worry. Alibaba-dono, Morgiana-dono, and Aladdin-dono are taking care of things with the Al Thamen members."

Amani's gaze slid toward the battlefield. It seemed that the trio was holding their own pretty well. "…I see. Hakuryuu, did you stay here to protect me?" At his nod, she patted his head. "It must've been hard to hold yourself back from fighting with them. That was mature of you, Hakuryuu. I'm proud."

Hakuryuu blushed brightly at her praise.

"I-I-I-It was nothing, Amani-dono!" He denied vehemently. Then, a shadow cast upon his face. "Really, I don't deserve your praise. I have failed in protecting you. To do that…especially in your current state…"

Comprehension dawned on Amani's features. So, Zagan had told them about it and Hakuryuu was feeling responsible. Then, her eyes narrowed. She flicked him across the nose. "Don't blame yourself over something so silly. If there is anyone to blame, it should be me for not seeing the signs." She sighed and rested her hands on her abdomen. "Zagan purposefully took me to protect this child. I wasn't harmed at all. On the contrary, I was safe. Again, don't blame yourself over something that is obviously not your fault. Is that understood?"

Hakuryuu swallowed and nodded. "Yes."

"Good. Now, turn Tiare around. We're going to help the others fight."

"What?"

Amani sent Hakuryuu a look that sent cold shivers down his spine.

"You heard me. We're going to fight. I'm tired, frustrated, and hormonal. You don't want to argue with me. Turn the dragon. Now."


It took a while to calm Judal down from his fit of panic at his older brother's sudden fall, but Shion got through to him eventually.

"Relax, Judal. He just passed out from a bit of blood loss. We have a great medical team here in Sindria, so he'll be patched up in no time. Trust me." Shion soothed the dark magi on the ground clutching the unconscious Tao protectively. "And if you don't feel comfortable with the medic team, I can just summon Selene to look at him for you personally. She's my friend, you see."

He wisely left out the fact that she was Sai's little sister.

"…He'll be alright?" Judal asked hesitantly, holding Tao closer.

"Yes. If you let her treat him immediately, he'll be up and awake in an hour. He won't be harmed. I promise." Shion assured him genuinely. "I'd sooner die than let that happen to your brother. He seems like a nice fellow."

"He is." Judal agreed, calming down.

Shion patted his shoulder. "Someone fetch Selene!" Shion called out to the soldiers. "And please, someone prepare a bed and some medical supplies!"

Some soldiers, who felt enough sympathy for the magi's situation, obeyed the young prince's instructions. In no time, Selene was there with bandages and ointments in her arms.

Selene's hands paused for a moment before the wound and her eyes widened.

"What?" Judal asked sharply, though the worry in his voice was obvious.

"Easy, Judal." Shion soothed. Then, he turned to Selene. "Is there something wrong with his wound? There wasn't any poison on Ja'far's blades, was there?"

Selene shook her head, assuring the pair that it wasn't anything of the sort, and began to work on Tao's wounds. After she was done, Judal offered her a slight tilt of his head in thanks, which she returned with a small smile.

Sinbad slowly made his way up to his son and the Magi. "Judal, the maids have already prepared a room for your…brother. Can you trust us to move him there?"

"…Yeah. He'd like that." Judal said in a subdued tone. Then, with a bit of hesitation, he added. "Thanks."

Sinbad was quick in hiding his shock in the voiced gratitude. The others, including Ja'far, however, were open in their surprise.

"Not a problem." Sinbad answered after a pause. Then, after a thought, he patted Judal on the shoulder. "You've been through a lot." He explained simply when Judal whipped his head up to his direction with wide eyes. "We'll take care of him. Go with Shion. It's not good to keep a lady waiting."

Judal turned to Shion with a somber expression.

"Can you take me to her?"


There were no words that could describe the moment between Kougyoku and Judal when they were reunited. Really, there was only a tense silence that Shion didn't dare break in fear of causing either one to turn away or worse, run away.

It was easy to see why both were so tense. They had changed so drastically during their time apart. Judal, with his pride and rich garments stripped away from him, and Kougyoku, with her change of clothing supported by the newfound strength in her eyes. It almost seemed as if they were strangers who accidentally walked into the same room.

It was Kougyoku who spoke first.

"Judal?"

The tentative question in his name spurred him into action. He lurched forward and threw himself at her feet where incoherent apologies and ramblings spewed from his mouth like a river. Shion watched silently as the image of the once powerful magician – Magi – deteriorated into a common, desperate man. It was as if he had gathered up the scraps of his pride and laid it all there at Kougyoku's feet.

The scene was both painful and heartbreaking.

(How did it look through her eyes?)

Kougyoku seemed to agree with his thoughts as there were tears streaming down her cheeks as she knelt down to gather him up into her lap. She did her best to put him back together with murmured assurances that he didn't hurt her and soft 'shhhh's' that bubbled from her lips in between his racking sobs.

("I'm sorry, Princess. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have said those things. I didn't mean 'em. Not a word. Don't believe them for a second. You're worth more than a thousand kings. I'm sorry. You don't have to forgive – Kougyoku, I'm so sorry.")

"There's nothing to forgive." She had assured him somewhere in between the sobbing and the apologies while running her fingers through his matted hair. "Oh, Judal. What happened to you?"

After a while, Judal's sobs and tears ceased. He willingly unraveled into Kougyoku's arms. Shion could see by the steady rise and fall of his body that he was asleep. All the stress and exhaustion finally caught up with the magi.

Shion sent her an inquiring look. 'Should I stay?'

She shook her head. 'No, I'm fine here. Leave us.'

Shion left the two be. He was sure that they needed the privacy to talk everything out once Judal woke up.


Yasmine let at the familiar sight of Sasan fill her eyes. Every building, every person, none escaped her eagle eyes.

Which was why she knew to expect the assassins.

"Grandfather never gives up. Stubborn old fart." She sighed as she removed her scythe from the corpse.

Behind her, Kouha giggled as he decapitated four heads simultaneously. "Wow, look at all the blood!" He crowed giddily. "Yasmine, did you see that?"

"Yes, yes, I did. Don't let it get on you. We need to meet with Grandfather, you know."

Kouha scoffed. "It's not like we need to make a good impression or anything. It's your grandfather. You know me, Yasmine. When have I ever impressed the King of Sasan? He hates my guts, period. Why try?"

Good point.

"Because blood is hard to wash out." Yasmine stated flatly, speaking her true reasons. She knew this struggle very well. And without the help of soap? It was a nightmare. "Come on, Kouha. Let's make this whole thing quick. I have business with the old man."

"Business other than the whole engagement thing?" Kouha asked curiously, eyes glinting with an emotion that Yasmine couldn't put a finger on. Not that she bothered to try. Kouha was always strange to her.

But the consistency of the emotion was a bit troubling. Was she missing something?

"Yes," she answered slowly, "honestly, it's the least pressing issue on my list. He'll probably say no. He's part of the Seven Seas Alliance, after all."

"…Right."

Why did Kouha seem so downtrodden at her answer?

Yasmine placed a hand on Kouha's shoulder awkwardly. "Look, don't take Grandfather's rejection personally. He just…doesn't want the political mess that would be on his hands if I ever accidentally kill my husband by staring him down. You know? Besides, us Blessed Children were never really the family types." She winced. "Our abilities tend to…hinder any possible romantic relationships."

"What about Amani?" Kouha asked curiously. "She seems to do fine with Mei. And they're happily married now! So why-?"

"Amani is a rarity." Yasmine cut in shortly. She nodded sharply at the guards at the entrance into the city. They immediately turned their eyes away from her with sweat pouring down their temples. Without a word, they let her and Kouha in. "For the last couple of centuries, the Blessed Children always died alone. Whether it was because of reverence or fear, they never really got to 'settle down' with the person who loved them, if they had any."

Yasmine kept her gaze upwards. The crowds made an obvious gap for her to walk through. She strolled through the streets with the fingers and whispers all aimed at her. The sting of the actions had long since dulled.

"I see. But Amani managed to find happiness, right? So it should be possible for you too." Kouha said optimistically. Yasmine smiled a little sadly at the hope in his voice.

'Raja thought that way too…' She thought wistfully as they entered the palace. Kouha had become silent when it became obvious that she wasn't going to continue the conversation. Then, her expression darkened. 'But what did he get out of hoping for something like that? Nothing. Just a sword on the back.'

Yasmine gritted her teeth as she reached the great doors of the throne room.

'But I won't be hoping like he did. I'll just act before those bastards shove a sword down my back.' She vowed to herself determinedly as she pushed the large doors open, disrupting whatever conversation the Knight King was having with his other fellow knights.

"Granddaughter." Yasmine could hear the surprise in her grandfather's voice. Surprisingly, there wasn't the usual displeasure in his tone. Yasmine was almost tempted to check the windows to see if there were any winged pigs flying about since that never happened.

Darius' eyes wandered over to Kouha and his eyes narrowed.

"And…you brought a guest." Ah. There it was. That displeasure. The universe was in balance again. Now, Yasmine could comfortably converse with her grandfather.

She tilted her head. "I, Yasmine, have returned from Kou to hold audience with you, my king." She announced with the right amount of sarcasm so to not appear too rude, but enough to show him that he wasn't her king. "Prince Kouha has accompanied me back to Sasan as a Kou representative. He has a personal message from the Emperor."

Kouha came up and bowed respectfully.

"As a representative, I bring news from Emperor Koutoku. An offering of peace with Sasan through marriage with one of his sons." He relayed clearly. "The Emperor is willing to gift Sasan with a generous amount of money and no bridal price. Trade and protection from Kou's army are also offered in this exchange."

The other knights in the room began to murmur amongst themselves in disbelief at the amount that was offered. Yasmine, on the other hand, bristled. She was no cattle!

"You want Yasmine, I suppose?" Darius stated dryly. At Kouha's nod, he sighed. "Though the offer is generous, I'm afraid that it is impossible. No, I will not give my granddaughter to Kou."

Yasmine started in surprise at the heat in Darius' voice. For a moment, she thought that it was aimed at Kouha specifically but that couldn't be, right? She knew that he didn't like her friend that much, but that feeling didn't really deserve that much of a negative reaction.

No, she was just hearing things. Darius simply didn't like Kou that much since they were contenders to the Seven Seas Alliance.

"Why not?" Kouha asked, breaking from his formal speech. "It's a generous offer, more generous than any offer you would ever have." He argued. "Kou and its Emperor is willing to give anything to Sasan for this marriage."

Kouha shouldn't even bother. Yasmine knew that her grandfather would never allow her to be paired with another man, no matter the offer.

"Don't bother convincing me, boy." Darius scoffed.

See?

"Because I have already accepted a different engagement offer."

Yasmine's mind screeched to a halt at his words. She gaped at her grandfather. Beside her, Kouha looked ready to kill at the news. Whether it was Darius or the fiancé himself, Yasmine didn't know.

Darius looked pleased at her baffled reaction.

"Yes, Granddaughter. It's true. I have made an agreement with King Sinbad. Since your status and power would aid this young man very much, you are now engaged to Prince Alibaba Saluja."

"WHAT!"


Alibaba winced as Isaac's attack went through his guard yet again.

'He's strong!' He thought as he struggled against his opponent's attacks. He smiled almost instinctively when Morgiana swung a kick at the man, giving Alibaba the perfect opening to cut one of his legs off. 'But we can take him!'

It was truly a fortunate thing for Morgiana to activate her Household Vessel before the battle. If she had activated it any sooner or later, Hakuryuu wouldn't have been able to warn her of the dangers of using too much of her magoi. And being a Finalis, she had a small amount of magoi.

Morgiana was doing wonderfully in switching between using her Household Vessel and simply using her brute strength.

Alibaba changed Amon's sword into a dagger. He had always fought more gracefully with the Royal Fencing style. 'I should give it my all too!'

On the other side, Aladdin was battling with a djinn-equipped Princess Dunya of the fallen Kingdom of Musta'sim. He shivered at the grotesque form of the dark equip. What haunted him even more was how she came to achieve it.

'Stabbing herself without hesitation…Al Thamen is truly a horrifying group.'

Amani, who had awoken, joined the battle. She chose Ithnan as her opponent. Alibaba noticed that she used her djinn to the barest minimum, depending more on her athletic prowess to lash out at the masked member of the organization. Hakuryuu and Tiare remained in the sky, aiding Aladdin in taking down the dark monster however they could with blasts of fire or magoi.

Ithnan danced away from Amani's kunai knives only to be caught in her little sand trap she made with Foras' ability. "Tch. It seems that you truly are the apprentice of the late Blessed Child Fatima. She has taught you well. Did you know that she used to be part of our organization?"

Alibaba was surprised with the revelation.

Amani wasn't.

"Yes. Teacher told me." She assured her opponent as he somehow managed to wiggle out of her sand's fatal grasp. "But she was smart enough to change her alliances when she realized she was on the wrong side."

Ithnan sent small blasts Amani's way. She nimbly avoided them. He was forced to stop in his attacks when Tiare sent a concentrated plasma blast his way.

"It is she who was the fool!" Ithnan snarled. "And you. You love getting in our way, don't you Blessed Child? It was exactly the same back in Balbadd! If it weren't for your meddling, I would have made the perfect dark djinn out of that foolish Fog Troupe leader."

Alibaba almost didn't defend himself properly at Ithnan's last sentence.

'Kassim?! He could've been…that thing?!'

He felt sick. Had his brother-figure been that close to using such power?

Amani's grim expression confirmed his suspicions.

"Kassim could have died fighting for your twisted cause as a depraved creature like your Princess Dunya. I didn't want such a dark fate for him." She told Ithnan angrily. "A fate that your organization almost drove him into!"

"Yet he still died!"

Amani's teeth gritted as she let out a barrage of magoi-covered senbon needles in Ithnan's direction. He sneered when all of them missed their mark and imbedded themselves in the ground. "Don't let your temper get in the way, Blessed Child. You missed."

Amani tilted her head.

"Did I?"

Ithnan's eyes widened as the needles on the ground all simultaneously exploded, burning him in various places. "What?! How? You're not a magician!"

"No, I just have a very clever inventor as a friend." Amani informed the Al Thamen member with a satisfied smile. "He likes making things explode."

Ithnan growled under his breath and renewed his attacks with more fervor.

"It's a pity that your kind was deluded into serving the arrogant King Solomon. If they had just listened to reason-! No. They wouldn't have. They were too loyal to their king." Ithnan spat bitterly. Then, he turned to Amani. "But…I suppose it's a good thing now. You're too dangerous to keep alive now, especially with that child. I suppose accidental deaths are common in dangerous dungeons like this one."

Alibaba took his eyes off of Amani's battle to give the final blow to his opponent. Rage flowed through his veins. That man dared to threaten his sister's life right in front of him! And the child too!

No.

It was Al Thamen who threatened his family! They killed Kassim! They almost destroyed Balbadd!

As Isaac fell into pieces from Alibaba's last attack, he rounded about, focus set on Ithnan.

Alibaba could have lived his whole life simply fearing Al Thamen. Really, aside from them being Sinbad's enemies, he wasn't exactly motivated to cross blades with any of them, so to speak.

But now…with what they could've done…what they were going to do…

It's personal.


When Judal came to, he found himself still on Kougyoku's lap. She was no longer stroking his head and back. Instead, she was leaning back comfortably while whistling a small, strange tune.

Noticing that he was conscious, Kougyoku stopped in her whistling and focused her attention on him.

"I was planning to be angry with you." She told him conversationally. "You were really stupid to run away without hearing out the whole story."

Judal blinked slowly. Kougyoku spoke on.

"King Sinbad really didn't touch me, you know. It was all Koubun's fault. Apparently, he wanted me to marry a powerful, Sindrian King. Pfffft. As if that would happen."

"But you're in love with him." He blurted out unintentionally.

Kougyoku stared at him incredulously, making him feel somewhat stupid. But that was the case, wasn't it?

"You thought – Oh my Solomon, I can't believe it." Kougyoku rose from her sitting position with a dark expression on her face.

"I'm not even attracted to the guy this time around! Yeah, he's handsome…sort of, but that doesn't automatically mean that I should be attracted to him or anything! Why do people think that? I didn't even give a single indication that I liked him and people still think that!" She said irately, flinging her hands up. "The man is almost old enough to be my father. And he's Shion's dad." She turned to Judal. "No. Just no. It's wrong. Stop assuming things."

"But you defended him." Judal argued weakly, shying away from her rage.

"That's because I already knew that he was innocent! I can't just allow an innocent man to be framed for a crime that he never did!" She screeched. "And he's Shion's father!"

Judal sunk even lower.

"How did you even know?" He asked almost meekly, as Kougyoku continued her angry rant. "You can't read minds."

Kougyoku paused in mid-rant, eyes widening in realization. "Oh right, you didn't know. I'm a Blessed Child. Um…surprise?" She winced after she finished her confession. "That sounded a lot better in my head. I was about to tell you about it, but you sort of flew off before I did my whole reveal."

Judal groaned in frustration and buried his face into his hands.

Of course. Ping. She had always been around Ping. It had been so obvious and he missed it!

"I'm a fucking idiot." He wanted to say. But being Judal, he didn't. Instead, he peeked up from his hands to see Kougyoku wringing her hands in worry. She obviously thought that he was going to react negatively over not telling him sooner. Actually, he would have…months ago. Before Tao. But now, he could only feel relief that Al Thamen didn't know about her.

He didn't even want to think about what they could've done to her if they knew.

But they didn't, so Judal could rest easy on that topic for now. His current concern was the nervous girl in front of him.

Judal found himself at a loss to what to say. What should he say to assure her that he wasn't angry? What would Tao do? Comfort her, probably, but Judal knew that he would screw that up royally without even meaning to.

"I have a brother." He said instead and regretted it almost instantly. 'Idiot! What kind of reassurance is that?'

But it seemed to do the trick. Kougyoku's eyes widened with surprise and she sat down in front of him. "Really? Is he here too?"

Judal nodded. "Yeah. But that small fry- I mean, Ja'far," He corrected himself, much to her surprise, "scratched him a little, so he's being treated. He's fine."

"Do you mind telling me about him?"

No. Actually, he didn't mind at all. Judal perked up and began talking animatedly about his older brother.

"His name is Tao…"


Instead of the hard floor, Tao woke up on a nice, fluffy bed.

'Huh. So the prince humored my request.' The dark-haired wanderer looked at the bandages wrapped around his sides and whistled in appreciation. "They did a pretty good job patching me up there."

"I'm glad to hear you say that."

Tao looked up at the owner of the voice and blinked in surprise at the sight of his visitors. "Ah! Your majesty! And…um…I'm sorry. It seems that I don't know your name, Advisor-san."

"It Ja'far." The freckled man answered with a small smile on his lips. He visibly appeared less antagonistic toward Tao. "I hope that the wound isn't too bad. I apologize for attacking you earlier."

"Oh no, Ja'far-san!" Tao assured Ja'far quickly. "It's fine. It's understandable. You were only trying to protect your country and your king from a possible threat. It's just a relief that you stopped long enough to hear us out!"

Ja'far regarded Tao curiously. "You're really not like Judal."

"It's the difference of the environment we were raised in. You'd be surprised how much it influences your character." Tao told him cheerfully. Then, he turned to Sinbad. "I really do hope you two weren't waiting for me to wake up. I tend to sleep for a long time."

"Not at all. We just dropped by to check on you." Sinbad answered amicably. "How is the wound?"

"Not painful. Your healers did very well." The wanderer assured the king. "Kido didn't throw a fit, did he? He tends to overreact when I hurt myself, silly boy."

"Kido?" Sinbad asked.

"Judal." Tao corrected himself. "Mom and Dad named him Kido before the organization came and took him away." His expression darkened. "I prefer not calling him by the name they gave him."

Sinbad nodded in understanding.

"I see. I'm sorry for your loss. But, if you don't mind, can you tell me about your family – Gui, is it? – and how you came to meet Judal? It must be quite a story."

Tao didn't care that Sinbad was suspicious. He was completely willing to tell the Sindrian King. He had nothing to hide.

"Of course, your majesty. Though, you will need to take a seat. It's a bit of a story."

King Sinbad took a seat while Ja'far remained standing.

Tao cleared his throat.

"Only a day before Kido's birth, I had a conversation with my Uncle. He's one of those crazy relatives, you see, but he had a knack of knowing things without being told. So, on that day, I asked him…"


Ithnan was decapitated by Alibaba.

Isaac was destroyed due to Dunya running out of magoi.

Dunya was saved by Aladdin's Wisdom of Solomon…temporarily.

Sai had told Amani that these events would happen. And they did.

Usually, Amani would feel disappointed at the lack of change she made in this event, but she couldn't help but not care. Everyone who was important to her was safe and alive. She was finally going to make it out of the dungeon.

The whole group rushed into the treasury, eager to have the whole dungeon-jumping all done and over with. Amani, slightly exhausted from the battle against Ithnan and, subsequently, against Dunya's extreme magic, had to be carried in by Morgiana. Hakuryuu, on the other hand, was in charge of carrying Dunya's unconscious body.

Aladdin and Alibaba immediately began to desperately shuffle through all the objects. Tiare joined in on the search by checking the objects in higher places. "Which one is the djinn? We have no time to wait for any other Al Thamen members to attack us!" Alibaba wondered aloud in frustration.

Aladdin rubbed his flute. "If Ugo was here I could search for him, but-!"

Amani took no time in lifting up her gourd. 'Please, Foras! Help me find Zagan!'

Almost immediately, the symbol on the gourd glowed. On the other end of the treasury, a small box lit up. "It's there!" Amani called out, pointing at the object. Aladdin, Alibaba, and Hakuryuu rushed over to the box and touched the symbol.

The whole treasury lit up as its djinn was summoned into existence.

"Who will be King?"


I found this in my folder and thought it suited this chapter. This was what was supposed to happen if the whole Sinbad-Kougyoku incident didn't go all sour. But then I had to change everything since my characters took control of the story. Not that I'm unhappy with that. I was able to create and introduce Tao that way :)

I'm in a chibi-Writer's Block so I'm completely open for some suggestions from all of you. What do YOU want to know about the chibi-Generals?


Deleted Scene: If Judal Didn't Come with Kougyoku to Sindria, Kougyoku Still Wore a Dress, and Everything was Still Canon

"What are you talking about Judal?"

Though spoken in a subdued tone, all eyes fell on the Princess and Blessed Child of the Kou Empire.

"Princess!" Judal's cruel look abruptly left his face, shocking many of the onlookers who were far used to the magi's evil personality. Now, he looked…besotted, cow-eyed, and, for a lack of a better description, love struck. "It's just as you heard it! We're going to fight Sindria, so there's no reason to stay on this tiny island. Now, you can become a general just like you've always wanted! Let's leave this place and go back home. How about it?" He said excitedly while stretching out his hand.

"You…" The Eighth Princess of Kou purposefully strode up to the dark magi, ignoring the cold looks shot at her. She stopped right in front of him. Her hand darted out and, instead of grabbing Judal's hand, harshly grabbed his ear. "…You IDIOT!"

Judal yelped at the unexpected pain and stumbled to his knees.

"You are waging war against Sindria? War against Sindria? Have you lost your mind, Judal? And don't you spit out more crap to me this time, since I know brother Koumei wouldn't do such a thing without consulting me. What were you thinking? Are you even thinking? Do you know how much of a mess you have made for me now? Not only you have antagonized Sindria, but you antagonized the Seven Seas Alliance as well! I came here partially to visit Amani and also to fix the rift between Sindria and Kou! This isn't some game that I'm playing here! Now what am I supposed to do with Ja'far and Sinbad? Apologize a thousand times? Do you think apologies will work after the stunt you just pulled right in front of me? Is this supposed to make me happy? Now all my hard work in befriend the people of Sindria is for nothing! Think about all of the apology letters I have to send because of your carelessness! I expect our magi to be more responsible, but nooo. You just had to make my life harder, didn't you? Now I won't have time to spend with you here like I had planned to do after I finished up with my duties! You STUPID IDIOT!"

Kougokyu panted heavily after finishing her enraged rant while Judal dizzily tried to process what his love interest was yelling.

"Wait…you planned to do something with me?" Judal repeated incredulously.

The princess rolled her eyes. "I hate repeating myself, Judal."

"But you…and that idiot king…together…"

Kougokyu scowled at what Judal was implicating. "Listening to rumors again? Like hell I'd leave Kou to marry a man I just met. And he's too old for me. No offense, your majesty." She added.

"It's fine." Sinbad assured her. "Non-taken."


Brownie points to the people who actually read through Kougyoku's whole rant.

Now, onto some clarifying!

Judal's Confession About His Situation: I loved writing this part. It gave me the ability to expand on the depth of Judal's struggle. This was how I envisioned what Judal actually felt when he told Sinbad and his soldiers about his situation. Did anyone notice that I mostly used the exact lines Judal used in the manga? His sentences could be used and interpreted in so many different ways. I hope that this scene broke your heart because it definitely broke mine.

Pseudo-Crying Scene: See what I did there? That's right. I placed one of my favorite insults that Hakuryuu threw at Zagan at his infamous crying scene.

Warning: Since her hormones are out-of-whack, prepare to face Amani's mood-swings and the people who are going to be unfortunate enough to face the brunt of it.

Kougyoku and Judal Reunion: I always thought that this was the most natural reaction between friends (not really) who have been separated for a long time. They changed. Judal isn't as rude and violent as he used to be and Kougyoku is stronger and more independent. But there was one thing that didn't change: their passionate characters. I thought that a reunion with little words and more emotion suited the pair more.

Surprise! I'm a Blessed Child!: I had no idea how else she could've broken the news. Though I liked writing Judal's reaction. It shows both his growing maturity and obliviousness to the obvious.

Alibaba X Yasmine (not): So yeah, that happened. I will patiently wait for the indignant screams from all you KouYa shippers. (Whisper: Alibaba doesn't know...)

Whole Battle in Zagan: I didn't write out the entirety of it since everyone read/watched the whole damn thing. I didn't want to go into a whole repeat, narrating the things we all already know. So, I just focused on how Ithnan's words and actions kick-started Alibaba into becoming totally against Al Thamen. Hey, it's his pregnant sister that they're threatening.

#2...or #3 On Al Thamen's Hit List: It's unclear why for now, but Al Thamen wasnts Amani (and her baby) dead. Of course, Sinbad and maybe (?) Shion are before her.

Yup! So that's all. I hope that you all enjoyed that chapter! Ask if you have any questions that I didn't answer!

REVIEW!