A/N: Sorry this is short, but if I get a few more reviews quick, then I'll put up another –probably longer- chapter before the New Year.

If not, then HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Thanks to you wonderful reviewers:

Zorra: Thanks hun. Hope you like this and keep reviewing me with your input!

Evilchild666: I love your name! It's so awesome! Glad you like the new twist to the story. Yeah, I had to give them different names or I would have been more confused than you. –chuckle-

Nadia: Glad you like the pairings. They're my favorite too. Obviously. –giggles-

FirecatRekka: You are SO brilliant! I kind of gave a big cheer when I read your review. Yes, Aries has a double, but shhh! I'll get to that!

Dedicated to: Jerry Orbach!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jerry Orbach died yesterday, December 28, 2004 at the age of 69. He died of cancer after being diagnosed only a few weeks before Christmas. He was a wonderful actor: playing in Dirty Dancing, the voice for the candelabra in Beauty and the Beast, and playing in Law and Order for nearly twelve years!

Goodbye Jerry!!!!!!!! We'll miss you!!!!!!!!!!!!

Chapter 9

"Guards leave us!" Ryo yelled. "Take the servants with you!" The guards left quickly and the servants hurriedly left with them. Ryo stepped closer to his company.

Rowen went up to Sye.

"Rowen is my boyfriend." Sye corrected quietly. Ryo looked at Sephiroth.

"Is there something you want to tell me?" He asked gently. Sephiroth look at the prince worriedly.

"I, uh, have been meeting with a secret partner as well." He gulped.

"Why did you keep this from me?" Ryo wondered.

"He isn't part of the royal house, my Prince." Sephiroth looked down at the floor.

"Don't be ashamed!" Sye snapped grumpily. Sephiroth looked up to him.

"I don't know what the circumstances are, but I would never be ashamed of my love for Rowen and neither should you. I don't think you should be scolding him either." Sye lowered his voice, now scolding the prince, who was shocked.

"W… what?" He asked innocently.

"You and Seiji." Sye reminded. "I thought princes were supposed to marry royalty?"

"They are only supposed to marry royalty." Sephiroth nodded, then looked back to Prince Ryo. Sephiroth took a minute to think before he spoke. The prince wasn't about to speak now that his secret was out and he didn't even know what the general Seiji, would think of everyone knowing. "My Prince." Sephiroth bowed down to one knee again, and he looked up into Ryo's face. "Perhaps the laws should be changed. You are the prince after all, and soon to be king. You have the right to do so. People may frown upon it, but you are a strong ruler. It should make no difference who you fall in love with." Sephiroth consoled. The prince smiled briefly, then put his hand on Sephiroth's cheek.

"All the rules of who-can-love-who should be adjusted. You are right about this. When I become king, I will see to it right away." He assured.

Sephiroth rose and looked back to Sye. "Did your love work out?" He wondered, more quietly. Sye smiled.

"What do you think?" He looked up to Rowen.

Seiji walked up to them and they parted.

"There is still the issue of our friend Ryo, and your friend Seiji. That red haired man you spoke of, did he happen to be very tall, with curly hair?" The prince nodded. "We're looking at the same thief of heart then." Seiji growled.

"But that guy in the Gathering, wasn't Aries." Sye frowned.

"Aries?" Ryo questioned. "Seiji said that name before. He was grumbling to himself about something and I heard that name. When I asked him about it, he denied it and told me to forget about it, then later when he was arguing with the redhead, he said the name again, very hatefully."

Seiji nodded. "It's got to be Aries. In our world, he's a student-teacher, but Ryo and I have run into him before and he called himself a dimension hopper, a sort of time traveler." He paused. "Do you understand any of that?"

"Yes, to a certain extent. Aries was an advisor of mine a long time ago.He was on a team of astrologers. He predicted horrible events by studying the stars. We had several of those catastrophes actually occur before Seiji got suspicious and investigated Aries. He discovered Aries was a fraud and exposed him even though Aries offered Seiji a throne of power, my love denied it." The prince paused. "He was truly wonderful. Anyway, Aries was thrown out of the order by my father and he stayed away until I was thirteen –Seiji is three years older than I am- then he came back, but he was different. He was in the same form of that curly haired tall man that Seiji had been talking with. He flattered his way close to my father then tried to kidnap me one day. Seiji saved me. Before he was thrown out though he claimed that he had the power to jump through worlds and conquer everything." He blushed and smiled.

"So you're saying this guy can change shape? Morph into a completely different being?" Sye asked.

"No." Ryo shook his head. "He can only change certain aspects of himself and only for short periods of time, perhaps a few days. We found a truth speaker and got him to speak with Aries. So we found out that much, but it is unclear to us which is really his true form."

"So… you grew up and made Seiji a general in your army?" Seiji wondered calmly.

"Yes." The prince nodded once. "It feels odd speaking to you about Seiji, when you are Seiji." He hid his face and laughed lightly.

"Sephiroth." Rowen called and he turned to Rowen. "Was that the name given to you by your parents?"

"Yes." He nodded. "Why?"

"The rest of us have a double with the same name, I was just wondering why you two look exactly the same, but have different names."

"We don't." Sye replied. "My legal name is Sephiroth." Sye blushed. "I hated it. I stopped using it a long time ago and got it legally changed to Sye when I turned fifteen." He frowned. "It was the birthday gift my mother gave me last year." He glanced at Rowen and wiped his eyes before any tears could fall.

"What happened to your mother?" Sephiroth prompted.

"She was killed." Sye answered and Seiji turned to him quickly.

"What?" He snapped.

"Yeah, she robbed a bank with her boyfriend and the cops found them and shot them. It's all over the news." Sye looked at Seiji and saw he was hurt.

"I'm sorry." He whispered.

"Don't be." Sye saw Ryo and Sephiroth looking at him oddly, as if he'd just started speaking in a complex language. He ignored their looks. "She was a bitch and an idiot to rob a bank when she was as wealthy as she was." He shook his head. "Is your mother still living?" He wondered looking at Sephiroth.

"Somewhere." He paused. "I am not sure. She surrendered me to his Majesty when I was younger."

Sye nodded understandably. "My dad left me when I was younger."

"Sephiroth!" A familiar voice shouted and came running into the room. Rowen was shocked now. He saw himself and Sye gasped too.

"You just don't get over seeing doubles of everyone." Seiji grunted, getting over with his shock quickly. Rowen walked away from Sye and up to his double. This other Rowen was staring at Sye aghast.

Rowen stuck out his hand to the new Rowen and smiled. "It's nice to meet me." He laughed and the new guy looked around to everyone else, a bit afraid.

A/N: So, some more stuff was explained. Is anyone confused? Do you have any questions or would you like to comment on anything? Please review!!!!!