Keys to the Kingdom: Life Goes On

by thepenishellamightier257

Sequel. Alternate Continuity. For Sora and friends, it seems that their days of adventuring are over. But just because evil forces aren't threatening to destroy the universe, doesn't mean everything is so simple. New relationships, old enemies, and an upcoming wedding ensure that for the saviors of the worlds, life is anything but normal. Contains Original Characters.

3. Thick As Thieves

Princess Jasmine, hood up to conceal her face, slowly makes her way through the backstreets of Agrabah. Sora follows behind her, dressed in his normal adventuring clothes once again.

"Are you sure we should be doing this?" Sora asks the princess. "It's been a few hours since… everything, but maybe Al still needs more time."

Jasmine shakes her head, leading the way into her once-again-fiancée's broken down old hovel. "I know. But this isn't something that a person should be left wrestle with alone. He needs our help here, Sora."

The Keybearer nods, following behind the princess. If anyone would know Aladdin better than him, it would be her.

As expected, Aladdin sits at the huge hole that's long served as his window to the outside. The view is spectacular, the distant palace glowing in the orange light of dawn. But Sora can't even begin to focus on that, not when his friend is hurting.

"Are you alright?" Jasmine asks. The former street rat doesn't reply beyond a vague shrug, so she moves in closer. Placing a hand on his shoulder, she asks, "What's wrong Aladdin? You have to tell me."

The young man sighs heavily. He turns away from the window. "All my life, one of the things I always wanted was to know my father. I knew a lot of other street kids, and they all thought the same thing. I imagined him almost every day, wondering how my life would have been different with him in it."

Jasmine nods. "I think those same things about my mother. Especially today."

Aladdin gives the princess a quick hug. "I know, Jasmine. Sorry to bring it up. But… My dad is a little different, y'know? You at least knew how much your mother loved you. My dad just left, no explanation." He turns back to the window, kicks at a loose brick. "If he didn't want me, why should I have anything to do with him? I don't even know the guy, right?"

Sora says nothing. Put that way, it seems Aladdin has a great point.

"I already do," Jasmine declares, which is so not what anyone suspected. "I know him because I know you. Aladdin, no man as great as you are could come from anyone not equally as great." She kisses his cheek gently. "You didn't just come out of thin air."

"You're a good guy, Al," Sora chimes in, stepping closer. From the look on his face, Sora concludes that his friend hadn't even noticed that he was in the room. "And I know that if I was in your shoes, I'd want to know my father. And no matter what happens when you see him again, I'll be there for you."

The former street rat nods, then turns back to Jasmine with a frown. "But the wedding? Genie'll have things fixed up quickly, and I don't want to…"

"The wedding can wait, Aladdin," Jasmine assures him. "And just think about how great it will be, having your father there for our wedding day."

Aladdin sighs. "I have waited a long time. You're right, I do want to know my father. C'mon, let's get the Oracle."

A quick whistle summons Carpet, who carries the trio back to the palace. They land on the huge balcony off the throne room, where the others are already waiting. Genie, still in his construction outfit, stands in front of a whiteboard. The schematic for a new pavilion is there, and he gestures at it expressively with a conjured wooden pointer.

Azlyn and Telary are dressed in their magical clothes, and Kairi has returned to her casual pink dress. They, along with Iago and Abu, look up when the almost-bride and belated-groom arrive, faces lighting up at the prospect of a relief from Genie's zaniness.

"And of course, this third focus crystal is essential to the laser grid… Hey, you're back!" Genie exclaims, banishing his pointer and plans with a gesture. He immediately zips to Al's side, holding the Oracle staff. "So, you finally gonna pop the question? HA! 'Pop the question'?" He turns back to the unimpressed offworlders with a deadpan expression. "It's wedding humor."

"Oh, we got it," Azlyn confirms with a frown.

"I'm ready," Aladdin says, nodding resolutely as Genie hands him the rod. He holds it up in front of his face, all eyes intently watching him. Another breath, and then, "I know my question."

Once again the green gem atop the staff unleashes a spectacular white light. It rises into the air and settles just over the balcony's railing. The light coalesces, once again forming the robed Oracle.

"Then," she says beatifically, her voice echoing, "you need only ask."

Everyone crowds forward, as if they won't be able to hear anything from a mere few feet backwards. Sora sticks his arms out, keeping them all at bay.

"Where is my father?"

For a few long moments, nobody breathes.

The Oracle sweeps her arm outward, gesturing toward the setting sun. "Follow the trail of the Forty Thieves. Your father lies trapped in there world."

"What?" Aladdin exclaims.

"How convenient is that?" Azlyn muses.

"Is he okay?" Aladdin demands, stepping towards the oracle with wide eyes. "Have they hurt him, is he their prisoner?"

"I am sorry." The Oracle truly does seem saddened, looking down at her questioner with pity as she begins to fade out. "But I follow the Rule of One. One question, one answer."

With her last words echoing across the evening sky, the robed specter vanishes. The rod slowly floats back down, landing an Aladdin's hands. He tightens his grip on it dumbly, eyes shifting as a million new questions sift through his mind.

"I have to go find him!" the former street rat declares, frowning seriously. "I can still pick up the trail if I hurry, and travel light, and…" He stops ranting, looking to Jasmine as a sad realization dawns on him. "I really will have to leave. The wedding…"

"Will be ready by the time you get back," Jasmine assures her future husband.

"Ugh," Genie groans, eyeing his makeshift construction crew. "Calculating overtime is a major pain!" When the complaint earns him a few glares, he quickly backpedals with, "But for you Al, no trouble at all."

"I'll go with you," Sora offers, stepping up to Aladdin and laying a friendly hand on his shoulder.

Abu chitters excitedly, leaping onto his best friend's shoulder.

"Ah, what the hell?" Azlyn declares with a casual shrug. "I'll go too!"

"Count me in!" Kairi chimes in. Sora winces at that, which does not escape the Princess of Heart's notice.

"Maybe we shouldn't all go," the Keybearer suggests. "Uh, can I see you for a minute, Kairi?"

The pair from Destiny Islands move inside, ducking behind a huge white pillar.

"Why can't I go?" Kairi demands, arms crossed tightly. "Is it because you think it'll be dangerous, because I…"

Sora shakes his head. "No, it's not that at all Kairi." He steps closer to her, looking around to make sure no one is eavesdropping. "This could be a good chance to figure out what's up with Azlyn and Telary."

She raises a skeptical eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"I take Azlyn on the trip with Al, and try to get her to tell me what's going on. And you can stay here with Tel, see if you can figure things out on his end."

Kairi frowns. It does sound like a good, solid plan. But still…

Sora reaches out to gently grab her hand. She ceases her hesitant thoughts, looking up into the sky blue eyes of the boy who had crossed worlds and realms to fulfill all his promises to her.

"I know you want to get closer to Telary, just like Al and his dad," the Keybearer says, reassuringly rubbing his thumb against the back of her hand. "Spend some time with him, talk a little, help Genie and Jasmine with the wedding prep, whatever. You can't get closer if you never even try."

Well, there isn't any arguing with that. She sighs, leaning forward to kiss her boyfriend's cheek. "Okay, you're right." she playfully smirks at him. "It's kind of weird, y'know. You being the smart, sensible one."

Sora laughs, loud and genuine. "Glad you feel it too."

"One more thing though." Off Sora's questioning look, she asks, "This does partly have to do with the danger, right?"

Sora makes a choking noise in the back of his throat. He thought he'd covered that up well enough.

"Well, uh… I guess."

Kairi sighs. "Okay, okay. Well, we'll definitely be having a talk about that later."

The Keybearer winces, definitely not looking forward to that conversation.

KH-KH-KH

"That is the absolute last place to look in the palace," Gilgamesh comments as he and Pete stalk through Princess Jasmine's vast garden. "Unless you think the sultan is displaying it in his throne room, like a trophy. Although, that is certainly what I would do were I to finally recover Excali…"

"Oh, shut your yap!" Pete snaps, pettily kicking at a yellow daisy. Even the sight of the crushed flower isn't cheering him up. The fat cat moans, dunking his head into his hands. "Oh what am I gonna do? If I come back empty-handed, Maleficent's gonna…"

"Hark!"

Gilgamesh's loud cry snaps Pete out of his pity party. He looks up to where his partner is pointing, just in time to see a familiar flying carpet zoom by. The Keybrat is on it, along with his blonde friend and the guy on all the wedding posters. A small red bird flies beside them, and Pete scowls at the memory of it literally snatching Jafar's lamp from his fingers.

"It seems the fabled Keybearer is separating himself from many of his allies," Gilgamesh muses. "And would not the groom know where we can find what it is we are seeking? This could be our chance to catch them both unawares!"

Pete takes a moment to contemplate his partner's words. Despite how much he loathes to admit it, Gilgamesh does have a point. Usually he wouldn't be keen at all on going against the Keybrat, but minus his wizard friend and the genie…? Perhaps this could kill the proverbial two birds with one stone.

"Not a bad idea there, Gil," the fat cat says, nodding in a mildly congratulatory fashion. "You may earn your keep yet."

"You can have your keep," Gilgamesh scoffs. "I only desire the Keyblade."

KH-KH-KH

The trail of the Forty Thieves proves fairly easy to follow. Famed for their skill at thievery aside, there's really no good way to conceal the tracks of one-hundred and sixty horse hooves. With Carpet's speed, they're sure to catch up in no time.

The sun has set, casting the desert into darkness. Sora leans forward, holding on tight. Obvious trail aside, they're really pushing it with the speed. Wind whips against his face, very loud and very cold. Also, he can't help but worry that at any moment he could get a facefull of bug.

"Oh, why didn't I just stay with the Genie?" Iago laments, his wings beating as fast as they can to keep up with Carpet.

"He said he couldn't work under 'these conditions'," Azlyn reminds the parrot. "When we asked him what conditions, he just pointed at you."

"Besides," Sora quips with a smirk, looking over Aladdin's back at the knight, "you can't really expect Azlyn to make all the sarcastic comments, can you?"

"I really do appreciate this, you guys," Aladdin remarks, giving both offworlders a sincere smile. He's dressed in neither his shabby street rat clothes nor his fancy groom outfit. Instead, he wears a simple sand-brown tunic, blue vest, and dark blue pants. A yellow traveling cloak is wrapped around his neck, covering his body to further fight off the inevitable in-flight chill.

"Anything to help," Sora replies with a grin of his own.

"Sure, me too," Azlyn adds. "Besides, that attack on your wedding just reminded my how much I miss kicking ass. If this rescue gets rough, that'd be great for me!"

Sora's about to say something when the sound of a great many hooves perks his interest. And there's another noise beneath that. The kind of noise the island-raised boy would know anywhere.

Waves breaking against a shore.

They rise over a ridge, revealing the shore of a vast ocean a few hundred yards below. Carpet takes a sharp dive, pulling up just a few feet above a thin beach ringing the cliff. Up ahead, the tail ends of a few of the Forty Thieves' horses can still be seen. Everyone crouches lower on instinct, Iago hiding inside the hood of Sora's jacket.

Abruptly, the thieves' caravan comes to a complete stop. Carpet quickly responds in kind, halting immediately. Then it slowly backs up, concealing the group behind a cluster of rocks.

Sora, Aladdin, and Azlyn peer out from their hideaway. The thieves seem to be just standing around, waiting at the very edge of the ocean. There's nothing out there waiting for them that Sora can see. Just a very tall mountain looming out of the water. He searches for a structure hidden somewhere on its face, but there really is nothing there but solid rock.

"They've got nowhere to go," Aladdin notes with a confident smirk. "We've got them trapped."

"Do we now?" Iago asks sarcastically. "This is some great plan. Forty thieves verses five schmoes."

Soar frowns, his eyes sweeping over the party. "Uh, there are six of us."

The parrot scoffs. "Oh, I was so not counting myself in that equation."

"What the hell are they doing, anyway?" Azlyn asks, not really expecting an answer.

"They're just standing there," Aladdin agrees. Shifting his cloak aside, he reaches for the weapon he brought with him. His father's dagger.

Farther back along the shore, Pete and Gilgamesh crouch behind a boulder a well.

"We have them!" Gilgamesh exclaims a bit too loudly to be stealthy.

Pete quickly shushes his companion, inadvertently making more noise. Luckily for the pair, Aladdin and company seem to have not even contemplated that they might be pursued as well.

"We run out there guns blazin' now, we got forty thieves ta deal with too," he snaps. "The key, my friend, is to wait for the opportune moment. We can use that scryin' spell Maleficent taught me, the one we used ta track 'em, ta see what's goin' on. When they're all vulnerable-like."

Gilgamesh leans back with his arms folded, grumbling.

Up by the shore, one of the thieves finally makes his move. Aladdin scowls as he notes that it's the blue-cloaked man he'd fought for the oracle. The King of Thieves.

He holds his hand up to the sky, eyes set hard in determination.

"OPEN SESAME!" he calls out into the night, voice ringing with power and authority. It echoes off the rocky canyons, overpowering even the waves.

Sora opens his mouth to ask what exactly just happened, only to immediately shut up when he gets his answer. The sea before the Forty Thieves begins to bubble and boil, glowing red hot and throwing up a curtain of steam.

The party strains forward, but the cloud cannot be pierced no matter how hard they try. A loud sound suddenly rings out, an enormous cracking that sends the ground into tremors. The sound of rushing water follows, an eerie orange light advancing through the fog like the headlight on a Twilight Town train.

And then the steam clears, blowing aside like a stage curtain. Everyone gasps as the results of the king's words are made clear. What had seemed to be a dead end is no longer the end of the road. A clear path cuts through what once was ocean, surrounded on either side by walls of water twenty feet high. The path leads straight into the mountain, no longer an impassible stone façade. Instead it has become a doorway, a craggy line zig-zagging up its face.

The thieves waste no time, spurring their mounts into action and pounding across the pathway.

As soon as the King of Thieves is inside, the others streaming in quickly, Aladdin gives Carpet a nod. The aeronautic rug sweeps immediately to action, Sora and Azlyn only barely scrambling on before they're over the water. Iago follows himself, wings flapping harder than they have in a long time.

By the time they've traversed about the first ten feet of the path, the Forty Thieves are all inside their mountain hideaway. The spell begins wearing off immediately, and the ocean comes rushing back in. The crack in the mountain begins to seal itself as well, Carpet and Iago pushing even harder to make it before…

No sooner have the heroes swooped inside than the mountain seals itself shut with a loud crunch. The noise must startle Carpet, who tumbles forward and pitches its riders into a wild freefall.

Back outside, Pete and Gilgamesh can only watch with dumbfounded expressions.

KH-KH-KH

Sora groans, his head spinning. He'd hit a rock, hard enough that he makes sure to quickly check himself over for any serious injuries. Feeling none, he sighs contentedly. Of course, that hurts, and the Keybearer lets out another pained moan.

"Whoa, Sora!" Aladdin exclaims a little ways ahead. Sora tries his hardest not to hate his friend for how normal he sounds. "You gotta see this."

The Keyblade wielder gets himself up, most of the pain thankfully dissipating. When he gets a good look at their surroundings, it disappears completely. It seems they landed in some sort of ancient tomb, fit for a king or sultan. Tall pillars and striking statuary dots the place. It's a bit rundown, most pillars looking ready to collapse and nearly all the statues missing some piece of their structure. But, really, anything hidden inside a mountain that can be opened with some magic words is pretty impressive in itself. Flickering torchlight provides a small measure of illumination, though everything has a bit of an orange tint to it.

Something feels wrong though. Remembering his other companions, Sora turns around with a frown. "Azlyn? Iago?"

"Over here," Iago mutters, his breathing not yet returned to normal. "We're fine, I guess."

"Speak for yourself!"

Looking towards the sound of Azlyn's voice, Sora can't help but let out a short bark of laughter. The knight sits on the stone floor, right in front of the recently closed wall of rock. Her arms are crossed harshly, and she wears a murderous expression. She thrusts her head forward sharply, only moving it a few inches before it snaps back. Any further motion is severely hampered by the fact that a little less than an inch of her ponytail is caught in the seam where the mountain had closed.

Sora approaches her, wincing sympathetically. "Yikes, Az."

She glares at him, fiery torchlight accurately reflecting the rage in her eyes. "Ya think?"

It takes a minute and the assistance of Aladdin's dagger, but the party manage to extract Azlyn before continuing on. Two paths diverge off the entryway room, one going forward while the other leads up. The voices coming from the forward path are much clearer, so Aladdin guides the group upward.

"It's a simple operation," Iago is muttering to himself, perched on Azlyn's shoulder. "Get in, get out, and go home." After a moment's thought, he adds, "Actually, I really wouldn't mind if we just skipped to the 'go home' part."

"Shh," Aladdin warns. They've reached the end of their road, a ledge overlooking the chamber below. It's a huge cavern, with elaborate buildings and more statuary everywhere. The Forty Thieves congregate in the middle, around a massive wooden table. No one is sitting, however.

Most of the thieves stand around in a ring, while in the middle of it all a very large, very pale man is yelling at the King of Thieves. The vandals' leader is still wearing his blue cloak, though the hood is down to leave his head uncovered. His back is turned though, identity still obscure.

"Once again, our illustrious leader has sent us off on a wild goose chase!" Sa'luk rages, looking around the circle to appeal to his fellow thieves. In many cases, it seems to be working, if the muttering is anything to go by. "No Oracle, which means no ultimate treasure! In fact, we ended up without any loot at all!" He seems to calm down, voice going cold as he crosses his arms and gives the King of Thieves an intent glare. "Perhaps it's time your reign draws to a close, eh Cassim?"

Aladdin's eyes widen, his mouth dropping open. "Cassim?"

Sora frowns at his friend. "What's up, Al?"

The former street rat turns back to him, still wearing the same shocked expression. "Cassim is my father's name. They're gonna kill him!"

"That's your father?" Sora exclaims, albeit quietly. Something about that just clicks wrongly to the Keybearer. "But, wait, that means…"

Aladdin doesn't stick around to let Sora finish his revelation. Sa'luk is rapidly advancing on Cassim now, golden claws gripped tightly in his hand. The older man doesn't seem concerned at all, mostly just looking bored.

That quickly changes to surprise when Aladdin slams into Sa'luk's flank, knocking the big thief to the floor. The whole cavern erupts into confusion as the street rat holds the big pale brute's arm back in a deadlock.

"Go!" Aladdin yells to Cassim, and by now Sora and Azlyn are rushing down as well. They take up positions near the gathered thieves, weapons drawn to discourage any aggressive action.

"Let's not do anything stupid here, eh boys?" Azlyn growls. Abu stands on her shoulder, his fists raised menacingly. Iago is cowering behind Sora.

Aladdin keeps on yelling at his father. "You've got to get out of here!" The man just looks shocked and dumbfounded, as confused as the others. "I'm Aladdin, you son!" The reveal sparks a new round of whispers amongst the Forty Thieves. "Quick, run while I…"

Sa'luk grunts, his elbow thrusting out and nailing Aladdin right in the stomach. The young man cries out, rolling off Sa'luk's back and landing in a heap. His dagger flies out from where he'd been keeping it, clattering loudly to the stone floor. Upon seeing it, Cassim's eyes go wide with shock.

"You've got a lot of guts, boy," Sa'luk practically spits, hovering over Aladdin. "Why don't we see what they look like, hm?"

"STOP!"

Everyone turns to the source of the deep, authoritative voice. Cassim stands calmly in the middle of all the chaos, turning Aladdin's dropped dagger in his hands.

"He's telling the truth," Cassim says, his voice hollow with disbelief. "The boy… The boy is my son." He holds up the dagger. "I gave this to my wife, to give it to our son when he was old enough. This is Aladdin. My boy."

"So it's true!" declares one thief.

Another nods, concurring. "Look at him, the resemblance is obvious."

Aladdin is beaming, straight up at his dad.

"The boy truly is the son of the King of Thieves."

And just like that, the smile is gone, like munny Azlyn finds on the street.

"Huh?" Azlyn blurts, lowering her shield in utter shock.

"Damn," Sora murmurs to himself. "All I needed was another minute, and I could've gotten it. I mean, c'mon, he's wearing the same outfit and everything!"

"You're the King of Thieves?" Aladdin demands, his eyes going wide.

Cassim nods solemnly. "I can't believe it, after all these years." He bends down and picks Aladdin up by his shoulders, looking his son in the eye. "You've grown so tall! My own flesh and blood… I never thought I'd see you again."

Sa'luk seems none-too touched by the father-son reunion. He steps forward and grabs Aladdin roughly, pushing the young man aside. "Blood or mud, it makes little difference. The boy has trespassed on our sacred ground!"

"You and I have pretty wildly different definitions of 'sacred', pal," Azlyn quips dryly.

"He's an intruder!" Sa'luk continues, the other thieves muttering agreeably. "You all know what we do with intruders, don't you?"

"Give 'em discounts at the Forty Thieves' gift shop?" Iago meekly suggests.

"He must die! They all must die!"

The other thieves all seem to concur, finally taking action. They grab at Aladdin's friends, holding them still despite their struggles. Even Carpet finds itself rolled up tightly.

"He's your son!" Iago screams, too distraught to struggle against his captor. "And, and I'm his friend! Cast a vote for mercy here, man!"

Sa'luk smirks. "Yes, Cassim, please do. After all, mercy would be so like you." The pale man's face hardens. "Soft." It's the perfect power play, a golden opportunity for Sa'luk to seize leadership of the Forty Thieves.

Cassim scowls, his old rival's plan blatantly obvious.

"He wouldn't really sell out his own son, right?" Azlyn asks Sora. She struggles against the grip of her captor, but to no avail.

Sora shakes his head, the motion hardly resolute. "Of course not. There's no way. I mean, c'mon. Right?"

Cassim shrugs, his arms folded casually. "I know the rules, and rules must be followed. Kill 'em."

Sora blanches. "Then again, what do I know? I just met the guy!"

Sa'luk immediately steps towards Aladdin, knuckles flexing beneath his golden claws. Sora and Azlyn renew their struggles, but only succeed in getting more thieves to hold them. Apparently, this execution will be taken in turns. And Al gets the privilege of top spot.

"An unexpected move, Cassim," Sa'luk comments. "But, not exactly an unwelcome one." The massive man raises his golden claws, Aladdin flinching at the motion. The Forty Thieves all react with uniform glee, while Al's companions can do nothing.

Then, unnoticed by all, a thoughtful look passes over the King of Thieves' face. "Unless…"

The single word is relatively quiet, and yet somehow it makes everyone else in the cavern pause what they're doing. They all turn to Cassim, who strokes his chin in contemplation.

"Unless what?" Sa'luk demands, reluctantly lowering his arm. It appears that His Majesty has another trick hidden up his sleeve. Sa'luk absolutely loathes it when he does that.

"No, Nevermind," Cassim answers after a moment, shaking his head as if to banish his idea. "I mean, I suppose it's possible…"

"Suppose what is possible?" one thief asks.

"What am I thinking? It's absolutely crazy."

"We can handle crazy!" Iago yelps.

"Oh yeah," Sora agrees with a furious nod. "We love crazy, don't we guys?" Abu chitters in the affirmative. Even Carpet manages an agreeable shake.

Cassim makes a few more noncommittal statements, driving the other thirty-nine thieves positively mad. Especially Sa'luk, who's nearly crushing his claw's grip in his hand.

"Well, if you really want to hear it, then alright!" Cassim finally relents, calming the cavern with raised hands. It's abundantly clear to Sora now why this guy is the thieves' leader. "We could give the boy the challenge."

The Forty Thieves erupt again, this time making agreeable noises to their leader's declaration. Everywhere Sora, Azlyn, and Aladdin look men are nodding. It seems like a good sign, at least.

"If that's what you want, very well," Sa'luk agrees, nodding slowly. He glares at Aladdin, once again flashing his claws. "But only so long as I am the one to test him."

"A test, is it?" Iago says, sounding very chipper now. "That's nice, I guess. Maybe it'll be multiple choice!"

KH-KH-KH

Obviously the Forty Thieves' test is not multiple choice. As a matter of fact, it doesn't involve desks, studying, or number two pencils in anyway. Instead, the Forty Thieves lead Aladdin and friends to the top of a smaller mountain beside the one which houses their hideaway. It started raining sometime in the last hour or so. Blue-white lightning streaks through the sky at random intervals, followed by the menacing crack of thunder. All in all, it's very ominous.

Cassim walks with a companionable arm around Aladdin, and several thieves follow with decidedly uncompanionable arms locking in Sora and Azlyn. Iago and Abu have been stuffed in a cage, and Carpet is still rolled up tightly.

When they reach the mountaintop, it seems things are already set up. The thieves have gathered in a semicircle facing the cliff and its steep drop-off to the waves below. The cruel, unforgiving waves. Sa'luk stands in the middle of the open space, wearing his usual scowl.

"So, dad," Aladdin mutters to his father. "How does this challenge work, exactly?"

"I'll bet it ain't no thumb wrestle!" Iago squawks.

"The rules are simple," Cassim replies, his tone more akin to explaining the basics of fishing than an obviously potentially fatal test. "You fight Sa'luk, he fights you. If you kill him, you win. It's the only way to be accepted into the Forty Thieves."

"You're really obsessive about keeping that exact number, aren't you?" Azlyn chimes in. "I mean, would it kill ya to be the Forty-One Thieves?"

Sora frowns, something not adding up. "Uh, excuse me, mister Aladdin's dad. Does that mean Azlyn and I have to kill people too?"

Cassim shakes his head. "No, son. If Aladdin wins, you'll be allowed to live. But not as full members. The Forty Thieves is no place for children, or women."

Sora and Azlyn both balk at that.

"So we're just like Abu and Iago to you?" Azlyn spits. "Aladdin's pets?"

Cassim shrugs. "If that bothers you, I suppose we could just kill you right now."

Sora kicks his companion hard in the shin. "No, no. Pets are fine. I love being pets." The Keybearer begins to pant for effect. "Gimme a treat! Rub my belly!"

"Bark," Azlyn deadpans, rolling her eyes.

After watching for a moment, Cassim turns to his son and whispers, "These two are who you thought to bring to rescue me?"

Aladdin's only answer is a shrug.

"I grow tired of waiting, boy," Sa'luk sneers. Raising his hands, he makes a "come hither" gesture. "Time to see if the King of Thieves' blood is as weak as his heart."

The insult to his father raises Aladdin's hackles a bit. He takes the sheathed dagger from Cassim and steps into the makeshift arena with a set, determined face. The King of Thieves watches coolly for a moment, but Sora notices his expression slip just the slightest bit once his son can't see.

Aladdin and Sa'luk face each other across the circle, each giving their opponent their best glare. On the sidelines, Aladdin's allies tense up in fear and anticipation. This could very well decide their lives as well.

After a moment of building tension, a tall thief wielding a huge scimitar strides into the middle of the combat field. He raises the sword into the air, giving each combatant a quick look before letting it fall.

As soon as the sword falls, Sa'luk makes his move. He charges forward with a roar, claws reared back to strike. He swipes downward at Aladdin, but Sora knows from the get-go that Al is too fast to be taken by the attack. The street rat easily dodges, but Sa'luk quickly turns and throws a barehanded punch. Al barely ducks it, then darts to the side to avoid a second swipe from the claws.

Cassim watches with a frown, his eyes lingering on the weapon that Aladdin still hasn't unsheathed.

Finally Sa'luk lands a blow, thankfully with just his bare fist. Aladdin stumbles back, clutching at his pained stomach. He manages to blunder right into a wall of spectators. The thieves laugh and jostle the young man a moment before shoving him back towards his opponent.

Aladdin turns the shove into momentum, ducking beneath Sa'luk's claws and spinning to slam his hand into the pale man's side. The burly thief grunts and moves back a few steps. Securing his footing, he unleashes another punch. It hits Sa'luk square in the face, sending him back a step.

But even staggered, the pale man is still dangerous. He strikes blindly with his free hand, slamming it into Aladdin's chest. The former street rat yelps in pain and alarm, falling back to the ground. It's clear now that Sa'luk was just playing with him, because as soon as Aladdin's knees touch the ground he's ready, stepping forward with his golden claws raised high.

Aladdin quickly brings up his father's dagger. Even still-sheathed, it stops the claws with a loud clink of metal-on-metal. Struggling against his opponent's brute strength, Aladdin manages to gain his feet again. With Sa'luk so much on the defensive, he kicks out and knocks the pale man's feet out from under him.

Sa'luk falls on his back with a grunt, raising up dust and a cheer from Aladdin's friends. Even the Forty Thieves, generally on their comrade's side, murmur positively at the maneuver.

Aladdin smiles, looking to his father. Cassim doesn't look quite so confident, frantically mouth finish him at his son. Aladdin easily reads his lips, his face twisting in revulsion at the words. Aladdin has never killed another human being before, and he's not keen on starting now.

That resolve, no matter how nobly it may be intended, costs him dearly.

Sa'luk reaches out and grabs Aladdin's ankle, a single strong yank pulling the young man to the ground. Sora and Azlyn gasp in shock, and Cassim starts to move forward through the crowd of cheering thieves. The advantage, it seems, is back with the home team.

Sa'luk doesn't stop there, rising to his feet and pulling Aladdin up with him. Sora's mouth drops open in shock as he realizes that the pale man must possess tremendous strength, to gain his feet and lift Aladdin above his head at the same time.

Aladdin fights, struggling and kicking to no avail. Cassim struggles as well, trying to push through the roaring crowd. He doesn't know what he can do to stop this, but he must at least try!

Sora and Azlyn knock down the men guarding them, rushing forward only to be grabbed by other thieves. Two men take each hero's arm, securing them in place. Abu chitters up and angry storm, and Iago raises his wings to cover his eyes. Cassim can't get any closer, his men too excited to let him through.

Sa'luk approaches the cliff's edge, his intentions clear. Aladdin picks up his struggles in reply, eventually landing a lucky kick right in his opponent's ugly mug. Sa'luk grunts in exasperation, his grip slacking just enough to give Al an out. The former street rat wrenches his body in a powerful twist, escaping Sa'luk's grip.

Aladdin hits the ground hard. He manages to retain his wits though, already rising by the time Sa'luk turns back to face him. The pale man charges as Aladdin regains his feet. Reacting on pure adrenaline and instinct, Al meets Sa'luk's charge with on outstretched fist. It lands squarely against his throat, releasing a gurgling scream from the brute. He steps back, clutching his throat.

The balancing step proves to be a fatal mistake. Sa'luk trips, his foot slipping and kicking up dust. Startled, the burly man cries out as he falls back, and back, and back. Over the cliff he goes, plunging towards the powerful waters. For a long moment his defiant screams can be heard.

Then, suddenly, silence.

Aladdin stands still, staring listlessly at the spot where Sa'luk once stood. He feels sick to his stomach, the knowledge that he has caused another man's death settling over him like a heavy burden.

He merely stands there for a long moment, before suddenly several pairs of hands grab him. He finds himself spun around, Sora and Azlyn pushed out of the crowd of thieves to stand by his side.

Cassim steps out of the throng, his face an unreadable mask. The other thieves mutter amongst themselves, their words too low and hurriedly whispered for the heroes to understand.

"You killed Sa'luk," the King of Thieves declares, his voice icy cold. "The rules of the Forty Thieves are very clear on this point. I have only one thing to say to you now, son." He smiles warmly, his stoic demeanor evaporating like morning dew. "You're in!"

The Forty Thieves let out a great cheer, surging forward and enveloping Aladdin and friends within their ranks. From every side, the trio receive high fives and hearty claps on the back. Abu and Iago join them, carried over the thieves' heads like rock stars at a concert.

"Welcome, son," Cassim declares, his proud voice carrying over the boisterous cries of the men. "Welcome to the Forty Thieves."

KH-KH-KH

Telary and Kairi stumble out of Agrabah's palace throne room. Both redheads sway a little as they move, still a bit stupefied by what they've just witnessed.

"I've spent quite a bit of time around Genie," Telary comments as they both settle against a wall. "But that's the first time I think I've ever seen him use his powers to that extent."

"It really was something," Kairi concurs with a light laugh. "Sora tried to describe Genie to me, but really…"

"There's just no way to describe him!"

"Exactly! It's like he's always talking about these movies or books you've never seen. Y'know?" She shrugs. "But, at least Jasmine seems to be feeling better now."

She sighs. Her fellow Princess of Heart had been in a bad way with worry, and Genie had taken it upon himself to make the young woman feel better. In the process, Kairi had found some of her concern for Sora fading as well.

The hall is silent for a few moments that seem to stretch out to infinity. Kairi and Telary turn their heads to face each other, just staring as an awkwardness settles in. It seems like it's always that way with the two of them. Things are great and fine and friendly, and then a single pause sends it screeching to a halt. Suddenly, they aren't two people having a conversation anymore. Their largely forgotten past comes flooding in, settling into their hearts like a terrible weight.

"Well," Telary says, coughing into his hand. "It's, it's late I guess. And, y'know, the sooner I get to sleep, the sooner I wake up to find that Aladdin and Sora and Azlyn are back! So, uh… Goodnight."

He turns and begins making his way up the hall, Kairi just watching him go. For a moment she contemplates turning around, going to the room Jasmine had provided, and settling in for a good night's sleep. It would be much easier, less daunting than trying to fix a longstanding problem in one night.

But then Sora's words come back to her, reminding her that trying is the first step. It's time to take that step, really truly.

"Wait, Tel!" she softly calls down the hallway, her brother freezing in his tracks with a twitch. He turns to face her, eyes questioning. Taking another deep breath, she steps closer to him. "I'm not anticipating much sleep, actually. I'm just as worried about Sora as Jasmine is about Aladdin, so…"

The wizard nods. "I'll probably be thinking about Azlyn, too."

A nod from her. "Might as well not, uh, not be worried all alone, right?"

Telary is frozen, soundless panic ringing out loud and clear from his eyes. But after a moment he composes himself, expression softening. Finally, he nods. "You're right, Kairi. Two is better than one."

After yet another very awkward discussion, they decide on talking in Telary's room. The guest suite is large and well-appointed. Along with the huge canopy bed, a small seating area is set up in the corner. Outside leads to a balcony, yet another arrangement of chairs out there. Without much commentary, the pair decide on the balcony.

"Nice out here," Tel comments, holding the door open for his sister. She walks through with a small nod of thanks. "This is a pretty nice world overall. Temperature wise. Well, I guess there's the heat."

"I did notice the heat," Kairi agrees, leaning against the balcony. "Gives a Destiny Island summer a run for its munny, that's for sure."

"Sure, sure." Telary stands beside her, leaning as well. "Disney Castle is pretty cool. I, uh, mean that in a temperature sense. And, y'know, it's cool as in a very nice place too. Growing up there was…"

He pauses midsentence, wincing. There it is again. The silence, not knowing what to say or how to say it. Not that talking about the weather was a great conversation, but it was at least something.

"You should tell me about it." Telary looks to Kairi, meeting his fellow redhead's eyes. "I want to know. Really."

He nods, turning around and leaning back. "It was great, really. I mean, c'mon, it was a castle! Mickey and Queen Minnie were great. My room was great. The food was great. Master Donald, a great teacher, taught me all about magic. I learned to fly the Gummi ship. It's…"

"Pretty great?"

"Exactly!"

Silence. The wind whistles all around them, its motion somehow not diluting the stillness of the night.

"What about you?"

Kairi looks over at him. She turns around, her back against the railing. "I love Destiny Islands. Everything about it, like you said about Disney Castle. My friends especially."

"I didn't have many friends," Telary interrupts. It sounds like a confession. Painful. "Being the only human was, well, it was surprisingly lonely. I only had Azlyn, really. And the king and everybody but… Only Azlyn fully understood. That's why we're so close. Other than Sora, I think she still might be my only real friend."

"The other Destiny Islands kids," Kairi says, "during the year nobody remembered Sora, I think I alienated them all a bit. And then when we came back from fighting Organization XIII, things were a lot different. Suddenly, it was like Sora and Riku were the only people who could understand what I went through." She sighs deeply. "So what I guess I'm saying is, I don't have a lot of friends either."

Another silence, but there's something companionable about it. This silence isn't lonely. They're just sharing it between them two of them.

"We can't go back to the past," Telary finally says. "Whatever it was like, we should accept that it's mostly gone for now. Our childhood together isn't going to come back. All the time we actually spent being siblings."

Kairi nods. "But, when you think about it, that isn't much different than what happened with Aladdin and his dad. They can't get the past back either. All that leaves is the future." She reaches out, grabbing her brother's hand. "And the journey into the future always starts with one step. Both of us just admitted that we don't have many friends. Maybe it's time we each got one more."

Telary doesn't say anything. Instead, he just steps forward and wraps Kairi in a tender hug. She hugs right back, and the silence isn't empty at all.

"Well," Telary says after a moment, the redhead pair pulling apart, "that's one major worry off my chest, at least." He turns to look over the railing again. "But, if I'm being honest, I'm not all that worried about Sora and Azlyn and Aladdin. They're too tough to let a bunch of lowlife thieves mess with them."

"I totally agree," Kairi says, leaning back. "I believe Sora will come back to me. Crossing the universe didn't faze him, what's one desert? I don't worry about him at all." She sighs. "I just wish he could say the same about me."

"What do you mean?"

Kairi opens her hand, her Keyblade appearing in a flash of light. "I can't tell you how great it felt when I got this. All of the sudden, it was like I could really go with Sora. No more magic comas or kidnappings for me! I could be a hero like him and Riku."

"When it comes down to it," Telary says in an attempt at reassurance, "fighting life or death battles aren't all they're cracked up to be."

"Of course not," she replies, dismissing her weapon. "I'm not saying I love fighting or anything. It just feels like now, for the first time, I can if the need arises. Like when the Forty Thieves attacked and Sora jumped into action. I jumped right alongside him, backing him up. Helping instead of hindering." She sighs heavily. "But Sora didn't see it like that at all. To him, no matter what, I was still the helpless little princess. He had to watch my back for the tiniest thing." Her eyes go hard, so resolute Telary can see the shine in them. "That's not who I am. I can do things for myself, and I need to."

"I don't think he really thinks about it, what he's doing," Telary suggests. "It's all instinctive for him. You should talk to him about it." He smiles brightly. "Savior of the universe he may be, but sometimes that boy needs things pounded into his thick skull."

Kairi giggles. "I hear that." She puts a hand against the balcony, leans toward Telary a little. "Well, that's my relationship trouble discussed. How about you and Azlyn?"

The wizard grimaces. "Oh, that. Well, it's kind of…"

Reaching out, Kairi puts a hand on his shoulder. When he looks down at her, she grins ear to ear "You can tell me, Telary. One friend to another."

KH-KH-KH

If there's one thing the Forty Thieves know how to do (besides sneak, steal, and get away scot-free), it's celebrate. The welcome bash for their newest member (and his satellite buddies) lasts several hours, only growing more raucous. But eventually the thieves tucker out from their long, exciting day.

Once everyone else is in bed, Cassim takes his son and company on a tour of the lair. They finish up the main quarters quickly, and after a quick blood oath from Sora, Azlyn, and Iago, the King of Thieves leads them lower into the depths of the mountain.

"This truly is a momentous day!" Cassim says, grabbing a lit torch from the wall and leading them through a series of underground caves. "My enemy dead, my son returned…"

"I won like three hundred munny off those boobs!" Azlyn gloats, happily patting the small pouch she uses as a purse.

"And, nobody killed us!" Iago finishes, happily ruffling his feathers. The small parrot rides on Sora's shoulder. "I gotta say though, these dank caves ain't exactly what I'd call an afterparty."

Cassim shakes his head. "This is much more than that, bird." The company comes to a halt, at a dead end. Before them is a solid wall, inscribed with a plethora of hieroglyphics. They're all centered on a single image: a circle with an open hand within. "What I'm about to show you is a total secret. Not even my men know about this place."

"The blood oath kinda tipped me off to that," Azlyn remarks, glancing at the small bandage covering where her finger had been pricked.

Removing the identically-styled pin from his cloak, the King of Thieves places it into the wall's depression. The muffled sounds of gears moving behind solid stone cut through the silent cavern, and the wall slides back to reveal a hidden room. It's rather small, appointed like a very old bedchamber.

The group files in one at a time, Cassim lighting another torch set in a sconce before making a beeline to a stone cabinet set far back in the room. As Sora watches him, he notes the sound of dripping water. Looking to his left, he spots a large underground lake.

"Allow me to tell you a story, Aladdin," Cassim says, pulling out a rolled up cloth. "The story of a treasure beyond any imagining. A source of riches great enough to make a sultan's purse seem like lunch munny!"

Azlyn and Iago lean in, listening intently. Aladdin, however, is not so moved. The former street rat only stands with his arms crossed. Sora goes to stand by him, trying to match his unimpressed look.

"This treasure," Iago asks, fluttering very close to the King of Thieves. "Would you say it's the ultimate treasure?"

Cassim nods. "Indeed it is, my feathered friend. The Hand of Midas!" With a flourish, the older man allows the cloth to unravel. It seems to be a very small tapestry, dominated by an embroidered golden hand, once again the exact same seen on Cassim's medallion.

Aladdin scoffs, shaking his head. "That's nothing but a stupid myth. I can't believe…"

"It's real boy!" Cassim interrupts, advancing on his son with a stern glare. "It used to be right here, in fact!" Grabbing a torch, he stalks towards the water's edge.

"For those of us not familiar with old myths," Azlyn interjects, following Cassim with the rest of the group, "what exactly is the Hand of Midas?"

"A long time ago, there was a king named Midas," Aladdin explains, his voice still retaining its unimpressed, skeptic quality. "Legend has it he wished for the ability to turn everything he touched to gold. It's nothing but a stupid legend, a story made up to teach a lesson about greed. It's not…"

"On the contrary, boy," Cassim interrupts, holding his torch over the water. Something glitters in its depths, reflecting the firelight. "It is real."

Everyone leans over, peering into the water. Once they get a good look at what lies at the bottom, they all gasp. Azlyn nearly faints, Sora quickly reaching out to stop her from plunging into the water.

That's not to say the Keybearer isn't impressed. A ship lies at the water's bottom, the source of the glittering. For this ship is no ordinary vessel of wood.

"Solid gold," Cassim exclaims. "Stem to stern, of every plank and piece of rigging. Proof enough, I'd say."

"I'm a believer!" Iago shouts. "I believe big time, baby! Adopt me, Daddy-O!"

Cassim's eyes glisten in a way that has nothing to do with reflected firelight. "Touched, by the Hand of Midas."

"And sunk by it," Al scoffs, turning away. Sora follows him a few feet, realizes Azlyn is still rooted to her spot, and literally drags her away.

"You don't understand!" Cassim accuses his son, flinging his torch into the water. "How could you, the Princess's betrothed? You don't know what it's like to have nothing, to be looked down upon. Called a street rat!"

Aladdin whirls on his father. "You're wrong there, Dad. Dead wrong! This is why you left, isn't it? Why you abandoned mom and me?"

Cassim's ardor cools. Great sorrow colors his eyes for a moment, then he looks away. "I did what I had to do, to give us a better life. We deserved so much more! Not only me, but you and your mother."

"All I wanted was a father," Aladdin counters. "And all mom wanted was her husband, the man she loved, back home with her! When she got sick, she would only talk about you. How much she wanted to be with you again. Well, she never got that chance, did she?"

"The search went on too long," the King of Thieves explains, sighing heavily. "From what I gathered, the Hand is on an island that is never in the same place twice. I looked everywhere, and when I came back to Agrabah… By then, your mother was already gone, and I couldn't find you. I thought I had no more family."

"You still do, though," Aladdin says, putting a hand on his father's shoulder. "You've got me, and I want you in my life. I want you to come to my wedding. Please, Dad."

"I don't think that's a good idea." Cassim turns away. "I don't belong in your world now. Believe me, Aladdin… At this point, you'd be better off without a father."

"You know that isn't true." Aladdin turns and walks away, Sora and Azlyn falling into step behind him. "We're leaving in the morning. I hope you'll be with us."

Once his son has gone Cassim angrily pounds his fist into the stone wall. "He just doesn't understand. I can't go back. I don't belong in his world."

"Maybe not," Iago agrees, landing atop the cabinet and looking down at the King of Thieves. "But, if you think about it, neither does the Oracle."

"Probably just another dead end."

Iago shakes his head, flapping down to Cassim's shoulder. "It isn't! I saw it work, that's how the kid found you! It knows everything!"

"Everything?"

The parrot grins smugly. "That's what I said." He casually saunters across the King of Thieves' shoulder. His grin only gets more devious. "Cassim, we are talking about your only son's wedding!"

"How could I miss it?" Cassim wonders aloud, visions of gold once again glimmering in his eyes.

KH-KH-KH

With a wave, Pete dismisses the scrying spell. The magical image it had produced fades out quickly, returning the ocean water to its normal sheet of impenetrable black.

"What are you doing?" Gilgamesh asks his partner. "They did not mention our objective at all! We have learned nothing, except that this Aladdin may make a worthy opponent as well. Once I settle with the Keyblade wielder, of course."

"Were we listenin' to the same conversation, knucklehead?" the fat cat admonishes. "If what that parrot was sayin' is true, our search is good as over! Alls we gotta do is nab that there Oracle, and it can tell us exactly what we wanna know."

Gilgamesh nods. "I see. I suppose." He stands, hand reaching back for his polearm. "Shall we go acquire this Oracle, then?"

Pete thinks a second, frowning all the while. "Dunno. Somethin' like that, it'll be all locked up. Guarded."

"I can handle any mere guard," Gilgamesh scoffs.

"I still don't fancy breakin' in to the palace's secure areas by our lonesome," Pete argues. "That redhead wizard ain't half bad. And especially with that genie hangin' around…" He shudders, remembering well his last encounter with the big blue lug. And Genie hadn't even been trying that time. "Better to play it safe. All we's gotta do is wait around a bit, and the King of Thieves'll nab the thing for us! Takin' it from him should be a cinch."

Gilgamesh nods. "I do see a certain logic in that plan. Any man who could lead a group such as the Forty Thieves would indubitably be a mighty challenge."

"So, it's all settled up then," Pete declares, stomping the sand happily. He's generally not used to feeling like a criminal mastermind, so this is a very welcome change.

The fat cat's preening is cut short when a large object flies out of the water with a splash. Maleficent's minions watch as it sails through the air, wriggling all the while. It finally lands at the pair's feet. It's still thrashing, but now Pete can clearly see that it's a shark.

Before anyone can say anything, something else emerges from this ocean. But this is clearly no fish. A bulky man that Pete immediately identifies as Sa'luk drags himself onto the shore. Despite having fallen hundreds of feet and fought off a shark, he looks surprisingly healthy.

"What a fighter!" Gilgamesh exclaims, immediately alerting Sa'luk to their present. The thug rises to his feet, golden claws at the ready. "Brilliant!"

Pee cautiously approaches him. "Hey, calm down there sonnyboy! We ain't fixin' to get into a mess with ya. Matter of fact, I think there might be a little somethin' we can do for you."

KH-KH-KH

Azlyn is still full of energy, so Sora suggests a little more exploration of the Forty Thieves' hideout. He figures it's as good a chance as any to get the knight to open up about her and Telary's troubles.

"What would you turn into gold first?" Azlyn asks, jumping from rock to rock. "I'd go with the Gummi ship, personally. Just think how awesome that would be, riding around in a gold spaceship!"

Sensing his opening, Sora takes a deep breath before replying with, "I wonder if Tel would like that. He's so fussy about that thing, y'know?"

Azlyn snorts, flipping up into a handstand. "No kidding." She does a few push-ups. "He's like that with everything else too, of course."

Sora nods. "And, uh, has that been bothering you lately? The fussing, or whatever?"

Raising one eyebrow, Azlyn pushes up and flips backwards, landing on her feet. She glares down at her friend. "What is this, couple's therapy?" she asks, an unmistakable edge in her voice. "You tryin' to shrink me, Sora?"

The Keybearer rolls his eyes, leaning back against the stone wall. "Gee, Az, you don't have to jump all over me, okay? I just…" He looks away for a moment. When he turns back, his eyes are undeniably wet. "I hate to see you and Tel fighting like you have been okay? It isn't right, Az. You two are supposed to be…" His arms flail, searching for the words. Eventually he just gives up, sliding down the wall into a sitting position.

"It has gotten worse, hasn't it?" Azlyn leaps off her rock, joining Sora by the wall. She hunches over, drawing her knees close to her chest. "It's been like this for a while now. About the last month."

"What happened?"

"That's just it." The knight shoots up, pacing forward quickly. "As far as I can tell, nothing happened!"

Sora nods. "Okay… But, maybe you, like, didn't even know. Tel's a sensitive guy. Maybe something with the wedding…?"

Azlyn scoffs, dramatically increasing her pacing speed. "The wedding, right. Don't even get me started on that! Every time we're together, that's all he wants to talk about. Him and Queen Minnie and the king and, and, basically the whole freaking world has been put on hold to focus on this tedious bullshit about, like, place settings or whatever!"

Sora just looks up at her, blinking. "That, uh, that seemed like a sore subject."

She nods. "Sure is. And Telary's the worst about it, y'know. Even when we're all alone, he only wants to know what I think about the wedding."

"So… You don't care?"

"Of course I care!" Azlyn yelps, stopping on a dime and turning to Sora with a look that could send a Heartless scurrying. Seeing the effect her exclamation has on the Keybearer, she relaxes herself a bit. "I care about being married to Tel, though. Not all this fancy crap. If the big ceremony and junk wasn't so important to him, I'd have already grabbed him and ran off. Just the two of us." She gets a strange look on her face, wistful but with an odd undertone.

"Uh, Az?"

The look disappears, replaced by something Sora rarely sees on his friend: apprehension.

"There, uh, well there might be something else," she says after a moment, her voice shaking. "But it's, uh… Well I don't have a problem with it but, y'know, for you it could be a little uncomfortable."

This conversation just continues to throw the Keybearer. Azlyn's never been one to care much about other's discomfort. For her to find a subject uncomfortable is more than a little scary. But this could be the key, so…

"Azlyn," he says plainly, "you and me are sitting here talking about your feelings. It definitely doesn't get more uncomfortable than that."

She nods, laughing a little. "Okay, fine then." She drops down to all fours, leaning in very closely. "We haven't done it in like three months."

Well, whaddya know. This is uncomfortable.

"It's not like the Gummi ship, where it was just us," she continues.

Sora balks. "Um, I was on that ship too ya know!"

The knight shrugs. "Yeah, well whatever. The point is, Disney Castle is so not the place for lovin'."

Sora nods. He can imagine, actually. Not that he wants to, but he can.

"You two did, uh, enjoy that," Sora says after another minute of processing. "Remember I had to put those sticky-notes down on places you couldn't…"

"Those were rules enough for me!" Azlyn blurts. She settles back on her haunches, thinking. "Of course, that's it!"

"What's 'it'?"

"I know how to solve all our problems!" the knight declares, pushing herself up and into a joyous back-handspring. "This is a vacation, after all! Oh, that's incredible. Maybe you should give this counseling thing a shot for real. Universe is safe, but there are always gonna be couples in trouble."

Sora laughs, puffing up a little. "I am pretty great at this, aren't I?"

Azlyn rolls her eyes fondly. "Sure thing." She pauses, a look that Sora knows as her 'idea face' popping up suddenly. She looks at him, as sincere as he's ever seen her. "That, uh, there's another thing." The pacing starts up again. "This is gonna sound kinda weird, 'cause of how I just talked about how I hate all this ceremony stuff, but…"

Sora stands up, going over to his friend and putting himself in her path. Thankfully, she stops before they collide. "Anything you need Azlyn. We're friends, after all."

"Friends!" Azlyn blurts, pointing at Sora. "Yes, we're friends, exactly. And there's this thing, a totally dumb thing, of course. But, y'know. The bride and groom like, I guess, have people stand up with 'em and stuff. The groom has one, and then the bride does too. A special person, one each. So, I don't have a lotta friends I can ask, y'know, basically just you and Tel, and I'm marrying Tel, so… So I need you to stand up with me. Be the, uh, whatchamacallit."

For a long moment Sora is completely lost. He takes a moment to mentally sort out his friend's speech. When he arrives at its probable point, a small part of him starts wishing they could go back to talking about Azlyn and Telary's intimacy problems.

"Azlyn," he says, trying his best to keep his voice steady. It doesn't really work. "Did you just ask me to be your Maid of Honor?"

It's not often you find yourself with the perfect chapter ending. When it happens, the best thing is just to lean back and enjoy it.

I'm having a lot of fun with this. I know it's quite different, but that's part of what I enjoy about it, I think. I suppose their is a bit of what Bezerker21 (shoutout!) called "drama", but I just figured that it would be best to pack all the relationship trouble stuff into one section. That way, I can move on and not have to focus on it so much in the future. The next story segment also has a lot less of these "two characters just talk to each other" scenes.

Anyway, shoutout o goddragonking and the aforementioned Bezerker21 for their reviews. Any other old reviewing pals of mine, don't hesitate to chime in. You know I love hearing from you.

Well, until next time. Come to think of it, next time is already the last chapter before the climax of Life Goes On's part 1. These shorter stories sure do go a lot faster than adaptations of several hour long games!