A/N: Are you afraid of the dark!?

Kioko: Nope, not at all. It's what's in the dark that I'm wary of.

XP

I sighed contentedly, snuggling up closer to the prince. The day had been chaotic at best. I had explained about Sacrosanct, we had eaten, and now we were currently lodging in quarters set apart from the rest of the ship's crew. The prince and I had, of course, been presented with the grandest one of them all, but we gave that one over to Farah, Aizira, and Kassima so that we could have a smaller room to ourselves without feeling guilty about making them share a more cramped space. Kassima didn't ask why she couldn't sleep in the same room with the prince and I, though I did promised her she would the next day. However she seemed to understand that 'mommy and daddy' needed alone time together, and didn't complain at all.

Now that things were settled down a bit, morning had come, and I could hear the distinct sounds of a heavy argument coming from the main room of our living quarters. Both sides, of which, were all too familiar.

The prince sighed heavily, "Looks like we're going to have to break that up." He muttered.

"Ah, 'we'? Who's this 'we' you are speaking of? It is 'they' that will have to break up the argument, 'we' are staying right here because 'we' are sick and tired of dealing with 'them' that cannot stay in the same room without making a jive at the other." I answered, grabbing his arm so that he was forced to stay put.

"Okay, so they argue all the time then?" He asked.

"Farah and Alzik. They never got along very well and have been at each others' throats ever since we started sailing together. You just haven't had to deal with it yet because of all that's been going on. It's no use trying to break it up, you'll just end up fueling the fire. Now stay put, pillows aren't suppose to walk out from beneath you." I said, pulling him back underneath me so that I could better rest on his chest.

"What are they arguing about?" He asked, frowning.

"Something stupid no doubt. I swear, if there was a way to record their arguments and play it back so that they could hear it for themselves they'd be quite embarrassed." I answered irritably.

"I don't like it, what if Alzik ends up hurting her?" He questioned with concern.

"Then he'll probably find himself turning into an arrow pin-cushion…a pin cushion is like this round stuffed thing that you stick little metal holding needles into to keep them available, get enough of them sticking out and it looks like a porcupine." I explained.

"I'm not even sure what a porcupine is, but I'm guessing that's a bad thing." He said, frowning.

"Typically yes, but with Alzik no, it's more funny than bad." I snickered, "Oh come on!" I groaned as he got up to get his pants off the floor, "Trust me, you'll get use to it after a few days…or just one day…or just a few hours. Then you'll get sick of it and won't even bother." I wined.

"Then maybe it's about time to make it stop for good." He said.

"Prince, take your pants off and get back in this bed." I ordered, making him laugh. He came over and kissed me, he was about to say something, when the sound of something breaking met our ears. "Okay, you win, time to interfere." I sighed, getting out of bed and teleporting my clothes onto my body so I didn't have to bother getting dressed.

Farah had an arrow notched in her bow pointed at Alzik, and there was a broken pot at the floor of the wall behind her, the water that had been in it was still all over the wall, and Alzik was holding another pot in his hand, looking murderous but eyeing the arrow with some apprehension. He foolishly backed away, the idiot, but he didn't put down the pot.

Okay, this had gone way too far. "You know, the more distance you put between you and her the more velocity that arrow's going to have and the more it's going to hurt when she hits you." I said in an irritated voice.

"Kaida! This, this woman, she—"

"That thing over there—"

"Okay, stop right there!" I snapped, "I don't want to hear what this is about, I am not your mother, so I should not be having to tell you two to behave! This is just ridiculous! Why the heck can't the two of you stay in one room with each other without having at it!? Half the things that set you two off not even children would spend their energy arguing about, and the other half are just as immature! The only difference is a few extra years of language skills!" I exclaimed, they attempted to explain, but I stopped them in their tracks, "No, when you two start attacking each other, it's gone too far. Farah, put your arrows and bow over there on that table. Alzik, set the pot back where it belongs and put your sword with her bow. NOW!" I ordered, so forcefully that the two of them, though reluctantly, did as they were told, still glaring at one another.

I then gestured them to follow me and found a room whose only function was storage. Kassima was there, playing with Deskor (we had quarters apart from Orzan, the captain, and the rest of the crew so this was safe), but at a look from me, Deskor scooped Kassima up and left to go find another room to play. "In!"

"What?" Farah asked, looking incredulous.

"Both of you, in! I'm sick and tired of your constant arguing. You two are getting in that room and you're not coming out until you've sorted things out! You're going to be traveling with each other for quite a while, so you're going to learn to, at the very least, tolerate each other whether you want to or not!" I told them.

"Oh? And who decided that you had the authority to order us to do anything?" Asked Alzik.

"I did." The prince said, coming to my side before I could even open my mouth, "You're speaking to the future Queen of Persia, and the Empress of Time. And if she has enough authority to boss me around she sure as hell has the authority to tell you what to do." He sneered.

Alzik looked mollified. As he and I were about the same height with, maybe, and inch difference, the Prince was taller than he was, and far more intimidating to boot. Without a shirt his sinewy muscles were very obvious, and it was plane that they were bigger than his were in any case. He didn't know the prince like he knew me, and so he didn't feel nearly as comfortable talking back to him. So he closed his mouth and looked at me.

"Aside from that, I think it was a while ago when I took charge and no one challenged me. I'm the unofficial leader of this little band, so deal with it." I said.

Neither of them had a sufficient enough argument to that, so they both trudged into the storage room, and I shut the door with a snap. "Monigan, make sure they don't come out until I say so." I said, summoning the demon to the front of the door.

"Fine, whatever, like I have a choice." She grumbled, having to stoop so that her head wouldn't hit the ceiling. She sat down beside the door, looking grumpy, but she stayed there anyway while the two of us went back into the main room, where Aizira and Keilic were up and both looking wary.

"Is it over yet?" Asked Aizira, her hair all over the place thanks to the bed.

"So they really do argue that much?" The prince asked.

"Yes." We all answered at once and I came over to sit beside Aizira.

"I stuck the two of them in the same room and told them to make up." I said. "Or rather, I told them they weren't coming out until they learned to tolerate each other."

"They're going to be there forever." Keilic sighed. I chuckled.

"By the way," The prince began, sitting down with us, "Was that Deskor with Kassima? Again?"

I smirked, "He's become her babysitter, don't ask me how or why, but it's happened somehow." I snickered.

"Also, what's with Monigan? She seems a bit…down." He asked.

"I'm not entirely sure, actually. I think it has something to do with what Wemlast said that one time I let them all out to stretch their legs. She's been like this ever since, not her usual self." I answered.

"Are the others acting differently as well?" He asked.

"If Deskor's anything to go by, then yes, they have. I let them out a while back, a lot of them are still in the sea, and none, I don't think, have really tried to get out of my control and make mischief. Most of them that were close enough got sucked back into the manor when I passed out, which was why they weren't able to keep the other men from getting killed, not that anyone but Sabrielle would have bothered, but still." I told him.

"Where is Sabrielle by the way?" Asked Aizira interestedly.

"Ummmm, I'm not entirely sure…I don't feel the need to keep tabs on her, so she might be out in the sea making sure the others don't get out of line." I answered.

"Or I could simply be watching over you, invisible to the naked eye." Answered Sabrielle's voice, and a soft glow emitted from one of the walls, morphing into her form, which outshone the lanterns that kept the inside of the ship lit. She also brought with her a wave of cool, fresh air that was a true blessing in these stuffy cabins, a very sweet perfume which reminded me of roses in a way.

"That's…comforting…" Aizira offered, a bit shyly, but Sabrielle's fierce golden eyes smiled gently at her.

Sabrielle chuckled, it sounded like bells. "In any case, I would take a look in the storage room if I were you Kaida. That is all." And with that she disappeared again.

"Oh no, they're trying to strangle each other aren't they!?" Aizira exclaimed leaning back in her chair, exasperated.

"I'd better go look." I sighed, getting up.

"Better you than me." Both Aizira and Keilic said at once, making the prince chuckle as I walked towards the storage room.

Monigan had her ear pressed to the door, and there was a very peculiar expression on her face, "Something weird's going on in there…" She muttered as I put my hand on the door knob. "Ah, I would knock first…" She cautioned, just as I was opening the door.

"Why should I—" The next moment I realized exactly why.

For a moment, my brain went completely blank, all I could think to do was to shut the door back, which was probably the best thing to do at that point. "Okay…I am the Empress of Time, but not even I saw that coming." I said, walking right back towards the table, Monigan following still in a sort of crouch, but she was snickering.

"Well, you told them to make up…" She pointed out.

"I told them to make UP! Not make OUT!!!" I exclaimed, slamming myself down onto my chair.

"They're doing WHAT!?" The prince exclaimed, though the meaning of my words had been lost on the other two. He jumped up in his seat, his face flushed with anger, and he made to run to the storage room, but Aizira tackled him to the ground.

"No no no no no!!! Whatever's going on, don't stop it!!! They're not arguing are they!?" She exclaimed.

"No! They're doing worse! Do you even know what that means!?" He demanded.

"No, what?"

"It means they're kissing!!!" He exclaimed, brushing himself off.

"Whoa…that's…WHAT THE HECK!?!? I TOLD YOU NOT TO STOP IT!!!" Aizira cried, grabbing him by the arm and digging her heels into the floor, "Keilic help me!!! Dangit prince, this, is, a, GOOD, thing!!!" She cried, "What the hell has gotten into you!?"

I knew, I knew exactly what had gotten into him; jealousy. Jealousy over a woman that was not me.

I left. The chair I'd been sitting on scrapped across the floor, and I was out the door before anyone realized I was going. How? Simple, I cheeted, I stopped time and went right out the door, leaving it open so they would know, so he would know.

He wasn't an idiot, I knew he'd realize what he'd done, but I did not want to deal with him at the moment.

It looked as though the prince's feelings for Farah weren't gone, they'd been ignited, sparking suddenly at the though of her kissing Alzik, of her falling in love with Alzik. Of course, I should have expected this. His past dealings with the Sands of Time wasn't something he could just forget. He'd fallen in love with her, through the course of all that worry, of all they'd gone through together, of all that she didn't remember. She was likely the first person he'd cared more about than himself, preferring to keep his father from conquering India, reversing the flow of time, rather than take Zervan up on his offer of immortality and spend eternity without her.

Hadn't he fallen in love with me the same way? Hadn't he sought out the mask of the wraith, not only to spare himself, but to save me as well? And here I thought…

I thought that, we'd become much, much closer than that, than having simple affection for each other. I loved him, and I knew that he loved me but…

But watching the jealous green spread across his face over Farah…it hurt, it hurt like I never imagined I could be hurt before. I could stop time, but I couldn't stop the tears that were falling from my eyes.

She's in love with Alzik though…she's not a threat…

"He obviously hasn't forgotten about her. You may not have noticed the way he's been looking at her, but I have."

He's mine, he'd spent too much time and effort winning me over not to be. He's mine, we're going to be married, he's mine, he's mine!

"Is he though? Is he truly yours, mind, body, heart, and soul? If Farah fell in love with him, do you know, without a shadow of a doubt, that he would refuse and choose you over her?"

Yes, yes! He'd choose me! He's mine! He'd choose me! He loves me! And I love him, I love him more than she ever could!

"Does he know that though? You aren't exactly the most affectionate person. Oh you're snugly enough in private, but, really, what have you done to show how much you truly love him? You said so yourself all those months back that he would be better off with Farah. Are you denying the truth of that now?"

No…no, I know, I know he would be better off with her…but he chose me, he's mine, he's MINE!!!

"Really? If you're so sure, why do you feel you have to repeat yourself so much?"

I…I know, I know! He, I…he's mine!

"Whatever you say, Kaida." She began to chuckle, and I did my best to ignore her words, to allow them to fade away just as her voice had, but it was hard…

And I couldn't do it.

I found myself in the kitchens, or rather, in the kitchens storage. I slipped into a room where there was a pile of potatoes that were in the middle of being skinned, but whoever was suppose to skin them was apparently skipping out on the job, so I settled myself down in their seat, took the knife, put my feet up on a barrel and began taking up the slack as I allowed time to go back to its normal flow. There was very little chance the prince would find me here, and whoever was suppose to be pealing these potatoes wasn't important enough that I cared if they saw me or talked to me. In fact, I wanted someone on the lower wrung to talk to, someone I didn't feel I needed to impress, someone I could be friends with.

I remembered how the prince had shown me how to peal potatoes, and as there was nothing else to do and it was good, mindless work that was somehow soothing, I'd become rather proficient at it using just a slim kitchen knife. This one was nice and sharp, it made the job easy and I could make a more precise cut.

As I worked one potato after another, I sensed a comforting aura around the room, a breath of cool, fresh air, an inward warmth, arms that seemed to be made of pure light gently wrapping around my shoulders and a beautiful, golden head resting affectionately at my neck, prismic wings coming to enclose me, wrap around me like blankets. I closed my eyes, and I felt something happen inside of me. I saw those purple beaches, with the golden grasses and white trees, I saw them dark, but the clouds parted, and a shaft of sunlight rained down upon me, almost like a shower. That was how forcefully it hit me, and how it burned away the dark clouds, releasing me, for the time being, from those dark dreams.

Sabrielle faded away, but the cool fresh air she brought with her stayed a while, and I continued to peal potatoes, feeling unusually at peace. I was still a bit angry, yes, and a bit hurt. But…well, this was a silly thing to get worked up over. I really had nothing to worry about. I knew the prince loved me, he loved me more than anything else in the world. He would never have the same feelings for Farah that he had for me, this was simply temporary, he had some things to work out for himself, and he would. He would work them out.

I got through quite a few potatoes before the one who was suppose to be skinning them came in slumping, and holding about him the distinct air of someone who'd just been reprimanded…and beaten. He was one of the many who weren't important enough to have a mask over his face, he didn't even have a cover for his chest. Just a pair of pants and that was about it. His head was shaved completely, but he wore a black Egyptian wig, though that didn't mean he was Egyptian. His skin was rather fair, unless you counted the scars of many past beatings, in fact…it was unusually fair.

His head was down and he was staggering towards me without even looking to see where he was going. He seemed rather…old, not that old, but old enough. And he had the distinct look of someone whose muscles had only come to him recently, through a lot of hard work that he wasn't use to. He must have been a recent convert or something that didn't really Prove himself to the Order, but who was allowed to live anyway because they needed working dregs. I felt sorry for him, he looked like he was in pain, apparently he'd been taken out of this room in order to be beaten.

I wondered how he would react to seeing me here, I wondered if I could keep his nervousness down enough to heal his wounds. I stood up so he could sit down, but my movement attracted his attention.

He looked up.

I saw his face.

Our eyes met, our jaws dropped.

Amber eyes met amber eyes, my knife and potato both clattered to the ground.

"K-K-Kaida…Kaida…" Stammered the other in a faintly Irish accent.

"You…" I murmured. Unable to believe it, not wanting to believe it.

But the truth was staring me in the face, and I would know that face anywhere, in spite of the fact it was lost to me, in spite of the fact that the most I'd seen of it, the most I'd really been able to see of it was in the photographs that I often threw at the walls.

Because this man was none other than my own flesh and blood.

My father.

XP

Kioko: Now that's what I call a cliffhanger!

Rhea: I'm god at those!

Kaida: Yes, yes you are.

Kioko: You're 'god' at those?

Rhea: Oops, typo, I meant to say I'm 'good' at those!

Prince: (Muttering) God works too.

Kaida: WHAT THE HECK IS MY FATHER DOING THERE!?!?

Zasalamel: (British accent) Wouldn't you like to know?

Kaida: What, you mean you know!?!? What's he doing there!?!?

Zasalamel: Ha, not telling! Nya, nya!

Rhea: I think I'll let Monigan do the FAQ today!

Monigan: YES!!! FINALLY!!!

Kaida: Craaaaaap.

Q: So the Prince is still in love with Farah too?

A: Apparently. The idiot, he's going to have hell to pay for this.

Q: What's Kaida going to do with him?

Kaida: I'm a bit more interested in the fact that my good-for-nothing FATHER is staring me in the face on a cultist ship!

A: Tell you what I would do, I'd—

Kaida: Yeah, don't care.

Q: How'd Kaida's father going to react to seeing her on the ship?

A: No idea, Rhea's not telling.

Rhea: There wouldn't be any point to the cliffhanger if I told you anything!!!

Q: Then what's the purpose of an FAQ?

Rhea: To make sure some oddities in the story are explained, and because it's funneh. That's all the time I have for now, though. However, I would like to make a swift note here. This story's probably going to span on for a few more chapters, but after it's through I'm going to take a bit of a breather before the next one. Dark Dreams 4 is going to be the last part of this story, and it will likely be the biggest monster yet. I'll need to make sure I have all my bases covered, which may entail re-reading the whole thing over again and making notes on what I need to explain and some points to bring to light. But once Dark Dreams 4 starts up, then I will be going back to an update a day so it will be a mixed blessing. For now, see you all Tuseday!