Chapter Three:

"Unbelievable, Sora got caught," Riku muttered, "Caught stealing food for us."

"What are we going to tell Xion?" Roxas asked. The two of them were meeting Xion in Sora's place, since he was under the police custody. He was gathering bit and pieces of food to get them through the week. Usually he gets hand outs from local producers, and occasionally he steals a treat, like sweets of something.

Sora is an expert thief, most of the time his thievery hasn't been noticed, only sharp merchants notice something is missing, and very few of them suspect Sora. His childish grin and carefree nature make him look more like a victim rather than the offender.

"I dunno man," Riku shrugged "We'll have to say something."

"Maybe she has influence with the higher ups?" Roxas suggested. Riku gave him a look.

"If she has any sought of influence, would she be really be hanging out with us or Sora?" he asked sceptically

"I see your point," Roxas muttered. "Is this the spot?" he asked, Roxas had never seen Sora's secret place before, he and Riku never really bothered to look. All the knew was it was a cave.

"Excuse me," A girl said in a small voice "Do you know anyone by the name of Sora?" She asked. She was small and blond, almost albino, and accompanied by and even smaller man donned in a black cloak. She was holding a wicker basket.

"Yeah what of it?" Riku asked suspiciously. If anyone looked suspicious it was these two.

"Could you possibly tell him that Xion apologises with all her heart," She said sadly, "But she was called to a trial" She finished with a curtsy.

"Sure," Roxas replied, "I'll tell him when I see him next" He grabbed Riku's shoulders and dragged him away.

"We avoided her for one day," He said quietly to Riku, "That was very, very lucky."

"Wait a moment" She called after them, "I'm also looking for his brother and best friend," Riku and Roxas shared a look.

"You found them both," Riku replied. She scurried up to them and handed the basket to them.

"Xion hope you enjoy thoroughly," she curtsied again and was led away by the man in the cloak who linked arms with her.

"Enjoy?" Riku questioned, he opened the basket and stared drop jawed at it's contents. He slowly closed it.

"What's in it?" Roxas asked. Riku shook his head and walked away. "should we ditch it?" Roxas called.

"No take it home," Riku responded. Roxas ran to catch up with him

"Where're you going?" Roxas asked. Riku handed him the basket.

"To Sora's 'trial'" he replied, "You can come if you want," he said quietly, "But I don;t think it's really a good idea for you to see your brother hang" She placed an hand on Roxas's shoulder. "I doubt it really a good idea for me to go either." he walked away, towards the gallows where a crowd had already begun to gather. Roxas watched as Riku disappeared into the crowd.

"Sora won't hang," Roxas told himself firmly, "He has to check out what's in Xion's basket," He walked home.

OoOoO

"This is ridiculous," Kairi muttered to herself she was about to go and meet Sora and instead she was forced to hang a petty thief. Didn't Xehanort say she was to begin her appearances tomorrow? Blast it all.

Hopefully Naminé found Sora, or at least Riku or Roxas would've been helpful.

The crowd gathered below the gallows was extraordinarily large for such and event. Especially on short notice. According to Xehanort, there hadn't been a good hanging in some time. Kairi found it rather sickening how much the people of her country enjoyed hanging people, but of course that was the world she lived in. despite the sickening feeling, this thief had prevented Kairi from seeing Sora, and if for nothing else, she would see him hang for that.

"Remember princess, this boy's sentence is to be a hanging," Xehanort reminded her gently. Perhaps he didn't notice, but the gallows where the 'trial' was to be held gave that sentence away pretty quickly.

Kairi sighed to herself taking her seat above the gallows. She hoped Sora wasn't angry at her for not showing, she had promised.

"Yes Steward," Kairi responded. The boy was dragged out from behind a curtain, his head in a hessian sack. Xehanort prominently took his place next to the gallows. Kairi found the whole set up rather extravagant. Royal decoration and the such, all for a petty thief.

"This boy," Xehanort began his announcement, "Was caught stealing baked goods. It was fund he had also stolen fruit and dairy products," he gestured wildly and the crowd followed his every move, hanging on his every word. They were completely captivated, almost under a spell. "look upon the face of one who has done you wrong. He reached around and ripped the sack off the boys head. This caused the crowd, and Kairi to gasp.

Kairi recognised the boys spiky brown locks instantly. Kairi had been asked to hang Sora. Her first instinct was to stop the madness. Call her selfish for wanting to hang him for stopping her visit to begin with but now it was completely different..

Sora kept his eyes lowered and looked as though he'd accepted his fate. He might have accepted his imminent death but Kairi's wasn't about to. It was clear to her now, exactly what her feeling's were, and she was going to stop the hanging

"I call upon your princess to cast judgement upon this lowly criminal." Xehanort cried out and threw the crowds awed gaze to Kairi.

OoOoO

The Princess! Sora thought wildly if I'm going to die, I'm going to see her at least once. He looked up at where the steward had gestured.

Xion!? What in the worlds? Is she...?

"I sentence you, thief," she bellowed to the crowd, giving Sora and apologetic look, "To life imprisonment in the castles dungeon." She finished. Sora stared at Xion in astonishment.

She just saved my life. He awed. He was led away by the guards who brought him out. The crowd cheered rampantly. I was just saved by the princess. His thoughts started to make him dizzy and they led him down a stone spiral staircase.

Gradually everything around him got darker. A sudden realisation almost caused him to pass out after they threw him in the cell, or perhaps it was his head hitting the stone floor.

I've kissed Princess Kairi.

OoOoO

Roxas waited patiently in their shack waiting for Riku. He hadn't looked inside Xion's basket yet, he just sat in front of it, staring. He told himself over and over that Sora wouldn't be hung and with each repetition the words grew hollower.

Roxas had seen hangings before, the Steward was basically an executioner and may as well be looping the noose over the people's heads himself the way he carelessly threw lives away. There was no way Sora would survive that man's judgement.

Roxas sniffed a little. He felt very lonely sitting in the shack by himself, the sun setting slowly and the world around him growing darker by the second. He stared felling a little queazy, thinking of death usually had that effect on him when he thought too hard on it.

He stood up and left the shack for some fresh air.. not even four steps from the shack, Roxas emptied what little he had in his stomach and began sobbing uncontrollably.

"Roxas, calm down." Riku grabbed Roxas's shoulder and pulled him off his knees.

"But Sora," Roxas sobbed, "my brother," he hiccuped and squeezed his eyes shut, blocking the place out of his head. There were too many memories.

"Is perfectly fine," Riku assured him. Roxas opened his eyes, how did Sora survive Xehanort's judgement? "Who knew the princess was lenient." he added, one comment that half explained how Sora wasn't hung. Roxas sniffed and wiped his eyes.

"He wasn't hung?" Riku stood him up and led him back into the shack.

"Nope, just imprisoned, and I'm sure we can break him out somehow." Riku replied and sat Roxas down on the couch.

"Yeah," Roxas agreed.

OoOoO

"Quick Naminé, a servant robe." Kairi panted as she burst into her bed chambers. Naminé dropped her sewing in fright and cursed. "Now!" Kairi ordered. Naminé scurried from the room as Kairi ripped her hair out of it's elaborate pin up and scuffed it around. Naminé returned to her room as Kairi was throwing off her dress.

She handed the robe to Kairi and she threw it on.

"What in the world are you doing?" Naminé questioned. The princess was acting very strange.

"Take me to the kitchen and order me to take food to the newest prisoner," She told her.

"What!?"

"I'll explain later, just do it!" Kairi pleaded

"Alright fine," Naminé huffed and shook her head.

OoOoO

Another chapter down. Kinda hectic this one, lots of thing happen and part of it are confusing like Sora realising who Kairi is. Any whoo, not sure how long the next chapter will be, I haven't finished the draft yet and it's the second day of year 12 (God it's my last year of school EVAH!!!!!!) I have heaps or spare periods so I'll try to write it then (if I'm not doing homework)

hope you all like it so far, I'll try my hardest to get the next chapter up for you soon, love you all, all reviewers get extra special love and the next chapter quicker.

Reviews = motivation even if it's a quick "nice chapter" or "good story." taking the time to give any feed back or ask questions means so much to me.

~Shazi-chan