"You okay now?" Judal crouched in front of an exhausted Kouen. The redhead shook his head, there was no way he was going to let Sinbad ten meters close to any member of his family, not after the last time. Koumei sighed and helped to carry his brother, as the magi was useless when strength was needed.

"Shouldn´t have run that way when you are out of magoi" chastised the second prince, quickly helping to carry Kouha next to his nii-san. "And I advise you to avoid any conflict now. Until now, Kougyoku´s reign has been seen as one of peace, not war. Our people and the other countries approve, more than conquest ever had. Reforming our political imagine has been beneficial until now, please don´t ruin our efforts igniting a conflict with Sindria."

"If I wanted that, I would send Judal… better no" he sighed. "I still don´t like that. Politically and as a member of the family."

"I know" the freckled redhead nodded. "Setting apart what he did to Kougyoku and the unsavoury affair with Hakuryuu, he is still one of the most powerful men in the world. It would be seen as a power grab for a family like us, with our former bellicose tendencies, to marry one of our own to him."

"I´m not planning to do something like that" answered Kouen, knowing that he would sooner swallow broken glass than walk down the aisle to give one of his siblings to Sinbad. "Kougyoku will be with me" the other nodded, watching his seething sister being hold by Hakuryuu and Hakuei before she could fling herself at Sinbad. "Do you think he will return without a protest to being our Oracle?"

"As long as he had the same freedom as before…"

"Hey!" said magi appeared in front of them, completely interrupting their conversation. He seemed happy, something he usually was not unless he was causing troubles. Apparently they had something to thank Shirohige and his band of merry pirates for. "The guys are preparing a feast to celebrate our victory"

"And… do we have to dine with them?" the raven answered him with a frown. He was really hungry and not even a magi can do magic while hungry. "I´m kidding, we are going. Just wondering if this ship has any decent cook."

"Ohhh, you are going to find out soon" even the deck was starting to smell delicious. The binks sake was starting to sound, all the people around him happy and making noise. The first prince was about to open his mouth when his adoptive brother lifted a hand in front of his face. "Kouen… En-nii" he tried to use the old nickname for emotional blackmail purposes. "Try to enjoy it for a bit, okay? You don´t have responsibilities or expectations or even etiquette, only fun. Enjoy it."

"You haven´t called me like that since you were seven… blackmailing bastard" he sighed before lifting himself, stretching. "Well, we should get comfortable and have some fun. Celebrate that the family is reunited, no?"

"Shouldn´t there be more sisters then?"

"You know we barely knew them before they got married… what a waste" he grabbed some liquor from someone, looking at it strangely. "You and Kougyoku used to like to play pranks on them too. Don´t you remember the time Kourin came to me screaming because you and her made those ugly dolls persecute her?"

"I laughed for an entire week after that… and Ka Koubun started to follow us like a shadow after that too" he shook his head. "At least he taught us some useful curse words when you weren´t trying to watch us like a hawk."

"Those were good times" suddenly a shadow crossed his face. "En-nii, I…"

"Don´t talk about it" Kouen interrupted suddenly. "I know what you did and why you did it. Your attitude, your love for war… you were trying to protect us from Al-Tharmen. For that, I thank you." Judal was speechless. The oldest Ren was not usually like that. "And like I already said, I encourage that kind of behaviour in you, so I can´t really put all the blame on the problems you caused on you" he shook his head. "It´s bloody time we leave Al Tharmen in the past, no?"

"Yes, I guess so" he didn´t know if he really was going to be able to leave everything behind, but with his sibling´s help, he could try. And with all Shirohige has done for him, he was sure life was going to take an interesting turn. "Just don´t expect me to completely stop causing troubles, it´s too much fun."

"Brat" the Generals and the Rens accommodated surprisingly easily in the group of pirates. The Imperial family was looking a bit uncomfortable… except for Kouha, who seemed to fit right in with the band of misfits. He even started a drinking contest with Jozu and Tatch two minutes into the banquet. Kouen and Koumei shook their heads at their little brother´s antics. "Great, I raised a… two pirates."

"Guraguragura, it´s not so bad. I have raised many and they came out fine" the pirate captain answered, earning an interested look from the prince. They started at each other in silence for a minute. The old man will be lying if he didn´t admit that the younger man interested him. He was cold blooded and somewhat cruel, but he had a soft spot for his brothers and sisters and would do anything to ensure their wellbeing. That made him a nice person in his eyes.

"I guess I have to thank you for everything you have done for Judal" finally let out the oldest redhead along with a sigh. "You did something amazing with him, since it´s been a long time since I saw him so… happy."

"Oh, I think he was just as happy with you all" the magi nodded, eating peaches like there was no tomorrow. And peaches cake too, lots of peaches cake. "You did a pretty good job raising them alone."

"How do you know I raised them alone? Otherwise, what made you think I didn´t have any help in that?" the prince took an elegant sip of his booze. "I will let you know that both my father and my step mother were alive at the moment of the…"

"Awww, come on, En-nii, give yourself some credit" an inebriated Kouha appeared from behind, taking his brother´s drink and drinking it in a go before the other could reprimand him for his lack of manners while eating. Not that he was going to need them there, but a prince must always have some manners and he very well should remind his younger brother of them. "You did fine!"

"Father and…"

"En-nii, I have to be with Kouha in this" Koumei suddenly spoke, attracting some of the attention. "Father spent more time with his lovers than anyone, Gyokuen was batshit insane, Kouha´s mother… too… in another way, our mother wasn´t there either, Kougyoku was practically abandoned when we and Ka Koubun rescued her from her dolls and if it weren´t for you, Judal wouldn´t even know what was like to have a family."

"For all of us… and others…"

"Hakuren and Hakuyuu would be proud of you" assured the freckled man. "They knew everything was going to be okay if it was in your hands. Even Judal, and you know the kind of troubles he could get into even as a child. Do you remember what he did in Parthevia? And he was just three!"

"Hey, I didn´t do everything." The magi rolled his eyes. "Bar did a lot of the destruction and that bitch Falan had a lot to do with that too" he turned to Sinbad. "Hey, stupid king! You were in Parthevia when I was three, so you should remember I didn´t destroy a lot! The lizard too!"

"Well, I… have never seen a three year old causing so much trouble. Barbarossa was a megalomaniac and… and there was a lot to reconstruct after I dealt with him" the king truthfully said, while he tried to keep Drakkon from attacking the smirking raven. The dragon man never got over what his brother did, holding grudges against Judal for that. "You were under Al Tharmen´s control in that time too. Did they really sent you to overthrow a king at that age?"

"Yes, nothing is more fun than a civil war" the other smugly answered.

"With answers like that, I have a lot of trouble to imagine you as a prince" Tatch got into the conversation, moving a little bit too close to Kouen for the redhead´s liking. His drinking match with Kouha continued, while Jozu got out of the game while it was still safe.

"Oh, that´s because I was born a peasant and adopted by the imperial family a few months after my birth" adopted was a pretty way to put it.

"And how did a peasant boy ended up being raised between the princes and princesses?"

"Because I was born a magi"

"Magi?"

"Yeah. Yunan and Sir Sheherazade are too" the blonds glared at him, but kept their mouths shut… or better, opened only to the food. "We are pretty scarce."

"But blue there…"

"I´m just a plain magician… a plain genius magician" she smiled wickedly. "But magis are really special. They are called the sorcerers of Creation and are capable of doing spells no one else can. It was only thanks to their help that we managed to get here" she stared at Judal. "And of course, they are only four."

"Who is the fourth?"

"Chibi magi… Aladdin" Sinbad suddenly was very uncomfortable. Aladdin was going to be one of his mayor problems when he got back. The young magi surely was more powerful than the last time they met each other… and more influential too. And there was no way he was simply going to look another way while he reclaims his throne and his company. Not after the damage he has done. "It´s going to be okay"

"That you say, but you can actually say you righted your wrong"

"I? How you dare?" he laughed, before continuing to eat more peaches. Ace only listened, quietly and carefully. It was very uncharacteristic of him, but he could sense some changes were being made. For once, Sinbad and Judal were very apart from each other, at their side of the table, being carefully away from each other. And Kouen and Jafar seemed to keep them carefully watched. After a moment, when Sinbad went away for a few minutes, the fire user decided to face him.

"I know why you are here. And I will tell you that´s more complicated than you think" the purple haired man stared at the ocean. "When I dreamed of being a king, I also couldn´t fathom the weight it was going to come along with the job. I used to be happier when I sailed through the seas, completely free. But I wanted so much to change the world for the better that… I messed up in the end."

"Of course, I already heard something about you messing up and becoming some sort of World Government" a glare. "Well, you were never that bad, but…"

"It´s okay, I totally ruined it" he stretched a bit. "I suppose I should spend the rest of my life being a good king to my people and try to atone for my sins" his golden eyes landed on the pirate again. "There is another thing you were going to ask."

"Well… it´s just that… Tatch told me that you told him you were asking Judal out and you looked so sure that… well… shouldn´t it be easier when you are king? I mean, he is sort of a prince, it should be easier for you to do something together or perhaps arrange something or… well…"

"Ace, something that you learn in this world is that it is never easier" he answered. "Marriages and royalty, even nobility… I know that to someone from outside the circle, it might seem easier, even something like a fairy tale, but it´s not. In royalty, marriages are tied to politics and politics to alliances and appearances" he shook his head. "Sindria has been in a political and actual war with Kou, despite it being in an alliance. And let´s not talk about my country being an important exchange centre, with enough money and armament to launch a full scale war against the rest of the world. Besides that, Kou Empire used to be a bellicose country with a perch for conquest and civil war. It´s not exactly what you would want as an ally for a country like mine."

"So… it´s… it´s more complicated than I thought" the fire user admitted, not understanding half the things he had said. "You… are you just going to give up easily?"

"Who said something about giving up? It will just give me some more headaches than I thought, specially with Kouen and Kougyoku, but I will manage" Sinbad said, more than confident. "They are never going to forgive me for how I played with her and Hakuryuu."

"Okay… with how many of Judal´s siblings did you plaid? And I guess when you said play, you actually didn´t mean your creepy mind control Zevar thing, because…" guilt suddenly overcame him. "You are kidding me!"

"With… Zepar… yes, I did something like this to them… at least to Kougyoku, because Hakuryuu planned that civil war all by himself. I only helped because it will benefit me and my country while weakening the organization that was on top of the Kou Empire… that sounded a little bit evil, no?"

"Yeah, a little bit" Ace turned around, a little bit creeped out. "Just… don´t do any of that again. I would hate to see you turning into an evil old geezer much like the Gorosei. In fact, I would kill you for that."

"Copied then" they returned to the feast, where Shirohige was surprisingly absent. One of his nurses explained that he was feeling ill and Jozu helped his nurses take him to his room. Kouen was also absent, but no one really missed him in the party. He was not much a people person after all. Back into the deeps of the Moby Dick, the two absentees were talking. The captain was lying on his bed while the prince was sitting on a chair near him.

"I guess I should thank you for all you have done for Judal… in private" the redhead began. "It´s something not even we could achieve, to heal all those bastards have done to him… for that you have my eternal gratitude."

"It was really strange… both of them" Newgate answered, not knowing what else to say. "Many of my children arrived to my care broken and completely lost, but their case was peculiar. It seemed that while Sinbad contaminated himself trying to carry the weight of the world in his shoulders, Judal did because he was forced to accept that darkness" he stared at the prince. "But never doubt of his love for you or your siblings. You are all the family he has and appreciate you over everything."

"I never doubt that" he continued in that emotionless tone of his. "Me and my brothers appreciate and love him as if he was our blood. But the fact is that we weren´t able to protect him" he shook his head. "He never told you the reason he came to our family, no?"

"I can guess it has something to do with his powers"

"Indeed" he nodded. "Magis are very rare creatures and born with special kinds of magic. There are things only them can do. It was enough to grab the attention of the organization that in those days leaded Kou Empire with my step mother at the head" they stopped talking for a minute. "Al Tharmen… they arranged everything to kill Judal´s family and bring him to us to be raised as a tool. And they could have managed, if it weren´t for his rebellious nature and us… but he also paid that dearly."

"You too" they stared at each other for more time than before. "I hope you are ready. By coming here you put yourself and yours in the eyes of the Gorosei. Sinbad knows this too and that the greedy old bastards won´t stop until they have got everything about your powers and how to use them… even stole them."

"It´s impossible… but I will be ready" he put a hand on the hilt of his sword. "For the wars to come and enemies to beat."

"Take a good care of him, will you" Shirohige added. "And don´t be so bad with poor Sin, he might have done some horrible things, but he is a good person and loves Judal. Truly. He will make him happy, despite everything that happened."

"I will try to make it work with him politically, but I don´t promise anything in other aspects. I don´t trust him at all. And my siblings either." He knew that eventually Kou will need to make political alliances, but he wasn´t going to marry his little brothers and sisters off just for it. He was not his father.

"Well, I guess he will have to work hard after all"

"As if that was going to work"

"You will be surprised" Kouen gritted his teeth while the other laughed. Yes, the brat was stubborn, but so was his rival. And Newgate knew that when Sinbad wanted something, he surely was going to get it. It didn´t matter how much he had to work, he would achieve that. "Yes… much surprised"

-The next day-

"Thank you for everything" Sinbad and Judal ended with their goodbyes before the magis stepped to the front and used their magic to open a portal. The pirates grasped when they first saw the dimensional gap. Yamuraiha was the first to show her happiness to return. She has spent so much time away from her dear students… Shirohige smiled when he saw the dimensional travellers cross in the portal in their ship, which closed after the magis stopped pointing at them.

"Will we see him again?" asked Ace, looking at the sky where before was the window to the other world. It seemed dark and desert, but Judal also talked about an inter dimensional place which… "Are they going to be fine?"

"Yeah" his father assured him. "We, otherwise, are not going to be if we don´t move the hell away from here" he started screaming orders. The marines must already be on their toes and they need to disappear quickly. "Raise the sails! We are leaving immediately!"

"Yes, sir!" the pirates answered and opened the sail. It was going to be a long journey back to the New World.

-In the other side-

"Woow, that was tiring. Not as much as before, but…" Judal sat down when they appeared on the sea. According to his memory, they should be close to Sindria, by the island where Aum Madaura kept her treasure. "I don´t know you, but I´m in the need of a very good breakfast soon"

"Indeed" Titus sent a rukh bird to ask one of his king candidates to pick him up. Or maybe he should just send that to Sphintus, he really wanted to see him again. Yunan tried to get into a barrel Tatch let him use… and suddenly a ship appeared into the horizon. But not the ship they were all hoping to see.

"Nerva?" Titus asked, recognizing the former prince of Reim and his pet magician.

"I finally found you! Magi of… you three!" Nerva signalled at the three of them. "I will made at least one of you marry me now for sure!" the three mentioned looked at each other, thinking about how dumb this man can be. Really, to say that in front of Sinbad, his Generals and Judal´s siblings? While the magis had their wands in hand? Before Kouen could transform to beat the hell out of the man, their spells were already beating the living daylights out of their enemies.

"Who the hell would want to marry you, idiot" the raven magi stopped his ice spears. "By the way, do you ever look behind you? Because we have some visitors"

"What are you… ahhhhh!" when he turned, Nerva find out several things he didn´t like. For once, Doron vanished, leaving him alone to face the music. Second, Ignatius and Muu Alexius were there, completely armoured in their djinn equipment. And third, a pissed Sphintus Carmen about to snarl him into a thunder spear. Perhaps he should start seeing behind him when doing his evil plans.

"Get your hands away from Titus!" the enraged boyfriend attacked and soon enough Ignatius was carrying the idiot to the Reim ship shackled. The magi said goodbye and went with them, being carried in Sphintus´ arms. Much to everyone´s surprises, Masrur stayed. Apparently he was returning with the rest of the generals to Sindria.

"Are you not going back?" asked Sinbad after seeing Judal and the Rens off. With Kouen practically dragging the magi away from him, covering the raven magician with his body.

"Want to make things up with Jafar before returning to Reim" his purple haired friend patted his shoulder. If he really wanted to do that, he was going to stay a long time in Sindria. As far as the former assassin was concerned, their relationship was non-existent. He had a long LONG way to go before going back to the Fanalis Corpse.

"Good luck, my friend" remembering their times at the sea, they stirred the ship towards Sindria. The people there cheered loudly when their king and generals went back, specially the king. Sinbad nearly cried, his people still cared for him. Still wanted him to be there. He entered the palace in the middle of a loud set of cheers and was about to get to the balcony when Jafar redirected him towards other place. "Everybody is wai… AHHHHHHH!"

"Yes, this tends to happen" the albino visir smiled wickedly when the king paled, faced with the piles of paperwork the size of Jafar himself. He was pushed on his seat, a pen placed in his hands. "this is all the urgent work the king of Sindria has to sign and this" he moved gigantic piles of papers in front of him "are the ones the CEO of the trading company has to sign. And we need all done for tomorrow."

"For to…" his paleness suddenly got worse. "Yeah… great… I will do it… but… something… I will go to the welcome party first… just a few hours… just…" suddenly his friend´s knifes moved around him in a circle, effectively tying him up to the chair. "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

"Awwww, home sweet home" Sharrkan and Yamuraiha served themselves wine, smiling. "And the sweet sounds of Jafar torturing Sinbad." They drank. "When are you going back to Magnostadt, by the way?"

"On the morning, after I repaired the shield around Sindria" the magician confessed. The sighed and turned serious. "But this is not our final battle, no? Those guys we met, the marines… they are going to come here for more information, no?"

"Without doubt" the Heliohapt king stared at his wine. "But when they came, we have to be prepared. I don´t confide in them, not in the least."

"Me neither" she answered, staring in the distance. "I only hope the whole alliance is ready when the time comes…"

-In Kou-

"Hakuyuu, Hakuren" Judal was presenting his respects in front of the deceased Ren princes tombs. Being back in Kou was not so bad as he imagined. After all, he had his siblings and all the peaches he wanted. And, even if he missed his friends at the Moby Dick, he liked the new arrangements in the palace. Specially because…

"Judal-chan!" Kougyoku suddenly interrupted his prayers. She was happily running towards him, the ridiculous crown the emperor of Kou used in her head. The empress bowed respectfully to the tombs of her cousins and continued walking. "I just finished with everything for the day and thought that we might have an sleepover, just like when we were kids."

"You realise that we are adults now, no?"

"Well, I´m bored and I don´t have anyone else to talk to. Everybody is away and Kouen took Ka Koubun for a chat about vocabulary. I´m all alone in my chambers now" she took his hands and dragged him. The magi let himself being dragged. He always enjoyed his time with his youngest sister. Specially how she braided his hair. "I can braid your hair. And we can plan Hakuryuu´s wedding surprise"

"I thought he was going to plan his own wedding?"

"Oh, but we can always do something mildly scary to him, no?" she smiled wickedly. "We can make his hair longer, braid it and decorate it with my pretty flower crowns."

"You are on" yes, he was wicked. Besides it was an innocent joke. Hakuryuu could very well grab a scissor and cry to his sister for her to cut his hair if he didn´t like the hairstyle. Besides, they really need to have some fun… while they still have time. Because the time for wars was going to come really soon. "Kougyoku… do you know that our adventure with the other world is not over, right?"

"Yes, En-nii and I have been talking about that. Koumei also is working in tactical analysis and startegies to counteract any hostile movement and espionage. You see? We have all covered" they reached the room of the Empress and for one time, Ka Koubun was not there. "Judal?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think we are going to see Ka Koubun again?" screams came from Kouen´s room, which was like in the other building. They flinched at that.

"Nope" and they entered

-In another world-

"We have work for you" Someone in a black cloak reunited with a group of people with dark clothed, hidden in the darkness. Robb Luci stepped out, confident that his friends would cover him.

"What´s in for us?"

"Getting back into the Cipher pol" he took a file out of his jacket. "But don´t misunderstood it, this mission is going to be the hardest ever. It´s not even in a land where the World Government could provide you with anything, even information."

"Hummmm" Luci thought about it for a second. "What´s the mission?"

And now the tides are turned. What is going to happen in the future with the CP invading the other world? Well, if you enjoyed this story and want a continuation, send me a review and I will work on that. Read you next time. Review!