Chapter sixteen- A Journey

On the day of Aladdin and everyone's departure, Ashlyn was helping the young magi, Morgiana, and Hakuryuu pack the last of their things.

"Uhm, for your journey, may I come with you for half of it?" Morgiana asked Aladdin and Hakuryuu, who already planned on taking the same ship.

Ashlyn kept quiet and listened as Morgiana explained why she wanted to go. She already knew the reason. Morgiana wanted to go to the Dark Continent. Ashlyn also knew Alibaba was joining them, even if he didn't say so right away, and that they'd run into pirates on the way. She knew all this from continuing to push herself to remember. Although it caused a lot of headaches and nosebleeds.

 I want to go with them too... She thought. But what do I say? Maybe I'll go with Morgiana...I mean, there's no reason for me to go back to Reim, I can't go with Hakuryuu -even if I might want to- and Magnostadt is for wizards only. Ashlyn sighed. I really want to help Hakuryuu though...And I don't even know the whole reason. "Uhm...Would you mind if I joined you as well?"

"Ash-san, you're going somewhere too?"

"Well...Not really...but I'd like to join you anyway. If that's alright?"

"Yeah, sure!" Aladdin smiled, "You guys are alright with it too, right?"

"Yes, that's fine."

"I don't mind."

"Thank you!" Ashlyn smiled.

~

"So...He never showed up." Hakuryuu sighed.

"Alibaba..." Aladdin said sadly.

"It's alright, Aladdin. We'll clear the air with him later on." Morgiana assured.

"You're right. It's not like we'll be separated forever. I'm sure we'll meet again!"

"Yeah, next time we see Alibaba, he'll get to see how much we've grown!" Ashlyn added, already knowing what Morgiana was going to add. She had a hard time keeping her laughter in and maintaining a straight face as they all continued talking and entered their room, continuing to pretend they didn't know Alibaba was onboard.

 Hehe...and this is the part Alibaba realized he wasn't in the right room! Ashlyn chuckled softly.

"Don't you get the feeling something's missing here?" Aladdin asked as their talking died down.

"Something missing?" Hakuryuu echoed.

"Yes...I've been feeling the same way too, actually." Morgiana nodded.

"Yeah, me too..." Ashlyn added, holding back her smile.

They all gasped in realization.

"Breakfast! I've prepared some for us!" Hakuryuu exclaimed, pulling out a basket of food.

"Yay!!" Aladdin cheered.

"Yeah~ but," Ashlyn spoke. "What do you think about, that person?"

"Who do you mean, Ash-san?" Aladdin spoke through mouthfuls.

"Alibaba. Obviously."

"Ah, Alibaba-kun..."

"Aladdin-dono, you like Alibaba-dono a lot, don't you?" Hakuryuu asked.

"Yeah...Well he was the first person I met when I came into this world so...yeah. But now that I've known him for a long time, I've noticed some things."

"Like what?"

And so, they all began making fun of Alibaba, knowing the dungeon capturer was listening in on them just a room away. Ashlyn was having such a hard time controlling her laughter that she couldn't even add anything. I can't! I'm going to die if I keep holding this in! She tried to hold her breath as well, becoming blue in the face. By now, Hakuryuu and Aladdin were holding in their laughter as well, not only at how they imagined Alibaba was reacting, but at Ashlyn's pitiful state. They all went into the next room to see how Alibaba was reacting, not surprised at what they saw.

"Forgive us, Alibaba-kun..." Aladdin tried, placing a hand on the sad teen's shoulder. "We heard from King Sinbad you were coming."

"Yeah, we were only joking." Hakuryuu added.

"We're sorry, Alibaba." Ashlyn laughed.

"Plus, you're crying to much to be a real man." Hakuryuu added, laughing.

"Like you have a place to say that, Hakuryuu!" Ashlyn laughed harder.

"Yeah! Ashlyn's right!" Alibaba stood, ready to fight Hakuryuu.

"Now, now. Calm down!" Aladdin stopped him. "We were joking, right Mor-san?"

"No. What I said really happened."

Alibaba and Hakuryuu stood, grabbing each others shirts and glaring.

"But why did you join us, Alibaba-kun? Only magicians can go to Magnostadt." Aladdin asked.

"Don't get the wrong idea!" Alibaba shoved Hakuryuu away. "I didn't come to follow you."

"So you came because you were lonely?" Hakuryuu assumed, now sitting in between Ashlyn and Morgiana.

"NO! I'm going to become a gladiator in Reim!"

"Really?" Aladdin exclaimed.

"Why would you do such a thing?!" Hakuryuu added.

"Are you sure~?" Ashlyn teased. "I nearly died, you know."

"Do you really want to know?" Alibaba glared at them.

"Nope." Ashlyn smirked.

"Shh, Ash-san!" Aladdin threw his hands over her mouth. "We do want to know, Alibaba-kun!"

"No. I'm not telling you." Alibaba crossed his arms and looked away.

Ashlyn laughed and moved Aladdin's hands away, "I'm sorry, Alibaba. Please tell us."

"No."

"Please?" Ashlyn drew out the 'e' obnoxiously.

"No."

"Fine." Ashlyn crossed her arms. "I'll tell them for you."

"Eh?" Alibaba raised an eyebrow at her.

"He wants to go to Reim for the Magoi Manipulation Tribe, I assume." Ashlyn explained, her head held high.

"What's that?" Aladdin asked, eyes wide.

"It's-" Hakuryuu started, but Ashlyn cut him off, "It's a nomadic tribe. So no one really knows where it goes, but it's been to Kou before. Hakuryuu's trained with them. And you can usually find them in the Reim coliseum."  

"How do you know all this, Ashlyn-san?" Morgiana asked.

"Because I was there! I saw them for like a second while I was in Reim." Ashlyn smiled. Hakuryuu and Alibaba sulked.

"You're such a jerk, Ash." Alibaba muttered.

"Hehe~"

~

Author's Note-

I love this chapter oh my god. It was so fun to write xD poor Alibaba