This is kinda based off of many Magi SIs, but this takes place years before Aladdin comes in. Please leave a review and/or a favorite/follow!
I don't own Magi. I only own my character.
Lynette was an odd girl. Always with her head in a book. While others her age frequented the mall and enjoyed the ruckus that were parties and large groups, she stayed home and enjoyed the quiet and safe sanctuary that was her room. It wasn't like she didn't have any friends, in fact it was the complete opposite. Her friends respected her needs as an introvert. And because of this, on her final day she was alone. She was walking home from school, as per usual. She had to cross the street to reach her destination. And as she reached the other side, she noticed someone still in the middle of the road, staring at the incoming traffic, like a deer in the headlights. When the red light turned green, and the cars moved forward, she did something that she thought that she would never do. She ran into the street and pushed the teen the onto the sidewalk. As the surprised teen stared at her, Lynnette felt a car come into contact with her body. And she died.
Safi rushed as fast as she could in the castle corridor to the doctor. Her dirty dress was pulled as high as it socially could go as she arrived in the hospice area. Her neatly-made bun was in shambles as she reached the portly man that was resting in his bed.
"Doctor Earl, come quick! It's Rana! She's gone into labor! And she's not doing well!" The woman rasps out, having ran from the opposite side of the castle. Her flour-stained hands rested on her knees as she hazardously took a few breaths to regulate her heartbeat. The shrewd man glared at her, annoyed that she had woken him up.
"Pah! Why should I care? She has a foreigner's child in her womb. The whore couldn't close her legs for anything. And I should worry about the harlot and her mixed child and lose precious sleep?" He turned around and began to go back to sleep, not looking back at the woman in his room.
Safi glared at the now asleep man and glanced toward his medical supplies, contemplating on whether she should take them. After a moment, she snuck past the unconscious man and stole a small blanket, before running out of the room and rushing to her friend in need. 'Rana, I'm coming to help you. I promised that I would.'
Lynette felt different. She was somewhere warm, but something was forcing her out of this warm safe haven. She was forced out of her haven into somewhere cold. She didn't want to open her eyes, but she knew that she would have to. As she finally worked up the courage to open her eyes in the cold, wide area, she saw the blurry image of a woman holding her, with butterflies quickly leaving her body. The huge woman was pale and had brown hair and blue eyes that were worn out due to stress. The woman appeared to weakly smile at her and hugged her closer. Tears appeared on her face as she gave her Lynette away to another. "Tell her that I love her, okay Safi? Please make sure that my daughter grows up to be a fine woman."
"I'll take care of her, Rana. I promise. I swear on my life that I will." The woman said, with tears streaming down her face. When she didn't receive a reply, she knew that it was too late. Safi left the room and broke down outside of the room, shaking and dropping to the floor.
"I failed you, Rana. I'm so sorry! If I was faster, than you would still be here and be Nima's mother!"
'Nima? My name is Lynette!' It was at this time that Lynette decided to assess her situation. She was small, smaller than she was originally. And she couldn't control her limbs or speak at all. But at least she had the same skin color, Lynette tried to say. But gurgles replaced her voice. And at that moment, she finally realized her position. She was a baby. She was reborn in a world different than her own. And she might never see her old life again. So she did the only thing she could do at the moment. She cried.
At the age of 13, the newly-dubbed Nima ran to the kitchen to begin her duties. She now has more coordination than she had when she was born, so she uses this new ability to explore the castle. She now knows that she is in Balbadd and her king-King Rashid Saluja- was out of the castle, planning trade routes in Reim.
'I know I'm in Arabian times, but all of this sounds familiar…' she thought on her way to her destination. She wiped her dark skin and arrived in the kitchen, ready to start her day. Without even honing in on her hearing she could hear the whispers of some not so quiet workers of the castle.
"Look at her. Foreigner's child…. She shouldn't be here…."
"Stay away from her, she's… different from us."
"That girl is not normal…. Just look at her…."
"She has her mother's hair and face. Everything else is her father's, whoever that is."
"She deserved to die instead of Rana. Rana did her work quietly and accepted any job given to her. She stares, with those freaky green eyes of hers."
"Who does she think that she's fooling, learning how to read and write. Does she think that she is better than the rest of us? And where did she come from anyway? She's not from here, obviously."
"Apparently when Heliohapt's ambassador arrived with his party here 14 years ago to discuss trade deals, Rana opened her legs to one of them and when they left, she was pregnant with his child!"
"How crude! She couldn't keep her legs shut and she paid the price for it."
"And now you know the consequences of sleeping around."
'I guess racism and discrimination are some things that time will never get rid of. Yay me.' Nima reflected, rolling her eyes and continued preparing the kitchen for the head chef to arrive. It obviously hurt to listen to them, but hearing insults constantly made her grow a thicker skin, unlike her past life.
"Don't you all have work to do? Don't make me get the head advisor here! The king is coming and do you think that he'll accept no meal and welcoming when he returns?" Nima's savior, Safi demanded, scattering the gossiping workers. With her hands placed on her sides, she demanded respect and authority.
"Nima." Safi's voice called out to her. Her voice once rough and demanding became tender and soft. "You can go now. You've done enough right now. I'll get you when you're needed."
Nima didn't wait twice and quickly left, thanking Safi as she exited the kitchen. She ran to her 'secret place', a dark corner in the library away from everything. She pulled the book that was closest to her out of the shelf and sat down, mesmerized by the descriptions of the many places around the world. From the magicians' academy in Magnostadt, to the sandy lands of Heliohapt, to even Kou, she wanted to visit them all. They were far away from the castle and would allow her to try new things, see new places. But she knew her position. Even if she was reborn into a new life, she was now just a lowly servant girl for the castle. Higher on the social scale to the regular citizens, but still lower than many.
"You seem very interested in this. Do you want to see these places?" A voice drew her out of the book. Nima didn't look up and and responded to the stranger.
"Yes. I would very much like to. But I know that I'll never go. I have no opportunity to leave here. And Safi… I don't know if I could leave her." Her eyes dropped down sadly, accepting her fate in the world.
"Would you like an opportunity to see the world?" In the corner of Nima's eyes, a large hand reached out to her. As she closed the book and looked up at the speaker, her eyes widened at the sight of his long blonde hair. King Rashid Saluja stared down at her with a questioning look in his eye. The brunette scrambled up and half-hazardously put the book away and quickly bowed.
"I'm so sorry! Excuse my crass speaking! Please forgive me!" She said, worrying about what would happen to her. Would he send her to her death for her words? Exile her to the slums? Make her serve under Ahbmad, the spoiled prince?
"No. In fact, I actually have a proposition for you." A small smile appeared on the king's face. It looked like there was something on his mind.
"What? You're not going to punish me?" Uncertainty was clear on her face. He wasn't going to kill her?
"I'm going back to Reim to visit a friend in a week. He's an aspiring merchant. When I return, I want you to come with me to represent Balbadd." The king declared.
"Me? Why me? I'm just a lowly servant girl. There are others here that are better than me? Why not them?"
"Just a lowly servant girl? Can the average servant girl read and write complicated text? Can she argue with other people about the treatment of others? Can she ignore constant hate directed to her?" Nima looked down, not realizing that he noticed her treatment. "If you choose to go, then you can see the world. It'll be difficult, but I know that someone like you can overcome it." Nima contemplated for a moment
"...I need to think about this. I need to tell Safi. I'll tell you when I made my decision, your highness." She quickly bowed to him and exited the room and reached the kitchen, spotting the woman baking bread for later that night. Safi turned and smiled at the teen, her smile dropping as she noticed the look on Nima's face.
"What's the matter, child? It looks like something is on your mind."
"Well… The King arrived. And he spoke to me in the library. Actually… he offered me a higher position. But…" Nima trailed off, not really wanting to finish her statement.
"What's the catch?" Safi caught on to her hesitation, like always.
"... It's away from here. In Reim. As Balbadd's representative."
"Do it." Safi's response was quick and blunt.
Really? What about you? I don't want to leave you here alone…"
"I'll be fine, just go. You need this opportunity. You belong outside of Balbadd, visiting exotic places and meeting new people. Just write to me, okay? I may not know how write, but I'll find someone here who does." Safi's voice grew warm and comforting as she walked closer to Nima. She embraced Nima in a warm hug that reassured her that she will be alright. Nima closed her eyes and breathed in. She got her answer, and she'll tell the king her response later.
The awaited day arrived and Nima grabbed her bag and exited her room, turning back to look at the place for the possible last time. The room was a small solace for her, keeping out the harsh words and rough outdoors away from her. But like Balbadd, she outgrew it. She rushed out the palace, waving to those smiling at the leaving the palace. The brunette glanced to Safi, who dabbed tears out of the corner of her eyes. As Nima reached the leaving party, she turned back to see palace for possibly the last time. All the good and bad memories rushed back to her and a small amount of tears left the corner of her eye. A hand reached down and touched her shoulder, reassuring her that she will be okay. Nima wiped her tears away and turned to face the exit of the country, ready to face the world.
Reim was very different from Balbadd. It was bigger, more diverse people, and it was a general hub for travellers. Merchants and entertainers could thrive in the money brought in to Reim. As Nima walked in awe of her surroundings to her destination, she heard the king call her to him.
"Nima, come here." She walked over to the King who was currently talking to someone. She could not see who it was due to the King's height, but she knew that the owner of the voice was male.
"This is Sinbad. He owns the Sindria Trading Company. You're going to be his representative of Balbadd, okay? I think that you'll like him."
As she gaped in shock at the richly dressed, purple haired teen, the final gears in her head shifted. 'Sinbad? Sindria? Oh shit. I'm in Magi.'