Disclaimer: I do not own any of the following characters, I'm just borrowing them.
There was, oh what there was (or there wasn't) in the oldest of days and ages and times, a vast desert. Many travelers had crossed this desert before, seeking many things in their journey across the golden sands. Fortune, fame, love…
But this story began with a lone traveler, whose name was of no import, as he made his way across the desert. His camel lumbered over the sands, weary from the long journey, but the Traveler was unconcerned. He traveled light; only a few changes of clothes, a bedroll, and enough food and gold to get him from city to city, and his camel had fared for much longer stretches with much heavier loads.
He'd been traveling for days now, with no city in sight, but he didn't worry. He had learned long ago that Allah would always provide for him when he needed it most. The journey mattered as much as the destination, and what was a good journey without a few detours?
As they came over the crest of a large dune, the Traveler spotted another lone man, this one traveling by foot. Though most of him was hidden under a cloak, the Traveler could tell that this other man was tall and well built. It wasn't long until his camel caught up with the stranger, and the Traveler smiled.
"Peace be upon you, good friend," he said, and the stranger looked up and grinned. His skin was dark and smooth, though the short beard on his face was an almost luminous white. A scar curled around the stranger's left eye, and the Traveler distantly wondered how a man with that kind smile could have gotten such a nasty wound.
"Upon you be peace," the stranger responded in a low, smooth voice, holding up his right hand for the man to shake. "It is not often I see another person out in this desert!"
After they had shaken hands, the Traveler shrugged. "It is not often I see a man alone in the desert with no provisions or creature to ride. Are we close to a city?"
The stranger grinned. "We're about two hours out from my home. I was just visiting a friend."
"That's good to hear," the Traveler said. "I could use a good meal and rest. Is there an inn?"
"That there is!"
"Thank Allah."
They traveled in silence for a few minutes, the stranger's hand stroking the camel's neck as they walked. "Do you mind if I sing to pass the time?" he asked, and the Traveler smiled.
"Feel free."
"Oh I come from a land, from a faraway place where the caravan camels roam," the stranger sang, his voice rich. "Where it's flat and immense, and the heat is intense. It's barbaric, but hey, it's home." The stranger shrugged, causing the Traveler to laugh. It was good to find a companion who was both talented and funny. Allah had been kind to him this day.
"When the wind's from the east and the sun's from the west and the sand in the glass is right. Come on down, stop on by, hop a carpet and fly to another Arabian night!"
"Where did you say you were from, again?" the Traveler asked, and the stranger grinned.
"The fabled city of Agrabah," he said in a reverent tone, and the Traveler gasped. "Ah, I see you've heard of it."
"They say it's a city where sorcerers and enchantresses freely roam the streets," the Traveler murmured, so used to having conversations about the fabled city in hushed tones that he couldn't speak any louder. It was a myth, many believed, just a story made up by drunken travelers. To speak about it freely was an invitation for an argument.
"That they do," the stranger confirmed. "But we both know that's not what Agrabah is really famous for." Reaching into the folds of his cloak, the stranger pulled out a bronze oil lamp, holding it carefully in his large palm.
"... It's a lamp," the Traveler said, eyebrow quirked high. The stranger began to laugh, shaking his head.
"Oh, do not be fooled by its commonplace appearance," he said with a hint of a mysterious smile. "Like so many things, it is not what's on the outside, but what's on the inside that counts." He stopped for a moment before grinning up at the Traveler. "Woah, got a little deep there." He held the lamp out proudly. "This lamp put Agrabah on the map!"
"No map that I've ever seen," the Traveler said. "Some people aren't even sure that Agrabah exists." After seeing the stranger hold the lamp aloft like some great treasure, he was starting to doubt that it did. The man was clearly not all there. What more could there be to an old oil lamp?
"You've never been?" the stranger asked, eyes shadowed by the top of his hood.
"I've never had the privilege."
"Well," the stranger said, and when he looked up, his dark eyes had turned the same bronze color of the lamp. "We can fix that!"
A strong breeze kicked up out of nowhere, stirring the desert sands into a frenzy. The Traveler cried out and tried to cover his eyes to prevent sand from getting in them, but the stranger stood unphased, hands held out and grin still on his face.
The sudden storm seemed to last for hours, but it could have only been seconds before the wind died down. When the Traveler looked up, he felt his breath leave him as he looked up at the large city that loomed over him, a palace that seemed to reach the skies.
He didn't stop the stranger as he started to lead his camel, who was being oddly calm, through the gates. The guards didn't look at them twice despite their sudden appearance, and the Traveler had to wonder how often strange things like this happened.
It was certainly a colorful city, that couldn't be denied. Men and women roamed the streets in sirwals and long skirts in every color under the sky, and after spending so long in the monotone desert, the Traveler could already feel the headache from the overstimulation pounding against his temples. It was also loud, music pouring out of every doorway as vendors yelled over each other, trying to be heard as they held out their wares.
One woman noticed the Traveler and his companion and waved to catch their attention. "Lamps and jars, come get all the lamps and jars you could want!" she said as she tried to show off her wares; various vases and lamps, some encrusted with jewels and gold, and some that were carefully sculpted out of red clay. "A wonderful addition to any home!" The stranger shook his head, smiling kindly as they passed.
"I've had quite enough of lamps, thank you," he said, winking at the Traveler.
"Are you certain?" the woman asked, not easily deterred by the stranger's rejection. "This is Agrabah, after all. You might just find a genie in your lamp!" The Traveler perked up at the thought, but the stranger laughed heartily.
"Like I said," he said with a grin, "I've had quite enough of lamps." He raised a hand to wave good bye, and for the first time the Traveler noticed the bands of scarred skin that wrapped around the stranger's dark forearms. He looked down at the bronze lamp that bounced against his companion's hip, and back at the man who had brought a storm to an otherwise calm day and himself to this strange city, and gasped. The genie looked back at him and winked again.
The Traveler could only gape as the genie led him deeper into the city, passing more merchants and several residential buildings. Somewhere along the way, the genie had given his cloak to a homeless child, and if he wasn't intimidating before, he certainly was now. He was shirtless under the cloak, all broad, dark muscles, and the sirwal he wore was a rich blue with swirling patterns stitched into the airy fabric in gold thread.
Citizens parted before them to make it easier for the small group to make it through, though they hardly spared the Traveler or his companion a second glance. Again, the Traveler had to wonder how often strange occurrences like this happened. The genie led the camel deeper into the city, into what the Traveler could clearly tell was the slums. Homeless children seemed to hide behind every corner, watching the two with eyes too wide for their starved faces.
The genie waved his hand, a sympathetic expression on his face, and two children that had been warily watching them from behind a tattered woven basket suddenly held a basket full of food; several loaves of bread and various fruits, along with two clay jugs of water. Their faces lit up brightly, and the genie bowed to them with a warm smile.
"For a city full of so much magic, you'd think there'd be less children on the streets," the genie said, frowning once the children had run off. "I try to help as best I can, but I can't do everything for them. Well, I could," he admitted, "but that's what I like about you all."
"'You all'?" the Traveler asked, finally able to remove his tongue from where it had been glued to the top of his mouth.
"Humans," he clarified. "No matter how far you're knocked down, you always seem to get back up on your own. You always find the best in things. Who am I to disrupt that?" His smile was fond, and the Traveler was about to ask more when they emerged into a large courtyard and music made it hard for the Traveler to even hear himself think.
There seemed to be a party going on, and the Traveler watched in growing awe as people of all sizes and shapes danced together, laughing as they spun in circles. The people here all wore clothes in rich deep colors, and the Traveler's eyes couldn't stay in one place for long before another flash of color distracted him.
Amongst the choreographed chaos, one man caught the Traveler's attention more firmly than the rest. The color seemed to bleed out of the people surrounding the man with the dark sunkissed skin and scruffy beard. His thick black hair had been pulled into a messy tail at the base of his neck, and even all the way across the courtyard, the Traveler could see that the man had deep red eyes.
He was clearly a man of little fortune, wearing little more than a faded purple vest that did nothing to hide his thick muscles, and a plain sirwal that had been mended with various colorful patches. His feet were bare as he kicked and danced, a smirk on his lips. His laugh was deep and rich as he grabbed the hands of a young woman, no older than sixteen, and spun her around. The young woman had sharp brown eyes and dark blue hair that peeked out from under her headdress - in all his travels, the Traveler had never seen such a strange color on anyone's head - and the man scooped her into a lift easily. She shrieked with laughter, and the man grinned up at her before the crowd pressed around them and hid the two from view.
The genie led them further into the city, though the Traveler was fairly certain he had seen the genie smile softly back at the two dancers. Soon the clothes hanging from between buildings shifted from roughly patched linens to airy silks in various vibrant colors. They were in the richer part of Agrabah now, and where the people in the market and slums had seemed to ignore them, the people here watched them pass warily, some sneering at the Traveler's simple cloak. There was drumming in the distance, and once they reached the mouth of the street, the genie stopped the camel amongst the crowd that had gathered on either side of the larger road.
A lavish procession passed in front of them, and the Traveler could hear whispers about how the Sultan and the princess had finally come out of their palace to appear the rabble. A golden palanquin passed in front of them, and a short man with white robes and a warm smile waved out to the people. "Sultan Makarov," the genie explained, gesturing to the man, and the Traveler felt humbled to be even this close to the Sultan. "And behind him, the crowned princess of Agrabah," the genie continued, and when the Traveler looked, he almost jumped when instead of another golden palanquin, his line of sight ended up on the long gray trunk of an elephant.
The elephant was dressed better than most of the children in the slums, golden coins hemming the blanket covering its back and various designs painted on its trunk and cheeks in vibrant gold and blue paints. But the true gem was the young woman sitting just behind the elephant's head, wide golden eyes looking around eagerly and a bright smile that made even the Traveler's heart melt. The princess was about to fall off the elephant, so eager was she to wave to everyone and shout her hellos. Long, sky-blue hair fell in a waterfall down her back, offsetting her tanned skin and the freckles that dusted her cheeks.
Her eyes met the Traveler's, and she waved happily, smiling brightly at him. He automatically grinned back, not hesitating to wave at the princess. Her pleased laugh rang through the street like a bell even over the loud music that was being played by the band behind her, and he could see the Sultan look back at her with an exasperated smile. The genie bowed to her with a lavish gesture, and she covered her mouth with her hands to contain her grin. The Traveler could barely make out the princess instructing the elephant to "Say hello, Aurora!", and the elephant waved her trunk at the two, much to the amusement of everyone in the crowd.
A small boy ran out into the street, apparently reaching for a golden coin that had fallen off the Sultan's palaquin, and the princess cried out in alarm before digging her heels in behind the elephant's ears, bringing the large creature to an immediate halt. The boy seemed frozen in shock, and in the next moment the elephant's trunk was wrapped around his waist, lifting him up to sit in front of the princess.
The young boy looked even more awed by the princess than he did by Aurora, and even from within the crowd the Traveler could tell the princess was gently chastising the homeless boy. Once he had nodded sheepishly, the princess grinned at him and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek, handing the boy one of her golden bracelets before instructing the elephant to bring him back down. She watched him leave with a sad expression, her frown quickly shifting into a bright smile when the boy turned around to wave at her, and soon the princess was out of the Traveler's sight, her sad smile and white-knuckled grip on her sirwal gone with her.
"Poor thing," the genie said just loud enough for the Traveler to hear, but before he could ask what his companion meant, they were off again, the Traveler once again being led deeper into the strange city.
"Yes, we have just about anything you could want here in Agrabah," the genie said, gesturing at the city with a broad sweep of his arm. "But of course, you must watch your step, for danger lurks around every corner." The Traveler could have sworn he saw the end of a long, dark robe disappearing into a nearby alley, a parrot crawing loudly as it flew after the man. A shiver went down his back, and the Traveler quickly averted his eyes. If the genie had seen the man and his bird, he didn't indicate it to the man he was towing around.
"It's a city where a penniless nobody can turn out to be…"
Out of the corner of his eye, the Traveler saw the man from the party before, laughing at something the young woman that was clinging to his back said. Several people passed in front of him, and the next time the Traveler saw him, his worn-out clothes had been replaced by dazzling golden robes, the young woman now dressed in fine silks and jewelry.
"... A noble somebody."
The Traveler rubbed his eyes, and the finery was gone, leaving the two back in their original clothes. The genie smiled at the two, a distinctly fond glint back in his eyes.
"You know them." It wasn't a question.
"I will know them," the genie clarified. The Traveler was so used to the confusion and madness at this point that he simply sighed.
"Where a princess would give up her crown for the people she loves…"
The Traveler caught a glimpse of the princess and her elephant between buildings, her smile still firmly in place, but there was a wistful look in her eyes that made everything about her feel sad. They passed another building, and now the princess was walking, a rough linen dress in place of her once opulent clothes and a mischievous curl to her dark lips. She pulled a hood over her distinctive hair before running into an alley, no one noticing the princess as she disappeared.
".. And find more beyond her palace walls than she could have ever imagined."
The Traveler didn't bother to search for the princess, knowing that the illusion he saw would be gone as soon as they passed the next building. "Why are you showing me this?" he asked, and the genie's lip quirked up in a smirk.
"Consider it a welcome gift," he said with a shrug. "A glimpse into events soon to come. I like to help any travelers I find, bring them to a safe place." The genie stopped, the camel coming to a slow halt as well. "Speaking of," the genie drawled, handing the Traveler the reins with a grin. "I believe this is your stop."
The Traveler looked up at the inn they had stopped at with wide eyes, having been so pulled into the spell the genie had cast that he'd forgotten his reason for coming into the city in the first place. When he looked back to thank the genie for all he'd done, he was gone, leaving nothing but a small sack of gold in the Traveler's hand and the echoing ring of laughter.
Unlike "Coming Off the Page", this fic isn't already mostly finished when I started posting it, so regular updates probably won't be a thing *cough Reviews make me want to write faster and update faster cough*. I'm actually working on several fics at the same time, which is why updates are taking so long. Also, you know, real life.
For those of you who are curious, this is based off of the Broadway version of Aladdin. You can find the soundtrack online, and I highly suggest listening to it while you read. I set this chapter up in a way that it follows the pacing of the song rather well, so give it a listen!
Thanks to pansariri for helping me bounce ideas for this fic around and for letting me use the character Aurora from her fic "The Alley"! Seriously, she's the best. Go give her love.
The next chapter will be the real start to the story, so look forward to that!
do-fairys-have-tails . tumblr . com