Magi: The Tales of Aladdin
Magi © Shinobu Ohtaka
Summary- A rendition of Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, with a few twists.
BEFORE YOU READ, I should have you know, there are spoilers ahead, so if you don't like spoilers, I advise that you TURN BACK NOW!
Thank you.
"…Mother?"
"Yes, dear?"
"Do you…know who I am?"
A woman with long, magenta hair and eyes looked down at a young, blue-haired boy, who blinked up at her with these big, bright, blue orbs. She smiled at him as she pinned up the last of her washing on the clothes line and knelt down before her son.
"Well, I guess even I don't have the answers for everything,," she answered, "but I do know this much…you truly are one of a kind."
The boy giggled before he hugged his mother, who returned his embrace.
"I love you, Mother."
"And I love you…my little Aladdin."
Night 1- His Name is Aladdin
The oasis of Utan: a bustling town full of busy people. The air was alive with chatter and merchants yelling out to potential customers in attempt to give away their merchandise in exchange for riches.
"Fine jewelry! Opals, emeralds, diamonds! Give these to your special someone!"
"Fresh fish here! There's a special on red snapper! Get it while you can!"
"Camping supplies! Can't go out in the desert without camping supplies! Tents, canteens, feed for your camels! Step right up!"
At one particular stand, a young woman with long blond hair, deep blue eyes, a green dressed, and a white cloth over her shoulders like a cape is seen, selling bushels of fruit.
"Fresh fruit!" she called. "Get your fresh fruit, right here! Apples, watermelons, peaches, coconuts! You can't grow these around here, folks! Don't be shy!"
Nearby, a dark-skinned girl with short, dark brown hair and eyes and wearing a light-colored dress watched the blond-headed merchant with a warm smile.
"You're really going whole-hog on this, huh, Leila?" the girl asked.
"Of course!" the other girl, Leila, answered with a grin. "Just wait and see! I'll sell every last one of these fruits by the end of the day, Sahsa!"
Sahsa giggled and nodded her head.
"I'm so glad you joined up with us, Leila," she said, causing Leila to blush.
"Ah, shucks," she said. "You're embarrassing me!"
"Well, it's the truth," Sahsa said. "Why would I lie?"
"…Thanks, Sahsa," Leila said with a warm smile before she went over to a nearby wagon. "Let's sell as much as we can, today! After all, we worked hard to bring in all these precious goods, right?"
As the blonde-haired young woman entered the wagon…she looked up and saw a young boy, at least 10 years of age, with long, blue hair in a single braid. He wore a light blue vest and bandages wrapped around his chest for some reason, a pair of white baggy pants with a sandy-colored sash around his waist, a white turban on his head with some sort of ruby attached to it, a golden flute tied around his neck, and no shoes to hide his dirty feet. He turned to face Leila…with a big, round watermelon cradled in his arms. Upon seeing it, the merchant girl overcame her shock and replaced it with anger.
"What the hell?!" she questioned before she pulled out a knife. "What do you think you're doing?! Put that melon down, you thief!"
The boy gasped before he managed to squeeze his way passed Leila and ran out into the streets of town.
"Hey! Hey!" Leila shouted as she began to pursue him. "You get back here with that! COME BACK!"
"Leila?!" Sahsa asked in shock.
Leila continued to chase after the boy, who panted as he carried the heavy fruit in his arms. He yelped when it almost fell, but he managed to hold on to it as he slipped into the crowd. Some women in the crowd were heard gasping as they felt the boy duck under their legs.
"Sorry!" he called as he made it on the other side, but Leila still pursued him, intent on getting the stolen watermelon back.
"You can't run away forever!" Leila shouted as she kept chasing him. "Give up!"
The boy didn't pay any heed to her words. He just kept running as fast as he possibly could, until he suddenly tripped on a stone and began to fall over. Not wanting to smash the watermelon to mushy bits, he maneuvered himself so that he would land on his back. He wasn't fast enough, though, and ended up landing on his arm, instead. He cried out painfully when he felt the gritty sand scraping the skin as he slid along the ground for a moment, and then seethed as he lied there, holding the watermelon in his arms. As he attempted to get up, he felt a shadow loom over him, and when he turned, he saw Leila, glowering down at him, angrily.
"If you don't mind," she said before she grabbed the fruit from him, "I'd like this back, now!"
"No!" the boy cried as he tried to wrestle the watermelon back. "I need it!"
"If you want it, you have to pay for it!"
"But I don't have any money!"
"Then give it to me! If you don't have money to pay for it, you can't have it!"
"But you don't understand! Please!"
"LEILA!"
Leila turned to face Sahsa, who is panted heavily.
"Leila," she said once she caught her breath. "I think we should hear him out, first."
"But…he-" Leila started.
"Leila…please," Sahsa interrupted, pleadingly.
"…Oh…all right," the blond merchant girl said, defeated. She stood up as she put her knife away while Sahsa approached the boy with a gentle smile.
"I'm sorry about Leila," she said. "She tends to go a little overboard, sometimes."
"What?!" Leila questioned in shock. "I do not!"
Sahsa glared at Leila, who quickly got silent.
"…I'm sorry," said the boy. "I know I shouldn't steal things…but I was so desperate. I was just trying to bring back some food for my Mother!"
Hearing that caused Leila to look at the ten-year-old in shock.
"…Your…mother?" asked Leila. "What about her?"
"She's sick," the boy replied, sadly. "She's been sick for days. She has a very high fever…she won't stop coughing, and there are actually times when there's blood. She's not eating very much, either."
He then sniffled and wiped his eyes.
"If I had money…I would buy medicine for her," he said, his voice breaking. "I…I don't know what I'd do without her…because she's my Mother and I love her!"
He then began to break down in tears, causing Sahsa to reach out and pull him into an embrace.
"Shh~!" she whispered, soothingly. "It's okay. Don't cry."
Leila just glared at the crying boy…but then she sighed before she handed the watermelon back to him.
"Huh?" the boy muttered, confused and surprised.
"Take it," said Leila. "Hurry up and take it before I change my mind!"
The boy gasped before he smiled and took the watermelon into his arms.
"Thank you, Miss Leila!" he said before he turned to leave.
"Wait a second!" Leila called, causing him to stop and look at her. "What about you? What's your name?"
The boy simply grinned and said, "I'm Aladdin!"
With that, he ran off, taking his prize with him.
"That was very kind of you, Leila," Sahsa smiled.
"Yeah, yeah," Leila said before she turned and walked away.
"It's just one watermelon," said Sahsa as she followed her friend. "We do have more, you know."
"Yeah, I know," Leila said. "Maybe I did get a bit carried away."
XXX
Meanwhile, inside an old shack, a woman with long, magenta hair is lying in an old, disheveled bed with a damp cloth over her forehead. Her face was flushed red with fever, and her breathing came out short and raspy. She then coughed a bit before she continued her labored breathing. Then, the door opened, causing her to awaken before she looked and saw Aladdin entering while carrying the watermelon in his arms.
"Hi, Mother!" Aladdin said. "I'm home, and I brought you something to eat!"
"Aladdin," Sheba said, weakly as she sat up.
"Here!" Aladdin said as he held up the watermelon. "Eat this! It might help you feel better!"
Sheba opened her mouth to speak, but then she spotted the scrape on Aladdin's arm.
"Aladdin! Your arm!" she cried. "What happened?!"
"Oh, this?" Aladdin asked as he looked at his wound. "I-it's nothing! I fell down and scraped my arm, that's all. Anyway, eat up! If you eat, you'll be able to get your strength back!"
Sheba looked at Aladdin, but then she smiled at him.
"You're right," she said. "Do me a favor? Get me a knife, so I can cut this open, please."
"Yes, Mother," Aladdin answered before he went to fetch a knife in the kitchen…which is really just a room with a broken down stove and a pot of old rice. As he retrieved the knife, Aladdin returned…only to find his mother, collapsed on the floor, panting heavily.
"Mother!" he cried as he ran to help her back into bed. After checking her pulse, he knew that she only fell unconscious and would probably wake up again in a few minutes…but to him, it felt like hours. As he waited for Sheba to awake, Aladdin took the watermelon and chopped it for her, and even took the little seeds out so she wouldn't choke. After a while, she finally woke back up to see Aladdin, sitting beside her with a bowl of watermelon cubes in his hands.
"Aladdin…?" Sheba whispered.
"You collapsed again, Mother," Aladdin said. "Are you okay?"
"…For now, I suppose," Sheba said.
Aladdin smiled before he took a spoonful of watermelon and held it up to Sheba's mouth.
"Here," he said. "I even took out the seeds for you. Now eat."
Sheba opened her mouth, allowing her son to feed her.
"…Aladdin," she whispered. "Forgive your poor old mother for being a burden."
"Don't say that," Aladdin said. "You're no burden, Mother, and you're not old, either! You're a very beautiful lady! Right, Ugo?"
His flute seemed to vibrate in response, and the eight-point star on it glowed.
Sheba smiled and chuckled, in spite of her state. Then, she raised her hand and gently cupped Aladdin's cheek, causing him to smile.
"You…just seeing you smile is like medicine to me," she said. "I'm so lucky to have a son like you."
"And I'm lucky to have a mother like you," Aladdin replied before he gave Sheba another spoonful of watermelon. "Here. Eat some more."
Sheba nodded before she continued eating the spoonfuls of fruit her son fed her. Before long, she had finished the whole thing.
"There! All gone!" Aladdin said. "You must be feeling better if you ate it all!"
"I suppose so," Sheba nodded.
Feeling hopeful, Aladdin took the bowl back to the kitchen, and then headed to bathroom to clean out his scrape, which thankfully had not gotten infected, before he headed off to bed.
"Goodnight, Mother," Aladdin said as he lied down on a pile of cushions and curled up underneath an old, tattered blanket.
"Goodnight, Aladdin," Sheba whispered…before she began to gag. She then got out of bed and bolted outside, where she is soon heard retching. The ground beneath her feet became painted pink with the watermelon which she had previously ingested…as well as red from her own blood, which dripped down her lower lip.
'Aladdin…I'm sorry,' she thought before she looked up at the full, silvery moon. 'I…I'm afraid…I may not last much longer.'
Then…she collapsed, once again.
XXX
The following morning, Aladdin found Sheba on the ground, outside. Thankfully, she was alive, but it seemed her fever had gotten even worse. Once he got her back in bed, he realized that food would not help his mother. He had to find a way to get some medicine for her, and maybe then, she might have more of a chance…but what could he do? If he stole again, that would make him a common thief, and he knew that was not what he or his mother wanted.
So, he realized there was only thing he could do.
At the bazaar in town, Leila and Sahsa are seen, still selling their produce…when Aladdin suddenly approached them.
"Oh!" Sahsa said. "Hello, Aladdin! It's good to see you!"
Leila just glared at Aladdin, still remembering what he did yesterday.
"Can we help you with something?" she asked.
A pause…but then, Aladdin bowed his head, much to the girls' confusion.
"Thank you for yesterday," he said. "Also…I'm sorry."
"Huh?" Leila muttered.
"I'm sorry that I stole that watermelon yesterday," Aladdin said. "I want to make up for what I did…so, I was thinking…could I work for you?"
"Aladdin…you don't-" Sahsa began, but then Leila held out her hand to her, telling her to stop.
"What's the catch, kid?" Leila asked.
"…Well…I was hoping to earn some money from you," Aladdin said.
"Money? What for?" Sahsa asked.
"Medicine," Aladdin replied. "I need money to buy medicine…for my Mother. I tried feeding her the watermelon you gave me, but…she threw it back up. When I found her this morning, she had collapsed on the ground outside, lying in her own vomit, and her fever had gotten worse!"
"How do we know you're not lying?" asked Leila, giving Aladdin a suspicious glare.
"I'm not lying!" Aladdin cried. "Please, you have to believe me! I…I'll even take you to see my Mother as proof!"
"Fine," Leila answered.
"I'll go, too," Sahsa added.
Aladdin smiled before he turned and walked away while the girls followed.
"Leila! Sahsa!" called a man from the caravan. "Where are you two going?"
"We'll be back, Father!" Sahsa called. "We're just going to check something out, real quick!"
And so, Aladdin brought Leila and Sahsa to his house, where Sheba is still sleeping.
"Mother?" Aladdin whispered, causing her to awaken. "Mother…I know you're supposed to be resting, but…I brought some people to see you."
He then turned to Leila and Sahsa, who stood there, shocked at Sheba's condition.
"This is Leila and Sahsa," Aladdin answered. "They're the people that gave me that watermelon yesterday!"
"H-hello," Sahsa greeted.
"Nice to meet you," Leila added, still a bit shocked.
Sheba only smiled before she sat up.
"It's nice to meet you, too," she said. "My name is Sheba…it's good to see my son has made some new friends."
"That's right! They're my friends!" Aladdin said. "Right?"
"Y-yes! Of course!" Sahsa answered. "We're your son's new friends!"
"Yeah," Leila said.
"Mother, listen," Aladdin said. "I'm not going to be around for a while. I'm going to be working for Leila and Sahsa until I have enough money to buy some medicine for you."
"Aladdin…you don't have to-" Sheba began, but Aladdin held her hand, stopping her in mid-sentence.
"I want to," he said. "I'd do anything for you, Mother…I love you!"
Sheba smiled at her son, who smiled back at her.
"…I love you, too, Aladdin," Sheba answered.
Leila just stared at Aladdin and Sheba…but then she sighed before she turned and walked out.
"Come on," she said. "Let's go, kid. If you're gonna work for us, you might as well start now."
"Right!" Aladdin answered before he looked at Sheba. "Well, Mother, I guess I better get going, but I'll be back later!"
"Have a good day," Sheba said. "Good luck."
Aladdin smiled and nodded before he walked out with Leila and Sahsa.
"Your mother seems like a very nice woman," Sahsa said.
"Mm!" Aladdin nodded. "She's probably the nicest woman in the whole wide world!"
"I take it that by the way you live, you two don't have much money, do you?" Leila asked.
"No," Aladdin said. "We never really had much money…but we were happy! Me, her, and Ugo!"
"Ugo?" Sahsa repeated.
"My best friend!" Aladdin said before he held up his flute. "See?"
"Ugo, your best friend…is your flute?" Leila asked, bewildered and perhaps a bit disturbed.
'I think this kid's gone nuts,' she thought.
"No, silly!" Aladdin replied with a giggle. "Ugo lives inside my flute!"
'Yep, he's gone nuts,' Leila thought before she gave a mischievous smirk. 'But you know what? I think I'll humor him.'
"So, do you mind showing us this Ugo person?" asked Leila.
"Sure!" Aladdin before he held the reed of the flute up to his mouth. "Come on out, Ugo!"
Fweep! He blew a single high note on the flute…and all of a sudden, two huge, blue, muscular arms came snaking out, causing the two girls to gasp.
"Ta-dah!" Aladdin exclaimed. "This is Ugo! Ugo, meet Leila and Sahsa! They're our new friends!"
"What…in the world…?!" Sahsa questioned in fright.
"Holy…!" Leila whispered in shock.
Just then, the two arms seemed to flush into a pink tint before they shrank back into the flute!
"Oh! Ugo!" Aladdin cried. "S-sorry about that! Ugo tends to be shy around women, but he's really very nice!"
SHEEN! Leila pulled out her knife and pointed it at Aladdin, much to his surprise.
"AAH!" Aladdin yelped. "W-what'd I do?!"
"What the hell kind of freak are you?!" Leila questioned as she stood protectively in front of Sahsa.
"Freak?" Aladdin repeated. "But I-"
"Look here, you…you…whatever-you are!" Leila snapped. "If you're gonna be working for us, you keep that…thing far away from Sahsa and the rest of the caravan, or else you'll answer to me! Understand?!"
"O-okay," Aladdin said before they all headed to the bazaar.
XXX
"Hey, part-timer!" Leila called. "I need you to get those oranges from the wagon!"
"Got them!" Aladdin called back as he carried a back of oranges on his head. The bag was very heavy and made it hard for the ten-year-old to keep his balance. He was so focused on watching the fruits to make sure they didn't spill out of the bag, that he forgot to look where he was going, and soon, he tripped and fell down, causing the oranges to spill out of the bag.
"Oh, now look what you did!" Leila cried. "Damn brat!"
"I-I'm sorry!" Aladdin said.
"Sorry isn't gonna clean up this mess!" Leila barked.
"Leila, lay off him!" Sahsa shouted before she went over to help Aladdin. "He's doing the best he can! Calm down!"
Leila just sneered before she went back to selling the other merchandise while Sahsa helped Aladdin with the oranges.
"I'm really sorry," the blue-haired boy apologized.
"It's nothing to worry about," Sahsa reassured. "I know Leila can be a bit rough around the edges, but she's really a very nice, caring person!"
"…She doesn't seem to like me very much, though, does she?" asked Aladdin.
"You'll find a way to get through to her," Sahsa said, petting him on the head. "Don't worry."
Aladdin smiled at Sahsa, who smiled back at him…but then, out of nowhere, a faint rumbling noise reached her ears, causing her to gasp in surprise.
"What was that?" she asked.
"Uh…I didn't hear anything," Aladdin answered, blushing sheepishly as he hugged his abdominal area. However, he flinched a bit when he heard the same rumbling again, and then looked up at Sahsa before he chuckled sheepishly.
"I guess it was my stomach rumbling," he admitted.
"Didn't you have anything to eat?" Sahsa asked.
"I did!" Aladdin replied. "I had…err…cold rice pudding…which was about 2 days ago…?"
"What?!" Sahsa asked in shock.
"You're kidding me!" Leila added. "You mean you haven't eaten a thing in 2 days?!"
"I was so busy trying to get food for my Mother," Aladdin started, scratching at the back of his head, "I didn't think about getting any food for myself. I can't ask Mother to cook anything for me. She's so sick, she can't even lift a finger."
"Are you out of your mind?!" Leila asked. "If you focus so much on getting food for your sick mom without getting anything for yourself, you'll just wind up as sick as she is!"
Aladdin just sheepishly fiddled with his hands and his stomach still complaining of hunger.
"Why don't you wait in the wagon?" asked Sahsa. "I'll try and get you something to eat, okay?"
"Okay," Aladdin answered before he went inside a wagon and sat there, waiting. As he did, he looked at a nearby bag full of pears. His eyes went wide, and his mouth watered slightly as he licked his lips, but then he shook his head, trying to ignore his hunger. However, the growling in his stomach just wouldn't let him be. Aladdin looked back at the pears, drooling even more before he reached over and took one.
'Maybe they won't notice if this just one is gone,' he thought. 'Besides, Miss Sahsa said she'd get me something to eat if I wait, and this is just a light snack.'
As Aladdin prepared to take a bite, someone snatched it out of his hand, causing him to bite nothing but air. He looked up at Leila, who gave him a stern glare.
"No…eating…the merchandise," she said through clenched teeth.
"Y-yes, ma'am…!" Aladdin squeaked, fearfully.
Leila then stormed off to continue selling the rest of the goods, leaving Aladdin to pout, but then, he looked and saw a bowl of hot rice being offered to him.
"Here," Sahsa said, holding the bowl. "Eat. If you eat now, you'll have energy to work harder!"
Aladdin smiled before he took the rice and started shoveling spoonful after spoonful in his mouth. He yelped a bit when he felt the hot rice on his tongue after the first bite and he mentally hit himself for not blowing on the rice beforehand. Before long, he ate the whole thing in under a minute.
"My goodness!" said Sahsa. "You really were hungry, weren't you?"
Aladdin nodded as he rubbed his full stomach.
"Thank you," he said. "That feels much better!"
"You're welcome," said Sahsa. "After all, you're my friend, too, you know."
Aladdin smiled before he jumped into the black-haired girl's arms, causing her to gasp in surprise at first, but then she smiled and laughed as she held him. However, she didn't seem to notice that the boy had buried his face in her chest with a blush on his face.
'So soft…!' he thought.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, YOU PERVERTED LITTLE BRAT?!"
Aladdin gasped before he turned, only to be met with Leila grabbing him by the collar and pulling him up to meet her scowling face.
"I-I'm sorry!" Aladdin cried.
"That's it!" Leila shouted before roughly throwing him on the ground. "You've pissed me off for the last time! Get outta my sight, you little creep!"
"But…what about my money?" Aladdin asked, holding his bleeding nose.
"Don't you get it?!" Leila questioned. "YOU'RE FIRED! NOW BEAT IT!"
Aladdin stared up at Leila in shock…but then he lowered his head before he stood up and walked away. Leila then heaved a sigh before she turned around…only to come face-to-face with a glaring Sahsa.
"What's with that look?" Leila asked.
"Don't give me that!" Sahsa answered, bitterly. "What you did was very uncalled for, Leila! He needs that money to help Miss Sheba!"
"Oh, don't tell me you're taking his side!" Leila argued. "Look…maybe he's lying to us and trying to trick us out of our hard-earned money! As for as we know, he and that woman he calls his 'mother' could be bandits!"
"So you're saying you couldn't look him in the eye and see even an ounce of honesty?!" asked Sahsa. "Maybe you're just being jealous!"
"Jealous?!" Leila questioned. "Of that little piece of camel turd?! I'm not jealous! I'm just trying to protect you and the rest of the caravan from creeps like him!"
"Maybe you're trying to protect us too much!" Sahsa said. "And unless you go find Aladdin and apologize to him, maybe we don't need to be friends anymore, either!"
Hearing that caused Leila to gasp in horror.
"Y…you don't mean that," she said, her voice sounding close to breaking.
"Yes…I…do," Sahsa answered before she turned and walked away, leaving Leila shocked and frozen.
'Sahsa…no…!'
Not too far away…a pair of shady-looking men in raggedy clothing stood nearby in an alley.
"Hey," one spoke. "That girl…doesn't she look familiar?"
"Yeah," answered the other. "I think it's her!"
XXX
That night, Aladdin lied in the corner of the room with Sheba, whose condition continued to deteriorate. The sound of her raspy, labored breathing filled the air along with the occasional cough.
'She's not getting any better,' he thought as he lied on his pile of old, tattered, disheveled cushions. 'She's probably going to die, now…and there's nothing I can do!'
He then sniffled as he covered his eyes, trying to fight back tears, but then…
"Psst…! Pssst…!"
"Huh?" Aladdin muttered before he looked outside the window.
"Hey, Aladdin!" a familiar voice called, softly. "It's me, Leila!"
"Leila?" Aladdin whispered in surprise.
"Come outside! I wanna talk to you!"
A pause, but then, Aladdin quietly stood up and opened the door, where he found Leila, sitting against the wall.
"Hi," Leila greeted with a smile.
"What are you doing here?" Aladdin asked as he sat next to her.
"Look, Aladdin," Leila said. "I've been a real bitch today…and I'm sorry. It's just…you got me a little suspicious, that's all. Especially after you took that watermelon…and when you did all those things today, I got so frustrated…I just snapped."
"Oh," Aladdin muttered. "I see."
"Truth is…I'm actually a very nice person," said Leila. "It's just…Sahsa and the caravan mean a lot to me. When I was out in the desert, all alone…I thought I was going to die, for sure, but then, the first person who came and helped me was Sahsa and her father, the caravan leader. They took me in, like I was one of their own. They didn't even ask where I came from! We grew up together, almost like sisters…and from then on, I decided I'd do whatever I could to make Sahsa and the caravan happy. I'd even protect them with my life. Sahsa…she's my best friend, you know?"
"You mean like me and Ugo?" asked Aladdin with a warm smile.
"Y-yeah! Exactly!" Leila answered. "Like you and Ugo!"
Aladdin giggled at this, and his flute seemed to vibrate a little, as if it was laughing along with him, and Leila couldn't help but laugh, as well.
"…So…how about another chance?" Leila asked. "Why don't you come back tomorrow and work for the caravan, again? At least while we're still in town."
"What do you mean?" Aladdin asked, curiously.
"…A caravan never stays in one place," Leila replied. "We're always going back and forth between towns, selling our merchandise. We're only going to be here for about 2 more days, and then we're gonna leave."
"Oh," Aladdin muttered.
"So…what do you say?" Leila asked as she held out her hand.
A slight pause…but then Aladdin grinned and shook Leila's hand.
"Okay!" he said.
"Great!" Leila said with a smile. "You're officially re-hired!"
Then, she stood up.
"Well…I gotta go," Leila said. "I'll see you tomorrow morning."
"Bye, Leila," Aladdin said before he prepared to go back inside.
"One more thing, Aladdin," the caravan girl said, causing Aladdin to turn to her. "I hope your mom feels better soon."
"…So do I," Aladdin replied before he walked back inside, closing the door behind him.
XXX
The following day, the caravan was preparing their route for when they left town. As they did, Leila and Sahsa are seen talking with each other.
"So you really went and apologized to him?" Sahsa asked.
"Yep!" Leila answered. "I even gave him his job back!"
"That's great!" Sahsa exclaimed. "I knew you'd give him another chance!"
"He's not really such a bad little kid," Leila said. "He's just a boy who's down on his luck and he has a sick mother."
"How is Miss Sheba, by the way?" asked Sahsa.
Leila's eyes went wide…and then she looked down, almost sadly.
"Leila?" asked Sahsa, concerned.
"…I couldn't say it in front of Aladdin," Leila began, "but…she was worse than when we saw her, yesterday."
"…Oh, no," Sahsa murmured, worriedly.
"Yeah…I don't think she's gonna last much longer," Leila added, "and the worst part is…I think Aladdin knows it, too."
"…If she dies…what will he do?" Sahsa asked.
"I don't know," Leila replied. "I really don't know."
"Leila! Sahsa! Come here!"
The two girls got up and walked over to the caravan leader, who is standing over a map with the rest of the caravan.
"Yes, Father?" Sahsa asked.
"We're deciding on which route we should take," said one of the caravan members. "We were thinking about taking Route #3, since it's shorter."
"No," Leila answered. "Don't take Route #3."
"Hmm?" the caravan leader hummed inquisitively. "Why not?"
"I heard there's a band of thieves there," said Leila. "They'll be waiting to ambush us if we go through there. Route #4 may be longer, but it's also much safer."
"Father, Leila does know the paths of the desert better than we do," Sahsa said. "I trust her decision."
"Well…perhaps," her father answered.
"Hey, Leila!"
Leila gasped before she turned and saw the two suspicious men from yesterday.
'Shit!' she thought as beads of sweat fell from her face. 'What are they doing here?!'
"Leila! It's us! Abdullah and Hakim! Remember?"
"Leila, do you know them?" asked Sahsa.
"No, I don't!" Leila answered, and yet she didn't look at her.
"Aww, come on, Leila!" said Hakim, the taller man. "Don't be like that! Why, we practically raised you!"
"Yeah, have a heart!" added Abdullah, the shorter, stouter man with a goatee. "After all, we haven't seen you in a long time! We thought you were dead!"
"Go away!" Leila shouted. "Both of you, just go away and leave me alone! I don't need you here, now! I finally got my life together!"
"Leila…what are they talking about?" asked Sahsa's father.
"Oh, yeah!" Abdullah said. "This girl's a bandit that used to work for us!"
Upon hearing this, the entire caravan gasped in shock.
"W…what…?!" Sahsa questioned. "Leila…that's not true, is it?"
"Oh, it's true!" Hakim answered. "She pretended to collapse in the desert and sneak into your caravan, and then she'd point you in the wrong direction so you guys would get ambushed!"
The caravan all gasped at this and started murmuring to themselves.
"I did hear about a bandit that pretended to collapse in the desert to sneak into caravans…but I didn't think it'd be Leila!"
"Neither did I! She seemed so innocent, too!"
"How could she do this to us?!"
"No, wait!" Leila cried. "Please, you don't understand! It's true, I used to do that, but…after I met all of you, especially you, Sahsa, I turned over a new leaf! I swear, I'm not a bandit, anymore!"
"Stop right there, Leila," said Sahsa's father. "I'm afraid…we can no longer trust your words."
"What…?!" Leila whispered in horror.
"Take your lies elsewhere," said Sahsa's father, "and don't ever come near us or my daughter again!"
Soon, everyone began to walk away, still murmuring to themselves.
"We'll go down to Route #3 and see if it really is safer."
"Maybe that was her plan, all along…the lying bitch."
"N-no! Stop!" Leila cried. "Please, don't go! You'll all die! Sahsa, you believe me, don't you?! Please, you have to help me!"
Sahsa tried to say something, but her father just gave her a gentle nudge and shook his head "no".
Soon…Leila was alone. She stood there, shocked and speechless before she sighed in defeated and turned to leave…only to face Aladdin, who blinked at her.
"Aladdin?" asked Leila. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to work for the caravan, remember?" Aladdin asked. "You gave me my job back."
"Yeah, well…you don't have a job anymore," Leila said, bitterly. "Now go home."
"Leila," Aladdin began, "is it true? Were you really a bandit?"
"Yeah," Leila answered. "I was a bandit. No big whoop. Now go home, already!"
"But aren't you going to help them?" Aladdin asked. "Your friends will die if you don't help them!"
"…Friends?" Leila repeated before she scoffed. "Don't make me laugh. What friends? I don't have any friends. Never have, never will."
"Leila," Aladdin muttered.
"It's all coming back to me, now," Leila said as she crossed her arms. "I always manage to win somebody's trust, but then, when I'm discovered…"
Klik! She snapped her fingers.
"The act's over, just like that."
She then sighed and began to walk away.
"In the end, they all turned out to be just like the other suckers," she continued. "Especially you and Sahsa."
"…That's not true and you know it," Aladdin said.
"Look, Aladdin," Leila said. "You're wasting your time, talking to me. Just go back home already. I can't worry about these things. It's bad for business. Since being a bandit seems to be the only thing I'm good at, I might as well go back to being one."
"But if you do," Aladdin began, "you'll die."
Leila froze at this.
"If losing the trust of a friend makes you sad this one time," Aladdin started, "then if you continue doing it, over and over again…you'll die of a broken heart."
Leila didn't speak.
"I thought you said you were going to live honestly," said Aladdin. "You said you'd turned over a new leaf, right?"
A pause…but then, Leila turned and faced Aladdin…with tears cascading from her eyes.
"…It hurts…so much…!" she whimpered before she fell to her knees and sobbed. "Oh, Aladdin…you're right! But it's too late, now! They're going to die, and it's all my fault! We'll never catch up to them!"
"Yes, we will!" Aladdin said as he held out his hand. "Just leave it to me! I promise, we'll help them! After all…we are friends, aren't we?"
Leila gasped silently at this…but then she smiled and took Aladdin's hand.
"That's right…!" she whispered. "We're friends!"
XXX
Meanwhile, in the middle of a desert canyon, the caravan members found themselves surrounded by many rugged, scar-faced, half-toothless bandits!
"What a bunch of suckers, huh, boss?" asked one of them, speaking to a fat, shaggy-haired man with an eye patch.
"Leila…she was telling the truth all along!" cried Sahsa's father.
"Raid their wagon and kill them all!" ordered the bandit leader. "Except the girl…she's mine."
He grinned while licking his lips in a sick manner, much to Sahsa's disgust and horror.
'I'm sorry…Leila…!' she thought, but then, just as the bandits were about to advance, one of them spotting something coming towards them from the distance.
"What the hell is that?" he asked, causing the rest of the bandits to turn and see a large cloud of dust…and soon, something else came into view, causing them to gasp in shock and fright, for charging them…was a glaring Aladdin…whose body seemed to have grown immensely in size, not to mention it had blue skin, aside from his head, and he seemed to be wearing no clothes except a white lion cloth!
"I won't let you hurt Leila's friends!" Aladdin shouted while the bandits screamed in terror.
"W-what the hell is up with that kid's body?!" cried one bandit.
"He's huge! So gross!" shouted another.
"No, wait, you idiots!" yelled the leader. "Look closer!"
Upon closer inspection, it is revealed that Aladdin is holding onto the giant torso from behind with Leila clinging to his ankles. The body itself seemed to be coming from Aladdin's flute.
"See that?!" asked the leader. "The kid's just hanging onto it! The body's actually coming from that flute he's got!"
"But boss, what is that thing?!" asked Hakim.
"Yeah, it's freaking me out!" cried Abdullah.
"It's a Djinn, you knuckleheads!" shouted the bandit leader, although he seemed rather frightened, himself. "That kid has one of the Djinn Metal Vessels! Djinns are said to be those giant spirits you hear about in myths, the ones that live in the Metal Vessels…but I didn't think they were actually real!"
"Okay, Ugo!" Aladdin said as he jumped off in front of the bandits while taking a fighting stance. "Let's go!"
The headless giant, Ugo, stood behind Aladdin, taking the same stance as he did. Then, Aladdin reeled back his fist, causing Ugo to do the same, and then, when Aladdin punched his fist forward, Ugo followed, only he actually punched the bandits away!
"What the what?!" Leila questioned in shock before she looked down at Aladdin, who had a confident grin on his face as he stood beneath Ugo, his hair blowing in the breeze. Looking at him, it was almost like Aladdin was a totally different kid.
'I…I don't believe it!' she thought. 'I've never seen or heard of someone who could easily dispatch a gang of bandits…but these two just might be able to pull it off!"
Just then, Aladdin looked at Leila, and out of nowhere, he gasped in horror.
"NO, LEILA! DON'T DO THAT!" he cried.
"D-don't do what?!" Leila asked. "What did I do?!"
"YOUR HAND!"
Leila looked down and saw that her hand is touching Ugo's foot, and without warning, Ugo's entire body flushed pink before he suddenly dropped to the ground, his hands between his groin.
"NO! UGO!" Aladdin cried as the Djinn shrank back inside his flute.
"W-w-what just happened?!" asked Leila.
"Remember when I said that Ugo is shy around women?!" Aladdin asked. "Well, when one touches him, he gets so nervous, he just faints! Now he can't move!"
"What?!" Leila questioned. "Oh, no! Well, wake him up or something!"
"I'm trying!" Aladdin as he blew into his flute, again, but Ugo wouldn't appear.
"Try harder!" Leila urged as she looked at the bandits, who raised their weapons at them.
"Looks like you're screwed now, boy!" shouted the bandit leader.
"Not so fast!" Aladdin shouted. "Ugo's really strong, even if he can't move!"
Then, he blew his flute again, causing the middle to swell up a little before he tossed it into the air!
"GYAHAHAHAHAHA!" the bandits laughed.
"See?!" asked the bandit leader. "It's useless now, so he threw it away!"
"Aladdin, what did you do that for?!" Leila questioned. "Now we're gonna die!"
"Ah-ah-ah!" Aladdin exclaimed. "Wait for it…"
Suddenly, a huge shadow loomed overhead, and as the bandits plus the caravan looked up…they saw Ugo's tremendous body, hurtling towards them like a meteor!
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" the bandits screamed before KRASH! He crash-landed on the bandits, completely destroying their camp!
"YEAH!" Aladdin cheered. "WAY TO GO, UGO!"
Leila and the rest of the caravan just stood there in shock while Aladdin smiled up at the Djinn, who knelt down and held his finger out to him. Aladdin responded by gently grabbing his finger with his tiny hand…as he remembered the day they met on his 7th birthday.
Flashback; 3 years ago
"Aladdin!"
Aladdin came running outside upon hearing his mother calling him.
"Yes, Mother?" asked Aladdin.
"I have a surprise for you," Sheba answered. "Close your eyes and hold out your hands."
Aladdin did as he was told, but he then opened his eye, attempting to get a peek.
"No peeking, you little cheater!" Sheba scolded, giggling, causing Aladdin to laugh as well before he closed his other eye. Soon, the magenta-haired woman placed a golden flute in her son's hands.
"Okay!" she said. "Open your eyes!"
Aladdin opened his eyes and gasped in delight upon seeing the flute.
"Happy birthday, Aladdin," Sheba said.
"Wow!" Aladdin said before he hugged Sheba. "My own flute! Thank you, Mother!"
Sheba chuckled before she looked at her son.
"It gets even better," she said. "Try blowing it."
"All right!" Aladdin before he blew into the flute, which played a single high note, soon…a huge, blue giant with a head full of dark blue hair appeared before him, much to his amazement.
"Aladdin…this is Ugo," Sheba said. "He's a Djinn."
"A Djinn?" asked Aladdin.
"That's right," Sheba answered. "He exists for one purpose and one purpose only: to grant you whatever wish you desire."
"Really?" Aladdin inquired, and Sheba nodded.
Ugo then bowed his head before Aladdin.
"My king," he said. "O venerable one…your wish is my command. It can be anything your heart desires."
"Anything?" Aladdin repeated.
"Yes," Ugo answered. "Now tell me…what is it you wish for? Eternal life? Rule over millions of stars? Fame? Tell me and it shall be yours."
"Well…" Aladdin said before he gestured Ugo to come closer. The Djinn lowered his head down, allowing the boy to whisper into his ear. Ugo's lips parted in surprise before he sat up again.
"Are you sure that is all you want?" he asked.
"Yep!" Aladdin answered. "There really is one wish I want you to grant me!"
He then held out his hand to Ugo.
"Ugo…I wish for you to be my friend!" he said, causing Sheba to smile warmly at them.
"Well…what do you think, Ugo?" Sheba asked.
"…Your wish has been granted," Ugo said before he reached down, holding his finger to Aladdin, who grabbed it.
Flashback end
Later, Sahsa is seen, happily hugging Leila and sobbing joyfully in her arms while the rest of the caravan surrounded her, showering her with gratitude and apologies for not believing in her when she told the truth.
"Please," Leila said. "I don't deserve all the credit. After all…it was Aladdin who helped me."
"…Thank you, Aladdin," said Sahsa.
"Yes, thank you, dear boy," added her father. "If not for you, we all would've been long dead!"
"Well, you're all very precious to Leila!" said Aladdin. "She'd be lost without you!"
"Yes," agreed Sahsa as she looked at Leila, who smiled. "She would be."
"By the way, Aladdin," Leila said. "There's something I wanna give you. Hold out your hands."
Aladdin nodded before he held out his hands…where Leila placed a pouch of some sort, and it jingled.
"What's this?" Aladdin asked before he looked inside…and found that it is full to be bursting with gold dinars!
"It's money, Aladdin," Leila said. "You've earned it after you helped me save Sahsa and the caravan."
"Isn't that great, Aladdin?" Sahsa asked. "Now you finally have enough money to buy medicine for your mother!"
A pause…but then, Aladdin tackled both Leila and Sahsa, his arms wrapped tightly around them.
"Thank you," he said. "Thank you both, so much!"
The girls smiled before they returned Aladdin's hug.
"No problem," Sahsa said.
"Yeah," Leila agreed. "After all…we're friends, aren't we?"
"Mm!" Aladdin nodded. "That's right! We're friends!"
At that, everyone broke out into joyous laughter, and before long, they returned back to Utan to rest for the day ahead, for tomorrow, the caravan would be leaving, thus Aladdin wouldn't be seeing his friends for a long time.
XXX
The next morning, the caravan was preparing to leave, this time taking the safe route that Leila picked out for them. However, as they packed up their things…Sahsa noticed that something was amiss.
"Leila?" she called. "Where's Aladdin?"
"Huh," Leila muttered. "Come to think of it, I thought he'd be here to see us off."
"…Father!" Sahsa called. "We're gonna be right back! Please wait a little longer for us!"
With that, the two caravan girls ran off, headed for Aladdin's house. When they got there…they soon found him, sitting outside, hugging his knees with his arms covering his face.
"Aladdin!" Leila called as she and Sahsa approached him. The boy looked up at them…revealing his swollen, bloodshot eyes, his runny nose, and his tear-stained cheeks.
"Aladdin, is everything okay?!" Sahsa asked as she knelt down in front of him. "You didn't show up this morning to say goodbye, so we thought something was wrong!"
"M…Mother," Aladdin whimpered. "Mother is…!"
Before he could finish his sentence, he burst into sobs again before he hugged Sahsa, who held him tightly as Leila slowly opened the door…and gasped in horror upon seeing Sheba's motionless body, lying on the bed. Her eyes were shut, her skin was pale, and she had a peaceful smile on her face.
"Leila?" Sahsa asked. "Is…is Miss Sheba-"
"Yeah," Leila answered. "She's gone…but…she's smiling, so at least she seems at peace."
Aladdin hiccupped slightly as he kept hugging Sahsa, and soon, Leila joined in on the hug.
"We're so sorry, Aladdin," Leila whispered as tears began to form in her eyes, as well. "We're so, so sorry…!"
Sahsa sniffled as she found herself tearing up, as well.
After about 30 minutes, Leila and Sahsa helped Aladdin bury his mother under an old tree in the backyard. According to Aladdin, Sheba always loved sitting under the tree and watch the flowers bloom on its branches and feed the birds that nested there. They made a tombstone for her and left her a single daisy before they closed their eyes in silent prayer. After a while, they opened their eyes, but it was clear that they still mourned her.
"…Goodbye, Mother," Aladdin said. "Thank you for taking care of me until now. I love you."
"So, Aladdin," Sahsa began, "what are you going do now, that your mother is gone?"
"…Well, I-" Aladdin started, but then Leila placed his hand on his shoulder.
"That's an easy one!" she said with a grin. "He's going to travel with us in the caravan! Right, Aladdin?"
"Wha…?" Aladdin muttered.
"Come on, it'll be great!" Leila said. "You can eat as much as fruit and this time, I won't get mad at you! You'll get to see all kinds of amazing places and meet new people!"
Aladdin just stood there, blinking at Leila.
"So…what do you say?" Leila asked.
"Come on, Aladdin," Sahsa urged. "There's plenty of room in the caravan for you! And of course, Mister Ugo can come, too!"
A pause…but then Aladdin sighed.
"It's very nice of you both," he said, "but…I'm afraid I can't go with you."
"What?!" Leila and Sahsa asked in shock.
Flashback
Aladdin panted as he raced home as fast as he could, carrying his pouch full of money.
"Mother!" he called as he entered the shack. "Mother, look! I've got money, now! More than enough to buy you some medicine, see?!"
As Aladdin looked at Sheba…he noticed that there seemed to be some glowing bird-like creatures, fluttering around her.
"…Mother?" Aladdin asked.
"Aladdin…" Sheba called weakly as she raised her hand. "Come here, please."
Aladdin seemed hesitant at first, but then he heeded his mother's words and approached her. Once he got close, Sheba reached over and cupped his cheek with her hand.
"Aladdin," she whispered. "My dear, sweet boy…do you remember…how you always asked me who you really are?"
"Yes," Aladdin answered.
"Well…I can't really tell you the answer," Sheba replied. "However…I do know that it's time you knew yourself. Go out into the world, Aladdin…and you will find you're searching for."
"Go out into the world?" Aladdin asked. "But…how am I supposed to know where to go?"
"The rukh will guide you," Sheba answered, looking up at the tiny, glowing birds. "Just promise me…that you won't lose your way."
"…Will you be with me?" asked Aladdin.
"Oh, Aladdin, of course I will," Sheba said with a smile…and yet, she got teary-eyed. "I'll always be with you…even if you can't see me."
"What do you mean, 'if I can't see you'?" Aladdin asked, beginning to tear up, himself. "I can always see you, can't I?"
Sheba just smiled at him before she looked at Aladdin's flute.
"Ugo…look after Aladdin for me," she said. "Please."
The flute seemed to make a small hum in response.
"Aladdin," Sheba said. "Do me one more favor…there are many others beside Ugo. If you go out and look, you might the Djinn Metal Vessels they live in."
"Djinn Metal Vessels?" Aladdin repeated.
"Ugo's your friend," Sheba said. "It would make him very happy if you went out and found other Djinns like him."
"…I see," Aladdin said. "Well…okay, Mother! I will!"
Sheba smiled as she brushed her thumb against Aladdin's cheek, wiping away his tears.
"Good boy," she praised. "Remember, Aladdin…I love you."
"I love you, too, Mother," Aladdin replied as he held Sheba's hand…which suddenly grew cold as Sheba herself let out a small sigh…and then, it slipped out of Aladdin's grasp before dangling just an inch over the floor.
"…Mother…?" Aladdin called, looking at his mother's body. "M-Mother?"
Sheba didn't respond…and soon, it dawned on Aladdin, whose tears soon fell at full force: Sheba, his mother…was dead.
"MOTHEEEEEEEEEEEER!"
Flashback end
"…I have to go out and see the world," Aladdin said as he looked out to the horizon. "If I don't…I won't find the answers I'm looking for."
"Aladdin…" Sahsa muttered, sadly.
"You're not serious, are you?!" Leila asked. "The world's a big, dangerous place, you know! You don't even know where you're going!"
"Yes, I do," Aladdin said. "Follow the rukh. That's what Mother told me."
"The rukh?" Leila repeated, confused.
"Aladdin, you're not making sense," Sahsa said.
"Look, wherever you're going, at least let us take you there!" Leila urged. "It's the least we could do! Come on!"
Aladdin shook his head.
"I'm sorry," he said, "but…I promised my Mother I wouldn't lose my way. The rukh already set the path for me, so…I'm afraid this is where we part ways."
"…I see," Leila said, but then she smiled. "Well, Aladdin…I hope you find whatever you're looking for."
"Me, too," Sahsa agreed as she hugged Aladdin. "Good luck."
"Thank you," Aladdin said before he pulled away from her and turned to face the sun. Then, he pulled off his turban and lay it flat on the ground like a sheet before he sat down on it. "Fly, Magic Turban!"
Then, all of a sudden, the turban began to float into the air, to Leila and Sahsa's surprise. Aladdin turned to them with a smile.
"Goodbye Leila, Sahsa," he said. "I hope our paths will cross again."
"Who knows?" Leila asked. "Maybe they will."
"I look forward to when we do meet again!" Sahsa added.
"Mm!" Aladdin nodded. "Me, too!"
With that, Aladdin flew off towards the horizon while Leila and Sahsa waved goodbye.
'Mother,' Aladdin thought. 'I'm going now…but I'm not gonna cry! I promise, I'll be strong…for you.'
Until Next Night…
So, yeah, I recently got into the Magi series, and I love it! Aladdin is so cute, even though he's a little perv! XD I still love One Piece, it's just now, I have to make room in my heart for Magi, too. I just hope they don't fight. *SHOT*
Review, please!