Hi everyone! Sorry for the delay with updates. Things are finally starting to get settled this year with my new job, so I thought it was time to put an update out. I'll try to do this more regularly (a chapter every two weeks hopefully).

Additionally, I want to thank everyone whose reading the story and following/favoriting/reviewing.

Also side note:

The guy who voice Drakon in the English dub also voices Laxus from Fairy Tail. I thoroughly enjoy the fact that he voice the two lighting dragons of anime (at least the ones I know).

Sorry about these odd facts, but once I hear a dub voice, especially one that's so unique, I can't un-hear it. I actually had to quit watching Soul Eater because all I could hear when Spirt talked was Edward Elric. It's starting to become a problem…

End side note.

I do not own magi or the characters. I do own my oc.

Chapter 51

I lean back against the building looking up at the sky as I pull my legs closer. I look up at the sky full of stars, smiling to myself a bit. It's always a bit of comfort…the fact that this stays the same no matter where I go. It's the one constant that I can count on.

"Hey," I hear Sinbad say walking out onto the balcony of this building. "I figured you'd be out here." I smile as he sits next me, leaning back to look up at the sky.

"Aren't I always," I say with a smile.

"I'm a little surprised that it isn't a roof this time around," jokes Sinbad before taking my hand in his own. I've always like how this feels. My hand in his…it just seems to fit.

"I know you were lying to us," says Sinbad softly. I nod, not planning on lying to him. "I won't push you, but I'm here when you are ready."

"You know how you're always guided towards the right path," I ask, turning to look at Sinbad. His face holds confusion and curiosity. He nods. "I wonder what that means. Why do you follow that path?"

"Part of it is instincts," he says calmly. "I see this path and I have to trust it. It's as though the waves are guiding me what to do to make the best of what I can do."

"What does it look like," I ask standing up and leaning on the railing.

"Like waves," he says moving next to me. He leans back on the railing and I can feel his eyes on me as I look up at the stars. "Why ask about this now?"

"Waves mean storms," I say looking at him. I smirk to myself realizing he's gradually growing taller than me. "I don't see paths to the right destiny. What will that mean for me? I've chosen the wrong path before, but what about now. I have people I care about…" I pause glancing at Sinbad. "People I love…will that be what messes me up. How do I find my path?"

"What paths can you take," asks Sinbad. I look at him as he watches me with the calmness. "Tell me and maybe I can help guide you."

"I don't think that is how it works," I say with a laugh. "I'll find it one way or another. Sometimes I just wish I could do what you can."

"I think you can," says Sinbad with a smile. "You mentioned earlier that you don't understand why you were chosen as a King's candidate, but it makes sense. You can lead people. There's so much more that you can do and you just haven't seen it yet."

"I hope you're right," I say looking at the sky again. "I want to make everyone we've lost proud. I want to be able to help you. I want to be able to protect the people who have become family now."

"Do you know when you'll tell Ja'far," asks Sinbad.

"After this whole thing is situated with Heliohapt," I say moving closer as I shiver. "Set doesn't want me to tell him about mom."

"Can I ask you a question," says Sinbad with hesitation in his voice. I look at him and can see concern. "Why do you still refer to her as mom or your mother? Even after what she did to you."

"Cause she was," I say realizing that doesn't make sense. "She wasn't a good mother to me, but she adored Ja'far. They were great parents for him. I just never really cared how bad they were to me as long as they took good care of him."

"Does knowing this change how you think about them," he asks softly. I stay silent. "Leila…please tell me this doesn't justify it in your mind."

"But it does," I say seeing him look at me sadly. I look away not wanting to see him look at me with so much pity. "I can't blame them for hating me. I was going to end up killing them. They had every right to-"

"Look at me," says Sinbad. I pause before turning to face him. I can see that he's saddened by what I just said. "You didn't deserve that. I don't care their reason. Nothing…nothing justifies what they did. You've been put through too much, Leila for any of it to be justified."

"Then how do I react to what I've done," I say softly. "I've committed crimes and I have blood on my hands."

"You move forward," says Sinbad pulling me in front of him. I relax as he pulls me into his chest. "You do what you are now. Try to be a good person and help those you care for. You work to be better and make up for mistakes you've made," he says gently.

I nod relaxing in his arms feeling him relax as well.

"I hate seeing you struggle with this," he says softly. "It's been two years and I feel as though I can't seem to help you through it."

"You have," I say looking just slightly up at Sinbad. "These thoughts will always have some sort of hold on me, but you've pulled me back every time. You've brought me back to reality and kept me from falling into this darkness that would consume me. If I didn't have you I wouldn't be here as I am today."

"As kind as those words are," says Sinbad looking down at me. I frown seeing the regret in his eyes. "I don't think it's been enough regardless. But one day I will do enough to stop those thoughts entirely."

I nod laying my head on his shoulder still looking up at the stars. He wraps his arms around me, doing the same.

"Can I ask you some questions about all of this," asks Sinbad gently.

"Yeah," I say as he pulls away. He slides back down by the wall as I sit next to him.

"Why did Vartan come here," asks Sinbad intertwining his finger with mine.

I pause trying to figure out how to explain this.

"He didn't want to be a part of the war anymore," I say pressed next to Sinbad. "He had heard about this country through some of his missions in Reim and thought it would be quieter. At one point, he started to work with your dad. They apparently got along really well. Your dad was really strong and a good fighter, so he was paired up a lot with Vartan for missions. On one of those missions…that was when your dad got hurt and lost his leg."

"So Vartan saved his life," says Sinbad thoughtfully. I look up at him and hate seeing how sad he looks.

"It was more like Badr saved his life," I say squeezing his hand a little. He pauses suddenly snapping himself from whatever thoughts made him so sad. "After that Vartan came up with a plan and got the two of them to Contastia. When they got there Badr and Esra met. They stayed there for several weeks, but Vartan couldn't take being in Partevia anymore. So he decided to leave. And he did."

"And my dad went with him," asks Sinbad. I nod a bit nervous.

"It took them a few months to get here. And Vartan decide to make this place home, but your dad went home to Esra. Set actually helped make it go quicker. After a few days Vartan actually met my mother."

"Can you tell me about her?"

"That's the one part of this I don't want to talk about," I mutter.

"That's okay," says Sinbad softly. "What happened when Vartan stayed?"

"He was here for two years. Keket and Vartan actually had a son too, but he was killed when Kasim came to took us to Partevia."

"Do you know anything about what happened when you two were forced to travel back?"

"Vartan actually kept a pretty detail journal of all this," I say feeling my lip quiver a bit. "Star brought the journal back here after Vartan wrote the last entry."

"By himself," asks Sinbad hesitant of if that's true.

"Yeah," I say feeling nervous. "It's in my bag if…"

"Don't worry about it right now," he say calmly offering me a reassuring look. "Just tell me what happened."

"I was only a few months old when the trip started. Between that and my mother not going I got pretty sick. Once the group reached Partevia, Vartan fought back and got away from them for a while, so he went to the only place he could think of…he went and found your parents."

"Wait, so my mom-"

"Probably didn't want to force Vartan into explaining what happened. He told her back then that I was his niece too."

"Okay," says Sinbad pausing. "So I know you survived that and more, but what happened?"

"Obviously, Esra saved me again," I say smiling before it falls. "After that Kasim found us and told Vartan if we didn't go, he would kill Esra and the two of us. Your dad tried to stop Kasim, but Vartan agreed to go. He didn't want anyone else to die because of this. Kasim told people I was his child with Suma. That was to kind of…I guess, keep me as a hostage."

"I'm sorry, Leila," says Sinbad pulling me into a firm hug. "I can't imagine finding out something like that."

"It's okay," I say relaxing in his hold. "At least I don't remember most of it."

"It's not," says Sinbad a bit tense. I look up at him and can see he looks angry. "None of what you've been forced to deal with is okay."

I quickly kiss Sinbad offering him a small smile. He hesitates a bit before burying his face in the crook of my neck.

"It's okay because of where I am now," I say relaxed. "I have a lot of people I care about and an actual life so all it amounts to is diminished."

We sit there for a while. I've said what I can right now and Sinbad's still trying to collect his thoughts on this. Eventually Star comes out resting his head on my legs as I lean mine on Sinbad's shoulder.

"Leila," I hear Ja'far say from the doorway. I sit up quickly as does Sinbad. "What…I mean…we're not…"

"Ja'far," I say calmly standing up. "How much did you hear?"

"You're not my sister," he asks confused.

"I am…just not by blood," I say as Sinbad gets up trying to stay out of this.

"You weren't going to tell me," asks Ja'far seeming angry and sad all at once.

"No," I say feeling Sinbad grip my hand. "I was scared that if you knew, you'd never want to talk to me."

"Don't be an idiot," says Ja'far. I can tell that he is mad, but I guess how awful I feel about this is making him hesitant to really argue with me. "We grew up together. I don't care who your parents were."

"Sorry," I say, both embarrassed and guilt building in my stomach. "I should have told you, but I'm a coward when it comes to emotional stuff like this."

"Don't ever keep something like this to yourself ever again," says Ja'far firmly with a sigh. "We're family and that's that."

"What about Keket," I ask nervous. "I still have some things to figure out regarding her."

"Then do that," says Sinbad smiling warmly at me. "We'll be here to listen when you're ready to talk."

"Actually I am very mad about something," says Ja'far glaring at Sinbad. "Why did she tell you first?"

"Technically I told Salena first," I point out as Sinbad tries to not laugh.

Maybe things will be okay…