Chapter 22: Dunya's Funeral

"Alibaba-kun, Mor-san, Vulpi-nee." Aladdin calls. "There's something I want to tell you three."

"Tell us?" Alibaba asks.

"I think… In the coming days, I'll be going on a journey on my own."

"What do you mean, go on a journey on your own, Aladdin?" Alibaba questions and Vulpi widens her eyes in realization.

"Aladdin, you don't mean…" Vulpi trails off.

"There's a big magic school in Magnostadt, you see. I really want to go there and study."

"But you're already studying right here!" Alibaba points out.

"I have other reasons too." Aladdin adds and looks out the window. "I do like this country, but uncle Sinbad's radiance is too intense, so it feels like I might get drawn into it - in spite of myself. I want to learn what the world is like in a bigger sense. That's why I want to go on a journey."

"Aladdin…" Alibaba trails off. "I see… A journey… Sounds good to me… Okay, gotcha. In that case, of course we'll go too. Right, Morgiana?"

"R-right." Morgiana replies.

"That won't be possible." Aladdin quickly declines. "I want to go to Magnostadt alone, no matter what."

"Then Aladdin, let me go with you." Vulpi says.

"Vulpi-nee?" Aladdin calls.

"I want to learn different ways of using magic instead of summoning spirits. That's why I want to go with you. To Magnostadt."

Aladdin looks at her for the moment and nods.

"…Just what are you thinking, Aladdin? That country might be involved with Al-Thamen, right? In that case, I'm going too!" Alibaba says but Aladdin shakes his head. "What's that supposed to mean? How cold is that?"

"Alibaba-kun…" Aladdin calls. "I want to make you a king. By that I mean the kind of person who can give hope to people when the world is about to be destroyed… But I just don't have enough power or magic or knowledge to do that." He explains as Alibaba hangs his head and closes his eyes. "That's why I'm going to gain all those things. I want you to figure out what it is you want to do on your own, okay?"

~The next day~

Aladdin and Vulpi visit the bedridden Dunya and when they got there, Aladdin begins to feed her.

"Here… Open up!" Aladdin tells Dunya and feeds her.

"Thank you… But I'm quite full now." Dunya says.

"Are you? You managed to eat a lot today!" Aladdin says as Vulpi looks down mournfully as there still a lot left on the bowl.

"Tell me, Aladdin. Are you really going to Magnostadt?" She asks and Aladdin puts the bowl on the tray.

"Yes."

"I'm going with him too." Vulpi adds.

"But why?"

"If that country discriminates between magicians and other people, I've got to see it for myself." Aladdin says. "Because it seems like the same thing happened in the country where I was born…"

"And what country would that be?"

"That's… A really far away country."

"Is that right?"

"Yep!"

"But really is a place that no one knows about." Vulpi thought. "That's what Verius said."

"What about you Vulpi?" Dunya asks.

"Huh?"

"About your home."

"…It's already gone." Vulpi replies. "A few years ago, my village destroyed by a fire. I'm one of the survivors of that day."

"I'm sorry…"

"You don't have to apologize. That's already behind me."

The three keep talking throughout the day until the moon is up.

"Our day of departure's been set." Aladdin says. "There's a chance that I might be able to find a cure for your illness. So, wait for me until I do, okay?"

"You're such a terrible liar, Aladdin…" Dunya says. "I know… that I don't have long…" Aladdin's eyes begin to waver and closes them. "May I just ask you two one thing?" She says catching their attention. "Are you two really going off on your own?"

Aladdin looks at her for the moment before he nods.

"I'm sure… that in the end, Mor-san and Alibaba-kun will both understand why." Aladdin says. "After all, the four of us are friends." Just then, Ryuko flops on Aladdin's head. "You too, Ryuko."

"How lovely… In my case… You two are the first friends I ever had, Aladdin, Vulpi. I'm so glad that I got to meet you two…" Dunya says as she lifts her hand up and both Aladdin and Vulpi hold it.

"Us too." Vulpi says as both of the smile at her.

"Thank you… Aladdin… Vulpi…" She says and closes her eyes. Realizing this, they get worried.

"Dunya-oneesan?" Aladdin calls and then her body begins to turn black. "No! You can't! Open your eyes! Onee-san! Dunya-oneesan!"

~The next day~

The group, Hakuryuu, Kougyoku, Sinbad, and the Eight Generals attends Dunya's funeral by burning the coffin.

"Hey, did you see it? That corpse…"

"Yeah. It looked just like… dried-out coal or something…"

"Cassim…" Alibaba says recalling Cassim's body looked like Dunya's.

"Aladdin…" Morgiana calls. "The Dark Metal Vessel… what exactly is it?"

Aladdin walks towards the flower offering.

"I'm going to find that out too. I am…" He says and grabs a flower before getting near the fire. "…going to her homeland…" Aladdin throws the flower into the fire as an offering and walks back before. Aladdin then looks up as Alibaba made eye-contact with each other and looks away.

~Later~
At the cliff

Aladdin stands on the cliff with another flower in his hand and Vulpi stands behind him. He then looks down remembering Dunya's question from earlier.

"Nobody knows about it…" Aladdin trails off and throws the flower into the ocean. "It's really, really… Terribly far away…"