Author's Note: I'm glad that people are happy that I'm writing again. It makes me smile when an excited fan of mine sends me a PM. :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Magi. All rights to Shinobu Ohtaka.

Warning: Internal conflict and possibly some bloody and confusing scenes ahead for the poorly functional mind.

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Night Two

"Miriam?"

I turned to my side as I finished hoisting yet another heavy sack of potatoes and beets into the caravan. Our job this time was to deliver these goods over to one of the neighbouring villages somewhere West from Qishan. It was a trip that took about three days and two nights to going there, and another three days and two nights coming back.

"What is it?" I asked, tilting my head to the side.

"The shortest road to the village is dangerous." Alibaba said, looking concerned. "If anything happens, don't hesitate to run away."

My eyes widened and I nearly dropped the barrel of pears in my hold. I stared at Alibaba, slowly trying to comprehend what he had just said. My grip on the barrel tightened and I pushed my lips into a disapproving frown.

"No." I said strongly, turning back to the cart and continuing to load the supplies.

"What? Miriam, I'm serious! Bandits usually target the road we're going to take soon!" Alibaba said.

"Then use another road. Simple." I said curtly.

"Miriam— the lord of Qishan is adamant about our time schedule. If we don't deliver these goods as fast as possible, he'll try and do something to us. I've heard that he torments his slaves and household members for fun!"

I snapped my head towards Alibaba and glared at him. He flinched and leaned back a bit, his brown eyes wide with fear.

"I don't care. I'm not running away. That's it." I said, crossing my arms in defiance.

Alibaba gaped at me and ran a hand in his blond hair. He sigh in slight annoyance and turned to me, looking at me as if he was wondering what he was supposed to do.

"… fine. But I swear, if something does happen, you are NOT allowed to leave my side." Alibaba said, pointing his finger at me and giving me a stern look.

I returned the look with a glare. I saw him wither slightly and internally smirked.

After we finished loading the goods we were supposed to deliver and packing supplies of our own for the trip, we departed from Qishan, with Alibaba's boss wishing us a safe trip. He did give us a warning about the bandits, but Alibaba waved it off and said to leave it to him.

Three hours had past ever since we departed and the sun was sending heat waves enough to fry an egg on the ground. I was sitting beside Alibaba, a shawl covering my face and shoulders to ward off the heat. Alibaba wore the same, but I saw him sweating a bit and noticed him wiping it off with his shoulder.

I contemplated for a few moments before grabbing a clean rag and neared it to Alibaba's face. The blond noticed and leaned away as I moved forward.

"Hey, what are you—"

He was silenced when I wiped the sweat off his face gently. The cloth absorbed it and I threw the used rag in the back of the cart, discarding it easily. I then shifted my attention back to the road in front of us.

Through my peripheral vision, Alibaba's eyes were still on me, slightly widened in surprise. His cheeks pinked and he tried to act casual about it.

"Geez, don't do that so suddenly." Alibaba muttered shyly.

I giggled, which caught his attention. I saw him smile slowly and turn his attention back to the road, comfortable silence ensuing us.

As we continued to ride, I started humming 'Timber' under my breath. Alibaba gave me a look of question and I just shrugged it off, continuing to hum. Alibaba didn't mind and I had to stifle a laugh when I saw him sway his body from side to side through the beat of the hum.

We rode on and on, and soon the sandy land soon turned into dirt roads. It was a sign we were nearing the village, but I knew that was just me. I was a very impatient person. Even if I did know it would take a few more days to reach the village, I still clung to the hope of ending this journey as fast as possible.

The day dragged on and eventually night came. Nights in the Magi universe were extremely cold, especially since we were still in a considerable close range with the desert, so I was shivering throughout the night. Alibaba was also shivering, his hands shaking as he handled the reins.

"Maybe we should rest." I suggested, turning to Alibaba.

Alibaba shakily nodded. "Y-yeah."

Later on, we managed to find a comfortable spot to sleep. Alibaba fed the horses and tied their reins on a sturdy tree nearby while I collected wood and started a fire.

We ate random fruits accompanied with bread. Silently, I was cursing the type of meal I was eating. In the Magi universe, money was extremely hard to come by and sometimes if you didn't have money, you had to make off with trading goods. That method wasn't used much in Qishan because of the stupid lowlifes who loved tricking others of the true value of the goods we traded.

"Miriam, do you remember anything?"

I looked up and saw Alibaba holding a half-eaten peach. He was peering at me curiously and I tilted my head once more in question, a habit I formed whenever I was confused or just curious.

"Remember anything…?" I repeated in confusion.

"About the time before I helped you in the desert." Alibaba said as he threw the core of the peace on the soil nearby. "Has anything come back to you yet?"

I stiffened slightly but managed to remain blank and unfazed by his question. The guilt and shame I had been pushing away ever since suddenly came back into my mind. My emotions momentarily overwhelmed me and tears leaked from my eyes against my will.

Alibaba quickly stood up from his place, going to my side and holding my shoulders gently.

"Miriam! What is it? What's wrong?" he asked, his voice sounding scared.

I didn't sob. Tears just kept pouring down. Despite this, I calmly wiped them away from my cheeks. But it didn't stop the tears from streaming down my cheeks.

"I-I don't know." I lied. "Every time I think of my past… I have this feeling that I shouldn't or want to remember it at all… it's too painful."

Alibaba's eyes softened. He knelt beside me and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder, trying to calm me down.

"Okay, okay, I won't bring up the topic anymore." Alibaba said. "You don't have to push yourself."

I smiled gratefully at Alibaba, though inside I was stabbing myself repeatedly with a dagger.

'Another lie yet again…'

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I laid down beside Alibaba, staring at the stars that twinkled in the dark sky casted above us. Alibaba did the same, his arms folded behind him as he used his hands as a cushion for his head.

"Hey Miriam… why do you think it happens?"

I looked at him.

"What happens? Stop speaking so vaguely, Alibaba, you're starting to sound old." I said.

Alibaba twitched and glared at me comically. I rolled my eyes before turning serious.

"I mean… you know, the things that happen in our lives. Me finding you, you becoming my friend… all that. Why do you think it happens?"

"Destiny."

Alibaba shifted his head towards me, blinking owlishly. I frowned and sigh deeply, turning to look at Alibaba beside me.

"It's destiny. The flow of fate." I answered.

"Destiny… how did you get to that conclusion?" Alibaba asked, raising his eyebrow in question.

"I don't know… I just feel as if it's the only explanation as to why I'm still alive." I said.

'Now that I think about it…' I thought raising my hand in front of my face. 'Why am I still alive? Who was that person in the void? And why Alibaba of all people?'

"So it's destiny we were both able to meet?"

Alibaba sat up and smiled. I did the same and turned to him in confusion, wondering what he could possibly be thinking.

"The flow of fate, destiny… sounds interesting." Alibaba said, his gaze still focused on the stars. "So if we were destined to be friends… does that mean no matter where we go, where we are, we'll still see each other? Is that it?"

I flushed and turned away, avoiding myself from staring at his face.

"… I would like to believe that." I said. "No matter where we are, we still are living under the same sky and the same world. That's why even though some people may seem far away, it's better to think that they aren't."

I paused in my speech and looked up at the sky, blowing away a few strands of my hair.

"Because… no matter what, we'll still be in that person's mind and thoughts. The memories and bonds engraved in our hearts will never disappear, so even if there is a time where we will separate and go our own ways, destiny will lead us back together."

I turned to Alibaba who looked awed. I slowly smiled at him, which only further surprised him. I never smiled that much ever since meeting Alibaba, even though he was one eccentric and hilarious person. Although on rare occasions, I allowed myself some leeway and smile at his antics.

"We're connected by the string of fate after all."

Alibaba stared at me for a long time. I was silently worrying that he might stare too long and eventually he would turn this calm and relaxing atmosphere into an awkward and tense one. But to my surprise, Alibaba laughed heartily.

"I get it." Alibaba said as he smiled. "Thanks Miriam. I'm really glad that this 'destiny' allowed me to meet you then. It…"

He casted his eyes downwards, holding his hands together and clenching them tightly. A somewhat pained smile appeared on Alibaba's face and his shoulder shook slightly, as if he was ready to break.

"It would have been lonely, living like this without you." He murmured softly.

My body reacted on its own. I quickly leaned forward and placed my hands over his, gently giving them a comforting squeeze. Alibaba looked at me in confusion while I gave him a smile.

Taking this chance, I gave him a light kiss on his hair. My lips tingled at the sensation of his soft tresses and I regretted pulling away so quickly.

Alibaba was blushing madly, stuttering incoherent words. I laughed at this.

"You're so high maintenance, Alibaba." I said, returning back to my seat. "You're not going to be lonely. I'll be by your side."

Alibaba watched me, listening earnestly as I continued to speak.

"I'll always be by your side, no matter what." I said, smiling.

Alibaba was silent. Suddenly, he surprised me by wrapping his arms around me and giving me a tight and warm hug. I flushed at this kind of action and hesitantly hugged him back.

"Thank you." He murmured. "Just don't leave me."

I stayed silent for a few moments before releasing a sigh. I patted his head in comfort and allowed him to continued hugging me, despite the furious blush that settled on my face.

"You're such a baby…" I teased. "But it's not like I have anywhere else to go to, Alibaba."

I waited for him to answer, but all I heard were light breathing. I turned my head to the side and saw Alibaba sleeping comfortably on my shoulder, his arms limp though secured around me.

Slowly, I pushed him off me and let him sleep on the sleeping mat we settled on the ground. I placed a blanket over him and allowed him to sleep comfortably as I stared into the warm fire that was still burning in front of me.

I hugged my knees close my chest and stretched my arms outwards, my palms in front of the fire. The heat warmed me and I felt comfortable in this position. Away from society, away from Qishan— but beside Alibaba none the less.

I turned to the sleeping blond beside me and found him drooling in his sleep— again. I rolled my eyes but smiled at this anyways, getting used to Alibaba's quirks.

"I really wish I could tell him the truth…" I whispered to myself. I then ducked my head low into my legs, hiding my face from sight.

'But would he still have me… a selfish and cruel person who steps on other people's values… a person who acts fake and manipulates others for her own self-satisfaction?'

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The second day of our departure continued, except Alibaba was the one humming happily under his breath.

I sweat dropped at his chirpy behaviour, but I did find it refreshing to know he was okay and happy. I supposed that my speech from the other night opened his eyes, albeit a little. Although I knew I couldn't change Alibaba's money-obsessed ideals overnight, the feat was still something I considered impressive.

I really wished someone patted me on the back for that.

As we trudged down the dirt road, I started to have a bad feeling. The gut feeling that something bad was about to happen and that we had to be alert.

"Alibaba…" I whispered.

"I know." He said. "I sense them."

I turned to him with slightly wide eyes. What did he mean by that?

"There are bandits watching us, Miriam." Alibaba said. I saw him try and pull a look of bravery, but it ended up looking as if he was constipated and was in dire need of a shit.

"You look horrible, acting heroic like that." I commented.

Alibaba bristled.

"I'm starting to change my mind about saving you if the bandits come after you Miriam." Alibaba stated in annoyance.

I paled slightly.

A few minutes later, my gut feeling became worse. I felt as if eyes were literally boring holes into my very being. I was feeling very scared.

But at the same time, I was feeling oddly calm.

'Maybe it was because I have faced the danger of death once?' I thought. 'It could be. I don't fear death anymore. Instead…'

A small smile came up my face.

'Why do I feel thrilled?' I asked myself.

"Miriam. They're coming." Alibaba said. "Act natural and just follow my lead, got it?"

I frowned. 'Why do I have a bad feeling about this?'

A few moments later, the bushes around us started rustling. Alibaba suddenly stopped the caravan, pulling the reins back and forcing the horses to stop.

Figures started to surround us. Burly men of all sorts of sizes neared our cart, wearing menacing grins on their faces and holding swords and weapons of all kinds. I noticed a few of them eye me lustfully to which I responded to a disgusted and resented expression.

"Well, well. A stupid cart driver and his friend have arrived in our hands!" one of the bandits said, tracing his finger on the blade of his sword.

I swallowed a lump on my throat. Alibaba stayed quiet and just stared, waiting silently for what might come next.

"Depending on our mood, we could kill you." He said. "But then again…"

His eyes landed on me, specifically my skirt where my leg was fully exposed for him to see. I cringed as his eyes took sight of my lower body and quickly covered it by pulling my skirt over my leg.

"That woman looks beautiful."

Alibaba gritted his teeth.

"Hey boy. Here's a little deal— gimme that woman and the cargo you have, and maybe I'll let you live! What do you say?"

I turned to Alibaba.

"Oh come on~ We're just poor cart drivers! What could you possibly gain from us?" Alibaba said in his voice that he usually used to try and woo the stupid prissy nobles from Qishan.

"Sweet talk won't get you anywhere, kid." The man in front of us said, who I assumed to be the leader.

Alibaba kept smiling sweetly while I tried to keep my face from showing any facial expression. The leader turned to me and his eyes gazed on my bare left leg, which was exposed for the world to see.

I cringed at the lustful look in his eyes and quickly covered my leg using my skirt, obscuring it from the perverted geezer's roaming eyes. Sadly, he started eyeing my whole body. I literally felt as if his gaze could touch me and I really was tempted on kicking him where the sun don't shine just to make him stop staring.

"Heh. Grab the woman."

"What?!" Alibaba cried.

Two burly men came to my side and forcibly dragged me down the cart, their hands separating my arms and restricting my movement. I struggled, kicking both of their legs. The nearly fell over and I was able to free on arm, but another man who was twice the size of the two holding me captive, grabbed both of my arms and forced me on my knees, stretching my arms behind me.

Alibaba had also been taken, his arms tied behind his back. The leader's hand was pulling on his hair and was forcing him to watch me.

"Resist and I'll order my men to break both of her arms." The leader said.

The men around us laughed loudly and evilly, enjoying the looks of devastation and fear on both of me and Alibaba's faces.

"No… don't hurt her! You can have the cargo!" Alibaba yelled.

"Sorry, but pass up the chance to have that woman? No way." The leader said as he threw Alibaba forcibly into the ground and started kicking him.

Memories of Alibaba being beaten back at Qishan flashed through my mind. His kind smile, his stupid antics, his constant fussing over trivial matters—

Alibaba coughed up blood as the leader punched his gut.

"No, STOP!" I yelled desperately, tears streaming down my eyes.

"Hehe. What, are you two a couple or something?" the leader asked as he continued to beat Alibaba. "That's lame! But still— nice choice of a woman. She'd make a fine harlot if she works under my care! The pleasure and the money would be enough to give me a luxurious life!"

I tried to pull my arms away from my captor, but his grip tightened on my wrists. I could tell they were going to bruise later on, but that was the least important thing on my mind.

"STOP IT STOP IT!" I yelled. "LEAVE HIM ALONE!"

"Ahahahaha!" the leader laughed sadistically. Alibaba laid on the ground, more battered and bloodier than I have ever seen before. His eyes were swollen and his face sported a nasty bruise.

"No…" I murmured, my tears streaming down my face.

"Say goodbye~"

The leader slowly unsheathed his sword, grinning menacingly as he pointed the blade towards the limp Alibaba on the ground.

My fear escalated and my heart pounded.

My mind snapped.

Sensing my lack of yelling and begging, the leader turned to me.

"Oh, broken already?" he asked, sounding disappointed.

My head hung low, bangs obscuring my eyes but not my view.

'Eight men— no, nine including the man behind me.' I thought. 'Can I take them? I have no weapon— wait. The man behind me has a pair of twin swords. Maybe I can grab them. How? What will I do to catch his guy off guard?'

My mind raced as plans of escape formed in my brain at top speed. My arms started to shake and I slowly turned behind to the man who was holding me captive.

I gave him a lustful and perverted look. The man blushed obviously as I fidgeted in my place, widening my legs. My skirt revealed more than my left leg was slowly showing my thighs.

"W-wow…" I heard him mutter.

I sensed his hold loosen momentarily and that was when I struck.

I pulled my hands away from the man's grip. He was shocked and I used that momentum, bringing to fingers from my hand and forcibly poking his eyes as hard as I could.

"GAH!" he cried, holding his face as blood dripped from in between his fingers.

As he struggled to cope with the pain, I grabbed the two swords from the man's waist. I heard a loud and strangled yell and looked behind me, finding a scrawny man heading my way with a raised sword.

I was still afraid— but my wrath and anger quickly overcame that.

The man swiped his sword down at me. I barely managed to dodge as the blade nicked my shoulder, causing a barely fatal wound to open on my previously unwounded skin.

I moved forward and didn't hesitate the plunge one of the swords into the man's chest. He gurgled and twitched. Using my right leg, I pushed him off the sword and held it tightly as his body fell down on the ground.

"M-miriam…" Alibaba murmured.

I gritted my teeth.

'I hate this.' I thought. 'In my previous life, I was such a coward. I never did anything right and I gave up my life so easily because I had no control of it. I didn't do anything worthwhile and I was such a despicable human being.'

"What the fuck are you guys doing? Grab that crazy bitch!"

'Even now, I haven't changed.'

Another man swung his sword vertically at me, aiming for my neck. I ducked low and tripped his feet forward, plunging the sword in my hand into his throat. Blood spattered in front of me, spraying slightly on my face.

'I'm still greedy and I'm still manipulating Alibaba.'

I ran forward and two more men greeted me. They held up a chain and surrounded me, running around me as they wrapped the chain around my body.

I held the swords in front of my body and struggled to push the chain from completely restricting my movement. I let out a cry as I dashed towards the man to my left, kicking him on his shin and kneeing his jaw upwards.

He fumbled and the chains loosened. I then punched his face as hard as I could and with a swift swing, I sliced his head off.

As his head flew upwards, the man on my right looked at me with fearful and bewildered eyes.

'I mean… right now I'm killing people. And I don't feel regret about it.'

I heard another cry and turned around. The man I injured by poking his eyes out managed to recover. He held a large log in his hand and started swinging it around randomly.

I dodged and dodged since his movements were sluggish. He brought the log down as a final attempt to strike me down, but while he tried to figure out where I could be, I sliced the arm he used to hold the log off.

'Why am I here? What kind of person am I? Am I acting like this because they threatened my life and well-being?'

"Miriam… stop!" I heard Alibaba say.

I didn't mind. I had taken down four men so far, and I only needed to take down the remaining five.

"Damn it, forget her and just kill her already! I'll take care of the boy!"

Upon hearing that, my body moved by itself. The remaining four, not including the leader, faced me head on, their swords ready.

'No… it's because I'm tired of watching Alibaba get hurt.'

I stabbed one bandit after the other, effortlessly dodging all their attempts of landing a hit on me. Finally, the last one was shaking visibly and dropped his sword, ready to run away.

Against my will, I grabbed the sword and threw it forward, where it stabbed the man's back. He made a somewhat choked noise before falling down on the ground face forward. All that was left was the leader who held Alibaba captive.

'I'll regret this. I'll regret killing so many people.'

Slowly, I raised my head, allowing both Alibaba and the leader of the bandits to see my eyes.

"What the fuck…" I heard him murmur.

I didn't know what my eyes must've looked like, but judging from the faces of Alibaba and the leader, it must've been showing the wrath and anger I've been keeping in this whole time.

'Alibaba had been so kind to me… and I've been trying my best not to care for him because I believed he was just a tool for my survival.'

I raised my sword and pointed it towards the leader whose foot was still on Alibaba's body.

"Let him go or die." I said, my voice unfamiliar even to myself.

The leader cringed and gritted his teeth. He then hoisted Alibaba up and held him by the hair, placing his own sword near his neck.

"Ha! Put your sword down and I won't slice his throat!" he said, his voice wavering.

"You don't want to do that." I said. "Your men are dead."

"And soon… you'll be as well."

"Miriam, stop it…" Alibaba said as a pained groan escaped his lips.

I hesitated, my arm retracting slightly.

"You heard him! Lay off!" the leader yelled.

In an instant, my eyes hardened. Slowly, I walked forward and dragged the swords on the ground. The sound of the friction against the metal and the ground beneath me was meant to intimidate the leader.

And it worked. I saw his eyes widen with fear and how his knees shook under him. His hold on Alibaba grew weak and he dropped him unceremoniously on the ground.

As Alibaba coughed once more, I felt myself snap from my previous trance and revert to normal. I hurriedly ran to Alibaba's side, hoisting him up gently and cutting off the bindings on his wrists behind his back.

"Miriam…" Alibaba muttered, looking at me with glazed eyes. They then widened.

A shadow loomed over me and I turned around swiftly to see the leader holding up his sword above both me and Alibaba. He grinned insanely and he started laughing maniacally as he plunged his sword down us.

I closed my eyes, bracing myself for the pain. Instead, I heard the clash of metal.

I opened my eyes and saw Alibaba had unsheathed his dagger and used it to block the sword from harming me. The sword was about two inches away from my back, so I was overwhelmed by the fact that I could've died.

I turned to look at Alibaba's expression and I gasped.

His brown eyes were filled with rage and anger. His teeth were gritted and he let out a warrior cry as he pushed himself off the ground and tackled down the leader behind me.

"Oof— GET OFF ME!" the leader demanded.

Alibaba held the dagger near the leader's face, the tip of its blade barely touching his skin. Alibaba's glare send chills to both me and the leader's spine.

"You tried to kill someone important to me." Alibaba said lowly as he raised his dagger. "And I WON'T LET THAT HAPPEN AGAIN!"

"Wait, no—!"

Blood spattered everywhere as Alibaba thrust the dagger into the man's beating heart. I watched with wide eyes, allowing the image of this scene to forever be engraved into my memory.

Shakily, Alibaba got off the leader's dead body. He turned to me and started walking forward, but fell to his knees before he could reach me. Hurriedly, I ran forward and grabbed his body before he could fall down again on the ground.

"Miriam…"

'But now… I'm not sure.'

"A-alibaba?" I asked.

His hands clutched my shoulder painfully. He then raised his head and gave me the same glare he gave the leader earlier.

"What were you thinking?!" Alibaba demanded. "You… you just… killed these dangerous people! You could've DIED!"

I hesitated and looked away. I felt panicked and anxious of having a furious Alibaba to talk to. I have never seen him like that. Only in the manga— but that was only during his time in Balbadd or when he spoke to Kouen during the war between Reim and Magnostadth.

"B-but you were about to die a-and I couldn't l-let that happen." I said, my voice higher than usual.

'No… I think I know the reason why I'm changing.'

Alibaba looked at me long and hard. I bit my lower lip and looked down on the ground, covering my face with both my hands.

"I don't want you to die…" I murmured, my body shaking as I sobbed.

'For better or for worse… I'm starting to care for him.'

"Miriam…" Alibaba murmured, wrapping his arms around me. "Don't you ever do that again."

'I actually killed for him. Why am I doing this?'

My sobs turned louder as I also wrapped my arms around Alibaba, hiding my face in his shoulder. His hand was positioned on my head, petting my hair and soothing it in an attempt to comfort me.

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry." I whispered, clutching his clothes.

"It's fine." Alibaba muttered.

'I didn't expect such a turn of events… but fate is cruel like that. It teaches you lessons in the most painful way possible so that they will forever will be engraved in you. Fate changes everyone— and I see it's taking its toll on you as well.'

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Alibaba's POV

After managing to calm Miriam, she fell asleep in his arms. Since the road was now cleared of bandits, thanks to Miriam, it would be safer to actually pass by without any more worries.

Later that night, Alibaba gently laid Miriam on the ground. He wiped the dried blood of her face, staring at her with sad eyes as he did so.

He never thought that Miriam would be capable of killing… especially for his own sake. The look of her deadly glare was still clear in his memory and he actually feared that part of Miriam. He always saw her as a soft-spoken and calm person, though she had a sense of humour from time to time, he never expected that Miriam would have such a bloodthirsty and angry side.

Using the streams nearby, Alibaba washed his body off the dirt and blood from the fight earlier that day. He walked back to where Miriam and the cart was placed and noticed that she had woken up during the time he was gone.

Hearing his noisy footsteps, Miriam looked up. Gray eyes met brown. But Miriam snapped her head away, gazing away from Alibaba and focused on staring at the ground beneath her.

Alibaba frowned. He silently made his way towards Miriam side. He noticed her flinch slightly and scoot a few spaces away from him. The blond just scooted a few spaces nearer to Miriam, to which Miriam responded by just pushing him away.

"Miriam…"

Said dark haired girl didn't look up and continued to gaze off on the ground. She refused to make eye contact with Alibaba, which saddened him.

"I don't care about what happened earlier. But… I only have one question for you." Alibaba said.

"For whose sake did you kill them?"

Alibaba noted how Miriam froze. She hugged her knees near her chest, her hands clenching her knees tightly.

"… I don't know." Miriam muttered.

Alibaba stayed silent, listening earnestly.

"I don't know why I killed them." Miriam said, raising her head slightly so Alibaba was able to see her gray eyes reflecting the light of the fire. "But… I was just scared of you dying. I didn't care if I died… but if it was you, I couldn't stand the very thought of it."

Alibaba turned to the fire and stared at the blazing flame.

"Then you did it for my sake?" Alibaba asked, prodding the fire with a long wooden branch he had picked up earlier.

"… I don't know." Miriam said once more.

Alibaba didn't pry the subject anymore. He saw how confused and scared Miriam acted and didn't want to make her feel more uncomfortable than she already was.

"… if you want to protect me, I only have one condition."

Miriam looked up at him and gave him a look of confusion.

"Don't kill someone in my name or for my sake. I hate that. You don't have to kill someone just to protect me." Alibaba said. "And… I would do the same to you. I'll protect you, you protect me. We don't have to kill."

Alibaba then stood up from his place and reached his hand towards Miriam. He smiled softly and looked at Miriam as if she had done nothing wrong in the first place.

"Let's just go home, alright?" Alibaba asked.

Miriam blinked a few times before her eyes started to water. Alibaba flinched back and started fussing, scared that he might've done something wrong once more to hurt Miriam's feelings.

"Let's go home." Miriam said, smiling through her teary face.

Alibaba froze and flushed slightly. He preferred her smiling rather than crying.

Miriam's hand held Alibaba's. The blond then helped her up, allowing her to stand in front of him. She was still wiping the tears away using her hand and Alibaba felt slightly guilty for making her cry.

"Thank you, Alibaba."

Alibaba looked at Miriam in question. He didn't know why she was thanking him. In fact, he should be thanking her. Miriam saved his life that day, after all.

"Thank you for giving me a place to stay." She said, continuing to wipe her tears away. "If I can… I want to stay by your side forever."

Alibaba's eyes widened and his cheeks turned bright red. Was it him, or does this oddly sound similar to a confession?

"O-of course you can stay by my side." Alibaba muttered, looking away shyly.

Miriam smiled brightly, which only deepened the blond's blush.

Alibaba had found someone he wanted to protect more than his life.

It was something that both scared and amazed him greatly.

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[A/N:] If some of you guys are thinking that Alibaba is acting OOC, you're right and wrong.

The memory of losing Kassim and Mariam is fresh on his mind. Plus, this part of the story is set before he met Aladdin. Meeting Aladdin was a changing point for Alibaba, but it didn't mean he wasn't kind and caring in the first place. While he probably is still cowardly and easily scared shitless before Aladdin, he still has his heart even before he met the blue haired boy.

Miriam is becoming a pillar of support for Alibaba, whether you guys notice or not. He's starting to care much too deeply for his own liking, and likewise to Miriam. Both their personalities are changing because they are both effecting each other with the other's presence and influence.

Miriam— a person who cares only for herself and manipulates others is starting to become more honest and cannot stand to lose the only person who cares about her.

Alibaba— a person who cares only for money and puts on a sickeningly sweet façade to hopefully become rich is starting to become a person more truthful to himself and cannot stand to be betrayed once more by the only person he trusts.

Still confused and cannot understand what's going on in the story? Go home. ;)