Big thanks to SmileRen and Akumarayne for the reviews, and everyone else who is reading this. And yes, finally Alibaba and Aladdin meet (and I need to sleep).

Enjoy~

Chapter 5

Two months had passed since Kouen Ren had taken Balbadd, and it seemed to him the violence within the ruined kingdom had finally settled. Even so, Sram was barely recognisable under the many rows of tall black tents bearing Kou's flag, which carefully concealed the razed and destroyed streets. The First Prince remembered twenty years ago, when those same narrow paths had been crowded with floods of colour and noise, and its bustling commerce. Now however the country was reduced to sharp, white rubble and extinguished fires. The air felt so heavy, and left a dismal scene in its wake. Kouen would have wanted to rectify that, but as he was not yet emperor he needed to follow the orders he was given.

The very spirit of Balbadd, and its past glory, seemed all but bled dry there. From the very moment Kouen's forces had arrived to lend aid, it seemed they were the ones blamed and resented in that failed revolt of weeks before. Kouen had entered Balbadd, and the first things to greet him were the execution orders for the Fog Troupe, and to sell Balbadd's citizens as collateral for the country's debt to Kou. It was depressing work, and he hardly counted himself a man harsh enough for this. Yet he knew better than to go against Gyokuen. For now he watched over what was left of Sram from the largest of the tents, whilst considering what he could do to help with this sordid and unpleasant affair. Not a lot, he was not yet emperor and as such his hands were tied. It seemed he would resolve to learn what he could from this place whilst he was there.

He resided within that large black tent. And Kouen was not too far from the vacated Balbadd palace which itself lay in fractures of gold and marble. The General-Commander of Kou's Western Subjugation Army ran a hand through his dark red hair and tried not to think of it. Instead his piercing and pale scarlet eyes scanned over a man he considered more friend than enemy, at least for now. The empire would, perhaps, want him to consider the King of Sindria an enemy, rather than someone Kouen had aspired to.

"I think stories like that are more appealing. Either way it's informing people of the dangers of the world I guess," Sinbad was saying. The two sat on elaborate cushions on the tent floor for now. He was fully aware the king had visited Kou, and was on his way back to his country soon. "See, you were telling those legends to your Magi and siblings from a young age. I can't help thinking that the stories you grow up aspired by should be a little less...morbid. Those legends will all lead to explaining how there will be one king in the end, who needs to kill all others. To me, people just prefer tales of exotic places and sea monsters."

"Perhaps. But then the Toran legends are true. Not you exaggerating things," Kouen replied calmly. "I'm not saying they aren't interesting. But I didn't tell those stories to people as some amoral tyrant. Instead, it's a just and wise conqueror that will unite the world under his rule. But I guess it's what you read into it."

Sinbad nodded slowly. "Perhaps. As you see yourself as this one king, it's a way of assuring Judal and Aladdin helped you. And your siblings and cousins support you as you see yourself as that person. But then, it's not like Kou is that kind right now."

"I'm still doing what I can until I'm emperor, as you've seen. And the Magi picked me first," he rubbed along his chiselled jaw and the wisp of a red beard adorning his chin. Kouen didn't need reminding that Sinbad shared his aspirations. But then many shared them, of course. "At least you're doing yourself a favour and cooperating with us more, I'd hate to be your enemy one day."

"To be honest, I think if a Magi claimed I was a king of legend I think I'd believe those old stories a lot more as well. I don't mind dealing with Kou, at least for the moment," he raised a slim eyebrow at the man curiously. To Kouen, it seemed that man had been more than a little underhanded recently. Perhaps Sinbad was just as interested in becoming the one king, and the legends as he was. Either way, he was certainly a lot more difficult to read these days.

Kouen stretched and leaned back, palms scratching against the scratchy canvas of the tent's dark floor as he did. As the head of long and tangled scarlet hair shifted in the corner of said tent, he looked over at Koumei curiously. "Just be glad my brother isn't awake. He's a lot more enthusiastic about those legends than I am. But then I also think he's read everything you wrote about your adventures too."

"That's always nice to hear. I don't think he'll wake anytime soon, however..." Littered around Koumei were numerous books, both beyond priceless and ancient, along with various yellowed manuscripts the two brothers had been consulting earlier. Kouen knew his treasured younger brother was losing weight again, as in strenuous times like this his health tended to suffer. Right now his sleeping form looked almost swathed in his deep maroon clothing as a result. His slender fingers were blemished, and were clutched against the long, black feathered fan which housed his metal vessel. "But all this can't be good for him."

"No, it's not. I'm amazed he's getting any sleep," the First Prince replied quietly. "But he gets ahead of himself. I'm just glad he's not still into the habit of falling asleep in chairs anymore –believe it or not he's heavier than he looks."

Sinbad laughed slightly. "Maybe it would be better to send him back to Kou. It's fairly aggressive here right now."

Kouen gave that man he admired a piercing look, who fell silent. That was one of the last things he'd do. Even if he rarely spoke of them, he certainly had his suspicions of Kou, and those strange and sinister men who frequented his empires' lands. Kouen knew full well they were the orchestrators of the events here, even if that was a secret. After all, Abhmad had been raving those same black magicians had driven the incompetent yet naive king to sell his own people and country to slavery. The Fog Troupe, when alive, had collectively insisted the dark weaponry fuelling their revolution had been supplied by those same men. He wasn't sure what to think, other than Gyokuen had given him a highly unpleasant situation to resolve.

He was, of course, intelligent enough to not ask any questions about those strange magicians. In his twenty-eight years he was increasingly grateful for the time he spent anyway from Kou, either conquering lands or studying the texts Koumei adored so much. However, whenever he had been requested to return to Kou, he knew there were more and more of those shadowy men. At moments like this he had some idea of just what those men were like; they had seen to it the Fog Troupe had been blamed for Balbadd even if Kouen didn't know all of the details. After all, that bastard brother of Abhmad had been their leader.

Having said that, the citizens here were fairly quick to blame Kouen for the events. But then given Kou was a place greatly feared. More than likely his empire was seen increasingly as some foreboding monolith looming over the central plains, fuelled by dark magic and nefarious intentions. Unfortunately, that assessment seemed at least partially true.

"I think I'd rather keep Koumei here with me. I do my best for my brother. I did hear you finally had the pleasure of my mother – she wrote to me," Sinbad's expression soured at the mention of Gyokuen fairly quickly. "I have to admit, I was surprised she allowed one of our Magi to go back with you. She's getting less paranoid."

"I don't think a year is enough to turn Aladdin against Kou."

"You might make it possible," Kouen noticed a curious flicker in those amber eyes. "What I found interesting is all those ties you've made with such influential people. Important and potentially powerful allies for Sindria. People like Yamaraiha and Alibaba Saluja if you did save his life. I guess most people would think you can't build a kingdom of refugees, exiles and murderers, but maybe you're doing just that."

"Interesting that my new allies have such a low opinion of me, yet still want my friendship. But I guess if a potential enemy speaks badly of you that can only mean you're doing something right."

Kouen shook his head. "I don't really think you're an enemy, and I tried to help my mother see she could trust you."

"It's not like I'm not grateful, I am. But Kou doesn't have the best reputation, and I'm not sure if I want Sindria involved with all the things I keep hearing. Those men you're enslaving blame you as much as the empire."

"I know," Kouen admitted with a sigh. "And it isn't as if I can distance myself from that, I need to enforce it. I can try and improve things though, as I dread to think how long I'll be asked to stay here. But if you did save that Saluja prince, it's probably a smart move on your part."

Sinbad looked surprised by that, and Kouen was almost glad they were interrupted. He looked up as the curtain to the dark tent was thrown back, and for a moment both men were startled by bright sunlight. Bright enough for Koumei to stir slightly. Ri Seiryuu, one of his two trusted generals, entered and brought with him a disgruntled figure. Ri bowed, leaning down to whisper in Kouen's ear.

"Aladdin?" Sinbad snapped sharply as the harassed looking Magi looked between them. Nevertheless the figure stood tall before them, and tried not to look upset. "I told you to wait on the ship and not to enter the city. What are you doing here?"

"Not a lot," came the short reply.

Kouen stood, smoothing his deep red and flowing clothing and gathering his sword before looking Aladdin over. He frowned, knowing what Ri had told him. "You've got your hands full with this one, so you know. Can I have a moment to talk to him? It might help."

Accepting that, Sinbad gave them a brief nod before turning to vacate the tent with Ri. With them gone Kouen turned back. It seemed like a long time since he had seen one of Kou's Magi, and certainly longer since he had read to them any of those Toran legends. He had once seen much of them as he had borrowed their power in conquering his three dungeons. It was hard to believe the slightly sulking young man was a being of such power sometimes. "I did want to see you before you left for Sindria, but I didn't want it to be like this. You can't wander off when things are this dangerous. You're too important to lose, and if there's a danger of that I –"

"Please don't send me back to Kou," he understood that plea, and fell silent. "I really did mean to stay on the ship. I just...well..."

"Didn't, obviously," he said, and Aladdin nodded. "I remember how it was. Judal was always so demanding and noisy, and sometimes when I turned round you were just gone. But you have to understand you are under Sinbad's protection for a year, and a lot of people will try to capture or harm you."

"People are hurting people right here though!" Aladdin exclaimed loudly, before throwing a cautious look towards Koumei's sleeping figure. Admittedly it seemed as if nothing short of aberrant magic seemed capable of disturbing him right now; even so shouting didn't seem that polite to do. "Entei-sama, you're going to make things better out there, aren't you?" Kouen nodded. "They're actually selling people. I want that to stop."

"Unfortunately, slavery here is very much legal. Abhmad didn't think much of his people's lives," Kouen despised how those eyes clouded over at those words. There was something to be said, of course, for telling tales of faraway lands and impossible creatures. It nullified the reality of situations like this. Even if Aladdin was no longer a child he was still naive. For now, Kouen thought it was better to lie about the world a little longer, and assure him he would be able to stop this. He just wasn't sure if he could. "Ri said you got into a fight with that slaver, argued at least. Were you planning to harm him with magic?"

"No, I believe hurting people is wrong," Aladdin admitted. "But you're not going to let this happen, right? You'll stop this."

Kouen nodded. "That's what I'm here for; to help this country as their king made a mistake. That and I'll ensure things stay peaceful."

"Things don't really seem that peaceful right now though, Entei-sama..."

"They will, though," Kouen leaned down; looking one of their Magi in the eye and watching his fists slowly unclench. He didn't feel it was quite time for him to see the world for what it was, nor to stop believing in the stories he had been told. "What's wrong? You've gotten really argumentative now. What happened to the shy boy that couldn't even look his future emperor in the eye? And now you're shouting at me."

"I didn't mean to shout," Aladdin admitted.

"You get to go somewhere pleasant. And by the time you get back I promise all this mess will be cleared up, just don't give Sinbad a tough time, alright? As you don't want to go back there, do you?" Aladdin shook his head adamantly, and Kouen stood straight, giving him a reassuring smile before escorting him out of the tent.

Alibaba leaned back against the wall overlooking one of many hanging gardens in Sindria's palace grounds, arms folded as he looked over the lavish and colourful scene. It had been early in the morning and still dark when he had woken. Due to a more than disturbing dream he had been unable to sleep again afterwards. It was that same, reoccurring nightmare he had suffered a while, only now it was gaining an unpleasant measure of clarity. It was rooted in his mind, and now his recollections of that fateful day in Balbadd were poisoned by that look in Kassim's eyes. He couldn't forget that expression of hatred mingled with revulsion, and it haunted him. Even now when he thought those feverish dreams would have faded and his wounds were mainly healed.

He hadn't wanted to wake Hakuryuu, whom he had come to share a room with once Alibaba had recovered. Instead he wanted to go outside and clear his head. In doing so he wished the night air was less humid here, as it was slightly overbearing. Hot weather didn't really bother the prince, but then he was used to the cold and dusty chilly desert nights in Balbadd. In Sindria, there was no real escaping from the heat, even if he guessed autumn supposedly had fallen here.

The island was very much that; Sindria felt secluded and safe, and so very far away from everything he knew. It was certainly a far cry from the months of careful planning endured in Balbadd's cold nights when he and Kassim and planned their coup together. Without those nightmares, Alibaba thought he might have even forgotten such events had happened. Time had a knack for passing too quickly here, and it was time he didn't have. He dreaded to think what Balbadd would look like once he actually returned home.

In fact without Hakuryuu to inform him, Alibaba doubted he would have known anything. He had been too embarrassed for help, and so had kept mainly to himself until now. Earlier that evening he had remembered his fellow prince had returned, somewhat wide eyed and fearful, and uttering about Sinbad had returned with one of those Magi he was so fearful of. That had perked his interest, as he knew he should ask him about returning home. He just feared what he would see, with how much his home had suffered and he had no idea how to make it better. Alibaba felt helpless, but again that wasn't something he would freely admit.

Remembering Kassim made him all the more unsettled. His fingers wandered up to those two crimson cuffs now adorning his ear, and he thought back to that day. Somehow Kassim had changed, and perhaps it was those strange weapons which had done it, even if it seemed insane a weapon could do that. Alibaba remembered telling him not to buy those strange, black weapons the arms dealers were offering, as to him it seemed suspicious. He was trying to remember if that was what made his friend turn on him. He just hadn't wanted the revolt to be violent, but Kassim seemed to think he was backing out. Then he had changed, and his best friend had died resenting him. Just the thought of that was enough to feel as though something splintered within him. By the end, Kassim genuinely thought Alibaba was best off dying, and with his two half brothers.

Perhaps he wasn't ready to accept or comprehend that yet. That certainly seemed the case, as he watched his knuckles draw back before swiftly colliding with the hard and cold wall as if to vent his anger.

"...Ow," he muttered quietly, and rubbed over his now red and sore knuckles. He despised remembering things like that, especially when they became so clear and he couldn't escape them. Sleeping, certainly, was fairly problematic now with seeing that look in Kassim's eyes whenever he closed his own.

A strange glimmer caught his attention, and out of the corner of his eye. He whipped round, light golden eyes fixing on many small and white flashes catching like pale embers on the warm air around him. He watched as they danced there, curiously noticing that they seemed to momentarily glow before fading to nothing. A moment later they were bright and burning against the dark again. It was as if they themselves were a dream, which wanted to become real. Noticing there was a trail of them, and still massaging his hand, he leaned off against the wall and resolved to follow them.

He wasn't even sure why he was following them. He had just never seen anything like them, and they seemed to peacefully radiate power into the space around them. He slowly passed through the bright and perfumed gardens, and past a gushing fountain. All the while his eyes never left those strange flashes of light which looked so many like small and radiant birds.

After mere minutes he found their source.

"...Hey," he snapped. It took him moments to acknowledge the fact there were no lamps left on in the kitchens. Instead, those flickers of light were gathered around a person who sat, cross legged, to the entry into the kitchens behind them and had surrounded themselves with fruits of various kinds. She was a slight and rather skinny beggar girl, who looked up as she heard Alibaba approach. She was dressed slightly inappropriately, in loose and white silk dress pants and a waist coat which seemed open at the front. He flushed slightly, and averted his eyes. It didn't help she was an extremely pretty beggar girl either, with large and clear blue eyes and flawless porcelain skin. But he shouldn't be thinking such things. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Eating," he – as apparently "she" was a he – replied. The apparent beggar boy took to munching on an apple and grinned almost in welcome up from where he sat. "That's a bit of a strange thing to ask me though."

"You mean you're stealing," he replied accusingly, even if given everything he went though with the Fog Troupe that seemed ironic. But then they had been honourable thieves. He doubted beggars stealing from palace kitchens were all that unheard of. He just assumed with how Sindria was, it would happen less here than back in Balbadd.

"Food is meant to be borrowed," that young and strange thief, surrounded by those curious bright lights, informed him. He just had to be a thief, Alibaba was sure of it. His eyes caught upon a golden flute handing around his neck. Under that waistcoat, his skin was bare and smooth, and he felt his face flush again even if being embarrassed around another man seemed weird. Regardless, he would imagine golden flutes would be valuable. It certainly seemed like a prize someone like him would steal from a palace.

He didn't seem to be all that upset on Alibaba catching him. He was even gesturing for him to join, which he adamantly refused. "Borrowing means you're going to return something. Just put those back, and go back to wherever you're meant to be, alright?"

"Mm...I think mister shouldn't walk around if he's hurt. Your rukh are sort of..." he squinted, looking about Alibaba as if thinking how to explain something fundamentally difficult to grasp. "Well, they're all lazy and hanging in the air about you, but you probably can't see them come to think of it."

He had no idea what rukh were. As much as the prince didn't want to threaten an unarmed person, he felt a warning would be enough, he drew out his knife, which the thief looked over with searching eyes and took another bite of his apple before standing. He was a little shorter than Alibaba was. "I have no idea what you're talking about, no."

"Alright. Are you lost?"

"...Do I look like I'm lost? I'm meant to be here. And I'm not the one sneaking in to steal fruit" he muttered quietly.

"It's probably not a good idea to threaten people if you're injured anyway," Alibaba stood back as he was being peered at closely. "If you're not lost then, are you here to steal too? If you feel left out we can steal together."

"Absolutely not!" he shouted out, flustered. "And I'm only here as I was following those strange lights. The ones all around you."

"Mm...my rukh? You can see them?" those large eyes widened.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Alibaba stowed the knife away, partially thinking he was dealing with a mildly insane thief. "What's your name?"

"Aladdin," he informed him as he finished demolishing his apple, and with an enthusiasm which was made Alibaba begin to feel hungry. He was offered once, and of course refused it. "What were we talking about? Ah right, rukh. See rukh are –"

"That isn't remotely close to what we were talking about!"

"Oh, it wasn't? I'm sorry, but then do you remember?" he looked at Alibaba politely, who was trying to work out what was best to do with this person. Taking him to someone in charge seemed like a good idea, but then he was a prince. Surely he could deal with someone simply stealing fruit. "Well...whilst you remember, can I keep eating then, stranger-san?"

"...'Stranger-san?'"

"You didn't seem to like being called 'mister'. And I don't know a lot about you yet. Apart from you kept pointing a weapon at me and shout a lot."

"...Don't say it like that," he sighed and rubbed at his forehead. "Just call me Alibaba if you need to call me anything. Look, I haven't been here that long but you can't just sneak in here and take things which aren't yours. You can understand that, can't you?"

"Mm...you know I never thought of it that way," Aladdin admitted after thinking that over for several long minutes. He then gave Alibaba another bright smile, and feeling the heat rise in his face again the prince averted his gaze. "I guess I'm in the wrong then, so I guess I should be punished. I know Sinbad-sama pretty well, so if you want you can take me to him. We just got here, so I think he'll be awake still. How does that sound?"

Alibaba doubted this thief knew the king here, but he wasn't really in the mood for this anyway. "T-that seems fine, let's do that. Follow me."

"You're pretty impatient, Alibaba...erm...-kun?" he asked tentatively, and didn't get a reply. Alibaba had already begun to cross the garden in long strides when he noticed that thief walking in a different direction. It took him a moment to see that Aladdin was waiting, as if he knew the way and was urging him to follow him. Embarrassingly Alibaba had no idea where the palace offices were, but then not a lot about this didn't seem embarrassing. "Are you sure you don't want to just eat instead of getting me punished? I just got here, and I didn't want to get in trouble right away."

"So you're a stowaway?" he asked, and just got a confused look. He passed him, spotting light flood out from one of the buildings. Perhaps he was lucky with this, even if Alibaba didn't feel that lucky. He'd certainly have wanted to meet the king here under less strange conditions and at a more appropriate time of day. Even so he continued walking, and that strange thief called Aladdin was following him with almost alarming enthusiasm.