A huge thanks to SmileRen, SinAngel9, Princess Merleen and Akumarayne for the reviews. It really is beyond apprciated, as is anyone else reading etc this far. Its great fun to write so far.

Just thought I'd mention though, after updating this I plan to do a rewrite/ update of one of my other stories as I'm a bit OCD like that. As such I might be a couple of weeks updating this (again...I'm rubbish, I know) but I'll try not to take too long.

Anyhow, enjoy~

Chapter 10

Slowly the hours crept by, and before Sinbad realised it the soft, lemony tones of morning were spilling into Aladdin's small yet organised bedroom. He hadn't slept, and instead seemed to have involuntarily taken to watching over his charge for that long. His book lay, discarded and mildly crumpled upon his lap, and had been both neglected and forgotten for many hours.

The king had found himself lost in thought, and not all of them all that pleasant. After what he had overheard, he wasn't surprised to not feel all that tired. It hadn't seemed all that long ago, since he had Jafar aid him carrying the young Magi from where he had collapsed in the Black Scale Tower. It also hadn't seemed all that long ago since Aladdin uttered various things in his fevered dreams to have the young king worried. When it was such things as muffled words regarding treason and Aladdin himself being under control of Ren Gyokuen's magic...well, it had gotten his attention.

Sinbad sighed, and part of him really felt that he shouldn't, of all things, be eavesdropping on another person's dreams in such a way. Even so, he took it seriously and so he had remained. And took to worrying and recounting such troubling things in his own, increasingly fatigued mind.

He wished to think, as Jafar had so adamantly suggested, that he was over thinking things. That a Magi, like any other person, could in fact just call out mildly alarming things without it meaning things. And if they did, any sane, decent person would wake them from their fleeting torment. Sinbad liked to, of course, believe he too was a sane and decent person. So then why was he just staring awkwardly at the back of that head of dishevelled blue, wrapped in his white sheets, and expect something to happen?

Well, as with many things, he tended to blame Judal for that.

Judal had, when the mood had taken him, complained that his twin brother had a tendency to call out in his sleep. Unfortunately he had never told Sinbad enough of it, other than so casually mentioning it's how the two were usually able to meet the king upon entering a dungeon. Right now, that seemed somewhat inconvenient. But then, Judal considered the muffled raving as nonsensical, annoying gibberish. Sinbad didn't.

Stroking his jewelled thumb along the page of the book he hadn't read, but turning it in a matter suggesting he had, he knew what he suspected. Sinbad knew various powerful magicians often were gifted, or cursed if one saw it in such a way, with visions seeing events not yet come to pass. He wasn't going to rule out such a thing, personally, and right now he could think of little else.

After all, Aladdin had mentioned such disturbing things. The murder of Ren Koutoku by his own bride's hand, which he guessed the young man had been unfortunate to endure witnessing himself in his dream. That the Magi, coupled with his brother, were under the control of Ren Gyokuen via her magic. It alarmed him. And more than anything, Sinbad was increasingly paranoid to find out if he was merely over thinking things.

Suddenly he became aware of a pair of tired, azure eyes watching him curiously as Aladdin peered out from the sheets he had been carefully wrapped in. Silently he closed his book, leaning forward on it to gently scrutinise the exhausted figure in front of him. "Aladdin...you're finally awake..."

Aladdin paused, before nodding and looking over him. no doubt curious what the Sindrian king was doing, and a little too polite to ask. He yawned silently, going to sit up but a tanned hand reached out to gently push him back. To show such a thing wasn't necessary. "...Sinbad-sama?"

He nodded. "I wanted to see you were alright." He watched Aladdin reach out for the golden flute he'd set upon a close by table, before picking it up and offering it to him. As if paranoid to let such a thing away from him, Aladdin took it with a small smile to replace its chain around his neck and settled back down. "I'll get you some water..." he offered, standing to try and dissolve that line of tension now making itself known in the small of his back, and crossed the room. "Can you remember what happened?"

Aladdin frowned, and shook his head, his eyes never leaving the king.

Sinbad poured a glass of water and laughed softly. "You know, you're watching me like I've done something wrong, now. Since when did we grow more distant? You're even so formal with how you address me."

"I know," Aladdin surprised him by admitting that. By the time he had crossed back to him, the Magi had sat up. His hands were clasped round his knees. From the look of how he was slightly trembling, and how pale he was, the events had affected him. And Sinbad wasn't used to seeing him in such a way.

"Then care to tell me why?" he asked gently, before sitting down on the bed beside him. he brushed a hand through Aladdin's long, tangled and half loose braid of hair and watched his fingers curl round the glass of water offered him.

"Mm. When you became king, Gyokuen-sama told us we should be respectful of royalty. Even if she says you weren't a proper king."

"Is that so?" he laughed, trying to not cringe at the mention of the Kou Empress as Aladdin took a small sip. "Well, she didn't do a good job with Judal. Unless she meant for him to call me 'stupid king'."

"Mm, no, I don't think she'd ask onii-san to do that. It's just what he likes calling you," Aladdin looked over him before smiling a little more brightly. "Should I call you my 'oji-san' again, then?"

Inwardly, Sinbad cringed at that. But then it's not like he had a nickname such as "Entei-sama" for the twins to call him. So he nodded, as Aladdin seemed to grow a little calmer and continued to silently stroke through his hair. "You collapsed in the library, so I brought you here. Aladdin, you had me worried."

The Magi frowned, and instead of replying seemed aware he was missing something. Judal had mentioned somewhat more usefully that Aladdin tended to not remember his dreams. And he guessed that was the case. He pressed on. "Listen...you need to take care of yourself. As a Magi, you're fairly susceptible to poor health and injury compared to most people."

"I know," he admitted quietly. "But thank you for taking care of me, oji-san."

Again, he tried to not cringe at a name which made him sound older than he wished to be. "Yamaraiha did tell me you've been training with her every day. That's a lot of stress on you, you know," Sinbad reminded him gently. "It's not a problem, as she adores teaching you. But I also watched you sneak into the Black Scale Tower every night when you felt you weren't being watched.

Aladdin choked on his water."Wait, you were watching me."

"Of course I was," Sinbad announced cheerfully, as the Magi regarded him with a wide eyed expression. "It's to be expected, Aladdin. You're in my country, so naturally I'm aware of your every move."

"Mm..." he murmured, as if finding such a thing more alarming than comforting. "I know what you're going to say; I shouldn't be sneaking in there."

"I didn't think you'd feel the need to. This isn't Kou, I'm not going to have you escorted everywhere."

"But you will watch me yourself, oji-san."

"...Yes. But still, this is your home. As long as you look after yourself, you can do as you wish. This is just..."

"I didn't collapse on purpose," Aladdin muttered quietly.

"I'd hope not, no. It would be weird if you did," he drew his hand back from his hair and settled it over the Magi's freezing fingers, feeling concerned as he did. "You know, you and your brother are people I care a lot for. I'm curious what you were looking for, pushing yourself so much."

Aladdin paused before replying quietly, "...I wanted to research black rukh."

"...Ah," Sinbad felt an involuntary chill run through him and shuddered before closing his eyes. He noticed his clenched fingers had taken a hold of the Magi's wrist, and released it quickly. "Well...I'm sorry but you were wasting your time," he told him, and tried to some impassive. "I keep no books on such a thing in Sindria."

Aladdin looked over him. "But...I know onii-san told me something. You once told him a story of you encountering black rukh. I just...always thought he was lying."

"Well, it's just a story," he told him flatly."

"It's not though, is it?" the Magi pleaded and gripped his hands tightly. "Please, oji-san. Right now Alibaba-kun is..."

And then, it happened again. And this time Sinbad wasn't even aware of it occurring.

He saw the ring on his left hand erupt in a bright flash of violet light, right as Aladdin had gripped his hand. In muted horror he watched the rings blazing pentagram gleam back darkly at him, and felt a chill of cold magoi cascade down over him. He shuddered, aware that Zepar's power was already taking the payment of using his power. Even if he hadn't wished to.

Now, much as he had seen others with the same expression after he had used such a thing, Aladdin had stopped pleading. Instead, he was looking over him with a placid indifference, as if awaiting command. The Magi, he guessed, must be fatigued and weakened if such a thing actually was able to affect him right now.

Sinbad made the quick decision to take advantage of this, and quietly addressed Aladdin. "...Judal is one of the very few people I discussed that experience with. I don't like mentioning it, or that time I saw black rukh myself. Don't ask me about it...it happened a long time ago. Whatever is happening with Alibaba, I'll find out about and deal with myself. Do you understand?"

"...Yes, Sinbad-sama," Aladdin chimed back to him.

"You don't remember what happened in the library, or your dream, is that correct?" the Magi nodded, and he felt relieved. "Alright then, and I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do this to you. But you are safe here. I really won't let Gyokuen get to you so...rest, alright?"

That unpleasant, draining sensation left him as Zepar's blazing light faded. Aladdin was looking back over him, but again with that curious, albeit tired expression he usually had. He found himself almost glad to see it. He stood silently, crossing the room back to the door. "...Oji-san?"

"Aladdin?" his hand hovered on the door handle, and looked back as Aladdin wrapped him back in his sheets as if nothing had happened. And to him, it might have seemed nothing had.

"...Are you keeping something from me?"

"Yes, many things," Sinbad laughed and avoided looking him in the eye. He watched Aladdin lie back, before silently leaving the room and heard it close with a soft click.

To his surprise Jafar was still there, as if waiting for him that long. Arms folded and leaning against the wall, his pale advisor was looking at him searchingly. In that way which had him assuming his king was moments away of causing trouble either of them wanted or needed. "...So you really are worried about this. Either that or you really wish to watch Aladdin sleep."

Sinbad smiled and relaxed against the wall opposite and looked over him. from his usual neat appearance, Jafar's ceased emerald robes and the bruises of tiredness under his eyes marked he hadn't slept either. That he'd been here, waiting for him, within his king's knowledge. "Well...it's not like he'd be my type. His brother's a little easier for me to win over."

The pale man cast an unneeded glance up and down the long, airy hallway outside of the terrace of rooms. It was unneeded, as most had the good sense to still be sleeping. He hopped up on the slow balcony high above a nestling of verdant gardens before shaking his head and looking over Sinbad. "I don't know what you're doing, still. It can't be all that interesting."

"What if the Emperor of Kou did die like that. As Aladdin mentioned?" the pale man's eyes passed over him, sceptically, as if not wanting to hear this again. "Sin, this is insane. I don't think what a boy calls out in his sleep should be taken that seriously. Or...listened to, for that matter."

Sinbad shook his head slowly, as if indicating he was serious. "What about Judal saying those dreams usually came true? I think I was meant to overhear that. And do something about it."

"...How presumptuous," Jafar paused for a moment. "If there's anything going on in Kou, surely Kouen would have mentioned it. He writes to you pretty often."

"Only as he wants me to sign my books for him," he laughed. "And, if his father only died last night, he'd not have done would he?"

"I suppose not..."

"I'm taking this seriously, as you can tell," Sinbad said. In a flurry of white material he approached Jafar from where he sat up on the balcony to look him in the eye. He looked past him, to the bright turquoise roofs and the pristine, white spires crowning his country. Far from soothing him, such a sight just burned against his sleep deprived mind. He rubbed a hand slowly over his face and yawned.

"I'm sure. But Sin, all you have to base such disturbing things on is Aladdin's dream. A...somewhat detailed dream, perhaps, but that's it."

"That's not what you want to say. I know you better than that."

"Yes..." Jafar agreed and clasped his hands in his lap. "You're only so keen on keeping friendly with Kou for one reason. And it's for those brothers. Since we first encountered them, you've wanted to bring them here."

"Yes..." Sinbad agreed slowly. "That's surprising?"

"No. Imagine what Sindria could do with two Magi..." and his king had imagined quite a lot, indeed, with two powerful people such as them. "So I think you're not being rational. Aladdin has a dream, and you're ready to overreact and kidnap him. Possibly attack Kou over him."

"Technically, I've already kidnapped him," he pointed out. "Aladdin's in Sindria and I don't see any reason to let him leave. I see less reason if Gyokuen is using magic to control him. It also means that she's stronger than we expected."

Jafar flashed him an urgent look. "Sin...we can't keep him, you know that. We can't just so easily steal one of Kou's oracles."

"...Really, is that what you think of me? Do you think so little of me? I'm not going to steal Aladdin. I just...intend to borrow him. Indefinitely."

"You should get to sleep, you're not thinking clearly," Jafar stepped with care off his seat on the balcony railing and moved away from him.

He had to smile with that. "I am. Jafar, I intend to keep them both, I always have. We've known Judal and Aladdin for years. But...even so, if she's hurt them..." he felt his fists clench and took a deep breath.

He felt Jafar's fingertips touch lightly over the ring serving as Zepar's vessel. "You say that, yet you're influencing him yourself," Sinbad averted his eyes. "If you're doing something like that, you need to watch yourself. That's something you don't want yourself doing."

"It just happened," he explained, as if that made it less rather than more alarming. "Alright...so perhaps I am looking for an excuse. But I think we need to find out about this. For his sake, too, so don't think ill of me." He paused, trying to order his chaotic thoughts. "First things first...as you said, Kouen would be told if his father passed away. If he doesn't know anything..."

"...It means you can let Aladdin sleep alone, very well, then," Jafar nodded. "If you're this worried, I'll go to Balbadd and speak with him myself."

"...Are you sure?"

"Yes. If you're talking such crazy things, I don't see anything short of you or I going there as enough to calm you," Sinbad sighed, nodding slowly. He didn't like this idea too much, either. "So I'll take the next ship. And prove you wrong."

Somehow, Sinbad felt he had lost in this conversation. As Jafar went to leave, he reached out to grip tightly to his shoulder and gently pull him back. Earning an aggravated sound he reached up, brushing a hand through the white fringe and pressing his lips gently to his forehead. Far from protecting, Jafar went very still. As pink flushed gently over his freckled features, he even seemed to lean into him. "Alright then, Jafar. I'll let you prove me wrong. But come back quickly, and more importantly safely."

Somewhat dumbstruck, Jafar nodded. Avoiding his king's eyes he bowed lightly and drew back, walking down passed the sunlit walkway. Sinbad watched him, a somewhat heavy feeling blossoming through his chest over all that had happened. He leaned against the wall, composing himself, and just hoped he was right. That nothing of what Aladdin had called out about was true, and when a Magi dreamed of disturbing things it was nothing to worry over.

It was one of those times, really, when he was terrified of being right.

Judal pulled those long, dark and somewhat oversized robes around him and against the ripping winds. He leaned down, over the side of the carpet, to gaze over the world flying beneath him in blues of green and blue. He knew all too well that travelling by magical means was faster than any horse or ship. Raising so many dungeons over the years had taught him that. Right now, it just felt as though it had been something he had not done in so long. After years of being strapped in Kou, he was finally back in the surrounding world.

The Magi used to question, and adamantly so, why he was allowed out of the palace less and less. He used to think it was due to him naming all the candidates Gyokuen asked him to, but now he wasn't sure if that was it. Perhaps it was to keep him close, to prepare him for the influx of black rukh the men of Al-Thamen had introduced. He didn't know, really, and they told him little.

"Magnificent, isn't it?" Ithnan was watching behind him, his voice barely audible over the gusts surrounding them. Judal didn't reply. Instead he gathered up those shapeless, ugly robes his teacher had made him wear to lie on his stomach and gaze over the carpet's edge. "Now...I'd like you to see our progress with your own eyes, Magi. How the countryside has darkened from our influence. Do as I just taught you, if you will. Gaze upon the blackness rushing like poison over the Empire's lands. How it's infected..."

Judal paused, but as he was curious he did as they asked. He closed his painted eyelids for a moment, as though in a brief meditation. He took a slow breath, and when he opened them his eyes weren't their usual bright ruby, instead they flashed a much brighter, vivid scarlet as he magically scanned over the world beneath him. And he saw it. he saw that flooding of shadow usually unseen to him, and much clearly than he had before. So much in awe of it he leaned out, and felt Ithnan's hand grip his shoulder to stop him falling off.

Even so, it was there. From the heart of his empire and home, it was spreading. For the moment, it was all too clear to Judal how those lavish fields of wildflowers were veiling over with a darkness blacker than nightfall. It shivered like tendrils over the long reeds and glasses, turning them darkened and sick. The clear streams and rivers grew clouded and stilled from their infection. The magic was impressive, spreading so gradually in its miasma. And, one day it would swallow up his world fully...

"Yeah, I see it," he declared triumphantly. His keen eyes flicked over it before he gripped a hand over them, and felt them return gradually to their usual tone. "Wow, I guess the black rukh really are just as strong as you said."

"Did my cute student doubt me?" he laughed. "But their strength is what matters to you more than anything, is it not? You didn't even ask why we were going to Balbadd."

Judal shrugged, and didn't care. With that energy collecting within him, bristling like a black and incoming storm, he thought of little else other than that suggestion of power. "Who cares..."

"Indeed. But it matters all the same," he told him as Judal leaned his chin on his chilled palms, looking down over the world as it passed by so quickly. "I intend to put you to good use, once you're up to it. But we'll inform Kouen of the sad news of his father's passing."

He nodded. The strange, nagging sensation came to him that he should care of such a thing. It was his Emperor after all. He even knew he should be writing to his brother, offering tearstained words over the matter. The tears didn't come, and all he could do was think of that power. Of getting stronger. Of beating Aladdin, even.

"Fine," he declared finally.

"I'd not worry, you'll be seeing your brother soon," Ithnan told him, and he gazed back at him. "Come now, would I keep two brothers from a heartfelt reunion. You'll want to best him in a fight, of course. Its why you're helping us."

"It's not like you guys would give me a choice anyway..."

"No, but it's nicer when someone comes to Father willingly. It's less fun, perhaps, but easier. And you're someone our Organisation didn't want to hurt," he was informed. "But then, I'm not surprised. Even as you followed us as a child, you were intrigued. You can embrace this and eventually curse your fate as you're in awe of this power. Your fascination only grew when you could find no book on such a thing. So, I knew of you or Aladdin, you would seek us out."

"I just find it creepy you were watching me as a little kid."

"To be fair, Magi, you were stalking us first."

"Well, whatever..."

"How are you feeling, anyway?" to that, Judal just made a slight sound of indifference. "It's important you tell me such things. You don't like our attire, for one thing..." he indicated the swathing robes Judal held such distain for. "And you want to wear your own clothes and feel the white rukh against your skin again. But as I said, until you embrace the black ones, the white will feel painful against your body. So wearing such a thing will ease the pain until your white rukh accept your black."

"I know alright. I just don't like being dressed like an idiot."

Ithnan rested his chin on his staff. A long, thin hand had reached into the shallow basket of peaches behind Judal which the Magi had uncharacteristically ignored. He then reached forward, placing the small orb of soft gold and delicate peach into Judal's hands. "Until you adjust to what I'm teaching you, your body will be ill and weakened. Once your sleeping is back to normal, and you're eating correctly again, you can do as you wish. And it's also when I'll continue your studies."

"...I said I'm fine," he looked down at the offending fruit in his palms, and felt his stomach muscles tighten. It seemed strange, how he knew his favourite food in the world would taste so bitter and rancid the moment it touched his lips. Even so, he raised it and took a small bite. What should be such a sweet, delicate tang instead erupted as an unpleasant explosion of taste which made him gag and almost drop it. His eyes watered, and he tried to resolve himself to continue doing such a simple thing as eating. He swallowed the minuscule bite thickly. "See? I can eat, so start teaching me again."

Ithnan laughed. "Your eyes are watering, Judal..."

He glared, wiping at his face with the long sleeve. "...Shut up. just you wait. Soon I'll have my empire and armies and I'll do whatever I want. And I won't need you."

"Your empire? Your armies?" Ithnan laughed. "You really think you can do anything? You can't have that person who rejected you, though?" Judal glared over his shoulder sourly at him. "Perhaps you wish to destroy Sinbad for not desiring you. I guess that would truly be doing whatever you want."

"...You really don't get it do you?" Judal drawled lazily. He leaned onto his palm and closed his eyes. He then flicked the pit of that peach he had toiled on over the side of the carpet and out of his sight. He felt Ithnan pass him a second. "...And like I need you feeding me..."

"You can pretend I'm him," Ithnan locked eyes with him.

"Just how stupid are you? You think I still like that idiot king?" he took a slightly, larger bite from the next peach. It tasted equally as foul, but he reminded himself the sooner he was done with it, the better. "It's not like it has anything to do with you, so shut up about Sinbad. and whilst we're at it, stop doing weird things like touching my hand. Just because you did, it doesn't mean I like you more than him."

"If you hate it so much, you could just walk away."

...Perhaps he should do just that. In fact, what was stopping him? Slowly he brought his arching body to stand, smoothed over his robes and stepped off the carpet. Without even commanding them, he watched a cloud of black gather below him. As he was also made to wear shoes, ugly, plain shoes, he couldn't feel them either. Regardless, the shadowy rukh gathered as if forming a path of silent ebony below him on the cloudy skies. He then looked back triumphantly.

"...Impressive," Ithnan agreed as he looked over him. "You're loved so much by the black rukh already. But I guess that's to be expected; you've learned so much in such a small amount of time, though."

"...It's not that impressive. I could float using gravity magic before," Judal declared somewhat lazily. "You're just teaching to do the stuff I knew, just in a different way."

"You're so impatient. I'm teaching you the basics, which is why it appears similar."

"It sounds like excuses, you know."

"It's not," Ithnan informed him flatly as he gazed over the floating, defiant Magi . "This is a special sort of magic. You can't read how to do it, so you can't just work out in mere months what it takes your average, gifted magician a lifetime to master and protect. Simply put...I'm no average magician," he said, as if to remind him how fortunate he should be that Al-Thamen chose him. "If your body isn't strong enough yet, teaching you will just make you faint again. And you being awake during a lesson is somewhat useful to you learning, strange I know. You still weaken with the most simple things I taught you."

Judal sighed. He stepped back onto the carpet, and didn't want to admit to the growing aching and fatigue within him of just floating in such a way. "Like I'm that bad..."

"Be patient. Don't lie, and tell me when you're back to sleeping normally and these peaches taste as you remember them. When you do, I can teach you more. And I'll be able to start helping you curse your fate."

"I still don't get what not sleeping enough has to do with learning magic," Judal insisted.

"Everything, Magi. That's the point you keep missing," Ithnan glanced over his tired eyes and paled features. He then handed him a third peach, and ignored the groan he earned from doing that. Judal just started down at it with an empty expression. "It can't be helped. But I guess I could tell you something interesting, if you ask nicely."

"You could tell me about Alma-Toran," Judal mumbled. He had long accepted those men of Al-Thamen never spoke of such a place, or even confirmed they were from it. However, the black magician nodded and he perked up excitedly. "Ah? Really? You'll tell me?"

"Of course. I have no problem telling you about somewhere like that," Ithnan said, and then paused. "For a kiss, I'll tell you whatever you want to know."

Judal sighed, and flopped back down onto his stomach. he took a bite from that third peach, again bigger than before, and shook his head. "Like I'd ever be that curious I'd want to kiss a weird guy like you..."

"What if I told you your cute little brother was involved in that place?" Ithnan inquired. Judal glanced back at him, but shook his head a little too quickly for the magician to believe him. "Very well, then. I have a feeling you'll change your mind, however..."