Night 3- His Name is Alibaba

Magi © Shinobu Ohtaka

Shahra © Me

A hot, sunny morning. A carriage sits in the middle of a desert outcropping, the driver smoking a pipe as he sat at the driver's seat. A pause…but then he started to groan impatiently.

"Alibaba!" he shouted. "What the hell's taking you so long?! We gotta be at Qishan by midday!"

"I'm almost finished!" Alibaba shouted as he stood in front of rock, his pants down slightly. "Jeez, can't a guy take a leak?! I've been holding this in since last night!"

"Well, that's what you get for drinking all that water before we left Maulla!" his partner argued.

Alibaba rolled his eyes as he pulled up his pants, having finished his business.

"I don't even know why we bother with this kind of job," he said. "We're not even getting paid that much!"

"Ah, c'mon, Alibaba," his partner answered. "It's not that bad."

"Yeah, well that's gonna change, one day," Alibaba answered. "One of these days, I'm gonna get rich!"

"Don't tell me you're still planning on conquering that dungeon!" his partner quipped. "You've been saying that forever, and you still haven't done it yet. Then again, the youngsters always dream big!"

Alibaba sneered while his partner just laughed.

'Screw him,' he thought. 'I'm gonna conquer that dungeon, one day, no matter what anyone says!'

Not too far away, Aladdin sighed in relief as he stood in front of a rock with his pants down, too.

"Much better," he said as he pulled his pants up and tied his sash around his waist. "I thought I was gonna explode if I had to hold that in much longer."

He then heard the sound of camels grunting and gasped before he turned to see the carriage leaving.

"Uh-oh," he muttered before he ran after it. "Shahra! Come on! The carriage is leaving without us!"

Shahra appeared from behind a larger rock before she made a dash for the carriage. Aladdin hurriedly climbed inside the moment he got close before he turned to look at the tiger, who was quite a distance away.

"Shahra!" he called. "Shahra, hurry!"

Up front, Alibaba was holding the camels' reins while his partner nonchalantly smoked his pipe…but as the older man turned around, he spotted Shahra approaching, causing him to gasp in shock.

"A-A-Alibaba! Faster!" he urged. "Go faster! There's a tiger behind us!"

"What tiger?" Alibaba asked as he turned and saw Shahra. "OH, CRAP!"

Grabbing his switch, the young man began to whip the camels' backsides, causing them to go faster.

"Faster! She's gaining on us!" shouted his partner.

"I can't make the camels go faster!" Alibaba shouted.

In the back, Aladdin gasped quietly before he looked at Shahra, who is still running after him.

"Hurry, Shahra!" he called. "Hurry!"

Shahra panted as she kept running after the carriage. Just when it seemed like she was about to make it, she suddenly trips on another rock and falls into the sand, to Aladdin's shock.

"No!" the boy cried.

Shahra groaned as she stood up and shook her head, disoriented, but as she looked up, she gasped when she saw the carriage getting farther away…with Aladdin still inside.

"Shahra!" Aladdin shouted. "Shahra~!"

Shahra attempted to follow, but she grunted in pain when she felt a pain in her right paw, forcing her to stop. She then looked back at the horizon…where Aladdin and the carriage were almost out of sight.

"Man, that was close!" Alibaba's partner sighed. "Good thing that tiger tripped, otherwise we'd be cat food!"

"Yeah," Alibaba agreed. "By the way…I thought I heard a voice, just now."

"What voice?" his partner asked. "I didn't hear anything."

"…Probably the wind," Alibaba reassured himself.

In the back, Aladdin watched sadly as Shahra disappeared in the distance. He sniffled as he backed up, but then he shook his head, fighting back tears.

"No!" he said. "I-I'm not gonna cry! Not again!"

He then sat down, sniffling.

"I'm not gonna cry…no matter how badly I want to…!" he whimpered. He then looked over at the pile of watermelons that had been stocked inside the carriage with him…and he licked his lips as his mouth began to water.

"…Shahra will probably catch up," he mused as he picked up one of the large fruits and set it in his lap. "In the meantime, I'll have myself a little snack while I wait for her."

XXX

"Well, here we are," Alibaba said with a smile. "Qishan, at last."

Up ahead, a huge bustling city surrounding by a marble wall came into view. The oasis city Qishan was a very prosperous place, filled with noblemen and tourists alike. However, what really made the city stand out…was the huge tower that sits in the middle of it. Alibaba's lips turned up with a knowing smile as he laid his eyes upon it.

'It's still there,' he thought. 'I still have a chance…!'

He gripped the camels' reins excitedly.

'This time…for sure,' he thought. 'I'm not holding back…I'm going to capture that dungeon, no matter what it takes!'

"Alibaba!" his partner barked. "Focus on the road!"

"R-right! Sorry!" Alibaba said as he kept driving the carriage.

After getting through the gate, they take the carriage into the shade to let the camels rest.

"Go unload the cargo," Alibaba's partner said as he jumped down and walked away. "I'm gonna go let Lord Budel know that we've arrived."

"Yeah, I know the drill," Alibaba answered as he jumped down, too, and headed to the back to get the many watermelons that were stored inside. When he looked…he found no watermelons. Instead, he finds a boy with blue hair, lying in the back of the carriage, snoring softly, one hand on the floor, the other on his engorged tummy, and red, sticky juice smeared around his mouth and his palms and empty watermelon rinds littered across the floor.

Seeing this, Alibaba's shock was soon replaced with anger.

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!" he questioned.

"Huh?!" Aladdin muttered as he awoke with a start. He paused, blinking sleepily for a moment, before he finally spotted Alibaba. He yawned and smacked his lips before he smiled.

"Hi," he greeted, rubbing his eye with back of his hand. "I'm Aladdin. I'm a traveler. I was just taking a nap after I made a really tasty meal of the watermelons back here- AAH!"

He yelped when Alibaba jumped in and grabbed him by the collar of his vest, the blonde pulling him up to eye-level and giving him a vicious glare.

"Don't you give me any of that crap!" Alibaba growled. "Do you have any idea what you just did?!"

Aladdin just blinked at Alibaba, still half-asleep and confused.

"Hey, Alibaba! I'm back with Lord Budel!"

"Oh, crap…!" Alibaba cursed silently, a sense of dread overcoming him. Without warning, he dropped Aladdin on the floor and came outside, where he saw his partner, followed by a very fat man who wore a purple vest, a pair of white trousers, and had his hair and mustache styled in a hook-like fashion. The same could be said for the two muscular men following him.

"L-Lord Budel!" Alibaba exclaimed, trying to hide his nervousness with a fake smile. "It's a pleasure, sir!"

"Have you brought the cargo?" the fat man, Budel, asked.

"Uhh…well…" Alibaba muttered.

"What's the matter?" asked his fellow driver. "It's there, isn't it?"

"Enough of this!" Budel barked as one of his bodyguards grabbed Alibaba and pulled him out of the carriage. "Just let me see, already!"

As the obese man pulled back the tarp that covered the carriage, he soon found Aladdin, sitting amongst empty watermelon rinds, still half-asleep. Budel blinked at the boy, confused and surprised, as Aladdin's cheeks puffed up slightly before his mouth opened, releasing a small burp.

"Excuse me," he muttered.

"GRAH!" Budel cried in anger before he turned to look at a kneeling Alibaba. "Alibaba! What is going on here?! Who is this brat?!"

"Yeah, Alibaba! Who is he?!" asked the blonde-haired teen's partner.

"Well…I don't know," Alibaba answered. "A stowaway, I guess?"

As he turned…he saw, to his shock, that Aladdin had come out of the carriage…and is now sticking his face right into Budel's chest, his tiny palms squeezing and groping his large breasts.

"AAH!" Alibaba yelped.

"What…is he…doing?!" his partner questioned.

"Wow!" Aladdin exclaimed, his voice muffled by Budel's fat chest. "How come you have such nice, big boobs like this when you're a man?!"

Budel growled angrily as the giggling boy continued to grope his breasts.

"I just looooove boobs, you know!" Aladdin swooned, unaware of the man's growing anger.

"STOP THAT!" Alibaba shouted as he pulled Aladdin away from Budel, whose chest bounced comically before stopping.

"S-s-sorry, Lord Budel!" cried Alibaba's partner.

"Yeah!" Alibaba cried as he kneeled, pushing down on Aladdin's head to force him to bow, as well. "Th-the truth is, this little brat is-"

"SHUT UP!" Budel roared as he stamped his foot in Alibaba's hair. "First, this boy eats all my watermelons, and then you let him insult me like this! You're going to pay me back, one way or another, Alibaba! Mark my words!"

"But…but I-" Alibaba began.

"WAIT!"

Everyone turned to look at Aladdin, who stood up after he managed to pry Alibaba's hand off his head, and then bowed.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't know the watermelons were yours."

"Huh?" Budel muttered.

Aladdin then held out his pouch of money.

"I-I can pay for it!" he said. "How much were they? I'm not sure if this is enough, but-"

Without warning, Budel snatched the pouch of coins out of Aladdin's hands.

"It's a start," Budel said, pocketing the change, "but you owe me a hell of a lot more for what you did. Alibaba's punishment is yours, too, you perverted little brat."

Aladdin blinked before he looked over at Alibaba, who just stood there, staring at him in surprise.

"You're free to go, for now, Alibaba," Budel said as he and his two bodyguards walked off. "I won't let this go that easily."

A pause…but then Alibaba's partner turned and walked away.

"Hey!" Alibaba called. "Where are you going?!"

"Sorry, Alibaba," his partner answered, "but I'm afraid sticking around with you isn't worth the trouble, anymore. Our partnership is over."

"What?!" the teen questioned. "You're not serious, are you?! You're not gonna help me pay off Budel?!"

"What's the point?" asked his now ex-partner. "You heard Budel. That kid is your problem, now!"

With that, he walked away, leaving Alibaba to sulk.

"Dammit to hell," he cursed before he looked over at Aladdin, who blinked up at him before looking down at the grass, rubbing his arm in a guilty manner. A pause…but then, the young man just sighed.

"…Thanks for trying to help me," Alibaba said.

"No problem," Aladdin said before he began to walk off.

"Whoa, wait a minute!" Alibaba called. "Where are you going? You're not gonna walk out on me, too, are you?"

"It's not that," Aladdin replied. "It's just…I'm not sure where to go, now."

"Well, isn't your mother looking for you or your something?" Alibaba asked, only for Aladdin to tense up a bit, and at that moment, a look of realization hit him. "Oh…I see."

Aladdin looked down at the ground, chewing his lip and fiddling with his hands. Alibaba sighed as he scratched back of his head.

"You could…stay with me for a little while," he said, causing Aladdin to turn and look at him in surprise.

"I can?" Aladdin asked.

"Yeah…I got room at my place," Alibaba answered with a small but friendly smile. "Besides, you did try and help me outta that jam. I owe you one."

Hearing this caused Aladdin to smile hopefully.

XXX

As night began to fall, Alibaba and Aladdin stood outside a wooden door, the former unlocking it with a key. Once he did so, the door was opened, revealing a room filled with a sofa with old cushions strewn upon, a bed, a wooden desk, a tea table with a rusty oil lamp on it, a pile dusty, tattered rugs on the floor, a basket full of apples, some meat carcasses (which looked like they had almost been stripped clean) hanging from the ceiling, and 2 other doorways leading to several other rooms.

"Well, here we are," Alibaba answered. "My humble abode."

"Wow!" Aladdin whispered as he took a look around in awe. "It's…very nice!"

"Thanks," Alibaba said as he went off to another room. "Go ahead and take a load off. I'll make us some tea."

Aladdin sat on the sofa before he continued his survey his surroundings.

'Everything looks so old and dusty,' Aladdin thought. 'It almost reminds me of mine and Mother's house back at Utan.'

"So, Aladdin, right?" Alibaba spoke as he came back in, "what were you doing in the back of my carriage, anyway? I mean, besides eating all of those watermelons and sleeping?"

Aladdin chuckled sheepishly.

"Sorry about that," he apologized, "it's just…I was trying to help my friend, Shahra, escape from a town."

"Escape?" Alibaba repeated as he took a seat next to Aladdin. "Why?"

"She was going to be sold off like she was a piece of property," Aladdin said, sadly.

"Well, I hate to break it to you Aladdin," Alibaba began, "but I'm afraid that's a pretty common thing in this world we live in. People get bought and sold, and as much as some people don't like that, there's not really much we can do about it. Still, you and that friend of yours got lucky you got outta there."

"Yeah, we were lucky," Aladdin agreed, "but…when you stopped to take a break out in that desert outcropping, we had to take a break, too, but when you started to leave without us, I managed to get on, but…Shahra wasn't so lucky. She's probably lost in the desert, wondering if I'm okay. I know she's probably worried about me, and I'm really worried about her."

"You know, you could've revealed yourself sooner," Alibaba said. "I would've stopped for your friend had I known you were on there."

"I'm sorry," Aladdin said. "I was just afraid you'd send Shahra back to those bad people."

"I see," Alibaba answered. "I'm sorry, Aladdin."

"It's okay, Mister…umm…" Aladdin muttered. "Mister…I'm sorry, what's your name again?"

Alibaba chuckled before he held his hand out to the boy.

"Alibaba," he said. "Alibaba Saluja."

Aladdin smiled before he firmly shook the older teen's hand.

"It's nice to meet you, Alibaba," he said.

"Likewise," Alibaba agreed as they pulled away. "So you think your friend will be okay?"

"I think Shahra will be fine on her own," Aladdin replied. "I am worried about her, but she can take care of herself. She's actually very strong. She fought off a pack of dogs for me after I met her!"

"Wow!" Alibaba exclaimed. "So she's one tough customer, huh?"

"Yeah," Aladdin laughed. "I've only known her for a few days, but she's already become a great friend of mine! I'm sure she'll come and find me, soon!"

"Well, that's good to hear," Alibaba answered before he heard a whistling sound. "Oh! Tea's ready! Hang on a sec."

With that, he headed back into the kitchen to turn to the teakettle off. Shortly afterward, he came back, carrying two cups of tea on a tray.

"Here you go," Alibaba said as he handed the blue-eyed boy a cup. "Careful, it's hot."

Aladdin blew on his tea for a moment before he took a sip.

"Mmm…!" he hummed, pleasantly. "Darjeeling."

Alibaba chuckled before he blew on his tea and took a sip, as well.

"So…you live here, huh?" Aladdin asked.

"Yep," Alibaba answered. "I know it doesn't look like much, but the price is right. Besides, I'm not really gonna be living here much longer, anyway."

"How come?" Aladdin asked, curiously as Alibaba yawned and stretched before he put his tea on the table.

"Because," Alibaba began, letting out another yawn, "I'm gonna be capturing a dungeon, soon."

"A…dungeon?" Aladdin asked, tilting his head in bewilderment. "What's a dungeon?"

Alibaba looked at the boy like he was speaking a different language.

"You're kidding me, right, kid?" Alibaba asked. "You seriously don't know what a dungeon is?"

Aladdin shook his head "no" in response.

"Wow," Alibaba muttered. "That's just…wow. Wait here."

Aladdin watched as he went over to his desk and searched through the drawers.

"I know I put it somewhere," Alibaba murmured as he continued his search. "Where did I…ah! Here it is!"

He pulled out an old scroll from one of the drawers and headed back to the sofa. Where he sat down and opened the scroll on the table. Inside the scroll was a picture of a tower made of gold, jutting out of the sea.

"Is that a dungeon?" Aladdin asked.

"Yep," Alibaba answered. "Dungeons are these strange and mysterious ruins that appeared all around the world about 14 years ago. Whoever can manage to capture one…can claim enormous wealth and power."

"Really?" Aladdin asked in amazement.

"Yeah," Alibaba replied. "There was one kid who actually managed to capture the first dungeon…and he went on to become a king."

"A king?!" Aladdin asked, even more amazed.

"That's right," Alibaba said. "The dungeons are filled with sorts of things…gold and silver treasures, jewelry, and other magical items!"

"Magical…!" Aladdin whispered.

"That's right," Alibaba smiled. "I hear rumors that there's still a genuine Magi wandering around, but whatever you find in the dungeons is for real! Like magic flying clothes, urns that are always overflowing with wine…and the ultimate find…a Djinn Metal Vessel!"

Aladdin gasped quietly at this before he looked at his flute.

"Hey, Alibaba!" he said. "These dungeons you're talking about, do you know where they are?"

Alibaba only yawned.

"I'm kinda tired, Aladdin," he said, sleepily. "Maybe I can tell you in the morning, okay? You're probably tired, too."

Aladdin was about to argue, but alas, his body betrayed him, for he soon let out a yawn, as well.

"I am a little tired," he said.

"You can stay with me until your friend comes around looking for you," Alibaba said as he got up.

"Thank you," Aladdin said as he rested his head on a cushion. As he did, Alibaba placed a blanket on top of him. "Goodnight, Alibaba."

"Goodnight," Alibaba replied as he went over to his bed. "Sleep well."

As the two began to retire for the night, Aladdin looked at his flute and smiled fondly.

"Finally," he whispered, "we can find out a little more about your people."

He then sighed as he began to close his eyes.

"Goodnight, Ugo."

His flute glowed softly in response.

XXX

The following morning, Aladdin is still sleeping on Alibaba's sofa, when suddenly, a hand reached down and gently shook him.

"Aladdin," Alibaba whispered as he shook him. "Aladdin, wake up. C'mon, little buddy."

The only response he got was Aladdin groaning while giving him the evil eye.

"Five more minutes," the boy grumbled as he turned on his left side, his back facing Alibaba, who sneered for a moment…but that sneer was replaced with a mischievous.

"Fine," the blonde teen said. "You leave me no choice. It's tickle time!"

With that, Alibaba grabbed Aladdin and began to scribble his fingers all over his exposed belly, causing the boy to burst out into laughter.

"No! No!" Aladdin cried. "Hahahahahaha! Stop it, Alibaba! Stop tickling me! You win!"

On that, Alibaba let the boy go, leaving him to catch his breath.

"No fair!" Aladdin said. "You play dirty!"

"No one said life was fair," Alibaba said…but then he paused when a strange smell hit his nose. "What the hell is that smell?"

"What smell?" Aladdin asked.

Alibaba looked down at Aladdin, then took a whiff before he gasped and pinched his nostrils shut.

"Oh, jeez!" he cried. "Aladdin, no offense…but when was the last time you had yourself a bath?!"

Aladdin just blinked before he put his arm up and sniffed, only to shudder at the offending smell of body odor.

"Uh…I guess it's been a while since I bathed," the boy said, sheepishly.

Alibaba just sighed.

"You really need to learn how to take care of yourself, kid," he said. "Alright, come on. Into the tub with you."

Aladdin nodded before he followed Alibaba into the restroom. It took about an hour-and-a-half to get the boy clean (and poor Aladdin was shivering since the water was so cold), and another hour for Aladdin's clothes to be washed and dried, and of course, they had some "business" to take care of, but once all of that was out of the way, Alibaba and Aladdin, who got dressed in his clean clothes, headed down to the bazaar to get breakfast.

"Hey, Alibaba?" asked Aladdin.

"Hmm?" Alibaba hummed. "What's up?"

"Those dungeons you mentioned last night," Aladdin said. "Where are they?"

"Oh, yeah," Alibaba replied before he pointed to the north. "That's one, right there."

Aladdin looked up and saw that Alibaba was pointing to a tall tower with golden railings and two statues of odd-looking, fierce creatures at the sides of the entrance.

"That's Dungeon No. 7, Amon," Alibaba explained. "It appeared about 10 years ago."

"Whoa…!" Aladdin said in awe. "It's huge! It looks like it's almost touching the sky!"

"Yeah," Alibaba agreed. "I'm gonna capture that dungeon…as well as all the other dungeons that haven't been cleared, yet, and I'll become the richest man in the whole world."

"Huh," Aladdin muttered as he followed Alibaba to the marketplace. "You must really like money, huh, Alibaba?"

"Well, it's not so much an affinity for money, kiddo," Alibaba answered. "It's more like a necessity."

"A necessity?" Aladdin repeated.

"That's right," Alibaba replied. "People need money, Aladdin…me, especially. And by that…I mean enough to buy a whole country."

Guuuuuuurrrrmmgh…! Alibaba froze before he turned to look at Aladdin, who smiled sheepishly as he hugged his grumbling stomach. The amber-eyed teen chuckled a little, but then he stopped when he felt his own stomach growling.

"Also," Alibaba began as he and Aladdin walked into the bazaar, "when you have money, you can buy whatever you want and buy as much food as you can eat!"

"Wow!" Aladdin exclaimed. "Yummy food!"

"Not to mention money attracts the ladies~!" Alibaba said with a wink.

"Wow! Pretty ladies~!" Aladdin exclaimed with blushing cheeks and a drooling mouth.

"That's right, little buddy!" Alibaba shouted. "If he has money, a man can be popular! All these gorgeous women with big, soft breasts practically throw themselves right at you!"

"Haaaaa~!" Aladdin cried as he pulled his turban over his eyes and spun around, giddily. "That's embarrassing~!"

Fwump! The blue-haired boy accidentally bumped into a young girl, about 5 years older than him, with red hair and pink eyes and wearing raggedy clothing. Atop her head was a large basket, filled to the brim with dozens of lemons.

"Oh!" Aladdin exclaimed. "I-I'm sorry about that, miss! Are you okay?"

The girl didn't answer him. Instead, she used her free hand to juggle two of the lemons that had fallen to the ground after Aladdin bumped into her and threw them back into the basket. Then, she looked at the boy with pursed lips.

'Whoa…!' Alibaba thought. 'She's cute!'

"Uh, hey!" he said, clasping his hands together. "Sorry about my little friend, there! Are you okay? Do you need help carrying that?"

"No, thank you," the girl said. "I'm fine."

With that, she walked away, causing Alibaba to sigh in exasperation.

"Good grief," he muttered before he looked down at Aladdin, who just stared after the girl. "What's up, Aladdin?"

"…Why are there chains on her ankles?" Aladdin asked.

"What chains?" Alibaba asked before he looked…and gasped in shock upon seeing iron shackles, locked around the girls' ankles. The girl noticed their gaze before she turned around, blushing in embarrassment and shame, and attempted to pull her tattered dress over her feet so they wouldn't see. However, in doing so, she accidentally dropped the lemons, again.

"…Oh, my god," Alibaba whispered. "She's a slave!"

"A slave?" Aladdin repeated.

"Yeah," Alibaba answered. "Like your friend, Shahra, was probably gonna be until you saved her. Slaves are humans that get bought and sold and treated like a piece of property until the day they die. Pretty rotten we live in, huh?"

No answered.

"Aladdin?" Alibaba asked before he looked and saw said boy approaching the girl, who tried to put the lemons back in the basket while trying to hide her ankles. "Whoa, whoa, wait a minute! What are you doing?!"

Aladdin smiled as he crouched in front of the girl, who whimpered as she tried to hide her ankles again. Then, he played a small note on his flute, and SLASH! The chains were cut in half!

"There!" he said. "No more chains! Now you can walk around without hiding those pretty legs of yours, miss!"

The girl and Alibaba gasped in shock while the crowd began to murmur amongst themselves.

"What is that kid doing?!"

"Has he lost his mind?!"

"How'd he cut those chains?!"

"Whose slave is that?!"

"I-I think she's one of Lord Jamil's slaves!"

"Aladdin, are you nuts?!" Alibaba asked he grabbed the boy by the shoulders. "You can't do that!"

"I don't care," Aladdin said with a serious expression. "It's wrong. No one deserves to be treated like that. That's what my Mother always told me."

"Look, I know it's wrong," Alibaba said, "but no matter how mad it makes you, you can't go freeing someone's slave, because-"

"What's all this, then?"

Alibaba and Aladdin turned to see Budel and his two bodyguards.

"B-B-Budel…!" Alibaba stammered.

"Stealing a slave, are we, Alibaba?" Budel asked. "That's a serious offense, you know."

"B-but I didn't-" Alibaba started, but he was cut off.

"You can't fool me, you insolent brat!" Budel barked. "They cut off your hands for this, and then how do you expect to pay me back?! Huh?!"

"Oh, come on!" Alibaba cried with a nervous smile. "We're just innocent bystanders in all this! There's no way that anyone could cut through iron chains, right?!"

Aladdin just glared at the fat man, who scoffed as he walked over to the red-haired girl.

"That's the stupidest excuse I've ever heard," he said. "Maybe I ought to make you and that boy my slaves, Alibaba."

Hearing this caused Alibaba to gasp in fright.

'Ah, shit!' he thought.

"The life of a slave is a harsh one, you know," Budel said as he grabbed the girl by her pigtail and held her up. "If someone does this to you…" he then threw her to the ground and stomped his foot on her wrist, "…or THIS to you, you can't even complain about it! Do you understand?!"

"Stop that!"

Everyone looked at Aladdin, who glared at Budel.

"Leave that girl alone, now!" he shouted.

"And just who do you think you are, you little perverted pipsqueak?!" Budel questioned. "I ought to report you and Blondie there to the authorities!"

"No, wait!" Alibaba cried. "Please, you can do whatever you want to me, but please, leave Aladdin alone! He's only a kid!"

SHING! Budel's bodyguards grabbed both Alibaba and Aladdin and placed their swords against their throats.

"Or maybe I should have you both killed here and now!" Budel shouted.

'Damn, damn, damn!' Alibaba thought. 'This is not good! Definitely NOT good!'

Fweep! Aladdin blew into his flute…and Ugo's arms came snaking out, much to everyone's shock.

"W-w-what are those?!"

"Giant snakes?!"

"They look like arms to me!"

BAM! THWAM! Ugo's huge hands slammed the bodyguards away, and then clapped together to create a powerful shockwave, once again. Budel was so shocked and frightened, he just outright fainted, his pants falling down in the back to reveal his buttocks. Aladdin smiled before he shook the Djinn's finger, but then, Ugo's arms froze and flushed pink before they shrank back into the flute, the reason being that he "saw" the girl.

"Still pretty shy, huh, Ugo?" Aladdin asked as he looked inside the flute.

Everyone just continued staring in shock…especially Alibaba.

'It…it can't be!' he thought. 'That's a…!'

"Hey! What's going on over here?!"

Alibaba turned and saw a bunch of men dressed in white robes with red sashes, armed with cutlasses approaching.

"Oh, jeez!" Alibaba cried. "The police! C'mon, Aladdin! Let's get outta here before they see us!"

"O-okay!" Aladdin said as he and the blonde teen ran off, but not before he turned to the girl. "Bye, Miss Slave Lady!"

The girl blinked for a moment, but then she got over her shock and stood up, running off to who-knows-where.

XXX

A bit later, in an underground canal, Alibaba looked through a hatch in the ground to check and see if they had been followed. Once he made sure the coast was clear, he closed it and turned to look at Aladdin, who is drinking from the canal.

"Haa!" he sighed. "Refreshing!"

"Hey, Aladdin," Alibaba said. "About that flute of yours…"

"Hmm?" Aladdin hummed.

"Something came bursting out of there!" Alibaba exclaimed.

"Oh, yeah!" Aladdin said. "That was my other friend, Ugo! He's been with me for a long time, now! My Mother told me that he's a Djinn!"

"Is that so?" Alibaba asked with a smile.

'So I was right,' he thought. 'The kid has a Djinn Metal Vessel. This is it…this is the chance I've been waiting for! Capturing dungeons is a risky business…but if I had that kid on my side…'

"Say, Aladdin," Alibaba said. "It's time like these that I really like to unwind, you know?"

"Unwind?" Aladdin repeated.

"Yeah!" Alibaba replied. "You know, kick back and relax! Take a load off and forget all my troubles."

"Oh! I see what you mean!" Aladdin said.

"So, I was wondering," Alibaba began, "you wanna know where I go to unwind?"

Aladdin blinked at the young man curiously.

XXX

Meanwhile, in a large manor in town, a man sits at his desk, writing down on paperwork while two women fan him and massage his arm. The man had black hair and mauve eyes, wore a white cloth around his head, black robes with golden trimmings, and a white shirt.

"So," he muttered, "I've heard that there had been a commotion in town, today…Budel."

"Oh, yes!" Budel said, bowing his head. "I-it was just some idiots trying to free one of your slaves, Lord Jamil, sir!"

"…I see," said Jamil, who shooed the women away. As they walked out, it is soon revealed that they are wearing shackles on their feet…just like the red-haired girl from earlier. "By the way…I also heard about some goings-on in town. Something about a boy with a spirit inside a flute?"

"W-where did you hear that from, milord?" Budel asked, nervously.

"Oh…my trusted watchdog told me," Jamil answered, and not long after…the red-haired girl came in. "Isn't that right, Morgiana?"

"Yes, Lord Jamil," the girl, known as Morgiana, muttered.

"Good girl," said Jamil…before he smacked her across the face, causing her to fall down. "Another thing…if you try and escape again, next time I'll chop off your tongue, understand?!"

"Y-yes, Lord Jamil," Morgiana said, holding her cheek.

"Now then, Budel," said Jamil. "I have a job for you."

"Y-yes, sir?" Budel asked.

XXX

That night, back in town…Alibaba had brought Aladdin to a certain house, filled with many beautiful women. Currently, Aladdin had his face shoved in the chests of two doting women.

"Aww, look at that cute little face~!"

"No fair, Miranda! Let me have a turn with him!"

Aladdin giggled as he continued to nuzzle and grope the women's chests.

"This is a fun place, huh?" he asked. "Sooooo soft!"

Alibaba grinned confidently as he sat nearby.

'Okay, Alibaba,' he thought. 'Time to lay on the charms!'

"So, Aladdin," he said, "you're a traveler, right? Do you happen to have a goal or something?"

"Hey," Aladdin said. "You said that there are Djinn Metal Vessels inside the dungeons, right?"

"Uh…yeah, I did," Alibaba replied.

"I actually do have a goal in mind," Aladdin said. "You see, my Mother told me about the Djinn Metal Vessels, so she tasked me to help Ugo find them because it would make him happy. After all, he is my best friend…so, if it's not too much trouble, could you please guide me to the dungeon in town?"

"Sure," Alibaba answered, "but that definitely you're coming with me, then, right?!"

"Of course!" Aladdin replied, causing Alibaba to sigh in relief.

'So, this is it,' Alibaba thought. 'I'm really doing this! I'm gonna capture Amon…and I'm gonna get rich for sure!'

He then looked at Aladdin, who has gone back to being doted on by the two girls as he rubbed his face into their breasts.

'Jeez, he really looks like he's enjoying himself,' Alibaba thought. 'Is he really a little boy?! He sure acts like a man!'

He then gulped and blushed heavily.

'In that case,' he thought, 'maybe I should enjoy myself, too!'

"Service time will start, momentarily!" cried the club owner.

'This is gonna be great!' Alibaba thought.

A few minutes later, Alibaba heard the sound of high heels, clicking against the floor as they approached. Soon after, he heard a soft, feminine voice.

"Thank you for waiting, sir."

'It's her…!' Alibaba thought as he felt someone sit next to him.

"What an adorable little friend you have there," his companion said as she picked up a bottle of wine.

"Who, Aladdin?" Alibaba asked. "Oh, yeah. I hope you don't mind. I know that little kids aren't supposed to be in here."

As he looked up…he saw, to his horror, that he was staring at a tall, muscular woman with beady eyes and a crooked nose. Her appearance made her look more masculine than feminine.

"Well, aren't you a sweet man?" she asked. "My name is Elizabeth, by the way."

'Holy shit…!' Alibaba thought. 'This is the best one in the house?!'

SMASH! Elizabeth used her long nails to cut the wine bottle open, and then poured some into Alibaba's cup.

"I'm known as the competent hostess of this establishment, bar none," she said. "I'm pleased to make your acquaintance."

Alibaba shuddered inwardly before he looked at Aladdin, who is still being doted on by the other girls.

XXX

After a while, Aladdin and Alibaba exited the night club, the former looking very happy.

"Wow, that sure was fun, Alibaba!" he exclaimed. "After we're finished in the dungeon, let's come back here again, okay? Promise?"

Alibaba didn't speak…for he was covered in kiss marks and had a horrid expression on his face.

"You're a hard one to find, you little rats."

The boys turned to see Budel and his bodyguards.

"If you have money to spend on partying, why don't you use that to reimburse me?!" Budel questioned.

"…I don't have it," Alibaba answered as he wiped off the lipstick off his cheek. "Not yet…but I will! I'm gonna capture the dungeon, and then I'll be able to pay you in full!"

"Dungeon?" Budel repeated…before he and his bodyguards burst into laughter. "You honestly expect anyone to believe that garbage?!"

Alibaba only glared while Aladdin just looked up at him.

"You shouldn't try and run from me, Alibaba," Budel hissed. "If you do, I'll have your face on wanted posters in every neighboring town! So, I'm going to give you two choices: either you work for me…or become my slave until the day you die. Take your pick."

"…What are you, stupid?" Alibaba asked. "The choice is obvious!"

XXX

The following day, Alibaba is seen loading barrels into a wagon.

"So…what kind of job am I doing, again?" he asked with that same fake smile.

"We're transporting my special wine to the next town," said Budel as he boarded the wagon. "Lord Jamil tasked me with this job, so you should be grateful for this."

"Of course, sir!" Alibaba said. "With pleasure!"

He then sighed as he sat in the driver's seat with Aladdin, who quietly picked his nose in boredom.

"Wine, huh?" Alibaba muttered. "Damn fat-ass…he's totally messing with us."

Aladdin sighed as he turned around…only to gasp quietly.

"Alibaba, look over there!" he said. "It's the red-haired girl!"

Alibaba turned and saw a bunch of people, locked up in a cage…among them being Morgiana, as well as a mother and daughter, and all of them had shackles around their ankles.

"Lord Budel," Alibaba said, "who are those people?"

"Who, them?" Budel asked. "Just a bunch of slaves we're transporting to the mines."

Morgiana glanced at Alibaba, who gasped quietly before he turned away. Soon, the caravan began to exit through the town gate.

"Mankind should never dream beyond their limits," Budel quipped as he sloppily ate an apple. "Rats are rats and slaves are slaves. If you are unlucky enough to be born as either, you only end up living a life worth no more than trash…don't you think, Alibaba?"

"…Yeah," Alibaba mumbled under his breath.

"What was that? I can't hear you, boy!"

A pause…but then Alibaba turned to face Budel with that same fake smile, again.

"It's just as you say, sir!" he said. "Really! I mean, sure, people dream…but all we can do is toil until the day we die! Hehehehe…"

"That's what I thought," Budel said before he laughed, while Alibaba gripped his switch, which Aladdin noticed.

"…Alibaba," Aladdin said, causing him to look at him. "Why are you lying so much? Why do you let him push you around like that?"

"…I don't have a choice," Alibaba answered as he looked ahead. "If I wanna get by in life…I have no choice but to listen to him and be his lapdog, no matter how much he angers me."

"…So in a way, you're his slave, too," Aladdin said.

"What did you say?!" Alibaba questioned.

"Look, Alibaba," Aladdin said, "if you just keep lying and let everyone walk all over…nobody will believe you. You won't even believe yourself anymore, will you?"

Alibaba just stared at Aladdin…but then he sighed as he looked ahead.

"Just drop it, okay?" he asked. "It's none of your damn business."

As the caravan rode through the desert and as the sun began to set…the ground began to tremble.

"What was that?!" Aladdin asked.

"Oh, no…!" Alibaba muttered. "It's here!"

"What's here?!" Aladdin questioned. "What's going on?!"

"Just hold on tight!" Alibaba shouted as he began to whip at the camels with his switch. Not long after, however, the ground began to crumble beneath the caravan, causing everyone to collapse. Not long after, a long, green tendril appeared out of the ground. Aladdin looked down and gasped in horror upon seeing a giant flower, sitting in a pit in the ground.

"What that thing?!" Aladdin asked.

"It's a Desert Hyacinth!" Alibaba answered as he and the other members of the caravan began to try and free the camels. "It's a carnivorous plant that lives in the desert! Whatever you do, don't fall in, or it'll eat you alive!"

Aladdin looked down at the Desert Hyacinth, which flailed its vines wildly.

"Aladdin! Don't just stand there!" Alibaba shouted. "Get away from it before it tries to grab you!"

Aladdin gasped before he backed away.

"Alibaba!" Budel barked as he tried to collect his wine barrels. "Help me! Save my wine, you fool!"

"R-right! Of course!" Alibaba said as he ran to get the wine.

As everyone scrambled to get away from the plant, the little girl that was in the cage with the other slaves suddenly slipped off the edge.

"AAH!" she cried. "MOMMY!"

"MINA!" her mother cried.

"Hold on!" Morgiana shouted as she ran to catch Mina, then turned to reach out for someone to grab her.

"I gotcha!" Alibaba called as he was about to reach out to her…only for Budel to push him aside as he grabbed another barrel of wine.

"No! Not my wine!" the fat man cried while Morgiana and Mina fell into the mouth of the Desert Hyacinth, which shut its petals.

"W…what the…?!" Alibaba whispered in shock.

"Phew!" Budel sighed in relief. "That was close. Hurry, now! Let's get out of here! It won't chase us as long as it's eating!"

"NOOOOO!" Mina's mother. "MINA~!"

"Stop, woman!" cried one of the caravan members. "Are you daft?! You'll get eaten!"

'H…hey,' Alibaba thought. 'Somebody, save them…!'

Morgiana struggled to keep the Hyacinth's tendrils away from her and Mina while also trying to keep both their heads out of its digestive juices. Still, the more they struggled, the more the plant tried to keep them down.

'Save them…somebody!' Alibaba thought as he watched in horror. 'They're gonna die! Somebody save them!'

An image of a burning building appeared in his mind, followed by a shadowy figure keeling over on a balcony.

"Come on, Alibaba!" shouted Budel. "Hurry up and get the wine! I'll pay you double if you do! How about it?!"

Alibaba only sneered while Aladdin stared, blankly.

"MINA!" Mina's mother cried with tears flowing from her eyes. "OH, MY GOD, PLEASE NO! PLEASE DON'T TAKE MY LITTLE GIRL AWAY FROM ME~!"

"Oh, stop your blubbering!" Budel barked. "If you want, I can give you more than enough to replace her!"

Then…it happened.

WHAM! Alibaba threw his fist right into Budel's jaw.

'Somebody, my ass!' he thought.

"I'M NOT GONNA LET YOU GET AWAY WITH BUYING SOMEONE'S LIFE WITH THAT DAMNED WINE OF YOURS, YOU FAT PIG!"

Aladdin and everyone else gasped quietly, and not long after, Alibaba grabbed a barrel of wine and jumped down into the pit.

'Dammit to hell!' he thought. 'Now I've gone and done it…but I can't take it back, now! I'm sick and tired of standing at the sidelines and doing nothing!'

He then ran up to the Desert Hyacinth and attempted to pull its petals open.

"Hang on!" Alibaba called to Morgiana and Mina. "I'll make this thing drunk on wine! The Desert Lily Family can't handle liquor! It retreats underground when it gets drunk! That'll be our chance to get away!"

He growled as he tried to get the plant to open its petal, but he just wasn't big or strong enough.

"Dammit!" Alibaba cursed. "Open your mouth already!"

Up above, Aladdin held up his flute.

"Let's help him out, Ugo!" he said before he blew into the flute, causing Ugo to appear, much to everyone's surprise. The Djinn soon dropped down into the pit and grabbed the Desert Hyacinth's petals, forcing it to open.

"Hurry, Alibaba!" Aladdin called out. "Now's your chance!"

"Right!" Alibaba shouted as he threw the barrel of wine into the Hyacinth's mouth, and once he did so, the plant began to flop slightly. Morgiana and Mina both panted as they surfaced.

"Come on!" Alibaba called as he reached down to them. "Grab my hand!"

Morgiana gasped before she grabbed Mina and took Alibaba by the end, but just when it looked like there were about to saved, the plant began to come back to life and grab Ugo with its tendrils.

"Oh, crap!" Alibaba cursed. "One barrel's not enough!"

With a grunt, he pulled the two girls out of the Hyacinth's mouth, only for the plant grab him instead.

"Alibaba!" Aladdin cried.

"Ha!" Budel laughed as he rubbed his jaw. "That's what you get for punching me in the face, boy!"

Aladdin growled angrily before he pulled his turban off his head and lied it flat on the ground. Then, he gathered all the barrels and placed them on before he stood on it, too.

"Fly, Magic Turban!" he exclaimed, and before long, the turban began to rise.

Meanwhile, Alibaba floated in the Desert Hyacinth's gastric juices, his eyes closed and his mouth open slightly.

'Crap…' he thought. 'So this is how my story ends…all that bowing, scraping, and ass-kissing…and for what? I didn't even get to accomplish what I wanted to do…I mean, sure, I want money…but more than anything…I want…'

"DON'T GIVE UP, ALIBABA!"

Alibaba opened his eyes, only to gasp in surprise upon seeing Aladdin, standing on his Magic Turban the barrels of wine behind him.

"See, Alibaba?" Aladdin asked, crossing his arms. "You're not a liar, after all! You can speak the truth, too!"

"A…Aladdin…!" Alibaba whispered.

"See?" Aladdin asked. "There are some money, or wine, can't buy."

"HOLD IT, YOU BRAT! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"

Aladdin looked over at Budel, who shook his fist at him.

"DON'T YOU DARE DROP IT IN THERE!" Budel shouted. "YOU'LL REGRET IT! THAT'S MY MOST EXPENSIVE WIN! IT'S HUNDRED OF TIMES MORE VALUABLE THAN THAT BOY'S LIFE! STOP RIGHT NOW, I BEG OF YOU!"

Aladdin smirked…before he pointed his finger down, and soon, all of the barrels were thrown into Desert Hyacinth's stomach, causing it to fall limp. Just in time, too, for it looked like he couldn't hold on much longer.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Budel screamed in horror.

Alibaba just stared in awe at Aladdin, who smiled down at him.

Not too far away…Jamil sat on a horse, watching everything through a spyglass, and standing beside him was a tall, muscular, bald-headed man with a scar his throat and a steel mask that only showed his left eye.

"Just as I thought," Jamil said with a chuckle.

XXX

"Mommy!"

"Oh, Mina!"

Mina cried happily in her mother's arms, safe and sound, while Morgiana stood by, watching Aladdin and Alibaba, who stood atop the former's Magic Turban.

"…Thanks for your help, Aladdin," Alibaba said. "I owe you, big time."

"…I think I know how you can start, Alibaba," Aladdin said as he held out his hand. "You can start…by being my friend."

Alibaba gasped silently, but then he smiled and shook Aladdin's head.

"Of course!" he said. "I'll always be your friend, Aladdin!"

"COME ON, YOU TWO! GET DOWN FROM THERE!"

Aladdin and Alibaba looked down to see Budel and his many guards.

"HOW DARE YOU WASTE MY WINE!" he shouted. "YOU'RE GONNA REIMBURSE ME IF IT TAKES YOUR WHOLE LIVES! I'LL MAKE YOU BOTH MY SLAVES AND DRAG YOU AROUND ON THE GROUND ON THE END OF A CHAIN!"

Aladdin just sneered at him before he looked down at Ugo.

"C'mon, Ugo!" he called. "We're leaving!"

Ugo climbed out of the pit before he slammed his hands into Budel and his caravan, remembering to avoid the slaves before he ran off with Aladdin and Alibaba perched on his shoulders.

"Alibaba's never gonna be your slave, fatso!" Aladdin shouted as he pulled his eyelid down and stuck out his tongue. "That's because he and I are going on an adventure together, right?"

"R-right!" Alibaba said, excitement and enthusiasm welling up in his chest as he looked towards Amon. "Let's go…to the dungeon!"

"Yeah!" Aladdin cheered.

Until Next Night…

And so it begins.

I gotta say, Alibaba always has the worst luck when it comes to women. XD

Review, please!