Night 17- Alibaba and Cassim

Magi © Shinobu Ohtaka

Shahra © Me

Alozza © Darkdarling98

Alibaba sat before Aladdin and Morgiana, with Alozza and Shahra standing nearby.

"Cassim?" Aladdin asked.

"That's right," Alibaba answered. "Cassim is the true leader of the Fog Troop. He may be the one who gives the orders, but now, he seems to be trying to set me up as the leader."

"What are things like between you two?" Aladdin asked.

"I guess…you could say it's like you and Ugo," Alibaba smiled, causing the young Magi to squeeze his flute. "Cassim and I have been friends since we were little."

"Is that right?" Alozza asked.

Alibaba sighed as he looked out the window.

"…It feels like yesterday," he said. "The days we always spent together, playing in the backstreets of Balbadd…I'll never forgot those times we cherished."

Flashback

In the backstreets of Balbadd, 11 years ago, a group of young, skinny boys, all of them wearing raggedy, tattered, dirty clothing, are seen running around on a pile of trash, where a small flag sits.

"I got it!" exclaimed one of thee, the one with dreadlocks and golden yellow eyes, as he grabbed the flag and held it high. "All hail the King of the Backstreets!"

"Yeah! Cassim's the best!" one of the boys cheered.

"Yeah, he's the champion of Capture the Flag!" added another.

"Heh!" Cassim smirked. "There really isn't anyone who can beat me, huh?"

But then, out of the broken dresser drawer behind him came a hand that grabbed the flag out of Cassim's own.

"Huh?!" Cassim questioned. "H-hey! Where'd the flag go?!"

"Nyah-nyah~!" exclaimed a familiar-looking blonde-haired boy as he came out of the drawer. "You should never let your guard down, even in a game, Cassim! Know why? Because I can dig more tunnels in this mountain of garbage than you could begin to count! I call it 'The Tunnel Death Blow'!"

"What?!" Cassim questioned.

Soon, all the kids started clamoring.

"Wow! Alibaba's so cool!"

"No he's not! He's a big cheater!"

"Well, didn't Cassim say there were no rules?"

"Oh, yeah. I forgot."

"You're really snotty, Alibaba!" Cassim barked.

"Oh, yeah?!" Alibaba questioned. "If you call someone snotty, that makes you the snotty one!"

"What was that?!" Cassim questioned, and soon after, the two started tussling around on the ground…and yet, they started laughing in spite of their little spat.

"Cassim and I always fought when we were little…and yet, we got along. We both ran around in the backstreets, having all sorts of little adventures, day in and day out."

Later, Alibaba is seen walking through the backstreets, on his way home. There, he saw a woman with black hair and tattered clothing, smiling warmly at him.

"Hi, Alibaba!" the woman greeted. "Welcome home!"

"Mommy!" Alibaba exclaimed as he ran to her and hugged her, grinning happily.

"The backstreets wasn't the best place to grow up…but wherever I went, I always managed to find my way back home…and was greeted by my sweet Mom, Anise. She was a prostitute, and we lived poorly…but we were always very happy…although, I couldn't say the same for Cassim."

XXX

In a different part of the backstreets, Cassim is seen struggling against a burly, hairy, bald man with a missing tooth and breath that reeked of alcohol. Nearby, a little girl, about two years younger than Cassim with her hair styled in dreadlocks, too, cried as she clutched her tattered dressed.

"Cassim's mom died, not long after she gave birth to his little sister, Mariam…and they were left to be raised by their ne'er-do-well father."

"You damn brat!" Cassim's father shouted as he punched him in the face. "I thought I told you to get me wine!"

Cassim growled before he spat out some blood.

"WAAAAAAAAAAH~!" Mariam sobbed.

"And you!" the father shouted as he slapped her. "Stop your damn blubbering!"

Cassim gasped before he ran over to Mariam.

"Mariam!" he cried as he held her in his arms. "Are you okay?! You bastard! How dare you hit her!"

"I can do whatever the hell I want to you two!" his father barked. "I'm your father!"

"STOP!"

Anise suddenly ran over, pushing the brute away before she took Cassim and Mariam in her arms.

"Cassim! Mariam!" she cried. "Are you two all right?"

"Miss Anise!" Mariam sobbed.

"You ought to be ashamed of yourself!" Anise shouted at Cassim and Mariam's father. "What kind of father favors liquor over his own children!"

"Shut up, bitch!" the drunkard shouted. "If you ask me, neither of those brats are worth a damn! If you want 'em, you can have 'em!"

Flashback pause

"The drunk bastard actually said that?!" Alozza asked in shock, earning a nod in response from Alibaba.

"My Mom always treated Cassim and Mariam like they were her kids, too," Alibaba said. "Then again, Cassim's mom was her best friend, so maybe she felt like she owed her. If it weren't for my Mom, Mariam wouldn't even be at the age she was, back then."

"So…what happened to their father?" Aladdin asked.

"I'm getting to that part," Alibaba answered. "Cassim's old man disappeared without a trace, one day…he'd either abandoned his kids or died in the gutter. It's actually a pretty common story when you live in the backstreets. Either your parents dump you or they just die off…so my Mom adopted Cassim and Mariam."

Flashback resume

"Cassim! Alibaba! Mariam! Bedtime!"

"Yay!" Mariam cheered as she ran into the room with Alibaba and Cassim following behind her. She jumped into the bed (which was really just an old carpet and a pile of cushions) and snuggled up to Anise's right side, Cassim shyly getting in on the left, and Alibaba happily claimed the middle.

"Goodnight, kids," Anise said.

"Goodnight, Mommy," Alibaba answered.

"Goodnight, Miss Anise!" Mariam added.

"Err…yeah," Cassim murmured. "Goodnight and stuff…"

With that, all four of them soon fell asleep.

"With all of us together like that…it was like we were a family."

Flashback pause

"Oh! A family!" Aladdin chirped, remembering his time with the Kouga Clan. "That sounds nice!"

"You guys must've been really happy," Alozza smiled.

Shahra lied on the floor, smiling, along with Morgiana.

"Yeah…it was nice," Alibaba smiled, "and being with my Mom caused Cassim to change."

Flashback resume

"STOP, THIEF!"

Cassim panted as he ran along the streets, carrying a loaf of bread, and not too far behind, a grown man chase him.

"Cassim had a bad habit of stealing things…not like he had much choice. Sometimes, in the backstreets, you had to stoop to thievery in order to survive."

Just then, the man caught Cassim and held him up by the arm.

"AH!" Cassim cried. "Lemme go!"

"I've had enough of your sticky fingers, Cassim!" shouted the man. "Now you're really in for trouble!"

"WAIT!"

The man turned to see Anise run up to him. She stopped and bowed her head in front of him.

"Please, don't punish Cassim!" she begged. "It's my fault! I was supposed to be watching him!"

"Huh?" the man muttered, confused.

"Please, punish me, instead!" Anise cried.

"Wait, what?!" Cassim questioned. "N-no! Miss Anise, please! You don't have to-"

"It's okay, Cassim."

Cassim gasped quietly before he turned and saw Alibaba, who smiled.

"Mom's just looking out for you, that's all," he said.

Cassim just stared at Alibaba, then glanced back at Anise before his eyes softened.

"In the backstreets, nobody would normally do the things my Mom did…not even for their own child. After that, Cassim behaved himself, and we went living our lives as a family together…but then, one day…things changed."

XXX

Alibaba and Mariam sobbed as they stood before Anise…who lied on the floor, cold and lifeless. Traces of blood were seen on her lips, and she was very skinny to the point where her ribs showed.

Cassim was the only one who didn't cry…but his face still showed great sadness.

"My Mom got sick and passed away…just like yours, Aladdin."

Flashback pause

Aladdin chewed his lip as he looked down at the floor, prompting Shahra to nuzzle him in an attempt to console him. Alozza, meanwhile, looked at Alibaba with the utmost sympathy.

"Alibaba…" she muttered, sadly.

"That day had to be the saddest day in my entire life," Alibaba said. "I was only a little kid, back then. I felt lonely, sad, and helpless. She was my Mom…what was I going to do without her?"

Flashback resume

Alibaba and Mariam continued to mourn Anise's death…but then, Cassim put his hands on their shoulders.

"Cassim was the only one who didn't cry…but I could tell, he was still pretty sad about it. He was a year older than me, so he was like my big brother. He looked at me and Mariam and told us…"

"Don't cry…I promise, from here on out, I'll protect you both!"

"C…Cassim…!"

"Big Brother…!"

Later, Alibaba, Cassim, and Mariam are seen rummaging around in the backstreets, looking for scraps, as well as carrying blankets, helping people carry their shopping, selling anything valuable they found in the garbage, shining shoes for the rich, and even being tour guides for visitors.

"The three of us worked together to try and get by, and sometimes, my Mom's old customers and our neighbors helped us out. We took up jobs, being shoe-shiners, selling whatever treasures we could find, and being tour guides. We didn't make much money, but whatever we could get, we spent it on food to sustain ourselves. Still…back then, it was hard."

XXX

Cassim, Alibaba, and Mariam sat in their house, alone at night, trying to sleep…but the sounds of their grumbling stomachs kept them awake.

"Alibaba…Big Brother," Mariam whimpered, clutching her tummy. "I'm hungry."

"We know, Mariam," said Cassim. "We're hungry, too. We didn't have enough money to buy anything to eat, today."

"Don't worry," Alibaba assured. "I'm sure we'll come up with enough to buy something!"

Cassim and Mariam both smiled…and yet, the former's smile faded as he looked out the window.

XXX

The next morning, Alibaba and Mariam had just woken up. However…Cassim was nowhere to be found.

"Cassim?" Alibaba asked as he looked around.

"Where'd Big Brother go?" Mariam asked.

Speak of the devil, Cassim just entered the house, holding a bag of fruit…and for some reason, he had a dagger, tied to his waist.

"Up and at 'em, guys!" Cassim exclaimed with a smile. "I got breakfast!"

"Yay!" Mariam cheered as she ran to get some.

"Cassim…where did you get all this fruit?!" Alibaba asked in surprise.

"Oh!" Cassim said. "I…err…I didn't tell you, but I actually had a secret stash of money saved up…and I spent it all on this fruit. Sorry for not telling you."

Alibaba stared up at Cassim…but then smiled.

"It's okay," he said.

"Anyway, let's eat!" Cassim said as he picked up an apple. "We're gonna need our strength, today!"

"Yeah!" Alibaba exclaimed. "Down the hatch!"

As the children feasted on their breakfast…Alibaba gave Cassim a look of concern.

"I didn't wanna say it in front of him…but when I saw that dagger on his hip…I knew Cassim had gone back to his old ways."

XXX

In town, some merchants were seen, on their way to the bazaar to sell their produce, when all of a sudden, they were jumped by a bunch of kids, led by Cassim, who held his dagger out at them. Among them are a younger Zaynab and Hassan.

"Stick 'em up!" Cassim shouted. "This is a robbery!"

"Anyone who tries to stop us dies!" Zaynab exclaimed.

"Yeah, so no funny stuff!" added Hassan.

"Cassim had gotten roped in with some hoodlums from the backstreets and he stirred up worse than trouble than he did before. To be honest…I didn't blame him. He was probably worried about Mariam and me, so he felt like he had no choice."

XXX

On a rainy day, Cassim, who was about 10 at the time, was preparing to head out again.

"Uh…Cassim?" Alibaba asked.

"What?" Cassim asked, bluntly.

"Um…I was wondering…do you want me to help you?"

"…You don't need to get involved with crap like that, Alibaba."

"Huh?! What do you mean?!"

"I've got my Dad's blood in me…so that makes me a bastard, through and through…unlike you. You have your mom's kind heart…and I don't want you to change because of me."

"Cassim…"

Cassim looked up at the cloudy sky before glancing back at Alibaba.

"Hey," he said. "We're friends…right, Alibaba?"

Alibaba gasped quietly before he smiled.

"Of course we are!" he exclaimed, causing Cassim to smile…but, for some reason, it seemed rather…forced.

"Cassim was acting so strangely…I didn't understand why…but I decided not to question it."

XXX

A few days later, an extravagant carriage had arrived in the middle of the backstreets.

"One day, while Cassim was gone…some royal guards came, saying they were looking for me. At first, I was afraid. Was I trouble in something? Turns out that wasn't the case at all. The former King of Balbadd wanted to see me…and when he spoke to me…I was shocked by what he had told me."

Alibaba gasped silently as he stared up at a man with long hair, royal garbs, and wearing lots of jewelry, including a crown on his head.

"W…what did you say?" he asked.

"You are my son, Alibaba," the king told him. "From now on, you shall live in the palace with me."

Flashback pause

"Your old man was the old king?!" Alozza questioned.

"But…if that's true…that means you're a prince, Alibaba!" Aladdin exclaimed.

"Yeah," Alibaba answered. "I was shocked about it, too. I mean…a prince! That was the last thing I ever thought myself to be!"

"…Please continue," Morgiana spoke up.

"R-right, sorry," Alibaba said.

Flashback resume

"But…that can't be true!" the younger Alibaba protested. "My Mom was a prostitute, so I have no idea who my Dad is!"

"Your mother, Anise, was once a maid at the palace," the king said. "She later became my mistress and you were conceived within the palace. Unfortunately, word got out and your mother was forced to work as a prostitute in the backstreets."

"I…I see," Alibaba said.

"I almost didn't want to believe him…but who was I to deny the king?"

XXX

Later on, Alibaba is seen sitting in front of Cassim.

"I was told not to tell anyone that I was a prince…but I went and told Cassim, anyway. After all…he was like my brother. At first…I thought he'd try and stop me…but…"

"…So that's it."

"Huh?" Alibaba muttered. "What do you mean? What are you talking about, Cassim?"

Cassim sighed as he stood up.

"I always wondered why a guy like you was born in the backstreets," he said.

"I-I don't get it," Alibaba stammered.

"Don't play dumb!" Cassim barked. "I could never make you steal from people or make you hold a knife because it just didn't feel right! You don't steal…you're not a ne'er-do-well, like me or my deadbeat Dad! You…you're always alone, playing the saint!"

"C…Cassim…!" Alibaba whispered in shock.

"We've been different since the day we came out of our Moms' holes!" Cassim shouted. "So get lost, you prissy little half-pint!"

Alibaba growled before he tackled Cassim, and soon, the two started throwing punches at each other.

"After that fight we had…I decided I never wanted to speak to Cassim again, and I left the backstreets…and from that day on, my life changed drastically."

XXX

"Whoa…!" Alibaba whispered as he stared up at the palace in awe. "It's huge!"

"Not long after I came to the palace, the servants bathed me, combed my hair, and dressed me in fine clothes, because I was a prince…but not long after, I fell into hard times, even then."

Alibaba was seen walking down a corridor, looking around in unease. Everything seemed so unfamiliar to him: the walls, the furniture, the people…everything.

As he walked down the hall, he passed by a palace maid.

"Hello!" he greeted, trying to put on the friendliest smile he could muster…but the maid just turned away from him. Then, he spotted another servant, carrying a bunch of scrolls.

"Hi!" Alibaba greeted, but he got the same reaction. Then…he spotted younger looking versions of Abhmad and Sabhmad, both of them looking at him with these disgusted, almost fearful expressions.

"Hi, I'm Alibaba!" Alibaba greeted them as he held out his hand. "It's nice to meet you…Abhmad and Sabhmad, right? I guess this means you guys are my brothers!"

"Ah!" Abhmad cried. "This dog from the backstreets is talking to me! Go away!"

With that, both Abhmad and Sabhmad ran away.

"Huh?" Alibaba muttered…before he looked down, dismally. Then, he gasped as he heard footsteps approach. He looked up to see the king walk by.

"Oh! Hi, Dad!" Alibaba greeted…but the king didn't even glance at him, leaving the poor child alone.

"I felt like such an outsider…no one gave me the time of day. Prince Abhmad and Sabhmad…they treated me like I was filth. Even the king ignored me!"

That night, Alibaba was lying in his new bed…silently crying himself to sleep.

"I felt alone…and on that night, I wished I never found out about my parentage. I longed to be back in the backstreets with Cassim and Mariam."

Flashback pause

"That's awful," said Morgiana.

"I'm so sorry, Alibaba," Alozza apologized.

"I can't believe your own father and brothers treated you, like that," Aladdin added.

"Yeah…it was hard," Alibaba nodded.

Flashback resume

Alibaba was outside in the palace training ground, holding a sword.

"Try again!" shouted a man wearing the same clothes as the royal guards, only he had sideburns and bushy eyebrows.

"I'm trying!" Alibaba complained.

"Lessons were very hard for me…I had to learn how to eat, walk, and talk properly…swordplay, commerce, and mathematics…I didn't like any of them…but that was a different story outside of class."

Later, Alibaba had been brought to the docks, learning about maritime trade.

"I loved learning about the economics…and the teachers that taught me that were always so friendly."

Then, Alibaba was seen in the library, reading a scroll in excitement.

"I also loved reading, especially stories about adventure! Dungeon stories were extremely popular back then…including The Adventures of Sinbad. Since I nowhere else to go, I worked hard…and after a few years, people started to treat me differently!"

XXX

A teenage Alibaba was seen walking down a corridor, holding scrolls under one arm. As he walked, some people walked by him.

"Good morning, Prince Alibaba!" a maid greeted him.

"Oh! Good morning!" Alibaba greeted.

"You look well, Prince Alibaba!" exclaimed a palace steward.

"Thank you!" Alibaba answered. "You, too!"

Then, Sabhmad walked by.

"Hello, Sabhmad!" Alibaba said.

"Hello, Alibaba," Sabhmad greeted, smiling.

Alibaba continued walking down the hall until he saw the king. He paused, a bit nervous at what his father would do…but the king smiled at him and nodded his head, causing Alibaba to smile and nod in return before he continued on his way.

"Everyone started to acknowledge me more and treated me like I was one of them…even Sabhmad and the king didn't treat me coldly, anymore. After I spent three years at the palace, the backstreets were nothing but a distant memory…and yet, for some reason, I kept thinking back to my place of birth…so one night, I snuck out of the palace, hoping to see the backstreets again…but when I got there…"

Alibaba gasped in shock upon seeing an empty lot. No garbage, no bustling people…nothing.

"The junkyard that I used to play in…it was gone…vanished without a single trace…and the people I grew up with were gone, too. I was confused…and heartbroken, so I turned around to leave…but just when I was about to…I sensed something."

As Alibaba turned to walk away…the rukh suddenly appeared, flying passed him. As he turned around…he gasped upon seeing a young man, about a year older than him, with long dreadlocks, and wearing tattered robes as well as some jewelry. He even had a knife with a jewel encrusted hilt.

"C…Cassim…?!" Alibaba whispered.

Flashback pause

"I didn't understand," Alibaba said. "What was Cassim doing there?"

He then put a hand to his face.

"If only…if only I hadn't snuck out, that night," he said with a look of dread on his face. "If I hadn't run into Cassim again…then that incident would've never happened!"

"Incident?" Aladdin repeated.

"What incident?" Alozza asked.

"…Remember when I said that I messed up real bad once?" Alibaba asked. "That was what I meant."

In his mind…Alibaba saw the royal guards, trying to fight off a group of shady-looking men…and the palace courtyard was in flames.

Until Next Night…

And here we go.

Review, please!