Night 37- Alath's Wish

Magi © Shinobu Ohtaka

Shahra and Hasha © Me

Alozza and Alath © Darkdarling98

Another day in the Kingdom of Sindria, founded by the legendary Sinbad of the Seven Seas. The sky was clear, the sun was bright, and the ocean was glistening. At the Northeastern Coast, Alibaba Saluja stands atop a rocky cliff with his shirt off, his chest bare for everyone to see.

He takes a step back, then he makes a dash for the edge, and then leaps, doing a few flips upon his descent before he makes a perfect swan dive into the water. Nearby, Aladdin Jehoahaz Abraham, Shahra, Morgiana, Alozza, Ren Hakuryuu, Sinbad (who also had his shirt off, showing his muscular figure), and Ja'Far watch and clap their hands as Alibaba surfaces.

"Yeah!" Alibaba cheered as he pumped a fist in the air, laughing.

"That was amazing, Alibaba!" Aladdin exclaimed.

"You got that right!" Alozza added with a grin.

"Most impressive!" Hakuryuu chimed in, clapping his hands.

"Are you this is okay?" Morgiana asked as she looked at Sinbad. "They should be training, shouldn't they?"

"Well, it was Yamraiha and Sharrkan's decision," Sinbad answered. "Both Alibaba and Aladdin have been working really hard, so they figured they both deserved a day off."

"Yeah!" Aladdin agreed. "Don't worry about it, Morg!"

"Aladdin!" Alibaba called. "You give it a try!"

"Okay!" Aladdin answered as he ran to the rocky cliff and began to climb. Shahra couldn't help but watch with worry as her "son" kept climbing.

"Be careful up there, kid!" Alozza warned.

"I know what I'm doing!" Aladdin reassured as he made it to the top. He then dashed toward the edge, just like Alibaba did, before leaping off, tucking his hands under his legs and curling up into a ball. "CANNONBALL~!"

SPLASH! The young Magi fell into the water, splashing Alibaba on impact, before he surfaced with a giggle. Alozza couldn't help but chuckle, too.

"Hey, Morgiana!" Alibaba called. "Come on in!"

"Yeah!" Aladdin agreed. "The water's great!"

"No thank you," Morgiana answered with a deadpan tone.

"Don't even think about asking me, you two!" Alozza added, sternly.

"What about you, Hakuryuu-" Alibaba started, only to see that said Kou Prince was gone. "H…Hakuryuu?"

"Where'd he go?" Aladdin asked, looking around.

"BANZAI~!"

SPLASH! Hakuryuu suddenly leapt into the water, creating a large splash that soaks Aladdin and Alibaba. The result caused Alozza to laugh so hard, that tears formed in her eyes.

"I guess even a prince can have fun, huh?!" Sinbad asked before he laughed, as well. Hakuryuu soon surfaced, gasping for air before laughing himself. Ja'Far also chuckles as he watches the three enjoying themselves, but as he looked to his left, he saw that Shahra was no longer standing beside him.

"Uh…oh, dear," he muttered before he looked up and saw said tigress, standing upon the cliff's edge, and suddenly, the 2 princes and the young Magi gulp nervously as they floated in the water.

"Oh, this is gonna be good~!" Alozza grinned, almost evilly.

"Uh…Shahra?" Aladdin asked. "You think you could come down from there, please?"

As if to answer him, Shahra soon prepared to jump down.

"NOT LIKE THAT!" Aladdin, Alibaba, and Hakuryuu cried, waving their hands in protest, but it was too late. The big cat leaps into the water, creating a humungous splash that ends up engulfing the boys, prompting Alozza to fall on the sandy beach, rolling with laughter. Even Sinbad was laughing his head off. Ja'Far and Morgiana seemed to be the only ones with comical looks of horror on their faces.

"Uhhh…they are all right," Ja'Far spoke up. "Aren't they?"

Soon enough, Shahra comes swimming back to the shore with Aladdin, Alibaba, and Hakuryuu clinging to her back, all panting.

"Good…lord…!" Hakuryuu gasped as he dropped to the sand while Alozza laughed even harder, if that were possible.

"Okay…" Aladdin panted as he clung to Shahra's collar. "I think I wanna go back to the palace, now. Besides, I'm getting hungry."

"Yeah, me too," Alozza agreed, having regained her composure as she stood up.

"Same here," Alibaba added, putting a hand to his stomach.

"Back to the palace, then," Sinbad said. "I'm pretty sure Alath is making lunch by now."

Suddenly, they hear a low grumbling noise before all eyes turn on Ja'Far, who chuckles sheepishly.

"Pardon me," the former assassin said.

Alozza only chuckled at Ja'Far, causing him to blush.

"It's not funny," he said.

"Aw, come on, Ja'Far," Sinbad said as he put a hand on Ja'Far shoulder. "I don't blame you for liking my little sister's cooking, so much!" As if on cue, his own stomach rumbled, causing him to look down at it before chuckling sheepishly himself. "See? I like it, too."

"Is it really that good?" Alozza asked.

"You bet," Sinbad answered. "One bite, you're hooked."

"What are we waiting for then?" Alozza asked. "Let's go!"

"Yeah!" Aladdin cheered. "Food, here we come!"

Sinbad chuckled as they all headed back to the palace.

XXX

Later, in the palace kitchen, Alath is seen placing food on various plates, like fish, meatballs, salads, and other dishes. That's when Sinbad and Ja'Far entered.

"Hello, Alath," Ja'Far said. "I believe lunch is well under way."

"Ah, Sinbad, Ja'Far!" Alath exclaimed as she went over and gave them each a quick hug. "Yes, everything's almost ready. I just need to finish placing the food on the plates."

"Good," Sinbad said, glancing at one of the dishes and reaching over to sneak a quick bite. "Maybe I'll just have a quick sample-"

SMACK! His hand is quickly slapped away by Alath, who gives him a stern glare.

"We've gone over this a million times, Sinbad!" she scolded. "No sneaking bites before the meal is served!"

"Oh, why not?" Sinbad asked. "Ja'Far's doing it, too!"

Ja'Far gasped, hiding his hands in his sleeves while giving a shocked look.

"I did nothing of the sort!" he rebuked…a meatball falls onto the floor from his sleeve, causing him to grin nervously. Alath glares at the two of them while gritting her teeth, a dark aura surrounding her.

"You two…" she hissed, causing the two to get comically frightened looks on their faces as they scramble to get out of the kitchen as Alath snaps at them. "GET OUT AND DON'T YOU DARE TRY COMING BACK IN!"

"YES, MA'AM!" Sinbad cried.

Alath snorts in irritation before she went back to putting food on the plates.

XXX

Later on, everyone sits in the dining hall, waiting for lunch to be served. Aladdin's stomach growls, impatiently, causing him to as he covers his abdominal area with his arms.

"Shh~!" he shushed. "Quiet down."

"Man, what's taking so long?" Alibaba asked. "I'm starving!"

"Me, too," Hakuryuu added.

"Hey, where's Kougyoku and her little lackey?" Alozza asked. "Kaka something-or-other."

"You mean Ka Koubun," Hakuryuu corrected.

"Oh, Kougyoku is going to be eating in her room," Sinbad answered. "She insisted upon it."

"If you say so," Alozza said.

Soon enough, Alath comes out as servants quickly come and place the plates on the table.

"Lunch is served!" she exclaimed.

"About time," Sharrkan smirked.

"Yay! Food's here!" cheered Pisti.

"Wipe that drool off your face," Alibaba said, glancing at Aladdin. "You're in a palace."

"Sorry," Aladdin apologized, wiping off the saliva from his lips.

Alath only chuckled.

"Sorry I took so long," she said. "I had to be extra cautious due to certain someones." She sent a quick glare at Sinbad and Ja'Far, who both look away, whistling sheepishly.

"Can we eat now?" Aladdin asked, rubbing his stomach. "I'm starving~!"

"Of course!" Alath nodded with a smile. "Go ahead!"

On that, everyone started digging in. Aladdin took one bite of his food and gasped.

"Well…?" Ja'Far asked.

A pause…but then, the young Magi started shoveling food into his mouth.

"Mmm~!" he hummed. "Sooooooo tasty!"

"It's official," Sinbad grinned. "He loves it."

"I'm glad to hear that!" Alath said, blushing slightly and giggling.

Soon, everyone began to eat.

"Spectacular!" Hakuryuu exclaimed. "I've never tasted something so delicious!"

"Exceptional, as always, Miss Alath," Drakon added.

"Yeah, A-1 in my book!" Sharrkan piped up. "Better than that lunch that Yam made me a few days back."

Suddenly, the Heliohaptian swordsman gets splashed with some wine. Angrily, he glares at Yamraiha, who smirks as she nonchalantly takes a bite out of her shrimp pasta. Alibaba quietly snickers at his mentor before he continues his meal.

"Now, now, you two," Alath teased. "No lovers quarrel at the dining table, please."

Everyone else soon snickers quietly while Yamraiha and Sharrkan blushed. While everyone is distracted, Aladdin sneaks a piece of fish under the table.

"Psst…Shahra…!"

Peeking her head out from under the table cloth, Shahra eats the fish out of Aladdin's hand, prompting the young Magi to pet her on the head. Of course, Alozza is the only who seems to notice, but she didn't speak up about it as she drinks her wine.

"What are you doing?" asked Spartos.

"Nothing," Aladdin answered quickly as he pulls his hand back and smiles sheepishly.

Alozza could only chuckle quietly.

"By the way, Alath," Sinbad started, "there's something I've been meaning to ask."

"What is it?" Alath asked.

"What's this I'm hearing about you trying to go off on your own to enter a dungeon?" Sinbad asked.

All of a sudden, Ja'Far spits out his wine, right into Sharrkan's face.

"…Really?" the swordsman asked in an annoyed tone as wine dripped off his face and hair.

"…Where did you hear that form?" Alath asked.

"Pardon me, please," Ja'Far said as he stood up and prepared to walk out.

"Whoa, where are you going?" Alath asked.

"Restroom…" Ja'Far answered, but before he can get very far, Alath gets up and stands in front of him.

"You are staying," she hissed, "so sit back down."

Ja'Far swallowed nervously before he walks back to the table, and Hakuryuu gulped nervously as well.

"Suddenly, I'm having a very bad feeling," he murmured.

"Same here," Morgiana added.

"Don't get mad at Ja'Far, Alath," Sinbad told his sister. "He was only doing his job."

"And what was that?" Alath asked, angrily. "Knowing my every move?! I thought you stopped having him do that a few years ago!"

"I only asked him to do it because we both agreed it was for your best interest," Sinbad rebuked.

"Um, Sin?" Ja'Far interjected. "Could you not drag me into this? Please?"

Everyone just quietly glances at each other nervously before Aladdin speaks up.

"Well, I'm stuffed!" he exclaimed. "Thanks for the food! See ya at dinner!"

"Y-yes, it was quite delicious!" Drakon added, but as everyone is about to leave in a hurry, they see that familiar dark aura around Alath as she glares at them with glowing red eyes.

"Sit back down," she hissed. "NOW."

Soon, everyone sits back down at the table, sweating bullets. Alibaba opens his mouth to speak, but then chooses not to say anything for fear of getting snapped at while Hakuryuu nervously sips his wine. Masrur, meanwhile, is gnawing on a fish bone as he occasionally glances back and forth between his meal and Alath.

"Alath, what part of 'no dungeon' are you not getting?" Sinbad asked.

"The 'no dungeon' part!" Alath answered. "I don't get it! Why can't I go conquer a dungeon?! When you were 14, you conquered one! Hell, you conquered six more after that! Why can't I do the same?!"

"It's different!" Sinbad argued. "You're not me!"

"Oh, here we go," Ja'Far mumbled, dreadfully.

"Quick," Alibaba whispers. "While she's not looking, let's go."

"Right," Hakuryuu agreed as everyone prepared to sneak away, once more, only for Alath to quickly glare at them again.

"Any of you even move an inch," she started, "I will personally tie you up with the strongest material in existence and throw you into the ocean!"

On that threat, everyone sat back down again.

"I want my Mother…!" Aladdin squeaked, prompting Alozza to reach over and pull the young Magi to her, petting his hair.

"There, there," she soothed.

"The reason why you can't go to a dungeon is because I said so!" Sinbad shouted. "Why can't you ever listen to me, for once in your life?!"

"I'm not a child!" Alath barked. "I'm a grown woman, and therefore, I have the authority to make my own decisions!"

"But I'm the older brother!" Sinbad retorted. "I know what's best for you!"

"Oh, boy, here it comes," Hinahoho muttered.

Alath growls as she grits her teeth and glares at Sinbad, furious tears forming in her eyes.

"You disappeared to sail the seas when I was a child and didn't come back!" she shouted. "How can you know what's best for me when you weren't even there to watch me as I grew up?!"

With that, she angrily turns around and runs out of the dining room, heading towards her bedroom. Sinbad stands there, sighing as he scratches the back of his head.

"Great," he said. "Now I'm the bad guy…again."

"Umm…Uncle Sinbad?" Aladdin asked.

"Huh?" Sinbad muttered as he glanced at the young Magi.

"Can we be excused, now?" Aladdin asked.

Sinbad can only sigh and say, "Yeah, you're free to go."

On that, everybody scattered, taking their plates of food with them. Just because they were scared didn't mean they shouldn't Alath's good cooking go to waste. The only one who stays is Ja'Far.

"…I just can't do anything right, can I, Ja'Far?" Sinbad asked the former assassin.

"She just needs time to understand, Sin," Ja'Far reassured. "Believe me, she'll come around."

"You always know what to say, huh?" Sinbad smiled.

"Well, you're not just my king," Ja'Far said. "You're my best friend…even if you do drive me crazy."

Sinbad just laughs…but then he sighs, once more, suddenly feeling a sense of guilt in his chest.

XXX

Meanwhile, in Alath's room…the woman herself is sobbing quietly into her pillow, lying on her bed and gripping her sheets tightly in her hands.

"That moron…!" she said, her voice muffled. "He doesn't get it, not one bit…!"

Just then, the door opens and Aladdin enters.

"Oops!" he cried. "S-sorry! I thought this was my room!"

Alath quickly sits up and wipes her tears away, keeping her back turned to Aladdin.

"I-it's alright," she whispered. However, the young Magi can see her through her lie and, in concern, climbs up onto the bed with her.

"Are you okay?" Aladdin asked. "What's the matter?"

A pause…but then Alath sighs.

"It's just…Sinbad doesn't get why I want to conquer a dungeon so much," she said. "He doesn't have a single clue."

"What do you mean?" Aladdin asked, tilting his head in perplexity.

"The reason why I want to conquer a dungeon," Alath began, "is because I want to be able to fight alongside Sinbad and everyone else. He's been protecting me all this time, but what he doesn't get is…I'm tired of being protected and not being able to repay him for it. I want to protect him too, because the thought of losing him is…just too much!" As she spoke, tears began to well up in her eyes.

"I'm scared that one day, he'll go into battle and never come back…" she whispered. "I don't want to lose him! He's all I have left!"

"I see…" Aladdin muttered.

"It's so hard to just keep waiting for him and the others to come back!" she cried as she lied back down and shoved her face into the pillow, her shoulders shaking.

A pause…but then Aladdin gently put his hand on her shoulder.

"Miss Alath?" he asked.

"…What?" Alath asked, her voice muffled.

"Where is this dungeon you're looking for?" Aladdin asked.

"…It's north of Sindria," Alath replied, looking up from her pillow. "It's the 26th Dungeon: Hasha."

"Great!" Aladdin chirped. "Let's go!"

"What?!" Alath questioned in surprise.

"Let's go to this dungeon!" Aladdin answered. "We'll conquer it together!"

"But…Sinbad will definitely find out and drag us back!" Alath argued.

"Don't worry!" the young Magi assured. "I have an idea!"

Alath stared at Aladdin for a moment, unsure, but then nods slowly as she says, "Alright."

"Great!" Aladdin exclaimed. "So you know how Uncle Sinbad likes wine, right?"

"Of course I do," Alath spoke, rolling her eyes as she remembered her brother's alcoholic nature. "He's practically married to it."

"Which is exactly what we're hoping for!" Aladdin said.

"…I think I'm getting the idea," Alath started, a bit confused, "but can you still tell me just in case I've got it wrong?"

"We'll get him so drunk, he won't notice a thing!" the blue-haired 11-year-old said. "All we have to do is entice him a little!"

"…I think he'd get suspicious if I did it," Alath said.

"Don't worry!" Aladdin reassured. "I thought of that already!"

Alath only blinked at him in confusion.

XXX

Later on, Alozza is back in the dining hall, sitting at the table and drinking a cup of wine, when Sinbad approaches her.

"Hey," he said, holding up a bottle of liquor.

"Hey," Alozza greeted back.

"So," Sinbad started, "are you ready to do this or what?"

Alozza grinned and said, "You better be prepared to lose, Your Majesty~!"

Sinbad grinned back before he opened the bottle and pours its contents into two cups. Nearby, Aladdin happened to be watching from behind a potted plant.

'Perfect!' the young Magi thought. 'This is what I've been waiting for!'

Flashback

Alozza is sitting in the garden, minding her own business, when Aladdin approached her.

"Hi, Alozza!" he greeted her.

"Hey, Aladdin," Alozza greeted back. "What's going on?"

"Not much," Aladdin replied, "except Uncle Sinbad said you couldn't beat him in a drinking contest."

Alozza's eyes widened before she crossed her arms and sneered.

"Is that right?" she asked.

"Yeah," Aladdin answered, "and he told me to tell you that if you wanna prove him wrong, meet him in the dining hall and he'll bring the wine."

Alozza smirked before she got up and walked off, heading into the palace.

"He better get ready for this," she said.

As she walked away, she didn't notice that Aladdin was giggling behind her before he ran off.

XXX

Meanwhile, Sinbad is sitting in his study, sighing in boredom as he wrote down on some paperwork with a quill when there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," he said, and soon, Aladdin entered.

"Hi, Uncle Sinbad," the boy greeted.

"Oh, hello, Aladdin," Sinbad greeted back. "What's going on?"

"Not much," Aladdin answered. "Oh! Except that Alozza said that you couldn't beat her in a drinking contest."

"…I beg your pardon?" Sinbad asked.

"Yeah, she said she could drink circles around…or something like that," Aladdin said. "I don't really remember all the details, but she said for you to meet her in the dining hall. Oh! And bring a bottle of wine, too."

"I think I will," Sinbad as he reached under his desk (the last place he'd think that Ja'Far would look for any alcohol) and pulled out a bottle of his finest liquor before he marched out.

Flashback end

Aladdin giggled at his cleverness before he heads back to Alath's room, where the woman herself is waiting for his confirmation of his plan being a success. He soon entered the room with a broad smile.

"It worked!" he exclaimed.

Alath, who has changed into a different outfit and a cloak draped around her shoulders, looks at Aladdin and smiles.

"That's good to hear," she said.

"I got supplies!" Aladdin declared, holding up his satchel. "Let's go!"

"Right," Alath nodded, "but first…"

She goes over to her closet and rummages through it for a moment, before pulling out a sheathed sword. It had a blue sheath and a navy blue handle, and the hand guard had the appearance of two wings, and at the base of a hilt is a red ruby.

"This is something I've been saving for this day," Alath said.

"Cool!" Aladdin piped up. "That'll be your Djinn Metal Vessel once we conquer the dungeon!" He then goes over to open a window, and then takes of his turban, lying it flat on the floor.

"Get on, Miss Alath!" he gestured. "This is our ticket out of here!"

Alath nodded before she gets on the turban, sitting on her knees next to the young Magi.

"Fly, Magic Turban!" Aladdin ordered, and soon, the cloth starts to float up above the floor before flying out the window. "Next stop, Dungeon No. 26!"

Alath smiles while gripping her sword.

"I can't fly my Magic Turban forever," Aladdin started, "so we'll have to go and take a ship north!"

"That's fine, as long as we get there!" Alath said.

'Just you wait, Sinbad,' she thought. 'I'm gonna conquer a dungeon…and I'll make you proud! You won't have to worry about protecting me ever again…because next time, I'll be fighting alongside you, Ja'Far, and everyone else! Just wait and see!'

Until Next Night…

AT FREAKING LAST!

Sorry for the long wait, everyone. First off, my computer kept blue-screening on me, so I had to constantly recover this. Second, a lot of crazy real life stuff has happened, but everything's fine now.

Anyway, review, and no flames or hate please!