So I just finished watching Magi and I loved it! Shoutout to Netflix for having all three seasons!

This story is an alternate ending to the anime, based loosely on the events occurring before and after the battle with Al-Thamen's dark medium.

I have not read the Magi manga, so I apologize for inaccuracies!

**Recently re-wrote/tweaked most chapters in this story -no critical changes were made**

Chapter 1

The gulls cawed and scrambled overhead, occasionally perching on the ships skysail. The subtle sea breeze breathed life into the green and gold bird emblem stitched into the well-weathered canvas. The ocean was largely calm and held the rising suns reflection like a spill of ruby sapphires.

It was a perfect day to voyage.

The deckhands shouted and crowed orders as the ship was readied, "We'll set sail within the hour. Finish loading the supplies quickly, there's no time to waste,"

Ja'far watched the last crates of food stores and water be loaded into the belly of the ship, his shoulders pulled back and hands clasped together at his navel. The long sleeves of his robe hid his wringing hands, but his pinched expression revealed the wariness he felt inside.

"Sin are you sure you shouldn't be taking more of the Eight Generals? It sounds like this conflict could get out of hand. Reim, Koe, the wizards of Magnostadt, The Organization..."

Sinbad turned to face his advisor, hands on his hips and mouth curved into an easy smile. "Relax Ja'far. Don't forget I've sent word to the members of the Seven Seas Alliance. Our combined forces are powerful. You should have some faith in us,"

"It's not that. I do have faith in you. It's just, you'll still be outnumbered if-"

The taller man laughed and clapped a hand against Ja'far's back jovially, interrupting his advisor's sentence. Ja'far glowered at Sinbad.

"Listen Ja'far, as much as I'd like to have my friends by my side, I need you all here. With The Organization at large, and the current imbalances of the world, it would be unwise to leave Sindria unprotected for even a moment. It's important that my strongest generals remain in the country should anything occur,"

"Your logic is sound in that but if I went with you, there would still be five generals here to defend..." Ja'far trailed off as Sin shook his head.

"I can't have you coming with me, Ja'far. I'm leaving you in charge of overseeing the country while I'm gone. You know you're the best suited to take the reigns. More than anyone else,"

Ja'far felt himself flush at the compliment.

"I'll even leave Spartos and Pisti in charge of scrolls and trade routes while you act as regent. You can unburry yourself for a while. It'll be a nice break, I'd imagine. When's the last time you took one of those anyway, hmm?"

Ja'far scowled. "Leave my scrolls out of this, Sin. I know you avoid work like the plague but some of us actually don't mind it. Besides, I'll probably be bored without the added duty of babysitting you all hours of the day. That's a break in itself," He said bitterly, realizing there was no talking Sin into bringing him along.

"Such cruel words before I set sail," Sin whined.

Ja'far sighed and gave Sin a pointed look. "Just be sure to come home safely, Sin. I don't want my regency to become permanent,"

"You worry too much," Sin said, giving his Advisor's back another pat.

Ja'far gave Sin a fiery glare in response.

"But of course I promise to return safely" He added wisely.

Ja'far nodded and clenched his fists at his side. He didn't like being separated from Sin. He was always antsy when he couldn't directly oversee the king. Sometimes it felt like letting an overly affectionate dog off leash in a market square. Yes, he trusted Sin, and yes, Sin was deemed 'Conquerer of The Seven Seas' for a reason but he could just as easily be named 'Airhead of the Seven Seas' in the same breath. A harsh voice of reason was often necessary to curb Sin's impulsivity at the best of times.

So there was that concern for Ja'far, but truthfully it wasn't what had his stomach in knots. It wasn't even the logistics of the mission concerning him, if he was honest with himself. He didn't want to admit it, but his edginess stemmed mostly from a vague untraceable instinct. It caused a simmering uneasiness to well in his gut, like how fish predict bad tides, and birds predict building storms. Eerie, but not very rational, and Ja'far prided himself on rationality (when he wasn't angry, of course).

He swallowed at the ball of nerves in his throat.

Sooner than Ja'far liked, the ship was loaded and ready for departure. Ja'far stood aside Masrur while the docking ropes were unwound from their iron cleats. The King gave a final nod to the people who had gathered to see the ship off before heading up the loading ramp.

"Remember what I said, Sin. Be careful," Ja'far called after his friend's retreating back.

Sin looked over his shoulder and smiled. "Ja'far, have I ever been anything but careful?"

"You're reckless and foolhardy more often than not,"

The king laughed, "That's what's gotten me this far, isn't it? Where's the faith in your king run off to?"

Sin waved down from the ship once he'd reached the deck. Ja'far chuckled and waved back, but he couldn't dispel the swirl of unease in his stomach. It wasn't his faith that had strayed, rather his sense of foreboding he just couldn't squash. It loomed like a storm cloud over his head.

About a month later in Magnostadt

Sinbad silently breathed relief as the crowd rowdily celebrated their victory. The Seven Seas Alliance had arrived without a moment to spare. Had they been any later they might be licking wounds rather than reveling success, but Al-Thamen's plans had been demolished. The dark djinn was eradicated.

For a glimmering moment, the world was burdenless and airy, but Sinbad knew it wouldn't last. The upbeat atmosphere was already fading.

Kouen stood rigidly across the clearing, full body djinn equip staunchly in place, his eyes harder than stone. Sinbad crossed his arms to mirror the threatening stance, the scales from Baal's armor glinting.

Though they'd fought together only minutes before, without a common enemy, there was no reason to continue their temporary peace.

Aladdin pushed forward to stand between the two toiling countries, noticing the growing conflict. "You promised to pull back your troops didn't you Mr. Kouen?"

Sinbad waited for the Koe commander to respond, maintaining an unreadable mask.

"No," Kouen said, just as Sinbad had expected. "This land was our original objective. Magnostadt. Our opponents might have been switched out but our objective remains the same,"

The rift between the two groups was tangible, like a crater stretching to the very depths of the globe. Those on either side threw jabs at one another, though Sinbad remained stoic, drinking in the conflict silently and probing the bad feeling in his gut. He wanted to blame the disquieting sensation on Koe and their damned lust for battle but his heart whispered of something worse. Even his arms prickled with goose flesh.

Sin frowned and eyed the nimbus clouds lingering in the sky. It can't be that. Aladdin and Yamuraiha destroyed the last of the dark djinn...

"-Well, King Sinbad," One of the Koe generals goaded, but Sin didn't bother to respond. He'd set his attention fully skyward as he glimpsed a shadow snaking just behind the cloud's curtain.

Somewhere far away, Ren Gyokuen cackled, high pitched and girlish. "Perhaps our father will join us for this round after all. Do you see that? They are so distracted by their frivolous play they haven't even realized the remaining dark medium still swirling above their heads, not that they'd be able to do much about it anyway. Oh, what fools,"

"This isn't over!" Sinbad yelled, startling those around him, "The dark medium hasn't been fully dispersed! Ready yourselves!" He clutched the hilt of Baal's sword with both hands, eye's growing wide as the dark clouds overhead split, peeled back by the black tendrils of the void. The dark entity swelled with a force so intense the sea rippled and heaved. Lightning flashed across the sky.

The crowd's nervous energy escalated with murmurs and cries that rose from the people like a murder of crows.

Sinbad's palms grew clammy. "This power..."

The mass of darkness was no longer trying to creep from the sky with its sickly black vines, rather a giant mouth had opened at its center. It's yawn stretched nearly a mile wide. The entity gaped and groaned, a massive power building within its toothless jaw.

"It means to strike!" Kouen yelled.

"If that blast hits, not only will it destroy what's left of Magnostadt, but it will instantly desolate every one here," Yunan said, white with fear.

The soldiers howled in terror. Metal shields and armor clanked together as the armies of both Koe and Reim shook, bleating like pastured sheep, tripping and stumbling as some tried to flea whole others fell to the ground for cover. Alibaba pulled Morgiana into his chest and grabbed Aladdin's shoulder tightly to keep them from being separated in the chaos.

"We have to stop that blast from firing!" Aladdin shouted above the growing ruckus, but his boyish features were glazed with terror and his body appeared frozen in place.

Sinbad growled deep in his throat, taking in the tumultuous atmosphere around him. He analyzed the hopeless situation as quickly as he could, magoi dancing across the surface of his skin. An implausible idea sprung to his mind.

It's far too late to stop the detonation, but I can still halt destruction! It's the only way... He didn't have time to hesitate or second guess his calculations. He shot himself into the sky, placing himself between the people below and the massive black-blue beam of fire that erupted from the beast's gullet as soon as he took flight.

I've got one shot to end this! Sinbad thought, as the torrent of evil power barreled towards him. Determination eclipsed any fear he might have felt.

Swifter than sound, Sinbad gathered every speck of magoi within him, from his toes to his fingertips, light and dark, he spared none. He concentrated the energy into a tiny little ball in his chest, smashing it so tightly it bucked with furry against him, but he held it there against its will, letting its potential grow. He grunted and grit his teeth at the effort, wrestling the compacted magoi, forcing the power to build and build and build until the screaming black flames were nearly upon him, and then, he let it go.

"Bararaq Inqerad-Saiqa!" He bellowed, Baal's sword outstretched as the magoi exploded from him in a rushing torrent.

Never had he expelled so much power. He feared his skin would rip off, or his sword might shatter, but he had no time to worry about side effects now. The void's blast met him head on, crashing hard against the massive counter strike he'd produced.

His battle cry was washed away in the roaring collision and his vision went white from the flash.

The shockwave of power ripped over Magnostadt with hurricane force gales and a clap of thunder so loud, it shook the country like an earthquake. Soldiers were knocked from their feet and dirt was clawed from the ground in gritty cyclones.

Alibaba crouched low against the winds, his robes thrashing about him as he stared upwards in utter disbelief. Aladdin and Morgiana gaped just as openly as he did.

"It's Uncle Sinbad!" Aladdin shouted over the gusts.

Alibaba had to squint against the light produced by the dueling beams of power, one dark like a bruise, the other silvery-white like lightning.

Sinbad looked like a speck compared to the blast he'd summoned. Alibaba had never seen anything like it. He'd witnessed Sinbad's power during the battle with the dark djinn and he'd been awed by it! But not like this. The display he'd seen earlier didn't even compare.

"How has a human managed to harness such power? If it wasn't Sinbad, I wouldn't believe it," Yunan muttered, eyes bright with shock.

Soldiers and Magnostadt citizens began to rise from their cower to watch the incredible feat, their death no longer imminent. The massive blue-black blast was being eaten by Sinbad's golden counterstrike, pushed back further and further. Even the remaining thunderhead clouds were being swallowed whole.

Only after the last of the darkness had been burned away did Sinbad's attack abate, the golden beam becoming finer than string and finally fizzling out.

"That damn first-class singularity" Ren Gyokuen sighed angrily, sitting back in her throne. "And I let myself get excited. It's a sin that that man even exists. Such a pest," She watched the last remnants of black void disappear.

"It's gone! We're saved!" The crowd whooped and hollered, the sun shining down on them, finally and truly unobstructed.

The only thing left before the sun was the ant-like figure of King Sinbad.

Sinbad let his sword arm fall to his side wearily.

The stirs of the remaining wind passively turned his body to face the hundreds, no, thousands of people below. The excited cheers were loud enough to reach his altitude. It was a beautiful chorus, he thought, though he knew he would not be able to enjoy it for long.

I used all of my magoi. Sinbad thought, grimacing. But this was the only way to defeat the dark medium.

The tactic of compressing magoi had allowed him to multiply it's potential power, far exceeding any normal man's capabilities, though only for a short minute and at a grievous cost. In the end, he was no magi and the trick had been a sly cheat, like stealing power or manipulating reality. His overzealous withdrawal would not go unpunished. Without magoi, his muscles would be unable to move and his lungs unable to draw air. His heart would stop and the current in his veins would still.

I'm truly going to die here. Sinbad thought in disbelief, though a part of him had known this inevitable outcome when he'd formulated the idea. Still, he'd hoped against it.

Time had stopped for him. The sea of wizards and soldiers, Koe and Reim alike, stood unmoving in the odd time warp. Sinbad's inner mind felt a stab of bitter remorse. Ah, this must be my final burst of consciousness before I flicker out for good. The ramblings of a dying man.

He looked up at the blue sky and the beautiful ocean below and the expanse of land before him. This was not what he'd had in mind when he'd departed from Sindria in heed of Yunan's warning of the great conflict fated to occur in the magical city's capital. He'd had no inclination that these efforts would be his last.

I have too many regrets to die so soon. Plans to make and world problems to solve, Sinbad thought fleetingly, though he knew regrets would hold no weight when the rukh came for him.

And I promised Ja'far I'd return safely. Hmm, he seemed so worried before I left, as if he knew something like this was going to happen. He'll be furious when he finds out what I've done.

Sinbad frowned, finding his subordinate a painful subject to ponder at such a time.

He looked towards the Southern horizon where Sindria bloomed hundreds of leagues away and tried to imagine Ja'far in the palace there, pouring over a desk of scrolls with pen and ink.

The thought stirred something deep within him. He absently placed a hand over his heart.

Was it when I grasped your soul inside Valfor's dungeon? Was it when I saved you from depravity? Or was it simply love at first sight? Why did this bond form between us? Sinbad mused. He focused until he unearthed the strange invisible string tying his heart to his subordinate's. It had been a long while since he'd reached for it but the cord was still there, forever strong and unbroken.

He clutched to the feel of the tether, taking comfort from it.

The bond had first appeared in Valfor's Dungeon, just a strange little whisper at first, tying him to the fiery assassin he had hardly known at the time. It had been so discrete, he hadn't given it much thought. He had just assumed it was a temporary side effect from the dungeon and that it would eventually go away.

Funny thing though, it never did.

It only seemed to grow stronger as the years passed, and annoyingly harder to ignore. It started to do this odd little dance every time Ja'far talked to him, or smiled his way, or yelled at him for doing something stupid. It tugged in excitement every time he was alone with Ja'far and would buck like a mare in heat if, Solomon forbid, he touched Ja'far, whether it be an accidental brush or an intentional embrace.

With all the obvious hints, it became quite clear to Sinbad what the bond meant.

He was madly in love with Ja'far. Senselessly, overwhelmingly so. He loved every thing about the man. His loyalty, his honesty, his feistiness, his deadpan sense of humor. His eyes, his mouth, his unruly hair, his freckles, his scars. Sin loved every. Damn. Inch.

But had he ever told Ja'far about any of that?

Of course not!

When they were young and adventuring the world trying to build an empire together, there simply wasn't time for that sort of frivolous thing. Besides that, it was clear Ja'far had no interest in him in that sort of way. Even now, all his subordinate ever talked about was finding Sin a wife so he could settle down. That was a pretty big hint that Ja'far himself had no interest, Sinbad thought.

And of the bond? Well, that was a secret too, mostly because separating his very strong feelings for Ja'far and the bond into two distinct categories was damn near impossible. If he told Ja'far about one, he might as well tell him about both.

So, rather than disclose either secret, he had taken the coward's way out and learned to subdue the bond with magoi manipulation. If he didn't, it would pull in the night and cause his mind to race with unreasonable ideas of grabbing Ja'far in his arms and never letting go. He would distract himself with women, sex, and alcohol too. Those things were easy distractions, albiet temporary ones. Still much more logical than pursuing a relationship with his general.

It never would have been logical, but was it really worth taking this secret to my grave? Sinbad wondered probing the bond. It seemed to give his heart a warm little squeeze. What if I had told Ja'far? I never even gave it a chance. Death was like a lens of clarity, a filter to show you what's truly important in life, like how hindsight bias makes the solution seem so obvious looking back.

Sin shook his head in frustration, suddenly angry with himself. Angry for hiding his emotions and the bond alike. If he could go back and fix anything, it would be that, but there was no way to undo his mistakes. He would never get the opportunity to tell Ja'far how he felt.

I am dying. He thought to himself, trying to come to terms with the fact.

He knew his death could not have been helped. He had seen the waves of destiny and rode them without question like he always did. Without his action, the death toll would have been enormous. Friends, allies, foes, it didn't matter. The Organization would have won in the end.

But instead, the remaining world was safe for the time being. At least he could say he felt good about that.

He could tell his reprieve was coming to an end by the way the pain was sinking in, gripping him like how frost permeates the ground when winter takes hold. It was as if a heavy stone were being lowered onto his chest, driving the air from his lungs and crushing his bones and every vital organ along with it. Soon he could no longer breath when he tried. He couldn't move his arms or legs or wiggle his fingers. He couldn't furrow his brow, or swallow. He couldn't even blink.

In slow motion, the people below began to move, the wind around him tussled his pony tail and tossed his bangs over his eyes. The gentle sea swayed with new life and the earth continued spinning.

Baal's body equip vanished as his hand went slack and his sword slipped from his grip. Dying was just as painful as he had imagined.

Time's up...

He plummeted nearly as quickly as he had ascended.

Every ally to King Sinbad took flight when they saw him fall, but it was Aladdin and Alibaba who got there first.

Alibaba caught Sinbad beneath the arms while Aladdin took his feet, halting his decent roughly with only seconds to spare. Sinbad's metal vessels clinked together softly in the wind as they lowered him down the last few yards.

"Is he alive?" Yam asked fretfully as she and Drakon rushed forward to help Aladdin and Alibaba lay Sinbad onto the shoreline.

"I-I don't know" Alibaba said, letting Amon's Djinn equip vanish as he stepped out of the way. Drakon knelt down and placed his ear against Sinbad's chest. He listened intently for a moment.

"His heart's still beating, but it's faint. He's used too much magoi. We need to get him back to the ship immediately." Drakon said.

The spill of land troops were too far to reach the shore so quickly, but metal vessel users and some of the Fanalis had reached their location to see what had come of the king. The Koe generals walked forward from the trees. Some looked concerned, or guilty, but Kouen's eyes remained dangerous.

"He survived that did he?" The red-haired general said.

Kougyoku had fallen in beside the small throng surrounding Sinbad. Though her girlish love for the man had waned, her respect for him stood solid. She owed him her concern, after all, he'd offered her unwavering amnesty and refuge. She turned to her half-brother, eyes swimming. "Kouen, use your magoi to help heal him! Use your djinn!" She pleaded.

Kouen bent down, finding Sinbad's dropped sword amongst the shoreline's rubble. He lifted it carefully as if testing its weight, and made a point to examine the sapphire embellishment and golden pommel. He ran his finger over the sharp edge before pointing it towards the fallen man in finality. "I will not aid my enemy. In fact, this could be our opportunity to stomp King Sinbad once and for all,"

Everyone present tensed, muscles suddenly taught in response to Kouen's gesture.

Drakon let out a guttural growl, his scaled body sank to crouch low over the king."You will not hurt King Sinbad,"

"You'll have to go through us first!" Alibaba said, Morgiana nodding passionately in agreement. Yam and Aladdin both snarled at Kouen as if feral, a demonstration of the ferocity with which they were prepared to defend. They were a pack of wolves protecting their own.

Kouen closed his eyes and shook his head. "I am not as treacherous as you believe me to be. It would be dishonorable to kill a defenseless opponent, especially after that opponent just saved my army. I will use this mercy as payment for my debt to King Sinbad, but I will do no more," Kouen tossed the sword hilt side first for Alibaba to catch. His face was hard like a mountain when he turned to Kougyoku. "Besides, even if I wanted to, my healing magic can't restore magoi. When he dies from his injuries, his blood won't be on my hands,"

Sinbad is pretty much unstoppable, but he's gotta have a limit, right? At least he went down like a badass!

Apologies for trash grammar/spelling I may have missed.

Let me know what you think and if its worth continuing!