The Desert song

Village of Gubar

I hadn't stopped trying to talk to Aladdin since he went silent. After a few hours of sitting in that dessert not knowing what to do, helplessly calling out to Aladdin, I sat up and began walking.

I didn't know how far I had walked, but by now the sun was beginning to rise and I was almost completely out of energy.

As I slowly stumbled along the red sanded dessert, my eyes spotted a hazy sight. It looked to me like a village, or at least a dozen houses, but surely it was just the lack of water and the sun playing tricks on my eyes.

Alas, as I kept walking, I began to see that it was no illusion and that it must really be a village.

My mouth and throat were dry and cracked from my dehydration and mumbling to Aladdin unsuccessful.

"Help.." I quietly moaned in a hoarse voice. I had planned on yelling in, but with my vision itself slowly fading, I couldn't even talk right.

I panted. "He- Help!" I said in a little more than a whisper this time.

Obviously it was no use, no one seemed to hear me. No one even seemed to be there.

I fell to my knees in a quick thump, defeated by the dessert and rising sun.

I laid there for a while, the time escaping me. I had no idea how I was going to get out of this one.

What if I didn't? Aladdin wasn't even here.. after I said all that terrible stuff to him he probably will never come back.

That's when I noticed it was always him who helped me. Before I met him, I was struggling by myself. If it wasn't for his guidance and help, I probably would still be back in Natusme's kingdom without a clue that Saare was alive.

Saare.. I wonder if I was going to die without seeing him again. I smiled crookedly thinking that I wouldn't be the last in my family to die after all.

But it was thanks to him. Aladdin had saved me when I was loneliest and lost. He saved me from.. isolation. And all I had done to thank him was say those terrible things.

I want to thank him. I wanted to thank him right now, but my voice wouldn't work. I tried many times before my vision finally began to get dark.

"Th..tha- thank..." I whispered to the seemingly endless dry dusty dessert.

"Y-you." I stuttered, and blacked out.

As I passed out, I could have swore I saw a man with golden blonde hair running towards me. Ha, must be going crazy, I though.

He looks exactly like Saare.

-------

"So.. the middle of the dessert?" A voice swept me back into consciousness.

I still wasn't fully awake, I couldn't open my eyes and couldn't feel my body no matter what I tried.

"That's what I told you, Baba. Just on the outskirts of town. Doesn't she look a bit like-" The man's voice was cut off.

"Shhh! I think I saw her move!" A older women's voice cracked into the air.

I tried to move again, and I slowly could begin to feel my arms again. My fingers twitched and the grandma made a noise.

My eyes finally twitched open and I immediately shut them, for the bright light that attacked my eyes was too much.

I slowly opened them again and waited a moment for them to adjust. When they did, I found myself laying in a tent like room with two other people.

"Oh! She's awake!" One was the grandma, who awfully reminded me of the old women in my home kingdom, and the other was a young man who sported softly bright golden hair.

"Yes, it looks like it. Can you hear us, Miss?" The handsome man responded, then turned towards me.

I nodded, unable to find my voice. I croaked when I tried to talk, and the old woman - Baba - shoved a glass of water at me.

"Drink, darling. You'll be safe now."

I somehow relaxed at the sound of her voice; at both of theirs. I took a sip and looked to the man who was smiling reassuringly.

It took a few minutes, but they manages to get me upright, and they slowly ushered me outside the tent.

As my eyes adjusted again, I saw that we were still in the dessert. The red sand was now a light yellow, however, and the sun had already risen to mark that half the day had already passed.

"Was I out for.." I found enough strength to say.

"Seven hours," The young man responded.

I suddenly looked him up and down in recognition. He did look a lot like Saare. I wouldn't be sure though; it had been years.

"What's your name?" I asked again, hoarsely.

He looked down at me and for a moment I thought he really was going to give me the response I was hoping for.

Instead he seemingly sighed and said, "You can call me Sari."

"Oh," I lowered my head in disappointment. But he looked so similar too..

"What's yours, mysterious lady?" Baba's voice joined us.

"Oh, forgive me. I'm- wait, mysterious how?" I suddenly cut myself off.

She laughed and in a huff said, "Well my dearest, why do you have a pair of legends on your wrist, hmm?"

She cackled. I looked down at Aladdin's shackles in quiet sadness.

"These are... my friend's shackles. He gave them to me a while ago. He won't talk to me now, though.." I told her, feeling like I said to much.

Instead of a scolding which is what I expected, the woman broke out laughing.

"Wh-what's so funny..?" I asked all of a sudden.

"My dear, come now! If he was your friend, have more faith! If he truly cared about you, he couldn't leave you." She said in a obvious tone.

"But.. I said something terrible to him. He won't forgive me.."

The woman looked up happily at me.

"My child, do not worry. Your friend has already forgiven you, what is holding you back now is yourself. That's what I believe, by looking at you anyways."

I looked at the old woman and tried to wear a smile, but it quickly faltered.

"He wouldn't forgive me.." I sighed.

"I wouldn't.."

Suddenly a noise boomed from behind me. I jumped in fright as a ginormous army looked like it was rushing to get to the village.

"What the..?" I asked the elder and man.

"Oh, look.. here's that silly army again."