AUTHORS NOTE

This is a short story of Mozenraths early childhood. It tells us just what kind of a life he
had while he was in Destanes custody..... It also hints at some of the mysterys of his past...
and forshadows the events of his future...

I know allot of people who write Aladdin fan fiction have a theory about Mirage being
Mozenraths mother..... So I decided to do something a little different!. In this story,
Mozenraths mother is named Basimah. You will read allot more about her in an upcoming
story.

Also, I have worked a young Aladdin into this tale, to forshadow Mozenraths hatred and
jelousy towards him in the future.

The magic mirror, in which Mozenrath sees Aladdin for the first time, and which serves as
a window to the outside world, was inspired from Disneys “Beauty And The Beast”. I
thought it would be a neat magical item to put in the laboritory of a magic collecting
wizard!.
 

TWO LITTLE BOYS
By Karen Archibald

The door to Destanes laboritory slowly inched open, making a slight creaking noise. For a
moment the boy was still, frozen with fear. If his master should hear the noise and find him
here, there was no telling what would happen.....
“Little master afraid?”, came a groggy sounding voice.
“No Xerxes”, young Mozenrath hissed. He hated it when Destanes familiar called him
“Little master”, “Shut up, or you’ll get us both in trouble”.
The eal obeyed, and Mozenrath glanced uneasily around the dark, shadowy halls of the
citadel. Finally, he relaxed. His master surly hadn’t heard him open the door to the lab, or
he would have been here by now.
Deciding not to close it after him, the child slipped in easily through the half opened door
with Xerxes following him. Once inside they both let out a sigh of relief. The eal quickly
flew under one of the lab tables, obviously still terrified of Destane finding them there.
But Mozenrath had not come here to hide. He gazed in awe at the numerous books,
anciant scrolls, and magical, scientific contraptions throughout the laboritory. He had been
here before of course, after all, this was where he assited his master in his work. But never
before had seven year old Mozenrath been allowed to touch anything here, and he was
certainly not allowed in the lab by himself. This was the first time the little apprentice had
been able to sneak in on his own, and without his master knowing.
As he scanned the various objects in his masters lab, his gaze fell on the familier portrait
that had been there for as long as he could remember. It was a portrait of a beautiful
young woman, with long dark curls, and sparkling black eyes. She had clear white skin,
and full lips that curved into a warm, gentle smile. Every time the boy looked at the
portrait he couldn’t help but smile back, “Hello mother”.
He knew for a fact that the woman in the portrait was his mother, because Destane had
already told him so. Also, her small features where almost the exact mirror image of his
own.
“That was my accursed sister Basimah”, his master had spat out, when Mozenrath had
seen the painting for the first time, and asked who it was of, “She left you here at my
home when you were an infant. I don’t know why you ask about her. I don’t even know
why I keep that portrait here in the first place..... Perhaps it’s to remind me of how much I
hated her”.
All his life Mozenrath had been told that his mother had thoughtlessly abandoned him at
her brothers place. But as the boy gazed at the womans kind eyes and sweet smile, that
always seemed to be directed solely at him, he found it rather difficult to believe. She did
not look like the kind of woman who would willingly give up her own flesh and blood.
Not that he cared much anyway. He had never been an affectionate child, and had never
really felt much compassion for anyone, although he had become oddly attached to Xerxes
as a pet.
Turning away from the portrait, the bots gaze landed on one of his masters magical items.
It was a small, goldon framed mirror, the one Destane always used when he wanted to
look into the outside world. With a childs curiosity, he reached out for it.....
Once he had the mirrors delecately carved handle grasped in his hand, he gazed into the
reflective glass, trying to decide what he should ask the mirror to show him first. Then it
occured to him, never before had he seen any other little boys, or had any companions his
own age..... “Show me another little boy”, he demanded. He thought it would be
interesting to see what other boys his age were like.  At once, a strange mist slowly
covered the mirror growing thicker and thicker untill it became a fog... then gradually, it
cleared away... revealing the image of a tiny, ragged little boy, of no more then three or
four years old, running through the crowded streets of what must be some sort of nearby
city.
Mozenrath stared in fascination. Never in his short lif had he seen a boy like this. His skin
was darkly tanned, in contrast to his own pale face, his hair was thick and scruffy, while
Mozenraths was slightly curly. He was thin, but not nearly as scrawny as the young
apprentice.
“Aladdin darling”, came a womans voice, “Come home now, it’s dinner time”.
“I’m coming Mama”.
He watched as a lovely young woman, in clothes as ragged as her sons, bent down to meet
the little boy. Gathering him up in her arms, she greeted him with a warm hug, and a kiss
on his forehead.
“Would my mother do that if she was here?”, the pale child wondered. He had never
known what it was like to have parents, or to be cared for like that. He was beginning to
feel a bit cross, even envious, and that bothered him. “Envy is for the weak”, he had heard
Destane say so many times.
He looked on as mother and son began to eat an almost pathetic looking meal, which
consisted of nothing more then a loaf of bread, and a small bowl of dates, yet they seemed
as cheerful and content as if it were a ten course banquet.
“Why is that boy so happy?. He has barely enough to eat, he probably has no knowledge
of magic, no great future, and he is dressed in rags”. Tears of frustration welled up in his
eyes, but he managed to force them back.
“Alright alright, that’s enough!”, he cried. He couldn’t bare to watch the happy scene any
longer. In an instant the little boy and his loving mama were gone, leaving the pale, sickly
looking little boy to stare at his own reflection.
“What right do those street rats have to be so happy and healthy looking when they are so
poor?”, he demanded. He had expected to be amused at the sight of common peasants,
and to feel very smug, knowing his own status as an apprentice to a powerful lord and
wizard..... But somehow, looking at that little family, and seeing how content and happy
they were with their simple life, had only served to confuse him, and make him feel as if he
was, somehow, even poorer then they were..... How could that be?.
Poor Mozenrath glared at himself in the mirror, and his sour looking felection glared back.
The pale face, the limp, curly hair, the sunken eyes... They were all so different from that
other little boy... He could stand it no longer. In a sudden burst of childish rage, the little
apprentice viciously threw the mirror to the floor. It shattered into at least twenty peices.
The noise nearly scared poor Xerxes out of his wits. The eal immediatly shot out from
under the the table and darted like lightning out of the lab.
But Mozenrath did not notice. He was to busy gloating, staring down at the broken mirror
in childish triumph.
“There!. Now I don’t have to see you anymore!”, he sneered, “You think you’re so great!,
you!, dressing in rags and living in a hovel!. Hah!, well I just killed you!”.
“Yes’, an all to familiar voice hissed behind him, “As I will you!”.
The boy felt a bony hand on his shoulders. He spun around, terrified.
“What did you think you were doing in here?!”, Destane damanded, seizing his ward by
the arm.
“Nothing!”, Mozenrath said a little to quickly, as he struggled to get away from his
masters grip, “Let go!”. He raised his arm in a gesture of defense, but was given a vicious
cuff to his young shoulders and thrown roughly to the floor.
“Don’t you ever raise a hand to me again!”, Destane screamed, “How dare you!. How
dare you go poking around in my laboritory and distroying my possesions!. Is this all the
thanks I get for taking you in after my reptile of a sister abandoned you here?!”.
Mozenrath said nothing, which only served to anger his powerful master all the more.
 Destanes face became white with rage, “I’ll teach you some respect you insolent little
brat!”, and with that, he raised his gauleted hand..... An eerie bluish black light shot out
from his fingertips and surrounded the boy, “Bow to me!”.
Immediatly, little Mozenrath felt himself being pushed down to the floor by some kind of
strange force. He gritted his teeth, and struggled to resist it.....
“Good”, hissed Destane, with a cold, arrogant smile, “You know, I just might keep you
like this a while longer”.
From his grovalling position on the floor, the boy managed to find just enough strength to
raise his head, and glare hatefuly at his gaurdian.....
The lord Of The Land Of The Black Sands must have been taken aback a great deal by the
boys defiant gesture. For all at once, the magic power holding Mozenrath down to the
floor lifted, and was gone.....
Destane sauntered his way over to where the child sat, panting from the ordeal. He then
seized his apprentice by the hair. “I took that spell off of you out of pity”, he hissed, “But
if I ever catch you meddling in my laboritory again without my permission, I will not be so
kind the next time. Do you understand?”.
Once again, the child said nothing.....
Infuriated, the sorcerer clutched his victems hair even more tightly, and jerked his head
slightly to the left. But the boy still refused to cry out, dispite the pain. “I ask you again,
do you understand?”.
Mozenrath took a deep breath, “Yes”, he finally hissed through his clenched teeth.
“Good”, Destane snapped, releasing him, “Now get out!. I don’t want to see or hear you
for the rest of the evening”.
The little apprentice scrambled to his feet. He then stormed out of the lab in a childish
sulk, leaving Destane staring after him in angry bewilderment.....
He knew it had been the boy who had broken the spell and not him. But how was that
possible?. The holding spell was one of the stronger ones in his books, and the one the
sorcerer managed with the most ease, yet his barely trained seven year old apprentice had
been able to break free of it..... What on earth was that child made of?.  Although Destane
highly doubted that Mozenrath was aware of what he had accomplished, he was beginning
to feel a slight discomfort... and for once he became rather afraid of the child...
His stony gaze wnadered over to the portrait of his sister..... There she was, looking at
him calmly, unafraid, and with the same icy fire that her son had just displayed.
“Is this your doing little sister?”, he thought, “That boy certainly has your nerve, I’ll say
that for him. It will be interesting to see what kind of a man you spawned..... And what
kind of a man you thought was worth giving up your own worthless hide for”......
 

To be continued

E Mail the author at karenarchibald@home.com
 

All characters are a copywrite of Disney, with the exception of Basimah. If you would like
to use her in your own storys then please ask me first.