Magi: The Tale of Faith and Hope

The Dungeon's Center

"I don't see those police guys anymore!" said Aladdin as their little group of three ran up the steps to the dungeon on their own two feet once Ugo had safely returned to his flute.

"Ugo's the best getaway driver ever!" Faith said with a grin.

"Hey, look you guys! I see the entrance to the dungeon straight ahead!" said Alibaba, pointing to it. Faith didn't know how he thought they could've missed it, given the fact that it was right in front of them and glowing. "My whole body's shaking..." he said seriously, sweating nervously. "There isn't a person who's gone up against this gate and won... Much less come back to talk about it...!! It really does feel like I'm standing before the 'entrance to death'...!!" He stopped and stood before the entrance. "Whoa... It's really funny looking..." he said nervously, slowly extending a shaking hand towards the glowing membrane.

WHAM!!

"!?" Alibaba exclaimed when Aladdin and Faith suddenly slammed into him from behind, pushing him through the entrance without any warning so that he could mentally prepare himself. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" Alibaba screamed as they fell.

"WHEEEEEEEE!!!" Faith squealed excitedly, "Whoa!" she exclaimed when she felt a pulling sensation that was eerily similar to the one she had felt back on the plane with her sister and found herself floating over another world that had several pillars of light shooting forth from it. 'Wait... what the...!?' she thought, shielding her eyes as the light surrounding her increased to a blinding intensity. And then, suddenly, she felt cold and wet, and she couldn't breathe. "Fuwaah!" Faith gasped for air as she broke through the surface of the water. "?" she blinked in confusion as she looked down and realized she was now sitting in the middle of an eight-pointed star that had been carved into the bed of a shallow spring.

"Yay! You're finally here, Faith!" Aladdin said cheerfully. She looked up and saw that Aladdin and Alibaba had beaten her there and were already standing on dry land.

"Finally?" she asked.

"Yeah... I don't get it, but apparently Aladdin emerged first..." said Alibaba, rubbing the back of his neck.

"See, my clothes are all dry now!" said Aladdin.

'Wow, he's right!' Faith realized. 'That's weird... we got in at the same time, so how did they get here first? Is time screwed up in this place...?' she wondered. "I see you're still wet..." she remarked to Alibaba.

"That's because Alibaba only just got here a minute ago!" answered Aladdin.

"Oh, I see... I wonder why we arrived in such a messed up order?" she said, sweat-dropping, as she climbed out of the spring. Maybe they were saving the best for last?

"That's what I'd like to know," said Alibaba as they all started walking further in. "Whoa, the sky is dark and the ground is red... everything changed in a second..."

"It's kind of pretty..." said Faith. It sort of reminded her of how the Grand Canyon looked at night, but without all the stars.

"Yeah!" Aladdin agreed. "Though it's pretty and all... I can't help but think I've seen this scenery before..."

"Really? Where?" Faith asked as she and Alibaba glanced curiously at their little friend. Somehow... he didn't seem like his usual self.

"Hey, c'mon!" Aladdin said suddenly, grabbing each of them by the hand. "There's something great over there too!" he told them, pulling them along as he lead the way. Faith blinked and Alibaba shielded his eyes as they rushed from out of the darkness into light.

"!!" they gasped in astonishment when their eyes finished adjusting to the sudden change. They had come to a large, cavernous opening illuminated by a huge glow and bright beams radiating down from the ceiling of the cave. Squinting, Faith could see that there was actually some kind of moss growing wherever there was light, and the far wall was lined with rows and rows of tunnels.