Aladdin and the gang were in the menagerie when Carpet and Pegusas flew down.
"Hercules?"
The man on Carpet whirled around.
"So you're the famed Hercules I've heard so much about?"
"I guess so."
"Yes, he is. Hercules, I'd like you to meet my father."
"General/Royal Vizier Cassim Ben-Hassan Al-Ababwa of Agrabah, at your service." Cassim said as he shook Hercules' hand.
"That's a mouth full."
"Tell me about it."
Hercules introduced Meg to the gang.
As they were talking Cassim suddenly spoke up.
"Hercules, if I were you, I'd duck."
"Why?"
An apple hit Hercules right in the back of the head!
"That's why."
"How did you know that was going to happen?"
"I heard Abu throw the apple."
"Abu!" yelled, Aladdin.
The sultan came out and was introduced.
"Cassim, I need you to go through all of Agrabah's documents."
"Of course, Your Majesty."
With that the sultan went back inside.
Cassim groaned and sat down on the edge of the fountain.
"I need a vaction."
"Why don't you come back to Greece with us for a while?"
After getting the sultan's permission, Cassim went to Greece with Hercules, Meg, Phil, and Pegusas.
Carpet flew alongside the winged horse.
"This probably won't be the most peaceful vaction I'll have."
"Why's that?"
"Just about everywhere I go there's a sorcerer or monster."
"You should have seen Thebes before Herc arrived."
"I don't think I want to know."
"You don't."
"My life is not the best it's ever been, but it's better than it was durning the past twenty years."
"Huh?"
"I was the most feared, most dangerous, most wanted man in the Seven Deserts. I was the King of Thieves, leader of the legendary Forty Thieves, and I'm *not* proud of it."
"I can beat that."
"Really? Did you kill someone?"
"No. I sold my soul to Hades to save my boyfriend, and he was walked out on me for some other girl."
"Ouch."
"Then I met wonder-boy, here, and my life changed forever."
Cassim smiled.
"So how's your wife?"
A sadness and pain gripped Cassim's heart.
"Hey, are you okay?"
"Yeah."
"Are you gonna answer me?" Phil asked.
"My wife's gone."
"Huh?"
"She died years ago, when Aladdin was four."
Hercules, Meg, and Phil gasped.
"I never got to say good-bye to her, either. She and Aladdin were sleeping the morning I left. I promised her I'd return within two weeks."
"Did you?"
"No. Not even close. I returned after nine..."
"... weeks."
"... years."
"Whoa."
"I returned after nine years to learn Carina was dead and Aladdin nowhere to be found. For eleven long years I thought he was dead, but then he showed up at the layer to find me. I told him I had been searching for the Hand of Midas."
"I've heard of that."
"I finally found it, after twenty years, but then I gave it up."
"Why?" Phil asked.
"If I didn't give it up Aladdin would have been killed. After all those years I realized something I should have know long ago. My ultimate treasure is not wealth or the Hand of Midas. My ultimate treasure had been in front of me before I left. My family is my ultimate treasure. The Hand of Midas was just a wretched, cured, enchanted hand. It nearly cost me everything I held dear. It cost me my one true love and nearly cost me my only son."
"Wow."
Hercules and Another Arabian Night by Cassim fan