A/N: This is my take on Mozenrath's past, told as a monologue by himself, derived from the Aladdin writers' idea that Mozenrath is actually Aladdin's brother. They had previously planned to have the third Aladdin movie contain both Aladdin's father (Cassim) and have Aladdin discover that his brother is Mozenrath, but they decided not to join the series with the last movie. I understand why they did that, but I kinda wish they had put it in.
To Aladdin, my brother:
You couldn't possibly understand. When our father disappeared and our mother died, we both were cast out into the street, but I was not there for long. You may remember, Aladdin, the day I left our little excuse for a home and never came back. I meant to return, but while in the market place, I was met by a man who had been watching me intently. He told me that he had a bright future for me as his apprentice. I, as the older brother, realized that my learning a craft could save us from despair. When I accepted his invitation, he grabbed me by the wrist and we were sent through a porthole to another land – a strange place I had never even heard about: the Land of the Black Sand. The man's name was Distain, a sorcerer, and that I was to learn from him for he needed an heir. It seemed like a dream come true; however, he was not a kind master.
He taught me, sure. I learned well. But he also beat me, starved me and forced me to do painful, tedious chores like scrubbing the walls, ceilings and floors of the palace and counting the grains of sand in his magic hourglasses like a slave. By the time I was twelve years old, I was gaunt and pale but more powerful than ever. As if it were his place to decide, he decided that the name 'Ali' did not suit me anymore and he renamed me 'Mozenrath'.
I learned how to travel between worlds, through which I met Xerxes. And as time wore on, I grew stronger and more powerful. I discovered how to combine my magical power with my ability to invent, creating machines, weapons and traps no mortal or even sorcerer, could combat: not even Distain. I realized that if I defeated Distain, I would become the ruler of the Land of Black Sand, feared by all, challenged by none.
Distain wasn't all that clever anyway. All it took to steal his kingdom was turning him into a mamlock, the first of many, while he slept. With him out of the way, it was simple to take control of his empire.
As you know, later I met you, Aladdin, for the first time, in a sense. It had been so long that I did not recognize you and, of course, why would you recognize me?
I'm not asking for your forgiveness; I just wanted you to understand. When we were young and the world was simple, we fit together as brothers. But the world is not like that any longer. We are not alike and we shall never be again. Understand, Aladdin. I didn't leave because I hated you; things just turned out that way. And, for better or worse, we did too.
-Mozenrath