What Lies Beneath
Summmary: Backstory for Mirage, showing how she became Evil Incarnate, her actions during the series, and beyond. This story will eventually feature Aladdin main characters, and tangentially, some of the other villains. It will also heavily feature characters "borrowed" (but much changed) from the Manga novels that served as "sequel" to the 80's move "Labyrinth" (for those precious few of you who are familiar with either the movie or the series of graphic novels it later inspired).
Author's Note: Why? Because even though I'm supposedly an adult, apparently I'm still obsessed enough with an old 80's movie and '90's Disney cartoon that they merged together in my twisted little mind and begged to be written into a fanfic. Personally, I blame Disney. And David Bowie.
Disclaimer: No, I don't own any of this, surprisingly enough. I know, it was a shock to me too! Blah blah, Fair Use Doctrine, blah blah, like they would actually sue fan fiction writers anyway, pfft.
Prologue: Step Into My Shadow
*takes place centuries before the events of the movie/show*
"Every seven years brings new blood into the kinship." Mirage, The Lost Ones.*
"It's not going to do any good, you know … your crying about it, I mean. What's done is done. You're part of the El Katib now."
The boy wiped his eyes with his not-yet- transformed hand, sniffling as he looked up the man. Well, man was not exactly the right word; he spoke like a man, walked liked one, but he had fur like an animal, and the face of one – a jackal, to be precise. His teeth were sharp, his eyes bright and green, and he regarded the child before him with a mixture of annoyance and amusement. Even now, the boy felt drawn to him … and scared of him, at the same time.
"You … you tricked me! You didn't say anything about having to spend eternity serving you! Or about only be able to walk the Earth three nights every seven years!"
"Did I forget to mention that? Yes, I suppose I did-"
"It's not fair!"
"Fair!" The green eyes glowed dangerously. "Did you really think immortality would not have a price?"
The boy began to sob again. The jackal-headed man sighed and rolled his eyes.
"Oh come now … it's not so bad … you'll like it the Shadow Realm." He put a hand on the boy's shoulder, awkwardly, but not unkindly, as he continued to cry. "Besides, it's not like this place offered you so much. If you're caught stealing they'll cut off your hands, and if you stop stealing, you'll starve to death. The El Katib take what they want, you know. And they never go hungry."
The boy looked up at him with a tear-stained face. "Really?"
The man smiled – hardly a reassuring sight – but somehow, the boy felt less apprehensive. "Really."
"But … it's just that … I can't leave her behind."
Intrigued, the man cocked his jackal head. "Who?"
"My little sister."
"Ah." Suddenly, the man's face looked disarmingly human. He nodded. "Now that, I can understand."
The boy looked at him in surprise. "You do?"
"Of course. You must take care of your family. Your parents entrusted the little one to your care after they died. No duty can be so sacred as this."
"How did you my parents are – "
"I can always tell."
"So … if you understand … then you'll let me go?"
"I'll do better. You can take her with you. She can be part of the kinship too."
The boy gasped. "El Katib? Her? But –"
"Why not? If it's good enough for you, why not her?"
"I don't want her to be a monster!"
"'Monster' is a relative term, little minion. Besides, you don't always have to stay in 'monster' form. In the Shadow Realm, you can be whatever you like."
"Really?"
"I may sometimes 'omit' the truth, minion, but I make it a point to never flat-out lie. It's tiresome. Serve me well and faithfully, and you and your sister shall have the full protection of me and mine."
"What will we do?"
"Oh, well you know, mischief, mayhem, marauding … the usual."
"But, my mother said … to be good. She said … it was important to behave and be nice to others and that good was … well, good was what held the world together."
The jackal-headed man regarded him thoughtfully. "Well, yes, I suppose. But it's also really, really … boring." His laughter was infectious, and spread to the boy, thrilling him even as it frightened him. "The world needs balance, my boy. Every day needs its night, every form needs its shadow. Introduce a little anarchy into order, a little strife into tranquility … you will be serving a purpose."
"I don't know…"
The man sighed, growing impatient. "Listen, child, I'll make you a deal. Picture your future: Maimed or imprisoned, or possibly killed for being a thief. Without your help, your little sister starves to death, dying cold and alone. Or, if you decide to be 'noble' and stop your thievery, at least you and your sister will have the pleasure of starving to death together, though from what I've seen of mortals, it's not a pleasant way to go. Now, if you can honestly tell me that either of those scenarios sounds better than the both of you joining the El Katib, I will release you from the kinship and never seek you out again."
"Really?"
"Yes, really. But decide quickly. The moon is waning; our time grows short."
The boy thought. He thought of how life had been since his parents died – he and his sister, moving from place to place, filthy and hungry, chased by the palace guards, scrounging and begging for food.
"I … I choose the El Katib."
"Excellent! I knew you were a smart boy." The man stood up and held out his hand. A portal, black as night, opened up on the wall behind them. "Come. There's work to be done in the Shadow Realm."
"What about my sister?"
"She is already being brought to us. Come, minion." Not knowing what else to do but trust, the boy took his hand and entered the portal. He only hoped his sister would soon follow. He could face anything in the Shadow Realm, as long as he didn't have to face it without her. He could not bear to think of eternity without his little sister, the only family he had left.
Not too far away, in the abandoned hovel where the sister lay sleeping, a figure suddenly appeared. The girl awoke with a fright, to see a pair of glowing green eyes staring out at from the darkness. She gasped and scampered back as the figure emerged from the shadows, and she called out her brother's name.
"Don't fear, little one." The woman's voice was dark and alluring. "Your brother is with us now, and he has sent for you." She held out her hand, and the girl, as though entranced, took it, following her blindly through the dark portal that suddenly appeared. The place she found herself in was wondrous and terrifying, and she would have started to cry, had she not seen her brother emerge from a similar portal mere seconds later.
Mirage smiled. "Welcome to the Shadow Realm," she said.
*Yes, this is a quote from an Aladdin episode. No, I don't have episode dialogue memorized. Apparently, someone who's even bigger fan-geek than me has transcripts of the movies/episodes out there on the Internet (it's amazing what you can find when you Google). If you want more, please review.