Chapter 3: Fiend, Foe, and...Friend?

When Aladdin woke, he wasn't sure exactly how long he'd been sleeping, but he'd had to wince at the bright sun shining over Agrabah's skyline. He thought about getting up to pull the curtain so he could sleep a few extra minutes, but Genie would usually get on his case by this time of morning. And the Sultan, even as typically calm as he was, would scold Aladdin about the importance of responsibility.

It wasn't until he realized Jasmine was holding his hand while she slept that he knew this wasn't a typical morning. Nor was the bandage that was wrapped so tight around his chest he had trouble breathing even if he hadn't remembered the attack.

The attack. Zeta. The alleyway.

Jasmine stirred, rubbing her eyes and groaning from being in the same position what seemed like a while. She gasped when she saw Aladdin sit up.

"Aladdin! How are you feeling?"

He ran his fingers through his hair, groaning. "I'm not sure. How long was I out?"

She sighed. "Two days. You had all of us worried."

His eyes widened. "Two days?! So...what exactly happened in the last two days?"

Jasmine's brow narrowed as she told him everything that happened from the point they found him. "I can also tell you what didn't happen. We still haven't found the street thief that tried to kill you. The guards have searched Agrabah and the outskirts far and wide. Genie's been helping them. He was really worried about you too." Her expression softened. "Do you feel well enough to stand?"

"Yeah, I feel...great, considering. A little sore, like someone punched me during a street fight, but you'd be surprised what you could live through." He stood up, stretching his limbs. Aladdin's hands found his bandage; he unwrapped it from around his chest. He found he could breathe better without it, and there wasn't any pain from his wounds. The only sign that he'd been stabbed at all was a thin scar on his chest that looked slightly faded against his skin. He traced the scar with a single finger.

"It's almost like it never happened, at least if the memory wasn't burned into my head," he said softly. "Why would this heal so quickly? Was it magic? Did Genie do anything?"

Jasmine shook her head. "Genie was just as surprised when the medic told Father about your injuries. Genie didn't cast any kind of healing spell. It just...happened."

"Something doesn't feel right." Aladdin recalled the conversation between him and Zeta, just before the man stabbed him. His tone lowered, more that he was speaking to himself. "He said he wasn't trying to kill me, but trying to protect me. I remember that much."

Jasmine overheard him. "Who said that, Aladdin?"

"The man called himself Zeta. I didn't know anything about him, but he knew me pretty well, considering."

"Do you remember anything else?" Jasmine asked. Aladdin told her as much as he knew, apart from Zeta telling him they would meet again. Somehow, he didn't think saying that would help matters any, only make Jasmine more worried for him.

"You're right, it doesn't make any sense. But at least that gives us more to go on," she said.

Aladdin's brows lifted. "If you guys need help, I can definitely..."

"Geez, the guy wakes from a coma after two days and he's already tryin' to help find the guy who tried to kill him. I think his head is still messed up, 'cause that's not smart at all." Iago flew into the room, landing on Jasmine's shoulder. In the meantime, Abu scurried into the room and was so happy to see Aladdin that the monkey tackle hugged him around the neck. Aladdin winced, but grinned.

"Good to see you too, Abu. And Iago, I'm serious! I really wanna help catch this guy. If there's something I can do, even join the search, I'll do it."

Jasmine sighed. "I think Iago might be right in this case, Aladdin. NOT about your head not being in the right place, though." She glared at Iago, whose grin had an awkward tilt. "I know you want to help, but you're still recovering, even if your wounds are mostly healed."

"Not to mention the guy might come back to finish the job," Iago said, drawing a line across his neck with a wing. "I used to be a bad guy, I know how a bad guy thinks. And the guy who attacked Al - definitely a bad guy and wayyyy worse than me. I don't have to know much about him to know that!"

Aladdin's shoulders slumped. "So I take it that means I'm staying in the Palace a while?"

Jasmine took his hands in hers. "For now. We'll find him, Aladdin. Just sit tight until we do, okay? Use the time to recover and think. We'll figure all of this out." She kissed him gently on the lips, though the effect of her kiss made Aladdin a little dizzy.

As they parted, Aladdin sighed, doubt coloring his tone. "Yeah, I hope so."

Aladdin looked at his reflection in the Palace fountain as he sat outside in the Palace gardens. Jasmine and the Sultan were meeting with a few dignitaries. Iago and Abu were getting an early dinner, and the only company that Aladdin was keeping was Rajah, who seemed content with Aladdin stroking the fur on his back.

"I dunno, Rajah. Even with being a former street rat, I don't do well with cages. This whole thing makes me wish I could be doing something instead of being cooped up here, you know? At least to just go to my hiding place. Jasmine told me to take some space to think, but I just think better there, you know?"

Rajah purred contentedly in response, which made Aladdin smile sadly.

Aladdin didn't realize Genie was floating over him until Genie's reflection popped up in the waters of the fountain. "So, I take it you want free of the nest egg?"

"You think you could put in a good word for the guard for me, Genie? 'Cause they already told me no and that it was under Sultan's orders. And I'm not the Sultan, not even close yet."

Genie scoffed. "I think I can go to the head honcho and get that for you. Why go for the small fries when you can get the big kahuna? I think he wouldn't mind, just as long as you're well protected. Sorry kid, I know you don't like being cooped up, but this is serious. We still haven't caught the guy and he could be anywhere."

Aladdin sighed. "I know, and I get it. It's not that I'm worried or scared, I'm just...trying to figure out what all of this means. And I don't want to live in fear or stop doing the things I wanna do just because he's still out there."

"You're a braver man than most, kiddo. Okay, I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks, Genie."

The Sultan didn't take long to agree, and soon Aladdin flew with Carpet and Abu to his usual hiding place in the city. Genie agreed to keep watch for the night on the outside, to make sure no one would follow them.

"Don't worry, Al! I'm all decked out and ready to go. No man or mystic will get past me, that's for sure!" Genie was decked out in a three-piece suit with shades covering his eyes. (He could easily pass for a 21st century Secret Service agent.) "Just call me if you need me, or rub the lamp, whichever you prefer. I'm not bound to it now, sure, but it makes for a good messaging service. Carpet's on call too down here, just in case. Every good guard needs a sidekick."

Aladdin laughed. "All right, Genie, but I'm sure we won't need it. Night!"

"Night, kiddo. Happy thinking."

Aladdin heard Abu yawning as he made his way up, pulling back the drapes to reveal a night view of the city. "You're welcome to nap, Abu, if you want. I think I'll sit up a little while, at least take in the view."

Aladdin didn't realize anyone was standing behind him until the figure grabbed him from behind, placing a hand over his mouth. Aladdin grunted, struggling, but the figure held him too strong to do much. Abu saw the struggle and went to screech a warning, but a veil of magic surrounded him, and he fell instantly to what seemed to be a sleeping spell. Aladdin realized the figure wielded magic, whomever he was, but the identity of the man didn't remain a mystery for long, as his familiar voice hovered near Aladdin's ear.

"So we meet again, Prince of Agrabah. I knew your recovery wouldn't be completely swift, but you still recovered faster than I thought you would. That means the magic in the blade worked perfectly. Exactly as I wanted."

"What are you doing here, Zeta?" Aladdin demanded through clenched teeth as the figure released his mouth. "You have a lot of nerve showing up when all the kingdom is looking for you for trying to kill me!"

Zeta sighed, clicking his tongue as if he were disappointed in Aladdin. His grip around Aladdin remained firm. "I'm not trying to kill you, Aladdin. I'm trying to HELP you. Don't you think if I wanted to kill you that I would've done so long before now? I waited up for you here - just to have the chance to talk."

He released Aladdin, who whirled around at the chance to see his attacker. It surprised Aladdin to see a long, mousy haired man with hazel eyes and a scruff of a beard. Zeta wasn't shielded by the tattered cloak he once wore, probably since it was the only thing the others had recovered in chasing him down.

"Then talk!" Aladdin hissed, his voice low. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't turn you in right now."

"Because you want to know why the knife I stabbed you with didn't kill you, for starters." Zeta pulled a dagger from the tunic he wore. "This blade being the very one, correct?"

Aladdin backed away, as if he were anticipating an attack, but Zeta was fast. He closed the distance between them quickly, having Aladdin's back against the wall.

Aladdin's throat felt tight, but he swallowed against it as he matched Zeta's same stony expression. "Yeah, that's the one. What does this have to do with me?"

"Hold still. This is just to show you the truth," Zeta said. He lowered the knife, pressing the flat part of the onyx blade against Aladdin's breast, just aside the scar. The blade felt cool against Aladdin's skin, but Aladdin was mostly aware of how heavy his own breathing sounded, how his body stiffened against the wall.

"This blade is one I made myself, imbued with a dark protective magic. The dagger is a unique one, having the same shape lengthwise as it does in width, which is why your scar matches the length of the blade. But even as I do this, watch what happens." Zeta used the tip of the blade, drawing a cut on Aladdin chest. Aladdin grunted from the pain, watching as a thin trail of blood ran down his skin. But the cut and blood seemed to disappear almost as quickly as it appeared. The pain from the cut eased just as quickly.

Zeta pulled the blade away, tucking it back into his tunic. "If either your Genie or monkey saw me do that just now with just the hint of hurting you, you would not have seen its effects for yourself. So, do you believe me when I say I don't want to harm you?"

"I still don't understand why you hurt me to begin with." Aladdin's body relaxed.

"To buy you time. The blade has a cloaking property. You're being tracked."

"By who?"

Zeta snorted. "Very same beings that are a thorn in my side. All just to find a few magic runes they're missing in order to complete a ritual that has very little chance of working."

Aladdin's brow raised. "Must be some powerful runes. And how do you know whether or not it has a chance at working anyway? Didn't take you for being a pessimist."

"I'll put it this way - I know the ritual doesn't work. It's not a matter of pessimism as it is a guaranteed failure with more casualties than benefits. But they don't care. They'll sacrifice anyone in their way just for the small chance that it works."

"So what happens if it works the way it's supposed to?"

Zeta laughed without humor in his tone. "I'd rather not have to deal with three dark spirits becoming immortal and wreaking magical havoc at every point they traverse. They ought not to even exist. They were living men who ventured into a cavern looking for treasure, foolishly brought to them by a legend a peddler told them for a sum of gold. But they crossed an angry spirit in their search who slaughtered them and banished their souls into a magic vessel. Some fool broke that vessel, releasing the spirits. Their essences were so corrupted that they were past the point of merely trying to regain their stolen lives. So they all possessed the body of that fool, and in taking his mind, learned of a ritual that would not only give them their bodies back, but promised to wield destructive magic capable of leveling cities and controlling the masses by fear."

Aladdin winced. "Sounds bad enough, but what does that have to do with Agrabah? Or me?"

Zeta's smile remained. "Whose city do you think they want to use as a test subject? And given that the body these three spirits share is breaking down, they need another to possess. Stronger in mind, as well. A man said to be the diamond in the rough. They'd sooner rip out your heart and possess you, Aladdin, than tell you to give them the runes and threaten you, because that would waste time. Then again, I know from mystic visions that they want to torture you so that you'll give up your body to them willingly."

"Like that'll ever happen!" Aladdin snapped. "I make my own destiny. No one else determines it for me. And no single vision is going to make me think otherwise."

Zeta held up his hands, not arguing. "That makes two of us. But it would be a good idea to get the runes away from this place and protect you. I've done part of the protecting. Which means you can find the runes and we can lead them away from this place."

"We?" Aladdin's tone made it clear he was not happy with that suggestion.

"Well, I was thinking you could find them since I'm something of a wanted man around these parts." Zeta chuckled. "I've not only given you magic to mask you from those spirits, but I've also given you a compass to find the runes we're looking for. There are some side effects that you may have to deal with, but you can bring those runes to me, and the both of us can try to steal the remaining runes from the being that's possessed by those spirits."

Aladdin looked skeptical. "Why would we chance getting the runes from here and then carrying them with us while we're trying to steal the ones they already have? It would make more sense to keep them separate."

"Because they have to be destroyed together. And I plan to use my magic to bind those spirits to those runes before they're destroyed."

Aladdin snorted. "This is assuming I'm trusting your word alone and choosing to help you. You haven't had such a good history with trust."

Zeta glared at him. "I didn't expect you to agree right away. I'll tell you this: you have until tomorrow night to gather the runes and join me. It may mean leaving your loved ones behind for the time being, but if it prevents Agrabah from falling to ruin, I've a feeling you'll say yes without me prompting you. I'm certain of that."

Zeta left as quickly as he came, disappearing in a mass of swirling sand. Aladdin used his hand to scoop up part of the sand that was left in the middle of the floor of his hiding place, but it wasn't special at all - just regular sand.

Around that time, Abu woke, stretching his limbs. He didn't seem alarmed as he looked at Aladdin, who took a seat near the window overlooking the city.

He doesn't even remember Zeta being here, Aladdin realized. He probably thinks he dreamed the whole thing.

Aladdin groaned, laying back on his makeshift bed as he closed his eyes. I'm starting to wonder if I'm in a bad dream myself - when I can't even figure out who I'm supposed to trust.