Chapter 9: Unexpected Reunion

Genie looked around, scratching his head as he looked at the sky above the Dawn Ruins. "Yep, pretty sure we're in the right place. Watch your step kids, you never know what you might lurking around the shadows here. Funny I say that when I was freaked out by my own shadow arriving here."

"I'm wonderin' what might be worse," Iago said, swallowing against a large lump in his throat. "Being in a completely dark set of ruins in the middle of night while being chased by zombies? OR in a city like this where the skyline looks like blood and the city seems perfectly normal waiting to crush you with traps! Not creepy at all."

Jasmine sighed. "Let's just find Aladdin and Abu and get out of here. Maybe they were able to escape Zeta...somehow."

Natari shook her head. "Zeta seemed like the kind who worked magic one couldn't escape from so easily, if one crossed his bad side. We'll be fortunate to find what remains of them if they've gotten on the wrong end of a trap."

Carpet trembled at the suggestion.

Zeta, Aladdin and Abu walked through the streets of the ruins. Aladdin wasn't sure where he was going, until he heard the faint ringing in his ears. He pointed ahead, towards a set of stairs that led to a door at the end of a walkway above them. "Guess we're heading that way."

Zeta seemed impressed. "You're getting better at detecting magic with minimal side-effects. For all that, I guess it was worth finding you the way I did."

Aladdin rubbed the back of his neck. "Wouldn't really say that. Does the rune we found show anything new?"

Zeta used the rune to view the next vision, to which Zeta laughed upon seeing it. "What do you know, a vision of the near future. This might lead us to the next rune, looks like we have the number of traps in a series of staircases we must climb. Climb the wrong way, end up falling in a pit of water. If you don't end up drowning first, the monsters will likely devour you before you take your last breath."

Abu gulped at that suggestion. The monkey didn't like the idea of being anyone's fish bait. He shivered close to Aladdin's collar.

Zeta motioned forward. "Come, we must hurry. Our time grows short."

Aladdin started to follow, but stopped as a familiar voice called to him from not too far a distance away. No way, he thought, no way they could...

"Jasmine?" He'd said her name aloud, but as he went to call out to her, Zeta closed a hand over Aladdin's mouth. His tone held no friendliness.

"Aladdin, what did you do? Tell me the truth!"

He uncovered Aladdin's mouth long enough for him to answer. "Me? I didn't do anything. I haven't seen Jasmine and the others since earlier, well before I met up with you."

"Then why are they here?!"

"I don't know!" Aladdin's voice was as harsh a whisper as Zeta's. He really didn't know, and he wasn't sure how they got there unless Genie knew. And if Genie knew, then...

"Wait." Zeta held up his hand. Zeta used his magic to teleport himself, Aladdin and Abu a distance away, just before Genie, Iago, Jasmine and an older woman rode on Carpet around the corner of the building.

"Pretty sure I thought I heard voices around here somewhere, but looks like we're the only ones here," Genie said, scratching his head.

"Al and whatshisface aren't even here, so why are we wasting our time?" Iago complained. "We've already triggered one too many traps that caused me to lose feathers. Any more, and I'll have my skin to worry about."

Jasmine folded her arms across her chest. "The only reason why we encountered those traps in the first place, Iago, was because you wouldn't listen to us when we told you not to go too far ahead. I know we want to move through this place as quickly as we can, but being reckless isn't one of them."

"Jasmine..." Aladdin's heart beat double time because one part of him wanted to say something, to let her know that he was here. Heck, to let them all know.

Zeta squeezed Aladdin's shoulder so hard that it made Aladdin wince. "What do you know? It wasn't your doing after all."

Aladdin glared at him, an expression matched in Abu's features as well. "You'd think I'd told you enough to make you get the hint," he said.

"Perhaps, but you're not going to like the reason why I say it. That old woman with them is a spy - she's stronger than she looks on a magic level. Not as much as me or your Genie, but she can hold her own enough to be a nuisance. The spirits we're pursuing must know we're here."

Aladdin's eyes widened. "I thought you said they couldn't track me!"

"They can't track you, yes, but they can track me, remember? Their spy accompanying your friends here can only mean one thing - they know I'm with you and they're expecting a show. I suppose now I'll have to play a part."

"Wait, if you and Genie are more powerful than the spy, then why don't you just join up with Genie and...I don't know, banish her? Then we could explain..."

"We don't have time, Aladdin. One wrong move, and the spirits will know we're after the runes. And they are powerful enemies, too powerful to take head on. Even your Genie would have trouble conquering their old magic without some form of trickery."

Aladdin considered this, but he still didn't like the idea.

Zeta exhaled slowly. "Aladdin, if you trust me at all, you'll have to play along with me."

"What are you asking me to do?"

"Your friends likely assume I've somehow coerced you and the monkey to come here against your will. So, you're my prisoner. Let's give them something to see."

Abu screeched softly, not liking the details of the plan as Zeta explained.

Genie folded his arms across his chest, feeling slightly unsettled. When Jasmine asked him what was wrong, Genie sighed.

"I feel like I'm getting mixed signals from the magic vibe of this place. It's definitely old - maybe not as old as me - but I feel like there's someone else here watching us."

"He is right, " Natari said. "I feel eyes watching us from somewhere close. Oh dear, I hope it's not this Zeta you've been talking about."

It was then that two figures appeared from a fair distance away, the light of the sun briefly blinding them all as they heard the footsteps approaching them.

"I thought I heard someone calling my name, but it seems that there are more of you here than I was expecting. Greetings, I am this 'Zeta' you speak of. And I suppose you know of my company here, considering you've traveled all this way. Didn't realize I was in the company of spies."

Jasmine's eyes widened as she saw the man in the dark cloak approach them. Zeta's face remained masked, she could only see his eyes in the light of the sinking sun. All the while, he held a long silver blade that reached from Aladdin's neck down to part of his chest. Aladdin looked defiant, angry even, but he remained still as stone. Zeta had one arm around Aladdin's form to keep him captive.

"Let him go, Zeta," Jasmine demanded, her anger rising.

"Oh, but I can't do that right now, Princess Jasmine. He's helping me on a very important mission."

"Jasmine, don't worry about me. I'm okay," Aladdin said, his voice tight. He didn't look the least bit comfortable.

"Say, where's the monkey? Shouldn't he be here, too?" Iago said, wincing. "I'm getting second hand pain at this whole situation."

Zeta snapped his fingers of his free hand, the other still holding the blade tight to Aladdin's form. "Oh yeah, that's right. I suppose I could call a truce and return Abu to you. He came along unexpectedly, but I really didn't know what else to do with him. Here you go."

Zeta snapped his fingers. A very unhappy Abu appeared trapped in a magic bottle that rolled itself upon the sands out of mid-air, hitting the edge of Genie's shoe. Genie was quick to use his magic to get Abu out, but Abu almost charged out of Genie's hands to launch in an attack on Zeta.

Genie winced. "Not that I don't share your same thought, Abu, but I don't think that's a good idea, not with Al being in the position he is."

Zeta clicked his tongue. "And the Genie speaks truth! Don't get any ideas. Or else I can't guarantee that something might slip by accident." Zeta's blade bit into Aladdin's skin, enough to make him grunt as it drew a small amount of blood.

"Aladdin!" Jasmine's statement had every bit of horror as the expressions of Aladdin's comrades held.

Zeta laughed. "And with that, we must be on our way. I promise I'll return him to you, eventually."

The two had a dark portal appear from behind them. Quickly, Zeta pulled Aladdin (who was too startled by the gesture to react to it) in the portal.

The group rushed forward, Jasmine just behind Genie in her effort to reach the portal.

But Genie happened to be the only one who fit through it, just before it closed.

Aladdin and Zeta appeared to be alone in an underground staircase, close to where they would search for the second rune. The area around them had a soft glow, water on each side of them contained by a special magic barrier. It almost looked like a sea palace, or a room sized aquarium that would've fit the Sultan's preference.

Aladdin drew back from Zeta without a moments notice, furious. "That was NOT right, Zeta."

Zeta wasn't fazed. "But yet you agreed to the plan. Don't contradict your terms so quickly, your majesty."

"I only agreed because it meant that Abu could get more information about Natari and report back to us. I didn't expect you to scare everyone and make it look like you really were going to kill me!" Aladdin rubbed his sore upper shoulder. Even as the blade wound healed, it had a lingering soreness that took its time fading. Too slow for his comfort.

"Well, it had to look convincing enough for Natari to think I was playing my part."

"Part for what? Making sure they think you're using me? That doesn't make sense!"

"It makes enough sense - stop asking questions! I told you before, Aladdin - this is about the runes. It has always been about the runes. The sooner we find them, the sooner you're done working for me," Zeta's tone grew cold. "Isn't that what you said before?"

Aladdin looked away, his fists balled tight. "I said it, alright, but for someone who claims he wants to protect me, my friends and Agrabah - you have a horrible way of showing it. Let's just find the next rune."

Zeta and Aladdin walked up the stairs without another word. But neither one of them noticed a very confused (yet somewhat vexed) Genie floating nearby in the water as a fish, eager to follow them wherever they went.