Disclaimer: I do not own any of the original Aladdin characters, nor do I own the settings involved with them. I only own Alisha, Jerky, Zadesh, Sabin, Brone, and Daniel.

Enjoy. R&R

Chapter Ten: An Unexpected Guest

Two days passed. There were still no signs of Malcho anywhere. It was as if he had fallen off the face of the earth. And poor Alisha worried and worried.

She didn't give up, though. The harpy still kept her hopes high. The night before, Alisha gazed out a window and searched for a sign of the Quetzalcoatl in the sky. She had no idea how long she stared out that window, waiting. Jasmine just assumed she was gradually getting use to her new surroundings. She would frequently ask her if she was all right and Alisha would respond with a smile and a nod of assurance. Then she would go back to looking out the window. But Jerky knew she was lying.

He watched the harpy like the loyal friend he was. With Malcho's words echoing in his mind, the mouse did whatever he could to think of ways to try and take Alisha's mind off the serpent, such as bringing her food he knew she'd like. And when that didn't work, he would convince her to explore different parts of the palace. Jasmine and Genie would give them the tours, of course. The last thing the harpy or the mouse wanted was to get lost in such a giant building. They would have had to have sent a search party to find them.

As more days passed, Alisha learned the names of everyone who lived in the palace; Princess Jasmine, soon to inherit the throne from her father, the Sultan. He was a very cheery man, with a smile that seemed to radiate that merriment on to whoever he beamed it at. Then there was Genie, but he wasn't hard to forget. How could anyone forget such an up-beat, energetic, and whacky person like him? Abu, the monkey; Jerky got along with him very well. They both had something in common: sticky fingers. He even befriended Jasmine's pet tiger Raja.

The harpy found it strange for a few minutes, until she thought to herself, Then again, my best friend is a giant snake with wings. She was glad to see Jerky was getting along with other creatures.

Jasmine told her all about Aladdin. She told her how they were engaged to be married, how they met and fell in love, nearly everything. Then Genie told her about Carpet, or 'the rug man', and how he always defeated him at games. It was one story after another with those two. And Alisha was fascinated by every one of them.

She met the guards and their Captain, Razoul. He intimidated Alisha in about a second. His muscles bulged out from under his outfit, looking down at her with only a raised brow. He towered over her, making the harpy feel as tiny as a mouse. Their meeting was brief, and as she and Jasmine walked away, Alisha couldn't help but imagine what would happen if Malcho ever met Razoul. A chill went up her back and she immediately put the thought in the back of her mind.

…Then there was Iago. And Alisha thought Malcho talked a lot! Iago, it seemed, always had something to say. He also clearly had no interest in the harpy. She noticed it when everyone was introducing themselves and trying to make Alisha feel at home, Iago simply perched himself a spot on the table and grabbed whatever food his grubby feathers could get, completely ignoring her presence.

Though aside from the rude bird, Alisha…felt welcomed. It almost seemed too good to be true. She couldn't recall a single time when she sat around a table eating with other people that were doing their best to make her happy, or when she was greeted with such warmth and compassion. These people barely knew her, but they still welcomed her with open arms. All of it took the harpy aback.

They're doing it all…for me?Thinking it even seemed unbelievable to Alisha. These strangers, these humans, were being…kind to her. They didn't laugh at her, stare at her, or point at her. And most of all, none of them looked upon her with fear, or disgust. Instead, it was as if she was just like them. That she was…

…Human.

Another day came and went. The Sultan had to leave for very important business, leaving Jasmine in charge while he was absent.

Alisha could feel the wound on her back healing as time progressed. It still stung whenever she made the wrong movement, but it was nothing more than a pinch.

"It will leave a scar, but it should heal up very soon." Jasmine said to her as she wrapped the new bandages around her chest. She had just rubbed her arrow wound with a strong herbal ointment.

Alisha could smell its bitter scent. When Jasmine first rubbed it on her, the scent was so strong it made her cough. It reeked a rotten stink, like dead fish. And it was cold and slimy against her skin, giving her shivers. To Alisha's dismay, it had to be applied on her back every twenty four hours. But after the first day, Alisha became use to it, and dreaded the ointment less.

"That's good to hear." Alisha said, feeling the bandages hug her tightly. And it was a relief to hear indeed. Despite the fact that it would scar, the wound was healing. And, hopefully, so would the memory of the hunters.

If you were to see Alisha now, you would notice how different she looked. You would even say she looked healthy. Alisha ate all that she could to gain weight her body desperately needed. She no longer looked like a skeleton. The dark rings under her eyes were gone after catching up on some rest; the green in them never gleamed brighter. Jasmine had also given her a brush with thick bristles so that she could comb her hair and keep it healthy. It had grown out beautifully after a couple of days, forming around her face while still revealing her eyes.

The Princess had also bought the harpy new clothes since her other ones were far too old and dirty to wear, or how Iago had put it, more like she was wearing colorful rags. For once, Alisha actually agreed with the bird. In fact, she was more than happy to get rid of them. Out with the old and in with the new, she thought.

Her new clothes were the color of aquamarine. Though they were designed like her old ones, they were different. There was only one sleeveless strap that came over her left shoulder and down the rest of her waist. A dark-blue, silk belt tied around the waist of her blue pants, which were not as baggy as her last pair.

As soon as Alisha slipped them on and looked herself in the mirror, she couldn't turn away. The harpy stared at her reflection with awe. The color of her clothes just seemed to bring out the emerald in her eyes, making the color burst vivaciously. And the first thing she said was, "Oh my gosh…I have a figure now!"

If the harpy was dreaming, then she never wanted to be awakened.

Alisha sat there on Jasmine's bed, her new shirt by her side, waiting for her to finish up with the bandages. But as the Princess did, she found herself staring, not at the arrow wound, but at the slashes on her back.

Jasmine noticed them since that night Alisha came to them, after they extracted the arrow from her back and cleaned and wrapped her up.

The slashes were only a finger long and a shade lighter than Alisha's skin. There were only three, but they were enough to snatch her attention with alarm.

Jasmine had to stare at these scars for so many days and always she wanted to say something, but she never knew how to start. Alisha had gained enough courage to tell her of her mother here in Agrabah and that she didn't know how to fly, but she never mentioned these slashes, or where she came from before coming here.

It didn't make Jasmine suspicious of the harpy, but it did concern her.

"Is something wrong, Jasmine?" Alisha asked, turning her head to look at the suddenly silenced Princess.

With a quick blink, Jasmine snapped out of her thoughts. She noticed she'd stopped in the middle of wrapping the bandages around Alisha's chest.

"O-oh, sorry Alisha." She quickly went back to wrapping.

"It's all right," Alisha assured, "you just got really quiet back there for a minute."

"I was just thinking…"

"'Bout what?" the curious harpy asked.

It took the Princess a minute to answer her. Was it really her place to ask? Then again, what would it look like if she didn't?

With a snip of the scissors, Jasmine finished with the bandages. Then she stood up and sat on the bed beside her, still quiet.

Alisha, with her eyes on her, waited patiently for the Princess to speak. It was obvious something was troubling her, but what?

"…Alisha," Jasmine's chocolate eyes met her gaze. The harpy saw the worry inside them as she seemed to think about how to say what she wanted to get out.

"Those scars on your back," Jasmine finally began, her voice soft, "where are those from?"

She blinked at the question, and then fell silent herself. In a flash, as the question sunk in, memories came to Alisha like a flood. Dark memories of those cold and heartless days…

Her eyes lowered with her head. She felt the weight of Jasmine's stare. Yet, miraculously, Alisha's voice did not try to hide. Even though the chilling fear of that man crawled up her skin, like a venomous spider preparing to sink its deadly fangs into her throat if she spoke, Alisha would not be silent. Not by the memories, and not by the fear deep inside her.

"These scars," at last, Alisha began, solemnly, "were caused by a human…a very cruel and greedy human. What he did…was the reason I finally found the courage to run away."

"Run away?" Jasmine repeated. "You mean he held you captive?"

"Yes," Alisha nodded, "for a very long time. Those years with him felt more like centuries. A single day was like a year. He made my life a misery."

Then, wearily, Jasmine asked, "What did he do that made you decide to leave?"

Silence befell Alisha again. With a wing, she put it over her shoulder, where the tips of one of her scars were. She closed her eyes and could see it all.

And she began…

XXX

"Let's give them a show, shall we?"

Zadesh's smile made Alisha cower in her cage. She watched with round eyes as he unlocked the door with the key and listened as it opened with a loud, dragging, metallic creek.

He stood by the door and pointed out to the crowd, ordering her to come out. But Alisha refused to move, shaking her head fearfully. Zadesh didn't tolerate it. He stepped in and grabbed her by the gruff of her collar and tossed Alisha out. She hit the hard floor, too weak and exhausted from lack of sleep to catch herself from falling.

The stage they were on had only two long candle stands that stood on either sides of it. Each stand held three candle sticks that illuminated it all. As Alisha looked up, her hair falling in her face, she saw hundreds of eyes that were directed at her. Though she was on a wooden stage that was only chest high, the audience in the front row still gasped in surprise and jumped back. Her eyes were as wide and filled with alarm as theirs were. The front row of people she could see clearly, but the people in the back were shadowy figures that moved about, whispering to each other like the people in front of her did.

Normally, because she was too far away, Alisha could never hear what they whispered about her. And she preferred it that way. She would gladly live the rest of her life not knowing what they were saying. But now, to her despair, she caught every word. And not a single sentence was missed.

"Look at her!"

"She's hideous!"

"How puny, am I right?"

"Look at those feet! Are those even feet?"

"Get a load of those wings—I wonder how much gold you can make with them…"

"She's filthy! And her hair is a mess!"

"She is a mess!"

"She's a monster."

It was one after another.

Alisha felt her heart begin to pound. Her body was immobilized as she gazed out to the sea of humans, listening to more comments and cruel remarks about her. Some pointed while others laughed, and other people simply sat there, watching her. Some even exited the tent, unable to look at the monster any longer. Children cried and looked away.

With her chest heaving up and down, Alisha was clueless as to what would happen next.

CRACK!

In a heartbeat, it struck her. Her piercing cry silenced everyone and they gazed at the stage with apprehension, covering their ears as her loud voice filled the entire tent. A sudden pain had stung her right shoulder, bouncing off as quickly as it hit. But the strong sting lasted, traveling up and down her back and to her side. Alisha doubled over, cringing and wincing with her chest heaving up and down. The pain caused tears to well up in her eyes, the sting dragging on longer and longer.

Shaking, Alisha looked up. Standing beside her was Zadesh, simply watching her with that disturbing smile of entertainment. There was something in his hand, she noticed, and she followed it down. Her eyes rounded at what she found.

Clasped tightly in his grip was a long, black whip.

Alisha looked back at him, gazing at the man in fear and alarm. He actually…physically harmed her…!

"Notice how she feels pain, just like we do." His voice went out to the audience but his eyes never left the harpy. "It just proves to show that not all monsters are indestructible. That even creatures like this one aren't immune to pain like we think."

CRACK!

He swung his arm and hit Alisha again, this time in the middle of her back. Alisha screamed, unable to hold it back. It carried as loud as her last one did. Her heavy, burning tears fell as she hung her head low, catching her breath.

This is all really happening. Oh, but how she wished it wasn't. How she wished these were all just images of her tormented mind. But alas, none of these were imaginations. The ridicule and the pain were both real, as real as everything else in here….

Zadesh dealt the third and final lash. Alisha, after letting out her last cry, collapsed. Broken at last… Her back screamed at the stinging pain that consumed it, from her skin to what felt like the bone. She was still and silent. The lashes were strong enough to cut through her shirt, leaving three bloody gashes.

Her eyes seemed to gaze far past the sea of people, yet lying there, she still saw their expressions.

Some were in shock, while others seemed surprise. And then there were the others that were mixtures of both, as if they had no idea howto react.

These expressions were no strangers to Alisha, but somehow, they still managed to astonish her every chance they had.

Her gaze shifted, then. She confronted the black eyes of Zadesh. They sucked her up like a black hole, and within them, Alisha saw an endless void of emptiness, where no hurt and no comfort could be found.

Nothing…

These eyes were the eyes of a man impervious to remorse. A man that cared nothing for her or of her pain. A man that had no heart to weigh him down.

These eyes were the eyes of Zadesh.

XXX

Alisha opened her eyes, then. She drew her wing away from the scar and from the memory that slept within it.

Jasmine was silent. She stared at the harpy with shock, taken aback.

"How…?" the Princess began after a minute, "how could anyone do such a thing?"

Alisha shook her head slowly. "I don't know. Maybe because of what I am."

"What do you mean what you are?"

Alisha looked at her. Her green eyes were like a sea, filled with shame and sorrow. Then she turned away, refusing to let the emotions in her eyes be seen. Tears gleamed in them, but they never fell.

"Because…why should a human feel sympathy for a monster?"

Silence fell upon the harpy and the Princess; Alisha, hushed by the painful memories, and Jasmine, hushed by Alisha's statement.

"…But what I do know," Alisha said, breaking the silence. She turned back to Jasmine, her somberness and pain brimming in her gaze as she said, "I'm never going back."

Nothing would make her go back — absolutely nothing. Alisha would sooner die than let her life slowly rot away with Zadesh in that cage. With him, she might as well be dead.

The Princess and Alisha shook off their conversation when dinner came around.

As usual, Alisha enjoyed every bit of food Genie made. And she used her table manners this time, using her utensils as she ate the slices of ham on her plate.

"So, how's the ham, Aly?" he asked.

She swallowed. "Amazing as always, Genie." She smiled. "You've outdone yourself again."

"Aww, well thank you. I was going to make chicken, but a certain mouse and a certain tiger — both shall remain nameless — decided to help themselves."

All eyes shifted to the corner where a half eaten chicken lay between Raja and Jerky. The tiger effortlessly ripped a chunk off while the mouse-beast nibbled on his own piece. They ignored Genie's dagger glare and continued to eat the poultry with greedy grins on their whiskered faces.

Alisha exhaled a defeated sigh. "Again, I am so sorry about that, Genie." She apologized, looking back at him. "Jerky has a really bad habit of stealing. I thought it would stop eventually, but you know what they say: old habits die hard."

When Genie continued to glare at the gorging beasts, Alisha smiled with a piece of ham on her fork. "But, hey, at least your ham is good, right?"

"She's right, Genie." Jasmine tried to assure him with Alisha. "It's wonderful. And I'm sure your chicken would have been just as good."

Alisha nodded in agreement.

Then (of course) Iago had to add, "Raja and Jerky sure seem to think so."

Jasmine was about to scold him until, suddenly, a new voice that called out to her.

"Jasmine!"

Alisha watched as a smile blossomed on the Princess's face. In fact, every head perked up at the voice. The harpy, confused, looked at them all. A question mark practically appeared over her head.

With her smile beaming, Jasmine got up from the table. "Aladdin!" she called back, and started running for the balcony that was to the far right of them.

Alisha stood up to stop her when something actually zoomed in from it. She stopped, stunned by what she was seeing. A golden trimmed, purple rug was flying in the air! All on its own! And there was someone on top of it.

Alisha recognized his face; black hair, dark eyes, tanned skin, and a red cap on his head.

The rug stopped, floating beside Jasmine. The young man leaped off and took her in his arms. Their embrace seemed so strong that it looked like nothing could tear them apart.

"I missed you." Jasmine's voice was softer than the chime of a tiny bell.

"And I missed you." The boy said back, his voice just as soft.

Then, tenderly, he tilted her chin up. Alisha's face, which turned a bright pink at their embrace, now darkened into a deep red as she watched their lips touch. The harpy could only blink at the couple, like a shy child. Her wings rested against her chest. She knew what that was all right.

Love.

Over the time she spent here, Alisha gained no ill feelings towards the Princess. But, as she and the handsome boy kissed, the harpy couldn't help but feel a sort of…envy stir up inside of her chest.

Alisha had to look away, hoping it would go away if she did.

She heard Genie's voice. "So, how was the village, Al? Did you find the thieves that kept stealing their food?"

"Ah, just a group of sand goblins," he answered. "Fighting them was easy compared to building the trap to lure them in. But they won't be bothering the villagers anymore."

"Sand goblins, they terrorize one village and they think they own it." Iago said. "They're barbaric, I tell you."

Curiously, Alisha looked in their direction. They were all grouped together — Genie, Jasmine, Abu, and Iago — around the young man, asking him more and more questions about the village and the goblins. As she studied the expressions on their faces, something felt familiar to Alisha. Two actually: one of her and her mother, and the other of…of the three of them.

Of her, Malcho, and Jerky, back when their lives were simple at the oasis. Their faces were just like that: happy and content, as though they were living in their own little world.

Alisha's shoulders fell a little, as did her expression.

But her melancholy turned into shock and surprise in record breaking time as the rug suddenly stepped, er, floated into her line of view. The harpy gasped and jumped maybe three feet off the ground.

Seeing he startled her, Carpet lowered himself to the ground, moving his tassels as a way of saying, "Don't be scared, I'm a friend."

Alisha, however, only gave him a perplexed stare.

"Oh, that's right," Jasmine's voice grabbed Alisha's attention. Hand in hand, she and the boy walked over to her and Carpet. "Alisha, this is Aladdin," she told her. Then she looked at the boy, "Aladdin, this is Alisha."

"Nice to see you're alright." He told her, and then he put his hand out, giving Alisha that grin she remembered from the photo.

The harpy glanced from his smile to his hand and then to his smile again. The last time she shook someone's hand her wing nearly popped off. But, hesitantly, she took it. She didn't want to be rude. Thankfully it wasn't at all like Genie's hand shake. They shook once and he let go.

Phew, she sighed, a handshake that didn't almost knock me off my feet.

"I was worried about you while I was gone." Aladdin told her. "I had to leave the day after we found you, which was why I asked Genie to stay here in case anything happened."

Alisha blinked, surprised by what she just heard. He was worried about me? But he…he doesn't even know —

It was then the purple rug held a tassel out to her. Alisha pulled her wing away, her surprise switching to confusion. She glanced at Aladdin and Jasmine, silently asking what this thing wanted.

"Carpet's just trying to say hello, Alisha." Jasmine assured. "It's all right. He was very worried about you when he left with Aladdin."

Her brow rose, "'He'?"

Carpet's tassels folded against his sides, giving off an agitated aura that was obvious to the harpy.

"Uh, sorry," she apologized. Then she slowly reached her wing out, letting his tassel take it, and they shook.

Jerky showed up not a second later, jumping on Alisha's shoulder and studying the rug. He gazed at Carpet, and he seemed to gaze back. Both were fascinated by each other. The mouse put a paw out, going to touch the lively rug, when Carpet, wanting to get a closer look at Jerky also, lifted himself in the air.

Jerky squeaked in alarm and darted behind Alisha, hiding under the cover of her long hair.

Again her eyes widened. But, instead of fear, her eyes filled with startle and wonder.

"H-How can he do that?" Alisha asked in a stutter. She wasn't sure whether to be frightened or enthralled. Nothing was keeping the rug in the air! Alisha had never seen such a thing before.

"He's a Magic Carpet, "Aladdin explained. "Believe me I was just as shocked as you are when we first met."

"Oh that's not even the half of it! The Rug Man can also play Old Maid, chess, croquet…"

Alisha drowned out what Genie was saying as a new found wonder took over her. "Magic…" she mumbled.

She extended her wing out to Carpet, but she stopped it just an inch in front of him, hesitant. But Carpet closed the tiny gap between them and allowed Alisha to touch him.

Her excitement beamed. "That's so amazing. I thought you only needed wings to fly."

Carpet moved in a motion that was easy for her to understand, as if he was shaking his head in disagreement.

The harpy pulled her wing away. "You're really lucky. You know that, Carpet."

This caught the floating rug's attention. He noticed a strange look in the harpy's face. There was an emotion that she was hiding behind it, but Carpet couldn't place it.

But, for a second, he could have sworn he saw a little envy in those emerald eyes of hers. Not a dark envy, but a very, very sad one…

"…And baseball, and video games, and —"

"She gets it already!" Iago cut Genie off from his rambling with his screechy shout. "Now, can we all just please get back to eating?"

"Sounds great," Aladdin said. "I'm starving."

In minutes, everyone was back to eating around the table. More questions were asked to Aladdin about the village he saved from the thieving sand goblins. He explained that their food and crops were being stolen at night. With the help of a villager, Aladdin lured a trap for them and fought them all. He went on to saying he spent a few extra days there to make sure they didn't come back, and they never did.

"And the villagers?" Jasmine asked, concerned.

"They're all safe." He answered. "I returned everything that was stolen from them. And I told them that Agrabah would help supply them with anything that they needed."

Next to Jasmine, sitting at the end of the table, was Alisha. She had listened to everything Aladdin had said. Deep down she was surprised. He did all of that for those villagers? Even though he doesn't know them?

Suddenly, Aladdin's optimism changed into a deep somber. Everyone noticed except Alisha, who was taking a drink from her glass of water.

"Although, I did spot something strange on my way back," he said. All eyes went to him. "Guys, I think Malcho is loose."

The room filled with shocked gasps. The second his name came out of his mouth, Alisha was so surprised she forgot to swallow. The water then decided to take its own route down the wrong tube. The harpy coughed, covering her mouth.

Jasmine spun around towards her. "Are you alright, Alisha?"

With another quick but rough cough, Alisha nodded. "Mhmm," was the only thing she could respond with.

As soon as she responded, everyone focused back on Aladdin.

"Are you sure, Al?" the change in Genie's demeanor worried the harpy. This was the first time she'd seen him serious.

Aladdin confirmed with a nod, crossing his arms as he did. "I'm positive. Carpet and I checked. All the lava in the volcano we trapped him in hardened, and in the very heart of it was a giant hole. There's not a doubt he got out. I don't know how, but he did."

"But if he got out," worry filled Jasmine's voice, "then that means he could be here in Agrabah somewhere."

Sleeping off the chicken by Raja, Jerky's eyes had snapped open when he heard Malcho's name. He bit his lip, his ears bending against his skull. Uh oh…this isn't looking good… If they knew he was in their backyard, the little mouse knew it would be chaotic. He listened intently.

"Planning to finish what he started before!" exclaimed panic-struck Iago, "Turning me into his dinner!"

Immediately, Alisha's brow went up at the terrified bird's statement, "You? But why?" she asked, confused.

For once, Alisha wasn't playing dumb. She was truly confused. Why would Malcho…?

Si, I…have some business to attend there.

"Let's just say," Iago explained, "that Malcho is the type of guy that NEVER let's go of a grudge. And when I say NEVER, I mean: NEVER!"

Genie stepped in. "He's right, Aly. Malcho's bad news. When Iago, Abu, and I first met him, that loco snake was bent on world domination, starting with us."

Alisha's eyes rounded, "World domination?"

"And he would have gotten away with it, too." The parrot told her. "But, with mytalents, I banished him to the Frozen North."

The harpy was too shocked by what she was being told that she, for once, didn't roll her eyes at Iago's horn tooting.

I had a little…problem in Agrabah a while ago.

Aladdin added, "Then Malcho somehow escaped and hunted Iago down. He tried to kill him twice."

"Ahem. Three."

Aladdin rolled his eyes. "Like I was saying, Malcho stopped at nothing to get to Iago. So with the help of Razoul and the other guards, we were able to trick and imprison him in a volcano."

Alisha watched in silence as his face changed, the solemn inside and outside growing.

"If we hadn't stopped him, then who knows what kind of destruction he could have caused…"

Alisha's eyes fell to the floor, her body becoming like a statue. No.The harpy thought. No. That…none of that can be true. Malcho would never do any of those things. Never…!

Razoul stepped into the room. "Your majesty," he said, bowing his head, "you have a guest. He is requesting your presence."

"Oh, all right." Jasmine responded, a little surprised by the news. "Please, bring him in and tell him I'll be just a minute."

The Captain nodded. "Yes, your highness." And he exited the room.

Quickly, the Princess finished her food, and then she stood up, starting for the door.

"I'll be right back, guys." She told them, and then she was gone.

When Jasmine stepped into the throne room, her gaze went directly to the guests that waited for her patiently. There were four of them; a very skinny man, with a much larger and rounder man by his side, along with a younger man wearing a tan vest and brown pants that hugged his knees with long, golden, curly-tipped shoes.

And then there was the other man…

He snatched her attention much quicker than the other three did; his black eyes found Jasmine's the moment she walked into the room, widening as he looked her over from head to toe. Then he smiled at the Princess, almost grinning, actually. Jasmine had seen that grin hundreds of times; that flirtatious and charming grin.

"Ah, your highness."

He moved in long strides towards Jasmine's direction, his cane tapping with the rhythm of his steps. As he grew closer, she got a better look at the man. A white, low cut shirt covered his chest as a garnet belt tied around his waist was holding up his purple stripped pants. While a sleeveless, black overcoat fanned as he walked.

"Princess Jasmine," her name smoothly slid off his tongue. Then, after removing the black and red hat off the top of his orange head, bowed before her. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

She was impressed. It appeared she wasn't the first royal he had ever addressed. The gentlemanly bow and the formality were almost, if not, impeccable.

Jasmine smiled back, "As am I. And you are?"

"Zadesh, your majesty." He answered, rising from his bow. "My name is Zadesh."

Though she smiled, an eerie feeling crept inside of Jasmine. She didn't feel it until his eyes locked on to hers, engulfing her in that dark stare. She knew not to express it, fearful she would insult her guest.

Zadesh nodded to the other men behind him. "Those three are my companions. The skinny one is Sabin, next to him is Brone, and the blonde would be Daniel. We just arrived in your city yesterday, and we were wondering if you could be so kind as to help us find someone."

"Oh?"

Zadesh nodded. She watched him bite his lip, his head falling low. Worry was all she could hear in his voice.

"Someone very important to me is gone and we've been looking high and low for her, but we can't find her anywhere. I thought maybe there was a chance she would be here."

When he lifted his head, Jasmine studied his face. This man looked like he was on the verge of tears.

"The four of us have asked everyone in Agrabah, but no one has seen her." Zadesh held his hat closer to his chest. "Please Princess, you must help me. She's such a fragile little thing, you see. I-I can't eat and I can't sleep knowing she's out there all alone… If anything were to happen to her, I couldn't live with myself."

Then his head fell again, his hands beginning to tremble.

Jasmine blinked at him. A little guilt started to weigh down on her shoulders. Maybe she judged this man far too soon. He seemed sincerely worried about this person.

She must mean a lot to him.She thought, placing a hand on her chest.

"Don't worry, Zadesh." Jasmine consoled, putting a hand gently on his arm. "I promise, I will do all that I can to find her."

Zadesh lifted his head, gazing at the Princess with a gleam in his eyes. His smile was a touched smile, brimming with sincerity.

"Oh, thank you so much, your highness. You are as beautiful on the inside as you are on the outside."

"I am just happy to help. Now, what is her name? And I will need a description of her so that we can start searching."

"Yes, yes," he nodded. "I fully understand, Princess. The person I am looking for, her name is Alisha."

Jasmine's almond-shaped eyes widened slightly after hearing the harpy's name. "A-Alisha?" she repeated. "Is that what you said?"

Zadesh confirmed. "That is her name, your majesty. And she will blend into the crowd very easily, with her brown hair, fair skin, and green eyes. But, little do people know, when they look at her there will be one thing that stands out. To the trained eye, that is."

"What is that?"

Is he really talking about Alisha? The Princess inwardly questioned. Or what if it's just a coincidence? He could be talking about another Alisha that fits that description. Unless…

Alisha's slashes flashed through the Princess's mind.

What if maybe…he was the human she was talking about?

His eyes narrowed at her silence, and he examined the wide look in her eyes. He mastered a polite smile as he leaned in a little closer to the Princess and asked, "Unless…you've already seen my lost Alisha?"

Alisha lay gently against one of the pillars of the balcony, silently staring outside.

At her feet, different kinds of food lay before her. From fruits to left-over's of the ham. All were given to her by Jerky, struggling to grab her attention with different offers.

"So what do we do when big, bad, and scaly shows up?" Genie asked the group.

He, Aladdin, Iago, Abu, and Carpet were still at the table, devising a plan about how to handle Malcho.

"We'll take him down." Aladdin answered, "Like we always do when a monster attacks us."

Alisha heard that word and winced. Monster…a part of her wanted to defend her friend. To make them take that wretched word back. But there was another part of her told the other to stay quiet.

Of course Malcho was a monster in their eyes. What he did…it was monstrous. There was no other way to put it.

Yet…if Malcho truly was like that…then why was he so gentle with her? Why was he kind and understanding to Alisha? If — IF — Malcho was truly as cruel as they say, then why did he save her that day? Someone evil and malicious would never have done that. He would have just let those two men take her without giving a second thought about it.

The Malcho Alisha knew was nothing like that, and would never do things like that.

…But it all made too much sense. Malcho, looking back, was vague about his intentions here in Agrabah. He hid them behind words like "problem" and "correction", and Alisha was a fool for not making him explain.

She sighed. Maybe it's better if he doesn't come. I…I hope he stays away! I bet he's half way to his rainforest by now. Where he should stay! And I'll…

…I'll never see him again.

That single thought was enough to make the harpy's heart feel like it was being torn in two. But why? She…she never felt that kind of pain before. It was so…odd. Was there…was there possibly another reason that she -

"Alisha," Jasmine's voice broke the harpy from her thoughts, "someone is here to see you."

The harpy spun around, hoping it was her mother, but who stood beside Jasmine in the doorway — smiling that smile — shoved away every ounce of hope she had.

She froze.

"Alisha," Zadesh started towards her. His black eyes never fell off the harpy for a second.

Suddenly, she felt like she was trapped in one of her nightmares. They always started out like this. Zadesh smiling that terrifyingly composed smile, and Alisha too scared to even breathe. The only sound she heard was from her bouncing heart. And before she knew it…

The gap between them was gone.

He toward over the harpy; his shadow fell over her like an ominous phantom.

"Oh Alisha," her name passed his lips again, his smile deepened. "I'm so glad to see that you're alright."

Her brow creased in confusion. Did he just say he was "glad" to see her?

"Look at you," Zadesh took a lock of her hair and let it slowly slip out of his hand strand by strand as he looked over from head to talon. "You look so different. New clothes, a hair cut…I almost didn't recognize you for a second."

"…Why are you here?" to Alisha's astonishment she had a voice.

"Why?" he repeated in a chuckle. She felt his hand slip up her wing and rest against her cheek. Alisha winced and tensed under it, instinctively.

"For you, of course. Why else would I come?"

Alisha blinked. She then felt his arms wrap around her, pulling her close into him. Alisha was beside herself in shock. Was…was Zadesh embracing her?

"I've been so worried about you, Alisha." He told her softly. "But I knew I would find you — no matter how hopeless it seemed."

Jerky watched this man keenly, as did Jasmine from behind.

"Who's the weirdo in the stupid hat?" Iago whispered when he landed on her shoulder.

"His name is Zadesh," the Princess whispered back. "He says he been looking everywhere for Alisha."

Genie and Aladdin moved beside her.

"But doesn't Aly have a mother waiting for her here in Agrabah?" Genie asked. "She never mentioned this guy."

Jasmine watched every move he made. Maybe there was a reason why…

Alisha was tense under his touch. She had no idea how to react, so the harpy just stood there, like a bewildered statue in his arms. What was going on? Was this really Zadesh? But-but he was being so…so kind with her. He was hugging her!

In a heartbeat, she felt his breath against her ear, holding her tighter. His voice was no longer light, relieved, and kind, but menacing. Nearly threatening.

"Did you really think you could get away from me that easily?" Zadesh whispered. "How many times do I have to remind you that you belong to me? And when you belong to me, running away will only get you into trouble."

Now Alisha began to panic. She knew it! As his arms tightened around her, she winced at the jolts of pain from her back, as if he was aware of her wound. She tried to push free but Zadesh's arms were as powerful as clamps.

From Jasmine and the group's point of view, it looked like she was hugging him tightly back.

"I'm going to make you regret letting the idea of running away ever cross your mind." Zadesh threatened in another whisper in her ear. "Keep your mouth shut as we leave. Do that and there's a chance I might be merciful. Do you understand, Alisha?"

Helplessly, she pressed her forehead against his chest, biting her lip. Her heart raced in a panic. Alisha wanted to refuse…but what could she do? Finally, her wings fell against her sides and she nodded.

Zadesh shifted. He wrapped an arm around Alisha's shoulder, giving the Princess and her friends a smile. "Thank you all for taking such good care of my Alisha." He told them. "Now, I believe it's time we were on our way."

"Wait a minute!" Jasmine took a step forward. She looked at the harpy with question, "Alisha, what about your mother?"

Again the harpy bit her lip. She felt Zadesh's hand tightened around her, reminding her not to disobey him.

Zadesh's eyes narrowed as he glanced down angrily at Alisha. Since when did this little bird start chirping at people? No matter, he could not let his mask fall now—not when he was so close.

The Princess said her name again, "Alisha?" hoping for a response.

"She doesn't have a mother." He took the liberty of answering the question. Then he cocked his head a tad to the side. "Did she tell you that?"

Jasmine nodded. But her stare was hard on him, filled with suspicion. "Yes, and she told me about the scars on her back. She said that a human caused them."

Zadesh didn't flinch at the harshness of her tone. "And you suspect that Iam the human responsible for those scars, your highness?" he asked, meeting her stare.

"I am."

"Princess, as deeply touched that I am that you seem to care for Alisha very much, I'm appalled that you accuse me of such an action. Why would I ever do anything to harm this innocent creature?"

When no one responded, unable to support with evidence, Zadesh went on.

"Whatever Alisha has told you about me, they are all false. I never abused her, neither physically or verbally."

"Then how did those scars get on her back?" Jasmine demanded.

"I'm not sure. Maybe Alisha has always had them, or maybe she inflicted them on herself to have proof for her lies. But I do know this: Alisha has a horrible habit of making up stories, and she will do whatever she can to keep them going — even if it means she has to hurt herself."

Everyone's eyes widened and they looked at the harpy. Their shocked stares were like daggers to Alisha. She had to look away. She couldn't bear meeting them, it hurt too much.

"That makes no sense!" Aladdin exclaimed.

"I know." Zadesh agreed. "How do you think I feel? When everyone else rejected and scorned her, I was the only who took Alisha in under the goodness of my heart. I gave her food and shelter — and how does this little ingrate show her appreciation? She fabricates story after story, doing everything in her power to make me look like a villain!"

The harpy's wing clenched at her side. That's because youarethe villain.

She heard him sigh, exasperatedly. "I assure you all that none of you are the first to fall for Alisha's lies. Many others have, as well. I guess she thought she could get away with it this time if she ran away."

Then, with a clear of his throat, Zadesh said, "Your majesty, my deepest apologies for Alisha's deceit. Once again, you have my thanks. But we must be on our way. If you do not mind, we'll let ourselves out."

Alisha's head hung low as she and Zadesh walked past the silenced group. But the pain of their eyes still stung her. His cane tapping on the floor echoed down the hall as a thick silence stood between the two. Alisha didn't have to look at Zadesh to know he was furious, she felt it in his tight grip. She could feel his blood boil in it.

"I see you wasted no time telling them your entire back story without missing a single detail." He growled as soon as they were out of earshot. "Well, I'll just have to make sure that never happens again, won't I?"

Alisha's mouth never opened. Tears clouded her vision and they fell one by one down her face.

"Hey, Boss," Sabin greeted him when he and Alisha stepped into the throne room. "How'd it go?"

Alisha looked up and saw a new face stand by Sabin and Brone, a young man with golden hair.

"I think it went…rather well." Zadesh answered. "But we better get going. The Princess was getting suspicious of me. I have a feeling she isn't anymore, but I want to get out of here in case she—"

"Hold it!"

Alisha's eyes widened, while Zadesh gave a low growl. "In case she does that."

Plastering that smile, he spun around with his arm still around the harpy. "Yes Princess? Is something wrong?" he asked, innocently.

Alisha was shocked to see it wasn't just Jasmine, but Aladdin, Genie, Iago, Abu, Carpet, and Jerky, too. And all their glares were directed at Zadesh.

"Alisha," Jasmine somberly said to her, "do you want to go with him?"

She blinked at the question, disbelief taking over her. "Jasmine…" she breathed her name in a hushed voice so Zadesh wouldn't hear.

"If you do, then we won't stop you." She told her. "But if you don't, then I promise we won't let him take you. So I'll ask you one more time: Do you want to leave with this man?"

Alisha's wet eyes were as round as dish plates. Even after everything Zadesh had said, trying to convince to them that she was a liar, they were still…going to give her a chance?

With a touched tear falling, Alisha opened her mouth to answer, until —

"This is ridiculous!" Zadesh exclaimed, staring at them with disbelief. "Are you all daft? She lied to you, and now you're going to defend her?"

But he was ignored.

"It's 'yes' or 'no', Alisha." Aladdin said to her. "This is your choice."

"Oh, for the love of…" Zadesh grumbled again. "Forget it, we're leaving." Then he spun around, but he felt something move. When he looked around, Alisha had escaped his grip.

He looked at her, raising a brow. "Alisha, I said we're leaving." He told her. Of course, whenever he spoke to her it sounded more like an order.

But she never moved.

She stood in front of him, trembling and holding back tears. With as much courage she could gather, Alisha said only one word.

"No."

It was soft, but still audible. Zadesh stared incredulously at the harpy, as did Sabin and Brone, while Daniel looked around apprehensively.

He stood frozen, like a statue, gazing with round eyes at her. "…What did you say?"

"I…I…" Alisha took a breath and repeated, boldly, "I said no!"

Jasmine and the others felt nothing but pride for the harpy. They smiled and nodded at her, even though she didn't see.

A blossom of pride bloomed inside of Alisha as consciousness of what she had just said, and who she had just said it to, sunk in. Catching her breath, she stared straight at Zadesh. He glared at her, but, even with her legs trembling, she didn't drop her courage for a second.

"You…stupid little beast!" he shouted. Then with a swift movement of his arm grabbed Alisha by the hair on her head and yanked her so that they were face to face.

He growled, "You really think I care about what you want? I own you, Alisha!"

Jasmine did not hesitate. She bolted from her spot, running in Zadesh's direction. Her hand tightened into a fist, ready to collide it into his face. "Get your hands off of her!" she warned, only a few feet away from the man.

Suddenly, Jasmine felt her feet leave the ground. Brone had grabbed the Princess from behind and wrapped his beefy arms around her small torso, binding her arms to her sides. Then he squeezed, making her cry out.

"Jasmine!" They all cried.

Aladdin dashed like a bolt of lightning in the giant man's direction with Genie and Carpet by his sides. Razoul, who had been watching from afar, ran out with his scimitar in hand, joined by the other three guards.

Zadesh, after shoving Alisha at Daniel and telling him to chain her, calmly watched the group charging at him for a moment. A smile snaked on to his lips, and he then snapped his fingers. This alerted Sabin. From his side, he unsheathed his knife and tossed it to Brone.

Everyone froze in their tracks. Brone, restraining her with one arm, pressed the blade to Jasmine's throat. Sweat trickled down Aladdin's brow, his clenched fists shaking to restrain himself.

"Zadesh," the young man growled at him, "if you hurt her…"

With a chuckle, Zadesh playfully smiled at him. "You should have let me walk out of here with my harpy when you had the chance, boy. A little advice, next time you have a noble intention, try keeping it to yourself, all right?"

Then, with that smile, he glanced at Jasmine. "I have to say, Princess, you really had me figured out. You saw right through me. Not only are you beautiful but you're clever, too."

He leaned in close to her, so close as if to kiss her. "To be honest, it's beneath me to kill such an attractive woman. However, I won't think twice about putting a scar on that pretty face if any of your friends get a sudden burst of courage."

With that said, he glanced back at her companions. "Are we clear about that?"

No one moved a muscle. All they could do was glare with burning wrath at him. But Zadesh laughed them off. He knew as long as he had the Princess, Zadesh was invincible. No one would dare touch him.

Unexpectedly, he cried out when something sharp clamped itself on to his leg. Zadesh looked down and found an odd looking, orange rat-thing had bitten him, burying its fangs into his calf.

With one good kick in the air, it was off. The mouse collided to the hard floor.

"Jerky!" Alisha cried out in a panic. With her wings binded to her sides by the chains, she was still able to pull herself out of the golden haired boy's arms, and she ran to the tiny mouse.

But she was captured just as quickly as she had escaped, now in the clutches of Zadesh, grabing her by her chains and pulling her back. He ignored her struggling as he ordered Daniel and Sabin to open the doors.

They did as instructed.

Zadesh then tipped his hat at Aladdin and his friends, smirking at his own triumph. "It has been a pleasure, gentleman. Truly it has. But business calls."

He pushed Alisha back into Daniel's arms and started for the door, his other men following him. "What about Jasmine?" Zadesh heard the young man demand.

"Fear not," he said, not even glancing in his direction, "we're just going to hang on to her for a little while. Just to be sure none of you get any ideas. That's all."

Rage seethed through Aladdin's body as he watched him and his goons walk out the door, Jasmine and Alisha helplessly struggling.

Outside, Sabin and Brone laughed as they walked down the stairs. "You were amazing back there, Boss!" they praised.

Nodding, Zadesh's smile widened, his ego glowing. "Yes, it was very impressive, wasn't it? Though some things didn't go exactly as planned, everything still managed to work out."

Hearing the sounds of rattling chains, Zadesh stopped and turned around. The corners of his mouth flattened into a line watching Daniel struggle to drag Alisha down the stairs. As he pulled her back, she tried to break free of his hold on her. Never had Zadesh seen such a determination shine in the harpy. In fact, he never saw anything shine in her.

Looks like my little dove finally grew a spine…I'm going to have to fix that. He thought.

In a heartbeat, Zadesh was by the young hunter's side, his hand on the chain. "Watch," he ordered.

Alisha struggled to break free of their grip. She couldn't go back, she wouldn't go back. She vowed she never would, she —

A sudden yank stopped her thoughts. But this was much different than from before; this was much stronger. So strong that the harpy found herself falling backwards. For a moment, time seemed to have stopped, until she felt was one shock of pain after another as she tumbled down the steps. Her arrow wound screamed with each stone step she hit, falling like a rag doll down the long flight.

She hoped running in to either Brone or Sabin would make her stop, but they moved out of the way, letting the harpy fall down the rest of the way.

Alisha cried out as she felt that final jolt when she finally hit the ground. She heard Jasmine's voice, but the pounding in her head muffled her voice. But even if it wasn't, the pain throbbing in her back would have kept her from responding.

On the stairs, Daniel's eyes were round as he turned from the harpy to Zadesh. After he grabbed the chain and gave it that one good pull, instead of catching her from falling, he moved out of the way.

Daniel couldn't believe his eyes.

"That, Daniel," Zadesh said, meeting his shocked stare. There was not a trace of remorse anywhere on him, "is how you take control. If I'm going to put you in charge of her, you better start doing things like what I just did. Otherwise she'll never respect you."

Then his black eyes rested on the writhing harpy, and he felt it. It burned in his chest like the flame of a candle; growing brighter the longer he looked at her. Zadesh started down the steps, fueled by that dark burning. The way she had said no to him like that…he clenched his teeth together.

Everyone watched him, unsure of what he was doing. "Don't touch her." Jasmine warned before Brone held the knife closer to her neck.

"Princess," Zadesh began, "your heart is in the right place. I admire you for that. But do not waste it on such a pathetic creature."

And she was indeed pathetic. Probably the most pathetic thing he had ever laid eyes on. And she had the nerve to disobey him! Zadesh put his hand around his back. Hidden from even the keenest eyes, hooked around his belt and under the cover of his coat, Zadesh pulled out his whip. It unfurled like the tail of a snake. Slowly, he felt the power and control start to flow from his hand and up his arm.

Soon, they flowed through his entire body and soul.

This, he knew, would make sure she never opened her mouth again.

Daniel's stomach churned and he looked away. He couldn't watch…!

Down below, Alisha's pain had died down enough to give her enough strength to look up. When she saw Zadesh standing above her, holding that whip in his hand, her green eyes shot wide. Inside of her, that blossoming flower of confidence and bravery died…

His eyes…his eyes had that same look from the first time he used that thing on her! The only thing she saw, squirming like an eel in those two night-black pools, that day.

Remorselessness…!

"You know Alisha," Zadesh said, giving that smile, "there is a very wise saying that goes: 'Every action, good or bad, is burdened with the weight of its consequence'. And not only is it wise, but it is also very true, as well."

He kneeled down, then, to her level. That smile staying perfectly in place. Zadesh knew he had Alisha in the palm of his hand. She was a fly — a pathetic, miserable fly — caught in his web. And he was the spider, seconds away from bearing his fangs and draining the very life out of her body until the final drop.

"And your actions, my little dove, have caused a very great consequence for yourself."

In a flash, Zadesh was on his feet again, lifting his arm in the air. Alisha, with tears cascading down her face, trembled. She couldn't contain her fear any longer. She screamed.

Alisha screamed as loud as her lungs could carry her voice.

— Then a disturbance erupted.

The ground began to quake, causing everyone who was standing to lose their footing. When Brone fell over, both Jasmine and the knife tumbled out of his grip. She slipped down a step or two and braced herself. Sabin toppled over the fat man, while Daniel hung on to the stairs for dear life.

Alisha and Zadesh both felt their hearts rattle in their chests. He had fallen over, dropping both his cane and his whip, and felt the ground bounce underneath him, holding on to his hat with a tight grip.

What was this? An earthquake?!

There followed yet another eruption that happened only a few hundred feet away from the man and the harpy. The ground gave in, and then —

— BOOM!

Dirt, dust, and debris exploded in the air, falling on Alisha and Zadesh like rain. They shielded their faces, feeling the debris bounce off them while the dirt and dust showered them.

With his heart pounding, Zadesh was the first to look up when it was finished. Through a cloud of dirt and dust, his eyes widened as he met a glare, a glare from a pair of bright yellow-green slit eyes, followed by the unmistakable sound of a hiss.