Disclaimer: I do not own Disney's Aladdin or Saga of Tanya the Evil, they belong to their respective owners. I'm not making money, this is just for fun and a hobby at most.

Author Note: This is currently a side project and should be treated as such. More world building in this chapter. Enjoy the chapter.

Chapter Eight: Questions

A few days ago Aladdin had stepped in between a merchant and Jasmine, The results were far from what he ever expected, not that he had ever regretted his actions. Jasmines actions were just, she had not thought of consequences. No Jasmine had just seen a hungry starving boy and took a fruit without asking to give to him. Aladdin could never fault Jasmine for this.

This situation was different though. The woman hidden beneath her cloak was a practiced thief, based on her actions, but she looked wealthy. Actually everyone here did to his astonishment so far.

'I won't step in unless she gets caught. Otherwise I'll confront her for the truth. There has to be a reason.'

The theft took place so quickly that Aladdin would not have even noticed it happening, save not for the fact he was watching very carefully. She used a quick play of hand and several of the merchants fruits rolled down her sleep below everyone's eyes.

She did not run, nor did she in any way act in a manner to get herself caught, even the merchant failed to notice the few fruit missing. She was just another passing stranger in everyone elses eyes as she made her way towards a back alley. Aladdin quickly following her, first found a ladder. Which he then proceeded to use to get to the roof. He always found going above was best for chasing and being chased.

When she finally got to a darkened part of the alley, she relaxed, pulling off her hood. She then pulled out her handbag to collect the spoils from her sleeves. This took a her a brief moment.

"Hello?" Aladdin tapped the girl from behind as she was distracted. He had slid down a metal drainage pole to cut her off.

"Gah!" The woman turned around dropping her bag.

"Sorry I didn't mean to startle you." Aladdin tried to come her down.

Ilse had no idea were he had come from, but being caught red handed by the military of all people was not on her list of things to do today. Lucky for her he was alone, and she still had a trick or two.

She didn't have a military computational jewel, nor did she have a gun, but as any mage in the Empire, she did have some personal magic for her defense. She knew an electrical spell, a silencing spell, as well as a agility spell by heart and even had a concealed ring and earring capable of such spells.

The spell of course wouldn't harm the solider. Soldiers of the Empire all had to learn basic shield spells after all. While normally she might knock someone out with it from the pain, a soldier would just raise his shield. That would give her the time she needed to use a spell to escape up to the roof, then leap from building to building till she got away, a basic thief's strategy.

First she silently cast a silencing spell with her magic earring. This plan hinged on being able to get away without anyone else noticing after all. A pity that her earrings were a one time use magic item. The ring however was much more expensive an nearly irreplaceable to her on the other hand.

"I have no Intention of being caught today! Electric Stunner!" The girl shouted out as she pointed her hand at Aladdin.

Ilse had expected the Solider to raise his magic shield, not crumple under her spell and collapse. This would change things, she couldn't just leave him here...

'Did he taken the hit on purpose?'

*Chapter Eight: Questions*

Aladdin had awoke with a head ache. 'Where Am I?'

Ilse watched as the young man slowly woke up. She had searched him before tying him up. The search had only led her to more questions.

"Who are you?" Ilse asked the tied up man. This was her first question as the man carried no ID, no dog tags, no money, he didn't even have any magic items on him!

"My head hurts. What happened?" Aladdin asked himself.

"I shocked you. Whoever you are. Mr Unknown Solider." She stated.

"Shocked..." Aladdin muttered. That reminded him of Jafar. Which made him wince at the memory of Abu.

'I guess she most know I'm not a soldier then.'

"Your right, I'm not a solider, I just borrowed these clothes. I'm a thief just like you." Aladdin criticized her.

"Sooo, Mr. Thief. You most be pretty confident of your skills if you go around stealing soldier's uniforms." Ilse huffed.

'This girl was not Jasmine, that was for sure.'

"Well I didn't really have anything other to wear." Aladdin looked down at his clothes.

"That's the worse excuse I've ever heard, why not just conjure some clothes, they teach that in grade school. Where's your magic focus anyways? A mage who forgets to carry a magical focus is seriously limiting themselves, or are you that great with Magic? So what's the real reason Mr. Thief?" Ilse unabashedly asked him.

'Everyone keeps bring up conjuring like its an everyday thing here. I should probably answer in a non suspicious manner.'

"My parent's couldn't afford school for me, and my staff was with my clothes." Aladdin answered her with a fib.

Ilse could tell he was fibbing, she didn't become a thief without being able to recognize one. Still this isn't what grabbed her attention.

'School is mandatory in the Empire no matter his station. There are no fees, and child labor is illegal. Staffs are also only legal to be carried by the military or nobility. He should know all this!'

"Don't try and feed me lies! Who are you really!?" Ilse held her ring to his face, the very same ring which had shocked him before.

'I most of said something wrong to her, but I don't know what it is I said that was wrong. I guess the truth might be for the best after all.'

"I'm actually a thief from Agrabah, I really did borrow these clothes, I didn't even know they belonged to a solider. Where are we anyways, I've never seen such a city as this." Aladdin confessed.

'What! He's a down be-lower! How did he even get to the Empire? But wait, I can feel he has magic... It can't be..' Ilse rambled in her shocked mind.

"That's not possible! You even have magic!" Ilse screamed at him.

"It's true. I'm from Agrabah! I didn't even know magic existed until recently!" Aladdin shouted back.

'It can't be, this man is a being X worshiper? An enemy of the Empire? But how is he even here!?'

"How long have you pledged loyalty to X!? Are there more of you hiding in the Empire!?" Ilse screamed at him wanting answers. The safety of all the Empire was more important then her own life.

The cult of being X was taught about in school. An ancient sect of mages that were separate from the Empire. Instead of their magic coming from the royal family bloodline, they got their twisted magic from a being know as X in exchange for faith and loyalty. But X was not a benevolent being. No.

Recent and Modern History records always painted him with wars, death, and insanity. He demanded worship and striped away the freedoms of his followers in exchange for magic power. The more fanatical the cultists, the more powerful their magic grew. The Empire stamped out any and all X Cultists they ever discovered! X cultists even had attempted to take the life of the crowned prince over a decade ago!

The royal bloodline of the Degurechaff's gave their magic freely, so long as one followed their laws. Their entire society of the Empire itself, the Giant Giant Floating city of Berrun, and it's millions of inhabitants all fed off that power. The power of magic was not something anyone would willingly give up once they had it, nor would most choose to leave to live down below.

To go down below meant sacrificing ones magic after all. Sure down below had better foods and materials, but they were still available in limited quantities in the Empire. Their was no caste system in the Empire, everyone had equal opportunity to advance based on their own merit. Sure nobles had the ability to go below to trade, but they could not legally discriminate who they hired or sold too, and the government made sure that they distributed their goods equally. Hoarding of down below goods was a crime.

X gave nothing away for free, he tried to tempt others too his side, his ultimate goal seemed to be to end the Royal Line, and destroy the Empire. Why this was the case, no one really new, perhaps the royal themselves?

"Too my knowledge I'm alone, though I have no idea who this X is. I can see it disturbs you, honestly I don't even know how I ended up here." Aladdin confessed to the girl.

'He doesn't know how he got here, and he isn't a follower of X? How can this be? But I don't think he's lying either. I can't hand him over to the authorities either, without incriminating myself either. This is Frustrating!'

"How about this then Mr Thief. We can do questions an answers to learn about each other?" Ilse gave up trying a one sided questioning.

Aladdin nodded his head. "Fine with me."

*Chapter Eight: Questions*

"What do you know about magic. You said you only recently found out it existed?" Isle asked.

"Well a wizard named Jafar tricked me into stealing for him, and then he killed Abu with a bolt of lightning."

"Who's Abu?" Ilse asked.

"Isn't it my run to ask a question? Although I can say he was my only friend and family member. Who is this being X guy, and why did you think I followed him?"

"That's two questions you know. X is a cult god..." She further explained. "And that's why I was concerned you were one of his followers."

"No way, I value my freedom too much. Do all your citizens really have magic, and why aren't us down be-lowers allowed to have it?"

"I'm starting to notice a trend here Mr. Thief, we both like to ask double questions..."

"Well we both want more answers I guess, not everyday you end up in a strange place with magic and stuff." Aladdin sighed.

"I've wanted to ask this since I first saw you at the Market. Why were you stealing food, if everything you say about magic is true, you shouldn't be able to starve, you can just conjure it right?"

"Well, to be honest Mr. Thief, unlike you I'm not motivated by hunger and starvation to steal. I wanted the fruits at the stand because I could not afford them, not because I was starving. I guess I'm like a bad guy to you." Ilse admitted shamelessly.

'She steals for so little reason!? There most be more reason than that.'

"Whats down below like, as a person who craves things from down below I'm a bit jealous?"

"A lot hotter, though cold at night, and the hunger pains on the days you can't get food really suck. You never know when society will cast you away, and you don't even know if you will live to see the next day." Aladdin reminisced.

"That sounds Terrible Mr.?" She posed the question, not wanting to call him thief anymore. How could she call him a thief when she was so much worse.

"I'm Aladdin. Street rat, scoundrel, and Agrabah's finest thief." Aladdin said proudly.

"That's a good name." She stated as her brain slowly processed the name.

'Wasn't the crown prince of the Empire also named Aladdin?' She put away that thought for the moment.

"And you are?" Aladdin asked her.

"Ilse." She spoke quietly... "Ah, to finish answering your other question, yes I could conjure food, but conjured food tastes more and more bland as you eat it. Actual it starts to taste like ash if you eat it enough, that's why I wanted food from down below, and it's been scarcer ever since the crown prince of the Empire went missing."

"That sounds awful Ilse, this crown prince of your should return to his people to fix that!"

Aladdin didn't like people in power like Jafar who didn't serve the interests of their kingdom, it was their job to ensure the peoples happiness, like Princess Jasmine wanted too.

*Chapter Eight: Questions*

Victoryia had woken up early. After all she wanted to see Tanya's and her brother's sleeping forms again. They looked so cute together as siblings. Would Tanya have snuggled up to her brother in her sleep!?

'Oh if that's the case I need to hurry and see it!'

Victoriya ready to see her cousins cuteness stormed through the bedroom door. She held her magic camera at the ready as she pulled back the curtains to the four post bed.

"Visha what are you doing?" Asked a half awake drowsy Tanya.

"Ummm, Tanya? Where's your brother?" Victoriya asked her cousin Tanya. Her magic camera falling, only held by its strap.

Tanya's eyes immediately widened, followed by her looking in every direction.