The lyrics are from the Nickelback song, "Don't Do This Anymore". Now I know these things are kind of annoying, so I apologize, but I wanted to make my purpose in this chapter clear. Though some characters are going to do some pretty unsavory things, I did this to illustrate the position each person is, and how they do what they can, circumstance pending. I wanted more realisitic characters.

"Left on an eastbound train
Gone first thing this morning

Why's what's best for you
Always the worst thing for me"

The carriage, driven on by determinately plodding horses, urged on by gentle flicks of the tip of the driver's whip. Inside the large, practical, passenger wagon a couple of families chatted lightly; on their way from the scorching heat of the desert they visited. An elderly man to Mozenrath's right in the seat across from him snuffled and sunk deeper into the seat, intent on sleeping the long, arduous trip away until he reached his destination, ensured the gold coins he gave the driver would get him there quickly. Mozenrath himself looked away and stared out the window, the absence of any glass barrier allowing a refreshingly cool breeze slid across his face.

It was repressively quiet in Mozenrath's corner, however, a heavy, oppressive depression that had settled over him like a disease made his eyes droop and unable to conjure desire or interest. It might have been nice to have someone to talk to who was used to his moods like that, but when he went to fetch Xerxes, feeling a shade guilty for abandoning the most loyal friend he had, he couldn't locate the eel. Probably ran away. It was just as well.

If he were to look back, lean himself out over the sand and gaze backwards, he would see Agrabah slowly fading away in the distance. He was leaving.

Leaving everything.

He was getting as far as he could from Aladdin and all the problems with their newly budding relationship that went along. God, why did it have to be cut down so early? Why, when something good came his way, did it have to distort. Reality creeped in on the abashedly school girl fantasy Mozenrath had started to greedily cultivate that day when they kissed, the day when it seemed his world was finally going to start to change. They had finally got their senses enough, put a sharp enough tug on the reins to their hormones to decide that a permanent move from the Citadel, and then to a place of their own would be best. I mean, this was it, wasn't it? They'd be together forever. Whispered "I love you" s had to prove that, right?

On the ride back to the hovel, back into the city, they just couldn't seem to keep their hands off one another, and not just in traditional concepts. A hand sliding against another, resting their head on the other's arm, curling into the natural mold their new partner's body seemed to have against one another. Everything had such a wonderful feel of ever after about it, a feel of permanence and change for the better. But it soon became all too obvious that this was not to last.

Reality came in the form of one small, suddenly shy princess, who, in modest day ware, came up the stairs of Aladdin's childhood home, now temporary, to ask if she could perhaps...talk to Aladdin, for a little while. Aladdin had been wary, while Mozenrath was in full force fume at the impudent girl, disturbing his hard won happiness. But somehow, the sadness, the meekness, the utter, pathetic hope and sweetness she exuded tugged ruthlessly on Aladdin's heartstrings, and giving the unseen Mozenrath inside a hapless look, agreed, letting her take his hand and lead him away, talking softly.

And Mozenrath had boiled in hot, insufferable injury.

If he had known what she was doing, in retrospect, he would have been more at rage. It only he had known she had been leading him in meaningless circles around the city, talking of the good old days, asking him if he too remembered their first kiss, their first date, the love they had...

But he didn't. All he was sure of was that she was digging her perfectly manicured little claws deep within Mozenrath's claim. He was his, now, dammit! Ok, so she had made a relationship with Aladdin first, but that was obviously dead now, wasn't it? I mean, Aladdin wouldn't have let himself have affections for two people, and he certainly wasn't dumb enough to believe he could maintain a relationship with Jasmine and start one with Mozenrath, could he? He had cut that relationship clean off, right? But no answers came, and after feeling edgy and nervous and very much wanting to know what the two were up to but knowing his presence was unwanted and would probably only end in him screwing things up, he went for a walk himself.

He had the consideration to change yet again to suit his camouflaging needs, not wanting nor needing uproar now. This time, he had dug through his own closet when he had stepped out of the shower before leaving with Aladdin back at the Citadel, and came upon an outfit on his own that wasn't so conspicuous as his gold trimmed, dark navy blue one. They were black slacks, casual and simple, baggy but not too baggy. He found a long sleeved, dark red tunic, belted at the waist in gold. He tied his hair back, and all in all felt like just a part of the crowd. It parted around him as he sought out his own dinner, feeling a bit too sulky to wait for Aladdin to take it with him, a little too cynical to believe Aladdin would be back in time.

And what was supposed to happen, really? His mind grew more and more bitter, bubbling incessantly as he tore listless through his blindly picked meal, leaning carelessly on an abandoned vendor's stand. Did he really believe it would be that easy to pick up his life and leave? And why was it he who always had to follow Aladdin? Was it so unreasonable to think maybe Aladdin could live in the Citadel for a while, that maybe Mozenrath could make the decisions?

Yes, his mind encouraged him; that was exactly what he'd bring up when he saw Aladdin next. Not only would it give him a more dignified hold on the way things have turned, but he'd get Aladdin away from Jasmine, which was definitely a desired objective. He bit purposefully into the last bit of his pear, and tossed, eyes on the destination at hand as he strode decisively back to hovel.

"When am I going to learn?

Why?

Cause I'm tired hating."

That was until he heard voices. His body seemed to throw itself against the wall of an alleyway as a chatting couple passed by, his actions quick enough to go undetected. Mozenrath watched them approach, heard the recognizable coo of the princess and Aladdin's own unsure baritone, its tentative change into the voice of a man being a late change, one that Mozenrath was quick to identify like the own pulse of his heart.

Aladdin laughed lightly.

"Ah yes, I do remember that Jasmine. You could have given a guy a warning, you know."

" Well its not like you didn't know I had a tiger at that point." Jasmine replied admonishingly, no small amount of flirting in her voice. Mozenrath leaned forward from his hiding space, watching with crippling envy as her slender arm slipped into his.

"Yeah, but I didn't know Rajah had some weird thing about allowing guys into your room." He rubbed his shoulder thoughtfully, wincing.

Jasmine laughed, putting on a voice of mock sympathy.

"Aww, poor baby." Her voice then dropped an octave, more womanly, as she whispered out from under her eyelashes knowingly. "But I did make it up to you, didn't I?"

Aladdin flushed a deep red, twitching in her hold, which she only tightened with deft purpose.

"Aladdin" she said softly, with a tone of patronizing that made Mozenrath's nails dig bloody little crescents in his palms. His magic, dormant since the very beginning of this entire ordeal, hummed wickedly in his veins, begging that if only he'd let it out... His gauntlet clenched.

She gently leaned up on her pointed toes, and with a directional turn of his chin, kissed him sweetly on the lips. Aladdin froze.

Mozenrath, on the other hand, was feeling anything else but inactivity. Now normally, he sort of disregarded his cat-god heritage. He didn't really dignify it if his ears and tail were gone, as they were so long ago. But he swears something feral, something that had to come from that wild heritage running through his DNA that howled in his ear, that screamed at him in righteous fury and talk of property and pride.

" He's yours! She has no claim on him; defend your mate!"

Aladdin pulled away, oblivious to Mozenrath's mounting fury, and frowned down at Jasmine.

"Jasmine, now you know..."

"When will it be your turn?
Why?

'Cause I'm tired of waiting
No I don't
No I don't
No I don't."

Whatever he was going to say next was interrupted as the stall next to them burst into blue-black flames with a bone-shaking explosion. Aladdin's arm threw up in an instinctive gesture of defense as debris flied at them dangerously.

"Aladdin, what's going on?" Jasmine asked him in alarm.

There was a deep laugh, cultured and full of mirthless amusement as out from the smoke stepped Mozenrath, looking for all the world like the man he had been before Aladdin had to him, gauntleted hand outstretched menacingly.

"Ah, Aladdin, Jasmine, fancy seeing you here!" Mozenrath said loudly, head tipped back, " I would have never guessed." he said softly, nastily as his eyes locked with Aladdin's in a look that pinned the hero.

"Mozenrath, what do you want? I thought you stopped all this." Jasmine said, posture sharpening in a gesture of animalistic challenge. Aladdin yanked her to the side quickly as a ball of magic hurtled where she stood moments before.

"What do I want? Oh the usual, power, your city, you to be burn in hell!" he finished, power crackling around him in a gust of hot magic.

"What's the matter, Mozenrath?" Jasmine said smirking, "Jealous?"

Aladdin whirled around to stare at her in surprise, almost ready to label her daring as insanity. Mozenrath's color darkened as he flushed all the way to the ears. He covered it with impossibly rising anger, ignoring the streak of blue and purple he saw out of the corner of his eye, streaking towards them from the palace as screaming citizens ran as he decimated yet another building. He strode towards Jasmine with malignant purpose, forcing a guttural threat from between his clenched teeth.

" I'll kill you. I'll kill you, dammit!"

He swung a magic blast at her again, and she fell back in the dirt, before he launched himself at her bodily with a growl. Genie, Iago and Carpet swooped in, with Rasoul and the Sultan atop Carpet, but Aladdin was there first, snatching Mozenrath back with his arms around him. Genie moved to lift Jasmine, her father running towards her in a flurry of concern. But it was Rasoul who unsheathed his sword.

"You will pay, sorcerer, for hurting the Princess. This city has put up with you long enough for my tastes."

"No!" Aladdin yelled, desperately trying to hold on to a still fiercely struggling Mozenrath.

"Don't worry, little buddy, I'll handle this." Genie said irrepressibly, scooping Mozenrath from Aladdin's hold and clapping comically furry blue cuffs on his hands. Mozenrath's magic fizzled out instantly and his gauntlet was snatched and pocketed by the dinjn.

"No, Genie, I can handle this!" Aladdin said, feeling his ever-dissipating control on the situation slip even further. "Just, Just stop." Mozenrath eyed him coldly from Genie's arms, no longer struggling.

"Hey kid, what's going on?" Iago squawked curiously, his first sight of the hero in weeks.

"Yes, do explain yourself." Sultan said sternly, suspicion flaring up.

" Oh I can explain it, " Rasoul said coarsely, gaze sweeping over Aladdin distastefully, " The street rat is being weak and can't handle the villainous trash he thoughtlessly brings into the city. How responsible" he added sarcastically.

Aladdin scowled.

"Just because I'm not as blood thirsty as-"

" Now just a damn minute!"

Everyone turned to stare at Mozenrath, who just now chose to be heard. Mozenrath tried his best to retain his dignity, straightening his shoulders and ignoring the handicap on his wrists.

"Maybe everyone should stop referring to me like I'm not here, like I'm so conveniently easy to get rid of pest you just happened to be shouldered with. Well I'm sorry, " he continued spitefully, " I've burdened you all so atrociously, but I can very well tell you now I'm done with it. Now quit sicking your Genie on me and face me fairly, you cowards."

Rasoul menaced close, his sword edge immediately going up against Mozenrath's throat.

"That's enough out of you, prisoner. I promise you you'll be locked away in the most rat infested cell of the dungeon." Mozenrath tried to lean his throat away, feeling pinned by the hate in Rasoul's eyes, the hate the burly captain of the guard had for him and Aladdin, but the gesture portrayed weakness Mozenrath could not take back. "That is," Rasoul continued with a mad smile, " until the executioner's block".

"You will not!" Aladdin yelled in protest.

"Actually Aladdin," Sultan interjected, "assaulting a royal is a capital punishment worthy crime, an offense this...criminal", he spat, remembering all too well the many times Mozenrath had humiliated him, mocked him, "has committed for more than his share of death-sentences."

Mozenrath laughed.

"Finally growing some backbone old man?"

Aladdin turned on Mozenrath in frustration

"Dammit Mozenrath, can't you give it a rest?" He looked to the Sultan pleadingly.

"Sultan, your majesty, please hear me out. Jasmine, I'm sorry for what he did to you. I'm sorry for what he did to this city and its people, and you, your highness, but please, let me take him. I promise that whatever this was, " he shot Mozenrath a meaningful look, "will not happen again."

"Aladdin, what was gotten into you?" Jasmine yelled at him exasperatingly.

"Yeah kid, " Iago said, curiosity growing, "What's the sudden interest in the brat boy wonder's welfare? I mean, aren't you two enemies? What did I miss?"

There was an awkward pause; until Genie broke it in an uncharacteristically subdued reply to Iago, in which he could not meet Aladdin's nor Jasmine's eyes.

"Maybe some things are better left unsaid".

"Yes Aladdin," Jasmine broke in, her voice announcing-quality loud, obviously ignoring Genie, "Why don't we tell them everything?"

Aladdin looked at her in wide-eyed alarm, in disbelief. Could she really...?

"What? More secrets from you Aladdin?" Sultan said, further provoked.

"Jasmine please!" Aladdin beseeched, seeing that she, once again, was his only way to the Sultan's favor, "Look, I'll meet you later this evening, we'll talk this out, I promise, but please, Don't. Do. This." She eyed him, as if measuring up his sincerity.

"You promise that you'll finally listen to me, that you'll meet me at the North Garden terrace, an hour before sunset?"

The garden, underneath her bedroom, just a lattice-work ladder away...

"Yes Yes, I promise."

She seemed satisfied, and to the further confusion of their unwilling audience, turned to her father.

"Daddy, I promise everything will be explained, but until then, can we forgo Mozenrath's sentencing?" she said in her best princess-but-still-your-precious-daughter voice. Sultan's brow furrowed.

"I'm sorry my dear, he is too dangerous, but I will impose a lesser sentence for you and for a young man, " he added, looking at Aladdin pointedly, "who despite some foolish judgments that I hope are in the past, has done the city some great good."

He stood to look up in the face of Mozenrath, who despite his shorter stance, radiated a sense of paternal and monarchial rule Jasmine hadn't seen since the days the Sultana was alive. He pointed up into Mozenrath's impassive scowl.

"Mozenrath of the Land of the Black Sands, for your crimes against Agrabah, humanity, and my citizens and family, you are hereby banished form Agrabah. If you are ever to set on foot in our borders, you will be beheaded, no questions asked. You have until dawn to leave, then I will dispatch my guards."

And with that, and a nod to Rasoul, he turned his back on all of them, settling atop Carpet who with an insistent gesture, lowered to his level.

"Come, Jasmine."

Jasmine, with a backward glance at Aladdin, did so and Aladdin, Mozenrath, Genie and Iago were all that remained. Mozenrath moved restlessly in Genie's absent-minded hold.

"Well no I don't find faith in your forced feelings
Not fooled by your misleadings
Won't buy this line you're selling
Tired of this lie you're telling
I won't, I don't
No I won't do this anymore
I won't, I don't

I won't do this anymore."

"Let go of me, you bumbling fool!" he snapped irritably. Genie set him on his feet like one would handle an angered pit viper and reached over to gently remove the handcuffs.

"The gauntlet, Genie." Aladdin urged. Genie hesitated.

"But Al, um..."

"Are you crazy? And arm him?" Iago said incredulously, flapping safely behind Genie's shoulder.

"If he won't be in Agrabah, " Aladdin countered diplomatically, "than it won't be a threat. Just trust me."

"I've always trusted you, Aladdin," Genie replied retrospectively as he handed Mozenrath his gauntlet, "Through the good and the bad. Just remember that." And with that, he too took off. As for Mozenrath, he jammed the gauntlet on his abashedly bone hand and stormed away without a word.

"Hey, Mozenrath, wait!" Aladdin called, running after him.

Iago stared at the retreating young man. Aladdin was either crazy, or something was up. He flapped off in pursuit, knowing he had to know which.

Aladdin caught up to Mozenrath as the sorcerer conquered the last step up to his hovel. So far it had been buzzing silence, stony, as all of Aladdin's attempts to engage Mozenrath in conversation had failed. Aladdin was getting tired of it.

" Mozenrath, I can't keep doing that!"

All he got was a "Ha!" in response as Mozenrath flurried about the room, grabbing his articles of clothing and scattered possessions and shoving them into the cloth sack he had brought his stuff to the hovel in the first place with.

"Mozenrath."

When Aladdin got a turned shoulder again, he reached out and grabbed Mozenrath's arm. Mozenrath jerked away violently.

"Don't touch me!"

"Oh yeah Mozenrath, that's real mature. Look, is this about me being with Jasmine? That's what this is about, isn't it? All of that shit we just went through..."

"Frankly Aladdin, I don't give a damn who you kiss, "Aladdin winced at this. He had seen that? "Or who you let yourself be manipulated by."

"Look, I don't know she was going to do that." Aladdin said defensively.

"She says I'm only telling half of it
That's probably 'cause there's only half worth telling"

"Oh yeah," Mozenrath countered sarcastically, "It's not like you two haven't broken up yet or anything..."

"But the point is, " Aladdin continued as if the interruption had never happened, " You can't go acting crazy again. They could have very well ignored me and hauled you back to the palace and killed you!" His tone softened and he reached for Mozenrath again, pulling him close and only tightening his grip when he tried to pull away. He gently turned Mozenrath's face to look at him.

"And then what would I have done?"

Mozenrath felt his accursed heart melt as Aladdin leaned in to kiss him, with a tender growth of familiarity, as if they already memorized the contours of each other's lips and tongue. The spell was broken however, when Mozenrath thought of something, and forcibly broke away.

"Do you say that to your princess?" he asked challengingly.

Aladdin sighed exhaustingly.

"Oh Mozenrath. Can't you rise above your jealousy of her?"

"Jealousy?" Mozenrath exploded incredulously.

"Yes jealousy, Mozenrath. What? Are you going to attack me too now like you did Jasmine?"

"Oh she started it," Mozenrath said dismissively. He immediately regretted saying it, however, when he realized how childish it sounded. Obviously Aladdin picked up on that too.

"And so you're going to stoop to her level? You're supposed to be a little more mature, Mozenrath"

"Don't you dare lecture me Aladdin! My God, you're such a slime ball sometimes! Where do you think you're getting at kissing up on that royal pain then trying to have me on the side!"

"That's not what I'm trying to do at all! It's just not that easy to break off something like Jasmine and I have, I mean had!"

"Had", Mozenrath affirmed decisively, "So that means you are going to end it?"

"Well yeah, eventually" Aladdin said helplessly.

"Eventually." Mozenrath repeated flatly, flopping down on Aladdin's bed.

"Well what do you want me to do, Mozenrath? Sever the one tie I have to keeping you alive right now?"

"And every time I try to laugh it off
That's when you turn around and wind up yelling"

"Oh that's a crock, and you know it. That doddering old fool and his meathead flunkies can't touch me. That Genie of yours is the only real threat."

" Genie, who I have no control of, who doesn't even like you, who is as loyal to the royal family as he is me." he pointed out, not really believing all of it.

"Excuses Aladdin. That's all your good for lately."

"Whatever. We'll talk about this later tonight." Aladdin grabbed his cloak and shoved on some shoes.

"Tonight? Where are you going?"

"To see Jasmine."

"What? You can't be serious!"

"Mozenrath, I promised. I won't be long."

"Oh my God, Aladdin, I can't believe you're just going to walk right into her web, just like she wants you to!"

"For Allah sakes, Mozenrath, come off it. She's a girl, not a spider."

"So says you," Mozenrath muttered darkly.

"In any case," Aladdin stressed, " I'm just going to talk with her. See if I can't get her to understand," he finished, turning out the door. Mozenrath waited a moment, and then called after him.

" You're going to have sex with her, aren't you?"

There was another pause, and then Aladdin stuck his head back through the door, looking at Mozenrath strangely, as if that simple question had derailed him and had been totally unexpected.

"What did you just say?"

" I said, you're going to have sex with her, aren't you?"

"What? No! Mozenrath, what in the world...?"

"Well that's how she usually gets what she wants from you, isn't it?"

"Mozenrath, what do you take me for, some kind of whore?"

"Well gee, Aladdin, I don't know, you sure have been prostituting yourself out lately, what with going from me to her..."

"Oh fuck you." Aladdin said scornfully, "I don't have to take this."

And then he was gone in a flurry of anger.

"When am I going to learn
Why? 'Cause I'm tired of hating
when will it be your turn?
Why? 'Cause I'm tired of waiting
No I don't
No I don't
No I don't"

He stared at the open doorway for a long time, mouth working soundlessly, stunned. Did he really? He screamed, renting the silence in the place, hands tangled in his hair. He burned his throat raw screaming out his frustration, hapless anger, desperation and grief. It was a wild, crazy emotion that made his body feel at war. He was hot all over, his stomach roiling, and his heart twisting like a jackknife. But most of all, he felt like dying.

He didn't know what to do. Hunt Aladdin down, stop him from making the worst mistake of his life? Perhaps cast all pride aside and expose his heart, pouring out apology after apology in a desperate attempt to get Aladdin back, to make things better? There had to be some way to prove he was so much better for Aladdin than Jasmine, some way to win the person that had made his life so much better, who held all happiness for him in his hands.


"No I don't find faith in your forced feelings
Not fooled by your misleadings
Won't buy this line you're selling
Tired of this lie you're telling"

But no, he realized with heartbreaking clarity, nothing he did could change the way things were. Things would always be this way, and no matter how much sweet nothings poured out of Aladdin's mouth, he'd never leave Jasmine. The argument they had today was just one of many, and just the first of a billion they were bound to have together. Who was he kidding? They would never work together; he must have been stupid to believe otherwise. There was no will to continue in something so fruitless.

There was nothing left for him to stop burdening Aladdin with he and his demands, his imperfections and his hopes. It was time to stop dreaming, to wake up.

It was time to leave.

He was almost as disgusted at himself as he was livid at Aladdin. But that was just more proof that they weren't meant to be together, that something had higher wisdom in seeing the nasty truth in it all.

Mozenrath looked forwards through the wall of the carriage, past the nodding heads of sleepy travelers and weary driver, as if he could see through wood and iron reinforcements, through the leathery hide of the horses and past countless more miles to go. As if he could see his destination.

Maybe it was better this way.

"I won't, I don't
No I won't do this anymore
I won't, I don't
No I won't do this anymore"