As soon as Jafar realized who was outside the tent he flung the fireball, the flame causing the feather in Abis Mal's cap to crumble into ash.

"What is the meaning of this!? Speak!"

"J-Jafar? I had no idea it was you! I thought I was robbing some rich guy, and for the record you didn't have to ruin my favorite hat you know!"

"If you value your life you will tell me the truth now, or so help me I will burn you until you are nothing but another scorch mark in this wasteland!"

"Uhhh, right. Sometimes I forget that you have that kind of power."

"You have five seconds to explain yourself. Why are you really out here?"

Jafar produced another fireball, his aim centered on Abis' face, but Jasmine's gentle hand touching his wrist caused him to extinguish the flame. He sighed, gesturing for the rotund little man to join him by the fireplace. Jasmine sat next to him, her face shrouded by the blanket to avoid being recognized.

"Oh wow Jaffy, you're really a changed man! Thank you pretty lady, I appreciate the intervention."

Jasmine nodded politely, and Jafar produced goblets and a dish of grapes for them. He waited until Abis had stuffed his face, then he began to calmly question the thief.

"Now, old friend, tell me why you are really out here."

"Oh, that? I was looking for the Street Rat. He swooped in to the Forty Thieves, usurped me and is taking all of my loot! My men follow him because he came back claiming he robbed the Agrabah treasury, and he had so much gold to back it up that I couldn't even call him a liar! He humiliated me, and I was hoping to catch him by surprise and slit his throat."

"Well, it seems that we have a mutual goal. I want what Aladdin has, and you want Aladdin, so perhaps we can come to a mutually beneficial arrangement."

"Huh?"

"Uggh, let me explain it this way: you get me into the Forty Thieves hideout, and I hand you the Street Rat. Do we have a deal?"

"Sure! That won't be easy though, they've got guards and things up the wazoo there."

"I suspected as much. Am I correct in assuming that they have magic defenses as well?"

"Loads of it now that there's a genie around!"

"Has Aladdin used his three wishes?"

"I dunno, but I don't think so since the big blue guy is still hanging around."

"I need some time to think. My wife Fatima and I will retire to our tent. I assume you have one?"

"Yep!"

Abis scurried over one of the nearby sand dunes, coming back with a sad-looking donkey and a threadbare tent. He set his sleeping space up quickly, and by the time Jafar and Jasmine returned to their tent they could hear the thief snoring. Jafar magically mended their tent, his energy draining as his lack of sleep caught up with him.

"Fatima, humm?"

The quiet, melodic voice startled him, but a smile warmed his face as Jasmine wrapped her arms around his waist from behind him. She had never done something like that, and the intimate gesture caught him off guard. He snapped out of his brooding thoughts, choosing to focus on the beautiful woman there with him.

"You have captivated my heart Princess, so the alias seemed fitting."

"As fitting as having a man like Abis on the inside would be. I remember when you two used to steal sweet-bread from under the cook's nose when we were younger. How long have I known you? Five years now?"

She loved to tease him by pretending she hadn't known him for most of her life. It had started when Jafar used to correct her every little mistake, such as the time she said they had known each other ten years instead of eleven, so now she did it just to poke fun at him. Jasmine laughed quietly, her hands locking together to effectively hug the vizir. She wasn't exactly sure where her new-found boldness was coming from, but neither of the Agrabahians were complaining. Soon they were curled back up in the blankets, and for the first time Jafar was able to kiss his princess goodnight like he had fantasized about for years. She returned his kiss, a sweet smile on her lips as she drifted off to sleep.

The next morning arrived quickly, and Abis shared the details of the Forty Thieves hideout. As the hours on horseback passed the thief explained that his brother Abnor and his sister Ani would be able to help get them into the hideout, but they would need to stop in the next town for some supplies. That evening they arrived in Najran, a tiny little village that sometimes did trade with Agrabah. None of the people there should recognize them, but Jafar and Jasmine were both still careful to keep their faces partially shrouded. They rented two rooms for the night, and met in the dining area to eat and discuss their plan. They decided that the best course of action would be for the Agrabahians to pose as thieves themselves, and if it backfired they should at least reach the den of the Forty Thieves before being discovered.

Jafar would cast an illusion spell to make it look like his hand had been cut off, a common punishment for thieves, and the pair would make themselves look more bedraggled. He would also make some slight manipulations to his and Jasmine's faces, though he didn't want to overstretch his magic reserves. Abis sent a parrot messenger ahead to announce his return with some new members, and Jafar hoped the barely-legible note would be convincing enough. He knew he would need to keep his temper in check if he wanted to blend in, and he made sure Jasmine knew to use a rougher-sounding voice than her usual sweet cadence. The next day they found themselves on a cliff that straddled the edge of the Agrabah Sea. It was his first time viewing anything larger than a bathing pool or town well, and for a moment Jafar stood transfixed. He drew his mind back into focus, making himself a promise to bring his Princess back to the sea when they would have time to enjoy it.

Abis lead them across a tide-pool, the force and sound of the thundering waves filling Jafar with a sense of power. They could do this, and the vizir fully believed in them. Their makeshift path led them to a door, which was so well concealed that anyone not looking for it would have gone right by it. Abis knocked on it in a series of sharp, rapid bangs, and after a minute the door swung inwards. There was nothing except a staircase spiraling into blackness, and Jafar had to refrain from summoning a light source for them. They had agreed he shouldn't use magic unless an emergency occurred, and his fear of the dark was definitely not an emergency. Abis produced tinder and flint from his satchel, lighting a torch from a wall sconce and taking it with him. He led the way down, careful not to trip on the semi-moist staircase. The sea water had permeated the cave after hundreds of years, and it made the going slow.

As they neared the bottom of the stairs Jafar could hear men laughing, the sound echoing around the stone hallway. A few more minutes and the hallway ended abruptly in a massive cavern, which sprawled out before them. It was easily large enough to hold sixty people comfortably, and it was lavishly furnished. As they stepped into the light the chatter stopped abruptly, and in seconds nearly a hundred eyes were fixed on the trio. Jafar felt Jasmine stiffen behind him, but then he heard her take a deep, relaxing breath. Good, because he suspected that they would need to be as level-headed as possible. Aladdin stepped forward from the center of the crowd, he and Abu now dressed even more richly than when he became Prince Ali.

"There's our fat little friend! Brought some more worthless scum with you, huh?"

"As you say, O Ruler."

"I bet they're just as worthless as he is, huh Abu?"

The little brown monkey chattered animatedly in agreement, pointing to Abis and laughing. Aladdin eyed the newcomers so intently that Jafar almost thought he could see through their disguises, but then he turned away. The Forty Thieves all had been keeping their hands on their swords, but Aladdin gestured to them to lower their weapons. He turned back to the pair, his eyes narrowed condescendingly.

"If Abis thinks you're good enough to join us then that means that you're either very good thieves, or you're absolutely terrible and he's keeping you around to make himself feel better. Which is it?"

Abis had warned them that Aladdin might issue a challenge or test, and that if he did they shouldn't back down. Passing it would be the only way to get deep enough into the hideout to reach the treasury, and Jafar had come too far to back down now. Using one of the more guttural accents, found mainly in the northern deserts, he spread his hands wide in a show of good faith.

"Test us O Ruler, and let your own eyes be the judge."

Aladdin smirked, and for just a second Jafar wondered if they had made a terrible mistake. He wanted to get Jasmine's dowry back, especially since he knew that her only physical link to her dead mother was in those items, but he wasn't sure that he was willing to risk both of their lives for it. Before he could think further the nearby men began to chant, their fists pounding on any available surface.

"Test or death, test or death!"

The duo had their arms grabbed, and they were hauled across the cavern and into a side passage. It lead out to an opening in the cliffside, where the men formed a ring around Jafar and one of their men. The man in the center was a hulking brute, with golden claw-like weapons jutting out from between his fingers.

"Alright men, who's ready for our new friend to fight Sa'luk to the death!? If Sa'luk wins you get to all have your way with the little red-headed lady here!"

A roar went up from the crowd as Aladdin pointed at Jasmine, who was being held in place by two men almost as bulky as Jafar's opponent.

"Test or death, test or death!"