After they had defeated 'Aladdin', Mirage had relocated them back to the observation room, and restored them to their true height. Victory was sweet, and the after-effects were wonderfully blissful, like a refreshing sip of cold wine on a hot desert day. That had been just a taste of what was to come…

"That was exhilarating!" Jafar gushed.

Now he truly felt alive again. He'd always been sure of his desire for vengeance, but now it was completely invigorated. He could hardly wait to invade the real Agrabah and witness the life fading away in that boy's eyes…

Mirage, too, was incredibly satisfied by their little adventure. But she knew the next time they trained, it wouldn't be so easy. She hadn't even summoned the genie that time, or any of Aladdin's other numerous sidekicks. And even then, they would never compare to the real thing. Still, she too felt confident… the power they displayed was unmatchable!

Jafar chuckled darkly as he gazed down at the vision of the kingdom on the table. It had been restored to normal, no evidence of their invasion to be seen. "With our powers combined, Aladdin, his silly comrades, and all the forces of Agrabah won't stand a chance!"

"Absolutely… But as fun as that fantasy was," Mirage halted him. "If we are to beat him, we can't do it like that." The real Aladdin wouldn't be so easy to take down. She could replicate his image, but not his cleverness. "Blasting our way in isn't enough."

"Agreed. Instead, we must catch him off guard… infiltrate the palace! With disguises, perhaps?"

"Yes! Outwit that boy before he can outwit us!" Mirage met Jafar's eyes, her own glowing with malice and hunger for battle. "Then, we strike!"

The sorceress cackled darkly, and Jafar couldn't resist joining in. Their manic laughter echoed through the halls of Mirage's lair.

"I love the way you think!" Jafar exclaimed gleefully as their laughter died down.

Mirage turned her gaze on him, eyes wide.

The former vizier caught his breath and continued. "I never thought I'd meet another mind so sadistically cunning."

The faintest of smiles, barely detectable, formed on Mirage's lips then. Her eyes darted away from him, and the smile disappeared. But Jafar began to hear a soft low rumble.

"What was that?" He questioned, cocking an eyebrow.

"What was what?" The sorceress flicked her ear in his direction, but refused to acknowledge him beyond that. The rumble continued, coming from inside of her.

Ah. It clicked for Jafar then. A slow grin spread on his face. He bent, leaning down, close to her ear.

"You're purring…"

Immediately, the purr stopped. Mirage glanced at him, her pupils narrowed to slits.

"You're crazy."

The purr had delighted him. It was amusing, of course. But it also meant he had an effect on her, somehow. And it was… oddly endearing.

And though his primary mission had always been to take over Agrabah and exact his revenge… he now had a new, secondary mission.

To get her to do that again.

"...I'm beginning to think so." Jafar replied coolly, holding her gaze. He watched as her pupils began to dilate once more, and her lips began to part. Allah, everything she was doing was so tantalizing to him. It made him wonder how she would react if he…

Mirage felt the threat of a smile returning, and she fought it, forcing herself to focus on the image of Agrabah.

"We've no room for distractions," she chided, her voice uncharacteristically quiet. "We still have to work out the details of our plan."

"Of course." Jafar rose to his full height once more, and cleared his throat. His face felt hot. "I can't afford to fail again. No distractions," he affirmed.

Mirage nodded, her hands gripping the edge of the table tightly. A moment ago, she'd had those same foolish thoughts rush through her mind when they'd stared into each other's eyes. Attraction? Whatever it was, it would no doubt be disastrous to their scheme if she let it get out of control.

"What are we going to do about that genie of his?" Mirage pondered. "He's nearly always the reason I ever lose against Aladdin. I hate genies…"

Jafar bristled. "I was a genie once."

"Yes, I remember…" Mirage perked up. "So you know their weaknesses, then?"

"Any weakness is tied to a genre's lamp. Sadly, that's out of the question, seeing that Aladdin's genie has been freed," Jafar sneered as he scratched the underside of his chin idly.

"Curses! We'll just have to find a way to distract him then, perhaps… or hope he's away."

To Mirage's dismay, refocusing on the task at hand didn't erase the subtle pull she felt. Every now and then as they discussed, she stole a glance at Jafar when she thought he wasn't looking… and it only stoked the fire. Her resolve was swiftly crumbling.

I'm confusing emotions. I had a fun experience just now, and he happened to be with me. My heart pounds of the thrill of battle, not of him!

Whatever I do, I can't give in.

But would that actually be a bad thing? To give in? Jafar was on her side. To bond with him further would only solidify their alliance… right? That man - that brilliant, dark, handsome man - deserved Agrabah, and anything else he desires. She was determined to give that to him now. So she began to wonder… what would it hurt to give him even more?

Jafar, meanwhile, could hardly keep his eyes off her, and it was hard to keep on speaking. He was standing so close to the most clever, powerful, gorgeous creature he'd ever come across. It shocked him how quickly his attraction for her had manifested. In this moment, he felt he would burn ten entire kingdoms to the ground, just for a chance to touch her…

Desire burned so hot in his veins, it was painful. Despite all the transformations he'd gone through, he was still just a man. And he wanted her.

It was too much for him to take at this moment. He needed some air.

"May I suggest we take a short break?" He asked. "I'm feeling… rather lightheaded after all that. And I must think clearly if we're going to get anywhere here."

"I suppose… yes, let's." Mirage agreed softly. "We've waited a long time. We can wait a while longer."

She watched him turn, and begin to walk away. Without thinking, she reached and took hold of his forearm.

Jafar halted and turned to look at Mirage, surprised.

She purred, and gracefully stepped towards him, stopping only with her face a few inches from his. The thin gap of space left between them felt electrically charged.

Mirage drew in a soft breath to calm her nerves. She was taking quite the risk here...

"Actually… I can think of some things we can try…" Mirage stared up at him with vivid green eyes, heavy-lidded and seductive, as she delicately trailed a finger over his chest. She could feel his racing heart...

"Things you may find to be… very cleansing."

Jafar stared at Mirage for a moment, eyes wide, frozen in utter disbelief. But that was all the coaxing he needed. As soon as he gained control and could move, he pulled her close, caressed her face, and his lips met hers in a fiery kiss.

Her lips were full and soft, pillowy against his own. The feeling of fur tickling his face was… different, but he quite liked it. It was her taste that excited him most, and the moan that escaped her as he deepened the kiss.

As their kisses became more vigorous, their touches became greedy, hungry… possessive. Jafar palmed at her luscious curves. Mirage's claws dug into his robes, pulling his body as close to hers as possible. Their clothing was the only barrier left between them, and she longed to tear it down. Her entire body burned for him…

"We should stop…" Jafar breathed against her lips, before seizing them again with his own.

"We should." Mirage agreed between kisses, but neither of them had any intention of stopping.

With haste, Jafar gripped her hips and hoisted her up, dropping her down onto the table and pouncing on top of her. Upon their impact, the magic mirage of Agrabah flickered, fizzled, and disappeared… as if foretelling the destruction that their union would bring upon the kingdom. But they didn't read into it like that, or even notice - all focus was on each other and their growing passion.

There was no turning back from this.