Author's Note: Aladdin Characters © to Disney and Respective Creators

Please note that in this respective work, there are references to characters from the movie Aladdin and the TV series of the same name as well. There are spoilers, but are relatively minor and do not really detract from the overall work or enjoyment of it. Please feel free to comment on my story if you can, whether it be questions, critique, or general commentary. Thanks!

The Encounter

"Someone please tell me why we're out in the middle of the day in Agrabah's marketplace shopping for fruit? Please tell me, because I know Yaphet's going to say it costs an arm and a leg, and I don't want it to be mine." Iago sat on one of Aladdin's shoulders as they maneuvered around the streets of Agrabah's Marketplace. Abu rested comfortably on the other shoulder, rubbing his belly as if anticipating the bananas they would buy. Aladdin gave Iago a sly glance out of the corner of his eyes, slipping past the usual street crowds while carrying two empty sacks in his arms.

"Relax, Iago. Yaphet's harmless. He can't do anything to you when I'm around. And besides, you have wings, not arms."

"Still, taking one of the two is just as bad as both. And Yaphet doesn't like you either." Iago grimaced. Abu screeched in sympathy for Iago, as if understanding his point.

"Don't think you don't have anything to worry about, monkey. He could take your tail or somethin'."

"Tail?" Abu noted in confusion as he gingerly touched his own.

"He's not going to take your tail, Abu." Aladdin noted cheerfully, patting his friend gingerly upon the head briefly before shifting the bags back between his hands as they moved through the crowd.

Abu muttered a sigh of relief, and the three made their way down one of the alleys, which were filled with various merchants selling their usual wares. It had been almost exactly one year since Aladdin and Jasmine had their wedding, and their trip to the marketplace involved gathering supplies for the feast they would have later that week. Genie had volunteered to chip in, but Aladdin mentioned that he didn't expect Genie to do all the work. It gave Aladdin an opportunity to go out on the streets of Agrabah in his old clothes and back to his usual hiding place, where he'd kept the secret gift he planned to give Jasmine that evening, during their "alone" time.

"So what did ya decide to give Jasmine for your anniversary, anyway? Flowers? Candy? Something boring like that?" Iago asked nosily.

"No, Iago, nothing simple at all. You'll see it later when I actually give it to her." he winked. "I promise you that it's very nice."

"Oh, don't make me HURL."

"Hey, you're the one that asked." Aladdin looked ahead of him and spotted their destination, changing the subject. "Look, Yaphet's fruit stand's over there. Once we get sacks of the things we need, Carpet can take them back for us."

"Where is rug-boy anyway?"

Abu mouthed an 'I don't know' response.

Aladdin laughed. "Let's just say he's entertaining some company right now. He'll come when I give the signal."

"I still think we should've brought Genie along. Or better yet, have Blue Boy do all the leg work."

"Genie's busy with other preparations at the Palace, Iago. You know that. He's been talking about the banquet all weekend. If we can help him gain some ground, somehow, then we should. After all, semi-phenomenal-nearly-cosmic-power can wear a genie out sometimes."

"Ugh, fine. Let me know when something exciting happens that doesn't involve me losing a leg or a wing."

* * *

Aladdin, Iago and Abu finished purchasing the fruit they could carry from Yaphet's cart, maintaining the budget that Genie and Jasmine had given them. Yaphet had reluctantly sold most of his stock to them, if only that it made him turn a profit for the day. He chastised Aladdin under his breath, noting he never liked seeing the "street rat" in any measure of the word. Aladdin didn't pay it much attention, as it was a reaction he expected. Most of Agrabah had grown accustomed to the street-bound Prince, and often greeted him cheerfully as both their Prince and a hero of the city. But others, like Yaphet, eyed him suspiciously and treated him in the same measure as common street thieves.

He whistled for Carpet to pick up the bags, and Carpet came around with not much time between. As the bags were loaded, and Aladdin signaled for him to ship off without them, they all heard the bloodcurdling scream of a merchant. The scream made Abu screech and jump from Aladdin's shoulder to the ground, while Iago clasped his wings over his ears.

"Stop! You can't do this! These are my wares!"

"Don't tell me we're going that way." Iago held a horrified expression on his face, slowly inching away from the direction the scream came until Aladdin grabbed him by his tailfeathers.

"You asked for a little excitement, didn't you Iago? Well, that merchant needs our help. Carpet, go ahead to the Palace; we'll catch up with you later."

"Why did I have the feeling you were going to say that? And put me DOWN already!" Iago said as Aladdin released him took off on foot in the direction of the yelling merchant. Abu dashed behind Aladdin heels, and Iago, reluctantly, flew behind both of them.

Aladdin and Abu turned the corner to see one of the usual merchants, Baram, on the ground, breathing rapidly. He looked like he'd been swiped with a sword, but just barely. Most of the impact had been rendered on a torn sleeve that ran the entire length of his arm.

"Baram! What happened? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Aladdin, but that...that thief robbed me at swordpoint - of one of the jewels that I received in my travels. Please, he must be stopped!"

"Which way did he go?"

Baram pointed south. "I think he's trying to head out the village. If you go now, you can probably catch him. Please hurry, if anyone can do it, I know you can."

"Iago, Abu, stay with Baram. I'll be right back."

"Oh no you don't - if he says there's a jewel to find, I'm not staying behind!" Iago flew aside Aladdin as the two made their way through the marketplace.

"Okay, but I was giving you the safer option." Aladdin said smartly. "I guess your greed does make you useful sometimes, Iago."

"Don't rub it in. I just hope it's worth it!"

Aladdin spotted the thief just as soon as he'd seen the sparkle in the thief's hand. The cloaked figure ran at such an intensity that Aladdin thought he was good for being fully clothed in such hot weather. But Aladdin knew himself to be quicker.

"Iago, cover him from behind, I'll take a shortcut and meet him on the other end. Keep him heading west."

"Yeah, sure, make me do all the run...er, flying." But Iago continued to tail the fleeing thief from behind.

Aladdin found his footing down a short alleyway, leaping over one of the low bridges and excusing himself through a crowd of women who seemed to ogle at him as he raced by. He vaulted over several wash barrels and snake charmer's pots, as well as a hot coal pit where someone had attempted to walk it, and instead tumbled over when he saw Aladdin. Aladdin felt sorry for the guy when he heard the sound of "Yeoww!" behind him.

It wasn't long before Aladdin ran straight into the thief's path, knocking the masked man to the sand, and sending the stolen bounty flying off to the side, which Iago caught with his talons almost immediately. It was a brilliant green gem with intricate etchings and smoother corners, a jewel that reflected the blazing Agrabah sun with green shimmering light.

"I got it!" Iago shouted as he had the jewel in his talons. "I think we can go back to Baram and....ahh!" Iago shouted as he saw Aladdin fighting with the rogue, who managed to get his sword and was nearly skewering Aladdin, who managed to dodge each swing with careful, but barely missed timing.

Yet Aladdin had a disadvantage when he fell back against an empty pot and tumbled to the ground on his back. The cloaked figure seemed to chuckle as his shadow covered Aladdin's fallen frame. Aladdin had his first good look at the thief - a cloaked figure wrapped from head to foot in layers of thin, shaggy robes. His hands and feet were completely covered by gloves and heavy boots respectively, a sword belt on his side, and a brilliant blade which he manipulated with ease in one hand.

"May I ask your name, street rat?" The figure had a menacing, yet formal voice coming from beneath the layers of cloth, as he readied his sword. Aladdin's brow narrowed, and he inched back on his hands, dragging himself backward as the figure approached him.

"Who wants to know?"

"I don't really care. I just like my victims to have their names addressed as the last thing they hear while they're alive. Too bad that you'll be proven an exception." The figure raised the sword over his head, it's brilliant sliver blade reflecting the sunlight. As the figure prepared to strike down, Aladdin's eyes widened in horror.

"I know I'm gonna regret this." Iago flew above the head of the menacing figure to drop the heavy jewel straight on his crown. The figure yelled in pain, and the sword fell harmlessly from his hands. Aladdin took the opportunity for both the thief's shock at the loss of his weapon and the jewel drop to trip the thief from his legs, then grabbed both of his arms and pinned them down behind his back.

"I got him! Thanks, Iago. Do you still have the jewel?"

"Yeah, but hitting that guy's head, I think it cracked a little. Baram ain't gonna be happy about this, if he notices." Iago, said, grabbing the jewel again - this time it had a hairline crack in one of its faces, but it was barely traceable.

"You fool! Even the smallest break renders that jewel useless to me!" the thief said, trying in vain to throw Aladdin off his back, but Aladdin held him down, his palms pressing into the thick material of the robes and gloves of the thief. Aladdin noted that he must have been very thin and frail, as it didn't take much effort for him to hold the thief in place.

"Just what did you want that jewel for, anyway?" Aladdin said.

"It is none of your affair, but in meddling with my labored search, I owe you your death, street rat." Aladdin noticed the thief snapping his forefingers too late under the hold, and a sudden puff of thick, dark smoke released, causing Aladdin to release his hold. By the time Aladdin regained his senses and opened his stinging eyes, the thief was gone.

"You okay, Iago?" Aladdin said between coughs, waving the smoke away from him.

"I'm just peachy. *cough* I should be asking you, considering you just added one more guy who has a reason to kill you to your list." Iago coughed just as loudly, fanning the smoke away from him with a wing. "How many people you have on that list anyway?"

"Ugh, I lost count a long time ago. Mechanacles, Mozenrath, Mirage...*cough*...I think I'm starting to see a pattern." Aladdin said, dusting himself off as he came to his feet. "Whoever he was, I doubt we'll see him again any time soon."

"Not to mention Abis Mal, that clumsy...*cough*. Ugh, at least we got a jewel from that, at the expense of one of my lungs. Now where's that sword...HELLO!" Iago only noticed the diamond encrusted hilt of the sword the thief had been wielding. "Okay, this was absolutely, completely worth it."

Aladdin picked up the sword and cradled it in his hands, noticing that the cover wasn't far away - the thief might have dropped it by accident as well. "I haven't seen anything like this since I came out of the Cave of Wonders, and even the sword I saw like it had rubies. What was that guy doing carrying a sword like this?"

"If we can't keep the jewel, can we at least keep that? Please?!"

Aladdin sighed. "All right, all right. Let's go to Baram first and sort things out with him."

He replaced the sword in its sheath and made his way back to the marketplace, with Iago perching on his shoulder, still coughing from the remnants of smoke.

* * *

"Of course you can keep the sword! I don't have much use for weapons anyway, as I don't sell them in my wares, but thank you so much, Aladdin. I knew I could count on you. And the jewel is still in one piece." Baram was not only happy to see Aladdin and Iago, but also to receive the brilliant gem in his outstretched hands. Iago eyed it with a combined sense of lust and loss in his eyes, while Aladdin smiled at the merchant.

"I'm just glad we were able to get it back to you. How's your arm?"

"Oh, it was only a flesh wound." Baram dismissed the note quickly, pointing to a bandage running down the length of his arm and tied at the wrist. "Luckily, your monkey friend found me a bandage, so I'm good as new. I already gave him his reward."

Aladdin laughed as he saw Abu going through a crate of bananas, with only two left in its contents. Abu had more than his share, patting his full belly and uttering a burp that caused him to self consciously cover his mouth.

"Well, I guess Abu will be carrying the last bounty of that crate, and you can keep the empty crate for your wares."

"Oh good, I have several more things to stock. Come again, Aladdin, you're always welcome to shop with me."

"Take care, Baram, and stay out of trouble."

* * *

The three of them headed to Aladdin's usual space in the city, as Aladdin took the opportunity to clean it since he'd hadn't been there in at least a few days, and Abu helped him arrange a few things clumsily. Iago perched himself on the window ledge looking over the darkening sky.

"Are we supposed to be heading back right about now? I'm starving."

"Go ahead and head back if you want, Iago. I still have a few things to finish up here. And I have to wrap Jasmine's gift."

Abu made a motion that he wanted to see it and Aladdin rummaged through a few stray cloths before coming across the gift. He held it gingerly between two hands within a silk handkerchief.

"Here it is. Actually, Genie took the picture - I don't know how or when he did it." The gift fit in Aladdin's hands easily- a double palm sized aqua gem shaped like a lotus flower with gold trim on its backing and edges, which held in the center of it an oval shaped, romantic picture of Aladdin and Jasmine sitting by the fountain in the courtyard of the palace. Abu was in awe of both the gem and the picture, though slightly more in awe of the former.

"Where the heck did you get somethin' like that?" Iago said, equally stumped and mesmerized by the gem.

"Bought it in the marketplace from one of the usual merchants a while back. He didn't think it was valuable enough because the stone was sooty, but I cleaned it and it turned out to be more beautiful than I thought it would be. Added the picture to it, and...well...that's the story."

Abu gave a thumbs up sign to signal his approval of the gift. "Uh huh."

"I'm with the monkey."

"I just hope Jasmine likes it as much as you guys do." Aladdin said softly, running his hand through his hair after folding the handkerchief back over it, and placing it back from where he retrieved it.

"Sure she will, and if she doesn't, I'll take it, and you can keep the picture."

"Iago..."

"I'm serious!"

It wasn't long before a flash of light erupted within the room, blinding all three of them and smoke erupted through the room and out the grand sight of the skyline.

"Who let the smoke bomb up in here? If that's Genie, he's gonna get hurt for blinding me and owing me a third lung after today." Iago hacked as he fanned the smoke.

"Not Genie." Abu screeched while using one hand to tug on one of Iago's wings and the other pointing frantically in the direction of the light and smoke. Iago was only the second to recognize the figure and his face fell at the sight.

"T-That guy...there's no way..."

Aladdin slowly opened his eyes, from where he had crouched when the blast of light had first erupted, and looked in the direction Abu was pointing.

"You." Aladdin said in a low voice, his expression turning angry.