2 Meeting

I sit down still looking over the city and slowly start eating my pear. As the ill gotten goods fill my stomach plans on plans start forming in my head.

Step one is survival. As the street rat im going to need to steal to eat. I have been speaking English this whole time so learning the language will be a must. There are no opportunities for the lower cast to rise above their station so learning to read will be difficult. I know some very basic phrases in Arabic from my time deployed so I will have to pick it up as I go.

For the next six months Abu and I stole too eat as I tried to learn how to communicate in Arabic. Full immersion is intense listening to people at the market every day. Abu would distract vendors so I could pocket a bread loaf and disappear into the crowd. At night we would raid the warehouse for a few fruits and sneak away. In the beginning there were a lot of close calls until I could weave through the crowd without notice. I gained weight and filled out with lean muscle. I was somewhere around 11 to 12 years old. It was hard to say without any memories of the original Aladdin. Abu and I made a sanctuary in that old tower, we had water collection for when it rained by collecting old ceramics. I stole a shirt from a clothes line and started a mental map of the city in my head. We practiced parkour so we would be able to avoid pursuit.

Sometimes we would have to hide from the gangs in the street but we kept a low profile. I found a vest and made his iconic hat for Abu. For some reason we could understand each other perfectly no matter if I spoke English or broken Arabic. Every night I would go over my plan while looking at the beautiful Palace and the stary sky.

Years passed in this manner my parkour and language skills constantly growing. I had taught Abu that we don't need to steal everything in one shot. His greedyness was intense he had a little pile of gold and jewls that he had stolen and slept on it like the miniature monkey version of Smaug.

I knew I was about 18 years old by now. I looked like a better version of of the original. I was more toned and had higher muscle mass. I never stopped going barefoot I had much better traction with out shoes. I was light and swift footed. I could stand all day on a beam and never lose my balance. I could long jump nearly 3 meters. I was the peak of body control and strength. I was often invited into the brothels which was funny, but I used their facilities to bathe whenever I could. I was a bit notorious although I had never been caught in the act.

I went to the market every day and kept my eye out for the out of place girl. Suitors would parade through Agrabah at least once a month to try and get the princess' hand in marriage. All the people knew they just wanted to be the next sultan. I didn't blame them Agrabah was a trading capital with a major river port near the Palace. The warehouse we raid nightly is supplied and shipped out from there. By the way we developed a better way of raiding it. We took a long pole and put it on the roof that was near the building. I would use the pole to bridge the gap to the window and Abu would scurry across. I would pull the pole back and wait for Abu to grab something. Then send the pole like I was fishing Abu would grab on and I would reel him in. That place was the reason I was so well fed.

Eventually the fateful day came and I was able to meet the beautiful princess Jasmine. I watched her bump into a street performer and make him swallow the flame he was about to breathe. I looked to Abu and said "Game face Abu, no funny business right now." He saluted and hopped on my shoulder. I saw her give an apple to a little boy and I stepped in before the shop owner could cut off her hand.

Sheathing the guys sword back to his hip we convinced him she thought Abu was the sultan. I handed him some coins for his trouble. I whistled and Abu hopped on my shoulder and I led Jasmine by the arm through the market without incident.

"First time in the market?" I ask as we are walking away.

She looks at me suspiciously but thankful and says. "Why would you think that?"

I give her a wry look and say "It must be your first day if you thought Satir would be a good target. Stealing from him is like petting the tongue of a crocodile, its asking to lose a hand."

"I wasn't stealing." She says indignantly "I just didn't know I had to pay."

"Sure and I'm not a thief either." I say admiring my new golden bangles that were hers a moment ago and laugh.

"Hey give those back!" She shouts and I laugh again handing them over without a fuss.

Its funny to see a beautiful woman of kilter. She eyes me trying to figure me out. "Are you hungry?" I ask.

"Yes, actually." she says touching her flat stomach.

"Abu two pears if you would." I say and he chitters and salutes.

I lead Jasmine to the side and we watch as Abu works his magic. "What is he..." Jasmine starts to say as she watches Abu scale a market stand then use his tail as a yo-yo while the stall owner is distracted and snatch two ripe pears. He pulls himself up quickly. He then climbs up the building next to the stand and across a string and down into my arms.

"Ta-dah" Abu says smugly.

"Thank you very much Abu the sultan extraordinaire." I say giving him a little bow. I look to the girl who is flabbergasted and say. "Come on I'll show you around the real Agrabah. My name is Aladdin by the way."

"I'm Jasmine, a pleasure." She says with those big doe eyes.

We spend the evening walking around the bazaar. It started to get late and I said "Why don't you let me walk you home." Curious if she will want me to walk her to the Palace.

She says "I'm not going back home..."

I look at her a moment and say "Well I'll show you my and Abu's place but don't mess with the monkey dragon's gold you hear me." I smile and tell her the warning. Abu nods and shows his fangs and pretends to flap wings.

Jasmine laughs a beautiful chime and says "I wouldn't dream of it oh sultan of dragons and monkeys."

We walk arm in arm to my home. I lead her into the tower and decide to pull a move from Tarzan. I had taken out a few of the stairs to make it harder to ambush us years ago. Instead I installed a rope that hangs through the center of the building. Abu climbed up first and I said "Do you trust me?" While reaching out my hand to her.

She looked at me for a moment and quietly said "Yes."

"Hold on." Is all I said as I hook her arm over my shoulder and pick her up on to my back. I then climb the rope using nothing but my bulging arms. We rise steadily into my oasis. It has not changed much over the years but its much more homely. Setting the beautiful girl down I pull the curtain that shows the lights on the Palace at sunset.

She stands at the window I'm sitting at petting Abu. "This is home for us, its not much but there is no other view like this in the city. You can stay here tonight if you like its safe. Whatever you are running from you can deal with in the morning."

She sits elegantly at the window looking out over the city as Abu and I lay down with some pillows. Jasmine looks at me "Aladdin, thank you."

"No problem. Do you want to talk about it?" I ask.

"At home, I always felt like I was trapped in a cage. I could do nothing that I didn't have permission for and I always had to act a certain way." She said sadly. "I can see how free your life is and it makes me want that for myself."

"The life of the prince of thieves is not all great you know." I say and smile as she flinches a bit. I don't know if it was becauseI said prince or she realized she has a pampered life. "I can do whatever I want sure. But everything I do relies on myself or Abu. We have no safety net, the guards could come kill me at any moment just for stealing enough to survive. I have lived this life since I was 10 the only one to ever give me a scrap of food and a chance is Abu." I give the monkey in my lap some scratches as he yawns. Jasmine looks contemplative at me then the Palace. I lay back and drift off knowing I have a long night ahead of me.