Of Magic and Sand

Chapter 11

The carpet soared over the palace and Jen watched as it grew smaller and smaller until it looked like one of his father's small golden toys. The warm night breeze hit his face and he willed himself to stay in the present.

Stay here. Don't go back. Stay here with her, you are safe.

He felt the darkness pulling at him though, the impossible knife of memory stabbing at him, pulling him away from the night air and the stars and the carpet, and then he felt the now familiar stab of pain as darkness and fire swiftly flashed before him in his mind's eye. Immediately he tried to raise his right hand to press on the still burning triangle-shaped scars on his left forearm but his hand wouldn't move. He looked down and saw that Princess ZiZi was still holding his hand. He watched as her inky colored tunic sparkled in the starlight and suddenly felt the darkness lessen it's hold on him. He watched her as she swiftly directed the carpet to fly over the city, her face looked calm and serene as the moon cast its shadow over them. She looked so familiar, but he couldn't quite place her. She was like someone that he had met in a dream. She could have easily been Ziana, but he knew that was impossible. Ziana had been executed by the guards.

"Tell me, darling, have you ever seen anything so beautiful? It's a whole new world from up here," The princess said, as the carpet swopped up and paused, revealing a birds-eye view of the city.

Jen looked at her, he was sure that he had heard Ziana's voice. Was it her? It was impossible, but could it really be? He looked at her again, now that he was close to her he could see that one of her eyes was bright emerald green, and the other one was milky white. This confirmed it, this girl, this Princess ZiZi was Ziana, the girl from the market. She was the one that had helped him escape from that shop keeper, she was the one who had a cat named Oki. She was the first person since that terrible night who had talked to him like he was normal like he wasn't some fragile thing that could break any minute. Why was she hiding from him? They swooped among the pyramids, rivers, cities, and oceans. Finally, the carpet settled them down on the roof of a pagoda and they watched the fireworks in the distance as people celebrated down below, dancing around a fire.

"Isn't this all so magical," Princess ZiZi asked after a few minutes of silence.

"It really is. Don't you think it's a shame that Oki is missing this though?" Jen asked, and then waited for her response..

"Nah, she doesn't like fireworks...or flying," Ziana said and then her eyes widened and she covered her mouth.

"You are her! You are Ziana from the marketplace. Why didn't you tell me?" Jen asked, pulling his hand out of hers.

"Well, I um...you see, I was—," she stumbled over her words and Jen saw a blush start to spread on her cheeks.

"Who are you? Tell me the truth." Jen asked.

She took a deep breath, "I am Princess Zizi.....you see I arrived early to Agrubah to see the sights and sometimes.....sometimes I disguise myself as a commoner to really....really get a feel of the place I am visiting. But I really am a princess."

"So when you showed me...where you lived...."

"That was my hotel. I like simple things. You know, palaces with their white marble it all gets so boring It did have a spectacular view, didn't it?"

"And Oki?"

"She is really my cat, she's back in my room you can meet her if you would like."

"And what about the guards?"

"Oh, the guards?"

She burst out laughing, making him jump.

"The guards....oh good old Achmed, we go way back. They were just playing along....with me....it's a game...we....play."