The Final Fate by SpECial SpICe
Summary: When a nightmares scares Jasmine out of her mind, Aladdin starts to wonder if they are more than just simple nightmares. To stop them, they have to find the cause...and their days are numbered. What will Jasmine's final fate be? THERE HAS BEEN ANOTHER CHANGE IN THE STORY! INSTEAD OF 15 INGREIDIENTS I'VE MOVED IT DOWN TO 5, IT'S TOO MUCH!
Rating: G
Categories: Aladdin
Characters: Mirage, Abu, Aladdin, Carpet, Genie, Jasmine, Rasoul, Sultan
Genres: General
Warnings: None
Challenges: None
Series: None
Published: 04/15/05
Updated: 11/01/05
Index
Chapter 1: The Secret
Chapter 2: Nightmare or Plague?
Chapter 3: The Truth Revealed
Chapter 4: A New Vistor...A New Fear
Chapter 5: A Fate Uncovered?
Chapter 6: A Lethal Plan Revealed
Chapter 7: A True Promise
Chapter 8: Beginning of the End?
Chapter 9: A Mirage of Appearances
Chapter 10: Speechless
Chapter 11: Jasmine's Fears
Chapter 12: A Costly Lie
Chapter 13: The Beast, the Battle
Chapter 14: Just like the good ol days!
Chapter 15: The Next Adventure
Chapter 16: Painful Flashback
Chapter 17: Roadtrip to the Rainforest!
Chapter 18: Roadtrip to the Rainforest II!
Chapter 19: Surprises
Chapter 20: Almost Over
Chapter 1: The Secret
The palace was searing in flames! It seemed to come out of nowhere, striking the royals unexpectedly. There was no movement within the palace, except for one. The scorching fire felt like needles plunging into Jasmine's skin. It burned her eyes, sweat poured from every part of her body. Thick black smoke drowned the air, stinging and puncturing Jasmine's lungs. "ALADDIN!" she screamed through a violent cough. "Aladdin, where are you?!" she felt that with each breath taken she was closer to death. But, if it was her time to go here and now, she would find Aladdin first and pledge her eternal love to him. Jasmine squinted her eyes tightly as tears flowed from her face, she wasn't sure if it was the smoke or the emotional pain she was going through. Jasmine coughed violently and tried to keep her eyes open, staggering through once ravishing halllways. Jasmine finally collapsed, but not on scorched tiles, something soft but sweaty...or someone. "Aladdin! Is...that...you...?" There was no response...no movement...no breathing...and no heartbeat. "Aladdin! No you can't leave me! I can't live without you! Please, come back to me! Answer me, say something honey! PLEASE!". A green flash appeared over Jasmine through the thick black smoke, but she could recognize who was staring over her with those eyes, with that cold glare...Mirage."Awww, too bad princess. I think your precious street rat is dead. Evil always prevails over good and love! I've personally assured that...I-" Mirage went on with her cliche monologue, but Jasmine faded her out. Her beloved husband was dead, but they wouldn't be separated for long, not even by death. Jasmine knew she couldn't live without Aladdin, so why should she even try? Jasmine held close to Aladdin's lifeless body and cried as the fire consumed both of their bodies.
**************
"Yes, princess feel the fire amongst your skin, feel the pain and loss of Aladdin's death. I'll soon make that a reality. Then you will have nothing left that you cherish, that you hold so dear!" an evil laugh boomed inside the small room. The figure watched Jasmine attentively through a crystal ball...but who was watching her?
*************
"No! The fire...the city...Aladdin!" Jasmine's body shook violently and sweat drenched her. "Noooo!"
"Jasmine? Jasmine! Wake up! Jasmine!" Aladdin held Jasmine's shoulders firmly and tried to shake her to wake her up. "Jas, sweetheart, wake up!" Jasmine's eyes shot open, full of fear and panic.
"Aladdin?" for a moment she looked confused and jumped up and hugged Aladdin tightly.
"Thank Allah you are alright," she said with a relieved sigh.
"Jasmine, is there something you want to talk about?" Aladdin asked with concern as he pulled her away to make eye contact.
Not wanting him to worry, Jasmine replied, "No, no, no. It was just a silly nightmare that's all. I'm fine now, really," Jasmine moved closer to Aladdin and laid her head on his chest.
"You sure? Jasmine, you know I'm here for you, and that I'd do anything for you. Talk to me, please," Aladdin soothed with a hint of begging as he caressed her back.
Jasmine sat up slowly and looked into her husband's warm and gentle eyes and gave a small smile. She turned and looked towards the balcony. The breeze felt wonderful on Jasmine's hot skin. She turned back to Aladdin, and put a hand on his cheek. "It's time for us to get up anyway. We have that important meeting with the Sultan of Anderia today," Jasmine took Aladdin's face into her hands and kissed him with great passion. "I love you, Aladdin. Please, promise me you won't ever forget that," Jasmine told him seductively when they parted.
"I know, I love you, too," Jasmine smiled again after Aladdin promised her. She got up quietly from the bed and sat down at her vanity, then sighed as she brushed her hair.
'She's hiding something from me, I know it," Aladdin thought.
Chapter 2: Nightmare or Plague?
"Pick a card, pick a card, any card!" Genie shouted with ambition. Abu sat and scratched his head puzzled. "C'mon monkey boy! All ya' gotta do is pick a card!" Genie coaxed."Uh-uh," Abu finally decided and turned his back towards Genie.
"Aww, c'mon it's not like somethin's gonna pop out at ya'!" As soon as Genie said that a freakish jack in the box popped out from the deck of cards, causing Abu to screech loudly and run into the fountain, knocking himself unconcious.
Genie laughed and turned himself into a beauty queen, with a bad make up job. "You are such a drama queen! It wasn't that bad! Hey, Al...you wanna pick a card? Al?" Aladdin sat on the edge of the fountain in his 'Prince Ali' outfit, playing with this turban.
"What's the matter, little buddy?" Genie asked as he morphed back into his normal self floating over to Aladdin and put a hand on his shoulder.
Aladdin looked up, but not a Genie, into an oblivion. "It's Jasmine, Genie. I think she's having terrorizing nightmares. This morning she woke up in sweat and her eyes were a little red and full of fear, like she was crying and scared. And the night before she woke up screaming and gasping for air. I'm...I'm worried about her, Genie. I want her to talk to me about it, but she says it's nothing,"
"Want me to talk to her, Al?" Genie offered morphing himself into a German therapist. "Shall we begin with zee ink blots?"
"No, it's okay, Genie. I have to prepare myself for this boring meeting with the Sultan of Anderia, anyway," Aladdin stood to leave and heard a groan come from the base of the fountain. Aladdin laughed a little and walked back to the palace double doors.
"My head," Abu said as he struggled to get up.
"Poor Jas! Nightmares are the worst. They actually get to you after awhile, it's some kind of plague...wait. If Jasmine's been having nightmares a lot lately then there has to be some thing behind it. C'mon Abu let's go find out exactly what's plaguing our Jas!" Genie scooped up the little hairball that seemed to be out of it and raced off towards Jafar's lab.
Chapter 3: The Truth Revealed
Aladdin walked down the decorated palace hallway, keeping his thoughts to himself. 'What's she trying to hide from me? Could it be that bad?' Aladdin came to his and Jasmine's bedroom, he opened the door and closed it gently and was suddenly startled."Aladdin, there you are! What do you think? Do you like this white dress or the lavender one better?" Jasmine asked as she ran towards Aladdin with dresses dangling from each hand.
"Jasmine I-" Aladdin wanted to talk to her about what had happened this morning, but couldn't find the words.
"What? What is it? Oh, I know...you don't like either one of these do you? Say no more, I have plenty more in my closet. I can just-"
"No, they both look great, Jasmine. You look beautiful no matter what you wear," Aladdin said as he pulled her closer to him.
"Oh, Aladdin that's sweet, thank you," Jasmine blushed a little at his compliment, but her blush faded quickly when she saw the look of worry in his eyes.
"Aladdin, that's not all that you wanted to tell me, what's wrong?" Jasmine asked with concern as she slipped her arms around his neck. Aladdin sighed and looked down at the floor, then back up at Jasmine.
"What happened this morning? You woke up drenched in sweat and scared half to death," Jasmine looked at him a bit startled by his question.
'Don't seem so surprised, Jasmine. He loves you! You knew he would ask sooner or later!' she thought to herself. Jasmine sighed, shrugged her shoulders and replied blandly, "Sit down, Aladdin," Jasmine took his hands and led him towards the bed. The couple sat down and looked at each other for a few moments. Jasmine sighed once more, stood up and started pacing slowly.
"There was this fire consuming the palace..." there was a long pause. Aladdin could tell she was having a hard time with this.
"Jasmine...if you don't want to talk about it, I understand. I don't have t-"
"...and smoke," she continued, regardless of his statement. 'Your already in now, Jasmine. Why stop now?'
"It was hard to see, I...I couldn't find y-you...or anybody! I felt like I was the only one still searching...still alive. There was no sign of Genie, father or Abu. The fire burned my skin and...I actually felt it. I guess that's where all the sweat came from," Jasmine looked on towards the balcony. She began rubbing her shoulders...reliving the nightmare.
"I couldn't go any farther, so I collapsed...on you. But, you weren't moving...breathing...there was no heartbeat. Mirage appeared above me and she told me that you were dead, she said evil prevails over good and love...and I...I...I can't loose you, Aladdin! I can't, I'm not strong enough to be alone!" Jasmine shouted as tears flowed down her face and more threatening to fall. "I love you, I can't let you go, not now, not ever!"
Aladdin saw the pain written all over face. He stood up and walked towards Jasmine and hugged her tightly, never wanting to let her go. Jasmine got as close to him as she possibly could and cried into his chest. The message of the nightmare scared her, what if it came true? She knew she couldn't live without Aladdin, why try?
Aladdin pulled Jasmine back a little and tilted her chin upwards. "Jasmine, I'm not going anywhere. No one's taking me away from you and no one's taking you away from me. I love you, and Mirage or Mozenrath or whoever will never changed that. You mean the world to me, leaving you has never been an option and it never will be. I remember my dad telling me that, 'Just because you're alone doesn't mean you have to be lonely'...but I promise you Jasmine you won't ever be alone," Aladdin leaned in and gave his wife a passionate kiss. Jasmine loved when he reassured and kissed her, his promises were always guaranteed. When they parted, both became lost in each other's eyes. Aladdin put his hand to Jasmine's cheek and caressed it.
"Shall we prepare for dinner, my princess?"
"Of course, my love," They both let out a small laugh and began preparing for their meeting with the Sultan of Anderia.
Chapter 4: A New Vistor...A New Fear
In the dining hall the Sultan sat boldly with that childish grin on his face at the head of the table, talking with the Sultan of Anderia.He was slightly older than the Sultan. His white and gray streaked beard was cut short, like the hair on his head. He wore the colors of his kingdom, a regal red and a deep blue. He sat straight and never seemed to smile.
The two sultans' conversation was interrupted by a guard.
"Introducing, their royal highnesses, Prince Aladdin and Princess Jasmine,"
The double doors opened and the couple strolled into the room.
"Sultan Rahmed, this is my darling daughter, Jasmine and my dear son-in-law, Aladdin,"
"Hello, nice to meet you, Sultan Rahmed," Aladdin greeted with an outstretched hand, hoping to shake to newcomer's hand. Instead Rahmed stood up with a cold expression on his face, bowed and sat back down. Aladdin pulled back his hand in embarrassment.
Noticing he wasn't friendly Aladdin and Jasmine looked at each other, shrugged and sat down next to each other.
"Sultan Rahmed and I were just discussing the trade routes," the Sultan said with that same childish tone in his voice.
"Yes, Anderians are quite dependent on these routes. Without them Anderia would fall to its knees. They should be handled carefully," Rahmed's voice was deep, raspy and cold. He did nothing but glare, especially at Jasmine. Aladdin had noticed throughout dinner and tried several times to take Rahmed's attention off of Jasmine and onto him.
"So, Sultan Rahmed, does Anderia have many allies or enemies?"
Rahmed didn't even look Aladdin's way, he just looked Jasmine up and down repeatedly. Aladdin was surprised that the Sultan had not noticed and it furiated him. Before he could try once more to attract Rahmed's attention, Jasmine asked,
"Father, I'm suddenly not feeling well. May I be excused?" Jasmine couldn't take Rahmed's stare anymore, it was very uncomfortable.
"Yes, dearest. Will you be joining us for dessert?" the Sultan asked.
"No, I'll just turn in for the night. Good night, father,"
"Good night, dearest,"
Jasmine stood up and walked quickly out of the dining hall, with Rahmed's cold eyes following her.
"Such a beautiful girl, Bobolonious," Rahmed had said that so chillingly that it didn't even sound like a compliment.
"Yes she is quite headstrong, takes after her mother," the Sultan replied as he looked from Rahmed to Aladdin. He had noticed that Aladdin's mind seemed to be elsewhere.
"Um, Aladdin, my boy, would you mind sitting this one out to go check on Jasmine? I can handle these trade route documents,"
"Uh, sure. Thank you, your highness," Aladdin willingly left the dining hall. After he had left, Rahmed turned to the Sultan.
"He is a troublemaker, Bobolonious! I don't see how you could have allowed your daughter to wed such a-"
"Sultan Rahmed," the Sultan's warm attitude faded quickly. In his kingdom no one would talk about his son-in-law in any bad way.
"Aladdin is a wonderful boy and committed to my daughter! Committed to making her happy, something I have not seen her be in a long while since she met Aladdin. He has saved Agrabah countless times and if we are to make a deal upon these trade routes, you will respect him as you should respect me,"
Rahmed looked down in his plate and grumbled like a small child who had just been punished.
****
To comfort Jasmine about what had happened about dinner, he and Jasmine spent a quiet and romantic evening alone. Talking, kissing and holding each other.
Both tired from their ordeal, the couple decided to turn in for the night.
"Good night, Jasmine. I love you," Aladdin whispered.
"I know, I love you too, Aladdin,"
"Don't hesitate to wake me up if you have a nightmare,"
"Ok,"
And with that Aladdin took Jasmine into his arms and fell asleep soundly. Jasmine couldn't sleep, not because of a nightmare, but because she loved to watch Aladdin sleep.
She sighed dreamily and ran a hand through his hair.
"You have no idea how much, I love you, Aladdin. You're so loving and restless until you see others are happy-"
"Seems Aladdin and I share the same trait...we're both restless," a voice whispered through the darkness.
"Who's there? Who are you?" a frightened Jasmine replied. "Aladdin I think that there's someone-" but before she could reach over to alert Aladdin she was gagged and knocked in the head with a heavy wooden object. She was knocked in the head so hard that a streak of blood came upon the stick and it dropped upon Jasmine's pillow. Jasmine's body went limp, as Rahmed picked her up in his arms and looked her over.
"You are too beautiful for your own good," Rahmed whispered as he ran a finger over her lips. He removed a piece of folded paper from his jacket and placed it on Jasmine's pillow, disappearing into the night.
Chapter 5: A Fate Uncovered?
Inside Jafar's lab, Genie and Abu still searched frantically for some kind of clue about Jasmine's nightmares...well Genie anyway."Let's see, let's see, there's got to be *something* about Jas' nightmares!" Genie exclaimed as he thumbed through the pages of an old dusty spell book.
"Hey, monkey boy...you find anything?" Genie asked not taking his eyes off of the book he was searching through.
"Monkey boy?" Genie turned around to find the little hairball asleep, half of his body inside a beaker and the other half leaning over the edge.
Genie floated over to the sleeping Abu and turned into a trumpet. He began to play a military tune so loud that it echoed throughout the lab and broke the beaker Abu was sleeping in.
Abu's eyes shot open as fast as he screeched.
"Why you-" Abu said angrily putting up his hairy little fists.
"We can't sleep now, Abu. Something could actually be plaguing Jasmine. You know how much Al cares about her, do you want him to sad?"
Abu quickly lost his anger and grumbled as he looked through a stack of old papers.
"That's the spirit! Since you can't stay awake, you want a cuppa jo?" Genie asked turning himself into a thick black mug of coffee.
"Bleccchhh!" Abu said with disgust and turned back towards the papers.
"Fine then, more for me!" Genie announced as he morphed back into his regular self. He picked up another book and thumbed through the pages. "Sheez, everybody's a critic. Well let me tell you something monkey boy, I-"
Abu wondering why Genie had not finished his ranting, he turned to see Genie staring wide-eyed at a page. Abu skipped over to Genie and hopped onto his shoulder.
"What? What is it?" Abu asked trying to read the words, even though he couldn't.
"Oh no, Abu. I found Jasmine's exact symptoms! And it doesn't look good, we gotta warn, Al!"
Chapter 6: A Lethal Plan Revealed
Back in the excluded Morbia, Mirage sat and waited angrily. Pacing and restless, she swiped at the air."Where is he?! How long does it take to capture a vulnerable princess?"
A deep raspy voice suddenly rang out out of nowhere.
"You have to give me some credit Mirage, she was a bit fiesty," Rahmed took form and appeared in front of Mirage holding the unconcious princess. She glared at him and sighed impatienly.
"Enough chit chat, Rahmed! Give her the poison! Aladdin should be waking up soon to find his precious princess missing. Did you leave the ransom note?" Mirage asked as a spark lit her eyes.
"Yes, Mirage. It's not like I'm a rookie at this!"
"Don't you dare raise your voice to me, Rahmed! Your are still in debt to me!" Mirage exclaimed with hate.
Rahmed grumpily lay the unconcious princess on the floor gently. Mirage threw him the vial containing the purple liquid and grinned menacingly. Rahmed uneasily tilted Jasmine's chin upwards and poured the liquid into her mouth.
'By Allah, what have I done?' Rahmed thought to himself.
"It won't be long now, Rahmed it won't be long now,"
****
Aladdin sighed and stirred, he turned over hoping to see his wife's innocent sleeping face, instead he found a blood streaked wooden stick and pillow, along with a note.
"Jasmine?" Aladdin called as he sat up. He picked the note up, unfolded it and started to read it.
'Aladdin, it's been a long time! I've missed you so! Jasmine was so eager to come that she got a head start! She's in my possession, Aladdin and if you want her back *alive* follow my every wish...my every demand!'
Sincerely,
Mirage
Aladdin was enraged and in shock. Mirage had Jasmine, and there was no telling what she was putting her through.
"No," was all Aladdin could manage to say.
"Allllllllll!" Genie suddendly bursted through the bedroom doors with Abu hanging on for dear life to Genie's shoulder.
"Al! Jas...you...the disease!" Genie had not floated, he had run. Apparently so hard that he was out of breath!
"Al, me and Abu know why Jas has been having these nightmares. We were down in Jafar's lab and...wait. Where is Jas?"
"Mirage," Aladdin said still staring at the paper.
Suddenly a green ball of light appeared right in front of the bed. An evil laugh started to stir and within moments a portal revealing Mirage came into focus.
"Yes, Aladdin. And by the looks of it...I think you had better use those heroic skills and wit to rescue your damzel in destress," Mirage moved aside showing a sleeping, pale, shivering and sweating Jasmine.
"No, please. Don't...no...stop! Aladdin! Nooo!" Jasmine screamed. She tossed and turned on the floor, breathing heavily. Sweat soaked her nightgown and strands of hair were matted to her forehead.
Aladdin jumped up from the bed and stepped towards the portal.
"Let her go, Mirage!" Aladdin said through gritted teeth.
"Silly, silly hero! Why simply let her go? That would spoil the fun, the suspense...the adventure of it all,"
Aladdin gave her a cold glare and looked towards Jasmine, his expression softened. He watched Jasmine toss and turn helplessly.
"What have you done to her?"
Mirage gave out an evil cackle and threw back her head.
"As you are aware the princess has had nightmares for several nights, but they are no ordinary nightmares! These are nightmares of your death, Aladdin. Proning Jasmine to emotional weakness. Rahmed here took Jasmine right out from under your nose!" she glared but gestured towards Rahmed.
"Hmm, he apparently took her out with more force than I thought," Mirage said looking at the blood stained pillow and stick.
"I told you she was fiesty, Mirage, What more do you want?" Rahmed defended.
"You! I knew there was something odd about you...traitor!"
"Aladdin, I am sorry but my kingdom...my life comes before friendship. I was in debt to Mirage and this was the only way I could repay her, my people would be caused great pain if I did not agree to this!" Rahmed started to become angry. Aladdin knew nothing of what he had been through...nothing Aladdin could have experienced could compare.
"So you decided to cause my kingdom and my wife pain, instead. Good looking out, Rahmed!"
Aladdin and Rahmed's argument was interuppted by Mirage's cold stare and voice.
"Tick tock, Aladdin. The more you fight the less time you'll have to save Jasmine's life!"
"What are you talking about, Mirage?" Aladdin's heart rate sped up. He would have to deal with Rahmed later, Jasmine's life was hanging in the balance.
"Rahmed here gave Jasmine a strong poison that triggers the infamous Nightmare's syndrome. It involves a series of nightmares and night terrors, making one's fears evident and realistic. The brain shuts down in a coma and within a few days the brain and heart stop functioning because of the disease the poison injected into the blood. The only thing stop this lethal process is the antiserum. It has a total of fifteen ingridients, achieve three everyday and make the antiserum by the end of the week. If you do not Jasmine dies and you will feel guilty for the rest of your life,"
Aladdin sighed and looked towards Jasmine, not taking his eyes off of her he replied, "Where do I start looking for the ingridients?"
"You will be given riddles, which will lead you to the ingridients of the antiserum," Mirage loved seeing Aladdin so doubtful. Seeing his pain as he looked at Jasmine she, for some odd reason, felt a bit sorry for him.
"Here, I'll give you the princess. From what I've heard it is difficult for newlyweds to be apart," Mirage waved her claws and made Jasmine disappear form her place in Morbia onto her's an Aladdin's bed.
"Aladdin don't think of it as an ingenious villaness out to destroy true love but another wild adventure and testing how true your love is for her. Like the time she was turned into a snake...only this time you two won't be as fortunate," And with that the portal swirled away along with Mirage's laughter.
Aladdin turned his attention towards Jasmine and sighed.
"I'll find that antiserum, Jasmine. I promised you that no one would take you away from me and that's what I meant. You're going to be fine, I love you," Aladdin said as he leaned in and kissed her forehead.
"Don't ever forget that,"
Chapter 7: A True Promise
A cat's scowl rang throughout the bedroom, Aladdin jumped, out of instinct, into fighting position, and came to realize it was a piece of paper floating over Jasmine. Aladdin sighed and grabbed the paper and began to read.'With the poison in place and the fear setting in it is here that your journey begins. Remember while playing this exciting, lethal game you and your true love will never be the same. One ingriedient of the antiserum achieved each day to total five so you shall save your true love's life. Five days is your limit, that's all you shall receive. I love this game! It's truly great. It is up to you to determine your true love's fate
Sincerely,
Mirage'
Aladdin felt a hand press on his shoulder, he looked up at Genie and smiled weakly.
"Is this what you were going to warn me about?" he asked depressingly.
"Yep. Al, c'mon you've never let something like this come between you and Jasmine. You're Agrabah's greatest hero!"
"Genie, this is different! I actually have a time limit here...five days. Five days to solve these riddles. Five days to obtain all the ingridients. Five days to save my wife's life!"
"Al, I think you need to sit down. Just relax a bit before you start to-"
"I don't have time to relax, Genie. Jasmine is my main priority, she comes first. We have had too many close calls, Genie. I won't let her slip through my fingers," Aladdin heard a faint cry come from Jasmine. He walked over to her shaking body and wiped the sweat off of her forehead.
"Nothing's going to happen to you, sweetheart, I promise," he whispered to her. She stopped shaking and seemed to sigh.
Another cat's screech rang out. A green light formed by the balcony entrance. It soared over to Aladdin and formed into paper. Aladdin took the paper and opened it causiously.
Aladdin's eyes grew large and his heart started to race faster. He looked up at Genie with a blank stare.
"What is it, Al? What's wrong?" There was a long silence between the two best friends before Aladdin finally replied, "This is it, Genie. It's the first riddle,"
Chapter 8: Beginning of the End?
Aladdin took in a deep breath. This time he wasn't so confident, he was scared. What if he didn't get Jasmine the antiserum in time? He would break the promise if he didn't. No! Nothing was going to happen to her, he would get that antiserum in time, he would...right?There was not enough time to battle with his emotions. Aladdin quickly snapped out of his daze and began to read the riddle aloud.
"It is here that rumors and legends are mainly born. Where the bravest warriors were burned and scorned. If the beast, still alive, shall you face, you must slay him and capture the silver case. Stored away and difficult to see, but be aware that you must work quickly," Aladdin's hands began to shake slightly. He folded the paper up and stuck it into his pocket. He solemnly looked up at Genie, his hands still shaking a bit.
"Genie, I need weapons,"
"Sure Al, anything you want buddy. Uh, while I'm at it do you want me pack extra clothes and stuff?"
Aladdin had never seen Genie so serious before, but then again who could joke when someone you love was in a coma, slowly dying?
"Uh, yeah. Thanks, Genie. I'm, uh, going to tell the Sultan about, Jasmine,"
"Ok, Al. I should have your things packed by the time you get back,"
Aladdin gave a small smile and went out the doors to give the depressing news.
****
The Sultan sat with a grim look on his face.
"W-when did this happen, Aladdin?" Aladdin didn't want to talk about it anymore, but he knew the Sultan had the right to know about his own daughter's welfare.
"I think some time this morning, your highness. Genie's packing my things, I have a time limit...five days...to get the antiserum, before Jasmine..." Aladdin couldn't bare to finish his sentence, it wasn't possible to him that this could be happening.
"Let me see her,"
****
Aladdin and the Sultan entered his and Jasmine's bedroom. It seemed like Jasmine was getting worse, she was even paler than before.
"Oh, dearest," the Sultan said with grief and ran over to his helpless daughter. He stroked her forehead and looked down upon her.
"It's not your time, dearest. Don't let this beat you,"
"Al, she's getting worse," Genie said as he handed Aladdin his materials. Aladdin looked off towards Jasmine, he felt something hairy hop on his shoulder.He turned and saw Abu hugging him tightly.
"I'll be back, Abu. I need you to help take care of Jasmine for me. The last thing I need is to put someone else in danger. Aladdin sat Abu in Genie's hands.
Aladdin looked on towards the balcony and whistled for Carpet, who came charging in and saluted with his tassels.
"Well, I'm off," Aladdin said with a hint of defeat as he jumped onto Carpet.
"Carpet, you and I have to solve and find riddles to get the ingridients for the antiserum. Mirage put Jasmine under some nightmare spell, so we have to work fast," Aladdin explained.
"You want me to come with ya, Al?" Genie offered suiting up as a military general.
Aladdin shook his head. "I have to do this alone, Genie. You guys stay here with Jasmine and the Sultan. Their both vulnerable right now as it is," Aladdin whispered to Genie.
"Here Al, take this incase you want to monitor the home front, or if you have any problems," Genie said as he gave Aladdin a walkie talkie with a small video screen on it.
"Thanks again, Genie," Aladdin replied as he and Carpet took off.
"Aladdin will make it back, I know it," the Sultan said trying to break the awkward silence.
'I sure hope so,' Genie thought as he picked up Aladdin and Jasmine's wedding picture. 'No tellin' what Al will do if he loses Jas,'
Chapter 9: A Mirage of Appearances
Jasmine moaned and sat up slowly, only to grip her head in pain. Her pants were ripped and dirty. Hair unkempt and frizzy. Her fragile limbs were scarred and small, fresh wounds covered her abdomen."Where am I? It's so dark. Hello? Is anybody here?" Jasmine squinted to try to recognize her environment.
"Aladdin? Genie? Father?" Jasmine took another look around again when a white light blinded and took her by surprise.
"Why, young one you seem lost. Do you need help?" a woman came into view after the light. She wore sparkling robes that left a train behind her. Her golden curls bounced and let off a a shine. Blue eyes that sparkled like spring water and so gentle and calm.
"Who are you?" Jasmine asked looking the mysterioius woman over.
"I'm Sarahnai, Angel of Hope. Are you lost?"
"No I- well I just...I can't find my family. I woke up in shear darkness and I don't know where I am and...I need Aladdin,"
Sarahnai's sweet look disappeared and solemn one replaced it. "My dear, do you not know?"
"Know what?" Jasmine was confused and scared Sarahnai's tone made the situation seem worse. Had something happened while she was sleeping?
"Come, I will show you," Sarahnai pulled Jasmine up off of the floor and made Agrabah appear before their eyes in a gold portal. There was something different about it, Jasmine felt it, she just couldn't pinpoint it.
Sarahnai and Jasmine materialized into the throne room. But her father was not sitting at his throne, a woman was...it was Sadira. She looked depressed as she sat in her regal dress of blue, staring at the wall. The decor of the throne room was different. The colors of the drapes darkened the room, making it appear morbid.
"You see my child, Aladdin's first wife passed on a long while ago-"
"*First wife? What do you mean by *first*? I'm Aladdin's wife...his *only* wife!" Jasmine couldn't understand what Sarahnai was getting at. She and Aladdin had been married for eight months now, he would never cheat on her, NEVER!
"That is not possible, dear child. Although, you may resemble the first, there is no way you could be. Her name was Jasmine. Such a lovely, headstrong, fiesty spirited girl. She contracted a sudden illness given to her by a villaness. Aladdin was sent to retrieve the antidote, but did not make it in time. The poor girl died in her sleep. Aladdin was so grief stricken those next few years," Sarahnai said as she looked on towards the windows.
Jasmine could not believe this! How dare this woman judge who Jasmine resembled! How could she not recognize who Jasmine was? It just didn't add up!
"That is until...Sadira, the woman sitting upon the throne, came to Agrabah and heard of what had happened. It was said that she had quite a fettish with Aladdin. They began talking and meeting each other. They soon became good friends and worked themselves up to dating,"
"Dating?!" Jasmine's jaw dropped in shock. 'Aladdin loves me, he would never consider-I mean he and Sadira?!' Jasmine suddenly felt dizzy, she desperately grasped her head.
"Dear, are you alright, would you like to sit down?"
"What happened next?" Jasmine asked, disreguarding her question.
"Well, a few months later Aladdin proposed in the gardens. The Sultan happily planned the wedding for the two. Within a few months they were wed and later had a child...Allania. Sadly, when Allania turned seven, Aladdin and the Sultan had been found dead in the bedchambers. Physicians had no clues to the cause, there were no exterior wounds. Sadira is now left alone to raise Allania on her own, while ruling Agrabah,"
No! This made no sense. How was this possible?
'How...why is this happening to me? Aladdin and Sadira a couple...dating? Married? A child? No! Sadira took it all away from me. Aladdin was supposed to be committed to me, not Sadira! We were supposed to share the bond and sacred love of a child together, not with Sadira!
A tear fell from Jasmine's eye, her heart felt like it had been ripped out and stomped on repeatedly. She sighed and collapsed next to Sarahnai.
****
"This is wonderful isn't it, Rahmed? I get to see Jasmine *and* Aladdin suffer and you get to see the fall of Agrabah to make your kingdom dominant! It's the perfect scheme!" Mirage laughed and ranted as she stared at the crystal ball showing the horrifying dreams Jasmine was encountering.
Mirage wondering why Rahmed wasn't speaking much turned around to find him sitting on the floor playing with his fingers. She gave and angry huff.
"Rahmed. Rahmed! RAHMED!", but before Rahmed could look up he felt a great stinging sensation shoot up his arm, blood began seeping from the wound.
"Aaaahhh!"
"Defy or fail to answer me and there will be greater consequences!" Mirage shouted as she floated over and hovered over him.
"What more do you want, Mirage? Look I have done my part can't you let me go now?" Rahmed pleaded. "I've caused enough pain for Aladdin and Jasmine as it is. Aladdin's playing your game, that should be enough for y-aaahhhh!"
Mirage swiped through the air, the claw marks aiming towards his abdomen. Rahmed gasped for air, the slashes knocked the breath out of him.
"Why Rahmed, you are feeling more than just pity for these people, a sense of friendship, maybe? What makes you think, after what you have done, that anyone would befriend you?"
Rahmed looked down at the floor, guilt smothering his face. Mirage was right, this was the only way to solve his problems, no one else mattered before, so why was he feeling something more now?
Chapter 10: Speechless
Aladdin and Carpet soared through the hot and restless desert. Aladdin had read the riddle countless times trying to make sense of it. He sighed and looked on towards the shifting sand dunes."This shouldn't be so hard! I've beaten monsters, evil sorcerers and evil incarnets, but I can't figure out a stupid riddle," Aladdin pulled his knees to his chest and put his head down.
Carpet shifted, causing Aladdin to look up questionably. Carpet seemed to ask in his own way, 'What does the riddle say?'
Aladdin picked up the paper and began to read it aloud.
"It is here that rumors and legends are mainly born. Where the bravest warriors were burned and scorned. If the beast, still alive, shall you face, you must slay him and capture the silver case. Stored away and difficult to see, but be aware you must work quickly. Hmm, I guess we have to work this one step at a time. Now, where is it that legends and rumors are mainly born?"
Carpet brightened and pointed to himself and made a lamp with his tassels as best as he could.
"No Carpet, I don't think it's the Cave of Wonders, good guess though. Maybe-"
Carpet suddenly jerked flying at high speeds. Before Aladdin could ask about Carpet's sudden strange behavior, he and Carpet were standing directly in front of a cave. Carpet bent down and wrote in the sand, Death's Hovel. Aladdin looked over Carpet's shoulder, confused and read the writing.
"Death's Hovel? Is this the place?" Aladdin asked scratching his head. Carpet nodded with excitement.
"Hmm, all the places I've seen and been, I have never heard of this place. Well, Carpet let's go find the beast that we shall slay," Aladdin said sarcastically.
The cave was dark, but cracks in the cave walls helped a little sunlight come through. From what Aladdin could see there were a series of steps in front of him. Causiously, he stepped down on the first step, it nearly crumbled, causing Aladdin to almost trip.
"Uh, Carpet...do you mind, uh-"
Carpet turned his front half into steps as Aladdin hopped on. As the duo went deeper and deeper into the cave, it became lighter. When the steps came to an end Aladdin stepped off of Carpet. Aladdin looked around the hallway lit dimly with torches. There were passageways on each wall of the hallway. Aladdin grabbed a torch and began to sigh, he turned around examining each passageway. Carpet did the same, until a shadow dominated him. Carpet looked up and didn't move, it was like he was frozen each string from his tassels sat straight up. He backed up slowly still not taking 'eyes ' away. He tapped Aladdin on the shoulder.
"What is it, Carpet?" Aladdin asked, not turning around, "Did you find a clue or something?"
Carpet tapped even harder on Aladdin's shoulder, until finally Carpet made gave that up. Grabbed Aladdin's face and made in turn around to face what Carpet saw.
"Carpet, what are you-", Aladdin looked up fear spread throughout his eyes and before Aladdin could react, a burst of fire came roaring at him.
Chapter 11: Jasmine's Fears
Genie leaned over Jasmine in a nurse's outfit and put a cold cloth on her forehead, covered in sweat beads. Her breathing was shallow, mouth dry, and she coughed violently. She lost her tan complexion."It's gonna be okay, Jas! You're gonna be fine. Al will get those ingridients and make that antiserum. Then you'll be back to normal!" Genie said with spunk and ambition.
Abu scurried into the bedroom, hopped onto the bed and sat next to Jasmine, he patted her shoulder and sighed depressingly.
"I know, monkey boy, I know. I hate seeing her this way, too. How's the Sultan?"
Abu shook his head, he never took his eyes away from Jasmine. Genie sighed and turned back into his regular form.
"I wonder what she's dreamning about, monkey boy,"
"Me, too,"
****
Jasmine sat up and stretched, she looked around her environment...she was back in the palace.
''What? I thought I was-"
"Were what?"
Jasmine, startled, looked down to see Aladdin smiling at her. He sat up, looked into her eyes, leaned in kissed her passionately.
"You're so cute when you're confused," he told her when they parted.
Jasmine giggled at his compliment, but she couldn't help feeling that something was different. The kiss was great, but...not like the way he usually kissed her. It seemed like there was more...force.
Her thoughts not only consumed her mind but they also must have shown on her face. Aladdin noticed this and brought his hand to her cheek.
"Jasmine? Are you okay?"
"Hmm? Oh, yes, I'm fine, it's just that...Aladdin there's something different about you,"
"Different?"
"Mm-hmm. Aladdin what's your father's name?"
Aladdin backed away a little, confused why she was asking such a question.
"Jasmine that's a silly question, you know my father's name,"
"Then say it," Jasmine had her determined look on her face, but afraid as well. If this wasn't Aladdin, then who was it?
"Jasmine-"
"*Say* his name, Aladdin," there was a long pause between the two of them.
Aladdin sighed and looked out towards the balcony, then he turned back to look at Jasmine.
"No need to keep up the charade much longer," and with that, Aladdin grabbed Jasmine and pushed her down on the pillow hard. His eyes turned red and he began to morph into one of Jasmine's worst nightmares.
Jasmine screamed and closed her eyes tightly as 'Aladdin' came closer to her.
"Now, now, Jasmine. Don't hide those beautiful eyes from me,"
Jasmine shook lightly she opened her eyes to see Mozenrath holding her down. She began to struggle, but realized it was no use. His grip was too strong for her to break loose.
"Let go of me you monster! Let go!"
"What's wrong, princess? Can't get over the fact that I'm not your precious street rat?! I've got news for you princess, Aladdin's dead. He thought he could defeat me once and for all, turns out it back fired on him," Jasmine gasped and looked away from his stare.
'No! Not again! I thought I was waking up from this nightmare', she thought to herself as tears threatened to fall.
"Well princess, I can be better than Aladdin!" Mozenrath said as he leaned down and put his lips to Jasmine's neck.
"Stop, please! Nooo!", Jasmine struggled even more, but she couldn't get loose, no matter how hard she tried.
****
Jasmine began to have violent convulsions and she screamed several times.
Genie immediately went to Jasmine's side and tried to soothe her.
The sultan came rushing through the bedroom doors.
"Genie?! What happened?", he asked with urgency.
"I don't know, your highness. She just started to shake and scream. Do you have any ideas that would maybe calm her down?" Genie asked as he held Jasmine's shoulders.
"Her mother used to sing her a special bedtime lullaby," the Sultan said as he hurridely waddled over to his beloved daughter. He sat on the bed, leaned over and began to stroke his daughter's forehead. Suddenly he began to sing a soft and sweet melody.
"The moon is out, calm and bright. Put head to pillow and sleep tight. Crickets laughing while singing songs of love. Within the trees are the nests of doves. Wondering what shall become, as the winter wind makes everything numb. Time to sleep, listen and hear destiny's sound ringing in your ear..."
The song the Sultan was singing was so sweet that, it not only put Jasmine in a calm sleeping stage, but Genie and Abu too!
The three slept in the bedchambers all tired, each having hopes and dreams of their own that Aladdin would come back soon with that antiserum.
(PLEASE NOTE THAT IT IS NOT NIGHT YET THEY'RE JUST TAKING A NAP!)
Chapter 12: A Costly Lie
Mirage laughed wickedly as she rubbed her crystal ball. She had never had this much fun before! Watching Aladdin suffer, suffer while Jasmine does the same!"Oh, this is like a...a suspensful story! A man racing against time to save the one he loves, but is tragically foiled in the middle of the process by a restless beast! Just watching and awaiting Aladdin's outcome, it just feels so wonderful. Doesn't it, Rahmed?"
Rahmed just stared out one of Morbia's windows, his thoughts to himself.
'Maybe if I find a way to trick Mirage, I can help Aladdin out of this mess. I just can't watch them suffer anymore!'
"Rahmed!" Mirage was getting agitated that he was not enjoying this, they both wanted the same thing! To be dominant, to prove themselves, why was he not feeling the joy she was?
"Why do you insist on keeping to yourself *all* of the time!? This is what we both wanted! Dominance and power and strength, yet all you seem to do is linger around!" Mirage lifted herself into the air and glided over towards Rahmed. She softly landed in front of him and looked into his eyes, but not with evil, with some sort of...compassion?
"Rahmed, we both want this and we're getting it just the way we planned. Why are you not happy?" Mirage, surprisingly, put her hand to his cheek and caressed it softly.
'Now is the time! Make her believe some lie and betray her with it! Make her...fall in love with you!'
Yes! It was perfect, if Rahmed pulled this lie off he would be free of her and this guilt that was consuming him. Aladdin didn't deserve this, no matter how bad Rahmed had messed up.
"Rahmed, answer me! Why are you not happy? I knew it! You're feeling something for them aren't you? Mark my words Rahmed if you-"
"I'm not feeling anything for them-"
"I can see it in your eyes, Rahmed. You do feel something for them! You do!"
"I feel something for you!" Rahmed blurted out as he looked at her with pride and a hint of cowardice.
"What? Rahmed I..." Mirage was breathtaken. This scared her, just a little, I mean, she had not felt anything like this since...Fazir. Her comforting feeling suddenly turned to hate and anger. Mirage's evil glare overcame her eyes and she smacked Rahmed so hard, a welt appeared on his face.
"Aaah!" Rahmed fell back into the wall, he was becoming dizzy.
'Maybe it wasn't a good enough lie,' he thought to himself.
"How dare you! Where do you get the audacity to say something like that to me!?"
Rahmed stood calmly and stepped towards Mirage.
"Mirage, please...I just-"
"No! What makes you think I should believe something like that? How stupid do you take me for?" she was enraged, but a part of her wondered if he was actually feeling something for her.
"Mirage, you don't have to believe me, but I just know that I..." Rahmed stepped closer to Mirage and put a hand to her face and he stroked it gently. Mirage wanted to pull away, but his touch was overwhelming to her. Was, was he changing her in some way? She was supposed to be devastatingly evil but this, she just wasn't sure of.
"I...I...I need you," Rahmed whispered to her and then suddenly, something Rahmed had not planned occurred.
Not realizing what either of them was doing both leaned in and kissed each other. The kiss started off soft, but soon became fiery. Mirage hesitantly slipped her arms around Rahmed's neck, he proceeded to slipping his arms around her waist.
Mirage jerked and pushed Rahmed away, panting hard.
"Um, I...I'm so sorry Mirage I didn't intend on that happening, even though it was nice,"
"Rahmed, I don't know if I can make this risk to trust you, to trust *this*! We've gotten so far into plan and-"
"Please Mirage, take a chance, make a change, be with me,"
Mirage couldn't understand why this wasn't just water off of her back! She couldn't...didn't want to fall in love again, she didn't want to get hurt, not again.
Mirage looked down, then back up to Rahmed, she stepped towards him and looked into his eyes.
She leaned in again and kissed him passionately, when they parted she replied with determination,
"I'll be with you, Rahmed, I will, but don't you *ever* betray me. No matter what we feel for each other right now, don't ever go back on your word. I can just as easily crush the seven deserts with or without you. But together we can be the strongest of them all, nothing will stand in our way!" Rahmed smiled at her and brought her in for a hug.
'That's just it, Mirage, *some*thing is in 'our' way,' Rahmed uneasily thought as he caressed her back.
Chapter 13: The Beast, the Battle
Aladdin didn't move, he just stood there...with a blank stare on his face. Before he knew it his feet were no longer touching the ground. The fire ball, that was meant for him, shot through the thick brick wall."Thanks Carpet," Aladdin said with a sigh of relief. A mighty and ferocious roar came from the dimly lit ground. It was the beast from the riddle and Aladdin had never seen anything like it before! The beast had the body of a serpent. It was blue, long and slicked back with scales. It had the four hairy legs, tail and nails of an adult griffin. It's head was long and stout, eyes of red, a wiggling tongue like that of a snakes and teeth that seemed sharper than the sharpest blades. It suddenly shot a green mucus fluid at Aladdin and Carpet.
"Carpet! Look out!", Aladdin shouted, pointing towards the oncoming liquid. Carpet quickly dodged and the liquid landed on a higher torch causing it to completely go out.
Carpet lowered himself towards the ground and instinctively Aladdin jumped off and withdrew his sword. The creature came charging at Aladdin once more spitting his green mucus at him. Aladdin somersaulted out of its path and stabbed the creature in it's leg. The creature howled with fury and swiped at Aladdin's arm...this time he didn't miss.
Aladdin stumbled back with pain surging up his arm and blood seeping through his hands, through his clothes.
'Stay strong, this is for Jas, stay strong', Aladdin repeated to himself. He tried to forget the pain and the blood and withdrew his bloody sword from the beasts leg.
Breathless from the gash in his arm, Aladdin called to Carpet.
"Carpet I need you to the distraction!"
Carpet saluted and soared towards the beasts face and wrapped himself around the creatures face. Furious the creature roared and randomly spat his mucus in different directions.
Aladdin sighed with pain in his voice and noticed his bag of supplies laying in a corner. He ran to the bag, grabbed it and tore it open, spilling it's contents onto the floor.
He searched and searched only finding one of Jafar's old spell books, the mini screened walkie talkie, clothes, food supplies, water...
'Nothing here is going to defeat this thing!' Aladdin massaged his temples rapidly. "C'mon think, think, think!" Aladdin looked at the walkie talkie and decided to call Genie, he'd know what to do!
Aladdin looked up at Carpet and the struggling creature.
"Hold on just a little longer, Carpet, hold on," Aladdin whispered.
He turned on the contrapsion and waited for someone to answer...he got what he was waiting for.
"Hello?" a familiar voice called out.
"Genie?! Thank Allah! I need you to-"
"Al? Al!! Little buddy, how are ya'? Have ya gotten the first ingridient yet? What's Rugman up to?", Genie went on with so many questions Aladdin couldn't keep up. But, while the two were talking, Carpet's grip was slipping. The beast was finally able to tear Carpet away from his face. Seeing his moment, it spat its mucus burning a whole through Carpet. Carpet floated, unconciously, back and forth until he reached the floor, unmoving. The beast smirked and sneered at his triumph. It turned its head slightly to hear Aladdin and Genie talking in the corner...slowly and quietly it approached!
"Genie, I promise we'll have time to socialize later but right now I need you to-", Aladdin stopped in mid-sentence, he felt a hot breath on his back and saw a large shadow looming over him! Aladdin turned around slowly and quickly moved, but the beast was faster it grabbed Aladdin's abdomen and shoved him against the wall, its talons lunging into Aladdin's skin, allowing more blood to flow.
"Al? Al?! You okay! Al?!!" Genie shouted, the walkie talkie had been left in the corner, Genie couldn't see anything that was happening.
Aladdin yelled out and struggled, but it was no use. The beast came face to face with Aladdin and blew a pink dust in his face. Aladdin coughed and choked and suddenly his body fell limp. The beast smirked again and took Aladdin by the collar and dragged him up a one of the dark passageways, leaving a burned through Carpet and a confused Genie behind.
****
"Al? Al?! Little buddy! Speak to me!" Genie yelled at the hand held communicator.
"Genie? What's wrong?" the Sultan asked, a bit frightened and confused.
"It's Al, one minute he was there talking to me the next he was gone, I didn't see or hear anything," Genie said staring at one of the bedroom walls.
There was a long pause, the Sultan looked to his daughter and sighed.
"Genie, I want you to go find Aladdin,"
"But, but, your highness, Al said to stay here just in case-"
"Genie, my daughter is *not* going to get better, unless Aladdin is okay and looking for those ingridients. I know how much Jasmine means to Aladdin and you among others, she means the world to me and I would do *any* task to see that her health is beyond fit. I can handle things here, pack your materials and go find Aladdin," in all his days living at the palace Genie had never seen the Sultan so serious. He was serious when the city was in danger or under attack from some psycho sorcerer or something, but this took the cake.
"Aye, aye, cap-e-tan!" Genie transformed himself into a soldier and began to pack for the journey ahead.
'Hang on, Al! Everything's gonna be okay! I'm coming for ya'!' Genie thought to himself, Al and Jas were the last people on this Earth that he was going to lose, no question about it!
Chapter 14: Just like the good ol days!
Aladdin shifted and sat up grabbing his stomach almost immediately. His clothes were torn, soaked with blood and dirty and his muscles ached."Aw, my head. Where am I?" then suddenly it all came back to him, the riddle, the beast...Jasmine. Aladdin jumped up off of the floor, ready to fight or find a way out only to find the beast sharpening its claws on the thick brick walls. It looked over to Aladdin and smiled, showing its rows of blood thirsty teeth.
"Oh, perfect," Aladdin said to himself as he rolled his eyes. "Just perfect,"
Aladdin looked around the circular room and looked for something, anything to stop this thing, but there was nothing but hay...and a window!
The creature stepped towards Aladdin and this time it blew a blue mist. Aladdin dodged it and dived for the window, but his eyes were blurry and he ended up diving into a wall.
Aladdin moaned and tried to stand up, but his pains from his scratches and blood loss were stopping him and his abilty to think.
"That's going to hurt in the morning," he whispered to himself.
****
Genie was now soaring over the desert, hoping nothing happened to his best friends. Genie repeatedly tried shaking all bad thoughts from his head, but they kept coming back. Thoughts of him finding Aladdin injured to the point where there was nothing to be done or even dead consumed Genie's mind.
"Keep it together ol' boy! Al's fine! Maybe this would be a little easier if I did some techno scannin'!" Genie suddenly transformed into a radar, his antennas were beeping every which way. Finally after a few miles a green dot started to appear on Genie's radar surface.
"Bingo!"
Genie tried to follow the signal to its strongest, he landed and roamed aimlessly around until he found the dark cave.
"Death's Hovel? Uh-oh...don't worry Al, I'm coming!"
Genie whooshed through the cave, down the stairs when he tripped over...Aladdin's equipment bag and the walkie talkie that lay in the corner, the screen a bit cracked.
Genie looked around the hall made of passageways and lit with torches when he spotted something laying on the ground. Genie suspiciously walked towards it. He bent down to find...Carpet!
"Rug-man! Geez what happened to you? Well, don't worry-" Genie morphed into a heavy set beautician with dark blue eye shadow and lipstick poured over his lips and a New York accent.
"We'll have ya alllll fixed up in a jiffy!"
Before you could blink Carpet was patched up, back to normal and flying again.
"Glad to see ya' back to normal, Rug-man, but where's Al?"
Carpet put a tassel "hand" to his "head" and became frantic.
"Ok uh don't freak, what do you remember? Do you remember what happened to Al, or where he was taken?"
Carpet tried his best to imitate a monster by spreading his tassels and making them into claws. He then went up to the burned out torch and pointed to the green mucus that covered it.
"So, there was some kind of monster that has to do with that slimy green stuff?"
Carpet nodded to Genie and gave a thumbs up.
"Now, which passageway could Al possibly be in?"
A creature like roar came from one of them and then a rumbling made the entire place vibrate.
Carpet and Genie looked at each other and raced toward the suspected passageway.
"I'm guessing it's this one," Genie said as he pointed up the stair case.
****
The beast thumped its tail repeated and finally made it's move, it lunged after Aladdin.
Aladdin was too tired to move or do anything else, he was so close to being out of conciousness. He closed his eyes and looked away and waited for the pain of the monster's teeth and the darkness.
When he didn't feel anything he looked to see Genie pulling the monster's tail and Carpet soaring towards Aladdin.
"Hey Carpet, Genie fix you up," those were Aladdin's last words before he drifted into an unconcious state.
Genie had on an Austrailian outfit and a ten gallon hat, his accent had changed.
"Alright, mate, you're going down. Back home in the outback all you could do was wrestle crocs! Huh! I've seen bigga bloaks than you!" Genie lifted the creature up into the air and swung him around so many times that Genie's grip came loose of its tail and the monster flew through the roof! Leaving nothing but a dazzled roar and silouette of the monster.
"Ga' day mate!" Genie said as he tipped his hat and looked up at the ceiling. He looked over to Al and Carpet and rushed over to them immediately.
"Al! Man, that monster really tore you up!" Genie pulled some bandages and a bowl of cool water and a rag of his belt. He began to bandage all of Aladdin's wounds while Carpet wet the cloth and wiped Aladdin's forehead.
A few moments later Aladdin began stir, he slowly opened his eyes, they began to focus on two figures hovering above him.
"Carpet? Genie?" Aladdin sat up and looked at his arms and stomach bandaged tightly.
"AL! Little buddy you're okay!" Genie scooped up Aladdin and hugged him tightly.
"Genie...I...can't breathe...Hey, hey watch the bruises!"
"Sorry Al, I'm just so glad that you're okay. I didn't wanna lose ya buddy!"
"When did you get here? Did you leave Jas and the Sultan by themselves?"
"Al, one minute you were talking to me and everything was fine, the next I didn't hear or see anything. The Sultan said I should just come and find you and that Jas wouldn't get any better unless you were okay. He said he could handle everything and Al, truth be told you would have been a goner if we had hadn't shown up. Besides think about it, you'll have a little extra help with these riddles," Genie said putting a hand on his friends shoulder.
"Yeah, I guess you're right. Thanks, Genie,"
"No problem, Al! Ya' know this is just like another wild and crazy adventure...just like the good ol days!"
Chapter 15: The Next Adventure
"So, we defeated the monster, what next?" Genie asked glancing the room over."We have to find a silver case, the riddle said it was difficult to see," Aladdin said groaning a little from the slashes in his skin. "Genie, is Jas getting worse? Tell me the truth," Aladdin asked as he looked up into his friends eyes with a hint of sadness.
"She's had seizures and she's been sweating a lot, she sweat so much we had to change the sheets and-" but before Genie could finish his sentence he was interrupted by Aladdin's action.
Aladdin turned around and beat his fists against the wall with great force, causing a whole to appear in the wall.
"Why? Why? Why did this have to happen to us!? It's always us! Genie all I want is to spend my life with the woman I love more than anything and somehow we always end up in some kind of mess where something or somebody wants to tear us apart! I mean people like Mozenrath and Mirage can't take a hint that no matter what they do or how hard they try...Jasmine and I are *always* going to be together, we always find a way,"
"Al, I know this is hard, but Mozenrath, Abis, Mirage and other people are jealous of the relationship you and Jasmine have. They want it more than anything even though it doesn't show on their faces or actions. They're jeaslous of what you have, and they live their life in vain trying to destroy other's happiness, and they're just plain wacked in the head! Now, let's go find this silver case!" Genie said as he put a hand on Aladdin's shoulder.
"Thanks, Genie,"
"No, problem, Al,"
****
"Rahmed! Come see Agrabah!" Mirage said with the enthusiasm of a small child as she watched her crystal ball with great happiness in her eyes. "It's so vunerable, it's hero is away, the princess down and out and the Sultan too concerned for his daughter! This would be the perfect time to attack them! Don't you agree?"
"No! I mean uh not yet, I think we should wait a little longer,"
"Rahmed you wanted Agrabah to fall at its most vulnerable moment and this is it! What other opportunity are you possibly waiting for?"
'Say something Rahmed, she already believes that you love her. Say something! *Anything!*' he begged himself.
"I mean Aladdin, being the smart street rat he is, might expect us to attack sometime soon, why not play with his mind some more and make him wait? Make him really wonder, my love?"
"True, my previous attempts have been foiled before because I attacked to quickly and did not consider all of my weak points. Clever, Rahmed, very clever,"
"Yeah, but clever enough to get out of this mess?" he mumbled to himself.
"What Rahmed?"
"I said never huff at an enchanted neckless!"
Mirage gave Rahmed a peculiar look of confusion to his statement, shrugged and turned back to her crystal ball.
****
Aladdin, Genie and Carpet were already down the stairs and came to the main hallway with all the passageways carved in it.
"Which passageway should we choose?" Genie asked looking around.
"I don't think it's in any one of these. The riddle said that it was difficult to see. It gives no clues to any hallways or anything,"
"So where does that leaves us, Al? What is it buried or hidden or something?" Genie said sarcastically as he laid his back against a wall. Before he knew it the wall behind was sinking back slowly and he was back to back with the dusty floor.
"Could this mean something?" he asked referring to the walls movement. Above Genie was a floating shelf.
Aladdin stepped forward and looked at the shelf for a few moments, he then ran a hand over it, there was a quiet clang. Aladdin put both of his hands to the side of the shelf and began to lift something up, something invisible? No, it was the silver case. It finally came into view for everyone to see.
"Bingo!" Aladdin whispered. He carefully opened the small chest to find a red velvet interior cradling a vile containing a grainy substance and a piece of paper.
Carpet came towards Aladdin and looked over his shoulder. Genie poofed from his horizontal position next Aladdin to get a good look.
Aladdin removed the paper from its place while struggling a little to hold the case. Genie soon took care of that by taking it from Aladdin.
Aladdin opened the slip of paper and began to read aloud.
"This challenge complete, you move on to the next! It is here where some consider it amazingly wonderful while others think its horribly wet. Dark in most place and bright in others. Exotic noises among another. This animal negative and ferocious to strangers is guarding something that will put you in danger. Claws of steel, eyes of that change when it feels a certain way. Hurry you only have four days!
Sincerely,
Mirage."
"Alright! The next challenge! One ingridient down and four to go! Let's ride!" Genie said enthusiastically as he rolled up Carpet and placed him in one arm and picked up Aladdin in the other. Before you could say 'A Whole New World' the trio was out of the cave only to find that it was getting cold and dark.
Aladdin jumped down out of Genie's arms and began walking straight ahead...into a bush.
"Uh Al?" but before Genie could stop him his best friend went head on into the bush.
"Perfect, more scratches!"
"Al, I think we need to set up camp for the night. I know *you've* gotta be tired after your ordeal today," Genie said as he floated over to Aladdin and picked him up, wiping the leaves and dirt off of him.
"I'm fine, Genie, we have to-"
"Al, only Mirage knows what we're going to face tomorrow, you have to be well rested and ready for tomorrow. Let's take a break and set up camp for the night," Genie said as he turned into an eight year old boyscout. He made a tent appear with a campfire about five feet away and log benches around it and sticks with marshmallows wedge on them. He handed one to Aladdin.
"Ghost story time!"
Aladdin rolled his eyes and laughed a bit at his friend's attempt at humor.
Chapter 16: Painful Flashback
Back in Agrabah the Sultan lay next to his daughter."I can't lose you, dearest...not like I did your mother. It's too soon and its not your time," a single tear glided down the pain stricken man's face.
Jasmine didn't reply, she didn't wake up to convince him that everything would be fine and nothing bad would happen. She just layed there unmoving, a face that didn't have a contagious smile, no enthusiastic eyes, no heart warming laugh, just a fixed face.
The Sultan had not finished any of this documents that needed to be sent and reviewed, he spent all his time with his daughter. He ate with her and fed her tidbits of food, whatever she would take and some water.
"I'm reliving a nightmare," he whispered referring to his his late wife.
He remembered it all, all the pain all of the suffering, too much for him to bare.
****
Arianna coughed violently as she lay in the king size bed, her husband next to her with concerned eyes.
"My dear husband, I want you to promise me that you'll care and love our daughter with your utmost ability," she managed through a soft whisper.
"Arianna stop it! Stop talking like that. You're going to be fine. This hasn't beaten us before, it won't beat us now."
"Bobolonius, we have to stop pretending. You and I both know there is nothing the doctors can do, no matter how much we don't want to admit it. Jasmine needs you now, she needs you to guide her through these times and her life. Please-" Arianna's cough was getting the best of her.
Her breathing becoming very shallow and poor.
"Where is my wife? Where is that optomistic attitude that keeps everyone vibrant and alive?"
"She's ill and she's not getting any better. We need to stop fooling ourselves-"
"Mommy? It's time for you to read me my story," a faint little six year old voice called from the doorway.
"Jasmine, honey, come here. Mommy has to talk to you," Arianna called with an outstretched hand.
"Mommy, I didn't do it! It was an acci-"
"No, no, no sweetheart. You didn't do anything wrong," Arianna said sweetly as she picked up her daughter weakly and lifted her onto her lap.
"Jasmine, Mommy is very sick and she needs you to be a big girl for, Daddy, ok? I need you to be there and stay strong for Daddy. I want you to remember that I love you so much. You're going to grow into a beautiful, strong young lady."
Jasmine just sat looking at her mother, there was a long pause between the two.
"Mommy are you saying this because you're going to d-"
"Jasmine? Jasmine are you in here? Jasmine? Jasmine! You little scamp! I just cannot keep up with you! C'mon now, it's time for lunch," a female servant said brightly as she walked into the room and grabbed Jasmine's hand.
"No! I don't want to go! I want to stay with Mommy! Let go of me now! Let go!" Jasmine said as hse struggled against the woman's hold.
"The chef made your favorvite dish Jasmine-"
"No!"
"Jasmine, your mother and I have taught you better, behave," the Sultan shot Jasmine a glare, immediately telling the six year old that she had better behave.
"Yes, Daddy," and with that the female servant happily led the little girl away. But before she was out of sight she replied innocently, "I love you, Mommy,"
"I love you, too, sweetheart,"
"Don't leave us Arianna, don't leave your people...or me,"
"I love you, my darling. You can handle the city and our mischeivious daughter, you're a strong man and caring at that. But please be...open to...new...ideas. I will always...love...you...never forget..tha-" but before she was able to finish her sentence she fell limp. Strands of hair showered her face, her once ruby lips, now pale never to utter another kind word. It was now official, Agrabah's beloved queen was gone.
"Nooooo!" the distraught Sultan lay there crying next to his lost wife for hours.
****
It was all too clear in his mind, the vivid images, the reactions to the news.
"Why didn't I try to save her? There were other doctors! Other specialists! I could have saved you, Arianna! I can't let, Jasmine, the image of you disappear, I lost you once and I won't do it again!"
He remembered when he had to tell Jasmine that her beloved mother was dead. She was so heart broken. She didn't eat for days, it wasn't the least bit healthy for her. He remembered telling her that she had gone to live with Allah and that she would always be in her heart. But, Jasmine would always say that she wanted to go with her mother, she'd ask why she couldn't go. He remembered the faces of the people, coming to find their queen forever gone.
"It's happening all over again," the Sultan whispered, and he was right except this time Jasmine took Arianna's place.
"Please Aladdin, you and I have both suffered horrible losses, we can't weather another one,"
****
"Rahmed, I can't wait any longer! We attack Agrabah tomorrow evening,"
"No! Mirage I-"
"End of discussion, Rahmed! We have come so far, it is foolish to throw away the perfect opportunity when it is staring us right in the face! Come, help me to plan our attack. *Agrabah's greatest hero* will not be around to save his precious city, now will he? And if his precious city is gone, the princess will be, too, she's lying so helpless in the palace," Mirage said sarcastically and let out an evil cackle as Rahmed stood stunned, his thoughts swirling.
'I have to stop her! I got them into this mess, I'm going to get them out!"
Chapter 17: Roadtrip to the Rainforest!
Aladdin shifted under the sheets, he moaned lightly as he pulled them up over his shoulders. He turned to his left and opened his eyes slowly to see a picture of Jasmine, that Genie had left in Aladdin's tent. He groggily sat up and smiled at the photo. He picked it up and ran his fingers over it, reminiscing all the memories they shared together."You have no idea how much I miss you," he whispered.
Aladdin sat the the photo back in its original place and got up out of the mangled sheets.
He suddenly heard rattles and clangs outside of his tent. He stretched and walked toward the tent doors and pulled a flap away to see what was going on.
It was Genie in a chefs hat with a mustache curled at the ends. When he saw his best friend he immediately began with his silly, but funny, antics.
"Bonjour monsieur! Welcome to Le Genie's Kit-zee-en! I am your waiter and chef, Chef Genie," Genie said as he poofed Aladdin to a table equipt with a gorgeous flower centerpiece and a pearl white tablecloth.
"Nothing big, Genie. We have to get going soon to find the next ingridient. What time is it?" Aladdin asked with a yawn and running his hands through his hair.
"Past noon," said Genie poofing up a series of food on the table.
"Past noon?! Genie why didn't you wake me up earlier,"
"I was going to, Al. You just looked so peaceful didn't have the heart to disturb you," Genie siad compassionately as he morphed into a '50s mom, "You need all the sleep you can get, Mister,"
he said as he leaned over and pinched Aladdin's cheeks.
He pushed Genie's hands away from his face and replied some what annoyed, "Never mind breakfast, where's Carpet? We need to get going,"
"Aww and I slaved over a hot oven all morning! You think its easy being a mother of two? All the laundry and the shopping, oh, and don't forget the soccer games. Mom's cannot do everything I mean-" Genie stopped and saw the glare Aladdin had on his face. He gave a nervous laugh and called Carpet.
"Rugman let's move!"
Carpet appeared out of a group of trees and stood tall as if he were an amazing super hero indicating he was ready.
The trio were on the move once again in search of the next ingridient.
"This challenge complete, you move on the next! It is here where some consider it amazingly wonderful, while others consider it horribly wet. Dark in most places and bright in others. Exotic noises among another. This animal negative and ferocious to strangers is guarding something that will put you in danger. Claws of steel and eyes that change when it feels a certain way. Hurry you only have four days!.." Genie read the letter to refresh their minds.
"Hmm, dark in most places...beautiful, but wet...I got it! It's the rainforest! I remember the time when we visited a rainforest and Iago hated the water, but Jas thought it was beautiful,"
"Yeah! But which rainforest are we talkin' about, Al? I mean there's thousands of rainforests out there!"
"Well, what animal has claws of steel and eyes that change? Maybe we could go from there and find where it originates,"
"Well, alright mate! Let's look in the big book of wierd anamilians!" Genie shouted as he turned into Steve Irwin, searching through pages and pages of animals...paranormal animals that is. "Ah-ha! Bingo mate! Its the Tigro-milian croc!"
"Huh?"
"It's a cross between a Siberian tiger, a cameleon, and a giant croc. It originates in the Bongolia Rainforest," and faster than a snap of your fingers Genie transformed into a global radar map. A glowing green dot appeared on the continent of Asia.
"We're not that far, Al. We should be there in two hours or so," Genie suddenly morphed into a jet, he geared up his engine and flames came bursting out with great force. Over dunes and through canyons, Carpet and Aladdin struggled to stay steady. Within a few minutes of the ride it was Genie had read Aladdin's mind, Genie said over the intercom, "Barf bags are on your right, thank you and enjoy your flight on Genie-us Enterprises!"
As Genie had promised they had arrived within two hours. The landing had not gone as smoothly as planned, Genie's wing had hit a humongus tree and he went swirling out of control. He did a nose dive right into the algae covered pond. There was a giant wave that swept the plants and ground of the rainforest.
Beneath the water Aladdin, still in the unconcious Genie jet, was banging against the door with a passenger seat.
"Come on, Genie! Wake up!" after many attempts to break down the door it finally gave way. Aladdin grabbed Carpet and made his way through the door, the water rushed in with remarkable force and Aladdin took in a deep breath of air. He tied Carpet around his waist and swam around to the front of Genie to try to wake him up. Aladdin pushed and shoved but no avail, the only thing that happened was that Genie turned back into his normal self. Aladdin put his arms around Genie's waste and swam to the surface, his breath was slowly running out. The still surface of the water was shattered as a breathless Aladdin and an unconcious Genie made their way to land.
"Genie? Genie! Wake up! Come on!" Aladdin shook Genie over and over again...nothing.
Aladdin, halfway in the water, went into Genie's belt and looked for his lamp. On the first try he found a rubber chicken, the second time he found glasses with the eyeballs that sprung out, but finally on the third try the lamp appeared. Aladdin tiredly pulled himself out of the water and rubbed the lamp. A thick puff of blue smoke surrounded Genie and he was whisked away inside his lamp.
"I...guess...I'm on my own," Aladdin said as he tried to stand up, but he stopped and grabbed the side of his leg, "Great! How many more bruises can a guy get?" Aladdin stood up nonetheless and staggered through the bushes, and thorns, and scraggly tree branches. He listened to every sound and watched for quicksand. The birds squawked and sang, snakes hid in their little holes and some rattled with fierce anger. Then out of nowhere all the exotic sounds stopped. All of the annoying ones and the beautiful ones...they just stopped. Aladdin looked around bewildered and kept walking, trying to figure out what was going on, until he found himself falling down a steep hill into a lush area of flowers.
He looked up and sighed, just his luck it was starting to rain, although it did feel good across his skin. Aladdin dragged through the mud, feeling he was being watched. The silence was eerie, he heard the heavy breath of something in nearby bushes. Aladdin made eye contact with the creature, whatever it was its eyes glowed a heart piercing red and within a few awkward moments of staring it slowly drifted back into the shadows of the bushes.
As if in a trance, Aladdin followed the animal into the darkness, his eyes staring straight ahead, searching for the animal.
Their eyes met again, Aladdin found the creature sitting in a sloping pit shrouded in shrubs, growling and flashing it's teeth, it let out a paw, a paw with sharp claws wedged in it. It sat there, unmoving, it plowed all claws through the dirt, as if it were a small bored child.
Aladdin uneasily took a step forward, trying to determine if *this* was the creature.
The animal let out a shrill frantic cry and lunged toward Aladdin, claws emerged, teeth with strings of drool sliding to the ground.
Aladdin jumped back into a tree, his breathing became shallow and he whispered to himself discretely, " Uh-oh! You know Genie this would be the perfect time for you to snap out of it,"
Chapter 18: Roadtrip to the Rainforest II!
The creature was so close that Aladdin could smell its rancid breath. Aladdin shifted his eyes trying to see if there was something available to distract or knock the creature out with. Nothing, but a twig on the ground and a vine swinging about two or three inches from his face, he looked up and saw an available branch.Aladdin quickly grabbed the vine and wrapped it tightly around the beast's mouth, like a muzzle and thrust upwards toward the branch. He crouched down on his hands and knees seeing the animal resist against the vines.
Aladdin took a breath of relief, and felt something wriggle around his waist, of course! Carpet! Aladdin untied his magical friend and quickly filled him in on the details.
"Now only if we could get Genie to wake up." Aladdin said as he pulled out the lamp, rubbing it to no avail, putting the lamp back to the side of his belt.
The tree shook with great force almost causing Aladdin to fall out of the tree. The Tigro-milian croc was pushing it's weight agianst the old tree, the vines about to give way.
Out of nowhere, Aladdin jumped out of the tree onto the tigro-milian's back, angering it more, finally after numerous attempts the vines snapped and Aladdin and the animal were left to wrestle.
Carpet whooshed down throught the trees hoping to help his friend, when he understood that Aladdin was now distracter.
Carpet quickly zoomed into the dark cave looking for the ingridient, but what was there to look for? The clue said the tigro-milian was guarding something that would put you in danger, but what could it be?
Outside, Aladdin and the tigro-milian were heated up in battle, both determined to beat the opposing side.
The beast had Aladdin pinned down, trying to cut his throat with it's claws, but Aladdin was using all of his strength to push against the tigro-milian's, sweat beads gliding down his face.
"Look, I've come too far to let some alien animal beat me now. We can do this the easy way or the hard way,"
It growled furiociously not budging one inch, breathing heavily on Aladdin.
"Alright then, have it your way!" Aladdin lifted his legs to flip the tigro-milian off of him and grabbed a convient sharp spear like stick.
The animal shook off it's dizziness and lunged toward Aladdin again, anger filled in its eyes.
Aladdin stood firm and when the time was right he struck the tigro-milian hard against the head with the sharp end of the stick. It tried to get up again, but it swayed to the side and collapsed, bleeding.
Aladdin let out a short sigh and went into the cave after Carpet.
Carpet was well deep inside the cave and he had looked from top to bottom, but found nothing. Nothing but medium sized blue and pink clashed flowers that sparkled a yellow grainy dust.
Carpet looked the place over once more when he heard Aladdin calling him.
"Carpet did you find anything yet?" Aladdin called as he came around the bend of the cave.
Carpet simply shrugged his "shoulders" and pointed towards the sparkling flowers.
Aladdin bent down to examine the flowers when he began to cough violently. He got this sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach and his breathing became uneven. Aladdin backed away slowly and all of the symptoms went away. Suspicious, he bent down again and the symptoms rushed back into his body.
The lamp sitting by Aladdin's side began to wriggle and move wildly and out popped a drunken looking Genie.
"But, Mommy I don't wanna go to school I want to stay here and bake cookies with you and then stowy time and then nap time!"
Carpet rushed over to Genie trying to snap him out of his stage by whirling around him in circles and snapping his "fingers".
Finally Genie was back to his normal self...if you could call him normal...he rubbed the top of his head softly. A lump appeared on top of his head, like the ones you see in the Looney Toons cartoons.
"Geez, I feel like I went twelve rounds with a ten ton hippo!" Carpet tried transfering Genie's attention over to Aladdin who was coughing and feeling sick again.
"Al, little buddy, you okay? Sorry I was out cold for a while I just-AL! Get away from those!"
Genie jerked Aladdin up and pulled him far away from the flowers, but Aladdin resisted Genie's hold. "Al, you gotta stay away from those flowers! Those are Bagungia flowers, they are very harmful to mortals, in fact they're downright deadly dangerous! Whew try sayin' that five times fast! They fill your lungs up with toxic dust, give you a nagging cough, a permanent one if eaten and send your body into convulsions."
"Genie, those were Jasmine's symptoms when she got sick! Mirage must have injected her with the Bagungia flowers. This is our ingridient, "something that will put you in danger"!"
"I think you're right, Al! You little genius you! But uh let me handle these puppies, don't want you to get sick, that's the last thing we need right now," Genie scooped up dozens of the Bagungia flowers, put them in a paper bag and handed them over to Aladdin.
"Now, honey, your lunch is packed and ready to go. You have a good day at school and no rough housing," Genie said as he morphed into a mom with a big curly hair do and diva glasses and a polka dot dress with matching shoes.
On they way out the group was met, once again, by the infamous tigro-milian.
"Down boy! Down, Fido! Here, boy, here's a snack!" Genie took a few flowers out of the paper bag and threw them deep in the forest, luring the creature away from them.
As soon as the tigro-milian was out of sight another clue appeared in front of them.
"Majestic and proud this stands tall, holding the third ingridient, the most important of all! At the peak it sits, but a shocking surprise could lead to your desperate demise
Sincerely,
Mirage".
****
Short screeches of a cat rang throughout Morbia causing Mirage and Rahmed to stop in their tracks.
"Nooo! He found the third ingridient already?! It's official we have to get moving!"
"Uh Mirage what is the fourth clue?" Rahmed asked his eyes lighting up.
Mirage, swiped the air gently and there appeared the fourth clue in her hands, she passed to Rahmed curiously.
"Why do you want it?"
"There's going to be a delay in plans."
"Oh, Rahmed I have taught you well! Go, and take one of my fire cats with you."
****
With the next clue in their hands Aladdin, Genie and Carpet were set off to find the next ingridient.
"Genie, before we're fully out of the forest, let's stop for some water first. There's a stream down there by those bushes,"
"Aye Aye, Al!"
Aladdin washed his face and arms, trying to soothe his bruises, while Carpet basked in the sunlight trying to remove whatever water that was left in his stitches and Genie was playing battle ship like he was in a bath tub with yachts and sail boats and a few buckets surrounding him.
"General you are going down with your ship...Pheeeeeeww! BANG!"
All of their tasks were interupted by a fiery flash of light...there sat Rahmed upon one of Mirage's fire cats, floating in mid-air.
"You!"
"Aladdin, wait I'm here for a good reason-"
"What you want to torture me, too? You've already succeeded,"
The fire cat out of instinct jumped towards Aladdin, but before it could do any harm, Rahmed jumped off and took one of Genie's bucket's, filled it with water and splashed it on the cat, sending it to a watery grave.
"Okay so aside from the fact that I just saved your life, do you believe that I'm here to help you now?"
"Why all of a sudden do you want to help me now?"
"Because I-Mirage is going to destroy Agrabah! She said that when you arrive back with all the ingridients everything you know and love will be gone, especially Jasmine, she's trying to rip you off! I'm telling you the truth!"
"Likely story! If I had a dinari everytime I heard a desperate evil pull that one-" Genie said as he turned into a cop, shining a light on Rahmed.
"I know I put you into this mess, I want to get you out," Rahmed said pleadingly.
"When...does...she plan to attack?" Aladdin said hesitantly. 'I don't know if I should trust him or not, but then again Jas' life is at stake here. I can't take that chance.' he thought to himself
"In a few hours, we'll have to split up into teams. Somebody has to go Agrabah to stop Mirage and the others to look for the next ingridient."
"He's right, Al."
"Okay, okay. I'm staying here and searching for the next ingridient and that means Carpet has to stay with me,"
"Okay then me and the ex-little evil will go to Agrabah and kick some kitty butt!"
"Uh-how about I go with Aladdin, after all two is better than one, right?"
"You tricked her and you're afraid that if you go back there and stop her, she's going to kill you,"
"Exactly."
"Okay, then that means that I walk alone along the cold path through the unforgiving world, I walk alone, I walk alone, I walk alone," Genie said imitating a young poet in a coffee shop, with black sunglasses and a black beret. He looked down at Aladdin, Rahmed and Carpet and quickly added, ", what too dramatic?"
Chapter 19: Surprises
The group split up and went their separate ways, Genie went along to stop Mirage from destroying Agrabah (...yet again!) and Aladdin, Rahmed and Carpet went to search for the next ingridient."So, uh two down three to go, huh?" Rahmed laughed nervously, trying to make conversation.
" Don't even try to get on my good side now. What happened to "...my kingdom...my life comes before friendship"?"
"That was before! Now, I'm trying to help you. I had remorse, ok?"
"Look, I appreciate that fact that you want to help me now, but you're the reason why my world is crashing down! So, if you don't mind I'd rather get to the next ingridient and move on to the next, without trying to make a new "friend"."
'Well won't this be fun?' Rahmed thought to himself silently.
****
Mirage had already made her way to the city gates, her fire cats fierce and ready to destroy.
"Agrabah will finally meet it's demise! I finally win!" Mirage cried with glee. "Attack my minions! Attack!"
The fire cats pranced around homes and set them aflame as well as fruit, clothing, jewelry stands, causing a frenzy of screaming people.
Jasmine was sleeping peacefully for the first time since these symptoms had plagued her, which was a relief to her father.
He went in to check on her every hour to see if anything was wrong. As he walked in and over to her bed, he took her hand and patted it gently.
"It's only a matter of time, dearest. You'll be better soon." his thoughts were interuppted by some commotion outside.
As the ruler reached the balcony he could see his kingdom in flames! People running about screaming and protecting their children from falling banisters and rubble.
"Rasoul! Get the guards together guards together! Mirage is attacking the city!"
Mirage cackled with delight, finally her attempt to destroy Agrabah had been fullfilled.
"Hmmmm and who said dreams don't come true?"
As she looked the burning city over she was tapped on the shoulder, she turned around to find a blue fire man holding a fire hose that was dripping slightly and what looked to be a nerdy blue lawyer with glasses and a suitcase.
"Excuse me, ma'am. My name is Ernest J. Finkleton. I'm with the 'My city is burning!' Insurance Company. Are you the owner of this city?" the lawyer asked pushing his glasses back up onto his nose.
"What? Well I-"
"Yes? Ok then sign here and here and here and here. Duke here will have your city fixed up in no time!" the lawyer gestured towards the fireman. Duke proceeded to turn on the water causing a medium blast.
"What? No!"
"Not good enough? Alright then we'll turn it on full blast! The bigger the better."
"Wait a minute!" Mirage clawed and sliced through the lawyer and fireman. "Genie! I should have known...How did you know I was going to burn Agrabah to a crisp anyway?"
Genie morphed into a blue jay and fluttered around Mirage. "A little birdy told me!"
"Rahmed! He will pay gladly for his betrayel to me! But right now I'll finish you and Agrabah off once and for all!"
****
"What's the clue say?" Rahmed asked, being cautious of Aladdin.
"Majestic and proud this stands tall, holding the third ingridient the most important of all. At the peak it sits, but a shocking surprise could lead to your desperate demise."
"Well that's easy! It's talking about a mountain! Let's go!"
"Go? Go where? We don't know what mountain it's talking about! It's too vague."
"Oh, yeah you're right. And we certainly can't check every mountain we see, that's a waste of time."
The two men, sat in mid air pondering what the clue could mean. Suddenly Aladdin's mischievious grin passed over his face.
"It's too vague..."
"Yeah, we know that much...sooo-"
"So, we can't do anything! It's too vague, there's nothing to do. No hints, no details, that's the shocking surprise."
"Yeah but what about the desperate demise and the most important ingridient part?"
"If we had gone to look for this place, we would have wasted time, that's the desperate demise. The most important ingridient was meant to trick us."
"Wow, you street rats are smart."
"Don't push it."
"Right."
****
"All right, it's just you and me, Tex!" Genie said, his attire was that of a cowboy's, with the cliche tumbleweed rolling across the street. "Draw!" Genie pulled out his guns and pointed them at Mirage.
Mirage snapped her fingers and then came six fire cats, a viscious grin on each face and all closing in on Genie.
"Ok then, you wanna play dirty. I can play dirty! You know what they say fight fire with water!"
Genie morphed into a large yellow fire hydrant that exploded with water, shrinking the cats to steam. "Is that all you got, kitty?"
"Not even close, that was just to distract you...from this!"
A series of green claw marks raced through the air to Genie, slicing him like homemade bread!
"You are one bad kitty!"
"Hahaha, I know."
****
In front of both men came up the next clue.
"Good job you passed the third clue. But then again I guess it's what I expected of you. This next journey will require your ultimate strength and intellect length by length. With the name of a female Arabian queen who always wanted everything spotlessly clean its explosive and hot, destructive and bold. It centers an extravagant beauty and a foe. Slip (and for me) it will be the ultimate show! Where Jasmine's fate lies now know one knows.
Sincerely,
Mirage'
As Aladdin read the last sentence it struck him hard. The way it was worded scared him...what if-
"Aladdin? Come on let's get to it. You get this and the last ingridient you're done! It's over."
'Somehow that's what worries me.' Aladdin thought.
Chapter 20: Almost Over
"Good job you passed the third clue, but then again it's what I expected of you. This next journey will require your ultimate strength and intellect length by length. With the name of an Arabian queen who always wanted everything spotlessly clean, its (attitude) explosive and hot, destructive and bold. It center an extravagant beauty and a foe. Slip (and for me) it will be the ultimate show! Where Jasmine's fate lies now no one knows!Sincerly
Mirage"
Rahmed read the clue again trying to remember every Arabian queen he knew who fit the description, while Aladdin sat staring sadly out over the horizon.
"Aladdin, what are you doing? Help me figure out this clue!"
"Rahmed," Aladdin sighed, "even after we get all of these ingridients do you actually think Mirage is going to come up to us and say "Congratulations! You win', leave and everything will be okay? There's a catch to all of this. I just wish Jasmine didn't have to suffer through this."
"And you won't have to worry about Jasmine anymore if you get through this grocery shopping and beat Mirage once and for all. From what I have heard and seen these past few days, you don't give up easily, Aladdin-"
"I don't."
"So why are you planning to now, when you're just a few steps away from holding Jasmine in your arms again, seeing her smile, hearing her laughter? Having everything back to the way it was?"
Aladdin glanced over to Rahmed and then looked down to the clue in his hand and sighed.
"Volcano,"
"What?"
"The answer is a volcano. We jusf have to figure out the name of it."
Rahmed gave Aladdin a pat on the back.
"I know it hurts, but we all have to face painstaking obstacles,''
*****
It took awhile but Genie was able to pull himself together...LITERALLY!
Mirage had taken a few moments to laugh at him, but soon became bored and left to cause more pain and torment.
"Heeerrre kitty kitty kitty. Heeerrre kitty kitty kitty. I got some nice fresh tuna...its beef n' liver flavored. Savory taste in every bite!" Genie said dressed as a retro infomercial mom looking for Mirage. Though still aflame the city was a ghost town.
"Mirage come out and plaaaayeee-aaaa!", Genie called out now morphed into a small child with a beanie,yellow and red striped shirt, and black high waters.
When suddenly everything went pitch black.
SORRY THE CHAPTER IS SO SHORT IT ISN'T FINISHED YET DUE TO COMPUTER ISSUES...AND ME BEING LAZY!!! :p