Chapter One

The lamp had been destroyed and along with it, the horrible genie who
lived in it for a very short time. Yesterday seemed like it was ages ago,
the nightmare of years past. The sun rose that morning just as it had
every day since the dawning of time, but this day was the beginning of the
adventures they would live together for the following few years. Little
did any of them know what would lay ahead, but this much was for sure:
They would face anything together, for it is only together that friends
triumph over evil. Separate, they are just as good as a lost ship at sea.

Aladdin was the first to awaken that fine day. He looked around at his
surroundings, not quite sure what to make of them. Not so long ago, Sultan
had announced his plans to make Aladdin the new royal vizier, but Aladdin
kindly declined the offer. The young man had other ambitions he wanted in
life before settling down. So much had happened in such a short period of
time. Just days ago, he was living all alone on the streets with only one
friend in the world, Abu. Now, here he was, dating the princess and had a
genie for a best friend. Life certainly had its way of surprising people;
that was for sure.

The elegant palace room was almost too much for Aladdin to handle. He
swallowed hard and nervously as he stood up from the bed, and turning
toward the balcony, he looked outside over the city. The view was very
different now, and he could only imagine what it would be like in the
future when he would be Sultan. Aladdin placed his clammy hands on the
railing of the balcony and leaned slightly forward, taking in the
wonderful view before him. The streets were just beginning to fill with
people as they awakened that day, and he could hear the faint cries of the
merchants selling their goods.

Despite his captivation with the scene before him, Aladdin sighed and
turned away, remembering that there were new matters to attend to. He
smiled as he recalled how beautiful Jasmine's smile looked first thing in
the morning, and so, keeping that thought in mind, he quickly dressed and
exited his room. He didn't want to be late for breakfast, after all. His
princess would be there, and that made living in a strange, new place all
the worthwhile.

Once Aladdin reached the dining hall, he slowly, almost cautiously,
pushed the door open. The doorknob clicked suddenly, sending a rather loud
echo through the walls on either side of the entrance. He peeked into the
room and found it empty and dark, so he figured it would be best to simply
wait for the others. After a few minutes, Genie came bouncing into the
room with Abu perched on his right shoulder. Carpet was right behind them.

"Good morning, Al, little buddy!" Genie cheerfully exclaimed. "How are
ya doin' today?"

Aladdin smiled at his energetic friend and chuckled, "I'm good, Genie.
How are you?"

"I'm no other way than great!" the big, blue lug mused. "I wonder what
we're a-havin' for breakfast. You know, Al, breakfast is the most
important meal of the day."

"Thanks, Genie," Aladdin replied, still thinking about his princess.

Just at that moment, Jasmine strolled into the room, followed shortly
by her father. Sultan joyously greeted everyone at the table and took his
seat at the head of the table. The meal began without any hesitation, but
about halfway through breakfast, Jasmine noticed that someone was missing.
She glanced over at Aladdin and gave him a strange look.

"What?" Aladdin asked dumbfoundedly. "Do I have something on my shirt?"

"No," Jasmine whispered. "Isn't someone missing? You know, a little
someone."

"Oh, you're right," Aladdin responded. "Uh, I'll go see what's holding
him up."

Aladdin excused himself as he stood up, and he left the dining hall and
proceeded to the room where a certain someone was staying. Aladdin came to
the door and stopped, unsure of what to do next. He felt almost like he
was intruding, but he knew that since everyone else was awake, it was time
for this little guy to be awake as well. Aladdin cleared his throat and
knocked lightly on the door, but there was no answer.

"Darn it," Aladdin muttered. "Don't tell me he's a heavy sleeper."

Aladdin knocked again, only a little harder this time. When there was
still no answer, Aladdin opened the door and began going in. When he
arrived at the bed, he could see the little bird sleeping soundly on a
pillow. He looked like he's really out of it, thought Aladdin.
Maybe I should just let him sleep.

Aladdin thought it would be best to just leave his new friend alone,
but he also knew that he was supposed to be keeping an eye on him. Aladdin
sighed heavily and gently tapped him on the bird's beak. In a quick
moment, his eyes jolted open, and he screamed, "Do you mind?! I was in the
middle of a dream!"

"Oh, sorry," Aladdin apologized. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"Well, it's too late for that now, isn't it?" the bird shot back.

"Iago," Aladdin sighed, "what's wrong? Why are you acting so cranky?"

"Hello, earth to Aladdin!" Iago yelled. "In case ya didn't know, this
is HOW AND WHO I AM! You'd best just get used to it!"

"Iago, don't yell at me. Please, spare me your short temper today.
Look, I know you've had it rough these last few days, but you've gotta get
over it. Jafar's gone now, okay?"

"Um, duh, I know that. I'm the guy who destroyed him, remember?"

"I can't take this attitude of yours," Aladdin said, trying to control
his own temper. "I thought you were gonna be one of the good guys."

"But I am!" Iago protested. "What more do you expect out of me? I got
rid of that stinkin' Jafar once and for all. Isn't that good enough for
you goody-two shoes? Or am I not yet qualified to wear the Badge of
Honor?"

"What?" Aladdin asked, puzzled at Iago's sarcasm and rudeness. "Of
course you've proven yourself able to do good, but come on, there are a
lot more trials ahead. You can't just act like doing one good deed is
going to make you a straight up good guy."

"Funny," Iago muttered. "You used to be a thief, and you're trying to
tell me how to live my life?"

"I'm not proud of the fact that I used to steal. My life wasn't easy."

"What makes you think mine was? Aladdin, you really don't know me very
well. You don't know what I've been through, so why don't you just give it
up?"

"Is there something you want to talk about?" Aladdin asked, hoping to
calm the parrot down.

"The only thing I wanna know," squawked Iago, "is what you're doing in
here. Well?"

"I just came here to tell you that it's breakfast time."

"Oh, breakfast!" Iago exclaimed, finally sounding a little pleased.
"I'm starving!"

Iago stood up from the pillow and stretched. His brightly colored red
and blue wings spread, and he took off in flight toward the door. Aladdin
quickly moved out of the way to avoid being smashed in the face by the
hungry bird. Well, at least he seems happier now, thought Aladdin,
shaking his head in dismay.

Aladdin came to the breakfast table moments later to find Iago eating
from a pile of fruit that was on the table. His manners certainly left
something to be desired. Jasmine wondered if Iago was ever going to stop
eating like he was dying of starvation. She never really had eaten with
the bird before, for when Iago was with Jafar all the time, they ate alone
most of the time.

"Hey, Birdman!" Genie exclaimed. "Are you gonna leave a little for the
rest of us?"

"Huh?" Iago asked dumbly. "What? You didn't get enough? You were here
already, so that means that what's leftover is mine."

"No!" Abu squeaked, coming toward Iago and grabbing an apple away from
him. "Mine."

"You didn't just take that apple from me, did you, Monkey?" Iago
questioned with growing anger in his voice. "That's my apple! Give it
back!"

Abu stuck his tongue out, making a raspberry sound and ran away from
the bird. Iago started to chase after Abu, but Jasmine placed her hand in
the way to prevent Iago from going any further.

"Ahem," she said. "I think you've had enough food for one meal."

Iago looked at the princess and was about to protest, but when he
noticed that everyone was giving him disapproving looks, he didn't say
anything. He sighed in annoyance and flew away from the table.

"That could have gone better," Aladdin sighed. "I'm sorry, guys..."

"It's not your fault, Aladdin," Jasmine softly replied. "It would seem
that Iago has a lot to learn about table manners."

"Heh, among other things," the sultan added. "That bird is causing more
trouble than it's worth keeping him around."

"Oh, Sultan," Aladdin replied. "I know he didn't mean it like that. I
told you I would look out for him, and well, I guess I just got to do a
better job."

"I don't think you're doing anything wrong, my boy," Sultan explained.
"You've been doing a fine job. It's that bird who needs to learn a few
things."

Genie looked at the humans sadly and shrugged his shoulders. He didn't
know what to say, so he just disappeared into his lamp. Aladdin stood up
from the table and excused himself. When he was in the hallway, he could
hear footsteps behind him. Turning around, he noticed Jasmine right there.

"You're a great person, Aladdin, and even though I haven't known you
that long or very well, I know that you are a good person inside, despite
what you went through in your past. It's hard for me to accept, and it's
just as hard for me to admit, but I think that same thing is true about
Iago. Somewhere inside that little bird is a good bird, but I think he's
hiding a lot of things, Aladdin."

"You're right, Jasmine, and I'm not about to give up on him. I know he
is good, and we've seen just a glimpse of his ability to do good. I wonder
what else he's hiding."

"Just remember, Aladdin, there is good in him, but because of his past
with Jafar, there's also a lot of bad in him, a lot of things that confuse
him."

Aladdin tried to smile, and the smile finally broke loose on his face.
Jasmine took his hand, and together, they walked down the hallway and out
into the menagerie. The gardens were splendid and gorgeous. The lush
plants that grew there were such a contrast to the dry, arid sands of the
desert that surrounded them. They took a seat near the fountain and looked
at the sky, which was a bright blue. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, and
the sun shone brightly as ever.

To their surprise, they noticed a movement within the flowers nearby.
Curious, Jasmine went to the flower bed and pushed the roses aside to find
Iago hiding there.

"Iago?" she asked.

"Um, hi, Princess," he replied, trying to act innocent.

"What are you doing?"

"Just thinking."

"Oh? About what?"

"Things."

"Um, okay...Do you want to come out of there?"

"I guess so."

Iago came out of the flower bed and stood in front of Jasmine, not
wanting to look her in the eyes. Suddenly, she felt bad for him, so she
picked him up gently and brought him over to where Aladdin was sitting.
Iago didn't say anything, which was a strange contrast to the way he had
been acting earlier. He was quiet, almost too quiet.

"What are you thinking about, Iago?" Aladdin pressed.

"I"”I was just, um, thinking about...it's nothing."

"I have a feeling that's not true," Jasmine replied. "Don't be keeping
secrets."

The parrot sighed long and hard. "Fine," he muttered. "I was just
thinking how pretty it is out here. You know, I never got to sit outside
in the menagerie before. I know I've lived in the palace for a while now,
but now everything looks and feels different...strange almost. I don't know
why."

"I think," Jasmine smiled, "it's because you're seeing the world
through a new set of eyes."

That last statement confused Iago, causing a look of being puzzled to
appear on his face.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I mean, a lot has changed for you in the past couple of days. The
gardens have always been here and have brought forth lovely flowers for
years; you just didn't notice."

"Uh, yeah...okay, Princess, don't be waxing poetic on me here. I know a
lot of stuff has happened; I'm not stupid, ya know."

Jasmine felt caught off-guard and completely unprepared for a reaction
like that. A part of her wanted to reprimand Iago for being so blunt and
rude, but it would have been against her better judgment. Aladdin stepped
in instead.

"No one is saying you're stupid, Iago," he tried calmly to explain.
"It's okay to be confused, but you'll see that you'll feel better in
time."

"Look, I don't need your psycho-analysis of how I'm supposed to be
feeling. If you had gone through what I have, then maybe, just maybe, that
would give you the right to judge me."

"What?!" Aladdin exclaimed in anger, standing up. "Iago, you're not the
only one who's had it rough. If you think for one moment that I should
feel sorry for you, you're wrong."

Iago didn't know how to react. Before anyone could say anything,
Aladdin firmly grapped Jasmine's hand and stated, "Come on, Jasmine, we're
leaving."

Together, Aladdin and Jasmine walked quickly out of the garden, leaving
Iago all by his lonesome self. He was seated on the ledge that overlooked
the fountain, and as he peered over the edge and into the water, he could
see his reflection. The water wasn't still, though, so his image in the
water appeared distorted, almost unrecognizable, much the way he felt at
that moment about himself. He felt like he didn't even know who he was
anymore, and who he was trying to be to his new friends wasn't what they
were seeing him as. This frustrated Iago all the more. He did want to be
accepted, but he certainly didn't feel that way. Even he knew that things
don't change that quickly in life.

Many memories played through his mind just then, ones involving his
time with Jafar. At first, he feared the wizard and wanted nothing to do
with him, but in time, however, Jafar had brainwashed him into thinking
that life was simply about doing what was best for oneself, even if that
meant hurting people. Jafar was a horrible curse of a man, and Iago was
ashamed for having ever associated with him. Another part of him wondered
if he should associate with Aladdin and the others, though. Iago knew he
wasn't a good guy, not exactly. He knew that a big part of him had only
destroyed Jafar, because Iago himself was afraid of Jafar hurting him
again. Those types of motives were reflective of the ones Iago had always
been used to portraying in his life...meaning, what was in it for him? How
would he benefit from this?

Iago had had enough of Jafar having control of his life, so he wanted
out, but only for himself. He didn't think he would have to care or worry
about anyone else, but then something happened...Aladdin showed Iago that
he did care about him, even though Iago probably didn't deserve it. Iago
was still confused by this. Why would Aladdin befriend someone like Iago,
someone whose intentions were obviously slanted away from goodness and
toward evil? Iago didn't understand that there were people who just did
what was right for the sake that it was the right thing to do.

Because Iago felt this confusion, he approached Aladdin and the others
with apprehension, not quite sure how he was supposed to act around them,
for he had never really entrusted his true feelings to anyone in life.
Feelings were a weakness that led to one's downfall, according to Jafar,
so Iago was basically forced to hide them and act as if he didn't care
about anything or anyone...not even himself, really. There was a really
strong feeling of fear inside the bird, not because of his past, but more
because of his future. He didn't know how to face the others. They, he
knew, were different than he was.

If only I could tell them how I really feel, Iago thought.
Would they understand? Can I really trust them? No, I can't...I can't
even trust myself to say things in a way that they would understand. What
could they possibly know about being evil, about how it hurts to know that
I was pulled into that way of thinking? No, I won't...I won't trust...I
can't...and I don't want to.

He stopped thinking for a brief moment and glared at his reflection in
the water. Taking his left wing, he angrily slapped the water, causing it
to distort his image even more. Likewise, the more angry he became, the
more he was confused and the more he didn't know who he really was. Iago's
own anger and confusion caused a vicious cycle to turn in his mind, one
that prevented him from seeing any hope in himself, and for that very
reason, he started to cry bitter, frustrated tears.

Back in the palace, Aladdin and Jasmine were sitting in her bed
chambers, discussing some of the matters that were bothering them. Aladdin
looked especially uneasy, for he didn't want Jasmine to take offense to
anything he was suggesting.

"I'm just saying, Jasmine, that I think it would be better this way,"
Aladdin explained.

"I know, I know, Aladdin," she replied, sounding a bit annoyed and
disappointed. "It's not that you shouldn't have the right to choose where
you want to live, but I was just hoping that you would want to stay in the
palace."

"Hoping?" Aladdin muttered. "Oh, Jasmine, it's not that I don't
appreciate everything you and your father have done for me and the others;
it's just that I don't feel ready to live here yet. I think the guys would
be fine with living back at my hovel. I already mentioned something to
Genie about it, and he didn't seem to have a problem with it. Abu is used
to it already, and well, Carpet shouldn't be a problem either."

"Well, what about Iago? Aladdin, I'm not so sure he's going to take
kindly to living in the hovel with you guys."

"Hmph, Iago," Aladdin mumbled, thinking about how rash the parrot had
been acting that day. "I don't care if he approves or not; it's not up to
him to decide. He should count himself lucky to be alive."

"Well, it's your call, Aladdin. Just think about it before you decide
to do anything too sudden."

"I will," Aladdin reassured his princess, taking her hands and
squeezing them gently and lovingly. "I'll see you later."

Aladdin returned to his own room and lay down on the bed to think. He
sunk deep into the cushions, feeling quite comfortable and wondering if he
really wanted to give this up to live in that hovel he had wanted to
escape from for so long. Ever since his mother had died there years ago,
there was a lingering sadness about the place. At night, when everyone
else would be asleep, Aladdin would often stay awake and look out the
large opening in the wall near his sleeping area. The city would rest
still beneath him, and he almost felt like a lonesome guardian watching
over the city to make sure nothing went wrong, but who was watching over
him? The cool night wind would blow chilling currents down his spine,
startling him and making him sad at the same time. Sometimes his ears
would pick up the slightest hint of a distant, faint lullaby in the
air...the lullaby of his mother.

Aladdin shook his head, trying to clear his mind of those depressing
thoughts. He wouldn't be alone now, though. He would have friends to keep
him company, and he hoped and prayed that Iago especially would
understand. The last thing Aladdin wanted was more friction between
himself and the parrot, and he really wanted to be friends with the bird;
he just didn't know how to approach him. It seemed like every possible way
he tried to talk to him, Iago just became angry and rejected Aladdin's
attempt at getting to know him better.

I wonder what he's up to, Aladdin thought, remembering how they
had left him alone in the menagerie. Aladdin stood up from the bed and
walked to the door, the thought being to go back to the garden and see if
Iago was still outside by himself. Aladdin walked slowly down the long
corridor, not wanting to feel there was a reason to be rushed. When he
came to the menagerie, he was actually shocked to find Iago still there,
sitting in the very spot where Aladdin and Jasmine had left him.

As Aladdin came closer to the bird's form, though, he could clearly see
that Iago was asleep. Aladdin quietly sat down next to the parrot and took
in the view that was before him. He noticed that there were the remains of
what looked like tears beneath Iago's closed eyes, and this both startled
and saddened Aladdin.

If only he would tell me what's going through his mind, Aladdin
wondered.

Aladdin wasn't sure it was a good idea, but he gently touched Iago on
the back, almost in the way someone places his hand on another to give
that person the feeling of reassurance, saying, "I'm here if you need me."

Iago didn't react to the touch at first, but he found himself slowly
drifting out of a dream and back into reality. Iago felt the presence of
something warm and loving touching him, but he didn't know what it was or
how to react to it. He opened his eyes and was surprised to see Aladdin
sitting next to him.

"Al, what are you doing here?" he questioned, still waking up.

"I wanted to see how you were doing. Are you okay, Iago?"

Iago remained silent for a moment and then swallowed. Should he dare
tell Aladdin the thoughts that had been racing through his mind earlier?
No, he told himself. Don't do it. You'll only regret it."

"Um, I'm fine," Iago lied, sitting up and not saying anything about
Aladdin touching him. "I was just tired."

"Are you sure?" Aladdin pressed.

"Geez, you don't give up, do you?" Iago questioned, sounded a little
annoyed. "Look, Aladdin, let me make one thing clear to you. If and when I
want to tell you something, I will, okay? Until then, kindly don't ask me
these kinds of questions."

Aladdin only nodded and looked away. He then remembered his discussion
with Jasmine about moving out of the palace and back to the hovel.

"Iago, there's something I need to tell you."

"Well, what is it?"

"Tomorrow I'm moving back into my hovel, and you, Genie, Abu, and
Carpet are coming with me."

Iago was completely taken aback. "So, is that why you can here? To tell
me that I can't live in the palace? You didn't come here to see how I was
doing; you came here only to break the bad news to me. I'm no fool,
Aladdin. I see right through your lies. Just go ahead, tell me the truth!
You don't want me to live in the palace!"

"What?" Aladdin stammered. "But, Iago, that's not true. I don't want to
live in the palace; I'm not ready yet. I really did come here to see if
you were fine, and that's the truth."

"Oh, please! You expect me to believe you? You, a former street rat,
don't want to live in the palace! Oh, that's a very likely story! Ha,
well, I won't live in some run down dump with you and that flea-ridden
monkey and that absurdly weird genie! You're crazy!"

By this point in the conversation, Aladdin had enough of Iago's
outbursts. Aladdin stood up and walked off, saying, "You're hopeless, you
know that?"

When Aladdin was out of sight, those words echoed through Iago's
mind...You're hopeless, you know that? Was Aladdin right? Was there
no hope for Iago? Iago found himself once again crying tears of rage and
bitterness, and he believed that he would never measure up to the
expectations Aladdin had for him, or so Iago thought Aladdin had for him.
What Iago didn't understand what that Aladdin was being honest and didn't
really expect anything more from Iago than for him to just be their
friend. It tore Iago apart inside, thinking that he wasn't really wanted
by Aladdin or the others. The poor bird didn't realize it, but he was on
the clear path that led only to self-destruction.

Chapter Two

The night passed quickly for those who were able to sleep through it,
but for Aladdin and Iago that night, the darkness seemed long, almost
never-ending. Neither had been able to find sleep that night, with
troubling thoughts tricking their minds deeper and deeper into despair. By
the time morning came, both were exhausted and not at all ready for the
move, let alone facing one another. But Aladdin, at least, realized trying
to avoid the inevitable would be of no help. It would only put more stress
on the already strained relationship forming between Iago and him. On the
other hand, Iago was trying desperately to convince himself that all the
feelings he had experienced the night before were nothing... that he had
never wanted to trust... that he didn't want to change... and that he didn't
want to see Aladdin ever again. His "friend" was embarrassed of him, of
his past, and of who he was now. He probably doesn't want to hear about
anything that happened to me. He probably doesn't even care. And why
should he? Iago knew there wasn't a reason. There wasn't a reason for
anyone to care about him. And that's what Iago was thinking as Aladdin
entered the menagerie.

Aladdin didn't even want to try anymore. He'd spent the entire night
worrying about some parrot who would never worry about anyone but himself.
Why waste anymore time on him? Aladdin also knew there wasn't a reason,
but he just couldn't convince himself that nothing could be done. He'd
taken on evil sorcerers, demonic genies, guards bent on his destruction...
the list was endless. How could he lose to Jafar now? That thought shocked
Aladdin. Jafar... Jafar was dead, wasn't he? But, then again, in some ways
he wasn't. If Aladdin ever gave up on Iago, let him slip any farther
towards evil, Jafar would have gained some control over the world of the
living. Agrabah wasn't in danger anymore, just one life, but he couldn't
help feeling that one life was as important as the lives of thousands.
That was what Aladdin was thinking as Iago came into view.

They didn't look at one another, both unsure of what they might have to
say if their eyes met. Angry with Aladdin, but more so at himself, Iago
vowed not to make the first move, not now, not ever. While seeing Iago
made Aladdin angry all over again, and he was afraid that if he said too
much, the hostility he was feeling could make things all the worse. "Uh...
come on, we're leaving," he said quietly, resentment edging his voice.

"You might be," was all Iago said.

"What do you mean by that?" Aladdin was much too tired to try and talk
to Iago calmly. The resentment was already taking over his words.

"I mean," Iago didn't even sound angry, just tired, "I'm not going."
His answer was simple and cold.

Even with all the rage Aladdin was feeling, Iago's words hurt him in a
way he didn't imagine it was possible for Iago to hurt him. It seemed that
it hadn't even been Iago who had saved them from Jafar only two days ago.
Iago didn't do things like that. All he ever did was hurt the ones who
were trying so hard to care about him... and right now, it wasn't easy. At
that moment, Aladdin didn't want to yell at him, reprimand him; he just
wanted Iago to take it back. He'd nearly lost Iago once before, on that
same day, and now, Aladdin was losing him in a different way. "Iago... you...
you need us," Aladdin realized all this would do was probably upset the
parrot, but it was a last attempt at changing his stubborn mind.

"I don't need anyone; I never did, and I don't now!" Iago retorted. "I
don't need your pity, and most of all, I don't need you!" Iago knew that
wasn't true. He needed someone now more than he ever had before, and the
more he realized that, the more he hated himself. Why do I have to be
like this? I hate this! He screamed at himself in his mind, having to
force himself not to out loud. Because I am... I can't be anything else.

"Fine," Aladdin's voice was hard. "I'm not going to plead with you
anymore. I need you less than you could ever imagine. Do you realize how
much easier my life would be if I didn't have you to look over constantly?
You're not a friend; you're a menace. I only took you in because I owed
you... I owed you. And I've paid you back a thousand times over for anything
you ever could have done for me." Aladdin fought the urge to let a tear
slip down his cheek. It was a lie. He'd taken Iago in because he thought
there was a chance... at least there was a chance he would change, but
Aladdin couldn't admit that now, not after what Iago had just said. And
so, feeling pain he wasn't expecting he said, "You can go. I'm not going
to keep you here anymore."

Aladdin's words cut Iago. So, what he had always suspected was true.
Aladdin was doing him a favor... only a favor. He wanted him gone. Like
everyone else, Aladdin didn't care. He'd paid Iago back, and now their
relationship was over. Iago didn't want to believe what he was so sure was
true. "What..."

"You heard me," Aladdin hated himself for the words he was saying, but
he couldn't let one bird ruin the relationships he'd worked so hard to
build. If Iago stayed, he would destroy every friendship Aladdin had. That
was something he couldn't let happen. "I want you to leave. If you don't
need me... then don't stay and cause any more problems than you already
have."

Iago choked on tears. He hadn't cried in so long, and in these last few
days, he'd cried three times. "I will then, and don't worry about me; I'll
never cause you any trouble ever again."

Part of Aladdin wanted to tell him not to go... that he did mean
something to him, but that part was overweighed by the part that felt too
deeply scarred by Iago to ever look at him again. "Good," Aladdin tried to
keep his voice from shaking. He didn't watch as Iago as he turned away,
preparing to leave. Aladdin knew that Iago wasn't just leaving the palace;
he was leaving the chances they all had given him. At one time not so long
ago, he had promised to take full responsibility for Iago, but now he knew
it was pointless. As much as Aladdin hated to admit it, some of what he
had said was true. Iago did complicate his life in so many ways, too many.
It had only been a little while, and look how bad things were already. How
much worse would it get?

Iago knew he couldn't say anything to change Aladdin's mind... maybe he
didn't even want to. But still, he couldn't say goodbye. It would hurt him
too much. No, Aladdin can't hurt me. Nobody can. People like me can't
be hurt. Iago only said one thing, and not to Aladdin to but himself.
"We're not worth enough."

As he found himself flying away, Iago looked down to see Jasmine
rushing to the menagerie. He sighed and something unexpected happened. He
was actually already missing his new "friends;" he was hurting. He'd let
them too close. How could it be that he was already missing them? How
could he have let himself become so vulnerable? All Iago knew was that
when he was with Aladdin or any of them for that matter, he felt
different, and he liked it. He'd let them too close.

"Aladdin, are you out here?" Jasmine called.

Aladdin turned quickly to meet Jasmine's greeting. "Yeah," he barely
whispered his response, "I'm right here."

Relief overtook Jasmine's face. For a moment, she visibly brightened,
but upon seeing Aladdin's devastated expression, her smile disappeared.
"Aladdin, what... what happened? Are you all right?"

He didn't know what to say. Nothing was all right, but how could he
tell Jasmine that? She was already having a hard time seeing him move back
into that hovel. That hovel... all it was doing was causing more problems
for him. So, why was he so desperate to return to it? Why when all that
was left there were shadowed memories and broken dreams? "I told him to
leave." Aladdin's voice was empty. There was nothing else he could say. He
was still in disbelief over what he had done and why he had done it. Maybe
somewhere inside of him, Aladdin wanted to be able to change what that
hovel had been. Maybe he wanted to change what his life had been. Why he
had done it meant very little now; all that mattered is that it was done.

"Iago?" Jasmine's voice was questioning. She had known Aladdin for only
a short while, but he had never seemed one to give up one someone so
easily. After all, he'd never given up on himself.

"Yeah, him," Aladdin said, trying to sound angry, while all he felt was
sadness.

"Aladdin, why?" She knew the reasons were countless, but it was a
question she couldn't help but ask.

"Because, Jasmine, he doesn't want to be helped. And he can't be, not
if he won't try. He's got to try, and if he's not going to, all we're
doing is wasting our time."

"Oh," Jasmine answered, although it wasn't much of an answer.

"I mean, it's not like I don't know that it's hard to change. I had to,
too, ya know, Jasmine?" Aladdin begged to be absolved from what he felt he
had done so wrong, but that was something Jasmine could not do.

"Aladdin, you do know you're trying to convince yourself more than you
are me, right?" Jasmine said knowingly.

"Of course I know that!" frustration coated his words. "And I know I
was wrong. I've never given up before, Jasmine. Why now?"

Jasmine ran her slender fingers through Aladdin's thick, black hair.
"Don't beat yourself up like this. You've been trying so hard... so hard.
Aladdin, I doubt anyone would have held on as long you have. What you've
done is amazing. This is just one tiny setback. I know Iago better than
you do, and believe me, he won't last ten minutes on his own. He'll be
back, and then, maybe things will be different. All you have to do is
wait. You have all the time in the world, and you have me." She took her
hand from Aladdin's hair and ran it down his tan cheek.

"Maybe, Jasmine."

"Aren't I always right?" she teased playfully. "And don't forget you
have three friends waiting for you right outside. They're ready to move
on. Are you?"

"Yeah," Aladdin's smile said it all.

By the time night fell, the four friends were situated comfortably in
Aladdin's hovel. It should have felt like home; it almost did. If only... if
only something wasn't missing. There should have been five. Iago may have
been new to all of them, but without him they felt nearly empty. It was
hard to imagine their new adventures without him. It had been so hard to
watch him put aside everything that they had seen change and return to his
fear and aggression. Not one of them knew it, but they all were thinking
the same thing. The hovel, which should have been alive with the sounds of
excitement of embarking on a new adventure with new friends, was quiet,
silent as the starry night.

How could a place filled with so much depression look so inviting,
appear such a haven? To Iago, that night, it did. From a windowsill only a
few feet from the hovel, he watched the tiny group sitting together,
glowing in candlelight. Together... I should be there... together. Iago
took his eyes off the scene and looked around him, to the empty darkness.
All around him, people were sleeping, surrounded by those who loved them.
Inside every home, it was warm and comforting... there were families. How
could they be so close and yet, so far away? He could have been a part of
something special that night, but instead, here he was, alone. Again,
alone.

He shook his head, feeling those same familiar arguments arise. I
want to be alone. I don't need someone to take care of me. I'm not weak.
I'm not. That's the way he felt... weak. He was so tired, so afraid, so
lonely. Time after time, he felt himself almost give way to the urge to
call out to Aladdin. Iago knew he couldn't fight it much longer. He needed
to sleep; if he didn't, he wouldn't have any control over what he would
say. But I am.

"I just don't understand it, Genie," Aladdin was saying. "Why can't
anything just ever go the way I want it to, just once?" He stopped and
waited for an answer, but at this point, even Genie was speechless. "I
don't know what I've done to deserve this..." he stopped again. "I haven't
done anything. The only thing I've done that was wrong was to myself. I
give up my self-respect, my good judgment, and my happiness to make sure
everyone else is all right. Why don't I ever just worry about me?"

This time, Genie did have something to say. "Hey, Al, ya know you could
never do that, little buddy. We all know you're the brave, selfless,
hero-type. What kinda adventures could we have without a hero? No, you're
not changing anything."

Aladdin couldn't help but smile at Genie's description of him. "You
know I'd never do that, Genie," he said, chuckling a little. "I just don't
know sometimes."

"Know what?" Genie placed his big, blue hand on Aladdin's shoulder,
attempting to comfort his "little buddy."

"About Iago... about everything," Aladdin wrung his hands. "I don't know
what I expected. I knew from the beginning this wouldn't be easy, but I
never thought... I never thought it would be like this. I thought we could
work it out. I had always believed that it was never too late to be who
you could have been, but this, it just isn't what I thought. It's
impossible... and now, it's too late."

"Aladdin, nothing is ever impossible," Genie reassured. Abu chirped in
agreement and scurried up Aladdin's arm, to where he threw his arms around
Aladdin's neck. "And you always loved a challenge. Just give it time...
Nothing is too hard for you, and it's not too late."

"Maybe," Aladdin wanted to agree. He just didn't know if he could.

Iago was almost asleep as he heard just the shadows of these last few
comments. "Never thought it would be like this," "Impossible," "Too late."
Somewhere in the back of Iago's mind, behind all the walls he had built to
keep his heart safe, he argued them. It's not too late; it can't be.
It's not impossible; there's more to me. It's not! With that, he fell
into a sleep coated with future dreams and past nightmares.

Red... the sky was red, the same red it had been when... when he had
witnessed Jafar for the last time, the same red it had been when he had
had to make his choice, but that day was gone; everything about that day
was gone. It had to be.

Things started to replay... a movie reel turned, almost like watching an
old rerun too many times. It was almost as if he could predict everything
that would happen, every word that would be spoken. Every moment familiar,
but without that warm sense of comfort that usually precedes it.

He watched the scene as he'd watched it before, with horror and growing
anxiety. Jafar, now in his genie form, swept up in cloud of red dust.
Rumbling, rumbling, deep in the ground, adding to the fear, fear he knew
too well. Iago struggled with the pulling to leave, to just fly away and
forget everything. Here was his chance to leave, to gain exactly what he
thought he'd always wanted. The struggle wasn't new to him, neither was
the tugging at his heart to just... just leave.

Leaving seemed right, at least that's what he told himself. He'd stayed
once before; he'd risked everything. Even in this surreal environment, he
remembered. He remembered that risking it all would mean losing it all.
Maybe not right away, but eventually. He'd been there; he didn't want to
be there again. And he wouldn't. Once again, he turned his back on
everything. Something was different this time... until the rumbling changed.
It wasn't so deep, so far away. It was right here, right now. Even Iago
couldn't stand to hear the sound, knowing full well what it would bring.
Slowly, telling himself he didn't want to and knowing it was true, he
turned his head to see the ground below his perch crumbling away into
nothingness. Everything he knew assured him that he didn't want to look
up. He didn't want to look in Aladdin's eyes and see the pleading, the
pleading that rarely enters a hero's face.

That's when things changed. The dream took on a life if its own. What
he'd lived through was different. Then, he'd had more courage. He didn't
know how hard things would be. Maybe he'd never admit that, but things
were hard, maybe harder now than ever before. Maybe he'd been more naïve;
maybe it was better that way, but none of that mattered. He flew away, not
looking back, realizing if he did, he'd never forgive himself. Iago tried
to block out the images he could never forget: the red-hot lava, the pure
evil formation of Jafar, and that look... the pleading. Aladdin...

"Iago," a voice growled, a voice as familiar as the dream itself. "I
knew you'd never save them. I always knew you were nothing more than I
made you, and now, you know it, too. How ironic, I never even had to prove
it; you took care of that little detail yourself." Evil laughter. Jafar...

"NO! I saved them; this is only a dream! Reality has already been
written; you can't change that!"

Screaming... his own screaming, only his own. Nothing in the night to be
afraid of, except himself, bute inside him was something to be afraid of:
a monster he'd tried to leave behind in shadows of a memory. He thought
he'd won against it; he'd thought it was the end. Somewhere in the darkest
corners of his soul, that monster still lurked, finding any chance it
could to take away anything Iago had managed to gain. In that dream, it
took the last bit of hope he had for himself. If he had the chance again,
would he really leave them, just leave them there to die? Would he just
forget everything they'd done? Had he already done that? What had he given
up? What had he lost through his own ignorance and cruelty? And the most
important question: Was it really too late?

Aladdin tossed and turned for the second night in a row. Somehow, he
could feel what Iago was feeling. Flashes of Iago's nightmare found their
way into Aladdin's mind and twisted what Jasmine had taught him to
believe... Things can be changed. It's never too late. The future is not a
set path, but what one makes of it. Maybe none of it was true, but if it
wasn't, what in life was there to live for? Was he still the street rat
he'd always been? For once, Aladdin knew Iago was feeling the same, asking
himself the same questions. Somehow, knowing Iago was hurting, too, made
Aladdin's burden a little lighter. If the two of them could both have the
same ambition, the ambition to be something more, to have something more,
how could they be so different? Maybe they weren't. Even if things weren't
exactly as they had planned, they could be changed. "It's not too late."
Aladdin smiled.

"It's too late." Iago closed his eyes, almost afraid to sleep, waiting
to see morning light.

Chapter Three

A paradox was being formed, it seemed, between those two different, yet
two very alike, souls. Who would have guessed by the placid atmosphere of
the Arabian night like this that anyone could have been not at peace?
Truth would have it, though, that neither one of them would slumber well
that night, for visions plagued their dreams, creating nightmares out of
what should have been pleasant dreams. For Aladdin, however, these
nightmares didn't frighten him nearly the way they did Iago. That was were
their primary difference was; while Aladdin had hope for the future, Iago
didn't. Those whose hearts are hopeful can clearly see, even in the
darkest hours, that a better day would lay ahead. Those without hope,
though, force themselves to see nothing but darkness, and the darkness
dominates more...until one is so locked up and closed inside the walls of
his own personal prison, a torture chamber of haunting memories and
undeparted woes.

There was a candle burning, though, in the midst of that darkness, and
if only Iago would open his heart, not his eyes, enough to see it, he
would finally realize that he did possess that truth, that beauty, that
glimmer of hope. He shunned himself for having lived the life he had those
past years with Jafar, and he didn't realize how much unnecessary pain he
was causing himself. You're hopeless, you know that? Those words
Aladdin had told him were the last ones they shared together in
conversation. Was Aladdin right? No, there was more to it...there had to
be. Had he only been angry and hurt by Iago's refusal to open up? Yes,
indeed, Aladdin had been frustrated with Iago's attitude toward the
others, including Aladdin himself, but he didn't really mean those words.
Aladdin had hope for Iago, even now.

Somehow, the night passed, as time always does, even when one moment
can seem unending. Daybreak was just moments away when Iago opened his
eyes. There was just the slightest hint of sunlight peering over the
eastern horizon, and so, he kept his eyes open, relieved to see a new day
dawning. He moaned with pain, for the ground was hardly a decent place to
rest. He had slept in an alley behind some barrels of grain, hoping that
no one would find him. He didn't want to be found; he didn't even think he
really wanted to find himself.

His stomach growled fiercely, and he placed his wings over it, holding
himself as if he were ill. He felt dizzy and drowsy, but at least it was
becoming day. I am really hungry...I need to eat something...

He flew weakly to the end of the alley that opened to the main street.
Some merchants were beginning to set up their stands for the coming
business day, and Iago noticed a fruit vendor nearby. The man was
middle-aged and seemed to be occupied with his work. Iago quietly sneaked
up behind the stand, which boasted a wide variety of fruits, and he looked
desperately at the food. Just one apple...

He landed on the edge of the stand and reached for an apple, but to his
dismay, when he pulled to apple from the pile, a few others tumbled down.
The noise surprised the vendor, who immediately turned around to see what
was going on.

"I'll have your hand for stealing that, you little-" he started to
shout, but he stopped abruptly when he noticed that there was no little
orphan standing there.

"What the--" he asked, taking notice of the parrot flying away from the
scene. "Blasted bird! These pesty animals around here really need to find
a better way to eat."

The merchant merely dismissed Iago as another "pest," just a dumb
animal who was trying to survive. Iago flew back behind the barrels of
grain and muttered, "Whew, that was close," upon landing. He munched on
the apple, wondering what he was going to do with all the time he had to
himself that day.

"I've got all the time in the world," he said quietly to himself, "and
yet, I'm not happy. All I wanted was freedom for so long, and now that
I've got it, it's not at all what I thought it would be."

He sighed long and deeply, unable to fully grasp why he was feeling
this way. True, he knew he was lonely, but this feeling was one he hadn't
felt in a long time. He didn't think he needed anyone, but how wrong he
was. How wrong indeed...

In the hovel, Aladdin was the first to awaken. He looked out the window
near where he had made his "bed," and he dawned a slight smile,
remembering how wonderful the palace looked first thing in the morning. He
wasn't alone anymore, though. He turned to see Genie's lamp resting on the
ledge and Carpet lying on the floor next to him, with Abu sleeping soundly
on top. What crazy dreams I had last night, he thought. I never
imagined I would feel so...so guilty, I guess. I can only hope he's
okay.

Abu stirred and opened his eyes, which in turn caused Carpet to wake
up. Aladdin smiled at his friends and said, "Hey, guys...I guess there's
only one more we gotta get up." They nodded in agreement, and Aladdin
reached for the lamp and rubbed it, saying, "Hey, Genie...it's time to
wake up!"

Genie immediately popped out of the lamp, dressed in a night cap and a
robe. He was holding a newspaper and a cup of coffee. His eyes looked
bloodshot. "Oh, darn it, Al!" he complained like a little kid. "Can ya see
I'm trying to read the comics section?"

Aladdin had no idea what Genie was talking about, so he simply shrugged
his shoulders and replied, "Sorry, Genie, but everyone else was up, so I
figured you should be up, too. Come on, let's go get some breakfast."

"Ah, breakfast! The most important meal of the deal!" mused Genie,
changing into his normal clothes.

"Yeah, yeah," Aladdin mused back. "You already told me that
yesterday...and the day before that...and the day..."

Their voices faded out as they left the hovel. Still and undisturbed,
the hovel remained, until a certain someone landed on the ledge of the
window. Iago looked around to see no one there. It figures. Why would
they wait up for me? Aladdin did tell me to leave, so I guess he meant
forever. What does he care anyway? Look at this place, nothing but a dump!
And to think he wanted me to live here! I don't think so!

Iago was angry again, so he left the hovel in a huff and landed on a
nearby roof. "This isn't the type of life I'm supposed to be living," he
mumbled. "I deserve better than this! I deserve to live in the palace!
That's it! The palace!"

An idea had just entered his mind. He thought about how uncomfortable
he had been sleeping on the streets that past night, and he vowed he would
never do that again. From now on, I'm sleeping in the palace. I'd like
to see them try to stop me.

When nightfall came, Iago flew to the palace wall and perched himself
on top of it, looking down into the menagerie. The guards were busy
patrolling the area, so Iago knew he had to be cautious if he were to
really attempt to fly into the palace unseen. When the guards turned the
corner, Iago made a break for the window nearest to him, and within a few
seconds, he was inside the palace. The room he had landed in was decorated
elaborately, just like all the other rooms in the palace. He shuddered to
think about how dreary and scary Jafar's lab had been in comparison to the
rest of the palace, but he knew, however, that Jafar's bed chambers were a
lot more brilliant. Not sure of where else to go, Iago left that room he
had just entered, and he flew down the hallway, until he came to a very
familiar room.

As he pushed open the tall door, it creaked, sending an echo down the
dark corridor. Iago stopped, afraid the sound would disturb someone, but
he also knew that the sultan and Jasmine's bed chambers were clear on the
other side of the palace. He breathed a sigh of relief after a few
moments, seeing that no one had heard the echo. Iago entered the room and
carefully closed the door behind him. This room, this very room was were
he had slept for years when he had lived in the palace. These was the
chambers of Jafar, the ones which Iago had been forced to share with the
evil visier.

The bed was covered with deep blood red and black satin sheets and
pillows, and the walls were adorn with the very same hues in tapestries
and curtains. Although dark and gloomy, there was almost a certain awe to
the atmosphere of this place. How could a place that had been inhabited by
such a black heart seem appealing to Iago? Perhaps it was because it was
all he had really ever known for so long in his life.

There, in the corner, was a black iron perch, on which Iago had slept.
He landed on it, feeling the comfort of something familiar, but at the
same time, the iron bar between his clutched feet felt as if something
were ever so slightly out of place. That feeling Iago sensed from the
perch was reflective of how he felt about himself, that there was
something about him that was out of place, not quite right...not as it had
been before.

In spite of that penetrating feeling and in spite of himself, Iago
closed his eyes, determined to fall asleep that night without any
hesitation. He almost felt as if by dreaming, he could leave this life
behind and venture into a realm of happiness, a place where everything
would be as he wanted it. What the parrot didn't know, however, was that
his mind would produce nothing but nightmares.

Those long, bony fingers reached...they reached for his essence,
trying to grap hold of all that he was. A cackling laugh...one of pure
evil mocked him for who he was...a coward and nothing more. Those
piercing, menacing snake eyes...oh, how they perceived right through him
and into the very center of his heart, breaking it with every slash and
cut into his soul.

"Let go of me!" cried a doomed voice. "Stop it; stop it!"

It stopped. Iago opened his eyes and peered around into the heavy
darkness. Nothing. There was nothing here. Or was there? What he hadn't
realized was that his screaming in the dream had escaped his mouth and
entered into the real world, where it could clearly be heard. Someone had
heard it. Someone was there; he could feel it.

His teeth chattered with sheer fright, and he turned white underneath
his red feathers. His eyes had adjusted just enough to notice a figure
standing in the doorway.

"Who-who's there?" he peeped, shaking violently.

The figure didn't say anything and only moved closer. It was
approaching him quickly, looking as if it intended only to harm him. Iago,
not knowing what else to do, spread his wings, ready to fly away, but a
hand reached out for him and grabbed him, pulling him up against a body.
The body was warm and gentle, though, not hard like Jafar's. The grip
loosened, and whoever was holding Iago sat down on the bed and carefully
placed him on the lap.

"Iago?" whispered a voice. "What are you doing here?"

This voice caught Iago completely off-guard. He wasn't sure what to
say, so he only replied, "Yeah, it's me."

"What are you doing here?" the voice again asked, only a little more
demanding this time.

"I-I needed a place to sleep," was all he managed to say.

"Father would be furious if he found you in here, Iago. I thought
Aladdin told you to leave..."

"And go where? Jasmine, this palace is all I've ever known, and for
that to be taken away from me, well, what am I supposed to do? How can
Aladdin not expect me to be a bit upset?"

"Iago, listen to me. Look, I know you don't understand where he's
coming from, but you've got to try. Aladdin is a good person; he's not
like Jafar. He would never, ever hurt you. You must believe that."

Iago looked away from Jasmine. Even though it was dark, the moonlight
that came through the window was enough to illuminate their forms. He
blinked back the onset of tears, the dim moonlight reflecting off his
pupils.

"Jasmine," his voice broke, "I don't know what to believe. I'm so
confused...I mean, I thought I had proven myself good enough for you guys.
I did destroy Jafar, didn't I?"

"Yes, Iago. Yes, you did," she almost smiled, "and what you did was
amazing, but it takes a lot more than that to be good. You have to keep
living life as if you really care about others...others who are your
friends. I couldn't believe what my own eyes were seeing just days ago,
but I still believe that you were starting to show a part of you that you
had kept hidden for so long."

"It hurts too much to care," Iago stated disgustedly. "All these
feelings do is confuse me, and it's not worth feeling this miserable to be
able to feel like this...to be able to feel all these emotions. You may
have thought you saw something more to me, but let's be serious here,
Princess. You've known me longer than Aladdin, and you know darn well that
I was evil. I still am evil. How can I ever change that? Answer: I can't.
Maybe you'd like to go on believing in your own little pretty world that
good can really come out of someone evil like me, but let me be the first
to tell you that things don't and can't work that way."

"But, Iago--"

"No, I don't wanna hear it. I owed Aladdin a favor; that's it, just a
stinkin' favor for saving my life, and I paid it back...twice. The only
reason I destroyed that blasted Jafar was before I was tired of him
hurting me. Me. Just me. Got it? Not you, not Aladdin, no
one...just me. Now that the favor's been repaid, there's no point to being
friends or whatever. There's no sense in any of that rubbish, so don't you
dare go trying to convince me that there's something good about me for all
you goody-goodies to love, 'cause there isn't."

Jasmine gasped at Iago's words. Could she, even now, afford to speak to
this insolent parrot? His words cut her deeply right through the parts of
her that hurt the most. Did he really mean those things? She thought for a
moment before taking her next action. A part of her wanted to push Iago
roughly on to the ground and leave, but another part of her told her that
she needed to persist just a while longer.

"Iago," she spoke slowly, "you said yourself that you paid Aladdin back
twice. You didn't have to come back after you set us all free from the
dungeon, but you did, and even though you might sit here and say that you
only destroyed Jafar to get rid of him from your life, I don't believe
you. You could have left Agrabah if you were so worried about him
controling you, but you didn't. Don't you see? You destroyed Jafar because
you cared about us. Even if it scares you to feel that sense of
caring in your heart, don't run away from it. I refuse to believe that you
are that heartless. If you really are heartless, why did you almost cry
just moments ago?"

"I owe you no explanation," Iago firmly stated. "And what do you know
about me anyway? You only think you know me. Just give it up already,
Princess."

His voice was shaking, though, and Jasmine knew that Iago was having a
harder and harder time refraining from crying and letting all his emotions
out. How much longer could he keep himself locked up like this before
bursting open? Jasmine feared to ponder the answer to that horrific
question.

"Just let it out," she whispered. "Please, stop doing this to
yourself."

"What does it matter to you?" Iago spat. "What am I to you? How does
how I feel matter to you?"

"I don't know, but it does matter. You matter."

"I'm not worth it," he coldly stated.

What felt like a stone statue on her lap almost immediately melted into
a molten state. Jasmine felt Iago give way on her lap, and he buried his
head into his wings, refusing to look at her. Then, it happened...the
tears came, and they not only fell, but a storm broke out within those
eyes that had witnessed so much evil in his lifetime. Jasmine felt her
heart drop inside of her, and she wanted to be able to say the right words
to make Iago feel better, but no words were needed now. She knew the truth
about him; he did care, perhaps more than he wanted to.

After several minutes had passed, Iago stopped crying so violently, and
he looked up from his hiding place behind his own wings. His eyes met
Jasmine's in that dark room, and she could see that there was a longing in
them, a longing to be accepted. Iago was afraid to speak, for he was
partly ashamed of himself for having let himself reveal his true feelings
like this. Jasmine smiled and simply said, "You are so worth it."

Iago was still confused, but he did understand at least one thing now:
Jasmine cared enough about him to listen and try to understand. "Why are
you so good to me?" he asked, not sure what else to say.

"I owe you no explanation," she half-joked. "No, seriously, I think you
already know the answer to that question. Good deserves good."

"But I'm not--"

"You are."

Iago stopped trying to argue the point, so he just asked, "Now what do
we do?"

"For now," Jasmine said gently, "I want you to sleep, to sleep well and
to have pleasant dreams."

"Yes," Iago simply nodded. "Pleasant dreams..."

He closed his eyes, and Jasmine placed him on the bed covers. It didn't
matter where he was sleeping, for now his dreams would be pleasant ones.
Not even the remaining articles of Jafar all around him could disturb
Iago's sleep that night. For once, Iago was at peace, even though he still
had much confusion in his mind. For a night, at least, there would be
peace of mind for the one who needed it so desperately.

Chapter Four

Peace of mind. Finally...it had been so long...comfort when everything
seemed so wrong, when looking ahead did nothing but terrify the mind and
spirit. Reluctant, he felt so reluctant to accept that he could rest, rest
and not worry about the coming day. It would reveal itself in its own good
time. Iago wanted to believe that, and more than that, he had to. He had
to have at least a few hours when everything made sense and change was
something he did not fear. His rationality pushed him to look deeper than
he had been, to see that everything was too good to be true. Tonight,
however, none of that mattered. If he could have this one night, maybe he
could hang on just a little while longer, try just a little harder this
time. It was the only chance he had left, his last chance, or so he felt.

Jasmine sat cross-legged on her bed, too tired think clearly, too
disturbed to sleep. Her thoughts were clouded with doubt. She had done the
right thing, hadn't she? All this time, she had thought Aladdin had taken
responsibility for Iago, that in no way was she a part of it, and that his
well-being was not something she would have to deal with, let alone worry
about. She questioned herself; had Aladdin's promise somehow changed her
relationship with Iago as well? She knew that by asking the question, she
was doing nothing more than kidding herself. Their relationship had
changed, and it scared her. There was so much work, so much pain,
something different than any friendship she had ever forged before. She
had always taken care of those around her, and simply, they had always
accepted it; never would they question her caring ways or kind words. She
was trusted; she had trusted. It was just the way things had always been.
Everything had changed so quickly that she had no time to prepare for what
she would deal with, not only in the coming days, but in the coming years.

These questions were something she couldn't answer on her own. Jasmine
knew there was only one person who perhaps felt what she did, only much
stronger. After all, she had never been willing to put everything on the
line for Iago. She didn't even know if she would have. Only one person
did... had ... Aladdin. She got up off the bed, sweeping her flowing hair into
a perfect knot. Jasmine had to see him.

The streets of Agrabah were dark and foreboding at this hour, and
Aladdin's hovel was anything but beautiful, but in it slept her beautiful
prince, someone that nothing could keep her from, especially now.
Approaching the hovel in the shadow of night, she appeared determined, a
warrior of sorts, determined to rescue not only her allies... but what had
been her enemy. She rapped softly on the entrance, daintily, not at all
how she felt. When no one found his way to her, she silently placed her
foot inside the darkened room and took a tiny step forward.

"Aladdin," she whispered, her voice almost inaudible. "Aladdin," her
voice was a little louder this time, at least enough so that Aladdin
stirred, barely looking up, and managed to catch her eyes in his. He
smiled, as if believing it were nothing but a dream, an angelic dream, and
began to close his eyes again, when something in the room caught a feel of
her urgency. Aladdin blinked, astonishment on his face, unsure of what to
say. Jasmine just nodded and stepped out the doorway, knowing Aladdin
would follow.

The light from the just rising sun nearly blinded Aladdin, his eyes not
ready for the day yet. Jasmine gazed up toward the palace, for the first
time, uncomfortable in Aladdin's presence. "He came back last night," she
tried to seem calm and neutral about the whole situation, while something
strange in her wanted to rejoice in the news she had brought Aladdin.

"Iago... he... he came back?" Aladdin did not try to hide his happiness;
his voice shook from it. Through all his relief, Jasmine smiled at him,
almost sadly, and Aladdin felt his voice begin to shake for another
reason, something not nearly as wonderful. "Is... is he all right?" Aladdin
didn't want to ask this question. If he wasn't, Aladdin knew whose fault
it would be, and he would never forgive himself. Aladdin had never been
one to act on his anger, but he had, and like every other action, he was
sure it would have consequences... consequences he couldn't hide from.

"He's, well, he's fine, I guess," Jasmine seemed unsure of her answer.
Her eyes lied to him, and Aladdin had been lied to before; he knew.

"He isn't, is he?" Aladdin's voice was becoming louder, more anxious.
Jasmine shook her head, not sure of how to explain this all to him.
Aladdin's eyes fell. "No!" Aladdin shouted, "How could I do this? How
could I have been so stupid?" He buried his head in his hands, feeling
guilt like he never had before. He had never wanted to hurt Iago; in a
way, they had a special bond only two very different, yet very alike,
souls can have. He had understood Iago, and although he would never had
admitted it, he had felt sorry for what had happened to him, although
Aladdin wasn't even sure what that was. "I'm sorry," his words sounded
almost as if he was crying into his hands.

"Aladdin, calm down!" Jasmine pleaded. "Physically, he's fine..." her
words trailed off.

Aladdin lifted his face from his hands; "What then, Jasmine?" his
broken words were confused.

"Aladdin," Jasmine began calmly this time, "he's afraid. He should be.
After all that's happened, wouldn't you be?" Aladdin looked awe-struck. He
muttered something Jasmine didn't hear. "And he's confused. He doesn't
know where to go from here. He has no self-confidence; in fact, Aladdin, I
think he may hate himself."

"Hate himself?" Aladdin repeated.

"Yes, hate himself. He doesn't believe he's worth the effort we're
putting forth, so he doesn't try. He's afraid, Aladdin, and alone, and
confused. We've all been there... we all have." Jasmine breathed deeply. She
couldn't believe what she was doing... for... for Iago, but she couldn't leave
him to suffer, not like was he was now. He'd suffered before; she didn't
want to admit it, but she couldn't deny it anymore. "He's not all right."

"He's not. I knew that before, and I didn't even try," Aladdin's words
again were plagued with guilt. Jasmine looked deep into Aladdin's soul, a
portal through his eyes.

"And neither are you," her voice was sympathetic. "You may just need
him as much as he needs you. You need each other, because you are the only
ones who will ever understand. It's going to be hard, Aladdin. I'm not
going to lie to you; he has a lot to work through, but if you can get him
to open up, you'll have someone so special in your life. I know he's
special, Aladdin, and so do you."

Aladdin smiled, "Everyone is special."

Life is strange. On some days a person can wake up feeling like
everything going on around makes perfect sense and know just where one
fits in the scheme of things; on others, the day ahead feels more like a
journey than anything else, a journey that stretches out before one until
night falls, and worst of all, one knows the next day will be the same and
the next. In the heart, one knows, there is no way to escape from this
cycle of sleeping and awakening, almost living and dying each day. That
morning was a mixture of the two, a tangled web of belief and lies...one
of those mornings when part of you realizes you're finally falling into
place, and the other part doesn't even know where to begin. Iago felt the
pull of morning begging him to wake up. The night before seemed lost in
sleep and disbelief. Part had been dreams; he was sure of that. The other...
he just didn't know, but whatever was happening, he could only hope it
wasn't a dream.

Things were not as simple as they had previously seemed. Aladdin knew
it, Jasmine knew it, and more than anyone else, Iago knew it. At least
Iago thought, Things couldn't be any worse than they were. There's only
one way to go from here. He barely realized that optimistic thought
had come from his own mind. The feeling was unfamiliar. This morning, Iago
was gracious for the quiet that seemed to cover all of Agrabah. Seemed to,
but didn't.

Stretching, feeling rested for the first time in weeks, things seemed
clearer than they had the day before, more in perspective. One day at a
time... one day at a time. That was the only way he could take it. If he
looked any farther into the future, he wasn't sure he could handle all
that was being bestowed upon him. Things were so much easier, so much less
complicated when all his choices were made for him. Now that he had
freedom, was he more a prisoner than ever? He didn't know it yet, but the
answer had already been determined. It would be proven soon, very soon.

Iago found himself waiting for the usual splash of yellow sunshine to
fall onto the adorned floor, but surprisingly, the sky was still a hazy
orange, speckled with the nighttime blues and purples... slightly gloomy.
A perfect start to a perfect day, Iago's thoughts turned sarcastic,
but for some reason, he stopped the thought in mid-progress. No, maybe
today won't be perfect, but it could be close. Again, Iago was taken
aback by his own thoughts. He had never before questioned that the world
was out to get him; he had never even doubted it. Sometimes, though, it
was hard to be so cynical all the time. Why couldn't he just for once
believe that things could work out; that maybe it wasn't too good to be
true?

He wasn't expecting anyone to knock, so he didn't prepare himself for
what to say if someone did. It seemed like he was always planning his next
word, so that he would never say anything he didn't want them to know. But
exactly who was "them?" They weren't who had they had been to him before.
Maybe that was why what to say to them now totally threw him off. Really,
he wasn't sure what he could say and what he couldn't, what they would
even want to hear. It was too early, and he was much too tired to be
planning what they would say in their next conversation. After all, no one
entered this room; no one even knew he was here, except for Jasmine. From
the looks of the morning, she wouldn't be up for hours. What was there to
worry about?

Knock, knock. A deep thudding sound came from the heavy door. It
reminded him of... of... no, it couldn't be. Still, the sound was all too
familiar. No... Jafar was gone; hadn't he confirmed that last night? "Uhhh...
yeah, I'm in here," he barely whispered, pleading to himself that it was
Aladdin or Jasmine or even... a guard.

The door opened in silence, Iago not daring to breathe. He waited,
wishing that if he blinked, the door would be still, and there not a sense
of danger would remain in the room. Then, it was over.

The door stood opened, and in it was a figure as quiet as its essence.
Iago didn't recognize whoever it was; in fact, he was glad he didn't. Its
features were dark and shadowed, another thing Iago felt blessed for. The
eyes were the only defined features. They laid on the forehead and shone
like two tiny crystals blinking out from inside of a darkened cave. If
only they too had been hidden... It was cloaked in a shawl of fear; Iago
felt it. He couldn't imagine what was waiting there. The horrors he'd
faced before meant little now; this was something new. There was no
expectation for what would become of this. Lingering before stepping into
the light, the being seemed to find pleasure in the suspense it was
causing. It basked in Iago's fear. Iago just stared, choking on what to
say. He wanted to save himself, but in sheer panic, he didn't know how.

"Well," the voice voice was soft, seductive, "aren't you going to
invite me in?" It paused momentarily, knowing it would receive no answer.
"Well, then, I guess I'll just have to invite myself, won't I?"

With each movement towards the shallow light from the window, Iago sunk
farther back onto the bed. Curiosity gnawed at him; he wanted to look. His
better senses told him to look away, for he would never forget what he
would see. However, the internal argument was short. The being wasted no
time stepping nearer and nearer to the patch of light, watching as Iago
waited in growing horror. In time, it set its foot into the dull light,
and Iago found the urge to look away. A beam of light spread up the being,
beginning at the foot that first found its way into the patch and making
its way up and up into its core.

The "it" was a she, although unlike anyone Iago was accustomed to. Her
hair was long, falling around her delicate waist. The color of sun at
midday, it was something Iago had never seen before. Her eyes were a blue
resembling that of the sky surrounding the sun. Her skin was pale,
untanned, unlike the dark honey color of the women of Agrabah. Altogether,
she was a portrait of a beautiful Arabian day, but in the warmth of her
beauty was still a terrifying presence, something Iago couldn't identify.
He gasped, not knowing what else to do. She wasn't what he had been
expecting... what had he been expecting? He almost wished she had been
something horrible, a creation of pure evil, for then his fear would have
been justified, but this woman created more dread than he had felt a long
time...maybe because she was everything he shouldn't have feared, but knew
he had to.

"What do you want from me?" he asked.

"I think you know," her voice continued smooth and flowing.

"N-no," Iago stuttered, his voice breaking.

"But you do. You can deny it, but you do. Isn't all you ever wanted to
just be accepted, no questions asked about you or your past? Isn't that
all you ever wanted?" Iago gulped, trying to swallow the lump in his
throat. She knew everything about him; how he felt; why he felt that way.
Although she never said it, she knew his entire life story. He could feel
it when he looked into her piercing blue eyes. When he saw his trembling
reflection in them, he didn't want to admit that she was right, but in his
heart, he knew she was. Somehow, that wasn't at all comforting. Her smile
was evil; he remembered a smile much like that. "It is, Iago. I know more
about you than you'll ever know." Her smile spread. "And you're lucky to
have me."

Lucky?" Iago questioned harshly, finding his voice. "How can I be lucky
when I don't even know who you are, why you're here? When everything
you're doing is scaring the heck out of me?"

"Iago, Iago," her voice lowered, almost soothingly. "You know me. I've
always been here. How else would I know everything about you?"

Her answers were unconvincing. He'd learned not to trust when answers
were vague or even when they weren't. "I don't care," his words were cold.
"I just want to know who you are..."

"Who I am?" she laughed cruelly. "Who am I? What does that matter to
you? Don't you see that I'm here to offer you everything you need to be
happy?" Iago opened his beak to protest, but the pale woman cut him off.
"If you think Aladdin and his friends are going to change anything about
your life, you're wrong, very wrong. They're different; you're different.
Can you honestly tell me that you think for one moment they have a clue of
what you've been through or who you are?"

The words caught Iago off-guard. He had thought he had made up his
mind, but maybe she wasn't so wrong... Isn't that all you ever wanted? It
was... They're different; you're different. He was. Where he was now...
could he really stay there, each day pretending that where he lived was
his home and that he belonged there? Home is more than the place where one
lives, so much more. He had lived in the palace for years, and never had
it been his home. Even now, why should he keep pretending, when each day
was a fight with himself, with those around him? It was all he ever
wanted, and she could bring it to him.

No! His thoughts flashed violently. When he looked at her, Iago
knew she wasn't like him, not anymore than Aladdin or Jasmine. After all
this time, he was coming the closest he ever had to finding a home. He
couldn't throw that all away. He knew nothing about this woman, nothing
except that her empty blue eyes were able to take in all that was his, and
he wasn't ready to give everything up... at least, not yet.

"You're not ready to give up what you have here?" her sweet voice
turned caustic as she noticed the bewildered look on Iago's face. "Oh,
please. Of course I know what you're thinking; I've seen enough of you to
know." The slender figure shook her head, almost in pity.

"Enough of what?" Iago was tired of her word games and half answers.
What did she have to hide?

"All of you," she sighed. "Oh, poor me; what do I do; I'm so lost?" her
voice changed to a whine. "I mean, come on here, isn't that the way half
the world is, Iago, lost just like you?" Iago didn't know how to react to
her direct attack on himself, on everything he was hiding, on everything
that was him. "It is..." her voice trailed off, and her eyes met the window,
looking out into the distance. "I used to be one of you," her voice was
finally quieting, almost reverend, and for just a second, Iago thought he
could hear just the slightest trace of longing.

He looked at her, his eyes searching for something to grab hold of,
something he could understand that would perhaps calm him, maybe make up
his mind. "Well, all that matters is that I'm not anymore," Iago could
hear a trace of tears tugging at the edges of her words. She fought them
visibly. Iago had to wonder why if she could make things so much better,
why she was on the verge of tears. Suddenly, her saddened tone of voice
turned deathly serious. It happened so quickly, Iago wasn't so sure that
the pain had even been there a moment ago. "You do want to be happy, don't
you, Iago? You do; you want to be happy... like me."

"Uhhh... I-I don't know," Iago's words were shaky, unsure.

"Don't you understand?" she snapped. "I was lost once! I was lost, but
I found my way! Iago, you don't have to be lost anymore. I've found you,
and I'm not the only one. Where we're going everyone was once like you,
lost, alone, uncertain, but now... now they're glorious! You've been found,
Iago; for Allah's sake, don't let us lose you again. You can be just like
the rest of them. They'll be no one to hurt you, to tell you who or what
to be, what to do. For once, you'll be in charge. You'll have freedom.
You'll have everything, Iago."

The thought was so tempting. Happiness, unending happiness. It was so
close, if only he would reach out and take it. What would he really be
losing by leaving Aladdin? Friendship? Only if that's what one would call
it. Aladdin had never proven anything beyond the fact that he was paying
Iago back for a favor. Hadn't he told him to leave, to never come back?
Isn't that what Aladdin really wanted? To get rid of the nuisance that
complicated his life? They'd never understand him... ever. Iago didn't even
feel like he was worth understanding; maybe, where he would go, people
would understand, and he would be worth it. Jasmine may have thought she
meant what she had said the night before, but she didn't; she couldn't
have. How long had she known Iago? Too long to really care for; no one who
knew him really cared about him. However, if there creatures were like
him, could they?

Realizing that finally she had drawn him into her trap, the siren
smiled an evil, burning smile. "You have nothing to lose... and everything
to gain," she spoke through upturned lips. "Take my hand, Iago. Trust me.
Everything you ever wanted and it's right here for you. Those people
probably won't even notice you've left; maybe you're doing them a favor.
You've been found, and now the process can begin, the healing process.
Take the first step; just take my hand." A dark presence covered the
already darkened room. Iago should have been terrified, but instead, an
awful calm was falling over him, calm that chilled him to the bone. With
no will left to fight, only visions of the life he would be leading,
perfect in every way, he landed on her pale, outstretched arm.

He breathed deeply. No matter what he was expecting, thoughts of the
previous days mixed in with his hopes for the future took a toll on his
heart. Transparent images of Aladdin and Jasmine reached for him, trying
to pull him back into reality, but Iago fought it. He didn't want to
experience any of it anymore. He wanted what he had been promised.

"By the way," the mystery woman whispered, "my name is Reena." With
that, her words were lost in a thunderous roar that enveloped the room.
Above the two souls opened a blackened hole in the ceiling and up into the
sky. Iago's choice had been made; it was too late to change it.

They were gone.

Chapter Five

By this time in the morning, the sun had risen high enough above the
horizon for the people to all be wide awake and ready for the start of yet
another day. After the fairly long conversation that Aladdin and Jasmine
had about Iago, they realized that it was probably time to head over to
the palace and see what could be done about the poor bird. Genie, Abu, and
Carpet were being exceptionally lazy that morning, so Aladdin figured he
would just let them sleep a while longer. He also figured they would know
where he would be, at the palace.

Not wasting another moment, Aladdin and Jasmine took each other by the
hand and walked back to the palace, although they weren't enjoying the
walk. It would have been nice to be able to take a morning stroll, but
they both knew better. There was someone who needed them, and they knew
better than anyone. As they neared the main entrace, the guards were
standing by it, and Rasoul was confused when he saw Jasmine walking back
into the palace gates.

"Um, excuse me, Princess," he said with an uneasy expression on his
face, "but what are you doing coming back to the palace? I don't remember
seeing you leave this morning."

"That's not your concern right now, Rasoul," Jasmine replied hastily.
"There are important matters that need to be taken care of."

"Yes, your highness, of course. I meant no offense."

Jasmine merely nodded and continued walking toward the palace,
disregarding the suspicion of the guards. Rasoul looked at the couple as
they went up the steps to the main doors, and he couldn't help but to
wonder if Jasmine had sneaked out of the palace in the middle of the night
simply to see Aladdin. He knew the sultan wouldn't take kindly to hearing
about such business, but he felt it was probably in his best interest to
keep his mouth shut. He didn't like Aladdin much, but the last thing he
wanted was to anger the princess.

Jasmine was practically running as she finally reached the hallway that
led to Jafar's old bed chambers. Aladdin was worried about why she was
moving so quickly, but he figured she was just concerned about Iago. "He
should be right in here," she explained, motioning toward the door to
Jafar's room.

Jasmine turned the doorknob, and as the door opened, she realized how
exceptionally dark it was in the room. She gasped at first, realizing that
it was far too dark for this time of the day, but then she noticed that
the curtains were pulled, so no sunlight could penetrate into the room.
She began opening the curtains, and as the bright, vibrant sunlight
flooded the room, Aladdin kept his eyes on the bed, where he thought he
would see Iago. Much to his surprise, there was no one there. All that
remained of Iago was his indentation from where he had been lying on the
bed earlier.

Aladdin gasped, which in turn caused Jasmine to turn toward the bed and
gasp. She expected to find Iago there at least, but there was
nothing...not even a trace.

"Where could he have gone?" asked Aladdin. "You don't think he would
have left the room and might be sneaking around the palace, do you?"

"I would hope not," sighed Jasmine, "but look who we're talking about
here. This is Iago. He's sneaky, and chances are that he probably just got
hungry and went to find something to eat. I really hope Father doesn't see
him...or any of the guards for that matter. Who knows that they would do
it they found him."

"Let's not worry just yet," Aladdin tried to affirm. "Let's look
around. He's gotta be here somewhere."

"You're right," Jasmine nodded. So, Aladdin and Jasmine began searching
the entire palace for any sign of Iago. They first went to the kitchen and
dining hall, but to no avail. They even searched the treasure room, but
there was no sign of Iago anywhere. They spent most of the morning looking
for Iago, but by this time, they were both becoming more and more
concerned. Back in Jafar's room, Aladdin sighed, falling into a
slumped-over seated position on the bed. He placed his head between his
hands, with his hands rested on his forehead as he faced the floor. He
felt guilty that he had let Iago down and told him to leave.

Jasmine could plainly tell by the look on Aladdin's face how he was
feeling, so she sat down next to him and nestled close to her "prince."
She placed her small hands on his cheeks and lovingly pulled his head up,
so his eyes were looking straight into hers.

"It's not your fault, you know," she gently said.

"But it is," Aladdin muttered, protesting her attempt at trying to
comfort him. "If I hadn't told him to leave, none of this would be
happening. What are we supposed to do now?"

Jasmine sighed long and hard. She knew what needed to be done; she just
didn't want to do it. She didn't want to tell her father that Iago had
sneaked into the palace after being told to leave. She didn't want to tell
him that she had talked to Iago and told him that he didn't have to leave.
How would he react? Would he understand?

"I hate to admit it, Aladdin," she began slowly, "but we can't do this
all on our own. We need help, and because of that, I have to tell my
father that Iago is missing. If the guards could help us look for him, the
chances of finding him are much better."

"But, Jasmine," Aladdin protested, feeling concerned for Iago's
welfare, "the guards hate him. They wouldn't help us, and well, I think
the sultan is still not too fond about Iago. What if they tell us no?"

"At least we would have tried. Aladdin, if they don't help us, we'll
look everywhere if we have to. We have Genie, Abu, and Carpet, too, you
know. I know that my father is still very bitter toward the thought of
Jafar or anything associated with him, including Iago, but he's a kind
man, Aladdin. If he knows it's important to me, he will help us. Trust me.

"Of course I trust you, Jasmine," Aladdin weakly smiled. "You don't
have to do this, you know..."

"I know, but I want to do it. Aladdin, you saw something good in
Iago, something that no one else, including me, could see. I believe in
that. I also believe that there is good inside him, and he needs friends
who would really be there for him. He never had that in his life, at least
from what I can tell. We have to to this," she firmly pressed.

"And we will."

Not knowing how she would find the words, Jasmine grabbed Aladdin's
hand and held it tightly as they walked out of Jafar's room and toward the
throne room. When they reached the entrance to the grand room, Jasmine saw
her father sitting on the elephant-like throne at the head of the room.
The older man took notice of his daughter immediately and smiled
pleasantly, knowing how much joy she always brought to him. As Jasmine
approached her father, she could feel the sweat dripping down her hand and
into Aladdin's hand. She was nervous, plain and simple, for she feared
that her father would not take kindly to hearing the news she had
regarding Iago.

"Ah, my dear," Sultan mused, "good morning...or should I say afternoon?
No matter, how are you? I was concerned, since I hadn't seen you yet
today."

"Hello, Father," Jasmine practially peeped. "Um, I'm sorry...but
there's something I really need to tell you."

Sultan could clearly see now that his daughter was nervous and a little
afraid to talk to him. His gaze turned sorrowful, and he continued,
"Dearest, you know you can tell me anything. What is it? Surely, it isn't
that bad."

"Oh, Father," Jasmine blurted out quickly, "I'm so sorry...but you
remember how Aladdin told Iago to leave? Well, he did, but he came back,
and...and I found him sleeping in Jafar's old room last night...and I
talked to him for a while...Oh, Father, please don't be mad. Anyway,
he...he's gone now...and Aladdin and I have been looking all over the
palace for him all morning. We can't find him, Father. Please, help us."

Jasmine's quick and pleading words startled the sultan a bit, and he
paused for a long moment before he was able to say anything. "So, let me
get this straight...Iago came back here, and now you can't find him? Well,
I...I suppose I could have the guards help you, but, Jasmine, isn't this
contrary to what Aladdin and you wanted originally?"

Aladdin stepped forward, "Sultan, I know what I said to him, but I
didn't really mean it...Oh, it's so hard to explain. Jasmine and I talked
about this for quite a while now, and we've made up our minds; we
want Iago to come back."

"Well, your intentions seem strange to me," Sultan couldn't help but to
remark. "I must admit that I'm still not quite sure about that bird.
Wouldn't things be much easier without him around?"

"Maybe," Aladdin practially whispered, "but easier isn't always better.
I can't explain it, Sultan, but for some reason, we have to find him. I'm
afraid he might be in some kind of trouble."

"Don't worry, my boy," Sultan reassured him. "We'll do the best we
can."

"Besides," added Jasmine, "Iago wounldn't leave Agrabah, would he? He
has to be here...if not in the palace, then in the city. He wouldn't dare
leave behind everything he's ever known."

"You're right as usual, Jasmine," Aladdin couldn't help but to smile.

So, the search for Iago began. All the guards, the sultan, and Aladdin
and Jasmine searched every square inch of the palace for the rest of the
day. As it approached mid-afternoon, Genie and the others came to the
palace and joined in. None of the guards were too pleased with having to
search for a bird that they detested so much, but Sultan's orders had been
quite clear. They were to look everywhere. As the day passed, Aladdin felt
more and more guilty for having told Iago to leave a few days ago. The
feeling that Iago was in trouble grew larger inside of Aladdin, until it
literally made him ill. The sun was setting by now, and Jasmine was not
only concerned for Iago, but also for Aladdin. They sat in Jasmine's
chambers alone, for the others had returned to the hovel by now. Jasmine
had a look of great concern etched all across her face as she stared at
Aladdin. Aladdin sat there, staring blankly out into the air, focusing on
nothing in his view. Butterflies were in his stomach as it knotted and
churned fiercely, and he felt dizzy and confused. He fell back on to the
bed with a heavy thud, letting out a long and deep sigh once he landed.

Jasmine tried her best to remain calm and optimistic, hoping only for
the best. He couldn't give up now, could he? Jasmine wondered about
Aladdin. Aladdin had been so strong and so brave for his entire life, and
so, why was he acting this way, acting as if he had been defeated once and
for all? How could one little bird who they didn't even know that well
have that effect on him? Jasmine wasn't quite sure herself, but she knew
one thing. She loved Aladdin with all her heart, and it pained her to see
him like this...so helpless and lost, much the same way Iago seemed to her
that previous night when she had talked to him. How could two so very
different souls be so much alike in some ways? The answers to all those
questions didn't come.

"Aladdin," she whispered. His very name was all she managed to say,
despite all the thoughts that were floating through her mind. He looked at
her, looking deeply into her eyes with the intent of trying to find hope
inside of her, for he felt he didn't have any. There was a definite
longing in his eyes, one that yearned to be understood, one that told her
that he needed someone to love him, and she loved him; she really did.
Jasmine brought her arms slowly and gently to his body, wrapping them
around him and drawing him into a warm embrace. Neither one of them spoke
for many moments to follow, and as it neared midnight, Jasmine knew she
couldn't keep Aladdin here any longer. He had to return to the hovel.

"Jasmine," he muttered, staring into her eyes, "thank you for
understanding."

Jasmine smiled weakly, but she didn't say anything right away. She
paused and simply said, "It's so late..."

"Yeah, I know...It's been a long day for everyone. Jasmine, I...I don't
want to leave you."

"I'll still be here tomorrow, I promise. You need your rest, Aladdin;
you've had a very rough day. We'll continue the search tomorrow. Who
knows? Maybe he's closer than we think. Maybe he's hiding out somewhere in
the city."

"Maybe," was all Aladdin could reply. He yawned and began to stand up.
Before he turned to leave, though, he faced Jasmine one last time that
night and looked straight into her eyes. He could see a glimmer of hope in
them, and he smiled slightly and pulled her close. "I'm sorry, Jasmine.
You have done so much for me, and here I am acting like this..."

"Don't apologize, Aladdin. You've done nothing wrong. Just remember one
thing: I love you."

"And I love you." They kissed softly, and then Aladdin walked out of
Jasmine's room. He headed straight out of the palace and out into the main
street of Agrabah. As Aladdin walked back to his hovel, he stared up at
the sparkling stars in the night sky. The peaceful night was such a
contrast to the way he was feeling inside, anything but peaceful. He
thought about Iago as he returned home, and he remembered that night not
so long ago when Iago had risked his life for them.

The lava boiled furiously in the fiery pit below. The towers of the
palace fell like sticks breaking in two into the lava, burning up the
instant they hit the incredibly hot temperature of the earth's boiling
interior. How anyone could survive in such unfavorable conditions was
beyond understanding, but the only possible explanation was this: A genie
can't kill anyone, no matter how evil he is.

The evil of this genie couldn't be surpassed by anyone on earth. He
looked like a demon, with red skin and fierce, yellow eyes that displayed
the very core of his evil. He had become infuriated at those fools, or so
he called them. Those "fools" were the good guys, who had tried to destroy
his lamp, in order to destroy him, but from the looks of the scene, it
didn't appear as if they were succeeding very well.

"Give it up, boy! You shall never have my lamp. There is no one to save
you this time!" the evil genie's voice boomed.

But he was wrong... He didn't see the little bird who was behind him.

"Hey, Jafar! Shut up!" Iago yelled with all his might as he flew down
to the lava pit toward the lamp.

"Iago!" Aladdin gasped, shocked to see that he had come back.

"Traitor!" Jafar bellowed at Iago, just as Iago clutched the lamp with
his feet.

Jafar sent a bolt of lightning toward the parrot, but it missed. Iago
flew with the lamp clutched firmly between his claws toward Aladdin, who
was desperately holding on to a rock for his life. Just as he was about to
hand the lamp over to his new friend, that evil Jafar sent yet another
lightning bolt at Iago, but this time, it hit the poor, little bird,
sending him toward the rocky wall at the far side of the pit.

"No!" Jasmine gasped from a distance, seeing the helpless form of Iago
hit the wall and then fall on to a rock below. The rock was barely above
the surface of the lava, and Iago was barely conscious.

He tried to kick the lamp, which had landed nearby, off the rock and
into the pit, but he failed.

Seeing this, Jafar mocked, "Good help is so hard to find these days,
isn't it, Aladdin?"

But this didn't stop Iago. He tried as hard as he possibly could to
focus his eyes on the lamp, and just when he thought he had it right, he
kicked his right leg again, sending the lamp into the fiery pit below and
knocking all the remaining energy from Iago's limp body.

"NNNOOO!!!" Jafar screamed, but it was too late for him. He slowly
started to be destroyed as the lamp melted. While he was shrieking and
screaming uncontrollably, the rock on which Iago was lying was crumbling
apart. Aladdin managed to save him before it was too late, and as he held
the lifeless bird in his arms, he looked sadly at his little friend.

*He risked his life for us, for all of the people in Agrabah,* Aladdin
thought. *He didn't have to, but he did... He doesn't deserve to be hurt
like this by that evil Jafar.* Aladdin's gazed turned momentarily to
Jafar, and Aladdin looked at him with such hatred in his eyes. Aladdin
hated him more than ever, but at least that horrible man/genie would be
gone forever. Aladdin climbed up the wall of the pit as it started to
close, and he didn't even have time to look as Jafar disappeared
completely. His one focus now was trying to save himself and Iago.

Just as the pit closed, Aladdin escaped from the clutches of the
earth's molten core and rolled on to the grass of the palace gardens. The
sky returned to its normal blue tone from the red tone it formerly was,
and everything that had been destroyed by Jafar magically reappeared
unharmed. Everyone was happy again, but their happiness was abruptly ended
when they realized that poor Iago was not moving.

"Iago," Aladdin softly mumbled, as he gently stroked the bird's
feathers.

He didn't respond. Aladdin hugged Iago's lifeless body, feeling almost
as if he wanted to cry.

"No," Jasmine said, almost crying.

"But...but I thought a genie couldn't kill anyone," said Aladdin, not
knowing what else to say.

Suddenly, Iago coughed. He opened his eyes and coughed again, "You'd be
surprised what you can live through," his voice, though weak and scratchy,
replied.

"All right!" Aladdin exclaimed happily.

"He's alive!!!" yelled Genie, turning into a rocket and shooting up
into the air.

"Let's go inside," Aladdin smiled. "All the bad is over, thanks to
you." Aladdin looked Iago directly in the eyes. Iago tried to smile, but
it hurt to move any muscle on his body. Once they were inside the palace,
Genie magically bandaged Iago's wounds and cleaned the burnt markings off
of him.

"If you don't mind," began Aladdin, "I'd like to have a moment alone
with him." Aladdin motioned toward Iago, who was sitting on a pillow on
the bed.

"Sure thing, Al," Genie winked.

"Of course, Aladdin," smiled Jasmine, kissing him on the cheek as she
left the room. Abu and Carpet followed.

"Iago," Aladdin began, "how are you feeling?"

"A bit sore, but okay, I guess."

"Listen, I just wanted to thank you for everything you've done. You
didn't have to risk your life like that. What made you come back?"

For probably the first time in his life, Iago was speechless. He didn't
know how to respond to something like that. He had never been thanked or
done anything good in his life, and all of a sudden, all of this goodness
was so overwhelming for him.

"I...I just had to," he replied weakly. "The truth is, Aladdin, I
couldn't bear to let him hurt any more people. He was a horrible person,
and I saw everything he did. If I didn't agree with him, he threatened me,
so after time, I just acted the way he wanted me to act. He manipulated so
many people into giving him whatever he wanted."

"I'm sorry," Aladdin said sadly. "I had no idea. Why didn't you just
leave?"

"This may be the only time you hear me admit this, but I didn't leave
him, because I was a coward. I finally had enough of him, so I left,
nevering expecting him to be released. The truth is, I didn't have good
intentions when I first came back to Agrabah, but when you saved me and
stood up for me, I was hit with something. You were the first person who
ever looked out for me in my life. No one had ever done that for me
before. From that moment on, something inside of me had changed because of
your kindness."

"Wow, you're right. You did change. What you did required more courage
than anything I've ever seen in my life, and I'll always remember that
about you. I don't think things are going to be easy for either of us in
the future, but what to you say? Will you stay and be our friend?"

"Friend," Iago smiled, tears forming in his eyes. "You mean it?"

"Yes, you are my friend, my very good friend."

"Of course I'll be your friend. You're already mine. Just one thing,
though."

"What's that?"

"Can you please not tell everyone else what we talked about in here?"

"Why's that?" Aladdin asked, confused.

Iago smiled, slightly devilishly, "You know, just because I'm a good
guy now, that doesn't mean I can't keep my reputation. I can't be all
emotional all of a sudden around everyone. Maybe in time, but not yet."

"Your secret is safe with me," Aladdin nodded.

Those images faded from Aladdin's memory once he was done recalling
the past. How could he have allowed himself to forget so quickly those
words that only the two of them had shared? Aladdin was beyond angry at
himself for allowing himself to forget Iago's words: The truth is,
Aladdin, I couldn't bear to let him hurt any more people...You were the
first person who ever looked out for me in my life. No one had ever done
that for me before. From that moment on, something inside of me had
changed because of your kindness... Had Iago really said those very
words to Aladdin just a few days ago? Indeed, he had. Aladdin was saddened
more than anything. Iago had let Aladdin see into him, and it was only
Aladdin that he had truly allowed inside, if only for a moment. Aladdin
was more convinced than ever by this moment that there was more good
inside Iago than Iago himself even knew.

If only he didn't hate himself so much, Aladdin thought. He's
caused himself all this suffering and pain for no reason. Why can't he
just see that he really is good? Maybe...maybe it's because I allowed
myself to give up on him and told him to leave. I was looking for the easy
way out.

Aladdin was angry again with himself, and as he finally reached the
hovel and ascended the steps, he knew that he would go to the ends of the
earth if he had to in order to save Iago...from whatever the parrot needed
saving from.

Aladdin somehow managed to fall asleep that night, but his dreams
weren't pleasant ones. Images of Iago being harmed flashed through his
mind. As Aladdin and all of Agrabah slept that night, Iago sat awake in a
completely different place, a very foreign and distant land.

Reena had taken Iago to a place that he had never heard of before. Even
with all his travelling he had done with Jafar, he had never once heard of
this strange and far off place. Known as the Land of the Lost Souls, it
was a place somewhere between the living and dead. Those who inhabited
these lands weren't physically dead, but they were spiritually dead, for
they had long ago given up hope of trying to truly live life. They had no
ambitions, no future, no hope, and most sadly, no love...or so that was
the way they felt. How those unfortunate souls arrived there was based
upon the old saying of "Misery loves company." They felt understood only
by others who felt the same way, and so, because of the magic these lands
possessed, those who lived there were enchanted with a dark magic to allow
them to perceive those who lived in the lands of the living. Reena had
taken a special interest in Iago's life years ago when she noticed a
sorrowful, depressed bird who had never really had any friends. He seemed
like the perfect target, and to reel him in would make Reena's years of
following Iago's life worth her effort. That satisfaction of bringing
other spiritually dead souls to the Land of Lost Souls was the only
satisfaction anyone who lived there ever received.

When lost souls were first brought to these desolate lands, they often
were confused about where their lives were headed in the future, although
they had mostly given up on believing in themselves enough to get out of
the cycle of self-destruction. Reena felt she had to reach out for Iago
before it would be too late for her to pull him into this place. She
thought he was doing him a favor, but there was indeed a malicious intent
in her efforts, as were all the efforts of those who lived there. They
were so bitter toward those who they saw living in the lands of the living
that they would do anything to prevent anyone from staying there. Reena
had used portals to see Iago as he lived out his life with Jafar, and she
became concerned about the chance of getting Iago once Iago had actually
stood up for himself and others and destroyed Jafar. The sadness that
Reena felt was deep and daunting, for even though she outwardly convinced
herself that she was happy, as did everyone who lived here, inside she was
truly miserable. Everyone who lived here was so miserable, in fact, that
they enjoyed pulling others into that very misery.

Iago couldn't sleep in the strange room he was staying in. Even though
Reena told him to relax and be at home, Iago knew deep inside that this
wasn't his home. Agrabah, he thought. Was that my home? Do I
even have a home, a place I can call my own? I don't know, really...I
guess this place is as good as any... Iago's vision blurred as he
yawned. He had felt completely drained of life's energy ever since he had
arrived here. He wanted to sleep and just forget about everyone and
everything that had been a part of his life. They weren't worth
remembering anymore, for remembering them would only cause him pain and
frustration, feelings that he didn't want to feel anymore.

"It's not worth it," he muttered to himself. "What's the point? I'm
here now, so I might as well make the most of it."

Iago closed his eyes and fell into a deep, unnerving sleep. It was that
type of sleep that feels like one is falling into a bottomless abyss of
nothingness, into a black hole with no way out. Down, down, he was going.
What would stop him from falling once and for all? Hope.

Chapter Six

The day before was gone... and a new day was here, a new day to search,
not that it mattered. By this time, Aladdin was certain that it was a lost
cause. Jasmine's reassurance had always made it simple to believe, until
now. After all, how could Jasmine feel what he was feeling? She hadn't
been the one to tell Iago to leave; it hadn't been her responsibility.
However, it had been his. It had been his promise that he would never give
up on Iago, no matter how hopeless the situation may seem. He had. He had
not only believed Iago was hopeless, but he had told him so. In some ways,
Aladdin couldn't blame Iago for not coming back. After what he had said...
And that's what he kept telling himself, that Iago was angry, only angry,
and rightly so. He would return; he had to... he just had to. If he didn't,
Aladdin would never forgive himself, and he didn't know what he would do.

There were worse thoughts, thoughts that Aladdin fought to keep in the
corners of his mind. Another lost cause... Jasmine had said it herself; Iago
had never survived outside of the palace. He could never last longer than
a day on his own, with no one to look after him. Look how much trouble
he gets into with us around, Aladdin thought. Iago would never admit
how much he needed someone to guide him, but Aladdin knew. He was somewhat
like a child, still not sure what choices to make or what paths to choose.
He had never survived on his own... The thought was realistic enough, and
sometimes, reality was horrible.

On the other hand, reality was what brought Aladdin to face the day, to
do it all over again, and give it one more try. There was too much at
stake to give up hope now. Iago needed hope, and Aladdin was the only one
who had ever given it to him. Iago needed him now; somehow Aladdin knew
that, although he wasn't sure how. Only one thing was for sure; this was
not the time to give up. If in time reality proved hostile, Aladdin would
never really accept it, but he would try. He would never give up, not for
Jasmine... not for Iago.

He shielded his eyes as he slowly rose to a standing position. The sun
was warm on his bare chest and arms, and he took a moment to let it warm
the cold feeling inside him. Strangely enough, it did. A night of sleep
really had calmed him, had helped Aladdin to find some sense of security
when everything seemed so lost. He watched the sun dance across the floor
and tickle Abu. The sight was as comforting as the blanket of sun. It
reminded Aladdin that all was not lost. There were others who were his
responsibility, too, and they had turned our perfectly; they had enriched
his life and made it more worth living when things seemed to be at their
worst. The ending this time didn't have to be different. Still looking at
the little monkey, he said softly, "C'mon, little buddy, let's get our
minds off of this, at least for a minute or two." Aladdin knew that
everyone had been affected by the loss of Iago, and it wasn't fair to keep
them away from the everyday things that everyone needs. It wasn't fair to
take away everything they knew and expect them to dedicate all of their
day to only him. They needed a break, at least that's what Aladdin
thought.

Abu squeaked quietly as he rolled over to look at Aladdin, who was
standing directly above him, looking at the palace in the light of dawn.
"C'mon," Aladdin repeated. "Let's do something just for you... and for
everyone else."

This seemed to finally snap Abu awake. He leaped up from where he was
lying and scampered over to Aladdin, yelping at him pleadingly the whole
way.

"Abu, what's the matter?" Aladdin asked, confused by the hostile
reaction he'd gotten. Abu just shook his head, ran up Aladdin's arm, and
began tugging urgently on his vest. "What do you want from me?" Aladdin's
voice was somewhere between anger and confusion. Abu continued to pull at
his vest and chirp away, almost begging for something. The sun was getting
higher now, signifying that it was getting closer and closer to noon. As
he followed the sun with his eyes, it finally dawned on Aladdin that their
time was short. He did not have time to argue with Abu over whatever he
was upset about. "C'mon," he said for a third time, plucking the monkey
from his vest. "If you want anything, it has to be right now!" Aladdin's
annoyance was clear.

"No!" Abu yelled, the same annoyance clear in his own voice. He turned
away from Aladdin, tired of trying to convey his point, thinking maybe
Aladdin would never understand.

"Don't you want to do something?" Aladdin questioned again. For the
first time, Abu nodded his head "yes." Aladdin sighed, wanting to be
angry, but finding it hard to be so when looking into Abu's innocent
stare. "Then what?" his voice was softening. He really did want to know
what Abu found so important...

Abu proceeded to grab Aladdin's pant leg and drag him as best as he
could toward the door. "Abu!" Aladdin gasped, shocked and barely managing
to stay balanced on his feet.

"Hewlp," Abu chattered excitedly, "hewlp!" To most people, this would
have meant very little, but Aladdin had known Abu long enough to realize
what he was thinking.

"Awww... Abu, you want to help me find Iago?" He hadn't been expecting
this at all. After all, Abu had been nearly ignored for days now, but
instead of being angry and feeling sorry for himself, he wanted to make
this easier for Aladdin; he was worried about him. What Aladdin didn't
know was that Abu had been worried about Iago, too. Abu smiled a little
shyly. He wasn't able to verbally communicate how he felt to Aladdin, but
somehow, he was sure that Aladdin would be able to read what he was
thinking.

"Abu," he began, now feeling just awful for the way he had treated his
friend earlier. He let his now usually strained voice become soft and
caring. "I really didn't want to do that to you. I'm so sorry; I just
didn't know what I was saying or doing... or even really, who I was doing it
to. The last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt you, but everything has
been so messed up lately. I just don't know what to expect from anyone
anymore." He lowered his hand to the floor, and the little monkey rushed
up to his shoulder.

"Aw," Abu muttered, as he patted Aladdin's head softly.

"You're a real pal, ya know that..." Aladdin started.

"Did you say 'pal?' You must be talking about me!" a loud, goofy voice
suddenly broke into the heartfelt conversation. He noticed the serious
look on Aladdin's face. "Oh, c'mon; you'll never get anything done on an
empty stomach. Let's go get some breakfast. Ya know, it's..."

"The most important meal of the day? Yes, I know, Genie," Aladdin
replied, if not a little sarcastically, then very. The genie's almost
always smiling face drooped. Suddenly, Aladdin realized he was doing the
very same thing he had done to Abu. It wasn't fair to treat his very best
friends this way. Although he was growing more worried every moment with
the passing time, he forced a genuinely cheery smile and added, "And
you're right, it is. Let's go get a quick breakfast. Then it's back to
searching, right, Abu?" Abu grinned and nodded in agreement.

"Of course," Aladdin finished with the words they were all thinking,
"I'm starting to miss that little bird."

Days had passed. Iago wasn't sure how many. It was always dark now,
always cold, so unlike Agrabah. No wonder Reena is so pale... Iago
pondered as he looked down on his own brightly colored feathers. I
wonder how long it will be until they have faded, too... Iago loved his
feathers; the colors made him stand out; he'd never met anyone else with
feathers like his, not that he hadn't seen other birds or even other
parrots for that matter, but he had always felt there was something
special about his own feathers. Not anymore... He shivered with that
thought. No one here was special or unique; he'd noticed that in the first
few hours. Everyone was so dull and colorless, both in personality and
appearance. His new family never smiled; in fact, their expression never
changed at all. Their eyes were not empty, though, although Iago wished
with all he had that they were. The eyes were tortured with years of
sadness, but there was no longing to escape it. It was much too clear that
long ago they had given up any chance of ever escaping this never-ending
cycle of tears and shame. If there was one thing that he did have in
common with them, it was the sadness found in their shame. There was so
much that he couldn't really escape either... but something inside him was
different. He wanted out. If only he knew how, and if only he would have
admitted it...

He had spent the last two nights, or rather, what he had assumed were
nights, thinking, trying so hard to forget what he had finally gained in
Agrabah, and now, what he had lost. That was gone; he tried to tell
himself that. Every night his heart ached with the longing to be home...
home? Was he really calling Agrabah "home?" If he was, then what was this
place? It wasn't home... and that's all he knew. He hadn't had the heart to
cry; he was still trying to make the best of a choice, his choice. Now he
was alone in a darkened corner. The others were not far away, only a few
feet from him, wandering the emptiness that they so claimed they were
blessed with. They wouldn't notice him; they never did, and the darkness
seemed so inviting... He felt a trickle of a tear spill down onto his beak
and wished with all his heart for Jasmine... for anyone to hold him as he
trembled.

A sound... a sound from another corner... from another room. In the dark,
it was hard to tell exactly where it was coming from, but it was
definitely there. Iago was taken aback; the silence that had deafened him
was shattered by a soft whisper of a sob. He felt his breath catch in his
throat, almost frightened by the sound of another life, a life that scared
and alone, wanting nothing more than to change that fateful choice it had
made. However, that was not what Iago found in the noise. He found reason
to pull farther into his corner, into his isolation.

The sound was approaching, not quickly, but slowly, closer and
closer...until it was almost upon him. Footsteps, soft and light, tapped
across the ground he assumed was dirt. With that, the sobbing became more
apparent. The louder it became, the more obvious the feeling grew that she
was in great pain and fear and that she needed someone, just as much as
Iago did. "Is someone else here?" a voice trembled. Iago wanted to answer;
really, he did. At the same time, though, he remembered what the last
stranger had brought. What if this resulted in the same outcome? What if
it was worse? Struggling to keep himself quiet, he continued pacing his
breathing to make it harder to tell he was crying. "Pl-please," the voice
asked again with yearning as honest as Iago's. "I-I need someone..." her
last words were pleading, full of wanting and hurting.

Iago couldn't help himself for one more second. He remembered the pain
in his own voice during that last night in Agrabah... at home; he remembered
how much he had wanted only for someone to listen to him and accept his
crying, not question it. He knew how he felt when Jasmine had comforted
him... and how he felt now. Maybe he could feel like he had that night.
Maybe...if only he would answer... "I am here," he drew in a long breath
and answered in a tone so quiet it was barely audible, his voice thick
with tears. "Are you okay?" It took a moment for him to get up the courage
to ask that question. He wasn't sure how the person would react; he wasn't
sure if he wanted to know, but he had to ask. He had to know for once;
this was not a choice.

The silence returned for a moment, lingering, again deafening. Iago
wondered if his question had been too direct, if he had ruined any chance
he had to find someone in this bleak world who would have any idea of what
he was feeling. But then, the voice found itself again, weak and frail,
but there, and that was all that was important. "No," and the words
disappeared into sobbing again. The voice was now clearly that of a child,
a female child, a child who was terrified.

Iago had never been one to comfort those around him; he'd never known
how. It seemed, though, that it was being thrown upon him, and there was
no way to avoid it. Gathering all the courage he had won during this last
traumatic week, he prepared himself to say something; he just didn't know
what. The voice was right in front of him now, so it wasn't difficult to
find the way to it. His eyes had adjusted to the dark, and the form was
now beginning to come into view. It was then that a thought came to him.
Maybe he didn't have to say anything. Jasmine had said so little to him
that night, and yet, it had meant so much. Maybe all she needed was
someone to sit quietly and just listen and to be supportive. Why
couldn't I do that? He could...

His wings shook as he flew the short distance to her shoulder. There
was something special when he perched there, nestling into her chin-length
hair. He moved his head up and down, massaging her cheek and feeling warm,
wet tears run down from her eyes onto his feathers. Instead of being a
rock, the one she could cling to, he let himself continue crying, letting
his tears mix with hers. The girl didn't mind. Through her tears, a soft
smile was forming, and together, the two forged a special bond, neither
knowing the other's name, just somehow knowing their feelings were the
same. The scene went unnoticed by the other occupants of the room, and it
continued for minutes on end.

The tears ran out; they couldn't last forever. The tears had healed
wounds in both their souls, and even in this solemn realm, the healing was
beginning. "Uhhhh... I'm Iago," Iago stuttered, his voice still thick. He
really had no clue of what to say, but felt that he to say something, and
his name was all he could really think of to say.

"Iago," the child repeated softly to herself, as if pronouncing a word
new to her tongue. "Iago, that's a very special name. I've never heard
that." Iago was a little hurt at the comment about his name. It showed in
his features. Apparently, the child was also accustomed to the darkness;
she could see them perfectly. "No, but it's such a wonderful name." Her
voice seemed sympathetic and regretful. Of course, Iago knew from her
voice that she would never do anything to hurt him or anyone else for that
matter, and suddenly, he was the one regretful for hurting her when she
was already dealing with so much in her young life. He thought about how
much it hurt him when people jumped on him for something he hadn't meant
in the way they had interpreted it.

Hanging his head, he said, "Listen, I didn't mean to do that."

She cut him off and looked up into his shadowed eyes, "My name is
Saree."

Iago smiled, "Saree... I've never heard that either, but it's very
pretty." He wasn't used to complimenting people. The concept was new to
him. He wasn't even sure if he had done it right. What if he had insulted
her like she had him?

But the child, or rather, Saree, just smiled in return. "It's nice to
know someone, anyone here."

Iago had to know now. The child was so sweet, so innocent, and she
didn't deserve this. Maybe he didn't either. Maybe if just for once, he
would trust, everything could end once and for all. "Why were you crying?"

Saree just looked at him with wide eyes. "I was thinking the same about
you." Iago was surprised that she was as direct as she was. He'd never had
anyone be so open to him before, but then again, the conditions now
weren't as they had been before. Everything had been turned upside-down,
and maybe he could be more open now, too. The rules had not been made, at
least, not yet.

"I just needed to. There was no one here; there's never anyone here.
Even when there are people around, I'm really alone. I've always been
alone," he struggled to keep his voice from breaking. He expected the
little girl to leave then, to not want to hear any of it. No one ever had.
It was too hard for others to comprehend and really face it, the way
things had once been. But this child, she was brave and sincere. Nothing
about her was afraid to face what Iago was saying. Something about the
understanding in her smile made him realize she knew... she knew exactly
what he had been through, and she had seen.

"You're not alone now," Saree answered, her voice much too wise for her
young age. It saddened Iago in a way to hear the same feelings in her
voice. He had always thought he yearned to hear the pain he had felt from
anyone else, but hearing it from this child, it just managed to pull at
his heart and wish more for her happiness than his own.

In another way, though, his soul felt relief to hear someone say those
words Jasmine had: You're not alone now. "Thank you, Saree; I don't
want to be alone, but now you have to answer me. Were you alone? Why were
you crying?"

Saree's innocent eyes suddenly became blank and empty. "I thought I had
found my way. I was lost in this never-ending sea of people. They were
everywhere, but I was just as alone as you were. Everyday people came in
and out, and they saw me. They looked in my eyes and saw my tears, but
they never saw me. I lived in an orphanage for seven years, and everyday
one more child was taken and one less was left. But then someone found me.
I was found; I was blessed."

"Glorious," Iago finished, "glorious." Maybe in those last words,
things did become glorious... maybe nothing had really changed. The answer
wasn't clear, but something else was; things could be glorious. All had
not been lost, and in the darkness swirling with lost souls, in that one
corner, things were glorious as two lost souls found one another.

Back in the land of the living, things were beginning to take shape.
Darkness was approaching once more, with the tiny group of searchers no
closer to finding Iago than they had been days ago at this time. Hope was
dim. Jasmine's eyes had become tired from lack of sleep, not only because
she was worried about Iago's fate, but for her love's as well. She watched
Aladdin's sleeping form lying restlessly on the hovel floor, and at that
moment, she realized that the search was becoming more and more hopeless
with each passing minute... with each passing second. How long had it been
now? Two, three days? She must have been the only one left awake, the only
one left pondering at this hour. Midnight... that stroke of midnight brought
upon the third day he had been missing. Her heart sunk with the rise of
the moon to the midnight sky. Someone else was awake. In his lamp, Genie
heard Jasmine's sigh. Slowly, half-asleep, he rose out of his golden lamp
and flinched at the light burning in her lantern. "Princess?" he asked,
yawning, "what are you still doing here?" He looked down at a Mickey Mouse
watch. The ears popped up and down while it announced in a cartoon voice,
"Midnight, do you know where your mouse is?" "It's midnight!" he tried to
whisper, while still managing to sound shocked.

"Yes, Genie, I know," her voice was far away and quiet as the desert
night. "I'm, I'm just so worried. I don't know what to do. I can't sleep;
I can't leave him here. He's so afraid."

"Oh, Al will be fine, Jasmine; he's just been through a lot in these
last couple of days. We all have," Genie tried to convince her. She didn't
appear to find any solace in his words, serious as they seldom were. He
focused on doing anything to help her get through this frighteningly
stressful time. "Is there anything I can do?"

"No, Genie..." Jasmine stopped in mid-sentence. It couldn't hurt to ask...
Maybe, there was something he could do. He was their last chance, the only
one who could change the way things were now. "Maybe," she pondered aloud.

"Maybe what?" Genie asked eagerly. Jasmine was quieted in a thought for
a moment. "Jas, please tell me. I want to help you. I'll do anything."

She looked into his eyes and for once didn't see Genie as goofy or
irresponsible; he truly wanted to see a change in Jasmine, in everyone, in
what was happening. "I want you to find Iago. Not only for him, but for
Aladdin, and as selfish as this may sound, for me." The Genie's eyes grew
wide, and strange as it felt, he had nothing to say in reply. How could he
tell Jasmine he couldn't? She was counting on him in a way she never had
before. She had only known him for a short time, and she trusted him with
one of the most important aspects of her life: Aladdin.

"Jas... Jas, I--" the Genie struggled to say what he knew was true.

"Shhhh..." she cut him off. "Don't be that way, Genie. You have to
believe, because no one does anymore. If you can't, then no one can.
Nothing will ever be the same; Aladdin will never be the same." Her eyes
pleaded for an answer he couldn't give, "Please, Genie, please. I need
you."

He shook his head, knowing what he should say, but not having the heart
to say it. "I can try, Jas. That's all I can do. I can try."

"Trying is all we have left," her words were heartfelt and weighed down
with sadness. "It's all we have."

Chapter Seven

Genie sighed, long and deep, unsure of what to say next. He looked at
Jasmine straight in the eyes, trying to find hope in them, but there was
next to none. He looked over toward Aladdin and smiled weakly, being just
the slightest bit glad that his buddy was asleep. Genie wanted so badly to
be able to help them. After all, seeing them in this state of being for
the last few days was enough to bring anybody down.

"Jas," he whispered, barely audible, "my powers aren't what they used
to be..."

"Genie, I know...but we have to do something. We can't just stay here
and wait...forever."

Genie just nodded and tried to think of something that would help find
Iago. He hadn't really known the parrot very well, but he knew that
Aladdin had befriended him before any of the others. Because of that,
Genie knew that finding Iago was important, not just for Aladdin, but for
the rest of them as well. How one little bird could have had this effect
on them was almost unbelievable. It almost seemed like a dream that they
would wake up from and realize that none of this was really happening, but
it was more real than anything at that very moment. Genie had to do
something...and quick.

"You were the last person to talk to him," Genie began slowly. "Jas, is
there anything you can tell me? Anything he could have said that maybe
would give us a clue as to where he might have gone?"

Jasmine tried to remember the night she had found Iago sleeping in the
palace. She recalled bits and pieces of the words they had exchanged, but
her memory failed to remind her of anything significant.

"He never said anything about leaving," Jasmine muttered, feeling
hopeless. "He was so mad at himself, believing that he could never really
change to being truly good. I tried so hard to convince him overwise, but
he was so stubborn. He refused to believe me...Genie, he told me that he
wasn't worth it. He sounded so hopeless...so confused...so...lost."

"Lost?" Genie asked.

"Yes, lost...like he didn't know which direction to go in his life. He
didn't want to show emotions, but yet, he wound up spilling tears out like
you wouldn't believe. Yes...lost..."

"Lost," Genie repeated the word again very slowly. He rubbed his chin
as the word ran over his lips and through his mind. "No, couldn't be..."
he muttered aimlessly to himself.

"What couldn't be?" Jasmine stammered in a pressing tone.

"Have you ever heard of the Land of the Lost Souls?"

"No," Jasmine replied. "What's that? Where's that?"

"It's a place where those whose souls have died but bodies still live
wind up going. They aren't truly living their lives out in the lands of
the living, so they are taken to this barren place by others who already
inhabit the desolate place. If someone is there long enough, he can never
return, for he will reject any outside influence of the living world. As
for where...I'm not sure."

"Do you seriously think Iago would be there?" Jasmine asked hastily. "I
just don't understand...He couldn't have possibly gotten to that stage of
hopelessness, could he?"

"Only he knows the answer to that question, Jas. C'mon, we'd better
wake Al and the guys up. If Iago is there, we shouldn't be wasting any
more time here."

Elsewhere, Iago was still on Saree's shoulder, finding the smallest bit
of comfort in her presence. Even though this place couldn't be more
pitiful, Iago knew one thing: It was better to share the pain with someone
else who understood what that pain felt like than to be stuck all alone,
forever enduring that horrible pain gnawing at the heart and soul. No one
else took notice of the two lonesome figures in the corner of the room;
that is, until Reena stepped inside that place. She looked menacingly over
at Iago and Saree and charged quickly toward them.

"And just what do you think you're doing?" she barked. "Saree, you
little brat, leave him be!"

Saree cried and ran away, cowering in the corner. Iago looked at Reena
with a startled expression on his face and asked, "What did you do that
for?"

"That little brat is always looking for trouble," Reena explained,
still angry. "You should never, ever do what you just did. That is
forbidden here."

"Um, excuse me? Forbidden? Listen, Reena, you're the one who dragged me
here. Why didn't you tell me this place would be so blasted depressing? I
mean, come on...What is everyone's problem around here?"

"Like you don't know. Please, Iago," she spat sarcastically. "Everyone
here is the same...lonely and lost from that cursed living world. They
don't care about people like us in that world, Iago. Everyone there is too
caught up in their own lives and own affairs to be concerned for ones like
us. We must never, ever take comfort in each other, though. We don't
deserve to know what comfort is. Besides, how can anyone who is so
hopeless offer comfort? It doesn't exist."

"You don't make any sense," Iago mumbled. "Just leave me alone."

Reena smiled almost evilly. "Now you're got it. Alone...very good. I'll
gladly leave you alone. Things are best that way; just remember that. No
one else can hurt you when you're alone."

"Too late," Iago said quietly to himself as Reena walked away. "Too
late."

No one else can hurt you when you're alone. Iago wanted to crush
those words under the very anger that dwelled in his mind, for he knew
that was a lie. He had been too hurt to believe that being alone was
really any different than being around others. It might not make sense to
most people, especially to those who are content in their lives and know
the feeling of having loved ones around, but his entire life had been
lived alone. Truly alone. Jafar was hardly a man would one could ever
consider a friend, so Iago had been alone that whole time of his life,
which composed most of what he could remember from his lifespan. He had
felt hurt and alone, yet he didn't know if he was causing himself that
pain or if it had been caused by Jafar and others who had mistreated
him...or perhaps that pain was the result of Iago letting them hurt him.
That was the only conclusion his desperate mind could reach. He was
forever searching for an answer to his suffering, a reason that would make
all the pain go away, but no answer ever brought that change or that
satisfaction.

His only "friend" he had make since arriving in these hopeless lands
had been driven away by the one who had brought him here. Had he allowed
Reena to take him away from his only home he had ever known? Or had Reena
forced him to come here? He just didn't know anymore. What Iago failed to
know as well was that at that very moment in time, he had friends who were
worried about him, ones who wanted so badly to find him and bring him
home.

Back in Aladdin's hovel, a small oil lamp was burning. The dim light
illuminated the room just enough for everyone to see each other. Abu sat
on Aladdin's shoulder, yawning and looking a bit annoyed at having been
woken up in the middle of the night. Aladdin was staring down at his
hands, wishing that where they would have to go wouldn't be the truth.
Genie knew he had to find out where this place was, so he was fumbling
through his lamp for a map or a book or something to help lead the way.
Aladdin sighed, shaking his head at Genie's attempts to help out.

"We don't have time for this," he stated to Jasmine, with a bit of edge
in his tone.

"Well, Aladdin, do you have a better idea?" Jasmine retorted, feeling
offended by his attitude.

She turned away from him and looked out the window. Agrabah appeared
beneath them as being so placid and at rest. Their uneasiness was a bleak
contrast to the atmosphere all around them. Aladdin then realized that his
words had seemed a bit harsh, so he came behind Jasmine, placed his arms
around her body lovingly, and said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like
that. I'm just worried..."

"So am I, Aladdin, but we have to keep focused here."

"I know, I just feel like I'm doing no good just sitting here like
this, waiting for something...for an answer that may never come."

Jasmine looked longingly into his deep brown eyes. She saw her own
reflection there and realized that she was a part of Aladdin now, and what
hurt one of them would indeed hurt the other. "It's not your fault,
Aladdin. Don't blame yourself. I know you're upset...just like the rest of
us, and that's completely understandable. Look, we'll find a way yet."

Aladdin couldn't help but to smile at his princess. She always knew
what to say in rough situations. Aladdin recalled their first date on
Carpet, and thinking of Carpet, he looked over toward the rug lying on the
floor. "Carpet!" he exclaimed.

The carpet became animated and full of life, jumping up into midair at
the sound of Aladdin's voice. "What?" asked Jasmine. "Carpet?"

Genie popped back out of the lamp and looked with confusion toward
Aladdin. "Al, what about Carpet?"

"That's it," Aladdin said excitedly. "Don't ya see? Carpet would know
where the Land of the Lost Souls is. He knew where all those destinations
were when we went on our first date, Jasmine, so he must know where this
place is, too."

Carpet "nodded" and whirled around them with excitement. They didn't
waste another minute, so they hopped on Carpet and took off for the Land
of the Lost Souls. Genie mused, "Who would have thought that a throw rug
could know what I looked so hard to find?"

"You tried your hardest, Genie, and thank you," Aladdin said sincerely.
"We're on our way now. With any luck, we'll find Iago there."

"He will be there," Jasmine added reassuringly. "He just has to be."

Yes, Iago was there, but he was beginning to feel like he didn't belong
among these lost souls. A part of him was still lonely and confused, but
he wanted to fly away from these people as well. They didn't understand
either. No one in the world would ever understand him. What he didn't
realize, though, was that this feeling of desperation was felt by
all who inhabited these lands. They all wanted to run away and be
completely alone, but they were now forced into living perpetually in the
Land of the Lost Souls. Amidst all his confusion, however, he remembered
Saree and felt sorry for her. He flew around until he found her, nestled
in another corner. Landing on her shoulder, he said, "Hi, Saree. I'm
back."

She looked up from her previous downcast mode and peered into his eyes
with her own empty eyes. "Reena is right, Iago," she muttered. "It's
better for you to just leave me alone. I deserve to be alone."

"No, that's not true, Saree, and you know it," he pressed. If only he
could believe those words...not just for Saree, but for himself. "I
thought we were friends."

"Friends?" Saree weakly asked. "I never had any friends my whole life.
Why should I have any now?"

"Because...everyone needs friends." Iago couldn't believe what he had
just said. Here he was, trying to convince this child that she needed
others, but yet, he refused to believe he needed the exact same thing.
Those words cut him deeply. Everyone needs friends. Was that really
true, even for Iago? He just didn't know. He felt ashamed all of a sudden,
especially for trying to offer words of comfort to someone else when he
didn't follow his own advice. "You know what?" he continued, realizing his
own demise. "You're right, who needs friends? Certainly not me. We don't
deserve them."

With that, he flew away, leaving Saree alone once again and forcing
himself to be alone once again. Why does it have to be like this?
he thought. It's all my fault; I let Reena bring me here, and now that
I'm here, I just can't force myself to believe in anything worthwhile
anymore. What's the point? This is my fate, so I might as well live it
out.

Little did Iago know what his fate was to be. At that moment in time,
he couldn't have been more wrong about his fate. His friends were on their
way, and with every approaching mile they flew, they came closer and
closer to saving him from the clutches of being lost forever.

Chapter Eight

Aladdin's heart beat as if every moment was his last. He didn't know
where he was going. He didn't know where he was; he hadn't for a long
time. Maybe he was closer to the truth than he had been; maybe he was
farther away than ever. But maybes weren't what he needed right now. He
needed to be reassured that what they were doing was right. Aladdin had
always trusted Genie, although he hadn't known him very long, but now
everything depended on something he wasn't even sure of, and Aladdin just
didn't know if Genie really had any idea of what he was talking about. Of
course he wanted to help; Genie was his friend... but if he could,
that was another story.

Light should have been illuminating the eastern skies by this time.
Still, they remained dark and menacing, mimicking Aladdin's thoughts. His
mind was somewhere else, and he wasn't paying much attention to his
surroundings, but Jasmine was. She shivered and wrapped her arms around
her shoulders. Sighing wistfully, she remembered a time only days ago when
Aladdin would have wrapped her in the comforting embrace only he could
give. Now, the look in his eyes was far off, not with the others as they
rushed across the desert sands.

Abu squeaked with as much sadness and longing as Jasmine had. He, too,
shivered slightly as he made his way into her lap, looking for something,
anything familiar. She forced a smile as she looked down on him, but the
fear and exhaustion bore clear on her face. They pleaded silently to one
another for an absolution, both knew might never come. "It's getting so
cold her out here," Jasmine commented, trying to draw attention away from
the hopelessness she knew she shouldn't feel, but did.

Aladdin turned his head slowly to meet her eyes. As tired as Jasmine's
appeared, Aladdin's were more so. "It is?" he replied, his voice monotone.
"I guess I just didn't notice."

"Oh, yes, it is!" said the Genie in high falsetto, at the same time,
transforming into a stewardess dressed in a puffy bright blue skirt and
matching vest "We are now flying ten feet above the Arabian desert. If
you'll take time to look to your left, you'll see sand, and here's an
exciting change of pace, to your right, sand!"

"That doesn't answer why it's so cold," Aladdin snapped.

"Well, since you asked... the cold air is courtesy of "˜The Land of the
Lost Souls, a horrible, cold, desolate place. Tours are available at 1:00,
3:00, and 5:00. And don't forget to stop at the gift shop..."

"You mean we're getting close?" Jasmine cut Genie off, her voice
excited for the first time in days. Aladdin's face, in turn, jumped at
Jasmine's voice. He felt his spirits soar; he could only hope they would
not fall once again. He usually would have been more skeptical of Genie's
games, but he needed something to hold onto, and this was all he had.

"Well, judging by that deep, black portal just a few feet ahead, I'd
say we're pretty darn close!" the Genie exclaimed. All turned in awe at
the sight that loomed in the distance. With that, a whipping wind began to
churn around them; the air became noticeably heavier, weighed down with
pain. Sounds of suffering could be heard, moaning, weeping, and sobbing.
Taken aback by the sudden change of atmosphere, the tiny group huddled
close together, fearing what they knew they would see. He can't be here.
For once, Aladdin pleaded with himself not to find Iago. Things can't
be this awful. They can't. But they were.

How long does one have to be alone before realizing what true
loneliness is? How long does one have to be alone before forgetting? How
many times must one lose everything before remembering? One should have to
alone for an eternity for all three to happen to them... but Iago hadn't.
What felt like an eternity in reality had only been around ten years, but
ten years is a long time when that makes up most of one's life. Iago knew
loneliness; he knew it well, but he had never experienced loneliness in
this way. He had always wished to know what it was like to have someone to
love him and care about what happened to him, somewhere where he could be
accepted. Now that he had experienced that, the loneliness stung more than
it ever had before. He had given up what he had; he had caused himself
this pain; he had ended the only happiness he had ever known. It
was him. There was nothing left to his life, to him, than what he had now.
He had thrown away the only chance he would ever have.

Those were the mildest thoughts that played on his mind that final
morning in what he had finally come to accept as his home. Reena hadn't
bothered to check on him in hours. He was glad to have it that way. If he
had to be here, he wanted to be alone, where he wouldn't be reminded of
memories of his life prior to this time. He didn't want to remember Jafar;
his fears would be greater than they already were. With everything
weighing down on him, the last thing he needed was another reminder of how
little he was actually worth. He already wondered about the value of his
own life. He didn't want to be reminded of Aladdin and the others. The
only saving thought he had left was that no one had ever cared about him
anyway. If he truly believed that, he wouldn't wish for anything more than
he already had. When he thought of them... what he had done for them... what
he now knew he would do again... he knew he had so much more to wish for,
but wishes were stupid; they didn't come true. Maybe for some, like
Aladdin, but not for him, never for him.

One thought raised above all the rest, the one he would never admit. He
wanted to be saved; he needed to... he would. Something about him
made him different from the other lonely souls that roamed these halls. He
didn't only feel the pain; he experienced it; he believed in it,
and most of all, he believed there was more. If not for him, then for
others, but there was more, something he couldn't quite reach. Maybe he
never would, but it was there; he could see it when he closed his eyes,
when he fell deep into a dream. Into a dream... he could hide in a dream; he
could find solace in the fact that he had no control over what took place
in a dream. In a dream-world, the only world he believed in anymore, he
could thrive. His dreams were nightmares, but so was his life. So, he
slept. It was all he could do anymore to conceal the pain he felt.
Nightmares are not painful; reality is.

There was something living, breathing, in that world he no longer
trusted. In a world of tricks and lies, there was something to be trusted...
someone, for entering that world of souls so long dead was a tiny group
that wasn't dead at all. They were more alive than anything, with hopes
and dreams and the ability to see beauty even in these torturous shadows,
even in those who tortured themselves. Beauty is easy to find; one just
has to know where to look... and they did.

There is something in us all that cannot help but be afraid of what we
do not know and could never understand. Even those of us who are true
heroes feel it. What is important is not that we don't feel it, but rather
that we choose to look past it and realize what means so much more than
our own fear. Today, this wasn't as simple as it always had been before.

Blackness rushed toward him. Darkness had enveloped any trace of light
minutes ago; his eyes still hadn't adjusted to the sudden plunge of gloom.
Aladdin couldn't tell what was ahead of him, or even, what was almost upon
him. The wind had become louder, deafening almost, blocking out any sound
that may have given him a clue as to where they had fallen.

After the dive into the portal, everything became fuzzy: the unexpected
loss of illumination, the drop into nothingness. With nothing to tell him
of the time, Aladdin didn't know how long they had been falling, and he
didn't dare ask. When the screaming had died away, Aladdin had lost track
of his friends. Now, he knew that if he spoke, the worst answer could be
silence. He had control over nothing, a realization that wasn't at all
comforting. Something about this plummet had been strange, wrong somehow.
Where was Carpet? Why hadn't he caught them as always? Come to think of
it, it doesn't feel as if I'm really falling at all... Aladdin realized.
It was more as if he were floating. Although the wind sounded as if it was
still rushing past them, he couldn't really feel it. He couldn't feel
anything. Suddenly, a new thought entered Aladdin's mind; he was
weightless, at least physically he was. For the first time in his endless
descent, he attempted movement. Slowly, he lifted his hand; he was
completely surprised at how easy it was. The movement took no effort at
all.

Another part of Aladdin was heavier than ever. His heart felt like lead
in his chest. All the pain he had left behind, memories of his childhood,
the scorns and taunts of others, took hold of his feelings; they now had a
life of their own. He couldn't control that anymore either. Iago is
here... As much as Aladdin didn't want to admit it, he had to. This
is how he felt. He didn't have control anymore; there was nothing he could
do. But there was something I could have done. I didn't then, but I'm
going to now.

Smack! Pain jolted into Aladdin; light flashed before his eyes.
He winced at the sharp twinging that had suddenly entered his body. For a
moment, he didn't bother to open his eyes. The falling had stopped, and
one thing was for sure; he wasn't weightless anymore. Trying to orientate
himself, he felt around the surface he was now sprawled out on. Sore, but
happy to once again be on solid ground, he warily opened his eyes, afraid
of what he would see, of what he wouldn't.

Even in this desolate, dark land, relief and warm joy spread over him
as he realized that he was surrounded by Jasmine, Abu, Genie, and Carpet.
"Aladdin!" Jasmine exclaimed, the same relief rang clear in her voice.
Unfazed by the fall, she took Aladdin in her arms and whispered to him,
"My only fear was that I had lost you." He fell into her arms, exhausted
by fear, overtaken with relief.

"As was mine," his voice trembled slightly, but it was strong. It
hadn't been strong in a long time. Jasmine's eyes filled with tears as she
stroked his cheek. They had made it... they would make it. They were so
close; they couldn't lose now. Everything seemed almost flawless. Jasmine
had no idea where to look, but it didn't matter. Iago was here; she could
feel it.

"We can do this, Aladdin," she reassured him, although she doubted she
needed to.

"We can," his smile was genuine and truthful. Everyone nodded, smiles
breaking out on their faces as well.

"You bet we can, Al!" Genie agreed, as faithful and optimistic as
always.

"And what do we have here? New guests?" suddenly Reena's harsh voice
echoed off the dark walls. Aladdin looked from side to side... nothing.

"Who's there?" he questioned urgently. Jasmine squeezed his hand. Hers
were cold and shivering. "It's okay, Jasmine." He whispered, although he
found himself shivering, too.

"Not new guests," the voice continued, sending more fear into their
souls with each word. Reena had a way of doing that. "They're much too
optimistic for that..." She stopped for a moment. "If not new guests... then...
oh, no! It can't be!" Reena growled.

A white light flashed across the room, blinding the few occupants.
"Aladdin!" Jasmine gasped.

"Just hold onto my hand; don't let go!" Aladdin breathed hard, fighting
to keep his eyes closed against the glow.

Reena sighed heavily. "It can't be," she repeated. "Oh, open your
eyes," she said disgustedly to the group. "It's all over now; there's
nothing to be scared of," her voice remained caustic. Aladdin was the
first to open his eyes, one at a time, not sure what sight he would be
greeted with. The others followed his example, all except for Carpet, that
is.

She appeared human in most ways, engulfed in white light. Her hair, her
skin... but there was something so bitterly inhuman about her... her eyes.
Those empty, cold eyes started back at them, and they knew. They didn't
have to ask. She was the one, the only one capable of doing this to Iago.
He had come so far, but something about those eyes told Aladdin that she
had the power to take him back. "What did you to him?" his voice burned
with anger, resentment, and fear.

"To who, boy?" she feigned innocence. Aladdin couldn't take the
mocking. Everything had been too much for him in these past days. His
whole life seemed as if he were being mocked, by fate, by everyone.

"You know who I'm talking about!" tears burned in his eyes.

"Oh, you're Iago's little friends, aren't you?" she continued her
merciless mocking. "Don't you realize he's happy here? This is where he
wanted to be. If you were really his friends, you would want him to be
where he's happy, where he fits in. We can give him something you never
will be able to. We understand, and that's what he needs. He doesn't need
friend; he needs others, others like him."

Jasmine felt something for Iago she never had before. She had to
protect him, protect him the way Aladdin had. "He did not want to! He'd
never want this. I know him... I know him and... and I "“ I care about him!"
Strangely, Aladdin felt a slow smile spreading across his face. His
princess cared about his friend. Friend, Iago was his friend, and now, he
was Jasmine's, too.

"It was his decision! I gave him the choice, and he chose me! He didn't
choose you. He knew you didn't care, so you can stop pretending now. Stop
pretending, because all you'll do is hurt him," Reena's voice was almost
pleading as she noticed the saddened looks on their faces, looks of pity.
"Don't you understand?" she continued, her voice rising. "Love isn't real.
It doesn't exist, not for you, not for him, not for me, not for anyone!"

"Reena," Jasmine's voice was also pleading, but it was softer, more
understanding. "Love does exist. It did for Iago." She stopped for a
moment. "It really did. And it can for you, too."

That same look entered her eyes as it once had that morning with Iago.
"No, it can't. It didn't. You think you know what love is; you all
do. But, the more you lie to yourself, the more pain you're going to
cause, and not just for you, but for others. You hurt Iago by lying to him
the way you did, and you don't even care. You only care that you can
continue on in that fantasy world, because you can't take reality. You're
afraid of reality. Well, it's here now. You can't ignore it anymore. Face
it, Aladdin; face it, all of you!" her voice was frantic.

"I'm not going to, and I'm not going to give up... not again. I'm going
to get Iago back! He's not staying here; he's coming with us; he's coming
home!" Aladdin retorted, feeling optimism that he hadn't since this whole
ordeal had started. Iago was coming home, home where he belonged.

"Home is where the heart is," Reena smirked, "and Iago's heart is here
now. It's empty; it doesn't feel pain anymore. He doesn't feel pain
anymore. Isn't that paradise, Aladdin? Iago is at home, in
paradise!"

Jasmine marched up to the partially transparent image of Reena. She
looked her straight in the eyes and announced, her voice bolder than she
felt, "This is not paradise. I am in paradise, and Iago deserves to be
there, too!"

"Yeah," Genie said, just as boldly. "No one messes with birdie-boy but
me!"

"No one messes with our friends!" Aladdin found his place beside
Jasmine as the others gathered around Reena. They looked at her empty eyes
and saw an empty soul. It wasn't always empty, but that was long ago.
There was nothing, nothing but the pain she said she couldn't feel.

"Well, then, we can't have this, can we?" her voice turned sugary. "Two
choices: you can choose to leave. You can forget Iago. You can move on.
Everything will be the way it was before. The other is not nearly as
pleasant. I can keep you here. I can show you what love does to you. I can
show you the pain love causes, and you won't ever want to love again.
Choose wisely, for the choice will determine your future."

"You will never prove that love is not real. It is more real than
anything," Aladdin truly believed what he was saying as he pressed
Jasmine's hand against his own.

"It is everything," Jasmine finished for him.

"So, I see you've made your choice," Reena laughed softly to herself.
Her laugh was a sound so evil, so empty of what made one human; it sounded
as if it did not come from within her at all, but from a place so dark
even she could not reach it. "So be it. I was fair; in fact, I was more
than fair. I gave you the chance to escape the truth, but now, now you
will see the light. And you'll have to live with what you see. You'll have
to live with it forever. I understand you are ready?"

"What choice have we?" Jasmine spat.

Reena chuckled again. "As of now, you have none, I guess."

"Then we are ready, Reena," Aladdin took off where Jasmine had left
off. "But I have one question for you: Are you ready to be proven wrong?"

"Don't worry; I won't be"

"But if you are?" Jasmine again took the reigns.

"Then," Reena continued hesitantly, "then Iago is yours; he is free to
go."

Aladdin was petrified, but he had to ask. He couldn't go through this
not knowing what he was up against, what he could lose. "And if you win?"

"Then you will join us here in the Land of the Lost Souls. It's not as
bad as you think. Believe me, you'll get used to it," Reena spoke as if
she knew she held the winning hand in this deadly game.

"We won't," Aladdin's voice was low and menacing, "we won't." Aladdin
knew he couldn't lose. Everything depended on this. If they couldn't prove
Reena wrong, Iago would never escape, and neither would they. He knew
better than to think anyone could really love it here. Aladdin could see
it in Reena's empty eyes, hear it in her flat voice. Iago wanted to be
home, where he was needed. He would be.

Reality hit with a sudden flash of light... light? He hadn't seen light
in so long. However, the light was the last thing on his mind. Nightmares
shattered. Iago felt something pull at his heartstrings, something he
hadn't felt since he left Agrabah. Suddenly, he wasn't alone. Half the
weight of the pain he was bearing was gone. Someone, somehow, was bearing
it with him. For the first time in so long, he felt that he could take it.
He was still as lost as ever, but a tiny piece of the map had been given
to him. If he would only follow that, he could survive. He knew that this
wasn't forever; the pain wouldn't last. Other things would. Friendships
would. They would never die. He couldn't give up on his friends just yet.
They would save him; he had to believe. He didn't have a reason to; he
didn't know why he did, all he knew was that he did believe, and with
belief comes absolution from pain.

His pain was not being shared with just one. It was being shared with
five: the ones who cared about him. At that moment, they could see into
him, into all the things he had so strived to keep secret. At that moment,
they were fighting to get him back, partially within themselves, partially
within Iago.

Chapter Nine

No human can judge just what the outcome when the soul is locked up
tight, though hidden, also infinitely wondrous and beautiful. The soul,
that inner essence inside all of us is where love resides. The heart and
the soul are as one when there is peace of mind, and this is why love is
real, more real than anything, in fact. Reena simply refused to see that,
for her vision was provincial and had been long since blinded by the evils
of the world. She, like everyone who inhabited the Land of the Lost Souls,
was being led down the beaten path of deception, and the further away they
moved from the truth of realty, meaning love, the more they believed with
all their minds that love didn't exist.

Aladdin found himself clenching his hands into tight fists, so tight
that his knuckles were turning white. He wanted to tackle Reena and
everything she stood for right in that very spot, but he knew better.
Brute force was not the answer, so he tried as best as he could to focus
his thoughts on proving her wrong once and for all. What could he say that
would make her see the nonsense of her ways? How would he really convince
her that everything she held in the highest and utmost esteem to be true
was in fact utterly wrong? These questions lingered in his mind and
challenged him to search for the right words to say. Could it really be
that hard to convince someone who simply didn't believe in love that it
was indeed a very real thing?

"You stand here and you say that love isn't real, Reena," started
Aladdin slowly, "but if love weren't real, how could it cause you pain?
You don't just feel pain for no reason."

"Oh, you're such a fool!" she lashed back immediately. "Love as you
would believe it exists isn't real. You believe that love is a wonderful
blessing, something that leads people to things like friendship and
marriage, but let me be the first to say that it is nothing but nonsense.
Love is a curse, a horrible curse that plagues humans into believing it's
such a good thing, and then once love gets its ugly arms around your neck,
it strangles you, draining you of all life."

This would prove to be harder than Aladdin had previously thought.
Jasmine looked at him with great concern in her eyes, and she faced Reena
just then, saying, "Reena, love is real. How else could Aladdin and
I have fallen in love like we have? We were meant for each other. Our
pasts couldn't have been more different, but here we are together, and our
love is definitely real."

"You are still in the early stages of 'falling in love,' spat Reena
indignantly. "You will see as time passes that 'love' is a curse. What
will happen when one of you dies? The answer is simple: The one left
behind will be miserable and not want to go on living. If you hadn't felt
this 'love' for that person to begin with, you wouldn't have to feel so
much pain in the aftermath."

Those very words hit Aladdin right where it hurt. He thought of his own
mother's death when he was nothing but a little boy, and he turned to
Jasmine, wanting to cry on her shoulder. Jasmine, however, had the same
desperate look on her face. She, too, had lost her mother when she was
very young, and unlike Aladdin who could hold back the tears, she began to
cry. Aladdin put his arms around her shaking body, trying to bring her
comfort. He glared with hatred at Reena and practially yelled, "How can
you be so heartless?! Look what you've done to her!"

"Me?" Reena barked. "Oh, please! Tell me, Aladdin, what would you know
about that pain caused by love? Oh, do tell! Tell me why she's crying and
why you want so badly to cry! Go on, tell me!"

"You have no right to treat them like this!" Genie interrupted, getting
right in Reena's face.

"Back off, Genie," muttered Reena. "This involves them, not you."

Aladdin continued to glare at Reena with pure contempt glowing in his
eyes. "I know it hurts to lose someone you love. Both Jasmine and I lost
our mothers when we were just kids, but that doesn't mean that we gave up
and forgot to keep living our lives. Death does hurt those left behind,
but the important thing is to keep on living...and loving."

"You're nothing but a fool if you think you can simply go on living
after something like death, Aladdin," Reena continued. "Let's get back to
the point of all of this, though. What is it about Iago that you think
makes him worth 'saving?'"

Aladdin took a deep breath. This would be the moment that would
determine the outcome. Would they win, or would Reena win? Whatever the
outcome, Aladdin would know that he had tried his hardest. He took a step
forward and looked at Reena straight in the eyes and began speaking.

"You don't know Iago like we do," he stated firmly and slowly, "and I
admit, even we don't know him that well. You see, we haven't been friends
for a very long time, but I can tell you one thing. Iago had a
life-changing experience not very long ago. He turned from his old life
and risked his very life to try and finally find a better one..."

Aladdin continued to explain for the next few minutes about Jafar and
how he had been a terrible man. He also told her that Iago had at one time
been with Jafar, but Reena had a bored look on her face.

"You don't know, do you?" she mumbled. "I already know all this! I've
been watching Iago for quite some time now, so what you're telling me is
nothing new, but no matter, go on..."

Aladdin continued, "Well, we were all doomed to die just then, but Iago
came out of no where, and he risked his very life for us. He didn't
have to, but he did. I don't know what brought him back there that
evening, but I think something inside of him had changed. He suddenly
realized that the only way he would ever have a better life would be to
face his greatest fear and conquer the pain associated with it. Jafar was
the source of all that fear and pain for all those years of his life, but
he finally had the courage to face it. Courage is rare, and true courage
is what it takes to save those you care about, and Iago possessed it all
along. How else would he have been able to defeat Jafar and save all our
lives? It's because of the goodness of knowing what love and friendship is
that he was finally able to overcome those nightmares and save us. How
else could someone prove they care to the point of risking it all to save
someone else? It's love that does that, Reena, and you're wrong about
Iago...all wrong. He may not show it, but he's known it all along. Love
is more real than anything."

Reena's empty eyes turned glassy, and there was a sudden longing in
them. She found herself turning away from Aladdin and the others, afraid
to face them and whatever it was about them that frightened her. She had
never met someone like Aladdin, someone who was so optimistic about life,
even when his own life had proven difficult and unfair. She didn't want to
admit that she was defeated, but the look of defeat was written clearly
all over her pained face. "You...you may come see him," she barely
whispered.

Aladdin and Jasmine was almost shocked by her words. "What?" they both
responded in unison.

"You've...you've won," she whispered sadly. "You've proven me wrong.
There's nothing more I can say to argue with you...I didn't know that
about Iago...about how he risked his life for all of yours. I guess I
didn't see it because I didn't want to see it. I don't know...but anyway,
what's done is done. Come with me now."

Aladdin felt relief inside, but he also was apprehensive about seeing
Iago again for the first time in days. How would Iago react of them
showing up like this? Did he even think they would come looking for him,
let alone actually find him? It may seem impossible, but it was all too
possible. What seemed impossible that day was being challenged and proven
to be very possible...all because of a wondrous gift called love.

After all that had come to pass those past few minutes, Carpet finally
came up to Aladdin's side and nudged him with affection. Abu, who had been
sitting on Carpet the whole time when Aladdin was talking to Reena, jumped
up onto his friend's shoulder and chattered happily. Aladdin simply smiled
at them, knowing that they were happy about the outcome of the situation.
Aladdin felt Jasmine take hold of his hand and squeeze it gently. The
genie was in the back of them, wanting so badly to turn into a huge party
favor and celebrate, but he knew it wasn't over yet. They had to wait and
see how Iago would react.

As they walked along for what seemed like forever, Aladdin peered
straight ahead of himself into the mist. It was so thick that it was
impossible to see five feet in front of them. There was something
downright disturbing about this place, and Aladdin knew that the sooner
they were able to leave, the better. For some reason, he was afraid that
Reena might change her mind, but then again, he had seen the tears in her
empty eyes. That thought saddened Aladdin and the others. What could have
possibly happened to Reena to make her so hopeless and sad? He feared to
actually find out the answer to that daunting question.

After many minutes had passed, they came to a desolate,
pathetic-looking house. Reena turned the doorknob slowly, and as the door
creaked open, Iago lept with anxiety. He hadn't expected to be disturbed
like this, and when he saw Reena standing in the door, he feared the
worst. She always made him feel even more hopeless than he already felt,
if that were even possible, which it was. He had been slumbering, dreaming
of nothing but blackness and utter desolation, for his thoughts had grown
so numb recently that his mind wasn't able to produce any coherent
dreams...good or bad ones.

"Why-why have you come here?" he wimpered. "Can't you see I just wanna
be left alone? Is that too much to ask?"

His voice sounded desperate and pleading, and those words and the tone
in which they had been spoken broke through Aladdin's heart. Were those
really Iago's words? Had they come too late? No, Aladdin reminded
himself sternly, it's not too late. We proved to Reena that Iago knows
that love is and that love is real, and if that happened, surely we aren't
too late to convince Iago the same thing.

"There are some people here to see you," Reena spoke rigidly. As she
finished speaking, Aladdin and Jasmine stepped around her and revealed
themselves to Iago. The parrot couldn't believe his eyes. Among the fog
and darkness, it was hard to see clearly, so Iago thought his eyes were
deceiving him.

"Am I dreaming?" he asked himself. "Or is this some sick joke you're
playing on me, Reena?" he followed up, addressing her directly.

Before Reena even had the chance to answer, Aladdin said, "No, Iago,
this is real. We are really here."

Iago paused before asking, "But why? Why are you here? I don't
understand..."

"We came for you," Jasmine said gently. "We've been so worried about
you ever since, ever since --"

"Ever since I told you to leave," Aladdin finished sadly. "Iago, I
don't know what else to say but this: I'm sorry. I didn't want you to go
away forever and wind up so lost like this...I never thought it would end
up this way."

Frustration and confusion displayed all across his face, Iago turned
away from them, trying his best not to cry. "You think you can just come
here and make everything all better?" his words accused them. "You
told me to leave, so where was I supposed to go? Sure, Jasmine
tried to convince me to stay, but I guess that just wasn't meant to
happen. With as miserable as this place is, at least I don't have to think
about anyone or anything that would cause me any more pain. In
Agrabah...that's just not the case. Give me one good reason why I should
go with you."

Reena couldn't help but to smile maliciously at Iago's words. Maybe she
had been weak and allowed these strangers to come too far. Perhaps it was
still not too late to force them to leave once and for all. It seemed all
too obvious to her one-track mind that Iago didn't want to leave.

"Are you saying that you'd rather say here?" Jasmine asked, feeling a
sense of pleading in her voice.

"Where else should I go?" Iago shot back. "There's no place where it's
worth living for me, but it might as well be here than anywhere else."

Aladdin stepped closer to Iago to see him better just then, leaving
everyone else standing by the door. He knelt down on his knees and came
face to face with him. Aladdin could see more clearly than ever that Iago
was distraught and in more pain than he could bear. He needed to find a
way...to say just one thing that would lead Iago to see the truth.

Iago went to turn away from Aladdin, but Aladdin stopped him by placing
his hand on the parrot's back. Startled, Iago cowered into a little ball
of feathers and mumbled, "Please, just go away. I don't deserve this."

"Iago, listen to what I have to say," Aladdin said barely above a
whisper. No one else could hear him but Iago. "I was wrong before when I
told you to leave. That was the stupidest thing I've ever done in my
entire life. I know I can't force you to come back home with us, but let
me tell you this: Life without having you around just wouldn't be
complete. I don't know what it is about you or how to even explain it with
human words, but you are so worth having around. You refuse to believe in
yourself because of the horrible past you've had to deal with for so many
years, but you are above that. Don't let your past scare you into
believing that you'll never amount to anything in the future. You've
already more than proven your worth to me...to everyone here. You have it
in you to do great things; that's the potential of being a true
hero...Stop beating yourself up like this and learn to forgive yourself."

Iago sighed long and hard. He didn't want to believe Aladdin's words,
but there was something in them that he had always wanted to hear his
entire life: that he was worth something, that he was important, that
there was indeed good inside his heart. Not knowing what else to say, Iago
merely asked, "Why me? Why are you so good to me?"

"Because," Aladdin found himself smiling, "you are worth it. We all
need friends, and no one knows that better than you. You, Iago, saved our
lives not so long ago, and that, my friend, is one of the greatest goods
in the world that someone can do for another. The only way anyone can find
the courage to risk their life for their friends is because of love, and
that is the complete truth."

"Love...had I really known what it was, what it is? I never realized
that I could ever know what love is, let alone feel it. All this confusion
is the result of blocking it out for so long. I guess I was just afraid of
what would happen if I let myself show my feelings...I don't know, and
it's hard to explain, but I think you know what I mean..."

"I do know; we all do. Now, please...Iago, come with us...come back to
your home."

"Yes, Iago," added Jasmine coming to Aladdin's side, "it's been long
awaiting your arrival."

"I guess now's as good as any time," Iago mused, still not fully aware
of what had just happened.

"Heh, home is where the heart is!" laughed Genie. "C'mon, let's roll!"

"Hold on just a second, Genie," Aladdin replied. He walked over to
Reena and looked at her straight in the eyes. "Reena, thank you for
letting us bring Iago back where he needs to be. You know, you don't have
to stay here forever. Why don't you come with us?"

For the first time in years, Reena was being asked what she thought
impossible. She smiled weakly and cast her eyes down, "Iago may not belong
here, Aladdin, but I do...I'm not ready to leave, but maybe...one day.
Something I never thought possible just happened here, and for the first
time in my life, I've seen just how powerful love really is."

"Very well, Reena. Maybe one day we'll see you again. If you ever make
it to Agrabah, look us up." With that, Aladdin turned to Iago and asked,
"Are you ready?"

He stood up from the pillow he had been sleeping on for so long and
flew to Aladdin's shoulder. "Yes," he simply replied.

"Great!" Aladdin exclaimed, jumping onto Carpet. The others joined
them, and Carpet flew off. "Let's go home. To Agrabah, Carpet!"

As the sun set, Carpet flew back toward Agrabah, that city in the
desert, that rose among thorns, and that diamond among rocks. Finally,
they were going home.

Chapter Ten

Darkness had fallen over the tiny hovel, almost causing it to lose its
place in the endless sea of night. Night could calm the bustle of the
marketplace and the sounds of everyday life, but it could not eliminate
life altogether, for life is not the impact we make on the world outside
our seemingly insignificant realm, but the impact we have inside ourselves
and inside those who mean more than the world to us. If thoughts could
have penetrated into the tangible world, sounds would have filled the
room; sounds of memories from years gone by, from just days ago, and
sounds of things long lost being found once again. But they couldn't... and
all was quiet. The quiet seemed strangely appropriate in some small way;
it was a tribute to the memories of previous days, maybe even to things in
the future than no one could quite see yet.

To Aladdin, sleep just didn't seem right. He knew he needed it; he knew
the other did, too, but it didn't matter. Sleep would not come until he
forced himself to do that one thing he felt he should have done in the
first place to avoid all the pain that had been caused. There was
something he had to say, although he felt at a loss of what it was. He
placed his head in his hands for what felt like the fiftieth time this
week. Aladdin felt so relieved, and yet, so unnaturally afraid. Now that
he had the second chance he had begged for, what would he do with it?

He looked at the assumedly sleeping figure of Iago and sighed. It was
funny how much Aladdin had figured out about him, and Iago didn't even
know it. He knew what Iago didn't want him to know, and in some way, he
didn't even want to know. Thinking of the similarities between Iago and
himself was depressing. They reminded Aladdin of his own unhappy life and
made him realize that although, like Iago, he had once wanted someone to
suffer with him, he now wanted only happiness for those around him. He had
to say something to let Iago know how he felt... but what?

Iago shivered in the desert air. Of course it was cold; it always was
at night. So, why was he shivering now? What am I afraid of? He
felt almost compelled to yell it out loud. I should have run out of
chances long before now. I've made so many stupid mistakes, never
bothering even once to think about the consequences. Still, every time I
do, someone bails me out, someone who cares about me... these people right
here. Suddenly, Iago realized something he never had before; he
realized how many times in one day he said the word I, thought
about only himself. It took a moment for this thought to make the
sense it really did. He had thought about others very few times in his
life. It was always him, his problems, his memories, his fears. It
had never before occurred to him that others had suffered just like him.
And as it did, it stung. There were others to worry about. He had spent so
much time feeling sorry for himself, he hadn't noticed that Aladdin had
been trying as hard as could when he too was having a hard time accepting
himself. Iago was afraid of something, but not for himself... for
Aladdin. There was something he had to say, but thank you just wasn't
enough...

Suddenly, both voices whispered at the same moment, "I need to say
something." Each was taken aback; neither had expected the other to
answer, let alone speak at the exact same time.

"What do you need to say?" Aladdin was the first to answer.

"No, you go first," Iago replied quickly, suddenly feeling a little
foolish for ever daring to make the previous statement.

Aladdin was quiet for a moment, focusing on what he would say next. The
last thing he wanted was another outburst like the other conversations he
had tried to initialize. "Iago, I don't want you to yell at me," Aladdin
began, "this is something I really need to say, and if you don't want to
answer, you don't have to; just listen, okay?"

"Okay..." Iago said slowly, a little nervous about what Aladdin was about
to spring on him. He told himself to take whatever it was in stride,
because he didn't deserve another chance. Just listen... he made a
deal with himself right there: whatever would happen in the future, he
would never run away from it again. He would face whatever there was for
him, because it was clear: running got him nowhere but lost.

"I just want to know one thing. Are you alright?" Aladdin's voice was
soft and compassionate.

"I - I'm fine..." Iago began.

Aladdin stopped him, "When someone says "˜fine,' they never are. Answer
me honestly. You know I'm your friend; I would never say anything to hurt
you. So, just give me an honest answer. Are you okay?"

"Uhhh..." Iago stammered. Part of him still wanted to lie, to avoid
bringing something so personal up, but the part of him that was afraid of
losing everything he had outweighed that greatly. "Sort of."

"Now we're getting somewhere," Aladdin smiled a tiny smile in the dark.

"Aladdin, this may not make any sense, but I don't think anything will
ever be "˜okay.'" He stopped to gather courage for what he was saying.
"Things are a lot better than they were before... you have no idea how much
better. Sometimes things just don't make sense. I don't know if I'm right
or wrong. I don't know how to act or what to say. I don't know what I can
overcome and what I can't."

Strangely enough, Aladdin continued smiling. "You have no idea how much
I do understand what you mean."

"The thing is, I know you know a lot more about me than even I know,
but I just don't like to talk about a lot of things, even to you," Iago
tried his best to explain.

"You can talk to me about anything," he knew better than to pressure
Iago, so his words were not forceful, but rather, made it clear that he
could talk if he wanted to.

"I want to; I want to more than anything. I - I just can't, not right
now."

"Why?" Aladdin continued his soft questioning.

The thought dawned upon Iago... why? What was it that made it so hard to
talk about the things he wanted to so badly? Not even knowing what he
would say, he opened his beak to begin talking, "I'm not ready," was all
he managed to get out at first, but when Aladdin did not answer, he
continued. "I want to be ready," his words were earnest, and he did not
even have to think as he said them. "I hope to be soon, but just not yet.
Sometimes, things are hard to think about, so I block them out. I'm happy
now, so for just a little while, I'd like to keep it that way."

"I understand," Aladdin said kindly. Really, he wished Iago would share
more, but this was more than he ever had before. "You're okay,
though, right?"

Iago found himself smiling as Aladdin had. It was the strangest feeling
to have someone ask him how he was feeling and really mean it; it was
amazing. He wanted to keep things this way forever if he could. Didn't
others deserve the same treatment? The word I had crept into the
conversation so many times once again. Knowing this made Iago's choice for
what he would say next easy. "I want to know something. Are you
okay?"

Aladdin didn't know what to say in return. Had Iago actually asked if
he was okay? "Ummmm..." he fumbled with his words, "ummm... I'm fine,"
he started.

"Aladdin," Iago interrupted, "you're always telling me to be honest.
Doesn't the same rule apply to you?"

Aladdin stopped to think about himself for a moment. He had always
expected others to tell the truth about how they felt when he wanted to
help, but had never thought about what he would say if he were ever asked
in return. "Well, yeah, I guess it does..."

Iago grinned, "There, ya see, was that so hard?"

Aladdin met him with the same smile. "Was that so hard? Um, I don't
think you should be talking, Iago."

Iago just continued to smile. He knew Aladdin was right. "Well, answer
me..."

"I think I'm going to be fine, Iago; in fact; I think I'm going to be
great," it was the first time Aladdin had ever really answered that, the
first time anyone had really ever asked, and he wanted the answer to be
honest... it was. "Iago, these past few days have proven something to me. I
always believed there was something special for everyone here, but I never
had reason to believe. I just did, and as time went on, I couldn't help
but wonder if maybe I had convinced myself of something that just wasn't
true. I mean, what could someone like me do to change the world? What was
my purpose even? Then I met Jasmine, and I got a whole new look at
everything. I thought there was no way anything could ever make me believe
in love and purpose more than that, but then, when I thought nothing could
make things make more sense than they already did, someone changed all of
that for me. Do you know who that is?"

Iago shook his head "no," feeling a little overwhelmed by all Aladdin
was sharing. He didn't seem at all afraid to share every feeling he had
ever experienced, everything he had ever been through. For Iago, sharing
something like this would have impossible; he just couldn't bring himself
to even think of opening up as Aladdin did, although sometimes he would
have given anything to be able to. Something inside him knew that someday
he would have the strength to do it, too. He already had gained the
strength to love, something he had before thought he would never have;
someday he would gain the strength to share everything he felt... someday.
"Iago," Aladdin continued, for once not realizing everything that was
going through Iago's mind, "that was you. You know, I don't like to admit
it, but we all judge. When you first came back, I just couldn't accept the
fact that anything about you had changed... I didn't even think that was
possible."

"Aladdin, stop," Iago said. "I didn't even believe I could change.
There is no way that I expect you to have believed it either. You know
what I did, and so do I."

"But that isn't the point," Aladdin continued. "I judged you, but then,
suddenly I was just given this responsibility... you had saved my life. I
had to trust you, so I told myself I did. The truth is that I didn't. I
wanted to trust you, but believe it or not, Iago, sometimes I don't want
to trust either. It's easier not to. But sometimes someone does something
so amazing that you have no doubt in your mind that you have to trust
them, because you know what they did was for you and that they would do it
again. You know it."

"I knew it, too," he mumbled to himself.

Aladdin heard his private comment. "What?"

Iago smiled, "I knew for once; I trusted myself."

Aladdin felt like he had everything else in the world left to say, but
he knew Iago was exhausted, and he was, too. So, he decided to end with
something special he had thought of the day before. "I just want you to
remember one thing, Iago: "˜love what you have now and hope for better days
in the future'..." he stopped for a moment. "There needs to be one more
thing, but I don't know it is just yet."

Iago smiled secretly to himself. "I do." Both Iago and Aladdin found
sleep came to them much more easily when their consciences were clear, and
they had said what they had pulled at their feelings all week. The cold
night passed quickly with nary a sigh from anyone sleeping in the hovel.
Soft dreams played on their minds, something Iago had longed for what felt
like forever.

When the morning dawned upon the city, first bouncing off the steeples
of the palace and meandering its way along the walks and corridors, no one
noticed the heat of the day replacing the refreshing coolness of the
night. It had been too long since that beautiful sleep had touched them, a
different type of sleep, the kind one wakes up from believing that the
morning is beautiful and that it really is the beginning of a brand new
day.

As she opened her eyes for the first time that morning, Jasmine was
experiencing the same feeling of comfort and was glad for that. After all,
these had been the first few days of her relationship with Aladdin, and
instead of being sweet and romantic, they had been stressful and
worrisome. Still, even knowing that their present trials had come to end,
she knew this somehow wasn't it. There was something more. Everything had
changed. She had realized it that night as she sat on her bed wondering if
what she had done was right. Now, it was clear: her to choice to listen to
Iago couldn't have been more right. Maybe at the beginning of this ordeal,
Iago had been Aladdin's problem, but everything had changed in that one
night. He wasn't Aladdin's problem, and he wasn't hers... he was their
friend. Knowing that had brought her to realize something else. Friendship
doesn't end when a problem is solved; friendship is there forever, in good
and bad times. There is always need for a friend.

With that in mind, Jasmine shoved back her covers and prepared herself
for the coming day. She had something special in mind.

A half an hour later, Jasmine was standing outside the doorway of the
hovel. "Are you guys awake yet?" she whispered, doubting any of them were
awake yet. "Guys?"

"Yeah..." Aladdin mumbled from the corner, not bothering to turn to face
her.

"Listen, Aladdin, I know it's early," she began quietly.

"Oh, no, no, it's not too early," he yawned.

"Yes, it is, and I'm sorry, but I just wanted to come get one of you,"
she explained, still remaining quiet, because the rest of the hovel was
still in a slumber.

"As long as we leave quietly, we won't wake anyone up; don't worry," he
said, taking her hand in his own.

"No," she replied, "I know you haven't seen me much in the last couple
days, and I promise I'll make that up to you soon," she planted a tender
kiss on his cheek. "But this morning I want to talk to Iago."

Aladdin smiled broadly. "Jasmine, you have no idea how happy that makes
me. I find it amazing that the two of you could become friends against all
odds, and I think an influence like you will be wonderful for him. I'm
just so lucky for my love to be so understanding and willing."

She wrapped her slender arms around his waist and whispered into his
ear, "You have amazing judgment. If you see good in someone, then I know
it's there." Moving away from him slightly, she said in a tone slightly
above a whisper, "Iago?" For a moment, she didn't receive an answer.
"Iago?"

"Huh?" he asked, shaking his head.

"Jasmine wants to talk to you, Iago," Aladdin explained.

"Why so early?"

"Because I want to show you something," she said, a bit of mystery
edging her voice.

"Okay..." he answered, unsure of what he was agreeing to.

A warm feeling came over both Jasmine and Iago as they finally came
upon the "˜mystery spot.' It was a place of beauty and light, with bright
colors emanating from every corner. Every shadow even had its own
true-to-life beauty. It was a familiar place, a place they had both seen
often. Jasmine had always seen its beauty. When life was filled with
sadness, and she was wary of happiness and trust, she had always found
solace here. For years, it had been her home, and she had grown to love
it. On the other hand, Iago, although he had witnessed it nearly as many
times as Jasmine, had never noticed beauty in the flowers or skies or
golden shadows. He had never before opened his eyes to let such beauty
penetrate into the heart he was so determined to hide. And so, although
everyday he saw what Jasmine had, he had never experienced it. More so, he
had never wanted to. But now... things were different. He wanted to
experience the things everyone around him did; he wanted to love them,
even if he did not want to admit it.

Iago hadn't spoken since they had entered the palace garden, and
Jasmine was determined to initiate some type of conversation. What they
would say didn't mean anything; the importance of it all was that they
would talk, and they would listen, and they would trust. "Does it look
different to you?" she asked cautiously.

"Look different from when?" he replied, although he was almost certain
of when she was talking about.

"Remember the conversation we had out here just a few days ago? I told
you that maybe the garden looked different because you were seeing the
world through a new set of eyes. Well, maybe that wasn't true then, but I
think it is now."

Iago thought about it for a moment. Then the garden had appeared
different, but he hadn't taken to time to appreciate the differences in
the entire world, let alone the garden. What had he cared? Nothing
mattered anyway. Now, things mattered. The garden was beautiful with the
sun slowly rising to the center of the sky, dancing off its iridescent
flowers and creating collages of light tricks on the palace walls. Maybe
this beauty would never really change the world, but one thing was true;
it was beautiful. He now understood how important it was to notice
the beauty in the world, even when it seemed impossible, because beauty is
easy to find; one just has to know where to look. He finally understood.
"I can't believe it's even the same garden," he started. "I saw this
garden everyday, but I never saw it."

Jasmine chuckled and patted him softly as he sat on the fountain next
to her. The sights before them were the same as they had been ages before,
before either of them had ever set foot on this earth. Somehow today,
everything seemed different, right. It had been that way all along, but
sometimes the pain in one's heart can cause one to miss all the things
that make life glorious. "Jasmine, I guess," he stopped, struggling with
what to say next, "I guess I just want to thank you... and Aladdin."

She couldn't believe it! Had Iago just thanked them? Thanked them
without expecting anything in return? "For - for what?" she stuttered.

"For making things glorious," he said with simple happiness in his
voice.

"Glorious?" Jasmine asked.

"Well," Iago explained, "not glorious in the way Reena described it,
but glorious none the less."

"I'm not following you, Iago..."

"Glorious isn't not having problems or sadness. Glorious isn't
perfection in the past, present, or future. What glorious is," Iago
stopped and smiled to himself, feeling more complete than he ever had
before and realizing he was blessed to finally be able to say these words
and truly mean it, "what glorious is... is hope and forgiveness and
realizing that you were wrong all along. Glorious is loving what you have
now, forgiving yourself for what you've done in the past, and hoping for
better days in the future, although I doubt things could be much better
than they are right now."

"Iago," Jasmine gasped, "that is the truest thing I've ever heard."

Iago couldn't stop smiling. "Don't tell anyone this, but it's the
truest thing I've ever said." Thank you, Aladdin... thank you for this
new beginning.