This is my new and improved, rewritten version of my old story in
Disclaimer: I don't own any familiar characters from Aladdin :'(
"Come back here you thieves!" A cart vender yelled through the crowds of people milling about in the busy marketplace of Agrabah. The vender was practically running after the two "thieves" who had in fact stolen a loaf of bread from the man.
The two thieves consisted of a young boy of seventeen and his twelve year old "accomplice." They wore old clothes and no shoes, their black hair flying in the wind as they sped through the marketplace, running from the guards who had started to answer the vender's call for help.
The boy noticed the young girl duck in the crowds of people and lost sight of her. He dodged through the crowd himself half in search of the girl, half trying to get away from the few guards chasing the duo. He could hear the gasps and shuffling away of the people in the marketplace trying to make room for the palace guards to catch the good for nothing street rat of the day.
Why do they even care whether we get caught or not? Why don't they just stay where they are and not help the guards! The boy thought to himself as he tried to push through the crowds, finally reaching an empty area of the market. Once there he looked around for a second and could have sworn he heard a yell or a struggle. It sounded too much like the girl he had been stealing with and he feared the worse. He walked by another, grabbed a long piece of cloth quickly (so the vender didn't notice) and draped it over his body, covering his face.
He neared the sound of the voice, practically sweating with every step he took, scared out of his mind, hoping his negative notions were wrong about the source of the voice in trouble. He finally found the alley in which the sound was coming from and leaned in from the edge. He saw two guards holding her two arms as she was kicking and yelling at them.
"Let go of me you stupid pigs! Get off of me!" She was trying to wring herself free of their grasp but it was just too much for her small strength to handle. One of the guards punched her in the stomach and she slightly fell, but the guard kept her up. The boy watched and as he saw the punch he formed a fist with the hand that held the stolen bread, which crumbled by his anger.
"Get off of-" the girl started but saw her seventeen year old partner mid sentence and froze. The young man took a step inside the alley and the two guards saw him. One of the guards started after him when the girl cried out,
"Get out of here Aladdin!"
"No!" Aladdin said, wakening sharply getting up in his bed. He had brought the covers up with his movements, causing them to slide off of Jasmine's body, waking her up as well…if Aladdin's cry hadn't already.
"Aladdin, what's wrong?" She asked her distressed husband, in a groggy voice, caused by just being woken out of her sleep.
"Nothing Jasmine…I'm fine, go back to sleep"
"Was it a bad dream again?" Jasmine asked, propping herself up on her elbow, which was placed on one of the many soft pillows of the couple's bedroom.
"Yeah, but don't worry...I'm fine now."
Jasmine raised her hand to run her fingers through Aladdin's hair to try and soothe him. In doing so she felt the sweat on his forehead and she feared he was getting himself sick from whatever his dreams were. She wondered how horrible his nightmares could be. They couldn't be of any criminal, her husband was too brave to be frightened of mere outlaw or convict. Even sorcerers hadn't taken a great toll on him. Somewhere in the back of her mind she always thought, perhaps something about earlier years was troubling him. But she never asked; she knew that when Aladdin would be ready he would tell her what had been bothering him.
"Alright…see you in the morning Aladdin" Jasmine said with a sigh as she turned over to face the other side of their expansive room and falling back asleep.
When Aladdin noticed Jasmine asleep he quietly got out of the bed and walked with great silence that he had learned in his childhood to a smaller room adjoining the couple's which served as a washroom. He placed his hands in a nearby basin, filled with water, and washed his face. He let out a sigh and splashed his face and neck with water one last time. He grabbed a plush towel lying next to him on a small stone table and dried himself.
There was another opening from the washroom that led to the newlywed's sitting room, which had previously been Jasmine's room as a child. He walked to the balcony and leaned against the banister, looking at the city. It had only been a month since he had married the love of his life as well as lived at the palace and it was still strange for him to look at the city instead of look at the palace. He always remembered those days in which he had looked at the palace from his old home.
Aladdin ran home after the order from that girl in the alleyway. He still had half of the loaf in his hand but it was being crumbled by the heat of the day and the boy's strong hand as he found his way to his poor excuse for a home.
Abu was sitting on a pillow and jumped to his master when he heard the teenager walk up the dangerous stairs to where they slept. Abu had a confused look on his face when he noticed Aladdin…and only Aladdin had come home that night.
"She's gone Abu…they caught her"
Allah knows what they're going to do to her…
Aladdin sighed thinking of that day. That day that changed his life forever. He hadn't been able to find the young woman. Now don't mistake Aladdin for not being resourceful or being ignorant. On a previous occasion, one night after his engagement to Jasmine had been announced he had gone to the city's prison in the dead of night. He had asked about the girl and had gotten no answer. Well he had gotten an answer, but it was simply that she wasn't to be found in any of the cells. He had checked the rooms himself, but found her no where. He couldn't think-
He heard light footsteps coming out of their bedroom to the balcony. He knew it was Jasmine treading lightly on the balls of her feet, trying not to make a sound. He continued to stare at the city's horizon, but now awaiting his wife's call.
"Aladdin, it's time for the meeting" Jasmine said not wanting to disturb Aladdin's thinking. Although at the same time she did want him to get his mind off of his terrible nightmares.
The prince and princess had to attend a meeting that morning with the sultan of Shahiddi, a neighboring city of the Seven Deserts, concerning a trade agreement. Of course the sultan of Agrabah would be there as well, but the to-be-sultan and sultana were asked to come to acquaint themselves with such business as they would be a large part of in the future. Aladdin sighed and sharply turned around. He gave Jasmine a weary smile.
"Alright, I'll get ready" He replied. He walked towards Jasmine. Once he reached her he put his arm around her which always made her feel safe, even though Aladdin felt distressed himself. His strong arm yet soft touch gave Jasmine a wonderful feeling, so with that the couple went to get themselves ready for their meeting.
Soon they were dressed and off to the palace room in which the two sultans had already started their meeting. Both Aladdin and Jasmine took two seats across from their elders and began listening in on the conversation.
"Perhaps if Agrabah were to let you bring a quarter of their gold through the city when transporting it from Muskah, we would be able to deliver our goods to Muskah much more easily" The Sultan of Agrabah proposed to the Sultan of Shahiddi.
"Yes…and then we could create a new trade agreement with Muskah, relating to the transportation and even create a better alliance between the three of us!" Jasmine said, tweaking her father's plan. The Sultan of Shahiddi had a smile on his face and nodded in approval.
"Wouldn't that be good for both cities Aladdin?" Jasmine asked her husband next to her. But instead of finding him intently listening to the extremely important trade agreement ideas of the two cities, Aladdin was laying his head on his hand and quietly dozing off, his eyes, small slits.
At the sound of his name Aladdin awoke, rising sharply, and blinking his eyes numerous times to really wake himself up. Jasmine closed her eyes and sighed, hoping this lack of enthusiasm wouldn't alter the Sultan's mind of agreeing to Agrabah's trade plan. The Sultan noticed the boy's tired eyes and felt a bit worried for the boy and also didn't want his son-in-law to ruin the meeting any more.
"Aladdin, Jasmine, why don't you two go meet with our financial advisor on the matter of Muskah, yes? I'll handle the rest of this myself" The Sultan told the two. They got up from the long table, bowed their heads at both sultans and proceeded out of the room. The Sultan of Agrabah looked worriedly on until the two had completely left the room.
"Kids!" The Sultan of Shahiddi exclaimed and laughed a little to himself.
"Yes, kids" The Sultan repeated, not paying complete attention at that point.
Aladdin and Jasmine had walked to their room, when Aladdin had realized that he had possibly damaged the very important trade agreement with Shahiddi.
"Jasmine, I'm…I'm sorry, I don't know what I was doing. I can't believe I fell asleep like that!" Aladdin said to her, as well as scolded himself.
Aladdin, it's fine, why don't you go rest now, since we have the time" Jasmine told him, patting his back. He sighed and continued through their room's door and into the room. He hadn't even noticed Jasmine had stayed behind. She closed the door after she had seen Aladdin lay down on the bed, face first.
Jasmine turned around to find Genie running towards her, holding Abu who black with what looked like coal dust and had the tip of his tail on fire.
"I'm sorry Jas, I tried to make a rocket with the toaster and monkey boy, but it exploded and I..." Genie said frantically, as Abu seemed to be trying to get out of Genie's grasp, but was no match for the big blue man of magic.
"Genie it's alright, listen, Aladdin's been having nightmares and he won't tell me anything about them, can you talk to him?" Jasmine asked interrupting Genie, not even listening to the story besides.
"Sure Jas" Genie said turning into a fire extinguisher and blasting Abu, who during Genie's shape shifting had found the chance and was running away screeching.
"Jasmine?" Aladdin asked, propping himself on one arm, finally realizing his wife hadn't followed him into their room. A puff of pink smoke burst near the door and Genie appeared instead.
"Al have you been having nightmares?" he asked turning into a little boy wearing pajamas with sheep on them and holding a blue blanket.
Aladdin tilted his head in a way that meant "I'm not in the mood" and Genie quickly turned back to normal.
"Al…what's wrong, why you so down?" Genie asked, floating over to Aladdin, sitting next to him on the bed.
"Nothing Genie, I just-"
"Haven't been sleeping too well?" Genie asked again, speaking from what he had been told previously.
Aladdin didn't respond, he only sighed and combed his hair back with his fingers.
"Come on Al, I hear you've been having some bad dreams…why don't you tell me about them" Genie said with a sincere smile on his face.
Aladdin made that same face again, meaning he wasn't in the mood.
"Please?" Genie said, batting massive, black eye lashes.
"Well it was ah…it happened about 3 years ago" Aladdin started.
"So, it really happened?"
"Yeah…there was this girl I was with. We were uh…stealing something, and she uh…she got caught by the guards. I tried to save her, but she just told me to go…to leave her. I don't know why I did…it was so stupid of me!"
"That's not so bad Al. It wasn't your fault…what were you supposed to do?" Genie tried to comfort his friend.
"But Genie the girl…the girl was my sister"