A Very Merry Agrabah Christmas
A/N: I know it's not Christmas, but this little idea popped to mind... all characters belong to Disney. Enjoy!
"... and so, kids, we shall wear these festive hats and sing happy songs!"
Genie finished his speech with a great flourish, and upon staring at the three faces in front of him, wondered if they were more perplexed about Christmas or the fact that Genie had transformed into Santa Claus, long white beard and all.
Over his travels, Genie had seen this holiday known as Christmas celebrated in various countries – the decorated trees, the families singing together, the exchanging of gifts. Excitedly, he had returned to Agrabah with hopes of celebrating the holiday with Aladdin, only to receive the response of: "What's Christmas?"
Genie had initially been disappointed with Aladdin's question, but once Genie had filled him in, Aladdin had become as equally as excited about the event, and had suggested to invite the Princess into the holiday as well, the three of them celebrating. But Genie had argued this point – Christmas was a family occasion, and as such, everyone had to be invited, otherwise it would all fall apart.
But based on the expressions of the Sultan, Jasmine and Jafar, it appeared that they would need more convincing than Aladdin had needed to join in.
For his part, the Sultan seemed quite excited about it. "Excellent idea!" the Sultan proclaimed, clapping his hands together. "It's about time we had some fun around here!"
His attitude was in directly opposite to those of Jasmine and Jafar, who were outwardly less excited about this idea. Jasmine looked uncertainly at her fiancé, and the excitement that he shared with Genie, then at the happiness on her father's face. "I suppose so..." she said slowly, wondering if this was a wise idea. Genie had already promised the drink of egg-nag, and had promised that everyone would be drinking it. Like everyone but Genie, she was yet to taste any alcohol, and couldn't imagine that it was going to be a good idea for anyone.
Jafar seemed to have the attitude that the whole Christmas idea wasn't good, as he sniffed and started to walk out of the room. "Enjoy yourselves; I'm not singing any happy songs, especially with you lot."
Genie shrugged, the man's temperament not dampening his mood. "Have it your way, but you'll miss out on the gifts."
Jafar and Iago glanced at each other, before he turned. "What sort of gifts...?"
Genie grinned. "One wish for everyone... other than the three exclusions, of course!"
Aladdin swallowed nervously, and leant towards Genie, lowering his voice quietly so the others couldn't hear. "Ahem, remember the last time you made offer of wishes to Jafar?"
In response, he received a crushing hug from Genie. "Lighten up kiddo! I'm sure it won't be so bad this time!"
Judging by the very thoughtful expression that had crossed Jafar's face, Aladdin didn't quite believe him.
*
By the time dinner had finished and the group were well tucking into the egg-nag, Genie wondered whether had been wise to allow everyone a wish, without any limitations other than the usual ones.
For everyone but two, the wishes had been predictable and boring, easy to provide:
Aladdin had wanted a promise that he would be with Jasmine forever and ever. Absolutely no surprise there, though Genie wondered whether a wish of integrity would've been better given.
Iago and Abu's wishes had involved food, both lack of and more of – no more "blasted, stinking crackers" for Iago as long as he could live, and an unlimited supply of bananas for Abu. Carpet had wanted a nice cleaning, to get years of sand and dirt from people trodding on it out.
For these wishes, Genie had simply sighed, pointed, and went 'poof' (though for Aladdin, it was more a simple matter of just telling him). Honestly, he wondered, one wish that they could have, and they wished for such simple things.
Of course, there never was any middle ground, and the wishes that had come bursting out of Jasmine and Jafar's mouths were, if Genie was truthful with himself, frightening.
Genie had had to say no to most of Jafar's suggestions, either a) he'd already had them, b) the Genie couldn't do them or c) the wish just spooked him out too much that he wasn't sure he could bring himself to do it. The wish Genie had finally granted him wasn't much better than anything Jafar had suggested previously, and he was absolutely certain that if Aladdin didn't kill Jafar first, the Sultan would certainly behead him, but he was scared for Jafar's remaining ideas and had found himself saying yes.
Aladdin had tried to influence Jasmine's wish, the last of everyone to cast theirs, by saying that she ought to wish for her to be with him forever. To Genie's amusement, Jasmine had informed him that she could wish for whatever she wanted, and considering Aladdin had already wished for essentially the same thing, it made little sense for both of them to wish for it. And then, with a small, twisted smile on her face, she whispered to Genie her wish, which if Genie had feet, it would've literally knocked him off them.
But he'd said yes to that also, and had made the wish for himself to be away from the palace, as far as he could be, the following morning, for it was proving itself to be a nightmare.
And would be worse so, by the state of the current drinkers.
Abu and Iago had long passed out from the egg-nag, with very little of the drinking causing them to do so – Abu asleep on a pile of bananas and Iago inside an empty crackers box.
The Sultan was talking to absolutely no one, or at least, no one that was listening to him, as he discussed the olden days, but Genie could see his eyelids slipping down further and further as he began to join the animals in their alcohol-induced sleep.
Aladdin never noticed as Genie quickly and silently pointed a finger towards the Princess and Jafar, sitting next to each other at the table. Aladdin, it seemed, had the tendency to turn into an emotional drunk, going on about what wedding plans he and Jasmine should make, and about what wonderful children they would have, ruling over Agrabah together. Lost in his tipsy state of happiness, Aladdin failed to notice the movement of Jasmine's arm under the table, or the dazed, relaxed state that had fallen over Jafar's face, a relaxation that had absolutely nothing to do with the egg-nog.
Aladdin was so immune to the behaviour on the opposite side of the table, that Genie was certain that he could allow the pair to carry out their wishes right there on the table, but he was not one to want to watch that sort of behaviour, and he was pretty sure that when Aladdin and the Sultan came around properly again, that they wouldn't want to wake up to it, either.
So he was relieved when Jafar stood up, murmured words to Jasmine that no one else could make out, brushed his robes down in an orderly fashion and stalked out of the room, calling out a hoarse "good night" to all and leaving Iago behind in his crackers box.
Only minutes later did Jasmine stand up also, walking around the table and giving Aladdin a kiss on the cheek, as his face slowly slipped down to meet the table. She waited patiently until Aladdin was against the table before she looked up at Genie. "Genie... where's my wish?" she asked, her voice sweet as pie.
Inwardly sighing, but somewhat pleased that the man was going to get what he deserved, Genie flicked his finger towards her. Jasmine's blue outfit was immediately replaced by a red harem outfit, a far slinkier outfit than she had worn when she was Jafar's slave, with the shortest skirt that Genie had ever seen on a woman. She glanced down at herself, pouted, and looked back up at Genie. "If I'm to spend the whole night with him as per his wish, I want all of mine."
With another flicker of the finger, Jasmine smiled at the long black whip that appeared in her hand. "Much better," she declared, stroking the whip lovingly with her fingers as she walked off in the direction Jafar had left in.
And the Genie waited.
The sudden distant crack echoed lightly in the air, but all through the palace, Jafar's blood-curling scream could be heard long into the night.
A very merry Christmas, indeed.
Fin
