Arabian Night's Madness (A Jem & Aladdin fic)
-Author's Notes-
A/N: I have to admit, after reading this again, there are some things I wish I
would've done differently. It's kind of like when you watch an episode of Jem or
Aladdin, and you think to yourself, "How did Mozenrath already know that?" or
"Did the writers realize that Jem just called Kimber her sister in front of
Rio?" Also, I realize that Genie is more random than I had him be in this story.
He's hard to write for, and I love writers who can keep him going throughout the
story.
A/N2: Eric, Techrat, and Mechanicles all had the same voice actor.
A/N3: Britta Phillips-Jem's singing voice-sang "Mr. Big Stuff" in the movie
Satisfaction.
A/N4: I'm so glad I spellchecked this before submitting it. What a lot of errors! I cringed. I must've been typing pretty fast when I first wrote this.
One day, in an L.A. TV studio, Jem and the Holograms gathered,
ready for their segment in Video's documentary on the top three
hottest bands; the Holograms, the Misfits and the Stingers. The
Misfits, the Stingers, Eric and Techrat were waiting backstage.
Rio was in the sound booth, at the controls, Danse was onstage
with the Holograms and a couple of the Starlight Girls, Ashley
and Dierdre, had come along to watch all the action.
"This is so exciting!" Dierdre was saying. "When the
Holograms take a break, I'm gonna get Jem's autograph!"
"Dierdre, we live with Jem," Ashley pointed out. "And
besides, you have her autograph."
"I know," Dierdre said, "but I want to get her newest album
autographed." Dierdre held up the record album entitled, 'Look
Inside Yourself.'
"I think it's neat that they recorded the song Laura Halloway
wrote, plus made it the title cut," Ashley smiled. "The girl's
certainly come a long way."
Dierdre nodded, understanding what Ashley meant by this.
About a year ago, a girl by the name of Laura Halloway had come
to Starlight Mansion. Her parents had recently died, and Laura
felt as if she were alone in the world. She had met up with a
boy named Bobby Braddock, who had pretended to be Laura's
friend, when in reality, Bobby was a drug pusher, trying to land
another customer. Shortly after the whole ordeal, Jerrica, with
the help of Laura's therapist, had met with Social Services
about having Laura stay at Starlight Mansion for longer. This
was recommended by the therapist, because too much change while
trying to combat an addiction would likely have proven to be
unhealthy.
"Alright, let's take it from the top," Video was saying.
The band began to play, and Jem took her cue, and began to
sing 'Love is Here.'
"I still don't see why Jem has to go first," Pizzazz pouted.
"Maybe it's because Video knows them, and wanted to get the
easy footage out of the way," Stormer explained.
"Just what are you trying to say, yank?" Jetta demanded,
insulted by this.
"Well, I just meant-" Stormer fumbled for the right words.
"Truce or not," Roxy said, "I still think their music stinks.
Who believes in that goody-goody nonsense anyway?"
"I think it's kinda sweet," Stormer spoke up. The other three
Misfits gave her a funny look. "That is, if you're into that
sort of thing...nevermind."
"Stormer," Video called, after the Holograms finished their
number. "I wanna do some footage of you and Kimber." Stormer
rushed to the stage.
"Some things never change," Roxy muttered.
Just then, a female security guard entered.
"Do you mind?" Pizzazz demanded. "We're right in the middle
of-" Pizzazz stopped midsentence, as the security guard removed
a wig and mask. "Clash? Just what are you doing here? I thought
I told you-"
"Pizzazz, please give me one more chance and let me be a
Misfit!" Clash begged.
"Clash, it's like I told you before," Pizzazz explained,
putting an arm around the girl. "You're either born a Misfit, or
you're not. And you, my dear, don't have what it takes to be a
Misfit."
"Yeah," Jetta chimed in, "you don't even 'ave an instrument,
'cept those bloody symbols of yours."
"Besides," Roxy added, giving Jetta a meaningful look,
"four's crowded as it is."
Rapture watched this whole scene with amusement. This 'Clash'
might prove to be useful, if anything, as another pawn in one of
the mischievous rockstar's games. Rapture was always thinking
up a new game. It was how she viewed the world. Never once did
she look at something without thinking up ways to use it to her
advantage. Now, her sights were set on the Misfits' groupie.
"What are you up to now?" Minx asked, knowing her band mate
all too well.
"You'll see," Rapture smiled mischievously, as she
approached the Misfits.
"I realize you're into disguises," Roxy was saying to Clash,
"but you can take off that mask, now. We all know it's you."
"I'm not wearing a mask," Clash insisted.
"I thought it looked so life-like," Pizzazz laughed. Jetta
and Roxy joined her, laughing.
"Why don't you just leave her alone!" Rapture ordered,
walking up to the group.
"And just who's going to stop us?" Pizzazz demanded, hands on
hips.
"Me," Riot said, approaching the group as well. Then he took
Clash by the hand, and began leading her away. "We Stingers take
care of our own," he told Clash.
"I was getting bored, anyway," Pizzazz said, walking up to
Techrat. Minx had joined the scientist, as well, admiring one of
his latest gadgets.
"And just what is this?" Pizzazz asked, picking up the
contraption.
"Hey, don't touch that!" Techrat cried, grabbing for the
machine. "It hasn't been tested!"
"I'm just looking," Pizzazz insisted. The machine resembled a
laptop computer. On the screen, there was a scene that appeared
to be from a movie. A castle stood in the background, and people
with an Arabian look to them rushed through the market place
scene, buying goods.
"Oh, big deal," Roxy groaned, coming to look at the laptop.
"He's created a portable video player. And what's with this
movie! It looks like something a nine-year-old would watch!"
"Shows what you know, stupid American," Minx quipped. "It is
a transporter, which can send people to completely different
worlds. Techrat's been working on it for months."
"So, now the freak believes in Aliens," Pizzazz said
mockingly.
"Idiot," Minx retorted, not wanting to get into how the
machine worked. She had seen Techrat transport inanimate objects
with the machine, and just the other day, he had transported a
guinea pig. Anything transported would end up in the picture on
the screen. However, the machine had never been tested on a
human before.
"Let me see that," Roxy reached for the machine, grabbing it
from Techrat. "Let's at least watch something good."
"Give that back!" Techrat screamed. But it was too late. Roxy
had already typed several key strokes, before Techrat grabbed
the machine back. A white light shot out of a port on the back
of the machine, enveloping everybody in that part of the
building. When the light cleared, and Techrat could see again,
he was left alone with the laptop.
"Oh, no!" he gasped, looking at the screen. "They've all
landed in different parts of that world! It could take days to
find them all and bring them back!"
Meanwhile, in the Land of the Black Sand, Mozenrath leaned
back in his throne, satisfactorily. It had been months since
Khartoum had betrayed him, but Mozenrath was not a quitter.
Though Khartoum had taken his magic, the sorcerer had found a
way to regain the loss. The ordeal was painful, but not
impossible. There was a fountain, which could restore any
magical item to its full potential, provided the possessor of
said item was worthy of the item. If a con artist, or someone
who merely "played" with magic approached the well, they would
meet their doom. And, since Mozenrath had studied magic at an
early age, he had come out on top, and believed the gauntlet to
be more powerful than before Khartoum had stolen its magic.
Still, the wizard couldn't forgive Aladdin for what he had
done. The cocky brat had just left Mozenrath at his lowest
point. Not that Mozenrath would have wanted his worst enemy to
stick around at that time, but unless he was mistaken, heroes
weren't supposed to kick one while one was down. If Mozenrath
didn't hate Aladdin before, he did now.
"Mozenrath!" Xerxes' voice could be heard before he flew in
the window.
"What is it, Xerxes?" Mozenrath demanded through gritted
teeth. He hated being interrupted.
"Bugs!" the eel shrieked.
"What?" Mozenrath looked directly at his sidekick. "What are
you babbling about?"
"Bugs...out there!" Xerxes gestured with his tail.
"So?" Mozenrath wasn't afraid of a few small bugs. "Go eat
them."
"Can't," Xerxes shook his head.
Mozenrath looked out the window to see several, rather large,
mechanical bugs, which appeared to be cleaning up his kingdom.
Mechanicles sat in the drivers' seat of his large
contraption. He had heard of Agrabah's filth, and tried to clean
up the infested city a couple of times. However, that wretched
Aladdin and his germ-infested sidekicks had always gotten in the
way. He hadn't heard of the Land of the Black Sand until
recently, but from what he heard, it was more in need of a
spring cleaning than any other kingdom on his list. Anyplace
where the sand was black had to be absolutely filthy. "If I'm to
rule the world, we can't have places like this," the Greek said.
"Go, my minions! Get rid of every speck of dirt you see! I want
to see my face in these streets!"
"Oh, that can be arranged, Mozenrath said evenly, as he
neared the deranged lunatic. With one blast from his gauntlet,
Mozenrath destroyed the machine Mechanicles was driving, causing
the little man to go crashing down, landing on his butt.
"You miserable wretch!" Mechanicles screamed. "How DARE you
get me all filthy! I just had this tunic cleaned!"
"And how dare YOU invade my kingdom with your scrap metal!"
Mozenrath gestured to the bugs, who were still cleaning the
city, getting rid of every speck of sand.
"They're NOT scrap metal!" Mechanicles shouted. "They're my
latest creations!"
"They look like scrap metal," Mozenrath said, as he shot a
blast of magic, destroying every last one of the machines.
"How DARE you!" Mechanicles shouted angrily.
"Oh, that's just a walk in the park, compared to what I'll do
to you, you deranged freak! And the more you scream, the worse
it's going to be for your sorry hide! I can't stand your voice!"
Mechanicles slowly backed away as Mozenrath raised his
gauntlet. But before he could fire a blast, two women, one with
green hair, and one with white hair landed on him, knocking him
down. A man in a business suit landed on Mechanicles. The two
villains looked around, as more people were landing in
Mozenrath's kingdom. There was a blue-haired woman, a red-head,
two blonde women, a man with the same colour of blonde hair, and
a woman with red hair that had blue streaks through it.
"More intruders!" Mozenrath muttered.
"Get off me, you filthy wretch!" Mechanicles tossed Eric
Raymond aside with incredible strength for him.
"Hey, watch it!" Eric growled, facing the little man.
"How dare you land on me like that!" Mechanicles screamed.
"Now, I can never wear this tunic again!"
"Stop making fun of me!" Eric shouted. "I do not talk like
that!"
"Who's making fun?" Mechanicles asked. "You're the one
mocking ME!"
"They do sound alike," Stormer commented. "Do you suppose
they're related somehow?"
"Nah," Roxy said, "they don't even look alike!"
"I don't care who's related to who!" Mozenrath bellowed,
throwing Pizzazz and Roxy off of him. "I'll give you all one minute
to get out of
my kingdom before I have my mamluks escort you out!"
"YOUR kingdom?" Pizzazz demanded. "Yeah, right. I'm older
than you, and all I have is a music company."
"Until Eric bought it from your father and gave half to
Riot," Rapture pointed out.
"You shut up!" Pizzazz snapped. "Where are we, anyway?" she
directed this question to Mozenrath.
"The land of the Black Sand," Mozenrath answered. "My
kingdom."
"Possibly the filthiest place on Earth," Mechanicles
commented.
"You still here?" Mozenrath asked.
Pizzazz looked about ready to explode. "This is all Techrat's
fault! Him and his dumb inventions!"
"Roxy had to go and mess with the machine," Jetta pointed
out.
"Shut up, Brit!" Roxy quipped.
"Make me, lowlife!" Jetta retorted.
"Gladly!" Roxy pushed Jetta to the ground. Jetta grabbed
Roxy's legs, forcing her down as well. Roxy pulled Jetta's hair,
and Jetta returned the favour. Soon, the two 'ladies' were
throwing kicks, punches, slaps, and insults at one-another, even
using their nails as weapons.
"Enough!" Mozenrath zapped the two, separating them. "I
demand an explanation!" he bellowed. "Where did you all come
from?"
"We're from the 1980s," Stormer explained. "We're all famous
rockstars from Southern California."
"Except Eric," Minx said, "he's just a typical American music
executive."
"And Clash couldn't carry a tune in a bucket," Roxy added.
"We were sent here 'cause roxy had to go and-" Jetta began.
"Jetta," Roxy glared at her band mate. "SHUT UP!" Mozenrath
gave the two a warning look.
"Hey, if we're here," Pizzazz said thoughtfully, "then that
means Jem and the Holo-twits will be at the top of the charts!
They don't even have the Stingers to compete with!" She marched
over to Eric, grabbing him by the lapels. "This is all your
fault!" she screamed.
"My fault?" Eric was shocked.
"You hired that weirdo!"
"Techrat's not a weirdo, he's a genius!" Eric argued.
"Wait a minute," Roxy said thoughtfully. "If Kimber's here,
then Jem and the Holograms aren't a complete band!"
Pizzazz let Eric go, interested in where Roxy was going with
this.
"All we have to do is find a way to get home, leave Little
Miss Kimber here, and we'll be at the top! If we got here, then
surely there's a way to get back."
Mozenrath looked at Roxy. Maybe she and her companions could
be of use to him. He, of course, didn't know anything about
their world, let alone how to reach it, but they didn't need to
know that. "I can get you back to your world," he smiled."
In downtown Agrabah, Jem, Rio, Aja, Raya, Shana, Video,
Danse, Ashley and Dierdre had just arrived and were looking for
someone who might be able to help them.
"What exactly happened?" Ashley wondered aloud.
"I don't know," Jem answered honestly.
"One minute, Kimber and Stormer had just finished performing
'I'm Ok,' and the next, we ended up here," Raya said.
"Where is Kimber, anyway?" Shana wondered.
"I don't know," Aja shook her head. "When that light flashed,
it was impossible to see anything.
"We'll have to keep going until we get some answers," Jem
said.
"Look up in the sky!" Ashley cried, pointing up.
The group looked up to see a flying rug with two people on
it.
"This was a wonderful idea," Jasmine was saying to Aladdin.
"It's a beautiful day for a flight over Agrabah."
"It still doesn't compare to your beauty," Aladdin said,
leaning in to kiss his wife. Suddenly, something caught his eye.
"Look down there," he pointed. Down below, a group of strangers
who looked to be from far away were walking down a street.
Several of them had oddly coloured hair.
"They look lost," Jasmine said. "Maybe we can help them."
Aladdin made ready to land Carpet near the group.
As the couple on the carpet approached Jem and the gang, the
group got excited.
"I just hope they speak our language," Rio whispered.
"Well, if they don't, we've certainly done enough traveling
to pick up a language or two," Jem said optimistically.
"Welcome to Agrabah," the woman said, stepping off Carpet.
"I'm Princess Jasmine, and this is my husband, Aladdin. You guys
must be new to Agrabah."
"You could say that," Aja laughed a little.
"You're not gonna believe this," Ashley spoke up, "but we're
not even from this universe."
"That's more believable than you know," Aladdin said, ready
to listen to their story.
"Now, do we have a deal?" Mozenrath asked the Misfits. "You
take care of that street urchin Aladdin, and bring me his magic
lamp, and I'll send you back to your own world."
"And you'll keep Kimber here?" Pizzazz asked.
"Of course," Mozenrath smiled. Kimber had been taken away by
two mamluks, screaming all the way.
"Where's Stormer?" Roxy demanded.
"Who cares?" Pizzazz said. "The little wimp's probably
cowering in a corner, or something. We don't need her." The
three Misfits climbed aboard a winged camel and headed toward
Agrabah.
"I can't believe you let them loose with all that magic,"
Eric told Mozenrath.
"I'll do what it takes to see that street rat suffer,"
Mozenrath said.
"But giving weapons to the Misfits is putting your life on
the line," Eric insisted.
"You could have at least taken a couple of my inventions,"
Mechanicles added.
Mozenrath had had enough of this scrawny wimp's annoying
voice. How to eliminate him. The wimp certainly hated to be
dirty, so Mozenrath sent a blast at the annoying man, ripping a
huge hole in his chest.
"Oh, drat," Mechanicles said, as he breathed his last breath.
"Blood stains are so hard to wash out!"
"Let that be a lesson to you," he told Eric, "next time you
try to tell ME what to do!" Mozenrath sent a cascade of dirt
over Mechanicles' corpse. It seemed fitting.
A few minutes later, Rapture walked up to Mozenrath with a
jade-coloured chunk of glass that Mechanicles' machine had made
when it drover over the sand. "Can I have this?" she asked
Mozenrath.
"Go for it," Mozenrath shrugged. "It has no magical value.
It's worthless."
"Oh, you'd be surprised," Rapture smiled mischievously,
pocketing the trinket.
After Aladdin and Jasmine heard the Holograms' story, they
decided it would be best to take everybody to the palace.
"Maybe Genie can get you back to your own world," Jasmine
told them.
"Genie?" Ashley wondered. "As in he grants wishes?"
Aladdin and Jasmine exchanged glances. They were used to that
kind of reaction where Genie was concerned.
Once at the palace, Aladdin filled Genie in on the newcomers'
story.
"The 1980s, huh?" Genie asked thoughtfully. "You mean, when
MTV still played music videos, and things like jelly bracelets
were in?"
"Actually, we have VTV," Dierdre explained. "But I do own
several jelly bracelets."
"Oh, that 1980s," Genie said. "I'll have to consult the Big
Book of Space & Time on that one." With that, a huge book
appeared, and Genie began scanning its pages. "Oh, you can
travel through time in a DeLorian! Cool!" Genie exclaimed.
"Do you have any idea what he's talking about?" Jasmine
whispered to Aladdin.
"Not a clue," Aladdin responded.
Finally, Genie found the page he was looking for. "It looks
like you were sent here from your own world," he explained to
Jem and the others. "Someone invented a machine that went crazy,
spontaneously sending you all here. The only way you can get
back is if someone from your own world knows where you are and
uses the same machine to send you home."
"But we could be waiting forever," Aja said.
Jem wondered if Synergy couldn't help them get back to their
own world. But to suggest it would mean revealing her secret to
Rio, Video and Danse; that she, Jem, was in reality, Jerrica
Benton. Rio would be angry with her for having kept such a
secret for all these years, but she had to risk it, in order to
get everybody back home.
Before Jem could make the suggestion, Rasoul entered the room.
"Your Highness," he said to Princess Jasmine, "there's a
young woman here, wishing to speak to Aladdin. She says her
name's Stormer, and she has blue hair-" Rasoul gestured to Aja,
"darker than hers, with a plastic flower in it."
"Stormer!" Jem repeated. "She got sent here, too?"
"You know her?" Jasmine asked.
"She's a member of another rock band from our time," Jem
explained.
"Send her in, Rasoul," Jasmine ordered.
"YEs, Your Highness," Rasoul said, bowing slightly before
leaving the room.
A few minutes later, a breathless Stormer entered the room.
"You've got to help me!" were the first words out of her mouth
when she saw Aladdin and Jasmine. Then she noticed Jem and the
others. "You got sent here, too!" she observed, brightening up a
bit.
"Stormer, what's wrong?" Jem asked.
"Kimber's been captured!" Stormer got out. "And, if you
really are Aladdin," she said to Aladdin, "then you're in
danger, as well. You see, the other Misfits, the Stingers, Eric,
Kimber, and I were teleported to a place called the Land of the
Black Sand..." Stormer went to explain the whole story.
"This sounds like bad news," Jem said.
"We've dealt with Mozenrath before," Jasmine explained.
"We'll make sure your friend is safe," Aladdin added. "We'll
have to leave immediately."
"We're going, too," Jem said with authority. "She's my
sis-our band mate, and I know I can't just sit still knowing
she might be in danger."
"Besides," Shana added, "we've dealt with the Misfits
before."
"Great," Jasmine said, "let's go."
Back in the Land of the Black Sand, Riot glared
disapprovingly at his surroundings.
"Problem?" Mozenrath demanded of the Stingers' lead singer.
"Someone as perfect as I am can't be burdened with waiting
around in a dump like this," Riot answered. The place was bleak,
with lack of spark or fashion. He couldn't believe anybody would
want to rule a place like this.
"This is MY kingdom you're talking about," Mozenrath said
irritably.
"Then maybe you should think of hiring a decorator," Riot
went on. "And tell those...things-" Riot gestured to the
mamluks nearby- "not to stand so close to me. They're
distorting my perfect beauty."
"How DARE you order me around like a lowly peasant,"
Mozenrath shouted. Never had he met anybody more self-absorbed
and arrogant. "If you keep talking, I'll permanently DESTROY
your 'perfect beauty'."
"How DARE you speak to a guest that way!" Riot shouted back.
Mozenrath nearly laughed out loud. "In case you've forgotten,
nobody INVITED you here. You're lucky I didn't just kill you all
for trespassing!"
"And you're lucky Riot gave you the time of day," Minx said.
"Stupid American."
"Idiot," Mozenrath retorted. "I'm not 'American'."
"You could have fooled me," Minx glared at the sorcerer.
"I've had just about enough," Mozenrath said, raising his
right hand. "You'll treat me with the respect I deserve, or you
can join Mechani...whatever."
Rapture looked long and hard at Mozenrath. Then, she surveyed
her band mates. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," she finally
said.
"Oh? And why not?" Mozenrath asked, a bit of sarcasm in his
voice.
"Well, you seek power, don't you?" she asked. "I could see it
in your Aura. Minx and Riot are both very powerful."
"Are they?" Mozenrath asked. "And just why should I believe
anything you have to say? You'd probably say just about anything
to save their pathetic lives."
"I probably would," Rapture agreed. "But that's because
beings like them are very hard to come by. You see, I never hang
out with mortals. They're much to mundane to consort with."
Now, Mozenrath looked interested.
"Riot's mother is a beautiful enchantress, from the forest
where I grew up. And his father, in our own world, is the god of
the wind. So, Riot here is half god."
"Interesting..." Mozenrath mused. "And what about her?"
"Well, Minx's parents were both gods. Her mother is Venus,
the goddess of love and beauty. And her father is Helios, the
god of the sun. So, Minx here is a goddess, as well."
"So, then," Mozenrath asked suspiciously. "Why would a
goddess and a demi-god hang out with the likes of you?"
"Well," Rapture went on, enjoying this game. "As I said, I
grew up in an enchanted forest. I'm an earth fairy. I was born
of trees and flowers."
"Then show me your true form."
"We do not use our magic merely for the entertainment of
others," Riot said, playing along. "I'd expect such a demand
from a mortal, but not from a fine sorcerer such as yourself."
Before Mozenrath could respond, Xerxes flew to him. "Aladdin
here!" he said.
"What?" Mozenrath demanded. "Does he know anything about our
plans?"
"Blue-haired girl with him," Xerxes told him.
"And what about the other Misfits?" Mozenrath demanded.
"Fell off camel," Xerxes explained. "Green-haired girl mad."
Mozenrath grabbed Xerxes and threw him into a wall. "Aladdin
won't get in my way again!" he vowed.
Back at the studio, Techrat hit keystroke after keystroke to
get everybody back. He could have just left them all where they
were, but he wasn't sure how that would affect space and time.
Besides, Eric paid him good money, even if the scientist didn't
feel appreciated.
The first two Techrat found were Ashley and Dierdre. "I hope
this works," he said to himself, as he punched in a code.
A few seconds later, Ashley and Dierdre appeared. "We're
back!" Ashley exclaimed.
"Hey, who are you?" Dierdre asked Techrat.
"There's no time for formal introductions," Techrat
explained. "Those troublesome Misfits tampered with my machine,
and now I have to bring everybody back. It took four hours just
to find you two."
"Be ready for anything," Aladdin cautioned everybody. "Who
knows what Mozenrath has up his sleeve this time?"
No sooner had Aladdin said this, than several mamluks rose
up from the ground, armed with swords.
"Yuck," Shana said, "someone could use a facial."
"Those are mamluks," Aladdin explained. "Mozenrath's undead
guards."
The mamluks advanced on the group, but Aladdin and Jasmine
had fought them before.
"I hate these things!" Stormer screamed, as one grabbed her.
Then, it flew into the air and landed, shattering into a million
pieces. Stormer turned to see Aja, smiling with satisfaction.
"Thanks, Aja," Stormer said.
The group took out mamluks left and right. Aja karate-kicked
a few more. As one neared Jem, she snuck up behind it, grabbed
it by one leg, swinging it around and sending it flying. Then,
she wrinkled her nose as she realized she was still holding the
mamluk's appendage in her hand. "Yuck!" she whined, dropping
the severed leg. "How do you guys fight these things?"
"It doesn't get any easier," Aladdin said, tossing a pair of
hands aside.
As more mamluks approached, Jem pressed her earring.
"Synergy," she whispered, "we need a distraction."
"As you wish," said Synergy's voice from the earring.
A few seconds later, Mozenrath appeared about thirty yards
away.
"You fools!" he said to the mamluks. "I thought I told you
to let them pass!" The mamluks looked at their master, not sure
what to do. "Did you hear me, or am I speaking another
language?" Mozenrath demanded. "Step aside and let them
through!"
The mamluks obeyed, letting the group into Mozenrath's
kingdom.
After Aladdin, Jasmine, Genie, the Holograms, Video, Rio, and
Danse had passed, Mozenrath disappeared with a pink flash of
light.
The real Mozenrath had watched the whole scene, and had even
witnessed Jem press her earring and talk to someone named
Synergy, before his image had appeared. He would have appeared
at the scene to wreak some real havoc, but decided to just let
those fools come for their little friend. Those earrings
possessed magic, and he, Mozenrath, would soon own them.
While he waited, Mozenrath decided to check up on Pizzazz,
Jetta and Roxy. They were of no use to him now, so it would be
amusing to watch them.
In the desert, Roxy was fuming mad at Jetta, as usual. "If you hadn't pushed
me, we wouldn't have gone out of control!" she screamed.
"That bloody beast spit on me!" Jetta insisted.
"So take it out on me!" Roxy continued to shout. "I'll land you right into next
week!" Roxy drew back a fist, ready to punch Jetta.
"Wait a minute!" Pizzazz stopped her. "This is all that wimpy wizard's fault!
That disgusting creature was out of control! And what's wrong with traveling
in style?"
"I doubt he even knows how to get us back home," Roxy seethed.
"I'm beginning to doubt there's an Aladdin, meself," Jetta added.
"C'mon, Misfits," Pizzazz ordered. "We'll show Mozentrash just what it means to
make a fool out of the Misfits."
Back at Mozenrath's castle, the sorcerer waited as Aladdin and his band of
losers entered.
"Aladdin, how nice to see you!" he said evenly.
"Cut the formalities, Mozenrath," Aladdin said angrily. "Let Kimber go!"
Mozenrath glared at Aladdin. "And what if I don't?" he wondered.
"Let her go!" Jem ordered.
Mozenrath looked at the pink-haired rock singer. "She means something to you,
doesn't she?" Mozenrath asked. "I can see it in your eyes. In fact, I can
see a lot more than you would like me to." There was something about this woman,
as if she had much to hide underneath. "I think a private conference is
in order," he told Jem, leading her out of the room.
"Get your hands off her!" Riot and Rio both rushed at Mozenrath simultaneously.
"Out of my way, boy scout!" Riot snarled, pushing Rio aside, "Jem is mine!"
"She isn't your property!" Rio countered, shoving Riot back.
Mozenrath zapped them both. "You'll not interfere, if you want your precious
girlfriend and her sis-I mean, her band mate to live."
Oh no! A million thoughts ran through Jem's head. How could Mozenrath know her
secret? He hadn't seen her more than five minutes!
"What could Mozenrath be up to?" Jasmine whispered.
"I don't know," Aladdin said, "but I don't like it."
"Someone should do something," Raya said.
"I'm doing the best I can!" Genie called. Mozenrath had set up a barrier, and
Genie was trying to disable it. He zapped up a chainsaw, and began hacking
away at it, only to have the chainsaw shatter into a million pieces.
"I have a bad feeling about this," Shana whispered to Aja. Aja nodded in
understanding.
"Kimber is of no use to me," Mozenrath was saying to Jem. "I have every
intention of letting her go."
"But there's a catch," Jem guessed, noting the tone of Mozenrath's voice. He
was acting the same way Eric Raymond had when she, as Jerrica, had tried
to get back her mother's master tapes.
"Most perceptive," Mozenrath smiled. "Like I said, Kimber is of no use to me.
But you have something that is, Jem...or should I say JERRICA?"
"How did you know..." Jem's worst assumption was correct.
"I saw you use the earrings, and I can tell that you have a secret identity.
Let's just say it's one of my abilities."
"What does this have to do with Kimber?" Jem asked.
"I could get a lot of use out of those earrings, They aren't exactly my style,
but my magic could alter their appearance. You give me the earrings, and
I'll let your sister go."
Meanwhile, in Mozenrath's dungeon, Kimber struggled against her chains. There
had to be a way to loosen them a bit. Then, she thought of her hairclip.
Maybe the metal bracket could double as a lock pick.
Carefully, Kimber reached for the hairclip and unclasped it.
Back at the TV studio, Techrat hit a couple more keystrokes. A couple of
minutes later, Minx and Rapture appeared in the room.
"It worked!" he cried.
"But what about the others?" Rapture wondered.
"I can only bring people back a few at a time," Techrat explained. "It's a long
and complicated process."
The two ladies noticed Ashley and Dierdre sitting on a couch nearby, having
fallen asleep. It had been another four hours since they had returned, since
time moved faster in their world.
In Mozenrath's throne room, the others stared in shock as Minx and Rapture
disappeared.
"Where did they go?" Stormer wondered.
Before anyone could answer her, the other three Misfits stormed in.
"Where's that no-account loser!" Pizzazz screamed.
"If you mean Mozenrath, he took Jem to talk to her about something," Aladdin
explained.
Pizzazz began to head down the hall.
"Um, he has a barrier up," Jasmine warned her.
"I've been working on breaking it for awhile," Genie panted, beads of sweat
forming on his forehead.
"Outta my way!" Pizzazz ordered, pushing Genie aside. Then, she took a couple
of steps back, ran at where she guessed the barrier was, and gave it a swift
kick. Because she was so angry, her kick had incredible impact, shattering the
barrier.
"I wish I'd thought of that," Genie said.
"So, do we have a deal?" Mozenrath asked Jem.
Jem was about to answer, when suddenly, the door was kicked open, and Pizzazz
appeared in the room, extremely angry.
"You lousy excuse for a sorcerer!" Pizzazz fumed.
"Nice to see you, too, Pizzazz," Mozenrath smiled.
"Cut the crap!" Roxy snapped. "Nobody, but nobody makes a fool out of the
Misfits!"
Pizzazz pulled out a magic item Mozenrath had given her to use against Aladdin
and company. He had told her that if she aimed and concentrated hard enough,
a red beam would shoot out, making its victim feel as if they were being burned
to death.
"Not my fault you can't ride a camel," Mozenrath quipped.
"Shut up!" Pizzazz screamed, shooting a beam at Mozenrath. Mozenrath ducked out
of the way, and fired a blast from his gauntlet, barely missing Pizzazz.
"That was a warning shot," he told her. "You don't want to mess with me!"
Pizzazz didn't listen, and continued to fire at Mozenrath. Soon, it was a
battle of magic weapons. Everybody else quickly ducked out of the room. Eric
had approached the room, and stayed a safe distance away to watch the scene.
Jem had used this 'interuption' to look for her sister. She had to be somewhere
in this castle. As she turned down a passage, she came face-to-face with
her band mate. The two embraced, and then disappeared to reappear back in their
own time.
Soon, everybody, except for Eric and the Misfits had been returned to their own
time. Techrat wanted to punish them for starting the chaos in the first
place, and he also didn't want Eric standing over his shoulder telling him how
to do his job.
Pizzazz had finally succeeded in hitting Mozenrath with the fire beam. The
wizard doubled over in pain. "I'll get you for this!" he shouted, among a stream
of swear words.
"Serves you right," Jetta told him.
"You don't even know how to get us back home, do you?" Roxy questioned.
"So what if I don't? You believed I did, and you'd never met me before. It just
goes to show how dumb you are."
"I am not dumb!" Pizzazz said angrily.
"But you have an annoying voice," Mozenrath countered. "I should vaporize you
for using it."
"Go right ahead," Pizzazz dared him. The wizard was still doubled over in pain,
he couldn't hurt her.
"Very well," Mozenrath said, shooting a blast at the green-haired harpy. When
the dust cleared, Pizzazz and even Eric, Roxy, Stormer and Jetta had
disappeared.
"Hmmm, my powers are even stronger than I thought," Mozenrath commented.
The Misfits, of course, had not been vaporized. Right at the time Mozenrath had
fired, Techrat had hit the final keystroke to bring them home. Now, Pizzazz
turned her wrath on the scientist. "I'll KILL you!" she screamed.
"Pizzazz, you need a nap," Eric said calmly.
A week later, Jerrica and the Holograms were watching the documentary Video had
filmed. Their trip to Agrabah and the Land of the Black sand had inspired
the videographer to start the ball rolling for a new Jem movie.
"I think the movie would be outrageous!" Kimber chirped. "Though," she said in
a more serious tone, "I wouldn't like to live it again."
"Hey, is that Jem's latest hit?" Dierdre asked, as a new Jem music video came
on the screen. "I don't think I've heard it before."
"Aja wrote it," Kimber explained. "She did pretty good for her first attempt at
writing a song."
As the video ended, the title "Mr. Big Stuff" with "Jem & the Holograms"
underneath it appeared.
THE END