Chapter Two: Something to Talk About

It was early, too early, it seemed, to be getting up to leave for a trip. Aladdin groaned as he opened his eyes and stared directly out the window. The sun was coming in with all its force, and to make matters worse, he had a headache from Genie's "alarm clock." Genie had just jumped out of his lamp moments ago, exclaiming, "Attention! It's time to get up, soldier!"

"Is it morning already?" Aladdin asked, rubbing his head in pain and wincing ever more at the bright sunlight.

"Sure thing, Al!" Genie happily shouted. "So, tell me, what would you prefer for breakfast this morning? Pancakes or French toast?"

"What?" Aladdin questioned, puzzled, having no clue what either of those things were.

"Never mind," Genie continued. "I'll just prepare some fresh fruit."

"Um, Genie, we're at the palace. I don't think that's necessary. The chefs have probably already prepared a meal for us. We'd better get dressed for a trip and hurry on down to the dining hall."

"Good idea, Al."

Genie morphed into an 18th century diplomat, powdered wig, knee-length trousers, tights, ruffled shirt, and everything. Aladdin just smiled slightly at his friend's zaniness and prepared himself for the trip. Oddly enough, neither Abu nor Iago were disturbed from sleeping during all this commotion. All the better, Aladdin thought. I don't want to have to deal with Iago right now, but it would be nice to say goodbye to Abu before leaving...

"You ready?" Genie asked.

"Yeah."

Genie and Aladdin left the bedroom and proceeded downstairs to the dining hall. Sultan and Jasmine were already there, ready for breakfast. They didn't look like they had been waiting for long, and that was a relief to Aladdin. He was worried about over-sleeping, especially after how late he had stayed up the previous night.

"Good morning," Sultan smiled. "Are you all ready?"

"Yep!" exclaimed Genie. "Packed and ready to go!"

"Good to hear," Sultan replied.

Aladdin sat down next to Jasmine and looked at her directly in the eyes, remembering their few moments of love they had shared last night. She smiled at her fiance and said simply, "Good morning to you, too, Aladdin."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Aladdin said, a little embarrassed. "Good morning, everyone."

At that moment, the chefs brought the food out. With little hesitation, they began to eat breakfast, enjoying their peaceful meal and time together before Aladdin and Genie would be leaving.

Meanwhile, back in the bedroom where Aladdin and the guys had slept, Iago stirred and opened his eyes. He looked around the room to see that Abu was still asleep and that Aladdin and Genie were no where in sight. He hadn't slept very well, and even though Aladdin and Genie didn't know it, Iago was awake when they had been talking earlier. The bird just kept his eyes shut, for he didn't want to talk to Aladdin. I'm glad he's leaving," thought Iago. Let him take Genie and do nothing to him, but oh, just let him go ahead and punish the monkey and me for a stupid food fight... He was jealous of the friendship that Aladdin shared with Genie, even though he would never admit it to them. He was also jealous of the fact that Aladdin seemed to go easier on Abu, in that he didn't directly yell at him, for what happened yesterday. As far as his narrow mind could see, he didn't think he had really done anything wrong, and he wouldn't dare apologize for no reason.

Abu turned on to his side next to Iago and accidenly rolled too far over, gently hitting the parrot in the feet.

"Excuse you, Monkey," muttered Iago.

Abu heard him and opened his eyes. He didn't know what was going on, but the instant he awoke, Iago pushed him rather roughly away.

"Get off!" he yelled.

"Huh?" Abu asked.

"Oh, you heard me!"

Abu shook his head "no" and ran away, but Iago wasn't about to let him get away that easy. He flew after the monkey, going down the hall and around the corner.

"So, the arrangements have been made, Aladdin," stated Sultan. "I will make sure Iago and Abu are put to work at once."

"Thanks, Sultan," Aladdin replied. "I get it's time to get going now."

"Yes, my boy, let's go out to the gates, where the caravan is waiting."

As they were walking out, Jasmine held Aladdin's hand tightly. "I can't believe you're actually going through with this," she remarked.

"What? You've know for a while now about the trip."

"No, not the trip, Aladdin. The fact that you want Iago and Abu to work in the palace while you're gone."

"Oh, that," Aladdin said, clearing his throat a little nervously. "Jasmine, we've talked about this. Something needed to be done."

"I suppose..."

"I won't be gone long. It's only for a week."

"Okay."

"Here we are," Sultan said, motioning toward the caravan. "Aladdin, Genie, much luck to you on your trip."

"Thanks a lot, Sultan!" Genie smiled. "I assure you, Aladdin and I will have a great time!"

"Goodbye, Jasmine," Aladdin solemnly said, hugging her tightly. "I'll miss you. Goodbye, Sultan."

"I'll miss you, too," Jasmine replied softly, "but you'll be back soon."

They ended their embrace, and Aladdin and Genie mounted their horses. They waved to Sultan and the others who were standing out there with them and left through the main gates.

As their figures became smaller in the distance, Jasmine looked on a little sadly. She didn't know why she suddenly felt so sad. She knew in her heart that she would see Aladdin again soon enough, but something inside her just didn't feel right. Maybe it was the tensions between Aladdin and his friends, but she couldn't be sure.

"Let's go inside, Jasmine," Sultan explained. "We have a busy day ahead of us."

She just nodded and followed her father into the palace. She thought that she should check on Abu and Iago to see if they were awake yet, so she went down the hallway until she came to the room they had slept in. She found it completely empty, and she began to wonder where they could have gone...perhaps to breakfast, so she went back to the dining hall, but they weren't there either.

"Good thinking," Iago said to Abu as a door shut behind them. "I must admit, for you having a banana brain, you actually do come up with some good ideas from time to time."

Abu didn't "say" anything. He just continued down some stairs and stopped once they reached a room.

They had come into this secret place to hide from the others, for neither one of them wanted to work. The place wasn't completely secret, for ever since Jafar had died, the sultan and Jasmine knew about the location of Jafar's secret lab. Iago and Abu would go there from time to time to look for maps that would lead to buried treasure, but the others didn't know about that.

They surveyed the dimly lit room, looking at the books and vials of heaven knows what. Iago flew up on to the top shelf and began rummaging through some old, dusty books. He coughed as the dust entered his mouth.

Abu was wandering around on the table full of vials when he accidently knocked one of them over, and the blue liquid fell on him. Startled, he shrieked and jumped off the table, jumping and running around in a frenzy.

"What did you do now, Monkey?" Iago asked, a bit annoyed. "You need to be more careful!"

"My name is not 'Monkey!'" yelled Abu. "It's 'Abu!'"

Both of them stopped dead in their tracks at that moment. Had Abu just spoken clear, coherent language? Abu covered his mouth up immediately, afraid to say another word. Iago just looked completely stunned, not sure what to say.

"Did you just talk, Abu?" he asked dumbly.

Abu nodded, his hands still covering his mouth.

"Oh, great," groaned the parrot. "The monkey is suddenly smart enough to talk now! What did you do?"

Abu looked offended by Iago's rude comment and spat, "I am not stupid, you know! Have you any idea how long I've waited to tell you off for all the names you've called me? I'm just as smart as you any day, even if I couldn't 'talk' like you."

"Whatever. What did you do, though? Did you hit something?"

"Um, just that vial over there."

Iago walked over to the vial and examined it closely. He looked at the inscription on the glass. It was written in Jafar's terribly awful handwriting.

"What does it say?" Abu questioned anxiously.

"Gimme a minute, geez..."

Iago read the inscription and dropped the vial. Something wasn't right.

"Well?" Abu pressed on.

"You...you're gonna..." Iago stuttered nervously.

"What?"

"Nothing," Iago said, regaining his composure. "It just gives you the ability to speak, that's all."

"Is there something you're not telling me?"

"No, of course not. Abu, why would I lie to you?"

"Funny, you do it all the time."

"Abu, can we please drop this?" Iago asked, sounding rather annoyed.

"Easy for you to say. You weren't suddenly hit with some weird potion that changed you. I'd read the bottle for myself if I could, but I can't read."

"Ha ha!" mocked Iago. "You can't read, so I guess you really are stupid!"

"Stop it!" Abu yelled. "I demand you tell me what that bottle says."

"I already told you. It didn't say anything other than you would be able to speak. Geez!"

"But," Abu whimpered. "Why did you act so strange before when you first read it? Iago, please, I'm begging you, tell me. Why don't you just drop this 'I don't care' attitude for once and tell me the truth?"

Iago could see that Abu looked really scared, almost on the verge of tears. Even Iago wasn't that mean that he would persist in lying to someone. He sighed heavily and looked at Abu.

"Okay, I'll tell you. It said that if you don't reverse the spell within a week, you will die."

Abu's face looked terrified, and he burst into tears. "But I don't wanna die! What did I do to deserve this? Now I wish I never would have come in here! This place is terrible..."

"There's a way to reverse it, I'm sure of that," said Iago, trying his best to sound hopeful. "Every spell has to have a reversal spell."

"How can you be so sure?"

"That's just the way magic is. You could even ask Genie if he were here, and he'd tell you the same thing."

"I hope so..." Abu whispered in fear.

Seeing Abu like this was too much for Iago to bear. He softened his brash exterior for the first time in a long time and went over to Abu. He hugged the little, scared monkey gently and let go.

"I'm...I'm sorry, Abu. You know it takes a lot for me to say it, but I really am sorry. I promise you won't die. I know I don't act like I care most of the time, especially toward you, but I do. You will be okay."

Abu couldn't help but to smile, for he knew that when Iago actually showed he cared, he meant it. To everyone's surprise at times, even Iago's, the bird proved that hidden inside himself was a heart of gold.

They prompty left the secret lab and returned to the normal part of the palace that actually had daylight. Once they entered the hallway, Jasmine spotted them.

"There you guys are," she began. "We've been looking all over for you. Where have you been?"

"It's a long story, Princess," Iago stated.

"Well, fine...but I don't have time right now. Father is expecting you two in the throne room. You know what Aladdin said about you working while he's gone. Well, my father has made the necessary arrangements. You had best not keep him waiting much longer."

"Um, Jasmine," Iago started, "I don't know if-"

"No, Iago," Jasmine firmly interrupted. "I don't want to hear it. No excuses. Please, just go."

Iago sighed and grabbed Abu's paw, pulling him along to the throne room. He wanted so badly to tell Jasmine what had happened, but he knew that his mouth had already gotten him into enough trouble. Abu was too afraid to speak in front of Jasmine, for he knew what the consequences of his curse were. Reluctantly, they went to the throne room, and as they entered, they saw Sultan sitting on his throne with a not so pleasant look on his face.

"Oh, boy," gulped Iago.