A/N: Wow, I'm disappointed in myself. It's been over a year since I first posted this. I'm so sorry to the few people following the story. .
I just hope that this chapter is good. (Also I apologize in advance about everyone probably being massively out of character, but I especially apologize for Genie. I cannot write Genie right. Robin Williams was a genius I can't mimic in the slightest. I bring in my defense that this is an AU and I get to decide how I write them. I'm innocent, I swear.)
Still don't own Aladdin.
(P.S.: I've done a bit of editing to chapter one, nothing major but it just reads better so if you have time you could go check it out.)
It is the glare of the sun that wakes him.
Rolling over in his soft bed, Aladdin thinks to himself, 'Wow, must have been a great haul yesterday if I'm letting myself sleep in. I've never slept after the sun rises except when I manage to get enough food to last several days.'
His brows furrow. 'Wait, why is my bed so soft? I feel like I'm on a cloud, not a sack of hay.' Groaning, he lifts his head slightly, not wanting to leave the heavenly bed he's in, but determined to solve the mystery. When his eyes open, he squints to block out the sunlight, and then stares in shock. "What the hell?! Where am I?"
The tap-tap-tap of quickly approaching feet draws his attention, and he turns to watch a short boy hurry up to him, relief on his face. "Al, thank god you're okay! We were all so worried!" At the blank look the boy received from Aladdin, his eyes widen in understanding. "Oh, Al, I know you're confused, but it's me, Abu! I don't know how, but I swear it's me!"
"...Abu? I don't-what? You're human? But-how are you Abu?"
"I don't know for sure, but I've been thinking about it and I'm almost positive it has something to do with that genie - and let me tell you, I might have been smart for a monkey, but as a human I'm so smart, I can't believe-"
Aladdin let his best friend continue to talk about the differences between being a monkey and a human ("Not much, to be honest, the two are really similar, see...") as he remembers the day before, trying to think back to the moment things changed.
"Genie, I wish for you to make me a prince."
"Alright! Here we go!"
'So this is all because of my wish...what did Genie do? I have to ask him, but where-the lamp!' Aladdin lunges out of the bed, startling Abu with his sudden movement, grabbing the lamp that he vaguely remembers to have set on the bedside table yesterday.
He lands on his side on the floor, and his body protests the sudden movements. He rubs the side and coughs as the lamp erupts into smoke. Genie appears with a wide yawn and a shout. "Ah, that was a great nap! Hey Al! I see you're getting settled in! I'm glad, I put a lot of work into fulfilling your wish!"
"Genie, what's going on? Why, do I have all these conflicting memories, and-and why and how is Abu a human, and-why do these people recognize me as a prince?!" Aladdin's voice rises into nearly a shriek by the end of his sentence, and he's worked himself into a nervous frenzy by the end.
"What'd'ya mean, Al? I made you a prince, like you wished! I almost just stuck you into a Prince's clothes and gave you a bunch of wealth, but there's more to being a prince than clothing and money! I should know! Doing anything less than my best work would be lazy of me, and would bring me shame! So I made you a true Prince!"
Aladdin feels dread begin to churn in his stomach. He doesn't know how to be a Prince, he doesn't know how to be the ruler of a kingdom - he had just had a crush on a girl he met once and was supremely out of his league! He hadn't meant to completely change the entire universe!
Before he can say any of this however, Genie speaks. His voice is oddly stern, and it doesn't really fit the jolly blue being. "You were a street rat, Al. But now you're not - I've given you a great opportunity. I'd take advantage of it."
As Genie says this, he realizes something - digging into his memories, he can remember lessons, on how to be a prince, on what a prince does, how a prince serves his country, everything. He is in no way ready to be king and truly lead his (new) home, he had slacked off in lessons, still trying to get used to his new circumstances, but he won't be floundering, not in this.
And - something he remembers from his past-true-life. The nation of Diaus Biaraa was destroyed years ago. He recalls hearing whispers and rumors in the market as he staked out a stall, about how the once prosperous nation fell apart as greedy nobles fought over who would rule after the childless Monarchs died. In this world, they weren't childless. They had me and - And he remembers all the refugees from Diaus Biaraa, how so many of those fellow street rats he remembers were survivors of the fall of that country.
He is still unsure, and skeptical, and scared of this new reality. He does not feel confident in his ability to lead this large nation. But the soft, compassionate part of him that he's had to stomp down and hide away for years is whispering in his head - those people won't have to ever know the pain of starvation, the fear of death and of being caught stealing, because I'm here. I can help them, be a strong leader for them, do my best to make this land the most prosperous and equal land in the world.
He takes a deep breath, and turns his attention back to Genie and Abu. They are staring at him, both of them seeming concerned. He straightens as best he can from his position sprawled on the floor and adopts his most serious and regal expression. (It's not very impressive, to be honest, but he's trying.)
He doesn't really know what's going on, but he does know this - "I am going to be the best Sultan this world has ever seen. I am going to make Diaus Biaraa the happiest place on Earth.
This, he thinks to himself as he recalls his grand declaration, might be harder than I thought it would.
He is back in his (heavenly) bed, and his three advisors surround him now.
"You have been unconscious for several days," Zafa had told him when he first arrived and saw Aladdin awake. "And no medicine could rouse you."
"We have all been so worried," the oldest of them, Haim, had claimed. "We did not know what to do."
"Your parents would kill us," the wisest of them, Malu, told him fondly, "if we let you die so soon after you were brought back."
Now, they are discussing the events that happened while he was unconscious. "One of the servants told a relative that Your Highness was ill. While still considered an unconfirmed rumor, there have been many people coming to wish you well. Three entire rooms have been filled with get well gifts from your people, and so far at least 10 men have been stopped from sneaking in to see you in concern." Zafa tells him, humor in his voice.
At Aladdin's surprised look, Malu laughed. "Did you not think your people cared for you, my Prince? You may be new to princehood, but because of your experiences as a commoner yourself, you have made a very good impression on the common folk." He gives Aladdin a stern glance. "Though that is not me encouraging your frequent expeditions to town. You are much too unprotected by yourself, and you have not yet progressed far enough in your training to adequately defend yourself from threats. Our nation is still recovering. Dangers still lurk in the dark parts of our Kingdom."
Still reeling from the knowledge that he is beloved by hundreds of people, when before people had literally threatened to tear him apart for stealing a single loaf of bread, he gives little thought to Malu's scolding. He feels a warmth in his chest, and he is startled to realize that it is affection, for those unnamed people who are so concerned for him, when they might be barely getting by themselves.
He will not tire of saying that he doesn't really know what is going on, or what he should do, because he has a long way to go, but he thinks that maybe, just maybe, if he has the support of these kind, kind people, that he might just be able to do this.
A/N: Welp that's done. I almost stopped at Aladdin's declaration to Abu and Genie, but I thought that was too short, so I added that last bit to make it longer.
*Listens* Oh, when will the next chapter be out? Oh, ahahaha...I have no idea. (I mean, I'm done with High School for forever now, so I'm going to have so much more time, so I should have more time to write and stuff, but...)
I have a basic plan for this story - the next three or so chapters are going to be fleshing out Aladdin's life as a prince in Diaus Biaraa, the chapter after those is going to be introspection by Al about Jasmine and how he feels for her and if it's truly love, etc. Then, finally, we'll arrive in Agrabah. Yay! *Confetti flies everywhere* After that...*shrugs* I'm thinking I won't have romance in this story, despite it being based on a Disney movie, since I want to focus on the prince aspect.
Anywho, hope you all enjoy, and don't get your hopes up for an update anytime soon!