Chapter 3

"Alaric, dinner!" Genie called from the down the hall to the dining room. "Hello? Short man?" Genie frowned and tilted his head a moment as to why the boy hadn't answered. He flew down the hall and stopped at the dining hall to poke his head around the doorway.

"Is Alaric in here?" He asked and Aladdin looked up from where he had been petting Abu.

"No. I thought he was with Iago." He shot the parrot a look and Iago frowned.

"Hey, don't look at me. I thought he was with the blue guy." The parrot muttered pointing at Genie. The jinni scratched the top of his head.

"I haven't seen him since…well I actually didn't see him, I spoke to him though…but that was earlier." Genie trailed off, giving a worried glance.

"Well…maybe he's in his room?" The Sultan suggested, sitting up straighter in his seat,

"I was just in there." Jasmine said from her place at the table. A worried frown was on her face. "I went in to see where he kept his art supplies. He wasn't in there." Aladdin stood up, looking alarmed.

"Alaric!" He called and received no answer. The palace was silent, except for the occasional noise from one of its occupants.

"Hey, we're gonna eat without you!" Iago hollered looking out into the garden and again there was no answer.

"Let's check the library." Jasmine suggested. "Maybe he got lost in another of those adventuring stories." They all snickered at the memory of Alaric being so into his story that he missed two meals. When he had finally finished he was practically dying of hunger. A chuckling caught their attention and they turned to see Rasoul in the doorway.

"What are you laughing about?" Genie demanded, turning into a cop and he shone a flashlight in Rasoul's face. "You got something to hide mister?"

"You won't find him inside." He stated and Genie frowned. "The street rat and I had a bet and he lost." Rasoul snorted as Genie shook the flashlight at him and he pushed it away. Aladdin narrowed his eyes and brushed past Genie to stand in front of Rasoul.

"And just what does that mean?" He asked angrily and Rasoul rolled his eyes.

"He kept asking where that parrot was." Rasoul jabbed a finger at Iago who jumped. "I got tired of his whining and bet with him that if he lost then he would stay out of the palace all day."

"You told him he had to stay outside all day?" Aladdin snapped. "Why would you do that?"

"It was a bet and he lost." Rasoul snapped back.

"What did you bet against him?" Jasmine asked, folding her arms across her chest. Rasoul snorted.

"I told him that if he couldn't get the parrot or the Genie to play with him then he would stay out from under foot the rest of the day."

"Underfoot? Who said he was underfoot?" Aladdin glared.

"Apparently you all did." Realization went across all their faces at once, but Rasoul kept going not seeing their expressions. "He was already grumbling about everyone being in a bad mood so I made the bet to shut him up. When the parrot practically told him to go away, he went to the genie who told him to get out." Genie flinched before smacking his forehead as Rasoul walked away from them.

"I thought he was already out of the room! I wasn't talking to him!" Genie wrung his hands nervously and Jasmine put a hand on him.

"Its okay, Genie. We'll find him." She said softly and then her fiancée groaned.

"The marketplace. That would be outside the palace." Aladdin stated and the group looked at him.

"He wouldn't stay gone this late would he?"

"Yeah, the bets over with." Iago agreed and he exchanged glances with Abu. "You don't think he's still mad do ya?"

"Don't worry, Iago." Aladdin smiled at him grimly. "He won't stay mad long. Especially when he sees what we've have planned for him tomorrow." Genie suddenly chuckled humorlessly.

"You know? I think he's forgotten his birthday again."

"Typical. He remembers everyone else's but his own." Iago grumbled, folding his wings across his chest.

"I can't believe it's been a year," Jasmine murmured and Iago shivered slightly the memory of Alaric's lifeless body and of Jafar. The princess saw him and gently rubbed his head. "It's been a good year for us all."

"Now we just have to find out missing kid." Genie tapped his chin. "Where would he go?"

"Not the most obvious place which would be our old home," Aladdin began. "I think he might have gone elsewhere."

"Sadira!" The gang announced at once and just then Carpet came in tugging at Al's vest.

"What is it, Carpet?" he pointed towards the front of the palace and they all followed him outside.

"Let go!" Sadira's voice came from the gates and they met up with her below the steps. She was being held by two guards and Rasoul was towering over her.

"For the last time, I am here to see Alaric! I swear!"

"Then it may surprise you to find that he's not here!" Rasoul snapped back and Sadira scowled.

"You're just saying that so I'll go away." She rolled her eyes and then spotted Aladdin. "Aladdin!" She cried, eyes lighting up. "You mind helping a girl out?"
"Let her go, Rasoul." Aladdin told him and the guard frowned.

"She is a witch! How do you know she won't cast a spell over us?"

"Sadira is our friend." Jasmine scolded the guard and Sadira smiled at her. "And you will treat her with respect."

"Yes, your highness." Rasoul conceded and made the other guards let Sadira go. She stumbled a bit and then straightened with a smirk at the head guard.

"In your face, big boy." She taunted and then Aladdin turned her to face him.
"Where's Alaric?" Now Sadira looked confused.

"I thought he was here."

"I told you street mouse." Rasoul growled and she glared at him briefly before turning to face a worried Aladdin.

"Aladdin….He told me that he was heading back here….That's why I came to see him."

"When was this?" Genie asked.

"Um…around mid-afternoon actually. I did wonder why he was alone in the marketplace, but I thought you were around somewhere."

"Did he tell you anything?"

"Only that he was trying to find someone to talk to. He looked really sad." The group all winced. "He also said something about how everyone was tired of a kid being around." She frowned at them and shook her head. "You really hurt his feelings you know and isn't his birthday tomorrow?"

"We know, Sadira. We really didn't mean to act that way." Aladdin calmed her and then sighed. "We only wanted to keep his birthday party a secret."

"Oh, I see. Well, if he's not with me and not with you then….Where is he?"

"Hopefully not too far." Aladdin said grimly.

"-You were the stupid one who told him to go away!" Iago's voice drifted from nearby and Aladdin turned to find the parrot and Genie locked in yet another argument over Alaric. The hero rolled his eyes. If only Alaric really knew how much he meant to them all.

"I wasn't talking to him! I already told you that! Besides, you were the one who wouldn't let him stick near you!"

"I was busy!" Iago snapped. "What was your excuse?"

"I was busy too, but-"

"Guys." Aladdin interrupted. "We need to focus on finding my brother." The two looked sheepish and slightly guilty before nodding at him. Aladdin turned to Sadira. "Where's the last place you saw him?"