Innocence and Evil: An Aladdin Adventure

Chapter 4

Night fell and Aladdin, Abu, Iago, Genie and Carpet were fast asleep in Aladdin's small, rundown home. All was still, hardly moved by the heavy, sleeping breaths of the friends.

In the darkness of the room, something blue flickered in the air by Abu's head, who sleepily opened his curious eyes. It flashed again, more aggressively until it exploded into blue and black flames surrounding the face of Mozenrath.

Abu screeched and hopped onto Aladdin, trying to wake him. "Aladdin! Aladdin!" he screeched in a semi-understandable monkey language.

Startled, Aladdin opened his eyes and struggled to sit up. "What?" he asked, alarmed. "What is it, Abu?" His question was answered when he saw the porthole wreathed in blue flame. He gasped. "Mozenrath!"

Mozenrath was solemn. "Listen, Aladdin, I don't have time to explain," he began quietly. "I need you to come to the Citadel and free me. Some idiot took it out from me and I need you to—"

Aladdin stood and crossed his arms, laughing cockily. "It looks like what goes around comes around, Mozenrath."

"You're wasting valuable time!" he said in a harsh whisper.

Off to the side, Iago yawned, awoken by their conversation. "Who are you talking to Al—ah!" he squawked. "It's Mozenrath!"

Mozenrath didn't appreciate the interruptions. "He's a genie, so if you help me get my gauntlet back—"

Aladdin couldn't help himself, the irony was too funny. "He took your gauntlet?" he asked laughingly.

Mozenrath was losing his patience. In fact, it was already gone. "Stop interrupting me! Yes, he stole my gauntlet and if I had it back, I could free myself and conquer him!"

Aladdin was serious. "Why should we get your kingdom back for you anyway?" he asked.

"Because it's rightfully mine!" Mozenrath exclaimed and then checked himself. "And also, probably more compelling to you, he has doomsday planned for Agrabah. He is going to focus all the magic he has on destroying it! Now, I don't attack Agrabah that often, do I?"

"Actually, we're kinda your prime target." Iago answered. Aladdin nodded at Iago.

"Aladdin," the sorcerer said softly. Aladdin looked back at Mozenrath. There was a look of desperation in his eye that had not been there before. "I'm pleading and I don't plead often. Help me defeat him. I think you agree that the world is a more peaceful place if I had it back."

Aladdin frowned. "It's anything but peaceful with you—"

"I said it was more peaceful! Not peaceful!" Mozenrath wiped his left hand over his face. "Come as soon as possible…" he glanced backwards and then back to Aladdin. "Before he carries out his—ah!" a red bout of magic knocked him to the ground.

"How much time does it take to look up a spell? Idiot!" A dark voice called from inside the porthole.

The porthole seemed to overturn, it sounded like a bronze bowl of water hit the ground and the porthole disappeared.

"I know that voice," Aladdin said.

"It's Jafar come back from the dead to wreak havoc on us all!" Iago cried throwing his wings in the air.

Genie trailed from his lamp dressed in blue pajamas. "Hey, Al, what's all this about wreaking havoc?" he yawned. "I haven't gotten my forty winks yet; I'm still on twenty-four."

Iago lighted on Genie's shoulder. "Jafar's back! Do you know how bad this is?" he asked grabbing fistfuls of Genie's pajama collar. "Do you know how terrible this is? And he's targeted Agrabah!" Iago hopped to the floor and began to pace. "Well, it was nice living here wihle we could. Time to find a new place!"

Genie pinched Iago's tail to stop him. "Hold up there, bird boy. We've defeated him before and we can do it again. …By the way, anybody know how he came back?" he asked.

"No clue," Iago answered, hitting Genie away from his tail. "But does it really matter? He's got crazy hard feelings towards us, especially me. I say, let the brat-who-would-be-king stay locked up and we move to a nicer, safer place. Like Greece. Nobody ever attacks Greece."

"What if Jafar isn't back?" Aladdin countered.

Iago gave him a disbelieving look. "But we all heard—"

Aladdin raised his hands. "Just hear me out. What if it's another trick by Mozenrath to lure us in?"

Genie rubbed his chin. "Hm, good point." He bent over to Abu. "Either way, ther'es a good chance Agrabah will be blown sky high considering both of their reputations." Abu nodded in agreement.

"Right," said Aladdin. "So I think we should find Jasmine and investigate."

Iago fell backwards onto Carpet in despair. "Why do I bother?" he lamented. Carpet patted him comfortingly on the head.