Chapter7:
Anya ran as fast as her feet could carry her. She had to make it on time, she just had to! Whether Kori and the others actually managed to get the lamp back she still had to warn Aladdin about Jafar's whereabouts.
But why did Kori choose her? Better yet why did she accept? Kori knew she wasn't particularly fast. If she wanted fast she should have asked Cameryn or Rikki. They were both strong and very athletic and either one of them would do a better job at actually warning Aladdin. Anya wasn't exactly the most outgoing person. Yes, Rikki or Cameryn would have done a way better job. Anya sighed, but she kept running. Regardless of who was faster this was her job.
Finally she made it to the steps leading up to the balcony where the three characters were standing. Anya huffed and puffed up the stairs. The sky was already turning an orangy red. She had to hurry. Just as she was about to reach the second to last step a huge explosion knocked her off her feet and sent her sailing through the air. The next thing she knew she was out cold.
(scene)
Once Anya was off the rest of us dashed to Jafar's lair. You would think that the entrance to a place like that would be impossibly hard to find, but when you've been posing as a servant for these people you find out where everything is, including the "secret" stuff.
Anyway, we silently pushed back the hidden door and crept up the stairs as fast and quietly as possible. With the reddish black glow of the walls and the pungent smell of humidity and who-knows-what-else it's needless to say that it was pretty creepy.
When we finally reached the top of the stairs the first thing we noticed was the lamp. The second was that it was in Jafar's hand.
"Shoot!" muttered Rikki.
At the utterance of her word Jafar perked up like a dog when it hears a sound. We were paralyzed with fear. Luckily, Marley recovered her wits in time to push us all behind an impossibly thick column. I poked my head from behind the column and Jafar turned his around slowly. I ducked back holding my breath. After a minute he turned back around and I let out a sigh of relief. I continued to watch. He looked at the lamp for a second then rubbed it vigorously. Within a few seconds the Genie streamed out. As he formed it became apparent that his back was turned.
"Y'know, Al you're really…" trailed Genie as he came face to face with Jafar.
"I don't think you're him," He finished.
I whipped back around to the others and was met with three faces silently yelling "What now?" I pressed my finger to my lips and continued to watch the scene. As the conversation progressed Jafar sub-consciously placed the lamp on a pedestal diagonal to his back. Bingo! I thought. Again I turned to the others and signaled them to wait there. I then proceeded to creep straight to the lamp. Slowly, painfully, agonizingly slow.
As I got closer to the lamp the Genie's eyes caught sight of me and for the second time I froze. My eyes grew twice in size and I signaled him wildly to keep quiet. He got the message and nodded slightly to show he understood. Unfortunately, his actions weren't hidden from Jafar. He whirled around so suddenly I gasped.
"You!" he screeched
My eyes darted towards the lamp and I began to run for it. My fingers were close enough to barely brush the handle when zap! A red beam of energy shot at me lightning fast. A searing feeling spread through my bones and I cried out in pain. He left me suspended for a full minute to let the pain sink in, then as suddenly as it appeared it dissipated and I crumpled to the ground.
"It seems that I caught the little ringleader." He hissed at me.
"Kori!" I heard Cam scream. She and Marley made a beeline for both the lamp and for me but before either of them could clear five paces they suffered my same fate.
"Stop this you monster!" screamed Rikki bolting straight towards Jafar. He shot at her but her soccer-toned reflexes kicked in and she dodged. Rikki kept sprinting. She lunged at Jafar, to rip him apart no doubt. As she did I swear I detected a look of horror cross his face and Iago flew right out the window (trust me on this, you do NOT want to get Rikki mad). But he managed to control even the terror that is Rikki's fury.
When Rikki, having received a particularly strong blast, fell to the floor unconscious so did our hopes. I prayed with every fiber of my being that Anya had made it to Aladdin.
(Scene)
About an hour later the four of us found ourselves chain linked together in the throne room. Everything was extremely sinister looking compared to a couple of days ago when we first came through the window. The giant statue of an elephant's head that stood behind the throne was gone. In its place was the head of a cobra with its hood and fangs extended.
It was more than apparent that Anya hadn't made it. Just to make sure though I asked Jasmine if she'd seen her. Jasmine shook her head and answered "No, I'm sorry. Wherever she is it's better than here."
She was right. At the moment it looked as if our situation couldn't possibly get any worse. Worst of all was the question and worry that kept swirling around in my thoughts: Where was Anya?
(Scene)
Anya came to with a bad headache. She couldn't remember where she was as she looked around. Bricks and shards of glass laid scattered about and the palace was no longer there. Then she remembered the explosion. She knew now that Jafar had caused this. She hated him. She hated him with everything she had.
They had failed. All of them. Anya's eyes filled with tears when she thought of what could possibly be happening to her friends. Or what already happened…she thought. No! She couldn't think like that. Her friends were alive. There had to be another way to get out of here.
Just then she felt a shadow pass quickly over her and she turned skywards. Aladdin was on his way to the palace! They were safe!
"Hey! Aladdin wait!" she yelled as she ran after the carpet. "Wait! Take me with you!"
The carpet stopped and Aladdin turned. Anya soon made it to where they hovered.
"It's me," she panted, "I was one the girls posing as a servant."
Aladdin nodded, "I remember you. What happened? Is Jasmine alright? The Sultan? G-"He caught himself, still thinking that Anya didn't know about the lamp.
"It's alright. I know about Genie, and Jasmine and the sultan are safe. I was knocked out this whole time. Please take me with you, my friends are in there and I have to get them out!"
Aladdin didn't think twice. "Hop on."
Anya did as she was told. "Thank you so much!"
(Scene)
I don't know about the others but after a while in our crisis I was ready to go stark raving mad. We were chained down (as mentioned previously), worried sick due to Anya's disappearance, and worst of all, subject to listen to the annoying little parrot gloat about crackers nonstop. He laughed as he stuffed a bunch into the sultan's mouth.
"Stop it, stop it, please!" begged Jasmine. Jafar snapped his fingers and the Sultan's mouth shut tight thus ending the bird's ability to brag. Ahhh, sweet relief. The looks on friends' faces made it apparent that we were all thinking the same thing.
Clash!
A golden bowl hit the floor as Jasmine fell trying to avoid Jafar's blow. We all sat up as if we could go to Jasmine's defense. Then Jafar slowly lowered his hand and said "Genie, my second wish! I wish Princess Jasmine would fall desperately in love with me."
Jasmine gasped in horror and the Genie started mumbling "Uh, master. There are some, uh, quid pro quos-"
"Silence!" Jafar bellowed
I recognized this part instantly and thought it would never come. To confirm myself I looked towards the window and saw none other than Aladdin, Abu, and the carpet. Jasmine spotted them as well.
"Oh, Jafar." She called.
"Man I hate this part!" whispered Cameryn.
The scene played out as usual ending with the infamous sacrificial kiss. As it happened we all cringed and shivered with disgust. Needless to say, it was extremely awkward.
Jafar then saw Aladdin's reflection on Jasmine's tiara and the battle began. Jafar turned and went after Aladdin, who blocked the attack and yelled to Jasmine to "Get the lamp!" Jasmine made a dash for the lamp but was encased in a giant hour glass. The carpet went for it and so did Abu but like Jasmine both were subdued. This left only Aladdin. We watched painfully from the side lines unable to help at all as he was faced with falling swords, being trapped in a ring of flames and finally, having to deal with the giant Snake Jafar. There, he was slowly being crushed by his coils. He was about to say the thing about the Genie being more powerful when the impossible happened. He was knocked out by the pressure.
"What? No! No, no, no! This doesn't happen! This CAN'T happen!" screamed a hyperventilating Rikki.
But to our complete horror, it was. Jafar was winning. I began thinking that it was best that Anya wasn't here. That way she didn't have to go through our fate, whatever it was. She might get a chance to get home. Jafar began laughing manically.
"Yes! Nothing can stop me now!" he said victoriously.
"Wrong, scale face!"
Everyone, minus Jasmine who was currently being buried in sand, turned their head. There, by the throne holding a discarded machete stood our shy little Anya.
"End of the line!" she yelled and sprinted towards him at full speed swinging the blade. The Giant snake Jafar made a strike at her, but thinking quickly, she stabbed his snout. He whipped back in pain and released Aladdin.
Aladdin fell to the floor and after a minute regained consciousness. Once awake he said those clever, almost magical words that brought down Jafar using his own hunger for power.
(scene)
In a burst of light, everything was back to normal. Inside his new black lamp, we could here Jafar and Iago arguing over their cramped space. Before Genie could send them off the Cave of Wonders, Marley burst forward.
"Wait!" she cried, snatched the lamp from Aladdin and gave it a few whacks against a pearly white column. "How do ya like that?" Then she turned back to Genie and Aladdin, handed them the lamp, said, "I'm good, proceed," and walked away like nothing happened. Aladdin and the Genie only stared after her.
"What was that supposed to do exactly?" asked Cameryn.
"It's payback," answered Marley, "and it felt good."
I smiled and shook my head, and watched as Genie sent off Jafar for good. Once the lamp made contact with the Cave a flash of light shuddered in the horizon. Jasmine came up behind Aladdin and took his hand. His smile faded.
"Jasmine," he started, "I'm sorry for lying about being a prince."
"I know why you did," she said.
Aladdin hesitated a moment, "Well…I guess this is goodbye."
"Ugh! That stupid law! This isn't fair! I love you."
"Oh, c'mon Al, just say the word and you'll be a prince again!" exclaimed the Genie.
"But what about you?" asked Aladdin.
"Oh, it's nothing. Just an eternity of servitude." Genie winced as he said it.
Aladdin bowed his head.
"Al, you're not gonna find another girl like this in a million years! Believe me, I've looked." The genie said.
Aladdin looked at Jasmine and said "Jasmine, I really do love you, but I can't keep pretending to be something I'm not."
"I understand." She replied and Aladdin turned to Genie once more.
"Genie," he said authoritatively "I wish you free."
At his words the lamp and the Genie's shackles began to glow. The lamp shook violently and his shackles dropped one by one. The moment they both hit the floor the lamp lost its glow and its power.
"I-I'm free." Genie couldn't believe it. "I'm free!" He flew around and conjured up a suite case. He was wildly packing random items into it when he caught sight of Aladdin's face.
"Genie, I'll miss you."
"You too Al," he came down to Aladdin's level and embraced him," no matter what anyone says, you'll always be a prince to me."
The last comment struck a chord deep inside the Sultan, "That's right!" he was flustered, "You've certainly proven your worth. It's that law…"
Jasmine brightened slightly, "Father?"
"Well am I Sultan or am I Sultan? I declare that from this day forth the princess shall marry whoever she deems worthy!"
"Him!" Jasmine wasted no time, "I chose you Aladdin."
Anya found this as her opportunity. She walked forward to the Genie and said. "Um, now that you don't need it anymore, do you think that maybe we could have your lamp?"
The genie couldn't have agreed faster. "Here, take it! It's yours! Do what you like because I'm FREE!" He placed the lamp in her hands and closed her fingers around it. The moment he did so she ran back to us wearing a giant grin on her face.
Our MILDs beeped and shrank the lamp then they sent us on to our next adventure.
(scene)
The girls set off for the next movie thinking that evil had been conquered. But, if they had looked into a deserted corner of the throne room, they would have seen a mysterious man scowling in their direction.
"So," he said to himself, "these children think this is all going to be so easy for them, do they? Then maybe it's time I step up my game."
With one last glare at the happy couple and the sultan, the man reached into his cloak and removed a remote. He pressed a button and disappeared.
