***AUTHOR'S NOTE*** I definitely did not go with the original opera story but the version I knew as a child from an animated film. You should wikipedia the original opera. It is a great story!

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Afraid to open her eyes, Jasmine felt a comforting surge of strength come over her body. She felt comforting breezes and smelled fragrant rose petals. She breathed lightly and dreamily with a sigh. She clutched her hands and felt soft, warm, cloth. But it wasn't a blanket — it was... a shirt? Suddenly, she realized where she was — in a man's arm!

She sprung up immediately from what she saw to be a big easy chair and slapped the sleeping man across his face with a frantic yelp. In return, he sprung up from the chair alertly, "What did I do?"

"Aladdin!" Jasmine put her fingertips to her mouths.

Aladdin sat back down and rubbed his cheek, where she had slapped him, "Wow. No wonder those villains keep away from you when you slap them."

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I just woke up and thought you were — "

"It's okay, I would have been alarmed too," Aladdin stretched.

"I guess we survived that last one."

"I guess so, too."

She kissed him gratefully, "I love you."

"I love you so much," he kissed her once more then looked around. "Now where are we?"

"I don't know yet, but at least we are together for once!"

"A definite good thing."

There was a knock on the door, "Your majesty, may I enter?"

"Who is it?" Jasmine asked.

"It is I, Manastitos."

"My nasty toast?" Aladdin mumbled into Jasmine's ear.

"It's his name," Jasmine answered, "The name is familiar. It'll come to me." She refocused her attention to the door, "Yes, you may enter."

A man entered with a sweet smile on his face — a little too sweet, Aladdin thought. He was well built with high cheekbones. He looked at least fifty and very strong in a weak kind of way. His head was shaved on the top with a skirt of black hair surrounding the bald part. He put his palms together and bowed, as if for religious reasons. If it weren't for the regal coat he was wearing over a purple robe, he would be taken for a friar!

"Your highnesses," he started respectfully, as if he only expected one of them to be in the room, "The king has wished an audience with his daughter."

"Okay, take me to him," Jasmine walked towards Manistitos.

"And I, as well," Aladdin walked to her side, "But, first, could you remind me where I was?"

Manistitos seemed a bit taken back that he had not known where he was, "Why, the Kingdom of the Light, of course!" He squinted and seemed to have examined Aladdin's face as if he had gone a bit dull. Then, as if suspicious, he did the same to Jasmine. "And his highness wishes for his audience with the princess to be a private one." Then a grin crept across his face, a suspicious one, but neither Aladdin nor Jasmine picked up on it, "But, if you wish, you may go to the queen's quarters."

Aladdin looked at Jasmine, who thought for a minute. She liked finally starting a story out with Aladdin and resented ruining it. She did not give him a sign of resentment or consent.

"When, may I ask, will my meeting with… Father be over?" Jasmine asked.

"Oh, only in perhaps one half of an hour," Manastitos answered smoothly.

"It seems pretty urgent," Aladdin butted in, " that he is only sharing it with his daughter."

Manastitos hesitated, "Well, when a princess has plans for marriage, there are important matters to be discussed. And, I'm sure the queen would love to meet the man who crossed the lakes of death and the mysterious lake's deadly cave all for her daughter's sake!"

Aladdin became smug, "That's me!"

Jasmine rolled her eyes.

"And I would love to meet your queen!" he finished.

"Excellent," Manistitos grinned. He opened the door and motioned Aladdin and Jasmine to his side. Outside the door were two dark corridors, completely made of stone, with only lanterns placed firmly in wooden holders to light them.

"If you follow the left corridor," Manastitos pointed in that direction, "you will find yourself having to choose between two flights of stairs. Take the one heading downstairs. The queen's room is the second from last on the right side. Make sure you knock first!"

"Yes, sir. Thank you."

"And I will take the lady down to the king's chamber."

"Meet me here in one hour," Jasmine told Aladdin.

Aladdin nodded with a smile.

"Come, your highness! Your father awaits you!" Manastitos started walking. Jasmine followed.

------

Aladdin took to the left and followed the corridor. At the end, he saw not two staircases, but five. He scratched his head and noticed two of them were going up. He chose one and took it. Not much of a Kingdom of the Light, he thought to himself. It was very quiet and dark, and it wasn't for a couple minutes of walking that servants came into view. All of a sudden, the halls became less creepy and more lively.

He stopped one servant, "Excuse me. Could you tell me where I can find the queen?"

The servant, a boy his age with curly brown hair, freckles, and a medium case of acne, answered, "A queen? There hasn't been a queen since around when I was born! You must be mistaken" He returned to his business, joining a few servants who laughed at the confused prince.

I've been fooled. Aladdin though. That's when it dawned on him; Jasmine was in the hands of a liar!

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"We are so glad to have you back, Pamina," Manastitos told Jasmine.

"I am glad to be back," Jasmine made something up. "Wait, what did you call me?"

"Pamina," Manastitos answered funnily as he reached for a doorknob and turned it slowly.

"Pamina?" Jasmine recognized the name. The Magic Flute! "Then you're Manastitos the —"

Before she could finish, Manastitos swung open the door and pushed her through it.

"-liar!" She yelled as she fell. The door led to the outside, and she was at least three stories up! Luckily, she landed on cushions… Surrounded by a cage! She sat up and glared at Manastitos as he closed the door like nothing had happened. "Aladdin!" She yelled and looked around her to find herself in a giant cage on a cart led by a horse and driver. Directing her gaze to the driver, she noticed that he/she was hooded. But, that was all she noticed because the driver's back was to her. The driver flicked the horse's reins and dashed off.

"Aladdin!" she yelled again. But there was no answer. Then she realized that Pamina's mother, the queen, was not in the story. Where did they send him? Where were they sending her?

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Aladdin took off, almost bumping into the servants, as soon as the thought struck him. He returned to the room he and Jasmine had found themselves in. For safety, he opened the door and saw no one in it. So, he dashed down the corridor that Manastitos had taken Jasmine down.

After only a minute, he ran into Manastitos — literally. They both toppled to the ground. Manastitos swore while rubbing his bottom, one eye squinting with pain. Aladdin, used to impact, immediately got up.

"Why the hurry?" Manastitos grumbled.

"Where did you take Jasmine?"

"Who?"

"Where did you take — er — the princess?"

"Princess Pamina?"

"Yes," Aladdin drew the sword conveniently sheathed at his belt and pointed it to Manastitos's chin.

"Have you gone mad?" Manastitos said nervously, "Are you drunk?"

"No! Tell me where she is!"

"In audience with the king like I said! She is in the king's chamber!"

"Then take me there!"

Manastitos looked up at him like a threatened child. He paused then relaxed a bit, still wide-eyed, "Yes. Yes. I will take you to her! Please put the sword away!"

Aladdin paused and consented, putting his sword back to its place. Manastitos paused to make sure Aladdin was serious, then he got to his feet. "Follow me, Your Highness."

Aladdin followed Manastitos down the hall. He knew he was lying because if Manastitos had really taken Jasmine to the king's chamber, he would have turned around to the direction he was coming from.

After less than five minutes, Manastitos reached two regal doors. They looked suitable enough to be a courtyard or a king's chamber, but they seemed unused. Manastitos stood and motioned for Aladdin to enter. As Aladdin approached the door, Manastitos took a knife from his belt and raised it behind Aladdin's back.

One swift stabbing motion, and a loud holler resounded throughout the castle.

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There was no use in trying to stop the driver. Despite Jasmine's frequent hollers and even pleas, the ghostly driver kept driving in ignorance. Jasmine eventually plopped back on the comfortable cushions and recollected the story.

A princess was kidnapped from birth by a witch — "the queen of the night" — who raised her, claiming to be her loving mother. Before she turned sixteen, her father's men found her and stole her from the witch and returned her home.

The furious witch searched for and found a brave prince to "rescue" her beautiful daughter from the "evil King Sarastro." She gave him only a magic flute to aid him in his journeys. The dashing prince, whose name was Tamino, led a rescue team — of this team, she could remember little — to the king's castle. The princess willingly went with Tamino, not realizing that Sarastro was really her father. But they were captured, and the rescue failed.

Lord Sarastro proved to Pamina and Tamino, who had had fallen in love, that he was indeed Pamina's true father. As Pamina mourned the truth, Lord Sarastro demanded that Tamino be thrown into the dungeon for attempting to kidnap his daughter for the Queen of the Night. Claiming that he had not known better and he had fallen in love with Pamina, he was sent on a quest to prove his love for her. He returned from the quest safely and was promised Pamina's hand.

Manastitos was Sarastro's advisor — another evil vizier. Great. He wanted the throne and made a deal with the Queen of the Night that he would give her Pamina and kill Lord Sarastro if she would share the throne with him. So, he tricked Pamina into a trap, and she was escorted swiftly back to the Queen of the Night, where she was told to drink a cup of poison for Tamino's sake.

The one thing she couldn't remember was — why? Why was she kidnapped? Why did the Queen of the Night want her dead after all those years?

Before she could answer herself, the driver went over a drawbridge and stopped abruptly in a field of dirt surrounded by castle walls — the Kingdom of the Night. The driver turned around, revealing her face to be female — the Queen of the Night! She was beautiful with a pale complexion. Her cheekbones made her look thin and elegant, and her grin was taunting. Jasmine did not see her hair color, for the blue robe was covering everything but her face — and her outstretched hand that held a goblet of bubbling lime-green poison.

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All was quiet as everyone on that whole side of the castle froze, wondering who — or what — gave the cry.

Aladdin had suspected Manastitos would ambush him eventually and had seen his shadow. Quickly, he had whirled around and thrust Manastitos to the ground, causing him to give a startled yell. Aladdin bent over the unconscious man's face and confirmed that he was breathing steadily.

Aladdin picked him up and carried him on his back all the way outside, dodging odd glances along the way and chanting, "'Scuse me! Coming through!"

"Guards!" someone yelled. "Prince Tamino has slain the king's advisor and is escaping with him!" At this, guards left their posts with their weapons and started running after Aladdin.

When outside, he found a lone horse and cart. He hurriedly tied Manastitos with rope inside the cart and put him in. "Don't mind if I borrow this!" he said as he flicked the reigns and took off, the guards a safe distance behind him.

Only a minute into the journey, Manastitos came to and rubbed his head. "What, are you mad?" he growled.

"Yes, and I'm not releasing you until I get some answers. Where is the princess?"

"Why should I tell you?"

Aladdin purposely hit a large bump on the road, causing Manastitos to be thrown a foot into the air and land on his rump.

"Ow!!" he hollered. "Was that completely necessary?"

"I'll ask you again. Where is the princess?"

"I don't know!"

Another bump.

"Ow! Cut that out!"

"Not until you tell me."

"I told you! I don't know!"

A bigger bump.

"Ow!! Alright! Alright! I'll tell you! Just stop that horrid driving!"

Aladdin grinned.

"She has been taken back to the Queen of the Night!"

"Why?"

"I don't know!"

Bump.

"Ow! So the queen can take her powers from her! It is her sixteenth birthday!"

"Where is the Queen of the Night?"

"Her castle.

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Jasmine eyed the potion.

"Take it," the witch urged.

Jasmine shook her head.

"Or else," the witch paused and waved her hands. In her palm appeared a portal — like a miniature version of Mozenrath's portals. In the portal the image of Aladdin was riding swiftly on a horse with an abrasion-covered Manastitos tied to the saddle.

Yes, Aladdin! Go! Go!

"I will have my henchman KILL him!"

"He is bound!"

"Never underestimate magic!" she replied. She was lying.

"Manastitos knows no magic!"

"Ah, but how can you be so sure they don't?" the queen motioned towards the guards chasing closely behind Aladdin.

"They are guards, not magicians."

The queen made an angry face, "I surely did not teach you to be so stubborn!" she mumbled. Then, she threatened again, "But I do happen to know some magic! I could make the weather block your hero, so that the guards capture him! Kidnapping the king's royal advisor is a serious crime too. They would probably all plunge their swords into him without trial as soon as they catch up to him! Or they would just shoot him with their arrows."

Jasmine shook her head. She knew Aladdin would be able to escape that, and he wouldn't want her to drink the poison for that.

"Do you love him not?" the queen was taken back.

Jasmine shook her head in denial, "Love him not I."

"Then whom do you love?"

"Nobody."

"Nobody but yourself!" the queen said angrily as she thrust a knife at Jasmine, barely missing her. "Surely, I will kill you myself if you do not drink this potion!"

Jasmine flinched defensively. She looked at the queen and could have sworn her eyes had turn completely gray like an orb of clouds. The queen smiled evilly and held out the cup once more. Jasmine eyed it and remembered why the queen wanted her so badly. On the sunset of her sixteenth birthday, she was to receive great powers through the medallion she wore around her neck. But, she must be dead in order for the witch to acquire them. Jasmine clutched her medallion and realized that if she took the potion, she would be surrendering great powers to the queen. This could mean grave danger for Aladdin. She refused once more.

The queen became red with anger and splashed the potion onto Jasmine. Jasmine gave out a quick shriek as the toxins stung her. The queen laughed as it splashed onto her arm and torso and face, and one single drop managed to slip into her mouth.

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Following Manastitos' directions, he was dashing at full speed and soon could see a small inch of darkness creeping up from behind the trees. It looked like a tower! Manastitos looked and saw that Aladdin was concentrating deeply on the road and the sight of the tower in the background. Taking advantage of this opportunity, he freed his arm just enough to reach for Aladdin's belt, where something smooth, round, and shiny, was tightly tied.

Aladdin pulled the cart to a halt, sending Manastitos to the back of the cart. As soon as he had done this, he looked up and found himself before the drawbridge of a sinister castle. A quick shriek was heard from inside, followed by evil laughter.

"Jasmine!"

"It sounds like your princess has screamed her last," Manastitos voluntarily sneered.

"What?"

"She has drank the potion."

"What potion? Is she-"

"Dead? Yes. Now please let me go."

"Why?"

"Because I've had enough and have told you everything."

"No, why has she been given the potion?"

"So the queen can take the powers she will inherit and sundown tonight."

Aladdin sighed, praying that Jasmine wasn't truly dead, and untied Manastitos, "You can go."

Manastitos ran off shouting the whereabouts of his captive to the guards who were hot on Aladdin's heels.

Aladdin took the rope that had bound Manastitos, tied it to a rock, flung it over the castle wall, and climbed over.

What he saw was exactly what he had feared. The queen was lying Jasmine down on a large slab of stone fifty yards from them. Jasmine was motionless and limp, liquid water drenching her arms and torso.

"What have you done?!" Aladdin yelled to the queen, drawing his sword.

"Preparing for your arrival," she grinned, raising her hands threateningly.

All of a sudden, there was a huge thud on the drawbridge door.

"More intruders?" the queen asked furiously. "I hate unwanted intruders!" She paced towards the drawbridge, seemingly preparing a spell in her hands. Aladdin dashed to Jasmine in seeing that the queen was distracted by the guards who were trying to barge into the courtyard. He shook her and talked to her quietly, begging her to wake her up. But Manastitos was right. She breathless and beatless. Jasmine was dead.

The queen raised her hands dramatically and thrust them towards the drawbridge. It exploded and sent the guards flying backwards at least a mile. Aladdin had never seen that happen before and became alarmed. He convinced himself hopefully that Jasmine was under a spell — they had been through several fairytales where a kiss or a vow or something to that affect would bring her back. He pressed his lips against her, but she stayed motionless. Almost to tears, he tried over and over again, concentrating on true love. Nothing happened. What more? he thought desperately.

Before he could think of something else, the queen spotted him and charged towards him. She threw humungous forces of magic at him, but he dodged all of them. Realizing his skills, she smirked and transformed into a great dragon. This reminded Aladdin of Sleeping Beauty. A sleeping princess was being guarded by a witch-turned-dragon. He drew his sword and plunged it into the witch. It was uselessly devoured by her magma-like scales.

She laughed as Aladdin dashed back to Manastitos, who reappeared at the gate coyly. "What do I do?" He asked frantically.

Manastitos laughed at him as well and shook his head, seeing that Aladdin had nothing to threaten him with. That's when it dawned on him that Manastitos had been reaching for something at his belt on the ride over; it couldn't have been his sword, for his sword was on the other side of his belt. Aladdin grasped the object that was tightly tied to his belt as the dragon stomped towards him.

He eyed it quickly, acknowledging it as a masterpiece of a flute. He lifted it to his lips, sensing that that was the appropriate thing to do. He could only play what he had learned from snake charmers, and the fingering was the same. However, he found the aura of the flute making his finger movements involuntary. And, in one long breath, he played a melancholy tune that was enough to break anybody's heart. A tear even crept from his own eye.

But it had no effect on the dragon. She laughed, "You are foolish to think that that would work on me! Why would I give you something that would harm me?" Much to the witch's dismay, but to Aladdin's joy, the blue waves from the flute wrapped around Jasmine, and she slowly crept up into a sitting position.

"Jasmine!" Aladdin exclaimed happily as she stretched awake, "You're okay! The flute! It worked!"

"Dirty flute trick!" Manastitos complained, dangling from his britches in a nearby tree.

Jasmine pointed and giggled. At that moment, King Sarastro came galloping through the drawbridge with a small army of men behind him. He looked quite dashing, with his long blonde locks and facial hair gleaming in what little remained of the sunlight. "The Queen of the Night! Quick, lad! Give Pamina the flute!"

Obediently, Aladdin threw the flute to Jasmine. Sarastro instructed her, "Hurry, my daughter! Use your new powers and play the flute!"

"Nooo!!!" the queen howled and breathed one great, long, and ruthless blast of fire at Jasmine as she began to play the flute. The fire reached Jasmine just as the sun had set.

"Jasmine!" Aladdin yelled in alarm but then realized that the flute was protecting Jasmine from the queen's magic. As starlight dusted the night sky, a wondrous smoke poured from the flute and wrapped itself around the dragon-witch, constricting her and turning her to a stone statue. The statue then cracked, turned to dust, and blew away. The fire ceased, and all that remained was a moonlit princess playing the most beautiful tune ever heard by human ears.

Aladdin approached her as the song ended and knelt down before her.

She spoke, "You know, some say that, when played by the magic flute, that song draws one's true love to one's side."

"I guess it worked," Aladdin said and leaned forward for a kiss as a cheer echoed throughout the place.