Chapter 14: You Are You

Barir had spoken non-stop since he and Aladdin had left the gardens. Aladdin had to admit, the older man did know his way around a sword. Barir was just getting into the finer points of how to properly thrust one's sword into the abdomen of an enemy when they had arrived to the throne room. The sight of the many finely dressed nobles dancing to the music halted the conversation for just a moment and it was in that pause that Aladdin was able to make his escape. Jasmine had caught sight of them the moment that they had walked through the door and she excused herself from a large group of women that she had been speaking with.

She moved rather gracefully around the edges of the dancing crowd as she made her way over to her husband. Aladdin caught sight of her and his smile was instant. Their eyes met and everything seemed to fall away, the sound of the music and voices faded to a faint whisper as husband and wife walked toward each other.

"Hi…" he said softly as he gazed down at her beautiful face, it felt like it had been forever since he had seen her.

"Hello…" she said in turn, her dark eyes twinkling in the torch light. The sound of a throat clearing itself behind them brought them back to the real world and they both gazed back at the heavily muscled bodyguard who stood rather awkwardly by the doorway.

"Forgive me your Highnesses; I must take my leave of you. I am concerned about my lady Sahira-."

"Ah Barir!" The sultan appeared from just behind his daughter, it was rather funny how the ruler managed to make his way around with hardly a sound. He was smiling much as he had earlier in the evening as he moved toward the bodyguard, the purple feather in his turban bouncing up and down with every step he took. "Just the man I needed to see, there is something I have been meaning to speak with you about. Could I borrow you for just a moment?"

Barir gazed down at the sultan, his mouth hanging open just a little bit. Aladdin could see the faint surprise on the bodyguard's face but it passed quickly as he bowed deeply to the sultan. "Of course your Majesty. I was only speaking to his Highness, the Prince, about the training of the Trysalin guards." He paused at this and straightened, the scowl that was usually present on his rugged face easing slightly. "I was also concerned about your niece, lady Sahira. She was feeling unwell, perhaps someone might check on her?"

"Of course, I will send someone along to make sure that she has everything she needs." The sultan turned to his daughter, his smile rather large beneath the snow white beard. "Jasmine, would you be a dear and see that your cousin is taken care of? We do not want your uncle to think that his only daughter is getting sick while under our care."

"Of course, Father," Jasmine replied as she placed a hand on her husband's arm. She saw the look on Aladdin's face at the mention of her cousin, that look of deep worry. He turned his dark eyes to hers and the look was replaced with a bright smile.

"There it is all settled. Now Barir, you must come with me, we can talk while we walk, ha ha…" The sultan chuckled at his own little rhyme as he placed a hand on the bodyguard's arm and began to steer him away from Aladdin and Jasmine. The couple watched at the sultan and Barir disappeared behind the large group of women that Jasmine had been speaking with. They were wearing matching silk bedlams of blue and white, silver headdresses with deep blue sapphires adorning their dark hair.

Jasmine watched the group of women with interest before she glanced up at her husband. "Aladdin, where is Genie? I thought he was with you."

Aladdin looked at her and blinked once, he was quiet for a moment before he grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the dancing into a small hallway that led further into the palace. Jasmine watched her husband with confusion as he pulled her aside, looking up and down the hallway to make sure that they were alone. Satisfied that there was no one else around, Aladdin turned to face his wife. "I left Genie with your cousin back in the gardens."

"With Sahira?" She raised a slender brow in question, her confusion quite evident to even the least observant of people. "Is that what you pulled me into the hallway for? To tell me that?" She folded her arms beneath her breasts as she took on a stance that clearly said: Start explaining.

Aladdin rubbed his forehead as he tried to think of where to begin, the entire situation was confusing beyond reason. He pulled his turban off and ran his fingers through his dark hair. "Haven't you noticed that Genie has been acting weird these past few days?"

"Genie is always acting weird Aladdin…" Jasmine's dry reply managed to shake a laugh out of her husband, a reaction that softened the princess' features with a smile that touched the corners of her lips.

"I meant weirder than what is normal for him Jas." His smile faded a little as he thought back on the past few days of Genie's strange behavior. "Haven't you seen it? He's been changing different shades of blue, jumping at the sight and sound of every person who would be walking by. And it all started the day your cousin arrived here to the palace."

Jasmine's smile disappeared as well. Now that she thought about it, Genie had been acting a little more strangely than what he usually did. In fact, Aladdin was right. The day that Sahira had arrived and Carpet had taken her for that ride around the throne room, Genie had been the one to catch her when she had almost crashed into a pillar. When Genie and Sahira had looked at each other, Jasmine could recall the shock on Genie's face at the sight of her cousin, he had changed to such a pale blue hue and Sahira looked as if she had walked face first into a wall. Jasmine had only assumed it was from the carpet ride but the more she thought about it, the more she began to recall the strangeness that had been going on between the two without her realizing. She frowned thoughtfully and shook her head. "Now that you mention it… But why would Genie be so strange around Sahira? It's not as if he had ever met her before…" she trailed off and stared at Aladdin.

The knowing look in her husband's eyes was enough to compel Jasmine to reach out and take his hand, her long dark hair framing her face. "Tell me what is going on Aladdin."

Aladdin intertwined his fingers with Jasmine's and brought them up to kiss her fingers. "It's a long story and I still don't understand everything that is going on but whatever it is, it has something to do with Sahira, that much I can tell you."

Jasmine gave a nod in understanding while in the back of her mind her conversation with her cousin from earlier in the evening came floating back into play. Maybe whatever was going on with Genie had something to do with the truth of Sahira's birth? Jasmine had no idea how it could be but her woman's intuition was kicking into over drive. She had a feeling that whatever her husband was going to tell her was going to bring a lot of questions to light and not a lot of answers.

.oOo.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see…"

They had been flying across the desert for quite some time. Sahira had begun to shiver from the cold and Genie had wrapped his arms around her small frame a little more tightly to help block the wind. This little protective gesture was more than enough to warm her up; she had buried her face in the warmth of his neck in response. Sahira could not understand her own feelings, but for the first time in all of her four and twenty years of life, she felt safe and at home. It was all because of this strange djinn with his kind dark eyes and gentle smile. Everything just felt right since being in his arms.

They flew over a few stone mesas, their shadows rippling across the glittering sands as their flight took them over a large sand dune and beyond that, a strange shimmering shadow that danced beneath the moonlight. Genie glanced down at the princess he held close to his heart and he smiled gently. Her face was still hidden within the crook of his neck and her fingers were splayed over his heart, which was currently pounding from her gentle touch.

She is so beautiful…

Genie tried to ignore the ache that was building in his heart; it was an ache that had been steadily getting more intense since they had met. Since he had finally realized that Sahira was his love reborn, the love in his own heart was growing full to bursting from the happiness. He was longing for her, longing to have with Sahira what he had had with Triveni. If there was a chance that could happen, he was going to do anything to make it so. From just the little things that Sahira had said and done, Genie knew that she felt something for him. There had to be a memory or two that lingered. Why else would she go so willingly with him without question?

Without thinking, he leaned down and brushed his lips across her cheek. He could feel her eyelids flutter open against his skin and she gazed up at him in question. His answer was a gentle smile while he turned a deeper shade of blue. "Look down there and tell me what you see."

Sahira had been enjoying the feel of Genie's arms around her, the warmth of his neck and the feel of his heart beat pounding hard against her fingers. When his lips had brushed against her cheek, she had been having a deeply rooted feeling of déjà vu and she had been trying to find that memory that was fighting to make itself known. She reluctantly pulled away from the warmth of his neck to turn her dark eyes to the desert below. She could see nothing but sand all the way to the distant horizon, a light frown played across her pretty face and she shook her head.

"Genie, I don't see…" she trailed off as a shimmering light began to dance on the sands.

As they drew nearer, the shimmering gave way to the canopy of a large oasis, the light from the moon reflecting off of the fronds of the palm trees. Her gasp was what Genie had been hoping to hear, if she could see the oasis then it was a very good sign. The elder had said that no one else would be able to enter the oasis and that had been proven true. On Genie's visits to the oasis before he had watched as travelers making their way across the desert would, for some strange reason, avoid the oasis all together. They would wind their way around the edges of the unseen paradise, never quite looking at the lush green jungle. Whatever strange spell the elder had cast on the oasis, it did not work on Sahira, who was practically leaning forward in his arms to get a better view of the paradise.

Genie chuckled as he flew down over the canopy and into the clearing, where the lake reflected the night sky above. Landing on the sandy banks of the beautiful lake, Genie gently placed Sahira down on the ground, his hands lingering on her small waist. She said nothing at first, her hands remained on his broad chest as she looked around at the beautiful scenery. "This place…"

She moved away from Genie, taking a few steps toward the water. A deep frown had settled on her features and she reached up to grab the Arabian jasmine that she had tucked in her gold headdress. She looked at the blossom and then out to the small island covered by the same flowers in the middle of the water. "I know this place… I've been here before… But how can that be?"

She stared at the island of Arabian jasmines as tears welled in her dark eyes, it couldn't be true. She held the flower close to her heart as her legs gave way and she fell to her knees on the shore. Memories flashed before her, the night she had shared dancing in the night sky with her true love, the time of their first shared kiss, and the very last moment of Genie's tear streaked face looking down at her as he begged her to make her wish so he could save her…

She closed her eyes as her tears fell, it couldn't be… Was this the truth that she had been searching for? After everything that had happened this night, the riddle of the Blue Star danced across her mind…

In order to learn the truth of who you are

You must first find the light of the shining Blue Star

Only then will you know the kiss of night's true flower

For it grows beneath the love of the Blue Star's power

She felt a large hand on her back and she lifted her tear filled gaze to meet Genie's. He was frowning sadly, the knowing look in his dark eyes was something that she did not think she would see. She slowly pulled away from his touch and got to her feet, her hands clasping the jasmine he had given her as if it were a life line. "You knew all this time didn't you? You knew that I was… I used to be…" She gazed at the flower and her frown deepened. "Did you do this? Did you use your powers to bring me back from the dead?"

This wasn't what he had been expecting to hear, Genie moved toward her and took her hand in his own. "Sahira, listen to me. I didn't realize it until this night. I didn't bring you back to life, as a genie I don't have that kind of power. You were born just like any other human accept that you… you were reborn. I don't know why or how but… that was why I wanted to bring you here. I wanted to know if what I believed was true. That you used to be Triveni."

Sahira was silent and the deep frown on her face spoke measures to the confusion and hurt that she was feeling at this moment. She turned away from him and pulled her hand from his. "And what then? I don't remember everything, just a few glimpses. Were you hoping that I would just magically be your dead love? Because I am not Triveni! I'm Sahira… I'm…" She stared at the island as a sob caught in her throat. She didn't know who she was, that was why she had made the trip to Agrabah in the first place, to find some clue to the truth of her birth. Yet here it was standing right beside her and she was afraid of it.

Genie could sense this and he moved behind her to place his hands on her shoulders, he leaned down so that his goateed jaw bumped against her temple. "You are Sahira and you were Triveni. You say that you don't remember everything but I do. I remember every little thing about Triveni and since I had met you Sahira, I had been watching you. The way you walk, the way you talk, the way you brush the hair from your eyes when it gets in the way. Everything that you do, right down to the angry way you clench your teeth." It was at this that Sahira relaxed her jaw, because she had been at that moment, clenching her teeth in her anger. She started to cry then as Genie kissed her temple. "Everything that you do is what Triveni used to do. Knowing this, knowing that the woman I love is standing right in front of me..." He took in a shuddering breath while his hands gently squeezed her shoulders. "I don't expect you to be who you used to be because you aren't, you are who you are now and I fell in love with you all over again because of that. You are you and I love you."

"I am… me?" Sahira tearfully whispered as she brushed the tears from her cheeks.

Genie paused after she asked this and shook his head, a gentle laugh emerging. "I don't know how I managed to say that, even I found it confusing." He gently turned her around so that she was facing him and he rested his forehead against hers. "Let me put it to you this way Sahira, standing here right now, right here with me. It doesn't feel right?"

Sahira closed her eyes to try to stop the flow of her tears; the hand that clasped the jasmine trembled slightly. "It… feels right. It had from the moment you took my hand." The small pointed green stone that hung on the silver chain around her neck began to pulse with gentle green light, the bottom tip of it began to extend, the green in the stone melting into purple as it lengthened. Genie could sense the strange magical energy coming from it and he glanced down at her necklace.

"What is it?" Sahira looked down at the stone and blinked in surprise. "My necklace? Why is it…?"

"You're remembering…" Genie said as he tentatively reached out to touch the stone. "I gave this necklace to you that night, it was larger then and it had more colors in it. I didn't think it had any magical properties to it."

"…and the silver comb, you placed it in my hair just before you took me to dance on the lake." She looked at the silk pouch that still hung from her wrist, forgotten until now. She took the comb out and stared at the intricate carving of the Arabian jasmine. The pieces were falling into place. She knew what these items were and what they had meant to her. Yet there were more questions that were taking the place of the answers. Who was it that had known about these items? It was no coincidence that she had these items with her when her father had found her. Whoever it was must have known about her past life. They would also have known the reasons as to why and how she had been reborn.

Genie had been watching her while these thoughts had run through her head. He couldn't believe it, she was remembering. She was remembering him. His heart skipped in its pounding beat as he reached out to take the comb from her. She looked up at him in question as he leaned forward to twist her hair up and slip the comb into place. They stared at each other while his fingers trailed lightly down from her hair and along her jaw line. "It will take time to remember but if you'll let me, I want to be right there beside you every step of the way."

Her tears were beginning to fall again, she had not cried this much since her mother had passed away. "Genie…" she trailed off as he ran a broad thumb across her cheeks to wipe away her tears. She leaned into his touch and closed her eyes with a sweet sigh. It felt right… what more could she question? If anything, it felt as if her heart had decided for her from the moment they had met.

Sahira rubbed her cheek against his fingers, the next words that slipped passed her lips had the feeling as if she had spoken them before. From what she had discovered tonight, she probably had. "Stay with me, I need you…"

Those words had such a profound effect on Genie's senses, the blood roared in his ears as his hands framed her face and his lips captured hers without hesitation. She trembled beneath his sweet kiss and her arms wrapped themselves around his neck as she returned his kiss with an explosion of passion that shocked the both of them. They slowly broke away while they gazed at one another and Sahira felt her cheeks grow warm. "I'm sorry… I don't know what came over me…"

Genie's deep laugh broke the silence of the oasis as he took Sahira in his arms. "Whatever it was I hope you'll do it again, I rather liked it."

The surprised look on Sahira's face brought another deep laugh out of him. A shy smile graced her full lips and she wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face in his broad chest. His laughter stopped at this and he stared down at her. She was crying again and he could feel her trembling. Tightening his arms around her small form, he rested his chin against her head and gave her a gentle squeeze. "It'll be all right Sahira. I promise you're not alone in this. Al and Jas will help, I know they will. And I'm here…"

She smiled at this and hid her face in the warmth of his bare chest. "I know, I'm just so happy… You remembered even after all of this time. You remembered everything and… I wouldn't have been able to even remember anything at all if I hadn't met you." She glanced up at him; her eyes were going to be terribly blood shot come morning from all of the tears she had shed. "I can't remember everything… but I remember you and I remember that you loved me."

"I still love you…"Genie replied in turn and kissed her forehead. A strange joy was welling in Sahira's heart, a joy that was wrapping itself around and around her heart, encasing it in a bubble that felt close to bursting. Could it happen so easily? Could she fall in love so deeply from just this night? She had fallen in love with him before. Her very soul knew this and it did not let her forget the feeling of it, even though she had been somehow been reborn and even if she couldn't remember everything else. She remembered him… It was a start to finding the truth behind the how's and why's to her origins.

Not saying a word, she placed her hands on his face and brought it down to meet hers. She kissed him gently at first, her hands trembling from the feeling of it. When his large hands were on her small waist and bringing her closer to him, she deepened the kiss with that passion that, for some reason, would get out of control. They did not break way this time, they stood their in their passionate embrace beside the lake of their oasis. The stars twinkled above them, the night sky reflecting off the surface of the lake. Further out in the horizon, a twinkling came into being, a deep blue sparkle that grew steadily larger until it was the brightest star in that particular part of the sky, a bright blue star…

(A/n) Thanks for everything, have a good week.