A thunderous roar echoed through the halls of the Agrabah palace, startling most of it's occupants into wakefulness.

Jay jolted awake at the sound, clambering out of his bed and stumbling toward the door. He looked out in time to see Raisa bounding down the hall, but then he had to shake his head and do a double take. A red parrot was flying along after her, seemingly trying to peck at her head. It only took Jay half a second to recognize the bird, and what it meant.

Iago. Which meant Jafar was here.

Jay bolted back into his room, pulling on his shoes and grabbing a sword by his bed before bolting out into the hallway. He followed where Raisa was heading, trusting the tiger knew what was happening and where to go. Considering she was heading toward where they'd hidden the staff, it wasn't hard to guess.

"Jay!" Lonnie called as she and several others left their rooms on the way. "What's going on?"

"I think Jafar's going for the staff!" Jay called for anyone to hear. He thought he heard several footsteps following him, but it was hard to tell over the pounding of his own shoes and the beating of his heart in his ears.

He rounded another corner and slowed to a stop as he saw Alia walking out of a room. The same room they were hiding the staff in. She was dressed in her pajamas and barefooted, but she had a sword in her hand.

"'Lia?" Jay asked warily. "What are you doing here?"

"Hi, Jay. I was just checking on the scepter." she told him casually. "Everything's fine. You can go back to bed."

Jay narrowed his eyes suspiciously as he slowed to a stop. "I just saw Iago flying around. If he's here, Jafar is." he informed her. "I'd just like to check on the staff myself." he added, taking a step closer.

Alia mirrored him. "I just did. It's fine."

Taking a step forward each brought Jay close enough to see his twin's eyes. Instead of the dark brown that glimmered with mischief, her eyes were a glowing amber empty of emotion.

He instantly knew he was too late.

His grip on the sword tightened and he glanced toward the open doorway.

"Jafar. I know you're here. Get out here and face me like a man instead of hiding behind my sister like a coward." Jay called.

There was a moment of silence, during which Jay could hear the others approaching. He held a fist up by his head, silently telling everyone behind him to stop.

Then, Jafar stepped out of the room. He held the staff in his hand, and an evil smirk spread over his face as he met Jay's eyes. He casually stepped to Alia's side, though a step behind her so that she was between him and Jay. Iago and Raisa arrived, the parrot landing on Jafar's shoulder while Raisa stalked warily to Jay's side.

"Hello, Jason." Jafar greeted him smoothly.

"Let her go." Jay ordered tensely, knowing deep down that wasn't likely to happen. The only way that would happen was if someone else got hold of the staff, or Alia herself broke out of her hypnotic state.

Jafar sighed heavily, as if this wasn't going the way he'd wanted. "Well, I can see my plan isn't going to work." he admitted. "So I guess you'll all just have to die."

Jafar waved his staff around, shooting beams of red light from the cobra's ruby eyes. The light hit things around the hall like a vase, a seat, and a lantern. They all glowed red for a moment before they transformed into almost a dozen guards with swords.

Jay bent his knees slightly, ready to fight. Shang moved to his side, Aladdin on Jay's other side. He could feel several others lining up behind him. He was sure they'd be evenly match if it wasn't for Jafar's staff. But maybe Genie and Jordan's powers would even the odds?

"I hate to say this, but chances are we're not getting to Jafar without going through Alia." Jay muttered quickly for Shang and his father to hear.

Shang nodded once in agreement. "Who's got the best odds against Jafar with the scepter?"

"Maybe Genie or Jordan?" Jay suggested, glancing at his father while they conversed quietly and quickly.

Aladdin nodded once. "I'll tell them. You two focus on Alia. Everyone else will take care of these guards."

Jay and Shang nodded tensely. Of everyone, the two knew Alia's fighting better than anyone else. They'd both taught her, learned from her, and fought alongside her.

Aladdin gave the signal, and everyone raced forward like a wave. Several palace guards, Aladdin, Carlos, Cassim, Lonnie, Evie, Jordan, Genie, and even Jasmine, Carpet, Raisa, and Abu flew straight into the fight. Shang and Jay bolted to the side, moving around the thick of the battle that was quickly filling up the hallway, and trying to get closer to Alia.

She was ready for them, her sword slashing out like lightning as they lunged for her. She fought more like the old Alia as opposed to the tired attempts she made lately. So she seemed to have no issues taking on both Shang and Jay herself.

Jafar stood back, watching all of this calmly as his fingers stroked his scepter. Alia smoothly handled both Jay and her pesky boyfriend. His guards were fighting Aladdin and his pesky friends. Iago had flown from his shoulder and was currently in a pathetic wrestling match with Aladdin's little monkey.

He kept a particularly close watch on Alia, Genie, and the genie's little spawn. He was confident in his hypnosis, but it wouldn't hurt to keep a close eye on his little puppet. The two genies he kept an eye on because he knew they may be the biggest threats to him in the moment. Since both were free genies and not slaves, their magic and abilities were greatly reduced, so he could most likely defeat them, but he didn't want to be caught off guard. And when he was imprisoned on the Isle of the Lost, Jafar was stripped of his own genie powers, so he wouldn't be as evenly matched against them as he would have been.

Several feet away, in the middle of the fight, Aladdin ended up back to back with his father. Jasmine had retreated a few minutes ago to call for help. She was planning on calling King Ben, hoping him and Fairy Godmother could get here soon with Mal. That would at least tip the odds in their favor. Though they weren't scheduled to arrive until the morning, and the jet could only fly so fast.

"We have to clear the way for Genie." Aladdin called over the chaos. "Him and Jordan are the only ones with the magic that may be able to defeat Jafar."

Cassim nodded, swiping his sword out at the guard he was fighting. They'd noticed in moments that the guards Jafar had magically conjured were much better fighters than average guards.

Genie and Jordan were standing together, zapping Jafar's guards as they came at them. Unfortunately, their powers were only strong enough to temporarily slow the guards down, not fully stop them.

Putting his fingers to his lips, Genie let out a shrill whistle. He waved his hand high above his head. "Rugman!" he called.

Magic Carpet zoomed by, picking up both genies and soaring up over the battle. He zoomed toward the far end of the hallway, where Jafar was watching the fight from a safe distance. Jafar saw them coming and raised his staff.

A bolt of red energy shot from the snake's eyes, hitting Carpet. The shock sent Genie and Jordan tumbling to the ground while poor Carpet burnt and fell to the ground in a pile of ash.

"Carpet!" Aladdin called, briefly distracted in horror. The distraction got him hit in the side of the head with the hilt of a sword.

Across the hall, Iago got the upper hand on Abu. Sinking his talons into Abu's vest, he flew up and spun around, sending the monkey flying until he smacked into a marble column, dropping to the ground limply.

Jafar's eyes caught movement near the wall. It seemed Lonnie and Evie had been working together to get through the fighting. Both had swords and were mostly just trying to sneak through the fighting toward him. He also noticed Genie's daughter join them after her little tumble.

Evie grabbed Jordan's arm, pulling her close so the three girls could talk. "Jordan, we'll try to get you close to Jafar. Do you think you can get hold of the staff if we get you there?"

"Just get me there." Jordan answered grimly. She tried and failed to smirk. Carpet had been in her life since birth. She could only hope magic could bring him back.

The three girls continued on, not knowing Jafar was watching them closely. He doubted they were any real threat to him, but why risk letting his enemy have three extra against him?

Aiming his scepter, he shot a bolt of red energy at them. Lonnie had just began fighting one of his guards when the bolt actually hit Jafar's guard. It turned the man into a large hourglass reminiscent of the one he trapped Jasmine in all those years ago. But this time it trapped Lonnie, Evie, and Jordan inside.

The three girls looked around in bewilderment.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Lonnie exclaimed, slamming the hilt of her sword into the glass in frustration. It didn't do much, but sand began to trickle down from above. Lonnie and Evie both began slamming their swords into the glass, trying to break it while Jordan used some of her genie magic to form an umbrella, keeping the sand from falling directly on them.

At Lonnie's yell, Jay glanced over his shoulder and cursed. Not only were they losing numbers rather quickly, his girlfriend, who was one of their best fighters, was now trapped in a rapidly filling hourglass with two of his other friends. And Jordan was one of the only people who might stand a chance against Jafar's staff.

But Jay knew he had to focus on his own fight at the moment. Turning back to the fight, he went low while Shang went high. Alia merely back flipped out of range.

"Alia, come on. I know you're in there." Jay called, hoping to get through to her. Their main goal, obviously, was getting the staff away from Jafar. And then they could break his hold on Alia. But if they couldn't do that, they could hopefully shake Alia out of the hypnosis themselves, thus getting her back on their side. "You're stronger than him, Sis. You can break out of this."

"Maybe I don't want to." Alia answered. It was her voice, but it was almost dull, lacking any real emotion. "With you out of the way, I can rule Agrabah myself."

"But it wouldn't be you ruling Agrabah." Shang pointed out even as he swung his sword at her head. She blocked it easily. "You would be Jafar's little puppet. Is that really what you want, Alia? I thought you were stronger than that. The Alia I know wouldn't take orders from anyone."

If the challenge was supposed to make her angry, it didn't seem to work. She just continued to fight, lacking any emotion.

"Jay, see if you can help one of the others." Shang suggested.

"What?" Jay asked, though neither paused in their fighting.

"Help the others. Try to break out the girls, or help Genie get closer to Jafar. I've got this." Shang ordered.

Jay glanced at him. He wasn't sure he wanted to do that, but one look at Shang's determined face and he decided to trust the older guy. So, he rushed over to help Genie. He knew if he tried to help break the girls out Lonnie would chew him out, claiming she had it covered.

"Alia, don't make me do this." Shang asked her as they continued fighting. "I don't want to do it like this."

Alia didn't respond. In her hypnotized state, he wasn't even sure she understood him.

"I've been trying to tell you the past few days." Shang continued. "I think I would have told you sooner if we weren't fighting the past couple months. I don't want to tell you now, like this. But I'm hoping it'll knock you out of this."

He was almost rambling. He just really didn't want to tell her like this.

"Alia, I l-"

A loud yell interrupted him, causing all fighting to pause. Alia and Shang both froze, looking over to where Jafar stood.

He had his scepter aimed forward. Jay was before him, on his knees with his sword a few feet away on the ground. Rings of red energy from the scepter surrounded his chest, arms, and neck, making it clear he wasn't moving.

"Everyone, lower your weapons and surrender," Jafar ordered, "or Jay dies."

OoOoO

Dun dun DUUUUUUNN! Cliffhanger! What's going to happen?!

I hope everyone liked the fight and got real Aladdin vibes.

Anyone have any idea what Shang has been trying to tell Alia? Any guesses on what's going to happen next?

Please review and let me know what you think!