A/N – Okay, this should be the last of the direct story "ripping" from the movie. Buckle up friends! Next chapter, we get some long-awaited answers/reveals.

Chapter 16 - The Miracle

Aladdin's hand rested firmly on the hilt of his dagger as he rode into the desert beside the vizier. The moon was all that lit their way as it took to the sky and his nerves ran wild at the slow pace. Hoping desperately that Jasmine had not given up her fight back home.

The thief shuttered as he imagined what punishment awaited him upon his return; if he returned at all. Hakim might just retract his generous statements regarding his merits, yet he knew that it didn't matter. No matter what fate lied ahead, he would do anything for a chance to save Jasmine; including riding into the desert with a snake. More than once he found himself glancing at their dark surroundings, searching for any signs of a trap.

"How much further?" Aladdin finally asked.

"Patience," Jafar chided.

"Patience, patience," his bird repeated in an aggravating croak.

"It's wearing rather thin," he glared at the parrot. The vizier simply chuckled.

"For someone that claims to revile me so much, you are well on the path to sharing my fate. We're not so different you and I."

"I beg to differ." The thief threatened him with a dark glance.

"Your disgust is comical, boy," Jafar laughed. "You see I was once like you; a common thief. No different than the hundreds of vile rats swarming the streets, only we thought bigger."

Aladdin glanced at the vizier, becoming more unnerved with every word that passed his lips.

"Steal an apple and you're a thief, steal a kingdom and you're a statesman."

"I never wanted to be king, nor sultan." Aladdin argued. "I was just trying to survive."

"You fool even yourself. You cannot tell me that your claim to power had nothing to do with the princess?" Jafar stared right through him. "As if the you didn't dream of returning to Agrabah every moment since she freed you as a child?"

Abu nearly fell from his shoulder at the thief's startle. His mouth fell open in shock before remembering to compose himself.

"How do you know about that?" He glared in attempt to hide his surprise. Aladdin's mind felt heavy as he counted the number of people who he had entrusted with stories of his past. After Waleed's passing, the only two living souls that truly knew the thief were his uncle and wife. Since Abbas so stubbornly refused to step foot outside of the kingdom, he could only wonder as to how the vizer gathered the information.

"I know far more than you could imagine." Jafar smirked, twisting his gaze into a vile expression. Aladdin swallowed nervously, terrified that the man had learned to read minds. He despised feeling exposed, especially to someone as vile as the vizier. Had he forced it from Jasmine? He shivered once again at the thought of her suffering for mere words. "Ah, I know that face. I too once longed for the princess."

Aladdin tensed and his horse bobbed against the sudden harshness of the bit. He adjusted himself to grip the saddle instead of the reins, hardly controlling his disgust.

"Jasmine would never want you," he spat.

"As if she would have a choice," Jafar smirked. "For so long I fought for her hand. However, that buffoon refused to change the law. Even with my powers Hamed so stubbornly fought against me. But, no matter, there are other means of taking the throne."

"You're despicable," he growled.

"Boldly spoken from the man who married the princess against her will," Jafar taunted.

"I accepted to save her from men like you," Aladdin argued vehemently. Jafar merely laughed.

"As if you couldn't possibly hold any ulterior motives? You, a mere thief who stumbles into a kingdom, spending years pining like a foolish child; biding your time. Only to steal Agrabah's throne and princess for yourself." Jafar narrowed his gaze to the thief. "Think, boy. Think of the power you will hold as sultan. You can strike down all who caused you to suffer. Those who denied you shelter can be tossed into slums. The guards that beat you can be thrown into the lowest pits of the dungeons. As sultan, you shall be second to no man and all who dared underestimate you may be punished. Tell me again that you have no desire to seek power."

Aladdin tensed, trying desperately to reject his taunts. He was wrong, he thought to himself. However, Aladdin began to recall his training when he first entered Ababwa. He had spent countless hours building his body and mind, all to please King Waleed. Though he had been hesitant to take the throne when Abbas offered it, he couldn't deny the pleasure of becoming an equal; someone worthy to seek the hand of a princess. That, and the simple delight of standing above those who had treated him as vermin. The thief only became more disturbed as the vizier continued to speak.

"I know the sorrows of scurrying about the streets like a filthy rat. Such a disgusting existence. Only those who truly possess strength can break the shackles of such a vile life."

Aladdin broke from his stare with a shutter, fearful that Hakim had been right in assuming the vizier still possessed the power to control. He shook away the dark thoughts in an instant and focused on his deeds. Aladdin thought of the lives he had saved at the orphanage, to the array of grateful hungry bellies that had been filled on the streets. Though he had been short with familiar guards, he had remained fair to them. The thief smiled lightly as he felt peace before meeting Jafar's dark stare.

"If you speak the truth, you should know better than anyone that the people Agrabah needed you," Aladdin explained calmly. "Instead you treat them as nothing."

"They are nothing," Jafar sneered.

"Then I am nothing like you," he affirmed.

"We shall see." He spoke coldly, raising his brow in challenge. Aladdin took relief in the silence that followed, until finally the vizier halted his camel. "Ah, we have arrived."

"There's nothing here," Aladdin scanned the mountains cautiously.

"Look closer, boy." He scolded whilst commanding his mount to kneel. All the while his gaze remained fixated at the dark walls ahead. "The Cave of Wonders."

The thief looked again and as his eyes adjusted he could make out the dark mouth of a cave. He sighed quietly to himself before dismounting; ordering his mount to still. Aladdin's legs felt heavy as he stepped beside the vizier and for a moment they observed the dark cavern. Only now could he make out the carvings of a tiger and his heart lurched at the reminder of what was at stake.

"When you enter, you will see more riches than you ever dreamed of. Gold, diamonds, and the lamp. Bring it to me and I will heal your princess. But take no other treasure no matter how sorely you are tempted. And you will be tempted."

Aladdin glared once more at the vizier, wanting to argue the validity of this foolish quest. Jafar gave no instruction as to how a simple lamp could possibly heal the princess. Yet now, miles away from Agrabah, the thief feared how much longer Jasmine would survive.

Aladdin sighed before taking a step towards the mouth. His throat tightened as he waited for a trap to spring at every movement and as if on que the cave was set ablaze with light. Abu's tiny paws clasped around his neck as he retreated a step, before the giant tiger began to speak.

"Only one may enter here. One whose worthy lies far within. The diamond in the rough." Aladdin caught his breath while his mind raced to process the scene. Wondering more than once if this was all just a horrid dream.

"Remember, take nothing but the lamp." Jafar reminded.

He swallowed his nerves as he regained feeling in his legs. This is stupid, he thought more than once. Growing more confident that he would not see the light of day again. With a sigh, he forced himself forward and almost immediately felt the floor falling from underneath him.

Aladdin shouted as he slid down a slope of sand before colliding into the hard rock below. He coughed, both from the pain in his ribs and the sand in his lungs. The thief groaned before moving to his feet.

The cave was dark, but just enough of the moon bounced through the cracks of the cave to light his path. As he walked, Aladdin quickly became amazed by the glitter of gems. More than once he had to remind himself to remain focused on his task, recalling the vizier's warning to refrain from pocketing the jewels. However, nothing compared as the cave opened-up and his eyes fell upon the mounds of treasures.

Abu chittered away at his shoulder, sharing in the thief's awe at the sight. The monkey leapt into a pile of coins before misjudging the stability of his landing. As the creature began to fall, he hurled himself into Aladdin's chest.

"Abu!" He groaned as he fell over his feet however, his fall was softened by a soft cloth. For a moment, he was relieved before realizing the impossible; the cloth was moving. Aladdin quickly moved to his feet, forgetting to take care of the monkey in his arms. Twisting to face the intruder, his amazement only grew when he found a levitating carpet.

"Whoa!" he could not help but exclaim. As he swayed, the rug followed. "Abu. This is a magic carpet."

He spoke in awe.

"These really do exist."

The carpet shook its tassel fiercely. As Aladdin observed the large boulder resting atop the rug, the thief began to understand its plea. Carefully stepping around fallen stones, he reached for the heavy rock.

"Let's see what we can do about your situation," he told the carpet before leaning into the stone. With a groan, he pushed against the rock. For a moment, he believed his attempts were feeble before the thief finally managed to raise it just enough for the rug to slip through.

It was incredible watching the carpet soar through the air; defying all logic. Aladdin supposed that nothing should surprise him after growing with Ababwa's incredible inventions. And yet, as he watched the sentient rug dance excitingly before him, he could feel nothing but amazement. The thief tensed as it wrapped around him, but relaxed as its tassels bounced happily at his shoulders.

"Don't mention it," he smirked at the embrace. The carpet left him to meet Abu and Aladdin turned back to see his path.

A sparkle caught his eye and as his gaze fell upon the lamp, he recalled the need for urgency. Sighing away the sudden rush of anxiety, the thief took his first steps up the rough climb. The great leaps made him grateful for his time in the streets, knowing that the skills to climb such a feat could not be learned elsewhere.

The entire climb, he doubted the journey. What use would a lamp serve in healing his wife? It was a question that he had been wondering since freeing the vizier from the dungeons. Even if the lamp hid magical medicines inside, he was less than confident that his horse would help him reach Agrabah in time.

Aladdin gasped as his foot caught a loose stone and his body smashed into the hard rock as he barely managed to catch himself. With a groan, he lifted himself back up; taking a few more steps until he finally came upon the lamp.

The thief held his arms out cautiously and very slowly lifted the lamp from its resting place. He tensed, fearing that the cave would reject the action. However, to his relief the moment never came.

Aladdin looked over the item, finding nothing of value. Any attempts to pour contents into his hand proved feeble. His fingers moved to open the lid before the ground began to shake. The thief turned quickly to glance below and his eyes fell upon the curious monkey. Abu sat near the carpet, and in his paws was the red glow of a ruby.

"Abu, no!" He shouted, but the cave already judged their fate as it growled.

"You have touched the forbidden treasure. Now you will never again see the light of day!" The voice rumbled throughout the cave before the walls exploded with light. Aladdin groaned before thrusting the lamp into his satchel and wasting no time, he began racing down the crumbling path.

His lungs were all but spent by the time his feet hit the foot of the cave, but as a pool of lava began to chase him he had no choice but to continue his flight. Aladdin's eyes widened as the path ended up ahead and all he could do was make a leap of faith.

"Carpet!" He begged the rug to aid him and to his amazement the strange creature obeyed. He breathed a sigh of relief as he was lifted into the air, grasping the tassels to steady his balance. Together they gathered Abu before racing towards the entrance of the cave. Aladdin began to relax as they neared the crumbling archway, but the relief fell short as he felt himself thrown from the safety of his mount.

"Ah!" he released a yelp before slamming into hard rock. Ignoring his throbbing head, he quickly began scaling the rough wall. His arms ached by the time he reached the top and the thief was unsure whether to be relieved or aggravated to see the vizier. His arms shook as his strength was all but spent. "Could you give me a hand?!"

"First the lamp." If the thief's arms weren't so heavy, he would have rolled his eyes at the vizier's predictability.

"No, first your hand," he argued.

"We don't have much time. Give me the lamp."

Aladdin wanted to groan. This wouldn't end well, he thought to himself. His arms began to shake as a boulder fell all too closely. With a defeated sigh, he reached into his sack; lifting the lamp for the vizier to take.

"Now your hand," he shouted. Jafar placed the item safely into his bag, while his parrot croaked excitedly at his shoulder. With a turn of his gaze, Aladdin was met with a wicked smile.

"How about my foot?"

It shouldn't have surprised him, yet Aladdin's heart fell into his stomach regardless. He yelled as the crushing weight of a foot at his knuckles loosened his grasp. Through shouts of pain, he held on as long as his arms could handle before the thief felt himself falling once again.

There would be no time to mourn his failures as he waited for himself to collide with the ground. However, he became overwhelmed with relief as he once again found himself in the safety of the carpet's embrace. He felt Abu fall upon his chest and a moment later, his feet were on the ground.

The cave was slow to calm as bits of rock and sand rolled into the remaining fire. Aladdin breathed heavily, waiting for his mind to clear.

"We're alive," he breathed. "I think."

Abu shook the dust from his fur before lifting a brass object and placing it at his feet. The lamp. Aladdin reached for the useless object, gazing once again to find anything of worth over the worn brass. Yet, once again there was nothing. His heart fluttered in panic as he desperately searched for an escape.

"No," he breathed again. "No, no, no. There has to be a way out!"

The thief began pulling away rocks and digging through sand. It didn't take long for his knuckles to bloody as he fought through the foolish task. His fingers balled into fists and his forehead rested against the cold rock. He had failed. He wasn't even sure the quest had any merit to begin with, but it didn't matter. There was no escape in sight and his eyes swelled with tears knowing that Jasmine was likely breathing her last.

Behind him, Abu's anxious chitter tugged at his heart; reminding him that he had doomed his dearest pet to the same fate. He composed himself before exploding into a mess of tears; knowing that the cries would be useless. Aladdin took a deep breath before taking one more careful glance around the entire cave. There were weak spots that appeared malleable enough to make an escape, but it would take days to break through. No matter what course he took, his wife would be lost to him forever.

The monkey chittered again and Aladdin turned his attention to the pair.

"Carpet," he begged. "Do you know a way out of here?"

The rug shook its tassels excitedly before pointing fiercely at the lamp in his hand. Aladdin glanced at it again, though this time he noticed a strange glow.

"What is that?" he whispered to himself. He blew dust from the lid, earning another glimmer. Aladdin lifted his hands to clean the surface, but as he began to rub it began to glow even brighter. A blue cloud began seeping from its spout, small at first until growing to a massive size.

His body was frozen in both awe and fear as a creature emerged from the smoke. Out of the cloud came a pair of arms, folding over a broad chest. Aladdin was certain that it was all just a strange dream before finally, the blue giant began to speak.


Jasmine lost count how many times she thought herself to be lost to the pain. A terrible heat filled her veins as her lungs burned in agony. She could do nothing as the fire consumed her, nothing but wait for the torture to finally claim her. She almost wished for the end; wanting desperately to tell the surrounding whispers to stop her torment. The princess couldn't make out a single voice as she clung to what little was left of her life. As each moment passed, death seemed inevitable; no doubt in a matter of minutes she would at long last be greeted by her beloved mother. And then, in a single instant, it was gone.

In an impossible moment, the fire ceased and her exhaustion lifted. Jasmine opened her eyes expecting a blurry sight, however her vision had never been so clear. Her beloved friend stood at the end of the bed, speaking frantically to her father. Jasmine's fist tightened around something small and she sighed in relief when her limbs obeyed. The sight of her husband's necklace brought a smile to her face.

"Jasmine!" The sultan stared with wide eyes at the foot of the bed. Dalia twisted in an instant and her mouth fell in awe as she gazed at the princess. They rushed to her side and Jasmine was nearly overwhelmed by the number of bodies surrounding her. A healer grasped her arm, examining her without permission. However, her relief outweighed the desire to push them away.

"What happened?" Jasmine gasped as she moved to sit.

"You were poisoned," Dalia answered.

"Poisoned?" She whispered before her memories returned. Abbas. The princess quickly scanned the room but to her dismay found no sign of her thief. "Where's Aladdin?"

Dalia swallowed nervously before gazing at Hakim. The captain shifted on his feet before dropping his sullen gaze.

"The prince disappeared last night," he answered quietly.

Jasmine stared at the captain for a moment too long before snapping from her terror. Her mind raced a mile a minute, trying desperately to recall the uncle's motives. What did he do to her husband?

"We have to find him," she began to rise but Dalia quickly stopped her.

"Don't," Jasmine threatened with a growl but her friend remained unchanged. Behind her, the sultan stepped closer; reaching out an arm to hold her cheek.

"You have to rest," her father ordered. "We nearly lost you, my dear."

"I am fine, baba." She insisted.

"I do not understand," the healer gasped before dropping her arm. Jasmine met his astonished gaze. "The toxin was unlike anything we have ever seen. My lady, you should be dead."

"Hold your tongue!" The sultan growled, but Jasmine quickly calmed him with a hand at his arm.

"He is right," Jasmine gasped; recalling just how close she had been to giving up. She met their healer's gaze, staring with equal amazement. "How did you cure me?"

"We didn't," the man shook his head. "We could find nothing to halt the venom."

"Then how? How am I alive?" She breathed in surprise.

"My lady, it is a miracle."

Jasmine continued to stare, but could make no sense of it. Though she doubted the chance that they had somehow come upon Ababwa's magical medicines, even they had lingering effects to their cures. Now, however, she felt stronger than ever as if by the snap of a finger. Jasmine knew she would have sat staring into the distance for much longer, had her thumb not caressed the smooth gem of the necklace. Pushing away the pointless wonder, she pulled from their grasps.

"I have to find Aladdin," she ignored their attempts to halt her and took pleasure in the feeling of using her own two feet again. "He's in danger."

"Jasmine," the sultan spoke sternly. "Hakim took him to the dungeons last night to speak to Jafar. When he returned, both were missing."

"You let Jafar take him?!" Jasmine glared at the captain, but her father spoke gently.

"My dear." His calm voice failed to tame her fiery heart. "The boy released him from his cell."

The princess stared at her father in disbelief, before shaking her head fiercely.

"No, he wouldn't."

"Your highness," Hakim bowed. "I am afraid it's true. There was no one else with us."

Jasmine bit her lip to prevent another shout. Her legs moved her to the window, where she welcomed the refreshing light of the sun. The princess took a deep breath to gather herself before turning to gaze sternly at her captain.

"Search the palace for any signs of visitors," she ordered. When the room looked to her strangely, she described Abbas' appearance; leaving out his relations to the thief. The guards shifted nervously, searching at the sultan for assurance. To her amazement, her father merely nodded in approval. With a smile, Jasmine lifted her chin defiantly. "And help me find my husband."