Chapter 11: Broken Branches

"Can we just admit for a sec that Agrabah itself and the people from it don't have a good history with evil, murderous plants?" Iago said with a wince. The vines around the area were thick in size, reached high along the walls of the maze, and were covered with enough thorns to do a great deal of damage. Not to mention that some of the vine ends, where the petals of flowers bloomed, had razor sharp teeth.

"Please don't remind me," Jasmine said with a wince.

Iago shrugged. "I'm just pointin' out the obvious. Mozenrath wanted an in and he got it!"

"We need to get out of this realm. Mozenrath has complete control over it now. If we don't, that murderous plant is going to do a lot more damage than we think," Aladdin said. Even as it was getting harder for him to maintain his focus, he knew they needed to run. Jasmine knew exactly what he meant. All of them - Aladdin, Jasmine, Iago, and Abu, were on Carpet shortly thereafter. Carpet started to fly away, but Mozenrath was quick.

"Flee if you like, but there are many limbs of this creature on the path to the exit of this maze. My newfound power and minion will not let you escape!" Mozenrath clenched his magic glove into a fist, which intensified the dark aura surrounding it. That made the dark plant creature's limbs reach out and attack the group. Carpet angled as much as he could to dodge the vines that lunched for them, but there were so many attacking at once that they hit Carpet on his underbelly, causing Aladdin, Jasmine, Abu and Iago all to fall to the ground below. Adding insult to injury, several of the vines grabbed Carpet, petal teeth digging into his fibers.

"Carpet!" Aladdin called as Mozenrath laughed. The prince managed to sit up from the ground, then get to his knees, but it was hard to move or focus with the poison's effect.

"I'm just getting warmed up," Mozenrath said as the aura around his glove grew stronger. Aladdin realized that the monster plant was doing exactly what the sorcerer wanted as several limbs looped around Jasmine, Iago and Abu too - lifting them high into the air.

"Help! Help!" Abu cried, trying to wiggle his way out of the vines that ensnared him. But they just grew tighter as he struggled.

"I'll just take the liberty of killing your family and friends one by one. That should prove how deeply useless you are, Aladdin," Mozenrath said, grinning as he wielded the power of his glove.

Mozenrath is using a lot of focus just trying to manipulate that monster's magic. He's not even looking at me, Aladdin noticed. That power is way more than he's used to wielding with Genie's magic under his command. If I can break his concentration, he won't have as much control. At least to help the others escape.

Aladdin knew what he had to do. He mustered up every bit of strength and focus he had to stand, his words clipped and bitter. "I may not have magic like you, Carpet, or Genie, but I'll show you that I'm definitely NOT useless."

Mozenrath noticed the change in Aladdin's tone, which surprised him, but he didn't realize Aladdin was rushing to attack him. The way that Aladdin collided into the sorcerer knocked them both to the ground. The plant monster was definitely affected, some of the petal teeth releasing one part of Carpet as the rug fought his entrapment.

Abu and Iago also tried to fight, but couldn't get free. As Aladdin and Mozenrath fought, Mozenrath tried to use his glove to aim a blast at Aladdin, but missed, striking the vine that held Jasmine. Jasmine free fell from a very high place.

"Carpet!" she screamed. Carpet had just managed to get free, and had been about to help Aladdin in the struggle, but he realized the princess was in more immediate danger. He rushed over and managed to catch her before she hit the ground.

Abu had managed to get free, but also fell, which made Carpet race over with Jasmine as well. The princess managed to catch the monkey in mid air by his tail at the very moment Mozenrath made a successful magic attack on Aladdin, knocking the prince to the ground.

"You have the nerve to try to take my glove, after all of this?!" Mozenrath snapped. "Fine. You know what? Maybe I should have listened to my instincts and killed you first. Since it seems you're begging for it."

"Aladdin!" Abu cried, causing Jasmine, Iago, and Carpet to turn in their direction. Aladdin lay on the ground, curled on his side and wincing, Mozenrath only a few steps away. It didn't look like the prince was going to get up on his own anytime soon.

But as Mozenrath began to order his minion to kill Aladdin, the gigantic plant, its vines, and petals started to freak out. Really freak out. It began to sway and writhe as if it were in pain.

Aladdin noticed, even from where he lay on the ground. What's going on with it?

Iago managed to wrestle out of the grip of the vine that held him.

"What's wrong? I ordered you to destroy Aladdin. Obey my command!" His gloved hand clenched into a fist, but the aura he expected didn't come. One of the vines wrapped around Mozenrath and yanked him off his feet.

Jasmine, Iago and Abu all were on Carpet as they reached Aladdin's side. Jasmine helped him as he struggled to board Carpet. "Guess the creature didn't like Mozenrath giving it orders" Jasmine said as she looked up at where the monster plant still couldn't regain its complete composure. But some of the vines looked like they were weighing their options to approach where Aladdin and the others were.

"If I had to venture a guess," Iago said, his eyes wide with horror as he noticed the approaching vines. "Blue Boy did somethin' to turn this monster against the manipulator."

Aladdin hissed through his teeth as he struggled to speak. "That might be true, but while it might've turned against Mozenrath, it's still not our friend. We have to get out of here before it decides to catch us."

"Carpet, let's move!" Jasmine shouted as they took off. The other vines and the main monster plant raced after Carpet.

"Don't let them get away, you stupid plant!" Mozenrath shouted as he watched them take off.

Genie had finally managed to shatter his prison, thanks to the splintering crack in his cage breaking open. Xerxes was none too pleased, especially since Genie used his own magic to ensnare Xerxes in his own glass prison, complete with an enchanted glowing rose.

"I thought I'd give you a little taste of the experience I just had, with a little bit of interior decorating," Genie said with a sly grin. "I think that rose is supposed to help you turn human from being a monster, but you might need a little work on that."

"Get me out!" Xerxes complained.

"Sorry, too busy, have to go rescue my friends from the game Mozenrath made them play," Genie said, his voice firm.

"Semi-phenomenal Genie can't enter realm," Xerxes said. "Only phenomenal Genie. You are not!"

Genie cursed his luck, thinking Xerxes might actually be right. "Okay then, maybe I can't go into the realm to meet them, but I can meet them at the exit." Genie turned his attention to the magic display, watching his friends race out of the maze they were in. When the timing was right, he realized that the portal would take them out of the maze, just towards the outskirts of Agrabah.

Genie turned into a flight attendant, checking his watch. "Welp, I'm gonna miss my flight if I don't leave right now. And you know how competitive it can get. Say hi to your buddy Mozenrath for me. He looks like he's a little tied up for the moment."

"Genie fool!" Xerxes cried as he watched Genie leave the room. Genie's trajectory didn't stop until he'd left Mozenrath's castle, left the Land of the Black Sand, and arrived just outside of Agrabah at the marker that had been where the portal would open.

Aladdin, Jasmine, Abu, Iago and Carpet all came tumbling out of the quickly opening and closing portal, throwing them towards the sands. Genie turned into an inflatable mattress, catching all of them before they could collide with the sand dune.

"Man, talk about a bumpy landing. You kids okay?" Genie asked.

"Jury's still out on that one," Iago said with a groan.

"Owwie," Abu agreed.

"Aladdin, Abu and Iago have been captured in that maze this whole time, at the mercy of Mozenrath's stupid game," Jasmine said, her voice firm, but not harsh. "Of course they're not all right. All of that was scary and could have killed them. And all because he thought he could mess with them because they didn't have magic."

Genie transformed to his usual self as the group sat in various places and positions on the sands outside of the city. He frowned as he looked from Iago, to Abu, and then to Aladdin.

Aladdin, who held his middle as Jasmine helped him sit upright, winced. "Think we might be on the way of getting to 'okay', though. We're out of Mozenrath's stupid game, finally. That's a start. Wasn't really a game at all." He shared a look with Jasmine, who seemed to silently ask if he was really as well as he seemed. He slowly nodded to her. "Sorry that we ruined the banquet tonight, though."

Jasmine shook her head. "Making sure all of you were safe means more than a banquet any day. But...Aladdin! The poison!"

Aladdin blinked. "What's wrong?" He looked at his hands and arms, realizing what she meant. His shoulders slumped with relief. "Looks like the effect is finally going the other way. Was hoping it would do this sooner, but at least I'm starting to heal. In one place at least."

Genie frowned. "I saw what happened to you guys in Mozenrath's makeshift lair. Not that I was able to do much."

"Not true. Whatever you did gave us time to finish and get back to Agrabah. Can't thank you enough really, all of you," Aladdin looked around at his family and friends. But he frowned at Iago, folding his arms across his chest. "And no matter what you think, none of us were 'useless' getting out of there. Magic power or not, we did what we had to despite how many times Mozenrath moved the bar on the challenges he put us through."

"Yeah, might've exaggerated that part," Iago said with a wince. "Still, can we save the lecture for the morning? My eyes can barely keep open."

Genie grinned. "Way past all of your bedtimes. Come on, back home we go."