Aladdin stood in the garden gazing up at Jasmine's balcony. She probably wouldn't even let him talk to her after that afternoon. If only he hadn't sounded so pompous before… or if he had just not even gone into that throne room at all…
How could he have thought, even for one second, that he could pull off this crazy Prince wish? He couldn't do this… it was too much. Aladdin was only a beggar from Agrabah… not some wealthy, handsome, prince. If only he could have thought about this before he had wasted a wish.
The Genie quietly floated over to Aladdin's side, and put a supportive hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry things aren't going the way you planned, Al." He said sincerely.
"Genie… I need help." Aladdin sighed.
With a sly grin, he became Jack Nicholson, and said, "All right, Sparky, here's the deal: if you wanna court the lady, you gotta be a straight shooter, do ya got it?"
Aladdin looked at him, confused. "Excuse me?"
The Genie looked at him, frustrated, and popped back to normal. He flipped over a black board out of thin air, and pointed at the words, "Tell her the TRUTH!"
"What?" Aladdin shouted, scandalized. "If I told Princess Jasmine I was just some… crummy street rat she'd probably laugh at me!"
"A woman appreciates a man who can make her laugh!" The Genie said, popping into a light bulb, which Aladdin promptly turned off. "Al, all joking aside, you really should be yourself."
"Please! That's the last thing I want to be!" Aladdin said angrily. He took a deep breath, and looked up at the balcony again, as if resolving the wild idea that had just appeared in his head. "I'm going to go see her."
"What? Now?"
"Yeah. I've gotta be cool… confident." Aladdin said, as he flung his cape around his neck, so as to look more heroic. "How do I look?"
"You look… like a Prince." The Genie said disappointedly.
Aladdin motioned for the carpet, and he hopped on. With the cool night air whipping his face, he flew up to Jasmine's balcony with a nervous grin on his face.
Jasmine lay on her bed, staring up at the ceiling and absentmindedly stroking Raja. When would her father give up on finding her a suitor? They were all alike… pretentious and arrogant... rude and…
"Er, Princess Jasmine?" Someone said from out on the balcony. She sat up, and tried to see through the sheer curtains.
"Who's there?" She called.
"It-- It is I, Prince Ali… Ababwa." The man called from outside, in a deep, stuffy voice. She groaned to Raja and rolled her eyes.
"I do not want to see you." She said, not moving from her bed.
"Please, Princess. Just give me a chance…" Prince Ali said desperately. Again, Jasmine didn't get up, but she gave Raja a small nudge, and he slowly started to move toward the balcony.
"Just leave me alone." Jasmine replied, her temper rising. Raja was now growling as he approached Prince Ali. Jasmine quietly got up from her bed, and pulled back her gauzy curtains to watch. If this would be anything like the pants-ing of Prince Achmed, it would be very entertaining.
"Down, kitty… good, kitty… take off…" Aladdin moaned as the huge tiger began to pace in front of him. In a glance, he noticed Princess Jasmine at the doorway, and he tried to look both romantic and brave as he scooted fearfully nearer to the edge of the balcony. Quickly, Aladdin ripped off his turban in a pathetic attempt to shoo the tiger away.
"Wait a second…" Princess Jasmine said, tearing back the curtain and walking to Raja to calm him. "Do I… know you?"
"Wha- oh! No." Aladdin recovered, as he replaced his turban.
"That's strange. You remind me of someone I met in the marketplace." She explained. Was it Aladdin's imagination, or was there an intrigued gleam in the Princess's eye? Did she perhaps look upon their meeting in the marketplace fondly?
"The marketplace?" A bee buzzed confusedly in Aladdin's ear. Immediately, Aladdin knew that the bee was the Genie.
"I have servants who go to the marketplace for me." Aladdin said quickly. "Heck-- I even have servants who go to the marketplace for… for my servants. It couldn't have been me you met."
"No, I… I guess not." Jasmine said, sounding slightly downcast.
"Enough about you, Casanova!" The bee/Genie hummed in his ear. "Talk about her! She's smart… fun, the hair, the eyes… anything! Pick a feature!"
Aladdin nodded to himself. "Um, Princess? You're very…"
"Wonderful, magnificent, glorious, punctual…"
"…Punctual." Aladdin said, instantly wishing he could take it back.
"Punctual?" Jasmine laughed. "Now there's one I haven't heard before…"
"I, uh, meant beautiful." He corrected sheepishly.
"Nice recovery!" The bee said happily, as the Princess looked at Aladdin for a moment. She bit her lip, and pushed back her hair.
"And rich too, you know." The Princess said softly, taking a seductive step forward. Aladdin was taken off guard at the very sudden change of heart.
"Yeah…" He squeaked, taking a nervous step backwards.
"The daughter of a Sultan…" She was getting closer now, and Aladdin was up against the balcony's railing, with no more room to back up.
"Yeah…"
"A fine prize for any prince to marry." She said, with a smile.
"Er, right. Right! A Prince like me." Aladdin said hastily. Was she onto him? Did she know he was a liar?
"Right. A prince like you." Jasmine said, cocking her head to the side, before her grin melted to an angry glare. "And every other stuffed-shirt, swaggering, peacock-Prince I've met!" She shouted, grabbing Aladdin's cape angrily and flinging it over his turbaned head. "I've had enough! Why don't you just… jump off a balcony?" She hollered, turning on her heel, and marching back into her room.
"What?" Aladdin shouted back, confused. He pulled his cape off his head, as the bee/Genie flew to his ear.
"Stop her! Stop her! Hey-- want me to sting her?" He asked.
"Buzz off." Aladdin whispered.
"All right." Genie groaned. "But remember: Bee yourself."
"Yeah, right!" Aladdin yelled at him angrily, as the genie flew into the lamp under Aladdin's turban.
"What did you say?!" Jasmine cried furiously. She turned to glare at him, and Aladdin found that her piercing stare was enough to make him want to be back down in the garden with Abu.
"I said that… you're right." He shrugged. "You're not just some 'prize to be won'. You should be free to make your own choices." Jasmine's fierce look slowly started to fade, as they stared at each other. Aladdin sighed. "I'll… I'll just go." He turned to jump onto the carpet, which was hovering out of view.
Aladdin hopped off the balcony, as Jasmine screamed, "No! Don't!"
"What? What?" Prince Ali asked, his head poking from above the railing. Jasmine stared at him, mystified.
"How… are you doing that?" She asked, as Prince Ali flew up and over the railing on a flying carpet.
"It's a magic carpet." Ali explained.
"It's lovely…" Jasmine beamed, as the carpet took her hand in its tassel, and kissed it.
"You, uh, wouldn't want to go for a ride, would you?" Ali asked, hopefully. "We could get out of the palace… see the world?"
"Is it safe?" She asked him.
"Sure. Do you trust me?" He asked the princess, holding out his hand, just like the boy at the marketplace had done.
"What?" She asked him breathlessly.
"Do you trust me?" Ali repeated in a whisper.
"Yes." Jasmine said, as a sly grin crept over her face. She took his hand, and he pulled her onto the magic carpet.
Ali continued to hold her hand for a moment, as they looked at each other. But suddenly, the carpet lurched forward, knocking them both back into sitting positions. Excitedly, Jasmine looked back and saw Raja staring after them, looking befuddled and bewildered. She smiled as the carpet dipped over the palace walls and up into the starry night sky.
Flying over Agrabah was amazing. Jasmine felt as though nothing in the world could match with the feeling. The carpet abruptly ducked downward into the city that was now quiet with rest. Ali gently plucked a flower out of a planter box, and handed it to her, with a smile. She looked at him, as all her frustrated feelings slowly started to dissolve.
The carpet then flew straight up into the clouds. Agrabah shrunk into the distance, as fluffy white billows surrounded the pair. A small cloud flew right into Jasmine's hands, and she gently tossed it back into the air. The carpet soared out of the clouds, and right into an endless sky diamond sky.
"It's so beautiful…" Jasmine whispered.
"Hold your breath-- it gets better!" Ali grinned, as the carpet plummeted downward. Hovering above The Nile, hundreds of boats surrounded them. With a swoop, they neared the great Sphinx. Jasmine and Ali waved excitedly at the man carving the nose, but he was so startled by their carpet, that the whole nose chipped off.
"Oh no!" Jasmine laughed, slapping her hand over her eyes.
"Don't you dare close your eyes!" Ali chuckled, grabbing her hands away from her face, as they neared a huge group of galloping horses. Jasmine eagerly stroked one of them, as the carpet weaved in and around their stomping hooves.
The carpet flew them through Greece, and into a large orchard with a glittering river. Ali ripped two apples off one of the trees as they passed, and slid Jasmine's to her from his shoulder to his elbow. Recalling the trick from the boy in the market, she smiled surreptitiously, and held the apple tightly in one hand.
And as the carpet slowed, it floated on the sparkling river. Ali looked uncomfortable for a moment, but Jasmine gently rested her head on his shoulder, and he took her hand in his.
"It's all so magical." Jasmine sighed, as she sat closely to Aladdin. He smiled, and put his arm around her, while they looked out at the Chinese New Year firework show.
The night had been perfect. With Jasmine's hand in his, and her head against his chest, he felt wonderful. He never wanted this night to end.
"You know, it's a real shame Abu had to miss this." Jasmine said softly.
"Nah. He hates fireworks… and he doesn't really like flying either." But slowly, as he realized what he had just said, he sat up straight. "No-- I mean, uh…"
"I knew it!" Jasmine proclaimed, sitting up, and looking Aladdin right dead in the eye. She pulled off his turban. "You are the boy from the marketplace, aren't you? Why would you lie to me?"
"Jasmine, I--"
"Did you think I was stupid?!"
"No!"
"That I wouldn't find out?!"
"No! Well, that is, I hoped you wouldn't… Wait-- that's not what I meant…" Aladdin rambled. He had been caught… she knew… everything was crumbling around him. He had to think fast…
"Well?" Jasmine prompted. "Who are you? Tell me the truth."
"The truth?" Aladdin repeated, trying to buy time. "The truth… the truth is… I sometimes dress as a commoner… to escape the pressures of palace life!" He risked a glance at the carpet, which had sunken down in defeat. "But, uh, I really am a prince!" He added, just for good measure.
Jasmine looked at him with pursed lips. "Why didn't you just tell me?"
"Well, you know… royalty going out into the city in disguise… it sounds a little strange, don't you think?" Aladdin shrugged.
"Not that strange." Jasmine smiled. And again, she leaned up against him, and Aladdin knew that all was well.
The carpet flew toward Jasmine's balcony, and Jasmine knew that her night of wonder and romance had come to an end. The carpet unfurled itself into steps, and she stepped down them carefully.
She moved to the railing, as the carpet swooped out of view, but leaving Ali leaning against the banister.
"Goodnight, my handsome prince." She said softly.
"Sweet dreams, Princess." Ali said. But the carpet bumped him up suddenly, and their lips met much sooner than expected-- though neither one pulled away.
But all too soon, Jasmine stepped away slowly. She walked over to the curtain, and was just about to walk in, when she found herself looking over her shoulder at Ali. He was smiling at her, and she turned and went into her room.
Aladdin watched Princess Jasmine enter her room, with an overjoyed grin on his face. "YES!" He cried in a whisper, allowing himself to fall back. The carpet let him free-fall for a moment, before catching him on his back, and easing him toward the ground.
"For the first time in my life, carpet, things are starting to go right." He sighed, still watching the balcony.
But suddenly, a pair of cold hands grabbed his elbows, and another pulled the carpet out from under him. Aladdin landed on the grass with a painful thud, as another man pulled a gag over his mouth.
"Abu! Abu!" He tried to shout, but as he looked around wildly for help, he saw that Abu was trapped in a net, and carpet was being tied to a tree.
"Hold him!" One man said, as more men slapped shackles on his hands and feet. The man who had suppressed him grabbed Aladdin's head, and held it up to the moonlight.
Walking towards them was the Grand Vizier, Jafar. "That's the one." He scowled. "I'm afraid that you've worn out your welcome, Prince Abooboo." Jafar said, his voice dripping with honey. But unexpectedly, he spat in Aladdin's face and he laughed wickedly. "Make sure he's never found."
The men pulled an unconscious Aladdin out to a large cliff on the other side of Agrabah. Laughing, they strapped his shackles to a rock, and pushed him into a large body of water.
As soon as Aladdin hit the water, he returned to consciousness. He strained with all his might to kick upward, as the deep, suppressing, water bubbled around him. No air was left in his lungs… it felt as though someone with a steamroller were plowing over his ribs, and cutting into them with knifes. His muscles tensed, as the hazy moon grew smaller and smaller above the waves.
He tried to gasp for air, but none came, and he felt water filling his lungs. He gave up trying to reach the surface, and passed out, as his knees scraped the sand at the bottom.
Aladdin's turban hit the floor very near to his hands… and there was the lamp, gleaming in the eerie underwater light. As Aladdin's torso collapsed to the sea floor, his hands brushed up against the golden lamp, and the genie emerged.
"Never fails! You get in the
tub, and there's a rub at the lamp." He groaned, pulling off a shower cap, and
squeezing a rubber duck. He turned, and noticed Aladdin. "Al?! Aladdin?! Oh-
you can't cheat on this one! Kid, snap out of it!"
He demanded. "I can't help you unless
you make a wish… I want you to say 'Genie, I want you save my life.' Come on,
Aladdin!" He screamed, shaking Aladdin by the shoulders. Aladdin did nothing,
but his head flopped woozily to his shoulder. "I'll take that as a yes." The
Genie decided. "WOOGA! WOOGA!" He became a submarine, and he grabbed Aladdin, a
pulled him to the surface.
Coughing, Aladdin breathed deeply.
"Don't you scare me like that!" Genie scolded.
"Genie… I, uh… I…" Aladdin muttered, but instead of waiting for words to come, he just hugged him. "Thank you."
"Oh, Al. I'm getting fond of you, kid." Genie replied, pushing Aladdin onto his shoulders as he started to fly toward Agrabah. "Not that I wanna pick out curtains or anything…"