Chapter 10
Jasmine smiled as Ali dashed up the steps at the entrance to the palace. She was so excited: the kingdom was finally going to hear her decision to marry Ali. Ali was so fabulous; she couldn't believe that she had almost given up on him before even meeting him…
"I've been looking all over the menagerie for you." Ali breathed heavily. "Then I got your father's message to meet you here… why?"
"You'll see." She said, pulling him to her as she adjusted his turban.
"Look, there's something I've got to tell you." He said softly.
"The whole kingdom has turned out for father's announcement!" She said, on the verge of laughter.
"Announcement?" He asked in confusion. But he shook it off and said, "Jasmine, you've got to listen to me—please."
"People of Agrabah! My daughter, the princess has finally chosen a suitor!" Aladdin heard the Sultan shout through the curtains, and Aladdin heard a cheer from a crowd.
"What's going on, Jasmine?" Ali asked.
"Good luck!" She said, and kissed his cheek and pushed him out through the curtains at the top of the stairs.
"And here is: Prince Ali Ababwa!" The Sultan cried, leading Aladdin out to the edge of a balcony.
He looked out and saw thousands of people looking up at him scrutinizing his every move. "Oh, boy…" He smiled sheepishly, and waved. The crowd of people clapped and cheered, but Aladdin could almost hear them all asking one another, "Doesn't he look familiar?" "He couldn't be that street-rat Aladdin-kid, could he?" "Whatever happened to that boy, anyways?"
"Just look at them, cheering on that pathetic pipsqueak." Iago mumbled. He flexed his new fingers, and looked out the window nervously.
"Let them cheer." Jafar smiled, as he held the lamp up to the light. Iago turned to look at his master and saw an evil glint in his eyes. Iago watched Jafar caress the lamp with his palm, and sure enough a blue figure emerged from the lamp's nozzle.
"You know, Al, I'm getting reallyyyyyyy—I don't think you're him." The Genie replied in a mix of shock and worry. He pulled out a playbill and put on glasses. "Tonight, the role of Aladdin will be played by a tall, dark, and sinister ugly man… hm."
"I am your master now." Jafar said with a smile. He threw the Genie to the ground and put his foot on top of his face.
"I was afraid of that…"
"Genie! Grant me my first wish: I wish to rule on high, as Sultan!"
Aladdin was still so shocked and amazed as he looked out at the faces of the people of Agrabah that he didn't notice the sky suddenly grow overcast and dark. But everyone below him saw the flash of red lightening that brought Jafar to the ground in an instant.
People screamed at the sight of the traitorous advisor, and ran away from the palace in mobs. Aladdin whipped around to face his enemy. Their eyes locked and Jafar grinned and the ground began to quake and rumble.
In another bright flash, the Sultan was left with only his underwear and Jafar was dressed in all white.
"Jafar! You vile betrayer!" The Sultan screamed.
"That's Sultan Vile Betrayer to you!" Iago squawked.
"Oh yeah?" Aladdin smiled sneakily. "We'll just see about that!" He ripped his turban off of his head, expecting to see the lamp in it, like always, but found that it wasn't there. His eyes grew wide as he looked up at Jafar.
"Finders keepers, Aboo-boo." Jafar said, as he swung the lamp around his finger in accomplishment. Aladdin starred at the lamp as the image of him smacking a pillow over it flashed past his eyes. Suddenly, the ground began to shake once more, and Jafar looked up to the sky. Aladdin followed his gaze and he saw the Genie lifting the palace off of the ground. Jasmine and her father struggled to keep their balance, but Aladdin whistled for the carpet, which came in a hurry.
Aladdin flew up to his friend. "Genie! Don't do this!" He screamed.
"Sorry, kid, but I've got a new master now." He answered solemnly. Aladdin hovered near the Genie's head as he placed the palace on top of a mountain.
"Jafar! I order you to stop!" Her father commanded, shaking with rage and fear.
"Ah, but there's a new order now—my order." Jafar laughed. "Finally you will bow to me." The Sultan began to bow reluctantly, but Jasmine stepped forward to stop him.
"We will never bow to you!" She cried defiantly.
"Why am I not surprised?" Iago shrugged.
"If you will not bow before the Sultan," Jafar said calmly, "then you will cower before a sorcerer! Genie!" He turned, his cloak whipping around behind him. The Genie looked down at him, and Aladdin watched his face carefully. "For my second wish:" Jafar said excitedly. "I wish to be the most powerful sorcerer in the world!"
"Genie, no." Aladdin whispered. But the Genie extended his finger anyway. "Don't do it, Genie!" Aladdin yelled. He grabbed his friend's huge thumb and tried to aim it away from Jafar, but a magical bolt of lightening shot out from it anyway and hit Jafar, who began to smile with pleasure. His white robes became red and black once more, and his snake staff restored.
"Now, where were we? Ah yes, abject humiliation!" Jafar cackled. He pointed his staff at Jasmine and the Sultan, and in a glow of purple, they fell to their knees and began to bow repeatedly, kissing the ground.
Raja came running at Jafar, a loud growl rumbling in his throat, but Jafar just chuckled again. "Down, boy!" And Raja was nothing but a kitten. "Now, then, Princess." Jafar said with a sinister smile. Still in the odd glow, Jasmine rose close to Jafar's face. "There's someone I'm dying to introduce you to…"
"Get your hands off of her!" Aladdin yelled, pulling the carpet downward. He leaped off to pound Jafar into the ground, when Jafar zapped him with the same spell as Jasmine.
"Ali--" Jasmine cried helplessly.
"Ali? Ali?!" Jafar laughed. Aladdin looked to the ground. "My dearest, I'm afraid he has been deceiving you!" Using his staff, he directed Jasmine and Aladdin closer together, so they were nearly touching. Jasmine watched Aladdin's face and he felt his heart breaking for her. "That's right!" Jafar yelled. "Say hello to you precious Prince Ali!" With every word, he hit Aladdin with a painful blast from his staff, and Aladdin soon found himself back in his street-rat clothes. He looked at himself, and then up to Jasmine, who looked shocked.
"Or should we say Aladdin?!" Iago laughed.
"Jasmine—I tried to tell you! I'm not--"
"So all this time, his love for you was just a con…" Jafar said with a shrug. He zapped Aladdin once more, so he was spinning uncomfortably in the air.
"That's not true!" Aladdin tried to yell.
"It's too bad he's such an excellent liar, eh, Princess?" Jafar smiled. Aladdin stopped spinning, but was left hanging upside down. Jafar approached Jasmine and held her chin in his bony hand, and because of the spell, she couldn't move away. Aladdin's vision was growing blurry as the blood rushed to his head, but the look on Jasmine's face was more than clear.
Jafar dropped Jasmine's face, and the spell was broken. She fell to the floor. Jafar turned to Aladdin. "Poor Aladdin; all his work for nothing." He pinched Aladdin's cheek tauntingly and slapped him in the face. "Well, it seems as though your path has been chosen, Ali Aboo-boo. And take your monkey with you." Jafar swung his staff in the air, and Aladdin flew into one of the towers of the castle, followed by Abu, who was returned to a primate.
Aladdin smacked against one of the walls. His hands groped for something to hold onto, but his hands slid against the bare wall. But the next thing he knew, the tower split off from the rest of the castle, and Aladdin and Abu were flying through the air. Aladdin saw the carpet fly in through the only window to help them, but he was too late.
The tower had landed, but where, Aladdin didn't know. All he knew was that he had never been so cold in his life. Snow surrounded him, and he called Abu's name as he rubbed his frozen arms in vain.
Aladdin saw a pile of snow nearby twitch, and Aladdin dove toward it and dug Abu out. "I'm so sorry, Abu. I've made a mess out of everything. This is all my fault." He sighed. "I should have freed the Genie when I had the chance." He cradled Abu under his vest and started toward where he thought Agrabah was. But, as he walked near the tower, he stepped on the magic carpet. "Abu! Help me dig!" With their effort, the tower began to roll toward them. Terrified, Abu squawked and Aladdin grabbed him. He ran to where he estimated the window of the tower to land and crouched down. Sure enough, the window rolled right over them, and they were safe.
Aladdin looked to the carpet, which shook snow off of itself and looked back at Aladdin expectantly. "Yeah! All right!" Aladdin cheered. He jumped on the carpet's back and Abu followed. "To Agrabah—let's go!"
But back at Agrabah, things were much worse. Jasmine looked out the window sadly, and saw that dark clouds had surrounded the kingdom and there seemed no escape. Looking back into the throne room, she saw Iago jamming crackers down her father's throat, laughing at his revenge.
Jafar tugged on the chains that were attached around Jasmine's wrists. She walked over to him, trying to hold her head high.
Jafar looked at the princess happily. Dressed in red, she seemed so fit to be his Queen at last. He smiled to himself.
"Tell that thing to leave my father alone." Jasmine said, tears springing to her eyes. But Iago didn't stop.
"It pains me to see you reduced to this, Princess." Jafar said. He pointed to an apple in the fruit bowl next to Jasmine and she scowled, and picked up the fruit to feed him. "A beautiful desert bloom such as yourself deserves to be on the arm of the most powerful man in the world." He accidentally spat some apple onto Jasmine's face and she flicked it off disgustedly. But Jafar hadn't noticed. He waved his hand, and a glowing gold crown appeared before Jasmine. "What do you say?"
Jasmine reached behind her for a goblet of wine, and threw it in his face. "Never!"
"I'll teach you some respect!" He shouted, raising his hand to hit her. Fearfully, Jasmine fled backwards and crashed into the fruit table. It broke beneath her, and she cowered on the floor.
"No." Jafar grinned, watching her face that was etched with terror. "No."
He turned around to the Genie, who was seated on a pouf looking dismal. "For my third and final wish, Genie, I wish for the Princess Jasmine to fall desperately in love with me." Jasmine gasped in horror.
"Eh, sir?" Genie said. "There are a few addendas—a few quid pro quos--"
"Nonsense!" Jafar screeched. "Don't you talk back to me, you stupid, blue, lout! You will do what I order, slave!"
Worried, Jasmine looked up to the ceiling and saw Ali—no, Aladdin—at the window. He had come back. She racked her mind for ways to help him, and decided that a good distraction would come in great handy to him.
"Oh, Jafar." She said, rising to her feet as seductively as she could. She bent down and picked up the golden crown and set it on her head. "I never realized how incredibly… handsome you are."
The Genie's jaw dropped, as did Jafar's. But Jafar closed Genie's mouth with a tug on his beard, and zapped the manacles off Jasmine's wrists. "That's more like it." He said to the Genie softly. "Now, my dear." He said to Jasmine, walking towards her and putting his hands on her waist. "Tell me more about… myself."
Aladdin saw what Jasmine was doing for him, and their eyes locked. It was a moment that seemed to last forever—his eyes told her that he was sorry, and that he loved her. She looked at him longingly, wishing she could be with him, instead of Jafar. "Well, you're tall… well-dressed…"
With Jafar taken care of, Aladdin slid down the long tapestry, and Abu and the carpet followed. The Genie spotted him, and hurried to his side.
"Al! Al, little buddy!" He said excitedly.
"Shh!"
The Genie zipped his mouth shut and looked at Jafar and Iago to see if they had heard anything. When the coast was clear, he unzipped his mouth again. "Al, I can't help you—I work for Señor Psychopath, now!" He said in an exasperated whisper. His head popped into Jafar's, then popped back to normal.
"Hey, I'm a street-rat, remember? I'll improvise." Aladdin said with a shrug. He zipped Genie's mouth shut again.
Aladdin slid down a pile of coins and treasures, making hardly a sound. But now he was much closer to his goal, the lamp, and Jasmine and Jafar.
"Go on." Jafar sneered.
"And your beard is so… twisted." Jasmine said, reaching her hand over his shoulder to point to the pedestal where the lamp sat. Aladdin saw the motion, and made his move.
Iago saw him, but Abu was faster, and jumped on his back and covered his mouth before he could say a word.
"And the street-rat?"
"What street-rat?" Jasmine said with a nonchalant shrug. But Iago managed to knock over a bowl, causing Jafar to try to turn. Undecidedly, Jasmine grabbed his face and kissed him.
Aladdin, Abu, and Iago watched with disgust.
Breaking away from the kiss, Jafar was very pleased. "That was--" But looking into the reflection of Jasmine's crown, he saw the street-rat, Aladdin. He turned around angrily.
"YOU! How many times do I have to kill you, boy?!" Jafar shouted. He reached for his staff.
"Jasmine! Get the lamp!" Aladdin yelled. She nodded and made for the pedestal.
"Ah, ah, ah, princess—your time is up!" Jafar scolded. He used his serpent staff to zap Jasmine inside of a huge hourglass. Aladdin's eyes grew wide as he saw sand begin to fall on her head.
"Jasmine!" Aladdin cried. He ran to her side, and pounded on the glass with his palms. Jasmine rushed to him, and put her hands on top of his, though neither one could feel the comfort of the other's touch.
"Oh, that is so pathetic…" Riar sighed.
"What's pathetic about it, sire?" Scheherazade asked. She had hoped that this would be exciting, not cheesy.
"That she still loves him! After all the lies he's told!" The King said. "It's quite unrealistic."
"But he came back for her." Scheherazade replied. "She knew that he had not lied about his love for her, when he came back to save her."
"How? How did she know?"
"It is hard to say." She shrugged. "But she just knows. It's a feeling inside."
"I don't see how she could have felt that after he lied about his identity. I would not be able to forgive so easily." Rair grumbled.
"That may be so, sire." Scheherazade said softly. "And it is apparent to me that you are more inclined to try to forget, than forgive, though I know you can not do either."
"What in Allah's name is that supposed to mean?!" Riar bellowed.
Scheherazade shook her head. She wondered if she should test his patience and speak what had been on her mind for a long time. "I mean that you try to punish all women for the mistake that your wife made years ago!" She said passionately. "You've been killing off thousands of women, and yet you are still not happy. And I know why. You cannot forget the pain within your own heart, and therefore you cannot forgive, and you cannot be happy. You can't honestly tell me that you enjoy killing women and slicing their families' hearts in two. And I'm right, aren't I?"
Riar was silent. "Continue with the story, Scheherazade. Please." He said monotonously.
"I shall." She snapped. "Iago howled, as Abu knocked him out with a goblet, before running towards the lamp. With a crude smile, Jafar zapped Abu into a toy monkey with cymbals crashing. Aladdin yelled out Abu's name, tearing his eyes away from Jasmine in her hourglass prison…"