Chapter 11

The carpet rushed towards Jafar in heroic attempt to knock him down and be of help to Aladdin. "Ha ha ha! Things are unraveling fast now, boy!" Bright light erupted from the eyes of the cobra staff, hitting the carpet. Then as if an invisible hand grabbed one of his threads, the carpet was soon reduced to a heap of string on the floor. Aladdin paused momentarily as he watched the carpet fall, before running again for the lamp.

"Get the point?" Jafar yelled and a large sword appeared, blocking the street-rat's path. The new ruler of Agrabah snatched up the magic lamp and laughed hideously; his sanity was definitely something to be questioned. "I'm just getting warmed up!" he breathed fire and encircled Aladdin within.

"Are you afraid to fight me yourself, you cowardly snake?" Aladdin challenged.

"A snake, am I?" More insane laughter. "Perhaps you'd like to see how snake like I can be." Jafar smiled broadly and a forked snake tongue came from between his teeth. From there his transformation came quickly, he shot up changing all the way until he was a humongous cobra. Aladdin's fiery prison turned into the tail of the snake. The twelve man long reptile made darting attempts to sink his venomous teeth into Aladdin's flesh. As Jafar poised himself for the third strike Aladdin pulled the sword from the ground behind him and swung it with all his might and struck the cobra.

"Yes, go Al!" A squad of cheerleading Genies with a large "A" on their uniforms hopped around doing high kicks and waving their pom-poms. They came together for a cheer. "Rick 'em, rock 'em, rack 'em, rake, stick that sword into that snake!"

Reeling his ugly head to face the Genie the serpent hissed. "You stay out of thisss!"

Genie poofed back to regular holding a tiny flag with a "J" on it and weakly chanted. "Jafar, Jafar, he's our man—if he can't do it GREAT!"

Aladdin used the Genie's distraction to run for the hourglass that confined Jasmine. Yet before he could reach her, Jafar noticed him and slapped his tail before him to block his way. Aladdin was thrown back onto a pile of treasure and his sword lost.

"Aladdin!" Jasmine screamed banging her fists upon the glass.

Hearing her voice he got up and grabbed a large gem then slid down the pile and across the coin littered floor retrieving his sword as he went. Aladdin jumped off of the gem and darted around a corner with Jafar in hot pursuit, only he couldn't make the turn fast enough and smashed through a wall and onto the balcony. Seeing his chance Aladdin plunged his sword into his back. The serpent screamed in agony and the street smart boy made once more for Jasmine's glass cell. 

"Hang on!" He yelled and just as the sword was about to make contact with the hour glass Jafar grabbed Aladdin and pulled him away, dropping him amongst his coils.

"You little fool!" He laughed madly. "You fool, you thought you could defeat the most powerful being on earth?"

"Squeeze him Jafar!" Yelled Iago "Squeeze him like a—awk!" The Genie elbowed Iago in the ribs, silencing him instantly.

"With out the Genie, boy, you're nothing." Said Jafar. Aladdin took this into consideration then shot back.

"The Genie! The Genie has more power then you'll ever have!"

"What?!"

"He gave you your power, and he can take it away!"

"Al, what are you doing? Why are you bringing me into this?" Genie asked, looking a bit afraid.

"Face it Jafar—you're still just second best!" Continued Aladdin.

"Your right, his power does exceed my own…but not for long. He turned to face the Genie.

"The boy is crazy," Genie chuckled nervously "He's a little punch drunk, one too many hits from the snake." Genie turned his hand into a cobra look-a-like and hit his face with it.

"Slave, I make my third wish, I wish to be an all powerful Genie!" Jafar.

"All right," Genie sighed. "Your wish is my command, way to go Al." He added. He zapped Jafar and his serpent form vanished and was replaced with Jafar as a cruel looking red genie.

Jasmine's hand just disappeared beneath the sand as Aladdin smashed the glass and she and sand poured out.

"Yes, yes the power, the absolute power!" Jafar yelled looking himself over.

"What have you done?" Jasmine asked Aladdin in a fearful whisper.

"Trust me." He answered. A black lamp appeared at the base of Jafar, but he was too busy being caught up in his power mad greed to notice.

"The universe is mine to command, to control!"

"Not so fast Jafar." Called Aladdin. "Aren't you forgetting something?" The new made genie looked down questioningly. "You wanted to be a genie, you got it-- and everything that goes along with it!" Twin shackles appeared on Jafar's wrists.

"No, no!" He realized what he had wished for, as the lamp began to suck him in.

"I'm getting outta here!" Iago screeched but before he could get away Jafar grabbed his robes and he too was pulled into the lamp.

"Phenomenal cosmic powers," Aladdin said picking up the lamp, "Itty bitty living space."

"Well, that was lucky." Riar said with a small smile.

"Aladdin's a smart kid." Scheherazade replied with a shrug.

"I never would have thought to trick Jafar into a lifetime imprisonment. And who would free him? Quite clever."

"That it was." Scheherazade nodded. She glanced out the window and noticed that the sky was slowly starting to grow light again.

"Are you all right?" Riar asked, seeing his wife's detachment.

"Hm? Yes. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Do you know why I like stories?" He asked, not answering her question. "Because they take me away. Away from all the terrible things I've done, away from the responsibilities I can't forget that I have."

Scheherazade didn't say anything.

"It's funny that your stories can do that for me."

"I'm glad that I can do that for you." Scheherazade sighed.

"And I understand what you meant earlier. And you're right." He whispered, as he touched her hand gently. Scheherazade flinched at first, but let him hold her hand. "I know the things that I've done were wrong, and I know that an apology won't help now."

"You're right about that." Scheherazade said softly. But she made the mistake of looking into his face and seeing the sorrow in his eyes she had never truly noticed before. A rush of his pain hit her, and she saw for the first time that he was still healing, and that killing women had not helped as much as he thought it would. Being Sultan and hiding his aches from the world did not make them go away. He was human as much as anyone else.

"You want me to finish the story?" She asked. He smiled and nodded.

"Al! You did it! You little genius, you!" The Genie shouted with joy. In an instant, Abu was back to his normal state, and the carpet raveled back to normal (as normal as a magic carpet can be…) and Raja returned to a huge tiger as he jumped into the Sultan's arms. Aladdin felt the palace rumble as it reappeared in the city.

Aladdin looked down at the inky black lamp he was holding, and smiled as he listened to the low mumbled shouts that emerged from within. He glanced up and Jasmine was standing in front of him, dressed once more in blue. She smiled at him gently.

"Allow me." Genie said, taking the lamp from Aladdin. He walked over to the edge of the balcony, and said, "Ten-thousand years in the Cave of Wonders should chill them out!" He flicked the lamp off of his palm and the lamp flew away over the city into the deserted distance.

Jasmine took Aladdin's hand and took him around the corner to another balcony. She looked into his face. Aladdin would have thought he would have been happy to be standing with her now, with the truth known and the enemy defeated, but he just couldn't be. He wasn't a prince any longer, and their union was no longer acceptable.

"I'm sorry I lied to you." Aladdin said heavily.

"I know why you did." Jasmine answered. She put her arms around his neck and they held each other tightly, not seeing the Genie listening in nearby.

"So I guess this is good-bye." Aladdin replied, pulling away, and walking to the edge of the balcony, as he tried to assess the best way down, to escape the palace and the love he was so close to having forever.

"That stupid law!" Jasmine said angrily. She grabbed his arm as he swung his leg over the balcony. "This isn't fair. I love you." Aladdin stepped over the balcony with his other leg, knowing he had to leave. He kissed Jasmine, reminding him of their first kiss after their carpet ride.

The Genie emerged from his hiding place before Aladdin could climb down. "Al, it's no problem—you've still got one wish left. Just say the word and you are a prince again." He replied convincingly.

"But Genie, what about your freedom? I'm not going to make that mistake again." Aladdin said, shaking his head.

"It's only an eternity of servitude—this is love." Genie said, pulling Aladdin back over the balcony. "You're not gonna find another girl like this in another million years. Believe me, I know. I've looked." He pushed Aladdin and Jasmine together.

"Jasmine… I love you—I do." He whispered. "But I have to stop pretending to be something I'm not."

"I understand." She said softly. They looked into each other's eyes for the last time, and Aladdin stepped away from the princess and turned to the Genie.

"Genie, I wish for your freedom."

"One bona fide prince coming up—wait, what?" Genie asked in surprise.

"Genie, you're free." Aladdin replied, holding out the gold lamp to him.

The Genie looked at his wrists as his golden shackles broke off and fell to the floor with a clatter. There was silence as the Genie took the lamp out of Aladdin's hands and held it triumphantly. "I'm free." He whispered in disbelief. "I'm free! Hehe! I'm FREE!" He jammed the lamp into Aladdin's stomach. "Wish for something outrageous—wish for the Nile. Wish for the Nile." He said excitedly.

"Er, I wish for the Nile…"

"NO WAY!!" He laughed hysterically. "Man, turning people down feels GREAT!" He bounced around the balcony like a pinball and Aladdin and Jasmine watched his exuberant behavior without much interest. Genie began to pack a suitcase. "I'm outta here—I'm hitting the road. I'm off to see the world! I'm--" He glanced back down at Aladdin, who was looking at the lamp sadly.

"I'll miss you, Genie." Aladdin said, with a sad smile.

"Me too, Al. And no matter what anybody says, you'll always be a prince to me." Genie said sincerely, as he floated down to give Aladdin a tight hug.

"He's right, you know." The Sultan said, stepping out into the morning sun, with Abu, the carpet and Raja behind him. "You've certainly proved your worth—saving the royal family, the kingdom, and capturing a wanted criminal? It's that law that's the problem…"

"Father?" Jasmine asked, stepping towards him.

"Well, am I Sultan, or am I Sultan?" He laughed. "From this day forth, the princess may wed whomever she deems worthy."

"Him!" Jasmine smiled happily, as she ran into Aladdin's arms. "I choose—I choose you, Aladdin."

"Call me Al." They bent their heads together to kiss, when the Genie pulled everyone together in a rib-breaking group hug.

"C'mere! Group hug!" He cried, as Aladdin noticed that he was decked out in a Hawaiian shirt, Goofy hat, and golf clubs. "Mind if I kiss the monkey?" He asked, smooching Abu on the head. "Ahck—hairball! Well, I can't do any more damage around this Popsicle stand." He sighed, as he let go of everyone. He messed up Aladdin's hair by rubbing his head affectionately. He jumped up into the air, and started to fly away, shouting goodbyes. "Bye bye, you two crazy lovebirds! Hey Rugman: ciao! I'm history! No—I'm mythology! Aw, who cares what I am?! I'm free!"

Aladdin watched his friend disappear into the sky, with a smile on his face. He put his arm around Jasmine's waist and they looked at each other happily.

"A whole new world…" She said to him, poking at the carpet ride.

"No." Aladdin said proudly. "A whole new life."

"Corny ending…" Riar laughed.

"Life has corny endings!" Scheherazade laughed defensively.

"I know that." He smiled. He looked out the window to see that the sun had fully risen. "I also know that you only tell me these wonderful stories every night just to save your neck."

"That's not true--" She cried, nervous that he had found out her secret.

"Come now, you just told me a story about how bad lies are. You're not going to lie to me now."

"I--"

"It's all right, Scheherazade. I just wanted to let you know that you don't have to do that anymore. Over the course of these…"

"1,001 nights?"

"…I've fallen in love with you." He said, with a smile. He crawled off the bed. "So thank you, for showing me my faults and that most women are not evil." He crossed the room, and left, closing the door behind him.

Scheherazade watched the door in shock. She turned over, and lay down on the bed, a wide smile on her face. She closed her eyes for the first safe, sleep since she entered the palace.

The End

"Hehe! Made ya look!"