"Jasmine?" The Sultan hesitated in the doorway, listening to his daughters' quiet sobbing as Rajah tried to comfort her, "Oh dearest, whatever's the matter?"

Jasmine glanced at him, tear tracks on her cheeks, before turning and hiding her face, "Jafar has- has done something terrible!"

"There, there…." He gently wrapped his arm around her shoulder, "… we'll fix it. Now, tell me everything."

…

"Daddy! Daddy wake up!"

Cassim groaned, his head pounding as he pushed himself to his feet, sighing in relief when he spotted his son. "Oh, you're alright…" he whispered, pulling his son into a hug, "… we're alright."

As the carpet pulled itself free, Cassim nodded in thanks to it, before groaning at the sight of the cave in roof above them.

"We're trapped." He snarled in anger, "That two-faced, son of a… jackel." He then sighed wearily, "Well, whoever he was, he's long gone with that lamp."

"Ummm…" Aladdin smiled sheepishly, pulling the lamp out from behind his back, "… not quite?"

Cassim couldn't help but beam, pulling his son in for a hug as he ruffled his hair. "You little thief…" he whispered affectionally, "… come on. Let's have a look at it, huh?"

The lamp was clearly nothing special.

"Looks like a piece of junk to me…" Cassim muttered, "… looks like there's some writing here, but- but it's a little hard to figure out."

Gently he rubbed at the writing, only to yelp and drop it to the ground as it started to quiver and shake, glowing bright red as fireworks shot out of it. There was a large cloud of red smoke, before a large, blue figure suddenly appeared with a mighty bellow.

"Woah! Ten thousand years will give you such a crick in the neck…" the figure moved Cassim to one side, hanging him up on the wall, "… hang about a bit!"

He twisted his neck around, before beaming at the pair, "Wow, is it good to be out of there! I tell you, it's great to be back ladies and gentlemen, where are you from? What's your name?"

A strange device was held near Cassim's mouth as he dropped back down to the ground. "Umm…. Cassim."

"Cassim! Welcome to the show, can we call you Cass? Or just Sim? Or maybe, Cassy!"

Cassim frowned, turning to the carpet and his son, "I think I must have hit my head harder than I thought?"

"Do you smoke, mind if I do?"

It was then that the figure seemed to realise that Aladdin was terrified, burying his face into Cassim's chest.

"Oh… sorry." The figure shrank until he was normal-sized, "I didn't mean to scare him."

"It's… been a long day."

As the figure chattered eagerly to the carpet, commenting on his weight, Cassim slowly took a seat on the ground, his legs wobbling slightly with the stress of the day.

"Wait, wait, wait… " he shook his head in amazement, "… I'm your Master?"

"That's right! He can be taught! So, what do you wish of me? Of the ever impressive, no longer contained, master imitator but never duplicated, GENIE OF THE LAMP!"

As copies of the genie all started to clap and cheer, Cassim pushed himself to his feet again, feeling a lot steadier now.

"Wish fulfilment?"

"That's right, three wishes! And no wishing for more wishes! That's it… three. Uno, dos, tres. No substitutions, exchanges or refunds."

"…. Now I know I'm definitely dreaming."

Needless to say, the following song, dance and complete magic act was completely unexpected, although it did cheer Aladdin up, with the child nibbling eagerly on some sweets that the genie had conjured up for him.

"So, what'll it be Master?"

Cassim thought to himself for a few moments, "Any three wishes?"

"Err, almost… there are a couple of provisos, some quid pro cos."

"Oh?"

"Rule number one, I can't kill anybody…" The Genie mimed cutting his head out, making it bounce across the floor as Aladdin giggled nervously, "… so don't ask. Rule number two, I can't make anyone fall in love with someone else." He kissed Cassim on the cheek, which definitely made Aladdin laugh… which made the Genie beam. "Rule number three, I can't raise people from the dead…" he almost turned green, before spotting Aladdin and stopping, "… it's not a pretty picture and I don't like doing it! Apart from that… you got it."

As the Genie turned away, Cassim glanced at his son… and smirked, slowly signalling for Aladdin to turn on the waterworks, which he did, adding a few loud sobs to the act.

"Woah, woah, woah!" The Genie was there in an instant, brow furrowed in concern, "Is he hurt? Dying? Realised that life is nothing but an endless road of disappointment and bills?"

Cassim faked a weary sigh, "I think he's just scared… we are trapped in here after all."

"I d-d-don't want to die!" Aladdin sobbed, burying his face into his father's chest, probably in order to hide the smirk on his face, "Daddy, I d-d-don't want to die!"

Before Cassim could say anything, Genie was lifting them both onto the flying carpet in panic, "It's okay! It's okay!" The Genie seemed almost panicked, "In case of emergencies, the emergency exits are here, here, here and everywhere! Keep your arms and legs inside the carpet because we're out of here!"

…

"Jafar, this is an outrage!" The Sultan raged, "If it weren't for all your years of royal service- " He stopped and growled, "- from now on, you are to discuss the sentencing of all prisoners with me! Before they are beheaded! Now there's a young boy wandering around out there with nobody to watch over him!"

"I assure you Your Highness, it won't happen again."

"Jasmine… Jafar…" The Sultan took both of their hands, "Let's put this whole messy business behind us. I'm sure Jafar would be more than willing to help you find this missing child."

"Yes, my abject and most humblest apologies to you as well Princess."

Jasmine just sneered at him, "At least some good will come of me being forced to marry… when I am Queen, I will have the power to get rid of you!"

"Good, I'm glad that everything has been settled, now Jasmine, getting back to that suitor business- "

But Jasmine was already heading out the door.

"JASMINE!"

As the Sultan followed after his daughter, Jafar snarled in anger. "If only I'd gotten that lamp!"

"I will have the power to get rid of you!" Iago mocked the princess, before snarling in disgust himself, "To think! We gotta keep kissing up to the chump! And his chump daughter for the rest of our lives!"

"No…" Jafar hissed, "… only until she finds herself a chump husband. Then she'll have us banished… or beheaded!"

There was a wince of pain, before Iago suddenly called out in excitement, "Oh! Oh! Oh! Wait a minute Jafar! What if you were the chump husband?!"

"What?!"

"Okay… you marry the princess, alright? And then you become the Sultan!"

Jafar's eyes lit up in delight, "I become the Sultan…" he walked over the throne and sat down, "… the idea does have its merits."

"Merits, yes! And then we drop Papa-in-law and the little woman off a cliff!"

As Iago acted out what it would look and sound like, Jafar cackled in glee.

"Oh, I love how your foul little mind works!"

….

"Thank you for choosing Magic Carpet for all your travel needs. Please do not stand until the rug has come to a complete stop."

As Cassim and Aladdin stepped out onto the warm sand in the middle of an oasis, the Genie beamed at them, "Well…" he smiled smugly at them, "… what do you think about that?!"

Cassim nodded, glancing around in amazement. "Indeed… you sure showed us. Now, about those three wishes?"

"Doth my ears deceive me?" The Genie smirked, "You are down by one boy!"

"Ah, Ah, Ah…" Cassim waggled a finger at him, "… I never actually wished to be let out of the cave. You saw that my son was scared and upset, and out of the goodness of your heart, decided to save us."

The Genie was clearly about to argue, until his eyes widened in realisation and his jaw dropped. "Well, I feel sheepish…. " He then noticed the smirk on the pairs' faces, "… alright you baaaad boys, but no more freebies!"

"Deal…" He then started to pace, Aladdin walking on behind him, attempting to copy him, "… They need to be good. What would you wish for?" He asked, then turning to Genie.

Genie's eyes widened in amazement, "Me? Nobody's ever asked me that before…" He then chuckled, "Well, in my case- no, forget it."

"What?"

"No, I- "

"- Come on, tell me."

Genie took a deep breath, "Freedom."

Glancing at the lamp, Cassim frowned, "… You're a prisoner?"

"It's all part and parcel for the whole genie thing…" Genie shrugged, "… phenomenal cosmic power… itty bitty living space."

"That… that sounds terrible."

"Yes…. Oh, but to be free! Not have to go 'what do you want?' What do you want?' What do you want?' To be my own master… that would be greater than all the magic, all the treasure in all the world!"

Genie then winced, before shrugging nonchalantly, "But what am I talking about, let's get real here. Come on Genie, wake up and smell the humus."

There was a brief moment of silence, before Aladdin slowly shuffled forwards, placing a gentle hand on the Genie's arm, "Why can't it happen?"

"Well, the only way I get out of this, is if my Master wishes me free… guess how often that's happened kid."

Aladdin turned pleading eyes on his Father, who rolled his eyes and sighed, "I'll do it… I'll set you free."

The Genie scoffed, head transforming into some kind of puppet, "Oh, yeah- " The nose grew, only stopped when Cassim pressed a finger against it.

"I'm being honest! The first two wishes are mine, and then I'll use the third wish to set you free."

Genie frowned at him for a few moments, before sighing wearily, "Alright… here's hoping." They shook hands, and the Genie's entire demeanour changed, "… Let's make some magic! So, let's have it… what is it that you want most?"

Almost instantly, Cassim's mind flashed back to his wife… the first love of his life so cruelly taken away from him and Aladdin.

"My wife…"

"Ah, ah, ah…" The Genie held up a hand, a sympathetic look on his face, "… remember the rules?

Ah… yes, the raising of the dead thing.

"Yeah… yeah I know." Cassim tried not to focus too much on his poor wife, his thought instead turning to the Princess.

The Genie couldn't make anyone fall in love with someone else…. But maybe he could do something else.

The Princess was younger than him… but maybe he still had a chance.

"Genie… can you make a Prince?"

Genie pulled a recipe book out of nothing, "Hmmm, chicken ala king? No… King Crab…" he yelped as a crab pinched his thumb, "…Ah! I hate it when that happens… ah, to make a prince. Caesar salad? AH! Et tu Brute? Now, is that an official wish? You gotta say the words."

Stretching his arms out wide, Cassim beamed, "Genie, I wish for you to make me a prince!"

"Alright!" The Genie whooped before suddenly turning serious once again, "First, we need to do something about that outfit! So third century! And these patches, what are we trying to say… beggar?" He paused for a moment, before snapping his fingers.

In an instant, Cassim's entire wardrobe had changed. Dressed in fine cotton, the colours a mixture of royal blue, black and red with gold trimming, and a royal blue turban, Cassim couldn't help but stare down at himself in amazement.

"Oooo, I like it! Muy guapo!" The Genie then turned his attention to Aladdin, who looked just as amazed as his Father, "Now… for you, I'm thinking something a little purer."

With another snap of his fingers, Aladdin was wearing a similar outfit to his Father, except in white and purple, with similar gold trimming, a white turban replacing his fez.

"Well don't you look handsome!" Cassim beamed at his son, lifting the child into his arms as Aladdin felt the soft cotton in between his fingers.

"If you like that, you'll love what's coming up next!" The Genie whooped in glee, "We're nowhere near done yet!"