~Chapter 39~

Noella

The Sultan had ordered guards to scour the city, but no trace of Jafar was found. Joel was anxious about that fact. Sure he escaped without justice being served, but at least he was gone. Jasmine had to explain again to her father the confusion regarding the change from Joel as the suitor to Aladdin. Understandably, the Sultan was surprised by the sudden change, but still welcomed his daughter having finally chosen a suitor.

"I'll make an announcement this evening." The Sultan declared as he gathered the four of us in the throne room, "In the meantime, why don't you all go enjoy yourselves and prepare for this evening's festivities?"

We left the throne room and Aladdin looked sick to his stomach. I pulled him aside because clearly he was very agitated.

"What's wrong?" I whispered.

"It's just that my life is going to change from this point forward. Jasmine doesn't know who I am."

"That's easily remedied Aladdin." I nodded confidently.

"Yes, but I promised Genie." He replied, "I have only one wish left and I'm worried I might need another wish. Ugh, I need to talk to Genie." Aladdin pressed taking off his turban running a hand through his hair. Clearly this was really doing a number on him.

"Come on, let's go talk to Genie." I said taking him by the hand.

As we started walking away, Joel stopped me by grabbing my arm.

"Where you going?" He asked.

"Just give us a few minutes. We'll be right back." I reassured him.

Joel immediately released my arm and Aladdin and I went outside to the gardens alone. Aladdin led the way through the gardens and we found Abu, the elephant, resting under the shade of a tree. At our arrival, he perked right up picking us up with his trunk.

"It's good to see you Abu." Aladdin said patting his large head.

Abu set us back down and Aladdin pulled the lamp from a pocket in his robes and summoned Genie.

"Three cheers for Aladdin and getting rid of that awful Jafar!" Genie proclaimed loudly as he emerged from the lamp. He immediately began playing an assortment of instruments as part of a one Genie band. It was quite entertaining. Aladdin hung his head walking away in a sulk. Genie looked at me curiously.

"What's with Al? He looks blue and that's coming from me." Genie commented.

"It's been a day." I shrugged, "He has a lot on his mind."

"I can see that." Genie replied poofing an obnoxious size of eyeglasses on his face.

"I'll let you two talk." I said before taking a few steps closer to Abu who was trying to break open some bananas. I sat on the ground beside him opening the bananas for Abu while I listened curiously to the conversation between Genie and Aladdin.

"So Al, are you going to tell me your next steps? You've won the heart of the princess, so now there's your final wish…"

"Genie...I'm sorry I can't." Aladdin replied glumly.

"What?"

"Look I'm sorry, but without you, I'm just Aladdin and I…" He paused throwing his turban on the ground in frustration, "I can't give you your freedom."

"Wow Al…" Genie said looking really hurt, "And here I thought you were different. Another tally mark for yet again another master who has broken a promise. You've lied to everyone around here...glad I wasn't left out. Now if you'll excuse me, Master" Genie said sounding grumpier than I had ever heard him. Genie poofed back into the lamp clearly done with the conversation and Aladdin apologized again sincerely, but Genie gave him the cold shoulder.

"Fine." Aladdin growled.

He stood up picking up his turban and the lamp stomping right by Abu and I heading for the water fountain. In anger, he threw the lamp into the fountain with a big splash.

"Aladdin." I said.

"Just leave it, Noella. I'll get him later."

Aladdin stomped off toward the palace and Abu slid his trunk down my shoulder.

"Don't worry Abu." I said patting his trunk, "It will all work out."

Following after Aladdin, we rejoined Joel and Jasmine in the main hall. Jasmine pulled Aladdin away to talk before the big announcement in an hour leaving Joel and I to fend for ourselves until the ceremony. We went back to my room just to try and brainstorm next steps. After the big announcement for Aladdin and Jasmine, I would pull Jasmine aside and probably the Sultan too to ask the whole diamond in the rough thing that the last magic mirror clue mentioned. Joel and I sat down on a couple of feather pillows on the floor and I leaned against his shoulder.

"What do you think it means?"

"I don't think the mirror was referring to jewelry." He replied.

"Clearly." I said sarcastically, "I mean I know it's a riddle, but could the mirror have been more vague? Ugh, one step forward two steps back with finding my mother." I groaned.

Joel pulled me close putting his arm around me kissing my forehead.

"We'll figure this out, Noella. We've had to figure out tougher situations than this."

"Yes, I know you're right. Of course you are." I smirked.

"It's why you keep me around." Joel winked.

We both started laughing which helped lighten the mood a bit.

Before long, trumpets were heard from outside the palace walls and the citizens of Agrabah began to gather up outside the main gates of the palace. Joel and I were summoned to the main pavillion where the Sultan was to make the engagement announcement. Jasmine greeted us as we climbed the stairs of the pavillion. Aladdin came in behind us and Jasmine pulled him up the stairs and presented him to the crowd who cheered wildly below. Within minutes, clouds began to consume the blue sky and everything around us seemed to darken.

"What's going on?" I commented curiously.

"I don't know, but it can't be good." Joel replied putting his arm around me defensively.

Lightning began to strike and the crowd began to scream and flee. Moments later, magical energy surrounded the Sultan and his clothes were taken away and poofed onto Jafar as he appeared out of nowhere with his parrot on his shoulder laughing maniacally.

"Jafar! You traitor!" The Sultan yelled.

"That's Sultan to you." The parrot cried.

"Easy does it, Iago. Our subjects must learn respect." Jafar replied.

"We'll see about that Jafar." Aladdin commented reaching into his robes, but completely forgetting he had left the lamp in the water fountain.

"Looking for something Prince Ah Boo Boo?" Jafar sneered showing off he had the lamp in his possession, "I believe the phrase I'm looking for is finders keepers." He said as he pointed up to the clouds and Genie appeared, but as a giant picking up the palace as the ground around us shook.

"Genie, no!" Aladdin cried.

"Sorry Al, I've got a new master now."

Genie moved the palace up on top of a tall mountain and the entire ground beneath us shook as the palace was set down again.

"So as Sultan, you all will bow to me!" Jafar ordered.

"We will never bow to you!" Jasmine snapped.

"You have no power over us." I added.

"Give it up Jafar!" Joel replied.

Jafar never looked angrier.

"If you lot will not bow before a Sultan, then you will cower for a sorcerer!" He exclaimed, "Genie, my next wish, I wish to be the most powerful sorcerer in the world!"

We all begged the Genie to not grant the wish, but of course he had no choice. Genie looked away as he blasted a shot of magical energy at Jafar. His Sultan clothes turned dark and he donned his former black and red robes and his snake staff returned looking far more menacing than before.

"Now, where were we?" He said aiming his snake staff at us.

He shot a bolt of red magic energy at us as it forced us down to the ground to bow for him like a magnet. Jafar walked over to me forcefully pulling my chin up to look at him.

"Get your hands off her!" Joel growled fighting against the magic.

"Silence!" Jafar snapped and looked back at me, "Do you deserve my respect now, princess?"

I looked down at Aladdin who was fighting the magic as much as Joel was. Jafar looked up laughing at his attempts. Jafar let me go and walked over to Jasmine raising her head up as he did mine.

"Princess Jasmine, there is someone I'm dying to introduce you to."

Jafar moved Aladdin up on his feet as he zapped away his princely attire, he reproduced his street clothes. The purple vest and patchwork white pants with his red circular hat on his head.

"Ali." Jasmine said in disbelief.

Jafar then shot a bolt at Abu and turned him from an elephant back to a monkey. Abu quickly hopped onto Aladdin's shoulder.

"Jasmine, I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you." Aladdin commented.

"Deception is the worst. Is it not?" Jafar said putting his hand on Jasmine's shoulder.

She glared at him shaking it off.

"Well now, as Sultan Sorcerer, I'd say Agrabah has no more need of any princes. So allow me."

Before he did anything, Rajah came running out of nowhere and pounced on Jafar making him drop his staff.

"Blast that feline." Jafar growled.

With him letting go of the staff, it released the power over us and we rose to our feet. Joel went after the staff and he and Jafar got ahold of it at the same time. They played tug-o-war for a bit before Jafar got the upper hand and blasted Joel off. Jafar aimed his staff and turned Rajah into a small kitten. Finally, Jafar pulled Joel and Aladdin off the ground and moved them into a nearby tall tower of the palace.

"Joel!" I screamed.

Jafar waved his staff like a golf club giving it a big swing and the tower shot off far away and out of sight. Then he turned toward the three of us.

"I've got plans for you three. Special plans." He cackled.

AN: Jafar has the girls and the Sultan after getting rid of Joel and Aladdin! More will come soon! Stay tuned readers! :)