Aladdin And The Lord Of The Black Sands
Chapter 7: To Help Or Not To Help
Aladdin was focused ahead, jaw clenched and misery in his eyes. No one dared speak. It was as if Aladdin was alone. He shook his head violently saying in a whisper, "Impossible."
"Aladdin?" Jasmine timidly dared to ask as she placed a hand on his shoulder.
He glanced at her from the corner of his eye then said coldly, "I knew something like this would happen, I knew it, but I'd hoped… Why him? I'd rather it had been Amin Damoola."
"I'm sorry," she apologized, tears coming to her eyes when she noticed his own and saw how distraught he was.
"Ooh, five stages of mourning. First denial, second anger, third bargaining, fourth depression, fifth acceptance," Genie said sympathetically.
"Which one is he on?" Sadira asked.
"One, denial," Genie answered.
"This is impossible. Xerxes tell me this is impossible," Mozenrath furiously growled as he pursued the others.
"Oracle say…" Xerxes began, trying to reason.
"The oracle was wrong!" Mozenrath shot. Looking ahead he added, "She had to be."
"This is all your guys' fault! I told you not to look into it!" Aladdin suddenly yelled at them.
"Stage two, anger," Genie said.
"Shut up Genie!" Aladdin barked, but he quickly got a hold of himself. "No, I'm sorry Genie. This is my fault. I never should have read that book or mentioned it.
"My only goal now is to kill him! Him and his princess! She was the one who asked the oracle in the first place!" Mozenrath swore.
"Master angry?" Xerxes asked.
"Master very angry Xerxes, very!" Mozenrath replied.
"How could this happen?" Aladdin asked.
"Are we skipping right to acceptance Al?" Genie asked.
"I'm not grieving Genie!" Aladdin replied.
"He can't be my brother," Mozenrath said as he caught up to them.
"He's not my brother," Aladdin said.
"Nah, the never lying never wrong oracle was full of it," Iago sarcastically said.
"My thoughts exactly!" Mozenrath suddenly said as he reached them!
They all turned, but Aladdin was first to react. Raw fury drove him to it. He leapt at Mozenrath throwing his concentration off and sending them both falling towards the desert far below! "Aladdin!" Jasmine cried.
"Master!" Xerxes exclaimed in horror.
Carpet instantly dove for the falling pair. Mozenrath delivered a blow to Aladdin then placed him below. Aladdin struggled with him trying to force himself into a position where he wouldn't be taking the brunt of the landing. If he was going down, he was taking Mozenrath with him. Better yet… He felt Mozenrath losing his strength. The ground drew nearer. Desperately Aladdin cried out, flipping Mozenrath below. They'd almost hit the ground when Carpet caught up swooping beneath Aladdin pulling him from Mozenrath's grasp, though slowing the ruler's fall, then bringing Aladdin to safety. Aladdin's eyes opened just in time to see Mozenrath hit the ground with a sickening thud and lay still.
Aladdin closed his eyes tightly and shook his head. Carpet was heading towards Agrabah. Aladdin suddenly laughed bitterly. "Maybe now he'll stay away," Aladdin said. With that he looked towards Agrabah.
Sadira, though, looked back at where the young man lay, prone on the desert floor. She saw the eel hovering worriedly around him. "Uh, Aladdin, he looks really hurt. Maybe we should check on him?"
"Don't worry about the wonder kid. He always comes back no matter what you do!" Genie replied. "He's like a disease. Enjoy the peace, while it lasts."
She looked back then said, "Seriously, I think your brother is really hurt."
Aladdin replied, "He's not my brother." Nonetheless he had looked back.
"Oh you can't be serious!" Iago exclaimed.
"What?" Aladdin asked.
"You're gonna go back for Jafar Junior, aren't you!" Iago accused.
"No, what do I care?" Aladdin replied uncertainly. "It's Mozenrath."
"Aladdin…" Jasmine began, putting a hand on his shoulder. "It's your nature. Would you leave him even if you didn't know?"
For a moment Aladdin said nothing. He finally sighed saying, "Here I go again. Carpet…"
"Oh boy, here it comes!" Iago complained.
"Oh no," Abu chattered.
"Go back," Aladdin said with a sorry smile. Carpet 'saluted' then obeyed.
Xerxes looked up at Carpet only just hearing them as they arrived. "You hurt master!" Xerxes growled preparing to attack.
"Ah shut up fish boy! We came back! Al couldn't leave well enough alone," Iago retorted.
Xerxes had cowered behind Sadira looking shocked at the outburst, then sad. "Mozenrath no wake up," he said as he came from behind Sadira slithering over her shoulder. Sadira couldn't help but pet his head with a finger wondering how he felt. He looked helplessly at her. How cute. Poor little thing. No, bad Sadira, not cute, slimy.
Aladdin leapt from Carpet and cautiously approached the sorcerer. Sadira followed right behind, though more timidly. Mozenrath didn't move. Aladdin swallowed, realizing, for the first time, the resemblance. He was staring into his own face. No, they weren't that similar. He knelt down to see if Mozenrath was alive. He saw him breathing weakly. "He's breathing," Aladdin declared.
"Genie, get some water," Sadira ordered.
"Gotcha," Genie replied. With that he poofed a glass full of water into his hand and gave it to Sadira. Aladdin glanced at her when she offered it. He then took it and raised Mozenrath's head. He poured the water into his mouth. The young ruler began to cough. Aladdin put his head down then quickly backed away towards Carpet, ready for a quick escape.
Mozenrath's eyes flickered open. He groaned holding his head. He painfully sat up then looked around. He froze on seeing them. "You!" he yelled, "What are you doing!"
"Great, he's alive, can we leave?" Iago said.
"Are you okay?" Sadira asked.
"Oh let's see, I'm in pain, I just fell from the sky, I wake up to find myself surrounded by my enemies, yes, I'm fine, just peachy," he sarcastically replied.
"Hey, we just helped you!" Aladdin shot.
"Oh good for you Aladdin, your good deed of the day," Mozenrath replied, clapping with false enthusiasm. "Oh he's my brother according to the oracle, I should help him," Mozenrath taunted Aladdin.
"Look, brother or not I would've helped! It's my nature! I'm good, remember, but then you'd have no clue what good guys do, would you!" Aladdin barked.
"How could I forget!" Mozenrath sneered. "And we're not related!"
"I couldn't agree more, let's go guys," Aladdin said.
"I could destroy you all now!" Mozenrath barked, angry they were just turning away from him when he wasn't finished with them yet.
Aladdin turned answering firmly, "Go home Mozenrath. You're in no condition to fight." He waited, but Mozenrath neither moved nor responded. Aladdin and his friends climbed aboard Carpet. Sadira paused a moment looking back at him. She then climbed on too. With that they faded over the horizon.
"Master not going to chase?" Xerxes asked.
Mozenrath said nothing at first, but soon he chuckled answering, "No Xerxes. Not right now. Soon though, very soon. Aladdin, my dear brother, won't know what hit him," Mozenrath said with dripping sarcasm. With that he and his pet started back to the Citadel.
Meanwhile, Abis-Mal and the remainder of the forty thieves saw the form of the Citadel and city in the distance. The triplets looked up then gasped. "Hide!" they ordered as they knocked down three of the others. Abis-Mal and the fat one fell automatically to the desert. From the horizon soared Aladdin and co. Soon after flew another young man they assumed had to be Mozenrath.
"The resemblance is uncanny!" Abis-Mal said in disbelief.
As the figures faded they rose. They were all nervous. They'd seen their fair share of Mamluks. Another suddenly jumped from the ground. Abis-Mal shrieked like a girl as the fat one dispelled of it. "Who'd live in a place like this!" Abis-Mal demanded.
"Apparently Aladdin's brother," the Asian replied.
They were inside the city heading for the Citadel. "This is a cursed place," the charmer remarked as he was cautiously looking around.
"Watch out!" the swordsman shot as three mamluks suddenly rounded the corner and seized his friend's horse as well as his friend! The swordsman swiftly took care of them with an aid from the charmer himself.
Finally they reached the Citadel. "Here we go," Abis-Mal excitedly said as he reached for the door.
Wasting no time and wanting desperately to get out of there, the fat one charged the doors throwing them open. "Let's spread out then leave!" he said.
"Right behind you big guy," Abis-Mal replied. The thieves ran in and explored as if their lives depended on beating a time limit, and ironically, they did, for if Mozenrath returned, there would be Hades to pay.
They were soon near the top of the Citadel. They looked into a study type room. Abis-Mal ordered, "Uh, okay, the big guy, the little guy, and me will check here. The triplets, the swordsman, and the weird charmer can check the next room."
They nodded and split. When the group of three entered, they stopped and gasped. Right in front of them was the hand of Midas in the apparent room Aladdin had fled from. "Well, that was easy," the fat one said.
The group of five ran higher up the stairs towards their own door feeling increasingly more alarmed. There it was the door! They burst through only to find themselves in a room filled with books. "Quickly, we must find the book of Khartoum!" the triplets declared, instantly beginning to search.
The group all but tore the library apart. Just as they were losing hope the charmer saw a book on top of the tallest case. He looked around for a rope, brought it over as the others watched, then rode it up. He looked down and gasped. Staring back at him was an all too realistic face! He grabbed it then dropped as the other three entered. "I have it!" he declared.
"We have the hand of Midas!" the Asian said.
The swordsman looked once more at a desk then noticed a notch he hadn't before. He pressed it and a little drawer instantly opened up revealing a blue stone. He grinned and said, "And I have the philosopher's stone."
"Here or Agrabah?" the triplets asked.
"Agrabah," Abis-Mal declared. With that they ran from the Citadel, mounted their horses, then tore off into the night.