Aladdin And The Lord Of The Black Sands
Chapter 12: The Final Battle
The others were waiting anxiously. Sadira was feeling well enough to be able to sit cross legged on the bed. Iago and Abu were pacing. Genie was playing a game of Solitaire with Carpet watching. Jasmine was looking hopefully out of the entrance way. Suddenly she spotted something. She squinted then her eyes widened in relief and happiness. "They're here!" She exclaimed, turning to the others. Sadira gasped then raced to the entrance. The others crowded around.
"Oh boy!" Abu said then chattered more.
"You said it monkey," Iago replied, relieved.
"Al's back!" Genie exclaimed. "What about wonder kid though? Does he still have his head?" he asked as he made his own head fall off.
"Genie!" Jasmine scolded on seeing Sadira's relieved grin fall to one of fear.
"What, it's a good question," Genie pouted.
They ran for the sides of the entrance as Carpet swooped in then landed. Aladdin and Mozenrath both climbed off, Mozenrath adjusting his gauntlet. "You're alive!" Sadira cried as she suddenly ran to Mozenrath and threw herself into his arms. As he automatically held her back, Mozenrath was torn between horror and shock or lust and shock. It ended in a confused yet hungry, flattered, and wary expression.
"Master!" Xerxes cried, instantly attacking Mozenrath happily.
"Good boy Xerxes! Stupid for doubting me, but it's good to see you too," Mozenrath declared. Xerxes was surprised by the rare affectionate words.
"You did it Aladdin! You saved your brother!" Jasmine ecstatically exclaimed as she leapt into Aladdin's arms.
"You bet, but I'll probably regret it in the long run," he said.
"Count on it," Mozenrath stated flatly.
"Who cares! For now we're all one big happy family!" Genie declared.
"Never say that again!" Mozenrath yelled furiously. Genie saw the agreement in Aladdin's eyes and fell silent.
"I can't believe it… Al was able to save Jafar Junior," Iago said in disbelief.
Suddenly, though, a voice asked, "Oh did he?" Iago cried out in alarm as well as Abu. The two clutched each other then backed away as Khartoum appeared; the forty thieves behind him.
"Holy smokes!" Iago exclaimed.
"Don't you ever give up!" Mozenrath demanded.
"You think you stand a chance boy? Remember your dream and Aladdin's? Remember the flash back of you and him wrestling while your parents plus one watched? Who was the weaker?" Khartoum challenged. "Just like with me and Jafar."
Leaping to Mozenrath's defense Aladdin shot, "He might be the weaker of us, but he can hold his own! Besides, you're overpowered."
"Am I?" Khartoum asked. He looked at the thieves and called, "Give me the other half of the philosopher's stone if you want your vengeance!"
The swordsman, charmer, and triplets, were instantly on guard, but thinking only of victory the Asian seized the stone from the swordsman before he could react! "No!" the charmer cried.
"Fool, don't, he'll turn on you!" Mozenrath ordered, but it was too late. The philosopher's stone hurled across the room in slow motion. Khartoum reached for it. All at once he had it! Evilly he laughed as the stone restored itself and Khartoum felt the power coursing through him.
"Not good!" Sadira exclaimed.
By now, though, the thief had realized his mistake. Khartoum looked back and reassured, "Don't worry, I won't turn on you. Yet... I have more pressing issues. Namely a thorn in my side named Mozenrath and his brother Aladdin. With that he blasted the whole place making it quake, knocking them all down but him. Alarmed the thieves and Abis-Mal scampered as far away as possible.
The battle broke out. Sadira leapt up, defending her home. She sent her most powerful and numerous spells, at the Khartoum. It slowed him, but precious little. In seconds he'd burst through! Sadira kept sending spells, though, delaying his progress and impressing even the immovable Mozenrath. Genie went right at Khartoum saying, "Prepare to meet your maker bub!" He then began boxing him in a boxing outfit. Seeing this, the thieves began to emerge, hoping Khartoum would spare them if they helped.
Khartoum blocked Genie's hits desperately then said, "Annoying Genie, give up!" With that he finally managed to hit Genie hard enough to send him flying into Sadira.
Iago said to Abu, Carpet, and Xerxes, "Okay, on the count of three. One, two, three! Charge!" With that the pets rushed Khartoum. They were no match, but he was distracted trying to beat them away. Carpet tripped him and it was then that Jasmine leapt in. She kicked down at him from the air making him cry out in pain. He blasted blindly at her and managed to glance off of her. Though it wasn't the full impact it did its job, and Jasmine cried out in pain, falling.
Seeing this opportunity the thieves charged. The pets were taken off guard, and Abis-Mal had his hands wrapped around Xerxes and Iago in a heartbeat. The fat one sprang on the poor terrified Carpet then reached out seizing Abu's tail laughing.
The triplets raced right by surrounding Sadira who leapt up and began sending spells at them. Genie said, "Hold on, let's see how they fare against a snake!" With that he transformed into a blue boa constrictor. He was about to swallow the triplets, who looked terrified for a moment, but right then he felt himself swaying. "Hold on, what's this?" Genie asked as he looked at himself. He gasped saying, "Dancing! Oh no!" It was then that he noticed the snake charmer playing his instrument, sitting cross legged on the floor. "The melody is so powerful!" Genie exclaimed, struggling to break it, but he couldn't. Sadira was on her own. The swordsman, meanwhile, raced up to the injured Jasmine with the Asian.
Unaware of this yet, Aladdin and Mozenrath charged Khartoum together. He gasped, not expecting it. From two different directions they struck. Khartoum could hardly keep up. Finally he turned on the wrong brother, the one not attacking at the moment which was Mozenrath, and Aladdin kicked him from behind. Mozenrath butted him with his shoulder as he stumbled towards him. As he fell back to Aladdin, Aladdin hit him again. In the finishing blow together the two arch enemies and brother's attacked, sending him flying back!
Mozenrath laughed. Just then Aladdin saw Jasmine's predicament. She was dazed, but with a strong pole she was blocking the swordsman's blows and the Asian's hits. He raced to help her, but right then Khartoum recovered. Mozenrath's laughter choked off as he saw Khartoum set his sights to strike! "No!" Mozenrath cried as he ran, trying to dodge the attack. Aladdin slid to a stop instantly turning on hearing his brother's cry of alarm, but he was too late! The blast engulfed Mozenrath sending him soaring into a pillar then crumpling helplessly to the floor!
"Mozenrath!" Aladdin cried.
"Aladdin!" Jasmine shouted. Aladdin gasped and turned to her. He looked in a panic back and forth. Mozenrath was rising, and Aladdin hoped and prayed he'd have time to help them both. He ran for Jasmine.
"Of course, why am I not surprised?" Mozenrath asked bitterly as he saw Aladdin run for the princess. This was not good. He whirled his head around only to see Khartoum smirking at him. "There we go, no distractions now, just you and me," Khartoum declared.
Mozenrath purposely threw caution to the wind. He had nothing to lose. The others were preoccupied, Sadira, the only one who was trying to reach him, was kept busy with the quick triplets. So Mozenrath ran at Khartoum and tackled him! The two began to wrestle. Khartoum's laughter died as he began to concentrate on Mozenrath's attacks. The boy was no Aladdin, but he was enough to have to focus. "You fight like your father boy!" Khartoum shot.
"Really? He must be so proud, but then I don't know!" Mozenrath retorted sarcastically as he focused on the battle he felt himself steadily losing.
That thought was confirmed when Khartoum finally sent a blast that knocked him away and violently against a wall again. Mozenrath cried out in pain. "No!" Aladdin cried.
"Aladdin, help him, I'm fine!" Jasmine said. Aladdin hesitated, then pulled away, or tried to. The swordsman was wise to him, the Asian catching it in time, and the charmer was dancing Genie right into Aladdin's path. All at once Khartoum was there. Mozenrath was looking up into the face of his enemy in awe. At that moment he wished more than ever that he had the gauntlet's power coursing through him.
Khartoum drew the scimitar as he looked down on the young man. "Finally, you're at my mercy," he said. "Prepare to join the dead boy!"
"No, Mozenrath!" Sadira screamed.
"Khartoum!" Aladdin yelled.
Mozenrath, though, knew it was over. He watched helplessly as the blade careened down. He cried out in terror and defended his face with an arm, for all the good that would do, waiting for the scimitar to connect, but as soon as it met the gauntlet it shattered, and the gauntlet glowed again! Mozenrath noticed and gasped.
"No way," Aladdin said.
"How?" Iago, Abu, and Xerxes asked.
Mozenrath and Khartoum looked at the fragments. Suddenly Jafar's face appeared looking at them both quietly. "What! Jafar! Have you appeared to help your little prodigy here! Oh you must be so proud!" Khartoum yelled furiously.
Though the image merely blinked, his voice filled the room. Jafar's voice. "I am merely evening the odds. This is hardly a fair fight. You took the boy's powers, I merely returned them using my own, or what was left inside. If I fell to a mere street rat, you will certainly fall to a powerful sorcerer. Mozenrath will finish you!" Jafar's voice declared. With that the image left.
"The man in my dreams? How, why?" Mozenrath asked aloud.
"No!" Khartoum yelled.
Mozenrath tested the gauntlet. It lit up. He evilly smiled saying, "Hmm, who cares. Now this is more like it." With that he sent a powerful blast at Khartoum sending him flying! Without a thought he zapped the fat thief from off of Abu and Carpet then he zapped Abis-Mal making him cry out and drop Xerxes and Iago.
"Mozenrath's gone crazy with power, run!" Iago exclaimed, once more, as he hit the ground.
Mozenrath turned his attention to the charmer, but he'd learned. He instantly stopped playing his instrument and dove out of the way. The triplets saw Mozenrath's sadistic eyes set on them. They clung to each other screaming then were knocked over like bowling pins. The Asian and swordsman saw the blast coming. Only the swordsman moved in time. The Asian flew into the air then fell to the ground painfully. The thieves quickly retreated. "No, get back here and fight you cowards, or prepare to die!" Khartoum yelled, lighting his hands. Aladdin and co, though, were all rushing towards him and Mozenrath!
Khartoum staggered up from his position on the floor crying out in frustration. He sent a vicious blast Mozenrath's way. Mozenrath met it with one of his own, and as he and Aladdin had once done, they battled for power. This time, though, it wasn't in the mind, and Mozenrath was not to be the loser a second time. He channeled all his energy into his attack and cried out in pain as it finally overpowered Khartoum's magic. Mozenrath sank to one knee holding his arm straight with the other arm. Khartoum cried out in agony then flew back!
He landed near the thieves. Aladdin rushed up to Mozenrath and knelt next to him, a hand on his shoulder, wordlessly scanning to see if his enemy and brother was all right. Sadira, however, helped Mozenrath up without fear. The swordsman and charmer met each other's eyes. Simultaneously they lunged. The swordsman tore the philosopher's stone free of the doomed Khartoum. The charmer trapped him once more inside the book.
Shocked at first, Abis-Mal finally said, "Yes, well, good work men." The thieves then noticed the group frowning at them. "Well, I think it's time to leave," Abis-Mal decided quickly and fearfully.
"Definitely," the charmer replied. With that he threw the book at Mozenrath. Mozenrath caught it with his magic then brought it to his hands. The swordsman threw the philosopher's stone down then they all ran from that place.
"Thanks for your help suckers!" Sadira called tauntingly after them.
"Well that takes care of our last problem," Iago declared. "Besides the guards and Sultan."
"We'll deal with it," Jasmine said certainly.
Aladdin and co, plus Sadira, had gone with Mozenrath to the Citadel. They watched as he carefully hid the book and philosopher's stone again. He then gazed out the window over his land. "Jasmine, I need some time," Aladdin quietly said. She nodded then beckoned the others out. Even Xerxes left, and grabbed a reluctant to leave Iago as he went.
The two enemies were alone. There was silence. Soon Aladdin said, "Thanks for your help. You really came through for us."
Mozenrath looked down then back up saying, "I, unlike you, don't know who my father is for certain, though I have a pretty good idea, or my mother. All I know is that I have a brother, you. However, if you think that this will change anything…"
When he trailed off Aladdin swallowed over a lump, squeezed his eyes shut, then looked down. "I know. You were right. It's too late for us. We can't change our feelings towards one another on a dime. Things will never be like they were when we were kids, or like they were when we didn't know."
There was silence. "Good. Expect another meeting soon Aladdin,' Mozenrath said in a rare quiet tone, the full impact just reaching them both. Mozenrath had a family. Aladdin had a brother. Mozenrath shuddered at the thought.
"I've learned to expect you to show up," Aladdin replied. He then added, "But know, Mozenrath, that if you ever need help, you have a brother willing to step in for you, even if you would never do the same for me. I was always willing to help you."
After a moment Mozenrath answered, "Oh how I will remember."
"Then goodbye, brother," Aladdin sadly said, in a voice that cracked once with thoughts on what could have been. What he wished could be but knew would never happen.
"Until next time… brother," Mozenrath replied, the same thoughts going through his own mind. With that the two enemies yet brothers parted ways.
A/N: This is the end of this story. Jafar cameo appearance. Couldn't resist. I've recently rediscovered my love for Aladdin. I used to adore it when I was young. I hope my readers have enjoyed it. I have other ideas in my head for this category. Sooner or later you may see some more from me.
Now's when I put in trivia. Of course a lot of it was in the last chapter. Did you know that in the book Arabian nights Aladdin's mother was never named, but his father was. He was originally the son of a tailor named Mustapha. It was originally set in China. Aladdin was good for nothing in the book until a little later when be began to mature. There were originally two genies, one of the lamp, another of the ring. The princess he fell in love with wasn't named Jasmine but was named Princess Buddir al-Buddoor. Cassim, the name Disney took for his father in the movie, was a character in Ali Babba and the Forty Thieves. He was Ali Babba's brother and was killed by the thieves though.
I hope you enjoyed this story. Thank you for reading it.