Chapter Five

Jasmine had fainted. Aladdin was pleased with how quickly she had fallen to him, and he thought of what to do next. The princess was now his hostage, and he knew that as long as he held her captive, anyone else in Agrabah would have to obey his wishes. They would never want anything bad to happen to their beloved princess.

Aladdin placed her body on the bed. The covers and pillows were a complete mess below her, but she looked like a jewel among the horrid mess. Lying there with her eyes closed, she appeared so vulnerable. Aladdin brought his face close to hers and stared at her beautiful features...her large eyes, her button nose, her pouty lips.

"If only you weren't so defiant," he whispered to the unconscious princess. "You are beautiful, no doubt. You would make a lovely partner if you weren't so bent on opposing me."

Aladdin's thoughts stopped when he realized that if there was ever a time to kiss her, this was it. She would never let him willingly close to her otherwise, or so he couldn't remember. His thoughts of anything before the previous night had blurred and become unrecognizable. He didn't know how much he really loved her before, but all that was in the past now...forgotten to him.

Bringing his lips to hers, he pressed them into a somewhat harsh kiss. She stirred but didn't open her eyes. Despite any return on her end, Aladdin felt a warmth run from his lips to his heart. He stopped.

That kiss. He could have sworn he had kissed her like that before, but that was nonsense, wasn't it? He didn't remember ever kissing her. As far as he was concerned, this young woman would have never willingly allowed such a thing. Still, he couldn't help but wonder.

Back in Jasmine's chambers, the minutes were ticking away, and the guys were becoming more and more worried by the second. How long would it take for Jasmine to talk to Aladdin? Was there that much to say?

Iago grew impatient and began his usual ranting when he was tired of waiting. "How long does it take to tell Al he's being a jerk?" he raved. "It's not like it's hard or something!"

"Well, Iago," mused Genie, "why don't you go tell him that? I'm sure that will really help the situation."

Iago grumbled and glared at the genie. "Well, do you have any better idea, Blue Boy? You're the one with the semi-phenomenal, nearly-cosmic powers here!"

"Magic won't solve anything," Genie simply stated. "He's gotta come to his senses on his own terms."

Iago turned away from the genie and looked out the window at the sun, which was nearly at the top of the sky. It was going on noon. He had seen people possessed by magic in his life and how it could completely change who they were. If he didn't know any better, he would swear Aladdin's actions and attitude were somehow being controlled by magic.

"Genie?" Iago suddenly asked, not looking at him.

"Yeah?"

"This may sound like a crazy idea, but what if Al is under some kind of a spell?"

"You mean, a magical spell?" asked Genie.

"No, a love spell," Iago remarked sarcastically. "Of course I mean a magical spell!"

"Okay, okay, I get the point. You don't have to yell at me. Well, what about it?"

Iago's temper was growing shorter with each stupid question genie asked. For a genie, he wasn't the swiftest at times. "Well, what I mean is do you think he's under a magical spell?!" the parrot nearly shouted.

"It's possible," Genie replied, shrugging his shoulders. "But how would he just suddenly get put under a spell without any of us seeing who did it?"

"I dunno, but the more I think about it, it's the only plausible thing I can think of."

Abu nodded in agreement and chattered urgently. The genie and the parrot realized that they had been so busy talking that they hadn't noticed that Jasmine hadn't yet returned.

"You're right, Monkey Man!" exclaimed Genie. "It's been way too long! We're going after Jas to make sure she's okay."

"Maybe you're going after her," began Iago, "but I'm stayin' right here. There's no tellin' what Al will do to me."

"Oh, would you quite worrying your pretty, little feathers off?" replied Genie. "You're not the only one Al is acting so mean towards. Come on, don't be a chicken."

"I'm not a chicken," Iago stated indignantly. "I'm a parrot, thank you very much. Parrots are much smarter than chickens any day of the week."

Abu chattered angrily at the parrot and the genie. "Abu's right," Genie began. "Let's just stop arguing and go make sure Jas is okay. Are ya with me, Bird Man?"

Iago sighed and grumbled, "There's no point arguing with you anyway; it never does any good. Okay, fine. I'll come."

They left the princess's chambers and proceeded down the corridor until coming to Aladdin's room. The doors were completely shut, so Genie placed his large, pointed ear against it and listened. Nothing. Not a sound.

"That's strange," whispered Genie. "I didn't think they would leave."

To be sure, Genie pushed the door open and found the room empty. The bed was still a mess, and there were pillows thrown on the floor as well. Aladdin's day time clothes were still laying on the floor from the previous day, untouched.

"The kid could sure use a lesson in house-keeping," muttered Iago.

"They're gone," was all Genie could say.

"Well, duh," replied Iago, his voice dripping of sarcasm. "Let's just state the obvious."

Genie ignored Iago and turned himself into a detective. Walking around the room with a magnifying glass, he eyed the floor and walls carefully for any kind of clue. When he came near the entrance, he noticed a small, gold earring laying on the floor. It belonged to Jasmine, no doubt.

"Evidence number one," Genie stated in a serious, stern voice. "The princess's earring."

"It could have just fallen out," Iago replied. "It doesn't tell us anything."

"Maybe not," Genie remarked, "but this will!"

Suddenly, the whole room and everything in it (including Abu and Iago) were covered in white powder.

Not happy to be turned white, Iago yelled, "What ARE you doing?!"

"Checking for fingerprints," Genie calmly replied.

He examined the room and found what he was looking for. "Jas was definitely here," he stated, "and there a definite sign of a struggle."

They felt their stomachs drop inside themselves.

"Al would never hurt Jasmine, would he?" Iago asked, concern in his voice for someone else for once.

"Who knows based on how strange he's been acting," Genie replied. "One thing's for sure. We gotta find them."