Chapter Nine
No human can judge just what the outcome when the soul is locked up
tight, though hidden, also infinitely wondrous and beautiful. The soul,
that inner essence inside all of us is where love resides. The heart and
the soul are as one when there is peace of mind, and this is why love is
real, more real than anything, in fact. Reena simply refused to see that,
for her vision was provincial and had been long since blinded by the evils
of the world. She, like everyone who inhabited the Land of the Lost Souls,
was being led down the beaten path of deception, and the further away they
moved from the truth of realty, meaning love, the more they believed with
all their minds that love didn't exist.
Aladdin found himself clenching his hands into tight fists, so tight
that his knuckles were turning white. He wanted to tackle Reena and
everything she stood for right in that very spot, but he knew better.
Brute force was not the answer, so he tried as best as he could to focus
his thoughts on proving her wrong once and for all. What could he say that
would make her see the nonsense of her ways? How would he really convince
her that everything she held in the highest and utmost esteem to be true
was in fact utterly wrong? These questions lingered in his mind and
challenged him to search for the right words to say. Could it really be
that hard to convince someone who simply didn't believe in love that it
was indeed a very real thing?
"You stand here and you say that love isn't real, Reena," started
Aladdin slowly, "but if love weren't real, how could it cause you pain?
You don't just feel pain for no reason."
"Oh, you're such a fool!" she lashed back immediately. "Love as you
would believe it exists isn't real. You believe that love is a wonderful
blessing, something that leads people to things like friendship and
marriage, but let me be the first to say that it is nothing but nonsense.
Love is a curse, a horrible curse that plagues humans into believing it's
such a good thing, and then once love gets its ugly arms around your neck,
it strangles you, draining you of all life."
This would prove to be harder than Aladdin had previously thought.
Jasmine looked at him with great concern in her eyes, and she faced Reena
just then, saying, "Reena, love is real. How else could Aladdin and
I have fallen in love like we have? We were meant for each other. Our
pasts couldn't have been more different, but here we are together, and our
love is definitely real."
"You are still in the early stages of 'falling in love,' spat Reena
indignantly. "You will see as time passes that 'love' is a curse. What
will happen when one of you dies? The answer is simple: The one left
behind will be miserable and not want to go on living. If you hadn't felt
this 'love' for that person to begin with, you wouldn't have to feel so
much pain in the aftermath."
Those very words hit Aladdin right where it hurt. He thought of his own
mother's death when he was nothing but a little boy, and he turned to
Jasmine, wanting to cry on her shoulder. Jasmine, however, had the same
desperate look on her face. She, too, had lost her mother when she was
very young, and unlike Aladdin who could hold back the tears, she began to
cry. Aladdin put his arms around her shaking body, trying to bring her
comfort. He glared with hatred at Reena and practially yelled, "How can
you be so heartless?! Look what you've done to her!"
"Me?" Reena barked. "Oh, please! Tell me, Aladdin, what would you know
about that pain caused by love? Oh, do tell! Tell me why she's crying and
why you want so badly to cry! Go on, tell me!"
"You have no right to treat them like this!" Genie interrupted, getting
right in Reena's face.
"Back off, Genie," muttered Reena. "This involves them, not you."
Aladdin continued to glare at Reena with pure contempt glowing in his
eyes. "I know it hurts to lose someone you love. Both Jasmine and I lost
our mothers when we were just kids, but that doesn't mean that we gave up
and forgot to keep living our lives. Death does hurt those left behind,
but the important thing is to keep on living...and loving."
"You're nothing but a fool if you think you can simply go on living
after something like death, Aladdin," Reena continued. "Let's get back to
the point of all of this, though. What is it about Iago that you think
makes him worth 'saving?'"
Aladdin took a deep breath. This would be the moment that would
determine the outcome. Would they win, or would Reena win? Whatever the
outcome, Aladdin would know that he had tried his hardest. He took a step
forward and looked at Reena straight in the eyes and began speaking.
"You don't know Iago like we do," he stated firmly and slowly, "and I
admit, even we don't know him that well. You see, we haven't been friends
for a very long time, but I can tell you one thing. Iago had a
life-changing experience not very long ago. He turned from his old life
and risked his very life to try and finally find a better one..."
Aladdin continued to explain for the next few minutes about Jafar and
how he had been a terrible man. He also told her that Iago had at one time
been with Jafar, but Reena had a bored look on her face.
"You don't know, do you?" she mumbled. "I already know all this! I've
been watching Iago for quite some time now, so what you're telling me is
nothing new, but no matter, go on..."
Aladdin continued, "Well, we were all doomed to die just then, but Iago
came out of no where, and he risked his very life for us. He didn't
have to, but he did. I don't know what brought him back there that
evening, but I think something inside of him had changed. He suddenly
realized that the only way he would ever have a better life would be to
face his greatest fear and conquer the pain associated with it. Jafar was
the source of all that fear and pain for all those years of his life, but
he finally had the courage to face it. Courage is rare, and true courage
is what it takes to save those you care about, and Iago possessed it all
along. How else would he have been able to defeat Jafar and save all our
lives? It's because of the goodness of knowing what love and friendship is
that he was finally able to overcome those nightmares and save us. How
else could someone prove they care to the point of risking it all to save
someone else? It's love that does that, Reena, and you're wrong about
Iago...all wrong. He may not show it, but he's known it all along. Love
is more real than anything."
Reena's empty eyes turned glassy, and there was a sudden longing in
them. She found herself turning away from Aladdin and the others, afraid
to face them and whatever it was about them that frightened her. She had
never met someone like Aladdin, someone who was so optimistic about life,
even when his own life had proven difficult and unfair. She didn't want to
admit that she was defeated, but the look of defeat was written clearly
all over her pained face. "You...you may come see him," she barely
whispered.
Aladdin and Jasmine was almost shocked by her words. "What?" they both
responded in unison.
"You've...you've won," she whispered sadly. "You've proven me wrong.
There's nothing more I can say to argue with you...I didn't know that
about Iago...about how he risked his life for all of yours. I guess I
didn't see it because I didn't want to see it. I don't know...but anyway,
what's done is done. Come with me now."
Aladdin felt relief inside, but he also was apprehensive about seeing
Iago again for the first time in days. How would Iago react of them
showing up like this? Did he even think they would come looking for him,
let alone actually find him? It may seem impossible, but it was all too
possible. What seemed impossible that day was being challenged and proven
to be very possible...all because of a wondrous gift called love.
After all that had come to pass those past few minutes, Carpet finally
came up to Aladdin's side and nudged him with affection. Abu, who had been
sitting on Carpet the whole time when Aladdin was talking to Reena, jumped
up onto his friend's shoulder and chattered happily. Aladdin simply smiled
at them, knowing that they were happy about the outcome of the situation.
Aladdin felt Jasmine take hold of his hand and squeeze it gently. The
genie was in the back of them, wanting so badly to turn into a huge party
favor and celebrate, but he knew it wasn't over yet. They had to wait and
see how Iago would react.
As they walked along for what seemed like forever, Aladdin peered
straight ahead of himself into the mist. It was so thick that it was
impossible to see five feet in front of them. There was something
downright disturbing about this place, and Aladdin knew that the sooner
they were able to leave, the better. For some reason, he was afraid that
Reena might change her mind, but then again, he had seen the tears in her
empty eyes. That thought saddened Aladdin and the others. What could have
possibly happened to Reena to make her so hopeless and sad? He feared to
actually find out the answer to that daunting question.
After many minutes had passed, they came to a desolate,
pathetic-looking house. Reena turned the doorknob slowly, and as the door
creaked open, Iago lept with anxiety. He hadn't expected to be disturbed
like this, and when he saw Reena standing in the door, he feared the
worst. She always made him feel even more hopeless than he already felt,
if that were even possible, which it was. He had been slumbering, dreaming
of nothing but blackness and utter desolation, for his thoughts had grown
so numb recently that his mind wasn't able to produce any coherent
dreams...good or bad ones.
"Why-why have you come here?" he wimpered. "Can't you see I just wanna
be left alone? Is that too much to ask?"
His voice sounded desperate and pleading, and those words and the tone
in which they had been spoken broke through Aladdin's heart. Were those
really Iago's words? Had they come too late? No, Aladdin reminded
himself sternly, it's not too late. We proved to Reena that Iago knows
that love is and that love is real, and if that happened, surely we aren't
too late to convince Iago the same thing.
"There are some people here to see you," Reena spoke rigidly. As she
finished speaking, Aladdin and Jasmine stepped around her and revealed
themselves to Iago. The parrot couldn't believe his eyes. Among the fog
and darkness, it was hard to see clearly, so Iago thought his eyes were
deceiving him.
"Am I dreaming?" he asked himself. "Or is this some sick joke you're
playing on me, Reena?" he followed up, addressing her directly.
Before Reena even had the chance to answer, Aladdin said, "No, Iago,
this is real. We are really here."
Iago paused before asking, "But why? Why are you here? I don't
understand..."
"We came for you," Jasmine said gently. "We've been so worried about
you ever since, ever since -"
"Ever since I told you to leave," Aladdin finished sadly. "Iago, I
don't know what else to say but this: I'm sorry. I didn't want you to go
away forever and wind up so lost like this...I never thought it would end
up this way."
Frustration and confusion displayed all across his face, Iago turned
away from them, trying his best not to cry. "You think you can just come
here and make everything all better?" his words accused them. "You
told me to leave, so where was I supposed to go? Sure, Jasmine
tried to convince me to stay, but I guess that just wasn't meant to
happen. With as miserable as this place is, at least I don't have to think
about anyone or anything that would cause me any more pain. In
Agrabah...that's just not the case. Give me one good reason why I should
go with you."
Reena couldn't help but to smile maliciously at Iago's words. Maybe she
had been weak and allowed these strangers to come too far. Perhaps it was
still not too late to force them to leave once and for all. It seemed all
too obvious to her one-track mind that Iago didn't want to leave.
"Are you saying that you'd rather say here?" Jasmine asked, feeling a
sense of pleading in her voice.
"Where else should I go?" Iago shot back. "There's no place where it's
worth living for me, but it might as well be here than anywhere else."
Aladdin stepped closer to Iago to see him better just then, leaving
everyone else standing by the door. He knelt down on his knees and came
face to face with him. Aladdin could see more clearly than ever that Iago
was distraught and in more pain than he could bear. He needed to find a
way...to say just one thing that would lead Iago to see the truth.
Iago went to turn away from Aladdin, but Aladdin stopped him by placing
his hand on the parrot's back. Startled, Iago cowered into a little ball
of feathers and mumbled, "Please, just go away. I don't deserve this."
"Iago, listen to what I have to say," Aladdin said barely above a
whisper. No one else could hear him but Iago. "I was wrong before when I
told you to leave. That was the stupidest thing I've ever done in my
entire life. I know I can't force you to come back home with us, but let
me tell you this: Life without having you around just wouldn't be
complete. I don't know what it is about you or how to even explain it with
human words, but you are so worth having around. You refuse to believe in
yourself because of the horrible past you've had to deal with for so many
years, but you are above that. Don't let your past scare you into
believing that you'll never amount to anything in the future. You've
already more than proven your worth to me...to everyone here. You have it
in you to do great things; that's the potential of being a true
hero...Stop beating yourself up like this and learn to forgive yourself."
Iago sighed long and hard. He didn't want to believe Aladdin's words,
but there was something in them that he had always wanted to hear his
entire life: that he was worth something, that he was important, that
there was indeed good inside his heart. Not knowing what else to say, Iago
merely asked, "Why me? Why are you so good to me?"
"Because," Aladdin found himself smiling, "you are worth it. We all
need friends, and no one knows that better than you. You, Iago, saved our
lives not so long ago, and that, my friend, is one of the greatest goods
in the world that someone can do for another. The only way anyone can find
the courage to risk their life for their friends is because of love, and
that is the complete truth."
"Love...had I really known what it was, what it is? I never realized
that I could ever know what love is, let alone feel it. All this confusion
is the result of blocking it out for so long. I guess I was just afraid of
what would happen if I let myself show my feelings...I don't know, and
it's hard to explain, but I think you know what I mean..."
"I do know; we all do. Now, please...Iago, come with us...come back to
your home."
"Yes, Iago," added Jasmine coming to Aladdin's side, "it's been long
awaiting your arrival."
"I guess now's as good as any time," Iago mused, still not fully aware
of what had just happened.
"Heh, home is where the heart is!" laughed Genie. "C'mon, let's roll!"
"Hold on just a second, Genie," Aladdin replied. He walked over to
Reena and looked at her straight in the eyes. "Reena, thank you for
letting us bring Iago back where he needs to be. You know, you don't have
to stay here forever. Why don't you come with us?"
For the first time in years, Reena was being asked what she thought
impossible. She smiled weakly and cast her eyes down, "Iago may not belong
here, Aladdin, but I do...I'm not ready to leave, but maybe...one day.
Something I never thought possible just happened here, and for the first
time in my life, I've seen just how powerful love really is."
"Very well, Reena. Maybe one day we'll see you again. If you ever make
it to Agrabah, look us up." With that, Aladdin turned to Iago and asked,
"Are you ready?"
He stood up from the pillow he had been sleeping on for so long and
flew to Aladdin's shoulder. "Yes," he simply replied.
"Great!" Aladdin exclaimed, jumping onto Carpet. The others joined
them, and Carpet flew off. "Let's go home. To Agrabah, Carpet!"
As the sun set, Carpet flew back toward Agrabah, that city in the
desert, that rose among thorns, and that diamond among rocks. Finally,
they were going home.