My Fair Aladdin part 1

I sighed in boredom as the snooty dignitary continued talking. I was made to get up early this morning and look 'presentable' for the visiting people. Al had been given a new outfit that was a lot like his street rat attire. His fez was a light blue with purple stripes and his open-chested coat was of the same material and his pants were still the same just nicer looking. My outfit was one that Jaz had put together rather recently and it looked like Al's but mine had a darker blue where Al had purple. Al, I could understand having to be in this room, he was Jaz's boyfriend. But me? I was just the cute little brother to show off apparently. And I despised it.

But anyway here I was in the dining hall at the table and Rasoul was leaning against the doorway with a slight smirk at how uncomfortable I was. The Sultan at the head of the table of course, then to his left was a guest who was speaking, then next to him were two more guests a husband and wife team, at the end of the table was another couple. At the Sultan's right sat Jaz, then me, and then Al and Abu.

I eyed Al with a look that clearly stated how annoyed I was, but he only smirked at me. I stuck my tongue out and heard the Sultan give a small quiet laugh. I grinned apologetically at him and he pretended to not have noticed, but he did wink at me. He, at least, understood that I was bored out of my mind.

"All art is a revolt against man's fate." Boring man finally ended.

"Perhaps." Jasmine countered and I sighed into my hand. Not another debate! "Although I adore art, I prefer nature." I smiled a little at this though. Just take a look in the garden and there was nature all over.

"Ah, nature itself is but art, unknown to thee." The man said again. I couldn't remember what his or any of the others names were, mainly because I hadn't been listening to what they had said.

"Huh?" Al said in confusion and I almost snorted at the look on his face. Not that I knew what that guy had said either, but he could have pretended at least.

"The perfection of art is to conceal art." Iago stated and I looked up at him, perched on Al's shoulder. The visitors seemed to enjoy what he said.

"Show off." I muttered and he made a face at me. I then decided to get him back.

"Art is never finished, only abandoned." I quoted and they zeroed in on me. I grew a bit embarrassed then at all the stares.

"My Alaric," the Sultan started and my face reddened. "I had no idea you were interested in art."

"He draws from time to time. Hasn't he shown you any of them?" Jaz asked him giving me a grin and Al looked at me with a slight jealous expression to which I could only frown at. It wasn't my fault he had nothing to say!

"Why no he hasn't." the Sultan said and he nodded at me. "I'll have to see them sometime."

"What exactly do you draw?" Snooty asked me in what I was sure was a sarcastic manner. What was his name? Darrel, Dave, Daru! That was his name!

"He can draw just about anything." Jaz told him before I could. "He can draw animals and people very well." I was sure that I was now fully embarrassed and Iago grinned at me from Al's shoulder. Obviously this was something that was helping this meeting along. Impressing the guests was something that held their attention and made Agrabah look good.

"And I'm the show off?" he muttered with a smirk and I could only glare at him briefly.

"Really? Would you consider letting us see them?" A woman to Daru's right asked and I gave a polite nod.

"Of course." The Sultan seemed delighted about all this. After a few minutes art came back to the table conversation.

"Who am I to carry on?" Daru spoke again after yet another quote.

"Then please don't." I muttered lowly and Al elbowed me in the ribs with a 'shhh.'

"I, of course am not an artist, but a humble business man." Daru concluded and I glared at Al for hitting me, but he ignored the look.

"Ah, but then the business of Agrabah is business." Iago retorted all hoity toity like and I rolled my eyes as the guests were once again impressed.

"That's right, Daru." Jasmine agreed. "It's merchants such as yourself, who have made Agrabah so prosperous." Al started to fidget and I knew then that something was about to go horribly wrong.

"Um, I'm an adventurer, you know!" Al declared and the guests looked really excited. Not. They looked deeply offended. As if he wasn't supposed to speak, which he probably shouldn't. "Just the other week I fought a giant dancing rhinoceros!" He ended all heroic like.

"A pink one." I added and he glared at me for interrupted. "So, sorry." I hissed lowly at him. Daru and the others looked anything but impressed by his statement.

"Fascinating, whatever did you do?" He asked sarcastically and Al was too flustered with finding something useful to say that he didn't catch it. Poor Al, he just wants to be seen as impressive as well.

"It was him or me." he stood up on the table and I groaned into my hands. Disaster was bound to happen. Abu joined him on the table helping to reenact. A double dose of disaster. "I drew my sword. We fought!" Al smacked spoons with Abu. "Ha! Thrust!" While he was fighting about he managed to almost swipe the head off of one dignitary and he also knocked the poor guy's food from his hands. Jasmine giggled at his antics until the Sultan cast an angry glare at her. Uh-oh.

"Um, Al?" I hissed and Iago smacked into me as Abu swung out at him with the spoon.

"Hey!" he shrieked. "Not the face!" Abu stuck his tongue out then.

"Get off my face!" I shoved him off me and he scowled as he hit the table.

Al was still battling about when he knocked over the oil lamp. "Whoops!" The table caught on fire. The Sultan jumped up then as Iago screeched and flew behind me to avoid getting burnt.

"Oh, my word!" The Sultan exclaimed and we all went away from the table.

"Abu, water!" Al yelped and the monkey tossed him a jug of water. It missed of course, and two guests were now soaking wet. Al pulled the flaming tablecloth off the table, splattering food on the rest of the guests and me. Cake with purple and yellow icing now coated on my head and face.

"Hey, did ya really want that dessert?" Iago laughed loudly and I tossed some of the extra off me into his face.

"No." I retorted. "Did you?" He growled and wiped it off. We heard Al shout and turned to look at him. He was trying to get the fire out still. Finally getting a pillow, Al then beat the tar out of the flames until they were all gone.

"Oh, gee." Al started sheepishly. "Sorry about that." Iago muttered something about getting new decor but I ignored it.

"Oh…"Jasmine gasped at the damage of the guests and the room. I licked my lips and tasted the sugary goodness.

"This is good." I stated aloud licking my hand free of icing. Jaz looked over and stifled a giggle at me.

"I'm sure the world is a safer place with your…heroics." Daru sniffed and I glared at him as Al turned a deep shade of red.

"I am so sorry." The Sultan exclaimed. "Please take my and Agrabah's deepest apologies." He and Jasmine took care of the guests and Al headed out the door feeling really dejected. Iago, Abu and I followed.

"Alaric, my boy would you please show our guests your pictures tomorrow?" The Sultan asked over his shoulder and then his eyes widened at me and I grew embarrassed as he stared at my dessert covered face.

"Sure, your highness." He beamed after a few more seconds of ogling and scurried down the hall.

Later that evening we were sitting in our old hovel. I had finally managed to get most of the cake and icing from my face and hair, but Iago said I still smelled like it. Al was sitting there looking very unhappy and forlorn and I couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

"Don't worry, Al. it wasn't that bad." I tried to cheer him, but he didn't look up. Abu patted his leg sympathetically and I looked at Iago who was leaning against the window ledge watching Al with a slight sorry look. He met my gaze and shrugged not really knowing what to do.

"Howdy kids!" Genie popped out from the lamp and gazed about the room with a wide grin. "Oh, you wouldn't believe where I've been." He came over to me and wrapped his arms around me in a hug and I laughed as he spoke over my head.

"This delightful little bistro down in the Jurassic Era, right before the aliens left the earth…Hey hello, what's with the long face? Things can't be that bad." He asked Al and then he looked down at me and sniffed. "And why do you smell like cake? You aren't supposed to bathe with it." I scowled as Iago roared with laughter and Abu scampered up Genie's arm to murmur and tell him what happened.

"What? In front of the Sultan and all those big shots? Oh, how humiliating…how embarrassing."

"Genie." I said softly stopping him and pointing at Al who was slumping further.

"Eh…Like I said it's not so bad." Al sighed heavily.

"Jasmine must think I'm an oaf. She's so cultured and I'm so…common." Al flopped backwards onto a pillow and Iago moved out-of-the-way abruptly, before coming to land next to him. "So vulgar." Al continued and I frowned at him. "So…unsophisticated."

"And how do you think I felt?" I muttered but he ignored me.

"Philistine." Iago added while filing his wing tips…Don't ask, don't want to know. "You left out philistine." I glowered at him and he gave me a cheesy look. "What?"

"Why can't I be more cultured, like Daru?" Al continued.

"Why would you want to be like him?" I asked with a disgusted face. "He and his slicked back, greasy head aren't very sophisticated to me. More like too snooty." Genie sniggered before putting a hand on my shoulder.

"Easy, shortie." He teased and I grinned up at him.

"Well, it's your lucky day, kid! I can teach you culture!" Iago exclaimed from the window and we all looked at him skeptically.

"You?" Aladdin looked at Iago as if he was crazy and he nodded rapidly.

"Piece of cake!" He flew over to a single shelf we had and turned to face us. "Literature, Art, Education…Don't need 'em," He gave something a toss out the window. "-because I know the shortcut!"

"The Shortcut?" Al and I asked at the same time and Iago grinned.

"Two simple rules, One never get your hair mussed. Two quote things." Al was touching his hair as Iago spoke and then he looked up.

"But my hairs always a mess." The way he said it, made me burst into laughter and I clutched at Genie as Al scowled. Genie was grinning from ear to ear, but didn't say anything as I laughed. "Shut it, Rick. I can't help it my hair looks like this."

"That's because you're always running around!" Iago mussed it up some more before setting beside him. "A cultured man always has someone running around for him."

"Well…Okay." Al conceded finally and I rolled my eyes. "What was that about quoting stuff? I don't know any quotes."

"No, sweat! All you need is this!" Iago pulled a scroll out from under his pillow and opened it in front of Al.

"The Scroll of Witty Quotations." He turned it and then read from the scroll. "Ahem. The secret to being witty is to quote witty people."

"Hmm." Genie rubbed his chin in thought. "'The secret to being witty is to quote witty people.' Wow! Even that was a quote!" I snickered and then looked over to see Al reading over the scroll.

"I don't understand where any of these quotes mean." He stated to Iago and the parrot waved him off.

"Don't worry about it. The less people understand, the more they're impressed."

"The less people understand, the more they're impressed." Genie copied and then he made his head spin. "Woo, Twilight Zone…" Not understanding as to what he was talking about I turned to look back at Al.

"Look Al, who did Jaz fall in love with you or Prince Ali?"

"Me?" He answered hesitantly and I nodded.

"That's right. Changing yourself the first time had bad results and this time will be no different. Just be Aladdin."

"I can't Alaric. I have to do this for Jasmine." I rolled my eyes.

"Just summarize that scroll and the world will be your oyster." Iago exclaimed and I slapped my forehead.

"Oh, brother." I muttered.

"I feel more cultured already."Al declared and I sighed. This was going to be a disaster.

"I have a bad feeling about this." I said and Genie nodded.

"What are you worried about?" Al retorted at me, glaring in my direction. "Even you're more cultured than I am."

"What are you talking about?"

"Uh, how about this afternoon when you quoted that stupid art thing! And now they want you to show off your work!"

"That's not my fault! Besides I already knew that quote because I had read it before!"

"Whatever, you still seem to know more than I do." Al muttered angrily and I frowned. "And at least I wasn't showing off how smart I was compared to my brother." I had nothing to say then seeing the hurt in Al's eyes.

Al and Iago went to work on quoting and I sat down away from him wondering if maybe he was right. Maybe that whole attention thing, made him look bad. If I did that, then it is my fault he's doing this. After a while I fell asleep against Genie as I contemplated whether I had pushed Al into this or not.

The next morning we were standing in the palace garden by the water fountain and I was trying my hardest not to laugh aloud. Al had slicked his hair back in a 'fancy' manner thanks to encouragement from Iago. I clutched at my sides trying to stifle my snickering at Al as he looked at himself in the fountain.

"Al, baby, work with me on this one!" Iago flew over and landed on his shoulder. "Try to look snootier. Like, pretend you smell something bad." Snickers escaped from me as Al held his nose upward and he opened an eye to look at me.

"No!" Iago reprimanded. "I mean you smell something really bad! Like, eh, desert aged camel cheese." Genie appeared seconds after dressed as a waiter and held a plate of sticky cheese in his hands.

"Allow me, sir." He held the stinky stuff under Al's nose and Al looked sick.

"Eww!" He shouted and made a very disgusted face.

"Perfect, darling!" Iago shouted. "Hold that look baby! That look is you!" Sniggers escaped me and Al shot me a look.

"Aladdin!" We turned to see Jaz com into the garden. "I've been looking for you-" She paused and took in his hair. "What happened to your hair?" She asked incredulously and I finally cracked.

"Bahahahaha!" I hit the ground in a loud bout of laughter at the look on Jasmine's face as she took in Al's new hair style.

"Ahem." Al cleared his throat and I looked up at him with tear-filled eyes from laughing so hard. "Do you mind?" Al hissed with clenched teeth and I had to stifle the rest of my laughter as he took out the scroll of quotes from his belt.

"Uh, hair is but the outward ornament, while true beauty lies within." Al quoted and I sniggered again.

"What are you talking about?" Jasmine demanded and Al decided another quote would be a good answer.

"A good talker implies a good audience."

"Oh, you're still upset about last night aren't you? Well, there's nothing to be ashamed about. You were just being yourself."

"Jasmine, I was so embarrassed." Al started and Iago came and landed on Al's shoulder, tapping him upon the head. "While shame keeps its watch, virtue is not wholly distinguished." He quoted.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I'll be back when your normal again." Jaz frowned and stalked off angrily leaving us standing in the garden.

"That went well, wouldn't you say?" I said and Al glared at me. "What? You're the one who wanted to be fancy and look where it got you." Al sighed and sat on the fountain, knowing I was right.

"You're doing great." Iago encouraged and I rolled my eyes at him. "You just need to work on your delivery a little bit."

Bang!

All of us jumped as the palace gates slammed open and Rasoul and the other guards came flying in on horseback.

"Find the Sultan!" Rasoul hollered. "Big trouble!" Genie popped up in front of him and Rasoul made his horse skid to a halt in front of him.

"I must insist that you check your horses in at the door." he said in a snooty voice and Rasoul glared before attempting to run him over with the horse which Rasoul and the others did. "Good day to you sir." he groaned and I ran over to him.

"Genie, are you alright?" I asked and he winked at me.

"Sure, shorty short man." He popped up and grinned at me. "Never better." I grinned back and then he got a look on his face.

"What?"

"You still smell like cake and frosting." I rolled my eyes and he patted me. "That's a good way to get in good with the ladies." My eyes widened and he laughed. "Yup, nothing says 'hello, ladies' like the way you smell."

"What's the hurry?" Al asked Hakim and Genie and I looked over to where he was as the sleepy-eyed guard responded in his usual monotone voice:

"There is a giant fire-breathing beast in the desert. No doubt, it will destroy us all." I arched an eyebrow at his lack of response and he wandered off.

"A giant fire-breathing beast, huh, we better check it out!" Al exclaimed.

"Let's get dangerous!" Genie's head popped into a duck head with a purple hat and eye mask. Iago frowned and flew over to Al.

"Al, Al! The hair! The hair!" He plucked at Al's head to make him understand.

"But, uh, what about the beast?" Al asked and Iago rolled his eyes.

"Are you gonna muss your hair up, every time Hakim predicts doom? Answer: no! Remember, a cultured man had someone else run around for him. Delegate responsibility." I didn't like this. If a cultured person had people running around for him, how did he know it got done? Had I made Al turn all fancy because of my big mouth yesterday? I instantly regretted laughing at him. I knew that it was my fault for not sticking by him.

"Well," Al considered what Iago told him. "Genie? Maybe you could check it out for us?"

"Expertly delegated, sir." Genie grinned and saluted him. Al grinned back.

"Now, I have to get ready for dinner." Al murmured and he and Iago turned to go. "Are you coming in?" Al asked me and I nodded.

"In a minute." He nodded too and left. I sighed and sat on the fountain.

"Something wrong, Rick?" Genie asked, he had been about to leave and now he sat beside me on the fountain. "Are you okay?"

"I feel like a jerk."

"Why?"

"Well, none of this would be happening if I hadn't opened my mouth yesterday. I just wanted to get back at Iago for talking all fancy. Instead, all I did was made Al look bad." Genie shook his head.

"I'll never understand how you do that."

"Do what?"

"Turn things backwards like that." I looked up at him.

"What do you mean?"

"Look, you didn't do anything wrong. All you did was show them what you know."

"But now Al is all fancy, because he thinks I'm more educated than him."

"No, Iago did that. You told him yesterday about the Prince Ali/Aladdin thing right?"

"Yeah, but-"

"But nothing. Al should have taken your advice. You'll see. He'll come around."

"I just don't want him to be mad anymore."

"He won't be. Now I've got to go." He pulled me into a hug. "See ya around, kiddo. And hey," I looked back at him as he started to fly off. "Take the one in that green box. They'll like that one." Genie smiled and flew off leaving me in the garden. I sighed feeling lonely. I wasn't sure if Genie was right or not. As I was debating whether or not to take one of my drawings, Jaz came into the garden.

"There you are." She said walking over to me. "Iago said you were still out here."

"Uh, yeah…I'm not hungry actually. So, maybe I'll just go to my room." Jasmine touched my shoulder and I looked up to her.

"Alaric, you have to come to dinner. Father is expecting you. You don't have to show your drawings now if you don't want to."

"I don't want to make things worse."

"What are you talking about? Make what worse?"

"Never mind." I sighed and then I decided to just get it over with and not show my drawing. I didn't want to let the Sultan down but I couldn't upstage Al again. She looked as if she wanted to say something else, but I didn't give her the chance as I wandered inside.