"Good.", George nodded. "As we pointed out before, once we start picking off the guards and thinning Jafar's defenses, it won't take too long for him to notice something's terribly wrong. Our best bet is to strike him before he realizes he's threatened.".
Cassim nodded, "Indeed. And with the women of the brothels, they're going to drug the drinks of the guards who is typically breaking their patrol as long as they patrol afterwards, which would be in a while, and so they would be both sluggish yet subtly thinking that they are just drunk, but turns out the drugs are paralyzers, and some of the women's husbands will kill them off, with the rest of the guards on their patrol routes to get distracted by some of my people pretending to be thieves, leading them to dead-ends where my archers and swordsmen will slain them down. And as for Rasoul, he's first, and he's mine.".
Skyler asked, "Is he on his typical route as sunrise broke?", and Cassim nodded, "Yes, and from a messenger 10 minutes ago, he's looking to be in the mood to either take taxes or to be busy in a brothel.".
"Doesn't give us much time then to prepare and get ready. Everyone's going to have little time to just double check and make sure everything's as perfect as they can be.", George bit his lip as Cassim nodded, "True... but we've prepared for weeks, everyone will be ready when the time comes.".
Skyler clenched into George's hand, "We got this, George. Like you said, the whole kingdom is behind us.", and George chuckled, "Taking my words back at me, Skyler.".
"Just making sure, dear husband.", Skyler giggled, and George smiled, "Well, I ain't going to argue with you on that, dear wife.".
Cassim smiled at the couple, the very first two people he married yesterday, and he's determined to give them a happy ending, even if he doesn't get one...At least if he dies today, he will be able to apologize to his wife and son, to hug them again, and hopefully have his family back in his arms after he will have to beg for their forgiveness...He knew that he made a lot of mistakes, but he didn't regret wanting to give them a better life...
They finished breakfast, and Cassim gave the remaining people the signal to go set the lineup of fireworks and candle cannons, knowing that they are going to wait for Cassim's next signal.
The couple followed Cassim up top from the ruins, taking the nearest tunnel to be as close to Rasoul as possible in his route.
"Looks like everyone's starting to get into position according to the runners.", Cassim said as he was glancing around. "It won't be long before the blood will be spilled. After that, we have to move fast.".
George nodded, "Right. Let's go.", and Skyler smiled as they got closer to the brothel in the shadows, and Cassim saw the signal from one of the runners, and whispered, "Rasoul's coming in five minutes. He's past the marketplace.".
Skyler smiled before taking a deep breath, and shapeshifted into a brothel concubine, and George glanced at her, "Don't let that bastard touch you.", with a low growl.
"Don't worry, I won't.", Skyler smiled before prancing off to the brothel front as Cassim dragged George to one of the alleys, using all kinds of stuff to get to the second floor of the brothel, staying in the shadows, seeing Rasoul turn into the street, eyes catching into Skyler.
He obviously hurried on his way as Skyler pranced, fluttered her eyes, and swayed her hips as she walked into the brothel, and Rasoul took the bait, walking into the brothel, and Cassim silently shared a look with George, slinking into the second floor, hearing the head woman of the brothel proclaim that Skyler just came of age, coming out of her father's house, and there was the sound of coins, and footsteps were heard as Skyler came up, looking at Rasoul who chuckled, "Good girl. Apparently, the others taught you well.", going to grab her by the hands to pin her when suddenly, he was stabbed in the abdomen, falling to his legs in pain.
He saw blue cloth before him, and looked up in pain, and widened his eyes, "King of Forty Thieves?!", and Cassim glared at him, "Actually, I'm a father of a street rat, one you knew very well. His name was Aladdin, and I am damn proud of him for always finding a way to help his people despite stealing, and he's no thief, but a great man that I'm proud to have as my son. And this is for his people!", before his sword slashed at Rasoul.
Cassim slashed the brute right in the throat, quickly ending his life before he could truly do anything to call for help or try to fight back. Cassim took a deep breath as he recovered from the moment before looking over to Skyler, "Good job... you did well.".
Skyler nodded sharply, "Thanks, Cassim.", shifting back to her old body, and George kissed her quickly, "Thank Allah you're okay.".
"He didn't touch me not even once.", Skyler reassured him, and George looked relieved, "Good. No one gets to hurt my wife.", and Skyler smiled softly, loving him even more.
Cassim then headed out, using a tarp to leap to the next rooftop, and shined his sword at Carpet who was laying low before taking post on a high point, signaling his people, his archers and swordsmen to get the other guards.
He then nodded at Skyler who shifted into her flying carpet form, with George climbing into her back, and Cassim joined him, and she darted down the alleys, and through the tunnel, into the ruins, and went to another tunnel, and another tunnel, and another tunnel, until they stopped at a ladder, and Cassim tapped the cover with a knock signal, and then moments later, the cover came off, and they came into an almost depleted apartment, with George and Cassim getting off, and Skyler changed back to her old body.
They are standing at the border closest to the cliff where the palace is, and Cassim glanced at a runner who nodded, going to the bystanders who will fire the fireworks and candle cannons, to stand at a moment's notice.
Cassim then looked up at the almost destroyed rooftop, with a man camouflaged against the sun-drenched wall, and signaled to him with a hand, and Cassim whispered, "Three units of guards dead. That leaves four more.".
"Thin them out and even the odds a little bit, hate that we can't draw many more guards away from the palace.", George bit his lip as Cassim nodded.
"I agree. But the others would know that something's wrong when many of the contingent fail to return back. And Jafar would know and probably blow any chance we have of catching him unaware.", Cassim replied.
Skyler replied quietly, "We release the attack of the fireworks and candle cannons on the palace when there's two or one units left, right?", and Cassim replied, "Yes.", before checking on the roof signal again, "One unit down.".
George nodded before Carpet appeared from the shadows in the back, and waved its tassels, and Skyler replied, "Get on his back.", before shifting into a small hummingbird as Cassim and George got into Carpet's back and waited for Cassim to check the roof signal.
"Another unit down.", Cassim replied, and signaled another runner to signal the attack, and heard one of his lieutenants called, "Fire!", and the first wave of fireworks went at the palace, leading in an arch while Carpet flew fast and low, with Skyler darting so fast, flying into the main balcony of the palace, hiding behind the rafters as Jafar was enraged, using his staff to do many forms of dark magic to attack the fireworks.
Skyler saw Carpet landing from the back garden balcony of the throne room, with George and Cassim slinking, hiding among the drapes and such as Jafar is still unaware, and Skyler tiptoed closer, hopping the rafters, shifting into an owl with silent wings, seeing the lamp still trapped in the snake throne as the waves of fireworks and candle cannons kept coming.
Cassim glanced at Skyler who nodded, flying down to a pillar, shifting into a small mouse, to slink under the shadows of the balcony railing, seeing Cassim and George getting closer when a firework missed Jafar, slamming into the snake throne, and Jafar spun around, narrowing his eyes, snarling, "No one takes my lamp but me!", his staff glowing, and the snake throne immediately changed into a real, living cobra who went instantly at George who was the closest.
Skyler's heart froze in horror for a millisecond, unable to move, seeing her husband going to be bitten when Cassim slammed him away, taking George's place, with his sword jabbing into the cobra's mouth, jarring the lamp out as the cobra sank his fangs into him, screaming in pain, and Jafar laughed wickedly as Skyler shifted into a griffin that she read about in a book that one of the citizens gave her a week ago, and slammed into Jafar, her claws gouging into his back, her beak going for the killing stab in the neck.
Before Jafar would even grab his staff, the last thing he knew was a foreign man having a strange weapon, a thundering sound came and went, and he choked out, bleeding, the bullet in his forehead, a wheeze of 'No', before he was completely gone.
Skyler shifted back to her old body, panting, looking at George who looked at her, and then they slammed into each other, kissing each other desperately.
The moment of triumph and jubilation was short lived however, as Cassim's cry of pain rang out again. "Shit, Cassim!", George shouted as he rushed towards him, "Shit, shit, shit!", he shouted as Skyler joined in, "Cassim! Hang on, we'll get you help!".
The cobra has vanished, feeling the shakes of the palace underneath them, as Cassim wrenched in pain, his eyes tight, panting, and Skyler then saw the lamp, going to grab it, when Cassim choked out, opening his eyes weakly, "No...Don't wish to save me...Are you okay, George?", knowing that he had slammed George hard to take his place.
George replied, "Nothing that some healing lotion can't fix, but Cassim, you...you saved my life..", and Cassim gave a pained, weak smile, "You deserve a happy ending with your wife...I can't let her lose you...like how I lost my wife and son...At least I did something truly selfless after making so many mistakes with them...".
"Cassim...", Skyler whispered as she teared up. "Please... it's alright... better to die a martyr than to keep living with the shame of my past... of abandoning my family... maybe... maybe all of this could've been avoided if I had been there for them...", Cassim choked out.
Skyler sobbed, "You're not a martyr! You're a hero...a true hero...You're not a thief or street rat...You led a rebellion, for Allah's sake! You saved Agrabah...", and Cassim gave a weak smile, "A hero, huh? I only can hope I am able to come home to the heavens...I want to love my wife again...to tell my son that I'm proud of him...to have their forgiveness for what I've done in the past...".
George replied softly, "They will forgive you, Cassim...You fought for them, for Agrabah, for us...You've redeemed yourself; I know it...", and Cassim choked out, "You think so?".
Skyler nodded with tears falling, "Yes...We will never forget you, Cassim...When I'm going to be a mother someday...I want to honor you with our child in a similar name or meaning...", and Cassim gave a soft smile, "I'd be honored, Skyler...Thank you, both of you, for being wonderful friends, and I wouldn't imagine better than you two to bring Agrabah home for Princess Jasmine...Farewell, my friends...", as his hands relaxed in Skyler and George's grip, closing his eyes into a forever sleep.
George closed his eyes tight and took a deep breath. This wasn't the first time something like this had happened to him. He held an officer who was dying in his arms once before. The situation was similar but the pain of the moment... to see a life been cut down too soon... you just never get over that sort of thing.
George crawled around, holding and kissing Skyler who sobbed, tucking her face into his shirt, as this is the first time that she witnessed such a friend's death, and he rubbed her back, saying nothing, noticing that Carpet is being sad as well, barely hearing the roar of cheering in Agrabah as he saw the city right outside, realizing that the palace is back in its proper place.
"At least it's finally over...", George whispered as Skyler nodded, "The people are cheering... the nightmare is done...". She then looked back to Cassim's body, "If only he could've hung on just a bit longer to hear the cheers...".
George spoke softly, "I think he knows...And that snake was a cobra, Skyler...a big one...It was lucky that he held on long enough to say a few things...", before glancing over at Jafar's body..."We got him...He won't ever hurt Agrabah again...".
Skyler sniffed, nodding with tears, and Carpet twitched his tassels, and Skyler sighed, "Yeah, that's a good idea...Throw his body in the ocean...Sharks will appreciate the meal, anyway...".
Carpet nodded, grabbing Jafar's body by the foot, and flew him out, hearing the cheers increase, and George sighed deeply, folding Cassim's cape over his body, covering him, and glanced at Skyler who picked up the lamp, and rubbed it gently.
There was nothing for a few moments as Skyler looked at it oddly, "Please tell me that Jafar didn't do something to him... or that this is a fake...".
"If it's a fake, we'll turn this whole palace inside out to find it.", George said as Skyler rubbed again. "Come on... please work...", she whispered, hoping that maybe the genie was just not coming out thinking that it was Jafar.
Not that he had probably much of a choice but maybe he was powerful enough to at least give half a minute or so to himself. That might have been the case as the lamp slowly started to rumble.
The lamp kept rumbling before blue smoke came out, with Genie depleted by the look of his shoulders and body language, and he sighed, speaking, "What can I do for you, Ma-", realizing and widening his eyes, looking between Skyler and George in bewilderment, before whispering, "Is...is this a prank?", with hope in his eyes and voice.
George shook his head. "No, I'm glad to say that it isn't... Jafar is dead... his reign is over.", he explained as Genie honestly couldn't believe that he was hearing that. Never thought he would see the day.
"I...I..dreamed about this so long...", Genie smiled genuinely, probably for the first time in years, and Skyler smiled reassuringly, "This is no dream, Genie...Princess Jasmine sent us to free her, and Agrabah.".
Genie gasped, "Jasmine's not a cat anymore?!", and George nodded, "She's not anymore, but she changed the curse into a gift. She has an ability to be a tiger girl and a big tigress at will, and she's human once again.".
A sob of happiness as Genie cried, "Thank Allah! She was my only human friend since Al...", and Skyler smiled, "Well, how do you feel about seeing her again?".
Genie stared at her, "How?", and Skyler lifted the lamp with a soft smile, "You are a genie, eh?", and Genie laughed heartily, "Oh, of course!", before Magic Carpet came back, with Abu in tow, and Genie gasped happily, "Carpet, Abu!", as he hugged them, "I thought you were a goner, Carpet! And Abu, monkey boy, it's so good to see you!".
"They were the first ones we freed when we arrived. Certainly made Jafar upset and probably nervous too. Maybe you noticed something a few weeks ago.", George said as Genie nodded, "Well, now that you mention it, Jafar did seem like he was feeling like he was losing control.".
Skyler chuckled, "You can be surprised at how people react to sudden changes when they're too comfortable for a long time, set in their routine of sorts...", and Genie grinned, "I can't argue with that.", before noticing the covered body, and then Carpet wiggled its tassels, and Genie widened his eyes, nodding, "Huh. Uh-huh. Oh, dear. He deserved that...".
Genie then looked at Skyler, "He told me of Aladdin's dad, how he did the rebellion, and how he died to save your happy ending, and told me of your request to throw Jafar's body to the sharks...As the palace is back in its right place, I...I can find Aladdin and the Sultan's bodies, to rest, as Jafar didn't...ah, give them the proper burial ceremonies...".
Skyler exhaled, "Do I need to wish for you to find them?", and Genie shook his head, "I...I still have an imprint of Aladdin and the Sultan as I have touched them while interacting with them.".
George exhaled, "Could you have coffins, and place them in the gardens out back? Jasmine will have an idea where her mother's grave is, and she'd want to put her father, Aladdin, and Cassim nearby to rest in peace as Aladdin and Cassim were and are heroes...".
Genie gave a sad smile, nodding, "That, I can do without a wish.", before zooming out, and Skyler smiled at George, "That's nice of you, George...".