Settling the Score by CascadeofOnyx
Summary: BY MYSTICMEG AND MEESH
Revenge is in the air when two old "friends" of Aladdin return to Agrabah and plot against Aladdin. A silly mistake they make with Sadira may end up being exactly what they need...
Rating: G
Categories: Aladdin
Characters: Abu, Aladdin, Carpet, Genie, Jasmine, Original Characters, Rasoul, Sadira, Sultan
Genres: Action/Adventure, Comedy, General, Romance
Warnings: None
Challenges: None
Series: None
Published: 06/18/05
Updated: 06/08/09
Index
Chapter 1: Return To Agrabah
Chapter 2: Operation Agrabah Princess
Chapter 3: Powers Revealed
Chapter 4: He Doesn't Care
Chapter 5: The Story
Chapter 6: Oh to Dream
Chapter 7: Plots Entwine
Chapter 1: Return To Agrabah
**Disclaimer** We in no way are affiliated with the Disney corporation, and wish to say that we own none of the characters in the story with the exception of “Socorro and Cholandra”. ENJOY!!SETTLING THE SCORE
BY: MysticMeg and Meesh
Chapter 1
RETURN TO AGRABAH
The desert was dark. There was little moon, and the bit of light that would have been able to reach the desert was blocked by the large canyon rocks that rose up near the wall of the city. Animals scurried around on the sand, looking for their next meal, and fighting each other. The wind was light, but it still had the power to pick up sand and swirl it around in the air every once in awhile. It was not a night to be walking out in the desert.
But, in the middle of the desert there two silhouettes striding across the cool, dark sand. They were dark blue and black cloaks, that covered most of their faces. They talked to each other while trying to keep their pace up.
“Dre?” One of the cloaked figures asked.
“Yes?” The other one responded, looking towards the first.
“Are you sure that this is what you want to do? Are you sure that you want come back *here*?” the deep-voiced man asked, looking up at the palace gates they were so close to.
Dre snorted, “We have crossed the whole desert, we’ve been walking for days! And now you ask me if I want to turn back or now. Now, when we’re just a hundred yards from the city walls?! Corey, even if I wanted to turn back, it wouldn’t be worth it now.”
The man, now identified as Corey, looked over at his female accomplice, “I was just making sure.”
Dre rolled her eyes, “Are you sure that you want to go back here?” She looked back over at Corey.
Corey nodded his head, “This place was actually not to bad when we lived here, plus, I told you. Wherever you go, I go.”
Dre smiled, but it was masked by the cloak. They kept walking until they came up to the city walls.
“Halt, who goes there?” A guard had stopped them. Dre let the hood of her cloak down, revealing her pretty face. She was indeed, pretty. She had a tan complexion with long sandy blonde hair. Her eyes were a light brown, and her lips were the color of pink roses. Dre flicked her hair provocatively, and looked back towards the guard.
“We want to enter the city,” she almost demanded.
“What is your name, stranger?” The guard asked. He was a small man, and Dre knew that she could take him if need be, but she decided that she would do it the easy way.
“My name is Cholandra,” she replied. She turned and pointed towards her companion. “That is my friend, Socorro.”
“What business do you have in Agrabah?” the guard asked in suspicion.
“The hopes of opening a business and starting a new life,” Dre replied. She stared the guard, hoping to wear him down. This task was not easy, seeing how the guard kept on with his incessant questions.
“Listen,” Dre interrupted him after a few minutes of babbling. “We used to live in Agrabah, but we had to leave for “various reasons”, and now we just want to come back to our homeland to start a business like our parents.”
“How dare you interrupt me?” The guard growled
“How dare you try and bore us to death with your stupid questions and stories,” Dre returned.
The guard became angry and he raised a hand to grab Dre. Dre was about to counteract when Corey came from behind her and took the guard down. He had his knees on the guard’s back, and the guard’s head was lying on the sand, while Corey made sure that his arms were not of use.
“This is how it’s going to go,” Corey said. “We want to get into the city. You’re the one who can allow us into the city. Now, be a good boy and open the doors for your new guests, or I’ll make sure that the cobra sitting over there recognizes you as its next meal. Understand?”
The guard nodded, and Corey laughed. He let him up and the guard quickly grabbed a torch that was sitting on the wall. He waved it up towards the upper tower, and the doors began to open slowly.
“That’s a good man,” Corey said as he directed Dre into the city.
Corey and Dre started down the streets, and then they heard the doors close behind them. Corey finally took down his hood and looked around. He was young, maybe a bit older than Dre. He had dark brown hair and a darker complexion than his companion. He had emerald green eyes, and a strong jaw line.
Dre heard the doors slam and she punched Corey hard on the shoulder. “Ow!” Corey yelped. “What was that for?”
“Why’d you go and do that?” Dre asked, as she pointed back towards the wall. “You could have gotten us killed!”
“Your welcome,” Corey responded, still rubbing his shoulder. “It got us in didn’t it?”
Dre shook her head, “You have to be more careful. We can’t just attack everyone who gives us a hard time.”
“Are you seriously trying to tell me that if I hadn’t have interfered that you would have just stood there and let him hurt you?” Corey asked, a smile playing on his lips.
Dre looked down at her feet, “I guess we’ll never know now, will we?”
Corey sighed, “Well, now, we have to find a place to stay.”
“I already have an idea,” Dre replied. Corey realized that she was leading him through the streets in a direct fashion. She knew where she was going. Dre came up to a large building and looked up.
“No way, are you serious?!” Corey asked after he had realized where she had led him.
Dre scoffed, “We don’t have anywhere else to go, do we? C’mon, I’m tired.”
Corey watched as she began to climb up the building by a ladder on the side. Dre looked down and realized he wasn’t following. “Aren’t you coming?” She called down in just over a whisper.
Corey shook his head, “I refuse.”
Dre rolled her eyes, “Fine, stay out there. Won’t be long until your friend the guard tells his buddies and they come out looking for you.”
Corey gulped and grabbed the wooden ladder and started up it behind Dre. As soon as he got to the top, he sighed. “He couldn’t have made a bridge or something?”
Dre didn’t reply, she simply swung herself across the two buildings and looked back, expecting Corey to do the same. Corey did, and soon he was by her side again. “Let’s go,” he said with a sigh. Dre let him take the lead and soon they were at their destination. They clamored up the broken steps and fallen beams until they came to the high landing.
“Oh, too bad, he’s not here,” Corey said sarcastically.
“We didn’t need him to be here, we just need the place,” Dre responded. “However I wonder what happened to him.”
“Do you think he died?” Corey asked, a hint of hopefulness in his voice.
“Corey!” Dre said in surprised humor. “That’s not nice.”
“I don’t care,” Corey grumbled. “Or, he could be rotting in some dungeon. The kid could never stay out of trouble.”
“Oh, yes he could,” Dre remarked. “He was one of the best at getting out of any trouble.”
“Let’s not go into that tonight,” Corey said as he found an old pillow and handed it to Dre. Dre took it and laid her head down. Corey found another pillow and also laid down, a step under Dre.
Dre sighed, “Do you think he’s alright?”
“Why do you care?” Corey spat back.
“Because we did spend a lot of our lives with him.”
“Aladdin was one of our worst mistakes, and we paid for it dearly.”
“Yeah, you’re right.”
“Go to sleep,” Corey demanded, then he turned away from her. Dre did the same and she looked out the window to the golden palace in the distance. She sighed heavily, and it wasn’t long before she heard the deep breathing of Corey, signifying that he had gone to sleep.
“Where are you Aladdin?” She asked softly, before she too was enveloped in sleep.
*~*~*~*~*~*
In the palace, another couple were also beginning a heated discussion. Jasmine came out from behind the dressing screen, and smoothed out her nightgown. She crawled under the heavy sheets and blankets on her bed, and laid down.
“Jasmine, I don’t want her to come,” Aladdin’s voice came from next to her, and he looked at her.
Jasmine sighed, “Aladdin, it’s one day. How much trouble can she cause in one day, one night?!”
“It’s Sadira!” Aladdin responded, “That girl can cause some of the most serious trouble in just five minutes.”
“I trust her,” Jasmine returned, quieting her voice.
“Well, that’s your first mistake,” Aladdin spat back.
Jasmine rolled her eyes, “Aladdin, please. All you have to do is go to the city, and ask her to come.”
“Hmm… if I can find her, and if she doesn’t try and send me to some fairy tale land. Oh! Maybe this time instead of a ladle and pot, I could get a broom and Abu can turn into a cat. Then I could ride around the streets of Agrabah like the Wicked Witch of the West,” Aladdin said, staring at the ceiling.
Jasmine tried to hide her laugh. “You really should stop listening to all those stories that Genie tells.”
“Stop changing the subject” Aladdin said. He turned to look at her.
Jasmine shook her head, “Trust me Aladdin. It will be alright.”
Aladdin sighed, “Alright, I trust you. I’ll go tomorrow after helping out with building those new shops.”
Jasmine kissed him on the cheek, “Thank you Aladdin. You won’t regret it.”
“Oh, you know I will,” Aladdin returned. He blew the candle out that was sitting on his night table and the room went dark. He put his arm around Jasmine, and soon they both were fast asleep.
*~*~*~*~*~*
“Corey? Corey wake up!” Dre said in a loud whisper as she nudged Corey in the ribs. Corey stirred a bit before realizing pain and he jumped up. He didn’t say anything about her elbowing him, he simply sat up and yawned.
“Good morning,” he said with a sigh. He looked out the window towards the palace, and realized that the sun was just coming up. “Good night,” he said and he laid back down on the pillows and buried his face.
“No you moron!” Dre exclaimed, “We have to get up. I want to go out today.”
“No,” Corey simply replied, not looking at her.
“Yes!” Dre returned, kicking him hard in the shoulder. Corey went flying down the few steps and hit the ground hard.
“Stop that!” He yelled as he stood up.
Dre smiled, “Well, now that you’re up, shall we go?”
“The sun’s not even up yet!” Corey protested.
Dre looked out towards the palace again, “I know. Isn’t it gorgeous.”
“You’re starting to sound just like *him*,” Corey snapped as he threw his cloak off revealing his full body. He had a strong build. There was no softness to his midsection or arms that could be seen. He wore dark black harem pants, and he threw on a white, long-sleeved shirt that he had in his cloak pocket. He ruffled his dark hair, and swiped at his pants.
Dre just sighed, “You know I’m right.” She also took off her dark blue robe. She was slim, and toned. Just a little bigger than Jasmine, but there was still no sign of softness. She brushed through her tawny and wild blonde hair. She was wearing a simple harem outfit that was also black. She fixed her strap and then pulled out a band pulling her hair into a low pony tail.
“Are we ready?” Corey asked, not wanting to further their conversation. Dre nodded and he led her back through the entrance and down onto the streets of Agrabah which were just now starting to liven up.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Aladdin woke up after he felt the movement of Jasmine getting up beside him. He looked over, and sighed.
Jasmine turned around and looked at him. “Good morning,” she whispered.
Aladdin stretched and then replied, “Good morning.” He watched as she went to her wardrobe and began searching for her day’s outfit. She pulled out a light red outfit that was her normal style and turned to look at Aladdin.
“You should be doing the same,” she whispered. He got up and put his arms around her waist, and she laughed. “You need two outfits for today, get started.”
“Two?” Aladdin asked.
“Yes, one for today, and then one for tonight when Sadira comes,” Jasmine replied, and she turned to look at him.
“I had hoped you would have forgotten about that,” Aladdin whispered. He went to his wardrobe and began searching for the appropriate outfits for the day. He pulled out a pair of dark navy harem pants, and began searching for the light blue vest that would accompany it. Jasmine went over and pulled it out and handed it to him.
“Now, what are you going to wear tonight?” She asked.
“I’ll figure that out later. I’m going to find her right after breakfast,” he said.
Jasmine nodded, “That’s good. But don’t be gone to long, we do have a full day we can spend together before we have her come over tonight.
Aladdin kissed her and smiled, “It won’t take me long at all, I promise.”
“Please be nice,” Jasmine pleaded.
“Oh, of course I will,” Aladdin replied, and after they had changed he led her down to the breakfast hall.
*~*~*~*~*~*
“I’m hungry,” Corey stated. He was walking down the main streets of Agrabah with Dre by his side, looking at all the fruit and food carts.
“Then get something,” Dre replied pointing at the money pouch at Corey’s side.
Corey shook his head, “We need to save if we ever want to open that shop up.”
Dre laughed, “But we do need to eat.”
Corey looked at her with a mischievous smile, “Or..”
“No,” Dre protested, “you will not steal from these people. We won’t go through all of that again.”
“We were just kids then,” Corey replied, “we’re a bit older now.”
“Which also means we should be smarter,” Dre added, but she realized that Corey was no longer looking at her. He was staring straight ahead at something with an intent gaze. She looked where he was, and realized that the crowd was beginning to make a clearing. They all began to bow and they saw a man coming down the street.
“Royalty,” Corey growled, but he didn’t take his eyes off the crowd. “Wonder who it is.”
“The princess?” Dre suggested, but she soon realized that it was a man that they were all making way for. She peered at him, and realized that there was something very familiar about him. “Hey, Corey, does he look at all-”
“Familiar?” He finished. “Yes, I know I’ve seen him somewhere before.”
“That can’t be,” Dre replied. “We never knew anyone royal.” But as the man got closer, she couldn’t help but think that she had talked to him before. Then the man disappeared down a long alleyway, and the people stopped bowing and went back to their business.
“Wouldn’t it be a thrill to steal from royalty?” Corey asked as he looked at the alley the man had disappeared down.
“No.” Dre replied harshly.
“Oh c’mon Dre,” Corey almost whined, “The guy doesn’t even have an escort or anything. He must think he can take care of himself.”
“So then maybe we should leave him alone,” Dre suggested, and tried to pull her friend away from the alley. “I wonder who he was.”
Corey listened for a few moments to the chatter of the people around them. “Sounds like he’s the prince.”
“What’s a prince doing out here among all his people? Aren’t they supposed to be stuck in the palace, where they’re safe?” Dre asked in disbelief.
“Like the princess,” Corey replied. He turned back around, “Let’s wait around for him. I have a feeling that this is going to be fun.”
*~*~*~*~*~*
Aladdin made his way down the alley and up to a dark doorway. He knocked on the door, and waited for a few seconds. When no one came he went to turn back, “Oh well, guess she’s not home. Dang.”
“Aladdin?” A voice came from behind. Aladdin let out a defeated sigh and turned around, smiling.
“Sadira,” he replied. He came back up to the doorway. Sadira seemed shocked to see him.
“Umm… your highness,” she stated and began to bow. Aladdin took her shoulders and stopped her.
“You don’t have to do that, it’s Aladdin you’re talking to,” Aladdin said. He smiled genuinely this time.
“Come on in,” Sadira said as she ushered him. She followed him and immediately tried to straighten her place up. She nearly fell over a chair, but Aladdin caught her and set her back on her feet.
“Are you alright?” He asked.
Sadira blushed, “Yeah, uh, what can I do for ya?”
“Jasmine wanted to know if you would like to join her, well, er…us at the palace tonight,” Aladdin offered.
Sadira’s eyes lit up, and she smiled, “Of course! I’ll be there.”
“Oh, well, alright,” Aladdin replied and he turned to leave.
“You have to go so soon?” Sadira asked, taking his arm.
Aladdin stiffened, “Yeah, well, I got to go do stuff.”
“Stuff?” Sadira asked, not letting go.
“Yeah, umm… I’m going to help build those new shops in the middle of town today,” Aladdin said.
“Oh, they can wait, can’t they?” Sadira said with a pleading tone. “It’s not often I get friends here to visit me.”
Aladdin pulled her hands off of him. “Well, it’s gonna take all day,” he lied.
Sadira’s eyes fell to her feet, “Oh. Well I guess I’ll see you tonight then.”
“Yep, guess you will,” Aladdin said quickly and then disappeared out of the room and back into the alley.
Sadira stared after him, and then she gasped. “What am I going to wear!?”
*~*~*~*~*~*
Corey watched as the prince made his way back up the alley. He was waiting at the corner, and the prince was coming closer.
“Corey, let’s just go,” Dre pleaded.
“No, I want to have some fun,” Corey responded. He turned back to look at him, but then someone jumped in front of the prince. It was a young girl, and she was holding a bouquet of wild desert flowers.
“These are for you and the princess, Prince Aladdin,” the girl said through nervous stutters.
“Aladdin!?” Corey said. Dre’s mouth hung open, and she gaped at the sight.
“It’s him,” she whispered to Corey. “He’s still here, and he’s the prince!”
Corey didn’t respond. He watched as Aladdin took the flowers from the young girl. He followed her inconspicuously and then laid a few gold coins on the cart her mother was running. He left before the woman realized the gift he had laid, and was now coming Corey and Dre’s way. Corey and Dre watched as he passed them without a glance.
“He’s grown up,” Dre whispered.
Corey almost growled, “We need to go.”
“What, why?” Dre asked, but Corey grabbed her hand and led her back down the busy street, headed for the abandoned hovel. He led her up the stairs, and didn’t stop until they got back up the window.
“What is wrong with you?!” Dre yelled as she rubbed at her wrists.
Corey glared at her, “It doesn’t bother you?”
“What are you talking about?” Dre returned.
“It doesn’t bother you that he’s the prince? It doesn’t bother you that he’s achieved the life of luxury that *we’d* always dreamed of?” Corey said in a low voice. Dre turned silent, because it did bother her.
“It’s not fair,” Corey said.
“You’re still just sore because of what happened before,” Dre spat back, and she sat in the window sill.
“And you’re not?”
“It was ten years ago,” Dre said exasperated, “Let it go.”
“How can I when I know that the little street rat is now living a life of luxury?” Corey asked.
“What are you going to do about it? Just leave it be and start focusing on our new life,” Dre replied, glaring at him.
Corey began to pace, “We need more money.”
“Then we’ll work until we get it,” Dre suggested.
“That’ll take to much time,” Corey said as he threw himself down on the steps.
Dre sighed, “Well how else are we going to get the money.”
There was silence for a few minutes, until Corey put his head up. “I know how.”
“I don’t like the sound of that, what’s going through your mind?” Dre asked suspiciously.
“I’ll kill two birds with one stone. I’ll get the money we need, and I’ll get back at Aladdin.”
“No!” Dre screamed, “We will do this the right way. Leave Aladdin out of it.”
Corey raised his voice, “Just hear me out!”
Dre became scared, “How do you expect to get back at Aladdin?”
“By taking something that should matter to him a great deal,” Corey responded.
“Oh yeah, and what’s that?” Dre scoffed.
“His wife,” Corey replied.
Dre laughed, “You want to kidnap Princess Jasmine?”
“Yeah, why not?”
“I’m leaving,” Dre said, but Corey took her wrist.
“I want to do it tonight.”
“You’re crazy!” Dre said, but she sat back down. “She’s probably so guarded that not even a sorcerer could get to her.”
“We’ll just have to find out won’t we?” Corey asked as a flash went across his eyes.
Dre sighed, “Alright, what’s the plan?”
Corey took her in, and soon they had the whole thing worked out tonight.
“You’re sure?” Dre asked after they had finished putting the plan together.
Corey nodded, “Yes. I told you coming here would be for the best benefit.”
Dre nodded, but didn’t say anything. She simply looked back out at the window towards the palace.
“We leave at sunset,” Corey said, and he disappeared out of the hovel, leaving Dre alone with her thoughts.
Chapter 2: Operation Agrabah Princess
SETTLING THE SCOREBY: Meesh and MysticMeg
Chapter 2
OPERATION AGRABAH PRINCESS
“Sadira’s probably being let in to the gates right now, and you’re just coming home!” Jasmine sighed frantically.
“I’m sorry,” Aladdin said innocently, “It’s just that… I got a little sidetracked when I found this!” Aladdin pulled from behind his back a locket. It was badly dented and was made of copper in the shape of a heart. Jasmine took it from his grasps and opened it up, perusing its features.
“Or maybe I should say I made it,” Aladdin corrected himself. “One of the shops was a locket shop, and I thought maybe you would like one?”
Jasmine laughed as if she hadn’t just been scolding him.
“Why the laughter? I know I’m not much of a craftsman, but every time you see one of those things in the marketplace, you-“
Aladdin was interrupted by Jasmine grabbing swinging her arm around his neck for a friendly kiss. Jasmine smiled, “I think it’s sweet. Help me put it on!”
Aladdin took the locket from Jasmine and brushed her hair out of the way to fasten the locket around her neck. When finished Jasmine asked, “How does it look?”
“Turn around so I can see.”
Jasmine did so.
Aladdin put his hand to his chin like a critic. He then made a square with his fingers and put around Jasmine’s face like a frame. When he was done, he put his hands down, “It doesn’t look too bad.”
Jasmine laughed.
“No, you know I think it looks beautiful on you. As does anything else you could put on.”
“Thank you,” Jasmine smiled girlishly then made a worried face again, “Speaking of ‘putting on,’ what are you going to wear to dinner tonight? And you’re all smudgy! How are we going to have you bathed and dressed by the time Sadira gets here?”
“Jas! You’re acting like it’s some important kind from a foreign land visiting us!”
Jasmine looked Aladdin in the eye wisely, “Sadira is as important as any foreign king that may come visit. She is our friend. Which means that she deserves the respect and punctuality we would give to any other visitor that comes to the palace.”
“You’re right,” Aladdin sighed, “Again…”
“When am I not?” Jasmine smirked as she grabbed Aladdin’s shoulders and shoved him to where the bathing tub was. “Now hurry up.”
“As you wish, your highness,” Aladdin bowed and closed the curtains. Jasmine smiled and thanked the stars for her Aladdin.
Under the same stars were two comrades making their way out of the hovel they had been staying in.
“Here comes the dusk,” Dre stopped once under the lavender sky. Stars were starting to peep their heads from under the blanket of the sky.
“Are you coming?” Corey turned back for his partner, who stood looking up. “I’m sorry if I missed the part of our plan that said, ‘ Stop and look dumbfoundedly at the stars.’”
Dre gave him a disdainful look, but brushed his comment off of her mind. “Where’s your outfit?”
“I haven’t stolen it yet,” Corey answered.
“Steal?!! I told you no stealing! Did you steal my dress?!” Dre yelled in a whisper.
“How else was I to get you a fine dress such as that?”
“With money! We HAVE money now!”
“Not that much, we don’t!” Corey shook his head.
“Well then,” Dre picked up her dress and headed towards the edge of the roof with an obvious hint of paranoia, “let’s just hope nobody recognizes this.”
Corey sighed and removed the cloak he had on and handed it to Dre. Without a word, she willingly took it and put it over the dress she was wearing.
“Now, come on!” Corey swung across the gap between the two roofs. Dre followed with the difficulty of wearing a dress. Once on the quieting streets, Corey scanned the area and whispered to his partner, “If we are to find ANYTHING for me, it’s going to be hard. All the shop owners are closing up.”
“It’s not my fault you’re such a procrastinator!” Dre humphed.
“Hey, did you want help with the dress or not?”
“Yes, I did. Hush and look.”
It was only a matter of seconds before Corey spotted and pointed out a vulnerable shop selling what he needed. He turned to Dre and told her to stay. She reluctantly obeyed. In a minute, Corey returned to her with what he had needed — blue harem pants, a matching shirt, and a red sash. He snuck behind a stall and changed as quickly as he could, leaving his old garments behind.
He spread his arms out before Dre when he was finished, “Do I look like an Agrabanian royal servant?”
“The resemblance is striking!” Dre answered, “Come now! How are we to get to the palace in time?”
“Cart hopping,” Corey smiled, “Like the old days!”
Dre couldn’t help but smile in remembrance, “Just like the old days.”
“Do you remember where palace cart traffic is busiest?”
Dre nodded, “Where the apple shops meet the melon shops.”
Corey complemented her on her excellent memory and immediately started towards the area to find a cart to hop onto. Dre followed, her heart beating with excitement and worry.
Sadira lifted her fork. There were five forks before her! Which one was she supposed to use?! Her mind started worrying that she was eating wrong. Upon noticing this, Jasmine, who sat beside her, gently placed her manicured fingers over Sadira’s rough hand. “With your friends.” Jasmine smiled, “there is no wrong way to eat.”
Sadira looked at Jasmine, who was smiling the most genuine smile she had ever seen. One of the traits Sadira had wanted for so long.
“Here,” Jasmine, noticing Sadira’s still-remaining unease, took away the remaining forks and shoved them under the table secretively. Sadira giggled and looked up. She found herself staring into the face of Aladdin, who had just walked in.
“It’s about time!” Jasmine noted. “I was beginning to worry you had drowned in the tub!”
Aladdin smiled and noticed that Sadira was staring at him. Trying to hide the discomfort this caused, he greeted her and thanked her for coming.
Shaking herself from her trance, Sadira regained her composure, “Pleasure to be here! Thank you for inviting me.”
Aladdin shrugged smugly, “Any time!”
“Why don’t you sit down?” Jasmine and Sadira asked the same time. Both patted the seat beside them. Aladdin, not wanting to disappoint either of them, instead took the seat in front of the both of them. Jasmine smiled at his decision.
“So,” Sadira tried to start a conversation, “How has the palace life been?”
“Well it’s been,” Aladdin tried to answer, “in the palace for sure!”
“It’s been lovely,” Jasmine answered for her inarticulate husband. “I have nothing to complain about.”
“Nor do I,” Aladdin agreed. “And you?”
“The normal I guess,” she answered unemotionally. “It’s kind of lonely in the city I guess.”
“But there are so many people!” Jasmine exclaimed.
“Which makes for many hostile people,” Sadira answered.
“Surely there are suitable friends there!”
“It’s hard,” Aladdin answered with Sadira. Sadira looked at Aladdin with a blush and a thankful expression.
“Maybe we’ll help you out sometime,” Jasmine offered.
Sadira nodded, not so sure she liked the idea. She knew as well as Aladdin did that friends were hard to make of strangers in the marketplace. She muttered a rogue-Agrabanian saying, “It’s hard to keep finding friends…”
“...And it’s hard to find keeping friends,” Dre murmured to herself.
Corey turned to his partner and whispered as the fruit cart carried them along the bumpy and dark streets of Agrabah, “It would be a lot easier to smuggle ourselves into the palace if we were in one of these crates.”
“How would there be room? They are fill with fruit!”
“Let’s be generous,” Corey reached back and opened one large crate and pulled out a watermelon. Watermelon, in hand, he hopped off of the cart and placed it at the threshold of a random house on the way and hurried back to the conveniently slow-moving cart. “Hand me another watermelon.”
Dre, catching on quickly, swiftly handed Corey a watermelon.
“Give me more than one.”
Dre handed him another one.
“No, give me four! Four at a time!”
Dre obediently placed two more watermelons in Corey’s strong arms, and he placed one on each of the first doorsteps he saw.
“Four more!” Corey took four watermelons from Dre and repeated what he had done before.
“Four more!”
“There are only two left in the crate!”
“Good, then hand me those two and open a new one!”
Dre did just that. She had four watermelons ready for him when he got back. He unloaded the four and came back and unloaded the next four. When there were only two left, he ordered that Dre get inside of the first crate and close the lid. After unloading the two remaining watermelons, Corey returned to the cart, made sure Dre was safe inside her cart, and placed himself tightly inside the cart.
“See you in the royal kitchen,” Corey whispered. The driver looked back, thinking he heard something. But he convinced himself it was a locust and reverted his attention back on the road before him and the guards that met him at the palace gate.
“You know they say that after someone who has eaten little for a long time gets sick after one full meal,” Sadira commented, alone with Jasmine in her bedroom. “Now I know they were right.” She held her stomach. Jasmine, upon realizing that Sadira was only joking, let out a friendly laugh with her.
“Really, you don’t have to let me stay the night. My hov-“
“Sadira,” Jasmine interrupted, “You are an honored guest. A friend. It is a pleasure and an honor to give you the finest hospitality we can. Plus, face it,” Jasmine turned to face Sadira and smiled persuasively, “you know you’ve been dying to know what it’s like to have a royal sleepover.”
Sadira smiled at her friend, overly thankful that she and Aladdin had finally learned to trust her. “I have always wondered that.”
“Wonder no more!” a familiar voice boomed as Genie burst into the room. He was dressed as a little girl in a lacey, pink nightgown with a bow ornately tied in brown locks. He had a teddy bear snuggly clamped in his clutches. “We can stay up all night painting our nails, playing truth-or-dare, making prank phone calls, talking about boys-“
“Genie?” Aladdin, who had just come in behind Genie, interrupted from the doorway.
Genie stopped and turned around.
“You know how I feel when you barge into the bedroom like this…”
Genie whined, “I’m sorry…”
Sadira shook her head, “It’s okay, Genie. And I think I’ll pass on all of those things you just said.”
Genie poofed back to normal, “Good! Because talking about boys is a bit out of my comfort zone!”
“But,” Sadira added, “I’m sure you could think of something else?”
Genie paused and lit up, “Of course! That’s what Genies do! I’ll get right on that!” With that, he zipped out of the room.
“I’ll be right back,” Aladdin followed Genie.
Sadira giggled, “Your life must be colorful.”
“Never a dull moment,” Jasmine answered with a happy sigh. “And you have no idea how literally I mean that.”
Jasmine went to her wardrobe and pulled out a purple and teal, long-sleeved harem outfit and laid it out on her bed beside Sadira. “Here,” Jasmine sat down on the other side of it, “I found this outfit. It doesn’t fit me anymore but there’s a great chance it will fit you! It used to be one of my favorites!”
“Are you giving this to me?”
Jasmine nodded, “Why don’t you try it on? I think I’ll get us some drinks or something. Does that sound good?”
Sadira nodded excitedly.
“Oh, and,” Jasmine took off her crown and placed it with the attire, “Just for now. Just don’t boss any servants around because you have the crown. They’ll think you attacked me or something.”
Sadira giggled and agreed. With this, Jasmine left the room and closed the door firmly behind her. Sadira was left to eye and admire the wonderful outfit that was laid out before her excitedly.
“Remind me never to do this again,” Corey complained as he cracked his back and stepped out of the cramped crate.
“Corey.”
“Yes?”
“Never do this again.”
“Thanks for the reminder,” Corey answered sarcastically.
“Now what?”
“We’re in, so let’s go!”
“Do you know where to go?” Dre asked.
“No, but I’ll find out a way. And you?”
“I’m a street rat, remember? I’ll improvise.”
Corey smirked at their old motto, and they parted.
The atmosphere was notably flawless inside the palace. The clamor-bereft halls struck a sense of peace, and the perfect temperature was a comforting change from the always either too dry or too humid heat of the city. Dre found herself staring into a long mirror placed on a wall. She admired how regal she looked in her dress. It was an off-white, sleeveless dress with teal outline and laces. He hair was delicately placed in a bun. Her makeup left something to be desired, but her face was clean. Dre smiled, but frowned in seeing her yellowish teeth. She disappointedly turned from the mirror and continued making her way down the hall.
On the way, she passed an almost-familiar woman of great beauty. This woman was dressed regally and beautifully, her long black hair tied back in three color-coordinated bands. If it weren’t for the lack of a crown on her head, Dre would have mistaken her for the princess.
“Excuse me,” Dre summoned the woman’s attention.
The woman politely stopped, “Yes?”
“Could you direct me to the horse keep? I am a visitor here, and it is time for me to saddle my horse and depart.”
“A visitor? Why have I not seen you?”
“You were probably busy. I was visiting one of the servants. He is my cousin.”
“What servant?”
“The wine bearer,” Dre lied.
“Nor the sultan nor his daughter or son-in-law drink wine. There is no need for a wine bearer in the palace!”
“Perhaps I have been mistaken then.”
“Perhaps so.”
“The horse keep?”
“Yes,” the woman answered suspiciously, “It is right at the end of this hall.”
“Thank you greatly.”
“My pleasure.”
“Have a good night.”
“And the same to you,” the woman walked on. Dre wiped the sweat from her brow, telling herself that that was too close, and proceeded to the horse keep.
Finding the royal bedchamber was a breeze for Corey, who had conveniently overheard a few servants talking about the inconvenient location of it. In a matter of minutes, Corey found himself knocking on the hard mahogany door to the chambers.
Sadira couldn’t stop admiring herself in the mirror, not conceitedly, but excitedly. Sadira had never worn any of the princess’s garments before — with her permission, that is. The crown made her especially excited. It made her feel regal, and she felt like she never wanted to leave!
Her admirations were interrupted by a firm knock on the door. “Who is it?”
“A message for the princess!” the voice called.
Corey stood at the door, awaiting an answer. Before anything more was said, the door opened, and a young girl dressed in royal garments opened the door. She had coffee-colored skin and wood-colored hair. She looked to be no older than eighteen, which is younger than the princess would have been. But she was wearing a crown and was in the royal bedchamber; who else would she be?
“The message?” the girl asked.
“The sultan wishes that the princess come to the audience chamber with all guests — to celebrate Agrabah’s health and all of its fine visitors!”
“I fall under that category!” the girl answered happily.
“Yes, you do,” Corey answered at the girl’s awkward reply.
“Then I suppose I should go!”
“Of course!” Corey answered awkwardly once more. Would a princess really question her own position? “Shall I escort you?”
“Of course,” the girl answered smugly. “You shall escort me.” The girl took off her crown and set it on the dresser.
“Wouldn’t you prefer to wear that?”
The shook her head, “Let’s go!”
“Perfect!” Corey answered the girl, hoping that things were going as well with Dre.
They were indeed! Dre was surprised at how quickly the stable tenders fetched her two horses! Dre insisted that she escort herself outside and that the second rider was waiting for her outside. The tenders nodded and let her leave the stable alone with the two horses. Upon leaving the stable, she laughed at how oblivious servants in the palace of Agrabah were!
She made her way silently back to the importation port where the melon merchant had dropped her and Dre off with the watermelons. It was there that she would wait for Corey. He sure was taking a long time! Was something wrong?
There was something wrong! The guard from the city’s entrance was following Corey! Corey knew that the guard wouldn’t just let him walk off with the princess! He had to lose him! But, if he just took off running with the princess, he would raise even more suspicions! Thinking fast, he turned to the girl beside him and smiled charmingly, “I’ll beat you there!” With this, he took off running and dashed down the hall.
“No you won’t!” she replied boyishly as she took off running after him. The guard realized something was wrong and immediately started chasing them. But he was at a loss in that his legs were too short to run as swiftly as either of them could. But, he had no time or idea to do anything else.
“Halt!” he yelled. “Halt, I say!”
Sadira looked back at the guard pathetically trying to keep up with her and the charming young servant she had met. She called up to the servant, “Shouldn’t we stop?!”
The boy didn’t answer, so she kept running. Upon turning a very sharp turn, she ran right out an open door and straight off of a drop-off! The servant caught her in his arms and placed her on a horse. That’s when she realized that she was outside by the importation entrance! And she wasn’t being escorted at all! She was being kidnapped!
“I got her! And we need to hurry! I am being chased!”
“Chased?” a girl on the horse beside asked worriedly while covering Sadira’s mouth, muffling her screams greatly with a scolding, “Hush, princess!”
“Couldn’t you have gotten a cart or something?” the servant boy called to the girl on the horse, who replied: “You never mentioned getting a cart!”
“Well-“ the boy stopped short and grabbed a nearby cart that had been recently unloaded and tied it unbelievably quickly to one of the two horses’ bridle. “Now give me the cloak I gave you!”
The girl frantically handed him the cloak with her one free hand. The boy grabbed Sadira and wrapped her in the cloak, putting a gag in her mouth to keep her quiet. He placed her non-gently on the cart and mounted the second horse.
“Go! Hurry!” he yelled.
With that, Corey and Dre were off with their captive; the guards were too late.
Chapter 3: Powers Revealed
SETTLING THE SCOREBy: MysticMeg and Meesh
Chapter 3
POWERS REVEALED
"We're almost there," Dre yelled back to Corey. She was leading the cart and trying to get the horse to go as fast as possible. "Don't worry."
"The only thing that I am worried about is keeping all my organs intact!" Corey shouted back. As soon as he had finished, Sadira swung a fist from out of the cloak and hit him hard in the mouth. Corey yelped in pain and then pushed her hand back down under the cloak. "For a princess, she sure hits hard."
"It'll just be a few more minutes, and if you'd like, I'll handle her." Dre offered.
Corey looked at her, and quickly dismissed the idea. "No, the whole point of the ransom is to get her back alive."
Dre laughed a bit and then turned back to the road. "How long until you think the guards will catch up?"
"I'd rather not stick around and find out," Corey replied, now protecting himself from one of Sadira's feet.
Sadira had no idea where she was. She couldn't see anything, and the only movement she could obtain she used to try and attack her kidnapper. She was kicking and swinging wildly, just trying to get a little freedom to use her hands. She was practiced in the Magic of the Sand, wasn't she? She just needed a little lead way! She hit Corey hard in the mouth once again, and she could tell she had hurt the man who had tried to take her away from the palace. Finally! A little bit of freedom!
Corey yelled out in pure pain at the blow to his face. He wiped his lip and a trickle of blood started down his chin. Dre turned around, angry about the princess shedding Corey's blood, and the horses went over a large rock that made the whole cart go up on two wheels.
"Dre! Stop fooling around, you're going to get us caught!" Corey yelled from the back.
Dre was about to gain control of the reigns once again when Sadira raised her hands high and a huge sand wall appeared behind her. She pointed towards Dre, and the sand wall slammed into her, knocking her off the cart and into a nearby building.
"NO!" Corey yelled, and the horses became spooked. They dislodged themselves from the cart and took off down the streets. Corey paid no attention to them and he jumped off of the cart after he quickly tied a cloth scrap of clothing around Sadira's wrists.
"Let me go!" Sadira screamed, as she played with her restraints. Why couldn't they be a lock chain?
Corey wasn't listening to her; he jumped off the cart and into the piles of sand. He found Dre and helped her to her knees. She coughed violently into her hands and then cleared her throat.
"Since? When? Can? A princess? do that?!" She said through gasps of air. She got to her feet and let Corey lead her to the cart. He brushed her long bangs out of her eyes and saw that there was a large trickle of blood starting down the side of her face. He glared over at the captive and sighed angrily.
"You're bleeding," he whispered as he tore off part of his shirt and wrapped it around Dre's head gently.
"Ouch," she whimpered. He finished wrapping and she thanked him. He nodded, and started back around the cart.
"We need to make sure she doesn't get use of her hands," he yelled back to her.
Dre nodded, and took Sadira by the back of the neck. "I don't know where you learned to do that, Princess, but trust me, you will regret it."
Sadira wanted to scream that she wasn't the princess, but the gag would not allow it. She just rolled her eyes. Dre stood back up and over at the horseless reigns. "What are we going to do now?"
Corey shook his head, "I guess I'll have to carry her."
"That'll take us forever," Dre whined.
"What other choice do we have?"
Dre thought for a moment, and then sighed. "Alright, you're right."
Corey went over to Sadira and picked her up roughly. Sadira grunted as he threw her over his shoulder. "She's actually pretty light."
"Good, then it won't be too hard to throw her out of the window," Dre grumbled. Sadira's eyes widened and she tried to see Dre.
"Let's just get home; the guards will find out where we went if we don't hurry."
Dre followed as Corey carried Sadira down the empty streets of Agrabah heading for the hovel.
*~*~*~*~*~*
"Aladdin?" Jasmine called out.
Aladdin stopped and turned around slowly. He saw Jasmine and he sighed. Jasmine came up next to him, holding a tray with a pitcher of liquid and two silver goblets. "Aladdin, where are you going?"
"I was just keeping myself entertained," Aladdin responded.
"Well, can't you keep yourself entertained with me and Sadira?" Jasmine asked, pointing back towards the bedroom.
"No," Aladdin grumbled.
"Aladdin," Jasmine said in a shock, "It's just one night. You can deal with just one night."
Aladdin smiled, "Alright. Let me take that," he said as he took the tray from Jasmine's hands.
Jasmine thanked him and then turned to go back to the bedroom when she saw one of the palace guards running up to them with great speed. She put herself in front of Aladdin so that the guard didn't knock him over, but he halted to a stop anyway.
"Princess Jasmine, you're here?" the guard said with genuine shock.
Jasmine looked towards Aladdin with curiosity. "Of course I am, where else would I be?"
The guard was breathing heavily, "But- but-!"
"Calm down,"Aladdin coaxed as he let the guard lean on his free shoulder.
"The princess! The door guard just announced that he saw the princess kidnapped!"
Jasmine looked up at Aladdin, "How can that be, I'm right here."
"He said that he had come around the corner and saw the princess being led down the hall by a stranger, and then she was abducted at the importation port."
"Sadira!" Jasmine gasped.
Aladdin dropped the tray of drinks, but Jasmine didn't pay any attention. "They've taken Sadira?!" Aladdin asked as he took Jasmine's arms.
Jasmine nodded, "I let her take one of my old outfits, and try on the crown. Someone must have thought that she was me. Aladdin, we have to go find her."
Aladdin took Jasmine in his arms, "We will find her."
"We need to go now," Jasmine said as she pulled away.
The guard spoke up again, "They took off towards the south end of the city. We have guards all over the city looking."
"We need to help," Jasmine said as she looked back up towards Aladdin.
Aladdin took her by the shoulders, "I'll take Genie and Carpet and we?ll find her."
"I want to go too," Jasmine returned.
Aladdin shook his head, "It's too dangerous. Whoever took Sadira was after you. We need to keep you here and safe."
"When has that ever worked?" Jasmine scoffed. "I am going."
"Fine," Aladdin sighed. "I'm going to find Carpet, get ready."
Jasmine did as she was told and headed towards her bedroom to gather her and Aladdin's night cloaks.
*~*~*~*~*~*
"Put her down there," Dre said as they made their way into the abandoned hovel.
Corey grunted as he placed Sadira down on the most bottom step. He removed her gag and threw it on the ground next to her.
"Let me go, you've got the wrong girl!" Sadira screamed.
Dre grabbed her by the back of her hair, and growled in her ear. "If you don't quiet down, the gag goes back on permanently."
Sadira pulled away roughly, "Why did you bring me here? What do you want?"
"Just be quiet, and nothing will happen," Corey murmered from a corner he was resting in. "We just need you for as long as it takes to get the money."
"The money for what? From who?! There's not one person in this city who will pay to get me back."
"You have got to be kidding. The whole palace is probably looking for you now, they'd do anything to get their precious princess back," Dre laughed.
"I am not the princess! Sadira exclaimed. Dre looked over at Corey, but he smiled.
"Oh, so that crown that was on your head was just a decorative head band?" he smirked.
Sadira sighed, "I was a guest at the palace. Princess Jasmine let me try on the crown while she left. I am not the princess!"
Corey seemed unnerved, "You want us to believe that the Princess let you try on her crown?"
Sadira nodded, "It's the truth."
"I don't believe her," Dre snarled. "She's lying so that we let her go."
"No I am not! You have no idea who's coming after you."
"Let me guess, Aladdin?" Corey spat.
Sadira's eyes went wide, "Do you know Aladdin?"
Corey shook his head, "It's a long story. The fact of the matter is that we are just going to have to let him fret a bit about your life. At least until we get our money."
"Yeah, that's going to happen," Sadira murmured under her breath.
"What was that?" Dre snapped.
"Oh nothing. It's just that I know that Aladdin is probably already too busy protecting Princess Jasmine to even think about coming after me," Sadira replied nonchalantly.
"If you're not Princess Jasmine, then who are you?" Dre asked.
"My name is Sadira! Sheesh, maybe you should have checked that before you KIDNAPPED ME!?" Sadira yelled.
Dre looked at Corey, "I think I'm starting-"
"To believe her?" Corey finished. He stood up, and walked over to the two women. "Yeah, this is not good."
"Then let me go," Sadira pleaded. "If you just let me go, we'll all be fine. It'll just be forgotten."
"We have to figure out what to do," Dre sighed.
Sadira struggled with her restraints. Corey remembered the earlier incident and turned to Dre quietly. "We need to make sure that she doesn't gain use of her hands." He turned to Sadira and referred to her magic, "Hey, where did you learn to do that?"
Sadira shook her head, "It's a long story. You better just pray that you can keep me in these restraints."
"Too true," Dre replied. "What's your story?"
"Also a long story," Sadira sighed.
Dre rolled her eyes, "Well get started." Sadira sighed, and soon the whole story just began to spill out.
**NOTE** I have to thank Meesh so much w/ this chapter. Even though it was my turn, she did so much, and was *so* understanding when I told her how much time this would take. Thanks so much Meesh!!!
Chapter 4: He Doesn't Care
SETTLING THE SCOREBy: Meesh and Mystic Meg
Chapter 3:
He Doesn't Care
"And now they're my friends," Sadira ended. She paused to make sure there was nothing more she wanted to say and finalized her story with a sigh.
"So, let me see if I get this straight," Corey put his hand out in a direct-your-attention-to-me manner. "You were jealous of Jasmine because you liked Aladdin. So, when you got your powers, you used them to try to get Aladdin to you."
Sadira nodded with a blush, realizing how childish her story sounded.
"But," Corey continued, "you turned from those ways and accepted that Aladdin and Jasmine were meant to be."
Sadira nodded again, hating the painful truth of the statement.
"And you were at the palace as a guest?"
"A friend," Sadira interrupted.
"So what are you doing in the princess's clothes?" Dre asked with a hint of suspicion, returning from outside of the hovel. She said she needed some fresh air.
"Jasmine let me try them on," Sadira said girlishy: "I've always wanted to know what it was like to dress in royalty!"
"Where was her highness?" Dre asked.
"She said she was getting us some drinks."
"A princess getting herself a drink?" Dre asked in disbelief. "Pfft. That's what servants are for."
"Princess Jasmine is very different from other princesses," Sadira sighed, "No wonder Aladdin loves her so much."
"Genie," Aladdin got his blue friend's attention after putting on a dark cloak to keep him warm.
Genie approached Aladdin willingly, "What will it be, Al?"
"I want you to stay with Jasmine."
Genie pulled out a book and flipped prodigously through it until reaching one page, "Well, according to our Princess Jasmine history book," Genie slammed it shut and finished, "doing this does not have a very good record."
"Genie," Aladdin looked into his friend's eyes genuinely. "Whoever it was who kidnapped Sadira most likely mistook her for Jasmine. It won't be long until they realize that Sadira isn't really Jasmine and come after Jasmine. That's why I gave her Carpet and why I'm going by horse."
Genie looked at Aladdin understandingly and poofed into a medieval knight costume and answered in an Old English accent, "I will not fail to protect thy Fair Lass." With a nod, his helmet's eyeshield fell down over his eyes.
Aladdin gave a quick, modest laugh and lifted the eyeshield, "It helps to see while protecting fair maiden."
Genie poofed to his normal self and put his big, warm hand on Aladdin's shoulder, "You can trust me."
"Thanks, Genie," and Aladdin got one of Genie's trademark hugs.
"I'm ready to go," Jasmine approached them upon their withdrawal from each other.
"Okay," Aladdin faced Jasmine and held her hands, "I'm having Genie go with you. The people who kidnapped Sadira were probably-"
"I understand," Jasmine smiled and kissed Aladdin on the cheek with an understanding that Aladdin did not expect. "Come on Genie."
"If you find anything, have Genie find me and let me know right away!" Aladdin said to Jasmine.
"I will report to homebase as instructed," Genie answered with a space walkie-talkie in hand. He handed it to Aladdin. "And if YOU find anything, press this button and talk into it."
Aladdin took the futuristic contraption and perused its features for a moment.
"It's pretty easy to use really," Genie said. "I gave one to each of the guards and taught THEM how to use one - just in case they recieve any news. And," he leaned in close to Aladdin's ear and whispered, "And between you and me, if THEY can learn how to use on, ANYONE can!"
"Okay," Aladdin chuckled as he tucked the small black box into his cloak's pocket.
"We'll see you in a bit, I guess," Jasmine, who had already seated herself on the hovering Carpet, looked over to Aladdin.
"Good luck," Aladdin looked over as Genie prepared to take off, and he flicked his reigns and rode off into the dark streets.
"Should we keep her tied up?" Corey asked Dre, who was preparing to sleep.
Dre looked up. She didn't like Sadira. But, she wasn't going to let that get in the way of what values she had, "Bind her hands, and tie them to that pole. But leave the rest of her untied so she can sleep. She's not our intended captive, so we mustn't treat her like she is."
Corey looked up at Dre with a bit of confusion then obediently did what she had told him to do.
"Corey, may I talk to you for a minute?" Dre asked from a distance away from where they had Sadira by the steps.
Finishing the knot of the rope to the pole that used to be a pillar, Corey made his way over to Dre.
Unlike most people would, Sadira found the stone floor comfortable; she was used to this kind of comfort from her own home. Corey had given her two pillows to rest her head on, and she did so. Corey and Dre were talking by the "window." But what they were saying seemed inaudible to Sadira. She wished she could know what they were saying. Maybe they were talking about their plan! If she uncovered any of their plan and told some of it to Aladdin, then maybe he would be proud of her! She closed her eyes and pretended to snore lightly, but not obviously. After a few minutes, she was pleasantly surprised when their volume raised just enough for her to hear what they were saying.
"Are you sure you sent the ransom note to the right place?" Corey asked Dre.
"Yes! I wrote that if he ever wanted to see Sadira again, he'd have to pay the price you and I agreed on!" Dre answered.
"And are you SURE the letter you got back is from him?" Corey answered,
Dre answered, "It's his handwriting! Look!" Dre handed a piece of parchment to her partner, who read it.
"Wow," Corey said as he read it, "This is definitely the future sultan's handwriting."
"It's a disappointment," Dre shook her head as she took the letter back from Corey, "The future sultan didn't come across to me as someone who would refuse a ransom note like this - especially if it is a friend of his."
"Why do you think he would do that?"
"Maybe he really isn't as fond of Sadira as she may hope he is."
The two glanced over at Sadira as if sympathizing. Sadira held back her heartbroken whimpers. 'Would Aladdin really refuse to give them money for my safety?' A tear escaped her eye. It felt terrible to have to cry with nobody noticing it. She cried inaudibly until she fell asleep, the rest of Dre and Corey's conversation blurring into the sound of the rain that started to fall.
Jasmine held out her hand as a glassy drop of rain fell onto her palm. She looked up at the sky, "It's starting to rain, Genie. Will Aladdin be okay?"
"Jas, he's lived on the streets since he was a little boy," Genie answered, pausing and looking up at they sky. "Although it is a rare thing that it would rain in Agrabah."
Jasmine nodded with a smile, "And if it weren't for the fact that we were searching for a kidnapped friend, it would be a gift." She looked up once more as the rain started to fall more rapidly. All of the moon-reflecting drops seemed like falling stars falling on the sleeping city. Upon noticing this, she got Genie's attention once more, "Genie."
Genie looked at his princess friend with a look asking what was wrong. "Oh," he said with a clumsy grin, "Right." With that, he spread himself out into a parachute-shaped umbrella, keeping Jasmine and Carpet perfectly dry.
"Thanks, Genie," Jasmine thanked him and restarted their search.
Aladdin pulled up his hood as his shadowy black hair started to get uncomfortably wet. He didn't pause at all, but he kept going for some sign of a captor. He was a bit confused as to what to do. He couldn't knock on doors to ask if they had kidnapped a girl that night. He just rode on, hoping to find some kind of clue. He stopped beside his hovel, his horse neighing wildly, and looked up. He was tempted to go up there and take a quick break.
"Did she hear us?" Corey gestured to the finally sound asleep Sadira.
Dre nodded, "And I think she believed us. I think I saw her crying."
"Do you think it'll work?"
Dre nodded once more, "Come tomorrow morning, she'll be eating out of our hands. She-"
"Sh," Corey shushed Dre.
"What?"
Corey held up a hand and peered out over the window. There was the sound of a neighing horse, and a dark figure stepped off of the horse.
"We have company," Corey complained.
"Aladdin no doubt," Dre sighed.
"I'll take care of this," Dre got up and put on a cloak.
"Dre, don't be stupid."
"He won't see me; I have an idea. Give me that wooden stake right there."
Dre handed her companion the stake that lay beside her; it had obviously been used as a torch. Corey brilliantly started a fire and lit the torch. With that, he left the hovel swiftly.
"Fire! My house is on fire!" a man's voice yelled. Upon hearing this, Aladdin got back on his steed and followed the sound, forgetting about the hovel.
"Fire! My house is on fire!" a man's voice yelled. Upon hearing this, Jasmine and Genie instinctively followed the noise to help. They made it to the house that was engulfed in flames. There was a man who was plump and frantic, yelling the call for help.
Jasmine looked at him and asked him if there was anyone else in there.
The man nodded, "My wife and four children! I should have saved them, but I was so stirred that -"
"Think nothing of it," Jasmine interrupted him and rushed into the house. The man followed.
"Jas!" Genie called out. "No!"
"I'll be fine," she called back, "I've done this before! Get Aladdin!"
Obediently, Genie flew off to find him.
But he went too far. Aladdin arrived to the firy scene a minute afterwards, oblivious to the fact that his wife and best friend were in there. The first thing he noticed was a dark, cloaked man nailing a plank of wood across the door.
"You!" Aladdin called out to him. The figure whirled around as Aladdin grabbed him by the collar of his cloak. The force made his hood fly off. Aladdin took one look at him and gasped, "Socorro?"
"It's Corey, Aladdin," the man answered.
"What are you doing here?" Aladdin asked harshly, surprised at how he was treating someone he had known very well as a boy.
"I was paying you a visit and-"
"What are you doing here?!" Aladdin enforced his grasp.
"I told you! I was just-"
"You are not just visiting. You are up to no good! What are you here for?"
"Settling the score."
"What?" Aladdin stuttered, "Dre is involved, isn't she?"
"Hey, leave Dre out of th-"
"Is she?"
"She might be! Let go of me, Pal!"
"Do you have Sadira?"
Corey made a move on Aladdin, but Aladdin blocked him.
"Where is she?!" Aladdin asked him, once again grasping his cloak.
Corey shook his head like a disappointed mother, "Aladdin, Aladdin. Worrying about one girl while HIS girl is in danger."
"What are you talking about?"
Corey pointed to the building, "She just went in there to rescue a family. And, judging by that plank across the door, she's stuck in there."
Aladdin looked from Corey to the burning house, to Corey, to the burning house and shoved Corey away from him. "Don't think you've gotten away!" he called out as he ripped the plank from the door and rushed in. Corey grinned and flipped his cape as he jumped onto Aladdin's steed and rode away.
Aladdin escorted the heroic Jasmine out of the burning building with three children and a father clinging safely to them.
"My wife and my youngest child are still in there!" the man called out.
It was just in time that Genie arrived and pulled them out safely. He then swelled up with water and gushed a force of water onto the house, extinguishing the fire.
"Thank you greatly!" the family chorused, not simultaneously.
"Please be assured that the man in charge of this WILL be caught and properly punished!" Aladdin replied harshly.
"Aladdin," Jasmine said between coughs, "Perhaps we should take them back to the palace so they have a place to stay?"
Aladdin nodded and glanced at her, "And you don't look so good."
"The door was stuck and-"
"I know," Aladdin sighed. "We need to go back and talk."
"Is everything okay?" Jasmine got worried and leaned closer. "Is Sadira okay?"
"I think so," Aladdin held Jasmine's arms gently. "But we really need to go back to the palace for tonight."
Jasmine nodded a bit strangely, and Genie and Carpet flew them all back.
The sun rose, and Dre was the first to wake. She had fallen asleep before Corey returned from whatever it was he was doing. Glancing to the other side of the "window," she saw Corey still sleeping - in his cloak. He smelled burnt, and his hair looked like it had a mixture of oil and sulfur in it.
Dre became alarmed and shook him awake. He groaned and rolled onto his side. He looked at his waker with squinted eyes, "What?"
"What did you do last night?"
"What?"
"Don't play stupid," Dre harshened, "What did you do?"
Corey sat up, "Listen, he doesn't know where we are-"
"He saw you??!!" Dre's eyes got very wide. "Aladdin saw you?!"
Corey hit himself on the head because he had already said too much. Then he lazily plopped back down into a sleeping position.
Dre yanked the covers off of him, causing him to spring up, "Tell me what happened, Socorro!"
Corey sighed, "I set a house on fire to-"
"You what?!! Are you crazy?!!" Dre paced back and forth, "I knew this would happen! I KNEW we would turn into villains!"
"We're just doing justice on ourselves. He was in the way."
"Was anyone hurt?"
Corey shrugged, "It's a possibility."
Dre paused and put her hand to her head, "Okay. Then what happened?"
"I hid, and Princess Jasmine went in to rescue the family inside. She didn't see me. But Aladdin did. He knows we have Sadira, but he doesn't know where we are."
Dre sighed, "He was going to find out sooner or later anyways, I suppose. Which reminds me...," Dre turned to the sleeping Sadira.
Corey shook his head with a grin, getting to his feet, "When she wakes, last night won't matter."
Dre nodded, "I guess you're right."
Corey laughed, "You know, I'm starting to like the mistake of kidnapping her."
Dre returned a chuckle, "As am I. As am I."
Chapter 5: The Story
Aladdin sighed heavily as he looked over his group of friends. They all had a confused glaze over their faces.“So, you aren’t exactly Mr. Popular with *any* of your old friends, are you?” Genie asked, gathering Aladdin’s story fully in his head.
“Genie,” Jasmine hushed. “Aladdin’s “friends” are no longer who they used to be.”
“That’s the thing Jasmine,” Aladdin said as he stood up. “They are exactly how they used to be.”
Jasmine stood up next to him and put her hands on his shoulders. “Aladdin, you do know that this isn’t your fault, don’t you?”
“How can I know that? These people, Corey and Dre, they were after me.”
“But you didn’t do anything to them,” Jasmine chided.
Aladdin turned and looked at her, “Jasmine, I told you the story–“
“And I heard it. Just because you didn’t go down with their ship doesn’t mean that you did something wrong.”
“That’s obviously not how our new pals see it,” Genie added. Jasmine glared at him, and he took a step back. “What I mean is they see it as a betrayal. Which if you look “betrayal” under any villian’s dictionary you’ll read “see vengeance”.”
“I did betray them,” Aladdin said softly.
Jasmine turned and took his head in her hand, “No you didn’t.”
“How could I have got them into all that trouble and then just turn my back on them?”
“You didn’t turn your back on them. You tried to help them.”
Aladdin shook his head, “What does it matter now? They’re back and they have Sadira.”
“We’ll get her back,” Jasmine soothed.
“There’s no doubt about that,” Aladdin returned, his brow furrowing.
Jasmine nodded, and then turned to Genie. “Can you go and check on the family we brought into the palace and make sure that they have everything that they need.”
“Got it, you want *the alone time*!” Genie said as he zipped out of the room.
Jasmine turned back to her husband. “Aladdin?”
“We need a plan,” Aladdin solely replied.
*******
Sadira clutched at her knees like a little child. She was staring down at the floor as one crystalline tear fell from her emerald green eyes. She quickly wiped it away but didn’t avert her stare from the sodden floor.
Corey entered back into the hovel and looked her over. He sighed and looked out of the “window.” The sun was almost fully up now, and it diminished any idea he had of getting more sleep after his eventful night. He walked toward Sadira and sat down next to her.
“What do you want?” she demanded, not looking at him.
“It hurts, doesn’t it?”
“What?”
“The fact that Aladdin turned his back on you even though he swore that you could always trust him.”
Sadira’s eyes widened, but she still didn’t look up at him.
“Yeah, it’s his style pretty much. You meet him, you befriend him, and then he betrays you.” Corey said, and then suddenly his toned tone began to harden and ramble, as if he was talking to himself. “No… wait. He doesn’t only betray you. He leaves you to fall face first into trouble he caused himself. He leaves you to be taken away from your home and parents and thrown into a pris–“
“What are you talking about?” Sadira asked, finally looking at him.
Corey averted his gaze from the distant wall back to Sadira and shook his head, “Nothing. I’m just telling you that I know the sting of being betrayed by Aladdin myself. You’re not alone in that.”
Sadira looked down, “I’ll always be alone.”
“That hurts you doesn’t it. Makes you mad?”
Sadira didn’t say anything.
“It does. I know it does, because I have felt it myself. You want to scream, yell, cry, but most of all… you want vengeance.” Corey looked over at Sadira. “The thing is you need power to take vengeance.”
“What would you do?” Sadira asked quietly.
“What’s that?”
“What would you do if you had the power to take vengeance?”
Corey looked her up and down, “I would make Aladdin pay for hurting me, and Dre. I would want him to feel just as horrible as we did when he betrayed us.”
“Would you…” Sadira gathered her breath. “Would you hurt him?”
Corey sighed, and didn’t respond for a few seconds. “No more than what he deserves.”
Sadira let another tear fall from her eyes. Corey wiped it away with his strong fingers. “He’s not worth crying over love. He’s not worth our sadness, our despair.”
“But he’s worth our vengeance?” Sadira asked as she looked up at Corey.
“Let me tell you a secret,” Corey whispered. “Vengeance isn’t used to make those that hurt us feel bad. It is used to make us feel better.”
Sadira turned her head away. Corey smiled and stood up and headed for the hovel’s exit. “Did he really write that?”
“Write what?” Corey asked.
“Did he really refuse to pay to get me back?”
Corey sighed, “Yes.”
Sadira whimpered and another tear fell from her eyes. Corey just turned and left her to herself.
Dre was standing outside. She was looking out over the city from the crumbling building’s roof. Corey came out and stared at her. He walked over to her and put a protective arm around her shoulder. “Are you okay?”
Dre didn’t avert her attention. “I missed it so much. Being here, ya know? Running the streets, playing our childish games,” she whispered.
“We’ll never get that back Cholandra,” Corey whispered.
“I know Socorro, that’s what hurts so much. The thought that we lost the only childhood that we’ll ever have. It hurts,” she said trying to choke back tears. She turned to face Corey, and he realized that her face was now tear stained.
“Oh Dre,” Corey whispered stroking the side of her face. He took her into his arms and she began to sob at the thought of her childhood spent in a prison. Corey felt her tremble, and it made him have an even harder time controlling his own lump in his throat. “Don’t worry Dre. We’ll get some sort of compensation for what we’ve been through. I’ll make it alright for you, I promise.”
*******
“This isn’t right.”
Jasmine looked up from her bed and looked at Aladdin who was standing at the entrance to the balcony. She got up and walked towards him. “What isn’t right?”
“There’s been no ransom not for Sadira. There’s been no demands, there’s been nothing. If they don’t want anything in return for Sadira’s return, what would they want with her?”
Jasmine took Aladdin’s arm and hugged it close to her. “We’ll find her Aladdin. We just need to find where they’ve been hiding. I’m sure Sadira is safe, she’s a very smart and feisty girl.”
“I can’t believe that Socorro could be so mad at me that he feels he needs to hurt the people close to me.”
“What about the girl you were talking about in your story? What part do you think she plays in this?”
Aladdin shook his head, “I don’t even know if she came back with him. When we were younger, those two were inseparable… but I don’t know what has happened to them between the years.”
Jasmine’s eyes lit up. “Aladdin! Four days ago the guard at the entrance of the city was attacked by two people, a man and a woman!”
Aladdin looked at her as she grew more and more excited. “Jasmine, I don’t think that’s a good thing.”
Jasmine rolled her eyes, “Well, if my theory is correct, the man was probably Socorro and the girl would probably be that woman.”
“Cholandra, her name is Cholandra,” Aladdin replied.
“Aladdin…”
“No. I understand what you’re saying. She’s probably here with him.”
“But where?” Jasmine asked as she headed farther out onto her balcony. She scanned the city as if to hope to see something. “They could be anywhere.” She said as she waved her hand over the view.
Aladdin looked out over it also. “I know. But they aren’t stupid. They would go somewhere familiar. Somewhere they knew they would be safe and undetected. Somewhere…”
“Aladdin?” Jasmine enquired as she heard him fall silent.
Aladdin snapped his fingers. “Jasmine, I know where they are.”
*******
“I want to help you.”
Dre and Corey looked up from the hovel seats they were in to Sadira who was still tied to the beam.
“What?” Dre asked, raising an eyebrow.
“I want to help you get back at Aladdin.”
Dre went to say something, but Corey put his hand on her shoulder. “Are you sure about this Sadira?”
Sadira nodded, and she looked right at Dre. “He shouldn’t get away with all the pain he has caused m–all of us.”
Dre peered at her, “What would make us trust you now? What if you are just saying that so you can get out of here and run and tell Aladdin just where we are and what we are planning?”
“Oh, so now you have a plan?” Sadira spat out.
Dre’s expression hardened. “Well, we will have one soon enough. And when we do, it’ll be fail-safe…”
“…with or without you.” Corey spoke up.
Sadira glared at him, “Are you saying that you don’t need me?”
“Yes,” Dre murmured under her breath.
Corey glared hard at her. “We’re not saying that we don’t need you. We’d actually prefer to have you, but we need to be–“
“Ready for anything,” Dre finished for him.
“You know, the way you two finish each other’s sentences like that is *really* creepy,” Sadira quirked.
Dre felt her face redden, but she didn’t say anything. Corey decided it was time for him to take control of the situation.
“Sadira, although I won’t state it in such a rude way,” Corey started as he shot a glare at Dre, “we do have our doubts about your loyalty.”
“Trying hard to sound civilized are we? I think I like it better when your girlfriend there uses bluntness,” Sadira returned.
“Listen here you little–“
“Dre!” Corey hushed her. Dre fell silent and sat back down, her arms folded huffily across her chest. He then turned back to Sadira. “Listen, I know that you’re not happy about your present *situation* but if you pledge that you are truly going to join with us I’ll untie you.”
Sadira thought hard for a moment. Then she looked up, “I promise. I want vengeance just as much as you do.”
“Trust me, you don’t,” Dre chimed. She stood up as Corey untied Sadira as if she planned for Sadira to bolt. When she realized Sadira stayed put, she relaxed a little. She turned to Corey. “Now, do you promise that whatever we do we won’t hurt any innocent people?”
“There’s no such thing,” Corey replied.
“COREY!” Dre exclaimed, clenching her fists.
Corey sighed, “No one will get hurt except for Aladdin and his little sidekicks.”
“We’re not going to kill him are we?” Sadira asked. Corey shook his head, and Sadira breathed a sigh of relief. “Good.” She turned and walked to the farthest part of the hovel.
“That would be letting him off to easy,” Corey muttered under his breath. Dre came up beside him.
“We need to learn what she can really do and how much we can trust her before we put our plan together.”
“We’ll find out here soon enough.”
Dre studied Sadira in the corner, and when she knew there was no way Sadira could hear her, she continued on. “After we go after Aladdin, what will we do with her?”
Corey shrugged, “We can keep her with us.”
“Hmm… yeah,” Dre started sweetly, “and I am the queen of the seven deserts.”
“You never know.”
“Let’s get this straight. If you ever plan to keep *her* with you on your trips, you can plan on not letting me go.”
“That’s not fair.”
“Life’s not fair.”
Corey sighed angrily. He turned away, “Who said that after we go after Aladdin I had planned on leaving Agrabah?”
Dre scoffed. “What do you actually think that you’ll be safe after Aladdin comes looking for you?”
Corey laughed a bit, “I can take him.”
“He’s grown up now Socorro. You don’t know that anymore.”
“I took him when we were younger, and I’ll take him again.”
“You’re cockiness is going to get us in trouble one day,” Dre huffed.
Corey gave her a boyish grin, “Maybe one day… but anytime soon.”
Dre turned to look at Sadira who was now deep in her thoughts. “I still want her tied up at night.”
“I don’t think we’ll have to worry about that.”
“Why not?”
“Because my plan is to take place tonight.”
Dre’s eyes widened, “What?”
“You heard me.”
“Yes, and now I’m completely convinced that you are crazy,” Dre said as she turned away from him and walked back towards the exit. Corey quickly grabbed her arm.
“You can’t go.”
“Oh, yes I can!” Dre said as she tried to pull away.
Corey laughed, “I need you.”
“For what?”
“Well, we need someone to have here for the girl to test her powers on.”
“WHAT?! You want me to stay here for witch-girl’s target practice?” Dre said dis-believingly.
Corey thought for a moment, “Well, when you put it like that…”
“There’s no way! C’mon Corey, let’s get her someone… something else for her to practice on.”
“Like what?”
“Oh, well there’s… feed bags. Right, big bags of feed bags that she can try and bury with sand all she wants. And the best thing about them is… they can’t die!” Dre said in a rambling tone.
“She’s not going to hurt you, we’re just going to see what she can do,” Corey said, trying to calm her down.
“Do you see this?” Dre said as she pointed to a large cut on her forehead, “that is from her? Did the events from two nights ago completely escape your troubled mind?!”
“No… it’s just that-“
“Why don’t you do it then?” Dre interrupted him.
Corey shrugged, “Because I want to observe.”
“That’s not fair.”
“Life’s not fair.”
Dre realized he had just used her own logic against him. “I hate you. You know that right?”
“Heh, that never lasts long.”
Dre glared at him and then looked over at Sadira. “If she hurts me, or you, I’ll kill her.”
“I know,” Corey replied. He clapped his hands together, “So, where are we going to start?!”
*******
Aladdin soared over the city on Carpet. Jasmine was sitting beside him, scanning the streets below. “Are you sure that they are at your old hovel?”
“No. But it’s my best guess right now,” Aladdin replied.
Suddenly, a space craft came flying up next to them. Aladdin looked over to see Abu at the domed window screeching for a way out. Genie sat next to the disheveled monkey at the control board. He looked over at Aladdin and saluted and then took off ahead.
“And what exactly does he plan to do?” Jasmine asked.
Aladdin shook his head, “Who knows.”
Carpet neared Aladdin’s old hovel in only a couple of minutes and quickly soared into the open window. Aladdin jumped off ready for a fight, but was caught by a big surprise. Jasmine came down next to him and grabbed his arm.
Genie came in next and the ship disappeared. He dropped to the ground, catching the screeching Abu as he tumbled down. He looked around, then back to Aladdin.
“So, where is everybody?”
*******
“Aim!” Corey yelled.
Sadira brought her hands up and pointed them towards Dre who was standing erect a few yards in front of her. A large wall of sand came hurling towards Dre, but Dre easily dodged it by flipping out of its way. She landed softly on the sand next to Corey, and smiled. “You missed.”
Corey peered at Sadira.
“What?” Sadira said angrily.
“How could you miss her? We’re out in the middle of the desert, there’s TONS of sand around us, and you still missed her!”
“Well, if she would stop moving!” Sadira said defensively.
“Wait a minute,” Dre intervened, looking at Corey, “you’re *upset* that she missed me?”
“Well… yeah,” Corey replied.
“Unbelievable!” Dre exclaimed, throwing herself down on the sand.
“Doesn’t matter, not like she could hit you anyway,” Corey sighed. Suddenly a large wall of sand hit him, throwing him to the ground. When his vision cleared there was a snake curled up on his chest. Corey seemed frightened at first, but then his expression softened.
Dre quickly picked up the small, tan, snake, and examined it. It’s thrashed around, but Dre applied more pressure. Suddenly, it crumbled in her grasp, and Dre gasped. “It was made of–“
“Sand,” Corey finished. He sat up and looked at Sadira who was standing with a proud look on her face. “That was good.”
“I can make it bigger than that. I can make anything, I’m not limited to simply slinging sand around,” Sadira mused.
Dre glared at her, “You could have told us that earlier.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Corey interrupted. “I know now that she’s ready.”
*******
“Where could they be?” Jasmine asked as she glanced around the empty hovel.
Aladdin also looked around. He saw some fancy dresses in the corner and something glistened in the corner. He went over and picked it up, and sighed. He turned around and handed the item to Jasmine. Jasmine looked at it, and gasped. It was her crown. The crown she had allowed Sadira to borrow.
“Well, it means they’ve been here,” Aladdin said as he hit his sides.
“It looks like they might be planning to come back,” Genie said as he looked at some food piled in another corner. Abu slipped over to the pile and picked up some apples and shoved them in his mouth.
“Good job monkey boy,” Genie whispered.
“Genie!” Aladdin said. Genie jumped to attention. “I need you to scan the city and see if you see anything out of the ordinary.”
“Aye aye cap-i-tan,” Genie said. Then he turned around, “And what are you going to do?”
“I’m staying here,” Aladdin replied, “I am going to wait for them and get Sadira back.”
“I’ll stay too,” Jasmine said as she stood next to Aladdin. Aladdin didn’t even bother to argue.
Genie looked over at Abu, who was now fitting a banana in his mouth. “What about him?” Genie asked quietly.
“Take him. Carpet can stay here.”
Genie nodded, scooping Abu up even before the monkey had time to swallow or protest. Aladdin watched as they left and then sat down on the step. Jasmine came up next to him and sat down. She put her head on his shoulders, “We’ll find her. Don’t worry.”
Aladdin nodded, “I know. I just hope no one gets hurt.”
Talking could be heard outside of the hovel and suddenly Dre and Corey came inside. Aladdin stood up and Jasmine rose also.
“Socorro, Cholandra,” Aladdin greeted firmly.
“Aladdin,” Corey said, smirking. Dre came up beside him, but was glaring at Jasmine instead.
“Where’s Sadira?” Jasmine asked in a harsh tone.
Dre looked confused, “Who?”
Jasmine’s brow furrowed, “We aren’t here-“
Aladdin didn’t let her finish. He started for Corey when suddenly restraints appeared around his wrists and chest. He fell to the ground hard, and when he looked over he could see Jasmine in the same predicament.
“Oh Aladdin,” Sadira’s voice came from behind Corey and Dre. Aladdin looked up at her and gasped. Sadira stood over her two sand-held captives, and anger flickered in her eyes. She grinned wickedly, “Why don’t you two just stay awhile?”
SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG... I HAD TO GET IT FROM MY FATHER'S COMPUTER
Chapter 6: Oh to Dream
Author's Notes: ( Hey, Meesh here. I lost touch with MysticMeg but feel bad for never finishing this story… So after years of waiting, here is the next chapter in the story!)
CHAPTER SIX - Oh to Dream
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Sadira?!” Aladdin and Jasmine both did a surprised double-take.
“Surprised to see me?” she grinned.
“But weren’t you…?” Jasmine wondered aloud.
“Didn’t they…?” Aladdin echoed.
“Kidnap you?” Jasmine finished.
Sadira pouted her lips for a second, “Well I mean, I guess they-”
“Rescued!” Corey moved in front of Sadira, interrupting her. “Her.”
“Rescued?” Aladdin refuted.
“From what?” Jasmine shared his doubt.
“From being hurt, Aladdin,” Dre answered for Corey, “like you hurt us.”
“Look, Dre. That was-”
“Never mind what you say it was,” Corey interrupted once again. “We know what it was to us, and it’s about time we settled the score.”
Jasmine intervened very delegate-like, “Perhaps we could talk this out and arrange something.”
Corey got very close to Jasmine’s face, “We weren’t given that chance.”
“Don’t negotiate with him, Jasmine,” Aladdin became annoyed as he secretively reached behind him for the lamp. “If it’s a fight he wants, it’s a fight he’ll get. It’s just a shame he was desperate enough that he had to brainwash a young girl to get it.”
Corey faced Aladdin and got red and tense, but Dre restrained him, “Corey. Don’t fall for his mind games.”
Corey stood up, “You’re right. He isn’t worth much DEAD anyways!”
“I’m worth even LESS to you FREE!” Aladdin exclaimed as he rubbed the lamp behind him. Almost instantly, Genie poofed into the room.
“Hey, Al! You found her!” Genie exclaimed, clasping his hands together. Then came a change of tone as he noticed his friends‘ captivity, “Either that or she found you. What’s going on here?”
“I wish I knew,” Aladdin snarled.
“A genie!!” Corey boomed. “Royalty! Success! Marriage to a princess! AND a GENIE?!!”
“Hey, my pal EARNED it!” Genie boasted as he turned into a cowboy with a pistol in each hand. “That’s why I’m bustin’ ‘im loose!” He blasted water at the sand from his guns, dissolving the sand and freeing Aladdin and Jasmine.
“No!” Sadira called out. She raised her hands, and the wet sand levitated into the air in clumps. She instantly started thrusting the clumps at Aladdin, Jasmine and Genie.
“Oh! So it’s a sandball fight you want!” In an instant, Genie built a sand igloo around Aladdin and Jasmine and a sand wall to duck behind. Wearing snow attire, he began thrusting sand-balls at his three antagonists.
Dre and Corey hated this as they spat out sand and wildly tried to brush the sand off, but it just kept coming. Before Sadira could recover from the sand in her eyes and mouth, Genie stood up and said, “That was fun! Next time we play teams!” and poofed Aladdin, Jasmine and himself out of sight.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Humiliated!” Corey exclaimed as he stormed around the small hovel room, kicking up sand.
“Will you stop it?!” Dre demanded. “You’re kicking sand in my eyes… As if I don’t already have enough!”
“Stop it? How can I stop it?! It looks like a life-sized hourglass exploded in here! And I’ve been humiliated once more by our childhood friend Aladdin.”
“Maybe it’s best we just let it go, Socorro,” Dre suggested.
“No. Especially not now. Not now that he-”
“They seemed confused,” Sadira sulked, facing away from her newfound comrades. “Like he didn’t know.”
“He knew alright,” Corey’s tone gradually softened as he spoke. “Aladdin always knows. He knows how to make you think exactly what he wants you to think. Think about it.” He moved towards her and knelt down, placing one hand on her shoulder and extended his open palm out in front of them, envisioning.
“Just picture it,” he started. “Aladdin finds his ‘insignificant’ female friend harnessing great power - great power that even he could not master without the summoning of a genie! The last thing he would do is admit to you what he had done. Just think! He WANTS you to be on his side now! He NEEDS you!”
“He needs me,” she whispered.
“Socorro,” Cholandra whispered from her kneeling position at the stairs by the window. She picked up a clump of the wet sand and held it in the sun. “Come here.”
Corey obeyed and walked to Cholandra, looking at the sand in her palm as it quickly baked and dried into rock. She gently passed it into his hands. He forced it into his other palm.
“It’s strong,” he looked at her.
She nodded.
“We could use this,” he turned and looked at Sadira. “Sadira… Tell me of your experience with other forms of sand…”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Aladdin,” Jasmine sat on the edge of the bed, watching her husband pace back and forth. “I don’t understand.”
“I know Jasmine. Neither do I.”
“Why would Sadira turn against us like that?” she wondered aloud. After a minute or so, she beckoned, “Aladdin. Please relax. Sit down.” She patted the bed beside her.
After two paces, Aladdin looked at her and complied, seating himself beside her, leaning over and shoving his fingers into his black hair. “This is all my fault. I should have stayed with you guys like you wanted me to. I was being so selfish!”
Jasmine comfortingly put her hand on Aladdin’s back, “It’s my fault too. Maybe I was wrong to so quickly trust her.”
“I don’t think that’s it,” Aladdin sat up. “I think you had every right to believe her. It’s Cholandra and Socorro. I know them. They probably found some way to turn her against us.”
“Then maybe…”
“We can turn her back around!”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Socorro had left to get them something to eat, and Cholandra gazed dreamily out the window at the palace. Such a beautiful setting. Who knew her childhood friend would end up living in the lap of luxury, on the other side of this pastel scene before her. For some reason, she couldn’t help but feel a calming lack of bitterness against him for it. He achieved it.
She looked back at Sadira, who sat bored, pretzel-style on the stone floor, fiddling with the sand on the ground. Cholandra gently approached her and put her hands on her shoulder. Sadira jumped.
“Oh, I didn’t mean to startle you,” Cholandra spoke. “I was just curious. What do you normally do with your powers?”
“Well, until recently I tried to win Aladdin’s heart. Now I just… Fiddle around. Make figures to keep me company,” She looked beside her and raised her hand, engendering a sand statue of Socorro.
Cholandra reached out slowly and touched its shoulder with her fingertips, and it instantly disintegrated into the wind. “That’s strangely beautiful. It’s art. Truly art. Closest thing I came to was fingerpainting. With fruit.”
Sadira managed a smirk.
“What about redecorating?” Dre wondered aloud.
“Huh?”
“Redecorating! With this art of yours.”
“You mean liiiiike…. This?” Sadira pointed to one corner and produced a sand coffee table with a flower vase.
“Yes!”
“Well… I guess that never dawned on me,” she got to her feet and, resourcefully using the mounds of sand already in the room crafted curtains for the window, a sofa, and a sand carpet leading up to the window.
“That’s wonderful!” Dre beamed.
“But it’s so monotonous!” Sadira brooded, fists at her side. “One color! One texture! And it’s not even living! The one time I made a living, talking being he betrayed me. I. Want. More,” she gazed languorously out the window.
“Ten years ago, I looked out the same window and said the same thing.”
There was a moment of pause before Dre spoke again, “How did Aladdin get there anyway?”
“I don’t know the whole story,” Sadira answered, “but he met the princess and rescued her,” she sighed, “and the entire kingdom… They fell in love. Very deep love. The Sultan himself changed the law so they could be together.”
“So it was nobly,” Dre noted. “No tricks. No cheating. No lies.”
“Well, he had a genie.”
“True,” Dre laughed.
“You can have that life you want,” Corey suddenly walked in, three melons in his arms. He strode across to them, handing them their food and setting his melon down. “This,” he pointed to the sand carpet, “will be red. And velvet - no! Silk! And this,” he hurried to the sofa, “will be so Heavenly soft and of the richest material and color imaginable. As will that curtain that hangs above you! Look at it! It deserves to be regal red! And this!” he scurried to the table, “This will be constructed with the finest Cedars of Lebanon, and we will have ten-thousand vases and ten-thousand of the world’s most exotic flowers. Every color! Every scent you could ever want! And the MOMENT there is a brown spot on ONE petal, it would be instantly replaced! And the vase,” he touched the sand vase, and it disintegrated, “Will not break with one touch.”
The girls were captivated by his vision.
“That’s not all,” he walked towards them, shaking his finger. “No, not at all. There will be jewelry, perfumes, servants, valets, guards, entertainers, and feasts!” He took the melon from Cholandra’s hand and shook it slightly, “What is this! Nothing! We will have an entire room! Just to hold our melons. And we will have every other crop! And meat! And savory sweets with so rich of tastes that… That…” he trailed off and stared at the palace.
The girls were waiting for what would come next.
“We need to make some amendments to our plans,” he snapped finally and turned to Sadira, grabbing her arms. “You! What do you know about creating sand monsters?”
“Monsters?” Cholandra butted in. “I thought we agreed against-”
“There’s been a change of plans.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“That house,” a young, dark boy pointed to one of the more wealthy homes in the city.
“THAT house?” the little blonde girl beside him awed.
“I’ve seen the man that lives here. A real jackal. Goes out from his house, kisses his wife goodbye, isn’t two blocks away, and he’s linkin’ arms with at least three harem girls,” he remarked. “But Allah is he rich.”
“What are you going to do?” the girl beside him was about his age, no more than ten years old, and about the same scrawny size.
“Well, every night when his family is asleep, one of those harem girls go to his door. So, I figure I knock on the door say something like, ‘Oh Faled big boy!’”
The girl giggled childishly at his girlish imitation.
“Then, when he comes to the door I’ll hit him with this rock. Just one throw. Don’t gotta kill him. Just enough so the three of us can run in and grab as many riches as we can.”
“What if someone else sees you?”
“I’ll still have this rock won’t I?’
Another childish voice rebutted, “I don’t like it. I don’t do hurting people.”
“Aw come off it Aladdin,” the boy waved him off. “You’re too much of a goody good. Besides, I know Dre-Dre here’ll do it with me, right Dre?”
Dre hesitated sheepishly, “Of course!” She toughened up. “I’m no goody good. Not chicken either.”
“I’m not afraid,” Aladdin protested, “But there better ways of-”
“Well you’re either in or out,” Corey interrupted.
“I’m out.”
“Fine then. Dre and I will do it. But you won’t be getting any of MY riches! Well, you know where to find me if you change your mind. You’re missing an excellent investment!” with that, he turned and started walking away. “Come on, Dre.”
Dre obediently followed, whispering cutely in Aladdin’s ear on her way, “You can have some of my treasure, Aladdin.”
With that, Dre’s eyes flung open from her dream. She sat up quickly in the middle of the dark night and said to herself, “He didn’t want this for me.”
She got up from her sleep.
“He wanted to stop us.”
She grabbed a loose-leaf piece of paper and started writing.
“He knew the consequences.”
She put the paper in a noticeable spot.
“He didn‘t want this for us.”
Finally, Cholandra looked back at Socorro.
“And I don’t want this for you.”
With that, she hurriedly left the hovel.
Chapter 7: Plots Entwine
Author's Notes: Hey guys!! Sorry it took so long, but HERE IS THE FINAL CHAPTER!! I also stuck in a little summary for those of you just joining the story, although I highly suggest you read the rest of it for the full story.
Please read and review!! Thank you!!
~Meesh
CHAPTER SEVEN - plots entwine
Just a quick summary for those of you are just dropping in (although I highly advise you to read the rest of the story):
Socorro (Corey) and Cholandra (Dre) are old friends of Aladdin, harboring bitterness against him for abandoning them when they went to rob a rich man 10 years ago. They come back to Agrabah to restart life, but upon realizing that Aladdin is now married to the princess, he convinces Dre to kidnap Jasmine and ask for ransom so they can use the money to start a flourishing new life. They accidentally kidnap Sadira and, when realizing her sand-witch powers, turn her against Jasmine and Aladdin. Aladdin and the gang now know all this and hope to change her mind. Dre has a dream about her past and realizes Aladdin never did anything wrong to them and leaves Corey in his sleep, leaving behind a note.
The nimble figure climbed over the wall and down a tree in the night. Walking across the garden past the regal fountain, reflecting the starlight, the figure crept cautiously and without sound, searching for an unguarded way inside. Suddenly, the ground slipped from beneath her, and what felt like a carpet took her by surprised, flew her up to a high window and dumped her inside.
A spotlight flew on. “Freeze! We’ve got you surrounded!” a voice boomed.
She got to her feet, her hands in front of her, shielding her eyes. Her fuzzy vision allowed her to see a blue being dressed in black speaking to her.
“K-sh. We’ve got a live one. We’re gonna need back-up,” Genie spoke into his walky-talky.
“Stop! I mean no harm!” her vision refocused and she put her hands in front of her.
Just then, Aladdin and the rest of the gang ran into the room.
“Cholandra!” Aladdin exclaimed, “What are you doing here? Where is Socorro?”
“At the hovel. Asleep,” Cholandra replied. “Please tell your friend to put down his weapons.”
“Why should we trust you?” Jasmine scowled.
“I’m sorry. What I did was wrong,” she sighed. “I’ve come to help you.”
“Genie put the weapons away.” Aladdin turned back to Cholandra, “Go on.”
“Aladdin, it might be a trick,” Jasmine warned.
“I know,” he responded, “but we have to hear what she has to say first.”
“I had a dream tonight,” Cholandra started. “I dreamt of the last night I saw you. Aladdin. Our best friend. You were only trying to help us. When Corey knocked that man unconscious, you weren’t ratting us out. You were making sure the man was okay. After all these years. The years in prison, the years on the run, and now as I came back to restart my life, I never realized it. You were right. We have been wrong to hate you all this time. I feel so stupid. And now we have your friend, we’ve lied to her, we’ve turned her against you. And for what?”
She started to get choked up. Aladdin approached her, “It’s okay. I understand.”
“I’m just,” she stuttered. “I’m so sorry. Aladdin. My friend.” With this, she threw her arms around Aladdin. Jasmine flinched but calmed down, not sensing rivalry.
“I don’t want this for you,” she withdrew. “And I don’t want this for Socorro. Whatever you need. Tell me.”
Aladdin went back to Jasmine but addressed the whole group, “We need to get Sadira back on our side.”
“Socorro wrote a note, pretending to be you, saying that you would never pay to get Sadira back. She thinks you wrote that,” Dre said.
“Well then this should be easier than I thought!” Aladdin gave a big grin. “Get me some paper and a pen. Cholandra, tell me exactly what Sadira thinks she knows.”
Dreaming she was once again in the lap of luxury, Sadira was awakened by a swift breeze. She sat up as the tattered curtains blew in the remnants of the breeze. A paper blew into her lap.
A note? she thought aloud. From Aladdin?! Dated the day after my kidnap?
She read:
Dear Captor(s):
It is demanded that you release your captive back into the safety of her second home, the palace. Upon refusal to do this, your whereabouts will be found and attacked. Kidnapping royal family is NOT taken lightly in Agrabah.
We hope, for your sake, that you understand and are willing to cooperate.
Sadira, if you read this, do not lose hope. We will rescue as you can as we can. We love you and miss you.
~ Prince Aladdin, Heir to the Throne of Agrabah
Sadira read the letter over and over again, not understanding. She thought Aladdin refused to rescue her?
She got to her feet and, taking care not to wake Socorro up, tip-toed over to where the original note was sitting on the sand table she had made. She picked up the note and started to read it, but she stopped when she realized that the handwritings, both signed as Aladdin, were completely different! Corey must have forged the first note to trick her into thinking Aladdin was against her!
What have I done?!! Sadira was overwhelmed with sorrow, regret, and anger. She faced the sleeping Socorro from where she stood and raised her hands menacingly, but she stopped when she saw another piece of paper lying beside his head. Still quietly, she approached the letter with caution and picked it up and read:
Dear Socorro,
I am writing to tell you… (Some lines scratched out.) that I have been thinking, and I… (more lines scratched out) had a dream tonight and realized that… (more lines scratched out) Forget it. I’m not going to worry about my words. I’m just going to say it. I love you. There. I wrote it. I love you. I wrote it again. I’m not scratching it out because, after these few past days, it is the only thing that I am sure about. Well there is another thing I know. Aladdin never did anything wrong. He was trying to save that man’s life. Our imprisonment was our faults. That is why I am leaving. If you still attack Aladdin, I will not help you. I love you, but I can’t live like this or help you ruin another ten years of your life.
Sincerely,
Cholandra
Sadira put the note down. What had she gotten herself into? She looked back to Corey, still sleeping smugly.
The pig.
He had gotten both of the women into positions of treachery and emotional turmoil. And there he was, sleeping with that grin on his face, probably dreaming about how cunning and successful he was. Disgusting. And now Aladdin was going to pay for nothing?
Sadira was once more enraged. With a raise of her hand, she lifted some of the mounds of sand in the hovel and sprayed them at Corey.
“AAAH!!” He hollered, suddenly awake and spitting sand out of his mouth. “What was THAT for?!”
“No,” Sadira scowled, “what was THIS for?!” She pick up the note from Aladdin and the note forged by Corey.
“What are you talking about?”
Sadira picked up some rocks with her open hand and started hurling them at Corey, “I’m talking about how you’re a dirty liar who turned me against my friends!”
“Hey, cut it out!” he shielded himself. “Hey, I taught you how to make those! Cut it out! Could you just tell me why you’re doing this?”
“I found THIS note from Aladdin, and then I found THIS note from Aladdin. And, funny! The handwritings are completely different.”
“Let me see them,” he ripped them from her hands and read them. “I never saw this other note.”
“Sure you didn’t.”
“No! I really didn’t! I don’t know where this came from! Just ask Chol… Where’s Dre?”
“She left.”
“What do you mean she left?”
“I mean she left! She was tired of your nonsense!” Sadira shoved Dre’s note in his face. He started to read it, and his demeanor dropped. He gently took the note from Sadira’s hand
“Where did you find this?”
“She must have written it tonight and set it on your pillow,” Sadira softened a bit.
“I,” he stuttered, “I… I don’t… How did I not know she felt this way?”
“Maybe because you’re always so wrapped up in yourself!” Sadira snapped.
“I… I never meant,” he sighed reflectively. “How did it get this far?”
“You let it.”
“I know.”
“What?”
“I did. I let it get this way,” he sat down, wiping the sand from his face. “And the truth is…” he put the letter down. “The truth is…”
Sadira waited.
“The truth is that I love her too.”
Sadira stood solemnly, her lip pouting sympathetically.
“I’ve messed this up. I wish I knew where she was. I’d have so much to tell her.”
“Like what?” a voice sounded from the steps.
“Cholandra!” Socorro ran to her and embraced her, kissing her face and hair. “I’m so sorry. After ten years… Why didn‘t you tell me?”
“I hoped - “
“No need to answer… I should have known.” He rocked her, holding her head to him. “And you’re right.” He faced her and sighed. “Aladdin was only trying to save that man.”
Dre smirked. “I knew you’d come around.”
“So did we,” a voice came from the window. The three in the hovel turned to face Aladdin, Jasmine, and Genie riding Carpet in front of the sunrise.
“Aladdin,” Corey approached them with out held hands. Aladdin stepped into the hovel from Carpet, and they embraced. Dre spoked first, “You are the best friend I have ever had. How will you ever forgive me?”
“I already have, “Aladdin faced him.
“What can I do to repay you?”
“Nothing.”
Corey smirked and playfully punched Aladdin’s arm, “You’re still a goody-goody.”
“Otherwise I’d be letting you down,” he laughed and walked back to Jasmine. “And if you ever need anything…”
“I know where to go,” Corey smiled.
“We,” Dre joined Corey and held his arm, “know where to go. Thank you forever, Aladdin. You are the best friend we could ever ask for.”
Aladdin got back on the Carpet, “Sadira. You coming? You have a palace waiting for you.”
Sadira beamed and ran towards them. Jasmine helped her up onto Carpet. They waved goodbye, and with that, they were off!
Corey and Dre waved goodbye and turned from the window. Corey picked up the note from Aladdin, “I never thought I’d be grateful for being tricked.”
“Corey,” Dre grabbed his arm.
“What is it?”
“Look,” she pointed to a bag in the corner. She walked over to it and picked up the note tied to it.
“What does it say?”
“It says, ‘Dear friends. This is for your new life in Agrabah. It’s the least I could do. Always, Al.’”
The two eyed the bag. Corey hastily opened it and realized that it was full of gold!
“Ha haaa!!” Corey laughed with joy. “Everything we’ve always dreamed of! It starts here! I will be like a king! And you…” He twirled Dre around. “You will be my princess.”
“We’ve finally settled the score,” Dre mused. “Both teams win.”
With a smile, she kissed Corey…
And they (and Sadira and Aladdin and Jasmine), friendships and lives restored, lived happily ever after.
THE END