It was a regular, normal, nothing new day for the people of Agrabah. Shopping in the marketplace, buying, selling and trading. The average normal day, but up in the palace it wasn't so average. Today was Aladdin and Jasmine's wedding anniversary, and Aladdin had no clue what to get Jasmine.
"Flowers!" Genie shouted.
"No, I get her flowers on a regular basis, Genie," Aladdin said depressingly as he lay surround in pillows.
"Let's see, let's see...um...clothes!" Genie suggested.
Aladdin looked up at Genie with a "you have to be kidding me" look.
Genie paced the room thinking some more.
"Okay, ummm...ooooh! I know! I know!" Genie exclaimed with the enthusiasm of a child. "How bout you cook for her!" Genie suddenly transformed into a big french chef. "Some escargot maybe? Zsay are quite good with zee ketchup, no?" Genie hinted holding the escargot plate with one hand and smothering them with ketchup in the other.
"Cook?" Aladdin looked up at Genie as if he had gone insane (which usually was the case).
"Cook? Genie, I can't even boil water without burning it. I can't believe I waited so long to *start* deciding on an anniversary gift," Aladdin said as he gazed up at the ceiling.
"Okay so the options of flowers, clothes and cooking are definitely out," Genie said changing back into his regular form.
"Well what do you wanna get her, Al?" Genie asked scratching his head.
"I don't know, Genie," Aladdin said with an exasperated sigh.
"Hmm, alrighty then, let's check the "I-Forgot-My-Wedding-Anniversary-Gift-And-Now-I-Can't-Think-Of-Anything-To-Get-My-Wife-Because-I-Put-Off-Getting-Her-Gift-Until-The-Last-Minute-So-I'm-Using-This-Book-To-Get-An-Idea-So-I-Won't-Be-Sleeping-Outside-For-The-Next-Two-Months-Big-Book-Of-Wedding-Anniversary-Gifts," the title was so long it almost lulled Aladdin to sleep, even though it explained his entire situation.
"Why didn't you look in that in the first place?"
"I dunno, I guess I forgot I had it." Genie said with nervous laugh as he thumbed through the books pages. "Let's see how about...perfume?"
"Nah, she's got hundreds of bottles in her vanity drawer,"
"Okay, a teddy bear and a rose?"
"I gave her that last week. I should have saved that one,"
"An old fashioned love quilt?"
"Next!"
"Jewelry, treasure, riches!," a voice screamed, it didn't take long to figure out that it was good ol' Iago.
"Well, if it isn't ol' loud mouth! How are ya, pal?!" Genie said as he took the parrot in his arms and gave him a big bear hug...literally!
Iago squirmed for breath and he finally managed to wiggle free and mutter, "Jerk" under his breath.
"It's good to see you again, Iago. How've you been?"
"Forget the small talk! I'm talking and thinking big! I'm talking rare jewels, money...and ahh gold!"
"Oh boy, another crazed treasure hunt right, Al?" Genie said as he jokingly nudged his friend, only to find that Aladdin had that mischievious grin on his face.
"Al? Helloooo! Earth to Al?"
"Jewelry! That's it! The one thing Jasmine can't get enough of,"
"Forget the princess! What about ME!? What about MY treasure! MY happiness?" flapped over to Aladdin and made wild gesticulations.
"Iago!" a sudden deep voice cried.
"Aaaah! Rasoul! I'm uh-who are you?" Iago shivered in his place, trying to play the amnesia bit, thinking it was Rasoul. After all it was illegal for him to be in Agrabah.
"Iago, it's me Cassim," the man said as he strolled toward the group. He smirked at Iago and then turned to his son and opened his arms.
Aladdin got up and embraced his father.
"Dad, how did you get passed the guards? What are you doing here?"
"Can't a father come and visit his son, especially since it's since his wedding anniversary?" Cassim replied slyly as he pulled out a small wrapped box, Aladdin took it graciously even though it didn't show on his face. "Now what's this about jewelry? As loud as Iago was I'm surprised the guards didn't hear or at least catch him,"
"It's going to be Jasmine's gift, I sort of put it off until now" Aladdin said as he flushed a bit.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, Aladdin," Cassim said waving his index finger. "So do you plan to go down to the marketplace and-"
"Not unless Genie knows a place,"
"Ah ha! Raven's Forbidden Oasis!" Genie said, his eyes focused into the book.
"Huh?" Aladdin, Cassim and Iago asked in unison.
"RFO, it's a mysterious oasis that's said to have jewelry to fit any woman's fantasies, but...uh oh there's a page missing, looks like Fido got a hold of it!" Genie said holding a broken leash and making a blue dog identical to Pluto appear next to him.
"Perfect! Do you have a map to this place?"
"Yep! Got it right here!" exclaimed Genie reaching into his belt. But what he pulled out wasn't a map it was a fishing pole. "Uh-yep got it right here!" this time he pulled out a tacky polka dotted dress.
"Leave it to the big blue jerk to find a special gift!" Iago said as he landed softly on Cassim's shoulder.
Finally by the what seemed to be forever try Genie finally managed to grab the map.
"Ok, let's go," Aladdin whistled for Carpet and always Carpet was ready on hand.
As Cassim boarded he muttered, "I was and still am a little uneasy about this thing,"
"Before we go, I have to make up an excuse to tell Jasmine. If she finds out I put our anniversary off until the last minute I'll be sleeping with Rajah for quiet a while,"
As he arrived at their bedroom Aladdin took a deep breath hoping he could make up a good "exaggeration".
He opened the door slowly, "Jasmine?" he asked causiously and walked in the same.
Aladdin jumped as he felt two arms wrap around his waist from behind.
"Hello, my handsome prince,"
Aladdin laughed nervously praying he could pull this off.
"Uh-Jasmine, me and the guys are going to be gone for a couple of hours so I-mmmm-" before he could finish his sentence he was caught in a liplock with Jasmine. She slowly slipped her arms around his neck and he slipped his arms around her waist. This kiss had brought back the memory of their first.
When they finally pulled away, Jasmine stepped back and smiled. "Do you like my new lipgloss?"
Aladdin was speechless, the kiss took him by surprise but it made him feel guilty at the same time. All he could manage to say was "It's...nice,"
"I thought you would like it. After all today is very special, I know you haven't forgotten," she said signaling towards Rajah, who perked his head up and licked his lips.
Aladdin gulped and thought to himself, 'It had to be a tiger!'
"No, no, no, of course not you know I would *never* forget our wedding anniversary,"
"Now what were you about to tell me?"
"That I love you and I'm going to gone for a couple of hours," he started to back towards the door ",well gotta go the guys are waiting for me so we can set up the surprise par...whoops said too much already, bye!" and with that he slipped out into the hallway.
"Surprise, huh?" Jasmine said slyly, "We can work with that...right, Rajah," Rajah in return nodded yes and fell back sleep.
Aladdin met back up with the guys in the spare guest room.
"Alright guys, I managed to get away, she thinks there's a surprise party we're planning, let's go!" he announced and soon they were on their way to finding Raven's Forbidden Oasis.
"It should be...*here!" Genie said to everybody as he read the map.
"Are you sure Genie? Looks like a swamp to me," Aladdin replied with chills. The place seemed hollow and desperately lonely.
"Yep, it's one of those optical illooosions, to keep people away," Genie said with reassurance as part of him turned into a glass of water and the other part a pencil. Showing the group the illusion of a broken pencil.
"If you say so, take us down Carpet,"
"Now where's this cave or treasure trove or wherever this jewelry is kept?" Aladdin said looking around the environment.
The island had dead and dying trees and animal sounds that seemed out of this world. The water was grey and had algae spread across it like a thick blanket.
"Optical illusion, huh? Still looks like a swamp to me," Cassim said flatly picking up a dead root that turned to dust in his hand.
"Ya' can't blame a guy if he's wrong once in a while, right?" as he pulled some shovels out of his belt. "Now let's start digging, gentlemen," Genie said turning into a miner, singing a happy tune.
Even though Genie was ninety-six percent right most of the time,Aladdin still had his doubts about this jewelry. 'Rajah, here I come,' he thought to himself
A *Magical* Anniversary by SpECial SpICe