In the dark, Mozenrath happily circled his new prisoner. She would be the key to the destruction of Agrabah. Only she could cause Agrabah to destroy itself.
“Mozenrath, LET ME GO!” the frustrated girl yelled.
“Not yet, Princess,” said the wizard. “Agrabah will destroy itself. And I don’t care how long that takes. You are the key to its destruction.” He pointed at her triumphantly, extending his whole arm.
“What?” Jasmine was shocked and appalled, but mostly angry.
“I could kill you,” Mozenrath said. “Or I could turn you into some obscure creature. I’ve decided to turn you into a street rat. The light of the full moon will reveal your true identity.”
“If Aladdin finds out——”
“If Aladdin finds out, Princess, I’ll kill him. And Aladdin’s heart will no longer beat for you——but for Princess Jasmine.”
“I will make him love me. He’ll know me no matter what girl he thinks I am.”
“That’s why you’re going to be a boy.”
“What——”
Mozenrath laughed and pointed his finger at her again. She rose up into the air and fell to the floor. The evil wizard held out a mirror and she took it only to find that she was a boy, dressed in rags. She looked like someone else. Mozenrath laughed and came so close to her that his nose touched hers.
“Run, street rat. I’ll have the guards check for intruders in five minutes.”
He turned into Jasmine and disappeared. The real Jasmine gasped a deep and throaty gasp. It was out to the village with her.
She sprinted for the palace walls. That was when Aladdin saw her.
"Hey!" he yelled, and came after her.
"Don't you know me?" she asked. And she kissed him. Aladdin looked at her with cold fury in his eyes and hit her.
That was when a very disheveled Princess Jasmine appeared behind him.
"Get him, Aladdin!" Mozenrath shrieked.
Jasmine ran for it.
***
Frustrated, heartbroken, ashamed, and terrified, Jasmine sat down on an empty cart in the marketplace, her face in her hands. The day was scorching hot and she was tired, hungry, and thirsty. She didn’t expect Aladdin to recognize or to love her now as she was——maybe not even as a friend. And before she knew it, the big, hot giveaway tears came and she forgot where she was or as whom she was perceived.
“Oh, brother, come, this poor boy!” said a voice. Jasmine looked up to see two little children——seemingly a brother-and-sister duo, holding hands——coming toward her with concerned faces. Both the children wore rags and they looked somewhat familiar.
“Mama said never to speak to strangers, sister,” chided the boy.
“He’s not a stranger——he’s only a poor boy like you!” said the girl. “Boy?” she asked Jasmine, reaching for Jasmine’s face.
“Hello,” said Jasmine. “Really, don’t worry about me.”
“What’s the matter?” the girl pressed.
“Nothing, sweetheart,” Jasmine replied, noting how strange the tender words sounded in her new voice. “It’s a wonderful thing, really, being in love.”
“Then why are you so sad?”
“Sometimes things just——don’t work out how we want them to.” To keep the children from worrying too much, Jasmine forced herself to jump up. She clapped her hands once. “That’s when you know it’s time to move on. You have to survive——speaking of which, do either of you know where I can find work?”
“I’ll help you search in the morning,” the girl offered. “Right now it is much too hot. Won’t you come to our place? Our mama will want to meet you.”
Suddenly Jasmine placed the children. She had helped them out once before.
“Oh!” she exclaimed. “I know where you live. I——I saw a rat and a lizard bring you a melon one day.”
The children looked at each other in awe.
“You saw that?”
“I——I don’t come to the village often,” Jasmine covered. That much, at least, was true. “That’s why I need to find work. But——why don’t the two of you go home to your mama and tell her to expect me within the hour.”
The children looked at each other triumphantly.
“How old are you anyway?” asked the boy.
“I’m seventeen,” Jasmine replied.
“What’s your name?” asked the girl.
“It’s Jas——no, it’s——”
“Children!” called a woman’s voice.
“See you soon, Jazz! Are you sure you know where to find us?”
“I’m positive.”
As she watched the children go, she realized just how happy she had made them. Maybe this new life wouldn’t be so bad. It seemed like she’d have a roof over her head.
Jasmine found the place she knew to be the beggars’ quarter and sat down against a wall, knowing that she would be safe to beg here. But after finding no luck, she decided to go back to the marketplace to beg where other beggars dared not go.
Outside a humble mosque she knelt, waiting for the faithful to pass her by. She hoped that people of faith would be more generous than others.
An older man entered the mosque and handed her two gold coins. Two women exited and offered her a handful of silver. When Jasmine felt that she had enough money and enough of begging, she went to the marketplace with her profits. There, she bought a basket and filled it with fruit and bread of all sorts.
Finally it was time to return to her hosts. She knocked on their meager door, afraid to punch through it, and heard the scuffling of the little family’s feet.
“That’s Jazz, I know it!” squealed the girl.
“He’s so cool,” said the boy. The mother laughed and came to the door.
“Hello, Jazz——” then she screamed and hugged Jasmine tight.
“This is for you, ma’am,” Jasmine said. “I begged outside a mosque and I still have more money, but I didn’t want to waste it and let the fruit go bad. Thank you so much for having me in your home.”
“What a sweet boy,” said the mother, pinching Jasmine’s cheek. “I was just so worried! We were out of food and money, and I didn’t know where I would come up with our next meal.”
“Well, now you see it,” said Jasmine.
“Jazz, the children are called Adel and Atiya, and I am Batima. We are so grateful to you for your generous gift. Would you like to eat?”
“I…” said Jasmine, gazing around their home.
“There’s more than my children or I would ever eat in a night, dear. Come. You begged on the street, you must be hungry.”
Jasmine sat with the little family and ate with them. After that, as the children were readying themselves for sleep, Jasmine decided that she must reach out to Batima.
“Batima,” she whispered, “I have to tell you something.”
“What is it?” asked the woman.
“In the light of the full moon you will see everything.” She walked out Batima’s door and stood at the top of the stairs. She smiled to feel the moonlight wash over her skin.
“What’s the matter, my son?” Batima asked kindly. Then she screamed.
“Shhh,” Jasmine begged. She felt her long hair on her back and her own clothes on her body. It felt better to be herself again.
“She’s so beautiful,” someone gasped, but it was not the young mother. It was the little girl, Atiya, from inside the house.
“Who are you?” Batima demanded——not roughly, but awestruck. “What are you?”
Jasmine stepped back into Batima’s tenement and closed the wearing door. “I’m the Princess of Agrabah,” she whispered, “and I’m under a curse.”
“Oh, you poor girl!” Atiya exclaimed.
“It’s not that bad,” Jasmine promised them. “It only hurts when I think about Aladdin. Batima, I need to speak to you in private.”
“Alright, let’s step out on the stoop again. Children, go to bed. I’ll be in to say goodnight in a moment.”
“Batima,” Jasmine said, “I have no place to stay. Please, can I stay with you? I swear to you that I will earn my keep and if this curse is ever lifted, I will see that your family never goes hungry again.”
“My children love you and so do I,” Batima smiled. “Of course you can stay with us. But why don’t you go back to the palace now that you look like a girl?”
“I would,” said Jasmine, “but if I do, Mozenrath will kill my fiancé, Aladdin.”
“Who is this Mozenrath?”
“He’s the one who cursed me. He turned himself into Princess Jasmine to torment me so that it would be more of a game when he forces my father to destroy Agrabah. Oh, Batima, I don’t know what to do.”
Once again she slumped down and put her face in her hands.
“How long has the light of the full moon cured you?” asked Batima.
“Until it sets tomorrow morning,” Jasmine answered. “Then I’ll turn back into a boy.”
Batima sat down beside her. Jasmine was unable to control the tears. “I have to choose between Agrabah and Aladdin,” she sobbed, “and I think I’ve lost Aladdin anyway. He likes girls. And Mozenrath is me now.”
“We will find a way to——”
“You should’ve seen the repulsion in Aladdin’s eyes when he saw what I’d become.”
“We’ll think of a plan, Jasmine,” Batima consoled her. “I’ll help you.”
“Thank you,” said Jasmine softly.
“I only have one blanket, Jasmine, and the children have it,” said Batima.
“That’s okay,” said Jasmine. She ran down the stairs and into the marketplace, which was quieter at night but vendors worked here just the same. With the plethora of gold she had won today, she bought each member of her new little family (including herself) a pillow, blanket, and little cot, and all the firewood that she could carry. When her little shopping excursion was over, her pouch was still jingling merrily.
Batima could not believe her eyes. “Children!” she called. “Come and help Jasmine with her things!” Jasmine gave the pillows to Adel and the blankets to Atiya. Batima took the firewood.
When the beds were made and the fire was going genially, Atiya, who insisted upon sleeping next to the Princess, asked, “Jasmine, will you be with us forever?”
Jasmine looked at Batima, who smiled. “We’ll be friends forever,” she replied.
“Are you afraid of the moon setting?” Atiya asked, dripping concern. Jasmine smiled as best she could.
“It’s going to happen no matter what,” she replied.
“I know,” said Atiya, “but are you scared?”
Jasmine bit her lip. “Yes,” she replied. “I am. But I have to be brave and face the day.”
There was a silence.
“Are you glad we found you?” asked Adel.
“Of course I am,” said Jasmine. “And I thank you all for taking care of me. You are my family now.”
“Jasmine, darling, I won’t wake you till after the transformation,” Batima said.
“Thank you, Batima,” said Jasmine, who did not want to watch herself turn into a boy ever again. “That would be much appreciated.”
When the family went to bed, Jasmine turned away from them and slept with her back to them, crying silent tears that she hoped the others couldn’t sense. Right before the darkness claimed her she thought she felt someone like a mother kiss her cheek.
***
“No, I don’t see it anywhere; maybe she overcame it!”
Jasmine opened her eyes. The sun was bright——it was mid-afternoon. Then she remembered the curse.
“Jasmine, Jasmine, you’re still a Princess!” Atiya exclaimed.
“The first male Princess Agrabah has ever seen,” she agreed heavily.
“No, no, Jasmine, you’re still a girl. Come to the well and see your reflection!”
Atiya took Jasmine’s hand and began dragging her out the door. “Batima, is this okay?” she asked. Batima smiled and nodded.
“Have fun.”
“Do you think you overcame it?” Atiya asked eagerly as they made their way to the village’s little well.
“That would be great,” said Jasmine. She looked into the water and saw only herself, exactly as she knew herself. “Atiya, let’s get some breakfast.”
Once they had bought enough food for themselves, Adel, and Batima, they returned to Batima’s poor little tenement. The four of them ate breakfast and talked excitedly about reaching Aladdin and testing Jasmine for the curse.
That was when Jasmine fell upon the fragile table and began convulsing violently like a goldfish that had fled its bowl. She couldn’t see or remember where she was or who she was with; all she could feel was a throbbing, burning pain throughout her body and the pulsing of her head.
Then, as soon as the episode had started, it was over. Someone above her was laughing, and she was lying on her face on the floor, covered in cold sweat.
“Jasmine!” Batima exclaimed, and rushed to turn her over. “Oh, thanks to Allah, you’re alive.”
“Where am I?” she asked, and realized without caring that it was in her other voice. The laugh reprised.
“Mozenrath?”
The wizard was floating near the ceiling.
“You got me! Jasmine, did you really think I would let you miss out on the good part? Don’t run from the transformation again. Wake before dawn on the nights after the full moon and I will spare you this pain. Can’t you see, I’m only looking out for your best interests.”
When he disappeared, Batima fed Jasmine a piece of orange.
“Jasmine, are you going to be okay?” the children asked as their mother led her to her bed.
“I’ll be fine,” said Jasmine. “I’m just weak…and I’m weak against Mozenrath.”
The other family members sat around their adopted daughter’s bedside all day, but Jasmine did not improve.
“Jasmine, I don’t know what I can do for you,” Batima sighed.
“Get me a piece of paper and a pen,” said Jasmine. “I should’ve known that it would come to this.”
On the paper, Jasmine wrote, “ينتسب كلّي امتلاك إلى الأسرة [بتيما].,” which means “All my possessions belong to the family of Batima.”
Without showing them anything she had written, she folded the paper and secured it in her locket——the last element of Princess Jasmine that was left her. If she died, they would find her will.
The Last Stand of Mozenrath by Carly
Author's Notes:
First fanfic in many years, and definitely first Aladdin fic!