Disclaimer: I don't own Aladdin. I've had this idea for a long time and it started simple enough. But when I shared it with Meiou Setsuna, she made suggestions and the story grew into the finished product below.
Chapter One- The Realization
The world of Morbia is a strange place. It is an unending vast expanse of space with stars and numerous asteroids shooting past. On the biggest asteroid of all is a palace whose front gate is shaped like a cat with a pharaoh’s hat atop its head. Two floor-length torches sit on either side of the gate, flames always flickering away in the holders. This palace is the home of Morbia’s ruler, Mirage. The cat woman was currently sitting on her throne with her legs tucked up to one side. Her green cat eyes were focused on her magic orb which was showing an avalanche of snow cascading down on a village that was nestled at the foot of the mountain the snow was coming down from. A satisfied smile graced her lips.
Such destruction and devastation, she thought. I love it. It will take the villagers some time to dig them selves out and attempt to rescue those who are still trapped. I’ll look for some other misery to cause while I wait. I’ll return to this scene to see if I can sabotage their rescue attempts.
She waved her hand and the image of a snow covered village disappeared and was replaced by the image of a desert city that Mirage recognized all too well. The sight of it infuriated her. “Agrabah,” she hissed. “I have tried to destroy that city or make its citizens miserable and always that insufferable Aladdin ruins my plans!” She waved her hand again and the scene changed to show Aladdin and his friends, sans the princess, in the marketplace. This scene gave the cat woman pause.
Why do I wish to see what my enemy is up to? she wondered. She watched Aladdin for several long minutes, unaware at first that she was admiring his body. Hmm. You know, he’s actually quite handsome. For a human. Slowly she sat up as she realized what she had been doing and why she had been doing it. “By Ra,” she said softly. “I think I’ve fallen in love with him. After everything I’ve done to him and his city, I’ve fallen in love with him. I thought I would never fall in love again but it would seem I was wrong. I must bring Aladdin here and make him my mate.”
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Aladdin strolled through the marketplace with his friends. Carpet floated ahead of him, Iago and Abu lying on him. Genie floated beside their woven friend. It was a shame that Jasmine wasn’t with them. An important visitor was arriving and Jasmine was expected to be there to receive him alongside her father. She told her boyfriend that he needn’t do so and to go out and enjoy himself. He reluctantly agreed, but deep down he wouldn’t have minded greeting a royal visitor as long as Jasmine was by his side.
“Aladdin!” a familiar voice called behind him. The group turned to see their friend Sadira, the sand witch, running up to them.
“Hi, Sadira,” Aladdin greeted with a friendly smile. “How are you?”
“Oh, just great. Aladdin, could you come home with me? I got Jasmine a friendship gift and I want your opinion on it.”
“Well, okay. Come on guys.” Aladdin gestured to his friends.
“No! I mean, I just want you to come, Aladdin. You understand, don’t you?”
“Uh, I…guess I do,” Aladdin answered, a bit puzzled by Sadira’s behavior. “Right, guys?” he glanced back at his friends.
“I guess I see,” Genie answered, not quite understanding. “We’ll see you at the palace.” The group vanished in a puff of smoke. Aladdin turned back to Sadira.
“Well, lead the way,” he said.
Mirage was inwardly relieved. Her disguise as Sadira was perfect. Her excuse to get rid of the others sounded awkward, forced, and a bit clumsy, but it somehow worked. She led him to Sadira’s house, knowing the sand witch wasn’t there. They went inside and up to the single room that constituted as Sadira’s kitchen and dining room.
Aladdin glanced at the table, expecting to see some kind of gift, but the surface was empty, save for a flickering candle. “Where’s the present?” he asked.
“You’re the present,” Mirage answered in her own voice before shedding her disguise.
“Mirage!” Aladdin exclaimed in surprise. Mirage smiled triumphantly as she teleported both of them back to her home.
Chapter Two- The Plan
Aladdin stared straight ahead as Mirage circled him, inspecting his firm and toned body hungrily. As fine as his current human body was, she couldn’t help but think that he would look simply divine if he were just like her. She could do it. She already found him attractive and she had created the El Katib with her own magic. It would be easy for her to transform Aladdin into a humanoid-cat like herself.
There were flaws with this idea, however. Aladdin could find a way to escape her world and return to his friends. That accursed Genie would be able to easily find a cure, such as The Tree of Renewal. The only way she could insure that Aladdin wouldn’t want to be human again, would be if he were in love with her. At that moment, he clearly did not. His body language indicated that he was none too happy at being kidnapped.
How could I get him to fall in love with me? If I used a controlling device to keep him prisoner until he loved me, he could trick me into removing it and then he would escape. How he would escape, I don’t know. I made sure that no trace of my magic could be detected by that genie, so no one knows he’s here with me. Anyway, I want him to love me without an outside influence. “Why did you bring me here, Mirage?” Aladdin asked sharply.
“It’s nothing sinister, I assure you,” she answered. “I came to the realization that I’ve fallen in love with you. I plan on making you my mate. Perhaps, you know of a way I could gain your trust and your love.”
“I will never trust or love you!”
“Yes. I thought you would say that. But really, Aladdin, I’m rather lonely and could use some companionship. There are no others like me and that may be why I turned to evil. Could you possibly stay for a little while, at least for a day or two? I swear to you that I will return you to Agrabah afterwards.”
Aladdin stared at her. She wanted him as a guest now? She seemed sincere about returning him home after his visit. He could decide to stay. If he refused, she could choose to keep him there anyway. He had no power to force her to send him home. Finally, he nodded. “All right. I will stay two days and I have your word that you will send me back.”
“Of course. I give my word that I will send you back after two days. Come. I will show you to your room.” As she led the way down a corridor, she smiled to herself. The perfect plan came to her while she was waiting for Aladdin’s decision. She would slip a control collar onto Aladdin that would do three things: one make him fall in love with her, two he would slowly change into a human cat, and three make him into an evil person just like her. The two of them would rule Morbia together for eternity.
Okay, so I am going to put a device on him but the collar, infused with my magic, will be the one doing all the work. I’ll simply turn on my charm and the collar will make him react to it while Aladdin believes he’s reacting on his own. Eventually, he’ll love me without the collar.
She opened a door to a guest room and allowed her guest to enter. “You must be tired after I forced you here.”
Aladdin yawned slightly. “I guess I am a bit.”
“Then go ahead and take a little nap. I’ll see you at dinner tonight.”
Aladdin nodded sleepily before lying on the bed and falling asleep.
Mirage closed the door behind her before focusing her powers on creating a golden cat collar with the abilities to do exactly what she wanted it to do. Once it was in her hands, she waited an hour to make sure the young man was deep asleep before she silently teleported into the room. Aladdin was lying on his side, his back to her, his head resting comfortably against the pillow. Mirage grinned. The position was perfect. She quietly unlocked the collar, slid it around his neck, and clicked it into place before teleporting out. Yes, the collar would be heavy due to the fact that it was solid gold, but she can easily tell him that it was a gift of her affection and that she’ll remove it after his visit was over.
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Aladdin awoke a few hours later, feeling rested. As he sat up and stretched, he became aware of a heavy weight around his neck. He got up and looked into a full-length mirror hanging on the wall next to the door. A solid gold cat collar with precious gems circled his neck. He felt the entire collar, but could find no latch or lock. The collar was one unbreakable band. This had to be Mirage’s work. He was going to go to her and demand an explanation. As he opened the door and exited the room, he was unaware of a change that came over him.
Mirage looked up as Aladdin entered the dining room. He didn’t look happy and she could guess as to why he was that way. Her guess was correct as he pointed at the collar and demanded, “What is the meaning of this, Mirage?”
“It’s a gift of my affection for you. I’ll remove it after your visit but I insist you keep it. You could sell it or melt it down for something, if that is what you wish. Now, please sit down. Dinner is ready.”
She smiled charmingly at Aladdin from across the dinner table as they took their seats. The collar had only been on for half a day and already Aladdin was starting to transform. He already had the ears of a cat. They were golden-brown and they suited him perfectly. He wasn’t in love with her yet, but he was acting politely, like a guest would despite being angry about the collar. She wondered what the young man would say when the time came for him to leave.
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Mirage arose early the next day, wondering what the two of them could do for the day and if Aladdin had changed anymore overnight. Perhaps I’ll give a tour of my home. After all, once Aladdin has completely succumbed to my spells, he’ll be living here. He’ll need to know where everything is so he doesn’t become lost.
I think I’ll also teach him some magic. I have a feeling that he’d be quite good at it. She left her room and headed for the dining room to magically conjure up some breakfast and wait for her guest to arrive.
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Aladdin sat up in bed, knowing that in little less than twenty-four hours, he would be returned home. Somehow, he knew Mirage would keep her word. Everything’s she’s said and done since his “arrival” was the truth. Mirage was in love with him, but he didn’t feel the same way about her.
She’s evil incarnate. No way is she going to change from evil to good simply because of love. And speaking of love. He fingered the solid gold collar around his neck. I will definitely have this thing melted down when I get home. He slipped out of bed, smoothed down his tousled hair, left the room, and headed for the dining room.
He entered the room to see breakfast already on the table and Mirage seated and waiting for him. She smiled charmingly at him and for no reason he could think of, his heart began to beat faster. There was something about her smile that was…attractive. Why would that be?
“Good morning, Aladdin. Did you sleep well?”
“Actually, yes, I did.” He didn’t want to admit it, but his guest bed was a lot more comfortable than sleeping in his hovel or even sleeping in the palace on occasion. He took his seat across from Mirage and looked at the breakfast plates.
The food was vastly different from dinner last night. All he saw were bowls of cream or milk and plates of several different types of fish. However, instead of feeling disgusted or annoyed with the limited selection, he was actually happy with the choices. Aladdin was confused over his odd behavior and actions, but decided to dwell on them later and just eat.
Mirage knew that all of her spells were having an effect on Aladdin while she ate. She knew her breakfast choices would appeal to the cat inside him. Her charming smile when he walked in seemed to be affecting the love spell in the collar. Plus, Aladdin had indeed changed a little more during the night. His skin tone was completely golden-brown and his eyes were looking more green than brown.
Chapter Three- The Tour
“So, Aladdin,” Mirage said after licking some milk off her lips. “Would you like a tour of my home? I would love to show you.”
Aladdin shrugged. “Sure. Why not?” Truthfully, Aladdin was relieved that Mirage had an idea of what to do for the day because he couldn’t come up with anything. As the pair left the table, all the food, bowls, plates, and utensils magically vanished, a fact that didn’t fail to catch Aladdin’s attention.
“You used magic to make that food?” he asked.
“Of course. I’m not much of a cook and magic makes it much easier. I just focus on what I want, wave a hand, and it appears. Of course, the bowls and such disappear in the same fashion.”
Aladdin nodded. It made sense and it was easier than cooking and cleaning up afterwards. I guess this means she doesn’t have a kitchen. I wonder how many rooms she has and what’s in them.
Their first stop in the tour was Mirage’s throne room. There wasn’t much there. A row of cat-faced sarcophagi lined one wall of the room. All four walls were sand-colored with Egyptian hieroglyphs and pictures on them which drew attention to the gray stone floor that led up to a golden throne. In front of the throne was a stand with a hole shape at the top and in that hole was a crystal ball that was dim and empty.
Aladdin looked at the ball. “Is this how you looked in on my world?”
“It is. I can look at any part of the world I want.” Mirage looked at her throne as she answered and couldn’t help but notice how lonely it looked all by itself. She knew that it wouldn’t be lonely for much longer. There will likely be a second throne beside it by tomorrow afternoon.
I know there will be. Aladdin is becoming attracted to me. He hasn’t shown any evil tendencies yet, but he will eventually. At least the love and transformation spells are on track.
“So, where do we go now?” Aladdin asked.
“I have a laboratory I could show you.”
“Sure.”
Aladdin’s hand brushed against Mirage’s as they left the throne room. They both jerked their hands away, but Mirage saw a light blush on the young man’s cheeks out of the corner of her eye. Perfect. A few more accidents like that and Aladdin will love her by the next morning.
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What is wrong with me? Aladdin wondered as he followed his hostess down the hall. When my hand brushed Mirage’s, I blushed. Why would a touch like that make me blush? Could I be…falling for her? No, I can’t be. I have a girlfriend. I have to admit, though: Mirage is pretty for a cat woman.
“Here we are,” Mirage announced. The two stepped inside and Aladdin saw a room that reminded him of Mozenrath’s lab, except this one wasn’t as dark and cluttered. It was lit by several torches in floor-length brackets, a bookcase with a few books and several scrolls sat against one wall. A table with neatly arranged vials of potions sat against the wall opposite the bookcase, as did a couple of chairs. A shelf above the table held empty and full vials. Aladdin was impressed by how neat and orderly the room looked.
“Are these the only books and scrolls you have?” he asked.
“Oh, no. These are just my magical ones. I like to keep them separate from the others in my library.”
“You have a library?”
“Yes. Come and let me show you.”
Aladdin followed Mirage into a vast room that held dozens of bookcases, each one containing hundreds, maybe thousands of books and scrolls. Aladdin knew he could probably spend his whole life in this library and never read its entire contents. He reluctantly followed Mirage out and headed back to the dining room for it was lunchtime and the tour was put on hold.
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Mirage was pleased with how things were going. Aladdin was quite interested in the rooms they had visited, especially the library. Perhaps, she will give him the library as a gift once he was her mate. She began to plan out the rest of the tour as she lapped up some soup. A visit out to the gardens sounded quite romantic to her. Maybe a little afternoon nap out there could be in order. Of course, there were still the spare bedrooms and her chambers left to show as well as the front gate. I’ll show the bedrooms first and then we can go to the front gate. After that, we can proceed out to the gardens and finish up with a nap before dinner. Yes, that sounds perfect.
She gazed dreamily at Aladdin as lunch continued. He had changed a little more during the morning tour. His face was acquiring golden-brown fur and his pupils were becoming cat-like slits. He still seemed oblivious to his changes. Sooner or later, he’ll realize what’s happening to him. I wonder how he’ll react. Hopefully, he’ll love me enough to not blame me.
Once lunch was over, the tour resumed. The spare bedrooms, which included the one Aladdin was staying in, were all the same: Lit torches in brackets provided a light source, the walls were a sandy color while the ceiling and floor were unpainted gray stone, a simple bed sat against a wall adjacent to the door. A full-length mirror hung on the wall next to the door. Mirage’s chambers were vastly different. The walls, floor, and ceiling were a glittering gold. Across the vast room was a balcony that showed a view of Morbia. An enormous four-poster canopy bed with blue velvet curtains sat several feet away from the balcony, its headboard resting against the wall. A desk and chair sat against the same wall as the bed’s headboard. A full-length mirror hung on the wall next to the door. Another crystal ball and stand stood in the center of the room. As they left the room and headed up the hall toward the front gate, Aladdin noticed a door to a room that they hadn’t looked at.
“What’s behind that door?” he asked.
“It’s another bed chamber similar to mine in size, but pretty much decorated like the spare rooms,” she answered.
And I hope that you will occupy that room when the time comes, she added silently.
The front gate wasn’t all that impressive what with the floating asteroids and star studded space laid out before them. Mirage smiled at the view before leaning slightly on Aladdin’s arm. “I like to come out here to think,” she admitted. She waited for Aladdin to move his arm away from her, but it didn’t happen. She glanced over quickly and saw him blushing harder than he had been that morning. She smiled slightly before grabbing his hand and holding it as she led him through the palace and toward the back where the gardens were located. He didn’t try to pull his hand out of her grasp and that pleased her greatly. The love spell was strengthening. She looked at the hand she was holding and noticed that his nails were lengthening and becoming claws. Excellent.
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What is going on with me? Aladdin demanded silently. What is it about Mirage that is making me act this way? I’m finding myself liking her more and more as the day goes on. I even like her home and her world. I have to remember my home and Jasmine. I love Jasmine and Agrabah is my home.
Mirage stopped at a balcony and Aladdin pulled himself from his thoughts to focus on the scene in front of him. He blinked and gaped at the large and beautiful garden that spread out before him. He never imagined that someone as evil as Mirage would have such a beautiful area in her home. He allowed himself to be led down a set of steps set into the balcony floor that led to the garden. The grass, trees, and flowers were green or in full bloom despite the lack of sun and water. There were concrete paths all over the place, adding to the garden’s beauty. Mirage led him to a grove of trees and as they sat down, Aladdin spotted a plant nearby that he recognized as catnip.
“This is my favorite spot in the entire garden,” Mirage purred softly. No doubt the close proximity of the catnip was making her purr. He had to admit that he would probably purr too being so close to catnip.
He saw Mirage’s eyes flutter closed and her upper body bumped up against his chest before sliding down to rest in his lap. Her legs curled up and her breathing become deep and even. Aladdin couldn’t believe it: Mirage had fallen asleep and he was the pillow. Yet he couldn’t bring himself to wake her or move her, despite how awkward he felt about the situation. He leaned back against a tree trunk and felt his eyes growing heavy. He inhaled deeply and the catnip plant smelled more distinctly to him than it did a few minutes ago. Then he exhaled and surrendered to sleep.
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Mirage awoke a couple of hours later and became aware that she was resting on Aladdin’s lap. How come he didn’t wake me or move me? she wondered. She looked up and saw that Aladdin had fallen asleep as well! Mirage took the opportunity to stare openly at him. The amount of fur on his face hadn’t changed: It was still only a little bit. She checked both hands and found that both had a full set of claws. She looked back at his face to see that his nose was starting to look cat-like. She also admired his ears; it had taken her awhile to get used to them since yesterday, but now they looked so natural on him.
Aladdin stirred and his brown-green eyes fluttered open to show that his pupils had completely changed to cat slits. He stretched his arms upward before saying, “I guess I fell asleep, too. I didn’t want to wake you earlier.”
“How kind of you. I believe it is dinner time. You know,” she said as they stood up and headed back inside. “This has been a very good day. I enjoyed giving you a tour.”
“I enjoyed it as well. This has been a good day.” Aladdin couldn’t quite believe everything that has happened. Mirage was being nice and friendly, perhaps a little too friendly to the point that it bordered on love.
And why wouldn’t it? She did state yesterday that she loved me. It’s possible that her love toward me is changing her. She may become a good person.
Later that night, as Aladdin lay in bed, he began to have a different set of thoughts. You know, this place isn’t so bad. I wouldn’t mind staying here forever. And Mirage is beautiful. I do believe I’ve fallen in love with her. It would certainly explain why I’ve been changing into a cat like her. I believe Morbia is responsible for my change. He recalled looking into the mirror before getting into bed. He had been surprised at what he saw: His skin was completely golden-brown, he had matching fur all over his face, his nose was cat-like, he had two sets of fangs, his eyes were green with cat-slits for pupils, he had a pair of golden-brown cat ears on the top of his head, and his hands were clawed.
I think I’ll tell her how I feel in the morning, he decided as he rolled onto his side. I don’t want to go back to Agrabah. I love her and want to stay here.
Chapter Four- A New Lifestyle
The dawn after day two came and the two of them were back in her throne room. Aladdin’s transformation was complete and yet, Mirage noticed as she removed the collar and placed it in Aladdin’s hands, that he didn’t seem to mind that he wasn’t human anymore. His now green eyes stared lovingly at her and her heart began beat faster. He loved her! The collar had worked! But, was he evil as well? The only way to find out was for her to act as if she were about to send him home.
“Our time together is over. I thank you for staying with me. Now, I will send you back.” She raised her hand as if to cast a spell.
“Wait! Don’t!”
“What?”
“I said don’t. I want to stay.”
“For how long?”
“Forever. I…I love you, Mirage. I think Morbia sensed this and it changed me into a cat like you.”
“My world is responsible for your change? That’s…interesting.” She lowered her arm.
“It is. I’m also feeling an urge to do something…evil. I know what I’m feeling is wrong and yet I don’t want to fight it.”
“Then don’t fight it. Embrace it. If you wish to stay then you may. We could rule Morbia together and plan to spread chaos and destruction through your old world”
“Sounds like fun. I would love to rule by your side. I would also like to be your mate.”
“It is done. You are mine and I am yours.” The two embraced each other as their lips pressed together hungrily. Mirage ran her hand through Aladdin’s hair and noted that he had brushed it. It wasn’t messy anymore and was longer now that it had been brushed. It now ended at the base of his neck.
The two cats went to the dining room and enjoyed a romantic breakfast together before retiring to the throne room. Mirage had conjured a second golden throne that was perfect for Aladdin to sit in or curl up in depending on his desire. She activated her crystal ball once both were seated and brought up the image of the snow buried village she watched two days ago. There were indeed a few villagers who had dug themselves out and now they were moving through their village, digging holes in the snow with their covered hands. There were only four which meant that everyone else had either been killed in the avalanche or were alive but buried in their homes.
She looked at her right and saw Aladdin staring at the image. She wondered what he was thinking. Did he want to help those villagers? It would certainly be in keeping with his usual personality. Then again, he did state earlier that he was feeling an urge to do evil. He didn’t want to give in to it, but he didn’t want to fight it either. She had told him to embrace that evil feeling. Would he heed her advice? She looked back to the crystal and tapped her lips with one finger. “What to do?” she murmured just loud enough for Aladdin to hear.
“Did this avalanche happen by itself?” Aladdin asked.
“No. I caused it two days ago before you came here. Four villagers apparently dug themselves out and are attempting to rescue the others. I’m trying to decide how to further hinder their efforts. Perhaps cause the holes they’re digging to collapse. A continuous hole collapsing would discourage them and they’ll feel helpless to free the others.”
“Yes,” Aladdin said slowly. “But if they manage to go for help, they could still rescue the others. If they dig a big enough hole for them to climb in, you could create an earthquake that would collapse the hole to the point that no one could get out and they will all die.”
Mirage looked at Aladdin in surprise. An evil idea had occurred to him and rather than suppress it, he suggested it and he seemed rather pleased with the idea of death. He was slowly becoming evil and it was a wonderful thing to see.
She smiled. “I see. We give them false hope that their rescue attempts will work and then we crush their hopes and spirits by burying them in the snow again. I like it.” Together they watched and waited as the villagers together dug a large, deep hole in the ground and then dropped in one by one to start digging away the snow that still blocked them off from the other people. Mirage waited a little longer before waving her hand at the crystal. The image shook as the earthquake took place and as Aladdin suggested the freshly dug snow slid back into the hole and more snow from the mountain came sliding down and buried the rescuers so deep that they would die if they hadn’t already.
Mirage looked back at Aladdin with a cruel smile on her face. Aladdin had a matching smile on his face and she could hear a satisfied purr come from him. “My love, that was a perfect suggestion,” she commented. “There is no way anyone will survive. That village is done for now.”
“You’re welcome. It’s feels good knowing I helped doom the village to death.”
“Indeed. Let us search for more misery to cause and later I could teach you magic.”
“I would love to learn magic.”
“And you will learn, but first more misery and destruction.”
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Where could he be? Jasmine wondered. Her boyfriend had been missing for three days now. Genie and the others had been the last ones to see him and they said he had left the marketplace with Sadira about a friendship gift for her. She approached the sand witch and when asked about Aladdin, had replied, “I haven’t seen him for days. I hope he’s all right.”
“You didn’t invite him to your place for his opinion on a gift?” the princess persisted.
“No. You know I’m not interested in Aladdin anymore.”
“Yes, of course. Well, if you see him, let me know.”
So, Sadira was a dead end. She combed the city from one end to the other as did Genie, Carpet, Iago, Abu, and the guards. No sign of him. Jasmine was worried. What could have happened to him?
I’m not giving up, she vowed. I’ll find Aladdin and bring him home safe and sound.
&&&&
Aladdin watched the crystal with satisfaction as streaks of fire arced across the sky and landed on the roofs of houses in a town. The roofs burst into flames as the streaks that were actually fire cats leaped onto other nearby roofs and set them ablaze as well. The people fled their burning homes, screaming in terror and fear as they did so. Their screams of fear caused the cats to grow larger as they fed off the fear. He could hardly believe that he was enjoying this destruction, but he was immensely. This is so much more fun than trying to rescue them or save their town.
“Hmm,” Mirage said. “Our fire cats will be quite large when they return. The fear of that town is a feast for them.”
“Doesn’t their strength grow as well?” the golden-brown cat asked.
“Yes, it does. That strength shows in, say, setting several roofs ablaze at the same time.”
“Impressive.”
“It is. So, what other evil can we cause?”
“What about a plague?”
“A plague? Excellent idea. A small village would be the perfect target. Now, what kind of plague? Oh, I know: Locusts. They’ll eat their entire food supply and they’ll starve.”
“I love that idea, my love. Do it.”
“Of course.” Aladdin watched as Mirage worked her magic on the crystal to find a suitable village and then waved her hand to create a swarm of locusts that descended on the village. The villagers cried out in fear and horror as the bugs swarmed around them, homing in on the food in the fields and in the storage houses. In almost no time, the entire food supply had been eaten or disease-ridden and the locusts had flown off only to de-materialize once out of the village’s sight.
Mirage smiled at the sight of a village laid to waste by her bug plague. She laughed in evil delight. “Oh, I can’t recall the last time I had this much fun! Aladdin, I have to thank you for this!”
“If that’s the case, how about a magic lesson now?”
“Yes, that sounds perfect. Let’s head for the lab and we can begin your training.”
Chapter Five- Magic and Evil Intentions
“So,” Mirage began once they were in the lab. “Magic is a varied subject and there are many ways in which it can be learned, but there is one essential thing that is needed if any spells are to be used.”
“And what thing is that?”
“One must have at least a spark of magic in their soul. Then they must be aware of it and only then can they tap it.”
“A spark in their soul? Hmm, I think I have that.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, I think so. There was a guy who was trying to take over my body. He was a magic-user and his spirit was trying to defeat my spirit, but I defeated him using the power my spirit possessed.”
“Excellent.” Though she was horrified to hear that someone threatened her beloved’s life, she was pleased to find that this beginning lesson was off to a good start. “So you do possess the spark and you were aware of them enough to use it to defend yourself. But that was internally. We need to bring them out so you can use them externally.”
“How?”
“Just close your eyes and focus on them. Once you’ve located them, try to coax them out.” Aladdin followed her instructions and Mirage was prepared to wait for hours for Aladdin’s magic to surface. She only waited an hour before Aladdin’s body glowed with golden light that changed to the same green color as her own magic.
Aladdin opened his eyes and they glowed green for a moment before he said, “I got them. My magic’s been tapped and I have control of them.”
“Excellent. Now that you control them, using them is easy. Just visualize what you want and wave your arm.”
“Hmm.” Aladdin thought for a moment before waving an arm. He vanished from where he was only to reappear on the far side of the room. He smiled at this first attempt before waving an arm again and reappearing where he had been a moment ago. Aladdin practiced his magic for several days and pleasing Mirage with his tricks.
Then one morning he was standing in front of the full-length mirror in the guest room he was still sleeping in. He hadn’t decided on what he wanted the other master bedroom to look like so he decided to stay in the guest room until then. He frowned at his reflection. He needed new clothes. His current attire was all right for his old self. He was different now and he now had magic to change his wardrobe. But, what to wear? He proceeded to use his magic to change various parts of his clothes until he came to a look that pleased him greatly.
I love this look. I think I’ll surprise Mirage and see what she thinks. He waved his arm again and teleported himself to the Throne Room. He appeared before Mirage, smiled at her, and held his arms out wide. “My love, what do you think?”
Mirage blinked at Aladdin. He was wearing a cream-colored open coat that was tied at the waist with a braided gold rope. He also had a midnight blue shirt and matching kilt-like skirt under the coat. He wore gold shoes on his feet and his fez had been discarded. A smile slid onto her face. “A very interesting outfit. Cream and midnight blue suits you well. There’s just a couple of things I want to add.” She gestured and a pair of gold cuffs appeared on his wrists and on his ankles as well. Both of them openly admired these new additions.
“Now, that you’ve learned all this magic, what would you like to do with it?” Mirage asked after a few minutes.
“Well, I did have an idea. I think we should revive the El Katib.”
“Revive the Shadow Walkers? Hmm, an interesting idea. Very well, then. Aladdin, I leave the task to you. There will be a full moon tonight in a snowy town. Go there to begin our army of Shadows.”
Aladdin inclined his head in acknowledgement. “I’ll return in three days with a report.” He swiped an arm through the air, vanished, and reappeared in the aforementioned town’s nearby mountains. He grinned as he gazed at the town below, the wind whipping the hem of his coat behind him. “I destroyed the El Katib before. It makes sense that I should be the one to revive them. Surely, there will be some kids in that town who desire power and immortality. I can hardly wait for night to fall.”
&&&&
Kalo scowled at the other orphans who were laughing at him before stalking away. So he, the most unpopular orphan, couldn’t ice-skate, but did they have to laugh every time he landed on the ice? It wasn’t fair. As he walked, he envisioned horrible things happening to those kids.
“I’m not going to be an orphan forever. Someday, I’m going to make something of myself.”
“And so you will,” a voice spoke up.
Kalo jumped and glanced around wildly. “W-who said that?”
“I did.” A cloaked and hooded figure appeared before the boy.
“Who are you?”
“Someone who can help you make something of yourself. I was like you once: No parents, no friends. But, I took control of my life and made something of myself. My appearance changed slightly and was different than what happened to the others who made something of them selves.”
“Your appearance changed? How?”
“Like this.” The figure, who by the voice was a man, pushed back his hood to reveal that he had the face and ears of a cat. The boy gave a strangled yell and jumped back.
“Yes, I imagine my face is a shock, but I like it considering that I ended up receiving power and immortality.”
“Immortality? You mean you’ll live forever?”
“Precisely. The power, in my case, turned out to be magic, but for others the power is being stronger, faster, and able to jump higher.”
“I like the idea of being able to live forever. Would my appearance change too?”
“In order to receive the gifts of power and immortality, one must be willing to give up the life they currently know. I was willing and I found a place called The Shadow Realm where I stayed for several years. I learned that others like me entered this place and changed into what those others called El Katib. But, there was something in me that was different and due to that I became a cat and learned the magic of the realm. The Shadow Realm did have a price for me: I was travel to Earth for three nights every month and look for others who wish to make something of them selves and perhaps get revenge on those who laughed at them or looked down on them.”
“That’s too bad. I mean, about the price you had to pay.” Kalo found that he liked this man-uh, cat. Everything he was saying rang a bell inside him. If he had power and immortality, those other orphans would never laugh at him again. True, he would be gone for years and resurface as basically unrecognizable, but considering what he would have, he was willing to make that sacrifice.
“Mister, I want that power and immortality. How can I get it?”
“Oh, that’s easy.” Aladdin waved a hand and a black portal opened up behind him. “Since I am in service to The Shadow Realm, I have the power to open an entrance to that world. So, just- I’m sorry I didn’t ask your name.”
“It’s Kalo.”
“In that case, Kalo just step through the portal and you’ll be in The Shadow Realm.”
“Aren’t you coming?”
“I can not. I must stay on Earth for tonight and the next two nights, searching for others like you. The ones I met in the realm broke the rules of the realm and died and I don’t want you to be lonely in your journey to gain immortality.”
“They died? How?”
“They roamed the Earth during the full moon and failed to return to the realm when the moon set. The portal to the realm closed at moonset and without the moon to help them open the portal they died.” Aladdin closed his eyes and lowered his head. “I came to know them well and they were like friends.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t let that happen to me.” Kalo stepped through the portal with this pronouncement and the holed closed behind him.
Aladdin let out an evil laugh. “I can’t believe how easy that was! He bought every word I said. Of course that won’t work on every kid I meet. But, coming up with a new story every time will be fun.”
Three Days Later
Aladdin appeared before Mirage in a flash of green light, strode forward, and gave her a passionate kiss. Mirage smiled happily. “How did it go?” she asked.
“It went perfectly. I managed to recruit four kids for our army.”
“Four. Lovely. Of course, it will take them a few years to fully become El Katib, but we can afford to wait. I’ll look around the world to pick our next city to recruit before the next full moon.”
&&&&
Aladdin paced the hallway. Mirage was spending most of her time scouring the Earth looking for a suitable recruiting ground for more El Katib and he was plain bored. He had spent most of his initial boredom, redecorating the other master bedroom which now belonged to him. The space of Morbia inspired him so much in his redecorating and he was pleased with the results. The walls and ceiling were a deep midnight blue that was speckled with silver dots that resembled stars. The floor was also midnight blue but no stars, which gave one the impression that he or she was hanging in the depths of space. The curtains of his four poster bed were deep red velvet. He created a desk and a chair like Mirage’s from deep mahogany wood. He didn’t go with a floor-length mirror, but instead contented himself with a mirror half that size that hung beside the door. He also decided to have a crystal ball with a matching mahogany stand that he placed beside the bed.
He was still bored after decorating his room and took to pacing the hall. He paused however when he came to the library doors. He stared at them. How could I have forgotten the library? Mirage gave it to me soon after I decided to stay. I can read to pass the time.
He pushed open the doors and proceeded to prowl the aisles, unsure of what he would be interested in reading. He chose a shelf at random and looked at the titles on the spines. His eyes rested on a book titled “Egyptian mythology.” This looks interesting, he thought, sliding the book off the shelf and settling down at a table to read. The book turned out to be very interesting indeed. He paused at one chapter when a name caught his eye. He closed the book and stared off into space.
You know, I think I need a new name. I like the name Aladdin, but that’s from my old life. I want to be called something else, something that fits this new life of mine. I think I found one, but would it be all right with Mirage to change my name? I think it is best if I ask her before a final decision is made.
Chapter Six- The Ultimate Evil
One Day Later
Aladdin stared into space as he lay curled up in his throne. He looked deep in thought to Mirage and she wondered what he was thinking about. She knew that she had been busy looking for a good place to recruit kids and that she had, for lack of a better term, neglected him. She leaned on the armrest closest to his seat. “Aladdin?”
“Hmm?” He turned to look at her.
“You seem to be deep in thought, my love. Would you care to share?”
“I think I will. First of all, I decided I need a new name- one to suit my new life.”
Mirage tilted her head. A new name? I can’t imagine calling him anything but Aladdin. But, he’s already decided to discard his current name and I’ll have to accept that.
“All right. Have you decided on a name or do you need some suggestions?”
“I have a name in mind. I read it in a book on Egyptian mythology, but I would like your opinion. What do you think of Set?”
“Set? As in the god of evil and destruction?” Mirage flashed her fangs in an evil grin. “I like that. From now on, your name is Set.”
“Good. My other thought was destroying a city. I’m talking big destruction complete with despair and misery.”
“Oh, my. What fun! What city were you thinking of?”
“My old home- Agrabah.”
Mirage was momentarily surprised. This was the most evil Aladdin, er, Set had shown thus far. “Are you sure?”
“Of course I am. But, I think we’ll need an ally who desires Agrabah’s destruction as much as we do.”
“I’m assuming you have one in mind?”
“I do: Mozenrath.”
“Mozenrath? I’ve heard of him. He supposed to be a powerful sorcerer and quite knowledgeable in magical creatures. But I don’t know where he lives.”
“He is and I know where he lives. The Land of the Black Sand.”
“Excellent. Take us there and let’s see if we can persuade him to aid us in our destruction of Agrabah.”
&&&&
The Land of the Black Sand looked just as Set remembered it. It had the same dark sky that almost blended with the black sand on the ground, the buildings were still in disrepair, and he saw glimpses of Mamluks patrolling the streets. A glimmer caught his eye and he glanced back and saw the crystals that served as alarms against magical intruders. He turned back to the front doors of the Citadel that he and Mirage had materialized in front of and saw Mirage looking around the landscape.
“What a drab, dreary, and depressing place. I love it. I am certain I will like this Mozenrath.”
Set smiled back as he pushed open the doors and the pair entered the building. There were lit torches in wall brackets and Set removed one so that they could see more easily. He briefly wondered where Mozenrath was and resolved to check first the lab where the sorcerer’s Wheel of Places to Conquer rested and then the Throne Room.
“This place is a mess. How disgusting!” Mirage exclaimed as they entered the lab.
“I agree and he is clearly not here. That means he must be in his Throne Room.”
“Are you certain, Set?”
Set nodded. “I’m sure. It’s this way, follow me.” The golden-brown cat led the way out of the lab and down two corridors before coming to the Throne Room’s doors. He pushed them in and the two stepped in to see an empty room. Set frowned. “I was sure he would be here.”
“Oh, he’s here,” Mirage purred. “I sense his magic endeavoring to conceal himself from our sight.” She stared at the throne and raised her voice. “Come out, sorcerer. We merely wish to discuss an offer with you.”
“An offer, hmm?” a disembodied voice spoke before its owner appeared on the throne, his invisibility spell removed. He looked at the cats with some interest. “Identify yourselves and state your offer.”
Mirage felt offended at Mozenrath’s impervious tone, but pushed the feeling aside as she said, “I am Mirage and I suggest an alliance to destroy Agrabah.”
Mozenrath descended his throne and stood before the cat woman. “So, you are Mirage. I have heard of you, but this is the first time meeting you.”
“I too had heard of you and knew what you look like. Your whereabouts were a mystery to me, but obviously I tracked you down.”
“Indeed. You said something about an alliance.”
“I did. If we joined forces and combined our powers, the city will be powerless against us.”
“So you believe. However, I-,” he broke off in mid-sentence as his eyes landed on Mirage’s companion, who had yet to say a word. Mozenrath gestured at the golden-brown cat. “Who is your friend, Mirage?”
“His name is Set and he’s not a friend. He’s my mate.”
Mozenrath felt his magic tingle through his body as he and Set locked eyes. He felt like he had met Set before but that was impossible. Or was it? He focused his magic on the figure in front of him and the image of a familiar young man was superimposed over the cat. Aladdin? he wondered.
“Mirage,” the sorcerer said. “May I have a word with you? Privately?”
“Certainly.” The pair moved off to a far corner of the throne room.
“Is Set really Aladdin?” he asked.
“Ah. Your magic saw through mine. Yes, he is Aladdin. But, he decided to change his name to go with his new life.”
“How did you do it?” Mozenrath asked eagerly. He had always believed that Aladdin would never join the forces of evil, but clearly that wasn’t the case.
Mirage lowered her voice. “I slipped a collar on him that made him fall in love with me, changed him into a cat like me, and made him into an evil person. Obviously, he’s not wearing the collar, but it doesn’t matter. The magic inside the collar is now inside him.”
“I’m impressed. Okay, Mirage. We have an alliance.”
“Excellent. Now, let the three of us plan our attack.”
&&&&
“But, Father-,”
“I said no, Jasmine. I can not have you roaming the desert looking for Aladdin. You’re a princess and I need you here. Let your friends and the guards look for him.”
Jasmine scowled and stalked out of the Throne Room and up to her room. She went out onto the balcony and gazed at the city spread out before her. Aladdin was nowhere in Agrabah and Genie detected no traces of magic to suggest kidnapping. But Jasmine was certain he had been kidnapped and by a non-magical enemy. If Father thinks I’m just going to sit idly by and let others look for my fiancé, then he better think again. Jasmine gave a whistle the brought Carpet to her. She climbed aboard. “Carpet, let’s move.” Carpet took off, avoiding notice of the guards and bringing Jasmine out of the city where her friends were waiting to start the search again.
&&&&
Mirage, Set, and Mozenrath stood on a dune, looking on the unprepared city. Mirage could almost hear the screams of fear and panic that was certain to come and purred with satisfaction at the thought. She glanced at her mate, wondering if he was having second thoughts about attacking. She saw steely determination in his eyes and an evil smile on his face. There was no hint of second thoughts. Set was completely evil and he clearly loved being so.
“Mirage, you said you and Set would attack first,” Mozenrath said. “What do you plan to do?”
“This.” Both cats waved a hand and a quartet of fire cats appeared. “Attack,” Mirage commanded. The cats growled in unison before taking to the air as streaks of fire and heading for the city. “Our pets will set fire to people’s homes and spread fear and panic as they do. We have launched our plan, what is your plan of attack?”
Mozenrath fired a blast of magic at an empty stretch of sand and two wooden boxes with seals on them appeared. “They are inside these containers.”
Set, reasoning that Mozenrath must know who he had been before, said, “Are they wind jackals?”
“Oh, no. I learned my lesson last time. No, inside these two boxes are two griffins. I destroyed most of the ones I found and bought, but I kept a few on hand, just in case. I trained them and they will listen to me only. They have also been trained to recognize me on sight, so that annoying parrot can’t trick them by imitating my voice.”
Set nodded. “Good planning.”
Mozenrath grinned as he blasted open the boxes to release his pets. As the griffins roared, raked the air with their claws, and stretched their wings, Mozenrath pointed at the city. “Attack, my pets. Bring that city to its knees.” The griffins took to the air and headed for a city already in flames and its citizens screaming in terror.
&&&&
Jasmine sighed sadly on Carpet as the group headed for home. Still, no sign of Aladdin. It was as if he had dropped off the face of the Earth. Where could he be? Jasmine wondered. We checked all our non-magical enemies’ lairs with no success. Genie even checked the ocean in case Saleen had him and no luck. We had just checked the desert in case he hit his head and had amnesia.
As they drew within sight of Agrabah, Carpet suddenly stopped short and Jasmine gasped at the sight of her city burning. “Oh no,” she whispered in horror. Carpet started moving again and as they got closer to the gates, she saw three figures near them. She recognized two of them: Mirage and Mozenrath.
Set grinned maliciously as the fire cats rained destruction on the city. The cats’ yowls mingled with the humans’ screams before rising in volume as they feasted on the fear they were causing. The griffins’ roars were barely audible above the yowling and screaming. The flying lion/eagles soared through the air and swooping down on the helpless people. A few humans were actually ripped to pieces by the griffins’ sharp claws as they swooped by. The sounds that were occurring were music to Set’s ears. The fire that raged before them was a beautiful sight to behold. The sights and sounds combined to give him an inward thrill that was displayed in his grin.
The sound of something approaching reached his ears and he turned to see a magic carpet appearing over the dunes. He saw Jasmine, Iago, and Abu on Carpet with Genie flying alongside them. He felt no love for Jasmine and no friendship toward the others. They were all his enemies now because they would want to put a stop to his fun. However, this time they were too late.
Jasmine jumped off Carpet as soon as he close to the ground and landed before the cats and the sorcerer. “So you’ve joined forces with Mirage, huh Mozenrath?” she asked.
“Obviously, I did Princess,” Mozenrath answered. “Mirage and her companion presented an offer I just couldn’t pass up.”
“Well, this alliance is over,” Jasmine declared. Genie flexed his fingers in preparation for the magic he was about to use.
“I disagree,” Set spoke up. “This alliance is still on and we are about to win.”
The familiar sound of that voice drew Jasmine’s attention. “Aladdin…is that you?” she asked, staring at the golden-brown cat beside Mirage.
That’s not my name, Set thought. Aladdin was a hero, a good guy. I am a villain, a bringer of death and destruction.
“I’m called Set,” Set replied.
“Oh my God,” Jasmine breathed. “It is you, Aladdin. I just know it.”
“What have you done to him, Mirage?” Genie demanded.
“I? I did nothing. Set is my mate, not your precious Aladdin. He came to me confused about his place in the universe and I simply helped him realize his true destiny.”
“I don’t believe you,” the blue genie declared. “I recognize that voice. That is definitely our Aladdin.” Genie vanished away from Jasmine and then materialized beside Set and grabbed both of his arms in his hands. “Al, don’t worry. We’ll remove whatever spells Mirage placed on you.”
“Get your hands off me!” Set hissed. He yanked one arm and swiped it through the air, causing green claw-shaped magic bolts to cut through the air and across the hand that still held his other arm.
Genie cried out before pulling back and heading toward his friends. Jasmine cried, “Aladdin, what’s wrong with you?”
“I told you. My name is Set and there’s nothing wrong with me. Mirage was telling the truth. I was confused over my purpose in life before realizing my true destiny and that is to destroy Agrabah.”
“No,” Jasmine whispered.
Mozenrath laughed triumphantly. “And we’ve just succeeded. Your precious city is no more. It is now only a shadow of its former self. Perhaps, I’ll make it part of my kingdom.” He glanced over at Mirage.
Mirage smirked, enjoying her triumph and seeing Jasmine devastated by Set’s words and actions. “If that’s what you want, do it. I only wished to see it destroyed and see its citizens helpless and despairing.”
“No!” Jasmine screamed, charging toward Mozenrath. “I won’t let you take over Agrabah!”
Mozenrath calmly blasted Jasmine with his gauntlet and she fell to the ground. “You know, I think I’ll imprison you, princess, or maybe I can find a spell to make you love me and we can rule together.”
“I’ll never love you!” Jasmine spat which reminded Mirage of Aladdin making that same statement not too long ago.
Mozenrath grinned. “Oh, I wouldn’t be too sure about that. I might have just come up with a way to bring us together.”
And indeed I have, he thought. It’s all thanks to Mirage. I’ll create an item that will make Jasmine love me and make her evil like myself.
He clenched his gauntlet as he envisioned the item he would create with his magic when he saw the princess’s friends charging him out of the corner of his eye. He couldn’t stop what he was doing to stop them, though! The point became moot when Set conjured manacles around the parrot and monkey and anti-magic ones for the genie and carpet. He nodded his thanks at Set as he continued his spell. I think a bracelet would be perfect for a princess. Within the bracelet will be the spell to make her evil and that evil will make her fall for me. Eventually, the spell will end up inside her and the bracelet will no longer be necessary. Magic glowed in his gloved hand before dissipating. He opened his hand to reveal a shining silver bracelet. The sight of it made him smile in a cold satisfied way. Now, all he needed was to slip it on the princess.
The timing to do so couldn’t have been more perfect. The act of seeing Set bind their friends had been too much for her. Her strong will and spirit seemed to have finally broken and she was so devastated that her boyfriend had become so utterly alien and evil that she didn’t notice Mozenrath slipping the bracelet onto her wrist. Her friends didn’t even have time to warn her.
Jasmine gasped as she felt the magic enter her body and mind. She closed her eyes as she attempted to fight off the spell. However with her will and spirit broken, she attempts to fight were weak and futile. She opened her eyes and Mozenrath could see that they were filled with evil. She stood up, faced him, and gave him an evil smile before giving him a loving kiss. They parted and Jasmine said, “I love you Mozenrath. Please marry me and we’ll rule Agrabah and your kingdom together. Perhaps we’ll eventually rule the Seven Deserts.”
“Of course I’ll marry you. Perhaps our prisoners would like to be witnesses.” He gestured at her friends. He decided to use them as a test to see how evil the princess had become.
She looked at them. Genie called, “Jasmine, don’t give in to him! Fight it! You’re stronger than his magic!”
“Silence!” Set cut in. He gestured and a metal gag was slapped across Genie’s mouth.
Jasmine looked back at Mozenrath and nodded. “Yes, I think they’ll make perfect witnesses and maybe perfect servants as well.”
Enslaving her friends he thought. That is definitely evil.
“Come, Set,” Mirage spoke up. “Let us return home and let the happy couple plan their wedding.”
“Of course,” Set said. The two of them teleported home, leaving the side of good conquered at last.
Chapter Seven- Epilogue
Mozenrath strode through Agrabah’s gates with Jasmine at his side, their prisoners floating behind them due to his gauntlet. He surveyed the damage that had been done to his new land. The buildings looked a lot like the ones in The Land of the Black Sand and this pleased him. He spotted dead bodies in the rubble and knew they would become more Mamluks once he worked his magic on them. He also noticed some of the citizens peeking out of their hiding places, not sure if the attacks were over. He smirked. Those fools didn’t realize that they had just been conquered. Well, he was going to make sure they knew of it.
They had reached the bottom of the stairs that led to the palace’s front doors and he turned to the city. “Citizens of Agrabah!” he declared loud and clear. “Your city has fallen to me your new ruler. Princess Jasmine loves me and has asked that I marry her and rule over you. I have agreed to her request and I insist that you all attend the wedding which will be held at a future date. Do not resist me or you will suffer a most unpleasant fate.” Two griffins descended from the sky and flanked the front doors as he finished speaking. The winged creatures glowered at the citizens and growled at them causing the people to tremble at the threat before them. Mozenrath smirked again as the group mounted the stairs and up to the doors.
“Mozenrath, will those who resist be fed to the griffins?” Jasmine asked a hint of relish in her voice at the idea.
“Oh, some may. Actually, I was planning to turn those who resist into Mamluks. I believe the people would consider that a fate worse than death. I see no reason to tell them that however.”
“Hmm. The threat of becoming one of the undead would certainly keep them in line.” Jasmine pushed open the doors and allowed Mozenrath in first before following.
The Throne Room was littered with debris and rubble. The worst of the damage had been to the roof. Mozenrath spied the guards under the rubble, clearly dead. They’ll probably make excellent Mamluks. If not, I can simply destroy them. Jasmine won’t care either way- at least I think she won’t.
There was a large chunk of rubble as they approached the throne. The Sultan lay under this chunk and he was just as dead as his guards. Genie felt tears leak from his eyes at the sight of the dead monarch. Iago and Abu were also crying, finally accepting that Agrabah had been conquered. Mozenrath looked uncaring at the body.
Jasmine also looked at her father’s body, her face dry of tears. So he’s dead. It’s just as well. He was old and I now see that he was a fool too. I’m better off without him. I have Mozenrath now and I have no doubt that he will be a better ruler than Father ever was.
“Well, that’s one less prisoner we have to concern ourselves about,” Jasmine finally said aloud.
“Princess!” Iago exclaimed in shock. “How can you say that!? He was your father!”
“Silence!” Mozenrath commanded. He pointed at the bird and a metal clamp appeared on his beak. “Jasmine, if you would take our prisoners to the dungeons. But, leave the Genie with me. I have plans for him.”
“Of course, dear.” Jasmine planted a kiss on the sorcerer’s cheek before grabbing the chains attached to Carpet, Iago, and Abu and heading off to the dungeons. Once in the dungeon, she dragged them to a cell where she used the anti-magic manacles on Carpet to pin him to the wall. She stuffed Iago in a birdcage, loosing the clamp just enough that he could eat and drink before chaining Abu to the wall, taking care to remove his lockpicks and, for good measure, his fez. After all, Aladdin gave him that fez and since Aladdin was now Set, his friendship with the monkey was null and void. She looked her prisoners over to insure that they wouldn’t be able to escape and then she left the cell closing the door firmly behind her.
She stopped at her bedroom and saw to her delight, that her pet tiger, Rajah, was alive and unharmed, although understandably scared. The sight of his owner calmed his nerves and she smiled back at him. “Stay there, Rajah. I’ll see you later.”
She returned to the Throne Room to see that the rubble and dead bodies had been removed. A second throne had been placed beside the first one and on the throne’s other side was Genie imprisoned in the Crystal of Ix. Mozenrath was already seated on the late Sultan’s throne and Jasmine ascended the other throne, not bothering to give Genie another look or even another thought.
“The prisoners are secured. I took the precaution of removing the monkey’s lockpicks.”
“Excellent. Princess, correct me if I’m wrong, but you have a tiger for a pet?”
“I do. He’s still alive and up in my bedroom. He’ll listen to whatever I tell him.”
“Good. I found that the royal cook is still alive and he’s agreed to offer his services to us. Of course, if he constantly fails to satisfy us, he might find himself as an animal that will be our next main course.”
“That’s an appropriate punishment. It will motivate him to not fail.”
“Indeed. Now, about our wedding. How soon shall we have it?”
“I would like to have it as soon as possible, but I need some time to get ready. I suggest two weeks.”
“I also need time to prepare. I agree that two weeks will be enough.”
&&&&
Mozenrath shuffled through the scrolls on his lab’s desk the following day. He knew he could leave Agrabah in Jasmine’s hands in order to return to the Citadel to find the scroll that would transform the city to look similar to The Land of the Black Sand and change the dead into Mamluks. The state of his messy desk made him consider tidying it up, but then again, the palace was where he was going to spend most of his time in from now on, so he needn’t bother cleaning the Citadel. It can serve as a library of sorts.
At last, he located the scroll he needed and unrolled it. It has been some time since I used these spells and I need to obtain the ingredients necessary to cast them. This is why the wedding will not take place yet. It will take a few days to acquire the ingredients and it will take a week to transform the city and the dead into Mamluks.
The dark wizard returned to his conquered city and to his throne where he started sorting out the ingredients by their locations. He managed to get one ingredient before leaving the Citadel: Black sand from his kingdom. This sand is the piece to making Agrabah look like the other part of my kingdom. I need all the pieces for the Mamluk spell, however.
He rested his cheek on his fist as he studied the scroll and the list that he had made. None of these items were priceless treasures, thankfully enough, but still difficult to obtain. The first time he got these items, he used tricks and other items that he could only use once, so the question was how was he going to get them this time? He spied movement out of the corner of his eye. Genie was struggling to break out of his prison.
“Don’t waste your time, Genie. No magical being can break out of the crystal,” Mozenrath told him, not bothering to look at his captive. He smirked, however, when he thought of all the things he witnessed Genie doing with his magic: Such as conjuring items out of thin air…
That’s it! It’s so obvious! I’ll use the Genie’s magic to gather the ingredients I need! His smirk widened as he reached out and placed his hand flat on the crystal. He heard Genie’s cry of pain before removing his hand and waved his gauntlet in the air. Instantaneously, a variety of items appeared in the air, which were individually placed into bags and zoomed into Mozenrath’s lap.
“Excellent. Now I have all I need. I can begin changing the city to suit my tastes right now.”
&&&&
“Why do you want to use my balcony?” Jasmine asked as she let her fiancé into her room. Rajah growled slightly at the sorcerer before stalking away to lay beside Jasmine’s vanity.
“Aside from the high vantage point, it shows the entire city and I need to see it all when I cast the spell to change it to how my other kingdom looks.”
“Oh. In that case, go ahead. You won’t mind if I watch?”
“Of course not, Jasmine. I love having an audience, you know.”
Jasmine watched as the dark sorcerer stepped out onto the balcony and up to the railing. She knew what he was going to do and, for a moment, she felt like going up to him and stopping him from using his magic. She shook her head to drive that thought from her mind. Why should she stop Mozenrath? She loved him and he had every right to do what he wished to the city and its citizens.
She saw Mozenrath pull a handful of black sand out of his pocket and held it up in his gloved hand. She heard him recite two words in a language she did not know before he blew the sand into the air. The wind caught the sand and spread it out across the city. Some of it was blown high up into the air, but most of it landed on the ground. The moment the grains touched the ground, the golden sand instantly turned black and the black color spread from the point of contact and turned all of the sand within the city’s confines black and turned the buildings a gray color as well. Meanwhile, the grains that were blown into the air, released their color and the very sky turned black as well even though it was still daylight. The citizens watched in terror as their once beautiful city turned into a dark and dreary looking place.
Jasmine was astonished at how quickly the city had changed. She was not horrified at the change; she was rather pleased actually. She stepped up next to her fiancé to take a closer look. “It’s amazing,” she said softly, staring in awe at her transformed city.
“It is, isn’t it?” Mozenrath replied. “It suits my tastes. I have further plans for Agrabah.”
“What do you have in mind?”
“Oh, I was thinking of adding some Mamluks to the streets and using some of the dead citizens to create them.”
“Really?”
There was such an evil tone in the princess’s voice when she said that word that it caused Mozenrath to look over at her. She had an eyebrow raised and a malicious smile on her face. He tilted his head quizzically. “Jasmine?” he asked.
“I think the guards would make excellent Mamluks, don’t you?” she asked.
Mozenrath straightened his head and smiled evilly. “I like how you think. Yes, the guards will be the first to become our obedient undead.”
“Our?”
“Of course. I plan to have both of us command them. If I were to visit my other kingdom, I want to make sure you are not left defenseless.”
“I can defend myself.”
“I know you can. I meant, I don’t want to leave you with Mamluks who won’t listen to your orders.”
“That’s better.”
&&&&
Mozenrath stood over the bodies of the Sultan and his guards. He had used his magic to transport them to the palace’s back garden until he was ready to deal with them. Now, he knew what he was going to do and he had Jasmine to thank for that. He had initially been concerned that Jasmine’s strong will and spirit would break his spells on her, but instead his spells remained strong and the princess didn’t seem to know that everything she was thinking and saying was evil. Her suggestion of making the guards into their undead guards was certainly an evil one.
I have no reason to worry that she’ll break the spells. She is in love with me and is completely evil. He reached into his cloak and pulled out an urn. He lifted the lid to reveal that it was full of white powder: The Powder of Resurrection. While others thought Mozenrath simply used the gauntlet’s power to create his undead, it was actually the powder and a single word that created them. His magic simply put his guards back together or blasted them apart in some cases. I wish there was a way to keep them from falling apart. It’s hard for your enemies to take you seriously when your army is falling to pieces around you.
He took a pinch of powder from the urn and sprinkled it over the first guard before taking another pinch and doing the same to the other three guards. He put the lid back on, stowed the urn, and then said in an ancient language, “Arise.”
The results were instantaneous. The guards’ eyes opened to show that they were yellow and, as they stood up, their skins turned pale green, and their jaws were stitched closed. All muscles they once possessed were gone, leaving them nothing but skin and bones reanimated by the wizard’s dark spell. They silently turned toward Mozenrath and waited for instructions.
He waved his gloved hand in a circle and the image of Princess Jasmine appeared. “Listen well: You are to obey the commands of myself and my soon-to-be wife Princess Jasmine. Understood?”
The four Mamluk guards gave muffled grunts and stiff nods. “Good,” he said. “Now, unsheathe your swords and follow me. I plan to create more Mamluks right now and I want to show my subjects what I am capable of doing to them if they don’t obey me.” Mozenrath swept back into the palace to head for the front doors, his four guards following in his wake.
&&&&
Mirage and Set watched the activities of Mozenrath’s conquest progress over a two week period. They saw Mozenrath transform the city to mirror his first kingdom and bring back the dead as Mamluks that mingled among the living citizens who looked revolted and clearly dispirited. It was finally the day of the wedding and both were interested in seeing it.
“Mirage, why don’t we go to see this wedding in person?” Set inquired. “I have a spell scroll I would like to present to Mozenrath as a present. A gift that can’t be used against us, I might add.”
“Hmm. That sounds like fun. Let us go to Agrabah and greet the soon-to-be Sultan.”
Set and Mirage materialized at the palace’s front doors where two Mamluks stood to either side, dressed in guards’ uniforms. Set stared at the figures. He recognized them as two of the three guards that usually accompanied Razoul. Either they died in the attack or Mozenrath killed them before making them Mamluks. Not that I care. In fact, this fate is rather fitting.
The couple pushed the doors open and strolled into the Throne Room. There were two more Mamluks guards there on either side of the thrones and Set recognized one as Razoul. Mozenrath sat on one of the thrones wearing his usual clothes, clearly not planning to wear a different outfit for the wedding. The sorcerer stood up and strode down the carpet toward them.
“Mirage. Set. What brings you to the new part of my kingdom?” Mozenrath greeted, surprise and curiosity in his eyes even though his voice didn’t show it.
“We’ve been watching you the entire time. We know that this is your wedding day and we want to witness it as the finishing touch of our alliance,” Mirage answered.
“And we wish to give you a wedding gift,” Set added. He held up a hand and a scroll appeared in it. “This scroll contains a spell that will keep your Mamluks from falling apart.”
Mozenrath’s eyes widened as he took the scroll and examined the contents. “Wonderful!” he exclaimed. “This is an excellent gift! I thank you. Come my allies, the wedding will take place in front of the palace doors and my bride wishes to make her entrance from the Throne Room.” Mozenrath gestured at the doors, indicating that his guests should precede him outside. They complied as their alliance was still in place; however they planned to leave as soon as the city was officially under Mozenrath’s control.
As the pair turned to exit the room, Set saw Genie imprisoned in the Crystal of Ix, his spirit completely broken as evident by his sagging shoulders and look of despair. Naturally, he didn’t care and when Genie saw him, he merely looked at the golden-brown cat with a dull-eyed stare. Set turned his back fully on the room and followed Mirage out.
The city was gathered in front of the palace’s stairs to witness the wedding as Mozenrath had commanded when he first took control of the city. Mirage and Set stood by the top of the stairs to witness the happy occasion. Mozenrath closed the doors, stepped up to the stairs, and raised his hands high, bringing immediate silence. He smirked at the crowd before saying, “The wedding will take place once Jasmine comes out the front doors.” He swept to one side of the doors and waited for his bride to make her entrance.
After a few minutes of silence, the doors swung open slowly to reveal two Mamluks pushing open the doors and Jasmine standing there, holding a bouquet of black roses and dressed in a gown of black, blue, and purple. Her hair was twisted up into a bun at the back of her head and a black veil covered her head. She smiled happily at her subjects as well as the groom. She approached the sorcerer and he took one of her hands in his own.
“My dear princess, I admit I liked you when I first met you. I knew that you were the kind of woman I would like to have for a queen. I was determined to have you rule beside me even though you loved another. At last, my dream has come true. Before the entire city, I declare my love for you and I take you for my wife.”
Jasmine smiled again and said, “Mozenrath, I didn’t like you when we first met. Your obsession with power and conquest didn’t appeal to me at all and of course, I loved another at the time. My former boyfriend is no more and your charms finally broke down my barriers. Before my city, I declare my love and take you for my husband.” She closed her eyes and tilted her head back as Mozenrath closed his eyes and leaned forward to capture Jasmine’s lips in a loving and binding kiss.
The people cheered and applauded the union and as the couple parted, Jasmine stepped forward and spoke loud and clear, “I present to you my husband and your new Sultan.” The crowed cheered again as Mozenrath stepped forward to stand beside Jasmine. The citizens appeared happy with their new ruler, knowing that they would suffer most unpleasantly if they did not seem pleased and do exactly as he ordered. Mirage and Set exchanged evil grins as they teleported back to Morbia. A kingdom of light had now become a kingdom of darkness.
