To Eden, in loving thanks for four years of
friendship, and looking forward to many
more.

__________________________________________________________________________

Dark  and Unfamiliar
an original story inspired by Disney's Aladdin
by Sedeara

Prologue

Dark and Unfamiliar, it is the night.
And sometimes, I am too.
But over the distance, I feel your light,
And I know I can do this,
Not for myself, but for you.
Mozenrath thinks I'm under his rule,
Ready to obey his every whim.
But Mozenrath, he is a fool,
And I do nothing for him.
Aladdin, I'm trying, you know that I am.
So please, hold on, be patient, and wait.
I have to keep up the deception as long as I can,
While praying I won't be too late . . .

__________________________________________________________________________
 

~Chapter One~

         "Okay, Abu, you're on our team," Aladdin said.  Abu scampered up his
arm and sat on his shoulder.  Aladdin glanced around at his team-mates,
Jasmine, Rajah, and Abu, and then at his opponents, Genie, Carpet and Iago.
         "Okay, here are the rules," Jasmine began.  "A player runs all the way
around the palace one time, then slaps the hand of the next player.  The first
team to finish wins.  Oh, and since we have one extra player, someone on
your team will have to go twice."
         "I'll do it!" volunteered Genie.
         "Great.  And Iago, Genie, Carpet, no flying OVER the palace,"
Jasmine told them.  "You must go around it."
         "Just to cut back on cheating," said Aladdin, "why don't you give
yourself legs, Genie.  Then you have to run like the rest of us."
         "Sure Al!"  Genie zapped his tail into a pair of blue legs with red curly-
toed shoes.
         "Don't go telling me that I need to run!  Otherwise I'm not playing!"
squawked Iago.
         "Iago and Carpet can fly.  But just remember, you can't fly over the
palace.  No cheaters."  Jasmine looked at pointedly at Iago.
         "I don't believe this!  You honestly think I would cheat?  That hurts.
That really hurts."  Iago turned his back to Jasmine.
         "Ah, don't worry bird-man!" said Genie.  "We can't lose!  We have
Carpet on our team!"
         "Okay, let's get going," said Jasmine.
         "Abu, you're going first."  Aladdin picked Abu off his shoulder and
placed him on the ground.
         "O-Kay!" agreed Abu.
         "You're going first on our team, Iago." Genie pushed Iago to the
starting line.  Then he transformed himself into a large green flag.  "All right
racers . . . On your mark, get set, GO!!"
         Abu and Iago both shot off and were soon out of their team-mates
sight.
         "I'll go next, Jasmine," Aladdin decided.
         "We're gonna win!  We're gonna win!" taunted Genie.
         "Yeah right, Genie.  You don't stand a chance against us!" laughed
Aladdin.
         A short while later, Iago was seen coming around the palace.  Genie
got ready to go next.  "Give me four, Bird-man!"  Iago, panting, flapped by
Genie and slapped his wing to Genie's hand.  Genie shot off running.
         "C'mon Abu!" whispered Aladdin.  "We can still win."
         Abu scampered into view.  "There's Abu!" cried Jasmine. "Get ready,
Aladdin."
         "All right, Abu!"  Aladdin slapped the monkey's tiny
 paw as he slowed down beside him.
         "Go, Aladdin!" yelled Jasmine.
         "Yeah!  Yeah!" encouraged Abu, hopping up and down.
         Aladdin shot off.  Soon he had rounded the first corner of the palace.
"The other team has a head start, but we can still win,"  Aladdin told himself.
It wasn't long until he came into view of Genie.  Now, if he could only catch
up with him . . .  He quickened his pace, his legs began moving faster, as he
drew nearer and nearer to Genie.  "Almost there," he kept telling himself.
         Then, just as he almost caught up, his foot was stopped by a loose
stone in the palace walkway, and suddenly the ground was coming up to meet
him.
         His head hit the stone.  He raised it slowly and shook it.  It hurt, but it
wasn't serious.  If he got up now, he could still catch up with Genie.  As he
picked himself off the ground, his eye was caught by a small black object.
He turned and bent over, examining it.
         It was a flower!  A black flower with a dark blue center.  The petals
were soft and large.  Peculiar . . . he had never seen a plant like this in the
palace gardens before, and there weren't any more growing near it.  But it
was beautiful . . . and perfect for Jasmine!
          He pulled it out of the ground and turned it over in his hands.  Yes,
 she would love it.
         He began to run again, with the stem of the flower held tightly between
his fingers. He couldn't wait to present it to Jasmine.
         He was soon around another corner of the palace, but he was slowing
down.  His legs felt heavy, and the vision before him began to blur.  He
slowed to a walk and didn't begin running again until he had rounded the third
corner.  He was almost done.  He picked up his pace and forced himself to
continue with the race.
         Finally he saw Jasmine.  He brought himself to her as quickly as he
could, then leaned against the wall to catch his breath.  Why was he feeling
so dizzy?
         Jasmine walked up beside him.  She looked at his down-turned face,
which was damp with sweat.  "Aladdin, are you okay?"
         He nodded.  "Yeah.  I'm just . . . tired."  He lifted his head and smiled
at her, holding out the flower.  "For you, Jasmine."
         Jasmine gasped.  "Oh, Aladdin!  It's beautiful!  I've never seen one like
it in my life!"
         "Neither have I.  That's why I thought you might like it."
         "I love it!"  She hugged Aladdin.  "Let me run into the palace.  I'm
going to get a vase for it."
         Genie, who was waiting for Carpet to finish the lap, came up beside
Aladdin.  "Hey, Al, where'd Jasmine go to?  Is she ditching her turn?"
         Aladdin shook his head.  "No, she's getting . . . " Aladdin paused,
feeling he didn't have enough breath. "She's getting a vase . . . for . . . this
flower." Aladdin held it out to show Genie.
         "Aw, isn't that sweet!"  Genie pinched Aladdin's cheek. "You little
Romantic, you!"
         Aladdin began coughing and bent over, gasping for breath.
         "Al?  Al, are you all right?"  Genie asked.
         "I'm fine . . ." panted Aladdin.  "Just tired."
         Jasmine came out of the palace, a shining gold vase in her hands.  "Isn't
this a beautiful vase?  I thought it would be perfect!"  She ran over to
Aladdin.
         He placed the flower into the vase and smiled weakly at Jasmine.
         "Aladdin?"  Jasmine put the vase down. "Aladdin, what's wrong?"
         "Nothing," he answered, although he couldn't focus his eyes on
Jasmine's form in front of him.
         "You're awfully pale," Jasmine whispered, lifting his face to get a
closer look.
         Aladdin tried again to focus his eyes, but everything was looking
distorted.  He could feel hot sweat forming on his face, and he swayed,
unsure if he could keep his balance.  What was wrong with him?
         Suddenly it began getting darker, and darker, and
darker . . .
         "Aladdin!"  screamed Jasmine.  It was the last thing he heard before he
was lost in the blackness.
 

         Carpet came around the palace and stopped in alarm when
 he saw Aladdin.
         "Genie, get some water," commanded Jasmine.  She lifted Aladdin's
head onto her lap.  "He's passed out."
         Genie came back shortly and touched Aladdin's face with a cold rag.
Carpet began fanning Aladdin with his tassels.
         Aladdin's eyes slowly opened.  Through blurred vision, he saw Genie
leaning over him with the rag, and Carpet fanning him.  He felt Jasmine's lap
beneath his head.  "What happened?" he whispered.
         "I don't know," answered Jasmine.  "You just fainted . . . I don't know
why . . . Are you all right?"
         Aladdin shook his head.  He couldn't pretend anymore.
          "Let's get you into the palace," suggested Jasmine.  "You need to lie
down.  Can you get up?"
         "I think so."
         "Is he all right?" Iago whispered to Genie after Jasmine had helped
Aladdin to his feet and brought him over to Carpet.
         Aladdin looked over his shoulder at Iago.  "I knew you cared."
         "Well, it's just that medical bills are so high and all . . . " Iago said,
trying to cover up any concern that may have shown on his face.
         Aladdin crawled onto Carpet and laid down.  His head was beginning
to throb mercilessly.   He closed his eyes again.  A soft bed would be very
welcome.

_________________________________________________________________________

~Chapter Two~
 
         Carpet brought Aladdin into one of the guest rooms and slipped him
onto the bed.   He hadn't opened his eyes again, and he appeared to be
sleeping.
         Jasmine knelt beside the bed.  "Aladdin, can you hear me?" she asked.
He didn't respond.
         Jasmine turned to Genie.  "Genie, do you know what's wrong with
him?"
         Genie instantly transformed himself into a doctor and bent over
Aladdin, as if examining him.  "Okay, give the boy some room."  He pushed
Jasmine out of the way and held out his arm so Abu wouldn't come too close.
         He turned away from Aladdin.  "I have conducted a series of very
complex tests," he said professionally.  "And I have found that the patient,
Aladdin, is very sick."
         Jasmine was annoyed.  She wasn't in the mood for Genie's jokes right
now.  "We already knew that he was sick.  Do you know why?  Or how we
could heal him?"
         Genie shook his head.  "Sorry, Jas."
         Jasmine moved back to the bedside.  "Maybe in the morning," she
whispered, as she pressed her fingers against Aladdin's cold hand.  "Maybe
he'll feel better in the morning."
         "I hope so," said Iago with a shudder.  "I can't stand to be around sick
people."
         "I can't stand to see Aladdin like this," said Jasmine.
         "It's so strange," said Genie slowly.  "Al was fine before."
         "I know," Jasmine agreed.  "At first I thought it was only overexertion.
But it wouldn't have gone on for so long."
         Aladdin began tossing from side to side on the bed, as more sweat
formed on his forehead.
         "Is he waking up?" asked Genie.
         "No," answered Jasmine.  "It looks as if he's . . . dreaming?"
         Iago yawned.  "Well, as much as I hate to leave this charming scene, I
need my beauty rest."
         "It's okay, Iago.  You're all welcome to stay in the palace tonight.  The
guest quarters are in the east wing. Just find a room that you like," Jasmine
told him.
         "Well . . . if you insist . . ."  Iago strolled out of the room, looking for
the most luxurious bed chambers.
         Hours passed while Jasmine, Genie, Carpet, Rajah and Abu kept
constant vigil on Aladdin.  He showed no sign of improvement.  Nor did he
look as if he'd soon wake.
         Genie began nodding off, and soon Jasmine heard the faint hum of his
snoring.
         "Genie."  She shook him gently.  "Genie?"
         "Whoa, I'm up, I'm up!"  He jumped to his feet.  "How's Al?"
         "There hasn't been a change, Genie.  I just thought I'd tell you that
you're welcome to sleep in one of the guest rooms tonight," said Jasmine.
         "I feel really bad about deserting Al," yawned Genie.
         "It's okay.  I'll stay with him," Jasmine assured him.
         "Are you sure?"
         "I insist."
         "Thanks, Jas.  You're a real jewel."  He patted Jasmine on the back and
drowsily dragged himself out of the room.  Carpet, looking apologetically at
Jasmine, until she nodded assurance to him, followed.
         "Do you want to leave too, Abu?"  Jasmine asked the monkey.
 He shook his tiny head.  "Uh-uh."  Then he crawled up onto the pillow
beside Aladdin.
         Jasmine was secretly glad.  Rajah was asleep at her feet, and Aladdin
showed no sign of waking.  Abu's company would be welcome, for it looked
as if it was going to be a long night.

         "Poor Aladdin," taunted Mozenrath.  "Soon Jasmine will be mine,
and there will be no way for you to stop it."
         "You're wrong, Mozenrath!  I won't let you lay a finger on Jasmine!"
yelled Aladdin.
         Mozenrath laughed.  "You are in no condition to stop me."
         "Who says?"
         "See for yourself, Aladdin.  When and if you awake,  you'll hardly be
able to lift your head from the pillows!"   Mozenrath grinned wickedly.
         "No!"  screamed Aladdin.  "You can't control me like
 this.  You can't . . ."
        "I think I can, Aladdin," said Mozenrath.  "When Jasmine comes with
me . . . "
         "No!"

         "No!"  Aladdin cried.  His head jerked from side to side, and his hair
was damp with sweat.
         "Aladdin?"  Jasmine said; He didn't respond but remained in a troubled,
 nightmared sleep.
         "Aladdin.  Aladdin, wake up.  You're having a dream." Jasmine placed
her hands on his shoulders and shook him gently, as Abu crawled onto her
arm and peered at Aladdin's face.
         Aladdin's eyes slowly opened.  "Jasmine?"
         "It's okay, Aladdin," she whispered.  "You were dreaming."
         "No.  It was Mozenrath . . ."
         "A nightmare, Aladdin," she assured him.
         Aladdin tried to sit up but realized that Mozenrath's prediction had
been true.  He didn't feel strong enough to lift his head from the pillows.  So
instead he reached up and grasped Jasmine's hand between his.  "Jasmine," he
gasped, "Jasmine, you can't leave!  When he comes . . ."
         "I'm not going to leave, Aladdin.  I'll stay right here until you feel well
enough to get up," she said.
         "When he comes . . ." continued Aladdin, fear in his eyes.
         "No, Aladdin, no one is going to come.  You're going to be fine."
         "Don't leave me, Jasmine.  No matter what he may say, you can't leave
me," he told her.
         "Aladdin, you don't have to worry," she tried to convince him.
"Everything is fine. You had a nightmare.  That's all it was.  A nightmare."
         "Jasmine . . ."
         "What?"
         Aladdin's eyelids were growing heavy, and his head was beginning to
throb again as Jasmine became a blur of tan, blue, and black.  "It's a trap," he
gasped.  "A trap . . ."
         He closed his eyes and fell into a silent sleep.
 

         The first rays of sun were beginning to fall on Aladdin, Abu, and
Jasmine.  Aladdin had slept through the rest of the night without waking, and
his nightmares didn't seem as severe, although there were times lasting only
seconds when he still tossed violently.  These were so short that they were
over before Jasmine could decide whether she should wake him from it.  He
hadn't shown any improvement.  Nor had his fever hot body lowered its
temperature, even though he occasionally shivered.
         Jasmine sat beside the bed, her knees drawn up to her chest and her
head pressed into the cradle of her hands.   Rajah, who had awakened only
half an hour before, nuzzled his soft face against Jasmine's.  She rubbed her
cheek on his fur and felt hot tears begin to slide from her eyes. Is there
anything I can do? she asked herself.   For if there is, I know I could
make myself do it for Aladdin, no matter how awful it would otherwise seem.
         Genie entered the room, and Jasmine lifted her head, brushing at the
tears on her face.
         "Jas?"  Genie came toward her.  "What's wrong?"
         She shook her head.  "I'm so scared . . ."  her voice cracked as she
glanced over at Aladdin.  "I don't know what to do."
         "Oh, Jas," whispered Genie.  Carpet came behind her and laid a tassel
on her shoulder.  Abu patted her hand.
         "Thanks, guys."  She tried to steady her voice.
         "Was there any change in him?" asked Genie.
         "He's been having nightmares," answered Jasmine.  "Once they were
especially bad, and I woke him up.  He was afraid I was going to leave him . .
. and he kept saying something about 'when he comes'."  She shook her head.
"I think he's delirious."
         "How long was he awake?"
         "Only a few minutes."  She paused.  "And that's the scary part.  He
looked as if he couldn't stay awake any longer than that.  He was trying, I
know that he was . . ."
         Iago, who had been watching from the doorway, slowly flapped in.  He
felt out of place, and he didn't know what he could say.  So he just perched
on Genie's shoulder and watched the scene.
         "Jasmine!"  Aladdin screamed.  "Jasmine!  No!  Don't!"
         Jasmine turned away from her friends.  "Aladdin?"  She shook him, but
he wouldn't wake up.  She faced Genie.  "He's having another nightmare, but
I can't break him out of it."
         Genie began growing before Jasmine's eyes until he was a giant blue
alarm clock.  "This will do the trick," he assured her.  Moments later, a loud
bell was ringing; a bell so loud that Jasmine had to cover her ears.  But
Aladdin didn't stir.
         Genie scratched his head, as he changed back to himself.  "Funny, it
always worked at home . . ."
         "He's not getting any better, Genie!" Jasmine stood up and headed for
the door.  "I'm going to send for a doctor."
         "I don't think that will be necessary, Princess."
         Jasmine froze in her tracks.  The voice belonged to Mozenrath.

__________________________________________________________________________

~Chapter Three~

         Jasmine forced herself to turn toward the voice.  Mozenrath stood
near the bed where Aladdin lay, looking at Jasmine as if he had every right to
be in the palace.
         "What are you doing here, Mozenrath?" demanded Jasmine, trying not
to let her fear show.
         "Princess, do I sense a little hostility?"  Mozenrath smiled.  "I have, in
fact, come to help you."
         "Mozenrath help," echoed Xurxis, whom Jasmine had just noticed was
with Mozenrath.
         "As if we're going to believe that, Wiz-Kid," said Genie, glaring.
         "I would prefer if all of you would refrain from making that guy mad
until I'm safely out of reach," said Iago, tiptoeing out of the room and out of
any possible danger.
         "Now, you are probably wondering what I could do to help you,"
began Mozenrath.  "Well, to put it simply, I can cure Aladdin."
         "Cure Aladdin.  Cure Aladdin," repeated his pet.
         "Since when do you care about helping us?" asked Genie suspiciously.
         "My, but you do underestimate me," replied Mozenrath.
         Jasmine stepped forward.  If Mozenrath could cure Aladdin, she was
willing to give it a chance.  Right now, they were going nowhere.  "If what
you say is true, why don't you just cure him right now?"
         "To cross the bridge a toll must be paid," he replied.
         "What's your price, Mozenrath?"  said Jasmine.
         "Oh, it's nothing, really.  I simply require that you come back to the
Land of the Black Sand with me."  His hand went around Jasmine's wrist.
         "Why would you want me to come back with you, Mozenrath?"  She
pulled her arm out of his grip.
         "Oh, I have my reasons."
 Jasmine hesitated.  What could be done?  If she said yes, who knew
what he had in store for her?  Mozenrath was dangerous . . . one of the most
dangerous people she'd ever known . . .
         "Well," said Mozenrath casually, "if you don't value your boyfriend's
life . . ."
         Jasmine threw Mozenrath a dirty look.  Then she sighed.  He really had
her in his trap.  There was no other choice . . . for Aladdin she would do it . . .
but not alone.
         "I'll come with you, Mozenrath," started Jasmine,  "but I too have a
condition.  I will not go without a companion."
         Mozenrath laughed.  "Why Princess, don't you trust me?"
         "You've given me no reason to."
         He considered.  If she brought another along, then it would be one
more against him.  But, that also meant it would give him a chance to
dominate more than just Jasmine's life.  Aladdin wouldn't be cured in time,
Jasmine would be his servant, and if someone else joined them, he was sure
he could get that one out of the way.   "Very well, Princess.  Choose your . . .
companion."
         Jasmine looked around the room.   Genie? No, being easily within
Mozenrath's reach was too  much of a risk.  Mozenrath had been after
Genie's power for a long time.  For the same reasons, Carpet wouldn't do
either.  Abu was pleading with his large eyes to stay with Aladdin, and Iago
had proven to be too much of a coward to be of real help. And that left her
with Rajah.  "Rajah?"
         He pressed against her leg and looked up into her face as if to say "I'm
here to do what you wish of me."  Rajah wasn't magical, which meant
Mozenrath wouldn't be after him.  But he was strong and a good protector.
More importantly, he was a faithful companion.  Yes, Rajah would
be the one to go with her.
         "I'm taking Rajah," Jasmine told Mozenrath.
         "All right.  Now, we mustn't keep that cure waiting, Princess," warned
Mozenrath.  "Are we ready to go?"
         "Let me say good-bye."
         "If you must."
         "Jas, let me go!" pleaded Genie.
         Jasmine shook her head.  "I don't know what Mozenrath wants of me,
but his magic is too much of a threat to you. Besides, somebody needs to stay
with Aladdin."
         "Abu."  Jasmine hugged him.  "Keep watch over Aladdin."
         "Uh-huh!"  Abu saluted Jasmine.
         Jasmine stroked Carpet affectionately.  "I know they'll be safe with
you."
         Finally she bent to Aladdin's bed.   He lay so still that it was hard to
believe he was still living.  It made her heart break to see him like that.  He
who was always adventurous and daring, made helpless.  She would do
nearly anything to bring him back to himself.
         She brushed her lips over his feverish forehead.  "I don't know if you
can hear me, but know always that I love you."
         "Oh, isn't this touching," said Mozenrath sarcastically.  He made a
chain and collar appear, which he clipped onto Rajah.  "Are you done yet?"
 Jasmine stood up.  "I'm ready."
         "Good."  He caught both her arms in his gloved hand, which was far
stronger than the other, and pulled her behind him.
         Her head bent down submissively as she followed.  She prayed
Mozenrath wouldn't see the tear that trickled down her face.  What was she
getting herself into?
 
 

         Jasmine couldn't keep a chill from running through her body as she
stepped into Mozenrath's dark and sinister castle.  Never before had she come
to the Land of the Black Sand under these circumstances: as payment, and
basically, alone.  She reached out to touch Rajah's fur, hoping to draw
reassurance from it.
         Mozenrath was leading her through many dark twisting corridors.  She
realized too late that she should have been paying attention to where they
were going, because if it became necessary, she wanted to have an escape
route planned.
         He stopped before a black door at the end of the hall. He stepped aside
and gestured at the entrance.  "This will  be your room, Princess.  You will
find more suitable attire on the bed."
         "What do you mean?"
         Mozenrath looked her over.  "You will not fit in around here wearing
that. "  He gestured at her light blue top and pantaloons.
         She glanced down at herself.  She noted that her clothing was unlike
anything usually worn in the Land of the Black Sand, but why would it matter
to Mozenrath?  "I need to know why you wanted me here."
         "You'll find out . . . in time."
         "I don't have time!" she cried.  "I'm doing this for Aladdin, not for you!
I'm here because Aladdin's sick, and I would do anything to cure him.  He
doesn't have time to wait for that cure!"
         "Sorry, Princess.  But I'm holding the cards in this game, and we play
by my rules."
         "But it's not a game, Mozenrath!  Aladdin's life isn't something to be
played with and bargained for!"  She turned away from him, realizing that
there was no point in trying to explain it to him.  "I should've known you
wouldn't understand."
         "You're right," Mozenrath agreed.  "I don't understand it.  I don't
understand why anybody would put her life in danger to save someone else's.
She who does it is a fool."
         "It's called love, Mozenrath.  I pity you for not knowing that."
         "Save your pity for yourself, Princess.  When you play against me, you
can't win," Mozenrath said.
         "I'm not playing against you, Mozenrath.  You have something I want,
and I'm getting it by fair means.  You said I needed to come back here with
you, and you'd give me the cure.  We made a deal.  In a bargain, there aren't
winners or losers," Jasmine said.
         "You have a lot to learn," Mozenrath laughed as he pulled his cape in
front of his body, swirled it up to cover his head, and disappeared.
         Jasmine's hands were shaking as she rattled the gold latch to her room.
Finally, it came open, and Jasmine stepped in, Rajah following close behind
her.
          The chamber was large and dark.  A curtain less window showed
the black sky.  Opposite from the window was a large bed.  It had sheets of
black silk and a black stone headboard bejeweled with rubies, sapphires, and
emeralds.  The walls were made of smoky stone.
         A dark dresser stood against the wall by the widow.  It had a large
mirror on it, which had flame-like designs on its top, making the glass appear
to be consumed in fire.
         Jasmine shivered with the sense of evil the room seemed to be
shadowed in.  Too many blacks, dark colors, the colors of Mozenrath . . . the
colors of hate.  How can I stay in a place like this? she wondered.
 I shouldn't have to.  I told Mozenrath I'd come back with him, but I
didn't say I would stay days or even hours.  But here she was, in a room
given to her by him, a bed she was suppose to sleep in, clothes she was
expected to wear.
         She let herself down on the bed.  It was surprisingly soft, and she was
tempted to go to sleep, especially after staying up all night with Aladdin.  But
she'd probably be too tense to get a decent rest.
         Instead, she began to examine the outfit Mozenrath had given her.
         The dress was tight fitting and of dark blue velvet. The sleeves ended
in a "V" just above where the hands came out and were lined with
shimmering gold ribbon.  The belt was also "V" shaped and matched the
ribbon.  The bodice of the dress was embroidered with gold designs like
swirling smoke.
         Laid behind the dress was a black cape.  It was made to go over the
shoulders and clasped at the neck.  It had small creases all the way around it.
         Jasmine had to admit, the clothes were beautifully made, even though
their designs and colors represented the Land of the Black Sand.  It was
funny how tempted she was to try the garments on, when she had closets full
of expensive clothes at home.
          Well, what can it hurt?  Changing my clothes won't change me.
 And the outfit I'm wearing  is getting wrinkled and dirty.  It would feel
good to get into something clean.

         She slipped out of her top and pantaloons, and stepped into the long
blue dress.  She zipped it up, then pulled the cape off the bed.
         It fell on her shoulders perfectly and brushed against her back and legs
until it touched the floor.  When she walked, it swayed and billowed as it
caught a breeze from the open window.  It was so long that it trailed on the
floor when the wind died and laid it back against her body.
         She then noticed the pair of silk black slippers by the bed.  She slid her
feet into them, and they shaped to her foot as if they had been designed only
for her.
         Curious, she brought herself to the dresser to see herself in the mirror.
But before she did that, she noticed the pair of gold earrings glistening in the
top drawer.  She took them out and pinned them in her ears to complete the
outfit.
         She raised her eyes, which met the identical eyes of her reflection.  She
gasped.  She looked like a totally different person in the dress . . . cape . . .
even the earrings seemed to make an immense difference.  As many outfits as
she had tried on, never had one made her look so dramatically changed.
         She shivered and suddenly felt foolish.  She had behaved like a child,
eager to try on a new dress . . . trying to look like someone else.  Why had
she wanted to do it?  She knew now that even though her other outfit was
rumpled and dirty, it wasn't the only reason she had changed.  For if it had
been entirely for comfort or sanitary reasons, she wouldn't have put on the
cape, the earrings, or the slippers.
         Self-anger within her flamed up.  What am I doing?  For Aladdin,
every minute is vital.  And here I am, behaving like a vain child, trying on a
new outfit, complete with accessories.
         She slammed her fists onto the dresser top, trying to find a way to vent
her bizarre emotions.  And then the tears came to her eyes, and she ran back
to the bed, throwing herself onto it and shaking with unexpected sobs.
 Rajah was confused.  Why had Jasmine's emotions suddenly swayed
and become uncontrollable?  What had been done to her?  What was she
going through?  Trying his best to comfort her, he rubbed his face against her
cheek and let her cry until she fell asleep.

__________________________________________________________________________

~Chapter Four~

         Jasmine awoke with an awful sense of not knowing where she was.
What was she doing here in this dark and gloomy bedroom?  Why had she
come here?  And thinking more about it, she realized she did not even know
how she had gotten here.
         She tried to sort things out as she sat up, but memories of the day
before and her reasons for being where she was wouldn't come to her.  But
there was one thing she did know: She didn't want to be here.  She was here
against her will.  And for the moment, that was enough for her.  She was
going to find a way out.
         She slipped off the bed, and Rajah lifted his head when he discovered
that she had awakened.  He rubbed against her, and she stroked his fur,
knowing through her blurry thoughts that he was a friend.
         She left the room, Rajah close behind her, and roamed the forbidding
halls.  How could she get out?
         She was rounding numerous corners and passing through many
doorways, none of them bringing her where she wanted to be.  She didn't
know why she was afraid of this place or how she could find a way out, but
she knew that she was somehow desperate to find one and continued to
search.
         She passed through a hall-way that seemed vaguely familiar to her, and
she racked her brain as she tried to recollect why.  The night before . . . it was
coming back to her as she continued down the hall.  She had been afraid, but
she had come because . . . why?  Something which was very important to her,
something she was trying to save had brought her . . . but what was it?
         If only she had a human companion . . . did she have a best friend?  A
husband?
         A flash of memory showed her sitting beside a large and elaborate
water fountain, looking into the water with frustration in her heart.  "I don't
even have any real friends," she heard herself say.  Then she added, "Except
 you, Rajah."
         Her best friend was the tiger at her side.   But there were still so many
questions: Am I married?  Where is my family?
         A man flashed into her thoughts, a man with sparkling brown eyes and
a kind smile.  He had thick black hair which was always a little mussed, and
skin the same color as her own.  And he was a man whom she trusted . . .
loved . . .
         Aladdin!  And with that thought, she remembered everything:
Mozenrath and the deal he made with her to get the cure . . . the night of
staying up in a worried watch over her fiancé, and the way she had hated
herself for her foolish behavior before she fell asleep.
         Before I fell asleep? Her thoughts became panicked.  How long did
I sleep?  How would I know? The Land of the Black Sand was always dark,
and she had no way to keep track of how much time had passed.  What if she
had slept for hours?  Days? What would happen to Aladdin? Or what already
had?
         She saw the large doorway ahead of her and rushed ahead, knowing it
was the way out.  Was she too late?  Would she return to Agrabah to discover
that she had slept for days, and because of her, Aladdin was . . .
         No, she couldn't think of that.  Panting, she brought herself to the door .
. . her way out.  With both hands, she grasped the handle and was ready to
pull.
         Suddenly her body jerked as a terrible pain struck it . . . as if she had
been hit from behind.  She frantically looked over her shoulder, but there was
no one there.  The pain was continuing . . . a burning, cutting pain, now
starting at her fingertips and slashing through her entire body.
         She noticed then that the latch her hands clutched was consumed in a
flaming blue light, and it was traveling up her arms through her fingertips.
She tried to pull herself away from the doorway, but it seemed to hold her to
it, not allowing her to let go and escape the pain.  She screamed with anguish
and frustration before she felt her head hit the ground and throw her once
again into blackness.
 

         "Don't worry, Xurxis.  She'll be okay."  Mozenrath bent over Jasmine's
body sprawled on the floor.  "She's just received a shock."
         "Shock!  Shock!"
         "She's learned the hard way that she cannot escape me."  Mozenrath
laughed.  "To think she is so trusting and naive that she thought I would
actually give her the cure simply because she came here.  No, no.  I want
more than that.  And by the time I get it, the cure won't matter to her
anyway."
         Rajah showed his teeth and growled at Mozenrath.
         "Oh look, Xurxis.  The royal kitty is angry with me."  Mozenrath raised
his hands in front of his face in mock fear.  Then he laughed again and held
out his gloved hand, summoning his power to chain Rajah against the wall.
         He put his arms under Jasmine's limp body and lifted her off the
ground.  "I'll take her back to her room, and when she awakens, the lessons
will begin."
         "Already?" asked Xurxis.
         "Yes, Xurxis, already.  The princess and I do have one thing in
common.  We can't afford to lose any time."  He turned away and started
down the many halls to take him back to Jasmine's quarters.
 

         Jasmine's eyes fluttered opened, and she was overwhelmed with a
sense of deja-vu.  Why am I here?  Where am I?  How did I get here? All
the same questions of before flooded back to her, as if she had been sent back
in time to repeat everything over again.
         But as she sat up, she realized that something was different about this
time: she was not alone.
         In a dark corner of the room, Mozenrath sat in a black chair, his hands
positioned so the fingertips formed a peak.  "Ah, you're awake.  It is time for
the lessons to begin."
         Lessons?  What lessons?  Is that why I'm here?  To have this man
teach me something?  What?  Teach me what?  And why?  Frustration swept
over her.  Where are the answers?
         "What is your name?" she asked the man.
         "Mozenrath."  He did not look surprised that she didn't remember him.
         "Am I here just to take . . . lessons?"
         Mozenrath shrugged as he arose from the chair.  "More or less.  Come
with me, Princess."
         She did as she was told, following him into another portion of the
castle which she was sure she had never seen before.  They began climbing
dizzying staircases, which Jasmine felt would never end.
         Finally, breathless, she found herself in the room at the top of the
tower. It was a round chamber, made from  smoke-stained stones. Starting at
the bottom and rising to the center of the wall was a design of blue flames.  It
came  down to the floor and twisted around, until it made an azure  swirl in
the middle of the floor, right where Mozenrath stood.
         "The lessons will begin now, Jasmine.  Come, stand by me."
         She stepped slowly forward until she was in front of him.  "What am I
going to learn?"
         "To use magic correctly."
         "I don't have any magic . . . do I?"
         "No, of course not.  Not yet, anyway.  For the sessions you may
temporarily borrow some of mine and practice harnessing and controlling it.
When I know that you are worthy, you shall be given your own."  Mozenrath
held out his gloved hand to Jasmine.  "Press your fingertips against mine."
         She did this and felt an odd and overwhelming sense come over her.  It
sent shivers down her spine and made her fingers tingle.  She was tempted to
pull herself away from this strange sensation, yet something inside her wanted
to discover more.
         Mozenrath's hand pulled away from hers.  "That's enough."
         Jasmine's hands were still tingling, and now they began shaking, then
glowing slightly blue.  She looked up at Mozenrath, frightened.  "What's
happening?"
         "Nothing.  Yet."
         And with Jasmine completely vulnerable and unaware of what was to
become of her, Mozenrath began his teachings.  Over the next few sessions,
Jasmine was given information never given to another.  Why he wanted her to
receive it, she didn't know, and that was the reason she continued to accept
his teachings.  She decided if her mind was blurry, she would have to trust
someone else's.  She didn't know the danger she was putting herself in by
making that person to trust Mozenrath.
         Whether hours, days, or weeks passed, Jasmine didn't know.  Her time
fell into a routine of learning to harness Mozenrath's magic, sleeping, and
searching for herself.  The same  questions repeated over and over in her
mind. Who am I?   Why am I here?  What is happening to me?
         Under all of this, lay one thing she still managed to remember.  She
wanted to leave this place, and she knew the way out.  Frequently she
returned to that door, her only known exit.  Every time she gripped the latch,
the strong magic shock chilled her body, but now she was able to pull her
hands away from it before she lost consciousness.
         But every time she felt the sting of that magic, she was
losing more of herself, forgetting who she was, until she no longer had a
desire to leave the castle, but went to the door only out of habit.
         Rajah continually tried to remind her of her identity and her mission,
but his efforts were futile.  Even so, if his mistress continued to try to get out,
there was  still hope that she knew a little of herself.  He did not know that
she now went to the door only out of habit, as part of her routine.
         He was following her to the exit, wondering if maybe this time . . .
maybe this time they would be able to get out.  But he was convinced that she
would touch the door, suddenly jerk away, and leave for her sessions with
Mozenrath, as happened every time she tried to open it.
         Jasmine placed her hands on the latch, and found to her surprise, that
the pain did not rush through her body, that she did not feel a thing.  It was
like opening the door to her room, or Mozenrath's teaching chambers.  She
pushed it open, and Rajah perked up.   They were free!
         Jasmine looked out upon the dark city and swirling black sands that
blew before her.  She had opened the door . . . she could leave now . . . if she
wanted to.  But what would she do then?  Did she have a life beyond this
place?  A family?  Was there anything out there for her?  Where would she go
if she did leave?  What would she do?  Would she be left poor and
homeless?
         The world out there seemed dark and scary, and Jasmine decidedly
closed the door on it.  Why should I leave? I haven't even finished my
lessons yet.  For the teachings were becoming the only part of her life that
she enjoyed.  She could always remember them, and they never left her.  For
the time which they were in session, she was in control.
         Being in control was now very important to her.  Without knowing who
she really was, she couldn't control her life, she couldn't make decisions, she
didn't have any memories of what came before this place.  The magic was the
only thing that let her escape.
         To Rajah's dismay, Jasmine turned away from the door and headed for
her room.  Hanging his head, the tiger followed her with a great
disappointment weighing him down.  Why was his mistress not leaving this
place?  Had she forgotten home?  Aladdin?  Had she forgotten that
Mozenrath was her bitter enemy?  Had she completely forgotten . . . herself?
 

__________________________________________________________________________

~Chapter Five~

         The Sultan paced the spare room.  "How could you let Jasmine go off
with that fiend?"  he cried, turning to Genie.
         "Well . . . uh . . ."  Genie's hands nervously fluttered as he tried again
to explain it to the Sultan.
         "And without telling me!"  The Sultan shook his head.  "How long has
she been gone?"
         Genie turned himself into a giant calendar.  "As our time systems go,
only three days."
         The Sultan sat down at a desk.  "I knew I shouldn't have gone on that
business trip to Getsestan," he muttered. "I come back and my only daughter
has run off to the Land of the Black Sand . . . alone."
         "Well, she did have the kitty," reminded Genie.
         "How long did Mozenrath require her to stay before he would give her
the cure?" asked the Sultan.
         "Well . . . he didn't exactly give us a time or anything . . ."
         "You don't know?"  the Sultan put his head in his hands.  "I'm sending
out guards . . ."
         "Oh, that's a good idea," grumbled Iago.  "Its not enough that his
daughter is gone, he wants to eliminate Agrabah's defense systems, too."
         "The bird might have a point," said Genie.  "Guards really aren't a
match for Mozenrath."
         "Then who is?" asked the Sultan, worry on his face.
         Genie glanced over at Aladdin.  If he were well . . . but he wasn't.
Jasmine had defeated Mozenrath almost single-handed before; he wouldn't
give up hope that she could do it again.  But what if. . . Genie shook his head.
He wouldn't think about anything to further worry himself.  The Sultan was
upset enough for everyone.
         "My daughter . . ." whispered the Sultan. "My poor daughter."
         "Jasmine!"
         Everyone whirled around at the voice.  Aladdin had screamed her
name, but he wasn't awake.  Another of his nightmares . . .
         Genie shook him.  "C'mon Al.  This has gone on long enough!  Wake
up!  Tell us you were just joking."
         Aladdin was tossing so violently that Genie had his hands thrown off
his shoulders.  Aladdin began again to scream in his sleep.
         "You can't forget!  Don't forget me!  Don't forget us!  Don't forget
yourself!"  he yelled.
         "His dreams are so odd," said the Sultan.  "Always he seems to be
speaking to someone, but he's off in his own world and won't snap out of it,
no matter what we do."
         "Yeah," agreed Genie.  "Poor boy's illness is making him delirious."
 

         Jasmine jerked out of a night-mare ridden sleep.  What had she been
dreaming of?  Who was calling to her?  And why did it seem important that
she remember?
         She sat up and slipped out of the bed.  Something was telling her to
remember that dream . . . to remember the one who was calling out to her . . .
         She shook her head, thinking,  that's silly.  Dreams are no more than
bits of imagination or thought left over from waking hours.  There is nothing
to be learned or gained from them . . . is there?
         Yet, she couldn't bring herself to believe that this dream was the same
as all  the others she had . . . it was so real . . . But how could she know if it
was "real" if she couldn't remember it?
         The more she tried to recall of her "other" life, the more this life
seemed to be only a dream . . . no point to it . . . no reason for any of her
actions.  She didn't even know how old she was or how long she'd been living
here, learning from "the master", as Mozenrath had told her to address him.
But . . . there had been a time when she was in control of her life, her
decisions, and she'd had a reason for living.  If only she could remember
those times . . .
         She turned around and noticed that her bed sheets were wrinkled and
scattered unevenly on the bed.  She must have been tossing more than usual
while she slept.  She pulled the blankets off the bed and shook the creases out
of them, leaving behind her a bare mattress.
         Then, as she was waving the silk over the bed, she noticed something
blue showing from underneath it.  But this blue was a different shade than that
of which she was used to seeing in the castle . . . it was more like aqua.
         Dropping the sheets, she fell to her knees beside the bed and looked
underneath, wondering what it was she had seen.  It was fabric . . . very
expensive, from the look of it.
         She pulled it out and held it up in front of her.  It was a pair of
pantaloons!  And on the floor in front of those was a matching top.
         The difference between it and the azure dress she now wore was like
night and day, yet she knew it was her own, she had worn it in her past . . .
but long, long ago.
         She stuck her hand beneath the bed again and pulled out three more
articles:  two gold curly-toed shoes and a jeweled headband, both of them
matching the clothes she had earlier discovered.
         The shoes were of little importance; they could be found anywhere.
But the crown . . . she turned it over in her hands, examining it.  The jewel
adorning it was real and valuable.  The hairpiece was simple, yet it wasn't
something worn by commoners.  It could be afforded only by the wealthy . . .
the royalty.
         But if these were hers, did that mean that she was royalty?  Mozenrath
rarely addressed her as Jasmine, but as "Princess", but she had never given
the title much thought before.  Was she truly a princess?  Of the Land
of the Black Sand?
         She shook her head.  That couldn't be right.  Mozenrath was clearly the
boss around here, and the only way that she could have inherited power
would be through marriage, and she knew she was not his wife.  Nor was she
his daughter . . . she was no more than his pupil, his student, his apprentice.
         But the garments on her lap and the crown in her hands were in the
design of those worn by Arab princesses . . . and she knew that they belonged
to her . . . so that would make her . . . the royalty of someplace . . . but
where?
     If I'm heiress to a kingdom, what need have I for a "master"?  What
do I need to control magic for?  Why am I really here?  My teacher is
holding something back from me.  He knows who I am, where I came from and why
I'm here.  But why hasn't he told me?  What is he hiding?
         Letting the princess garb fall to the floor, she picked herself up and left
the room.  She felt so near grasping something, something that was taunting
her from the back of her mind, but she couldn't bring it forward, nor did she
know of anyone else who could tell her the truth.  The only thing she could do
was find it on her own.
         She began moving through the back halls, knowing that those near her
own room had been roamed many times and never before given her answers.
         She shivered as she stepped into another black corridor.  These halls
were dark and unfamiliar . . . just like the person I am becoming, she
realized. I know the powers I'm learning to control are those of evil, but
that never mattered much before.  But I'm not that kind  of person, not the
kind to turn to evil, not the kind that needs control over something to feel
powerful.  I've never desired that before . . . but here I am, learning to
control, to manipulate, to become evil . . . learning from Mozenrath.  I no
longer know myself . . . my soul is a stranger trapped in this body. The real
me is becoming lost . . . fading . . . dying. . . Can I find it?  Bring it back?
Make it live?
         To her surprise, the hallway ended with a large window. She brought
herself to it and looked down over the view it offered her, which wasn't much.
A huge wall ran around this portion of the castle, and she couldn't see the
cities or light that lay beyond, as she could from other windows. She looked
straight down, wondering how high she was, and was astonished to see a
patch of black flowers with blue centers growing near the walls.  Strange . . .
she had never seen plants such as these . . . had never even seen flowers
growing around here . . .
         She suddenly froze, unable to move as some invisible force grasped at
her mind.  She was wrong . . . she had seen these . . . wherever she came
from before her life here . . .

         The man was panting and gasping for air.  His face was sweating,
and his hair was hanging over his eyes.  He looked up at her and smiled,
holding out a large-leafed black flower . . . a black flower with a blue center.
        "For you, Jasmine."
         She gasped.  It was so beautiful . . . even more so because of he who
presented it to her . . . Her fiancé.  "Oh, Aladdin, it's beautiful!  I've never
seen one like it in my life."
         "Neither have I.  That's why I thought you might like it."
         She threw her arms about his neck in a quick embrace. "I love it!"
 And she had left.  Returning with a vase . . . the man placed the flower
in it . . . but something was wrong . . . he was weak, gasping, and then . . .
she watched him fall and screamed his name.  She ran to catch him, but he
had already hit the ground . . . she lifted his head and placed it onto her lap
. . . someone brought water . . . he came to, and . . .

         . . . She was in a room . . . but not alone.  Her tiger, Rajah, was at her
feet.  A blue creature . . . a Genie was beside her . . . a talking parrot, by the
name of Iago . . . a tiny monkey, who meant as much to the man as Rajah
meant to her . . .
         She knelt beside the man's . . . Aladdin?  Was that his name?  She was
kneeling beside the bed, her hand was pressed into his . . . she was hoping,
praying . . . if only he would wake up . . . she would do anything to cure him
. . .
         . . . He had awaken later that night . . . but this time the room was
empty, save for her and the monkey.
         "It was Mozenrath . . ."
         . . . Aladdin knew him, the man she was staying with . . . he had been
dreaming of him . . .
         "A nightmare, Aladdin."
         "Don't leave me, Jasmine.  No matter what he may say, you can't
leave me . . ."
         She was smoothing his hair back from his face . . . "Everything is fine
. . ." she had told him, "You had a nightmare.  That's all it was . . ."
         "Jasmine . . ."
         "What?"
         His eyes began to close, and she watched him struggle to keep them
open . . . until weariness won the battle and the lids slowly covered his eyes .
. . "It's a trap . . ." he had murmured before loosing himself in sleep.  "A trap
. . ."

         . . . She was scared . . . so scared.  She let herself cry, tears ran down
her cheeks and wet the tiger's fur . . . until she was discovered by friends . . .
Aladdin wasn't getting any better . . . he wouldn't wake up . . . he was
becoming lost to them . . . she was going to find the doctor.
         "I don't think that will be necessary, Princess."
 She had been afraid of him . . . the master . . . no, he was not her
master . . . her enemy . . . he had the cure . . . he would heal Aladdin . . . if
she went with him . . .
         So she agreed . . . she was frightened . . . but Aladdin had made her
go on . . . no, not Aladdin, but her love for him . . .

         . . . she had come here . . . felt a strange presence from the start . . .
been somehow possessed to put on the dress and cloak she now always wore
and shed her airy Princess attire . . . which had made her guilty . . . there
had been more tears . . . she had not understood herself . . . and then there
was sleep . . . and forgetting . . . and losing herself . . . a loss which
continued to grow larger as she stayed . . .
 
         . . . she had attempted escape . . . but the door forbid her to pass
through it . . . it hurt her, every time she touched it . . . except once.  But she
had not left because she didn't know who she was . . . she had no reason to
leave . . . she had no memories . . . but now
 . . .
 

         Jasmine began shaking.  Memories were flooding back to her more
quickly than she could deal with them.  She sank to the floor and put her head
into her hands.  She had to put these things together . . . but there was more to
learn . . .

         . . . It was that man again . . . Aladdin.  He was standing in the castle
with her.
         "Jasmine!" he called out to her.
         She slowly turned around and saw him . . . did she know him?  Why
was he familiar to her?  Why was he so important? He knew her . . . knew
her better than she knew herself at the time.
         "You can't forget!" he cried.  "Don't forget me!  Don't forget us!  Don't
forget yourself!"
         She stared at him . . . he meant so much to her . . . she needed to
remember what he was trying to remind her of . . . she couldn't loose herself
. . .

         Her head jerked up.  That was not a memory . . . it was her dream.  It
was the dream she'd had before deciding to leave her room.
         The memories had washed over her so quickly . . . yet nothing was left
out.  She remembered.  She remembered Aladdin, how she had met him, why
he was important to her . . .
         She remembered her childhood, her father . . .
         Her friends. The tiger wasn't the only one.  The bird.  She remembered
Jafar, and the way Iago had proven himself their friend after rough
misunderstandings.
         The monkey had been with Aladdin for as long as she could remember.
He had been with him the day she had met him and was a friend.
The Genie, too, was part of their clan.  She even recalled where he came from
and all her adventures with him.
         There was one last person to fit into the forming puzzle of her
memories . . . Mozenrath.
         She closed her eyes and concentrated, letting herself become the
person she had been before this place . . . Her head shot up.  The memories
were all there . . . every last one of them . . . and a boiling rage burned up
inside of her as she realized exactly what had happened.
         It was Mozenrath who had caused Aladdin's sickness! The flower he'd
given her didn't grow around Agrabah, it had come from here, the Land of the
Black Sand.  Aladdin had fallen ill after touching it, and he had been the only
one to touch it.  Mozenrath tricked me!  He's using me!  . . . he knows I love
Aladdin and takes it as a weakness . . . when in actuality I have a force
stronger than Mozenrath can ever hope to possess.
         He's been brainwashing me; he attacked when I was confused and
afraid . . . when I was vulnerable.  It's not going to happen again.
         She had told him that she would come with him for the cure, but . . .
how long had passed since she had arrived? It seemed centuries . . . too long;
what was happening to Aladdin?
         She didn't doubt that Mozenrath did have the cure, for he grew the
flowers and would surely have the antidote  for their poison.  But he had no
intention of giving it to her.
         The anger flamed up inside her . . . a hatred and loathing for
Mozenrath, this place, what he thought he could do to her.  She wasn't going
to take it anymore.
         "Mozenrath!" she yelled, running down the hall.  Which room was his?
It didn't matter; she'd find him soon.  "Mozenrath!"  Her voice carried all the
fury of her emotions and echoed through the hallways as she screamed it
 repeatedly.
         A door opened at her side, and she turned.  Mozenrath emerged from
it, dark circles under his eyes and an annoyed look on his face.  He was
fastening his cape about his shoulders.  "Lower your voice!" he commanded.
Then his eyes narrowed.  "Why are you awake?  I will not have  you
awakening before I do, ever! Now, go back to your room, and sleep until I
permit you to arise."
         Her eyes flamed.  "Give me the cure, Mozenrath."
 He looked slightly surprised.  "The cure?"
         "Don't play dumb.  You know what it is.  You promised it to me long
ago!  It is time for me to receive it."
         "Oh, that.  Yes, you will get it soon enough."
         "I want it now."
         Mozenrath yawned.  "When you are mine, then you can have it."
         "When I am yours?  What do you mean?"
         "When you are my servant, my housekeeper . . . my wife."
         At that moment, Jasmine felt that if it was within her power to do so,
she would kill him.  But he held the cure, and it was that which kept her at his
mercy.  But this was going too far.  "Mozenrath, if you are proposing that
I marry you, you are out of your mind."
         "Listen to what I have to say, Princess," he started. "If this cure is truly
as precious to you as you make it seem, you will do this.  I promise this to
you: if you marry me, I will find a way to get you your antidote."
         Jasmine wanted to slap him, enraged at the way he tried to control her.
"This wasn't in the bargain," she said coldly.
         "Wasn't it?"
         "No!  You told me I simply had to come here with you. I have done
that!  I have stayed far longer than I had planned.  I have carried out my end
of the deal!  It is time for you to carry out yours."
         Xurxis came out then.  "Said yes?" he asked.
 Mozenrath turned to him.  "No, Xurxis.  She doesn't know what's good
for her."
         Jasmine spun away from him and returned to her room, slamming the
door behind her and waking Rajah.  Her flaming anger was then replaced by
frustration and despair. What had she gotten herself into?  And how could she
get out of it?
         The cure is important to me; I need that.  But I can never go so far
as to stay with Mozenrath forever, especially when he'll keep demanding
more  of me, until Aladdin is no longer in need of the cure . . . Jasmine
shook her head. No, I can't think of that.
         Aladdin . . . he had managed to reach her in a dream . . . could she do
the same for him?  Could she tell him that she remembered, that she was
trying . . .
         Would he answer her?  She needed a human companion more than ever
now that she knew who she was and where she came from.  She would try to
contact Aladdin, for he was probably still asleep, due to his illness.  Although
in another circumstance the idea of communicating this way with Aladdin
seemed impossible, something told Jasmine that it wasn't; Here, the very air
was charged with magic.  Jasmine didn't know how to control it, but that
didn't keep it from being there, and she had a feeling its sheer presence was
crucial to what she was about to try.
         She lit several candles around the dim room and slid to the cold floor,
huddled in a dark corner.  She closed her eyes, and concentrated.

         "Aladdin?  Aladdin, do you hear me?  It's Jasmine."
         There was silence, a blur, and then sounds.  A voice . . . but whose
was it?
         "Is that you, Aladdin?"
         There was a whisper.  "I hear you . . ."
         Then, before she had a chance to speak again, everything
 began to fade.

         Jasmine opened her eyes. I was so close!  And then, just as I heard
his faint voice, I lost everything . . .
         She needed to know if Aladdin was okay, if there was still time for her
to find the cure to his illness.  Then she remembered the door.  It was no
longer protected with the magic shield!  She had opened it before, and now
that she remembered, she could open it again, go home, and get help.
         The thought gave her hope, and she rushed out of her room, Rajah
bounding close behind her until they reached the door.  Eager to escape,
Jasmine gripped the latch and was ready to fling it open. She screamed.  The
pain was back!  And it was worse than ever before, slashing through her
entire body with a flaming torture.  And this time, it was not merciful enough
to allow her to fall unconscious.
         After what seemed an eternity, she was able to pull her hands off the
latch.  But the pain stayed with her even after she let go, and she fell to the
ground, sobbing with the lingering ache.
         Rajah whimpered at his mistress's side, rubbing against her to dry her
tears.  Her hands clutched his fur, and leaning on him, she brought herself to a
standing position. Why had the magic in the door been re-activated?
         Crushed, Jasmine began to walk back to her chambers, wondering
what she should do next.  She wasn't given time to contemplate long, for soon
she  passed a room, heard Mozenrath's voice coming from  within it, and
peaked inside.
         He paced the black floors.  "I don't know what went wrong, Xurxis.
Jasmine was suppose to forget everything!"
         "Forget everything!"  Xurxis repeated.
         "Yes.  And now she comes to me and lets me know she remembers!
She remembers the bargain, the cure, everything.  How could that be?"
Mozenrath lowered himself into a chair, his face falling into a brooding
statement.  "And the part that bothers me more is I really thought she had
forgotten.  She was submitting to me, catching on wonderfully, and even
addressing me as her master.   When I tested her memory by de-activating the
door of its magic, she didn't leave.   Now, she's just as she was the day she
arrived here.  What could have restored those memories?"
         Xurxis shook his head.  "Don't know."
         Mozenrath sighed.  "I guess it's a good thing that I know she
remembers.  I was about to give her the crown, and it would be too much of a
threat to me if she possessed it while she knows we are enemies."
         Jasmine leaned closer to the door.  The crown?  What
 is he speaking of?
         "I suppose now I'll have to start the entire process over again,"
muttered Mozenrath.  "We'll be back at the starting point.  Well, this time it
will work!  I won't have her remembering everything again at the last
moment.  I must have overlooked some small piece of magic and she remembered
through that loop hole.  This time, I will not make a mistake.
         "Still, I hate to waste time like this.  I should have been able to give her
the crown already, and now I'll have to wait a few days at least.  I guess
there's only one good point to her taking a while to forget.  The longer she's
here with me, the worse Aladdin will get.  I'll be rid of him before I trust her
to leave.  That way, even if the tiniest fraction of memory remains in her,
she still cannot go back to him."
         "Mozenrath clever."
         "Yes.  Come Xurxis.  The Princess is asleep, and I shall catch up on
my rest also."  He arose from his chair, and Jasmine watched him leave the
room through a different door.
         Jasmine replayed Mozenrath's words in her mind, trying her hardest to
 remember everything he'd said.  He plans on keeping me here until Aladdin
. . . Wait, what else did he say?  Something about "trusting me to leave."  Is
 Mozenrath really going to let me out of this prison eventually?
         She began to fully grasp the import of what he had been doing. He
wants me to forget myself and become like him.  Once that happens, he won't
worry that I want Aladdin's cure.  And if I didn't remember anything, he
wouldn't have to worry about me escaping, for I'd have nowhere to go.  As
long as I remember, I'll be kept a prisoner.  But if I were to remold myself
into what Mozenrath wants me to become . . .
         He's going to do it again, she realized.  But this time I will be aware
of what is happening and I will not give in.  However, there is no reason for
him to know that he hasn't won.   She smiled as a plan entered her mind.
She would make him believe she'd once again lost herself, make him believe
that his plan was successful.  She would gain his trust, be allowed to roam the
castle without his supervision, search for the cure, and possibly escape.
Keeping her intentions a secret would be the only way for her to
successfully carry out her plan.  At her next session with him, she wouldn't let
him brainwash her as he had before.  She would be strong, resist it, all the
while making him think she was submitting.
         She returned to her room.  The sooner he believed her deceptions, the
sooner she'd be trusted by him, and hopefully be allowed out of the castle.
         Hold on, Aladdin, she thought.  I won't let you down this time.
 

__________________________________________________________________________

~Chapter Six~
 

         Mozenrath came into her room fifteen minutes later.  Inside, Jasmine
was full of anxiety, and she prayed it didn't show.  She had to let Mozenrath
believe he was winning, and the deception needed to begin now.
          "Are you ready for your sessions?"  Mozenrath expected her to
snap at him, for even though he had started the memory erasing again, he
didn't think she'd be willing to come with him yet.  He was pleasantly
surprised by the way she reacted.
         She lowered her eyes in feigned humility and stepped forward.  "I'm
sorry, my master," she whispered.  "I do not know what possessed me to act
in such a way toward you."
         She glanced up quickly enough to see a small smile of satisfaction
curve his lips, but then dropped her gaze again.  He believed her.  Fool!
she thought.  I'm not any more sorry now than I was the moment of my
outburst.
         "As much as I'd love to accept your apology, Princess, you will have to
prove your sincerity to me.  I expect you to work extra hard at your upcoming
lessons."  This is perfect, he was thinking, she is forgetting more quickly
now than the first time I tried it.
         Jasmine followed him out of the room, her head kept down.  Rajah
looked up.  Where was she going this time?  He leapt up to accompany her,
but Mozenrath closed the black door in his face.  He collapsed onto the floor,
whimpering.  He had never been allowed to one of Jasmine's sessions.
         And so it began again.  Jasmine's time fell back into her routine of
teachings and sleeping.  She re-learned everything from the first time and new
things which she hadn't known.  Being more aware of what was happening
than she had been before, Jasmine realized that Mozenrath sent her to her
room for sleep many times during the day, which made it seem that time was
passing more quickly than it really was.  Sometimes, she would not rest as he
expected her to do, but when she heard him coming to her room, she
pretended that she was just arising.  By doing this,  she learned that he came
to get her for another session about every twenty minutes, which seemed like
an entire  night when she fell asleep.  In this way, he had lead her to believe
she had been there for weeks rather than days,  and she wanted to dance with
relief when she discovered this.  It meant she hadn't been here as long as she'd
previously believed, and that Aladdin hadn't been without her long either.
         As much as she hated to admit it, she did find the teachings fascinating.
At times, it was difficult for her to keep from giving in, difficult to keep from
becoming what she pretended to be for Mozenrath.  She managed to hold out
somehow, thinking of Aladdin, and planning how to get back to him.
         Soon she would search Mozenrath's libraries for information on that
strange flower which had caused this. She'd learned that his studies were in a
high room, which was as dark as all the others and looked as if it would be
impossible to read in.  But she was going to. When Mozenrath slept, she
would search for any clues to  Aladdin's cure.  And she would have to do it
quickly.
 

         Jasmine stepped out of her room and into the hallway. Mozenrath was
finally asleep.  Now would be her only chance to get up to the library and
look for information on the flower and its antidote.  She knew that Mozenrath
wouldn't give the antidote to her, and it was up to her to get it on her own.
         She climbed staircases for what seemed an eternity before she finally
arrived at the library.  She knew it was going to be dim, so she had brought
with her a candle, which she lit and placed on one of the tables.
         The search for information on the plant was going to be difficult.  She
had nothing to go by, except that she knew how it looked.  She hoped there
would be an illustration of it in one of the books.
         She began her task.  She pulled out numerous dust covered volumes,
flipped through them, and disappointed, put them back on the shelves.  None
of these contained any data about the black-petaled flower.
         She glanced nervously around after putting back the tenth book.  How
long have I been here?  Will Mozenrath awake soon?  For if he finds me in
his study, an explanation will be asked for, and I don't know how to answer
without giving myself away.
         She began to work faster, but she was convinced the plant she was
searching for must be very rare, for she came upon common plants in nearly
every book, but this one would not present itself to her.
         She pulled down yet another dingy book.   This one was worn and
tattered, and the pages were yellow colored from the years.  They crackled as
she flipped through it.
         Suddenly she stopped.  She was looking straight at a large illustration
of a black flower with a blue center.  It was the one!  The one which had
caused Aladdin's illness!  She couldn't be too far from finding the cure
now.
         She read the pages describing the plant.

         Tequona Flower:
         The Tequona is a large, black-petaled flower, which has a center of
blue.   It was a very rare plant, and usually grew only in dark kingdoms,
blooming in the evening.  However, it was occasionally found in a peaceful
desert kingdom; On fewer occasions, it was discovered blooming  during
the day.
         Tequona plants were highly poisonous, and though beautiful, deadly
to the touch.  Those whose bare skin touched it would begin to feel its
effects in a matter of minutes.  He or she would develop a fever,
headaches, and become dizzy.  They would need to lie down, and would
become so weak that they couldn't sit or stand.   These symptoms would
continue to get worse as the poison spread.  Most victims died within a
month's time.
         Since the plant is so deadly, humans have carefully destroyed it
everywhere that it has ever grown.  It grew for less than five years before
becoming extinct.
         Due to humans' fear of touching it and its early extinction, an
antidote for its poison was never discovered.

         Jasmine stared at the words on the paper, too stunned to do anything.
She felt as if her world was coming to an end, and all hope was lost.  She
read the last sentence again, still not wanting to accept what it told her.
         She slammed the book closed and pounded against the table, as her
throat began to tighten up.  She wanted to scream and never stop.  That
couldn't be right!
         "NO!" she cried.  "Please, no . . ."  Her stomach knotted up, and her
lips began to quiver.  She hid her face in her arms and let her tears fall on the
tabletop.  Her body was shaking with sobs, and she felt she would never be
able to pull herself together again.  Every other problem she'd ever had in her
life seemed trivial and unimportant.  Never had she been faced with such an
awful helplessness.
         No antidote . . . no cure . . . most victims died within a month's time .
. . Aladdin . . . Oh, Aladdin. . . What can I do now?
         She felt as if someone tore at her heart, slashing through it, taking from
her all hope and happiness it had ever possessed.  She was certain she'd never
get that lost happiness back.
 
 

__________________________________________________________________________

~Chapter Seven~

         Unaware of how much time was passing, she eventually lifted the
heavy book off the table and got ready to put it away.  She paused before she
slipped it onto its shelf and simply stared at the hateful volume . . . the book
holding the words that had killed her hope.  Needing a way to vent  her
frustration, she threw the book violently to the floor.  It fell  open when it
landed, the pages becoming bent and a  few of them ripping.
         She didn't care.  Still shaking, she retrieved the book, and through
blurred vision, saw a paper fall out and flutter to the floor.  She shoved the
book back onto its shelf and picked up the paper.
         Wiping tears from her face, she put the sheet on the table and
smoothed it out.  Then she began to examine it.
         At first she thought it had torn out from the book when she threw it.
Looking more closely, however, she realized that it wasn't in print but rather
handwritten by somebody; most likely, Mozenrath.
         She brushed newly-formed tears from her eyes and began to read.

REMEMBER: The Tequona cannot be touched!  Gloves must be worn at
all times  while performing the extraction!
         The petals and stem are of no use.  They may be clipped off and
discarded.  DO NOT ruin the leaves!
         The Tequona leaves are paper thin but consist of two layers.  VERY
CAREFULLY peel the two layers apart.  Inside there is a bluish liquid,
though not very much of it.  Do not lose even a drop of this!  Have a small
bottle nearby.  Hold the split leaf over the bottle, and let the liquid drip
inside.  The liquid will fill up only a small section of the container.
         Since the poison is so deadly, an entire bottle will be needed to
 neutralize it.
         If the plant being used has more than one leaf, use all of them!  If
not, cut more flowers and repeat the above steps until the bottle is full.
         The solution must be kept in a dark place and kept unexposed to
light, natural or artificial.
         Due to the fact that the liquid is difficult to extract and many leaves
are needed for one bottle, one must always be ready, for when the poison
strikes, one will not have time to prepare the antidote.

         Jasmine stared at the paper, letting its words sink in.  Her heartbeat
was rapid with excitement.  It was Mozenrath's instructions to himself for
making the antidote!  He had discovered how to do it!  For the first time in
her life, Jasmine was grateful to his cleverness and persistence in getting what
he wanted.
         There was a cure!  All hope was not lost!  She was half-crazed with
relief and began laughing wildly while tears continued to roll down her
cheeks.  Never had she felt that such a large burden had been lifted from her
heart.
         Suddenly she realized how noisy she was being and tried to calm
herself down, fearful that Mozenrath had heard her. She sat down and tried to
think reasonably through her new situation.
         Meditating more upon it, she knew that she shouldn't have been so
surprised to find the cure, for if Mozenrath grew the plants, it would be
necessary for him to have the antidote available, in case an accident occurred.
The book had obviously been wrong about a cure never having been
discovered, but it had also falsely claimed that the plants had been eliminated
everywhere they'd ever grown.  Mozenrath had probably planned to keep
both secrets for his own reasons.
         Jasmine read the paper over again and wondered if she could make the
antidote herself.  She didn't want to risk touching the plant, though, and she
didn't know where she could find gloves.  She also had no idea where to find
a suitable container to drip the liquid into.
         An even more threatening block was the fact that the flowers grew
outside the castle, and she could not get beyond the confining walls.  And
even if she could somehow get at them, many would be needed, and suppose
Mozenrath noticed that they were gone?  Suspicions would arise and keep her
from earning Mozenrath's trust as soon as she needed to.
         But wait . . . Mozenrath had written that the antidote must always be
available, which meant that he had some hidden away somewhere.  Finding
his secret supply would  be her objective.
         Having a general idea of where her plans would be headed, she
decided it would be risky to stay any longer in the library; Mozenrath was
sure to awake soon.  She put the instructions for extracting the antidote back
in the book and headed to her chambers, feeling more confident than she had
since she came to the Land of the Black Sand.
 

         She entered her room just in time, for as she was crawling into bed, she
heard Mozenrath come out of his apartments.  Soon he would bring her to his
teaching chamber, and another lesson would begin.
         As she heard him near her room, she rolled over onto her side and
closed her eyes, hoping he'd believe she'd slept through the night.  Her blood
was flowing fast, and she could hear her own heartbeat drumming in her ears.
 Suppose Mozenrath finds out where I've been and what I've discovered?
         He opened her door and stepped inside.  "Arise, Princess.  It is time for
your sessions."
         She slowly sat up, stretched, yawned, and rubbed her eyes.  She got
out of bed and draped her cloak about her shoulders, fastening it at her neck.
Hoping Mozenrath didn't notice that she was shaking, she slipped into her
shoes and followed him into the dark halls.
         That day, Jasmine learned one of his most fascinating secrets, and what
was to be the most useful to her.
         It started out as did her other sessions.  She was invited to step forward
and press her fingers into his gloved hand.  They tingled and burned slightly,
but she was becoming used to this borrowing of magic.
         "Princess, watch me, closely.  This will be one of the most important
things I will teach you, for I believe I can now trust you with this
information."  He was looking her in the eye, and Jasmine swallowed hard.
         He trusts me!  Jasmine was thinking.  I can't mess anything up
now, or it would be vital to both Aladdin and me.
         Mozenrath then did something which Jasmine had witnessed him do
many times.  He lifted his long cape over his face, pulled it back over his
head, swirled it around, and disappeared into a blue-black flame which slowly
faded until there was nothing left of him.
         The space where he had last been began to shimmer, as if Jasmine was
looking at it through a haze of smoke.  The cape appeared first and seemed to
be dancing on the air, before Mozenrath pulled it away to reveal that his body
had also appeared.  He smiled boastfully, and Jasmine realized that she must
have looked amazed.  She had seen him do it before, but never had she paid
such close attention.  Now, seeing it performed from beginning to end, she
was fascinated.  Was he truly going to teach her to do that?
         "Now, the reason this is so important, is that it will easily get you out
of almost any situation without leaving evidence as to how you escaped.  You
can be transported in a matter of seconds, and to go there you need only to
think of the place."
         Jasmine nodded.
         "Now, pick your cape up by its bottom hem.  Bring it up to cover your
face and hair.  Pull it back, and swirl it around.  No magic words or other
cheap tricks are needed. The power which you possess within you will do the
entire first step.  All you have to do is go through the motions."
         Jasmine did as he instructed.  As she began to bring the cape over her
face and hair, she felt her legs get weak as if they would no longer support
her.  And then she didn't need her legs, for her body had no weight, and she
was growing dizzy as an eerie blackness enveloped her.
         The cape slipped away from her face, allowing her to be able to see
again.  Yet, she wasn't seeing anything, only that awful darkness which was
coming closer, closer, and closer,  as if it were trying to suffocate her.  She
wanted to scream, but her voice held no power.   As a reflex, she tried to
push the blackness away from her, but her arms didn't obey her will.
Panicking, she told herself to run, escape!  But her legs felt no longer a part of
her, and she doubted they were even there.  She had no body.  She was
nothing trapped in a black abyss.  She heard her own soul screaming for
release from the darkness.  But she was caught; her efforts were pathetic and
futile.
 
         "Princess!  Think of the hallway outside this room! The magic does
not know how to transport you unless you tell it where you want to go!"
Mozenrath's voice was invading the darkness.
         "Concentrate on where you want to be!  Do it now!"

         The tone in his faint voice told Jasmine he was getting impatient, and
she tried to concentrate on the hallway beside the room . . . its black walls, its
smoky stones, its high windows.  She was summoning all her own strength
and drawing from the borrowed supply of power given to her by Mozenrath.
         The blackness was spinning and distorting itself, until finally the
nothingness took the shape of the stone walls of the darkened corridor.  She
closed her eyes as her head began to spin with the dizzying experience.  She
still was not fully there . . . she could see, but not feel . . .
         Her head hit the hard rock floor, and she was actually relieved to feel
the pain.  She opened her eyes only to see  black stone beneath her.  She
closed them again and was sickened by the sense that someone was shaking
the ground beneath her, making her feel she was being tossed up,  floating
there for moments, and being pitched down again.   Yet, she never felt herself
hit the floor after that first time.  She realized when she opened her eyes again
that she was  not moving, only the nauseating rocking of the room continued.
Her head pounded, and sweat began to wet her face.
         "What's wrong with you, Jasmine!"  Mozenrath knelt in front of her,
rolled her over onto her back, and shook her forcefully.  Her eyes opened
again and she tried to focus them at the ceiling which she now looked upon.
         "Get up, Princess!  You are not hurt."  Mozenrath jerked her off the
ground and to her feet, where she had to lean against the wall for support until
the whirling of the room stopped.
         "What happened to you?"  Mozenrath demanded.  "Where were you?"
         She was still gathering her thoughts when she reminded herself she
could not give herself away and must continue to fake submission to him,
even through her pain.  Answering his question, she said, "I was nowhere,
Master; in an abyss of nothing."
         "You did not carry out the second step fast enough then.  You must
know of the place you are going to arrive at the moment your body
disappears.  Do not allow yourself to be captured in that abyss again.  It is
dangerous."
         Jasmine looked up at him.  Mozenrath was telling her what was
dangerous . . . and while she thought he was one of the most dangerous
people she knew, she realized for the first time that he, too, had fears.
         "You are going to do it again, Jasmine," he told her.
         "Master, no.  Please don't make me."
         "You do not tell me no, Princess.  You are going to do this until you
learn to do it correctly.  Otherwise, you shall never do as a suitable assistant.
Everything you have so far gained from me will be lost," he warned her.
         Jasmine, feeling too close to winning to risk betraying herself now,
agreed to try it again, still feigning submission to him.
         She repeated the process ten more times, and by the seventh time she
had mastered it.  There was no pain; the abyss of nothingness lasted less than
a moment.  She was transported swiftly and painlessly to where she desired,
or rather, where Mozenrath desired her to be.
         Looking pleased, Mozenrath approached Jasmine, grasped her hands in
his, and absorbed back into himself the power he had given Jasmine
possession of.  She watched the dancing blue currents of magic flow from her
fingers into his until it had all been completely taken from her.
         She knew then that the session was over, and he permit her to return to
her room.  He no longer accompanied her back to her chambers as he once
had.  It was another sign that he was beginning to trust her, another sign that
her deception was working, and another step closer to Aladdin's cure.

__________________________________________________________________________

~Chapter Eight~

         Jasmine felt a sense of accomplishment as she headed back to her
room.  What she had learned today certainly could be helpful; that is, if she
were allowed to keep the magic she was permitted the use of. Knowing the
steps without the power to carry them out did little good.
         Still, Jasmine found herself going through the first step over and over
as she walked down the staircases and halls.  Lift the cape by the hem, pull
it up to cover your face and hair, swirl it above your head, bring it back
down and you will have completed the first step.
         She became so absorbed in doing this that she began to wander.  It was
a while before she realized she was in the wrong wing of the castle, and that
her chambers were on the opposite side.  This was of no concern to her
anymore. She was now familiar enough with the citadel to know where she
was and how to get to her quarters from there.  So she continued to go
through the steps for disappearing.
         Once again, she bent down to pick her cape up by the bottom hem, and
she realized too late that her foot was stepping on the back train of the cloak.
When she tried to pull it up in front of her face, the part caught beneath her
foot jerked her back, and before she knew it she had tripped.  Her head struck
a brick from the wall before hitting the floor.
         Feeling foolish and clumsy, she slowly got up and rubbed the bruise
which was forming on the back of her head.  As she did so, she realized that
there was a gap in the pattern of bricks that formed the walls and that this had
been caused by her colliding with it before falling to the ground.  She
searched the floor until she found the stone that had been knocked out.
         She was about to carefully press the brick into its spot, but as she got
closer to the hole, she noticed that it was far wider than what was needed for
the brick. It was long and tunnel-like, and at the end of it she thought she saw
glimmering glass.
         Curious, she slipped her hand into the opening and stretched her arm
until her fingers brushed against the article.  It was made of smooth glass; a
small object with a wide round bottom and a narrow top.  Then she felt the
soft texture of cork at the very tip of it: a bottle.
         She clasped her fingers around the narrow part near the opening and
slowly and quietly drew it out.
         She gasped when she saw what she held in her hand.  A small
container filled with a bluish liquid . . . a blue identical to that of the Tequona!
         Jasmine wanted to scream and dance and cry, but she did none of this
as she hid the object in her cloak, remembering that it could not be exposed to
light.  She rushed back to her room.
         Breathing heavily, she entered her chambers and surprised Rajah into
waking from a nap.  She closed the door tightly behind her.
         Her hands were shaking with excitement as she  carefully pulled the
bottle out of her cloak, remembering to keep it shadowed.  This had to be it!
The antidote!
         Floods of relief and joy washed over her.  She held in her hand the very
thing which would save Aladdin . . . as soon as she could get to him.
         She dropped it into her cape pocket again and ran over to Rajah,
throwing her arms about his neck.  "I found it Rajah!"  she exclaimed as
joyous laughter escaped her throat.  "I have Aladdin's cure!"
         Rajah perked up and seemed to smile at her.
         Her heart soared within her.  She was almost free!  Aladdin would soon
be well . . .
         Her joy was so great that she felt she had to share it with a human
companion.  If she could manage to reach Aladdin again . . .
         She sat down in the corner, drew her knees up against her chest, laid
her head on them, and concentrated.  She had done this briefly before, surely
she could do it again.

         She had made it.  She was in the hazy world of Aladdin's dreams and
nightmares.  She turned her head in all directions, searching desperately for
Aladdin.  That's when she discovered she was not alone.  Mozenrath, too,
had invaded Aladdin's dreams.
         Jasmine backed away from him and hid in the darkest corners of
Aladdin's thought, praying Mozenrath wouldn't see her there.  If he found
her, he would know she remembered Aladdin and all would be lost.
         "Aladdin," Mozenrath was saying, "I have your Princess.  She no
longer remembers you, nor does she care about you."
         "You are lying Mozenrath!"  cried Aladdin.
         Mozenrath laughed.  "You are denying the truth, Aladdin. Jasmine
has learned that I am her master, and she is soon to be my assistant,
working right at my side.  Perhaps, we'll even destroy Agrabah together."
         "Jasmine wouldn't!"  Aladdin yelled.  "No . . ."
         Mozenrath drifted out of Aladdin's dream, and Jasmine ran forward,
angered at the way Mozenrath tormented her fiancé even in his illness.  The
form of Aladdin looked weakened and faded.
           "Aladdin!"  she screamed.  "Aladdin, don't believe what Mozenrath
told you.   I  will not work with him, but I am putting on an act until I can get
safely back to you."
         Aladdin moved his mouth, but she couldn't hear what he said.  Then
he became clouded before disappearing completely.
         "Aladdin, wait!"  cried Jasmine.  "I have found your antidote!"
           But Aladdin was gone, without Jasmine knowing if he had heard her.
 

         Back at the palace, however, the group of Aladdin's friends gathered
around him and wondered why his faint and raspy voice whispered, "Thank
you."

__________________________________________________________________________

~Chapter Nine~

         Jasmine wasn't going to let the fact that her contact with Aladdin had
been brief bring her down, for she was still feeling overjoyed at her discovery
of the antidote.  Unfortunately, her happiness was dampened as she
remembered the obstacle that remained in her way.
         She still could not get out . . . unless, the door had been deactivated of
its magic.  She recalled again that day when she had discovered its being just
like any other exit and wondered if it would be that way again, especially
since Mozenrath believed she'd forgotten herself.
         She dashed to the doorway with Rajah bounding happily behind her.
If it opens, she thought hopefully, I could be home in less than a few
hours if I walked without rest, and Aladdin would have to wait no longer.
         Her fingers barely touched the door's latch when it shocked her with a
sickening force, and it was difficult to refrain from screaming at the sudden
pain.  She jerked away from it and returned to her chambers, scolding herself
for once again getting her hopes up only to be disappointed.
 

         From the next time Mozenrath came to get her for her lessons and on,
he kept closer observations on her than ever before; in fact, she couldn't
remember a time she had been so closely watched by anyone.  She knew that
during this time of his intent study of her behavior, if she made even the
slightest slip to reveal how much she knew, everything would be lost.  And
now was the time she needed to deceive him the most, for only he knew how
she could carry out the last step of her plan: getting out of this place.
         She didn't reveal the slightest hint of what was on her mind, and
Mozenrath was soon convinced of her complete loyalty to him.  Finally, the
time came when Jasmine's deceptions and feigned submission finally paid off.
 From the moment Mozenrath stepped into her room, Jasmine knew this
session was going to be different than the others . . . more important . . .
somehow.
         He lead her up the now familiar staircases to his teaching-chambers,
not saying a word.   Jasmine's stomach churned and knotted as she anxiously
wondered what was going to happen.
         Something slimy brushed past Jasmine's cheek, and she jumped.
Turning her head, she  realized that it was only Xurxis rushing to catch up
with Mozenrath.
         "Ceremony today?"  asked Xurxis.
         Mozenrath looked annoyed.  "Yes, Xurxis.  I told you, I don't want to
be bothered.  Go back downstairs."
         Xurxis looked disappointed.  "Yes, Master."
         They reached the top of the staircase, and Mozenrath opened the heavy
doors to the large room.  Although the chamber was usually kept dark, this
time candles had been placed in holders all the way around the circular area.
Jasmine stepped inside, and Mozenrath closed the door behind her.
         Jasmine watched him walk over to a table covered with a black cloth,
and off of it he pulled a dark crown, which had a large and beautiful blue and
black jewel inlaid in its center.  On the jewel were the designs of swirling
smoke which represented Mozenrath's kingdom.
         I was about to give her the crown, and it would be too much of a
threat if she possessed it while she knows we're enemies.
         The words which Jasmine had secretly heard came back to her, and she
knew the article he held in his hands was very powerful.
         He began asking questions, and Jasmine knew he was paying
extremely close attention to how she answered them.  Her heart beat fiercely
with the dread of what would happen if her responses didn't satisfy him.  Her
hands trembled, and her knees shook beneath the long dress which covered
them, but she managed to keep her voice steady while she replied.
         "Why are you here, Princess?"
         "So that I may learn to properly serve you, Master."
         "How long have you been here?"
         "Time doesn't matter."
         "Who is your family?"
         "I have none."
         "Where did you come from?"
         "I don't know."
         "There is a man . . ." Mozenrath paused.  "He is very ill and possibly
dying . . . does this man mean anything to you?" He studied her face.
         "I know not whom you speak of."
         "It would not bother you if he were to . . . die?"
         There was a pain in Jasmine's heart when she answered, but her face
was expressionless. "I do not know him.  Why  should it matter to me?"
 Mozenrath smiled.  "Tell me, Princess, where does your loyalty lie?"
         "With you, Master, now and always."
         He laughed.  "Yes, yes.  Excellent, Princess.  Excellent."  He held the
crown up so it was directly in front of Jasmine's eyes.
         "My power, as you know, is held in my gauntlet."  The gloved hand
raised and formed a fist.  "Your power, will be held in this crown."  He lifted
the crown above her head.  "This magic will stay with you always, Princess.
Not just temporarily, as you are used to.  However, you will not use its
forces out of your own free will, but only when I ask you to perform a task
for me.  Do you understand this?"
         Jasmine nodded.
         "Then, it is time for you to become my full-time assistant.  You have
the power which will be needed to help me carry out my plans.  Remember,
this is not for you to use for yourself, but to benefit my ideas."
         "Yes, Master."  Jasmine's mind was racing.   With magic of my own,
and knowledge of how to use it . . . the possibilities are endless.  But she
was concerned with only one thing.
         The crown was placed upon her head, and Jasmine was overwhelmed
with the power which radiated from it and enveloped her.  She was becoming
stronger . . . stronger . . . and stronger, until her being had completely
absorbed it.
         Mozenrath was watching her.  "Don't let this new power go to your
head, Princess.  You are still inferior to me. However, you are no longer my
student, but my assistant."
         Jasmine bowed before him.  "It is a great honor, Master."
         He then told her to rest in her room.  When she entered it, she hugged
Rajah, her heart dancing.  With the new power she possessed and the antidote
safe in her pocket, Aladdin was as good as cured.
 

         She immediately began thinking about her home and how she would
get there.  She knew she could disappear from this place and reappear in
Agrabah with the new power she possessed, so that part didn't bother her.
         Everything would be different now, though.  She held deep within her
forces of evil which had never been part of her being before.  From now on,
she would have to keep them constantly in control, for they were a dangerous
magic.
         There was something else which scared her too. Mozenrath had told
her not to use her new power out of her own free will, but only to carry out
his plans.  If he found out how he had been fooled into giving her magic and
that she had used it against him to escape, he would be furious.  Jasmine
knew that he would find out, for there was no way to hide it from him.  She
didn't want to think about what he would do to her when he discovered how
he'd been tricked.  His punishment could be deadly, but it was the only way to
save Aladdin, and for him she was willing to take the risk.
         She crouched down by the bed and from under it  pulled out her
feathery princess attire from back home  and laid it on Rajah's back.  She
could not wear it now, for it was the cape she wore which would play an
important part in her escape.
         Pressed close to Rajah's side, she closed her eyes and prayed
everything went as planned.  Picking the cloak up, she covered her face and
hair, swirled it above her head, and concentrated on her destination.
         Moments later she pulled the cape down and was joyed to find that it
had worked.  She now stood with Rajah on the other side of that tormenting
exit which had so many times stung her, and she was finally out of
Mozenrath's castle.
         She smiled at Rajah.  "Next stop, Agrabah."
__________________________________________________________________________

~Chapter Ten~

         "Two weeks!" cried the Sultan as he paced the spare room where
Aladdin still lay.  "She's been with Mozenrath for two weeks!"  He sat down
at a desk and put his head into his hands.  "Aladdin gets worse by the minute.
Jasmine has been gone too long.  If she doesn't return soon, we'll lose both of
them . . ."
         Just then, Genie saw the flames of blue and black which had suddenly
appeared  in the room and were spinning in the air.  "Uh, your majesty, I hate
to further worry you, but . . ."
         The Sultan looked up.  "Mozenrath!"
         The cape could be seen then, and Jasmine pulled it away from her face
to reveal that she and Rajah had returned.
         Genie, Abu, Iago, Carpet, and the Sultan all stared in disbelief at what
had happened.  "Jasmine?" whispered her father.
         "Don't be fooled," said Genie, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.
        "Mozenrath's power can change him into any shape he wishes  to be in.  I
sense evil magic in her.  That's not Jasmine."
         Abu backed away from her and sat on the pillow in front of Aladdin, as
if to protect him.  Carpet did the same. Iago quivered with fear.
         "No," Jasmine said.  "It is me.  I have Aladdin's cure."
         "You expect us to believe that?" asked Genie.  "From what we just
saw, Mozenrath entered this room in the form of Jasmine.  We're not so
easily tricked."
         "Leave my palace, you fiend!" cried the Sultan. "Guards!"
         "No!" screamed Jasmine.  "It's me, Father.  You have to believe me."
Her voice was shaking.  She hadn't expected hostility or thought of how
strange it must be to them to  see her arrive in the manner of Mozenrath.  But
she had to convince them it was her.  She alone held Aladdin's  cure, and she
needed to get it to him.  She pulled the  bottle out of her pocket but
remembered still to keep it shadowed.  She brought it forward and showed
her father.  "This is Aladdin's cure, Father.  Please, let me give it to him."
         "She wants to poison us all!" yelled Iago, flying around in a panic.
         Jasmine shook her head and for the first time glanced at Aladdin lying
on the bed.  He was far worse than when she had left him.  His face was
unnaturally pale and moist with sweat.  His breathing was slow and raspy.
His entire body trembled with feverish shivering.  Jasmine felt tears come to
her eyes, and she rushed to the bedside before anyone could stop her.
         "Oh, Aladdin," she whispered, brushing his hair away from his damp
forehead, "I wish I could have gotten here sooner."
         She turned her face toward her friends, and they saw the tears shining
in her eyes.  "You have to believe me," she cried.  "If you don't let me give
this antidote to Aladdin, he'll die!"
         Her voice was choked with sobs, and finally Genie said, "She's our
only hope."
         The Sultan agreed.  "Mozenrath isn't capable of such emotions as she's
displaying.  We have to trust that she tells the truth."
         "Thank you," whispered Jasmine.  "Close the curtains.  The antidote
can't be exposed to light."
         The Sultan, Abu, Carpet, and Genie rushed to obey her command.  She
lifted Aladdin's head and cradled it in one arm.  With the other, she brought
the bottle to her mouth and uncorked it with her teeth.  She pressed it to
Aladdin's lips and tilted his head back, forcing him to swallow the entire
contents of the bottle.
         She dropped the empty container to the ground while everyone
nervously watched to see its effects on Aladdin. Jasmine was shaking with
worried anticipation.  It had to work!
         Color began to flood back into Aladdin's face, and his shivering
stopped.  Jasmine felt his skin grow cooler against her arm.  Slowly, he
opened his eyes, focused them on Jasmine's face, and smiled.
 

         Mozenrath slammed the door to Jasmine's chambers. "She's gone!" he
shouted, enraged.  "Xurxis!"
         Xurxis rushed to Mozenrath's side.  "Yes, Master?"
         "Xurxis, Jasmine is gone.  Get my Mamlucks.  Tell them to search the
entire castle and the city for her," he commanded.
         "Get Mamlucks!" repeated Xurxis.
         "Report back to me what they've found."
         A short time later, Xurxis returned.
         "Have they found her?" asked Mozenrath.
         "They found nothing," Xurxis sadly told him.
         Mozenrath pounded his fist unto a table.  "Then she's  escaped!  How
could that be?  She has nowhere to go.  She doesn't remember Agrabah, or
Aladdin . . ."  He paused.  Wherever she was, she still had the magic given to
her by the crown.  "She still has my power!"  he yelled.  "Xurxis, we have to
find her.  If she's not working for me, everything she knows about this place
is a terrible threat to us."
           Mozenrath quickly pulled his cape over his head, deciding to check
Agrabah's palace first.
 

         "Now, you just stay in bed for a few more weeks until you've
completely recuperated, okay?"  Genie was dressed as a nurse, and in his
hand he held a thermometer, which read Aladdin's temperature as being
normal.
         Aladdin laughed.  "I'm fine, Genie."  He sat up and hugged Jasmine.
"Thanks to Jasmine."
         "How did you acquire the antidote, my dear?" asked the Sultan.
         "Well . . ." Jasmine began to answer when she saw an all too familiar
figure enter the room.  Her face paled, and fear made her heartbeat speed up.
Mozenrath had discovered what she'd done and was back for his revenge.
         Mozenrath stepped forward and stood before Jasmine.  "You have
betrayed me, Princess."   Before allowing Jasmine to say anything, he put his
hands on her shoulders and began to absorb into himself all the magic which
Jasmine had tricked him into giving her.
         She screamed with the pain of it.  Those forces were now a part of her,
and Mozenrath mercilessly severed each connection. She felt the tearing and
breaking of what had been joined with her spirit become part of Mozenrath's
once more.  She wanted to stop him from draining this part of her, but she
was powerless.  After what seemed an eternity of torture, Mozenrath had
taken what he wanted, and a weakened Jasmine fell limply to the floor.
         Aladdin jumped up.  "You'll pay for whatever you've done to her,
Mozenrath!"  He fell to his knees beside Jasmine and lifted her lifeless body
onto his lap.  He shook her, but she didn't wake up.
           "What have you done?" he cried.  "Change her back to what she was!"
           "I have done nothing to her but take what belonged to me," answered
Mozenrath.  "You should thank me, Aladdin.  I could punish her so much
worse for her betrayal."  With those words, Mozenrath was gone.
         The Sultan rushed forward.  "Is Jasmine all right?" he asked, worry on
his face.
         "I don't know what he did to her," answered Aladdin.  "She was
screaming, as if she were going through some kind  of torture."
         "Aw, Jas, do you have to do everything just like Al?" asked Genie,
joining into the forming circle around her.  "Can't it be enough just for
Aladdin to get sick? "  He suddenly made himself look like a psychiatrist and
sat next to Jasmine.  He looked over at the Sultan, a clipboard in his hand,
and said, "I think your daughter is suffering from lack of attention.  She
craves it so badly, that this is what she does to get it."
         "Quit fooling around, Genie," said Aladdin.  "Come on, Jasmine.
What's wrong?"
         Her eyes slowly fluttered open.  "Aladdin?"
         "Jasmine!  Are you okay?"  he asked.
         She glanced around the room.  She was home!  Mozenrath had done
nothing besides take back the evil magic which didn't rightfully belong to her
anyway!  She smiled at Aladdin and her friends as she sat up.  "I'm fine."
         "What did Mozenrath do to you?" the Sultan asked.
         "It looked like he was taking something from you," said Aladdin.
"Something that was part of you and painful to give up."
         "He repossessed the magic which I had acquired while staying with
him in the Land of the Black Sand," Jasmine explained.
         Aladdin stood up, angered.  "He had no right to do that!  He took
something which you'd gained on you own.  By what means does he think he
can take it back?"
         Jasmine shook her head.  "No, Aladdin.  You don't understand.  The
power I possessed was not rightfully mine. I tricked him into giving it up, but
I wanted it only to get back to you.  It's served its purpose, and I am better off
without it.  Let him take it back."
         "Whoa," said Genie.  "Sounds like you've got quite a tale to tell,
Princess."
         "Yes, Jasmine," agreed the Sultan.  "Tell us of what you went through
those long weeks with Mozenrath."
         "Oh great, story time," muttered Iago.
         Jasmine sat on the bed.  "It's a long story," she said. "But if you are
willing to hear it, I will begin . . ."
 

         Mozenrath paced his halls in a blind rage.  He had been tricked!  By a
mere mortal!  How could he have let such a thing happen?
         Not only had he been fooled into giving Jasmine her own magic, but
she'd also found the cure somehow while she was in his castle, for when he'd
gone to Agrabah, Aladdin was well.  And Mozenrath's power was fading just
as quickly as when he'd started the entire process.
         He sighed.  At least he was able to repossess the magic Jasmine had
tricked him into giving her.  Those powers would have been a horrible threat,
for they were nearly equal to his own.
         He would still have his revenge, of course.  Jasmine had won this time,
but it was only temporary.  He laughed. "Don't get too cocky, Princess.  Next
time, you won't be so lucky."
 

         "Once Mozenrath gave me magic of my own, I knew I could use it to
get back to you," Jasmine said.  "And you know the rest."
         "A stunning narrative!" remarked Genie.  "I give it two thumbs up!"
         "But Jasmine, the first time Mozenrath tried to make you forget us, it
worked.  How did you manage to hold out the second time?" asked the
Sultan.
         "It was hard," admitted Jasmine.  "There were times when I thought it
would be easier to just give in.  But when I thought of you, I knew I couldn't.
Mozenrath's magic was strong, but my desire to get back home and my love
for Aladdin was stronger."
         "It's a very heroic tale," said Genie.
         "Experienced by a heroic woman," continued Aladdin.  He wrapped his
arms around her, and she snuggled closer, feeling safe to be in his embrace
with her friends gathered around her.  The dark shadows and hatred of
Mozenrath's kingdom were behind her, and were wonderfully replaced with
the light of her home, and the warm familiarity of love.
 

The end

Thanks for sticking with it till the end!  You can e-mail Sedeara at:
The_Real_Sedeara@yahoo.com.  I'd love to hear from you! :)