~ Chapter 8: Truth Be Told ~

In Jasmine's room, Jasmine is humming "A Whole New World" and brushing her hair. The door was opened and she turned to see Y/N with a lovestruck look as she waves Razoul goodbye before closing the door behind her with a sigh.

"Someone's having a good time."

Y/N approaches her with a smile, pulling out the rare flower and placing it next to Jasmine's inside the vase. True comes in and looks at Y/N, listening to their conversation.

"You have no idea. We took a stroll and dance and sing. We... have our first kiss."

True smiles, happy that her friend found love.

"Looks like I'm not the only one." Jasmine smiled knowingly.

"So you know the truth about my brother?"

"Yep."

"How was it with him?"

Now it's Jasmine's turn to be lovestruck.

"Oh, where do I begin?"

The Sultan appears in one of the double doors, hypnotized.

"Jasmine!" he called.

"Oh, father--I just had the most wonderful time. I'm so happy."

"You should be, Jasmine. I have chosen a husband for you." Sultan said, still monotone from the hypnosis.

This made Jasmine and Y/N confused and concerned.

"What?"

The other door opens and reveals Jafar.

"You will wed Jafar."

Jasmine gasps at the sight of him. Y/N glares daggers at him, placing her hand on the handle of her sword. True hisses at Jafar and Iago.

"You're speechless, I see. A fine quality in a wife." Jafar smiled.

Y/N immediately stands in front of Jasmine with her sword out already after Jasmine pulled away from him.

"I will never marry you."

She goes to the Sultan.

"Father, I choose Prince Ali!"

"Prince Ali left!" Jafar said.

"What?" Y/N asked.

A quick pan finds Aladdin standing in the doorway to the balcony.

"Better check your crystal ball again, Jafar!"

"Al!" Y/N exclaimed in relief.

"Prince Ali!" Jasmine smiled, just as relief as her.

Jafar gasps at the sight of Aladdin.

"How in the he--"

Iago stops and goes back to parrot-ese.

"--uh, awk!"

Aladdin stomps over to Jafar.

"Tell them the truth, Jafar. You tried to have me killed!"

"He tried to what?!"

Y/N now looks pissed and points her sword at Jafar's neck. Razoul comes in, hearing the ruckus.

"What's going on here?"

"What?"

He goes to the Sultan.

"Ridiculous nonsense, Your Highness. He is obviously lying."

He brings the staff close to the Sultan's face.

"Obviously...lying."

Aladdin and Y/N sees the staff with its glowing eyes.

"Father, what's wrong with you?"

"I know what's wrong!"

Aladdin grabs the staff and smashes it on the floor. Jafar flinches and the spell is broken for good.

"Oh, oh, oh my!" Sultan gasped.

"Your Highness, Jafar's been controlling you with this!" Y/N growled as Aladdin advances the staff.

Razoul whistled for his men to come.

"What? Jafar?! You, you traitor!"

The four advances on Jafar with True slithering, ready to bite that man along with eating Iago, which made him scared.

"Your majesty, all of this can be explained." Jafar tried to make an excuse, but Sultan is not having it.

"Guards! Guards!"

"Well, that's it--we're dead, forget about it. Just dig a grave for both of us. We're dead." Iago said, no longer pretending to be a naive parrot.

But Jafar sees the lamp in Aladdin's pocket. He makes a move, but is grabbed by guards.

"Arrest Jafar at once." Sultan ordered.

"This is not done yet, boy!"

Jafar pulls a vial from his pocket. Aladdin sees this and rushes him, but Jafar throws the vial to the floor. A large red cloud appears. When it is gone, so is Jafar.

"Find him! Search everywhere!" Razoul ordered, turning to Y/N. "You alright?"

"Yeah. I'm good. You?"

"All fine. Don't worry. We'll be searching for him as long as we can."

"I know. And be careful."

"You too, Y/N."

Razoul then left, closing the door behind him. Y/N looks over at her friends. True slithers up to her.

"Are you alright, bud?"

"I'm okay. Though I should be asking you the same thing."

This made Y/N chuckle.

"Jasmine, are you all right?" Aladdin asked in concern.

"Yes."

"Sis?"

"All good."

They lean in to kiss, but the Sultan barges between them.

"Jafar, my most trusted counselor, plotting against me all this time. Just horrible. How will I ever-"

He stops in mid sentence and looks at the pair.

"Can this be true? My daughter has finally chosen a suitor?"

Jasmine nods happily..

"Ha ha! Praise Allah! You brilliant boy, I could kiss you! I won't--I'll leave that to my--. You two will be wed at once! Yes, yes. And you'll be happy and prosperous, and then my boy, you will be sultan!"

"Sultan?" Aladdin and Y/N questioned.

"Yes, a fine upstanding youth like yourself, a person of your unimpeachable moral character is exactly what this kingdom needs!"

Aladdin and Y/N looks concerned at this, looking at each other.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning, in the palace, Aladdin is looking at the gardens.

"Sultan? They want me to be sultan?"

Genie comes out of lamp.

"Huzzah! Hail the conquering hero!"

He turns into a one-man band. He sees Aladdin walk away with his head hung. He stops, scratches his head, comes up with an idea, then zooms over to Aladdin. He holds up his hands like a director scoping a picture and we look through them.

"Aladdin, you've just won the heart of the princess. What are you gonna do next?"

Aladdin looks at him, then walks away in sadness to the bed, where he falls on it and sighs. Genie again is confused, while Y/N is more concerned, then goes to him and pulls out a script labeled "Aladdin."

"Psst, your line is, 'I'm going to free the genie.' Anytime." he whispered.

"Genie...I can't."

"Sure you can. You just go, 'Geeeeenie, IIIIIII wiiiiish you free.'"

He grabs Aladdin's head and uses him as a mock ventriloquist's dummy. Aladdin pulls away.

"I'm serious! Look, I'm sorry--I really am. But they want to make me sultan--no! They want to make Prince Ali sultan. Without you, I'm just Aladdin."

"Aladdin..." Y/N frowned.

"Al, you won!" Genie tried to praise him.

"Because of you! The only reason anyone thinks I'm worthanything is because of you! What if they find out I'm not really a prince? What if Jasmine finds out? I'd lose her. Genie, I-I can't keep this up on my own. I...I can't wish you free."

Genie looks disappointed and speaks sarcastically with a mad look.

"Fine, I understand. After all, you've lied to everyone else. You didn't even try to listen to your sister. Hey, I was beginning to feel left out. Now, if you'll excuse me, master."

He says the last word in disgust, then poofs back into the lamp. Abu, True and Carpet are watching from the window.

"Ohhh." Abu frowned.

"Oh, Genie..." Y/N frowned.

"Genie, I'm really sorry." Aladdin said.

A tongue comes out of the spout and raspberries him.

"Well, fine!"

He covers the lamp with a pillow.

"Then just... stay in there!"

He looks at Y/N, True, Abu and Carpet.

"What are you guys lookin' at?"

The trio leave.

"Look, I... I-I'm sorr--A-Abu, I'm sorry. I didn't... wait. C'mon!"

He sighs and turns to Y/N.

"Sis?"

He stops to see Y/N also leaving not without giving him a disappointed look.

"You have a lot to think about it. If you think you can't keep this up, why do you think me and Genie kept telling you to be yourself and tell the truth?"

This made him quiet.

"If you truly love Jasmine, you have to embrace for who you are."

"...What do you know about love?"

Y/N stares at him.

"Because you're not the only who's in love."

With that, she's gone.

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