Don't say that I didn't warn you guys to join the discord group before reading this chapter.
*****
This news quickly spread across the Empire of Ababwa. Soon, the entire population, from officials to common citizens, rushed toward the front gates to welcome Prince Aladdin Ababwa.
Suddenly, the sounds of instruments playing through the streets, mixed with clamouring voices, resounded across the surroundings. A rhythm slowly rose from the depths of their hearts, rippling outward through their voices.
[Is it really him? Did he find what he was looking for…
Or who?]
[He's come back! He's finally here!
Prince Aladdin has made his way!!...
From distant roads and endless skies...
He's home with us today!]
Aladdin and Jasmine observed the crowd in surprise as they came out to meet them. They were taken aback by the celebration and the sudden melody, most especially Aladdin, who could sense the powerful emotions in their voices and their intense gaze upon them.
Rajah walked in front of them alongside Genie, still in his guard form, as though serving as their escort.
"This place is incredible… and beautiful too," Jasmine said, looking at the stunning towns and marketplaces. She also admired the towering statues and buildings rising into the skies.
Jasmine didn't miss the vast river in the distance as Carpet soared up and down, passing through the crowds.
She had never seen anything as beautiful and awe-inspiring as this. Even during her holidays through the prosperous regions of the Seven Deserts, nothing compared. It was as though the Empire had been pulled out of a painting.
"Yeah. Genie really outdid himself," Aladdin nodded in response. Although he had seen the Empire through the portal, witnessing it up close and feeling its atmosphere was an entirely different experience.
Genie, however, continued pretending to be his personal guard, working with the other guards to ensure his safety from the populace.
[Where's he been?... Far away!
What did he find?... His own way!
What did he bring?... Something true!
Who holds his heart?.. Only yyoouu!!]
Soon, they reached the banks of the vast river. At the shore was a large boat decorated with ceremonial ornaments of flowers, ribbons, gold, and precious jewels. Guards were stationed beside the boat, which was meant to take them to the other side.
Surrounding them from a distance were other inhabitants on their own boats, who had been awaiting the royal lineage's arrival but couldn't get close due to the crowd. They hoped to use this opportunity to catch a glimpse of them for themselves.
But to their surprise, the flying carpet that Aladdin and Jasmine rode soared above the river and circled around them. They didn't even need to move. Even the exotic fish and marine life leapt out of the water as though recognising that a royal bloodline had graced them with their presence.
Their voices echoed with even greater intensity.
[Welcome, welcome to Ababwa,
Let the laughter fill the air!
From every street to every doorway,
Joy is everywhere!]
Genie grabbed Rajah, holding him firmly under his arms as though he weighed nothing. Then he leapt onto an empty boat that appeared out of thin air and pulled a lever. Instantly, the roar of an engine burst forth amidst the chorus as the boat streaked through the river like a speedboat, chasing after Aladdin and Jasmine.
Soon, they arrived at the shore. The boat leapt onto land, transforming into a carriage. Two horses emerged from the greenery and anchored themselves to it, and once more it sped forward. Two leopards emerged from the shadows and chased after the carriage as well.
"Fasterrr! Fasterr!!" Genie shouted, whipping the horses while glancing at the leopards behind them as though he were in a high-speed chase.
Aladdin and Jasmine soon arrived at the gates of the palace and made their way in, whereas the populace stayed at the entrance, singing and playing their instruments in celebration.
[Welcome, welcome to Ababwa,
Let the laughter fill the air!
From every street to every doorway,
Joy is everywhere!]
Genie's carriage made its way in on time before the gates were slowly sealed shut.
Carpet landed in a garden at the entrance of the palace, where rows of royal guards, uniformly lined up, had been awaiting their arrival. At the edge stood a man in distinct military attire, standing in salute.
Aladdin stepped down and helped Jasmine off as well.
Genie quickly got off his carriage, holding tightly onto Rajah in his arms.
The carriage vanished into thin air.
Genie swiftly arrived beside Aladdin and Jasmine, standing as their personal guard.
"Your Highness, Prince Aladdin Ababwa. Welcome back to Ababwa. It's an honour to finally meet you, we've been awaiting your presence," Rakim said, bowing respectfully towards them.
"This is?" he asked.
"This is Princess Jasmine of Agrabah. She's my soon-to-be bride," Aladdin introduced Jasmine.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness," Rakim bowed towards Jasmine respectfully.
"The pleasure is all mine," Jasmine replied with a nod.
"And this is Abu and Rajah. Our royal pets," Aladdin introduced the two animals.
Abu stood and bowed to the commander with an air of regal composure, while Rajah growled in response.
Rakim nodded in understanding.
"Soldier, you've done a good job safely escorting the Prince and his bride back home," Rakim said, solemnly recognising Genie. "I'll ensure that your efforts are rewarded."
"Ay, hai! Commander," Genie simply gave a direct salute.
Rakim refocused on Aladdin and the others as though searching for something, before he suddenly asked, unable to hold himself back, "If I may ask, may I know where the rest of the Royal Family are?"
"They are all dead. The Royal family has been in decline for over a millennium. Prince Aladdin Ababwa is the only one alive," Genie said.
"What did you say?" Rakim asked. His expression fell. The hope that had shone in his eyes was washed away instantly, turning into confusion and shock.
"What do you mean by a 'millennium'?" he asked.
Genie, still in his soldier form, sighed with his shoulders dropping before responding, "The Empire of Ababwa has been placed under a curse for the past 1,000 years. My ancestor was one of the servants who escaped Ababwa at that time with Princess Jamila."
"The remaining others are currently in the Kingdom of Agrabah, with the treasures and provisions that were taken away to take care of the royal family, now provided for Princess Jasmine as a gift for their communion. Prince Aladdin Ababwa is the only royal lineage to have broken the curse, and the only legitimate heir to the throne."
Aladdin pondered the information that Genie had transferred into his mind. It changed nothing about his life, except that somewhere in his past, his ancestor had escaped the Empire of Ababwa with the hope of freeing their empire from a curse that had been placed upon them.
But somewhere along the line, something had gone wrong. The curse of the Witches of the Sand had been too powerful for even the Grand Magician and his magic court to overturn so soon.
So while the Princess had indeed found the love of her life, it wasn't enough to free them from the curse. At some point, the royal family and their attendants encountered the Witches of the Sand, and they broke into fierce battle once more, resulting in the Royal family being split from their attendants, leaving them to fend for themselves.
It was only after a millennium that Genie, who in this story was a descendant of the royal guards, who had escaped the empire and was tasked with searching for the royal family, along with a few others who had safeguarded the secrets and wealth of the Empire of Ababwa, found him and identified his bloodline through some magical methods.
They had to wait for a millennium for the curse to weaken until the moment when Aladdin and Jasmine found their true love and got engaged, thereby breaking the curse and freeing the empire. To put it simply, he emerged from a once-thought-lost line of royal lineage as a hero who set his empire free from a powerful curse by finding true love.
Initially, Aladdin had wondered how Genie had tailored the spell to fit his wish without tremendously changing his past, because that had been his intent when he made the wish. Upon learning this information, he was deeply impressed by Genie's handiwork.
Jasmine remained silent as well, understanding that this was all part of Aladdin's wish and that he would fill her in on the important details that would be helpful for her later.
Upon hearing his words, Rakim froze. His expression fell.
Tears streamed down his face. This time, his emotions were filled with grief.
He raised his hands to wipe them away, but the more he did, the more they seemed to form. He had thought that they had been under a curse for 19 or 20 years, at worst, 30. He had never expected that they would be cursed for over 1,000 years before it was broken.
The grief of knowing that those he had anticipated welcoming back home were forever lost in the past was too much for him to bear.
/////
For those who joined the Discord and saw the surprise. I'm certain you enjoyed this chapter more than others.
So that's the history of the Empire of Ababwa.
The Great Rift and the witches of the sand are original to the Aladdin universe.
I wanted to create an Empire that fitted seamlessly in the Aladdin and Disney universe and Aladdin's wish, while still maintaining my own original writing, and what could be better than a powerful curse that had befallen upon a once great empire, once a pauper and now a prince - a lost royal bloodline, and true love breaking every curse and becoming a major turning point in the story.
I'm a reader who loves cohesion in story, and as an author, that's what I aim to do.
I think Disney should hire me for a sequel or their next storyline. In case anyone has any connections, hit me up on Discord. If you have some directions on how to go about it, let me know in the comments section.
I had a review today, complaining that this 'fanfiction was a fanfiction of the Aladdin universe'. I'm as surprised as you are. I thought it was a mistake, so I read it over and over again. Before responding, I decided to look through the reader's profile, and sure enough, they were talking down on one book to another.
I don't care about the bitterness of rage-baiters. It's your heart that's bitter, not mine. I pray you heal.
Though one thing that stood out was 'there's no stakes.' And just in case someone else has this thought as well, I found the need to clear this up.
One thing I'm certain everyone knows about Disney animated movies is that the stakes are based on relationships, drama, how the characters interact with the world and how the world reacts to them. For example, Aladdin, Moana, Frozen, and so on.
Of course, there will be battles to be fought, but if you're looking for cultivation level stakes, then you're in the wrong place. You already know where to find such novels.
And if you're still not satisfied, I'll advise you to pick up the Aladdin series. It's two seasons long, totalling 86 episodes, which is more than enough. Keep your bitterness to yourself.
You guys should give a review as well, so I can see what you think.
That's all. What do you guys think?