Then, she spoke.
"The wolf no longer follows the trail written for him."
Her voice echoed through the chamber.
"He hunts beneath a different moon."
Aladdin frowned.
"Is that Shan Yu?" He asked, seeking clarification.
"I am bound by the Rule of One: One question, one answer."
The oracle bowed her head.
"But know this, Emperor of Ababwa: When a wolf abandons his path, it is rarely because he has become lost."
She raised her head to gaze at Aladdin.
"It is because it has found something else of interest."
Aladdin's mind raced upon hearing the oracle's response.
From the movie, he knew the Oracle rarely gave extra words, and when she did, it was because she wanted to, or the person had caught her interest.
So he took her words seriously.
Nonetheless, her response gave him a hint.
Shan Yu had already begun to go against the tide of fate.
Was this what it meant for another man to go against his own fate?
No, he needed to be stopped. He couldn't risk the story going further off script.
He realised the Oracle had her limits. He wondered whether that limit would grow if those defying fate succeeded.
Aladdin turned to the last guard and asked, "Ask her, 'Where is Mulan currently? And how do I get to her position?'"
The guard nodded and repeated the question to her.
"I am bound by the Rule of One: One question, one answer."
The Oracle replied.
Aladdin massaged his temples and said, "Ask her, 'How do I get to Mulan's current position?'"
The guard repeated the question.
"To reach Mulan's position, you first need to travel near the northern borders, close to the Great Wall of China. Once you arrive at that area, look for signs of a military encampment: rows of tents and banners with the Chinese Imperial symbols," the Oracle replied, looking at Aladdin.
"Approach the camp, and you'll find Mulan's tent, which is located in the left row of the soldiers' tents after the mess tents. Look for a tent marked with her name at the entrance. That's where you'll find her."
The Oracle was very thorough in her directions.
"Thank you," Aladdin said.
"I wish you well on your journey, Emperor Aladdin Ababwa," the Oracle said with her head bowed. Then, she vanished into magical smoke that dissipated back into the gem.
Aladdin recollected the Oracle Sceptre and sent all of the guards from his chamber. He didn't call in any more guards, but instead focused on organising his thoughts and figuring out how to approach Mulan and handle Shan Yu.
Aladdin stayed in his office that night before returning to his bedroom several hours later.
The next day,
Aladdin stood at the centre of a vast open garden with Abu standing beside him, and Carpet floating beside them.
Jasmine, her four cousins, Rakim, the former Sultan, and Jasira—the other magical flying carpet, who always accompanied Abu and whom Abu had given a name—had come to wish him farewell on his journey.
The purpose of the journey had been kept a secret from all of them except Jasmine, Abu, Rakim and Carpet. To them, he was going to a faraway land beyond the Seven Deserts to handle some foreign diplomatic affairs.
This was done for the sake of their well-being.
"Take care, brother-in-law. We'll miss you, so come back home soon," Nadine said.
"Jasmine will miss you as well, so you'd better return home soon," Sabina said.
"Goodbye, brother-in-law. Don't forget to bring us some souvenirs when you return," Sharma and Farah said.
They all gave him a kiss on the cheek and wished him well.
"Aladdin, my boy, you'd better take care of yourself and return home as soon as you can," former Sultan Hamed Bobolonius II said, bringing Aladdin down to his height to gently pat Aladdin's shoulders and cheeks.
They were all of royal descent, so they understood the ins and outs of royalty and the troubles that came with it. They weren't surprised that Aladdin's sudden departure to a foreign nation to handle diplomatic affairs personally, since Ababwa was still regaining its standing in the new world.
They were only a little worried that he wasn't taking an envoy with him. But after discussing it, they realised that with Aladdin's strength, it didn't matter who accompanied him or not; envoys were usually meant to showcase a nation's strength and wealth, which wasn't necessary for such a private diplomatic meeting.
Aladdin nodded and returned their show of affection. "I promise to return as soon as I can. I'll trouble you guys to accompany Jasmine for me while I'm away so she doesn't get lonely."
"That won't be an issue. We've got our favourite cousin in mind," Sharma hooked her arms around Jasmine's and said with a smile.
The others smiled as well, gathering around Jasmine.
Jasmine chuckled. She walked towards Aladdin and gave him a kiss on his lips and face.
"Make it back home soon," she said.
"I will," Aladdin replied. He turned and bowed to the former Sultan, then nodded at Rakim, who was standing at the side.
Rakim responded with a respectful salutation and a nod.
Aladdin climbed onto Carpet.
Jasira hugged Abu and waved him goodbye as he climbed onto Carpet with Aladdin.
Abu waved back at her as he sat beside Aladdin.
Carpet soared around the group before taking off higher into the skies.
They soared over the Empire of Ababwa.
It was still sunrise. The sun bathed the nation in a warm golden glow.
People were still getting up from sleep and preparing to head to work, handle their household tasks, or do other activities.
Aladdin observed all this from the sky until the scenes became farther and farther away, and the Empire of Ababwa vanished from sight.
He sighed and refocused his gaze forward, no longer looking behind him.
"I wonder when Genie will return," Aladdin muttered.
He left a letter for Genie with Jasmine to hand over to him when he returned. He didn't mind if Genie continued to enjoy his vacation since he had been trapped in his lamp for a long time and needed to make up for lost time, but he simply missed the blue man's funky and contagious energy.
"Time for a wardrobe change."
Aladdin snapped his fingers.
A wave of magical power washed over his white princely attire as its threads loosened and transformed into a deep purple tunic. On his wrists were bronze bracers with intricate carvings. A long sash of rich crimson colour was draped over his shoulders and fastened with an ornate brass clasp. His baggy white trousers transformed into fitted jet-black trousers tucked into a pair of black leather boots.
A wide leather belt appeared around his waist, decorated with several small pouches. A flowing purple cloak lined with red silk on the inside fell over his shoulders. Around his head appeared a purple turban, and a scarf covered the lower part of his face.
In an instant, Aladdin went through a complete change of attire. He had picked a disguise to approach Mulan.
Rather than going as an Emperor or in his former costume, which would look far out of place in a territory far from the Seven Deserts, he selected an outfit that would make him look neither royal nor like a commoner. One inspired by his father's own attire.
Since it would be impossible for him to hide where he was from based on his appearance, he decided to embrace his heritage rather than conceal it.
"What do you think, Abu?" Aladdin asked as he stood up and turned around.
"Very fancy," Abu gave him a thumbs-up with an impressed nod.
"Okay, time for yours," Aladdin said, snapping his fingers towards Abu.
A surge of magical energy flowed towards Abu as his royal attire began to transform into a small purple tunic and trousers with a slim leather belt around his waist, holding several tiny pouches. Around his arms were bronze bracelets. Over his head was a small turban, with a scarf of a similar colour covering the lower half of his face.
The attire was similar to Aladdin's design, yet more practical for a monkey like Abu.
"Each of those tiny pockets acts as a miniature storage space. I've stored many bananas and fruits inside so you can keep yourself occupied on the journey," Aladdin gestured towards the tiny pouches as he sat back down on the carpet.
Since they were both playing undercover, Abu saw no reason to complain about his current change of attire. Except for the scarf and the turban, he inwardly admitted that it looked cool. Still, he couldn't help but ponder why the design felt so familiar.
Forget it!
After hearing Aladdin's words, Abu's eyes shone brightly. He opened one of the pouches that felt a little weighty, placed his hand inside, and brought out a single piece of banana.
He shoved another hand inside his pocket and brought out another banana.
Then another. And another.
Abu turned to Aladdin and said, "I love you."
//////
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