“Well, this definitely looks like the highest peak.” Ali looked around. “Maybe we’re the first to have reached the summit. Think about it…” His eyes glinted with a smile. “You and I are discovering new lands together.”
“Probably not.” Jasmine laughed, thinking about her detailed maps and books about geography. But it was a nice thought. She wondered who ruled the land below them. Had she been sultana, she might have visited this country on diplomatic missions and seen these very mountain peaks from a different perspective. Well, she reminded herself, at least she was here now.
Back on the carpet, they sailed gently now, cresting over wind gusts and looking down at twinkling city lights below them. Dalia was never going to believe any of this.
“This is exactly what I needed,” Jasmine told Ali as the carpet floated along. “Sometimes life can start to fall into a rut. You know how it is, I’m sure. You do the same thing every single day and then you see this whole new world and realize…”
“How beautiful our world is.”
“Exactly. I mean, even if we took this magic carpet and flew to every place on earth, we’d still end up missing something.” She turned to look at him. “Thank you so much for this adventure. I know I won’t forget any of it.”
And I won’t forget that I got to see it all with you, she thought as she studied his profile. Jasmine knew that, as a prince, Ali must have traveled the world three or four times over, and with a magic carpet for a friend surely none of what they’d seen was new to him. Yet he seemed just as excited and awestruck as she felt. He hadn’t grown jaded like the other princes she had met over the years; he, too, was genuinely in love with the world. She liked to think that if she had the chance to travel and explore the world on diplomatic missions for Agrabah, she, too, would retain her sense of gratitude for the beauty of the world around them.
Ali’s eyes met hers. Looking at him now, she felt herself go off-kilter. Those eyes were liquid brown and so deep—she could get lost in them.
No.
She couldn’t fall for him. She did not have time for that. She cleared her throat and looked away. Peering over the edge of the magic carpet, she noticed a tiny patch of land beneath them.
“Is that an island?” She pointed down below. “Must be the smallest one we’ve flown over so far.”
“Hard to make it out.” Ali leaned over and squinted. “Even with all the moonlight.”
“It’s so dark, it must be uninhabited.”
The carpet, intuitive as ever, swept down gently so they could get a better look.
“Wait…” Ali’s voice trailed off. “There is some light. It’s not coming from the island, though—it’s surrounding it.”
He was right. The lower the magic carpet floated, the clearer they saw a thin band of light that ringed the island.
“Maybe it’s the moon’s reflection?”
“Maybe,” Jasmine mused. “But it looks like the water is glowing. Could it be electric eels? Or bioluminescent fish? I’ve read about them…Do you think we could go down there? Unless you’re tired, of course. It has been a long night.”
“Your wish is my command, Princess.”
“And we won’t get too delayed?” she asked, the concern suddenly—not to mention annoyingly—springing to mind. “I don’t know what my father would do if he discovered I was missing.”
“Don’t worry,” he reassured her. “Part of the magic of flying by carpet is both seeing the world and experiencing time in ways we can’t fully understand.” He patted the carpet gently. “Can you take us down, buddy? Just want to explore one last thing.”
The magic carpet nodded a tassel in assent and slowly began its descent to the island below.
Jasmine wasn’t sure she understood how time could slow down or work differently when traveling by magic carpet, but until tonight she hadn’t known a magic carpet ride was possible in the first place. He had asked her if she trusted him, and tonight, perhaps she would. She wanted to see the island and what the glowing ring of light was all about, it was true. But a part of her was also grateful for this interlude because she simply didn’t want the night to end.
ALADDIN WANTED to pinch himself to make sure this wasn’t all just a dream. Was he really on a magic carpet ride with Princess Jasmine? Exploring glacier lakes and soaring past waterfalls? He couldn’t wait to tell Abu all about the cheetahs prowling in the tall grass and the silverback gorillas that had watched their flight under the moonlit sky. Their time together was going better than he could have imagined, but—not for the first time—Aladdin wondered what would happen once they returned. Sooner or later she’d find out he was not actually a prince but just another commoner from the streets of Agrabah. Would she be furious? Would the doors to her heart be shut to him forever? He simmered at the injustice of it all. To connect with someone but not be worthy of them because of one’s station in life. Aladdin sighed. This wasn’t the time to dwell on that. There would be time to sort through all of that later; for now, he wanted to enjoy his time with Jasmine.
The carpet descended onto the small island. It was a lush parcel of land with palm trees and bushes that bloomed with pink, red, and orange flowers. Touching down now, he saw the water glowed a blend of yellow and sparkling green.
The magic carpet hovered just close enough to the ground to allow them to step off easily onto the sandy shore.
“I resent that, you know.” Aladdin wagged a finger at the carpet. “The landings are always bumpy when it’s just me, and now you’re so careful. I think I know why.”
The carpet raised a tassel and shrugged.
Aladdin laughed, but he agreed; Jasmine was worth taking extra care for.
“Thanks.” Jasmine petted the carpet. As much as the magic carpet had taken to Jasmine, it was undeniable that Jasmine had grown equally fond of it as well.
“The color is much deeper now that we’re at eye level,” Jasmine said as they walked to the edge of the shore. They bent down to examine the ocean. The water glowed as though sparkling jewels lay buried below. But they weren’t jewels. They were the fish Jasmine had suspected. “They are bioluminescent,” she said.
“So many of them,” Aladdin said. He watched them flit back and forth. Their rapid movement seemed to be what lent the fuzzy glow of light to the water. Their colors looked all the more incredible juxtaposed as they were against the dark ocean stretching into the horizon. Jasmine and Aladdin watched for a while in silence before trailing the island’s edge, taking in the tropical scenery around them. Palm trees flanked the perimeter of the island’s beach. Their trunks were copper colored, and their bright green leaves swayed in the gentle ocean breeze. The sand was white as pearls and so soft their feet sank right in.
Just then, Aladdin heard a dull thud in the distance. He tensed. “Did you hear that?”
“I did,” Jasmine whispered. “It came from behind us.”
The carpet followed closely as the pair tentatively edged toward the source of the noise. Aladdin was grateful for his magical friend by their side, ready to sweep them away in an instant if needed. The wind rustled as they slipped between the palm trees. A small pond shimmered steps away. Just then, a strong gust whipped through the leaves and three brown coconuts knocked loudly against a tree trunk before tumbling to the ground and rolling next to Aladdin’s feet.
“Coconuts.” Aladdin kneeled down and picked one up. “Glad I was at the ready to protect you from these dangerous beasts.”
“They’re louder than you’d think with this place being so quiet.” Jasmine smiled. She walked over to the pond, kicked off her shoes, and dipped a toe in. “It’s warm! There may be a volcano nearby—funny, I didn’t see any sign of one when we were flying. You’d at least see some lava sparks or smoke on the horizon…at least I thought so. Wouldn’t have even known one could be close to us were it not for this little patch of water.”
“How do you know so many things?” Aladdin rolled his pants up and sat next to her. The water lapped against his ankles. “Everywhere we’ve traveled, you knew something about it. Even here, on this quiet little island.”
“Books,” she answered.
