1. Playing Games

SOMEWHERE IN THE SEVEN DESERTS

The sunny skies now shone over the bright golden sands of the Seven Deserts, free of rain clouds. Visibility was clear, meaning that the multicolored cloud of sparkling dots heading toward the Carpet and the Genie-jet was immediately noticeable from far away.

"Oh, no," Iago groaned. "Not…THEM…"

Twilight gasped in glee when she realized what was headed toward them. "Those…those are real sprites!"

The tiny creatures, each a fuzzy humanoid with pointed ears, overall small enough to sit comfortably in the average human palm, surrounded the Carpet. "Aladdin!" a pink sprite squeaked. "You have to help us again!"

"Because after those words, everything just goes SO WELL," Iago groaned.

"What happened?" Aladdin asked.

"We found a place where everyone wanted to play games all the time!" the pink sprite explained, the flock of sprites now flying in pace with the Carpet and the Genie-jet. "It was really fun!"

"Games all the time?" Jasmine repeated. "Do you mean…Getzistan?"

"Yeah, that's the place!" The sprite nodded. "But Mozenrath went there with a mean genie, and he said he was the new Sultan! He started winning all the games until there wasn't any money left for anybody! Now everyone's sad, and no one wants to play anymore!"

"Tell me he didn't get Club Nest Egg!" Iago moaned.

"Everything! He got everything!" The sprite spread her arms wide to demonstrate.

"At least that's one less trip to Getzistan that's filled with you trying to get us to help you cheat at the casino," Aladdin told Iago.

"What's in Getzistan?" Pinkie asked.

"It's a rich and colorful city whose economy is fueled by gambling," Jasmine explained. "Iago always wants to go and try to win money from them, but he keeps asking us to help him cheat, even though our faith doesn't even allow gambling in the first place."

"Then how come the people at Getzistan could set up a casino?" Rainbow Dash asked, confused.

"They're mostly Ashurists," the Genie replied. "And Ashur never said anything against gambling. He was kind of a lenient god in that respect."

"They have their way," Aladdin said with a shrug, "and we have ours. Relations between our two kingdoms are pretty good, so we don't have any reason to fight over it."

"Let me guess, then," Rarity deduced. "By using his own powers to cheat at every casino, not to mention taking over the royal treasury, Mozenrath completely disrupted the economy?"

"Everybody else wears rags!" the pink sprite confirmed. "Icky rags!"

"Well, we know where to find 'im, then," Applejack stated.

"Setting a course for Getzistan!" the Genie-jet announced. "Full speed ahead!"

"We'll go with you!" the pink sprite said, and the multicolored sprites swarmed the two aircrafts.

"I can't believe it!" Twilight gushed. "Real sprites! Can you actually lift things into the air with levitation magic?"

"Sure we can!" the pink sprite answered. "Want us to show you?"

Before Twilight could agree, Aladdin, Jasmine, the Genie-jet, and Iago all screamed "NO!" so loudly that Twilight figured there must have been some horrible incident stemming from sprite levitation in the past.

---

GETZISTAN, THE SEVEN DESERTS

Of all the buildings in Getzistan, the Club Nest Egg casino was probably the second-largest and second most lavish – next to the palace, of course. It was painted in all hues, and the inside was festooned with lanterns to light once the sun went down. In this building's spacious gambling area, Mozenrath, bedecked in new white robes that sparkled and glittered with all the colors of the rainbow from every angle to match the flamboyance of the city, leaned over a roulette wheel, spinning it boredly.

"This is why I didn't go for Getzistan right away," he sighed. "Its money is so easily won…and then what? I don't have any control over the weather. I don't have access to any new magic."

"But you do have the entire kingdom," Jafar pointed out. "You are the sultan. You have complete control over the economy, and you can ensure magically that no one will ever win it back from you in any gambling contest – the same way you ensured yourself the victory over it in the first place. You have complete authoritative power, and the people of Getzistan are reduced to begging in the streets."

"I still don't understand why you couldn't let me fight for the amulet," Mozenrath snapped. "It was rightfully mine!"

"A genie's wish is not a permanent contract," Jafar reminded him. "Once Thundra had reclaimed the amulet, she regained mastery over the rainforest. Had you remained to fight, the Elements would have overtaken you. If I were you, I would stop your insolent whining. It seems you can dress a brat in the finest robes in the world, and he still remains a brat."

"What happened to 'Oh, Mozenrath, your mastery over the weather is so impressive!'?"

"It was," Jafar retorted, "but your arrogance is most unbecoming."

"I'm no more arrogant than you."

"I believe having phenomenal cosmic powers entitles one to be arrogant…condemning oneself to a slow death for similar abilities does not."

"I control you!" Mozenrath yelled, standing to his full height. "I still hold the lamp! You do MY bidding!"

"An unfortunate circumstance," Jafar groaned.

"Why don't you go outside and torment the peasantry or something? And that was NOT a wish!"

"I shall return whenever I feel like returning," Jafar said, turning to leave the casino. "A reprieve from your complaints will be most welcome." He exited the room, leaving Mozenrath and Xerxes alone.

"Jafar disrespectful," Xerxes growled.

"You said it," Mozenrath replied, turning back to the wheel, which he spun again and again, now feeling less bored and more disappointed. "It seems nothing will impress him," he sighed. "We'll just see how he feels after I finish with my three wishes. We'll see who's calling who the whiny upstart. We'll…see."

The doors to the room burst open; a host of imps, creatures half the height of the average human and with the features of anthropomorphic animals, marched in, a bird-headed imp at the head of the group. "Are you the new sultan of Getzistan?" the bird-headed imp asked.

"That would be me," Mozenrath answered tentatively, again standing to full height, his multicolored robes sparkling in the light.

"I am Nefir Hasenuf," the bird-headed imp introduced with a sly smile.

"All these puns are beginning to bore me," Mozenrath snapped.

"I have somewhat of a special relationship with Getzistan," Nefir continued, ignoring that comment. "My imps can build anything at lightning speed, including this entire city, should anything ever happen to it! It would be a pity if something happened to it, wouldn't it?"

"Let me guess," Mozenrath predicted. "You have some way of destroying the city that you think I couldn't possibly suspect. You've come to sell me insurance on it so that I can pay you to rebuild the city every time you knock it over. For bonus points, I'm going to also say that this is something the old sultan finally figured out and wouldn't let you get away with anymore, but you thought that since the throne changed hands, it would be so easy to deceive the poor, young, clueless new sultan. Don't bother giving me any prizes for that – I've won everything else in this city already, and I don't need any more clutter."

Most of the imps' jaws had dropped. Nefir took a moment to clear his throat and regain his composure before saying, "Your intuition is very good! However, that won't stop us from destroying the city, and we won't rebuild your hard-won kingdom unless you can pay us the proper – "

"You know what will stop you from destroying my city?" Mozenrath said angrily, clenching his right fist and raising it. "Me destroying you."

The imps slowly started to back off. At the same time, Jafar stormed back into the room.

"I'll give you one guess as to what arrogant young hero just flew into the city walls with his band of misfit friends and six powerful cosmic forces," he announced.

"Hmm…" Mozenrath looked towards the imps again. "You can build anything, you say?"

"Y-yes," Nefir stammered, sweating from fear. "Anything you desire! There's no need to destroy us!"

"Good." Mozenrath smirked. "I have a few pests I'll need you to help me clear out. Listen close."

"Boss," one of the imps said, "you don't really think this guy can destroy – "

"I've known the legends of the Seven Deserts far longer than you," Nefir snapped, "and I know that gauntlet far too well! You'd best be quiet and take directions!"

"I'm glad there are no misunderstandings," said Mozenrath. "Now, here's what I want you to do…"

Even Jafar had to admit that the instructions Mozenrath gave the imps were clever indeed.

---

The Carpet and the Genie-jet touched down in Getzistan, the Genie once again reverting to his humanoid form. By this time, the sprites had dissipated, fluttering away throughout the city. Everyone was shocked at the stark contrast. The city itself was filled with ornate, towering buildings of all shapes and colors, standing out brightly and suggesting extravagance. However, everyone in the streets was dressed in torn rags, and most people were selling dingy goods from rickety carts.

"Everyone really is in rags," Jasmine said softly.

"Aladdin!" A voice came from one of the peasants, who rushed toward the group. "Princess Jasmine! Thank goodness you're here!" This man was short, rounded, and bearing a flowing black mustache.

"Sultan Pasta Al-Dente?" Aladdin identified, taken aback with the man's appearance.

"Okay," Twilight sighed, "these puns are really beginning to bore me."

"More like EX-Sultan!" Pasta moaned. "I don't know what happened! I was suddenly dressed like a commoner and standing out on the streets, and there was this strange young man on the throne! He had a tall advisor and a flying eel with him! He claimed to be the new sultan, and then he entered every one of our casinos and bet everyone all the money they had! He and his advisor then used magic to cheat at every game and win everything, but since they're the highest authority in Getzistan, there wasn't anyone to stop them from cheating!"

"Sorry for being Captain Obvious," Rainbow Dash brought up, "but why didn't everypony just STOP PLAYING once they realized they were being owned?"

"Everyone likes to believe they can win," Pasta explained. "Even at an impossible game. The more they lose, the harder they try to get it all back! By the time anyone had the sense to stop playing, we were all selling the few things we had to try and get money for food! And since everyone's poor, no one's buying!"

"And that leaves Mozenrath in charge of everything," Twilight finished. "And worst of all, I bet he's actually not happy with it."

"What makes you say that?" Rarity inquired.

"He's already won," said Twilight, "and there isn't any magic for him to control like the weather from the rainforest. He's probably bored."

"We need to find him," Jasmine resolved, "and set things right!"

"Last time I saw him, he was pacing around Club Nest Egg," Pasta informed the group.

"No!" Iago moaned. "He can't besmirch such a place of beauty!"

"Let's go," Applejack commanded, and everyone set off down the street.

---

According to the memories of Aladdin, Iago, and the Genie – the three who had seen the building before – Club Nest Egg was located deep within the city, and the group had to take several turns of the street in order to make way toward it. They observed the people of Getzistan along the way; most were selling their last prized possessions from broken-down carts, but some had set up shop inside small boutiques alongside the road.

One street was curiously empty of people outdoors. "It's quiet," Applejack remarked. "Too quiet."

"Apples!" a vendor's voice suddenly rang out. "Finest apples in Getzistan! Please help me! I've lost everything, and all I have to sell are the apples I grew!"

Applejack peered into the shop from which the voice had come. Immediately, she began salivating. The store was filled with the largest, juiciest apples she'd ever seen, ranging from red to green to golden. "Well, I'll be!" She stepped inside the store. "I'm just gonna look around a bit in here. That okay with y'all?"

"If you find anything you want," Jasmine told Applejack, "let me know. I'll get you the money to pay for it." She lowered her voice. "We probably should help some of these people out, after all."

"I'll let ya know, princess!" Applejack returned to her browsing of the shop.

"Fine fabrics!" another voice called. Rarity looked into the shop across the street and gasped. This room was lined in silks and satins of all colors.

"I weaved them myself," the imp behind the sales counter informed Rarity. "They're all I have to sell!"

"I'll be with you all in a minute," Rarity promised the others, stepping inside the shop. "I just HAVE to look at these! Ooh, this thread count is to DIE for!"

The group progressed down the street. Not long after passing the apple shop and the fabric shop, they heard a voice cry out, "Won't somebody please buy a flower from me? Homegrown flowers of all sorts!"

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to have a look," Fluttershy said as she stepped into the shop that had emitted the call. Abu tried tugging at the fabric over Fluttershy's shoulder, attempting to squeak something to her. "Don't worry," Fluttershy told the monkey. "We'll get all these people back on their feet. Things always work out for us, remember? Oh, my…" She was stunned by the array of flowers in the shop: lilies, hibiscus, periwinkles.

"Candy of all sorts!" another voice called out from the shop across the way.

"OOH!" Pinkie skidded inside the store, salivating at the sight of peppermints striped in every color.

"Is something about all this weird to you?" Twilight asked as she, Rainbow Dash, Aladdin, Jasmine, the Carpet, Iago, and the Genie continued down the street.

"What's weird about it?" Aladdin asked.

"How this street happens to have a store for everything we love," Twilight said. "Well, at least us six from Equestria."

"Don't be silly," Rainbow Dash said. "There hasn't been a store for you or…me…" Rainbow Dash's eyes suddenly widened as she caught a glimpse of the interior of the next store along the way. She rushed inside to see a gleaming display of curved swords, each one longer and shinier than the two she held in her belt. "So…awesome!"

"Parchment scrolls!" a voice called out from the store across the way. "From my own personal library! Scrolls of math! Scrolls of science! Scrolls of mythology!"

"And that's for me," Twilight muttered under her breath. "Well, I'm not falling for it."

"I want to see scrolls with all that cool stuff!" the Genie cried, rushing into the shop.

"There is something weird about this," said Aladdin. "I looked in all those stores as we walked past. Did you notice that every one was being run by an imp?"

"Are imps native to Getzistan?" Twilight asked.

"No," Aladdin answered. "The only imps I've ever seen here belonged to a gang run by a miser who wanted to extort money out of everyone…Nefir Hasenuf."

"And it figures it would be another horrible pun," Twilight moaned. She turned to look down the street she'd just walked. "Hey, everypony! I have a really bad feeling about this!"

Fluttershy, afraid Twilight had detected a real disaster, turned to rush for the door – only to scream in horror as the door disappeared before her eyes, bricks covering it up at a speed she wouldn't have thought possible to put up bricks. "Is…this what you were warning me about?" Fluttershy asked Abu.

"Ah-hah," Abu nodded.

"HEY!" Rainbow Dash yelled, pounding on the wall of bricks that had just gone up over the door to the weapons shop. "What gives?"

"NO!" Applejack cried, staring in horror at the bricks that encased her in the apple shop.

"WHAT?" Pinkie screeched in terror upon noticing her own brick wall.

"Let me out!" Rarity wailed, realizing she too was trapped.

Inside the scroll shop, the Genie regarded the wall. "So you think you can trap a Genie, eh?" He shot a blast of magic at the wall, only for the burst of energy to explode when it hit the bricks and then fizzle into nothing, the bricks untouched. "Okay…so you know you can trap a Genie…"

Twilight, Aladdin, Jasmine, the Carpet, and Iago had seen the imps put up the six brick walls faster than they could approach even the nearest imp. "What are you doing?" Twilight yelled at one of the imps, the one who'd just covered over the scroll shop.

"Sealing a trap," the imp replied.

Aladdin and Iago recognized the imp at once. "NEFIR!" they cried in unison.

"I must admit, I was hoping you'd fall for the scrolls," Nefir told Twilight, "but we did get the Genie, and the Elements of Harmony are split up. Oh, don't try breaking down the walls…we used magic-proof cement!"

"Split up!" Twilight gasped.

"You're working for Mozenrath!" Jasmine realized.

"This should be enough to convince him not to destroy us," Nefir went on. "In fact, for sealing up the Genie as well, we might even get a little payment out of him! He did only ask to split up the Elements."

"Let our friends go," Aladdin demanded. "Now!"

"I can pay you as much as you want!" Jasmine offered.

"No deal," Nefir said, folding his arms. "Even if you could pay for our safety from Mozenrath, he could pay us double what you ever could using the treasury of Getzistan!"

"So he has you working out of fear," Twilight realized. "If we stop him and make sure you and your friends are safe, will you let our friends go then?"

"No!" Nefir insisted. "What would I get out of that deal?"

"Your safety!" Aladdin pointed out. "Or are you just going to be so greedy that you won't stop until you get half the treasury of Getzistan?"

"Half the treasury!" Nefir cried happily. "Now THERE'S an idea!"

"There's no reasoning with him," Jasmine said. "Not unless he doesn't have a chance of being destroyed OR paid by Mozenrath. We have to keep going!"

"Don't think we're going to forget about them, Nefir," Aladdin insisted. He, Jasmine, Twilight, and Iago turned and doubled their pace on their path toward Club Nest Egg.

---

Mozenrath stared at himself in the mirror. "Still bored," he groaned with a brief, meaningful glance back at Jafar. "Can't we move somewhere else?"

"Where is it you would go?" Jafar asked.

"Somewhere there's actually magic worth using," Mozenrath answered. "And these robes aren't right at all!" He waved the gauntlet over his clothes; while the glitter, sequins, and jewels upon them still represented a variety of colors, over half were now blue. "Much better."

"Much, much better!" Xerxes agreed.

"Finally feel like a pretty princess now, Mozenrath?" Aladdin taunted from across the room.

Startled, Mozenrath, Jafar, and Xerxes turned to see Iago, Jasmine, and Twilight standing in the room with them. "How long have you been standing there?" Mozenrath cried.

"Long enough to figure out I was right," Twilight said. "You ARE bored. I didn't think this was quite your style."

"Now this is interesting," Mozenrath retorted. "It looks like my trap worked on everyone but you. And…am I mistaken, or did you lose your GENIE?"

"He fell for the trap that was meant for me," Twilight explained.

"I should have known you'd be the one that would catch on," Mozenrath replied. "To tell you the truth, I was actually looking forward to your next move after our little spat in the rainforest. Of course, you don't have your little friends with you anyway, so I'd still call this my victory."

"You haven't won yet!" Aladdin snapped.

"Oh, haven't I?" Mozenrath raised one eyebrow, smirking. "I own Getzistan. The people are in absolute poverty thanks to me…and, credit where it's due, to Jafar."

"What, exactly, do you propose you are going to do about it?" Jafar questioned. "The throne of Getzistan isn't as simple as trading an amulet."

"You MONSTERS!" Iago accused. "How DARE you turn my precious Nest Egg into…this!"

"Oh, we're still open for business," Mozenrath said. "If you care to try your luck at anything."

"Let me guess," Twilight said. "Flagrant disregard for your religious beliefs?"

"No, actually," Mozenrath admitted with a shrug. "I'm a Mithraist now. Though I tend to side more with Ahriman. I'm not breaking any tenets whatsoever."

"Glad to know you respect something," Twilight spat.

"Hey!" Iago interrupted. "The man said the Nest Egg is still open, and I'm not gonna let my last chance slip by!"

"You're STILL on about that?" Aladdin groaned. "Iago, he has everything rigged so you'll lose!"

"I DON'T CARE!" Iago cried. "I have to bet something! Anything! He's sitting on the fortune of Getzistan! I'd even wager the Agrabanian throne if I could for cash like that!"

"Wager the Agrabanian throne?" Jafar laughed. "Now, there's an idea! You don't even have the Agrabanian throne anymore!"

"Maybe not," Twilight realized, "but we could wager the throne of Getzistan!"

"What do you mean by that?" Jafar was suddenly suspicious.

"You're open for business," Twilight said. "It's how you won the entire economy. What if we challenged you to a game for the throne of Getzistan? Winner gets the seat of power, and can give it to whoever he or she wants – even if the winner wants to give it to Pasta Al-Dente."

"What are you doing?" Aladdin yelled at Twilight. "He has everything rigged!"

"He'll never agree to it!" Jasmine added.

"He only won because of his and Jafar's magic," Twilight pointed out. "I have magic too."

"Since we already have the throne of Getzistan," Mozenrath inquired, "what else would we get if you lose?"

"Don't be a fool!" Jafar chided. "You wouldn't wager this kingdom on a silly game!"

"You've won everything else in this kingdom," Twilight said, staring directly into Mozenrath's eyes. "You're bored with what you've got. You can't possibly tell me you don't want to win just one…more…game."

"Don't fall for her trickery!" Jafar warned.

"She's overconfident," Mozenrath replied, momentarily glancing at Jafar. "She'll never win. And I don't take orders from you. I hold the lamp, remember?" He locked eyes with Twilight once more. "Let's up the stakes. If you win, you get to do whatever you want with the throne and the treasury of Getzistan. But if I win, I get to do whatever I want…with all of you as my prisoners."

"I can only agree to letting myself be your prisoner," Twilight said. "You'll have to be all right with that, or the bet's off."

"Then the bet's off," Mozenrath said.

"Finally," Jafar sighed, "some sense – "

"I'll be your prisoner as well if you win," Aladdin said.

"Can you even wager?" Twilight asked him worriedly.

"This isn't an ordinary gamble," Aladdin pointed out. "It's for the good of all the people we saw, who need their lives back."

"I'll be your prisoner as well," Jasmine said.

"Hang on," Iago said. "I do not agree to this!"

"I would have thought you of all of them would have been the most eager to rejoin the ranks," Jafar taunted. "After all, you know where you belong."

"HEY!" Iago snapped. "I don't care HOW many years we had together! How many stupid portraits we had painted of us! How many schemes we hatched! I am NOT your stooge anymore!"

"Wait…" Twilight looked from Iago to Jafar and back. "You two…were friends?"

"So much so, I'm surprised at his current disrespect," Jafar told Twilight. "I might even consider it…betrayal."

"I betray whoever I want!" Iago insisted. "And the crowd I currently run with is better to me than you EVER were!"

"Really?" Jafar challenged. "Do any of them truly appreciate you and your lust for power? Do any of them admire the way your mind works so deceitfully? Or do they regard you as a beast of burden? If you want my perspective…well, I've been much worse off without you. I've had to replace you with such fools as Abis Mal and this joke of a sorcerer."

"I STILL OWN YOU!" Mozenrath yelled.

"Your words hurt me, Iago," Jafar said melodramatically.

"I DID WHAT I HAD TO DO!" Iago argued, though Twilight, Jasmine, and Aladdin could tell that he was faltering. "I…I mean…I run with the King of Thieves now! I don't need you! I never needed you!"

"Then make it quite clear where you stand," Jafar told the macaw.

"With Al and Jasmine and all of them!" Iago cried. "Fine! I wager myself as your prisoner too!"

"In the case of our victory," Jafar told Iago, "I assure you that you will be seen as more than a mere prisoner. You will have the chance to rejoin me…to return to where you know you were truly meant to be."

"I said prisoner," Iago replied coldly, "and I meant prisoner."

"In that case," Mozenrath said happily, "we should let the games begin! NEFIR!"

"Yes, your highness!" Nefir skidded into the room.

"Build us an arena outside the city walls," Mozenrath commanded him. "Paint it like a giant backgammon board. You remember when we used to play backgammon on the sly when our parents weren't looking, don't you, Aladdin?"

"I remember you always winning," Aladdin replied, "now that you mention it. And I'm starting to think there was never a time you didn't cheat."

"For an arena of that size," Nefir said, "I will require a little incentive. Perhaps fifty denarii to start – "

"Your incentive is that your heart keeps beating," Mozenrath told Nefir.

"I-I'll get on that right away, sir," Nefir promised, darting from the room.

Mozenrath returned his attention to Aladdin, Jasmine, Twilight, and Iago. "Even with your ridiculous luck," he told them, "the odds are against you. You'll be seeing the inside of my dungeon before long, and I'll be on my way to bigger and more powerful things."

---

The sun began to set over the desert, signaling the end of a long day. The backgammon board, made of perfectly polished tile, spread out over 100 yards in the desert outside the Getzistan walls.

"I hate to ask," Twilight said, "but what are we using for pieces?"

"Actually, I'm glad you asked!" Mozenrath replied. "Jafar, why don't you show them?"

"Gladly." Jafar tossed a cloud of red smoke into the air; it surrounded all present. When it cleared, Twilight found herself standing next to Aladdin, Jasmine, the Carpet, and Iago on one end of the board, lined up like five backgammon pieces. Across the way, on the opposite point, Mozenrath, Jafar, Nefir, and two imps lined up. Twilight looked down the board to see ten imps and ten sprites arranged on the board; the sprites were set up to be part of the same set as Twilight, Aladdin, Jasmine, the Carpet, and Iago, while the imps were aligned with Mozenrath, Jafar, and Nefir.

"This is your home board," Mozenrath told the others, gesturing to the side on which he stood, "and that side is our home board. The usual rules apply, with a twist. When a piece gets hit…it gets hit HARD. You have a chance to defend yourself and send the other piece to the bar, but it's not likely you'll actually make it."

"We'll take the honor of going first," Jafar said with a smile, tossing a pair of dice in the air. He shot the dice with a blast of red energy from his staff, and they enlarged to the size of crates, landing on optimal numbers for his team. Mozenrath and another imp made their moves.

"Cheating already?" Aladdin asked, looking at the dice.

"The Sultan makes the rules," Mozenrath said with a shrug. "Magically altering the dice isn't cheating."

"Good!" Twilight yelled, zapping the dice to take her turn. They came up with optimum numbers for her as well, and she moved out, as did one of the sprites.

"This is fun!" the sprite squealed.

Mozenrath zapped the dice again, and this time, they came up with an eight and a ten, despite the original dice only being numbered with one through six. After his "pieces" made their moves, Twilight rolled double elevens.

It took a while before the first hit. Aladdin moved onto the point Mozenrath occupied. "Now, what did you mean about hits?" Aladdin asked.

"Apparently that you were too slow to take yours," Mozenrath quipped, striking Aladdin with his gauntleted hand. In a burst of blue, Aladdin skidded all the way to the bridge at the board's center and lay there motionless.

"ALADDIN!" Jasmine cried.

"I'm…fine…" Aladdin grunted, sitting up.

"So if he'd managed to beat up Mozenrath," Twilight thought out loud, "Mozenrath would have gone to the bridge like in the original rules."

The next hit came when Nefir hit Twilight's point. Twilight simply levitated Nefir in a beam of pink energy, gently setting him down on the bridge. Nefir gaped, shocked at his utter inability to counter her magic.

"Playing the pacifist, are we?" Jafar taunted. "A little late for someone who sank to our level by fixing the dice even higher!"

"Don't let him get to you!" Jasmine told Twilight. "It's the only way to win! For the people of Getzistan!"

"Okay…" Twilight muttered, though she now felt quite uneasy. She lifted the dice into the air, dropping them so they would fall randomly. Before they could settle into place, a red aura surrounded them, and they rotated speedily, finally turning up a one and a one. Twilight glared daggers at Jafar, who only laughed.

"It pains me to do this to you," Jafar said as he hit Iago's point.

"Nothing pains you, you lying snake!" Iago spat.

Jafar tried to zap Iago with the red lightning from his staff, but Iago dodged it once, twice, three times. "Go whine about your fake friendships on the bridge!" he yelled, divebombing the staff and attempting to wrench it from Jafar's hands. He'd underestimated his own strength, however; Jafar simply stared as Iago tried to drag the staff away. Eventually, a blast of red sent Iago flying toward the bridge with a scream.

"HEY!" Mozenrath yelled, using his gauntlet to try and claw at the sprite that had levitated him by flying circles around him after hitting his point. "This isn't fair!"

"You're funny!" the sprite replied, dropping Mozenrath off at the bridge.

As soon as Mozenrath left the bridge, within one turn, he'd hit Jasmine's point. "What are you going to do to me, princess?" he taunted.

"This," Jasmine said, socking him in the face. He was sent back to the bridge.

The game continued until the moon was high in the night sky. Half of Twilight's rolls were now given to chance; half, she rigged. Still, it seemed an even match. Soon, both sides were bearing off, having reached their home boards. However, Twilight soon noticed that Mozenrath's team was bearing off much more quickly than her own.

Time passed. Three remained. Twilight was four points away from bearing off, and the Carpet six. Mozenrath was only three points away from bearing off, and he was next to roll.

"Looks like I'm going to win," Mozenrath announced with a smirk. "I must admit, I'm looking forward to watching my great and powerful brother lick the dirt off my floor."

"You haven't won yet," Twilight asserted.

"Oh, haven't I?" Mozenrath launched the dice; they bounced on the board twice.

"NO!" Twilight suddenly yelled, shooting a bolt of pink at the dice. "YOU DON'T GET TO CHEAT THIS TIME!"

Blue and pink energy competed for the dice, merging into purple. The dice spun wildly. Twilight felt the strain of her own magic being pushed against by Mozenrath's, but she held on as long as she could. Finally, neither could bear the pressure any longer, and the aura completely disappeared from the dice as they hit the board.

A one and a one had turned up.

"No!" Mozenrath cried. "NO! HOW?" He turned and pointed at Twilight. "You…you will pay for rigging that…"

"I didn't rig it," Twilight said proudly. "I just stopped you from changing the numbers. I couldn't have fixed the numbers if I wanted to, with all that resistance from you. But I didn't want to. I want to win this with at least one turn that's fair and square."

"It doesn't matter anyway," Mozenrath said. "You won't bear off in one roll. Even if I left it to chance, my next roll is my win."

"Then you won't mind if I double the stakes," Twilight said.

Mozenrath laughed. "Every time I think I have you figured out!"

"I mean it," Twilight said. "If you win, you don't just get me. I'll give you treasures you could only have dreamed about. Did you know that I have a guide that describes almost every world in existence? How about that I have an engine that can take me anywhere I want in space and time?"

"How do I know you're not lying?" Mozenrath asked.

"Because I don't want to lie anymore," Twilight answered.

He could see that she meant it. "Go on."

"But if we win," Twilight continued, "you have to let out all our friends. Take down the walls."

"Why not?" Mozenrath shrugged. "You're only going to play fair anyway. You won't win."

"Twilight, NO!" Aladdin yelled. "He's right! You can't make it!"

"MOZENRATH, YOU FOOL!" Jafar screeched. "She has a plan!"

"No plan," Twilight confirmed. "I'm playing fair. The dice decide. That's why I'm only betting on myself. And if I don't have Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, or Pinkie Pie with me…the Starlight is useless to me anyway." She levitated the dice, bringing them higher and higher into the sky. Then she let them simply drop.

Each die hit the board with a near-deafening BOOM. All eyes but Twilight's focused on them, watching them bounce until finally, they lay still. Twilight squeezed her eyelids shut, not wanting to know.

Then she heard the first sprite: "She won! SHE WON!"

"HUH?" Twilight's eyes flew open. The dice read four and six. The Carpet was already in the process of bearing off. It took Twilight a while to realize what she'd actually done, and only then did she leave the board.

"No!" Mozenrath yelled in disbelief. "NO! IT'S NOT POSSIBLE! NO ONE'S THAT LUCKY!"

"Looks like Getzistan is ours to do whatever we want," Aladdin said with a smirk.

"And you have to let all our friends go," Jasmine added.

"NOOOOOOO!" Mozenrath cried. "It isn't fair!"

"I told you it was a stupid wager!" Jafar grabbed the collar of Mozenrath's robes with both hands and hoisted him upward by that alone, shaking him. "You've cost us the entire kingdom, boy!"

"Just…take us…somewhere else," Mozenrath croaked. "And that's NOT a wish."

"We'll go somewhere even your imbecility couldn't ruin us," Jafar hissed, dropping Mozenrath and conjuring another portal with his staff. He and Mozenrath were soon gone; back at Club Nest Egg, Xerxes vanished as well, though no one was around to see it.

"All RIGHT!" Aladdin yelled. "We did it!"

"I didn't imagine that, right?" Twilight gasped. "I really won, right?"

"Of course you did!" Jasmine reassured her. "Looks like playing fair really did work in your favor."

"MUST we take down the walls without any payment?" Nefir sighed.

"According to the rules," Jasmine insisted.

"And what happens if we don't want to follow the rules?" Nefir challenged, only to find a gaggle of sprites surrounding him and raising him into the air. "NO! NO! PUT ME DOWN!"

"You're funny!" the sprites giggled. "We don't wanna put you down unless you play by the rules!"

"Fine!" Nefir growled. "I'll let them out! Just let me DOWN!"

The sprites relented, and Nefir led his imps toward the city in a huff. Aladdin, Jasmine, the Carpet, Twilight, and Iago turned to follow.

"So…" Twilight asked Iago softly, "were you two really good friends? You and Jafar, I mean."

"Eh, we had our moments," Iago said, "but it was nothing special. I'm better off now. I don't miss one thing about that jerk."

While Twilight knew that Iago preferred his present company, she felt he wasn't being quite honest regarding his feelings toward Jafar. She could tell by the way he flinched: it had been a friendship that had left a mark.

---

"Thank goodness!" Applejack sighed. "I thought we were gonna be trapped in there forever!"

She had been released, along with Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Abu, and the Genie. The entire group now stood before Pasta Al-Dente, and they had informed him that he held control of the throne once more.

"I'll have to redistribute the contents of the treasury right away!" Pasta announced. "We need to keep this economy running! In the meantime, is there anything I can do for you in return for your acts of heroism?"

"Well, we are all pretty tired out," Aladdin admitted.

"And most of us haven't had anything to eat all day!" Rainbow Dash grumbled.

"Well, then!" Pasta agreed. "A feast and bedchambers in the palace for all! Right this way!"

On the way to the palace, Rarity asked, "So did you have any idea of where those two went afterward?"

"Not a clue," Twilight admitted.

"But we will soon enough," Aladdin theorized. "After all, it was easy to figure out the first two times, right?"

"Hey," Pinkie suddenly brought up, "I wonder how everypony back in Agrabah is doing! You think they got enough help yet?"

---

AGRABAH, THE SEVEN DESERTS

"I just fear that the group we're gathering may not be enough," the Sultan admitted to Cassim. "After all, we're overrun with Mirage's magic. Who could possibly join us that has that much knowledge about defeating magical creatures of great power?"

The shape startled them when it lunged through the window, having climbed up via a rope attached to a grappling hook. At first, it was barely visible, enveloped in shadow; the Sultan, Razoul, and Cassim could only make out that it was vaguely humanoid.

"Perhapssssss," it hissed, "I can be of some asssssissssstanccccce."

---

Chapter 8:

· The sprites are more characters from the series. Their quirk is that they like to play all the time and are never serious.

· Getzistan is like the Aladdinverse equivalent of Las Vegas. Now, this was a bit of a difficult one to write around, since technically, Islam forbids gambling. I realize Disney isn't one for historical accuracy, but even in the face of impossible adversity, I will try to world-build realistically. I did realize that in the three episodes that featured Getzistan, Iago is the ONLY one of the Agrabanians that shows any interest at all in gambling, and the others are constantly turning down requests to go with him and help him cheat. So, technically, no one from Agrabah actually gambles. And as for Iago, I see him as more of a…well, as much of an atheist as you can be while knowing that at the very least there exists a goddess of evil. Now, I picked Ashurism, an ancient Mesopotamian religion, for Getzistan because it's the biggest pagan religion from the ancient days of the Middle East, and while it's gone now, it did coexist with early Islam. I'm pretty sure no pagan religions ever banned gambling. I will explain the backgammon exception later on.

· On the topic of religion: since this is a multicrossover universe, I have to concede that all religions are right. All of them. The monotheistic ones AND the polytheistic ones. How does that work? I have no freaking idea. But there are way too many pieces of popular fiction where pagan gods interact with mortals (Percy Jackson, American Gods) and way too many pieces of popular fiction where God interacts with mortals (Chronicles of Narnia is the biggest example) for either to be wrong. The best way I can explain it is that there are gods, and there is God. The Percy Jackson series probably came the closest to what I'm gonna have to do by saying that there are pagan gods all over the place, but there's an even higher level of the divine. (I could go the route of Dante Valentine and say that the monotheistic religions were exposed as wrong, but that feels unfair, and I didn't like those books enough to even get all the way through the first one.) I know that technically means there ISN'T monotheism at all, but…monotheism isn't wrong. It can't be. Because Aslan, that's why.

· And because Getzistan is Vegas, Mozenrath is pretty much dressed like an ancient Persian Elvis. (Sidebar: fandom has decided the Land of the Black Sands is Persia, and I have to agree. His style of dress matches, as does the use of the name "Xerxes".) That outfit doesn't exist in canon – it's there for you to imagine the most ridiculously flamboyant robes possible. And because I have a fashion fetish.

· I decided Genies' wishes aren't permanent contracts based on one canon example and something a little fanon: in an episode of the series, Eden grants a wish for Abis Mal, but tells the heroes they can undo it because he didn't specify "forever." My fanon – in the first movie, I consider Jafar to have lost his claim to Sultanhood after he turned into a Genie himself.

· Nefir is another minor villain from the series, and his game is tricking people into paying him for services they shouldn't need. Imps are also really fast at construction.

· Pasta Al-Dente is, in my opinion, the SECOND worst pun-name in the Aladdinverse. The worst pun-name is yet to show up. And will be mocked.

· It took me a while to pick a store for RD because she isn't really into material things in canon – she prefers intangibles like winning, fame, speed, and athletic ability. I chose to give her a fascination with weapons because, as I've kinda implied already, I want her to be the team swordswoman. I just think it really fits – and yes, this is partially based on fanart I've seen of her wielding Buster Swords.

· I originally hadn't even planned on touching on Iago and Jafar's relationship, but I realized that in a story that's so much about friendships, I couldn't leave it out. In the first movie, they're legitimately best friends. This can't be denied. It was actually a weird move on the part of the writers to split Iago from him and have him join the heroes, even though I like it. I can't see Iago's view of Jafar as anything but a scar that's still healing now. Jafar, of course, is damn near heartless. Also, his reference to Abis Mal was from the second movie, where Abis Mal ended up with his lamp and essentially was his replacement sidekick.

· To me, Mozenrath is a Mithraist/Zoroastrian, but in reverse. It was the prevalent religion in Persia, and involves the conflict of pure good, Mithras, versus pure evil, Ahriman. True Mithraists/Zoroastrians are on the side of Mithras, but I could sooooooo see Mozenrath being all Team Ahriman. My view is that he was raised in an Islamic household and switched to Mithraism/Zoroastrianism after spending time in the Land of the Black Sands/Persia and getting closer to his roots on that side. (Aaliyah may or may not have been a Mithraist/Zoroastrian.) And this is ALL my fanon.

· The backgammon exception: since it's Getzistan, which is Vegas, I knew I wanted the central conflict to be over a game. And giant board games with human pieces are COOL. I searched explicitly for board games that are played in the Middle East, and backgammon is THE GAME that was invented in the Arabic nations. While Islam has technically prohibited it, a lot of Muslims in the Arabic nations play it anyway. Also, there is a clause in Islam saying you can wager on archery contests or races as long as you are a participant and not a spectator. I figure that while purists wouldn't allow it, people who play backgammon anyway would find it OK to make a wager if they were literally participants in the game, especially if said wager is over the well-being of an entire kingdom. Oh, and yes, I had NO IDEA how to play backgammon before I started writing this fic.

· Why didn't Mozenrath and Jafar fight for the throne after losing it, and instead actually stick to the rules? Because a magically binding blah blah blah I needed the heroes to win, okay?

· The hissing character in the last paragraph is, again, someone fans of the series will recognize right away, and for those unfamiliar…I'm keeping it under wraps for the sake of suspense.