Fic: Arabian Nights - Epilogue
Title: Arabian Nights
Author: starrdust411
Fandom: Heroes
Pairing: Mohinder/Gabriel
Rating: PG-13
Summary: The story of a prince, a watchmaker, and the magical lamp that changed their lives.
Disclaimer: I do not own Heroes or Aladdin.
Warnings: Humor, Slash, AU, Language
Prologue| Chapter 1| Chapter 2| Chapter 3| Chapter 4| Chapter 5| Chapter 6| Chapter 7
Gabriel stared at the black lamp in his hands, heavy and hot against his pale skin, as he listened to the voice bickering back and forth within its charcoal surface.
He breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Thompson was gone. His short lived reign was over and everything was finally back to normal.
"Gabriel!" he heard Elle cheer, running up to him and seizing him in a fierce hug. He grimaced -- his body was still battered and bruised from his fight with Thompson and even the slightest touch caused a fiery wave of pain to spread through him -- yet the watchmaker managed to return the gesture, placing a weak hand on the genie's thin shoulder. "You crazy son of a bitch! You won!"
Once those words were spoken, the world began to change around them. All the magic Thompson had created, all the wishes he had made, were undone. The ominous gray clouds evaporated overhead. The piles of gold winked out of existence. Luke squeaked as he was turned back into a living breathing monkey. The threads that were Carpet rewove themselves. Nirand expanded back to his full size, destroying the cage he had been held in. Mohinder's clothes were restored to their normal blue attire. All the damage that had been done to the palace -- the broken wall, the shattered ceiling, and even it being uprooted from its proper place -- was all canceled out.
Somehow a watchmaker had managed to save an entire kingdom.
Gabriel smiled, blushed as Elle continued to hug him, resting her soft golden hair on his shoulder. "Uh, well, what do we do with this?" he asked, indicating the lamp he still held in his hand.
The genie blinked as if noticing the object for the first time. "Oh, don't worry about," she said, waving her hand dismissively as she plucked the heavy piece of coal from his grasp. "I'll take care of it. I'm sure ten thousand years in the Cave of Wonders will do them both a world of good."
With that, Elle shimmered, disappearing from sight just as Mohinder appeared his side with Elle's lamp cradled in his dark brown hands. "I think this is yours again," the prince said, a sad gleam in his eyes.
The watchmaker sighed as he carefully took the gleaming, golden lamp from the other boy, their fingers brushing together as he did. Gabriel felt his head hang wearily and his shoulders slump as he looked at the magical object resting in his palms. Suddenly his deeds seemed so small. He hadn't saved the kingdom, he had just cleaned up his own mess. The watchmaker was a watchmaker again, and he was just going to have to accept that. It was better than living a lie.
"I'm sorry I lied about being a prince," he whispered.
Mohinder's long fingers curled under his chin, forcing Gabriel's gaze to meet his. "I know why you did," he whispered back.
The young man looked up and saw Chandra -- having escaped the dungeon and now back in his usual royal attire -- making his way towards the two of them with a swarm of guards following close behind him. Gabriel knew he couldn't stay any longer. He'd already worn out his welcome. "Well, I guess this is goodbye."
The prince's hands drifted towards him, gripping his arm tightly, desperately. "This isn't fair," the boy muttered. "I don't care if you're a prince... I love you."
Gabriel felt his heart expand, bursting with joy and misery all at once. He had wanted to hear those words for so long, but they didn't mean anything now. Tears burned his eyes as he wrapped his arms around the other boy, holding him close for the last time. "I love you, too."
"Gabe." He jerked at the sound of Elle's voice, twisting around to see that she was now standing behind them, a sad smile on her face. "It doesn't have to end this way," she told him. "You've still got one wish left. Just say the word and you'll be a prince again."
He frowned, looking from the beautiful boy in his arms -- the man who completed him, understood him, and was without question his soul's mate -- to the bright eyed genie beside him -- the genie who had been suffering for thousands of years, who had done nothing but try to help him, who had attempted make Gabriel see his own worth right from the beginning. "That wouldn't be fair to you," Gabriel said. "Your freedom..."
"It can wait," Elle said, shrugging dismissively. "Besides, I'm used to being a slave. This is true love. It's a once in a lifetime thing. You can't let that pass you by."
He felt torn. It would have been so easy to be a prince again, to be Sylar again, to be important and significant... but it would be a lie. It wouldn't be right and what would happen to Elle? Would she go back to the Cave to await another Thompson that would seek to use her in much the same way? The watchmaker sighed, turning towards Mohinder and cupping the boy's chin in his large white hands. "I really do love you, Mohinder," he told the prince, "but... but I can't keep being something I'm not."
Mohinder nodded in understanding even as tears threaten to spill from his eyes.
Gabriel took in a deep breath and held it, even though his sides ached from the gesture. He turned back towards Elle who was smiling expectantly, ready to fill his third and final wish. "Elle... I wish you were free."
"Okay," she said automatically, rubbing her hands together until little blue sparks flicked out from between her fingers. "Prince Sylar coming up... wait... What?"
He smiled a sad pained smile as he held the lamp in his hands towards her. "Elle, you're free."
With those words spoken, the lamp began to float out of his hands, a cloud of blue smoke and purple sparkles pouring out of its spout and surrounding Elle. She stood in shock as the magical dust surrounded her, consumed her, until the gleaming golden cuffs are her hands not only fell away, but disappeared into nothingness. The girl stared, eyes wide and uncertain, at her now bare wrists. She flexed her fingers, touched the skin that hadn't been exposed in thousands of years and stared in wonder down at the lamp that had clattered to the floor, seemingly out of magic.
"I'm... I'm free," she choked, tears filling her clear blue eyes. "I'm ... Gabe, try wishing for something crazy like... wish for the Nile."
The watchmaker stiffened, caught off guard. "Okay, I wish for the Nile-"
"No way!" Elle yelled, finally able to say "no" for the first time in years.
The giddiness was too much for her. She exploded into a fit of tears, sparks literally flying everywhere as she wrapped her arms around Gabriel, kissing him fiercely on the lips. Gabriel stiffened, jerking away from the kiss, but he soon started to notice that his sides were mending, healing, and his eyes felt perfect for the first time in his life. It seemed that Elle could now not only refuse wishes, she could also use her magic however she wanted.
"Oh Gabe!" she sobbed, breaking the kiss and burying her face in his chest. She was crazy and beautiful and so happy. He couldn't resist wrapping his arms around her and resting his cheek against her golden hair. "I'm gonna miss you so much."
"You're leaving?" Gabriel asked, shocked even if he shouldn't be.
"Yeah," she whispered, nodding. "I'm gonna go see the world... for the first time. I'm sure it's amazing." She sniffed, pulling way so that she could grip his face in her small hands. "But no matter what anybody else says... you'll always be a prince to me."
The two startled, stepping apart as Chandra cleared his throat loudly, making his presence known. Gabriel felt his eyes widen as he looked to the sultan then to the guards standing tall and imposing behind him. He didn't know if Chandra was planning to simply kick him out of the palace or arrest him, but he was prepared for either end.
"Father, wait!" Mohinder said quickly, standing between the sultan and the watchmaker his hand quickly going to rest on the other boy's arm. "I know you didn't see what happened, but Gabriel just saved us. He defeated Thompson and-"
"I know, Mohinder," the sultan said quickly, raising a dismissive hand and cutting his son off.
"Then... then surely you're not going to arrest him!" the prince began, his eyes instinctively going towards the men standing at the ready behind his father. "Just because he impersonated a prince doesn't mean anything!"
"I'm not going to arrest him, Mohinder," Chandra sighed wearily, taking a step to stand by Gabriel's side and place a hand on his shoulder. "I'm going to reward him."
"Reward?" the two boys chimed in equal confusion. "How?" Mohinder asked, still skeptical.
"By offering him the Crowned Prince of Agrabah's hand in marriage," the sultan finished, a proud smile lighting his face as he placed his other hand on Mohinder's shoulder. "If... that's alright with you, Mohinder."
"Yes!" the prince breathed, throwing his arms around Gabriel and burying his face into the boy's neck. "Yes, I... Oh, Gabriel."
"Mohinder," he breathed. The watchmaker felt his throat tighten as he squeezed his eyes shut, tears slipping out and rolling down his cheeks. Life had never been as wonderfully perfect as it was in this exact moment.
They turned towards each other, lips pursed and ready to kiss, but the feel of another arm wrapping around his neck made Gabriel stiffen, pause. He turned his head to see Elle, her arms wrapped around both him and Mohinder as she rested her head on his shoulder. "I knew you guys would get together in the end," she gushed, squeezing them tightly. "You're going to be so happy together! Do you mind if I kiss the bride-to-be?"
Before either could answer, Gabriel felt Elle grab his shoulder and shove him away as the genie turned towards Mohinder and placed a firm kiss on the startled prince's lips.
Mohinder blushed as Elle stepped away, a large bag materializing out of thin air and into her hands. "Good luck you guys," she said sincerely, her lower half disappearing and turning into a column of smoke as she began to float away. "I'm going to miss you."
Gabriel smiled, stepping to Mohinder's side and linking their hands together as they watched the genie fly off, a spark in the sky. He felt the prince's head rest on his shoulder and turned towards him. Their noses brushed and Gabriel's smile only widened as he leaned in and pressed their lips together in a sweet, tender kiss.
+-+-+-+
"That evening prince and the watchmaker announced their engagement to the entire kingdom. They were married the following night and lived happily ever after. The end."
The children smiled, their bright brown eyes wide and twinkling, eager to hear more. "What happened to the genie?" the first prince asked, fingering his sheets as his brother crawled on the pillows beside him.
"She went to see the world, but then she returned to Agrabah."
"Why?" the princess asked, brushing her doll's hair out of its eyes before adjusting the toy so that it was sitting up in her lap.
A shrug was their answer, but then... "Because the world is not nearly as big as you would think it to be. Besides, Argabah was where all of her friends were, and there's nothing in the world that's more wonderful than a friend. Now I think it's time for you children to go to bed."
"No!" three little voices whined in unison.
"We want to hear more story."
"Tell us another one Aunt Ellie, please?"
"Yes, please tell us another."
Elle laughed, shaking her head at the children and their request. Sometimes it was hard to resist them, but she knew better than to let the three young royals get their way all the time. "Hey, I don't grant wishes anymore, remember?" she joked, taking one prince and one princess under each arm and depositing them into their respective beds. "Goodnight, goodnight, and goodnight," she said in turn, punctuating each "goodnight" with a kiss to a soft brown cheek.
"Goodnight Aunt Ellie!" the three children chimed, snuggling into their respective pillows.
"'Member to give us a new story tomorrow," the second prince said, pulling his sheets up to his neck.
"Yes, a new one, with more magic," the princess yawned, slipping her thumb between her pink lips.
"And sword fights, lots of sword fights," the first prince sighed, smiling contently.
Elle chuckled, shaking her head at their requests as she walked towards the door. "Okay, next time, but tonight, sleep." She waved her fingers, blue sparkles dancing at her tips and the warm golden lights in the nursery dimmed and then went out.
Author: starrdust411
Fandom: Heroes
Pairing: Mohinder/Gabriel
Rating: PG-13
Summary: The story of a prince, a watchmaker, and the magical lamp that changed their lives.
Disclaimer: I do not own Heroes or Aladdin.
Warnings: Humor, Slash, AU, Language
Prologue| Chapter 1| Chapter 2| Chapter 3| Chapter 4| Chapter 5| Chapter 6| Chapter 7
Gabriel stared at the black lamp in his hands, heavy and hot against his pale skin, as he listened to the voice bickering back and forth within its charcoal surface.
He breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Thompson was gone. His short lived reign was over and everything was finally back to normal.
"Gabriel!" he heard Elle cheer, running up to him and seizing him in a fierce hug. He grimaced -- his body was still battered and bruised from his fight with Thompson and even the slightest touch caused a fiery wave of pain to spread through him -- yet the watchmaker managed to return the gesture, placing a weak hand on the genie's thin shoulder. "You crazy son of a bitch! You won!"
Once those words were spoken, the world began to change around them. All the magic Thompson had created, all the wishes he had made, were undone. The ominous gray clouds evaporated overhead. The piles of gold winked out of existence. Luke squeaked as he was turned back into a living breathing monkey. The threads that were Carpet rewove themselves. Nirand expanded back to his full size, destroying the cage he had been held in. Mohinder's clothes were restored to their normal blue attire. All the damage that had been done to the palace -- the broken wall, the shattered ceiling, and even it being uprooted from its proper place -- was all canceled out.
Somehow a watchmaker had managed to save an entire kingdom.
Gabriel smiled, blushed as Elle continued to hug him, resting her soft golden hair on his shoulder. "Uh, well, what do we do with this?" he asked, indicating the lamp he still held in his hand.
The genie blinked as if noticing the object for the first time. "Oh, don't worry about," she said, waving her hand dismissively as she plucked the heavy piece of coal from his grasp. "I'll take care of it. I'm sure ten thousand years in the Cave of Wonders will do them both a world of good."
With that, Elle shimmered, disappearing from sight just as Mohinder appeared his side with Elle's lamp cradled in his dark brown hands. "I think this is yours again," the prince said, a sad gleam in his eyes.
The watchmaker sighed as he carefully took the gleaming, golden lamp from the other boy, their fingers brushing together as he did. Gabriel felt his head hang wearily and his shoulders slump as he looked at the magical object resting in his palms. Suddenly his deeds seemed so small. He hadn't saved the kingdom, he had just cleaned up his own mess. The watchmaker was a watchmaker again, and he was just going to have to accept that. It was better than living a lie.
"I'm sorry I lied about being a prince," he whispered.
Mohinder's long fingers curled under his chin, forcing Gabriel's gaze to meet his. "I know why you did," he whispered back.
The young man looked up and saw Chandra -- having escaped the dungeon and now back in his usual royal attire -- making his way towards the two of them with a swarm of guards following close behind him. Gabriel knew he couldn't stay any longer. He'd already worn out his welcome. "Well, I guess this is goodbye."
The prince's hands drifted towards him, gripping his arm tightly, desperately. "This isn't fair," the boy muttered. "I don't care if you're a prince... I love you."
Gabriel felt his heart expand, bursting with joy and misery all at once. He had wanted to hear those words for so long, but they didn't mean anything now. Tears burned his eyes as he wrapped his arms around the other boy, holding him close for the last time. "I love you, too."
"Gabe." He jerked at the sound of Elle's voice, twisting around to see that she was now standing behind them, a sad smile on her face. "It doesn't have to end this way," she told him. "You've still got one wish left. Just say the word and you'll be a prince again."
He frowned, looking from the beautiful boy in his arms -- the man who completed him, understood him, and was without question his soul's mate -- to the bright eyed genie beside him -- the genie who had been suffering for thousands of years, who had done nothing but try to help him, who had attempted make Gabriel see his own worth right from the beginning. "That wouldn't be fair to you," Gabriel said. "Your freedom..."
"It can wait," Elle said, shrugging dismissively. "Besides, I'm used to being a slave. This is true love. It's a once in a lifetime thing. You can't let that pass you by."
He felt torn. It would have been so easy to be a prince again, to be Sylar again, to be important and significant... but it would be a lie. It wouldn't be right and what would happen to Elle? Would she go back to the Cave to await another Thompson that would seek to use her in much the same way? The watchmaker sighed, turning towards Mohinder and cupping the boy's chin in his large white hands. "I really do love you, Mohinder," he told the prince, "but... but I can't keep being something I'm not."
Mohinder nodded in understanding even as tears threaten to spill from his eyes.
Gabriel took in a deep breath and held it, even though his sides ached from the gesture. He turned back towards Elle who was smiling expectantly, ready to fill his third and final wish. "Elle... I wish you were free."
"Okay," she said automatically, rubbing her hands together until little blue sparks flicked out from between her fingers. "Prince Sylar coming up... wait... What?"
He smiled a sad pained smile as he held the lamp in his hands towards her. "Elle, you're free."
With those words spoken, the lamp began to float out of his hands, a cloud of blue smoke and purple sparkles pouring out of its spout and surrounding Elle. She stood in shock as the magical dust surrounded her, consumed her, until the gleaming golden cuffs are her hands not only fell away, but disappeared into nothingness. The girl stared, eyes wide and uncertain, at her now bare wrists. She flexed her fingers, touched the skin that hadn't been exposed in thousands of years and stared in wonder down at the lamp that had clattered to the floor, seemingly out of magic.
"I'm... I'm free," she choked, tears filling her clear blue eyes. "I'm ... Gabe, try wishing for something crazy like... wish for the Nile."
The watchmaker stiffened, caught off guard. "Okay, I wish for the Nile-"
"No way!" Elle yelled, finally able to say "no" for the first time in years.
The giddiness was too much for her. She exploded into a fit of tears, sparks literally flying everywhere as she wrapped her arms around Gabriel, kissing him fiercely on the lips. Gabriel stiffened, jerking away from the kiss, but he soon started to notice that his sides were mending, healing, and his eyes felt perfect for the first time in his life. It seemed that Elle could now not only refuse wishes, she could also use her magic however she wanted.
"Oh Gabe!" she sobbed, breaking the kiss and burying her face in his chest. She was crazy and beautiful and so happy. He couldn't resist wrapping his arms around her and resting his cheek against her golden hair. "I'm gonna miss you so much."
"You're leaving?" Gabriel asked, shocked even if he shouldn't be.
"Yeah," she whispered, nodding. "I'm gonna go see the world... for the first time. I'm sure it's amazing." She sniffed, pulling way so that she could grip his face in her small hands. "But no matter what anybody else says... you'll always be a prince to me."
The two startled, stepping apart as Chandra cleared his throat loudly, making his presence known. Gabriel felt his eyes widen as he looked to the sultan then to the guards standing tall and imposing behind him. He didn't know if Chandra was planning to simply kick him out of the palace or arrest him, but he was prepared for either end.
"Father, wait!" Mohinder said quickly, standing between the sultan and the watchmaker his hand quickly going to rest on the other boy's arm. "I know you didn't see what happened, but Gabriel just saved us. He defeated Thompson and-"
"I know, Mohinder," the sultan said quickly, raising a dismissive hand and cutting his son off.
"Then... then surely you're not going to arrest him!" the prince began, his eyes instinctively going towards the men standing at the ready behind his father. "Just because he impersonated a prince doesn't mean anything!"
"I'm not going to arrest him, Mohinder," Chandra sighed wearily, taking a step to stand by Gabriel's side and place a hand on his shoulder. "I'm going to reward him."
"Reward?" the two boys chimed in equal confusion. "How?" Mohinder asked, still skeptical.
"By offering him the Crowned Prince of Agrabah's hand in marriage," the sultan finished, a proud smile lighting his face as he placed his other hand on Mohinder's shoulder. "If... that's alright with you, Mohinder."
"Yes!" the prince breathed, throwing his arms around Gabriel and burying his face into the boy's neck. "Yes, I... Oh, Gabriel."
"Mohinder," he breathed. The watchmaker felt his throat tighten as he squeezed his eyes shut, tears slipping out and rolling down his cheeks. Life had never been as wonderfully perfect as it was in this exact moment.
They turned towards each other, lips pursed and ready to kiss, but the feel of another arm wrapping around his neck made Gabriel stiffen, pause. He turned his head to see Elle, her arms wrapped around both him and Mohinder as she rested her head on his shoulder. "I knew you guys would get together in the end," she gushed, squeezing them tightly. "You're going to be so happy together! Do you mind if I kiss the bride-to-be?"
Before either could answer, Gabriel felt Elle grab his shoulder and shove him away as the genie turned towards Mohinder and placed a firm kiss on the startled prince's lips.
Mohinder blushed as Elle stepped away, a large bag materializing out of thin air and into her hands. "Good luck you guys," she said sincerely, her lower half disappearing and turning into a column of smoke as she began to float away. "I'm going to miss you."
Gabriel smiled, stepping to Mohinder's side and linking their hands together as they watched the genie fly off, a spark in the sky. He felt the prince's head rest on his shoulder and turned towards him. Their noses brushed and Gabriel's smile only widened as he leaned in and pressed their lips together in a sweet, tender kiss.
+-+-+-+
"That evening prince and the watchmaker announced their engagement to the entire kingdom. They were married the following night and lived happily ever after. The end."
The children smiled, their bright brown eyes wide and twinkling, eager to hear more. "What happened to the genie?" the first prince asked, fingering his sheets as his brother crawled on the pillows beside him.
"She went to see the world, but then she returned to Agrabah."
"Why?" the princess asked, brushing her doll's hair out of its eyes before adjusting the toy so that it was sitting up in her lap.
A shrug was their answer, but then... "Because the world is not nearly as big as you would think it to be. Besides, Argabah was where all of her friends were, and there's nothing in the world that's more wonderful than a friend. Now I think it's time for you children to go to bed."
"No!" three little voices whined in unison.
"We want to hear more story."
"Tell us another one Aunt Ellie, please?"
"Yes, please tell us another."
Elle laughed, shaking her head at the children and their request. Sometimes it was hard to resist them, but she knew better than to let the three young royals get their way all the time. "Hey, I don't grant wishes anymore, remember?" she joked, taking one prince and one princess under each arm and depositing them into their respective beds. "Goodnight, goodnight, and goodnight," she said in turn, punctuating each "goodnight" with a kiss to a soft brown cheek.
"Goodnight Aunt Ellie!" the three children chimed, snuggling into their respective pillows.
"'Member to give us a new story tomorrow," the second prince said, pulling his sheets up to his neck.
"Yes, a new one, with more magic," the princess yawned, slipping her thumb between her pink lips.
"And sword fights, lots of sword fights," the first prince sighed, smiling contently.
Elle chuckled, shaking her head at their requests as she walked towards the door. "Okay, next time, but tonight, sleep." She waved her fingers, blue sparkles dancing at her tips and the warm golden lights in the nursery dimmed and then went out.