This is the story of how Nightmare (Jafar) is freed from his lamp, after only a few years. 

How a girl, pregnant and helpless, makes a decision that surprises even him.

How he learns that power doesn't have to be everything.

It all started a few years after Dream (Genie) launched him into the Cave of Sacred Riches...

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"What's wrong, Lynx?" the Spice Trader, Blue, asked.

The girl, clad in a purple sari, looked to him. "Oh Blue... I-it's just... I'm pregnant."

Blue gave a lopsided grin. "Pregnant? The why aren't you celebrating? Do you need something extra for it? I can give you some Cumin, free of charge."

"N-no... I-it's that I'm pregnant but my own husband didn't want the baby. He left me and took everything and now I have nothing..." she sighed.

"..." Blue frowned. "Wives of the Common Thief. Meet such sad ends..." he felt his Coriander and hummed. "I have an idea. Why don't you go to the Palace and work as a Handmaiden? You can earn money and the it won't put to much stress on the baby." 

"...Are you sure?" she asked, unsure of this idea.

"It's better than going homeless, don't you think?" he asked.

"Well... yes. That... that is better." she smiled. "Thank you Blue."

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A knock was heard on the door. 

"Come in." the Sultan, Classic (Jasmine) and her husband, Fell (Aladdin), went to the door.

"E-e-excuse me..." came the timid voice.

"What is it you seek the Sultan for, young lady?" Classic asked. She knew everyone deserved to have their basic needs.

"W-well, you see... I am pregnant, but my husband didn't want the child, so he left me and took everything with him, leaving me with nothing. I... I heard from a friend that I can work here as a handmaiden?" 

Classic looked at her in pity. "Oh, you poor thing. Of course you can make a living here. Do you have a place to stay?" 

"N-no... I was living in my husband's house, and he kicked me out because of this." 

"Then you shall have a place in the handmaiden's quarters. Once your child is born, you may choose to continue working here or find another work to do." the kind Sultan smiled.

"T-thank you, my Sultan." she gave a curtsy. 

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"Here Lynx, give this plate of figs to my husband, won't you?" Classic passed her the plate of fruit. 

"Alright my Sultan." she walked carefully to the room, careful to not spill the fruit onto the floor. 

She knocked on the door. "Um... Sir? May I come in?" 

"Yes you may." came the reply.

She opened the door to see Fell talking to a monkey. 

"U-um, w-where would you like me to put your figs, Sir?" 

"Just place them on the table, Lynx." the girl did as told.

"I'll take my leave now, Sir." she gave a curtsy. 

"Wait, Lynx." she turned around.

"Ink (Abu) here was thinking of getting something from the Cave of Forbidden Riches, but, you know, we don't need it anymore. Considering you seem to be a diamond in the rough, I was wondering if you could help me?" Fell requested.

"W-what must I do?" she asked.

"Well, you only need to go the Cave and get the oil lamp there. Only the oil lamp, nothing else." Fell smiled.

"O-oh... alright." 

"Oh, and one more thing." 

"Yes?"

"Do not rub the lamp." he warned.

"A-ah..." she nodded. 

"Oh, and you can take Carpet with you." he pointed to the magic carpet. "Better not tire your body."

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"Only one may enter, the diamond in the rough."

Lynx looked at the lion's head. "..."

"Well, here goes nothing." she stepped into the cave. 

"Oh! Huh?" she turned around. The carpet offered her to ride him into the cave.

"A-are you sure?" she asked.

The carpet nodded the best it could.

"O-OK..."

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Lynx looked at the wonders of the cave, eventually finding the tavern full of treasure.  

"Pretty..." she sighed. "Oh! The lamp!" she pointed to the red and black oil lamp standing on the rock.

The carpet nodded and flew her near the lamp, and she got it.

"Good. Now we can give this to the Sir." she smiled.

She place the lamp on the carpet, her finger brushing against the spout.

A puff of red smoke billowed in the air. 

"W-what's happening?" she looked at the smoke in terror.

"Oh Great One Who Summons Me, Oh Terrible One Who Commands me, I stand by my Oath, loyalty to wishes three." the figure boomed.

"O-oh my God..." Lynx looked at the red Genie-like figure.

"Oh Great One! Oh Great One!" a parrot fluttered about. 

"..." the red Genie looked around. "Where is the One Who Summons Me?" 

"I-I am." Lynx confessed, holding the lamp.

"...A girl? A-are we for real here? The One Who Summons Me is a young lady?!" the red Genie scoffed.

She nodded. "Apparently so." 

"Well, well. What wishes do you have, Oh Great One? I may only grant you three wishes, and asking for more wishes cannot be done. Making someone fall in love with you and raising the dead are also not available." 

She frowned. "To be honest, I don't have a wish yet." 

"W- Then why did you summon me?!" he groaned.

"It was an accident!" she reasoned.

"Oh my- Well, then I have no choice but to stick around you until you have made your three wishes." 

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"U-um, by the way, do you have a name?" she asked.

"...No one's ever asked me my name before." the red Genie looked down. "Well, my name is Nightmare. I was the Grand Vizier of the Sultan G (Jasmine's dad). 

"The previous Sultan? Then, I'm sorry, Mr Nightmare, Sir. You've missed him. He's retired." she looked at him.

"...What do you mean by that?" he asked.

"Well, he's retired and his daughter, Classic, is the new Sultan." she told him.

"W-" he groaned in frustration. "Argh! All my hard work for nothing!" 

"Hard work?" she asked.

"I used to be a Common Thief. Living my life that way. I climbed my way up the ladder to be the best, but I was forever Second. I once got the magic lamp and it turned me into the greatest being alive, even greater than Dream... but the rules of the Genie are we are powerful, but tied to the Master and lamp." 

Lynx looked at him. "You don't need power or riches to be the First. Never." 

"What would you know?" he asked.

"You see... My husband was a Common Thief too. I saw that, despite his poor ways and need of thievery, he never stole more than what he needed. I loved him for that.

However, as time passed on, he began to steal more than he needed, and even tried risky things like stealing from the Palace. He began wanting more. Soon, he became Number One in the Thievery Chain.

Then I became pregnant, and thought maybe we could live off what we had and raise our child, but he didn't want that. He didn't want the child and left me with nothing." 

"I- Um-" Nightmare tried to speak, but he went mum.

"Being the First in Power or Riches only brings you deeper in, and you hurt those you swore to protect. I'd rather have someone powerless and poor who is First in Integrity, being humble... That's what I want." she covered her stomach with her arms. 

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"Hey Nightmare?" 

"Yes?"

"I think I have my first wish."

"What is it?" Nightmare looked at her.

"...Could you give me a crib?" she asked.

"...W- Seriously? You could ask for anything in the world, and you ask for a crib?!" he looked away. 

"Well, yes. I need one for my baby." She looked at him.

"Oh my God even Fell would be better at this point..." he sighed. "Why would you give one of your three precious wishes away to get a crib for your baby?" 

"Well, my baby needs a place to sleep in, and a crib is by far the best place for them." 

"Let me guess, you next wish will be for baby clothes and your last wish will be for toys for your baby." 

"How did you guess?" she asked.

"Oh my-" he sighed. "...You really care so much for your baby?"

"Yes. They're my precious little angel. I would give everything to them." she smiled.

"...You'd give everything? Even your life?" he looked at her puzzled.

"I would." she looked at him.

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"U-um, Sir... my apologies but..." Lynx opened the door and Nightmare gasped at Fell.

"You?!" 

"You?!"

"...Uh..." she looked at the two of them.

"..." Nightmare scoffed. "Whatever."

"..." Lynx looked down.

"Did you forget my request?" he asked.

"No, Sir. My finger must've brushed against it."

"...Very well. You may keep it. I wouldn't want him in my room anyways. Sorry Ink." 

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"The rules of wish making are as below:
1) Rub the lamp
2) Say I wish
3) Say what you want" Nightmare instructed.

"...Alright." she picked up the lamp, rubbing it. "A-alright... I wish for... items for my baby, which are a crib, baby clothes and toys."

Nightmare was baffled. "You compressed them into one wish?!" 

"Yes." she looked at him. "A-am I doing it wrong?"

"No." he sighed, magicking the desired items up. 

"There you are. a crib, baby clothes of no gender and some toys." 

"...Wow... Thank you so much Nightmare." she looked at him.

"Th-" he looked at her.

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"What comes now?" Lynx asked, looking out the window.

"Another prince looking to trade with us." Fell explained. 

"Lynx, go get my wife ready, alright?" 

"Yes, Sir." she went to find Classic. 

Nightmare was in the lamp, resting.

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"You look beautiful, my Sultan." she said, finishing the last touches.

"Thank you." she smiled at the handmaiden. "You may prepare the table for the guests."

"Alright."

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Lynx set the plates, silverware and glasses on the table. "There must be a lot of people entering, so many plates." she looked to the left where it looked like there was no end. 

"Lynx, uh, I'm so sorry to tell you this last minute, but we are slightly shorthanded today, would it be OK if you bring the dishes to the table? I-if you're too tired we could ask Black (Dahlia) to do it." Fell requested

"O-of course!" she smiled, ignoring the headache forming.

"Thank you so much." he sighed relief, giving her a list. "Follow the list on the order of the food being served." 

She looked at the list.

"...Huh, eyeball soup. I heard those are a delicacy." she went to the kitchen.

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After she served the last guest his dessert, chilled monkey brains (I got the soup and brains idea from Indiana Jones), she went to take a break in her room.

"Oh..." Lynx frowned. She sat on the bed and heaved a weak sigh.

The piece of sari that strayed brushed against the lamp and Nightmare was summoned.

"So you've finally figured out what your second w-" he looked at the tired girl.

"...You look terrible." he frowned.

"I just have a headache... I won't go and eat..." she laid down.

"Well you have to eat something-" his hand brushed against her arm.

"Ow! What was that?" he touched the arm again. "I don't recall people being so warm. Not even my Common Thief days." 

"..." she looked at him.

"Please wait a minute." he placed a hand on her forehead. "Pity, you have a fever." 

"What can I do? I don't have enough money to afford the herbs for it." she frowned.

"Let me try this." he went and found a cold cloth and placed it on her forehead.

"..." she sighed. "Let me try-" she rubbed the lamp and said: "I wish I had herbs for fever."

"Simple." he snapped his fingers and presto! The herbs where on the table.

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"Nightmare, are you there?" Lynx peered into her room.

"Yes, what is it? Have you thought of your third wish?" 

"No, come with me." she gestured, holding his lamp.

"...?" he went and followed her.

"Here, right here." she patted the spot next to her. 

"...Alright?" he sat down.

"Look up there." she pointed to the sky.

"..." he gasped, the stars were glowing with such beauty.

She pointed to different constellations. "There is the Big Dipper, there is the Canis Minor, there is the Ursa Minor..." 

{"And there is Leo." a woman said to a young boy next to him.

"Mother, I love the stars so much." the boy grinned.

"Me too, Nightmare. I sometimes wonder if we could go up there and play among them." she sighed.

"Maybe we can mother. I would take you up there and we can be happy." little Nightmare looked at her.

"Perhaps. But I am already happy with you, my little Nightmare."}

Tears poured out of his eyes as he recalled at night.

The night he wished would last forever. 

"..." she sighed. "Sorry you have to wait so long for my third wish." Lynx looked at Nightmare.

"I don't mind anymore." Nightmare was sitting next to her on the bed. 

"It's been 9 months..." she rubbed her swell.

"Well, it's OK if you don't want to make a wish. To be honest, I don't mind anymore. I like being your friend." the red Genie looked out the window.

"You do?"

"I do. 9 months ago I was hoping you would make the third wish fast and I could stop being in your annoying presence, but... here I am, 9 months later." he smiled.

"So it's OK if I don't wish for anything now?" she looked at him.

"Yeah. If you want me to be your child's Genie I would be glad too. Just as long as he doesn't wish for a sea of fruit punch or such." 

"Perhaps." 

She sighed. 

"But that's not what I want." 

"W-" he looked at her.

"I've thought long and hard about this. I know what I want." she turned to him, holding his lamp.

"For my last wish... I wish for Nightmare to be free." 

"Wait-" he gasped as the two golden buckles on his wrists fell off and he changed back to his former self.

"...Why?" he asked her.

"I want you to be free." she sniffed.

He gave her a hug.

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"Ah!! Ungh!" 

Nightmare looked away uncomfortably. "A-are you sure it should be me?"

"Yes! You are- ah! My best friend and- Ow! I trust you! Ungh!"

"Waa! Waa!" he held the small, naked being in his arms.

Nightmare chuckled. "You can be very odd at times, Lynx."

"Somehow, that's what I am labelled as." 

"...So, are you planning to continue working here or finding another job?" he asked.

"Well, I've saved up so I could start my own business... selling jams." she said between pants.

"...That sounds like Fell." he scoffed. "So... jams. Really?" he confirmed.

"Yes." she closed her eyes from exhaustion.

"I'll clean up and pass them to you. Do you have a name yet?" he asked.

"...Let's name him Error." she smiled.