Hey everyone! Sorry for the confusion, I accidentally posted two chapters at once last time. I decided to separate them just for organization's sake!
Chapter 4: Jasmine
Riku followed Maleficent back to the ship, feeling numb. It just wasn't like Sora to forget about his friends that way. Sure, Riku and Sora were a bit competitive with one another, but Riku still considered Sora his closest friend. Only the menacing click of his cabin door being locked brought Riku back to his senses.
If he was going to find Kairi, he had to go along with whatever Maleficent told him to do. But there wasn't a garantee that Maleficent would even tell him where Kairi was. So, no matter where he may be sent, he was going to keep his ears open for anything that might lead him in the right direction. It was a weak plan, but it was the only one he had.
Meanwhile, images of the Keyblade and Sora kept running through his mind. He had heard Maleficent say that the Keyblade was a very powerful weapon. That she needed it somehow, to help her acheive her final goal. Whatever that goal may be, Riku didn't know for certain. He had heard something about a door, and mention of a princess. But Maleficent had also said the Keyblade Master was of a strong heart. So strong, that the Keyblade was drawn to it. Riku felt a twinge of jealosy in his stomach when he thought of it. What did Sora have that Riku didn't? Wasn't his heart just as strong, maybe even stronger than his friend's?
Some time later, just as he was drifting off, he heard the faint whisper of voices just outside his doorway. He lifted his head, and could see two faint shadows on the wall. As they moved closer, Riku closed his eyes, pretending to be asleep. He recognized the two speakers as Maleficent, and the man with the turban, Jafar.
"Do you really think it's wise...trusting the boy to do so important a task?" His voice was low and smooth, as if he could convince anyone of beliveing anything.
"He has great potential, and I'm sure that he would do anything to save his friends."
"Have you found the girl? The one he's seeking?"
"Yes, we have discovered her location, I shall be sending a few of the others to fetch her soon enough, but first...we must capture Jasmine."
"Leave it to me, the Princess will not be hard to aprehend, though the street rat may raise a problem."
"You have your orders if the Keyblade Master should turn up."
"Certainly, I will dispose of him if he should make that mistake."
Their voices were fading now, as they moved past Riku's door and further into the ship. Riku willed his heartbeat to slow as the conversation registered in his brain. So they were looking for a princess...Jasmine. Was that the 'task' that Jafar had spoken of? Would Riku have to go and capture this Jasmine, and bring her back to Maleficent? Would Sora come and try and to stop him? If he did, Jafar would kill him. Riku felt a shiver go down his spine at the thought. Something else that Maleficent had said hit him full force.
Kairi. She knew where Kairi was. She was going to send someone to get her. Riku wondered who she'd send. He knew Maleficent was too smart to pick Riku for the job. She knew that Riku would try and escape from her the minute he found Kairi. But this news gave him hope. She was still alive, and sooner or later, he would find her. They would get through this together.
Riku tossed and turned on the small bunk, the confusing thoughts running thorugh his head. While the ship sailed on into the night. He dreamed of Kairi, she was beckoning to him, calling his name. Riku could see her, just ahead of him. He stepped towards her, reaching out. But then she seemed farther away than before. He kept moving. No matter how far he went, or how fast he moved, she was always sinking back. Just out of reach.
When Riku woke up, he realized the ship had stopped moving. Though they seemed to be traveling between the worlds, the ship still rocked as though it were on water. As he put his feet on the floor, he heard the key turn in the lock, and this time, the man with flames for hair escorted him away. Riku moved to the door. The man put one hand on his shoulder, his long, thin fingers digging into Riku's skin. He propelled him up to a larger cabin closer to the front. Maleficent's quarters.
As Riku stepped inside, her saw her seated near the far wall. Her green-yellow eyes watching him intently. He didn't like the way her mouth turned up at the corners as he sat opposite of her.
"Well my boy, I am greatly pleased with the sucess of the last earrend I sent you on. So, I have another task for you. It seems that Jafar is taking longer than nessicary to obtain a certain...princess. Out there is the city of Agrabah." She said pointing out of the window between them. Riku could see sand, streatching forever across the land. But he could also see the gates to a large city opening up to him. "Go into the desert beside the city, there you will find the Cave of Wonders. I want you to find the Princess Jasmine, and bring her to me." She pressed a very small, black bead into his hand. "Use this if she does not come willingly."
Riku took the bead, and placed it in his pocket, hoping he wouldn't have to use it. Maleficent grinned as she saw his discomfort. "Don't worry, it will not harm her."
"What about Jafar?"
Maleficent's eyes gleamed brighter. "Leave him."
Sometime later, Riku found himself in the scorching desert of Agrabah. The wind kept whipping around, picking up the fine grains of sand, which swept at Riku's face. He had walked for a long time, and still had not found any Cave of Wonders. He didn't even know what it looked like. Riku paused for a moment, sitting down to rest. He wanted to know what Maleficent needed from all these princesses. For that was who she was after. Just before he left, Riku saw Hook and Hades, the man with the fire hair, bring two other princesses aboard.
The first had skin so fair, it was almost chalk white. But her black hair and ruby lips stood out on her face. The other was taller, with long golden hair as bright as the dawn. Riku had tried to speak to them, but could not get close enough. The princess with the golden hair had looked back at him, only for a moment. But her sad blue eyes pleaded with him to help her. They had been lead belowdecks, and Riku hadn't been able to see where they were imprisoned. He knew they were probably with the other girl he had captured for Maleficent. He wondered if she was a Princess too. For he had heard Jafar mention that they needed all the princesses, or their goal would never be reached.
As Riku pondered these things, a small tremor shook the sand beneth him. He got up, and listened for a moment. All was still. He jogged a short distance, and stopped. There, in the middle of a low depresson in the sand, was a cave. But not just any cave, it looked like a Tiger's head. It's yellow eyes seemed almost alive.
"The Cave of Wonders." Riku whispered to himself. He ran down to it's entrance, and looked in. There was an abundance of steps leading downward, to what, Riku didn't know. He took a deep breath, and stepped into the cave. As he made his way down the stairs, he got the oddest sensation that the Tiger was actually breathing. As he rounded a corner, all thoughts and questions were washed away.
Gold. The cave was full of it. It was everywhere, piled against pillars, mounds heaped almost to the ceiling. As Riku went further into the cave, he noticed an opening beside one of the grander pillars in the room. He hurried over to it, and saw some narrow steps leading downwards. Riku took a deep breath, and began to climb.
As he got closer to the bottom, he could hear voices, and loud crashes. It sounded like a battle. As Riku finally neared the bottom, he could see he was in a large, circular room. A huge hole had opened up in the center of the room, and he could hear Jafar's voice resound through the room.
"I am an All Powerful Genie!" He screamed, and Riku could hear a large explosion. As he made his way across the edge of the room, he noticed something else. A young woman was lying on the floor, motionless. Her long black hair was splayed on the stones, and the turquise outfit she wore complimented her dark skin. This must be Jasmine, Riku thought, spying a turquise band around her head.
As he came nearer, Jasmine stirred. She sat up suddenly, clutching her chest. As she looked around, her huge black eyes became worried.
"Aladdin?" She called out, hurring over to the side of the hole. Riku could hear her draw a breath. "Oh no, Sora too?" Riku's eyes widened. Sora was down there? Then Jafar would surely kill him. Just as Riku was about to run out of the shadows and leap into the hole he heard Jafar scream. Not on triumph, but in agony, in pain. He could see a deep red light spill from the hole, and one final cry from Jafar. Then all was silent.
At last, Riku caught a faint echo of Sora's voice, cheering. He was alive. But oddly, Riku wasn't sure if he was happy about it. He clenched his fists, and moved silently behind the princess. His foot kicked a small pebble, and sent it skitting across the floor. Jasmine turned, and gasped when she saw him.
Before she could scream, Riku had thrown the small, black bead that Maleficent had given him at Jasmine. A dark purple mist broke from within the bead, enveloping the princess. Riku stepped backward, his shirt over his nose. He could hear Jasmine caughing. Then, the mist cleared. She lay still, her feet just over the edge of the pit. Riku felt her neck, letting out a sigh of relief when he felt her pulse. She was alive, just unconcious.
Quickly, Riku gently lifted the Princess in his arms, putting her over his shoulder. He noticed another door that lead out of the circular room. He opted for that door rather than climbing up the narrow stairs. He hurried out of the room, and was soon in the desert again. He was very tired now, having to carry Jasmine the entire way. Finally, after a long time, he saw the ship. He put on one last burst of energy, and hurried to the ship. As he climbed the gangplank, Hook appeared, a smile on his face.
"So, you have succeeded. Good. Take her down with the others, the last cell on the left." Riku simply nodded. He didn't have the energy to say anything. As he came to the cell, he noticed the woman that looked like an Octopus standing guard outside. She sneered at him, then opened the door.
When Riku stepped insde, it took his eyes a moment to adjust to the darkness. Then he heard a stiffled gasp from his left. The blond haired girl he had captured stared at Jasmine, hands over her mouth.
"It's alright, she's not dead." He said, as he made his way over to the single cot within the room. He gently laid Jasmine there, then turned to see the other two princesses staring at him. Finally, the one with the snowy skin came a step closer to him.
"Why? You are not one of them, I can tell. You were not meant to do these things."
"I...well..." But Riku was at a loss for words. How could he explain what he was doing?
"Your heart is troubled." The golden haired one said. "Do not give in to the darkness, it will be your undoing." Riku looked at her a moment, searching her face. Then he turned and ran out of the room. He didn't stop until he was inside his own bunk. He ran his hands down his face. Why was he doing this? He didn't want to kiddnap these girls, he only wanted to find Kairi.
A faint laughter sounded from outside his door. There stood Maleficent, glaring down at him.
"Well, you have proven yourself worthy boy. Come." She said, beckoning him with her hand. "There is something you will want to see." Riku followed her, a bit aprehensively. What was she up to? But before he could try and ask her anything, she had stopped outside a small storage room. As she opened the door, a green circle appeared on the floor. Without a word, she had grasped Riku's arm, and stepped into it. At first all was green, and hazy, then Riku saw that they were back in the castle.
"How?...What...?" Maleficent held up a hand to quiet him.
"Your questions will do no good boy. Now, come here." Riku realized that they were in the room with the pit. Maleficent touched her staff to the stones making up the edge of the pit. The same green mist seemed to fill the pit. Slowly, a figure could be seen through the mist. As Maleficent waved her staff one final time, the figure came into focus. Riku gasped, leaning forward as if he could reach within the mist and grab the person shown in it.
"Kairi." Riku whispered, his eyes never straying from her form, flickering in the mist. But something was wrong. Kairi was lying on her back, her eyes closed, not moving. "But...what's wrong with her? She's not hurt is she?" Maleficent's eyes glowed before she answered him.
"She is still alive, if that is what you want to call it. Her heart has been stolen by the heartless. She is not dead...yet...for some reason she has not disappeared or become a Heartless herself like the others. " Riku couldn't take his eyes off of her still form. She was alive...and he knew that soon, they would find her.
Maleficent watched him with a wicked gleam in her eyes. Her long fingers stroked the green orb on the end of her staff.
"I need you to accomplish one more task for me before we can bring her here."
"What? Tell me." Riku whispered, watching as the image of Kairi slowly faded, and the green mist dispersed throughout the room. He looked up at Maleficent, waiting for her answer.