*Chapter 9: Fight for Wishes*

Sly was cuffed to the walls of the dungeon, and James was thrown in there with him, cuffed by the felines. After the guards left the prisoners, James turned to Sly who hung his head in shame. This is his fault. If he hadn't wished to be a prince, this would not happen. And Carmelita is up there forced to be Cyrille's queen, and Murray is stuck with them as a slave of wishes. Now, Cyrille's got one wish left.

"I'm sorry, Murray, Carmelita...please forgive me." Sly murmured. James stared at him.

"So, is it true? You're not really a prince?" He asked. Sly shook his head. "Your real name is Sly?"

"Yes. I'm the thief, and..." Sly trailed off and sighed. "When I met Carmelita down at the market, she was...different. That's why I wish to become a prince so I can...get to know her better and...forget about my problems."

"You're saying you are in love with Carmelita? Is it her beauty and wealth? Or...is there something you see in her?" James asked. Sly smiled a little.

"She's like me. She wants to be free and see the world and forget about problems." He said. "We flew the magic carpet together, and...oh she was the most wonderful person I've ever met in my life. If only now I could save her from that evil skunk." Then suddenly, the cuffs were released with no key. Sly and James are free and saw the pink aura disappearing. Sly smiled. "Well, what do you know about that?"

"What just happened?" James wondered.

"Murray can read my thoughts." Sly says. "Now let's work together to stop Cyrille and get the lamp back. Carmelita will be free from the marriage and Murray will out of the hands of the skunk." James nodded in approval. They went up the stone steps to get up to the throne room.

Carmelita is struggling around the chains against the pillar as Cyrille is walking up to her with a smirk, gripping on his staff. He placed it under the fox's chin to bring her head up.

"Relax, my lovely little blossom, you will be off the chains once you say, 'I do'." The skunk said. Carmelita pulls her chin away and snarled at him.

"In your dreams, you evil striped animal!"

"Ah, you look lovely even more when you are getting angry." Cyrille chuckled. As the villain is talking to the princess, Murray spotted Sly and James sneaking inside the throne room. He almost called out the raccoon, but covered his mouth as Sly gestured him to keep quiet. James snarled at Cyrille speaking to Carmelita.

"That sneak. I should have known he was up to no good." He said.

"All we need is a distraction." Sly said. He spotted a lamp on the throne. He smiled. "There's the lamp. I'll sneak over there and take it, so Murray can be in my hands again and we'll deal with Cyrille."

"What should I do?" James asked.

"Make sure the skunk doesn't get near the throne. Hide behind the pile of gold over there, and I will check to see if you want to me lay low." He pointed at the gold by the corner. James nodded in understand and quickly went over to the pile of gold. Murray watched the two in silent. He made sure his new master isn't aware of this. But he's focused on Carmelita.

"I will never be your queen, Cyrille! I'd rather be the wife of that thief! He's the one for me!" Carmelita said.

"That street rat had fooled you, my dear princess. I've explained this to you. He only wants your palace, and cares about your beauty." Cyrille says by placing his finger under Carmelita's chin. "As long as I have the genie, I am unstoppable." Carmelita pulled away, and noticed Sly slowly approaching to the throne to grab the lamp. The fox then gasped as she saw Arpeggio fly down and snatched the lamp from the throne.

"Cyrille, the thief is here!" The bird cried out as he flies around with the lamp. Sly turned to Cyrille who turned around and snarled.

"You!" He uses his staff to zap the raccoon. Sly grunted and almost kneel to the floor. Carmelita then kicked Cyrille's staff away from his hands. James then came over and try to get the princess free from the cuffs. Sly shook his head, but he was pinned down by Cyrille. "How many times do I have to be rid of you, street rat?!" He yelled. Sly kicked him off, and climbed on the ropes.

"Sly!" Carmelita cried out.

"Get the lamp!" Sly told her. Carmelita nodded and ran across the throne room to catch Arpeggio who is avoiding her.

"Don't let her touch the lamp!" Cyrille shouted. He climbs on the ropes to catch up on Sly who is hopping on each gold pile. Arpeggio smirked at Carmelita as she tries to catch him, but then he felt a tug. He saw Sly pulling the lamp from his talons. "No!" Cyrille shouted and launch at the raccoon, and the lamp lands on the floor. Carmelita picked up.

"Sly! I got it!"

"Carmelita, watch out!" Sly cried as Cyrille uses his staff to zap the princess and then there's the giant hourglass appeared with her trapped inside. As it landed, the sand falls on Carmelita's head. "Carmelita!" James came over to the hourglass and touched the glass as Carmelita did the same.

"Help Sly!" Carmelita said.

"No! I got this one!" Sly said. He pushed Cyrille away from him, and he took out a sword he stole from one of the guards. Before he is coming over to the lamp, Cyrille made it first.

"You will never get the lamp back, you street rat! You lose!"

"This isn't over yet, Cyrille! You're nothing but an evil sneak!" Sly snarled. "I rubbed the lamp first, and Murray is my only friend, and the best one I've ever met! I may have broken a promise to him, but...I still have one wish left once I have the lamp back!"

"Enjoy trying to take away my treasure, thief. But you will see that you will lose this round!" Cyrille said.

"You such a coward!" James shouted.

"Such a snake!" Carmelita growled. Cyrille chuckled evilly.

"A snake, am I?" He asked. He slowly turned to Sly who gripped on the sword. "Let's see how snake like I can be..." Smoke appeared around him and Sly. The thief can hear hissing and snaps. He tried to look through the smoke, but then, a black and white king cobra raise up. It was at least 16 feet. Sly didn't show any fear, but shocked that the skunk can turn into a snake.

"Holy smokes!" Murray cried out.

"Sly!" Carmelita shouted, hitting the glass. Sly dodged the strikes of the snake, and swung his sword at his face. The snake roared and shook his head. Cyrille continues to try to snap at Sly, but the raccoon is too fast. Sly is running for the lamp, but the tail strikes him on the back to pin him down.

"Ooof!" Sly grunted. Cyrille laughed and flicked his tongue.

"You weak little fool!" He says. "You're nothing without the genie!" Sly tries to get out of the grasp, but the coils are on him. He looks at Carmelita and James who watched, all helpless. Murray couldn't do anything this time to save his friend. Something popped in Sly's mind. The genie...Sly smirked at the idea.

"Murray has more power than you have, Cyrille!" Sly says by glaring at the reptile. "He gave you power, but he could take it all away! Face it, you're the second best around here!"

"What is he doing?" Carmelita asked in shock. Murray made a face palm, not aware about Sly's plan.

"...You are right..." Cyrille says. "But, he won't be a powerful one for long..."

"Sly, why are you bringing me into this?" Murray asked. But the snake eyes on him.

"Now, Murray, as for my final wish! I wish to be the all powerful genie!" Cyrille commanded. Sly stares at Murray, make a small nod at him.

"Way to go, Sly." Murray told him as he glared. He snapped his fingers as he shuts his eyes. Red bolts appear on Cyrille's body, making him gasp. Sly got out of the grasp and ran towards the hourglass. He picked up the stone and broke the glass and sand is pouring out. Carmelita crawled out and embraced Sly.

"Are you alright?" Sly asked. Carmelita now backed away in fear as the shadow towers over them. Sly turned back and saw a shadowy genie, that is Cyrille, raising up the ceiling.

"Yes! Yes! More power!" Cyrille said in a deep voice. "The universe is mine to command...to control!"

"What have you done?" Carmelita asked.

"Trust me. I know what I'm doing!" Sly assured her. He spotted a black lamp on the ground that happens to be Cyrille's. "Bingo!" He came over to the black lamp and picked it up. "You're forgetting something, Cyrille!" Sly yelled. The dark genie looked down at him with a snarl. "You want to be a genie, you got it!" The gold wrist bands appear on Cyrille. "And everything that goes with it!" Sly smirked as he watched Cyrille starting to sink down to the lamp. Arpeggio was about to fly away, but was grabbed by his boss and got in the lamp. "And there you go." Sly said with a smile. Murray laughed.

"Sly, you sneaky devil! I should have known!"

"Idiots like the skunk can fall for things like this." Sly said. Murray took the lamp and throw it aside.

"A thousand years will chill him and that Tiki Room reject out." He said. Sly chuckled at him. Then, everything that Cyrille had disappeared. Outside the palace is back to normal, and clouds are disappearing. Carmelita's outfit turns back to blue and normal as before. The guards are no longer hypnotized, yet they are confused.

"What happened?" A male cat asked.

"I don't remember..." A baboon replied, scratching his head. Carmelita and James hugged each other in happiness. Sly smiled at them, but frowned and about to walk away.

"Carmelita's better off without me. I'm no prince. I'm just a thief who steals." He says. He walks away from Murray and the others. Sly turned once more to see Carmelita's smile. The raccoon sighed sadly and head towards the doors. "Goodbye, Carmelita."