SUPER DISNEY BROS.
Chapter Twenty-Six: The Hideout
It was a shabby and shadowy chamber. Oil lamps ignited the scarlet drapes, swaying like fire. Dust and rubble had spilled from a broken wall and littered the floor. A new room had been cleared to fit the two new statues, the skeleton man and Goofy. They stood beside Jafar's original prize, Sulley. It had been days since Jafar returned to rest. He slumped into his chair and sighed. It was a soothing moment, one that blocked out the rest of the world. The Heartless. The King. Especially Maleficent who knew nothing of his private domain, located deep in the heart of an abandoned temple of ancient days. Iago had plopped into his favorite plump pillow and slumbered. His silence was another rare jewel to behold.
Jafar had been overexerting himself by traveling too far from his sanctuary. His greatest weakness had to be hidden in complete secrecy. To carry it so closely would only leave him so vulnerable. A clever foe like Aladdin could purloin it from a blind spot. Instead, Jafar sealed it in a secret compartment. Jafar could feel its magic pouring into his body. His back began to recover from the horse assault. If only he were to hold it in his hands, then his true strength would be restored to his peak. He could even assume his true form. As a genie.
Jafar rose from his chair and made his way to the stone wall on his left, opposite of the giant hole. He traced one rectangular spot with a bony finger to reveal the compartment. It popped out like a dressing drawer. He reached down only to touch the velvet, sculpted to fit his secret item. His eyes widened in dread. In desperation, he leaned to look for himself.
"Looking for this?" asked an elegant and eerie voice.
Jafar's heart throbbed so hard, it was torturous. He turned around and faced the eerie green aura that blocked the entry to the trophy chamber. The hideout was underground; the only way to access it was by teleportation.
The green aura beckoned him. He stepped forward when all of a sudden, bright flames burst. The woman finally took physical form. Her long and pointed horns instilled unearthly fear in his soul. She took one step forward. One hand held her staff. The other rubbed another item. Jafar's item. The lamp.
"How did you-" began Jafar. His throat tightened, as if strangled by a snake.
"Discover your true intentions? To purloin our prisoners for some silly plot? Fool!" scolded Maleficent.
Jafar could not defy her. His lips pursed so painfully. It was more than just intimidation or Maleficent's cruel grin. It was the power of the lamp. She alone wielded it.
"All you could hope to achieve was delay the inevitable. Another troublesome hurdle," said Maleficent in an irritated tone.
"It was never my-"
"I don't want to hear any twisted tales from you. To think that I trusted you above all others. Hook. Pete. Oogie. Even Heartless came second to you," admitted Maleficent.
"I should be...honored," said Jafar.
"Your attempts to pacify me are pathetic." Maleficent strolled through the chamber and fondled the arm rest of Jafar's chair. "Such phenomenal power you possess. To think it could almost rival mine. Almost."
Her icy chuckle prickled Jafar. He retreated to the wall. The grip on his cobra staff trembled.
"I believe the story was you were tricked into wishing yourself to be a genie. A bit...ironic, one should think. There are some limitations, of course. Let's see. No killing, no love, and no resurrection." Maleficent counted the rules on her smooth, needle-like fingers.
"I think we can work with that, no?" A devilish smile swept her face. Maleficent drummed her nails over the lamp. Each clicking sound was like a pointed jab to Jafar's stomach. He knew she enjoyed the sadistic circumstances. How could she resist?
"My first wish. I wish for you...to abandon all deeds and intent to betray me." Upon hearing Maleficent's words, Jafar was compelled to drop to his knees and bow like a common servant.
"Y-y...yes. My excellency."
"Wrong word choice, I'm afraid. I wield the lamp, which makes me your...come now, Jafar. Say it."
"My...master." Jafar nearly gagged from speaking.
"That's much better. And my second wish. I wish for you to never lie or act in any manner of deceit...to anyone," specified Maleficent. She smiled even wider, admiring her own cleverness.
"Yes. My master. I shall bear no false witness to you or anyone."
"Perfect!" Maleficent was overjoyed. She even twirled in her shroud-like gown. "I can finally trust you again."
Iago snorted and wiggled in his sleep. Maleficent dangled the lamp's hoop from her pinky. It was the same hand that held her staff.
"Do wake up your pet," said Maleficent.
Jafar rose to his feet. There was no magical pressure constricting his body. And yet Maleficent's eyes still shined, unyielding.
"Don't take me for a fool. I'm saving my last wish. You'll do my bidding because you crave it. Serving a true lady of evil and all things wicked. To side with the maiden of malevolence. Or else suffer an unspeakable agony that only I can deliver." The pale green orb sitting atop Maleficent's staff shined so bright, it burned like a flame. As a genie, Jafar could inflict no direct harm to his master, the one who owned the lamp. He sighed and approached his peaceful parrot. He nudged Iago off his pillow.
"Na...eh...Jafar? Do we have to go out now?" mumbled Iago in a cranky mood. He stretched his feathers and rubbed his eyes. He turned to the glowing green light in the chamber.
"EEEEEAAAAAH! MALEFICENT! Jafar! Jafar! How did she get here? Did you invite her?"
"If only he had," muttered Maleficent coldly.
Iago clumsily took off from the night stand and perched on Jafar's shoulder. By looking at his face, Iago could tell something was off about his conniving companion.
"As for the statues you took from Oogie, where are they?"
Iago was stunned. He tried to put on a nervous smile and speak without moving his beak.
"HowdoessheknowaboutthestatuesyoustolefromOogie?"
"The statues...are right behind you. In the next chamber," answered Jafar, pressured by the power of Maleficent's wish.
"What gives?! C'mon! Show some moxie! Don't just let her-" Iago dropped his lower beak as Maleficent stepped into the second chamber at her own delicate leisure. When the end of her gown trailed behind her, out of sight, Iago yanked Jafar to blast some sense into him.
"What is wrong with you?! What did she say? Tell me Jafar!" screamed Iago.
"She...found the lamp," said Jafar truthfully. He had to follow Maleficent's second wish, which forced him to answer questions before he could voice his own thoughts, such as how much he detested Iago's loud voice so close to his ear.
"Oh no. Ohhhhhh no!" Iago panicked, nibbling his own feathers.
"How marvelous!" exclaimed Maleficent. "You've even managed to collect Goofy, one of the King's allies."
"Correct," said Jafar.
"And what of this handsome beast with the horns?"
"He was collateral after acquiring the global core."
"I see. These three will come in handy." A fiery swishing sound entered the statue chamber, along with a pulse of green light. It had to be a portal, cast by Maleficent. She returned to Jafar's resting area and cozied onto his chair.
"The statues have all been delivered aboard Hook's ship, along with the princess, the Queen, the fairy, and the maiden who's ensnared the heart of a cursed prince. What a fine collection we've amassed, don't you think?" asked Maleficent.
"Yesssss. Most fine, indeed," agreed Jafar.
"And with that I shall best be on my way." Maleficent stood up and faced the wall. "As a reminder, we'll need you at the mountain of ice and snow to battle the queen at her castle. Do fetch Pete. I'm certain we can use that oaf as some decoy."
"Of course," said Jafar, through his tense teeth, grinding in fury.
"Wonderful." Maleficent created another swirling green portal through which to make her leave. Should she move to a faraway location, Jafar would have to travel again with a great distance between him and the lamp. He would have to watch his strength. Before she taking a single step forward, Jafar coughed for her attention.
"How?" asked Jafar, aggressively.
"How what? You mustn't be so vague." said Maleficent.
"How did you discover my hideout and my lamp? And how did you know of my business with Oogie?"
Maleficent did not reply right away. Instead, her lustrous lips curled once again into her signature, sinister smile.
"I had outside help. One that does not rely on magic," said Maleficent casually.
"No magic?!" Jafar was alarmed by the existence of an unknown spy. "Then...who?"
"Patience, my genie. Patience." Maleficent turned over to her portal and passed onward. The green light flickered and vanished. Jafar could immediately feel his power drain, nearly in half. The pain in his back started to sting once again.
"Jafaaaar. This doesn't look good. What are we gonna do?" asked Iago, frightened.
Jafar jabbed his staff and summond his own portal, a shadowy veil with a hint of scarlet.
"We're going to follow Maleficent's orders. Nothing more," answered Jafar in despair. His melancholy mood sunk to a new low. Iago pitied him. The snake in the grass had been caught and held by its neck.