Kingdom Hearts
Ch. 50
Agrabah
Aladdin of Agrabah
"Woah it's just miles and miles of sand!" shouted Sora running out into the open with his arms raised. He looked out across the desert world to see nothing but yellow sand and an open sky. With the exception of several large red stones rising out of the sands.
"Gawrsh, for a desert I'd thought it be hotter?" remarked Goofy looking up into the cloudless sky. Goofy placed his hand over his forehand looking far out seeking any trace of civilization.
"A new world. Sand?" said Tarzan. He instantly hesitated to feel the smooth particles with the palm of his hand. Picking up a handful before pouring it back on the ground.
"So, where's the city?" shouted Sora to his friends.
Donald stepped forward spreading the top layer of sand with his webbed feet. "It should be out here somewhere?" he said looking around.
"Which way?" Sora shouted back.
Donald became hesitant trying to see any signs of life. Goofy smiled cheerfully placing his hands-on Donald's and Tarzan's shoulders, "Now don't you worry fellers. I'm sure we'll find our way. I just know we will."
2 HOURS LATER
"This isn't like the beach at all," said Sora in a tired and dry voice. He collapsed falling face first in the sand.
"Donald why does your teleporty system transports us to a random place every time?" said Goofy huffing and kneeling a bit.
"It isn't an exact science. This is why I hate desert worlds," said Donald lopping over dehydrated.
Tarzan was in better shape strutting down the sandy plains, but his face told another story. "Tarzan, thirsty, river, water," he struggled to say.
Jiminy crawled out of Sora's sweaty hood using his top hat as a fan. "I can't wait till we get to the city. Hopefully the people there are friendly enough to give us water."
Over cross the desert sands past the dunes casting shadows on the ground where lizards burrow. Far off to the east a great city stood like a mountain of gold in a waist land. A large settlement with a giant fortress crafted for great men placed in the center. A large white structure reaching into the sky with many towers topped with gold domes. The structure is surrounded by many building crafted from stones. Woman set their clothes out to dry on a thin string connecting to the other building across the road. Men carried food and products down from their homes to stock their businesses. Kids played in the streets throwing water out of a jar at each other.
People of this great city conversed with each other normally, but something was amiss. Many residents fled to their homes. Mothers grabbed their soaked childern bringing them back in their houses locking the doors. Heartless began coming down the street freely examining every nook and cranny in every street corner. Human guards assisted the heartless though it seems they did not enjoy it too much.
Looking atop the Palace walls in the center of the city. Two figures dressed in black conversed with each other looking over the city with dead eyes.
"And the Keyhole?" said Maleficent with a calm and steady voice.
The tall, thin man in black robes replies back to her. "The Heartless are searching for it now. I'm certain we'll find it soon enough. So that just leaves..."
Overhead, a brightly-colored parrot squawks through the air loudly before circling down to land on the man's pointed shoulders. "Jafar! I've looked everywhere for Jasmine. She's disappeared like magic!" said the parrot.
"Again Iago. I swear that girl is more trouble than she's worth. This is the second time she managed to escape. She's going to regret abandoning her home," said the tall man.
"You said you had things under control," said Maleficent still looking out towards the city.
"Agrabah is full of holes for rats to hide in. But why worry about Princess Jasmine? With her or without her, surely this world will be ours when we find the Keyhole. Why did you force me to… take care of her all these years?"
"We need all seven princesses of heart to open the final door. Any fewer is useless. Without her our plans cannot be accomplished."
Jafar's dead stare turned to a devious grin. "Well, if the princess is that important, we'll find her." Bandit Heartless appear behind him, brandishing swords dressed in Arabic clothing. "Find Jasmine and bring her to me at once," Jafar commanded pointing with his staff out into the city.
The Heartless jumped off the wall landing in the streets one by one. Iago continues his search flying off into the city with the heartless. "Don't steep yourself in darkness too long. The Heartless consume the careless."
Jafar laughs proudly, "Your concern is touching, but hardly necessary. You won't have to worry about me. I'll succeed with or without your help. And then I'll finally know peace when this world disappears forever."
Deep in the city as the heartless roam the streets and alleys a worried young woman was hiding in a jar behind several boxes. She is no commoner, as her jewelry and her clothes are of fine quality. She is a very voluptuous and attractive young woman of average height. She has tan skin, long lustrous black hair, and brown eyes. She wore a sea green cropped tube top that reveals her midriff and her navel with sewn-in sleeves for her arms, matching pants, and light sea green curled shoes. Her hair is tied in a ponytail held together by two sea green bands matching her outfit, and ending in a small swirl. She wears a sea green headband that is centered with a sapphire adorned into it. She wore two large golden earrings that dangle from her ears completely covering them, and a matching necklace. When the coast was clear she hopped out of the pot grabbing a brown cloak shielding her identity from onlookers. She ran off into the city disappearing into the streets.
-3 hours later-
Back in the desert. Sora and the others struggled to move any further. As the sun sets, the sands of the desert gave off an enchanting feel. Lighting up like fire before the sun set completely. Nothing aside from sand surrounded the friends. They all lobed over resting from exhaustion. "I can't believe. We're lost. Can't we call the ship," said a desperate sweaty Goofy.
"I wish. We can't return to the ship till 24 hours after landing. In hindsight, it would have been more convenient to just land the ship," Donald explained.
"How long till we can return?" asked Jiminy poking his head out of Sora's hood.
Donald replied, "We've been wandering out here for 5 hours. So, 19 more."
"AW!" they all roared except Sora who fell right asleep on the sand. He laid on his belly with his head turned to the left resting his face on the ground. He snored soundly with a smile on his face.
Tarzan continued to play with the sand while Goofy fell over on his back. "Whelp, good night Donald." He crossed his fingers placing them over his belly. He shut his eyes and began to sleep with Sora.
"You're both asleep? We're about to die of thirst," he shouted. Donald threw a bit of a tantrum kicking sand in the air. He then looked up to notice the dark sky was filled with many stars each representing another world. He looked trying come to terms with his goals. "So many worlds. Your majesty how are we supposed to find you?" he thought.
Turning his head down he saw something approaching them. A cloaked figure whose face was completely concealed by a brown cloak. Tarzan brought out his spear holding it in his right hand. He concealed it from the stranger but still grasped it slightly. "Ah, hello there. Can you help us? We're kind of lost," shouted Donald from far away. The cloaked figure came closer without saying a word. "Do you by any chance have water?"
The cloaked man made his way to Donald standing right before him. He then opened his cloak up grabbing a wet sack holding water in it. "Yeah, sure I brought more than enough. Here you go." He handed Donald the wet sack.
Donald tilted his head, "Well, thank you what's your name Mr?"
The man pulled down his hood revealing his face. He was a bright young man with short black hair and brown eyes. He wore a red hat on top of his head. "Call me Aladdin," he said.
Tarzan put his spear away back in his pocket causally without notice. Donald took a little sip before handing it off to Tarzan. "Goofy, Sora wake up!" Donald commanded. They both refused to budge. Donald raised his finger in the air preparing to zap them with lighting. But Tarzan halted him. In each hand he carried a handful of sand. He then poured it over the two sleepy heads. Both Sora and Goofy breathed some of it in. They immediately awoke in an even worse state then before.
"What the!" shouted Sora jumping to his feet. He began coughing loudly spitting sand out of his mouth. "Why?" he asked them. Goofy did the same thing coughing and spitting in a terrible manner.
"Tarzan, why would you do that?" shouted Donald.
"I thought it would be funny," he said with a slight grin.
"You thought it was funny!" they all shouted."
Sora and Goofy spit out the sand the best they could. Tarzan handed them the sack giving them something to drink. They drank up the entire sack leaving a few drops for Jiminy. "Gee, thanks you're a life savior," said Sora to Aladdin.
"Thanks," he said smiling. Something began rustling around in his cloak. He pulled open the cloak only for a small brown money with a matching hat and vest to climb up on the man's shoulder. The monkey shrieked at Aladdin angrily. "I'm sorry Abu. They really needed help."
"Wow, a monkey. I'd never thought I'd see one of those up close before," said Sora getting closer to the animal.
Aladdin introduced his friend, "Oh, this is Abu. And you can call me Aladdin. So, what are you doing out here? And without previsions? You aren't sand bandits, are you?"
"No, we're from very far away. Can you tell us where's the nearest town is?" asked Sora.
Aladdin pointed to the east. "Town? If you mean Agrabah it's down that way. Just keep going straight you can't miss it."
"Thanks, but why are you out here?" Sora asked humbly. Abu screeched again in Aladdin's ear.
"Alright, alright, Abu. I won't," he said quietly. He spoke to Sora and the others, "I have something to take care off. Something personal. But anyway, it's been nice meeting you." Aladdin stretched his arm out to Sora.
"You are planning on discovering some kind of treasure. Is that what you call personal?" said Tarzan bluntly.
"Discover?" said Sora intrigued.
"Treasure!" said Donald with dollar signs in his eyes.
"Personal?" Goofy said humorously.
"You're a treasure hunter," they all said in unison.
"What I didn't say anything about a treasure. Why would you think that?" Aladdin asked becoming nervous.
Tarzan pointed to Abu, "That's what your monkey friend said. He said, don't tell them about the treasure we're searching for." Aladdin didn't know how to react. Abu's jaw dropped.
"Gawrsh, I didn't know you can understand monkey Tarzan?" said Goofy.
Tarzan proudly explained, "Tarzan raised by apes and lived around animals my whole life. Tarzan can understand and speak to almost any animal."
Aladdin threw off his cloak holding a sword in his hand. He was barefoot, donning a purple, sleeveless vest, red fez, and baggy cream colored pants with a single patch covering a hole near the knee. Abu snarled trying to be threating gritting his teeth and drooling. Aladdin threaten the Disney gang with his sword, "I'm sorry. But I can't have anyone be aware of what I'm doing."
Sora was unmoved. "This treasure how much is there?"
"That's none of your business," Aladdin yelled pointing his sword at Sora's body.
"You need any help?" Sora asked bluntly.
"What, you want to help?" Aladdin yelled.
"Sora. You know we shouldn't be meddling," Donald reminded Sora.
Sora turned to Donald in an annoyed look. "Meddling really," he said. They all remembered back when they overthrew a whole worlds government in Wonderland. And when they competed and won in a fighting tournament in Olympus.
"Ah, screw it. Fine let's go treasure hunting," said Donald who soon began imagining himself swimming a sea of gold and jewels.
"Alright. It's official we're going treasure hunting in the desert," Sora shouted raising his hands in the air.
"Hey, I didn't say you could help me out yet!" screamed Aladdin behind them.
Sora stared at Aladdin cocking his eyebrow smiling, "Yet."
Aladdin yelled back, "No I didn't mean it like that."
They all sat down on the dark sand huddled in a circle. "So where is this treasure located?" asked Jiminy writing down notes in his journal.
"That's the thing you can't just go there." Aladdin pulled out two halves of a golden bug. "We're supposed to put these together and then they'll lead us to the location of the treasure."
"Where did you come across such a strange device?" asked Goofy.
Aladdin gripped the golden bugs in his palms. "Well let's just say. One found its way from the pocket of noble and into the palm of my hand. While the other was a gift from a little bird."
"So, you stole that?" asked Sora pointing at the golden bug.
Aladdin grasped the two halves of the bug remarking, "Okay, one of them. The other half really was given to me." Sora quickly got up and ran towards Aladdin. He then presided to kick Aladdin in the face knocking him back across the desert sands. Goofy and Jiminy gaped their mouths open.
"Sora what do you think you're doing?" shouted Donald. Aladdin crashed several feet away from them on the sand. Abu was thrown from Aladdin's shoulders falling to the ground.
Sora looked confused, "What, this is how everyone deals with thieves on my island. We just smack them up a bit."
"How many times do we have to tell you that this isn't Destiny Islands!" they all shouted.
Aladdin confused and dazed wiped the blood from his face before standing up facing Sora. He got his sword and charged at the young boy. Without even looking at Aladdin. Sora summoned his keyblade clashing it with the sword. "What the? He's a warrior class hero. But he's only a kid," Aladdin thought.
With almost no effort Sora pushed Aladdin away from him. He then took his free hand smashing his fist into Aladdin's torso knocking him down. The others gapped their mouths open as Sora remarked. "And that's how we deal with people who attack from behind."
"What's the big idea?" shouted Aladdin wiping the blood off his face.
"You stole something," Sora proclaimed.
"So, what if I stole it. It was from a rich noble. He didn't even know what he had. I was just a kid at the time anyway," Aladdin explained.
Sora looked at him with a dead stare. "Stealing is wrong. No matter what circumstance." Aladdin's throat began to throb. He remembered back years ago. When someone close to him would say those same words.
Aladdin bent forward and kneeled down with his blood dripping off his face dropping on the sand. "Your right. Forgive me," he said with a groggy voice.
"It's okay. Like you said. You were just a kid anyways. Well since we have it already. Why don't we use it to find the treasure and you can pay them back with it?" Sora said.
"Que?" everyone else all shouted in French.
"Really," said Aladdin raising his head towards Sora.
"Sure, let's go find this treasure together." He stretched his arm out helping Aladdin up.
Abu climbed up Aladdin's back growling at Sora. "Calm down Abu he's right."
Donald used his staff to heal Aladdin with a cure spell. Aladdin wiped the sand off his baggy pants. "Yeah, but before we should go. There's something you should know about the treasure."
Aladdin causally explained it to them the best he could. "What, the treasure is cursed!" they all shouted.
"Well if that's the case. Forget about it," said Donald.
"Wow, a cursed treasure. That's so cool," said Sora with the light of the star's glistening in his eyes.
"You're wowed by everything," said Goofy.
"So, if it's cursed why do you want to go there anyway?" asked Jiminy.
"Because I need to help someone I really care for. And it's not the treasure I'm looking for. But something else. A lamp."
"A lamp, what's so great about that," said Sora with a less then excited look.
"I retract my last statement," stated Goofy.
"I don't know what it actually is but it's my only chance to save her," Aladdin said turning away from the group.
"Her?" questioned Tarzan.
"Yes, you probably aren't going to believe me. But I'm going to use the lamp to over throw the Sultan.
"The Sultan?" asked Tarzan ignorant of the title.
"He must be the leader here," concluded Jiminy.
"Yes. A few days ago, I met a girl in the market place. And let me tell you she was something else. She said she ran away from home so I let her stay with me for a couple of days. But later I learned that she ran away from the Palace itself. She was Princess Jasmine."
Everyone didn't give the reaction Aladdin thought they would. "Huh, a Princess? Princesses are real. Wow the universe is just full of wonders," said Sora starry eyed again.
"You know very well princesses exist. We told you about it a while ago," shouted Donald bonking Sora with his staff.
Goofy slid closer to Aladdin bumping his shoulder. "Shooting your targets', a little high there ain't yah," he said in a silly voice.
Tarzan also came near him. "If the love for you two is true and honorable. You will find a way to be with each other no matter what barrier divides you."
"You-you guys. I don't think you guys understand. She can't even leave the Palace without permission. To this day no one in Agrabah has seen her in public since the previous Sultan died. His successor is a ruthless dictator who asserted himself into power. No one even knows how. He just appeared one day and declared himself Sultan. Ever since then he's been making life hell for everyone in Agrabah and especially Jasmine. How don't you guys know this?"
"Um sorry. We're from a desert far away," Sora said making a quick excuse.
"What do you mean far away desert? There's only one desert. And the Sultan rules over everything. How can you not know about any of this? I mean I've never seen anyone dressed like you guys before. Who even are you guys?"
"Us, well we are from far away. But we're-" said Goofy before Jiminy interrupted him. "We're desert wanders. Yes, that's it. We live off the land. Going place to place without a real destination. We've haven't been in contact with pretty much anyone for years. So, our knowledge on current events is limited."
"Desert wanders. That's something new. My brother would travel all over the world, but he never mentioned anyone like that."
Jiminy went into further detail, "We try to avoid contact with people unless we need to. We believe in providing for ourselves with no one's help."
"I see," said Aladdin.
"I don't know about you. But this Sultan guy is really ticking me off. Aladdin why don't you just go up there, kick the Sultan's butt and save the Princess like in every other story?" asked Sora a bit adjugated.
"Um because he's the Sultan. I'd never make it past the Palace gates let alone face him personally. I'd have to go through hundreds of the Sultan's dark soldiers and then I'll have to deal with his Three Immortals."
"That shouldn't stop you. Every hero finds a way. No matter the obstacle," Sora declared confidently.
"But I'm not a hero. I'm just a street rat. I can't do anything. But this lamp we're looking for. This can make me the hero Jasmine deserves," Aladdin said a bit anxious.
Sora walks up to Aladdin's with a serious look before punching him again. He knocked Aladdin down again on the sands. "Sora!" everyone else shouted.
With an angry look Sora shouted, "Don't you every talk down to yourself again you hear me. A street rat or a hero. So, what. We can only rise if we believe in ourselves. You think your garbage. You think your life is worthless. You think no one wants you because you're not good enough. Then that's all you will ever be. And no magic lamp is going to change that. If you want to be the man, the Princess deserves then be the man that she needs."
Everyone even Abu could not utter a sound. Aladdin, noticing he was in the same position as before on the ground. Looking up to Sora's face Aladdin apologized. Tarzan looked down reflecting on himself as the conversation went on. "I'm sorry," mumbled Aladdin. "Your right. But still. I'm just one person. I can't do it alone. Jasmine she means so much to me. I owe her this. She's been through so much that most people couldn't even bare. Out of all of us she's suffered the most."
Sora walked over to Aladdin again speaking, "There's no shame in asking for help. So, get up and hold your head up high because you're not alone here. We will help you," said Sora reaching his hand out again.
"Sora, we can't just help them. What about the middling?" shouted Goofy.
"Meddling," Donald corrected. "But he's right Sora. We can't just get involved on a whim."
"I don't care. A poor Princess is in trouble and besides I really want to sock this Sultan guy. But first, Aladdin let's go find that lamp of yours."
Aladdin brought out the pieces of the golden bug. "But you just said."
Sora interrupted him, "Yeah, but I'm not stupid. I don't want to fight wave after wave of guards. By the time I get to this Sultan guy. I'll be tired out and I won't be able to punch him as hard as I can. I say if you have an easy way to accomplish impossible odds take it."
Jiminy looked to the others, "Guys."
"I'm with you Sora. Though it's against the rules. I won't be able to sleep at night if I refused to help a young lady in need. What about you Donald?" Goofy said to his friend.
"No way. No treasure or reward. What's the point?" said Donald closing his eyes
"You know Agrabah is rich with gold and jewels. I'm sure if you help. You'll be rewarded handsomely," Aladdin said trying to entice the duck.
Donald opened his eyes with his pupils spinning like a slot machine. They stopped revealing themselves as money signs sparklingly with gold and glitter. "On with the hunt for the lost lamp," he said proudly.
"And you Tarzan?" Sora turned towards the team's newest member. Tarzan smiled nodding his head.
"Okay, its settled. We're going to find the magic lamp, save Princess Jasmine, and beat up the Sultan." Sora nudged over to Aladdin asking, "What's the Sultan's name again?"
Aladdin answered, "His name is Jafar."
"Jafar, never heard a name like that before. Anyways we're going to kick Jafar's butt and save the Princess. Now let's get this brand-new adventure started."
Aladdin nodded lifting the two half's of the bug near each other. The others waited impatiently as Aladdin put the bug back together. The insect of gold instantly came to life glowing and it's wings flapped rapidly. The insect then flew off into the distance leaving a trail of light behind it before disappearing out of sight.
"Alright. Guys no time to waste," chanted Sora following the insect off into the distance.
"Sora don't just run a-way," begged Donald. The others more or less fell over broken.
"More walking," mourned Goofy falling to his knees.
"And so, begins the next leg of our adventure." Those were the words Jiminy wrote in his journal as he rode in Sora's hood accompanying him off into desert.