Kingdom Hearts

Ch. 70

Agrabah

The Hated Scientist

After that night Jafar sank himself into his studies refusing to speak with anyone. He refused to participate in any social gathering to rather work tirelessly studying his theories. While the kingdom cheered during the marriage of the Prince and Kali he remained inside reading and writing. Only emerging for class and food.

Jafar worked vigilantly in all his courses. He attended his history class along with other students. He sat down in the back like any other day. The professor then gave out a new assignment. "In one week a special paper will be due by comparing old legends of our people with the real life historical past. But to change it up and provide you all with a new experience. For this project each of you will be assigned a partner and you'll submit a paper together."

This made Jafar's eyes role. He gritted his teeth imagining who he'll have to work with. At the end of class, the professor assigned the partners. He placed a scroll on the desk with the names of the partners next to each other. Jafar was one of the last ones on the list. He looked at the paper on the teacher's desk. Seeing he was partnered with a girl in the class. A girl named Moni. All the students conversed as they met with their partners. Jafar looked around unable to recognize his partner. The thought dashed through his head as he knew almost no one in his class. They were all strangers to him. People he only passes a glance to on the street with no connection beyond that. He pondered what to do till he heard someone calls his name with a strong feminine voice. He turned towards the noise. Jafar caught glimpse of a girl holding her hand up. Assuming this is Moni he walked over and greeted her.

"Oh, you must be Jafar. My name is Moni. I guess were partners," she said casually. The girl had light skin and blue eyes. She wore a red hijab with an orange outline over her head. "So, you're that book worm Jafar. Well I hope you and me can get along. I prefer to start my school work as soon as possible. Can we meet at your place today?"

Jafar cocked an eyebrow, "Can't I come to your house?"

Moni brushed the question off. "Oh no, I have a lot of sisters it be too crowded. Also, I have to leave by sun down. I have work then." Jafar agreed to her terms.

After school Jafar led her to his house in the 3rd district. They stepped in the lonesome house. The home was dark and seemed abandoned yet clean. Jafar's dark blue cloak almost blended with the shadows. He led them to his table lighting a candle filling the room with dim light. The partners sat down and took out their notes. Moni made a passing comment on the dark house. "This place seems really empty. You don't have much company over do you?"

Jafar was calm and stilted as he spoke in a causal voice. "My Mother passed away a few months back and I've been on my own ever since. But I have to ask. You seem familiar have we meet before?"

Moni answered back, "We've been going to the same class for over a month. I've also had a science class with you last semester. We just never talked before."

Jafar shrugged scooting the chair closer to the table. "No, it's not that I swear you remind me of someone from the harem house." Jafar's mind clicked recognizing the girls voice and noticed her blonde hair sticking out of the hijab. Moni turned away placing her hands on her lap. "Yes, it was only a matter of time someone figured it out. Yes, I'm a harem girl from the First District." Hearing her confirm the location, he now knew who he was talking too. The blonde hair and the blue eyes. She was the girl who played Isis in the show he saw a while back.

"You see I really have no desire to be someone's wife. My Father died when I was younger, and my Mother couldn't take care of me. So, she sent me here to start a new life. But I always aspired to become a scholar. So, I convinced the head mistress to send me here to get my degree. I don this so I don't get noticed. I don't want men falling for me. And it's quite rare for a harem girl to get an education here any ways."

"I see I lost my Father when I was young too. He was a merchant who fell by the hand of pirates," Jafar spoke in a somber voice.

"I'm sorry. But let's not focus on the past. Let's focus on the paper due. We should decide on the topic for the paper. We could compare the "Tale of the Boy and the Genie" with the founding of Agrabah. Or one based off "Isis and the Cave of Wonders." As there is evidence to prove the characters in the story did exist once. But one legend I'm interested in revolves around "Zerzura the Oasis of Little Birds."

Jafar was completely thrown off balance. Hearing the name for the first time in years. Never has he heard someone in Agrabah even mention that name. "The ancient city was said to be inhabited by a race of dark skinned giants and a grand treasure to who ever discovers it. I came across it by accident while studying the history of this worlds lost tribes. And I believe that one forgotten tribe inspired the story. Of course, the legend is just a myth. Agrabah is the only stable city in the world. But all legends originate from facts. Not that I believe it but its always fun to be speculative."

Jafar remembered his time spent in the city. But has never once spoken of it as he was afraid to lose his credibility. For if a society is taught that something is a fantasy. Then when faced with the topic as fact they will not believe it. He pretended to be unbiased and agreed on the topic.

For the next couple of days, the two worked on their paper. They'd gather information in the morning before meeting up in the afternoon and part ways at night. Jafar seemed to smile more and more as the days went on. He seemed almost fascinated by this girl. He almost never gets out. So, this was a change of pace. Some days they stay together longer and just talk. The two became closer even sitting together in class.

Their paper was finally finished three days before it was due while at Jafar's house. The two talked to each other saying anything that crosses their minds until Moni mentioned something to him. "You know if Zerzura really existed I'd like to go there just to see. I always dreamed of other cities similar to Agrabah when I was little. But that's just a fantasy."

Hearing this, Jafar began to think over telling her the truth. They've grown so close he decided to spill the beans and tell her everything. "Zerzura does exist. I've been there."

Moni laughed pushing his shoulder, "Shut up. You're lying." Jafar smiled as his hand shook because for the first time in his life, he felt comfortable to tell someone his story. He went on to tell in great detail of his experience in the great city. As he went on Moni's humorous smile transformed into a confused glare. He spoke of the great city and how the real treasure is the knowledge hidden in the temple and that gold was an abundant resource. When he finished. He looked to his confused friend as his glare then turned to one similar to hers. "Are you serious?" was the only thing she could mutter.

Jafar smiled again assuring his sanity. "Yes I'll prove it to you." He ran upstairs leaving Moni in a daze. He looked in his closet and took out the sliver scroll he stole from Zerzura. He brought it downstairs to show it to her.

The nervous girl read the sliver parchment unable to believe it. She remained silent. "Don't you see it is true. This document proves there is more out there then desert. There are so many other worlds numbering the stars in the sky. Just waiting there to be explored. I haven't gotten the proof I need. But in time I will acquire the evidence and then hopefully find a way off this despicable desert world," Jafar boasted out loud.

Moni began to feel nervous as her hand maneuvered to her things. "Um I think it's time for me to go. I have to head back to work early." Moni grabbed her things and left quite quickly. She ran out the door slamming it behind her. With her sudden exit Jafar softly regretted telling her the truth.

-The Next Day-

Jafar went back to school the next day normally. As he sat down for class in the back row alone. He noticed Moni sitting with some girls who were staring and laughing at him. Jafar didn't think much on it till he went to the library after class. He was in deep with his text book like always. Till some young men he barley new approached him. "You're Jafar right. We heard you've been to Zerzura. Mind telling us what's it's like." Jafar could feel his heart skip a beat. He concluded Moni must've been telling people what he told her. He quickly took his things and left. But the young men followed.

The man continued to ask him questions as they walked across campus. "And I hear you believe in other worlds is that correct? Why don't you tell us about the places with no desert? Places with large bodies of water, places where white crystals fall from the sky. Go on I'm truly intrigued." Jafar tried to ignore them walking out onto the main campus were many students were traversing to their next class. The young men slowed down as one shouted. "You call yourself a scientist making crap up that doesn't even exist. You are a disgrace," one shouted. Jafar stopped in his tracks. He turned around upset as he's ever been. He shouted back causing the attention of everyone nearby.

"I AM NOT LYING! Everything I believe in is the truth. I know what I saw. I believe what I read. There are other worlds out there. Places with an abundance of water instead of the vast sands we have here. This world is a waste land of fools and beggars but out there is so much more. Can't you all just try look to see beyond the frail reality you were taught to believe."

He shouted this out loud causing all those who listened to remain in silence. Jafar looked around worrying that the people would react negativity. "Damn fools. They know so little," he thought.

The next few years were some of the hardest in Jafar's life. He received constant ridicule from the other students. But this only made him even more anti-social then before and also more determined as ever to prove his theories. In an attempt to persuade the facility to consider the concept of other worlds. He published a paper for his final thesis and submitted it to his professor. His superiors scoffed at even the proposal. The paper received a failure and after leaking into the public. It managed to ruin Jafar's career and hopes for being a scholar. He dropped out of college with the pressure of shame and embarrassment.

At the end of the ordeal Jafar decided to leave Agrabah behind. He sold his house and gathered all the things he needed. He neared the edge of the city looking back vowing, "I curse such a begotten city with stone age ideals. I swear given the chance I will never return to a wasteland like this." Jafar took all he had and parted out in the desert searching for any way he could leave this world.

He parted the city of his birth wandering the desert as a drifter for twenty years. Traveling tribe to tribe trying to find any hope to full fill his vow.