Kingdom Hearts
Ch. 72
Agrabah
The Temptation of Darkness
Weeks had passed with Jafar, Carpet, Iago and the Genie traversing from world to world. Talking and laughing with each other in between each adventure. They visited many worlds some cold, others warm, and some varied. They travelled to a world where magic is widely used in daily life. Another where it is only a myth. They traveled to a world with talking animals and another with dinosaurs. One world was dissolute with only small creatures built to survive the terrain. And another where animal and plant life lived in harmony working side by side as members of a community. One world represented a small urban setting with houses and cars all around.
Across the stars the world of Agrabah had become a distant memory as Jafar was unable to remember how to get home. Though he couldn't care less. While flying to their next destination Genie flew around Jafar and decided to pop a question he's been meaning to ask for a long time. But never brought up before. "Hey Jafar, we've been together for a while and I was wondering when you are going to ask me about that second wish?"
Jafar sat on his back with Iago resting on his stomach. "Well to tell you the truth I've been saving the wish in case we get in trouble. Think of it as a trump card."
"Oh I see, and all this time I thought it was because you like spending time with me," Genie said a bit subtly.
"What no, Genie. I love spending time with you. You're the most interesting and funny person I've ever known. And that's saying a lot," Jafar stated bluntly.
Genie turned to Jafar smiling, "You mean it."
Jafar smiled back, "Of course. But Genie what happens after I use my third wish."
Genie floated back, "Oh I figured you knew. Well after the third wish I make like a banana and split. And eventually someone will discover me just like you did, and I'll repeat this song and dance all over again."
Jafar looked back at the lamp examining it. He then causally asks, "What about if I use my third wish to set you free?"
The Carpet flying through the air stopped immediately with Genie shouting, "Hold the phone." He then hands Iago an iPhone before turning to Jafar. "You'd do that for me?" he said getting up close to Jafar.
"Of course, Genie it's a promise. We're friends after all." The two friends shook hands causing the Genie to erupt in cheers.
"Well let's not waste any time. The sooner you get in trouble and use that second wish the better." Genie moved to the back of the Carpet grabbing hold of it and blasting off to infinity and beyond.
The Carpet shot through the cosmos arriving at the newest world in record time of 11 seconds. "Oh my stomach. Hey, give a little warning next time," Iago shouted at the Genie nearly throwing up.
Genie put on his signature pilot costume. "Well ahhhh- we appear to be landing in a short while. Please keep yourselves seated until the Carpet touches the ground."
Jafar looked on to see the biggest world they've visited yet. It was 5 times the size of Agrabah covered in blue and gray rock. There were giant waterfalls that seem to rise up instead of down. The water lifted into the air pouring under a giant floating castle that sat above the world. The castle was so great it could be a small world of its own. It was purple and red with many dark shadows spotted along the edges. The thing that caught Jafar's eye was the heart sigil plastered in front of the top tower of the great empty castle. It felt alluring like a moth to a flame. Jafar instructed Carpet to bring them to the castle.
The Carpet did as it was told climbing high above the ground. They flew to a large red balcony leading to a great purple door with floral patterns on them. Jafar stepped off the Carpet with Iago on his shoulder. Genie flew back into his lamp regarding, "Hey Jafar something about this place is off. I can feel someone's watching us. We should probably leave."
"Oh, don't be a chicken. Besides I thought you wanted us to get in danger," Jafar joked.
"Yeah, Genie don't be a chicken," snarled Iago.
The Magic Carpet began shivering while flying behind Jafar. They walked closely to the door which was slightly open giving Jafar the ability to open it. The friends all walked into the poorly lit room with a fountain in the middle with stairs wrapping it around leading to a hall above with two doors. One on the left and one in the back. A chandler hanged above lighting the room. They walked closer towards the fountain with Iago pretending to be brave as he heard what appeared to be insects moving about. The door behind them closed without warning spooking the Carpet and Iago.
They both screamed flying in the air with fear. "Be quiet bird brain at least Carpet can keep his mouth shut."
Iago flew down, "Quiet. He doesn't even have a mouth. Let alone vocal cords."
"You all should shut the heck up. I can hear you all from the other room," said an unknown individual with an eerie voice.
This unfamiliar voice scared Iago again. He flew in the air hitting the chandler causing it to move radically making more noise. The old chain holding it broke and the chandler crashed down on the floor. The sound permeated out through the castle like a bomb was dropped.
Jafar shut his eyes while it crashed shattering into multiple pieces. He slowly opened his eyes to see the destroyed chandler with Iago still flying in the air looking at the mess he made remarking. "Oops."
"You are going to have to pay for that," the same person spoke in that eerie voice. Jafar looked up above near the door on the left. He saw a woman with a sucker in her mouth leaning on the railing. She was blonde and fashioned her hair into pig tails. She had on glasses hiding her green eyes. She wore a yellow shirt and lumpy white pants. She had on brown slippers and carried a red book by her side.
"Oh I'm so sorry. We were just lost, and we'll be leaving now. Come now Iago," Jafar called to the bird. Iago smiled at the girl nervously and flew towards the door while the others ran in its direction.
The woman raised her finger and shouted, "Thunder."
Lighting shout out of her fingertips hitting the door nearly zapping Iago. "Yeehoo!" he screamed.
"Wah. Magic," Jafar said with the Carpet shaking behind him. "My name is Cynthia. The 4th daughter of the Queen of this castle. And you are from another world, aren't you?" she said as her body began to lift off the ground. She landed on one of the stone slabs built around the fountain opening her book.
"Um I think there has been a mistake we're not from another world. We're peasants from the nearby city just sightseeing," Jafar pleaded.
"There are no peasants here. Only the family and friends of Maleficent remain in this world. Now did the darkness help you get here?" Cynthia scorned at the intruders.
Jafar became sly and pointed to the Carpet. "Why I came here on this." He presented the Carpet to the woman as she repositioned her glasses.
"That thing," she replied in a no nonsense fashion.
"Yes let me demonstrate." He came atop the Carpet and shouted, "Fly for your lives!" The Carpet shot in the air to the second floor above the lobby leaving behind Cynthia still licking her sucker.
"Hey, wait for me!" Iago shouted flying after them.
"You're not going to get far." Cynthia jumped in the air after them using her magic to sustain flight. Jafar flew through the door to the left with Iago right after him. He entered into what appeared to be a library. It was a labyrinth of bookcases carrying thousands of books. The room was as long as a football stadium and as high as a two story building. Jafar lowered the Carpet to grab a book placed on top of a bookcase. He maneuvered the Carpet towards the window throwing the book at the glass shattering it. The Carpet flew out the shattered window into the open sky.
Iago struggled behind flapping his wings, "Wait for me."
Cynthia flew in front of the broken window. "Dang it. I can't maintain flight in an open area," she thought to herself. She brought out her book and pointed her finger at Iago as static coursed around it. "Thundaga," she sounded. A beam of lighting shot out of her finger directed towards the Carpet. Jafar moved the Carpet up to dodge it. But Iago couldn't move fast enough. The lighting shot straight through Iago electrocuting the bird. The bird fell unconscious from the air with smoke trailing him.
"IAGO!" Jafar shouted. The Carpet flew down as fast as it could swooping under Iago's body. Jafar grabbed Iago before the bird could hit the ground. Moments after Jafar caught Iago in his hands the Carpet flew off down the terrain.
"Iago! Iago!" Jafar pleaded. But the bird was unconscious. "I-Iago?" Jafar pleaded again as darkness began to elope around him. Carpet began to get scared when Cynthia floated down towards them pointing her finger at them. Jafar starred up at the women drawing her finger at them like a pistol.
"I'd told you he'd pay," she said. And now you're going to pay for this." She held up the book Jafar used to break the window. It was tattered from the fall with its spin completely broken. "This is my favorite book in the world. I placed it on the top of the shelves so no one could get a hold of it. But you ruined it. This book was the only one of its kind. And do you know what you deprived me of." The girl gave little emotion though her words expressed anger. Her face was baron like she was sickly.
"You're going to kill us over a book?" Jafar said cradling Iago in his arms.
"We were given orders to eliminate anyone who comes to this place without the help of darkness. Normally I'd send the heartless after you. But you made this personal when you destroyed my book. I only feel through stories. I can only express myself through the things I like. Things like reading. And now I'm going to kill you for destroying my things."
"That's it. You hurt my friend and now you want to seek revenge. We just met and now you took someone very special to me. You say you can't express yourself. Then tell me. Can you express fear and pain. I'll show you both those things," he said deviously with darkness circling around him.
"Not really," she said with no emotion.
Darkness completely engulfed Jafar as he turned around angrier than ever. The Carpet couldn't decide who frightened it more. So it took cover on higher ground hiding behind some rocks. Jafar brought out the lamp and rubbed it viscously. Jafar grinned devilishly thinking, "It was in the back of my mind for a while. But now this is the perfect time. If he can't kill her maybe, he can give me the power to do so."
"What is that?" Cynthia asked with static circling her finger.
Smoke popped out of the lamp with Genie appearing out of thin air wearing an outfit like a police officer. "Well Jafar I think we need to talk about the minor offense known as trespassing," Genie said before looking around. He saw the darkness around Jafar, seeing Cynthia as well as Iago unconscious on the ground. "Did I miss something," he said in a tiny voice.
Jafar grabbed Genie's beard pulling him down. "Genie my second wish. I wish to have the ability to destroy my enemies. I wish you to make me an all-powerful sorcerer."
Genie shrunk down to the size of a mouse speaking, "Okay." He lifted up his finger and shot magic at Jafar. It swirled around him making Jafar rise up in the air.
"What is this?" Cynthia thought. "A Genie." She quickly shot thunder magic at them hitting him directly. Upon contact Jafar took out his hand shooting lighting back at her. The static ruptured through her body causing her bones to become briefly visible. She fell to her knees with smoke protruding from her skin. "Ah ah," she moaned.
"Um Jafar. I think we need to now discuss the lesson on why revenge causes more harm than good," Genie said as a counselor.
"You stay out of this," Jafar shouted at the tiny Genie.
"Okay," he repeated before running off into a nearby crack in the wall like a mouse.
Jafar turned back to Cynthia who seemed a little more nervous than before. "I guess you can show emotion. Only when someone is in their last moments will they reveal who they truly are. Now DIE!"
Fire erupted around his hand and flew towards her like a flamethrower. The woman used her magic to leap in the air. Her face seemed truly frightened before escaping through the mountains. Jafar used his new magic powers to fly after her. Leaving Genie and Carpet to fly behind him. Cynthia ran and ran firing magic back at him. But he deflected every attack and fired back magic twice of what she had.
"Stay away from me. Heartless," she called. But no heartless would appear on her command. "Why, why aren't they coming," she said desperately. She tried to lose Jafar in the Rising Falls but he would always find her. She eventually came across a dead end with the rocks too tall for her to fly over. "Oh no," she said.
Her eyes gave off the feeling of terror. Her legs shook. Her body was badly burnt and bruised from Jafar's magic. She heard his footsteps behind her. She raised her book shooting thunder spells at him. "Stay away from me you hear." She begged as tears flew down her face.
But her defense was fruitless as Jafar sounded, "Firaga." A burst of flames spat out through the darkness. As Cynthia briefly saw the monster's face through the flames. The fires burst on contact with the walls engulfing her. She screamed loudly in pain after being engulfed in flames. Jafar stopped letting the fire recede.
The girl was now covered in debris and soot. She fell on her knees looking up in the air with blank eyes. Jafar walked over to the girl smiling down on her. He whispered in her ear, "Time to die."
The girl whelped, "No please don't kill me." She began to cry once again.
Jafar lifted his finger with static erupting around his skin. He lightly tapped her fore head giving her a small zap. "Okay," he said to her bluntly.
The girl yelped before passing out falling to the left on her shoulder. Jafar then brushed off the dust from his clothes. He looked forward seeing Genie and the Carpet give their reaction. Genie in the outfit of Ron Burgundy remarked, "Boy that escalated quickly. I mean that really got out of hand."
Jafar pleaded, "What, it was to teach her a lesson. I wasn't going to kill her. Besides she attacked us first, it was self-defense." The Carpet waved its hand as a bit iffy. "What you—u" Jafar immediately stopped and remembered. "Iago!" He quickly mounted the Carpet riding on it back to his friend near the castle. He found the unconscious bird right where he left him picking the parrot up. "Iago speak to me."
The bird only moaned signaling he was still alive. "Oh please someone help," Jafar said out loud. Genie looked in despair. He thought it over and decided to grab the lamp handing it to Jafar. He planned to say something until someone spoke to them instead.
"You seem in distress," an older woman's voice told them from above. The party looked up on top of a balcony of the castle staring directly over them. There stood a giant woman with green skin and dressed in all black with horns on her head. Green flames burst around her causing the woman to disappear. The flames then materialized again near them making the woman appear in front of Jafar. "I can help you. Please come with me." The woman revealed a staff in her hands with a green orb on top to summon a portal of darkness. "Step through here," she said.
"Why should we? Who are you?" Jafar demanded answers.
"Do you really have any choice. Your friend is nearly dead. And I'm the only one who can help you."
Genie grabbed Jafar's shoulder whispering to him, "Master trust me on this. She's a bad crowd. I mean just look at what she's wearing. Just use your third wish to save Iago."
Jafar shook his head. "I'm not going to lose any of my friends today." Jafar held Iago closely and walked in the portal with Carpet in tow.
"Friends till the end," Genie mumbled before following them.
The portal disappeared with them inside leaving the woman alone now. "He seems quite useful all he needs is a little temptation," she schemed while the flames engulfed her yet again.