Kingdom Hearts
Ch. 74
Agrabah
A Promise is a Promise
Despite his last wish being granted, Jafar had trouble controlling Agrabah. The current Immortals sided with the original Sultan. For whom they fought against Jafar's reign. The hated scientist then decided to be rid of the Immortals in order to solidify his power. He replaced them by using Snake and Sever to take up the mantle of Kurt and Zisa respectably. He then sought after a masked woman to take the mantle of Dust. While searching the desert he came across a strong martial artist who had a troubled past and recruited her. He sent his lackeys to fight the Immortals along with a small army of Heartless to smite anyone else who sided with the original Sultan. Jafar's henchmen each defeated their rivals taking over their titles. In time the entire Agrabah army surrendered to their new ruler. After that Jafar easily retained the title of Sultan while the original ruler faded off into obscurity. While a distraught and horrified Jasmine was locked away in the Palace, she once called home. Where she remained for nearly a decade.
For 9 years Jafar and his Immortals, the new Kurt, Zisa, and Dust ruled over the tribes. Gaining respect and loyalty from the tribal leaders usually through unconventional means. Using his brash intelligence and knowledge of his home world. He actually became a tolerant ruler but was very harsh when provoked. Eventually the people of Agrabah reluctantly accepted him as Sultan overtime. To the point where it had become the norm. He reigned for nine years with little opposition until today. When once again he looked down on a threat towards his reigns.
In the secret Oasis. Jafar confronted his former friends the Genie and Carpet to retrieve the Princess.
Kurt and Zisa fought off Goofy and Donald. While Dust defeated Tarzan earlier. Sora laid beaten and hurt on the ground attempting to get up.
Jafar lifted his staff up causing light to flash out of its red eyes. "It's now or never," shouted Zisa. The Immortals hid their eyes with their cloaks shielding them from the flashing light. The Heartless returned to the shadows giving the others a false sense of relief. But they all went blind for a moment. Using this opportunity, the Immortals brutally attacked the gang. Dust went for Goofy using her legs to kick the shield out of Goofy's hand launching the disk in the air. She then jumped up and kicked the shield back at Goofy slamming it on his head. Goofy was completely knocked out. He fell to the ground with stars circling around his head.
Zisa sounded out "Gravity" casting his magic on Donald increasing the force of gravity around the duck. Donald fell to the dirt unable to stand with the force of gravity pressing down on him. "Thundaga!" Zisa called out with his snake tongue blowing in the wind. The shrouded magician lifted his book in the air as lighting struck down upon him. The lighting coursed through his left arm while he aimed his right hand towards Donald. The lighting shot out of his right finger tip firing directly at Donald like a bullet. Donald was zapped causing his body to become dark and brisk with smoke teaming from his ruffled feathers.
The duck then ceased to move or speak. Zisa smiled with smoke ascending from his fingers, "Please this wasn't that shocking." He then presided to blow on his finger so the smoke would recede.
Sora was up to his knees using his keyblade to stand. Kurt walked over to the boy carefree with his duel khopesh dragging on the ground. He grasped his khopesh blade and positioned it on his shoulders. He looked down at the struggling boy clenching his stomach where Jafar's beam shot through. "You know, not many people could withstand Jafar's ultimate offensive attack head on and actually remain conscious for this long." Sora looked up at the veiled man standing above him.
Kurt lifted his blade and without warning stabbed Sora right through the back. Aladdin stopped focusing his attention on Jasmine as Kurt used his curved blades to lift Sora in the air.
Sora's torso was pressed against the blade causing him a lot of pain. Kurt waved his khopesh blades throwing the boy to the side. His body flailed in the air hitting a tree nearby. Upon contact, Sora's body hit the tree bark before falling to the ground. Aladdin feeling hopeless soon found that the heartless had rose back up and surrounded him. The Carpet flew through the air hoping to lift Aladdin away from danger. Jafar brought out his staff and fired red magic at the Carpet incapacitating it. The Carpet flopped to the ground like a lifeless rag.
Genie watched powerless to stop his friends from being massacred. "So much for nostalgia. This is just like what happened nine years ago. You did the same thing to the Carpet when you forsook us to that cave."
"Cave? Genie what are you talking about" Aladdin pleaded as bandit heartless grabbed him forcing the thief to the ground putting his neck between their swords.
"All that time ago. Me and Carpet were never originally from the Cave of Wonders," Genie explained with little emotion or humor. Which was unlike him. "Jafar's my previous master. He used my powers to make himself everything he his."
Genie remembered back to what happened. 9 years ago after Jafar became Sultan. He took Genie and Carpet out to fly towards the desert. He left Iago and the Immortals back at the Palace. Having now used up his wishes Genie was unable to grant anymore to Jafar. He remained trapped in the lamp only able to call out to his friend begging Jafar to speak to him. But Jafar remained cold and silent. He reached into his pocket and brought out the golden beetle which was the key to the Cave of Wonders. "This was locked away safely in the Palace so no one could ever find it. Probably the best decision in the end. If you know the story," Jafar thought to himself. He put them together to reveal the way to the Cave.
The Carpet easily chased the golden beetle coming across the Cave of Wonders being reformed. Jafar had the Carpet enter the Tiger's mouth leading them to the treasure room. Jafar spoke aloud, "Amazing, the very same cursed treasure that was the inspiration for "The Tale of Isis and the Cave of Wonders." The Carpet stopped midair to let Jafar off. Genie yelled out from the lamp.
"HELLO! Genie to Jafar answer me please. Why are we here? Jafar, I don't understand. Why you are doing all of this?" Genie pleaded.
Jafar then finally spoke to Genie, "It was pleasant while it lasted but I'm afraid this is where we say goodbye."
"Goodbye? Jafar what do you mean?" the Genie called scared straight from inside the lamp.
Jafar responded lifting up the lamp, "Genie, I can't keep you anymore. You've used up your usefulness and now I'm leaving you in this place. And you will remain here forever unless someone opens the Cave again."
"J-Jafar why? You can't do this to me.. We made a promise. Now your damning me to live in a bigger and larger prison than ever before. No one will ever find me. You'd do this to a friend?" Genie spoke bitterly hurt.
Jafar's eyes twitched speaking back, "Oh wouldn't I." Jafar brought out his staff and shot red magic at the Carpet that was still behind him. The Carpet went limp dropping to the ground. It remained still like a real carpet should.
"Why would you do that?" Genie asked confused.
Jafar explained, "I don't need it anymore. I have the power of darkness to traverse to other worlds. And he will remain here with you for a long time." Genie felt ill in his portable prison. If he was not concealed in the lamp Jafar would notice the Genie tearing up.
Genie resorted to screaming hysterically trying to convince his friend to change his mind. Jafar walked through the treasure room before discovering the dark room divided by two pools of water. Genie continued to scream. "JAFAR NOOO! Please I'm your friend. Don't you remember all the times we spent together? If it wasn't for me, you'd never have seen the outside world or met Iago. And you promised me. You'd set me free."
Jafar brought the lamp up to his face whispering something only the Genie could hear. That sentence was alone enough to silence the Genie. Jafar took the lamp and threw it into the left pool drowning the lamp in water. Genie soon began to yell again but the water negated his voice from being heard. He tried to speak, "Jafar no. Come back. Don't do this to me. I don't want to be alone again. PLEASE JAFAR!" The Genie cried inside the lamp submerged in the water. On the surface Jafar opened a portal of darkness smiling wickedly walking through the portal clenching his chest trying to think if he forgot something.
Back in the present, Aladdin remained dumbfounded with the Genie reminiscing his sad backstory. Iago watched from a distance behind some tree leaves. "Oh Genie, Carpet forgive me for not figuring it out sooner," he whispered to himself.
Jasmine became angry. She clenched her fists and bit her lip walking towards Jafar. "The Genie of the Lamp. It all makes sense now. That's how. That's how you became Sultan. That's how you got so powerful. You monster. You killed my Father and took from me everything I love. I thought I was the only one you imprisoned. But I was so wrong." Jasmine seemed as if she was going to cry. But her tears would not let up. Sora beaten up looked at the suffering girl. Remembering her claim that she can't cry. Sora then began to feel a stronger pain then the wounds he was afflicted.
The heartless grabbed Jasmine's hands locking her wrists and ankles with chains and shackles. Aladdin was given the same treatment. After both were tightly bound winged heartless grabbed them by the shoulders and both were brought before Jafar. Aladdin pleaded to Genie "Please Genie you have to help us."
Genie replied back depressingly, "I'm sorry Al. I can't help anyone now." Jafar had the Genie return to his lamp trapping him once again.
Zisa and Dust stood over Donald and Goofy while Kurt prepared to finish Sora off with his blades. But before they could finish the friends off. Jafar raised his hand and told them, "Stop let them die slowly. I want them to be still breathing when we return this world to darkness." The Immortals stopped their advance and ran off to Jafar like obedient servants.
Jafar looked down on Aladdin. Take this one to the execution platform and chain him up. Don't have anyone kill him though unless the girl tries to escape again. I want him to see firsthand the destruction of this wasteland from a good view," Jafar declared. Jafar created a portal of darkness for them to return home. The Immortals entered one by one disappearing.
Sora was in pain losing all his strength. He looked to see his defeated friends lay wasted after their fall. He then struggled to lift his body up seeing an utterly defeated Jasmine being taken away. He realized from her facial expressions that she should be crying. In her place he began to cry instead for her. He shouted out loud to all who could hear him. "JASMINE!"
The defeated Princess turned towards Sora with a face of defeat. Tears filled in his eyes as he clenched his wounds. "IT'S OKAY TO CRY! Because I promise you. I promise that everything will be all right. I promise that we'll survive this. I promise that I will return and save you again. I promise I'll stop them from destroying this world. I promise that we will defeat Jafar for good. And I promise that you'll be free. And when you do. You'll cry tears of joy!" he shouted. Jasmine couldn't help but smile as she and Aladdin was taken through the portal of darkness. Sora finally gave into the pain falling over and blacked out.