Kingdom Hearts

Ch. 76

Agrabah

The Right Moment

The city of Agrabah had become like at night with the clouds of darkness blocking out the sun. A small group of people were cobbled together in the streets. They huddled in fear with the heartless surrounding them clawing at their robes. A small boy clinged to his Mother as they both feared for their lives. The heartless eventually lunged at them making the crowd of people all scream. The Mother took her child and fled when the group scattered. The heartless chased certain people among the crowd. One soldier heartless pounced on a dirty man with a rustic beard. The heartless thrusted its hand into the man's back dragging out his heart. The man was shocked as his heart was ripped from his body. But he felt no pain. In fact, he felt nothing at all. His body faded into darkness with another heartless coming up in his place. It ran off with his attacker into the streets.

The heartless were out of control like hordes of locus. They were sneaking into houses and attacking people in their beds. Many heartless were directly targeting the rougher and crime filled regions. Ruffians and thieves were the main targets. People with darkness in their hearts were fine meals for the heartless to snack on. In one shop set in the second district a candle caught fire lighting the building up in flames during the raids. The building became ablaze spreading to the surrounding structures. In a few hours the district was burning to the ground causing citizens to flee from their homes. Many people fled the city running into the desert for safety only to be caught by winged heartless waiting for them like owls stalking prey.

The smoke raised into the sky mixing with the dark clouds above the city. Several people in the district were evacuating only to find themselves crossing paths with dangerous heartless. A young man trips and falls at the feet of a giant bandit heartless. It lifted its hand preparing to crush him with its large palms. The young woman Nura appeared witnessing the man's plight. She came out of the shadows jumping on the heartless back. She then thrusted her knife into its neck causing darkness to spill out.

She pulled it out when the Heartless flailed around. Oma came running towards the heartless carrying a club. She slammed the club into the heartless's stomach slamming it into a burning wall. It reverted back into the darkness it was born from. Nayda also came out remarking to them, "You know when Jameelah decided to train us to fight after that hack Jafar came into power. I at first rejected it thinking it was pointless. But now I really appreciate being able to do something here. We're not totally helpless like most."

Nura looked down at the boy she saved smiling and blushing. The boy smiled back and thanked her. He got up and waved goodbye running off to safety. Nayda teased her sister, "Oh sis. Do you think you just found your future husband? How romantic. What a wonderful story you'll relay to your kids."

Nura yelled back at her sister red faced. "Sh-shut up!"

"Enough," said Jameelah walking towards them with Raoul and Dust beside her. All the other Harem girls gathered around Jameelah with the buildings burning in the background. Jameelah announced to the group, "Now ladies' todays the day we've been training for. Jafar has finally snapped and is willing to bring ruin to our home. We need to do everything in our power to help our fellow citizens. Now go and protect Agrabah." She slammed her cane on the ground signaling to her girls to disperse. They all followed orders without saying a word disappearing into the smoke.

Raoul looked to the Palace. "Jafar what do you hope to achieve from all this?"

"He's looking for the keyhole," Dust enlightened Raoul.

"Keyhole?" Raoul asked.

"I'll explain later. First, we need to get in the Palace," she said.

"Follow me, I know a secret entrance," Raoul said to Dust. "Jameelah I was able to contact my brothers in the guard. They're all willing to side with us against Jafar. By this time tomorrow Jafar's reign will finally end."

Jameelah smiled, "That's not up to us. It's the boy from the desert that has the key to this worlds future."

Raoul scratched his head, "You mean the spikey haired kid. What does he-"

"Raoul there's no time to waste. We need to free the Princess now," Dust said running off ahead.

"Sorry, well talk later," he said back to Jameelah. He ran off with Dust towards the Palace vanishing in a cloud of sand.

Jameelah looked towards the black sky while burnt buildings fell to the ground. "A hero wielding a key. He will bring this world to salvation or to ruin. If this is so, please boy. Turn the tide for us. We've suffered enough please save us from the darkness.

Through the windows of the Palace Jasmine saw the smoke ascend to the sky. Even the Immortals took notice. Jafar was too focused on the Genie to care. He screamed at the Genie who transformed into a little boy with a baseball cap. The Genie spoke in a child's voice. "Nah nah nah. I'm not listening! Nah nah nah," He closed his eyes and covered his ears as Jafar tried to get an answer out of him.

Jafar in anger grabbed the Genie's beard pulling him up to his face. "Now listen you blundering blue baby. I am the Sultan. I rule this world. The world that you live in. So that makes you, my subject. You must do as I say."

"Sultan. Sultan! I made you Sultan. It was my power that made your wish come true. I gave you everything. You never accomplished anything on your own." Jasmine heard what the Genie said. She final broke her silence and shouted out. "What! That's how you did it. You wished it. You horrible monster!"

Jasmine thought back to when she was a child.

-8 Years Ago-

A young Jasmine was escorted by several guards to a specially made prison in the Palace. Jasmine was led down a flight of stairs painted scarlet red. Coming across a lone cell. She felt nervous looking at it despite compared to the main prison cells. This cell was well lit and warm. The guard led her to a prison door taking out a key. He stuck it in the keyhole unlocking the cell door. Jasmine saw her Father residing in the cell. He sat in a quite comfy room with a small bed, couch, and stool.

Jasmine ran in and hugged her Father seeking warmth. "Father I'm sacred. They locked me in my room, and they won't let me out."

Her father padded her head with his small hand. "Oh Jasmine it will be alright. We both will get through this. I promise one day we will be free again."

Jasmine cried, "But how?"

Sultan tilted her head up to look at his face, "Jasmine. You know the stories your Mother told you about the heroes of the desert. People born amongst the sands who come when the time is right. They'll swoop in and defeat those who do evil and save the innocent. Just you wait. They'll come in time. Just be patient."

Her Fathers words echoed through her thoughts. She recalled another memory. Where she was finally permitted to see the city. But her stomach was turning as tears flooded down her cheeks like a waterfall. She was at a rally holding her Father's ripped up hat. The Immortals stood behind her almost like guards.

She stood next to Jafar who was giving a speech to the people of Agrabah. He raised his hands up speaking, "My dear people of Agrabah. I hold grave news and sorrow. The previous Sultan who was already struggling on a day to day basis had tragically passed away. He unfortunately went for a swim last night without company and drowned in the Palace pool. It's a horrible tragedy that our dear ruler had to end his life so unceremoniously. Not only leaving his kingdom behind but his only daughter." He pointed to Jasmine who kept his hat close to her face. Her tears dampened the white turban.

"But we must not let his death stall our progress. We must look to the future in order to create a better life for a us all. And from this day forward I will dedicate my life to the people of this world and bring a brighter future to Agrabah. Now go and tell your traders and merchants. To the pirates of the sands and the nomads of the wasteland. Tell them change is coming."

-3 Years Later-

In the garden where Jasmine played. She was petting her pet tiger Raja as she hummed a quiet tune. The tiger seemed happy as she petted his fur. Raja had grown big from a little cub when Jasmine first received him from her Father. The Immortal Kurt entered the garden grabbing Jasmines hand from behind. "Times up. You need to go back to your room."

He squeezed her wrist tightly hurting her. "Ow stop it," she said when Kurt began to drag her away. Raja woke up to see Jasmine being taken away. He growled showing his sharp teeth and pierced the ground with his claws. Kurt did not notice the tiger crouch down behind him. Raja jumped at Kurt like prey in the wild. The swordsman finally turned his head only to find a furious Tiger on top of him. Its claws struck his face knocking him down on the ground.

Jasmine also fell to the ground before lifting her head up at Raja. Kurt was scared with Raja over him breathing on his face. Raja was prepared to bite his neck. But Jasmine got up and grabbed Raja's neck with her arms. "No Raja stop." The girl embraced the big cat calming it down. Raja stopped growling slowly backing off of Kurt.

"Brother!" shouted Zisa descending from the window above. "What happened?" he said placing his hand over his brothers' head.

"That cursed cat sliced my face," Kurt yelled with three claw marks now edged in his face.

Jasmine wrapped her arms around Raja's neck. "No, he didn't mean it. Please," she pleaded grasping her only friend.

Zisa helped his brother up over his shoulder "You little brat. Trying to defend that beast. The Sultan will hear about this." Zisa helped his brother walk away leaving Jasmine and Raja alone in the garden.

The next day, Jasmine was let out into the garden only to find it empty. Raja was gone as if he was never here to begin with. Jasmine figured this would happen. She feared it all night having several anxiety attacks. She fell to her knees expecting to cry. But she didn't. She was motionless. She felt around her face expecting moistness from tears. But her skin remained dry. "No more tears. I really can't cry."

-Present-

"You killed my Father. You took away my friends. How could you. Please stop. Can't you see the city is turning to ash. If not for me do for your people," Jasmine screamed to Jafar. Jafar turned his head from Genie to Jasmine. He let go of the Genie's beard and walked over to the Princess. He raised his hand and slapped her. The Genie couldn't believe it he could hardly watch. Iago also had to turn away. Even the Immortals didn't have the stomach to witness what Jafar was doing.

"You keep your mouth shut. You think I don't know. It's not going to matter. The moment the heartless find the keyhole. This worlds going to disappear. And then I can finally leave this god forsaken rock." He left Jasmine with a red mark on her right cheek. The girl managed to find the strength and lift her body, "You really are no true Sultan. You want to destroy your own people. And for what. Nothing."

Jafar looked to the window seeing the smoke appear above a burning city. "Destroy no. I plan to erase it."

Jasmine cackled, "No you won't. They're going to stop you. You're not going to win."

Jafar humored her and replied, "And who are they?"

Jasmine spoke with spunk and confidence. "The heroes of the desert. The people who arrive just at the right time. When all but hope is lost. They will come. They'll defeat Dust, Kurt, and Zisa. And finally end you. You will never hurt anyone ever again. Just you wait."

Back on the execution platform. Aladdin sat defeated looking down refusing to set his eyes on the Palace. Shutting his eyes Aladdin heard quick slicing sounds from behind. He looked beside him to see the guard heartless collapsing before disappearing. He found that his cuffs had unlocked freeing his hands. Aladdin smiled feeling his wrists were free.

He turned around seeing his friends smiling back. Sora, Tarzan, Donald, Jiminy, Goofy and the Carpet stood before him. Abu ran towards Aladdin jumping on his shoulder screeching with glee. "What took you guys?" he remarked.

Sora brought out his keyblade placing it on his shoulder with his hood up. "Ha ha, just waiting for the right moment."