Kingdom Hearts

Ch. 84

Agrabah

Mercy

In the clouded sky Iago flew around the city trying to find a safe place to perch. After Jafar blew the top of the Palace off. Iago nearly bit the dust. The marble fell from the sky like a meteor shower. One piece almost crushed Iago but missed him by a feather. Iago yelped in shock.

He flew up high in the air hoping to avoid any other incoming projectiles. He flapped his wings so high he nearly touched the clouds. Looking around with his little bird head he turned to see the top of the Palace. His eyes glared at the battle with Jafar taking place. He flapped his wings rapidly keeping his distance but close enough, so he could watch. Iago thought of his history with Jafar briefly. He spoke to himself disappointed tilting his head down, "Oh Jafar. I'm sorry but it's time to be put in your place."

Iago continued to watch the fight from up high. In a brief second, he witnessed Jafar's stand against Aladdin using his Stop magic to take out the thief. The magic beam flew through Aladdin running directly under Iago in the air. The light reflected off of Iago's eyes as the laser shot across the sky. Iago began to freak out looking back towards the Palace.

On the platform a large gash was carved on the floor from the laser. Sora still had his hand raised. The tips of his fingers were burnt but Aladdin was not directly in front of him. Sora's mouth was open wide with his eyes twitching in shock. He turned his head to see where the gash led too. The beam burnt the floor all the way to the end of the platform. On the edge of the platform laid Aladdin motionless and burnt with his back facing Jafar. Sora couldn't see his face, but his body was hurt badly. He just laid there giving no indication that he was alive. Sora felt a rush of emotions around his body. He uttered Aladdin's name like a sick child.

Jafar smiled satisfied. He loosened the grip of his staff breathing silently. Jasmine became limp seeing Aladdin in his current state. Her mind raced with guilt and despair like a storm of conflicting thoughts.

Sora came too, slowly getting on his feet summoning the keyblade in his hand. He turned to Jafar. He gritted his teeth nearly biting his lip. He stared at Jafar not saying a word. Jafar looked back at Sora finally breaking the silence. "Oh, don't get so beat up. You both were going to do the same thing to me."

Sora still did not say anything. He slowly began walking towards Jafar with his bare feet padding across the platform. He quickly transitioned to a running speed. The young keyblade wielder was blindly running as fast as he could towards his enemy. Jafar quickly countered raising his barrier shield in front of him. Sora predicted this. He ran straight up to Jafar and jumped in the air. With his burnt hand he grabbed the top of the barrier and pulled himself over the shield.

"What!" Jafar screamed. Sora flipped to Jafar's side smashing his keyblade on Jafar's forehead. His barrier faded with Jafar nearly toppling over. He returned to his dark orb form fleeing from Sora. Jafar levitated to the other side of the platform quickly. He came too standing up covering his bruised forehead with his hand. Sora stared at him with contempt. He finally uttered a word softly, "All the horrible things you've done. The pain you caused. The lives you ruined. I know." Sora's voice rose loudly, "It makes me sick just to be around you!"

Jafar humored Sora, "Stupid boy. You think you mean anything to me. Though I guess I envy you for being born in a far better world. But the fact that you try so hard to prolong this world's struggle makes me sick."

Sora yelled back, "I'm not trying to prolong the pain. I'm here to end it. By finishing you."

Jafar spoke back pointing towards Aladdin on the right, "Is that what you truly believe boy. Look towards that little one. This poor creature. Abandoned by it's parents left to survive on the scraps of the privileged. He's meaningless to everyone and everything. Ending his life was mercy."

Sora yelled appalled, "Shut up. You don't know anything."

Jafar smiled with a devilish grin, "Oh do I." He raised his staff as it turned green. He sounded at the top of his lungs. "Aeroara." He swung his staff at Aladdin causing a strong wind to blow towards the boy. Like a strong wave the wind pushed Aladdin's unconscious body off the edge of the platform. Jasmine watched in horror seeing Aladdin being thrown over the rim falling to the ground below. "NO!" she screamed throwing her hands over her cheeks.

"Oh dear!" yelled Iago witnessing the whole event from above.

On the screens people watched Aladdin fall from above the platform. Many screamed in shock as he plummeted to his death. Sitting in his booth Genie became extremely adjugated watching Aladdin fall. Dropping his spectator act he yells out "Al, I'm coming."

He tried to fly towards Aladdin as fast as a rocket. But his golden bracelets around his hands glowed locking him in place. Like chains of magic Genie was pulled back from saving Aladdin. "AL!" he yelled again. His body fell hundreds of feet down before disappearing behind the Palace walls in the garden. Everyone in Agrabah cried in terror so loudly the noise caught the attention of wild animals nearby the city.

Genie began to sob wiping his tears with his arm, "That cursed lamp. Aladdin I'm sorry."

"Oh no. Just like that. He's gone," mourned Iago flapping in the air.

Back on the Palace roof. Sora remained speechless. He slowly creaked his head back towards Jafar. "You monster. He could have still been alive."

Jasmine screamed throwing her head down to the ground in despair. "NO. Please not him too. Not him too." she muttered. Her veins in her hands glowed green. Her fingers pierced the floor cracking the surface. She lifted her head up to Jafar angry as she's ever been. She suddenly got back on her feet with her limbs all glowing green.

Sora then charged at Jafar again swinging his key like a mad man. Jafar lifted his staff causing its eyes to glow white. "Stop!" he sounded. Sora suddenly stopped in place with his left leg in the air. "The Stop spell allows the user to halt the advance of a single enemy for a brief few seconds. Now join your worthless friend in the afterlife and die!" He slammed his staff on the ground with it's eyes growing green. "No, just like Aladdin. I can't move." Sora stared at Jafar's staff helplessly.

Jafar grinned, "Victory is finally mine! The keyblade is nothing to the power of darkness."

"JAFAR!" yelled Iago diving from the sky. The red parrot lunged Jafar's head displaying his claws scratching at the old man's eyes.

"What you nasty bird!" Jafar shouted trying to hit Iago with his hands. Jafar accidently knocked his staff a bit to the left. When the laser shot from the staffs eyes it was slightly off target missing Sora completely. It shot out across the sky like a searchlight.

Jafar sounded, "Aero" creating a wind barrier around him. This defense bard Iago from hurting Jafar. The wind scratched his claws knocking the bird unconscious. Some of his feathers were caught in the wind flying in all directions. The parrot fell to the ground ruffled and exhausted. Jafar stood over the bird bitterly speaking down to his former friend, "You worthless avian. You knew what would happen if you betrayed me."

Jafar's staff caught fire as he tilted it towards Iago's direction. "Burn!" Jafar said menacingly.

Before he could kill Iago, Jafar felt something hit him in the back. Jasmine had snuck behind him punching him right above the waist. Jafar raised his arms in the air causing his fire magic to miss. Jasmine's eyes shined like a fierce tiger striking its prey. Her strength gave in as her vein ceased to glow. She fell to the ground unable to get up. Jafar stood back up turning around. She looked up seeing Jafar was raising his staff above her head screaming, "You vile girl."

He threw the staff down in an attempt to crush her head like a fruit. But Sora jumped in front of Jafar kicking his staff out of Jasmine's way. Sora and Jafar's eyes crossed paths again both with disdain for the other. Sora kicked Jafar in his stomach forcing him back. Sora quickly grabbed Iago and Jasmine before jumping back a distance away. He set them down placing Iago in Jasmine's arms. She was still conscious looking to Sora with eyes like a child. Sora looked back and of all things smiled. He let go of them and turned back to Jafar kneeling on the ground.

His anger had seemed to reset just as it had done before. Soon darkness eroded from his body with his face showing both bitterness and exhaustion. "You stupid brat. Is this the power of the keyblade? Even so after everything. Why haven't the heartless taken the keyhole."

Just as he said that Sora threw his keyblade like a club directly at Jafar. "Why haven't the heartless taken this world. The sky is blue the people's spirts are still intact. What's going on down there?"

In the hallway leading to the throne room hordes of heartless circled the keyhole hanging high off the ground. The original Dust and former captain Raoul stood guard preventing any heartless from passing. In front of them leading the hordes was the final shadow Jafar with red eyes commanding the heartless. Both guardians breathed heavily as their old bodies were getting tired. They were both bleeding slightly and limping a bit. Raoul jokingly smirked to Dust. "Man talk about using numbers over strength these guys are pushovers. But there are just so many well probably die of exhaustion before they even land a hit."

Dust smirked back, "I think that was their plan from the start." Dust used her powers to raise several stakes of sand from the ground. The stakes pierced several bandit heartless reverting their bodies back to darkness. But several more heartless appeared taking their place crawling out of dark portals. Dust looked up to the shadow Jafar noticing it pointing where the heartless are about move. "Raoul, we need to take out the commander. Jafar's shadow, it's what summoning the heartless."

Raoul swung his sword decapitating two more soldier heartless in front of him. "I know but it's invincible for most of the time. We have to wait until someone harms Jafar."

"Yes Raoul," Dust said slicing several heartless with sand sharp as blades. "I've noticed the shadow is becoming vulnerable more frequent as time goes on."

Raoul smiled proudly, "I guess that Sora kid is tougher then he lets on to be. He's actually holding his own against that mad man."

Dust closed her eyes, "Yes that is the power of the keyblade. He truly came when we needed him most. Raoul when the shadow loses its invincibility. I'll lift you towards it and take the creature out."

Raoul nodded using his sword to destroy several monkey like heartless. "Ah, I think we should kill it like now," Raoul said pointing up to the shadow. The red eyed Jafar began to become whole and show texture. Raoul was prepared to strike. He felt something pass under his feet. Raoul nearly stumbled as his body was lifted off the ground like if he was in an elevator. He looked down underneath him to see sand rising from where he stood.

Dust used her powers to whisk Raoul up in the air with a wave of sand. Raoul laughed waving his sword about. Dust sent the wave tumbling toward the shadow Jafar pushing aside any heartless beneath it. The copy raised it's hands towards it's face in defense. But it could do little to ward off Raoul's blade. He swiftly stuck his sword into the shadows torso piercing it's shadowy body. The shadow clone tilted over atop Raoul's hand causing it to limp over. Raoul stood proudly atop the wave of sand smiling. The shadow soon faded like the other blue-eyed copy earlier. The heartless numbers began to wane with the portals all closing. Dust smiled gratefully. She let Raoul down to the ground by dispersing the sand underneath him.

A fat bandit heartless tried to breathe fire and burn him but Dust used her sand to thrust up the enemy into the roof destroying it. Raoul called to Dust while destroying the remaining heartless. "This is the final wave. Don't let up."

Dust nearly fell over with her knee hurting. "I wouldn't dream of it," she said standing straight up again. Together the two finished the final horde of heartless in no time flat. Raoul's sword bathed in darkness as he destroyed every enemy in front of him.

After the final heartless faded back to darkness. They both fell over exhausted. Dust sat up right while Raoul fell over on his back smiling. Dust also conceded falling on her back next to him. Her head was right up against his with their eyes staring at the ceiling. They then presided to speak in sync. "It's almost over."

On top of the Palace roof. Jafar was laying on the ground similar to Raoul and Dust. He was exhausted and hurt with a bad chest injury. Sora's keyblade laid next to him with it's wielder staring on at him with a dead pan stare.

Sora lifted his finger pointing at Jafar uttering a brief command. "Get up."