Kaze Viriniam had been taking an afternoon stroll in the streets of Agrabah when she remembered there were other pressing matters that required her immediate counsel. Conditional with Maleficent's request to accompany her was the task to oversee the dealings of the Desert Cobra dark guild with Silver, one quarter of the elite Headless Horsemen under her direct command. Following its recruitment into the Alliance of Evil, the Sleepy Hollow mercenary guild was entrusted with supervision of the number of dark guilds included in the organization's ranks. During the early stages of the Alliance's incursion across the universe, Sleepy Hollow exploited the dark guilds' lust for wealth and power to their advantage, promising rewards beyond comprehension in exchange for their services. Desert Cobra, the dark guild in charge of Agrabah, was by far the most erratic and impulsive among them. Originally a clan of bandits that made their residence in the deserts of Fiore, Desert Cobra gained its notoriety for ruthlessly sucking dry various villages, particularly in the western region. They were always looking for a reason to loot, kill, and attain great power, but their attitudes at the surface were foul, arrogant, and insolent with no sense of loyalty to anyone but themselves. The only reason they were doing work for their clients was to test the limits of their own power, which made keeping an eye on that wildcard dark guild a challenge at times.
"What are they up to this time? Don't tell me they're hogging the banquet again?" Kaze wondered. She found her way to a meeting room of sorts and entered, only to find there was no one there. There was only a low-ranking Sleepy Hollow wizard polishing the table. She called to her minion, "Hey, where's Silver?"
"Oh, Master Viriniam!" the Sleepy Hollow wizard stood to his feet. "Commander Ornithurae was looking for you. He seemed to be frantic about something."
"Frantic?" Kaze raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"Master Viriniam!" Just then, a certain falcon-themed superhero look-a-like came in, his heart heaving with worry. "I've been looking for you!"
"Silver!" Kaze turned to greet her subordinate, who was accompanied by two other Sleepy Hollow wizards. "What's the matter?"
"It's the Desert Cobra guild! They're..." Silver blurted out. "They're committing suicide!"
"WHAT?!" Kaze bellowed. The wizard in charge of cleaning the table could hear the shock and anger in her voice, and he began to grow afraid.
"Yes, we discovered hundreds of wizards gathering in the palace dungeon. Master Kurt Zisa is one of them," the second wizard replied. "They're slaughtering one another as we speak. We just found dozens of bodies."
"But before they died, we heard a few things," the third wizard added. "They shouted at the top of their lungs, 'Let our lives be sacrificed! Let our hearts become darkness! This is the next stage of evolution!'"
"Have they lost their minds?!" Kaze shouted. She banged her fist against the table, forcing the cleaner to recoil. "They're killing each other like it's a game! It's bad enough they're horsing around and wasting supplies without our permission, but they've REALLY gone off the deep end!" Ferocity rolling off her in waves, she barged past Silver and the guards. "Take me to the palace dungeon! Now!"
A grim scene awaited Kaze when she was led by Silver and the guards to the place where the mass suicide occurred; an impressive amount of Desert Cobra wizards, each wearing attire reminiscent of desert people and bearing the insignia of a snake slithering in the wilderness, had their bodies cut down in shambles, their blood oozing all over the solid concrete. Aside from the clothing and the guild mark, the one thing that linked them to each other were the inhuman grins plastered on their faces.
"They did this...?" Kaze bit her lip anxiously at the grotesque sacrifices lying at her feet. "They're like beasts to a slaughter."
"I never imagined one of our dark guilds would devolve to their primitive instincts and fall victim to savagery," Silver said grimly. "Their allegiance to the Alliance was rather questionable ever since we recruited them. Their actions are reckless and without rhyme or reason. No matter how many times I keep them in line, they fail to listen." He crossed his arms and sighed, "Inaction to take responsibility is considered an act of dishonor. They have no discipline, and thus they have no worth in being called true warriors."
"I know how you feel, Silver," Kaze mused. "You did the very best you could in keeping those unruly snakes in line. There's no shame in that."
"The honor was mine, Master," Silver nodded. "I have enough desire to maintain order and justice for our cause. You may excuse my derision of the unruly if you are showing concern for them."
"Obviously! Of course I'm concerned for reckless desert bums like Desert Cobra! It's part of my job as head supervisor of the dark guilds, with Mirajane as our general!" Kaze frowned. "No one in a guild should've gone through that. A member wouldn't allow themselves to be tempted by a cheap trick! What makes a guild is strength and cooperation, nothing more!" She crossed her hips, "How in the world did they get the idea of a bloody ritual into their heads? There has to be a reason."
At that moment, the sickening tearing of flesh erupted from the other side, mixed with hideous laughter and torturous screams. Everyone turned to the open cell door. "There!" Kaze pointed a finger at where the noises originated, as she and her henchmen rushed to the scene of the crime.
The cell itself was a pond of crimson with the corpses of humans floating as lily pads. In the middle was the host of this obscene ceremony of blood; a tall muscular man with short yellow hair and a thin beard. The upper half of his body was completely bare, but he was dressed in white pants and golden brown shoes, decorated with an apron bearing the Desert Cobra guild mark. He held two khopeshes in each hand, two large sharp silver crescents that ended in gold-trimmed holes on one end and lethal looks on the other. By the weary expression on his face, it seemed as though he had a fever for the deeds he had done, as indicated by the staining his chest and khopeshes. His face was pale and shiny with sweat, yet he wore an insane look that helped him ignore the pain and consequences of his actions.
Kaze and her minions entered the cell, where they found and recognized the perpetrator armed with crescent-shaped swords. She bellowed, "Kurt Zisa! You're the ringleader behind the mass suicide?!" She strode in front of the unhinged guild master of Desert Cobra and looked him in the eyes, despite the blood that was soiling her shoes.
Kurt Zisa's breath came heavy, his face still sickly pale, yet his sadistic smile remained. He spoke in a raspy voice, "It's... you... Kaze... Viriniam... Why are... you here? What do... you want?"
Kaze snarled, "Isn't it obvious, snake head? I want answers! Why do you trick your men into killing each other so aimlessly? Tell me why!"
Kurt Zisa croaked, "Kill them? No, I'm curing them. I'm healing them. We are liberating ourselves of the vices and imperfections that hold us back. We have opened our eyes to the truth. We have been enlightened."
Kaze demanded, "Enlightened? What are you talking about?"
Kurt Zisa snickered, "While you and your hippie friends are busy sharing fruits in that stupid banquet table, we discovered a powerful and absolute truth. That darkness..." The Sleepy Hollow group stiffened at the word. "Darkness is the greatest magic of all. It gives us eternal life and the strength to destroy everything and everyone." He added gleefully, "Just think, with the power of darkness, we can do anything we want! The whole universe will be ours for the taking! How could we not have it for ourselves?"
Kaze retorted, "Well, you'll find that darkness doesn't come for free. There's always a catch."
Kurt Zisa boomed, "Exactly my point! In order for us to obtain ultimate power and immortality, we'll have to rid ourselves of our human weaknesses. We must surrender our hearts. Let them become darkness. And then, once the darkness takes us, we will be reborn as immortals. As ultimate beings. As gods." He spat the word out with eloquence. "We will make the legend of darkness come true! We will become legends ourselves! Desert Cobra will go down in history as the strongest guild that ever lived!"
Kaze's eyes widened in shock, "No way... Don't tell me... You can't be serious!"
Silver glared viciously, "This is your sole motivation for joining the Alliance? Your loyalty is a farce?!"
Kurt Zisa declared, "Desert Cobra serves NO ONE!" He clashed his two khopeshes together to form a cross. "We only joined the Alliance so we could tear it apart from within when the time came. And you're right, our loyalty is a farce. A sham. A lie. We were never loyal to you. We never entertained such thoughts of serving people like you. Desert Cobra listens to no one. Kurt Zisa listens..." He swung his khopeshes apart, "...to no one! We will become one with darkness, and after that, we will come after you and Sleepy Hollow and all of the dark guilds! We will destroy you all and take everything from you, and then, we will take over the other worlds! WE will be the true masters! WE will be the true conquerors! And WE will rule the universe!"
Silver growled, "You ignorant fool! Do you have any idea where that path leads? You will be no different than those who fell before you! You will gain nothing! You will only lose yourself!"
Kaze gritted her teeth, "Your guild is exactly what I thought it was when I first met you; a band of pompous, conceited desert bums."
Kurt Zisa let out an absolutely insane laugh that echoed throughout the dungeon. The two Sleepy Hollow bodyguards edged over to hug and comfort one another, shivering at the sight of what the Desert Cobra guild master had been reduced to. Kaze and Silver were the least fazed of his behavior. "You think so? You will see what happens when we transform. And the only way to do that is to shed everything we have!" He raised his khopeshes together, "We must give ourselves to darkness. Let it take our blood, flesh, hearts, all of us... There is no place for weakness in our human lives. Life itself is a weakness— is our PRISON!" He edged them on both sides of his chest, "But now..." He finished in a romantic flare, "...WE WILL BE FREE!"
SLASH! In an instant, the khopeshes were plunged into his stomach, much to the shock of everyone present. His muscular frame was split in two with a single twist of his arms, prompting a fountain of blood to erupt from it. He was dead before he hit the ground, the khopeshes flying from his hands and landing next to his body in the slowly growing river of blood. As the group looked over at the short-lived guild master's lifeless body, Kaze and Silver saw their two guards screaming in horror before they hurried out of the dungeon, unable to take much of the suspense any longer. They looked back at Kurt Zisa, whose corpse was added as the largest lilypad in the stream of red.
And then, a stream of hearts rose from the crimson and flew up into the ceiling. The two remaining Sleepy Hollow wizards watched the floating spheres illuminate the darkness of the dungeon, having understood the result of Kurt Zisa's actions.
"The snake discards its skin once it's no longer of use. In the same way, they've discarded their hearts," Kaze thought out loud. "Damn... That explains why he and his cronies were acting all crazy... They've taken the advice of opening their hearts to darkness too seriously."
"Despite their mongrel instincts to survive, it was already too late," Silver grimaced. "They brought this upon themselves. The weak-willed do not deserve to live!"
"I'm really starting to feel sorry for them," Kaze remarked. "If they hadn't gone too far, if they resorted to other means of manifesting great power, things might've been different."
"This turn of events is unfortunate, Master," Silver admitted. "We must set aside all concerns with Desert Cobra's unwillingness to cooperate and accelerate our plans. The Keyhole of this world is yet to be found."
"Either way, it's only a matter of time," Kaze shrugged. "Kurt Zisa and his men will be given the 'immortality' they longed for. But the question is..." A small smile crept on her lips, "...will they stay the same?"
"What shall we do with them, Master?" Silver asked.
"Oh, I've got a better idea," Kaze smirked, holding out her right hand and summoning a dark orb around it. "I'm giving them exactly what they want. They'll make a great asset..."
Desert
Unaware of the chaos unfolding in Agrabah, Wendy and company situated themselves in the desert on a location separate from the sandpit where they encountered the Bandit horde. The Genie was hovering several feet above everyone in a lying position, his arms folded behind his head to serve as a pillow. Levy had just finished explaining to Aladdin about the group of strangers who fended off the Bandits and helped them out of the quicksand, and those strangers happened to be friends from her world. It was a short story, but considering that the Solid Script wizard's background was intertwined with the people who got her and Aladdin out of a jam earlier, it ended up being a bit longer.
Aladdin confirmed, "I see... You're awfully familiar with the guys who helped us out of the quicksand, and like you, they're not from around here." As he received a nod from Levy, he looked at Wendy and the others with interest. "You came here looking for her, aren't you?"
Wendy nodded, "Uh-huh. We set out to find our missing friends, and Levy's one of them. They may have landed somewhere around here, so here we are."
Donald groaned, "Why am I not surprised that more people from one world stowed away to another just so they could let on where they're from? Sometimes I wonder what's happening with the world order."
Carla reminded, "Things happen unexpectedly, Donald. There's nothing we could have done to prevent certain outcomes from taking place, had we been there."
Sherria pointed out, "Like the time when the Connells were stranded in the Deep Jungle, befriended Tarzan, and helped the Porters on their expedition to—"
Donald cut her off, "Study the fuzzy and adorable gorillas. Yeah, I get that. I know. Sheesh! Why do a bunch of otherworldly guys randomly show up in different worlds? Why won't they just get kidnapped by the bad guys and taken to their top-secret lair so we could come to their rescue and be done with it? That would've been easy."
Romeo guessed, "Um, because they didn't capture everybody? Some of our Fairy Tail friends escaped into different worlds, like Levy, who just came here." He then shrugged, "An adventure's no fun if it isn't a challenge, anyway. Fairy Tail's always in it for the challenge, and we do our best to face it, no matter how hard. The best thing to do right now is to move forward."
Donald sighed, "People like you are always looking beyond the big picture... Fine, we'll play along. Just as long as we stick together. Got it?"
Carla nodded, "On that, I agree."
Levy spoke to Aladdin, "So there you have it. I hope you understand their reasons for coming here, Aladdin."
Aladdin smiled, "Well, if they're your friends, that makes them my friends, too. Sometimes when you're one jump ahead of danger, it's not easy taking a big leap without a helping hand." His pet monkey Abu chattered in agreement, before the young man turned to the Sky Maiden. "Thanks, Wendy. I owe it to you and your friends. Me, Abu, and Levy would've been swimming a hundred feet under the sand if you hadn't come along."
Wendy smiled back, "Well, we couldn't just sit there and let you get sucked in. We had to do something."
Carla asked, "Speaking of Levy, how did you run into her? Feel free to tell us what you know."
Aladdin explained, "It was a few days ago, when the royal vizier Jafar was still in charge of Agrabah after he took over. I was taking an afternoon stroll with my esteemed effendi, Abu..." The monkey waved in response, "...staying away from the guards and nabbing goods—"
Donald interrupted, "Wait a minute! You steal things? From the shops and stuff?"
Aladdin shrugged, "Just a little snack or two. Some people don't appreciate that I'm broke."
Wendy wondered, "You're broke? You mean, you have no food or money to support yourself?"
Carla questioned, "Are you really this desperate that you had to resort to break the law?"
Aladdin replied, "With the way the people of Agrabah are taxed, we had no choice. Me and Abu occasionally steal stuff from the marketplace to afford ourselves without getting caught. Y'know, gotta eat to live, gotta steal to live? The guards chase us around occasionally, but we got away with style. Never slipped up, never backed down." Abu chattered again.
Romeo remarked, "You and Abu grew up in a tough neighborhood, huh? You were so poor that you had to resort to stealing only what you can't afford, and that's everything. You did what you had to do to get by."
Aladdin nodded, "You know it."
Wendy asked, "You were struggling so hard to find your place in the world, aren't you, Aladdin? A life without any problems at all?"
Aladdin stated, "There's so much more to me than just a plain street rat nabbing fruits and bread from the marketplace all day long." He crossed his arms with a sigh, "If only those people could look closer."
Sherria raised an eyebrow, "Street rat?"
Carla answered, "I believe it's a term referring to homeless children living in the streets. They're generally on their own and feel at home anywhere in the city."
Wendy was touched by Aladdin's humble background. It reminded her of how every member of Fairy Tail had their own troubled pasts, including herself. Their struggles to overcome turmoil and sorrow led them to join the guild, where they would be blessed with a chance at a better life and a family to look up to. She then said, "So, how did you run into Levy?"
Aladdin was quick to realize he had gotten off topic. "Oh, yeah! Back to those last few days..." He cleared his throat, "Abu and I were taking an afternoon stroll, missing guards and robbing goods, when suddenly, we looked up in the sky to find a blazing ball of fire crashing not far from the city." Abu made a gesture of an explosion with his hands, followed by a screech. "My guess is that it was some kind of meteor. Abu insisted it was a big enormous, priceless gemstone, and we could sell it to make a fortune. We had to find out for ourselves. That night, we sneaked out of the city and into the desert. We headed for the place where the star landed. And what did we find?" He paused for a change in tone, "A pile of scrap lying on the sand like sugar dates. Turns out, they belonged to a strange ship. Abu suggested we take the metal while the getting's good, but I had to be sure it's nothing dangerous. And that's when I found her."
Wendy uttered, "Levy."
Levy decided it was her turn to tell her side of the story. "Aladdin found me unconscious when one of Sleepy Hollow's ships crashed here. You probably haven't heard about their attack on the guildhall, have you?"
Sherria assured, "We already know. We also found out that Sleepy Hollow's working for a big conspiracy called the Alliance of Evil. It's made up of dark guilds and villains from other worlds."
Levy rubbed her chin, "The Alliance of Evil, huh? Like the Balam Alliance that was dismantled a year ago? I'm guessing their attack on the guild and kidnapping our friends was the first step of whatever they're planning. What in the world are they up to?" She added resolutely, "Either way, this doesn't look good. We have to do something about it. The more I think about our guild, the more I'm worrying about Gajeel." Her hand grasped her heart, "Where could he be? I just hope he's alright."
Gajeel Redfox was the second Dragon Slayer to have joined Fairy Tail's ranks, first starting out as one of the guild's ruthless and well-known rivals from the Phantom Lord guild. His rather infamous deeds were his demolition of the Fairy Tail guildhall and injuring the members of Shadow Gear. But as fate would have it, he ended up joining Fairy Tail after his old guild dissolved following their guild war. Against all odds, he worked past his former adversaries' resentment and suspicion, eventually proving himself a trusted ally and valued friend, especially towards Levy, who had been a close partner since the S-Class examination. Recently, when the Sleepy Hollow guild enacted their scheme, Gajeel was absent during the assault on the guildhall, and she couldn't help but feel concern for her missing friend.
Carla snapped the Solid Script wizard out of her thoughts when she asked, "How did you escape their clutches?"
Levy narrated, "I was one of a few Fairy Tail guildmates brought aboard one of their ships. They're unlike any I've ever seen; they're using advanced technology of some sort to create vessels that can fly us to worlds beyond our own."
Goofy thought out loud, "Are they usin' Gummi blocks?"
Levy continued, "I would honestly like to write some notes about this new breakthrough, but I got my hands full with the people doing me in. I was helpless and had no idea what to do, but I had to do something to free myself. Just then, while the ship was on course to Sleepy Hollow's base of operations, I saw the pilots getting into an argument about trading cards and accidentally hit the button that blew up the engines."
Donald blinked, "Pilots fighting over trading cards? Who else would a bunch of palookas put a self-destruct button on a ship?"
Levy continued, "I was knocked out when the ship crashed. Aladdin dragged me out of the wreckage. He was kind enough to nurse me back to health with some of the goods he nabbed from the shops, not that I'm offended about his background the more I looked into it... Sticking with him was the only thing I could do until I could find a way back to Fairy Tail. Not to mention Agrabah is one place I'm not familiar with, and Jafar's hold over the city is strong and got the citizens living in fear. So I did my own research, blending in as I learned to get used to the customs of this desert city. And if anyone was willing enough to support me..." She gestured to Aladdin with a smile, "...it would be a clever boy and his furry sidekick from the slums."
Aladdin chuckled, "The pleasure's all ours, Levy. You have an insight so wide that we're happy to enlighten you with what we know about Agrabah." Abu screeched and jumped with a flip before landing back on his master's shoulder. "It's nice having another companion besides Abu for a change, but do you know the best thing about her? She conjures up those big letters out of thin air with a surprising magical effect! I remember that one time when she dropped a whole word of 'WATER' on top of a few guards patrolling the bazaar, and splashed them at the same time. That gave Abu and myself the leeway we needed to get away with two watermelons and a loaf of bread!"
Carla questioned, "You used your Solid Script Magic to help Aladdin, didn't you?"
Levy admitted, "Oh, a little bit. All I did was help from the sidelines. I hide myself in the shadows, distracting Jafar's minions with my Solid Script Magic unseen."
Wendy wondered, "Jafar's minions? You and Aladdin were fighting the Heartless?"
Levy echoed, "Heartless? That's what you call the guards roaming the streets and forcefully keeping the townsfolk in line?" She tapped her chin curiously, "Hmm... That explains their odd behavior. They constantly swing their swords around and shoot fireballs to scare people. They're just as violent and cruel as the one who started it."
Elfman pointed out, "Hey, you do realize that if they caught you helpin' a small-time crook, they'd arrest you."
Lisanna smiled, "Still, you were lucky to have made it out okay. That's a relief."
Levy stated, "Where there's a will, there's a way. And what you said about Aladdin being a small-time crook..." She shook her head, "He wasn't always this way. He steals only to survive, but he didn't mean any harm to the locals. Deep down, he's very sweet. He often donates his stolen goods to those who are as poor, if not poorer than him. When I saw him split the bread in two and handed it over to a couple of orphans fortunate enough to escape Jafar's tyranny, I knew how kind-hearted he was. He's more than willing to help people, even when times are tough." She crossed her hips with a serious look, "That's the problem with this desert kingdom run by a despotic vizier; there's too much wrong to just stand by and do nothing. Corruption, oppression... Somebody has to stop it. If I could have my way, I'd have to give Jafar a punch to the face."
Goofy beamed, "Gawrsh, you sound very brave. You ain't afraid to take on the bad stuff, are ya?"
Levy giggled, "You could say that I'm brave. I'm not exactly strong enough, but I'm doing the best I can."
Aladdin grinned, "It was all in good fun. Anyone with a heart wouldn't turn down somebody in need. I have plenty of reasons to help, just as I rescued Levy from the desert. She's pretty much kind and trustworthy as I am."
Romeo cheered, "Cool! You steal to afford yourself and others, so that makes you a Robin Hood kind of guy."
Wendy smiled, "Thanks for looking after Levy, Aladdin. It means a lot."
Aladdin appreciated, "It's no big deal."
Carla asked, "Have you found your experience in Agrabah riveting as well, Levy?"
Levy answered, "It wasn't easy, but I got used to it as time went on. At the same time, it was good to see someone helping those who can't help themselves. It all feels so familiar."
Romeo nodded, "Sure does."
Wendy wondered, "What brings you and Levy out here in the desert?"
Aladdin chuckled, "Did I mention that stealing to survive is a part-time job? In my spare time, I've been hunting legendary treasure."
Sherria gasped, "You're a street rat and a treasure hunter?"
Levy clarified, "Not exactly, but he has the qualities and experience of a treasure hunter. I couldn't refuse when he asked me to join. I thought I could find something there... and we did."
Aladdin continued, "We just paid a visit to the Cave of Wonders. I found that magic carpet..." He gestured to the magic carpet, who landed next to him. "...and this lamp." He held out the golden lamp for everyone to see. "Legend has it that whoever holds the lamp can summon the—"
"Please, kid, leave the intros to a professional," Genie lowered himself from the sky as quick as a flash, interrupting Aladdin. He turned to Wendy and company with a wide grin and a wink of his eye, proceeding to make an enthusiastic performance out of his introduction. "The one and only..." He magically changed into Arnold Schwarzenegger, "...the ever-impressive..." He trapped himself in a small cube as he struggled, "...the long-contained..." He pulled out a ventriloquist dummy of himself on his lap, making the mouth move, "...often-imitated, but never duplicated..." Several duplicates of himself appeared, each saying the exact word he uttered in a symphony. "GENIE OF THE LAMP!" He then popped up as Ed Sullivan while the duplicates applauded him, "Right here direct from the lamp, right here for your enjoyment wish fulfillment! Thank youuuuuu!" Changing back to normal, he picked the lamp out of Aladdin's hands and rubbed its side. "Just rub-a-dub-dub the lamp and have your dearest wishes granted." With a bow, Genie flew over next to Aladdin. "Today's winner is... Aladdin!" He made confetti rain down on the young man and shook his hand vigorously. "Congratulations!"
Donald perked up on Genie's promises of having anyone's wishes granted. He and a few others became very interested in this magic lamp business. "Any wish?"
"Patience, my fine-feathered friend!" Genie popped in front of Donald, wagging his finger. "With the exceptions of killing, resurrecting, and making people fall in love..." He then multiplied himself into three, each holding up three fingers and making their announcement in unison. "...any three wishes! A one wish..." One Genie vanished, "...a two wish..." Another vanished, "...a three wish. Then I make like a banana and split!" He snapped his fingers and followed the examples of his copies.
"You're strictly limited to three wishes for the one holding the lamp?" Levy pondered. "We'd better use them with care..."
"Darn right, you'd better use 'em with care,' Genie reappeared, affirming Levy's question with a nod. "And ix-nay on the wishing for more wishes. That's it." He turned into a slot machine, pulled his arm down, and three faces of Genie appeared in three windows echoing altogether, "Three!" Three Genie duplicates came out of the slot wearing sombreros. "Uno, dos, tres." Genie passed by Levy as a black and white man with a cigar. "No substitutions, exchanges, or refunds." A duck dropped down from the sky with the secret word, 'Refunds.'
"But still, a real genie! He can grant any wish we want!" Sherria grinned excitedly. "Just think of everything we'll get just by wishing! Amazing new houses, tons of new stuff—"
"I could wish for an awesome gym!" Elfman didn't want to be left out of imagining the possibilities. "Maybe even someone to practice my manly muscles with..."
"I'd wish for some new Take-Over skills!" Lisanna joined in. "I'll expect them to have element-based properties, and..."
"I could wish for a nice diamond ring to give to Daisy on the way home!" Donald beamed. "She'll be so happy!"
The air filled with a flurry of fantasizing everyone's wishes, and Genie stood still, his eyes widening in astonishment. He turned to Wendy and Romeo for his opinion, "Some people tend to get excited for wishing things, huh? They've got a list that's three miles long, no doubt."
Wendy giggled, "I'm flattered, Genie. I really am. I wanted to have my own wishes granted, too. But as much as I want to..." She added with sincerity, "...I'm not really interested right now."
Romeo agreed, "Me neither. Not that I'm complaining about wishing and stuff, but it can wait. We'll think it over. Don't worry."
Genie chuckled, "I understand, kids. You just needed to give it some thought. But if you change your mind, all you gotta do is rub my lamp."
Wendy and Romeo nodded in unison, "Okay!"
"STOP!"
Those still speaking about their wishes stopped mid-sentence and whipped around in shock to face Carla, who put up a stern face. "Why are you in such a festive mood? We're currently in the middle of a situation!"
Sherria reasoned, "We're just talking about our wishes. It's not like we're gonna ask Genie to make them come true right away."
Lisanna assured, "We're saving our wishes for later. We haven't forgotten what's right in front of us."
Donald grinned, "You said it. We'll start wishing after our business in Agrabah is finished."
Carla sighed, "Let's hope things don't get out of hand."
"That's right, folks!" Genie resumed his comedic presentation, and everyone turned to see his performance. "You've seen a genie make them forty thieves disappear in a snap; it's a brand of magic that never fails!" He gestured to Aladdin, "Our lucky winner made his first wish..." He appeared next to Wendy and Romeo, speaking with them privately, "And let me tell ya, what a doozy that wish was..." They could barely suppress their laughter at Genie's antics. His grin widening, Genie split himself into two back-to-back Genies, twerking with folded arms. "...so he has two left!" He popped out and zoomed back in, turning his ghostly tail into a microphone. "So, master, what'll you have for Wish Number..." A loud drum roll could be heard as he spun around, "...Two?"
A spotlight dropped on Aladdin, drawing the attention of Wendy and company. They stared at him expectantly, hardly able to anticipate what someone like Aladdin would wish for the most. He was confused at first, but then stopped to think of his decision, putting a hand under his chin. "Hmm..." He cast a sly glance at Abu, at Levy, and then at Wendy and Romeo, who were still laughing softly at Genie's craziness. Finally, an idea came to him as a smile crossed his face. "How about making me a fabulously wealthy prince?"
Genie practically exploded with excitement. "WHOA! Money! Royalty! Fame! Why didn't I think of that?" He pinched the air and bowed, "Okay, you asked for it! A hundred servants and a hundred camels loaded with gold!" He started dialing on an imaginary phone, holding his hand up to his ear, "Just say the word and I'll deliver it in 30 minutes or less, or your meal's free." He flew over to Aladdin, putting an arm around his shoulder. "Hey, I'll even throw in a cappuccino!"
Aladdin laughed, waving his hands in polite refusal. "No, thanks."
Only then did Genie calm down, backing off slightly. "Okay."
Aladdin determined, "I think I'll put that on hold until we reach Agrabah."
Sherria asked, "Why do you want to be a prince?"
Aladdin's cheeks flushed red as he rubbed the back of his neck and lowered his eyes to the sand. "Well, there's this girl in Agrabah named Jasmine. She's smart and fun and..."
The familiar name set off an alarm in Wendy's head. She remembered everything that had transpired in Agrabah. But before she could say anything, Genie cut her off, speaking to Aladdin. "Pretty?"
Aladdin fantasized, "Beautiful! She's got these eyes that just... and this hair, wow... and her smile..."
Genie was sitting in a Parisian café with the magic carpet, dressed in French clothing and smoking a heart from a cigar. "Ami. C'est l'amour."
Aladdin continued, "But she's a princess, and I'm..." He sighed heavily and hung his head. "Aww, she could never fall for a guy like me."
"Oh." Donald rubbed the end of his beak. "Princess?"
"Jasmine?" Goofy echoed.
"Oh, that's right!" Wendy exclaimed. "She's in trouble, Aladdin!"
"What?!" Aladdin was hit with the urgent news. He spun around to look at Abu, who was just as surprised as his master was, then turned back to Wendy. "Well, c'mon, let's get going!" The magic carpet lifted up into the air, and Aladdin jumped on board. He looked over at Genie with a nod, the latter immediately joining his lamp bearer. "Carpet, take us to Agrabah!"
"Wait!" Wendy stopped the carpet before it could get far. "We're coming with you. We wanna help Jasmine, too."
"Really?" Aladdin asked hopefully.
"Sure!" Wendy smiled. "We got you out of the quicksand, didn't we? That's more than enough reason for you to trust us."
"Why not?" Aladdin accepted with a grin. "Let's get this over with."
"I'll go with you, too," Levy elected. "You helped me the first time I arrived here. Now it's my turn to return the favor."
"Alright, the gang's all here!" Genie pumped his fist into the air enthusiastically. "Agrabah, here we come!"
"Yeah, but first thing's first," Sherria suggested with a slight chuckle. "We're gonna see who fits." She motioned to the carpet, where three people filled the spots at the middle while leaving the rest of the sides unattended. A short deliberation on who would board the carpet and who would catch up was about to take place.
Later...
Eventually, Donald, Goofy, Levy, Carla, Aladdin, and Sherria were the ones riding the magic carpet, heading in the direction of the desert city. In the same way they left the apartment, Lisanna followed the others by flying in Animal Soul: Bird, while Elfman dashed across the sandy plains in Beast Soul: Sand Beast. As for Wendy and Romeo, considering that the carpet ran out of space for more passengers, they had to be carried on Genie's shoulders. There were times when they could whoop and laugh at the prospect of having a magical being as their mode of transportation. Genie would sometimes speed up, flex his muscles, or juggle them around to elevate their exhilaration; seeing them enjoy the ride made him enjoy it as well. Whenever Wendy or Romeo slipped or fell off, he would magically pop them back into his shoulders. Carla was startled at first when Genie suggested the idea, but was assured that the children would be fine under his guidance, and no words could dissuade them from having a joyride with a magical being.
"Whoo-hoo!" Romeo whooped. "What a view!"
"Whee!" Wendy cheered. "This is fun!"
"Hey, kids! Wanna go for another juggle 'round the roses?" Genie grabbed the two and continuously tossed them, keeping one in the air while handling the other, hearing them squeal with joy. When he stopped juggling and placed them back onto his shoulders, he paused to see them laugh. "Be thankful it was a freebie. I can lift a thousand kids and fly 'em anywhere in the world on a steady pace, but if you're in for a roller coaster ride through the cosmos, just rub my lamp, 'kay? It's one wish per ticket!" Wendy and Romeo couldn't stop laughing.
"Seeing Wendy feel comfort around her brings warm feelings to my heart," Carla looked over the scene with a smile. "Just as long as it's not anything dangerous."
"Maybe next time he'll let me ride him," Sherria suggested. "There's no way I'd miss out all the fun with my best friend."
As soon as the laughter and joy subsided, Genie took in a deep breath and released a content sigh as he continued to fly around, with Wendy and Romeo resting on his shoulders. "Ah, fresh air! The great outdoors! It's so nice to visit other places besides being cooped up in the same place."
Romeo looked over with a lopsided smile. "I guess you don't get out much, huh?"
Wendy asked curiously, "You've been inside your lamp for so long?
Genie replied, "It's all part-and-parcel, the whole genie gig." He puffed himself up to make his voice deep and impressive, "Phenomenal cosmic powers!" He then shrank down, as though someone had burst his balloon. "Itty-bitty living space. It's always three wishes, then back to my portable prison. I'm lucky to see the light of day every century or two..."
Wendy gasped, "You're a prisoner? In your own lamp? That's terrible!"
Genie said sadly, "These days, I've been dreaming of the day that I would be free from the lamp, to go whatever I want, to be my own master. Such a thing would be greater than all the magic and all the treasures in all the world!" He then groaned, "But what am I talking about here? It won't happen. Genie, wake up and smell the hummus."
Aladdin asked, "Why not?"
Genie explained, "The only way to be free from the lamp is if my master wishes me out. So you can guess how often that's happened."
Wendy and her friends fell silent from hearing Genie's dilemma. Some felt ashamed to have considered abusing the three wishes. Not one of them had even considered the idea of genies feeling like prisoners. And then, Aladdin came up with an idea. "Say, Genie, what if I use my last wish to free you from the lamp? What do you think?"
Genie's eyes went wide, an excited smile slowly making its way onto his face. "Really? You'd do that?"
Aladdin assured, "Genie, it's a promise. After we help Jasmine."
Wendy grew pleased with those words. What she saw through the Genie's sadness was a burning desire to be free from an eternity of servitude, and that Aladdin obliged to break those shackles. No one would have to let their lives be trapped in a prison of their own making, and no one with a heart would let them be that way. Generosity was another quality befitting a Fairy Tail wizard, and Wendy knew that Aladdin possessed that quality.
The group was close to approaching Agrabah, and their hopes for Jasmine's safety grew.
Plaza
It was only a matter of time before they reached the outskirts of Agrabah. They decided to stop just outside the city walls and near the main gate, since flying into the city could attract the attention of Jafar and his Heartless minions. Genie gently placed Wendy and Romeo down on the sand before assuming the appearance of a flight attendant. He stood in front of the magic carpet making its descent and announced, "Thank you for choosing Magic Carpet for all your travel needs. Please remain seated until the rug has come to a complete stop. Permanecer sentados, por favor." Aladdin, Levy, Donald, Goofy, Carla, and Sherria disembarked, the carpet turning one end into a staircase for the passengers to walk down. Still in attendant mode, Genie continued, "Thank you! Good-bye now! Good-bye, good-bye! Thank you! Good-bye!"
As soon as the six disembarked, the magic carpet returned to normal and positioned itself at Genie's side. "WAIT FOR ME!" They heard a loud voice, and turned to see Elfman running on all fours until he screeched to a halt, scattering a trail of sand into the winds. Lisanna slowly fluttered down next to her brother, before the two reverted back to their human forms.
Wendy and company walked through the gate and entered the city plaza, walking as casual as they could without looking too suspicious. But to their surprise, they discovered that the entrance to the main street was blocked by a barricade of wooden planks and crates.
Donald whined, "Ah, phooey! The streets are blocked! How are we gonna move on?"
Carla affirmed, "Jafar must've been fully aware of our return to Agrabah."
Lisanna guessed, "I bet he's setting up defenses all over the city."
Elfman huffed, "What I'd expect from a punk with a twisted beard."
Romeo wondered, "Is there another way across?"
Aladdin smiled, "No worries. Agrabah's full of holes we can fit in. You see that door on the wall?" He pointed upward on the right, where a uniquely-shaped door on the wall enforcing the main street's entrance was found among a mountain of two rooftops. "It's an alternate route to the main street. Getting there will be a cinch."
Wendy confirmed, "So we'll have to climb the rooftops to get there, right?" Aladdin answered with a nod.
Suddenly, the first line of defense surfaced: a battalion of Heartless consisting of ten Bandits and a new essentially spherical type known as the Fat Bandit acting as the leader. The Fat Bandit was a cousin of the more svelte Bandit boasting blue skin, turbans, face masks, and curled-toe shoes of their skinnier counterparts. Their attire was stereotypically Arabian, in keeping with the area they tended to be seen most in, and was bright and colorful, probably to distinguish them from the similarly shaped but more muted Large Bodies. They were clad in an orange pointy-shouldered vest, light orange wristbands, a yellow sash, and bright green baggy pants. In a fashion similar to the Large Bodies, the Fat Bandits negated damage with their front sides, but they attacked with fire by spitting fireballs and breathing long flames. Because of their long range fire-based attacks, Fat Bandits were best attacked with magic from a distance. However, Fire Magic had no effect on them.
"Here comes the welcome party!" Aladdin drew out his weapon of choice, a scimitar different in color and shape than the ones the Bandits carried around. The hilt of the sword was gold, the cross-guard was slanted, and the pommel was a simple sphere. The blade itself was thick and colored silver, and it was curved.
"You can fight, too?" Romeo took notice of the street urchin's action.
"Hadn't made it out of the Cave of Wonders if I had taken a scimitar from the treasury," Aladdin explained. "I had to defend myself and Levy from those monsters, and I did a great job so far."
"Well, no arguments there," Romeo shrugged with a smile. "Let's get 'em!"
"Alright, time to get this show on the road," Levy flexed her hands. "Now that I'm back on the winning team, I have no problem dropping a buttload of solid words on their heads!" She assumed a defensive stance, ready to assist the party with her trademark magic. "Solid Script: Stone!" With a thrust of her arm, a solid word 'STONE' was materialized in midair, before plummeting on the Bandits with a loud thud, knocking them off balance. Her actions had not gone unnoticed by Donald and Goofy, who were astounded at what they saw.
"Wak!" Donald quacked. "You made that word pop outta nowhere!"
"My Solid Script Magic allows me to produce solid words in their depicted form," Levy explained. "They mimic the properties of the aspect they were based from. For example, writing a word of 'FIRE' creates actual fire."
"Solid words with magic properties?" Donald blinked. "Why haven't I learned that kind of magic before?"
"No time to talk!" Levy alerted. "They're attacking!"
Wendy and her friends engaged the first wave of Heartless under the command of a Fat Bandit, which was considered to be the biggest threat of the battle. Aladdin fought five Bandits at once with an advanced style of swordplay, easily outsmarting and beating them with quick reflexes and fierce agility. Wendy destroyed the sixth Bandit with a 9-hit Keyblade combo, Donald vaporized the seventh with Blizzard, Goofy knocked the eighth with Goofy Rocket, Sherria slew the ninth with Sky God's Bellow, and Romeo scorched the last with Blue Fire. As for the Fat Bandit, despite being balanced in both offense and defense, its movement was its greatest weakness. Wendy cartwheeled herself away from the spherical enemy's deadly fire breath, then deflected the fireballs blown from its mouth, paralyzing it. "Solid Script: Water!" Levy materialized the word 'WATER' in the air and sent it towards the Fat Bandit, engorging it in a sphere of water before consuming it completely.
Goofy remarked, "Good goin', Levy! You gave 'im the big splash!"
Levy chuckled, "That's what my Solid Script Magic is for— to make a literal statement on things that go wrong."
Donald admitted, "You know, I'm starting to feel a little jealous. If Solid Script Magic can drop a ton of words with magical effects, how come I didn't find it in any of the spellbooks I've read? If I had magic like yours, I'd drop a big word full of 'ROCK' on their heads."
Levy wondered, "You want to learn Solid Script Magic?"
Donald shrugged, "I'm just thinking what it's like to have that kind of magic. It's not like I'm wanna try it or anything."
Levy smiled, "You could always ask, you know. It's not much, but I'll teach you how to use Solid Script Magic."
Donald suggested, "For now, I'll stick to my own magic." He then smiled smugly, "And it's leagues better than any magic in the universe."
Levy asked, "Really? How so?"
Sherria teased, "Looks like your ego's showing again."
Donald groaned, "Come on, let's get going!"
With Aladdin's guidance, Wendy and her friends accessed the alternate route to the main street via the rooftops.
Main Street
Down below the rooftops, the group saw a battalion of Bandits and Fat Bandits patrolling the area for any that could pose a threat to Jafar's authority. Aladdin suggested to his new friends that they followed him to a safe location among the building tops, and it happened to be the exact same place where Wendy and her companions freed the magic carpet. That way, they could decide the next course of action without being detected. They accompanied Aladdin through the climbing pole...
Aladdin's House
"This dump is actually your home?" Elfman asked Aladdin.
"Yep, just me and Abu. We come and go as we please," the street urchin nodded. "It's not much, but it's got a great view." He pulled the curtain, revealing the view of the whole city. "The palace looks pretty amazing, huh?"
"Yes, it does," Lisanna nodded.
"Alright, let's set the record straight," Aladdin turned to his friends, having selected his residence as the ideal spot for a conversation. Wendy, Donald, Goofy, Romeo, Carla, Sherria, Lisanna, and Elfman had spent the remainder of the trip to Agrabah telling the young street rat the details of what happened with Jasmine and what Jafar was after. He listened intently to the story, a serious look in his eyes. "Jafar's not only after Jasmine, but this 'Keyhole' as well." The Sky Dragon Slayer simply nodded in response.
"Keyhole, eh?" Genie repeated, somewhat fascinated. "I could swear I've heard about that somewhere before..."
"Really?" Donald asked excitedly. "Where?"
"Now, where was it?" Genie folded his arms, tilting his head to one side. "It's only been two hundred years..." Everyone looked on anxiously, expecting him to remember something about the Keyhole. After a moment, Genie gave up, shaking his head. "Nope, haven't got a clue, but it must've popped into my head. Either that, or my mind's shrinking the size of a dung beetle." He slapped one side of his head, and out popped a dung beetle from his left ear. "Then again, there's one in my head."
"Forget I asked," Donald grumbled.
"Well, anyway, we've got to stop Jafar before it's too late," Wendy determined. "If he gets his hands on Jasmine and the Keyhole, who knows what could happen?"
"He's probably at the royal palace," Aladdin stated. "The problem is, he's blocked the entrance at the main street."
"How do we get around?" Sherria asked.
"I happen to know another way in. C'mon, guys!" Aladdin beckoned. Everyone else complied and followed him out of his house.
Main Street
Standing on one of the rooftops, Aladdin pointed towards another uniquely-shaped door on the wall two buildings apart from the barricaded path to the palace gates. He was dismayed to find it sealed tight by a gate of iron bars. Aladdin snapped his fingers in disappointment, "He just doesn't want to make this easy, does he?"
Wendy asked, "What's the matter?"
Aladdin pointed out, "The door's shut. Unless we open it, we'll never reach the palace gates. There's got to be a lock around here somewhere."
Wendy offered, "How about I use my Keyblade to unlock the door?"
Aladdin shrugged, "Well, it's worth a try. We're gonna have to search the city. This'll take a while." And true to his words, the road was fraught with many obstacles they had to overcome in order to unlock the alternate route.
Cue Music: Sand Hill (Sonic Adventure)
All of a sudden, when two Bandits caught Wendy and company standing on the building tops, the young heroes knew they had no choice but to fight. They jumped from the rooftops and landed on the streets, facing the entire battalion of Heartless head on. It was comprised of twelve Bandits and two Fat Bandits, which made the battle much of a challenge that required focus and stability. Wendy decimated the Bandit squadron with a string of Keyblade combinations coupled with a Sonic Blade ability, Aladdin with lightning-fast scimitar sword attacks, and Levy with a series of Solid Script spells. In the meantime, Goofy deflected a Fat Bandit's fireballs with his shield, allowing Donald to freeze it with Blizzard. Elfman smacked the other Fat Bandit with his Beast Soul-powered fists, before Lisanna finished it off using her cat claws. Once the wave of Heartless patrolling the main street was vanquished, the heroes turned for the alley.
Alley
Wendy and her friends reached the middle of the alley to find a set of simple red-lidded pots. By the time they got close, four spider-like clawed legs burst from the pots midsections at the thicker line! These new types of Heartless were called Pot Spiders- they lay in wait until they revealed themselves and retaliated when their prey drew near. Pot Spiders occasionally came in numbers and possessed greater speed and high jumping ability, and could even self-destruct near their enemies in times of desperation. Otherwise, they were relatively easy to beat. Wendy, Donald, and Goofy fought and dispatched one half of the Spider Pot horde, while Romeo, Levy, and Carla dealt with the other. Meanwhile, Elfman, Lisanna, and Levy were busy shooing away the pesky Shadows emerging from the ground until they finally disappeared. Just as the group was about to take their leave, Wendy spotted a tiny key lock in the ledge above. She climbed up a stack of crates to reach the ledge, twisted the lock, and then a clicking sound was heard. Aladdin insinuated that it came from the main street, so he recommended going over to a ledge opposite of where Wendy stood in. They hopped along the wooden edges of windows and went through another secret door.
Main Street
The group found themselves in a height considerably greater than the rooftops they previously explored, and spotted an open door on the right. They ascended a few rooftops until they reached the door, defeating a few Pot Spiders and Shadows along the way.
Bazaar
In a bazaar-like area, there was another key lock in a ledge a few feet away, the only path being another set of wooden edges. The Sky Maiden skipped along the edges and twisted the lock, letting out another click. Before the group could exit the bazaar, they were ambushed by a squadron of Pot Spiders, Bandits, and familiar Heartless such as Red Nocturnes and Yellow Operas. Wendy and Aladdin slashed the Bandits with physical attacks. Sherria, Romeo, Carla, and Levy cleared away the miniature spellcasting Heartless. Elfman and Lisanna smashed the Pot Spiders to pieces with their Take-Over Magic. With that, they made their exit.
Main Street
Upon returning to the main street, they found that the secret door to the palace gates was unlocked. "Great! The door is open! Now we can get to the palace!" Aladdin cheered. But before they could advance, the last line of defense for the city made its appearance, consisting of eight Bandits, three Red Nocturnes, three Yellow Operas, and one Fat Bandit. Wendy and her friends fought and defeated the enemies in less than two minutes, and wasted no time entering the secret door through the building tops.
Palace Gates
The sight of the royal palace of Agrabah was looming high above their heads as Wendy and her allies approached the gates by way of a high ledge. Down below, the Sky Maiden could make out the outline of what appeared to be a tall man dressed in black and red standing in front of the large doors, without even noticing the woman wearing a blue outfit close behind him. "There he is!" she cried.
"Let's get him!" Romeo shouted. Immediately, the group jumped from the ledge and landed softly on the ground, alerting the royal vizier to their presence. Princess Jasmine's eyes grew wide upon seeing Wendy and her friends coming to her rescue. She struggled against Jafar, who was holding her firmly by the shoulder to prevent her from escaping. A wicked grin spread across his face as he turned around to face his adversaries.
"So, the Keyblade wielder and her companions have returned," Jafar remarked. "It certainly looks as if you have caused quite a bit of damage in my city. But did you really think that you could challenge me after you have declawed my defenses?" He released Jasmine from his grip, "I still have enough resources to ensure your demise. After I dispose of you worthless rats, my reign will continue unopposed."
"Agrabah was never yours to begin with!" Wendy countered. "You only climbed to the top because of the suffering you've caused to the citizens! Your own people! Don't you realize what you're doing?"
"Who are you to say such things?" Jafar sneered. "I do not pursue power just to earn praise from the likes of you. I suppose it's asking too much to expect young fools such as yourselves to fathom my ambition. You should respect and listen to your elders..." He gestured his snake staff to himself, "...such as I, Agrabah's mighty ruler. You would be wise to know your place."
"You're asking for respect from your subjects when you're striking fear into their hearts?" Romeo scoffed. "Ha! Some great role model you are."
"Ignorance is bliss, child," Jafar chuckled darkly. "I am creating a brand new society! A society so flawless, it exceeds what the Sultan had envisioned! No one would have dreamed that someone like myself would get as monumental as I am today. The Heartless maintain order in the city, and all manner of resistance was defeated." His evil grin festered, "Like all worlds, this one is destined for change. I am simply helping it along and giving it what it wants..."
"Big deal," Romeo quipped, his fists burning with Purple Fire. "We can't just let people like you have your way, can we?"
"Yeah, let's do this!" Donald quacked, readying his staff. "I'll wipe that smug grin off his face!"
"We're givin' Agrabah back to the people!" Goofy declared, holding his shield. "Let's spread some freedom!"
That prompted an amused cackle to escape from Jafar's mouth. "Setting the thrill of the battle a little high, aren't we? You're blind to reality! The new Agrabah that I am creating is the next step on the road to progress! I am turning this kingdom into something the likes of which this world has never seen! A perfect, ideal kingdom fashioned by the hands of the most powerful sorcerer in the world..." For a moment, his eyes glinted with ambition and ideology. "...and that is I!"
"If you're really that powerful, why don't you try us?" Wendy glared. "We've stood up to people worse than you. We have no problem taking you on. You've been manipulating Agrabah and its people to amuse yourself for too long. Well, we can't let you do this anymore!"
"You dare to defy what I have visualized?" Jafar retorted. "If you insist on standing in my way, you may as well end up dead. And as for you..." He turned to look at Aladdin, his face twisted with disgust. "Crawl back to the hole from whence you came, street rat. I will not allow you to trouble to princess anymore."
"Princess...?" Aladdin took a step forward, and gasped in shock upon recognizing Jafar's female hostage. "JASMINE!"
Jasmine looked back at him desperately, her hand outstretched. "I'm so sorry, Aladdin." Jafar held out a hand to stop her.
Wendy asked in surprise, "How did you find her?"
Jafar answered, "No matter how virtuous the princess's efforts were, she could never escape me. I have eyes and ears everywhere on this city." He looked at Jasmine with a sadistic grin, "She is in my hands now." She stared back with contempt.
Elfman commented, "For a sorcerer with an unmanly attitude, you sure are crafty."
Lisanna glared, "But that doesn't mean we'll let you get away with that."
Romeo remarked, "We'll give you full props for finding Jasmine, snake head. But you'll be giving her back to us."
Jafar taunted, "If you want her, why don't you try and take her?"
Sherria whispered to Levy, "Did you help Jasmine during your time with Aladdin, too?"
Levy whispered back, "I had no idea he was helping the princess. I was at the bazaar the whole time, waiting for him. I was wondering what took him so long..." She tapped her chin, "Now I know why."
Wendy and her friends prepared themselves to fight while Aladdin discreetly pulled out the magic lamp and rubbed it behind his back. He whispered urgently, "Genie, help Jasmine, please!"
Before a battle could commence, Jafar turned around and was surprised to see Genie scoop Jasmine carefully into his arms and float above his level. Genie said cheerfully, "One wish left! You're making this really easy, you know."
Wendy cheered, "Good one, Genie!"
Romeo smiled, "You got her!"
Elfman declared, "It's over, punk! Surrender now, or you're in for a manly world of pain!"
Lisanna agreed, "Yeah, tough luck!"
Just as the heroes thought they were victorious in rescuing Jasmine, Jafar's snicker ruined the moment. Carla eyed the vizier suspiciously, "What's so funny?"
Jafar smirked, "So sorry, children. I'm afraid the street rat's second wish has been denied."
Confused, Aladdin looked at his hand to find it empty. "Huh?!" He jumped back in shock, knocking the fez off his head. He began to pat himself, hoping that it was still somewhere with him. Unfortunately, a certain red parrot had already snatched the lamp!
"Nice try, rag boy!" Iago laughed. He flew over to Jafar with the lamp, before dropping it in his master's hands. "You shoulda kept your eyes on the prize!"
"Excellent work, Iago," Jafar commended. "The final phase of our plan will now commence."
Genie's heart sunk as he felt the transfer of power. His arms automatically lowered, accidentally releasing Jasmine. "I'm sorry, Al..." he said sadly, before he vanished in a bright puff of smoke. Jasmine fell through the air with a scream, landing into a clay pot which suddenly grew spider-like legs.
"Hey! That's our lamp! Go get your own!" Donald demanded.
"You were distracting us, aren't you?" Levy gasped.
"So that your talking parrot could snatch it out of our hands!" Sherria frowned.
"What are ya gonna do with the lamp?" Goofy wondered.
"Are you kiddin'? We're makin' wishes that'll help us hit the big time!" Iago smirked. "I'm talkin' mountains of food, diamonds, gold, everything we put our minds to."
"Your name is Iago, right?" Wendy asked the parrot. "Why have you sided with someone as awful as Jafar?"
"Hey, everybody's got ambitions, you know that? Especially me," Iago responded. "Jafar's paid me for the use of my talents. Working for him is a million times better than squawking around in the bazaar with nothing to do."
"How could you?!" Wendy protested. "What Jafar's doing is wrong! Do you really wanna support him that badly?"
"At least I get a share of what he owns, sweetheart!" Iago retorted. "While he's large and in charge of Agrabah, I'm the vizier to his vizier. We both share the same dream of runnin' the joint. There's nothing I like more than wallow in luxury with the best, and I only hang out with the best."
"That can't be true! There has to be a better way!" Wendy shook her head. "I think there's more to you than that..."
"Geez, enough with the preaching," Iago rolled his eyes. "Are we gonna get this over with, or are we just gonna stand around talkin' like a bunch of sissies?"
"Yes, Iago," Jafar nodded in agreement. "I am inclined to agree."
"You devoted yourself to evil men for power?" Carla argued. "That's some ambition!"
"Face it, bird brain," Sherria stated. "You're just as mean as him."
"Life's not fair," Iago retorted. "Deal with it."
"Calm yourself, Iago," Jafar interjected. "The lamp is in our hands. Let us be on our way."
"What are we gonna wish for?" Iago chirped. "Dishes of fruits? Hot bird servants? Turn the Sultan into a puppet ruler so I can shove crackers down his throat?"
"Not to worry. The reward will be so much greater when our task is done," Jafar assured, before he turned to Wendy and company. "And now, I bid you all farewell." He then pointed at the heroes, issuing a command. "Attack!"
What happened next seemed like something out of a horror movie. As Jafar and Iago vanished without a trace, every single pot in the area sprung to life as Pot Spiders and scurried towards Wendy and her friends. Two pots exploded behind them to reveal the head and caboose of a Heartless resembling a blue-gray insect. The head was round, slightly squashed, and sported glowing yellow eyes, two twisted antennae, two black-tipped mandibles, and a heart-shaped emblem on its forehead. The caboose had two dark blue tails with a light bulb at each end. At that moment, a handful of Pot Spiders assembled together to create a segmented body with the head in front and the caboose at the back, hence forming a deadly variation known as the Pot Centipede.
"That two-faced son of a jackal!" Aladdin said angrily. "He got away!"
"It's no use! He's already gone!" Wendy seized her Keyblade. "Jasmine's inside one of these pots. We have to help her!" The street urchin didn't need to be told twice, as he drew his scimitar.
Let the battle begin! The Pot Centipede's weak spots were its head and caboose, but the group also had to face the remaining amount of Pot Spiders in the area, which were yet to link with and expand the Centipede's body. Wendy, Romeo, Donald, and Goofy decided to take on the two body parts, while Aladdin, Levy, Carla, Sherria, Elfman, and Lisanna took on the Pot Spiders. The Pot Centipede charged at the Sky Dragon Slayer with its mandibles, only for her to deflect the attack with a defensive block of the Jungle King. She assaulted the head with a 6-hit Keyblade combo and Romeo assisted with his Purple Fire punches, all the while Donald and Goofy bashed the caboose with their staff and shield respectively. But the Pot Centipede wasn't going down without defending itself. The head's antennae lit up with a burst of lightning and swung around wildly, striking Wendy and Romeo with electric stings. The caboose mirrored its counterpart's actions, using its sparked tails to swat Donald and Goofy away before they could deal any damage.
As for Aladdin's team, they had been tearing their way through the numerous Pot Spiders emerging from every corner of the palace gates. But with every one destroyed, another would appear in its place, making the struggle increasingly frustrating. "This is never gonna end!" Levy screamed, as she blew up another Pot Spider with Solid Script: Fire.
"Don't give up!" Sherria encouraged.
"Jasmine could be in one of those pots!" Lisanna implied.
"We gotta smash 'em all!" Elfman shouted.
"Let's hope she doesn't get hurt," Carla breathed.
"Jasmine!" Aladdin called out the princess's name as he examined the remains of a shattered Pot Spider. Discovering that it was empty, he turned to face another. In his heart, he was praying that the girl he had special feelings for was alright. "Jasmine, where are you?!"
"Aladdin!" Jasmine's frantic voice was heard from among the Pot Spiders. "Help!"
The Pot Centipede's electric appendages repeatedly struck anyone within its path in multiple directions. Although Wendy and the others tried at a counterattack and were sometimes successful in delivering a few physical blows, no one was able to get in close to the head and caboose without getting hurt. That Heartless was the definition of a perfect blend of offense and defense. Wendy and Donald were pressured to activate their Cure spells to heal the party, but were occasionally interrupted by strikes from the antennae and tails. When close-range attacks failed, Wendy's team resorted to use magic. Wendy cast Sky Dragon's Roar, Donald dished out Thunder, Goofy performed Goofy Bash, and Romeo threw a Rainbow Fireball to damage the Pot Centipede from a distance. That seemed to do the trick, as the Pot Spider's head and caboose were disjointed from its Pot Spider-comprised body, leaving them vulnerable. Wendy, Donald, Goofy, and Romeo would approach the main parts and strike at them, but only for a short while. Even when separated, the head and caboose continued to knock its enemies back with their appendages. A moment later, Wendy and her teammates were getting a bit worse for wear.
"Stupid Heartless..." Donald muttered.
"It doesn't know when to quit!" Romeo panted.
"There's gotta be somethin' we can do..." Goofy wheezed.
"We'll find a way. There has to..." Wendy encouraged.
Just then, the Pot Centipede's head and caboose reconnected themselves with a significant amount of Pot Spiders nearby, constructing a substitute body. It charged at Wendy and missed, destroying the palace blockade in the process. Everyone could see the Heartless roaming the streets of Agrabah, gathering more Pot Spiders and growing bigger with each addition.
"It's gathering pots to make its body grow bigger..." Wendy analyzed. "We gotta do something about them first!"
The group chased after the Pot Centipede in search of Jasmine, who may have been trapped within its body. As the Centipede raced away from its enemies, its caboose swung its electric tails rapidly, knocking back any who drew close. Wendy cast Sky Dragon's Wing Attack and Donald summoned Thunder to destroy the body of Pot Spiders, separating the head and caboose yet again. Goofy distracted the head by deflecting a few antennae attacks with his shield, while Donald tackled it with his staff. Romeo grabbed hold of the caboose's tails before they could sting his body, allowing Wendy to smash it with Sky Dragon's Claw. Meanwhile, Aladdin and the others resumed their skirmish with the Pot Spiders spreading like locusts throughout the streets, destroying any that attempted to form another body for the Centipede, while looking for Jasmine among the broken remains.
Soon, the Pot Centipede assembled a third body and continued its rampage across the streets, destroying the blockade enforcing the alley. Wendy and her friends pursued the crawling Heartless and trapped it in the alley. Wendy swiftly deflected the antennae with her Keyblade before attacking the head with various Sky Dragon Slayer Magic spells, with Romeo adding his Rainbow Fire techniques to the mix. Levy destroyed any incoming Pot Spiders with Solid Script: Stone, followed by Sherria casting Sky God's Boreas, Elfman delivering Beast Soul-fueled attacks, and Lisanna using Animal Soul: Bunny. Carla shattered the rest of the Pot Spiders with her kicks, while Aladdin severed the Pot Centipede's body with his scimitar. The group proceeded to assault the head and caboose, while struggling against the bothersome antennae and tails at the same capacity. One minute later, another swarm of Pot Spiders entered the alley and constructed a new body for the Pot Centipede, before the creature itself escaped. Wendy and the gang would give chase again, but they were too drained to move on, having spent most of their energy fighting.
Sherria wheezed, "I don't understand... Those pots... keep on coming... to make that bug... grow big..."
Levy panted, "There's so... many of them... I don't know... how long we can keep up... Almost used up... our Magic Energy..."
Carla said tiredly, "The presence of that centipede alerts any pot within a wide area. Unless we destroy them all at once, it'll keep on regenerating."
Wendy whispered to herself, "Wide area... All at once..." She then beamed with an idea. "That's it!" She stood up to her feet and raised the Jungle King high. "Cure!" The tip of the Keyblade produced a green light that bathed her body, restoring most of her stamina. She then ran after the Pot Centipede that retreated into the main street.
An exhausted Aladdin stood on one leg, reaching out with his hand. "Hey! Where are you going?"
Wendy hastily turned to him and called back, "I know what to do!"
The Pot Centipede stopped at the main square, awaiting the rest of the Pot Spiders resting in separate corners of the city to respond and come to its aid. Just then, it sensed the presence of the Sky Maiden and turned around to see her giving it an adamant glare through the ominous yellow eyes. "Summon Gem: Earthshine!" Wendy held a hand to her heart, focusing her spirit into the Keyblade's radiance. She gathered the Earthshine's energy on the end of the Jungle King and thrust it into the air, magic swirling around her. Up from the ground came the lion Simba, who landed gracefully by Wendy's side and gave off a mighty roar which echoed throughout the entire city.
The rest of Wendy's friends watched the scene from the alley. To Romeo, this was the first time he saw the Sky Dragon Slayer's new ability with the Keyblade to summon an ally, just as Lucy was able to summon Celestial Spirits. He was expecting her to execute a Command Style, but was pleased by her new power regardless. Elfman, Lisanna, Levy, and Aladdin were awestruck by the display, while Donald, Goofy, Sherria, and Carla were filled with confidence. Even the Pot Centipede was baffled by the Keyblade master's actions.
Simba turned to Wendy and asked, "Do you need some help?"
Wendy requested, "Simba, I need you to use Proud Roar on that Heartless." She gestured to the Pot Centipede, before she and the lion looked around them to see an army of Pot Spiders positioned everywhere from the buildings to the streets. "And we've got company!"
Simba knew that the danger was great, but he was determined to confront it alongside the one who summoned him. He nodded, "Alright, let's do it!"
Wendy nodded back, and she and Simba turned their attention to the Pot Centipede, not minding the swarm of Pot Spiders closing in on them. The Keyblade began to flash gold as the Sky Dragon Slayer held it firmly behind her, charging up massive amounts of energy. The fur on Simba's back bristled with majestic power in harmony with Wendy's magic, a dangerous growl rumbling deep in his throat. They aimed for the Pot Centipede, which was standing ten feet away, trembling violently. "Proud Roar!" With a triumphant shout, Wendy swung the Keyblade, and Simba simultaneously released a powerful roar. Beams of energy blasted across the main street, vaporizing every Pot Spider in the vicinity and tearing apart the Pot Centipede's segmented body. When the golden energy surrounding the main street disappeared, only the head and caboose was left. "Sonic Blade!" Wendy delivered a string of supersonic thrusts that sliced the two main parts at the same instant. "Sky Dragon's Wave Wind!" For the final blow, she swung her hands and summoned a large and very powerful tornado that swirled the head and caboose in, ripping them apart before they dissipated into black dust. The last thing she and Simba saw of the Pot Centipede was a large glowing heart flying into the sky.
Wendy took in a deep breath, relieved that the arduous battle had reached its conclusion. "We did it..." She turned to Simba with a smile, "Thanks, Simba."
Simba smiled back, "Call me again if you need me. See you later, Wendy!" He dispersed and retreated back to the security of the Keyblade, leaving a trail of amber-colored dots in his wake.
Their energy restored thanks in no small part to Donald's Cure spells, everyone hurried towards Wendy and regrouped with her. Romeo said happily, "That was awesome! Summoning that lion and combining your magic with his? That was the best thing ever! It's like a Unison Raid! How did you do that?"
Wendy grinned, "It just came to me. I thought it would be a great idea."
Romeo remarked, "The Keyblade really is an incredible weapon. You're lucky to have it in your hands. You're the best, Wendy."
Wendy giggled, "Nothing I can't handle, really."
Elfman smirked, "You squashed that bug good! Nice work, kid!"
Lisanna approved, "That was amazing, Wendy!"
Levy began, "Hey, where's—"
Aladdin looked around the square, almost frantic, spinning in place. "Jasmine!"
Suddenly, the sound of Jafar's evil cackle resonated throughout the streets. The group scanned their surroundings for signs of the royal vizier, but found nothing. Carla snapped her fingers, "It was a diversion. Jafar took Jasmine with her while we were fighting the centipede... We played right into his hands."
Aladdin crossed his arms, "That cowardly snake. Where'd he run off to?"
Levy assumed, "Probably off to that Keyhole he wants. If only we knew where it was. Wait a minute..." Just then, she perked up with a thought crossing her mind. She turned to Aladdin, "The Genie said that he heard of the Keyhole before, right?"
Aladdin nodded, "Yeah, so?"
Levy rubbed her chin, "The Keyhole might be at the place where we found him. My guess is that Jafar's heading there as well."
Aladdin's eyes widened in realization, "The Cave of Wonders! That's probably where the Keyhole is!" He turned to the Solid Script wizard, impressed. "Levy, you're a genius."
Levy smiled, "I am a quick learner."
Donald confirmed, "At least we now know where we're going and what we're up against."
Goofy suggested, "We'd better get ready for whatever Jafar's cookin' up."
Aladdin turned his attention to the city's main gate. "To the desert! Come on, let's move!"
Wendy nodded, "Okay!" She and the rest of her friends were on their way out of the city and into the endless ocean of sand, heading for the one place where their eventual battle with Jafar would begin. Unbeknownst to them, an entity disguised as a falcon was soaring above the buildings, observing the young heroes' departure. The Headless Horsemen Silver gazed at the Sky Maiden and her companions, surging with a mixture of exultation and intent.
"So you have come, Wendy Marvell... Chosen wielder of the Keyblade! My radiant light of justice longs to reveal the truth hidden in the darkness, to see if the girl is truly superior in her own right... No illusion is safe when bathed in the light of the sun, and the blade of righteousness will blot it out with the slightest stroke. How I longed to unveil the truth before me. The truth of strength..." He paused for effect, "...and weakness." He held out his hand and grasped it around the image of Wendy disappearing into the desert. "I'm coming for you, child! The time has come to prove your worth against me! This fight will decide who is worthy to be bathed in the one true light!"
With that declaration, Silver stretched his falcon wings wide and streaked into the blue sky. It would seem that Jafar wasn't the only problem Wendy had to deal with.
Author's Note
The second chapter of the Agrabah Arc is finally posted! The next chapter will be the moment you've all been waited for: Wendy and her friends will engage in a destructive duel against one of Sleepy Hollow's Headless Horsemen, Silver Ornithurae. And now that you've seen the fate of Kurt Zisa and the Desert Cobra dark guild, it's about time I take this to the next level. Next chapter will be something unexpected, something that'll make your heat beat faster, I guarantee it. Secret boss, anyone?
Be sure to fav and review for more exciting content to come. This is TheSavageMan100, singing out. Peace!
