Chapter 55
"What's going on?!"
Donald pointed ahead. The ceiling of the cave was covered with a black substance. The entire cave felt colder and much more like the peak of a mountain.
"We're in a middle of a desert, and it's in the middle of the day!" said Donald. "On top of which, the cave was always warm the last few times we went here!"
"Maybe something happened," said Goofy. "I mean, we don't know if Organization XIII did something here or not."
"Why are they messing around with worlds though?" asked Aladdin. "I thought that they would disappear after you defeat them."
"They came back as something else," said Sora. "There's so much to this, but what you need to know is that Jasmine is in danger."
"That much I can figure out," said Aladdin, remembering about the Princesses that Maleficent and Jafar were after.
The group reached a door in the cave. Sora saw a card on the ground.
"Hey, guys, what's this?" Sora asked.
"It looks like a weird card," said Goofy. "I mean, look at it. It has a picture of a warrior on it."
Sure enough, the picture had a man clad in purple armor. Contrary to Goofy's interpretation, however, the person was holding a staff.
"I'll pick it up." Donald retrieved the card. Immediately, a light shone, engulfing him.
"Donald!" Sora rushed to him, but a moment later, he saw that his friend was okay. He was engulfed in the same armor as the card, and he even held the same staff.
"Wow!" Sora looked in amazement. "You look cool in this armor!"
"Yes I do!" Donald pointed to the door, and it opened. "I guess the door opens if you point your wand at it. I got the "keywand"!
"The what?"
"Well, you know, the want opens doors and keys open doors-"
Aladdin and Goofy shook their heads in condemnation. "No Donald. Don't make up words now."
Donald grumbled, and the group proceeded further down the cave. They saw that there were tents that were set up around the place, and that some of those tents were broken. Before they could investigate the tents, however, the hooded man they were looking for appeared before them.
"I had hoped that you would have only came, Aladdin," said the mysterious being.
"Who are you?!" said Donald. "And why did you go after Aladdin?"
"Useless questions you are asking," said the man. "The answers are not for your ears, but for Aladdin to hear."
"Well, it's not like as if we are going anywhere!" said Sora.
"True, fair enough. I guess that means I have no choice but to show you..."
The man pulled out his hood. Aladdin gasped. The man had dark hair, glowing eyes of warmth and a face that was alike to Aladdin.
"No, this can't be," said Aladdin.
"What's wrong Aladdin?!" asked Sora.
"He's just seeing his father for the first time in a while," said the man. "The name's Cassim. Nice to formally meet you, Keyblade wielder."
"You know about the Keyblade?" asked Sora.
"Who doesn't?" remarked Aladdin's father. "Everyone has heard of it. A blade that is true to an owner and defeats the darkness? What an remarkable weapon. I can also see that you are able to handle it quite well. So, what are the animals doing with you?"
"Hey!" Donald, Goofy, and Iago stared resentfully at the man.
"What are you doing here?!" asked Aladdin. "Why did you get that scepter?"
"I found the key to my dreams," said Cassim. "You do not understand that this weapon is truly capable of the same powers as the keyblade. It can "unlock" and "seal" the same way that any other keyblade can."
"What?!" Sora gasped. "What's that doing here?"
"It seems that it was left here some time ago, only to drop to the hands of the royal family. Now, though, it belongs to the King of Thieves-"
"You're the WHAAAAT?" cried Donald.
"So you left us for this?!" said Aladdin.
"I left you and your mother so that you wouldn't get harmed," answered Cassim. "The dream I have will change the world forever. It took me time to find this object-"
"But you left the ones who loved you!" interrupted Sora. "How is that worth it?"
"The item that I intend to get can only be unlocked by this scepter. What I don't understand is why I am receiving all of this hatred from strangers."
"You abandoned your own child for this!" Iago angrily shrieked. "You decided to pursue something and you let that control you!"
"ENOUGH!" Suddenly, a bunch of bandits surrounded the group. Cassim was furious.
"Now then, you can either leave or join us. That is how this can go, or you will die at my feet!"
Sora got his keyblade out, and the others got their weapons out, with Iago flying out of the place. "We won't let you do more harm!"
"Then so be it." Cassim's scepter began to glow. It shot out ice at Aladdin, who slashed it up. One by one, the bandits began to attack the group, only to be beaten back.
"Ugh, you cowards! Go at them in groups! They're too skilled for you!" The bandits change their tactics, but it was useless as they were beaten back by Sora's blades. Sora pushed them away, knocking them into the ground and back into the air. In a couple of seconds, the unconscious men surrounded the area.
"So, 'King of Thieves', you got anything else up your sleeve?" Sora mockingly grinned at the man, who was seething darkness at this point.
"Umm Sora, I wouldn't piss off the guy who's literally sweating darkness," said Aladdin.
"Indeed he shouldn't." Cassim's eyes turned white, overflowing with energy, and the cave suddenly got colder. Aladdin and the others looked around them in fear.
"Now that I have your attention...I have the powers of a GOD. Bow down to your ruler, you utter fools." A being made up of rock was being formed in front of their eyes, filled with the powers of light and darkness. It looked at Sora directly, growling at him.
"Well...that's one huge pet rock you've got," mumbled Iago.
"Take good care of him," said Cassim. "Feed him twice a day, and I will see you once I have obtained the ultimate power. See you later!"
"Wait, father!" Aladdin reached out for him, only to see him enter further into the cave.
"Let the madness...begin." Cassim laughed as the creature began to roar.