The streets of Agrabah, known for their hustle and bustle, are certainly living up to that reputation today. People seem to be everywhere, either ordinary, shabbily dressed citizens going about their day or more richly appointed men and women of obviously higher social standing following the city's main thoroughfare to the palace. It's all decorated as well, banners and streamers and painted portraits of Aladdin and Jasmine seemingly everywhere.
"This place is amazing!" Kairi comments, looking up and down the streets with an awe and wonder that warms Sora's heart. Or maybe he's just warm in general, considering the fact he's wearing a black suit on a sunny day in the desert.
"What's amazing are some of the snakes around here," Azlyn chimes in, disdainfully noting a painted sign on a fruit stall. "I guess in the spirit of the royal wedding, they think they can get away with charging a king's ransom."
"You're wishing you had something to sell, aren't you?" Sora asks her, grinning.
"You're damn right I am!"
The knight turns away with a frown, and Sora can't help but look down to the only truly valuable item she has on her. The silver band of her engagement ring circles the ring finger of her right hand. He hadn't even noticed it when they first saw each other, that being the first time he'd talked to Azlyn without immediately getting the thing shoved in his face.
An idea suddenly strikes Sora, so he casually sidles up to Kairi. His girlfriend is happily observing a pair of young boys tossing a ball back and forth.
"I've got an idea," he whispers. She jumps, closing her eyes a few moments to regain composure. "Sorry. Anyway, if you want something to talk to Azlyn and Telary about, you should ask about the ring. Both of them just love to go on and on and on and on and on…"
"Sora," Kairi says, giving him a quick glare.
"Sorry," he apologizes, smiling despite her displeasure. It only takes seconds for her to grin back at him. "Anyway, it's a good icebreaker."
"Mmm," the Princes of Heart hums, turning to look across the street. Azlyn stands at one stall, Telary at another several feet away. "Seems to me like those two have developed their own ice."
Sora opens his mouth to dismiss that notion, but finds himself unable to. After their argument on the beach vis a vis wedding gifts, the pair had hardly said a word to each other. The warp from Destiny Islands to Agrabah had been quick, but not so quick that the Disney Castle inhabitants had no time for even the slightest of affection amongst each other.
"Probably it's nothing," he says with a dismissive shrug. "They can get like this sometimes. Okay, never quite like this, but still. We're all…"
A shriek from one of the playing boys sends Sora into action mode. Spinning on his heel, he spots the children's' ball go flying out of one boy's hands and into the busy street. Without hesitation, he dives after it.
Landing on his knees, the Keybearer skids across the sandy street until he can snatch up the ball. Holding on tightly, he lets out a sigh of relief.
All too soon, as it turns out.
The very loud noise of an extremely perturbed animal shocks Sora, so badly he yelps and falls back onto the ground. Looking up, he notices a camel looking down at him with a sneer. It wears a brown saddle, each side burdened with a tall wicker basket.
"What is the meaning of this?" demands a man coming around the camel's right side. He wears a long blue cloak, a concealing hood and veil hiding most of his facial features. Except for two eyes, staring coldly down at the Keyblade wielder.
"Uh, sorry sir," he apologizes, quickly scrambling to his feet. As he rises, he notices the clasp of the man's cloak: a round medallion with a picture of a golden hand upon it. "The, uh, the kids lost their ball. So I was just trying to get it for them."
The hooded man's glare doesn't abate, steadily boring down on Sora. For his part, the Keybearer just tries to look as apologetic as possible.
"You'd do best to watch yourself," the cloaked man's gruff voice rumbles. "And inform the children that this is no place to play. Now if you'll excuse me, I have somewhere to be."
Sora nods and gets out of the way. As he does, he looks back and sees that his small spectacle had held up quite a long procession of camels similarly burdened as the cloaked man's.
"Now that's a gift," Azlyn comments as Sora tosses the grateful kids their ball back.
"We should probably start heading up to the palace," Telary suggests, grimacing at the passing caravan of camels. "If we get stuck behind another line like this…"
"I'm not done yet," Azlyn shoots back, arms crossed stubbornly.
"You are too," her fiancée says. "I distinctly remember seeing you at every one of these stalls!"
"Well, I hate to doubt the great superbrain, but I say again…"
"If you want to stick around," Kairi interrupts, placing herself between the feuding lovers, "then Sora and I can go hold a place for us in line while you two finish up here. Is that okay?"
"You don't have to do that, Kairi," Telary protests. "If anything, you should stick around here, take things in for…"
"No, she's right," Sora says, stepping up next to his girlfriend. "I wanted to show her the area near the palace anyway. Stay here, see a few more stores. Talk. We'll be okay."
After another long moment, Azlyn nods. "Sure. We'll, uh, see you at the palace I guess."
"Don't start any trouble with the city guards, again," Sora warns the knight.
She scoffs. "No promises. Like I said, these inflated prices are insane."
"Just haggle 'em down," Sora teases, momentarily adopting a ridiculously twangy accent. Azlyn and Telary laugh at the impression, while Kairi just stares awkwardly between them.
"That's easy for you to say. You're just the halfwit brother."
Sora and Kairi set off down the street, following just a few yards behind the last camel in the blue-cloaked man's procession. Sora is still chuckling as they make their way. Until he realizes that Kairi isn't.
"Sorry," he apologizes. "It's just kind of an inside joke. You, uh…"
"I needed to be there," Kairi says with a small smile. "I don't mind you and your friends making jokes I don't understand, really. With all the time you spent together, I'm sure there are a lot. I don't feel uncomfortable."
Sora nods. "I'm kinda starting to though. Those fights they're having are way worse than anything that happened on our journey. It's got me a little worried."
Things only get more elaborate as they approach the palace, crowds gathering in earnest now to gaze at the wealthy wedding guests. Kairi occasionally moves away from Sora to get a better look at this or that, but she never gets far before he's caught up with her again. After a short walk, the Keybearer pair end up reaching the palace gate just as the blue-cloaked man is flashing his invitation.
"I hope we're not late," Sora says, fidgeting as he waits in line. "I wanted to see Aladdin before things got going."
As fate would have it, at that precise moment a blue blur of motion comes zipping out the gate's open doors. For a moment Sora and Kairi are taken aback, but then the brunette boy realizes what's going on. He grins.
"Excuse me, excuse me!" screams a blue-skinned child in a forest green scout uniform. His bandana is packed with all manner of strange badges (Cactus Milking, Camel Breach Birth, and Panty Raider are just a few of the visible symbols.) He reaches behind his back and pulls out a poster. It depicts Aladdin's smiling face, the words HAVE YOU SEEN THIS GROOM? printed above it in blocky black letters. "Have you seen my Al? Ya just gotta help me mister, the Al Retrieval badge is my last one!"
"Uh…" Kairi stammers, completely taken aback by this small, yelling child.
But Sora just rolls his eyes at the antics. "No, I haven't seen Aladdin. Genie."
The poster is yanked down with a snap, revealing the scout's broad grin. "Sora!"
In a flash the badge-crazy child is gone. In his place hovers the big blue lug himself, Genie (formerly) of the lamp!
"Oh, am I glad to see you!" the former wish giver declares, wrapping the Keybearer up in his azure embrace. Sora yelps as he's lifted off the ground. "It's been so long, and I've been so stressed with all this wedding prep. I'm going positively grey!"
And indeed, when Sora finally gets away from Genie's hug, he finds that his friend's entire body has turned a uniform grey.
"And who is this?" Genie gushes, gliding forward as his normal color reasserts itself. Kairi just stands still, rather confused by the whole thing. "Wait a minute, don't tell me, I know it! Uh… Kala? No, that isn't it. Er… Hayden? No, of course not. That doesn't even sound like a real name…"
"Kairi," the girl in question introduces herself.
Genie shakes his head. "No, no, I don't think that's it…"
"Genie," Sora exasperatedly cuts off the mystical man. "This is Kairi."
"Boy, do I feel sheepish." That said, Genie flashes down into the form of a sheep. "Sorry, my lady. My baaaaad!"
"No problem," Kairi says, giggling and taking the hoof offered to her.
"So nice to meet you!" Genie declares, shifting back to normal. "Of course, there's only one question to ask under these circumstances." A flash, and Genie is a tuxedoed French waiter holding a notepad and pencil. "Vill you be having ze chicken, or ze seabass?"
"What's this about Aladdin missing, Genie?" Sora asks, interrupting the big blue lug's shtick.
"He ain't at the wedding pavilion, kid!" Genie answers, returning to his regular form. "And kickoff is in an hour! He's missing, Sora, and anybody coulda gotten to him! Heartless, Jafar's vengeance-craving second cousin! Televangelists!"
"Just calm down, Genie," Sora tries to reassure his friend. "It probably isn't anything like that."
"He could be nervous about the wedding," Kairi chimes in. "Even in the desert, men can get cold feet. Probably he just went to get his head together before the ceremony."
Genie gives the redhead a broad grin. "You may be right! Allah knows I was nervous for my first, like, ten weddings!"
"Ten weddings?" Sora asks.
The big blue lug shrugs. "Yeah eleven through eighty-four were cinches after that!"
Sora just shakes his head, no longer wishing to know. "If Al's in trouble, any kind of trouble, we'll help him out."
"Then let's sniff him out!" Genie poofs into an azure canine. Sora and Kairi are taken aback by this, since the pooch so resembles King Mickey's loyal dog Pluto. "C'mon Sora, we're on the trail!"
"Go ahead," Kairi encourages Sora. "This sounds like a 'man-to-man' thing, so I'm just gonna go inside."
Sora frowns. "Are you sure? By yourself?"
"Uh, yeah," the redhead confirms. Raising one eyebrow, she asks, "Is there a problem with that?"
"Uh, I guess not," Sora replies. He attempts a casual shrug, but it comes off a little jerky. "You sure you don't want to wait around for Az and Tel? It's a big palace, after all…"
Kairi's eyebrow only climbs higher as she places both hands on her hips. "I think I can manage following the line of elegantly-dressed dignitaries to the gigantic wedding pavilion just fine on my own, Sora."
"Uh, of course you can!" the boy agrees with a nervous laugh. "Yeah, go on in ahead. Alone. By yourself. I'll see you inside, then."
Kairi just stares at him for a moment saying nothing. "Yeah, alright."
"Nice girl," Genie comments after a moment. "Y'know, when you weren't ticking her off." He reaches out and grabs Sora around the wrist. "Now c'mon, we've got a groom to grab!"
KH-KH-KH
Not all of Agrabah has been decked out as festively as the main thoroughfare. That area is for the public to see, a bright and shining veneer to hide the poverty present elsewhere in the city. With Aladdin guiding the sultan, those areas were seeing a marked improvement, but progress can be slow.
In one such area, mostly abandoned and therefore not yet a target of royal goodwill, a young man walks the streets. He moves slowly, taking in his surroundings while wrapping himself in the memories they provide.
Finally the young man reaches his destination, carefully climbing over a fallen beam and into a dilapidated sandstone hovel. He follows the lone staircase upwards, to the large room at the top of the building.
The place Aladdin, soon to be wed to the princess of Agrabah, once called home.
It's gone even further into decay since his last visit, many months ago. But still, the young man can't help but feel nostalgic. This place was once his home after all, the one place in all the world that felt safe. Every night he'd look out the large "window", enjoying the palace view it provided. Dreaming of a better life.
That life is how to have, now. The palace is his safe place, where his future path lies with his true love. But some old feelings are hard to let go of, which is why he'd left one thing behind. The former street rat bends down, opening the bottom drawer of a decaying cabinet. Inside is a plain wooden box.
In contrast to its hiding place, the box is well taken care of. Other than a thin layer of unavoidable dust, it looks pristine. Placing it atop the cabinet in which it was hidden, Aladdin pops the case open.
Inside is a sheathed dagger. As Aladdin slowly lifts it out, it gleams in the light filtering in from outside. He grips it by its elaborately embossed and bejeweled handle, drawing the curved blade from its sheath. The weapon's gleam intensifies as light hits the blade.
And then, suddenly, the light is gone. Perplexed by the sudden shade, Aladdin whirls around.
Genie's head, swelled to a large enough size that it hardly fits inside the hovel, pokes through the broken wall. He looks concerned.
"Uh, hey Al," the big blue lug greets his friend.
"Genie," the young man says with a nod.
"Hey, yo Aladdin!" a familiar voice calls from behind Genie's head. The mystical creatures moves his noggin aside, revealing Sora straddling his huge neck like a caravan camel.
"Sora!" the groom-to-be exclaims, sheathing his dagger and setting it down. Sora dismounts Genie and hops into the hovel. When the friends meet, they affectionately slap hands. "So glad you could make it!"
"Like I would miss your big day?" Sora laughs, shaking his head. "Nuh uh, this I gotta see!" He tilts his head, gazing past Aladdin to the dagger. "Speaking of seeing things…"
"I was wondering about that as well," Genie comments, shrinking down to gain access to the room. "Interesting matrimonial accessory, wouldn't you say?"
"I'm not taking this with me to the altar or anything," Aladdin says, shaking his head as he once again raises and unsheathes the weapon. "I just wanted to give it a quick look before showtime." He turns away. "It, uh, it belonged to my father."
"Your father?" Genie repeats, pushing past Sora. "Al, you never said anything about your father!" He poofs into waiter mode. "Chicken, or ze seabass?"
Aladdin sighs, waving Genie away. "Oh, he's not coming." The future groom sheathes the dagger and places it back in the open case. "He died a long time ago."
Genie instantly droops. "Oh, I'm sorry Al."
"Me too," Sora adds sympathetically. "I can't imagine what that must have been like, growing up without…"
"It's not a big deal," Aladdin interrupts. "I accepted my father's death a long time ago. Or, at least I thought I had. But now, with all this wedding stuff, and the future… I guess it's still lingering a little."
"Yes, yes, lack of strong male role model," Genie says in a German-accented drone. He's transformed into a bald, bespectacled man in a tweed suit, sitting in an armchair with a pipe, pencil, and notebook. "Common psychological conundrum."
"What do I know about family, anyway?" Aladdin continues to rant, growing more and more frustrated. "I don't even have a family!"
"Now that's where I'm gonna have to disagree with you, Al!" Genie declares, floating forward in his normal form. "Ya got me! And Abu! And, um…"
"Carpet!" Sora exclaims, pointing to where the flying purple rug is coming in for a landing.
It twitches happily at mention of its name, flying affectionate circles around Sora and Aladdin. Abu is on its back, chittering enthusiastically upon seeing Sora.
"Carpet, exactly!" Genie puts an arm around Aladdin's shoulders. Abu climbs off carpet, smiling as he rests atop the blue limb.
A shower of sparkles surround the group, and when its fades they're all sitting in a 1950s style family room. Aladdin is dressed in a sweater vest, reclining in a fluffy easy chair with an open newspaper. Carpet and Abu sit on the rug before Aladdin's chair, playing a game of jacks. Abu wears a little sailor suit, while Carpet has its tassels up in pigtails. Completing the picture is a suddenly blonde-haired Genie, dressed in an apron and stirring something in a mixing bowl.
"Whaddya think, Sora?" Genie asks the Keybearer in a womanly voice. "Are we just the model Arabian family, or what?"
Sora is at a loss for words, disturbed by the sudden and odd picture before him. After a moment of searching, he manages to stammer out, "Uh, yeah."
"See?" Genie yells as everything returns to normal. "One big, happy family, that's us!"
"Thanks, Genie," Aladdin says with a fond chuckle. "I guess I'm luckier than I thought."
"You sure are," Sora agrees.
"I forgot to ask," Aladdin says, "but are Azlyn and Telary here too?"
Sora nods. "They sure are. I brought Kairi too."
The former street rat raises a knowing eyebrow. "Oh, did you now? I look forward to meeting her."
"Why look forward, when we can simply go forward," Genie declares, morphing into a clock the size of Sora. "Which we really need to do, considering your wedding is in less than twenty minutes! Let's go, people. Up, up, up and at 'em!"
One snap from Genie takes care of Aladdin, the groom-to-be going from street rat to wedding-ready in a flash. He looks very snazzy in a white outfit, cape, and (in Sora's opinion) bitchin' hat.
"We're off to see the wedding!" Genie sings as Al and Sora board Carpet. The big blue lug is dressed in a blue and white plaid dress, holding a small basket that contains a very perturbed Abu. "The wonderful wedding of Al's!"
Genie's little song-and-dance finished, the group takes off into the afternoon sky. They fly high above the city streets, people of all stripes stopping in their tracks to gawk at their soon-to-be-sultan.
It's party time in Agrabah.
KH-KH-KH
The blue-cloaked man leads his long caravan into the palace's outdoor stable, one of several constructed purely to accommodate the wedding guests. Luckily for him, Genie had over planned on accommodations. Most of the other stables are larger, built to hold elephants. The smallest empty building provides perfect privacy.
"You can come out now," the man says to one of the hanging baskets. "Coast is clear."
Two curved golden claws emerge from the wicker, running down its length and opening the way for its occupant. The man is tall and brawny, dressed in blue pants and a black vest. He's an almost sickly shade of pale, the dim light glinting off his bald head.
"Why is it that we must hide away and swelter, while the King of Thieves walks in open air?" the man demands, the set of golden claws he hold in one hand flashing dangerously. Behind him, other baskets are breaking as more and more men ditch their disguises.
The blue-cloaked man, King of Thieves, merely shrugs. "Somebody had to flash our invitation to the guards, Sa'luk." He waves the aforementioned piece of paper. "Otherwise, we spent all that time forging it for nothing."
"Well, we know all about 'for nothing', don't we?" Sa'luk spits back contemptuously. The other men, thirty-eight in all, are gathering, warily taking in the pair's confrontation. This isn't the first such spat, and it won't be the last.
"No wild goose chase this time," the King of Thieves says with calm assurance. He walks past Sa'luk and the rest of his men, pausing at the stable's doorway. The view across the lawn is clear from here, the wedding pavilion gleaming in the sunlight a short distance away. "The Oracle is the real thing. I'm sure of it."
KH-KH-KH
"It's around here somewhere, I'm sure of it!"
Just as seedy streets branch off from Agrabah's well-maintained thoroughfares, so too does the glittering palace hide a dark underbelly. Beneath its pristine halls lies a mazelike labyrinth of dank passages. Back during Jafar's behind-the-throne rein, the dungeons were well-fed beasts, but since his departure from power they remain more or less empty. With his future son-in-law's guidance lighting the way, Agrabah's sultan had come to embrace the concept of community service. Captain of the Guard Razoul had protested, but been overruled.
Now the once occupied dungeons lay abandoned. The perfect place to hide something the royal family would wish to never be found again.
As Pete is finding out to his detriment.
"Where else would they put it?" the fat cat mumbles to himself, wandering into yet another empty cell. This is probably the tenth one he's checked today, none yielding him any luck. And that would be bothersome enough, if there wasn't also the grating annoyance of…
"This skulking is intolerable! When do we do battle with the Keybearer?"
The newbie.
Pete sighs, turning to face his new partner. The man stands in the doorway, tall enough to barely fit inside. His face is white as a sheet, with red tattoos on his chin. He wears a deep red cloak that reaches down to his knees, belted at the waist but left open to reveal silver armor on his chest. His pants are grey, patterned with red diamonds.
"Oh, uh, anytime now!" Pete assures his unfortunate new partner. "In this job, ya can't go ten minutes without the Keybrat and his lackeys jumpin' into a fight."
Truthfully, Maleficent's minion fervently hopes that this mission won't include an encounter with Sora. The royal wedding had, according to Maleficent, been the perfect opportunity to seek her prize. With all security most likely focused on the event going on aboveground, how much focus could be spared for patrolling the empty underground?
"I yearn for battle," the newbie continues, thrusting his weapon for emphasis. "The stories your mistress told me of this Keyblade have made testing my might against its wielder the utmost priority! Gilgamesh shall not be denied!"
Pete sighs, shaking his head as he pushes past Gilgamesh into the hallway. Why did Maleficent have to go and recruit this bozo? Emboldened by their newly acquired base of operations, the Mistress of All Evil had immediately begun making plans. Her first act had been to plunge back into the pocket dimension in which she'd found Pete after his banishment, searching for new minions.
Well, she had discovered a new minion alright. Enter Gilgamesh, a boisterous warrior trapped in the endless void. He had immediately jumped at the chance to be freed from his wandering, but seemed less enthusiastic when Maleficent's endgame of universal rule had been explained. It seemed that he'd been burned by such a deal before.
It wasn't until mention was made of the Keyblade that Gilgamesh's interest seemed piqued. A legendary blade that supposedly chose its own wielder was apparently right up this guy's alley. And if things came to a fight, well, Pete would be glad to leave the Keybearer to the newbie.
"Well, I don't fancy denyin' Maleficent anything she wants neither," Pete shoots back, scowling at his partner. "I know this may seem like grunt work, but just wait until we get our hands on what we came for! Last time I saw it, these bozos had it. They musta locked it up in the palace, and we're gonna keep looking until we find it!"
Gilgamesh says nothing, only crosses his arms and lets out an exasperated huff. Hotheaded buffoon! Just wait until he discovers the power of what they're after. That should be enough to make him change his tune, Keyblade or no…
KH-KH-KH
"Hello everyone, and welcome to 'Lifestyles of the Rich and Magical!"
Genie is truly in his element at the moment, dressed in a red satin blazer with thick black hair covering his blue scalp. He stands at the end of a very long, wide red carpet, holding a microphone and giving his best showman grin to seemingly no one. There are crowds of people lined up on either side of the welcoming rug, but those definitely aren't the people he's addressing. Sora stands next to him, looking uncomfortable.
"I'm here with a recent arrival, the Keyblade wielder himself!" Genie exclaims, pausing as applause sounds from nowhere. Still grinning, he sticks the mic in the boy's face. "What's your name, son?"
The Keybearer glares back at the intrusive genie, who only just pokes the microphone at him expectantly.
"C'mon, man, like we practiced! The readers'll get a kick out of it!"
Finally, he gives in, mumbling, "I'm Sora."
Genie cocks his head. "You're Sora?"
Sora sighs. He really can't believe he let himself be talked into this. "Well," he says with considerable weariness and an Italian accent, "it'a hurts'a!" As soon as he's done with his line, the boy takes off for the wedding pavilion at top speed.
Genie doesn't mind, diving right back into his fourth wall breaking antics.
"This message brought to you by sand, and ignoring established Kingdom Hearts canon!" He announces, gesturing back at a wide shot of the vast Arabian desert. "It's everywhere! Get used to it!"
Sora rushes right into the wedding pavilion, only stopping to take a breath once he's inside. The first room of the complex seems to be the gift depository, if the high piles of gold, jewels, and bejeweled gold are any indication. It's mostly empty too. The guests have already migrated to the inner chamber that will be serving as a chapel.
Three people stand by one glittering pile near the back. Azlyn and Telary appear to be having a conversation with someone unseen, while Kairi stands back a few feet. Her hands are folded, and one heel taps against the room's stone floor.
Sora quickly rushes over, gaining Kairi's attention but not the Disney Castle pair's. He can hear who they're talking to now, though. There's no way the Keybearer could ever forget that voice.
But, he talks to Kairi first. "Hey."
"Hi," the redhead replies with an acknowledging nod. "Did you know that one of your friends is a bird?"
Sora winces. He'd forgotten to mention that. "Um, yeah."
"A parrot," Kairi continues, feigning nonchalance. "And not an anthropomorphized, Disney Castle-type parrot. Just a parrot."
"There's also a crab I know pretty well," Sora declares with a wry smile.
"I shouldn't be surprised, after Genie. But him, at least you explained beforehand. This Iago you talked about, I assumed he was just a regular person. But he's a parrot."
"I think that's been established," the Keybearer replies.
Kairi is silent for another moment, then, "Okay, I've processed your parrot friend. We can move on now."
Sora laughs, grabbing his girlfriend's hand and gently leading her forward. Azlyn and Telary part as he arrives, to reveal Iago the wisecracking parrot. He's perched on a pile of golden items, happy as a clam.
"Oh, hey there Sora!" Iago exclaims. "Nice to see you could make it." Reaching down, he pulls up the paopu the islanders brought as a gift. "Really, bub?"
Sora sighs. "Hey, I remember you stealing a fruit just like that from me once!"
"Back then I was desperate and near-starving," the parrot says dismissively. "What's your excuse?"
"What are you even doing out here?" Sora asks, giving him a suspicious look. "Not plotting to make off with some gifts, are ya?"
Iago gasps, pressing a wing to his chest. "Me? Why, no Sora. In fact, I'm doing just the opposite! Someone has to make sure the happy couple aren't getting stiffed!"
"I was just letting Iago know he should tell Al and Jasmine that Tel and I are so not against regifting," Azlyn chimes in with a sly smile.
"Speaking of, how is Aladdin?" Telary asks. "Kairi said there was some kind of emergency?"
Sora shrugs. "No big deal. He just needed a pep talk, that's all. Everything's on track now."
"Well, then we'd better get inside," the wizard says, leading the way into the main chapel.
"I think most of the guests are in already," Sora informs Iago as the other go on ahead. "You wanna come and sit with us? Or, uh, perch with us I guess?"
The scarlet parrot shakes his head, leaning back into his golden heap. "Oh, I can see just fine from here."
Aladdin's been nice enough to make sure there's a velvet roped section reserved for his offworld friends near the front. There are no chairs, everyone seemingly content to stand for the ceremony. The chapel is set up like a giant gazebo, a large circular chamber surrounded by marble columns holding up the roof. Colorful banners and tapestries hang down, some balloons even scattered around the ceiling.
"This is really lovely," Telary comments as the quartet settle in to their designated area. "We're gonna do the ceremony in the castle audience chamber, but I love the outdoor feel. Don't you Azlyn?"
The knight grunts noncommittally, not even looking at her fiancée.
"That audience chamber will be a great place to hold a wedding," Kairi says to her brother, her voice only slightly shaking. She leans over Sora to give the wizard a smile. "What, uh, what are your colors going to be?"
Telary frowns. "We haven't discussed that yet. I figured we'd just use the castle's traditional red and yellow. What about you, Azlyn?"
"Hey, look!" Azlyn exclaims, pointing up to the altar. The sudden movement takes Sora by surprise, nearly knocking the Keybearer off his feet. "It's Aladdin! Hey, Al!"
The groom smiles back at her, waving at the quartet with a brilliant smile on his face. They all wave right back, though Kairi's is much shyer than the rest. Upon seeing the redhead though, Aladdin gives Sora a sly wink of approval. The Keybearer looks away, blushing.
Carpet flies in carrying Abu on its back. The little monkey is dressed finer than usual, in a white vest and fez. They land in the front row, squeezing in next to Sora's group.
"Hello there," Kairi greets amiably, holding out a hand to the primate. "I'm Kairi. You're Abu, right?"
The monkey-in-question chitters happily, clasping the redhead's hand firmly in both of his and giving it a shake.
"The monkey doesn't talk, I take it?" Kairi whispers to her boyfriend.
He laughs, shaking his head. "Uh, not as far as I know."
She sighs. "Of course he doesn't."
"He seems to like you, though," Telary points out.
Sora nods. "Animals always like Kairi."
"Explains you and Riku's big rivalry, then," Azlyn comments playfully.
Telary groans. "Azlyn, is that really…?"
"It was a joke! Geeze, lighten up already!"
Any further bickering is cut off when the doors at the far end of the chapel burst open. Genie stands still as they swing shut again, dressed in a white jacket and pants, a tall white hat with a red feather atop his head. Gold epaulets shine on his shoulders.
Holding up a long brass trumpet, the former wish granter blows out a few loud notes. When he's finished, he gives his instrument a twirl and disappears in a puff of pink smoke. The flower girls follow after, three young women in pink and white. As they go, they throw pale purple petals from their baskets. A young boy in white trails them, holding up a red and gold banner.
The guests begin to chatter excitedly as four palace guards enter, a purple chair resting on their shoulders. Seated in the chair is a small, plump man with a thick beard and mustache, dressed in white. He looks very distinguished despite his size, but still friendly.
"Your Majesty," the people murmur as he makes his way past, bowing low to the floor in his presence.
The sultan takes it all in with a regal bearing. Until, that is, Carpet rises a few feet in the air and Abu starts chittering. When he spots the cheering monkey, the monarch smiles and gives him a sincere wave.
Sora and company bow as Sultan passes them by, only rising once both of his feet are on the ground.
"What a blessed day!" the old man declares, rushing up to Aladdin with a huge smile. "I've waited a long time for this day to come."
"We all have, Your Majesty," Aladdin replies
Sultan takes the young man's hand. "I'm glad it's you she's marrying, my lad. I truly am."
"Beautiful!" Genie exclaims. "And me without my camera!" He frowns, suddenly annoyed. "Gee, I sure wish somebody would show some initiative and invent one of those around here. Oh well, show must go on!"
The big blue lug turns back to the entrance and thrust out all ten fingers. Electricity sparks from the digits, becoming four white doves carrying a long yellow carpet. Tweeting happily, they fly off to spread it the length of the chapel. Two peacocks await at the open door, their tail feathers unfurled to obscure what's behind them. As soon as the yellow carpet has settled, their tails slowly swing shut, revealing the blushing bride.
Jasmine looks more beautiful than Sora thinks she ever has, wearing a lovely white gown with golden accents. Two white flowers in her black hair hold up a veil of white silk. Smiling wide, she begins her march down the aisle. At a snap from Genie, 'Here Comes The Bride' begins to play.
Aladdin looks absolutely stunned, unable to do anything but watch as the woman he loves walks towards him.
Tears stream down the cheeks of Sora, Telary, and Kairi. It's just so beautiful, they can't help it. Even Azlyn gives a tiny sniffle. By Aladdin's side, Genie is barely holding himself together. His entire body shakes with held-in tears.
Finally Jasmine reaches the front. Her eyes lock onto the groom, distracting her so much that she nearly stumbles right into her father.
"I never thought this day would come," Sultan tells his beloved daughter. "And now that it's here, well… Now, it feels as if it has come too soon."
"Father," Jasmine coos, taking the small man into her arms. After a moment, they release each other. Straightening, the Princess of Heart offers her hand to Aladdin.
He takes it with the lightning speed Sora's only seen the street rat display when fighting Heartless.
That's what gets Genie. "It's just so beautiful!" he exclaims, tears openly streaming down his cheeks. Groping blindly, he grabs the first thing he can get his hands on. With a might heave, he blows his nose. The object flaps indignantly, and the big blue lug pulls away and realizes he's just used Carpet as a snot rag. "Oh, uh, sorry!"
"Well," Aladdin says to his bride, "we're finally here."
Jasmine nods, beaming. "Together forever."
KH-KH-KH
Sa'luk watches the pavilion's golden roof, awaiting the King of Thieves' signal. The man is barely containing his rage. How dare that softhearted fool treat him like some lackey! If it weren't for Sa'luk, the king would be dead a hundred times over. Yet here he is, waiting to cue the distraction.
Finally, a bright light flashes off the roof. The King of Thieves crouches there, holding up a silver sword to reflect the sun.
"Go time," Sa'luk informs the other thirty eight men. Flexing the hand that holds his fighting claws, he approaches a loitering elephant.
If the king wants a distraction, then a distraction he shall have.
KH-KH-KH
Aladdin and Jasmine are just taking their places for the vows when the first tremor shakes the pavilion. Everyone feels it immediately, looking around in cautious wonder.
"I thought the earth wasn't supposed to move until the honeymoon," Azlyn quips.
"What is this?" Sultan mumbles, beside himself. "What in the world could be…?"
The deafening trumpet of a panicked pachyderm quickly answers that question.
Genie gasps, decking himself out in full cowboy gear. "STAMPEDE!"
The word has barely left his throat before the elephant rams through a trio of column. Its force is great, and the pillars immediately crumble into stone fragments. The guests scream, backing away quickly from falling debris. And, of course, the still-charging animal.
Sora and company dive out of the way, finding themselves directly in the beast's path. Kairi luckily has the foresight to grab Abu as she flees, but Carpet is thoroughly trampled. All things considered, of course, that's not exactly a new experience for it.
The elephant continues charging until it reaches the altar, nearly squishing the bride and groom. With another trumpet, the pachyderm blunders through two more pillars and flees onto the open lawn.
The guests are following its cue, screaming and rushing out between the still-standing pillars. But what they find is far from escape. No sooner have most fled before they are pushed back inside.
Men stream into the pavilion, all attired in dark colored clothing. Beyond that, no two are the same. All of them seem equally menacing, however.
"It's an attack!" Telary cries out in alarm.
"Well of course it is!" Sora replies, summoning the Keyblade to hand. "We really can't go anywhere, can we?"
The invaders fall upon the guests, snatching whatever they can grab. Fine jewelry, full purses, even one man's prosthetic leg! What could they possibly need that for? They work quickly and efficiently, obviously well versed in their art.
The palace guards arrive on the scene, weapons drawn. Razoul, the guard captain, looks over the scene with palpable disgust.
Grunting, Azlyn reaches down and quickly tears her skirt at the hem. Once it's opened to about mid-thigh, she kicks off her heels and leaps forward. She falls onto the back of one thief, tackling him to the floor before he can make off with his loot.
Following their companions lead, Telary, Sora, and Kairi charge forward. Sora cuts down a man, then turns to see Kairi engaging another. Her Keyblade clashes against his sword, struggling against each other.
The more experienced Keybearer rushes his girlfriend's opponent, bashing Kingdom Key into his waist.
"Uh, thanks," Kairi says, looking a little miffed.
Across the room, Azlyn snaps out a kick that sends a thief falling to the floor in agony. Flipping forward, she rams the heel of her hand into another vandal's face. Not far away, Telary blasts a man with a small chunk of ice.
But the offworlders can't be everywhere at once, and where they aren't, the thieves are thriving. Sa'luk in particular is having good luck, easily besting any who stand against him.
"They fight like demons!" comments one guard, sitting on the floor where he'd been knocked down.
"Worse than demons!" his rotund partner declares, helping his friend up. "They are the Forty Thieves!"
"I think I saw them open for Black Sabbath in Boston," Genie comments. His body is stretched to its limits, pressed against the cracked and decaying ceiling to keep it from falling down completely. "But I only count thirty-nine!"
Aladdin knocks down a skinny thief, affording himself a clear view of the entrance chamber/treasure depository. A man skulks around inside, dressed in a blue cloak that conceals his face.
"Forty," the groom declares. Frowning, he rushes after the sneaky bandit.
KH-KH-KH
The King of Thieves crouches before a table, pushing aside gifts like they're knick knacks instead of priceless valuables. He's only interested in one thing, and the rest might as well be useless. The man blocks out everything else, the sounds of battle coming from the chapel and the muffled squeals of Iago, stuffed in a jar.
Finally, he finds what he was seeking. It's a short golden rod, a large green emerald atop it. Smiling beneath his mask, the king grabs it.
"Finally!" he declares. "After years of searching…"
"I'm afraid you're gonna have to wait a little longer!"
Startled, the king whirls around just in time for Aladdin to pounce, tackling him to the hard ground. The thief lands on his back, still tightly gripping his prize. Now Aladdin has both hands around it too, the struggle turning into a fierce tug-of-war.
But the King of Thieves has been in similar situations too many times to let some upstart boy take his goal away. With a grunt, he throws the former street rat off. Aladdin lands hard, grunting in pain.
"Nice try, lad," the cloaked man says, the sarcasm obvious. "But I'm afraid this is mine now!"
Aladdin rises, crouching in a fighting position. The two men circle each other warily. The groom fakes left, then swiftly charges right. But the Forty Thieves' leader is too smart to fall for that, ducking the blow.
Aladdin barely stops himself before he barrels into another pile of gifts. He quickly whirls to see the King of Thieves staring at him. Even with his mouth covered, Aladdin can tell he's smirking.
With another roar, the groom charges again.
KH-KH-KH
Sora is holding off two men at once, while behind him Kairi squares off with a very large vandal. She jumps forward, Keyblade reared back for a strike. The blunt blade impacts against the thief's belly, not doing much besides jiggling it.
He retaliates, his flabby yet powerful arm snapping out at the redhead. She ducks aside, barely avoiding the blow. Lashing out, she slams her Keyblade into the outstretched limb. The bandit cries out in agony.
The Princess of Heart steps forward to deliver a finishing blow, but her opponent quickly spins around and smashes his other arm into her shoulder. She grunts and falls down to her knees, looking up just in time to see the injured vandal give her a gloating smile.
She feels a flare of indignant rage at the sight. Slashing her Keyblade horizontally, she cuts the big thief's legs out from under him. With a cry of surprise and pain, he falls flat on his back.
"Kairi!" Sora yells, sliding to her side and helping her to her feet. "Are you okay?"
She nods. "Yeah. Better than this guy, anyway."
Sora looks down at the fallen bandit, then back up at Kairi. He gives her a grin, though she can sense hesitation in it.
"Nice shot, then," the more experienced Keybearer congratulates her. "But he almost had you. Probably it's better if you stick with me."
"What!" Kairi exclaims. "Sora, I know you care about me, which is great and all, but I can handle myself just…"
Sora's eye widen and he moves, shouldering Kairi aside and bringing up his blade. A thick daggers clashes against the Keyblade, spinning off as it's deflected. A thief jumps into Sora's space seconds later, wielding two scimitars.
Sora blocks a slash, dodges another, and brings the Keyblade up to smash into his opponent's nose. As the man groans in pain, Sora turns to Kairi with a knowing smirk.
"Like I said, stay close."
Kairi frowns, but grudgingly follows her boyfriend as he seeks out new adversaries.
"You're supposed to prove my point," she mutters to the universe in general. "It's a whole 'girl power' thing."
If one is looking for "girl power", they need go no further than Azlyn. The knight is a fighting machine even without her shield, easily knocking down thieves in droves.
Shoving an invader aside, she finds herself face-to-face with a new opponent. The man is only about half her height, dressed in dark blue robes that remind Azlyn of Mulan, and wearing a straw hat.
"Hyaa!" the man cries, launching immediately into a series of quick, powerful thrusts, chops, and kicks. All the while he screams, high-pitched nonsensical noises obviously meant to intimidate.
Azlyn draws back into a battle stance as well, fists raised. The kung-fu thief prepares his body to strike, but pauses once he feels a tap on his shoulder. Confused, the man turns to see Princess Jasmine standing before him. She doesn't look happy. Without making a sound of her own, the bride gives the thief a powerful punch right in the kisser.
"That's for ruining my wedding," she declares. Azlyn nods approvingly.
Sa'luk watches as the attack falls apart, the Forty Thieves proving no match for the defenders of Agrabah. He tightens his grip on the brass claws, his teeth similarly grinding. This fiasco is over, and it's time to retreat.
"Gather up the others," Sa'luk orders the nearest thief. "It's time to get out while we can. We'll leave the king to his plans."
KH-KH-KH
"You have spirit, boy," the King of Thieves congratulates Aladdin, surprisingly sounding sincere rather than mocking. "But you don't stand a chance against the King of Thieves."
The pair both have a grip on the staff once again, circling each other as they struggle to prove dominate. Aladdin takes a step and finds himself looking over the cloaked thief's shoulder into the chapel.
The former street rat smiles. "A king's only as good as his subjects, Your Majesty. And it looks like yours are leaving you in the lurch."
The King of Thieves hesitates, briefly glancing over his shoulder to confirm the boy's story. Aladdin takes advantage of the opportunity, finally succeeding in tugging away the staff. The king turns back to him, but Al can see in his eyes that he's conceded defeat.
Suddenly the incensed elephant returns, smashing into the room on a collision course with Aladdin and the King of Thieves. The groom's self-preservation instincts kick in immediately, diving out of the charging animal's path. The King of Thieves merely skips back a few steps, disappearing behind the elephant.
The creature crashes through the entryway, charging out onto the lawn. Aladdin watches it for a moment, and when he turns back he finds the King of Thieves has disappeared.
KH-KH-KH
"Well, I don't think we're getting the catering deposit back," Genie declares as he peels himself off the ceiling. As it turns out, the plaster he was pressed against is pretty much all that remains of it. "Gee, was this thing even built to code?"
The entire pavilion is an utter ruin. The floor is cracked, most of the columns are only stubs, and the only people remaining are the wedding party and their offworld friends.
"I'm usually all for happy occasions descending into violence," Azlyn remarks, surveying the scene with her arms folded. "But this time I can't say I approve."
"Oh, this is a disaster!" Sultan laments, clutching his daughter's hand tightly for support. "How are we to have a wedding without a pavilion?"
"Need a pavilion, do ya?" Genie remarks, transforming himself into a big-bellied construction foreman. Licking the tip of his pencil, he begins noting things on a clipboard. Flicking one finger, he sends out magical sparks that hit Azlyn, Abu, Carpet, and Telary. The quartet are instantly outfitted with white hard hats, leaning around an idling bulldozer with mugs of coffee in hand.
"I wanna see some resumes on these guys," Genie whispers to the sultan. "And don't let the blonde near any power tools."
"Whatever you need Genie, you shall have," Sultan assures the big blue lug. "Isn't that right Jasmine?" She's gone, no longer at her father's side. "Daughter?"
The princess in question strolls into the gift depository, noting its utter devastation with a calm air. Sora, Kairi, and Iago are already there, clearing what clutter they can off the floor.
"Aw man," Sora whines, holding up the trampled remains of he and Kairi's gift. "They got our paopu!"
"Maybe you should have kept it close," Kairi remarks, her arms folded tightly as she frowns at her boyfriend.
"What were they after?" Jasmine asks the room in general. "The gifts?"
"Just one."
Aladdin strolls in from the lawn, still holding the golden rod that the King of Thieves had been so intent on stealing.
"This is what the King of Thieves was after," the former street rat announces. "Everything else he just ignored."
"A staff?" Telary wonders as he and the others enter from the chapel.
"Actually, I think that would technically be classified as a rod," Genie corrects the wizard.
"Seems more like a baton to me," Sora chimes in. "Or maybe some kind of giant baby rattle!"
Iago, freed from the jar where the King of Thieves had stashed him, lands atop the staff/baton/rod/rattle's emerald. "It makes no sense. Outta all the great stuff here, why would the King of Thieves go after this thing?"
Bright light suddenly erupts from the staff's gem, flooding the room and forcing everyone to cover their eyes. Aladdin feels the baton leaving his hand, floating of its own volition into the room's center.
"Your question is mine to answer!" a female voice suddenly rings out, echoes chasing its every word. The light dies down, solidifying into the form of a robed woman. She looks down at the group with pupilless eyes. "The King of Thieves sought me out in order to find the ultimate treasure."
"Treasure?" Iago repeats, his interest immediately piqued. He flies closer to the glowing apparition, Azlyn not far behind.
"Oh, wow," Genie remarks, looking up at the spirit with wide eyes. "I think this is an Oracle. According to the scuttlebutt around the Agrabah supernatural community, they know everything there is to know. Even the future!"
"That is correct," the oracle replies with a single nod.
"Man," Telary says to Jasmine under his breath. "Where were you guys registered?"
"Well, that sounds all fine and dandy," Azlyn says. "But what's the catch?"
"I am bound by the Rule of One," the oracle replies. "One question, one answer."
"Well, if ya know all, why not tell all?" Iago requests. "Like, say, where the ultimate treasure is?"
"You have already asked your question," the oracle reminds the parrot. "I revealed to you the King of Thieves' intent for acquiring me."
"I guess it's up to me then," Azlyn declares as the dejected Iago lands on her shoulder. The knight steps up to the oracle. "Okay, tell me where the ultimate treas- I blew my One Question on 'what's the catch' didn't I?"
The oracle remains silent, hoping that will effectively convey the answer to Azlyn's question without violating her rule.
"Tel?" Azlyn pleads to her fiancée. "Wanna do your future wife a favor and ask about the ultimate treasure?"
The wizard shakes his head. "This is Aladdin and Jasmine's gift, Az. They should be the ones asking the questions."
The knight crosses her arms indignantly, grumbling under her breath.
Jasmine grips Aladdin's arm. "Oh, Aladdin, this is incredible. We could ask anything we want! About our lives, the future, anything!"
The former street rat shakes his head. "Jasmine, I don't need to know about the future. I know what that holds. My future is you."
"Aww!" Sora, Telary, and Kairi simultaneously exclaim. Azlyn and Iago roll their eyes.
"What I don't know about is my past," Aladdin continues. He lets go of Jasmine, turning away. "My mother died when I was young, and I never even knew my father. But that's not gonna be answered in just one question. It would take a million questions!"
"Ah, but mere questions about your past can be answered by your father," the oracle chimes in.
Aladdin turns back to the glowing spirits, his eyes widening to the size of dinner plates.
The oracle waves her hands, light gathering in front of her in a single image: The face of an older man, so similar to Aladdin that it might as well be a glimpse of the former street rat's future. His face is weathered but kind, smiling beneath a thick black beard. His hair is the same color, but with patches of grey at the temples.
There's no mistaking it. This must be Aladdin's father, alive and well.
Wow, I didn't expect this chapter to be as long as it was. I guess I just had more to write than I thought. Anyway, now the adventure is beginning in earnest.
Just as a general note for those not super familiar with the Final Fantasy series, Gilgamesh is a recurring character throughout it. He's always all about collecting rare swords and proving his might, so I thought he'd be a perfect fit for the KttK universe and partner for Pete. Hmm, I wonder what they could be searching for...?
Also, I've decided to rebrand this story Keys to the Kingdom II.5, and instead of just doing the Forty Thieves storyline, put all five sequel short stories in one place. A lot of this thinking has to do with making the series cleaner if I do end up conceiving my original Keys to the Kingdom III. I also might be starting up a Chain of Memories story soon too, though that I really haven't decided on.
Anyway, shoutout to goddragonking and Spiderfan626 for their reviews. Another thank you to everyone who followed and favorited this story after just one chapter. I hope you'll enjoy what is to come.
Until next time!