Disclaimer: Not mine, yay!
Chapter 16- The Deserts of Agrabah
A woman hidden within a brown cloak ran for her life down the streets of Agrabah. She quickly stole a look behind and saw a small army of Heartless closing in upon her. A man laughed manically.
"After her! Bring her to me at once!" he commanded. He stroked his goatee slyly. "Mind she isn't damaged though. I should dread to see our precious Princess suffer any injury…" The tall man strolled up the stairs of the Grand Palace. "At last I cleanse myself of the humiliation I suffered as the Grand Vizier." He surveyed the city he wished to make his own. "The Sultan of Agrabah shall from this day forth be none other than I, Jafar!"
A click of a staff warned Jafar that someone was behind him. "I do hope you've taken care of the civilians, Jafar."
Jafar stroked his goatee once more. "But of course, my dear Maleficent."
"Very well," The dark witch stated. "What of the Princess?"
A red parrot lighted onto the former Vizier's shoulder and whispered into his ear. "Bad news, Boss! The girl's pulled a vanishing act."
"Hmph…" grumbled Jafar. "That girl is more trouble than she's worth." He looked at Maleficent. "The city is old, my friend. To the vermin who seek, the means of concealment are in this city quite numerous at hand."
Maleficent walked ahead of Jafar. "The Seven Princesses are the key to the 'Final Door'. See to it that you find her. What of the Keyhole?"
"The Heartless are searching for it as we speak." Jafar coughed.
Maleficent slightly turned her head to him and smiled with her lips thin. "I do know that you are having difficulty in locating it, Jafar. That is why I have issued some help of my own for you."
"What?" asked Jafar and looked around.
"Child, please step forth." Maleficent waved her staff and a portal opened.
Iji stepped out and looked around her. Jafar's eyes widened, but said nothing.
"Jafar, please see to it that she fulfils her designated role to the best of her ability. It is of the utmost necessity that her wish is completed." Maleficent's voice sounded strangely kinder than usual.
"Why yes, thy will be done. Come with me, child." Jafar motioned and Iji followed.
'The path of shadow is laden with perils unseen. Mind that vigilance is kept, lest ye be consumed by the darkness.' Maleficent talked into Jafar's mind.
Jafar grunted. 'That woman takes me for a fool…' he thought.
*****
"Keep down, Aboo!"
A hand pulled down a small monkey that was peeking out from behind a crate. Jasmine pulled the hot cloak off of her shining black hair and wiped her brow in relief.
"Somehow we've managed not to draw their attention… To think Agrabah would fall into the control of that man… Oh!" She turned to Aboo. "By the way, is Aladdin safe?"
The monkey started to reply, but fell short. He screeched and pointed at something. Jasmine turned around to see a large round Heartless staring down at her. She gasped.
*****
"Jasmine's got the softest black hair, and eyes so beautiful you could drown in them. I'm totally in love with her. But she's a Princess, and I'm a… Aw, she'd never fall for a guy like me."
"Hey! Don't be putting yourself down like that! Guys… say something!" Sora yelled at Donald and Goofy.
"Ah, er, have a bit of confidence! You ain't all that bad-looking if you ask me!" shouted Donald.
"Ahyuk…" said Goofy.
"Yeah, exactly!" encouraged Sora.
A young man named Aladdin with short cut black hair and patched up clothes blushed and scratched the back of his head. "Aw, stop it already. I'm getting embarrassed…"
Sora coughed to get his attention. "Erm, if you're done getting your ego beefed up… Get us the hell out of here!"
The trio were stuck in a pit of quicksand and sinking ever quicker. Goofy had all but disappeared except for a black nose that poked out of the sand.
"Ack, sorry. Almost forgot about that. I'll save ya in a jiffy." Aladdin pulled out a beat up looking old lamp and rubbed it. "I, the holder of the lamp, summon you, Genie!"
Smoke poured out from the spout and filled the air; a large dark shadow loomed above them. Sora and his friends stared in fear and wonder.
"I command you to fulfil my first wish! Rescue these three from the quicksand!" shouted Aladdin.
"Hello, hello, hello!" said a slightly-crazed voice.
The dark shadow popped into the sunlight and revealed himself to be a strange, blue human-like being with only a whispery trail of smoke for legs. He held honked a horn and threw confetti. The look of alarm from Sora, Donald and Goofy turned into a look of disdain as the strange being rambled off a peppy speech.
"The One, the Only, Geeeeenie of the Lamp, at your service, monsieurs! Rub-a-dub-dub the lamp and have your dearest wishes granted at the cut-my-own-throat price of nothing at all! The Mysterious, Marvellous, Magical Genie has all the answers!!" He pointed a finger at the bogged trio and instantly popped them out.
'A lot of the weirdos we meet seem to offer that they have the answer to everything…' thought Sora cynically, thinking back to the Cheshire Cat.
Aladdin placed his hands on his hips and studied them. "This place is quite far off from the caravan routes. You have no idea how lucky you guys are that I came upon you. The quicksand would've mummified you." He paused. "So what are you guys doing all the way out here?"
Goofy coughed out some sand. "Ahyuk, well you see the airlock to our Gummi ship dumped-"
Donald shoved a fistful of sand into Goofy's mouth, making him cough again.
"So what brings you here, Aladdin?!" Sora jumped in front of them to get his attention.
"Oh, me? Somewhere in this desert, there's a place called The Cave of Wonders. According to the legend, there sleeps within a certain treasure of unimaginable value." The black-haired young man grinned. "I just spent the last few hours securing for myself first dibs on the darn thing! I present to you the Great Lamp!"
The blue man popped up behind them and struck a pose, blowing red, lip-shaped bubbles at them. "And the sexiest djinn of the Lamp is none other than moi! My customers call me Genie." He winked, producing large, overdone black eyelashes.
'This guy reminds me a lot of Yuffie…' thought Sora, Donald and Goofy all at the same time.
"Gettin' on down to business, what's it to be, Lucky Boy?" Genie swooped down next to Aladdin and stuck a large horseshoe around his neck. "What'll you get yourself with your shiny new Wish Number Two?"
"You can really make any wish come true?" asked Aladdin as he removed the horseshoe.
Genie waved a hand. "Well there are a few exceptions… But other than that…"
"I wonder if can help us find the King, Donald." whispered Goofy.
"Shaddup!" replied Donald and nudged him.
"Got yer wish then, Al?" Genie prodded.
"Hmm, lessee…" Aladdin smiled in thought. "I know. How about making me into a fabulously wealthy Prince?"
"Superb decision, monsieur! Simple and effective! Just say the word and I'll deliver it in thirty minutes or less, 'else the meal is free! I'll even throw in a cappuccino!" Genie threw an arm up into the air to begin.
"Wait!" Aladdin shouted.
Genie fell down flat.
Aladdin scratched his neck. "I think I'll put that wish on hold until we reach Agrabah. I wanna make myself a Prince cause… I was planning on asking this girl to marry me when I'd saved up enough."
"You da man, Aladdin!" shouted Sora and Donald.
The young man blushed. "Aw, it's nothing."
Genie recovered himself and lay on his back and floated overhead. "As you will, Master," He breathed in the desert air. "I shall be sure to enjoy what remains of my time in this world. Ah, fresh air, the great outdoors…"
Sora looked up at the genie. "You don't get out much do you?" he asked.
Genie sighed. "Karma, kid, comes with the job." He dived down to Sora "Phenomenal, Cosmic Powers! … Itty, bitty livin' space."
"Oh…" said Sora.
Genie stared at the sky hopelessly. "Three wishes, and back into the closet I go. I'm lucky to see the light of day every century or two and even then it's the usual 'Yes, Master. Your wish is my command…'."
"Hey, Genie," interrupted Aladdin. "What if I use my last wish to free you from the Lamp? Would that get rid of whatever's holding you in there?"
Genie stared at Aladdin in shock. "You'd do that for me?" Aladdin nodded. "Gee, thanks Al! I appreciate it even if you aren't serious."
"But I am!" grinned Aladdin.
"Aww, come 'ere! Group hug!!" Genie grabbed everyone and pulled them in. Sora went as blue as Genie as he was squeezed.
A streak of purple and gold shot out of the sky and barrelled into the group. Sora went flying. Aladdin fell over and coughed for air. A small monkey wearing a matching fez and vest jumped off a magic carpet and onto the black-haired youth's stomach and leapt around wildly.
"Whoa, slow down, Aboo! What is it?" Aladdin picked the monkey up. The monkey chattered and waved his arms around. Aladdin's eyes went wide. "What?! Jasmine's been kidnapped!?"