Chapter 51: wishes grant more than gold
I do not own kingdom hearts or the properties shown in this fanfic. They belong to the respective owners and the original story is based on the works of Darius Almighty. Kingdom hearts and trials of the keyblade is owned by square Enix, Disney, and Tetsuya Nomura. Please support the official release.
Right. Now for the final conclusion of Agrabah! In honor of robin Williams and gilbert Gottfried I thank them for all the laughter they brought to disney's Aladdin and to the franchise!
With that out of the way, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!
With Iago's guidance they were able to find the trail pretty easily. Aladdin and Jasmine flew on Carpet along with Sora and Kairi while Genie, having transformed into an open cockpit plane, transported the rest of the Keybladers. There was a debate on whether or not Jasmine should go, one they made sure Aladdin couldn't hear. If this Merlock guy had the Heartless, the odds were that he was working with either the Horned King or Maleficent, and that meant he was after the Princesses of Heart as well. In the end, Jasmine had won out, saying she wouldn't leave Aladdin when he needed her most. Flying low over the ocean they made all the speed they could toward the shining pillar of light that the Oracle had so graciously provided the villains.
"Ah, the sea," Jack Sparrow sighed blissfully leaning out of Genie and watching the waters go by. "How I've missed its splendor. The sight, the smell, the taste..." He leaned out and scooped a handful of water to guzzle down, then spat it out right away. "Oh right. It's full of salt."
"I understand why Sa'luk wants the Oracle," Sora wondered aloud. "He wants to find the Hand of Midas. But why does Merlock need it? What's he after?"
"If I know Merlock, and boy do I know Merlock, there's only one thing he'll be after," Genie the plane stated grimly. "Me. Merlock had it made when he had me. Unlimited wishes for all eternity? I'd want me back! You can take my word that he'll want my lamp again!"
"Come to think of it, he did say something about a lamp!" Iago suddenly remembered from Sora's shoulder.
"But that's impossible," Jasmine stated. "Genie's free now. He can't grant wishes any more."
"But Merlock doesn't know that," Aladdin smirked. That was one edge they had against the magician.
"I do hope we're not going anywhere dangerous," C-3PO said worriedly.
"Then why did you come?" po asked.
"You dragged me here! No one even asked for my opinion! I'm beginning to think all humans are beyond reasoning!"
"There they are!" Kairi cried out. Up ahead was a small ship floating alone on the water, full of Heartless. They were heading for the pillar of light that was straight ahead, but now that they were close enough, they saw that all it lead to was more open sea. Wherever the Oracle had lead them, it appeared that there was nothing there.
"What is this!? There's nothing here!" Merlock shouted in anger.
"This better not be another one of your tricks, Cassim," Sa'luk growled threateningly, thrusting his claws for emphasis.
"It's the Vanishing Isle," Cassim replied with an arrogant smirk, eyes not straying from the spot to which they'd been lead.. "Watch." Both villains scowled at him, but turned back to the light none the less. Then, all the sudden, the light disappeared, and the waters turned violent. Their little boat was rocked side to side by the torrent of waves that appeared from nowhere, the Heartless turning restless at the disturbance. Merlock and Sa'luk held on to whatever part of the ship that they could, lest they be thrown to the waves while Cassim, securely fastened, watched with growing excitement.
A burst of water a few feet off signaled something rising from the ocean and all eyes turned to it. A white tower raised itself from the sea before their very eyes, appearing more elegant the higher it rose. Another burst of water and another tower rose, and another, and another. Soon enough entire buildings were emerging from the watery depths.
The airborne heroes got a much better view of the situation and were also in shock at what they were seeing.. An entire marble castle was rising out of the ocean. Spotless white walls and towers each as tall as the next, streets lined with greenery and trees, it was an entire hidden kingdom. Seawater drained out of the windows and doorways as the hidden fortress rejoined the surface world.
The small boat at the forefront of this occurrence had the best seat for viewing. Then, all of a sudden, their ship hit solid ground and they started rising with the castle on whatever it sat upon. Though named the Vanishing Isle it was unlike any other isle any of them had ever seen, minus the fact it was rising out of the ocean. The ground was oddly patterned , and was not comprised of dirt or earth, but made of some other completely solid material. Almost like...a shell. Just when it seemed the isle could rise no more, four more bursts of water occurred on all sides of it, massive things splashing to the surface. They were giant green fins. The Vanishing Isle wasn't an isle at all.
"That is the second biggest turtle I've ever seen," Jack Skellington gasped.
The marble castle sat on the back of a monstrous sea turtle, its shell spanning hundreds of metres. A loud groan was heard by all as the turtle's massive head surfaced as well. It was an incredible, and really weird sight to behold; a large and beautiful creature of the sea supporting such a work of architecture.
With resolves of steel, the heroes made for the castle.
Now effectively parked on the turtle's shell, Merlock, Sa'luk and their Heartless helpers piled out of the ship, taking Cassim along with them. They entered into the deserted streets of the castle, naturally still wet from the resurfacing.
"I have no idea what you're after," Sa'luk said to Merlock. "All I know I know is the Hand of Midas is mine."
"Do what you want," Merlock muttered back. "Take the King with you as well." Sa'luk sniffed disdainfully at being told what to do. He proceeded down another street and a majority of the Heartless followed him. With the monsters snapping at his heels, Cassim was forced to follow as well. Merlock was now left alone in the very quiet street. "My treasure is far greater than mere gold." Smiling to himself, he started his search through the white castle of the Vanishing Isle.
Avoiding detection from anyone who might have been watching, Carpet and Genie flew their friends down into the castle, landing in a secluded area. They unloaded and prepped up. "Alright," Sora said, immediately taking charge. "We'll split up. Kairi, Genie, sonic, Jack and I will go with Aladdin and Jasmine. The rest of you search another part of the castle."
"Sir, yes sir!" Jack Skellington exclaimed with a salute. "We would gladly lay down our lives for you, sir!"
"Just give us the order and we will carry it out, sir!" po grinned with a salute of his own. Sora grinned back weakly. He thinked he preferred it when po was afraid of Jack.
After splitting into two groups, they were proceeding down the streets in a matter of no time. Jasmine, Aladdin, Sora and Kairi, Genie, Jack, sonic and C-3PO. Everywhere they went in the castle it was eerily quiet.
"Alright, Genie, calm down," Genie told himself while trembling. "You're only going to face your worst nightmare again. No big deal! Maybe Merlock's a changed man now! Yeah right, and maybe monkeys will fly out of my nose."
"So the Hand of Midas," Jasmine said to Aladdin as they walked. "What's so important about it?"
"Legends say that what ever the Hand of Midas touches will turn into solid gold," Aladdin explained.
Jack Sparrow's and Iago's eyes twinkled. "Really?"
"If you try anything that'll put us in danger...," sonic warned, growling.
The white marble street they were walking on suddenly erupted with small black holes all around them, and it wasn't long before the Heartless emerged. Bandits wielding scimitars accompanied by Omega Heartless claws, obviously an ambush Merlock and Sa'luk had set up for their immanent arrival.
"This may not be as easy as we thought," Kairi growled as the monsters closed in.
"I'd like you to name one time when things have been easy for us," Jack Sparrow sighed.
"We don't have time for this," Sora said and within his raised arm his Keyblade appeared.
If his eyes would have allowed it, C-3PO's would have widened upon seeing the weapon. "Oh my..."
"Aladdin! You go find you dad!" Sora shouted as he ducked under a Heartless' attack.
"We'll hold them off!" Kairi cried.
Aladdin kicked a shadow out of the way. "Thanks guys! Good luck! Look after Jasmine!"
"I can look after myself!" Jasmine called back, slashing away with the scimitar she had thought to bring. Slashing away with his father's dagger Aladdin cut a path through the Heartless and made his way to another part of the castle.
"Oh why does this always happen to me?" C-3PO whimpered in the midst of the fight. "If it isn't guns it's junk dealers, if it isn't junk dealers it's monsters! I'm a protocol droid, not a war machine!" An Omega Heartless leapt in his path, teeth barred and eyes livid. "Oh no! Don't eat me!" The monster made to attack, when it unexpectedly paused. It clamored up to the droid and sniffed him, finding wires and metal, but no heart. The Heartless gagged and went to find someone it could actually feast upon.
C-3PO watched it go, feeling relief, while at the same time rejection. "How rude."
KHKHKHKH
"My patience with you is growing thin, Cassim," Sa'luk growled as they walked aimlessly through the structures, much to Sa'luk's growing anger. "Now, where is the Hand of Midas?!"
"I don't know, Sa'luk," Cassim smirked mockingly. "Why don't you try the really big building?" Sa'luk growled, his patience finally reaching its peak. He roughly grabbed Cassim by his clothes and glared at him.
"Feeding you to them is too good for you" Sa'luk gestured to their hungry Heartless company. "Besides, if you're going to die it'll be by my hands, and no one else's!" Rearing back his bladed fist Sa'luk made to slash the man's throat, and would have, too, if someone had not grabbed him from behind. Aladdin tightly grasped the back of the large man's vest and, with all the strength he could muster, threw Sa'luk into a wall. The violence-loving man's head banged against the hard surface and he slumped to the ground, out cold.
"Aladdin!" Cassim gasped in surprise, but the Heartless were already closing in. Aladdin kept them all at bay, slashing at them, parrying Bandit Heartless' swords, all with the dagger Cassim had given him what seemed like a lifetime ago. Their numbers quickly decreased until it was down to Aladdin and one Bandit. As a final touch, Aladdin whipped the dagger at the last enemy, embedding it between the yellow eyes of the Heartless and blowing it into tiny particles.
The area was quiet once again
"Why are you here?" Cassim finally asked.
"Now then," Aladdin said as he retrieved his treasured dagger. "What say we go get that Hand of Midas?" Cassim's eyes widened in confusion.
"What?"
"Well, we can't turn back now. Not when we're so close." Aladdin turned and to his father, smiling brightly. Though still in shock, Cassim managed to smile back.
"Right! Let's end this treasure hunt." The two of them walked off for the large domed structure in the middle of the castle as father and son to finish their quest.
They didn't notice Sa'luk's hand clench itself in anger.
Cassim and Aladdin entered a great domed building and found, right across from them and floating in mid-air, a giant golden palm. It was flawless and shiny, the size of horse, supporting on its center a statue. The statue itself wasn't gold, made of simple stone depicting some kind ruler, possibly King Midas himself, they didn't give it much thought. Because gripped in the statue's hand, was a miniature version of the golden palm it stood on. Clearly, this was what they had come for.
"There it is," Cassim whispered in awe, tears filling his eyes the longer he held his gaze upon it.. "The Hand of Midas." The object of his obsession was right before his eyes, merely sitting in the hand of a forgotten king, so it was expected that he would take a step forward, but Aladdin held him back.
"Hold on there," he chided, and was right to. The hallway had led them to a large and open chamber decorated with statues of, unsurprisingly, turtles, but several large feet above ground level, the level to which the Hand of Midas floated. The drop lead to a large pool of water below. Apparently this part of the castle had not been drained after resurfacing. And unfortunately, the way to the prized artifact was at least a ten foot jump.
"I'll get it," Aladdin stated. Cassim gave no argument. The King of Thieves he may be but he knew he was getting too old for this kind of thing. Aladdin took several steps backward for a running start until he thought he was far enough, then he bolted at top speed for the ledge and jumped like an athlete across the gap, just managing to land on the large golden palm. It tipped under the sudden weight and Aladdin almost lost his balance, but somehow he managed get safely on board. Cassim released the breath he had been holding in.
Though safely on the flat of the palm, Aladdin proceeded with caution. It was still a long drop down. But he had made it. Carefully, he reached out to the statue. He was sure not to touch the golden hand, but at its wrist where the statue grasped it, was a wooden handle. H grasped it, then plucked it out.
"Careful, boy!" Cassim shouted from behind him. "You know what the legends about the Hand say!" Aladdin nodded.
"Get ready, Dad," Aladdin called. Aladdin tossed the Hand of Midas to him. Cassim quickly wrapped his hands in his cape as the treasure sailed for him and was able to catch in within its folds. But then the most astonishing thing happened. Before Cassim's very eyes, his blue cape started to take on a brighter, more vibrant colour, spreading from where the Hand of Midas had touched it. Cassim grabbed the object by its wooden handle, just after it turned his cape into golden fabric.
"It's true...," he whispered longingly, examining his cape to find that it was actually gold now. The legends, the myths, it was all true! His searching had not been in vain! "The Hand of Midas!" With new resolve, he took the treasured item and touched it to a pillar that supported the ceiling, and the change was instantaneous. The pillar was turned to solid gold but it didn't stop there as it continued to spread throughout the whole chamber. The walls, the ground, the statues, all of it magically turned into pure gold, even the pool of water below took on a lightish hue. Within mere seconds, the Hand of Midas had changed the entire chamber into gold.
Aladdin watched it happen, also lost for words. Many sacrifices it had taken to get here, at least now it was all over. "Come on, boy!" Cassim called as he wrapped the Hand of Midas in a cloth, which was already starting to turn gold. "Let's leave this place before the turtle submerges again!" Aladdin nodded, and prepared to jump back over to his father.
"RAAAAAHHHH!" came the angry shout from above. From the roof jumped a very angry Sa'luk, his eyes blazing with fury, startling Aladdin and Cassim. The muscled man landed on the large hovering golden palm and Aladdin nearly fell off when it rocked under the added weight. It might have been a merciful end compared to what Sa'luk was planning to do to him.
"Aladdin!" Cassim cried when Sa'luk slugged his son across the face and sent him sprawling off his feet, but with the huge drop that separated them he could not help out. Aladdin reached for his dagger but Sa'luk pinned his arm down painfully with his foot and glared pure hatred down at his enemy.
"You are really starting to work my last nerve!" Sa'luk snarled almost ferally. His ever handy claws were brought before the boy's eyes. "First you disgrace me, then deny me my prize! You want to play the hero, boy?! Well I'm afraid you're not gonna get a happily ever after!"
"Sa'luk!" Sa'luk was interrupted before he could skewer Aladdin as promised, when the King of Thieves called out to him. Cassim held the Hand of Midas, no longer covered in cloth. "You want the Hand of Midas?" he asked angrily. "Then take it!" And he did the most unthinkable thing, threw the Hand of Midas to his enemy. It sailed right for Sa'luk and he easily caught it in his left hand.
He caught the golden part.
Sa'luk's mouth formed a devilish smile. "Why thank you, Cassim," he sneered to the scowling man. "I know how much this meant to you. But..." He turned his eyes to Aladdin again. "If you think your kind gesture will stop me from gutting this punk like a fish, you're sorely-" Sa'luk felt a strange sensation in his left hand. When he looked to find the disturbance, his eyes widened in horror.
The hand that held the much wanted prize was turning into gold before his very eyes, and it was spreading down his arm at a rapid rate. "W-What!? What's happening!?" In his panic he dropped the Hand of Midas in front of Aladdin right before his own hand hardened under its golden casing. Making its way across his arm and now moving across his body Sa'luk could no longer move as his legs were bronzed over. "No! NO! AAARRGGH-" Sa'luk barely had time to scream before his entire body was turned into a golden statue, his features forever frozen into an angered and horror stricken look.
Aladdin looked on with wide eyes. As much as he hated that man, he wouldn't wish this kind of fate on anyone. It only got worse as the much added weight of the immortalized villain caused the floating palm they were on to tip, and the statue couldn't maintain its balance. The golden statue of Sa'luk fell from the palm down, down into the deep pool of water below with a large splash, and that was the last of Sa'luk that Cassim would ever see.
Aladdin picked the Hand of Midas up where Sa'luk had dropped it. Holding it and looking over the edge where Sa'luk had fallen, he couldn't help wonder, if it was all worth it? As he looked over to his father and the smile on his face, he decided right then, that it was.
KHKHKHKH
Merlock scowled to himself as he walked. This place was bigger than he originally thought, he was getting nowhere with simply taking a stroll. Wherever it was, it most likely wouldn't be easy to find, he already knew this. But he also knew it was here. He could feel it. That familiar magical power that he remembered from so long ago. Soon it would be his once again.
Some kind of ruckus snapped him out of it. Looking around a corner he saw what it was. Several people that he came to know quite well in his days with Maleficent's company were fighting his Heartless forces not far off. He picked out Sora immediately and, lo and behold, two Princesses of Heart. But while this was clearly an important development, his attention was drawn to someone else in the party. A certain blue member. His mouth formed a devilish grin.
"I think that's the last of them," Kairi panted tiredly. The others slowly lowered their guards once they were sure all the Heartless were gone.
"Is it safe to come out now?" C-3PO asked worriedly, peeking out of a building's window.
"I hope Aladdin's alright," Jasmine suddenly said, her face clearly showing she was concerned.
"I'm sure he's fine," Sora assured as his Keyblade was lowered. "But we better find him before something happens."
"Uh...guys?" Genie stammered unexpectedly while facing behind the group. "I think we've got a more immediate problem on our hands, because I don't think that's Dumbo!" Stampeding towards them with a bellowing trunk was an elephant that had appeared out of nowhere. Thundering footsteps shook the ground all the way as it let out a loud trumpeting charge.
"Look out!" Sora hollered. Everyone jumped out of the way of the pachyderm's path before they were crushed under its feet or impaled on its tusks, leaving it to keep running past them. But then the most remarkable thing happened. The elephant glowed bright green and seemed shrink before their very eyes. Soon the elephant wasn't an elephant, but a smirking purple-robed figure with the face of a dog.
"Greetings and salutations to you all."
"M-M-Merlock!" Genie whimpered and immediately hid behind Sora.
"Genie," Merlock chuckled with a drawl. "It's so nice to see you again. How long has it been?"
"One-thousand two-hundred and sixty-five years of glorious freedom," Genie answered fearfully peeking out over Sora's shoulder. "But hey, who's counting?" Merlock smiled maliciously.
"So you're Merlock?" Sora growled in his fighting stance.
"And you're Sora. The hero of this tale of good and evil. You've sure developed a reputation among the bad guys. Not to mention your band of sidekicks."
"Who you callin' sidekicks!?" sonic shouted shaking his fist.
"Yeah! We're backups!" Jack Sparrow added.
"Like I care," Merlock growled. "All I know is that I was sent here for a reason. Two reasons, now." Sora stepped protectively in front of Kairi and Jasmine. "Fortunately for them, I happen to have my own agenda to attend to right now." Genie whimpered when the magician's gaze fell on him.
"Forget it, Merlock!" Sora yelled. "Genie's not gonna help you anymore!"
"He's been freed! You can't get his lamp! He can never grant wishes for you again!" Jasmine declared.
"Y-Yeah!" Genie added before quickly ducking behind Sora again. Despite the fact Merlock just learned that his prized possession would never be his again, he laughed loudly into the air.
"You really don't get it, do you?" Merlock chuckled wiping a tear from his eye. "What would I ever want with a second-rate genie like that?"
"Hey, this second-rate genie has feelings...," Genie said quietly.
"He...doesn't want Genie?" Sora asked confusedly.
"But he said he wanted the magic lamp," Iago recalled.
"Wait a minute," Jasmine suddenly interrupted. "He wants a lamp, but it isn't Genie..."
"I hope you guys aren't thinking what I think you're thinking," Iago stammered. Unfortunately they were, all of them pointing to someone none of them wished to see again
"JAFAR!"
"Gesuntheit," Jack Sparrow said.
"Genie!" Sora rounded to the one he addressed. "What did you do with Jafar's lamp after we beat him last time?!"
"Well, burying it in the desert sure didn't work," Genie recalled tapping his chin. "Neither did locking it up in the palace. I was gonna ship it to Istanbul but then they hit me with all these shipping and handling costs, and you know being a genie these days just doesn't pay as well as it used too-"
"GENIE!"
"Oh right. Well, after all those things failed I did the only sensible thing I could think of with it."
"Which is?"
"I chucked it into the ocean!" Genie exclaimed cheerfully. His smile dropped as soon as he realized what he had just said. "Oh..." Across from them Merlock eyes traveled upward, and his face spilt into an overexcited smile. Everyone followed his gaze upward to the tallest tower in view. There, looped through the handle by the tower's top spike, pitch black in the light of the sun, was the feared and despised lamp of Jafar.
"You gotta be kidding me!" Sora shouted. Merlock abruptly and evilly laughed and, using the power of his magic talisman, transformed into a hawk to take flight over their heads on a bee line for the lamp. "Carpet!" The ever vigilant magic carpet zipped up at Sora's call and the boy hopped on. "Go! Go! Go!" And Carpet took off into the sky after Merlock at its fastest.
Merlock's eyes were firmly on the lamp but managed a glance back to see that he was being pursued, his beak forming a scowl. When the power of his talisman enveloped him again, he transformed into a great eagle, and set for the lamp with even greater speed. It was a race to the finish line that was Jafar, one both parties couldn't afford to lose, flying with all their might to get to it first. Neck-and-neck, Merlock suddenly veered and before Sora knew it a bearded monkey had leapt on his face, scratching him, blinding him. He fell off of Carpet. The magic rug, ever the hero, rushed back to catch Sora. That was the head start Merlock needed to transform from monkey to hawk, and snatch the lamp from the tower.
"AHAHAHAHAHA!" Merlock cackled as he flew off with the lamp in his talons, landing on another tower and transforming back to his original form. "YES!" he exclaimed holding the black object over his head. "FINALLY! IT'S MINE!"
"He got the lamp. He got the lamp!" Iago shouted from down below.
"Yeah, he got the lamp," Genie confirmed with horrid unblinking eyes. "Don't suppose he won't rub it?"
Merlock rubbed the lamp.
The skies suddenly blackened at an incredible rate. Dark clouds that seemed to appear out of thin air gathered above the marble castle. The oceans reacted violently to this drastic weather change. Torrents of large waves crashed against one another and against the large beast the fortress sat upon. The massive turtle groaned in discomfort as it all happened, swaying slightly to regain composure in the once calm waters. In doing so, it also shook the castle on its shell, not to mention the people in it. It was like the very world was shaking to herald the coming of a great and terrible power.
"Guys!" Aladdin and Cassim stumbled onto the scene as the ground they walked on rocked back and forth. Cassim still carried the Hand of Midas.
"What's happening?" Cassim shouted upon reaching them. "Is the place submerging again?!"
"Much worse!" Sora announced as he hopped off of Carpet.
"So, this Jafar guy," sonic said curiously. "Is he, like, evil or something?"
Thick red smoke sprouted from the black lamp in Merlock's hands, billowing into a large cloud, crackling with powerful energies. Merlock was laughing the whole time. Something or, to be more specific, someone, emerged from the red smoke. He was large, red, muscular, and bursting with phenomenal cosmic power.
"FREEEEE!" shouted Jafar as he burst from his imprisonment in full genie glory, lightning blasting from his fingertips in a raw display of magical might. The very heavens seemed to cry out in agony as this being shattered their peaceful reverie.
"Aye, I'd make a guess he's pretty evil," Jack Sparrow confirmed.
"Jafar!" Aladdin cursed.
Jafar breathed in the free air again with grim pleasure. He wasn't even thinking about how he had been freed and he didn't care. He had big plans now that he was unleashed upon the world, and those plans started in a little place called Agrabah. Won't they be happy to see him again. He made to fly off to carry out these diabolical plans, when a sudden pain burned on his wrists. The golden bands on both his wrists glowed, somehow holding him in place.
"Where do you think you're going?" Merlock sneered, alerting Jafar to his presence and the lamp in his hands. Jafar's face scrunched up in anger; he raised his hands to turn Merlock into a pile of ashes, but his golden bands burned again causing him more pain. "That's no way to treat your new master."
"You insolent worm!" Jafar roared furiously. "You think you can control ME!?"
"I know I can. Like it or not, Jafar, I hold the lamp! Being a genie isn't all glamour. You answer to me now!" Jafar growled in pure rage.
"Give me your three wishes then get out of my sight!" cried Jafar.
Merlock smiled evilly. "I'm afraid it's not that simple." Merlock unclasped the green gem around his neck and, with a dark chuckle, placed it overtop of the lamp's lid. Instantly the power of the talisman took hold. Jafar cried out as green energies crackled over his body, the three wish rule being abolished there and then. Unlimited wishes were know his. "Yes! Unlimited power!" Merlock cackled.
Genie watched Jafar's pain, the pain he knew all too well.
After the whole ordeal was done Jafar was left panting, but other than that he was generally unharmed. "You know, Jafar," Merlock drawled. "You'll find I'm not a totally uncaring master. I even got you a little coming out gift." And he pointed down below. Pure yellow eyes turned to the group at street level, narrowing on one person in particular. Aladdin could actually feel the heat of the glare.
"YOU!" Jafar yelled in righteous fury. "STREET RAT!"
"Oh yeah, we're boned," Iago whimpered.
"Don't worry guys!" Genie assured them. "He may be a big, mighty and a bad-to-the-beard villain, but he's still a genie! And the genie rules say he can't kill anyone!" Everyone jumped out of the way from the fireball Jafar sent hurtling right into Genie, reducing him into a pile of ash with eyeballs.
"But you'd be surprised what you can live through...," the pile rasped.
"Feel better?" Merlock asked. Jafar grinned cheekily and nodded. "Good. Now maybe we can get down to business. Jafar!" he shouted holding the lamp over his head. "My first of many, many wishes! Turn this place into a fortress worthy of my greatness!" Cracking his fingers Jafar got to work. A magical ball of energy formed in his hands which with an evil laugh, he threw down dead center of the marble castle.
Almost immediately, everything started shaking. The walls, the towers, the ground, all of it was shifting, changing at the evil genie's will. The pure white walls darkened like the changing of day, as well as the streets. The buildings and towers around them became dark twisted versions of themselves, their former glory gone in the blink of an eye.
In another part of the castle, just at its outskirts, Jack Skellington, po Beast and Mulan were dealing with this new development. "What's going on?!" Beast growled. The streets were becoming mangled monstrosities before their very eyes.
"I think it has something to do with him!" Mulan shouted pointing at the sky where, not far off, a huge red-skinned being floated. All of a sudden the shaking stopped; the transformation was complete. The Vanishing Isle castle was gone. Now it had become a twisted and evil fortress, fit only to be the ruling place of a madman. The four of them were now quite uncomfortable in the dark streets that, only moments before, had been full of beauty.
"Personally, I think it's a nice touch!" Jack Skellington announced cheerfully. They were all knocked off their feet by the huge and sudden tremor that went through the entire fortress.
"What now?!" Beast growled.
"Uh, guys?" po was at the place where the castle ended, peering over the edge with a worried expression. "You know how we were all cool with this place being on a giant turtle and all?" Looking over the edge, the ocean seemed to be getting very far away as he spoke. "How do you feel about it flying?" Ludicrous as it was, the ninja's words were one-hundred percent true. The fortress had detached itself from the shell of the massive turtle and was rising to the sky by the powers that guided it. The giant sea creature let out a groan of displeasure with its load of many years suddenly taken away. That was all it could take for one day; it submerged into the ocean under the clear waves and the great turtle disappeared into the deep blue sea. Meanwhile, the fortress continued to rise, now passing through the clouds and hovering thousands of feet off the ground, a dark shape that could blot out the sun itself.
Merlock took in his new domain with grim satisfaction. The ground at his feet shook and suddenly an evil looking throne rose from beneath him, the final touch to his new home. He took his rightful seat. "Just like the good old days."
"Indeed." Jafar stepped out of the shadows, now in his much more sinister human form, snake staff and all. "Now if everything is to your liking, I wonder if we can deal with the thorns in my side." He turned a glare pointedly to the group of heroes before them.
Merlock closed his eyes and smirked. "Very well. It seems I'll have to get to work now, won't I? Maleficent and the Horned King want Princesses of Heart? They got them. Jafar, bring me Jasmine and Kairi."
"Ah, a way to attack their hearts instead of their bodies," Jafar sneered cruelly as he raised his staff. "What better way to get my revenge on both street rats!" Red energy blasted from the staff and straight for the two Princesses. Magic cancelled out magic apparently, as Sora's Keyblade knock the energy away.
"You're not getting anyone!" Sora declared pointing his Keyblade at the duo. "Not a chance!"
Merlock scowled. "The hard way it is then. Jafar, I wish we had a little help."
"No need to wish, darling." The owner of the familiar voice made herself visible soon enough. Rosso the Crimson wasn't alone, bringing with her an entire horde of Heartless allies from the dark portal she had stepped through. "The Horned King figured you wouldn't be able to handle this alone," she smirked mockingly.
"Just because you're working together doesn't mean you get to patronize me," Merlock growled.
Sora blanched. Working together? The Horned King and Maleficent were working together?
"Jasmine, get somewhere safe. They're after you," Aladdin said to her as everyone readied for a fight.
"Forget it. I'm not leaving you," Jasmine said sternly. "Besides, I don't think anywhere in this place is safe anymore."
"I'd be more than willing to look," Iago whimpered.
"Come Aladdin!" Cassim laughed, ready for a chance to avenge the Forty Thieves. "This is where we stand together! Father and son against the odds!"
"Well, this is clearly a family thing so I'll just leave," Jack Sparrow said, but sonic pulled him back before he could.
"Enough talk!" Merlock shouted from his throne, with Jafar patient and waiting at his side. "Kill them all!" Rosso and the Heartless charged on all sides, beasts of prey the whole lot of them, and the battle began.
In the midst of battle sonic found himself at a certain woman in red jumped before him. "We meet again, darling," Rosso cooed, just before she nailed a straight punch across his jaw with her armoured fist, sprawling him onto the floor. sonic snarled as he jumped to his feet and rushed her with a punch of his own, one she easily dodged and countered with a knee to his gut. Winded, sonic gasped out his air and Rosso punched him to the ground again.
Rosso chuckled and slung off her gun-scythe from her back.
"All in good time, darling."
With hideously deformed buildings and towers surrounding them on all sides, good and evil once again tried to prevail over one another. The Heartless were many in number, but it wasn't like the heroes hadn't had the odds stacked against them before. On the magic carpet Kairi flew and lashed out with her Keyblade as they zoomed overhead. C-3PO, who was all but invisible to the Heartless, tried not to get in anyone's way, all the while saying "Oh dear, oh dear."
Merlock reclined easily in his throne as he watched the madness going on. "Fighting is fun to watch." Unfortunately for him, he wasn't keeping his eyes on everyone. Cassim managed to wade his way though the Heartless unarmed, as they were too preoccupied with the Keybladers to care about him. He set eyes on Merlock upon his raised throne and glared at the dog/man. But he knew that everything that was happening now was all his fault. All so that he could get...
He pulled the still wrapped up Hand of Midas from his clothes. This had caused more trouble than even it could possibly be worth. He unwrapped the cloth to expose its shining gold, then did something he never thought he'd do. He reared back and threw the Hand with all his might, straight at Merlock. The magician didn't notice it till the last minute and his eyes widened as the object that would turn him into solid gold with one touch came flying at him. But when it got within an inch of his face, it stopped in mid-air.
"Oh, what have we here?" Jafar asked, holding the golden hand in place with the power of his staff. "The Hand of Midas, I presume. I've heard of its power. It would do you no good to touch that." Merlock scowled at him. "But, let's see if we can make that power your own." The eyes of the snake staff glowed bright red, and soon the Hand was glowing as well. Then in a sudden flash, it was gone altogether. Merlock raised a questioning eyebrow, but after a few seconds he realized his right hand felt a little funny. Maybe that was because it wasn't his right hand anymore. Jafar had turned his hand into the Hand of Midas itself.
Merlock flexed his new golden fingers with intrigue. "Not bad. Not bad at all..." His eyes turned to the one who had thrown the Hand, the startled eyes of Cassim. He raised his new right hand to the King of Thieves and the next thing Cassim saw was a bright golden light that he felt hit him head on.
"DAD!" Aladdin shouted in horror. Where Cassim once was there was now a golden statue of the man, his body and face frozen in a look of horror.
"I like this!" Merlock cackled as he looked at his new hand. "Deadly, yet valuable at the same time. You do good work, Jafar. Now do me one more favour. Crush them all!"
"With pleasure!" Jafar smiled, his voice suddenly deepening and his eyes glowing. Red smoke engulfed his body as he rose to the sky on a pillar of blood-coloured mist, transforming once more into the frightening Genie Jafar. If he couldn't kill them all outright, he would beat them to within an inch of their lives!
"Uh oh, we're screwed," Iago whimpered on Jasmine's shoulder. "If we weren't screwed before, we're screwed now."
As Jafar towered in the sky above the flying dark fortress, he prepared himself for his attack. Ohhh, he was looking forward to it...but, suddenly, he wasn't alone. A large column of smoke rose to his level just like he had, brewing and coiling until it took solid form. Smoke that was entirely blue.
"Alright, big red," Genie laughed, growing to a size and proportion equal to that of even Jafar. "There's only room for one genie in this fanfic! And let's face it, I'm more lovable!"
"You think a second-rate genie like yourself could ever defeat me!?" Jafar roared furiously.
"Alright, the second-rate genie thing is starting to get hurtful! Looks like we got us an old fashioned genie smack down right here!" Genie slammed his fists together, producing sparks of lightning. "Bring it on, ugly man!" With a rage-filled cry Jafar lunged for his genie counterpart and the two locked hands, the beginning of their cataclysmic battle.
Meanwhile, sonic was unwillingly the plaything of Rosso the Crimson, which wasn't as fun as it might have sounded. Their one-sided fight took them all over the fortress, far away from where the main battle was taking place, with no chance of help for the hedgehog. Currently running from a barrage of gunfire from Rosso's weapon, sonic quickly ducked behind a pillar as bullets rained down upon his cover. Running and hiding was about all he had been doing so far, much to his chagrin. But more was to come when the pillar he hid behind was blown apart as Rosso threw her double-bladed scythe, boomeranging back to her. sonic was forced to run again but Rosso was on him in an instant. He sailed into a wall from her hard and fast kick, slumping to the ground, unmoving.
"You're certainly not as fun as last time," Rosso sighed annoyingly. "Doesn't matter. It's one less Keyblader my master has to deal with. Still, you could have put up even a little fight."
Rosso's red eyes widened at the giant wave of pure energy that swung from the hedgehog's blade and barely had time to jump high into the air before it blasted past her. But suddenly, sonic appeared behind her, grabbed the long fur trimming at her backside and swung her for all that it was worth into the ground below. Now in a small crater, Rosso hadn't the chance to recover when sonic drove his Keyblade down, rolling out of the way seconds before he impaled her, only to meet a hedgehog powered punch right after.
The very heavens were the battlegrounds for Genie and Jafar, phenomenal cosmic powers bursting from their every being. Jafar's arms transformed into the heads of dragons and blasted fire at the blue wonder, but Genie countered when his head turned into a fire extinguisher and snuffed the flames out. Looking almost like the almighty Zeus, Genie hurled lightning bolts at his foe, striking Jafar, but causing no damage at all.
"Uh, how about a game of cards?" Genie asked snidely before unloading a deck of playing cards in his face.
"I hate you!" Jafar yelled, turning the cards to ash.
Jack Skellington kicked open the doors to the dark chamber where he, po, Mulan and Beast were met with the sight of their friends fighting off the Heartless horde. "Looks like we got trouble, gang!" Jack announced like a lame super hero. "And it's our duty as the defenders of justice to put an end to such evil! And further more - AAAAAAAHHHHH!" A sudden blast of energy and he was turned into a golden Skellington. The others gawked in horror.
"RUN!" po hollered, just as blasts of gold energy bombarded their position. Merlock used the powers of the Hand of Midas to rain devastation down upon the Keybladers, firing beam after beam of energy and turning anything it hit into solid gold. Beast quickly grabbed an Omega Heartless, used it to block the blast coming for him, dropping the very angry looking statue afterwards. Before she could recover after cutting down a Bandit, Mulan was hit by the Hand of Midas as well. Jack Sparrow just happened to run by until his eyes rested on the golden Chinese woman. His eyes sparkled and his mouth watered.
"Nothing more beautiful than the love between a man and his shiny woman," he giggled.
As Kairi flew low on Carpet, the rug was hit by one of Merlock's blasts and both fell from flight crashing hard, one of them now a lovely golden carpet. Unfortunately, in Merlock's frivolity he almost missed what was happening before him. While the rest of their friends held off the Heartless, Sora and Aladdin cut a swath through their ranks, making their way straight for him. Merlock scowled.
"Jafar!" he called to his genie above, but Jafar was to busy dealing with Genie to hear his master's wishes. Merlock growled. "If you want something done right..." Jafar's black lamp was on the arm of his throne, his green talisman still overtop its lid. He removed that now and clasped it back onto his necklace, his long held power flowing through him again. He transformed into a hawk and soared over Sora and Aladdin and, once overhead, transformed again. Aladdin and Sora leapt out of the way before the hippopotamus completely flattened them.
Merlock's shape shifting power made things unpredictable and difficult. Sora made for a diagonal cut but missed when Merlock suddenly transformed into a tiny mouse, then quickly leapt away when the magician changed into a snake and tried to bite him. Aladdin grabbed the writhing serpent but couldn't keep his grip when it transformed into a mule and sent him flying with a kick. After that, Merlock transformed again, this time into a rhino, and charged right for Sora. The ground shook with the thundering of his heavy stampede, horn lowered and threatening to impale the boy, but all he hit was the reflega spell Sora had raised, transferring all the force right back at Merlock.
The shape-changing magician changed back to normal as he was thrown flat on his back. Scowling, he got back up, dusted his robes off, and tried to find his enemies again. His gaze, however, landed on someone else, someone important.
Princess Jasmine.
Merlock grinned maliciously for what must have been the hundredth time that day. Things just kept going right for him. In the middle of the fray he made his way towards her, completely ignoring the fight taking place around him, eyes solely on the princess in his sights. Jasmine was completely unaware, too busy fighting Heartless off to notice.
"Jasmine!" Aladdin shouted. He and Sora rushed to save her, but the Heartless were blocking their path. "Look out!" But it was already too late. As soon as Jasmine turned around Merlock grabbed her arm, with the Hand of Midas. As soon as he did gold started encasing her arm making her way up her entire body, moving from her shoulder. She dropped her scimitar in shock. Jasmine soon couldn't move as her legs hardened and could only look fearfully into Merlock's cruel eyes.
"JASMINE!" Aladdin cried out rushing with all the speed he could to reach her, smashing past Heartless in his way.
"ALADDIN!" Jasmine cried out, and that was the last word she was able to get out. Her beautiful face was covered in golden shine, along with the rest of her form. She, like many others, had become a gold statue.
"Jasmine! No!" Sora yelled, blocking a Heartless scimitar.
Merlock only let go of the princess once she was completely frozen. "Jafar! I wish Princess Jasmine was in the clutches of Maleficent and the Horned King!" In the sky Jafar managed to push Genie back with a blast of energy from his eyes, and when he heard Merlock's command, it made him laugh. He was still laughing as he shot magic from his fingertip right to the spot where Jasmine was, before turning to engage with Genie again.
"JASMINE!" Aladdin shouted and just as he was going to reach her statued form, Jafar's spell struck. Blinded by the red energies, Aladdin couldn't see very well, but he saw it happen none the less. Jasmine, his Jasmine, his wonderful wife to be, vanished into thin air.
"No...," he whispered, eyes rooted to the spot where Jasmine once was. His hands trembled and his legs seemed to give out under him, he fell to his knees. It was happening all over again. That period of terror.
"I should be getting extra credit for this one," Aladdin faintly heard Merlock say. "Not only did I deliver her but I gift-wrapped her in gold. Hopefully those two will know a way to get her out of it. You, however..." Merlock raised his Hand of Midas palm with a sharp-toothed grin. "Won't have the opportunity." Aladdin wasn't even listening. Jasmine was gone. She was gone again. He had promised never to let this happen, he swore to protect her. It had all gone wrong. It shouldn't be this way. He wouldn't let t be this way!
A bright light consumed Aladdin's dagger.
Merlock halted his attack upon seeing the shining brilliance that had so suddenly appeared. The fighting had also stopped. The few remaining Heartless cringed away from the light, hissing and shielding their red and yellow eyes. The weapon that had once belonged to Cassim began to change. It grew longer, bigger, re-shaped itself, its intense glow not settling down in the least. Even Aladdin was slightly blinded, until the thing in his hands began to lose its light.
"Whoa," Kairi gasped.
A Keyblade. A Keyblade now lay in Aladdin's hand, no longer the dagger of his father. Aladdin's eyes were wide with shock and surprise. It was colourful, almost like a rainbow, twisting and intwining together almost magically. It's hand-guard, forming great golden towers, like a palace that he was very familiar with. Wishing Lamp whispered in his head, because there actually was a small lamp keychain hanging from the hand-guard, identical to the one he had found so long ago.
"Look who's joined the club!" po shouted gleefully. Merlock scowled furiously.
"Fine! It'll make you a lovelier statue!" Once again the Hand was raised and there was nothing to stop him this time from firing its energies straight at the boy. But the blast went wide, when Aladdin disappeared. Merlock's mouth fell open. He had blinked and Aladdin had moved at least ten feet away from where he was a second ago. It seemed Aladdin was just as surprised as he was judging from his startled expression. He scowled and fired again, and Aladdin disappeared once more and reappeared somewhere else, like he was somehow teleporting.
But Aladdin wasn't teleporting, he was just moving really fast.
As Merlock became more and more frustrated with his continuous misses, Aladdin suddenly changed direction and, at an incredible rate, ran right for him. Merlock had absolutely no time to defend before he was the unlucky victim of the Keyblade's first strike, and no time to retaliate before Aladdin was gone again. Another hit came from behind and, before the Merlock even knew what was happening, another, and another. On all sides Merlock was assaulted by a blur. Aladdin had always been known for his quick wit and even quicker feet, now amplified by his new Keyblade's power.
"Look at him go," Beast said in awe.
"He's a speed demon," Kairi gawked. Merlock was being pummeled and couldn't do anything about it. Aladdin wouldn't stand still long enough to be touched by the Hand of Midas, and none of Merlock's animal forms could keep up with him.
"Remind me never to get on his bad side," Sora gulped. He yelped when a blue blob engulfed in flame splattered in front of him.
"He's tougher than he looks," Genie coughed, a face floating in a puddle of blue. "And he looked pretty tough to begin with." Up above, Jafar loomed in the air, a great red sinister figure in the darkened sky, leering down at them with piercing yellow eyes. It seemed even Genie's random bouts of magic couldn't top his power.
"Jafar!" Merlock yelled, battered and bruised under Aladdin's assault, barely standing on his own two feet. "No more fooling around! I order you to crush them all!" Jafar was more than happy to oblige. He seemed to grow larger as he built up his power, his mouth forming a nasty looking smirk.
"I say, sir! Stop right this instant!" And Jafar actually did stop, not that he had any choice since his whole body just froze on the spot. No matter how much he wanted to work his magic it didn't happen, and boy did he want it to happen. "I must point out to you that your actions are rather disgraceful!" Jafar and Merlock's eyes shot to the same spot. Golden metal hands were stained by the black lamp they held. "I really must protest these harmful courses of action," C-3PO said, very close to sweating his oil. "So, do listen to me when I say...cut it out!" Jafar's entire body constricted at the droid's words. His powers weakened, his form got smaller, he couldn't keep himself airborne, all as he was drawn back to the accursed lamp in C-3PO's hands.
"NO!" Jafar roared as he was sucked back into his prison. "NOT AGAIN! NO! WHY CAN"T I WIN JUST ONCE!? CURSE YOU STREET RATS!" His long drawn out scream of rage was silenced when he was sealed inside the black lamp once again, hopefully for the final time.
"Alright Threepio!" Sora cheered. "I didn't think he had it in him,"
C-3PO stared down at the still hot lamp, his eyes flashing as he blinked. "Well, I do believe that was the first time anyone ever listened to me. It feels good. This could be a whole new beginning for-AHHHHH!" Merlock pushed him to the ground and grabbed the lamp back. "Um, help? I've fallen and I can't get up..."
Merlock the Magician gripped the lamp tightly and made for another fight except, to his dismay, everyone now stood against him. His Heartless were all gone, defeated by the Keybladers, and now they were all after him. His hand tingled, or more specifically his Hand of Midas tingled, the one that didn't hold the lamp, and all the sudden in a bright flash, his hand was normal again. The true Hand of Midas fell at is feet. Now he didn't even have its power to call upon. Merlock subconsciously took a step back. He lost had this day, but he still had the lamp.
"I'll be back, for all of you!" Merlock shouted. His talisman jewel glowed and he took to the air as a condor, retreating into the sky right out of the flying fortress, leaving only his ominous words behind him, Jafar's lamp clutched in his talons.
"He's getting away!" Aladdin shouted. "If he gets away with the lamp there's no telling what he'll do. Carpet! We need you!"
"I don't think he'll be much help," Beast stated dryly, holding the magic carpet still immobilized by the Hand of Midas.
"Genie! He can get after him!" Kairi cried.
"Tell you what," the puddle form of Genie whimpered. "Get back to me when I get the feeling back in my brain."
"Someone do something!" Aladdin shouted. "He's getting away!"
"No he's not," Sora stated boldly and he reached into his pocket, pulling out his newest summon charm. He gripped it tightly, then threw it in the air. "SUMMON!" The charm burst into light at Sora's loud command, showers of sparks raining down upon the astonished heroes. And from that light unfolded two great golden-feathered wings.
"You pathetic cretin!" Jafar shouted from inside his lamp as Merlock carried him away from the flying castle high above the clouds. "And here you got my hopes up that you would actually be able to deal with those street rats! You disgust me!"
"Oh shut up you annoying excuse for a genie," Merlock growled, keeping pace with his flight. "Another Keyblade was completely unexpected. All we have to do is regroup. Once we're ready, we will return and exact vengeance upon those that oppose us!" His condor beak formed a sneer. "And why stop there? With your power, not even Maleficent and the Horned King combined could stop me. I'll be running the show in no time!"
Merlock squawked when a large golden blur shot past him, ruffling his feathers and sending him off course, but he still managed to hold onto the lamp. "What the?!" A great cry split the thin air as a large form flew past Merlock, silhouetted by the bright sun. It was the biggest bird Merlock had ever seen, a great eagle at least ten foot tall, its massive golden wings spanning majestically against the daylight.
"Alright, Marahute!" Sora shouted riding on the magnificent creature's back. "Let's take him down!" With a cry as her answer, Marahute flapped her massive wings and shot for Merlock and an incredible speed. Merlock could barely dodge the razor sharp talons that scraped past him; then Marahute came round for another pass. Merlock growled in anger. He would not suffer such a defeat. His gem glowed again and he transformed once more, his greatest transformation yet, a fearsome griffin, matching the eagle in size. Jafar's lamp was looped around its lion's tail.
"You're mine!" Merlock snarled and charged. Thousands of feet above ground the beasts clashed, wrestling through the clouds, fighting tooth and nail, Sora hanging on for dear life to Marahute's back. The eagle and griffin tossed and tumbled while ripping into each other, Marahute with her talons and beak, Merlock with claws and teeth. Merlock had the advantage though, and Marahute cried out when the griffin bit her painfully on the neck, forcing her to pull away. But Sora crawled up her back and jumped, somehow managing to land on Merlock's back.
"You fool! Get off of me!" Merlock yelled.
"Give me that lamp!" Sora shouted back. Merlock attempted to knock Sora off and send him falling to his death but Sora held on tight. Pulling on Merlock's ears, yanking at his hair, even going so far as biting him, Sora made Merlock's flight as treacherous as possible. The boy may have had this idea and he may not have, but in his pulling and biting frenzy, he tore the green jewel from around Merlock's neck.
"MY TALISMAN!" Merlock cried in horror. The source of his transforming powers fell down into the clouds, and the effect took place instantly. Merlock's griffin form shrunk, claws turned back into hands, and his wings disappeared. Merlock was Merlock once again, in his very flightless body. Then they fell. Merlock, Sora, and the lamp.
Sora swam through the air in free fall while Merlock screamed in terror not far from him, making his way inch by inch to Jafar's also falling lamp. But Merlock was also trying desperately to get the lamp so that he may summon the genie to save him from this dire situation. As the air rushed past them the two reached for the black object. Merlock could almost grasp it, only for Sora to snatch it away from him before he could.
"Yes!" Sora cried with the lamp in his hands. A second later he was scooped up by a golden blur. "We got it!" Sora cried happily from Marahute's back, the eagle screeching her joy. Together the two of them flew back to the dark floating castle with their mission accomplished.
Merlock was left to fall perilously to his doom, screaming the entire way.
Back at the dark flying fortress, high on the rooftops of buildings, Rosso stumbled back after being struck again by sonic in his full hedgehog power, adding to the many wounds she had already sustained, and sonic just kept on coming. Weakly raising her weapon, she open fired but each bullet was swiftly deflected by his Keyblade until he was close enough, twisting his Keyblade and bringing the hilt of it into her gut. All of Rosso's air was forced out of her lungs and she had little time to get it back before being was punched across the face. Abandoning his weapon, sonic unloaded punch after punch upon Rosso in a devastating combo of attacks, not letting up in the least. After an plethora of blows that left Rosso wobbly on her feet, he summoned his Keyblade again and hit her with the flat of the blade, sending her flying across the rooftop.
"I-Impossible," Rosso weakly said. "Someone s-stronger than me." Wearily she raised her head and through her cloudy vision she saw sonic glaring back at her. She scowled defiantly.
"No." Rosso stood back up slowly and sonic readied himself for anything but, to his confusion, she turned her back on him, and limped over to the roof's edge. He raised an eyebrow when she reached the steep drop and turned to face him smiling. "I will not give you the pleasure of killing Rosso the Crimson, darling. There is no one stronger than me. No one! Do you hear me!?" She took a step back closer to the edge, chuckling lightly. She took another and started laughing, insanely sonic thought and, on the third step, she fell backwards off the roof. All the way down sonic could hear her laughter, until it was abruptly silenced.
sonic hocked one over the ledge. "Crazy bitch."
Sora flew overhead on the back of Marahute until he reached the sight of his friends. Upon landing, the majestic eagle glowed, and in a bright flash Sora was holding the summon charm once again, silently thanking the bird before he pocketed it.
"Are you alright, master Sora?" C-3PO asked as the rest of them approached. The boy smiled and nodded.
"Did you get the lamp?" Kairi asked, and Sora showed her the black lamp in his hands. "That's great! But..." She looked over at Aladdin, the boy standing before the golden statue of his own father. Cassim's hardened body and fear stricken face brought sadness in Aladdin, but his pain ran deeper than the loss of his father alone. Sora saw that some of his friends had turned into gold his well, all because of the Hand of Midas, laying not far off on the floor.
"Oh well. What's done is done," Jack Sparrow grinned as he fawned over the gold statue of Mulan. "Surprisingly, I'm okay with this. Sure having mates made of gold will take a little getting use to but I'm willing to try. And with that there Hand of Midas why stop there? Personally speaking, that Leon mate has been getting on my nerves-" Using the Keyblade Sora smashed the Hand of Midas into a million pieces. It took a second to register what just happened in Jack's head. But when it did...
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
The gold statue of Jack Skellington slowly lost its bright and valuable colour. With the Hand now destroyed, it seemed that its spell was also broken, everything it touched reverting back to normal. Within a few moments the Pumpkin King was his old and movable self. "Wow," Jack gasped. "Now I've been the Pumpkin King, Sandy Claws, a Keyblader, a super hero and a gold statue. Who know what the future holds next!" He laughed when the newly restored Carpet flew by him with a high five.
Jack Sparrow sullenly approached the pieces of the Hand of Midas and sighed at his terrible luck. "Ahem." Jack froze, suddenly sensing a very angry presence behind him. Slowly turning his head, he met a blazing Chinese woman's eyes. Mulan, now quite mobile, glared straight death at the pirate.
Jack gulped. "Um...I love you just the way you are?"
SMACK
Cassim reverted back to normal before Aladdin's very eyes, the gold on his body melting away to his normal face. "Aladdin?" he gasped, rubbing his weary face.
"Dad," Aladdin gasped with the hint of smile. "You're alright. Thank goodness." The tone and expression on his son's face told Cassim Aladdin was anything but happy.
"Something's happened," he concluded aloud. "What's wrong? What's happened." Cassim was interrupted from his answer, however, when the entire place started shaking.
"What now?" Sora asked irritably.
"Guys!" came a loud shout and sonic bounded onto the scene from the rooftops to land with the rest of them. We've got a problem!" sonic shouted urgently and angrily at the same time. "This place is going down! We're falling and falling fast!"
"WHAT!" everyone screamed. From the outside, it could be seen that the hedgehog's words were unfortunately true. The once floating fortress was dropping from flight as fast as an anvil, plummeting from the sky with all of them on it. It seemed that without Jafar around it couldn't maintain its power of levitation and was now only a castle that happened to be thousands of feet above the ocean. The dark genie had the last laugh after all.
"We're gonna die! We're gonna die!" Iago cried pathetically. "We're gonna - wait a minute, I can fly! So long suckers!" Jack Sparrow grabbed him by the neck before he could fly off.
"If I die I'm taking everybody with me!" he snarled.
"I'm already dead!" Jack Skellington laughed.
"Stop bragging!" Beast shouted. Just when things seemed their bleakest, a puddle of blue goo rose from the floor and poofed itself into shape.
"Fear not my fearful friends!" Genie exclaimed, flexing his fingers upon his appearance. "One super incredible geniefied escape route, comin' right up!" He snapped his fingers and, in swish of magic, all of them vanished into thin air.
The no longer flying fortress kept on falling through the air, dropping straight down at top speed and when it finally hit the ocean below, the splash it made was immense. And so the castle of the Vanishing Isle returned back to the sea once again.
KHKHKHKH
"Genie, please!" Aladdin pleaded.
Genie couldn't meet his friend's eyes. "Sorry, Al. I wish I could help her, I really do. But the ole' powers ain't what they used to be after you freed me. Wherever Jasmine is right now I can't get to her." Aladdin scowled in anger and frustration.
"Jafar," he suddenly said and rushed across the beach Genie had brought them to snatch the black lamp from Sora. "We can make him get Jasmine back! He's a genie, he has to!"
"Aladdin," Sora said gently. "You know Jafar would only want to hurt us. Helping us is the last thing he'll want to do." Aladdin growled but of course he knew it was true.
"I have to do something," he whispered so low that they barely heard him. "I can't let this happen again, I won't!"
Cassim laid his hand on Sora's shoulder. "Is there nothing we can do?" Sora was silent and for awhile; he wasn't sure if he should say anything, but all those thoughts were pushed aside when he saw just how sad Aladdin really was.
"There is, actually," he answered hesitantly. "Aladdin, would you like to come with us?" Those words had a powerful effect. Genie's jaw dropped, Iago and Abu gawked while Cassim raised an eyebrow. But Aladdin's eyes were wide with shock.
"W-What?" he gasped. "I-I don't understand. Last time you said I couldn't come with you."
"Things have changed since then," Sora replied, blue eyes momentarily drifting to the Keyblade still in Aladdin's hand. "It's up to you, Al. If you join us you can help us fight. We can save Jasmine, and you can help us do it. But I'm not gonna lie to you, it'll be dangerous. A lot of powerful people are going to be after us."
"No one bothered to tell me that when I joined," Jack Sparrow muttered sourly, Beast elbowing him in the side afterwards.
"And now that the Horned King and Maleficent are working together, we'll need all the help we can get," Mulan stated grimly.
"Even so," Sora said. "We're gonna stop them, and bring back everyone they've captured."
"No matter what," Beast growled. His own task hadn't been forgotten.
Aladdin was silent for quite awhile, but his face showed his deep thought. "Genie?"
"Hey, it's not my call, Al," Genie smiled warmly. "If you feel that this is the right thing to do, I'll support you all the way. And I've done the whole summon charm thing. The things these guys do are awesome!"
"Take my word for it, kid," Iago grinned from Genie's shoulder. "Chicks dig the damsel in distress bit. And you will reap the benefits when you bring her back!" Abu leapt at Aladdin with a big hug, one Aladdin returned with a smile. But it was a fleeting smile when he turned to Cassim.
"Dad..."
"It's alright," Cassim smiled. "I understand. You wouldn't be my son if you didn't go after her." He walked up to Aladdin and placed his hands on his shoulders. "Barely a week I've known you and I'm already so proud. I see so much of your mother in you. Aladdin, my part in your tale is over. It's time for you to forge ahead and spin the rest of it on your own." Aladdin suddenly found two strong arms wrap around him. "Just be careful. I think I'm starting to develop those fatherly instincts I've heard about." Aladdin grinned despite the tears in his eyes.
"Don't worry about a thing, Al!" Genie assured also with an arm around Cassim and Aladdin. "We'll keep the wedding alter warm for you! You bring that girl back and finally do this thing right! I've got my tux picked out for best man!"
"I thought I was best man!" Sora interjected.
"You can be best boy," Iago snickered.
"But I called it!"
"What a strange and event filled day," C-3PO sighed as he looked off into the sea. "Wait till I tell Artoo about this."
KHKHKHKH
Miles away from the heroes and sinking deeper into the ocean with each passing moment were the remains of Merlock's dark flying fortress. Smashed apart upon impact with the water, it could no longer be recognized as a castle. Bit by bit, piece by piece it delve into the dark sea bottom, all of it to pass into memory forever more.
All those inside it as well.
As the fortress sank, something managed to pass out of one of its many windows, abandoning the doomed keep. It was a statue of solid gold, in the shape of a broad and muscled man, his face frozen in an angry expression; clutched in his right hand was a brass knuckle fitted with three claws. Suddenly, in a flash of light, the statue wasn't a statue anymore.
Sa'luk gasped as soon as he was free from the Hand of Midas' touch, only to get a huge gulp of saltwater in return. What was happening and where he was didn't registered right away but, when it did, he knew he was going to drown soon. He frantically waved his arms and kicked his legs in an attempt to get back to the surface, the fortress remains sinking past him, but it was so dark, so cold, he didn't even know which way was up, and his air supply was quickly running out. His struggles only served to weaken him. Finally, he stopped struggling all together and simply drifted as he came to the frightening conclusion, that he was going to die.
That thought alone terrified Sa'luk to no end. For all of the man's bravado and the tough front he always kept up, he feared the mystery that was the afterlife. What lay beyond this plane was something he didn't want to face yet. He feared the darkness of the void, but it was inevitable now. Already he could feel Death's cold icy fingers gripped around his throat. As the last of Sa'luk's air was used up and his vision clouded for the last time, he gave a silent prayer to whoever might have been listening, that he would give anything, do anything, if it meant he could live. He didn't care what it was, he just didn't want to die!
That's when he heard it.
A voice, that seemed to emanate from the very water surrounding him, that was both chillingly cold and soothingly warm at the same time. Sa'luk didn't know what to make of it, but to him it was the most beautiful thing he had ever heard. Because the words it spoke were as clear to him as rain.
"Do you fear death?"
Sa'uk managed to gurgle one word.
"Yes..."
The last thing Sa'luk remembered before he blacked out was the approaching outline of an underwater vessel and an evil, haunting laughter.
And that concludes another chapter. Be sure to write nice reviews, adapt the original story (Darius Almighty's work) on DeviantArt, turn it into a webcomic or post the story on TV tropes or follow and favorite it. And remember may your heart be your guiding key!