KH: Antipode [Alpha draft] pt 25

[keybearer]

Chapter 25: The Stolen Lamp


Night fell on the city of Agrabah. The clear skies gave way to shimmering stars and the pale glow of the moon. Hours had passed since Riku, along with his friends, explored the palace grounds. In their pursuit of the Keyhole, they discovered a pool and fountain out back as well as a bulky and enormous tiger that lazed around in the sun. They admired the structure of the palace, from its numerous towers to its elegant décor. However, no matter where they searched, they found little sign of the Keyhole, much less any Heartless.

When they failed to find anything in the palace, Riku borrowed Ali’s magic carpet in order to soar above the city. A bird’s eye view could have easily given them a better look at the bustling city. Plus, it sure beat traveling on foot. Unfortunately, the city itself held little promise. Together, the trio squeezed through mobs of residents trying to purchase fresh fish from a merchant’s stand. They dodged children as they scampered throughout the streets. Even without a big parade, there was no shortage of activity throughout town.

Buildings and alleyways revealed nothing either. When asked if they’d seen anything strange, the townspeople either said no or pointed right at Donald and Goofy. And, to make matters worse, the Keyblade didn’t even shake a little bit during their trek across town. Yes, by the time the sun vanished below the horizon and the stars came out to play, Riku, Donald, and Goofy were right back where they started. With no sign of the Keyhole or even a few pesky Heartless, they returned to the palace and let the carpet off the hook.

Now they sat amidst the countless trees outside Jasmine’s tower, watching as the Genie and carpet played a game of chess. Oddly enough, the carpet managed to give Genie a run for his money, countering his every move with ease. For an object without eyes, it sure knew the game pretty well. And when it finally made a checkmate, Riku laughed.

“So,” he said, turning to face Ali, “any luck with the princess?”

Ali sighed, taking off his turban with a frown. “She doesn’t want anything to do with me. I just don’t know what went wrong.”

“Ever thought about telling the truth? It might save you some trouble.”

“The truth?” Shaking his head, Ali took a quick look at the tower. “If I did, she’d laugh at me. Besides, if I blow my cover, I’ll lose my chance with her.”

“Well, the prince act sure isn’t working.” Donald groaned, and he crossed his arms. “Maybe you oughta stop acting so smug.”

“Gawrsh, Donald, I bet he’s just nervous!”

“Me, nervous?” Laughing shakily, Ali placed his turban back on his head and pulled his cape over his chest. “It’s not that. I just want to impress her by being cool. Confident.”

Except the act sure wasn’t doing him any favors. Riku shut his eyes and sighed. He knew from experience that acting smug all the time only annoyed the people around him. It sure set Donald off every time he dissed the mission and acted like some flawless hero. Ali was practically doing the same thing. In order to come off as princely, he kept acting like some snooty noble. That… wasn’t gonna fly. At least, it sure wouldn’t work with somebody like Kairi. Jasmine probably felt the same way.

“Look, Ali.” Riku stepped away from the chess board and marched right up to him. “You really think Jasmine’s gonna want to marry a stuck-up kind of guy?”

“He’s right, Al.” The Genie poofed right behind Ali and placed a hand on his shoulder. “You really ought to be a straight shooter here. Tell her the truth!”

“But I—” Stepping back, Ali glanced from Riku to the Genie and everyone else. Then he let out a sigh. “I don’t know, guys. What if I screw up?”

“Aw, don’t worry!” Goofy grinned, looking up at the tower. “Why, I bet Jasmine’d love to meet the real you.”

“You’ll never know until you try.” Riku placed a hand on his hip. “Besides, if she means that much to you, then she’s worth the risk.”

Heaving another sigh, Ali slowly trudged towards the carpet. “Well, I should at least go see her.”

“That’s the spirit!” Goofy gave Ali a thumbs up. “And we’ll be rootin’ for ya!”

“Thanks, guys.”

With a smile on his face, Ali climbed aboard the magic carpet and kept his eyes on the tower above. They zoomed up to the balcony, where princess Jasmine undoubtedly waited. It was hard to keep track of everything from below, but Riku caught a glimpse of the princess shooing Ali away. When he failed to leave, that big, bulky tiger from before leaped right at him and pushed him near the edge. Riku winced. It looked like, any minute, Ali was going to fall. Just what was he doing up there? Still trying to act cool?

Well, whatever was going on up there, it didn’t take long before the Genie zipped up behind Ali, morphing into a little bee. While Ali continued to deal with Jasmine and her tiger, Riku looked back and the others and sighed. Things weren’t looking too good for the would-be prince. Any minute now, he could be sent falling down to the ground. Sure, the carpet and Genie were there to protect him if everything went wrong, but really. How hard was it to just be honest? He’d be making a bigger fool of himself by acting cool than—

“Riku, look!”

When Goofy pointed up at the tower, Riku immediately spun around and gasped. Much to his surprise, the magic carpet zoomed far from the balcony’s edge, and it wasn’t just Ali on board. No, by the looks of it, Jasmine hopped on for a ride. Were things finally working in his favor? It sure seemed like a step above what happened just a few minutes ago. Maybe things would go smoothly after all. Whatever the case, Riku smirked as he watched the carpet vanish behind a veil of clouds.

“Guess things are working out for him.” He turned away from the tower. “Think he stands a chance?”

Donald grinned, and he looked up at the sky. “You know, I think he’ll do just fine!”

x.x.x


The bushes all around the palace courtyard hid him perfectly. Sora crouched down behind the leaves and branches, keeping a watchful eye on the sky. He’d been instructed to steal the lamp from Ali, but doing so required stealth. In order to catch him by surprise, Sora’d have to slink through the darkness like some kind of ninja. This was no easy task; Sora knew well that stealth wasn’t exactly his strong point. To pull this off, he’d have to be quick on his feet and quiet as a mouse. Oh, and he’d probably have to knock the guy out for good measure.

It took maybe a half hour of waiting before he finally caught sight of something busting through the clouds and swooping over to a nearby tower. It looked… kind of like a flying carpet, actually! Grinning, Sora poked his head out of the bushes just long enough to witness the princess and Ali stopping near the balcony’s edge. And then… they kissed. At that moment, Sora clasped a hand over his mouth in order to hold back a gasp. This wasn’t good! Already, the princess was falling for that jerk! Jafar would be so mad…

But, luckily for Sora, his chance to strike would come sooner than expected. As soon as Ali pulled back, he and the carpet slowly floated down towards the fountain and pool. They were all alone now, so all he had to do was sneak over, swipe the lamp and return to Jafar. It’d be easy! At least, that’s what he hoped.

When Ali stepped down from the floating rug, Sora scurried behind the fountain, trying not to make a sound. Briefly, the prince looked over his shoulder, and Sora held his breath. When he took a step forward, Sora let out a silent sigh of relief and trudged towards the prince with his sword held tightly in hand. He inched closer and closer, lifting his sword level with the back of Ali’s head. Then, before the prince could even turn around, Sora shut his eyes and slammed his weapon against him. Ali let out a scream and toppled forward, while his turban fell down to the side.

Within the turban, Sora caught a glimpse of shimmering gold. Carefully, he stepped around Ali’s unconscious body, placing his foot down on the carpet so it wouldn’t struggle. Then, when he drew close enough, he scooped up the turban and reached inside. Sure enough, he felt the smooth texture of cold metal. Reaching for the handle, Sora pulled out the little lamp and squinted. With only the stars and the moon to light the way, he couldn’t make out all the details, but there had to be something written on it. Maybe Jafar’d know what it meant!

He was about to step away when he suddenly found himself flying into the air, while the lamp flew out of his hands. Flailing his arms, Sora just narrowly caught the lamp as he landed on the concrete below. His eyes widened as the carpet zoomed right at him, and he had no choice but to blast it with a fire spell. This sent the carpet flying towards the fountain and allowed Sora to get some space between him and the wild rug. Did he make it angry or something? Whatever the case, he wasn’t about to hang around while that thing attacked!

Instead, he held the lamp close to his chest and bolted for the palace gates. As he ran, Sora caught a glimpse of the carpet scooping up the fallen Ali and flailing its tassels around. There wasn’t time to figure out what was going on. Instead, he kept moving, slipping between towers and behind bushes and trees. Eventually, he found his way back to the palace’s front steps and rushed to the top. It wasn’t until he made it back inside the throne room that he finally stopped, let out a sigh, and leaned back against a wall.

The whole place was pitch black. No sultan or Jafar in sight. Though Sora took a quick glance around the empty room, he soon focused his attention back on the lamp. Inside, there was supposed to be a powerful Genie. One that could grant all kinds of wishes… Jafar did say he’d use the lamp to bring Kairi back, but why wait? If Sora made that wish now, then maybe it wouldn’t count against Jafar! At least, if they each only got three wishes, he could make one or two and let Jafar have his three for good measure. It was worth a try!

Gently, Sora rubbed the lamp, bracing himself for his first wish. Sure enough, the lamp shook in his clutches, as a big, blue man zoomed out of the top, stretching his arms and letting out a loud yawn. The Genie rubbed his eyes, blinked, and adjusted the night cap on his head. Did Sora disturb him from a nap or something? Well, whatever the case, he held up his free hand and waved sheepishly.

“You know, Al, I was enjoying my beauty sleep but—” The Genie leaned closer, and then he slid back with his eyes open wide. His body grew lanky, and he gained a lab coat along with bushy, white head of hair. “Great Scott! You’re not Al!”

“Eheh… nope.” Sora rubbed at the back of his neck, cracking a weak smile. “My name’s Sora.”

“Sora?” Frowning, the Genie moved closer to his level, holding a hand over Sora’s spiky head of hair. “Mm, spiky, short… Not exactly sinister.” He sighed. “Okay, kid, what are you doing with the lamp? And where’s Al?”

“Look,” said Sora, “I just wanted to rescue you, that’s all! And besides, Jafar told me you could grant any wish, so…”

“Rescue me? Kid, there’s no need to rescue me. Al was about to—”

“I don’t wanna use up all three wishes or anything.” He frowned. “Just one… it’s for a friend. Please?”

“Well…” The Genie brought a hand to his chin. “The one with the lamp calls the shots. Technically, you’re my master now.”

For some reason, the Genie didn’t look all that happy about it. Didn’t he want to be free from that evil Prince Ali? For a moment, Sora said nothing. Jafar said that taking the lamp would save Agrabah, so he did the right thing, didn’t he? Even if the Genie seemed… kinda sad about this. Was that prince gonna do something for him?

Well, right now, Kairi’s fate mattered more than anything. Taking a deep breath, Sora placed a hand to his chest and prepared for his first wish.

“D’you think you can get my friend’s heart back? Her name’s Kairi, and something terrible’s happened to her!”

“Her heart?” The Genie circled around Sora’s shoulders, stopping right next to him. “Well, it’s worth a shot. I’ll see what I can do!”

Taking a deep breath, the Genie held up his arms, as pink sparks scattered throughout the room. He pulled one arm back and pointed his finger straight at Sora’s chest… and then nothing happened. All the sparks fizzled and faded, and the room grew dark. The Genie did try another time, striking a variety of eccentric poses, but it was no use. For whatever reason, his magic… just couldn’t help. After about two minutes of trying, the Genie sighed, and Sora’s shoulders sagged.

“Sorry, kid, but it’s no use.” Genie clasped a hand on his shoulder. “I tried every trick in the book, but I can’t get her that heart right now. It’d go against the rules.”

“How come? I don’t understand…”

“Well, I’ll put it this way.” He looked Sora straight in the eye with a faint smile on his face. “That heart might be closer than you think. Just because I can’t save your friend doesn’t mean you should lose hope!”

“You really think so?”

“Kid, I know so.” He gave Sora a pat on the back. “I’ve been around the block more times than I can remember, and I’ve seen a lot over the past few millennia. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that you can’t give up. Throw in the towel too soon, and you’ll never see what’s waiting right around the corner.”

Keeping his hopes up… The Genie had a point. If he gave up now, how would he ever save Kairi and get Riku back on his side? For all he knew, a brighter tomorrow could be waiting for him just around the bend. Maybe the wish didn’t work after all, and maybe finding the way to Kairi’s heart would take time and effort, but she was worth it. His friends meant everything to him, and he could handle the toughest challenges if it meant being with them like old times.

Instead of sulking around, he needed to keep his hopes high and keep moving forward. If it weren’t for the Genie, he might’ve called it quits just then. That guy really knew how to lift his spirits.

“Thank you, Genie!” he said with a smile. “Not just for trying to help, but for cheering me up, too.”

“No problem, ki—”

A flash of red and blue zipped by, silencing Genie mid sentence. A loud, squawky voice followed.

“Oh, puh-lease!”

Following Iago’s obnoxious voice, Sora caught another glimpse of red and blue. Then, when he looked down at his hand, the lamp was nowhere in sight. Instead, it hovered just a few feet away, held tightly in Iago’s talons.

Though Sora tried to chase after Iago, he soon found himself face-to-face with Jafar, who grinned as he wrapped his fingers tightly around the lamp and chuckled. All the while, the Genie gasped and slid right behind Sora’s back.

“Well done, boy,” said Jafar. “Now we can ‘save’ Agrabah, just as I promised…”

“Kid, what did you—”

“Can it, blue boy!” Iago sneered, and he flew right in the Genie’s face. “From now on, you answer to Jafar.”

“That’s correct…” Jafar cackled, gently rubbing the lamp as he stepped up to Sora and the Genie. “And for my first wish, I order you to bring me, this boy, and the princess straight to the Keyhole!”

The Genie gulped, and he covered his face with one hand. With the wave of his finger, he summoned a whirlwind of smoke that spiraled throughout the throne room. The cloudy wisps wrapped themselves around Sora, Jafar, and Iago from head to toe, pulling them closer to one another. The ground below their feet began to rumble, as color faded from their surroundings. Wind blew back Sora’s spiky tufts of hair and nearly knocked him down to the ground; he latched onto Jafar’s arm for support.

The raging winds reached higher and higher until they touched the domed ceiling up above. By now, Sora’s whole surroundings looked more like a blur that grew rapidly out of focus. All around him, the air grew warm, and the ornate decorations in the throne room gave way to reddish stone. Torches appeared, lining the walls of this strange, new chamber. Several raised platforms and columns lined the rounded, stone walls. And, when the whirlwind finally ceased, Sora caught a glimpse of the princess down below.

So they’d finally rescued her from Prince Ali…

x.x.x


When the magic carpet returned with a wounded Ali, Riku knew right away that something was up. Nevermind the fact that he was out cold. His turban and the Genie were nowhere in sight. Though the carpet couldn’t speak, its frantic movements clued him and the others in that something had gone horribly wrong. What else could they do besides follow it over to the throne room and investigate the problem? If the Genie was gone, then somebody must have taken the lamp. That alone was cause for concern.

Unfortunately, the path to the palace was far from smooth, even while riding the carpet. Countless Heartless leaped out of the shadows and attacked with claws, flames, and swords. Their fearsome blows caused the carpet to swerve around, and it nearly threw the trio off countless times. While Donald’s magic slowed them down, it took Riku’s Keyblade to truly clear a path. Throwing his weapon helped at least a little, but in order to really deal with their attackers, he continuously hopped down and tackled his foes from below.

Needless to say, it took a while to finally reach the throne room. Large, flame spewing Heartless with turbans and vests nearly trampled Riku on more than one occasion. Red Nocturnes blasted flames in an attempt to ignite the carpet mid-flight. When he wasn’t dodging red hot fire, Riku found himself ducking, blocking, and leaping out of the way of spinning slashes from the Bandits. Fortunately, with a bit of help from above, Riku managed to make it to the palace steps with his friends close behind.

And their timing couldn’t have been any better! The moment Riku shoved the double doors open, he felt a cold, whirling breeze push him back several feet. He had to grab onto the door frame with both arms to avoid being sent out and into the air. In that brief instant, he caught a glimpse of a tall, skinny figure with a turban, a red and blue mess of feathers, a bulky, blue man, and… spiky hair. Narrowing his eyes, Riku tried to reach the eye of the storm, but by the time the winds subsided, he found himself alone in the darkened room.

“Riku, are you okay!” Donald’s voice called to him from behind, and the carpet swerved down in front of him.

When his friends hopped down, Riku turned to them with a frown. “I’m fine, but now I know something’s up.”

“What do ya mean?” Goofy glanced around the room, scratching his head. “Was somebody in here?”

“More than just somebody, guys.” He groaned. “I could’ve sworn I saw Sora, the Genie, and that no good vizier.”

The carpet flailed its tassels around and gently lowered Ali to the ground. Then, it proceeded to hop up and down, making a wide range of gestures. Riku couldn’t quite tell what it meant, but… it couldn’t have been good news.

“Hey,” he said, stepping up to the carpet, “you know what happened here?”

It bobbed its front end up and down, as if it was nodding, and then it circled around the room. When it landed, it slipped beneath a set of blue curtains and into one of the other rooms. Maybe two seconds passed before the carpet zipped back inside and flailed some more.

“Ya know,” said Goofy, “maybe we oughta play charades! That could clear things up.”

“That’s just not practical.” Riku shook his head. “It’s obvious that something’s wrong, but playing guessing games won’t get to the bottom of it.”

“Well…” Donald placed a hand to his beak, “Maybe we should go look for the sultan! He might know what’s wrong.”

Just like that, the carpet leaped into the air, holding up a thread from one of its tassels as if to say ‘one second’. After that, it zoomed off once again, leaving the trio alone with Prince Ali.

During that brief period of absence, the prince slowly started to stir. He moaned as he slowly sat up, rubbed the back of his head, and glanced around the room. Then, he reached for the top of his head, looked down in his pocket, and jumped back. His eyes widened, and he frantically looked around for something.

“Genie?” He took another look around. “Hey, answer me! Come on, this isn’t funny.”

Riku sighed, and he slowly approached him. “He’s not here, Ali, and neither is the lamp.”

“What?!” He whirled around and rushed straight for Riku. “You mean the lamp’s gone? But how?”

“Somebody bumped ya on the head!” Goofy frowned, and he scratched his chin. “Why, I betcha whoever did it took the lamp from ya.”

Ali’s shoulders sagged, and he rubbed his head once more. “That explains the headache, but how could they’ve known about it? I’ve been keeping it a secret from everyone but you guys.”

“If I had to guess…” Riku summoned the Keyblade with a scowl. “It’s got something to do with that vizier. I mean, he was right here with the Genie a few minutes ago.”

“Jafar?” Groaning, Aladdin slapped his palm against his face. “Ugh, how could I’ve been so stupid? Of course he’d know!”

“He did seem pretty shady.” Donald huffed, and he crossed his arms. “He kept trying to stop you from marrying—”

“Jasmine!” The sultan’s voice cried from behind. Immediately, the group turned around to find him scurrying into the room with the carpet close by.

“Your highness?” Ali frowned, slowly stepping up to the round, old man. “Is everything okay?”

“Far from it, my boy!” He shook his head furiously, breathing heavily as he came to a stop. “I’ve looked everywhere, but I can’t find my daughter. Something terrible must have happened.”

“I bet I know what.” Riku propped the Keyblade against his shoulder and looked the sultan straight in the eye. “Your majesty, I think Jasmine’s been kidnapped, and not by just anyone…” He turned towards Jasmine’s room and winced. “I hate to say it, pops, but you’ve been had. Jafar must’ve taken her when you weren’t looking.”

“What?” The sultan stepped back, bringing his hands to his mouth. “But Jafar is my most trusted advisor! Why would he ever betray me?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Riku sighed. “You’re the most powerful man in Agrabah, and your daughter’s about to get married. I bet he resents that. If anything, he probably wants to be in your position. Sultan.”

“Oh dear…” The sultan’s eyes widened, and his mouth hung open. However, his expression quickly shifted. His brow furrowed, and he narrowed his eyes. Then, he clenched his little hands into fists and puffed out his chest. “I won’t stand for this! I’ll—why, I’ll alert the guards, that’s what I’ll do! They’re sure to find that no-good traitor, and—”

“Your highness?” Ali shook his head. “This is my fault. I haven’t really been honest with you or Jasmine.”

“What do you mean?”

He sighed. “Well, I’m… not really a prince. If it weren’t for the Genie, I’d still be scrounging for scraps on the street.”

“A genie?” The sultan stroked his beard.

Ali nodded. “Yeah, I thought that if I wished to be a prince, I’d stand a chance with her, but Jafar must’ve caught on.”

“Oh my…” Gasping, the sultan covered his mouth, and his eyes widened once more. “This is terrible news! Why, if Jafar has a Genie on his side…”

“If he has a Genie on his side, then we can’t afford to mope around.” Riku held up his free hand and clenched it into a fist. “I don’t know about you guys, but I’m not about to let this slide.”

“No, you’re right.” Ali narrowed his eyes, and he drew his sword. “We’ve gotta go save her before things get out of hand!”

“But where are we gonna start?” Donald frowned.

“I think I know the place.” Ali stepped over to the carpet. “You think you can get us to the Cave of Wonders in one piece?”

Immediately, the carpet hopped up and down, flexing its tassels. Then, it performed a salute. It was all the confirmation they needed, and the group quickly hopped on board with Ali at the lead. As the carpet hovered above the ground, the sultan looked up at them from below with his hands held close to his chest. The guy must’ve been worried sick about his daughter, not to mention his kingdom, and that was all the more reason to step in. Riku might not’ve known the guy or the world as well as Ali, but he was just as determined to put a stop to things before it was too late. Especially if Sora was out there…

“You all have my thanks,” said the sultan with a faint smile on his face. “May Allah watch over you on your journey!”

Ali nodded, and the carpet took off like a rocket, soaring high above the city of Agrabah. They passed countless buildings, street venders, and alleyways on their way toward the vast desert in the distance. Somewhere out there, they’d find the Cave of Wonders. Whether or not Jafar truly waited there remained to be seen, but one thing was clear: with a Genie on his side, he’d be one of Riku’s toughest foes yet. Would he be able take on phenomenal cosmic power, or would he be thrown aside as the world sank into an era of darkness and discord? And just what was Sora doing with him, anyway?

As soon as they reached the cave, he’d get to the bottom of it. Not even fear would hold him back.

TO BE CONTINUED

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