Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and works; all other characters and worlds belong to their respective owners. I'm just playing with them.
Betad by Marethyu, Mike God of Lore, Priapus, Old man of the mountain, Beans
The Guild of Gamers: The Origin
Chapter 04: Street Rat
– Shiro –
You know, I can almost forgive them for leaving all the actual work to me. While I was scouting Agrabah with my familiar, trying to locate her father, Jasmine, Anna and Kristoff basically sat around doing nothing.
Well, that's not fair. Kristoff has at least volunteered to watch the rifts from the walls. Which is useful since normally my familiar does that, and it's been busy in Agrabah. The last thing I need is something slipping in through Arendelle. So, Kristoff and Sven get a free pass since they're actually helping. Anna and Jasmine haven't been of any use, quite the opposite. They've been a fucking detriment as I try to study the Heartless I captured.
That's right, the fucking reindeer has been more useful than the two princesses.
"Girls, can you please stop arguing?" I finally say, making the pair go silent at my annoyed tone. Jasmine goes to speak, but my glare makes her cut herself off. These two have been at each other's throats ever since we learnt about the Heartless, both wanting to seal their home to prevent the Curse from spreading any further. Anna is terrified that her sister will become a Heartless, while Jasmine has already seen some of her people turned into these abominations.
"Now, I understand that you are both worried about your homes, but I have been very busy trying to learn more about the Heartless and the state of Agrabah and having my research frequently interrupted by your arguing is not helping things," I say with a tired sigh, making them both flush with embarrassment. "You are Princesses, not children. Act like it."
"Sorry, Shiro. I didn't mean to-" Anna says, rubbing her neck in embarrassment at the scolding.
"You have my apology as well, Shiro, I know how hard you are working," Jasmine says, rubbing her hand along my arm. Anna glances at the gestures, eyes narrowing as Jasmine gives me a demure look.
"S-she's right, we'd all be dead if it wasn't for you," Anna agrees, moving closer as she touches my other arm. "I really don't mean to make this harder for you."
"Did you learn anything?" Jasmine asks, making me nod.
"I was right to fear that the situation in Agrabah has gotten worse. Jafar has lost control of the city, with Heartless overrunning the place. He's pulled back to the palace with the guards and the survivors. He's doing a decent job of holding back the Heartless, using magical wards to keep them out, but it's bad. There are pockets of survivors around the city, but I don't think they'll hold out for long," I admit, seeing Jasmine flinch at my blunt words. Still, it's better than me sugarcoating it. "Your father is in the palace, as is your tiger. Still, my familiar overheard something between Jafar and his parrot. They've lost the lamp."
"So they don't have a genie on their side anymore?" Anna asks, making me nod. "Unless it's been taken by the Heartless."
"I've also learnt a little more about the Heartless. The good news is that magic is resistant to the curse. Your sister's powers have likely protected her from the worst of the changes. I can't restore the Heartless once they get to this stage, but with Dreamlight Magic I believe I could remove the curse on this Elsa, but we'd have to weaken her first," I explain, seeing the hope in Anna's eyes.
"I still think we should seal Agrabah and go after Elsa first. Jafar has an army, and we'd have to fight through the horde of Heartless just to get to him," Jasmine says, making Anna scowl.
"First, we need to secure the Valley. Everything we are doing could be for nothing if the Curse spreads into the one place we know is safe," I point out. "My divinations are sure that this mystery princess is somewhere in the forest region to the east. I'm hoping she knows more about what's going on, but with my own memories so hazy, I can't remember how the Valley used to be protected."
Neither of them looks happy about that, but they know I'm not wrong. If we lose the Valley, we're fucked. They've seen me working to drive back the fog and thorns, and it feels like a constant effort to stop the place from being overwhelmed. If I lose my memories to the thorns, we're screwed.
– Princess Anna –
Shiro was reasonably stressed by the mess that was rapidly falling on his shoulders, but he really was her only hope. The idea of Elsa being consumed, having all the good inside her eaten away until all that was left was a Heartless monster, scared her like nothing else ever could.
Spotting Shiro preparing for his trip toward the entrance to the forest, she took advantage of his momentary separation from Jasmine to rush over. Jasmine lingered around him like a bad smell, eager to make sure that Anna couldn't convince Shiro to listen to her instead.
"Something I can do for you, Princess?" Shiro asked easily, her hands behind her back as she considered how to go about this.
"...do you really think you can save Elsa and free her from the curse?" Anna asked, watching as he nodded.
"It won't be easy, but if I can get my hands on Elsa, then yes. That's the hard part, she's not exactly going to lie down and let me work my magic in her current state," Shiro explained with a frustrated huff.
"Why can't you seal both portals?" Anna asked.
"Because sealing a portal uses up a large amount of my limited Dreamlight mana. I have enough to seal a single portal, with some left over," Shiro explained again. She really didn't get all this magical stuff; it seemed complicated. "I've been harvesting the Dreamlight mana by drawing it out of the thorns since the Curse is powered by it, and I just need to purify it to use it for my own ends. I managed to draw some from the Heartless we captured, but frankly, there wasn't enough left of the poor bastard once I took away the Curse. That's what I need to do to Elsa. I need to capture her so I can draw the curse out of her, removing the magic that is empowering it and untangling it from her very essence. It is not going to be easy, but I can do it."
She almost tried convincing him to seal the Arendelle portal so he'd have more time to practise, but she stopped herself. He was probably sick of hearing them argue over which portal he needed to seal first.
"Is there anything I can do to help?" Anna asked, brushing her hair behind her ear. "You're right. We're all putting everything on your shoulders, and it's just not fair."
She wasn't just saying that to try and get into his good graces. Shiro had no reason to help them when his own world was being slowly consumed.
"I appreciate the offer, but I'm not sure there is. Not at the moment, anyway. I can sense more than just the princess in the forest. There's… something else. A source of power, and I'm hoping that claiming it will help us, no matter what plan we go with," Shiro explained. "You're welcome to come with me, but I'm not sure you'd be much more than a lookout."
"Well, I can at least do that much," Anna said optimistically, giving him a smile, which he returned. As they prepared for the trip to the forest entrance, she saw Jasmine giving her an angry look and took a moment to stick her tongue out at the other girl.
The trip wasn't long, and while a Cursed wolf attacked them, Shiro easily dealt with it. As they reached the entrance, she played her part as she kept an eye out for him as he worked to remove the massive thorns that were blocking the entrance, the fog being pushed back as Shiro worked his magic.
As Shiro managed to dispel the thorns, he gasped slightly from the effort it took. She'd seen him easily getting rid of the smaller ones, but this was clearly on another level.
"My magic says the source of power is close, and so is the princess. They seem to be together, actually," Shiro said, rubbing his chin with a frown as he looked at the ground. "Look how many footprints there are around the entrance. I think the princess was trying to get past the thorn wall as well."
"How long has she been trapped in the forest?" Anna asked as they ventured deeper, making Shiro shake his head.
"I don't know. She was here before you, maybe before Jasmine. That's why I'm hoping she knows more about what is happening to the Valley," Shiro explained, stiffening as more wolves came for them.
She felt useless, hiding behind him as he dispatched them with conjured swords and bolts of magic. She was laughably out of her depth.
She froze as a wolf lunged for them, but as Shiro raised his hand to cast another spell, the wolf was struck by an arrow, right in the eye. Shiro pulled her aside as the wolf tumbled to the ground where she had been standing, dead from the single blow.
Spinning back around, Shiro raised his hand to where the arrow had come from, but before he could say anything, a figure stepped out of the fog.
Her curly red hair was a tangled mess, sticks stuck in it. Her freckled face was covered in dirt, with several small cuts visible. She was a mess; her dark green dress was cut in several places, exposing her pale skin. It looked like she had cut off the lower half of the dress that now only barely reached her knees, but the new girl stopped in shock as she laid eyes on Shiro.
"Shiro?" the stranger asked, and Shiro blinked in confusion.
"That's me. Do I know you?" Shiro asked, and the stranger frowned before she sighed.
"Aye, you did, once," she agreed, her accent strange. "You really don't remember me? Suppose it isn't that surprising. I forgot about you until I stumbled back into the Valley. It's me, Merida? We were friends, but it must have been a lot longer for you. Last time I saw you, you didn't even reach my neck."
"Merida… I'm sorry, but my memories are rather hazy at the moment," Shiro admitted, making her nod.
"Aye, I figured as much. I might not know a lot about magic, but I remember the old man saying that the Valley was a 'manifestation of your mind'. Gotta worry about what your mind is going through if the Valley looks like this," Merida agreed. "Don't suppose you've got something to eat and a place to get clean?"
"That I can do. I'm sure you have a million questions, and frankly, so do I. I sensed that someone was in the Forest, but I was also looking for an artefact of some kind-" Shiro explained, Merida holding out her hand.
"You mean this?" Merida asked, reaching into a satchel at her waist and pulling out a green glowing orb with a strange symbol carved into it. "Saw some of the wolves trying to carry it off, chased them into the Forest to get it back. That's how I got trapped here in the first place."
"What is it?" Anna asked, watching as Merida handed it over to Shiro.
"I'm not sure, but I can feel its connection to the Valley itself," Shiro admitted, making Merida blink.
"You really don't remember anything, do you? You made this, well, you and the old man," Merida explained, glancing at the forest. "We should get to safety first."
"Agreed. Thanks, Merida," Shiro said, making her grin.
"I've always got your back. Heh, never thought I'd have to look up at you. I used to have to hold your hand whenever you wanted to go into the Forest of Valour," Merida teased, making Shiro blink. "Never mind the Forgotten Lands."
Anna froze as she realised something. Jasmine was not the biggest threat. Merida had already done more than her and Jasmine combined, and she was his childhood friend? As they made their way out of the forest and back to safety, Anna realised the simple truth.
Jasmine had sucked her way into a headstart, not realising that Merida had already lapped them both.
– Shiro –
"You mentioned an old man. Who was he?" I ask, making Merida give me a sympathetic look.
"Merlin, your mentor. He taught you how to control your powers, you used to be able to do basically anything. I watched you make entire new lands with a wave of your hands," Merida explains to us, cleaner and with a full belly. "It was his idea to make the Orbs, he called them anchors."
"Anchors for what?" Jasmine asks, arms crossed. She's not thrilled at getting another rival.
"Merlin said they were physical proof of Shiro's 'goodness'. That's the Orb of Friendship. It used to be in the pillar in the Meadow, and Merlin said the Orbs kept the Valley safe," Merida explains, making me blink.
I can feel the connection between me and the Orb, as well as between the Orb and the Valley itself. A physical manifestation of my friendships?
"There was one for every region, and when I first got back here, I couldn't find anyone else. I barely escaped the Curse myself and jumped through a rift to end up here. The rift closed, and I was stuck in the Meadow. Anyway, I was doing fine, but I noticed some of those cursed wolves heading into the forest with the Orb in one of their gobs, so I chased and killed them. Then, I couldn't get out of the Forest because those damn thorns had grown in my way," Merida explains. "I don't know much about the magic, but I doubt anything good comes from the little fuckers getting one of the Orbs. I did notice that the pillar in the Forest of Valour was missing its Orb as well, but I couldn't find any trace of it in the Forest."
"What were you running from?" Anna asks.
"The damn curse that was turning all my family into bears. I've seen a curse like it before, but this one was way stronger. A mist was going through my home, turning everyone into animals. My mam, dad and my three brothers all got turned into bears and tried to attack me. I felt myself changing and had to flee," Merida admits, and I swear I know this. Scottish Princess, family turning into bears… I can feel the memory, just out of reach.
"And I suppose you want Shiro to rush to your home and turn them back?" Jasmine asks, making Merida blink.
"Are you daft? Shiro barely has any of his old magic, and I doubt he knows how to undo the curse on my family yet, so why rush back? If Shiro is right, time is stopped there anyway and we can save them later," Merida says simply, making Jasmine flush at her tone. "Best case if we go back now? We have to fight and maybe kill my family. Why would I want that?"
"It sounds like some kind of polymorph spell. Hardly unbreakable, even empowered by the Curse, but you're right. I don't have a way to break such a curse yet," I agree. "Can we count on your help with the other cursed lands?"
"Of course. You've got my bow, Shiro," Merida agrees instantly. "But I think I have an idea about how to get some of your power back. You need your tools."
"Tools?" I ask, and for a moment, I see a younger Shiro with an old man with a very long beard, working on something golden.
"The Royal Tools. Merlin helped you make them so you could more easily control your Dreamlight powers." Meridia explains. "They were in the Castle, but… there's someone living up there. It's the first place I went when I got back. I figured you'd be there, since it's your house and all, but someone attacked me. As I was running, I saw the Royal Tools still in their display cases."
"Wait, someone attacked you? Who?" I ask, annoyed at yet another threat. The Castle just screams danger, and the sheer darkness that is emitting from it has kept me at bay.
"Well, you did. I didn't realise it at the time, since the last time I saw you, you were barely ten, but the attacker looked just like you but with black hair and eyes. They had this purplish energy coming off them, but he looked just like you," Merida explained, making me blink.
From her timeframe, I hadn't even appeared in the Valley yet. Some spectre? A shard of my power gone wild?
"That's going to be annoying to deal with, I just know it. I wonder if the wolves were being directed by this… fake. I don't think they'd just casually try to steal the Orb, and something tried to keep you inside the Forest," I say, rubbing my forehead.
So, Evil Me, Jafar and his Genie, Ice Queen and a horde of bears. What a shitshow.
You are Evil You. Still, this fake you could be interesting.
Please, I'm a fucking hero for all the shit I'm dealing with. I've barely even done anything evil.
"For tonight, I need to rest after removing the giant thorns," I finally say, a frown on my face as I focus. I hear some gasps as the house shifts and grows, a second floor growing on the top of my little home. I have some Dreamlight to spare, and we have rapidly run out of room. "You'll know what room is yours, I let your own imagination guide their creation. Kristoff, I think yours grew on the back of the house, doubling as a stable. Goodnight, everyone."
Sighing, I rub my forehead as I head upstairs to my own room and place the Orb on the desk, examining it. There's something missing from it, and I don't know what, but the magic involved is fascinating…
As far as I can tell, the Orb wasn't just a manifestation of Friendship. It was spreading friendship throughout the Valley, encouraging peace and camaraderie… but what if I changed what it was spreading?
Enraptured with my work, I'm almost annoyed when Jasmine shows up and interrupts my work. Still, as she gives me a look that's a mixture of nervous and excited, her scantily clad outfit coming undone, I decide that work can wait.
– Princess Jasmine –
Waking up in Shiro's bed, she brushed away her shame as she rose up. Shiro was already gone, having risen far earlier than her, and she took the quiet morning to get some water and get the salty taste from her mouth.
Shiro's power was truly impressive. Her bedroom was almost identical to her room back in the Royal Palace of Agrabah, and she was sure that Anna and Merida would say the same for their rooms. It even had more clothes for her, all in her size and style.
"Where is Shiro?" Jasmine asked, spotting Anna stumbling downstairs. It was a blessing not to have to hear the other Princess's snores. She'd barely gotten any sleep next to the other girl.
"Dunno," Anna yawned, looking around in confusion.
Deciding to find out, she hunted down the strange boy that Anna had brought with her, finding him seeing to his pet. Her fears were confirmed. Shiro had left with Merida earlier because the redhead had quickly become his most trusted ally. She'd spent the night in his bed, pleasuring him multiple times, but Merida had dethroned her by finding some stupid orb.
Anna clearly understood the threat Merida posed to their plans, even if the other girl was a decent fighter and would be useful going forward. What had Shiro said about granting her the skills of a stronger Jasmine? Maybe it was time to show him that she trusted him and go through with that plan of his.
"J-Jasmine?!" a voice said, making her turn to where Shiro and Merida were leading a stranger who was clearly an Agrabah citizen from his looks, and a poor one from his outfit.
"Friend of yours?" Shiro asked, looking between her and the scruffy boy.
"No," Jasmine said simply, making the boy blink, looking hurt.
"This guy just led some more Heartless into the Valley. Claims to be from Agrabah, so I was hoping that he'd be able to inform us of what is happening on the streets since my familiar stuck to the skies for the most part," Shiro explained. "What did you say your name was?"
"Aladdin, but- Jasmine, it's me! I don't- why doesn't she recognise me?" Aladdin asked, making Shiro pause.
"She lost some of her more recent memories after a nasty run-in with some Night Thorns. Still, it sounds like you will be a good source of information," Shiro said, making her frown as she examined him. He was just some street rat, how did he know her?
Soon enough, they were gathered in the larger living room as Shiro started his questioning and she listened to Aladdin's explanation of how he'd found the lamp.
"Wait, just to make sure I'm understanding everything. You got arrested, and you decided to trust a strange old man who just happened to know a way out… and followed him into a desert to find a magic lamp? And you didn't think any of that was strange?" Shiro asked, his tone dull as Aladdin flushed. "And how exactly did the lamp end up in Jafar's hands?"
"I- he stole it from me, I was going to free Genie, but that stupid parrot stole the lamp and-" Aladdin tried to explain, going silent as Shiro raised his hand.
Shiro mumbled some words, a flash of light engulfing Aladdin.
"Start again. Don't leave out a single detail. I will know if you do," Shiro said, a frown on his face. Aladdin looked to her, but she just raised an eyebrow. Shiro had obviously noticed something wrong, and Aladdin started his story again. He described meeting her after she ran away from the palace, how he had been tricked by Jafar into getting the lamp and gotten trapped in the Cave of Wonders.
Aladdin tried to dance around the next part, but Shiro was not so easily fooled. As Aladdin reluctantly continued, he explained how he had tried to use the Genie to pretend to be a prince, making Jasmine scowl.
As Aladdin continued, her scowl only grew.
"So, just to make sure I fully understand things. You found a magical lamp that could grant three wishes, and you immediately tried to use it to trick Jasmine into believing you were a Prince. Then, you tried to become Sultan by marrying her," Shiro said, with Aladdin trying to defend himself but going silent as Shiro raised his hand. "I'm not done. So, after you failed to con your way into the royal family, you, in a show of true genius, managed to lose the lamp to… a parrot despite having a genie with basically unlimited power on your side. Just to reiterate, three wishes of endless possibility and you somehow lost them to a parrot."
Shiro's voice was extremely flat, making Aladdin go red at the tired voice Shiro was speaking with. Jasmine however was seeing red, her glare only intensifying as she stared the conman down.
"And then, because you managed to misplace and lose the artefact of immeasurable power… to a bird, Jafar got his hands on the Genie and became both Sultan and the most powerful sorcerer in the world. This also led to the curse affecting Agrabah, Jasmine nearly being enslaved and raped by Jafar, and an entire mountain of other messes. Did I miss anything?" Shiro asked,
"That's- No, that's not what I-"
"So, you weren't trying to fool me into believing you were a Prince?" Jasmine cut in, watching Aladdin flounder. "You didn't get played for a fool by Jafar and then lose a Genie of immeasurable power?"
"I- I didn't mean for-"
"Easy, Jasmine," Shiro said, placing a hand on her shoulder as she took several deep breaths. "He's just a street rat, Jafar is the real villain, Aladdin was nothing more than a tool. Crowned or not, a street rat is always going to be a street rat," Shiro said with a disapproving tone. "I doubt Jafar even had to try that hard to trick him."
Aladdin looked like he wanted to argue, but nothing came out as he sunk into himself.
"If he'd just known his place and not tried to con his way into royalty… none of this would have happened," Jasmine said, her tone furious. She'd always hated it when her father had someone executed, but right now? She got it. Some people were too damn stupid to be allowed to live.
This ambitious failure of a con artist had doomed her home. Everyone who had died, died because some rat wanted to be sultan.
"Jasmine, it- that isn't-"
"Princess Jasmine, or Your Highness. You don't get to admit to trying to deceive me, doom my Kingdom, and then call me Jasmine like we're friends," Jasmine growled, rage filling her. "This rat doesn't know anything. Send him back through the rift, he can try and survive the chaos he caused."
"Jasmine," Shiro said, stroking her arm. "I know you're angry, but I won't let you send someone to their death in a moment of anger. Leave this to me, okay?"
Jasmine took a deep breath, smiled slightly at his reassuring tone, and then leaned up to softly kiss him on the lips.
"Aladdin, as badly as you've fucked up, you're still one of the only sources of information we have from Agrabah. I am trying to fix the mess Jafar has made. Tell me everything, no matter how small it seems," Shiro ordered, and she glared at Aladdin, making it clear that he had better do as Shiro said.
Aladdin's report from the streets of Agrabah was disheartening, and she was increasingly convinced that they should kick the little bastard right back out. They had enough problems without harbouring the lying bastard who'd caused this entire mess.
But one thing Aladdin said made her freeze, seeing everyone else do the same thing.
"...what do you mean you have the lamp?" Shiro asked, watching Aladdin reach into his clothes and pull out a dull golden lamp.
"I thought if I could get Genie back, he could fix this and snuck into the palace… Jafar was too busy dealing with the creatures, err, Heartless? So I snuck into his office and stole the lamp… but Genie doesn't seem to be listening," Aladdin said.
"Show it to me," Shiro said, and Aladdin hesitated, but Shiro just rose up and snatched it away. Shiro sat back down, examining the lamp with his magic. "It's empty."
"Wait, is Genie free?" Aladdin asked excitedly, making Shiro sigh.
"Aladdin, you do know that djinns are infamous for being malicious tricksters? If this Genie has escaped, it is likely worse than every other fuck up so far put together. All that power, without the limitations of the lamp? Nightmarish doesn't even begin to describe it," Shiro said bluntly.
"No, Genie isn't like-"
"You'll excuse me if I don't trust the word of someone who got outsmarted by a parrot," Shiro butted in, his tone deadpan. "I will be keeping this, as I don't trust you not to make matters worse. This lamp still has some of Genie's magic in it, maybe enough for me to put to use."
"But-"
"But nothing," Jasmine cut in, making him flinch back.
"You can stay with us, Aladdin. I don't have the Dreamlight to spare to make you a room, so you're crashing on the couch. Jasmine, come to my room in about an hour. I have an idea. I just want to see if it is viable first."
"Of course," Jasmine agreed, pleased that the power was in the hands of someone who could be trusted with it. Having seen that it hurt Aladdin last time to know he had failed in his con, she pulled Shiro in for another kiss.
– Shiro –
Examining the lamp carefully, I smile to myself. Genie stayed in this lamp for thousands of years, and even as empty as it is… it's saturated with the djinn's magic.
I give you a 50/50 chance of surviving this.
No. I will survive this, I can handle it.
Honestly, I'm mildly curious how this will go, so I'll allow it.
I have been absorbing magic from the Night Thorns on a regular basis, using them to enhance my own Dreamlight magic, but this? What could I get if I absorbed the leftover remnants of a genie?
Starting the process, my eyes widen as the magic burns my internal mana circuit. It's hard to explain the feeling. My magic was running on AA batteries, and I just plugged it directly into a nuclear reactor. My body just isn't ready to handle this level of power, Genie's immense power flooding both my body and soul as I push through the pain.
With the lamp in both hands, I grit my teeth and silence my scream. I can see the glowing streams of magic entering my hands, my veins glowing with golden energy as my eyes begin to glow. My mouth opens in a silent scream as light emits from it, my clothes tearing as they fail to withstand the power.
Fifty/fifty. That was what my system claimed. A coin flip.
The lamp drops to the floor with a heavy thud, shattering and breaking into golden specks of energy as I fall to my knees, gasping first and then laughing.
The coin landed on heads.
Race Change: Half-Djinn
You always were stupidly lucky.
It's not luck. It's just fate.