Forever Genie? - Part 7B

Svetlana was browsing the hotels files in her office. On the desk, there was a small cage containing the shrunken former owner of the hotel, M. Sprüngli. And in a cradle in one corner of the hotel lay the child that Svetlana had brought back from Italy. Svetlana was quite content with how her plan was developing so far. Suddenly a group of four persons appeared in her office. Svetlana recognized them as Martha, David Schnürli, Tony Melani and Amelia Maus. Svetlana rushed for the desk to fetch Gregorios' bottle from the drawer. David and Tony ran too to stop her, but Amelia, who stood next to Svetlana and could have easily stopped her, hesitated. Eventually Svetlana won the race. Before her opponents could reached her, Svetlana had fetched the purple bottle and had uncorked it. A cloud of purple smoke streamed out of the bottle and formed into the shape of Gregorios. "Quick, Gregorios, freeze them!"

Gregorios blinked and Amelia, David and Tony froze in their tracks. Quickly, Svetlana took Martha's lamp from Tony's hands. "Ops!" Svetlana said and turned towards Martha. "I'm surprised you saw through my plot so fast. Well, it doesn't matter now. Your friends are in my hand. And if you don't want to see them disappear, you have to transfer all your powers to Gregorios."

"Never!" Martha yelled back.

"Oh, let's see who will be your first friend to be transformed." Svetlana teased Martha. "Do you want to choose or shall we ask your friends." Svetlana smiled. Then she nodded to Gregorios. "Let them speak again."

First to answer was David. "Martha will never yield to such a threat."

"Yes, Martha, don't give in." Tony agreed.

"You'll find a way to defeat this cowardly lame-duck." Amelia said.

"Look what we got here: The mouse that roared." Svetlana replied. "Did you finally grew a spine, Amelia?"

"Sure! Something you never had." Amelia replied. "Or you wouldn't hide behind Gregorio's powers."

"Seems we have our first volunteer. Time to cut you down to size, Amelia. To mouse-size!" She turned to Gregorios. "Gergorios, can you please transform Amelia back into a mouse. So I can kill her in front of Martha's eyes?"

"As you wish." Gregorios smiled. He blinked and unleashed a chain of purple lightning on Amelia.
The lightning hit Amelia and for a moment, it seemed the magic would take hold. But then the purple lighting bounced back from Amelia and head towards Svetlana. The lightning struck home. It engulfed Svetlana. Svetlana's body dwindled and disappeared into her expensive designer suit. Eventually, only a small bulge in one of the suit's arms remained visible. The bulge moved towards the sleve. Eventually, a white mouse crawled out. Martha blinked and the mouse levitated through the air right into her hand.

"Is that Svetlana? But how...?" David asked.

"I can explain that." Amelia replied. "After Sami turned me back into a human last year, I asked Martha for some protection against malevolent magic. Martha put a protection spell on me that reflects all kind of malevolent magic on its cause. In this case, Svetlana was the cause, as she wished for me to be turned into a mouse. Now, the wish was reflected on her and now, she's the mouse."

"What a fitting punishment." David said.

"True, but what shall we do with her now?" Tony ask.

"She wanted to kill Amelia. Let's kill her in turn. Besides, I can't tolerate such vermin in my hotel." David proposed.

"No!" Amelia contradicted. "She might be a mouse now, but we should be fair. Let her go and give her a chance to survive as a mouse. It will be hard enough for her anyway."

"That sounds fair." Tony agreed.

"Yeah, she should get that chance." Martha said.

"I'm not sure..." David said. "You know what problems with mice we have in the hotel."

"If she's killed by a mousetrap, I don't mind. But if we kill her now, we are not better than her." Amelia replied.

"Ok, you're right." David gave in. "Martha, let her go!"

Martha kneeled down and released the mouse, which quickly run for cover. "Good luck, Svetlana. You'll need it."

Next, David took Gregorio's bottle. "Now we'll deal with your crimes, Gregorios." He turned to Tony. "It's your turn now."

Tony produced Sami's lamp and rubbed it. "Sami, it's time to settle accounts. Svetlana has already been punished. Now we have to deal with the purple jinn. What punishment do you see appropriate?"

Sami thought for a moment. If this was a human, a fitting, permanent transformation would be appropriate. But Gregorios was a genie slave like him. Sami didn't like Gregorios for his hatred agains Martha, but only a Genie Lord could take away Gregorios powers. "Let's lock him away for a very long time. He might think about what he has done. One or two-thousand years would be appropriate."

"A wise verdict!" Tony said. All the other agreed. "Then I wish that Gregorios will be locked away in his lamp for 2000 years."

"Your wish is granted!" Sami blinked.

Instantly, the bottle began to suck Gregorios inside. The purple genie resisted with all his power. But soon, it was obvious that was losing the fight. The bottle merciless sucked him inside. "I'll get back on you, Samiiiiii......" Gregorios shouted before he completely disappeared into the bottle. The cork magically closed the bottle neck and a purple glow indicated, that the bottle was now magically sealed.

"Thank you Sami. That will take care of him." Tony said. "If you excuse me, I'll go and see my wife now." Tony left the office with his daughter on his arm.

"Aren't you afraid he will be out for revenge when he gets out?" Martha asked.

"He will. But you don't have to be afraid. In 2000 years, you will be much stronger than him, since he can't practice his powers inside his prison you can in the human world. He could never overpower you." Sami explained.

Martha hugged Sami. "Thank you very much."

"Err, Martha, I don't want to spoil your victory celebration but I need your help here." David interfered. "Martha, can you grant me my three wishes?"

"Sure David, what do you want?"

"First, I wish that you restore my uncle to his original size." David said.

"Your wish is granted." Martha blinked and the tiny M. Sprüngli grew back to his original size.

"Thank you David for rescuing me." M. Sprüngli replied. "Thank you to all of you." he thanked the rest of the group. "Now you have to wish the hotel back into our families possession, David."

"Why that?" David asked. "Aren't you?"

"No, I'm not the owner. Technically, Svetlana still owns the hotel." M. Sprüngli explained.

"I see. Martha, I wish that my uncle is the owner of the hotel again." David said. Martha blinked and granted that wish too.

"David, I think it's time to retire." M. Sprüngli declared. "If you like, you can take over the hotel."

"Wow! I don't know what to say, uncle. But... Will you help me if I have questions?" David replied.

"Sure David. I'll retire but I will continue to live in the hotel." M. Sprüngli. "That's my condition."

"Of course, Uncle." David said. Then he turned to Martha.
"Martha, here comes my final wish: I give my final wish to you to fulfill your hearts biggest desire.

Martha was speechless. "You give me a wish?" Thousand possibilities ran through her head. She could be human again, or a free genie. Or she could free Sami. Or use the wish in a beneficial way for all. David said the wish shall fulfill he hearts biggest desire. Martha listened to her heart and made her wish...

TO BE CONCLUDED...

Part 6: hippo2.deviantart.com/art/Fore…

Ending 1 (Goddess, Humanity, Tree): hippo2.deviantart.com/art/Endi…
Ending 2 (Mouse, Humanity, Maid): hippo2.deviantart.com/art/Endi…
Ending 3 (Goddess, Humanity, Maid): hippo2.deviantart.com/art/Endi…
Ending 4 (Goddess, Geniedom, Tree): hippo2.deviantart.com/art/Endi…
Ending 5 (Mouse, Humanity, Tree, Girl): hippo2.deviantart.com/art/Endi…
Ending 6 (Mouse, Humanity, Tree, Earrings): hippo2.deviantart.com/art/Endi…
Ending 7 (Mouse, Geniedom, Tree, Earrings): hippo2.deviantart.com/art/Endi…
Ending 8 (Mouse, Geniedom, Tree, Girl): hippo2.deviantart.com/art/Endi…