Forever Genie? - Part 7A

Svetlana was browsing the hotel's 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 office 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. They were Martha, David Schnürli, Stefania and Tony Melani. Instantly, Svetlana raced for the desk to get the purple bottle that was stored in the drawer. Also Stefania hurried for the bottle. Both women reached for the bottle at the same time. A short tug of war developed. Eventually Stefania won the bottle, but she couldn't hold it and the bottle flew through the air and landed in Tony's hands.
Meanwhile, David rushed to the desk to free his uncle.
While Stefania struggled to keep the balance after throwing the bottle towards her husband, Svetlana took the opportunity and hurried towards Tony. Just when Svetlana was about to tackle Tony, Stefania shouted: "Martha, freeze Svetlana, quickly!"

"With pleasure!" Martha blinked. Svetlana turned and raised her hands in defense, but to no avail. She couldn't move a fraction of an inch. Only her eyes, darting angrily from side to side, showed that Svetlana was still alive.

This delay gave Tony the opportunity to uncork the bottle. A purple mist streamed out of it and formed into the figure of Greorios.

"I'm the genie Gregorios, puny mortal. I'll grant you one wish and one wish only." The purple genie introduced himself.

"So you are the evil Gregorios who has kidnapped our beloved daughter?" Tony asked.

"How dare you! Do you have no idea what a powerful genie is capable of?" Gregorios threatened Tony.

"Indeed, I am. And I know that you not only have to grant me one wish, but also that you have to answer all of my questions truly as long as I hold your bottle." Tony declared.

Gregorios gnarled his teeth. "That's right, Master."

"Now answer me this question: Why do you help an evil woman like Svetlana?" Tony asked.

"Because she promised me to get revenge on the person who's the cause of all my misery." Gregorios replied.

"I guess that would be Martha, since she turned you into a genie?" Tony asked.

"No, it was the person who wrote the blackmail letter." Gregorios explained. "Without that letter, I would have never wished for the power and Martha could have never turned me into a genie."

"Interesting!" Tony replied. He turned to Martha. "Say, Martha, did you write that letter?"

"Certainly not!" Martha replied.

Tony nodded. "Then here comes my wish: I wish that you, Gregorios, know who wrote this letter."

Gregorios eyes opened wide. Then his face turned angry. "Svetlana!" he growled.

"Svetlana wrote that letter?" Martha asked.

"Yes, she did. She has seen how Bernard was transformed into a lobster. Then she found the shreds of his clothes in the dust bin. This was proof enough to blackmail me." Gregorios explained.

Tony smiled. "I think I know exactly what to wish for now..."

"Not so fast!" Gregorios interrupted him. "You already got your wish."

"But I still have my wish." Suddenly Stefania took the bottle from Tony's hands. Meanwhile, she had found her baby unharmed and had decided to leave it in the cradle for now. "Would you want to get revenge on Svetlana?"

Gergorios eyes flashed up. "More than anything in the world."

"Fine, if I don't need my wish otherwise, you can have that wish." Stefania replied. "Since I'm your mistress now, you are bound to answer me any question truthfully?"

"That is correct, mistress! I cannot lie to you as long as you hold my bottle."

Stefania needed a moment to formulate her question properly: "Is this baby in the cradle really my own child?"

"It is your daughter Calista." Gregorios was forced to answer.

"And lies any kind of magic on her that will have any effect whatsoever?"

"Except for the teleportation, I used no magic on her!" Gregorios answered again.

Stefania gave Martha a nod. The female genie walked over to the cradle and took the child in her arms to examine her. "He speaks the truth. Except for the residues of the teleportation, there is no magic on Calista." Martha reported.

"Very well. Then I keep my promise. I wish that Svetlana will be punished for her evil deeds the way Gregorios finds fitting." Stefania stated her wish.

"Thank you, mistress!" Gregorios said an blinked. First, Svetlana's clothes changed back into a French maid's dress. Then, starting with her legs, Svetlana's body turned transparent. While the transparency crept up Svetlana's body, her feet and legs turned into mist. Soon, Svetlana was a ghost in a maid's dress with a smoke tail for legs. To finish the transformation, golden bracelets appeared around her wrists.

With a wink by Martha, Svetlana could move again. "Nooo! What have you done?" she cried.

"For what you did to me, I turned you into a powerless ghost. From now on, you shall serve me as my slave and personal maid." Gregorios declared.
Svetlana's head sunk and she began to weep.

"Now we'll deal with your crimes, Gregorios."

David, who had meanwhile freed his uncle from the cage, pressed a button on the intercom. "Amelia, you can bring in Sami's lamp now."

The door opened and Amelia entered the office carrying Sami's lamp. She passed it to Tony.

Tony rubbed the lamp and Sami appeared. "Sami, it's time to settle accounts. Svetlana has already been punished by Gregorios. 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 against 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. Before he was sucked in, Gregorios grabbed Svetlana's wrist. "You're coming with me!" Then the bottle merciless sucked him and Svetlana inside. "I'll get back on you, Samiiiiii......" Gregorios shouted before he and Svetlana 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.
"Thank you from me too." Stefania added. "If you don't mind, I'll go and take care of my child now."
"I'll come with you, my dear." Tony said. The young couple left the hotel.

"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 but 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. "Thanks to all of you. 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…