“Follow the path long since forgotten by those whose hearts are withered and rotten. Descend down the winding corridor and cross the cold marble floor. Past many rooms filled with temptation lies the fabled destination. Enter only the chamber in which can be heard; that which is needed most by man, beast, and bird. Approach the chamber of judgment with awe; for inside there is but one law. Greed is not welcome there; one reward is all that will be spared. One desire is granted; one wish fulfilled, but joyous minds may need to be stilled. For if a vessel has a vacancy; someone to fill it there needs to be. Be wary traveler and remember this first; the genies blessing could quickly become a curse.”

The palace buzzed with excitement. Gossiping whispers could be heard softly echoing through the corridors and back hallways as word quickly spread of the princes’ engagement. The maids and guards of the castle could hardly contain themselves as they went about their daily tasks.

Can you believe it Lucky? The prince is finally engaged. This means that he’s legitimately in line for the throne now as his marriage would satisfy the only stipulation for succession.” said a female calico feline as she changed the sheets on a modest sized bed. “I know Maneki. I’ve heard the same stories you have remember? The Sultan of the country shall not take up the title without a woman by his side.” replied another female; a cream furred cat as she cleaned the silver knickknacks on the shelf. “Oh. I’m sorry Luck. It’s just very exciting news.” replied the calico. “Just imagine the ceremony. I wonder if we’ll be invited.” she continued more to herself than anyone. Luck only shook her head at her friend’s enthusiasm. Everyone in the kingdom loved the prince and the royal family. The country has prospered for decades under their leadership. So the news that the family will continue to do so is a big deal indeed. It’s been long decreed that the successor to the throne will be either the son or daughter of the previous Sultan but only after they are able to find true love. The two felines continued to work and soon had the guest room spic and span. They turned to leave the room and came were surprised to run into Shalik, the captain of the royal guard standing outside the room.

“Good morning ladies.” said the rat male with a bow. He was well toned. A scar present on his left eye from a past battle stood out against his gray fur. Short black hair was present on his head as well, graying slightly with age. “Good morning Captain Shalik. We were just finishing tidying this guestroom.” said Maneki a little nervously. “You did a fine job, but I have another job for you both. One of utmost importance.” he said in a whisper. “What kind of job sir?” asked Luck curiously. “It’s a special mission from the Sultan himself. He wants me to pick someone to go deep into the Accoladian ruins to secure something of legend for him.” replied Captain Shalik. “Something of legend?” asked both females together confused. “Have you ever heard this adage? ‘Follow the path long since forgotten by those whose hearts are withered and rotten. Descend down the winding corridor and cross the cold marble floor. Past many rooms filled with temptation lies the fabled destination. Enter only the chamber in which can be heard; that which is needed most by man, beast, and bird. Approach the chamber of judgment with awe; for inside there is but one law. Greed is not welcome there, one reward is all that will be spared.’” asked the male curiously. “No.” said both girls together again as they shook their heads confused. “Alright then I’ll let you both in on a little secret. This mission is to awaken the genie that sleeps in the Accoladian catacombs and secure the wish for the Sultan.” he explained. Maneki and Luck looked first at each other then back at the Captain skeptically. “What? Don’t look at me like that. The information I received came from the Sultan himself. What reason would he have to lie? Obviously such a mission cannot be trusted to just anyone. I’m entrusting you both with it because I feel that I can trust you both more than any of the other guards or maids.” he replied to their stares. “No offence Captain, but why not go on this mission yourself?” asked Maneki. “I will be on a special mission of my own starting tomorrow. So what do you say? Do you accept the mission?” asked the rat insistently. “If it’s for the Sultan or the Prince then yes of course we accept.” replied Luck seriously, earning a nod from Maneki. “Very good. The chamber is in the deepest recess of the Accoladian ruins. I will leave the instructions for you tonight. You can set out tomorrow. Carry on.” he replied. Maneki and Luck bowed to the male before taking their leave, wondering just what kind of adventure they were being sent on.

The sun rose over the desert the next day and brought two cloaked figures into light. Maneki and Luck rode camels over dunes cloaked in cloth that protected them from both the hot sun and the harmful desert wind. They had made considerable progress since before dawn and were nearing their destination. “Look. There’s the ruins.” said Luck pointing into the near distance. There were the remains of buildings jutting out of the sand of the desert.

They reached the buildings and following the instructions given to them found their way to the side steeple of a half buried palace. The two friends marveled at the size of the structure and found one of the windows to be uncovered. They lit torches and slipped inside. The inside was remarkably cool compared to the outside. “So what do the instructions say?” asked Luck as she turned around to face her calico friend. Maneki removed her hood and took out the scroll of paper to read it. “Walk to the throne room and look just behind the throne.” she began reading as Luck removed her own hood. The pair followed the instructions and soon found themselves in the throne room. Behind the throne was a small stone jutting out above the others in the floor. Slowly Maneki stepped on it, depressing it into the floor. “The doorway will open in the floor to stairs leading down further into the catacombs. There is a similar switch on the left wall just below the door for going back up.” read Maneki aloud. She and Luck looked at each other and took a deep breath before venturing forward.

“What do you think the Sultan is going to wish for?” asked Maneki curiously as they descended the winding stairs into the darkness. “I don’t know. Knowing him he’ll probably wish a long rule and happy life for the prince.” replied Luck. “The king really does love the prince doesn’t he?” asked Maneki thinking aloud. “He’s not the only one.” replied Luck teasingly. “Wh-What? What are you talking about Lucky?” asked Maneki a bit embarrassed now. “Don’t think I haven’t seen you stealing glances at him while you worked.” replied Luck with a smirk. “Well…yeah…but I’ve seen you stare at him too during his training sessions with the royal guard.” responded Maneki copping her own smirk at the slight blush that appeared on her friend’s face. “Well…I…” stammered the cream colored feline before a slight glow caught both of their attentions.

The staircase they were descending had ended and given way to a long hall. They looked forward and beheld a short row of rooms. There were two on each side with a main chamber at the end of the hall. Maneki produced the instructions again and read them again. “You must ignore anything you see in this hallway. Only go into the room in which you hear running water.” she read. “Running water?” asked Luck confused as she looked around. They walked to the first room and peered inside. Their eyes widened at the glow coming back at them. Glinting from the light of their torches was a small mountain of gold. The pair looked at each other and then remembered their mission. They shook their heads and pressed on. The second room was full of food. Local and exotic foods filled the room, enticing and delicious aromas wafted from the center of the room. Maneki’s nose turned up quickly as the smell hit her. She sniffed the air softly as she stepped forward unconsciously only to have her hand grabbed and yanked back by Luck. “S-Sorry Lucky. I’m a bit hungry.” she said sheepishly as her stomach growled lightly. “Here; Have some.” said the cream colored feline producing from her cloak a piece of dried meat. Maneki’s eyes lit up at the sight of the food as she thanked her friend and took it quickly. The pair ignored the room with the food and pressed on. The third room held exotic garments. Pure silk, satin, and velvet lined the walls and the floor. If one was to sell them they would no doubt be rich beyond imagination. They gulped audibly as they slowly pulled themselves away from the room. The final room was just ahead. There was still a room between them and it, but they could already see the contents of the main chamber at the end of the hallway. Gold, jewels, exotic food and garments were everywhere in the room. Could this be the reward for ignoring all of the other rooms? A dripping sound made both feline’s ears twitch as they almost stepped past the fourth room. They turned to see a simple fountain constantly spewing water into a small reservoir below it. “This must be it.” said Maneki re-reading the instructions. Torches around the room lit themselves up as they stepped inside, showcasing a simple altar in the middle of the chamber. Markings and symbols were painted all over the walls, but the altar and fountain were the only other notable things about the room. They looked around the unfurnished chamber and wondered why it was so bare when compared to the other rooms they had seen on the way here. On the altar sat two fancy looking glass bottles. Below the altar were two grooves, on each of which sat half of a chalice jutting out of the altar itself. “The felines looked curiously at the stone cups before Maneki brought out the instructions again. “Pick up the bottles and rub them at the same time to awaken the myth.” said the final sentence. Maneki and Luck looked at each other before doing as instructed. They picked up the bottles and marveled at how smooth the glass was before softly rubbing them.

A bright light shined from the bottles as soon as this was done, startling both females quickly. They dropped the bottles, and covered their eyes instinctively. The bottles fell back onto the altar but did not shatter. Maneki and Luck groaned as the light began to dim, but when the glow was gone they were shocked to find golden shackles on their wrists. “Lucky?” asked Maneki frightened as she noticed this. “Screw this mission. Let’s get out of here ‘Neki!” came Luck’s hurried reply as they both turned to run. They got two steps before feeling their arms pulled back, stopping them. They turned to see golden chains connecting their shackles to the two bottles. “What the…” asked Maneki alarmed as she saw this. A third shackle appeared around their tails, also connected to their respective bottle. “What’s going on?!?” asked Luck as she felt herself pulled back toward the bottle at a constant rate.

Both females were dragged slowly back by the chains as they struggled to keep their footing. Maneki screamed as she looked down at her feet, realizing that they were disappearing. Her legs starting from her feet were transforming into a wispy red smoke that was being sucked into the bottle. Luck was horrified as she looked down at her feet to see the same change happening to them, a green smoke connecting her to her bottle now. Their cloaks and clothes disappeared, leaving them nude in their struggles against what was happening. A gold shackle-like piece encircled each feline’s long brown hair, tying it into a long flowing ponytail. A collar appeared around their necks next. The tag on Maneki’s was a Japanese coin, and Luck’s was a four leaf clover.

Maneki and Luck were both in tears as they cried for help. They knew no one would come to their rescue, but they couldn’t help it. A cold feeling sent a shiver up both of their spines as a gold line started at the small of their backs, and flowing slowly around them came to rest as spirals over their nipples before solidifying into a golden bra of sorts. They were very revealing, but covered them as well. A jewel suspended by a chain between the spirals of the bra glittered in the light. A similar golden belt appeared around their waists, seemingly separating the solid and smoke parts of their bodies. The pull on their bodies from the bottles intensified as the change completed. They both had changed into genies themselves. They each turned a tear soaked eye to the other as they reached for each other. As they touched, both bottles glowed as if each was reacting to the other female before pulling them fully inside. The bottles themselves glowed as they began to undergo a change. Gold filament lined the edges of the bottles; providing an elegant contrast to the red and green masses of smoke now shifting in them endlessly. A small series of Japanese coins appeared lining Maneki’s red bottle at the same time as a four leaf clover appeared on Luck’s; matching the tags on their collars. A loud rumbling sound filled the room next as the bottles began to descend into the altar; a new stone slab sliding over the two openings once they had fully disappeared into them. The room quickly grew silent as the torches on the walls slowly went out one by one. A minute later the chamber was awash in darkness, just as the rest of the catacombs had been.

Days passed, time passing at a very different interval here. A week later and footsteps could be heard coming down the hallway toward the chamber. The torches on the walls once again lit themselves up as the figure of a male rat entered the room. He looked around suspiciously as he smirked to himself.

Maneki sat in her bottle, her smoke figure pulled up to her chest. She didn’t know how long she had been trapped in the bottle. Time meant nothing to her now as she found that she no longer needed food or water. She had tried countless times to escape. The bottle opening was not corked, but an invisible force kept her from freely leaving the confines of her glass prison. Inscribed on the inside of the bottle was the rhyme the Captain had told them before setting them out on this “mission” but there was more; a warning that he hadn’t told them about. “Follow the path long since forgotten by those whose hearts are withered and rotten. Descend down the winding corridor and cross the cold marble floor. Past many rooms filled with temptation lies the fabled destination. Enter only the chamber in which can be heard; that which is needed most by man, beast, and bird. Approach the chamber of judgment with awe; for inside there is but one law. Greed is not welcome there; one reward is all that will be spared. One desire is granted; one wish fulfilled, but joyous minds may need to be stilled. For if a vessel has a vacancy; someone to fill it there needs to be. Be wary traveler and remember this first; the genies blessing could quickly become a curse.” “Why?…” she thought to herself before a rumbling noise filled her ears. She looked around the smoke filled bottle alarmed, unable to see outside the little world inside the glass. She heard the squeaking of a hand rubbing glass and felt an upward force begin to pull her toward the bottle’s opening.

The stale dusty air of the catacomb chamber filled her nose as she found herself outside, floating just above the bottle. Her vision was a little blurry and she shook her head to focus better. What she saw when she opened her eyes surprised her. “Captain Shalik?” she asked as she came around. The rat was rubbing a green bottle now, and a few seconds later emerged Luck as well, but she was not so confused. “You rodent bastard! How dare you!?!” she shouted angrily as she saw the rat guard. “It’s nice to see you both too.” he said smugly. “Lucky?” asked Maneki confused. “He did this on purpose. He wanted this to happen to us.” said Luck, her fangs bared. Maneki gasped softly as she heard this. Was it true? “I see you’ve heard the second part of the rhyme then?” asked Shalik. “Heard it? It’s been in my face, taunting me for who knows how long since you sent us here into this trap.” she snapped. “The rules of this chamber dictate that any person may only enter this chamber once in their life. I had to be sure that the curse has been shouldered by someone, and that only blessings would remain for those who come after; starting with Me.” he said, dismissing her anger. “I’ll show you a curse!” she replied quickly. Her claws unsheathed as she lunged at him. Her arms snapped back however as she got within feet of him, the chains on her shackles stopping her fast. “Wh-What?” she asked shocked as she looked back at the taught chains holding her back. “Confused? One of the most well known genie rules; a genie shall not do harm to their master.” he explained. “You are no master of mine.” replied Luck quickly. “On the contrary. I became master to both of you the second I rubbed your bottles, and I shall remain your master until our business concludes here and I have been granted my wishes.” he said seriously. “That’s what this is all about? You wanted wishes? This was never for the Sultan was it?” asked Maneki. “No. It was all for me. When I said that I trusted you two for this ‘mission’ I wasn’t serious. It could have been anyone. You both just were the first two I came across that were gullible enough to fall for it. After all, someone had to bear the curse so that I could reap the blessings.” he said with a smug smile that made Luck’s blood boil. “Why you…” “How did you know about all of this? Where did you get this information?” asked Maneki, cutting off Luck to ask her question. “I told you. My info came from the Sultan himself. He confided in me the secrets of this chamber long ago. After all he was the last one to enter this chamber, and subsequently; the one who freed the previous genies from the curse. One was even so grateful to him as to stay with him as his wife.” he answered to the surprise of both females. “Queen Isaiah was a genie?” asked Maneki quickly. “Yes. But she was freed. Which is more than I can say for the two of you.” said the rat in response.

“What do you want from us? What are you trying to accomplish by doing all of this?” asked Luck exasperated. “You will understand shortly. Now then Maneki; you will grant my first wish. I wish for you to whip up a major sandstorm, one from which there will be no escape for those caught in it. Send it out into the desert to the Oasis of Kala.” he said. Maneki’s eyes glowed as she felt an energy welling up within her. “What’s happening?” she asked as sand began to flow around them in fierce winds. They covered their eyes as the wind circled the room before leaving through the chamber door and heading down the hall. “What was that?” asked Luck confused. “That was Maneki utilizing her new genie powers to grant my wish. You see as long as it’s wished by your master, neither of you have a choice in what wish is granted.” he explained. “B-But why did you wish for that storm?” asked the calico confused. “It’s very simple. That storm you summoned is heading for the Oasis of Kala, where the prince is currently resting on his journey home from visiting his beloved fiancé with a small constituent of guards. But they will be unable to protect him from the coming storm that you summoned.” he said with a smirk. Maneki’s eyes shrank in disbelief. “No…” she replied absently as she heard these words. “You’re trying to kill the prince of the kingdom? Why? You’re the captain of the royal guard.” asked Luck confused. “Yes I am, and with the help of you lovely ladies I will become Sultan.” he replied seriously. “Like hell we’ll help you.” said Luck defiantly. “It’s amusing that you think that you have a choice. The prince’s fate is already sealed by the storm Maneki summoned. The Sultan will be distraught at the loss. First his lovely wife a few years ago, and now his son. He’ll be unable to produce another offspring before he succumbs to his own failing health, and as you both know there are only two ways to ascend the throne. You have to either be the wedded heir of the previous Sultan, or if the first way is unfulfilled before the Sultan dies; the throne shall go to the first unopposed person to claim it, and as the captain of the guard, who is going to oppose me?” he asked smugly.

“You’re insane.” said Maneki, not wanting to believe what she’d just heard. “No. I’m just taking what I have earned over the past thirty years of serving his highness. Now to make sure no one will oppose me once the time comes. Luck I wish for unparalleled strength and endurance. Make me stronger than anyone else in the kingdom, and beyond!” he announced. Luck shivered as she felt her magic power building within her. She didn’t want to grant this wish, but it didn’t seem as if she had much of a choice in the matter. Her eyes glowed as the male’s body began to warp and change shape.

Shalik groaned as he grew taller, his form becoming stronger by the second. His muscles grew larger, and more defined as seconds passed. “Now nothing will be able to stand in my way!” he shouted triumphantly, flexing his stronger form and laughing happily. Luck held a look of anger on her face as she witnessed his change. Maneki closed her eyes and turned away, not wanting to believe that this was actually happening. “Thank you to you both for making my desires possible. Sorry to say that we’ll never meet again.” said the rat as he turned to leave.

A loud thud echoed through the room as his foot hit the ground. The male froze as he looked down quickly. He was unable to lift his left leg. Maneki and Luck gasped at what they all saw. Shalik’s left leg had turned to stone. The rat screamed out in fear as the petrified portion of his leg began to spread upwards. He turned to look back at the two feline genies quickly. “What…have you done to me?” he asked. “I-I didn’t do anything. Did you Lucky?” asked Maneki confused. “We haven’t done anything.” said Luck seriously, folding her arms and thinking. The bottles connected to Maneki and Luck began to glow softly, capturing everyone’s attention. Out of the bottles shot a bright light that illuminated an area of the chamber. Words began to form on the walls, lit up by the light. It was the rhyme from before. Only now a couple of lines glowed brighter than the others. “Approach the chamber of judgment with awe; for inside there is but one law. Greed is not welcome there, one reward is all that will be spared.” “Wh-What…You mean I broke some kind of law? But the Sultan said that he’d made two wishes as well and nothing happened to him!” shouted Shalik angrily as his torso was petrified next, the afflicted area constantly moving toward his head. “Did he actually use both wishes on himself, or to further his own goals?” asked Luck curiously. “What?” asked the male confused. “You said that the Sultan freed the genies. Perhaps that’s what stopped him from suffering the same fate you are.” said Maneki next. “No…This isn’t how it was supposed to go…This isn’t happening!” shouted the rat as the petrification took over his head, his scream tapering off suddenly. Maneki and Luck stared for a moment before his rock body burst into dust. The two females covered their eyes from the burst quickly. When they opened their eyes, there was not a trace of the deceitful rodent.

The words on the walls faded softly as a familiar pulling on their lower bodies registered in their minds. “Looks like it’s time to go back.” said Luck wistfully. “Lucky…” said Maneki sadly. “I know ‘Neki…It’s not fair. The prince will be dead shortly, and we’re trapped here all because of his selfish whims, but we’re still alive. And we still have each other. Never forget that I am always here for you.” said Luck as she was pulled back into her bottle. Maneki shed a tear as she watched her friend disappear before feeling the suction on her own body intensify. “That’s right. We always have each other.” said the calico as she felt herself pulled into her own bottle, her new home, her prison. The chamber fell back into silence as the torches once again went out. The two bottles descended into the altar to wait for the next traveler to come across it.

Time passed in the chamber as days turned to months, and months into years. The only respite the two felines would get from their confinement is every once in a while when a traveler would stumble onto or seek out the chamber and manage to summon them. But unlike with Shalik, they were never summoned at the same time anymore. They would be forced to grant a single wish for the traveler before being sucked back into their bottle. It was a simple routine, and was their new life until one day.

“Journal entry seventy-three; I have made my way down the winding stairway as directed by the rhyming clue. There were chambers filled with expensive and luxurious items I could have grabbed, but I’ve ignored them to continue to look as the record stated I should do.” said a male voice echoing through the catacombs. “If I’m correct, this is the chamber that should house the genie’s vessel.” he said as a figure stepped into the chamber. The torches on the walls lit up as he stepped into the room, surprising the canine male quickly. “The torches on the walls have spontaneously lit themselves as if reacting to my presence; fascinating.” said the gray and white furred male. He was a wolfox. He had lightning shaped markings on his muzzle and a fountain pen mark on his tail tip. He wore simple light clothing, khaki shorts, a t-shirt and fedora. A voice recorder stuck out of his shirt pocket and he held a camera in his hands as he looked around the chamber amazed. “An altar stands before me, interesting design, there are cup-like protrusions jutting from the sides of it.” he recorded as he moved around the room snapping pictures of various things. “Looking at the markings on the wall there is a ritual of sorts that is supposed to take place in this chamber. An offering of water it seems.” he said looking at the language and the pictures painted onto the walls. “Now my information; which supposedly came from the last recorded person to come to this location several hundred years ago stated that he’d poured water from his canteen into the cup-like protrusion on left side of the altar. My first thought is to recreate the action, but what I’m reading on the wall points to an altogether different method. The markings indicate that there is a way to fill both cups simultaneously. Now the way they are positioned, there is no way to do so without a helper present. But if I’m reading these markings correctly…” he said as he examined the wall before moving over to the altar again. He moved his hands over the smooth marble of the stone structure and gasped as he came across a loose piece of stone. Dust and grime caked the grooves so thoroughly that it would have been nearly impossible to see with the naked eye. Slowly he depressed the stone, causing a rumble to fill the chamber as the stone cups detached from the altar, each half of a cup popping free of grooves also long since hidden from easy view. The wolfox smiled delighted as he saw this. “This is incredible. The stone cup-like protrusions I mentioned before have come loose and separated from the altar itself. Putting them together back to back makes a whole cup. I wonder if this is how the offering is supposed to be given.” he said as he turned to see the fountain behind him still spewing water from an unknown source. Slowly he approached it and held the newly whole cup under the stream, it filling with water quickly. He held the shafts together so as not to let any water spill and approached the altar with it. “The recorded event stated that although the man could never find this place again, he remembered what happened completely. When he filled the cup the chamber rumbled and a stone slab in the top of the altar moved back as a red bottle was produced from within it. Upon rubbing the bottle a beautiful female calico cat appeared that resembled a genie from mythology. She granted the traveler one wish which was to fix his ailing health before being drawn back into the bottle, and then back into the altar. Let’s see if the same happens today.” he said as he placed the cup on the circular groove on the altar.

The chamber rumbled loudly, shaking the wolfox as he looked around quickly. He eyed the distance he stood from the doorway just in case. A sudden movement caught his attention as he turned back to face the altar. Two areas began to slide back, revealing openings in the altar top as the cup from before began to descend into the altar. The wolfox raised an eyebrow as he beheld not one but two bottles rise to the surface of the altar through the openings; one red, and the other green. “This is incredible. Given the recorded testimony given by the witness that he never could find this place again once he left it I was inclined to believe everything he’d said as a lie, but I have witnessed with my own eyes two elaborately decorated glass bottles emerge from the altar. I wonder if the rest of what he said is true as well. Only one way to find out.” he said as he reached forward, and rubbed both bottles at the same time.

Thick red and green smoke spewed upwards from the openings of both bottles and surrounded the wolfox quickly. He looked around surprised as the twin smoke plumes circled him and the altar for a minute. They both suddenly came to a stop before him on either side of the altar and the smoke began to dissipate; revealing the upper halves of two female felines. Both were facing the other, and had their arms crossed and their eyes closed. Maneki was the first to open her eyes, and the sight of Luck floating right in front of her surprised her. “Lucky!” shouted the calico quickly, happily. “’Neki?” asked Luck just as fast, opening her eyes to behold her friend. The two embraced each other; joyous at their reunion. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen you.” said Luck with a smile. Maneki returned the smile before a flash caught both of their attentions. “This is amazing. The record was correct of there being a genie here, but I’ve uncovered a secret. There are not one, but two genies here.” said the male absently as he snapped a few photos of the girls and the bottles they were connected to by smoke. “Ah that would be our new master wouldn’t it? Well we’d better see what he wants. Maybe we can get him to hold off on wishing for a little...” said Luck dismissively, before raising an eyebrow. Maneki held a look of shock on her face as she looked at the face of the wolfox. “What’s the matter ‘Neki? You look as if you’ve seen a ghost.” said Luck seriously. “I just might have. Is it just me, or does this male look just like…” “Prince Elsly…” said Luck absently; cutting off her friend. “I’m sorry, did you say something?” asked the male before blinking surprised as the calico female bowed to him quickly. “I am profoundly sorry my prince. Please punish me in any way you see fit.” she said quickly, tears in her eyes. “Prince? Punish you? What are you talking about?” asked the wolfox confused. “Let me explain. A long time ago, when we were first made genies she was wished upon by the one who tricked us into this to conjure a sandstorm that was aimed at the then prince of our kingdom; Prince Elsly. A wolfox like yourself that you bear a striking resemblance to. The only difference I see is the mark on your tail. He had no such mark.” explained Luck quickly. “Ah I see. Well my name is Sly, but I am no prince.” he replied. “I…I’m sorry…” said Maneki as she rose and floated backwards a little bit, her right arm gripping her left behind her back. “Are you alright?” asked Sly quickly, seeing the sad expression on her face. Maneki nodded softly to him in response. “She has likely harbored much guilt these many years from that wish. It was something she never would have granted if she’d had a choice. Especially since it was aimed at someone she loved and revered.” explained Luck. Sly stood awestruck. He couldn’t believe all that he’d just heard. “Wait, you said that you both were tricked into becoming genies? How?” he asked suddenly. “If you’ve found your way here, you’ve likely heard the Accoladian rhyme associated with this chamber. Have you?” asked Luck calmly. “Yes. I am familiar with it.” replied the male. “The last lines of the rhyme speak of a vessel being empty and needing someone to fill it. We were tricked into coming down here by the then captain of the royal guard and when we arrived, these bottles you see below us were empty. When we rubbed them as instructed; well you can surmise what came next.” explained Luck flicking the shackles on her wrists to accentuate her point. “And you’ve been down here since? How long have you been here?” asked Sly curiously. “I believe the year was 1053. What year is it now?” asked the feline. “2013; so almost a millennium.” he said. Both felines nodded sadly at this realization.

“Is there any way to get you out of here?” he asked seriously. “We can’t go very far from our bottles.” explained Maneki as she flew toward the doorway only for the same golden chains to appear on her shackles and hold her in place. “What if I took your bottle with me?” asked Sly trying to pick up the red bottle, only to find that it weighed a ton. “So much for that plan.” he said softly to himself. “We’ve tried escaping on our own, and I don’t know about ‘Neki, but I’ve gotten a couple travelers to try to free me with their wish under the guise of getting more wishes if I was free, but that only ended with a revocation of the wish itself for being greedy on their part.” said Luck. “That was part of the rhyme. Greed is not welcome here. I don’t buy this. There has to be a way to break this curse. You said that the bottles were empty when you both arrived here. Where did the previous genies go?” asked Sly seriously. “The man that tricked us said that our Sultan Rasheed had freed the genies before us with a wish, but neglected to mention how. I’m sorry but this is becoming very depressing, you have two wishes. One from me and one from ‘Neki. Please use them wisely.” said Luck. “Ah! Prince…Master…Sly…I implore you not to use both wishes on yourself or for your benefit alone. Something terrible happened to the last person that did that.” said Maneki quickly, softly. “I refuse to give up. There has to be a clue in this room. I can translate the words, symbols, and phrases in this room, but you both can read them easily right?” he said seriously. Both felines nodded at the question. “Then help me figure out a way to help you. What do those markings mean?” he asked, pointing to an area of the wall behind the altar. “It says ‘Greed will be punished.’” said Maneki. “And those?” he asked pointing. “Genies cannot free themselves.” read Luck. “Alright now we’re getting somewhere. Going by what you said about your Sultan freeing the previous genies with a wish, and what you said about wishes to free a genie resulting in revocation of the wish itself, it’s likely that there is a specific way to wish you free. Anything else?” asked Sly thinking. “The captain said that Sultan Rasheed got two wishes. He was the last to summon both genies at the same time.” said Luck. “Alright. So having you both here is key to it. Because my information said that a previous traveler was only able to summon you.” said Sly pointing at Maneki. “What else do the markings say?” asked Sly looking around. After hearing their story; he was determined to break the curse and free the two females.

“Connected Always” “What doesn’t affect one affects the other” “Greed will be punished” “Genies cannot free themselves” “Wishes are power” “The path to freedom lies in selflessness.” Sly looked over all of these quotes written on his notepad. It looked like the answer involved wishing, and selflessness, but neither Luck or Maneki could free themselves. He turned to look at the feline genies as they interacted with each other, speaking happily and enjoying being reunited again after such a long time. A gleam flashed in the wolfox’s eye as he noticed something. Luck had placed her hand on Maneki’s shoulder, but that’s not what had caught his attention. It was the flow of magic he’d seen travel up the calico’s invisible chains and back to her bottle. “Could it be…” thought the wolfox to himself thinking over all he’d seen and heard.

“Maneki, Luck come over here.” he announced. “Did you figure something out Master?” asked Maneki excitedly as they approached. “Perhaps. Luck. When your freedom was wished for the wish was rejected. Was Maneki nearby at the time?” asked the male curiously. “No. This is the first time we’ve seen each other since that first day we were captured here.” she answered truthfully. “Maneki, can your magic cause your chains to appear?” he asked next. “No. They only show up when I try to get too far from my bottle, or I try to attack my Master. Other than that they are invisible.” she replied. “Excellent. Luck, touch Maneki’s shoulder again.” he instructed. “I don’t see what this has to do with…” said Luck before seeing a shimmer of light travel down Maneki’s invisible chains. “What was that?” asked Maneki confused. “Just as I suspected. Maneki, you touch Luck this time.” he ordered next. Maneki tapped the other feline cautiously, a smaller sheen running up Luck’s chain back to her bottle now. “I knew it. I know how to free you both.” he said seriously. “I knew you would figure it out.” said Maneki excitedly as she hugged the male. “So what did you come up with?” asked Luck calmly. “Your magic won’t work on yourselves, but it can work on each other. It would take two wishes, and neither of them would be used on me or to further any goals of mine; so greed wouldn’t be a factor. I didn’t come down here to get a wish after all. I am an archeologist. I came down here to document and validate or prove false the previous record of the myth of this chamber. So are you both ready?” he asked with a smile. Maneki nodded eagerly in response as Luck rubbed the back of her head, trying to contain her enthusiasm.

“Maneki, Luck; I wish for you each to use your magic to free the other of your confinement. Free each other of the genie’s curse.” he announced. Maneki and Luck’s eyes glowed at the same time as they looked at one another. The chamber’s torches blew out as a fierce wind circled the chamber. The golden chains connected to each girl’s wrist and tail shackles became visible and glowed as they shattered into pieces suddenly. The wind died down slowly after, and the torches relit themselves. Maneki and Luck looked at each other curiously. Their shackles were still present, but it felt as if a weigh had been lifted from them. Maneki flew around the chamber excitedly. “I can’t believe it! After all this time we’re free.” she said happily as she flew through the ceiling and out into the open air above the ruins. As she did so though she suddenly felt very dizzy. “Wh-What’s going…on…?” she asked as she began to instinctively descend toward the ground again. She felt something calling to her. Going back into the ruins she found the feeling was drawing her back toward her bottle again. “Why?” she asked confused. “You get drawn back too?” asked Luck as she came in through the door. “Yeah. Even though the chains are gone.” said Maneki. “We may be free, so we can go a lot farther than before, but we’re still genies for some reason. We still need our bottles to survive.” explained Luck somberly. “That’s kinda a jip. Hmm…” said Sly looking at Maneki’s bottle curiously. He placed both hands on the sides of the bottle and lifted strongly, to his surprise, the bottle came up with ease. “Well at least your bottles can move now it seems.” he said. “But we’re still trapped here. We can’t move the bottles when we’re connected to them.” said Luck trying herself. “Well then I’ll just have to move your bottles for you. You’ll have to follow me around, but at least you won’t be stuck down here. You mentioned that your Sultan freed the first genies, what happened after that?” he asked. “One of them became his queen and bore him a son.” replied Maneki. “Then they must have found a way to turn her normal again.” reasoned Sly. “So our choices now are to rot here as before, or be carried around by you?” asked Luck a little bitterly. “I promise I will help you both reverse the genie-fication completely and turn back normal.” replied Sly seriously. “Well there are worse fates. At least he’s cute. What do you think ‘Neki?” asked Luck with a small smirk. “I say as long as Sly is our Master I am happy to follow him.” replied the calico with a wink to the wolfox. Sly nodded back to the females, a hint of a blush on his face from their comments. “Alright then. I’ll get us out of here.” he said picking up both bottles. Maneki and Luck resumed their smoke forms before going back into their bottles. Sly placed both bottles into his backpack and turned to exit the chamber, knowing that he’d never set foot in it again. As he stepped out of the chamber two small plumes of smoke surrounded him emanating from his backpack. He stopped confused as the two colors came to a stop in front of him. “One last thing. Thank you for freeing us Master.” said both females together as their faces formed before they both planted a kiss on his cheeks simultaneously. Sly smiled as the two genies turned back into smoke and pulled back into his backpack. Things had certainly taken an interesting turn.

The chamber grew silent as the torches began to go out one by one again. The last one lit was just behind the altar. A rumble shook the room softly as the two openings in the top of the altar pulled back once again. The stone chalice halves reappeared on the sides of the altar as two empty glass bottles rose up from within to the top of the altar to await the next travelers as the last torch went out.


Well here we have a short story written for a couple of pics done for me at fanimecon 2013. The artist's deviantart page can be found here. http://hachimitsu-ink.deviantart.com/ Check him out. He's got a really nice art style and he did a wonderful job on my girls here. This story as you may have already guessed, is completely non canon with my normal story. It is a completely seperate world just like Thieves is. It was fun to write and I hope you will/have enjoyed reading it. Sorry for the picture quality. I don't have a scanner and it was taken on my cell phone.

Maneki/Luck originally designed by  mingchee and adopted by me.

Artist's Deviantart: http://hachimitsu-ink.deviantart.com/