Chapter 2: I Wish
Feedback: Yes, please.
Distribution: Ask, don't take.
A/N: As always, titles are for songs. So this one is for a song off the Happy Feet soundtrack and chapter 1 is a Guster song. Enjoy!
"You're who?"
"Aurora, miss. I'm here to grant you true bliss." Bliss? I highly doubt that. She keeps smiling, blinding white teeth behind peach colored lips. She's beautiful, I'll give her that. Ta
n, dark hair cascading down her back, dressed in turquoise satins. I've never seen anyone like her.
"Buffy!" Giles comes running in, breathless, book still in hand. Can my house ever be like…calm?
"What's up?" He holds out the book to me.
"Is this your demon?"
"Yup, that's the one. What's his deal?"
"It is quite a rare demon. They are called the Contraho. It translates to collector in Latin. They collect mystical items either of high worth or greatly unusual. Whatever it was that was broken when he fell must have been quite uncommon. And seeing as he was after you, there must be something in your possession also of great mystical worth. However, as so few of them still exist on this plane, I would feel confident in saying that you are no longer at risk. For the time being, at least."
"Well good. Then I can deal with her." I stepped to the side and motioned to Aurora, who he apparently had overlooked completely. "Aurora, Giles. Giles, Aurora."
"Hello, sir. And who are you?" Did she just curtsy?
"Lovely to meet you Aurora. I'm…well, I'm a friend of Buffy's." He stumbles over his words a little bit. Giles has never been a stellar liar. "And you?"
"I am an enslaved servant." She ducked her head slightly, as if ashamed although she bestowed the title upon herself.
"A servant?" Giles looked puzzled.
"She said she's here to serve me…to give me bliss. Does she have anything to do with this demon?"
"Perhaps…Aurora, are-are you a genie?" Genie?! And I thought I'd seen everything.
"Yes. I have been enslaved by the Contraho demon for the past 1000 years, and you released me from my gold prison." She said with a pointed look to me. "For that, I am eternally grateful."
"A genie? Seriously? Cool." I'm actually getting rewarded for something? Things may be looking up.
"A genie. I was under the impression that they were myths, popularized by films…I had no idea they actually existed." Giles was in awe, always excited for something new.
"Well, there are very few of us still in existence. And we do not often walk with humans. For the majority of our long lives, we exist solely in our lamps. Only every once in a while are we released to do good on this earth."
"And you're here to 'grant me true bliss'?" This is all a little bizarre, even for the Hellmouth.
"I am sure you have heard of the work our people do. Those who are deserving are granted their three greatest wishes." She smiles at me and it is a smile that reaches the soul. I have never seen someone of such purity before.
"So I get to tell you three things I want and poof, they're mine?" This is way too awesome. Anything I want…narrowing it down to three things is going to be tricky.
"That part of our legend is a myth. Your mind does not choose your wishes. Genies not only grant, but they read. We can see to your soul and we grant what is in your heart…your deepest desire whether you know it or not."
"But what if you want most deeply isn't good? What if terrible things could happen because of it?" Giles is all questions as he rifles through his books, undoubtedly trying to find a record of a genie.
"If that was true of one's desires, they would not be worthy of the genie in the first place. Only those of true good can release a genie. We are only released unintentionally to ensure that the recipient of our gift is true of heart." She kindly answers Giles' question before turning back to me.
"So then when do I get my wishes?" I can barely contain my excitement.
With a slight nod of the head she answers, "They have already been granted."
A/N: Short again. Things will start picking up a bit from here. And hopefully be less centered around dialogue. Stay tuned…