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I glared balefully at the halfa standing across from me. Despite how much I obviously detested his presence, the white-haired teenager refused to leave.
I wasn't happy about his presence for several reasons. The first was that this was my private spot in the ghost zone, little more then a tiny floating rock in the great green void. If he'd found it, that meant other ghosts could find it, and they would come badgering me for wishes. The second reason was that the young halfa seemed to get into trouble everywhere he went, which was not something I cared for.
The third, of course, was that he was simply a man. Or at least well on his way to becoming one.
I crossed my arms, still glaring. Well, if he wasn't going to say anything… “And how, may I ask, did you locate my sanctuary?” It wasn't much of one, but it was still my own, and I did not appreciate it's sanctity being breached.
He reached behind him, and pulled out a scroll. “I had a map,” he answered simply.
Of course he did. I couldn't imagine why he wouldn't be equipped with whatever he needed to disturb me- That was just my luck. I didn't know why his map apparently had my location on it- It must have been something discovered while I was still sealed in that accursed lamp for countless ages.
I gave a small huff. “Very well, child. Speak your wish, so that I may grant it. Maybe then you'll fulfill my wish and leave.” I tried to put a little spark into my words, but they just sounded as defeated as I felt. From the way his face fell a little, he noticed it too.
I ignored it. It wasn't like there was anything I could do to stop people from claiming a wish. It was my curse. I knew I could at least take satisfaction in twisting whatever the most bothersome Halfa wanted for my own amusement, though.
Instead, though, he simply placed the scroll back across his back and sat down on the rock between us. “Actually, before that, d'you mind if I go ahead and explain why I'm here?”
I glanced down at him, though it was no longer quite the hostile glare I had been maintaining before. “And why would you want to do that?” I inquired, eyebrow raised. None who knew of me ever cared to do this before. They just took what they wanted and left. “Going to gloat? Are you so proud of your wish, sure that your carefully chosen words cannot be twisted? I assure you, child, that you are very much mistaken.”
I was so very tired of this. These people were all the same.
Despite my expectations, however, he just shook his head. “Nah. It'll make sense when I make my wish.”
The boy truly wasn't going to offer up any answers until I obliged him, was he? Fine. I could admit I was at least a little bit curious. “Very well. Speak your piece, if you must.”
He smiled at me. It looked genuine, but I knew better then to trust anymore. “Thanks,” he started. “So. I'm pretty much the hero of Amity Park, right? At least, to the humans. I… Don't think the ghosts see it that way.”
I gave a slight huff. No, indeed. Most of the ghosts that ventured out of the ghost zone only did so to wreak havoc, and didn't enjoy having their plans forcefully ended. Even I occasionally left when I was feeling particularly vengeful.
He took my silence for acceptance. In a way, it was, and he continued. “And, well. I guess I realized something, today. Being a hero isn't just about fighting off ghosts that are trying to hurt people. It's about… Doing the right thing, even if you have to go out of your way to do it.”
I arched my brow. It sounded like he was getting to a point. “Speak clearly, Phantom. I may be a genie, but I care not for riddles.”
He glanced up at me, and apparently decided that his wish would be better made from a dignified position, for he stood up before me. I was anxious to hear him out so I could be rid of him. “Okay.”
He took a deep breath, presumably for effect. “I wish that you didn't have to grant every wish you heard, and only granted wishes you wanted to grant.”
“So you have wished it, so it will… Be?” I was halfway through my typical catchphrase when I realized what he'd actually said.
I stared down at my hands as the ghostly cloud that my wish-granting often manifested as appeared, glowing softly, before vanishing. “What… What did you do?” I asked, looking up at him.
He shrugged. “I'm pretty sure I set you free. You were cursed to grant everyone's wishes, right?”
I was. I- I had been. “Yes, but- Why would you do this? No one has ever come to me for a wish that wasn't selfish in some way,” I accused him. I was sure it was a trick. It had to be.
He shook his head. “No trick. I mean, I had to try. It was just the right thing to do. So, did it work?”
I didn't know. But I knew how to tell. I had been cursed to answer the wishes of others, and never my own. I took a breath to steady myself, though I needed it not. “I wish to have the palace that should have been mine all along.”
The mists of my former curse spilled from my hands. The rock we stood upon grew massively in size, and the great palace appeared on top of it.
I could feel my throat tightening. It was perfect. Exactly like the Sultan's had been, in every detail. The life I would have had, if not for his spiteful wife.
My curse was lifted. It was no longer a burden, but a great power. “You know what I could do with this, do you not? You realize how much stronger I am?”
He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “Yeah. It is kind of a risk, I guess, but… I mean, I guess I just had enough hope that you would finally be happy instead of being so bitter.”
And I was. He'd given up his wish just for a chance at making me happy, when he wasn't even sure it would work. All based on a hope in me, a hope that I was still a good person inside after all of these years. I don't think he realized the implications of what he was saying,
I didn't have words. Fortunately, I did not require them. I lunged forward. Even as he stiffened, raising his arms to defend himself reflexively, my own arms wrapped around him in a tight hug.
We stood there for a moment. I was overcome with emotion. He just seemed confused. After that, I drew back.
“Thank you,” I murmured, tone laden with relief.
“You're, uh. You're welcome. So, hey, I should probably get back,” he started to say, retrieving the scroll from his back. “It's a school night and all. You gonna be okay out here?”
I turned my back to him, gazing at the magnificent palace before me. My palace. A symbol of my new-found freedom. “Yes. Yes, I'm going to be more then okay.”
I was enraptured by the sight before me, and the memories it returned me to. By the time I looked back, the Halfa was gone.
I felt myself smile, as I started to drift towards the main entrance. I wanted to see my new home, and my new life. I was sure anyone who tried to come to me for a wish could be so very surprised.
But unlike how it had been for centuries, my smile wasn't twisted into something dark, amusement at the misfortunes of fools who sought to abuse me. It was something simple, honest joy. I hadn't known I could still feel such a thing.
But I had the feeling I would be getting far better acquainted with such a smile in the days and years to come.