Spike sniffled, as he lay in his bed, a wet cloth pressed up to his forehead. The little dragon had contracted a case of sapphire flu, and since there were no doctors in Ponyville that had any experience with the disease, Twilight had taken it upon herself to order nothing but bed rest and medicine for a couple of days.
Unfortunately, Twilight already had royal obligations at an upcoming summit in the Crystal Empire, and she just couldn't bring herself to cancel. With Starlight out of town for the week, she was forced to make other arrangements. Said arrangements were Fluttershy, who subsequently roped Rainbow Dash into helping.
"I don't even know the first thing about dragons! How am I supposed to help him?!" Rainbow Dash complained to Fluttershy, as the two pegasi were on their way to the castle. "Don't get me wrong, it stinks that Spike is sick and all, but I don't see what I can do for him."
"Spike is our friend, Rainbow Dash. And what friends would be if we didn't visit him and make sure he was okay?" Fluttershy asked. "If you're worried about catching what he has, don't be. Twilight told me that only dragons can get sapphire flu, she knows this because she took care of Spike the last time he got it."
"That's a relief, I'd rather not have to use up anymore of my sick days with the Wonderbolts," Rainbow Dash commented.
It wasn't long before the two pegasi arrived at the castle, and they quickly made their way inside. Following Twilight's directions, they found Spike's bedroom across the hall from the throne room, and the sickly little dragon that currently occupied the lone bed.
"Hey Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash," Spike greeted, his voice sounding raspy due to his illness. "Glad you stopped by, but I'm doing okay." However, it was at that very moment that Spike sneezed. But instead of flames, there was only a puff of smoke, the sapphire flu had left Spike's fire breath more or less disabled (a relief to both pegasi, who had been worried Spike might burn down the castle by accident with his firey sneezes).
Fluttershy smiled, as she looked at Spike. In a lot of ways, seeing him like this made her feel like she was taking care of one of her animal friends, it brought out that inner caretaker within her. Setting her saddle bags down on the floor, Fluttershy approached Spike and pressed a hoof to his forehead. "Goodness, Spike, you're burning up!" She remarked.
"Maybe my head is, but my feet feel so cold!" Spike complained, coughing a bit.
"Now now, you just relax. Rainbow Dash and I will take good care of you," Fluttershy assured the little dragon, lightly patting his green scales. "I'll go get your medicine."
"And I guess I'll change the head cloth, this one's pretty warm." Rainbow Dash offered, unsure of what else she could do.
Both pegasi set to work on the tasks they'd assigned themselves, then they took Spike's temperature, and fed him some gemstone soup. Of course, nothing was an instant cure, Spike just kept coughing and sneezing. "You know what would be really nice?" He commented.
"What, Spike? You need something else?" Rainbow inquired.
Spike shook his head slowly. "Nah, I'm good for now. I just..." He coughed a bit more, before he went on. "Wish I had something to do to pass the time. Being stuck in bed like this, all I can do is stare at the ceiling, and think about how miserable I am right now," Then he sighed, as he recalled fondly. "Whenever I get sick, Twilight always reads to me. She has all kinds of stories, even some ones she made up herself. It's just too bad the book containing them burned up along with the Golden Oak Library."
"Maybe we could find something in the castle library?" Rainbow suggested. "I may not know much about what kind of egghead sorting system Twilight uses, but there's gotta be some fairytales in there somewhere."
Fluttershy was about to agree to Rainbow's suggestion, when something caught her eye. It seemed that something shiny was sticking out of her saddle bag. Fluttershy trotted over, opened up her saddle bag, and took out the object. It was a strange (and rather old looking) lamp that had clearly seen better days. "Actually, seeing this lamp reminds me of a tale I heard," Fluttershy commented, upon looking at the lamp. "A trio of strange merchants sold it to me. They said it was 'No Ordinary Lamp!', and that it came all the way from Saddle Arabia."
"If you ask me, those guys were wacko!" Rainbow commented. "I couldn't put my hoof on it, but something about them seemed rather odd, like they're not from Equestria."
"I thought they were quite nice actually," Fluttershy giggled, and fondly recalled. "They even took a picture with us, and I wish I'd asked for it so I could remember what they looked like. I don't even think I asked them for their names," Clearing her throat, Fluttershy set the lamp down where Spike could see it, and started raking her brain to recall how the story went. "I believe the merchants said the story begins in ancient Saddle Arabia, a faraway land filled with strange wonders nopony had ever seen before," Then she paused, as she struggled to remember what came next. Looking across to Rainbow Dash she asked. "Dashie? You were there when the merchants told the story. Do you recall how it went?"
Rainbow Dash put a hoof to her chin as she pondered. "I... think I got the basics of it, though their method of story telling was quite strange. They said it made more sense where they came from," Then she sighed, as she added. "Can I see you for a sec, Fluttershy?"
Fluttershy raised an eyebrow and nodded as they exited the bedroom. Once they had, Rainbow immediately whispered to her friend. "I don't know if I can really tell the story, I'm not as sentimental about things like you are, Fluttershy. Maybe Spike means a lot to you, but to me he's just a nice guy to hang out with and maybe pal around some. Does it really matter what kind of story we tell him, as long as he likes it?"
"It's okay, Dashie. I can start the story, and you can join in when you're ready," Fluttershy encouraged. "You don't need to be sentimental to tell the story. Just be yourself, that's what Spike would want. Spike loves you for who you are, even if you're not sentimental like I am." The two then returned to the bedroom, with Fluttershy turning her attention to Spike, she began to narrate, and this is how the story went:
This is the story of a lamp, but it is no ordinary lamp! This lamp was quite magical, for it could grant any wish its owner desired, or so it was said. As a result, it was sought out by many a ponies. But although many tried, and searched the dessert around Saddle Arabia relentlessly for it, none had ever found it. Some said the lamp would only reveal itself to one that it deemed worthy, and that pony (whoever it might be) would stand out from the rest.
However, the lamp is not what drew the hero of this story to Saddle Arabia. The hero of this story, was a mare called Amire, who had left her home and traveled to Saddle Arabia in the hopes of obtaining money for her family.
The mare had a coat as orange as the desert sun at sunset, a mane and tail the most brilliant blonde you had ever seen, and green eyes that were as lush and full of life as the trees of a desert oasis.
"Hey, that sounds like Applejack!" Spike interrupted. "Is this gonna be one of those stories where I'm supposed to imagine my friends as the characters?"
Fluttershy chuckled. "I had the same reaction when the merchants told me the story. But the very words they told to me, I'll repeat to you: 'Any resemblance to any ponies past or present is purely coincidence.' And she then resumed the story:
Amire had hoped to find a job and make enough money to return home to her family within two months time, for after that the heat of the Saddle Arabian summer would be unbearable. Alas, Amire was not used to the work customs of Saddle Arabia, and her passion for honesty only made things more difficult. Her first job was working at a fruit stand, selling things such as apples, oranges, bananas, and even pears. One day while working at the stand, Amire noticed a scrawny looking orange coated filly, who was pocketing some apples and bananas when she thought nopony was looking.
Amire quickly grabbed the filly by the hoof, and looked her square in the eyes. "Just what do you think you're doing, kid?!" She growled. "Don't you know what the penalty for stealing is around these parts?"
But to Amire's surprise, the filly immediately threw herself on the ground and pleaded. "Please, you must understand! I wouldn't do this if I could pay for the fruit, but I have no money! My parents are too sick to work, and I am not old enough to have a job! Stealing is the only way I can put food on the table."
Just by looking at how much dirt clung to the filly's coat, and how disheveled her mane and tail were, Amire could sense that the filly was telling the truth. And Amire wasn't about to let a poor little filly starve, that just wasn't right. "Tell ya what," Amire whispered to the filly. "I'll let you keep all that fruit and I won't charge ya for it. In fact, here," Amire hoofed the filly all the money she'd made that week. "This oughta be enough to keep ya fed and off the streets for the next two months. Maybe you could even buy some medicine for your folks."
"Oh, thank you! You don't know how much I needed this!" The filly eagerly replied, and dashed away.
Unfortunately for Amire, her boss (a light yellow coated stallion with a red mane and tail, and a mustache) soon found out what she'd done. "That kid was stealing from us, and you just gave her a free pass to do it again!" He complained. "You're fired, I don't need somepony who will give away my fruit to some street rat that can't afford to pay!"
Amire tried her hoof at merchant stand after merchant stand, and even briefly attempted to work as a manure salespony (she quit after the first day, the stench was too rancid for her to tolerate). But alas, her strong commitment to honesty, and unwillingness to say no to those in need worked against her. She would often give away her hard earned bits, so that an orphaned pony could buy food or medicine. And every time she did so, she would usually end up fired by the next day.
By the end of the first month, Amire had almost nothing to show for her efforts. She had barely a bit to her name, and she was too proud to even think of trying to steal (not to mention the harsh penalty that stealers payed if caught).
"What am I gonna do?!" Amire thought to herself, as she lay in a cot overlooking the city of Saddle Arabia one night. "I've only got about three more weeks, and then it'll be too hot for me to stay here. But I can't go back without enough money to help my family! I promised them I'd come back with enough money to end all our woes, and I ain't about to break a promise like that!"
As luck would have it, at that very moment the dessert wind picked up, blowing a flyer right into Amire's face! She quickly picked it up and looked at it, and when she did her eyes lit up like the night sky. The flyer displayed lavish, bright colors, and depicted the Queen of Saddle Arabia, Queen Desert Rose in the center. On the bottom was an advertisement that read as follows: Hear ye, hear ye! Queen Desert Rose is pleased to announce, the arrival of her majesty, Princess Celestia, to the majestic land of Saddle Arabia! In honor of this grand occasion, the queen has invited the royal princess to the annual royal banquet, to be held in two days time.
Amire could hardly believe her luck, she'd heard stories about Princess Celestia. About the kind heart that the sun princess was famous for. But Amire's heart quickly sank, as she realized that Princess Celestia would not attend alone, she would be accompanied by royal guards. And if the guards of the royal palace Queen Desert Rose (named for her pink coat, and likewise pink colored mane and tail, that stood out amidst the yellows, reds, oranges, and browns of the of the dessert sun and sands) resided in were quick to shoo away any uninvited guests, the royal guards of Princess Celestia would surely not allow a common begger to draw near their leader. The only way she could hope to meet with the princess, was if she could attend the royal banquet, and alas the requirement was that one had to be royalty to attend said banquet (otherwise, why call it a royal banquet?).
"If only I had some way to pose as royalty, even just for a day," Amire said with a sigh. "I would give anything to be able to go to that banquet. I'm sure I could convince Princess Celestia to give me a small sum from her royal treasury."
It was then that Amire heard a faint cackle, as a dark black coated griffon with eyes a faded gold in color, stepped forward from the shadows. He was dressed from head to talons in red silk garments.
"Black?! Don't tell me, that griffon is the bad guy!" Spike commented, coughing a bit, as he interrupted the story. "I swear, dark colored guys who emerge from shadows always end up being the bad guy in the stories."
"Well, he is, but that's not the point, Spike," Rainbow replied, trying to hide how frustrated she was with his constant interruptions. "So, if you wouldn't mind, I think Fluttershy would like to continue telling the story."
"Actually, Dashie, I think this is the perfect part for you to take over!" Fluttershy encouraged, pointing a hoof to her friend. "I need to change Spike's head cloth."
Rainbow was most surprised at Fluttershy's sudden decision, a few faint beads of sweat started to work their way down her face. "B-b-but I'm not good with telling stories like that. I only really like ghost stories. Besides, my memory's kind of foggy at the moment." She insisted, hoping to back out of telling the story.
Fluttershy only laughed. "Come now, Rainbow. I told you, just be yourself. I know you know how the story goes. It doesn't even have to be for that long, I can take over when I come back," And she nudged her childhood friend forward with a wing. "Go on. If it helps you get in the mood at all, imagine you're telling the story at a campfire."
Rainbow sighed. "Fine, guess I'll give it a try. But no promises," She moved closer to Spike, and looked at the lamp. Miraculously, she could actually remember what part of the story Fluttershy had left on, as she began to narrate. "Amire turned her to greet her unexpected visitor."
"Who are you?!" Amire demanded of her guest. "And what do you want with me?!"
The griffon cleared his throat and coughed a few times. "Sorry, had something in my throat there," He apologized, and bowed as he introduced himself. "I am Garra. Queen Desert Rose sends me on her behalf to pass out invitations to her parties when she is too busy to do so, for I am the most trusted member of her royal court."
"Have you come to invite me to the royal banquet?" Amire asked, hopefully.
Gara laughed again, this time in a more jolly manner. "No, that would be silly. But, you wish to have money, do you not?"
"Yeah," Amire nodded. "Why do you ask?"
Gara looked both ways. "Follow me." He whispered.
Amire followed Gara behind a building, where he changed his tone of voice to a lower pitch before he spoke. "I know of a magic lamp that can grant its owner any wish their heart desires. Legend says it is hidden away in a cave, that only reveals itself one night every thirty years."
Amire's eyes widened. "A magic lamp?"
Gara nodded. "Naturally, a lamp that powerful must not be allowed to fall into the wrong hooves. But I'm not as physically gifted as I was in the prime of my youth, thus I lack the strength to enter the cave and find the lamp myself. But, if you will get the lamp for me, we can share its power together. Heck, I'll even let you make the wish."
"Shouldn't the lamp be given to the queen?" Amire asked, raising an eyebrow.
"The queen is a fool, she doesn't even know the lamp exists!" Gara protested, a bit too loudly. In a softer tone of voice he added. "Besides, why should she concern herself with such trivial affairs? She is already rich and powerful enough as it is. If such power exists, then shouldn't it be given to someponies worthy, like us?...well...some pony and griffon, if you will."
Amire paused, she hadn't considered that. "Where is this cave, and will it reveal itself before the banquet?" She asked Gara.
Gara smiled, as he nodded. "You're in luck, my friend. For tomorrow night is the one night when that cave will reveal itself. But be warned, the cave contains many riches. But you may only touch the lamp, touch anything else and you won't live to see the light of day! Many a fool have disregarded this warning, and payed the ultimate price for it."
The next day came and went quick as a flash for Amire. Before she knew it, it was sunset, and Gara arrived to take her to the cave in the mountains. Just as night fell, the two reached the cave entrance, which stood out amidst the vast emptiness in the heart of the dessert. Was it Amire's imagination, or did the cave look like a gigantic pony head?
"What are you waiting for?! Go!" Gara urged. "The cave won't be open for very long, and I can't wait another thirty years for that lamp!"
"You mean we?" Amire corrected.
"Yes yes, I was getting to that," Gara replied, brushing off the comment without concern. "And remember my warning, touch only the lamp, nothing else!"
Amire stepped forward into the cave, quickly noticing two things. One, the vast treasures that lined the sides of the cave lit up the interior like millions of lightning bugs. And two, the top of the cave was full of large rock and stalactites, which looked like they could break loose at any moment. Despite the temptation of the countless piles of gold and jewelry, Amire heeded Gara's warning and stayed as far away from them as possible. The cave seemed to stretch on for miles with no end in sight, but at last Amire noticed something up ahead.
There, under a small hole that allowed moonlight to shine down on the cave, stood two rocks. And on each rock rested a lamp. However, when Amire got closer, she saw that the lamps were not the same, and neither was it a trick of the light. The lamp that rested on the left rock was shiny and clean, as if it had never been touched at all. But the lamp that rested on the right rock looked very old, dusty, and dull.
Amire felt she was tempting fate, trying to think which lamp she should take. “Well,” Amire said when looking at the nice lamp. “It looks nicer. This has got to be the one.” Amire then grabbed the nice lamp. But when she did, the lamp melted in her hooves!
To make matters worse, the rocks and stalactites broke free and started to fall down! Frantically dodging the falling objects, Amire scooped up the other lamp and ran off! She rushed back the way she had come, only to discover that the falling rocks and stalactites weren't stopping! That meant only one thing, the cave was collapsing!
Amire ran and ran as fast as her legs could carry her, all the while dodging the rock and stalactites that rained down without end. The cave was collapsing fast, and Amire knew if she didn't get out soon, she wouldn't ever be able to get out at all! But all of a sudden, Amire failed to notice a small pebble sticking out on the cave floor. She tripped, and the lamp fell from her grasp as Amire was flung forward. "The lamp!" Amire cried, but it was too late, the lamp appeared to be lost amidst the falling rocks and stalactites.
Picking herself up, Amire ran back to the cave entrance as fast as she could. But when she got there, Gara immediately demanded. "The lamp! Give me the lamp!"
"I don't have it, I dropped it while I was running away!" Amire confessed.
Gara's reaction, was not what Amire had been expecting at all. He angrily grabbed Amire, and held her close, with his claws digging into her hoof, causing her to yelp in pain. "I gave you simple instructions to follow, peasant! Yet you didn't return with what I asked for. Now, you are of no use to me anymore."
He then held Amire over the edge of the cave with a devilish grin. “This cave will be your tomb."
He then threw Amire back into the cave, just before a pile of rocks and stalactites buried the entrance, preventing anypony from getting in or out.
“MY LAAAAAAAAAAMP!!!!!” Gara screamed in fury as he pounded his claws on the ground, with his yell echoing through the mountains.
"I knew it, I knew it all along! I KNEW Gara was evil!" Spike shouted in fury, actually managing to breath a small flame. "But is that how the story ends? With Amire being crushed to death?! Please tell me that isn't so, Twilight's stories always have a happy ending."
"There's more to the story then that, Spike. Otherwise, why would Fluttershy remember it?" Rainbow nervously chuckled. "I uh... don't really remember what happens next though. The details are... kinda fuzzy."
"It's okay," Fluttershy called, trotting back into Spike's bedroom with a cold washcloth, and pressing it up to Spike's forehead. "It's a good thing I remembered."
"Alright, now that's what I like to hear!" Spike cheered, even as he coughed some more.
Fluttershy took her place besides Spike, as she cleared her throat and narrated. "Unknown to anypony, Amire was alive. But unfortunately, she was trapped in the cave with no way out. However, that was all about to change."
Amire was quite furious, she couldn't believe her luck. "I never should've listened to that Gara fellow! Mom and Dad always used to say 'There's no shortcuts in life.', and now I see what they meant."
Then Amire noticed the lamp, the source of all her troubles. "You stupid, good nothing for lamp!" She complained, kicking it with one of her hooves. She soon regretted it, as the lamp was made of metal, and kicking it hurt like crazy. "Ow! Ow! Ow!" Amire winced in pain. "Not only did you cause me to get stuck down here, but I can't even take my anger out on you! I doubt you're even magical! What kind of magic lamp looks all old and dusty?! A broken one, that's what!"
But, just as Amire was about to pick the lamp up and throw it against the rocks blocking the entrance (hoping for some kind of chain reaction that might clear the entrance and set her free), she noticed something that appeared to loosely scribbled on it. They seemed to be words, which read: "Want a Wish?"
Unable to determine if the words were really there, or if her eyes were just playing tricks on her, Amire decided there was only one thing to do. Carefully, she took the lamp into her front hooves, and began to rub it to clear the dust away. Suddenly, the lamp began to shake and sputter. There were puffs of blue, red, pink, black, and white colored smoke! And then, all of a sudden, three strange (and quite funny looking) creatures emerged from the lamp. "Hellllllllllllllloooooooooo master!" The three figures shouted at once, causing Amire to back up in fright.
Everything was silent for a couple seconds, before Amire screamed in fear. The three figures did the same. Amire then quickly hid behind a rock.
Amire was shaking in fear. She then smacked herself a couple times. “It’s just a dream, it’s just a dream.” She turned around and saw the figures looking at her. She quickly hid again. But she slowly turned around and got a good look at them
Two of the figures seemed to be male, and one of the male ones was wearing some kind of funny pants with a purple turban with a blue feather in it. The second male was smaller, but had a blue shirt, a red fez and a blue whisp for a tail. The third figure was clearly female, if the pink skirt, bow and vale were anything to go by. But all three of them had black fur and noses, with white colored faces and gloves (not to mention feet. Actual feet and not hooves). "Boy, I tell you, it is good to be free of that dusty old lamp," The second male spoke, talking to the other two. “Guess Discovery Family couldn’t get rid of us that easily.”
The first male then whistled, and shouted. "Hey, siblings! Don't look now, but I think our little friend over here is freaking out and scratching her little head in confusion."
"Gosh, I think you're right, Yakko," The female. commented. "Here we are, talking to ourselves, instead of paying attention to our new master."
"M-master?" Amire asked in complete confusion.
The first male nodded firmly. "That's right, Amire. It's your lucky day, or I guess I should say 'night'," Giggling, he then added. "You made the "right" choice when you rubbed the "right" lamp. Sorry about the left lamp being fake and all, but it wasn't the "right" lamp, get the joke? Anyway, I'm Yakko."
"I'm Wakko." The first male greeted.
"And I'm Princess Angelina Contessa Louisa Francesca Banana Fana Bo Besca Genie the Third," The female figure added. “But you can call me Dot!”
"And we'll be your genies," Wakko smiled, firmly shaking Amire's hoof. "So, master, how can we serve you? After all, we're contractly obligated under the Rules of Geniedom, which specifically states:" Pulling out a gigantic scroll from his hat, Wakko read aloud. "'All genies shall officially be in service to the individual who rubs their lamp, thus releasing them from within said lamp. All genies must grant their master whatever three wishes he or she requests, then they must return to the lamp until called on to serve their next master.'. So, whadya wanna wish for?"
"Hold on a minute there, Wakko!" Yakko cautioned. "We've got clear a few things up first so Amire doesn't go getting any ideas! Don't forget, there's some genie rules that can't be broken no matter what!" To Amire he apologized. "Sorry about Wakko, he can get a bit carried away. Happens to the best of us."
"Anywho," Dot announced, clearing her throat. "Before you start making wishes, you need to understand that we're a bit different from your typical genies. First of all, you DO get three wishes. But, since there's three of us and only of you, you only get one wish from each genie. Oh, and don't bother with the whole 'Wishing for more wishes trick', we're not allowed to grant that."
"Second, there are two other types of wishes we can't grant," Yakko advised. "We can't make anyone fall in love with anyone."
"Why not?" Amire asked.
"It's forbidden," Wakko explained. "Besides, we're not good at playing cupid."
“If we were, we’d help Stephenie Meyer write a good book!” Dot beamed.
"And we can't kill anyone, or harm or maim them, or anything that could put them in pain," Wakko cautioned.
“But we still keep stuff like this in case of emergencies!” Dot held up a chainsaw, before tossing it into a huge box filled with other weapons.
"So, Amire. Whadya wanna wish for? I get to grant the first wish, so make it a good one!" Yakko encouraged. "Heck, you can even ask me if you need some suggestions, I've got a long list of stuff you could wish for!"
Amire pondered deeply, and sighed. "Well, I was thinking about wishing for money. My family is very poor, we seldom make enough to just get by. I ended up in this here cave because I originally came to Saddle Arabia to get a job. But I just don't appreciate the customs and traditions that Saddle Arabia has, anyone who's caught stealing has to pay an arm and a leg, literally. And yet that queen seems to throw lavish balls and banquets all the time. I ain't sure if she's aware of what goes on in her kingdom or not, but I'm pretty much stuck with no money. And now I couldn't even go to the palace and beg if I wanted to."
"Ah, so you wanna wish for money huh? That's an easy wish!" Yakko boasted. "I was kind of hoping for something more challenging, but that's fair enough! Now, say the magic words, master."
"Hold on a second!" Amire protested. "I said I was thinking about wishing for money, but I never said that's what I wanted to wish for. You just assumed."
Yakko's mouth dropped open, as he realized Amire was right. "Oh you clever little pony! Well, mind telling me why you're not gonna wish for riches?"
"Yeah, who in their right mind wouldn't wanna be rich and famous?" Wakko asked Amire.
"Well, somepony's eventually going to take notice that I wasn't always rich," Amire explained. "And if ponies started asking about where I got the money from, it could get me in trouble. I assume that once I use up my three wishes, you guys go back in the lamp, right?"
"Hey, did you read the script or something?" Dot remarked, but then sighed. "You're right though, once I've granted my wish, that's it. The deal's done. And the three of us go back into the lamp until someone else comes along and rubs it, then we're free to grant whoever that is three wishes."
"It's not all bad though, it's actually kind of cozy in there. It's bigger on the inside." Wakko insisted.
“That’s because you sleep on us. Yakko raised an eyebrow.
Wakko’s eyes widened. “So...I wasn’t kissing my pillows, was I?” Wakko asked, sheepishly.
Yakko blew a kiss to the audience. “Goodnight, everybody!”
Yakko turned back to his siblings. "We just gotta make the most of our time outside the lamp. And who knows, maybe eventually the guy we're doing this for will come back?"
Amire just sighed. "I could wish for whatever I wanted, but it doesn't matter. I'm stuck in this cave. I'd sure give my left hind leg to go to that royal banquet though. If I could just get a chance to talk to Princess Celestia, I'm sure she'd be willing to give me enough money to provide for my family for a while. But I'd have to be royalty to even attend the banquet."
"Yeah, well what if we told you, there's a way that could be accomplished?" Yakko slyly suggested. "A royal banquet sounds like a lot of fun!"
"We'd be great entertainers, it's always been a dream of ours!" Wakko added, chiming in.
"You just have to make the right kind of wish, Amire," Dot encouraged. "And I think you know what wish you need to make."
"Come on, I'm all ears!" Yakko encouraged. "Say the magic words, master!"
"Well, first thing's first. I can't go to that royal banquet if I'm stuck in this cave," Amire suggested. "You think maybe you three could help me get out?"
"Not unless you make a wish first, buster!" Yakko advised. "And if you're also gonna wish for what I think you're gonna wish, you'll be down by two and only Dot will have a wish left to grant!"
Then a sly smile formed on Amire's face, as she offered. "Well, what about this? If I agree to use my third wish to set you guys free, will you get me out of this cave without using up one of my wishes?"
Yakko, Wakko, and Dot, were touched. Tears started to form in their eyes. "You really mean it? You'd really be willing to set us free from that lamp?" Dot asked.
Amire nodded. "Get me out of this cave, and I promise that when my third wish rolls around, I'll use it to wish for you to be free from the lamp."
The Warner siblings immediately rushed up to Amire, and started hugging her all over. "Oh, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! You're the best master ever!" They all cheered, and then they started rushing about in hard hats, planting all sorts of explosive stuff like dynamite sticks, crates of explosives, fireworks, tnt boxes, and even a few unlit bombs. Then to top it all off, they surrounded the entire collection (pressed up against the wall of rocks and stalactites) with a massive wire tied to a big red box with a plunger.
"Alright, step back! This is gonna be a blast!" Wakko encouraged, and began to count down. "Ten, nine, eight, skip a couple, KABOOM!" All three Warner siblings plugged their ears (as did Amire), as a powerful explosion shook the cave!
"Whoa, Wakko! Talk about overkill!" Yakko commented, as the dust settled. "That's a real Warner sibling kaboom!"
"Thank you, now let's get out of here already!" Wakko encouraged.
Just as Amire and the Warner siblings emerged from the cave, there was a fierce roar, followed by a gust of wind. All of a sudden, the cave vanished, as if it had never even existed at all.
"Whoa, spooky stuff!" Dot commented.
"Yeah, well we can't worry about that right now. We've got a wish to grant," Yakko replied, and rolled up his sleeves. "Okay, Amire. You got your one freebie, your 'Get out of jail free' card if you will."
"And don't forget your promise!" Wakko reminded. "When it's Dot's turn to grant you a wish, you have to wish for our freedom."
"I know, I know!" Amire nodded, and cleared her throat. Looking at Yakko, she said clearly. "Yakko, for my first wish, I wish to appear before the palace as a princess!"
"Okay then, one royal princess coming right up!" Yakko said with a smile, as he snapped his fingers. "Get ready! You're about to get a certified Warner siblings, princess makeover!" And then he whistled to Wakko and Dot. "Come on, siblings! Let's make Amire into a princess to rival all the princesses in the world! A princess that everyone will want to buy a toy of!"
Before Amire had a chance to react, she was seated in a comically large stool, and the three Warner siblings were dressed up as tailors. Dot had a pair of sewing glasses and measuring tape, Wakko had giant scissors and a giant comb, and Yakko had a bottle of seltzer wattle and a brush covered in some kind of powder.
"Man, those genies sure do sound wacko." Spike commented, coughing some more.
"Yes, but they're wacko in a good way." Fluttershy giggled.
"So, what happens next? And why does that Queen Dessert Rose sound so much like Pinkie Pie?" Spike asked, looking at Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash.
"Well, you might wanna get comfortable, Spike," Rainbow Dash encouraged. "Cause this is when the story gets super intense!"