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With another year coming to a close, Sinbad’s banquet hall is brimming with joy and cheers – merrier and bustling than any other day.
Everyone knows that Sinbad’s mansion is full of exotic tales from navigators and adventurers all over the world.
But today, with foreign vessels just landed ashore, corridor of his mansion is even more crowded.
Gina, as always, keeps her pace with Sinbad to see if she should stop him before he gets dead drunk; Light, a Pungi on his hand, is sitting aside of the banquet hall, posing as a musician.
Though Sinbad and his fellow sailors are well aware of this naughty Genie, they can't just let the whole world know that A REAL GENIE is here - A small disguise does no harm, at least.
With mouth-watering delicacies and well-aged palm wine on the banquet table, outlandish pungi sound brings the air to its climax.
As Sinbad starts a new tale thread of his recent sea voyage, a hush fells over the throng around him.
“Gina, have you ever heard of ‘Christmas’? Anyone is interested in this ‘special tradition’ from the Northern Empire?”
Fair-skinned merchants from the Northern Empire loves to visit Full moon kingdom in this season, looking for unique spices, silk and shiny jewels.
Items they bring back turn into decorations for so called ‘needle-leaved trees’, or secret gifts for their loved ones.
When the snowy midnight comes, everyone makes their own wishes and goes to bed with stockings by their bedside.
Then under the new moon, a big, plump Genie in red - with a weird-looking hat - is said to hand out gifts from his flying wagon.
Speaking of those ‘gifts’, Gina, after side-eyeing Light for a while, rolls her eyes and whispers in his ear.
“A Genie I know of never gives gift to people…How nice is that Genie overseas!”
“Gina, I KNOW you're talking behind me-“
“Nope, you’re a musician, sir. What on earth is a Genie got to do with you?"
Gina sticks out a bit of her tongue so only Light could see, and gets back to Sinbad’s tale with fuming Light behind.
"I heard that it snows at Christmas in the Northern Empire. Y'all know it rains here for some weeks, right?
But this 'snow', it's colder, whiter and softer than any rain you've had....it's even fluffy!"
Sinbad, now got tipsy, starts to spin a tale of the snowland he explored in his last voyage.
The far-flung mountain range of the Northwest is covered with year-round snow, with bitter wind giving chills down to your bones. But on its deserted edge, he said, stands an icy cave - calm and serene, filled with glittering snowflakes.
It is said that once you have the scenery in your eyes, its beauty is never to be forgotten.
Blessed with sunrays throughout the year, people here happily wait for months to see some raindrops only; hardly anyone from the Full moon kingdom has ever seen this ‘snow’ for real.
Softer than silk threads right off its cocoons – lighter than pinfeathers of a baby bird – pale white, piercing cold, the Snow!
Gina’s eyes start shining bright after the tale of this gift from heaven...
“Light, can you make snowfall out of your magic, too?”
While they're cleaning up the table after the banquet, Gina’s innocent wish out of nowhere pricks Light's heart.
“Hmph, of course! You’re facing an almighty Genie, I mean ALMIGHTY-“
He turns back with a brave face, only to bump into her dreamy eyes.
“I wonder how it looks, please just give it a shot for once!”
"Nah, no way!”
“Why?”
“Forgot it already? You said first, that we should never abuse the power of the Lamp."
Light could make any wish to the lamp ever since the jewel came back to its place.
But he has made a pinky promise, with Gina, to use it only in desperate need; just not to confuse his fellow citizens, and keep their respect toward technology and science.
“It’s just conjuring some snow, not the end of the world.”
“Why making promise at the first place if you’re gonna break it at once?”
“Dear Genie, I know you conjure foods and sweets when you feel like it, don’t you?”
“…Whatever, when I said no, I mean no…!”
As she has noticed him avoiding her eyes, Gina pouts a bit but leaves without bothering him more. Light’s last word behind her are barely heard -
“It’s not, repeat not, because I don’t know what snow is!”
Right next day after the banquet, there's a great hustle and bustle at Sinbad’s mansion from early morning.
A camel herd with royal insignias filled the entire yard, unloading precious gifts from the palace.
Setting aside Light with a bewildered look on his face, Gina is busy organizing stuffs just arrived.
“Er, what are all these?”
“The Northern caravan looking for those ‘Christmas gifts’ has visited Kahir’s palace the other day - and left behind valuables as a return. When Kahir heard about Christmas, he said he want to gift some for us too!”
He does what he does – caring Gina, Sinbad, and everyone else here, it's a routine for him.
But for Light, his goodwill towards Gina is somewhat…unwanted.
“Hmph, this is a piece of cake with my magic!”
“Light, you may be able to conjure a look-alike, but you can’t really conjure the warm heart in it.”
Her last word made him a bit peeved, giving him some courage to show off.
“What I mean is, I got sth wayyy more special for you! More than enough to surprise you,”
“Really? You mean it?”
“….”
“I have no wish to make, need nothing more for myself...what should I ask to this Genie of the Lamp?”
In front of Light, completely tongue-tied, she gives a big, playful smile on her face.
“Oh, I got one. Snow, I want my snow!"
Light looks somewhat out of spirit, turning his back beneath the shade of a palm tree.
Even for him, always talking big as ‘an All-powerful, Almighty Genie’, it was never easy to conjure something out he has never seen – in his past and present life.
“Something white and powdery…let the snow appear!”
Even before he drops his last word, a pile of flour appears out of nowhere, falling upon his head.
Fine powder blows everywhere, when Light, coughing intensely, narrowly brings himself out of the mountain of flour.
“Come on, then something watery…rain-ish…and icy…the snow!”
This time small icy pellets strike his head, swamping the sandy ground while Light clutches his head in pain.
‘Should I just leave this snow-thing and find something else for her?’
He tries to get out of this treadwheel - only to find himself caught in the image of Gina’s eyes, shining with anticipation.
‘Almighty Genie, thank you for this beautiful snow! You’re the one I can truly lean on…!’
“Darn it, seems like I can’t quit at this point…what should I do?”
An option of asking to fatty Sinbad crosses his mind.
He must be glad, will happily throw his day and night for telling the snowland fairytales, but…
That old jawsmith might blow out everything to Gina, even before he tries anything to conjure the snow.
Or he may borrow some history books from Kahir.
There might be better descriptions on snow, lively enough to imagine the exact snow - but a second thought makes him shake his head at once.
Light, the Almighty Genie of the lamp, never asks help to human being – never on earth to a nerdy prince!
Thinking of all those princely gifts he sent to her days ago, his mind goes even farther from asking for Kahir’s help.
After a good while of thought, he stands up, and starts casting an aviation spell to himself.
“I, this all-powerful soul, should have it in my own eyes.”
“I’ve never seen, or heard, from anywhere, of a Genie catching cold!”
Gina is complaining at Light, as he's sick in bed for two days in a row.
“Not even seen for days, then back last night with a nasty cold, and now you're taking my bed?!”
“Gina, look, You're tormenting a patient!"
“Getting hungry every day, falling ill sometimes - now what's so different is a Genie from human?”
Since he came back ill, she's now swamped with chores to take care of. Though not at all happy with it, she still never forgets to hand him over a bowl of steaming lentil soup, fresh out of a porridge.
“Hmph, what a fool I am to expect anything from you....!"
“You mean really? You don't even know, what I've gone through all this time-"
Before he finishes his last word, he put hands on his mouth in haste and glosses over with cough.
“koff-koff! …. gosh, I’m dying, Gina.”
“Such a crybaby!”
“The snack you’ve just made, I might…feel better if I have one more.”
Watching him whining like a little child, Gina sighs, but this tender-hearted girl leaves the room to get more snacks for him.
He wakes up again at midnight, when a new moon shines high in the night sky.
As he raises himself upon an elbow, a half-dried towel falls from his forehead.
He looks around to find Gina dozing off on the bedside, with towels and a water bucket scattered by her side.
Was she changing towels on his forehead all night long?
Back then, Gina wished to give home for everyone - the lonely and the helpless.
An orphanage was built out of her wish, and now she cares for kids after work at Sinbad's warehouse.
Though she got bags under her eyes, her peachy cheeks are now full of life.
She snores just the same as they first met, but now even that soothes his ear and mind...lovable, like a cat purr.
"...."
Tidying stray hairs down on her face, Light's eyes get clouded with mixed feelings.
Light lifts her up, fast asleep, in his arms and covers her up with his blanket.
Under the moonlight, he stares at her lying on the bed for a while, and returns to his lamp in silence.
Vessels from the Northern Empire finally returns to its homeland, fully loaded with so called 'Christmas gifts'.
In this season, every single little thing will turn into a lovely surprise, sending warm hearts to their families and loved ones.
Light feels much better after some days in the Lamp; he sneaks into the front yard of the orphanage, now filled with kids' giggles and laughter.
Seems like Gina has just handed out royal gifts she received to them.
"Oh, You're here. Do you feel better, dear Genie?"
"Gina, we need to go somewhere. Right now."
"Don't you dare bunk off! We've got loads to catch up on this week-"
"Just a second will do, Trust me."
Beside Gina looking daggers at him, a flick of his finger turns her dress into traditional warm-up clothes.
"Dress warm, or you'll regret."
"Light!"
His bracelet clutches her waist even before she starts her word, and their silhouette fades away in a puff of smoke.
As Gina slowly opens her eyes - nice and cool air caresses her face.
Wherever she turns her face, dazzling white catches her eyes.
Ice pillars standing like giant crystals, snowflakes fluttering in the air like white fairies, snowy ground shining as if pearl dust, and a soft blue glow spreading from deep inside - It's the ice cave she heard in Sinbad's tale.
"Whoa...."
While she touches the snow, blows it and makes footprint on it, she keeps exclaiming out of joy and excitement.
"I was just teasing you, didn't imagine you'd show me snow for real..."
"Of course not, you can never find a Genie as nice as I am - scratching around the snowland for human's wish!"
Light, with his shoulder puffed up, heats the air around so they can move more freely.
"Was just planning to see the snow in my own eyes, but here in this ice cave... See, it's million times better than conjured ones!"
He gives eye on her face to get his due reward, to see her smiling in happiness. To Light's surprise, Gina looks rather upset.
"You were wandering all this time, to find out this place?"
"...."
"Don't do such, again, 'cause I feel hurt to see you sick."
In front of her pouting almost in tears, he scratches back of his head with a sheepish grin.
"I promised you earlier to get you sth special, so....I'm just keeping it."
Suddenly Gina jumps into Light's arms, letting him nearly slip and fall down.
"I've got something for you, too."
a little lion-shaped plushie comes out of Gina's arms; Its mane made of wool, its eyes and nose in small black buttons, with a tail tied with a blue ribbon.
"...This...it's a lion..."
"You said you want a lion plushie, handmade - didn't you?"
....Seems like she kept in mind the childish quarrel with Abu over a broken camel figure.
"Took some days to craft, while you weren't around. I'm not a rich, nor a magician, cannot bring something precious for you, but...how do you like it?"
Indeed it's no more than a kids toy, an apparent botch-up with threads here and there.
But the mountains of royal treasure, out of the golden cave, will never match the worth of this adorable lion cub.
Right at this moment, his blue eyes shine brighter than the gleam filling the entire cave.
"I...love it, can't be better."
