battled with ghosts, cast a magic spell or two, tracked down and destroyed a magical idol, and had my mind switched because of another one… And there was another idol too, but it never displayed any magic, just had some nifty legend about it being cursed… You know, now that I think about it all. Maybe I should think about getting some alternative work?“

“And all this in one lifetime???” the Genie said, his eyes wide as saucers. “No wonder you have clear memories of the past few days. Though it’s usually true that only myself, and whoever makes the wish, can remember the day of the wish’s affects. There have been some cases in the past, where those who have been touched by magical objects, can recall some of the day’s events. From what you’ve told me, it’s no wonder you can remember them so.”

“Yeah, swell,” Baloo muttered. “But tell you what though. I wouldn’t mind forgetting about tonight’s escapade.” Baloo shuddered. “Especially with what happened in my plane.” Baloo suddenly remembered. “My plane! I gotta get back to it!”

He made his way to the door, about to escape, when…

“Forgive me, my master,” the Genie said politely. “But I would not be so quick to do that, if I were you?”

“Can the comments, Shazaam,” Baloo said hurriedly. “I gotta get back to my baby before… “ He opened the door… 

“Ah, Baloo,” Karnage said, along with a few dozen of her men, waiting outside the door. “Talking to ourselves, are we?”

“Yikes!” Baloo yelped and slammed the door, grabbing the nearest chair he could and jamming it under the lock.

The Genie gave him a small glance.

“Okay, okay,” Baloo fumed, sitting on the chair, holding the door shut. ”So you were right!”

“Break the door down!” Karnage ordered, and within moments the door to Karnage’s quarters began shuddering, as the pirates started to ram it.

“I could do with some help right about now!” Baloo strained, as the chair he was sitting on leapt with each ram. The door was obviously not going to hold for very long.

“Might I make a suggestion?” the Genie floated toward him.

Baloo shrugged. “Any suggestion would be a good one right about now!”

The Genie held out his hands, presenting himself in front of the pilot.

“Well?” Baloo said. “What’s your suggestion?”

The Genie rolled his eyes, and flung out his hands, presenting himself again.

“Youuu… think we should do a tap dance routine?” Baloo frowned.

The Genie floated closer. “Forgive me,” he said, and slapped Baloo on the head.

“Hey!” Baloo said indignantly.

“Allow me to make this more clearer for you,” the Genie stated as a matter of fact. “I am what precisely?”

“A Genie,” Baloo answered uncertainly.

The Genie nodded. “Correct, and what pray tell do Genies do?”

Baloo suddenly brightened, and felt like slapping himself in the head. “What a dope I am! Of course, you can grant wishes!”

The Genie clapped his hands, and a chorus of applause and trumpets seemed to come out of nowhere. “Hallelujah!” he praised.

Baloo sneered sarcastically at him, but then he looked troubled, just as the ramming behind him intensified.

“Hang on,” he said. “You said that none of your wishes last past sunset, right?”

The Genie nodded.

Baloo cursed. “Darn it! If your wishes won’t work any longer than till tomorrow, and everything goes back to the way it was before, then you can’t get me out of here. If I just wish myself out of here, then this time tomorrow I’ll just end up back where I started.”

The Genie nodded again. “Alas, I am afraid that is so, master,” the Genie informed him sadly. “However, if you were to wish for something to incapacitate the pirates for the moment, allowing you the time you require to escape, then you will be fine.”

Baloo scratched his head. “Hold on, where exactly is the Iron Vulture right now?”

“I’m not sure what you mean?”

Baloo pounded his leg with his fist. “Where’s the ship heading? We going back to the Air Pirate’s lair, are we near Cape Suzette, Louie’s… “ he suddenly stopped, as a thought had occurred to him.

“I believe we are on route to the pirate’s lair,” the Genie replied.

“Wait!” Baloo quickly interjected. “How many wishes can I make in one day?”

The Genie shrugged. “As many as you want,” he said. “Master Karnage, for some reason, thought that he could only make one wish a day, all because of that simple rule of the wishes ending by sunset.”

“So I can have as many as I want?!” Baloo asked urgently, as the door was starting to give away.

“Yes,” the Genie confirmed.

Baloo snapped his fingers. “Okay, Genie, I just wanna clear something else up, to be sure… If I were to wish the pirates away, and make this ship go anywhere I want to, and then once I get there, if I were to leave the ship by myself, no assistance from you. Would I end up back here at sunset?”

The Genie shook his head. “No. Location-wise, anyone who the wish has affected directly will instantly be transported back to where they were originally. But as for the wish-maker, unless he or she wished to be transported somewhere, then they’ll stay wherever they take themselves to during the day.”

“Then here’s a list of my wishes… “ Baloo said, holding out his fingers. “First of all, repair my plane! I know it won’t last, but my buddy Wildcat can fix it tomorrow, and I need the plane to be airborne just for tonight. Second, have this ship flying by my buddy Louie’s place!”

The Genie bowed. “Whatever you wish is my command, oh master,” he said. “Anything else?”

Baloo grinned. “Ohhh yeah,” he said, a wicked glint in his eye. “I do have a couple of other things I have in mind.” He wiggled his finger at him, drawing the Genie close, and whispered into his ear.

The Genie’s eyes widened momentarily, and then a long wide smirk grew all over his face. “Master Baloo,” he said finally. “It’s going to be ever so fun working with you!”

* * * * *

From outside her own quarters, Don Karnage, still in his feminine form, swished her sword from side to side, aching her men on. “Stop slacking and give me results!” she commanded. “Heave! Ho!”

The pirates fumed silently. They knew it was really Don Karnage, but even so it was humiliating to have a woman boss them about.

Suddenly, the ship seemed to halt in mid-air and do a turnabout several times. The men yelled in surprise, grabbing onto the decks, floor, and anything they could get their hands on.

“Bridge!” Karnage yelled, grabbing the nearest microphone to contact his pilot. “What is going on?!”

“Dunno, captain,” a voice replied. “But it seems our whole position has been changed. The ship has been completely blown off course. I have no idea where we are!”

“But how can that… “ Karnage stopped briefly, and gave a low dangerous growl. “Crewman?” he spoke to the pirate behind him. “I know that what just happened now was a frightening experience. However, if you do not remove yourself from off my back, and remove your hands from my chest, I will have slit your throat from ear to ear!!!”

The crewman, the shaggy wolf who had been the one who gave Karnage the Genie’s bottle in the first place, sprang up and fled from his captain, bowing apologetically.

“Ohhh, Karny!” Baloo’s voice called out.

Karnage raised her hand, halting her men with the ramming. “You have decided to finally surrender, yes?” she called out.

Baloo laughed. “Not likely, babe!”

Karnage snarled at the name Baloo gave him.

“Nope,” Baloo continued. “I’d just thought I’d let you and your men know to get ready. Because I’m sending you on an all-expense-paid free night’s out, complete with your choice of chaperone for the whole night!”

“What are you…?“ Karnage began confused, but before she could finish, another more familiar voice sounded.

“Abracadabra, Abracazoo! Give these pirates a make-over, and toodle-loo!”

“Genie!” Karnage screamed out worried, surprised… and downright terrified.

In the blink of an eye, the Genie’s smoke filled up the whole of the ship’s corridors, and when it dissipated, Karnage and his crew were gone.

Baloo opened the door, peeking out cautiously.