Caretaker

This is not my own story. The original story goes to hogablah02 ( https://hogablah02.deviantart.com/ ).

(picture goes to Ask-EvilPrincess https://ask-evilprincess.deviantart.com/art/Aladdin-Fem-Genie-536436086 )

So I found this old dusty lamp at a garage sale. A little cliché, but oh well, it was cheap, and who knows? Imagine my surprise when I got home, cleaned it up, and a genie actually popped out of it.

So here I am, staring at a translucent clone of myself that seemed to be made of gas.

"What would my mistress wish for?" the genie asked. Her... I say her because she looks exactly like me, for whatever reason, which I'm guessing might not be its' usual form. However, despite her face being nearly my identical twin, she was far more beautiful. Probably because it looked like she had put effort into her appearance, while I never do. That, and she had a very... 'proper' air about her.

"I... have some questions." I stammered. "Why do you look like me?"

"That's a common question." The genie nodded, grinning. I noticed her voice was almost similar to my own, too except... a bit more beautiful, however you would measure that. "I do this to help make my various masters or mistresses more comfortable with me. So, I take on their appearance. It also helps show the bond."

"Alright then..." I bit my lip. Strange, but understandable. "What is your name?"

"I... Strange. Most masters do not ask for my name first. Usually they care more about their newfound power." The genie seemed deep in thought, and for a moment, her stance dropped into a slouch, which quickly disappeared as she stood back up in a more proper pose. "My name is... well. My true name is long and ancient, but you may call me Elandris." She smiled at me.

"Ah... nice to meet you Elandris." I offered my hand for a handshake.

Elandris mused at me, and looked down at my hand. She reached up and shook it. Her hand was surprisingly warm to the touch. Considering its' gaseous appearance, I was expecting coldness.

"I'm Eleanor." I giggled. "Funny that our names both start the same way. But, could you make yourself look at least a little different from me? It's... kind of bizzare."

"Certainly." Elandris replied. With a comically large puff of smoke that immediately dissipated, her appearance suddenly changed. She still looked... similar to myself, just... vaguely different. She could have passed for a sister or cousin.

"You are an interesting mistress, aren't you." She smiled at me. "I can tell we're going to have some fun."

I smiled back. "Alright, then. What are the limitations on the wishes? Is it the usual three?"

"First of all, there is no limit on the number of wishes." Elandris started. I goggled. That was certainly unexpected. "That is a misconception that your culture has placed on you. We will be done with each other at your discretion. Please, treat me well, and I shall do the same for you." Elandris smiled warmly at me. "However, you may only make one wish a year. And there are constraints on the power of those wishes. I can go into more detail-"

"No, I imagine you'll just tell me when something can't be done." I cut her off, deep in thought. "Just once a year?"

"Yes. I'll keep track of when your next wish is available, so you won't have to worry about that."

"Hmm." I paused, deep in thought. I hadn't actually spent any time thinking of what to wish for if the lamp really worked, because... well, it was a long shot anyway. But now that it's here... "I'm going to go ahead and guess that all the usual stuff like wishing for omnipotence, infinite wishes, etcetera, are all out the window."