The Great Djinn paced back and forth along a long hallway of windows. Outside reflected a vast glittering city as far as the eye could see, and orbiting above it three moons of different sizes. He scratched his blue beard impatiently waiting for someone to arrive.
"Where is that Wish-Hunter?" he cursed, glaring out the window at the many hover cars zooming by and the floating gardens scattered across the landscape. Buildings elevated on stilts overlooked the misty underbelly that covered the planet's surface. Tall spires jutted out between the buildings but none were as grand or as tall as the one the Djinn currently resided. He made a disappointed face in his reflection. The signs of age had recently befallen him. It was as if the promise of youth had started to fade and wear down his skin.
Suddenly a bright light and a loud crackling filled the hallway. Amongst the smoke stood Celeste. She removed her hood and let her red hair fall by her shoulders.
"I am here, oh Great Djinn," said Celeste bowing at the waist. "You summoned me?"
"I'm disappointed in you," said the Djinn turning to the Celeste. His hands twisted into one another while his eyebrows twitched in anger. "You failed me."
"My lord," she said sternly, "I must protest. A rogue Wish-Hunter had gotten there before me and already had the child. This rogue had great power. I was unprepared."
"It wasn't the rogue," said the Djinn. "It was the child who performed that wish." He reached out and snatched Celeste's Alcemator off her hip. "I saw the footage. The damage to the school bus, your Star Hounds injured, all the memories we had to wipe clean, the mess you caused was unprofessional. You are lucky I demanded the EvoEarth producers edit out your failure before the rest of the universe saw it." He twirled the Alcemator in his hands.
"My lord, Djinn, I apologize for my incompetence," said Celeste. "But the power that was performed on the school bus was one comparable to a real wish. I have never seen an Alcemator used for such a change in matter. The entire bus and all its inhabitants became ethereal. Only a powerful wish could perform such a feat."
"Did you underestimate the power of Galaxion?" The Djinn raised the Alcemator in the air. It glowed. "We are dealing with a different kind of wishing. One I did not expect the wishmaker to learn so quickly." The Djinn squeezed until the small black box burst. Glowing dust twirled around the pair until it was sucked into the Djinn's long shirt sleeve.
"My Alcemator!" cried Celeste. "You broke it."
"I have something better for you than wish dust. Maybe this time you will be able to perform the task I give you correctly." The Djinn dropped the broken black box on the ground and extended his hand. "Take my arm, Celeste, and close your eyes."
Celeste took hold and instantly the two teleported to a strange stone door marked with a series of stars carved onto its surface. All around the pair were dripping walls and ceilings of stalagmites, stalactites, and various rock formations. They were in an unknown cave.
"Alright you may open your eyes now," said the Djinn dropping his arm.
"My lord," whispered Celeste looking about the dimly lit cavern. "Where are we?"
"I've brought you to the most sacred place in the universe. The Wishing Well. It is the place I keep all my wishes. A place only I know how to find." The Djinn placed his hand on the door. The star carvings began to glow. A rumble shook the cave floor. "Behold." The door shifted open and light burst through. The pair entered. Celeste gasped.
The chamber was filled with millions of ungranted wishes. Each glowing stone floating in a never ending loop around a vast black hole in the floor.
"I have only heard of this place," she said avoiding the many wishes passing by. "Never in my dreams did I think I would be here."
"Consider it an honor." The Djinn smiled. "You are my best Wish-Hunter, and it was foolish of me to send you to collect the greatest star so ill equipped." He reached out and snatched a wish out of the air. "Tell me, Celeste, have you discovered the identity of our rogue Wish-Hunter?"
"Not yet, my lord. My men have narrowed it down to seventy possible criminals all of whom were in the area at the time and capable of performing the act. Other than that, we don't have much else. EvoEarth was not able to capture the footage of the rogue or the child."
"Hmm," said the Djinn studying the wish in his hands. "Why must everyone under my command perform their job so poorly." He sighed. "I did not want to resort to this but it seems we have little choice if we are to find the child's identity." He brought the wish up to his lips. "Oh little star, I wish to know who has claimed Galaxion's power and where they can be found."
The wish began to shake and grow; it's colors becoming bright red and orange. Its light expanded across the chamber until it popped leaving an image of Eddie, Novus, and Stella made of glittering dust. The three were reading a story and talking.
"Hmm. I should have known he was the one," said the Djinn moving close to Novus's face. "Novus Stardancer."
Celeste turned on her watch. A mugshot of Novus appeared in the air above her wrist. "Novus Stardancer, wanted for crimes against the Federation. They include theft of wishes without a license, destruction of property, smuggling of creatures and illegal goods, and finally interacting with no contact planets and people. Seems he also played a part in the destruction of Planet 19NB. What a list. Why haven't I heard of him?"
"He was before your time. Possibly once my best wish-hunter under my command at least until that unfortunate incident with Planet 19NB." The Djinn paced around the image. "He's stubborn and arrogant, but he knows his way around and within our organization and has many friends on the outside. He is a very dangerous man and easily avoids capture. I have no doubt in my mind he knows all about you, Celeste." The Djinn laughed. "Oh, no wonder he went by unseen by the EvoEarth cameras. And here I figured he had wandered far into the universe. To think he has been hovering around Earth this whole time."
"And the child's name?" asked Celeste crossing her arms. The Djinn swished his hands in the air. The view changed to Eddie's backpack. A notebook with her name glistened before them. The image then warped to the ship's monitor. The spacecraft's destination blinked on the screen.
"Edwina Eversby," he said. "An interesting name for an Earth girl. And they are on a course to Sector 297Q."
"Perfect," said Celeste rubbing her hands together gleefully. "I can't wait to have my hounds sink their teeth into that rogue."
"You will not send the hounds on them again. I want them both alive and brought to me. The game has changed." The Djinn turned back to the image of the three. He zoomed in to the wish on Eddie's lap. "Galaxion is a clever star that will not be so easy to tame. From what I gather with that incident on the school bus, it has given its power to this young girl and has her currently under its protection. No wish will get you through that protection. We must do this the old fashioned way with deception and patience."
"What a drag," said Celeste. "I was hoping to have some fun."
"And you will."
Celeste pulled up the video on her watch from the EvoEarth database of the school bus phasing through the cars before becoming invisible.
"So when this happened Galaxion was involved?"
"Precisely," said the Djinn, his eyes studying the footage. "Galaxion is a special star. It not only brings about the greatest wish imaginable, but it can make all other wishes much more powerful such as an Alcemator which normally can only perform small feats of impossibility."
"You speak as though Galaxion has a personality. I thought stars were just giant balls of gas burning."
"Galaxion and I have a long history and much disagreement." The Djinn swished his arm through the glittering image of Novus and Edwina sending the glittering dust to fall like rain upon the cavern floor. "I must have that wish before the girl uses it."
"So I snatch the girl and imprison the rogue. Doesn't seem so difficult."
"Don't underestimate them. Galaxion is sure to put up a fight, but if you follow my instructions, you will have no trouble."
A smile arched across Celeste's face. "What will you have me do?"
"First you need the right tool for the job." The Djinn reached out and took another star from the air. "The reason why I brought you here was not to gawk at the Wishing Well but to give you a little boost." The Djinn shoved the whole wish into a new black box. The new Alcemator shook and screamed as it consumed the star. "This Alcemator will give you ten great wishes. Next I will give you a small group of Wish-Hunters under your disposal."
"My lord," cried Celeste as she was handed the Alcemator. "This is truly an honor."
"Yes, consider it a promotion. I'll send you the rest of the instructions once you have found the girl. I am counting on you, Celeste. Do not disappoint me this time."
Celeste placed the hood over her head; the cloak sparkled in the light of the many floating wishes. She kissed the Djinn's hands. "I promise you, my lord. This time I will not fail."