"What can you show me?"

The genie stood still, his eyes blinking. He was caught off guard by the question; he had never in all his years heard such a strange request. Any other circumstance and he would have denied her the privilege. But the way she stood with a straight face, impatiently tapping her foot on the snow with such an arrogant casual air, though he was sure she was very cold—it intrigued him.

"You want to know what I can offer?" he asked, raising an eyebrow, still unsure and a bit confused, though he was careful not to show it.

"Yes," she replied. "Please." She pressed her arms against herself tighter, a feeble attempt to warm herself against the cold. She wondered if the thin sweater she wore was there at all or if it was simply a figment of her imagination.

He nodded, bringing his finger up and snapping into the air. Nothing happened at first, and she did not doubt his powers but she pretended to be unimpressed. He brought his hand down and crossed his arms calmly. He stared at her with his hard eyes, making her shift from one leg to another, her own gaze off to the side as if she didn't notice his stare.

From the air she saw something small and black flying towards where they stood. She stared at it for a minute or two before glancing nervously at the man—who stared back unconcerned—then back into the air. It was gone. She frowned, searching the skies intently for the object in the air.

A loud yell left her mouth as a sudden gust of wind to her left blasted through the otherwise placid air. The chill left her teeth chattering, the little click click of teeth ringing through her ears. She vaguely thought she saw a large red object by the genie, however her dress lifted then and she hastily beat it down.

When she could compose herself somewhat, she looked up at the genie, whose back was facing her. She was grateful that he did not see her display, but also ashamed at being afraid. She swallowed and stood straight, looking past the man.

On the snow lay a large blood red carpet, intricately woven with many patterns and colors. The tips and edges were laced with gold, the carpet merged with the deep warm colors of her people. It was mesmerizing. It reminded her of the magic carpet she saw in Asta's book. She walked closer to better see the carpet.

As she skimmed the front she could make out many shapes and animals long forgotten to her people. She saw men and battles and kings, as if the tapestry was telling a story. What caught her eye the most was a lion standing on its hind legs, his paws in the air and his teeth bared. She stared, her lips ghosting a smile. How long it had been since she had seen the picture of a lion! She had almost forgotten what it looked like.

She grinned, and her eyes flicked to the figure across from it. There, an eagle stood on his feet, his head raised proudly in the air and its beak as sharp as knives. The lion was a deep golden brown, the eagle bold, and the picture rich and vivid as if the colors from the animals were taken from their skins themselves.

"How is it I can see these colors?" she asked. "I have never seen so many in one place. They are so…bold. They pop out of the carpet. I want to stretch out my hand and touch the lion."

She looked up to hear the genie laugh. It would have bothered her to hear someone laugh at her ignorance, but she had never heard the man laugh so it did not vex her in the least. He held his bare stomach and threw his head back. She found herself smiling as he revealed perfect white teeth. He had a deep rich laugh, and she wanted to bask in it as one lies in the sun and absorbs the sunlight.

"Forgive me," he said, fingertips tracing the outline of bronze skin. "I forget how poor the eyesight of humans has become. For me to see these colors are common. Come, I will show you something." As she looked on, he knelt in the snow unflinching as it touched his bare skin. He grinned and patted the carpet almost fondly.

"Hello friend. It has been a long time since we have meet; you have been getting rather dusty." He motioned to her. "Come," the genie said. "Sit down, so that I may begin to show you something."

She did not question him but sat down on the carpet, patting her dress down and clutching herself tighter. He quietly sat behind her.

"Are you cold?" She nodded and he did the same.

He then made a queer sound with his teeth—almost the way you call a camel or get it begin moving. At the idea she thought of her home and missed it almost immediately. She certainly wouldn't mind the heat of the desert now. Her thoughts scattered at once as she felt herself being lifted into the air. The carpet rose into the air, very slowly at first, then a little faster.

She turned around excitedly to the man, who smiled in turn. She looked over the edge, clutching the tip of the carpet tightly, least she fall. The white of the snow grew farther and farther away. Soon she felt the mist of the clouds and her clothes became moist and damp. She wiped the water from her face and laughed out loud, despite the freezing cold nipping at her skin.

"Hold on," the man whispered near her ear.

The carpet bounded into the skies at an incredible speed. At first she leaned back into the genie, her stomach rising to her throat. Her hands firmly clutched his arms and she thought absently of his firm mucles. She dismissed the thought quickly enough as they passed a small flock of birds. They were unlike the ones in her home place, being rather pale and small compared to the birds that rested in the shade of the palm trees. But she stared still as they flew by.

True, she could barely breathe and could just as barely open her eyes, yet she felt unbounded by any element as they soared through the skies. She held her hand over her mouth and nose to breath easier as they flew.

Soon the carpet began to slow, and it began its descent from the clouds. She gave a shaky breath and laughed into the air. She turned to the genie. He was composed: back straight as he stared down over the carpet edge. He looked up at her and grinned.

"I knew you could like that. Now for the main course. Look." She blinked, slightly unsure and still out of breath.

As the carpet descended, it came down from the clouds to face the horizon of flat green plains, an abundancy of flowers below filling the grass with countless numbers. The red sun setting slowly in the distance, taking its time as it ebbed slowly away from the sky. The clouds were strewn across the sky as if an artist had painted them there purposefully. That alone was beautiful. The long grass wavered in the slight wind and she was filled with warmth that was not only physical as the sun radiated its rays.

"Close your eyes," he instructed. She learned to obey without question and did so. He placed a hand over both closed eyelids and then withdrew them. "Now open them."

When she did so, the genie waited patiently. As she began to shake, he assumed she was laughing with joy. Instead he heard her begin to cry. He frowned and gingerly placed his hands on her shoulders with concern.

"What's the matter? Did I do something wrong?" She took a quick breath, crying into her hands.

"No no, it's just so beautiful. I have never seen colors like this before. The sky—"she choked, "the sky is so wonderful." He gave a weak smile and sighed.

"This is just one of the things I can offer you. Colors. True colors, of all variety and shade, unlike the mundane colors you could see before."

"They are wonderful things," she said absently. He looked at her wiping the tears from her face and looked away towards the sun.

"Yes," he said softy into the wind. "Yes they are."

He gazed into a world filled with colors black and white.