When Worlds Collide

Chapter 37

When Natsu awoke from his fall, Happy and Aatamgosh were at his side, relieved that he was still alive.

"Oh my head." He groaned.

"Are you okay?" Happy asked him.

"I think so. Did we make it out?"

He looked up at the solid cavern ceiling. They were trapped. Trapped like a rat underground with no way out. 

"That two-faced son of a jackal!" Natsu cursed at the old man. "He left us here!"

"I told you not to trust him!" Happy said. "I told you we were going to regret this!"

"Nobody likes an 'I told you so' Happy."

"Oh we're going to die down here!" Happy moaned pitifully. "Well at least we're already buried."

"Don't panic Happy." Natsu said.

"Don't panic?! Look where we are! We're underground and with no way to get back up to the surface! It's over! We're done for! My only hope is the myth about cats having nine lives turns out to be true!"

"I'm sure if we try, we can find a way out. Or at least make one. Let's start digging."

For many hours Natsu, Happy, and Aatamgosh tried to dig their way out. Pulling and pushing sand and rubble aside in hopes of somehow making a hole that would lead to the outside world.  But their efforts seemed to be in vain. Each time they took aside one handful of sand, more just came seeping down.

"This isn't going to work." Happy said. "We might as well just give up, say our prayers, and wait for death to take us."

"Maybe we would have better luck if there was more light in here." Natsu suggested. "Aatamgosh, do you mind giving us a breath?"

"Bad idea pal." Happy said. "One breath from him could barbecue us."

"Good point. Well maybe we could use this instead?"

He took the lamp from his satchel and checked to see if there was any oil. He prayed that there would be oil because if there was then all he had to do was create a spark with some rocks and he would be able to light the lamp. Unfortunately there wasn't a drop to be found.

"Damn it!" He cursed. "Well it's made of copper so maybe we can use it to start a fire. Let's see how well it sparks."

It started to rub the lamp with a small rock he found, suddenly the lamp started to shake like mad. Colorful smoke spewed out of the spout while also releasing flashes of fire and shots of ember. Then in after a huge burst of flames, the smoke took the form of a tall, muscular man with shoulder-length orange hair, a stubbly beard, and a body surrounded by a strange aura.

"At last fresh air." The man said stretching. "Oye! Twenty years in there can give you such a crick in the neck. Or have I been in there for thirty years? Forty maybe?"

For five minutes he just continued to stretch and crack his joints, really enjoying the outisde world after years of being concealed. After he was finished, he looked over to find Natsu staring at him wide eyed and confused.

"What's the matter? Haven't you ever seen an all powerful genie before?" He asked him.

"Uh...Uh...I...I...Uh..." Natsu stuttered.

"Not much of a talker are you?" He then noticed Aatamgosh. "Hey it's my favorite reptile! Never thought I'd see you again!"

Aatamgosh gleefully greeted the genie with the same licks and nuzzles he had given Natsu.

"Oh knock it off you big lug." He laughed. "Nobody likes a kiss-ass."

"Um..." Natsu said warily. "I'm sorry but who...Or what...Are you?"