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donnetellotheturtle · 2 months

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Second star to the right

Chapter 1

A ten-year-old Asha stared at her father's empty grave.

Missing, they said. Most likely dead, they said.

Asha couldn’t believe it. Tears welled up in her eyes for the hundredth time today, and her breath caught in her throat. The young princess felt so alone.

She felt an arm wrap around her shoulders. Looking up, she saw her uncle Magnifico. Tears pricked the corners of his eyes, but he didn’t dare let them fall.

Magnifico was the new king now that his brother was presumed dead.

Asha grabbed onto Magnifico’s black funeral clothes and sobbed into them. He hugged her tight.

The rain poured down harder.

8 years later, Asha woke up to the sound of knocking and whispering.

“Shh! Shh! Don’t ruin it!”

“Ow, Simon you’re stepping on my foot!”

“Guys!”

Asha laid up, giggling softly, then spoke innocently. “Come in!”

Her best friend Dahlia opened the door. Behind her, Simon, Gabo, Safi, Bazeema, Dario, and Hal, followed. Safi carrying the donut with a small lit candle in it. All of them were singing happy birthday off key. Asha grinned widely as they concluded, setting the donut on the princess's lap.

Asha thought about her wish, then nodded, blowing out the candle. Her friends clapped.

“What did you wish for?” Simon asked. Bazeema put her hands on the boy's shoulders, smiling.

“I can’t tell you.” Asha chuckled, biting into the donut. “If you tell a wish, they don’t come true!”

Dahlia chuckled. “Well, we know you have a lot to do today but, all of us just wanted to make sure you started off your birthday amazingly!”

Asha smiled and wrapped her arms around Dahlia.

“Thank you.”

“Oh, and we have a present for you.” Safi said, handing a small box to her. She took it gently, opening it. It was a cape. Purple and shiny with a hood. It was gorgeous.

“Woah…” Asha pulled it out of its box. It was perfect. She tried it on, swirling around.

“I knew you’d like it!” Hal said. “We all worked really hard to make it for you.”

“You all did this for me?” Asha asked, tears pricking her eyes. Her friends wrapped their arms around her, forming a group hug.

Then someone cleared their throat from the hallway. “Excuse me.”

The group hug broke up quickly, and everyone turned to look at Ashas advisor, Joe, who had a rather large piece of parchment in his hands. Asha sighed softly, pulling off her new cape.

“Duty calls.”

“Okay. Happy birthday Asha.” Dahlia held Ashas hands tight, before leading the group out of the room. Joe waited for Asha to change into her dress for the day, the handmaidens filing in to help her get fully into her dress.

She met Joe outside, and he led her down the hallway, telling her about the schedule after breakfast. It was a lot of meetings and planning and planning for meetings. She stopped listening halfway through, looking out the window.

She loved her people. She loved her family. She’s loved Rosas.

She did not love the responsibility. As the crown princess, it was great and weighed heavily on her.

But did the horticultural society really need to have another meeting with her about the roses this year? It could just be sent in a letter.

“Princess Asha.”

She snapped back into focus as Joe said her name.

“We’re here.”

Asha looked ahead. The dining hall. Right. Breakfast with her aunt and uncle.

“Thank you, Joe.”

He nodded, bowing. “I will be waiting for you outside.”

Asha smiled and opened the door. She saw her uncle Magnifico and aunt Amaya sitting, waiting for her.

“Good morning, birthday girl.” Magnifico said excitedly.

“I heard your friends came and already sang to you this morning?” Amaya asked, her voice gentle as opposed to her husband’s.

Asha nodded, pulling out her chair to the food that was already ready for her. “Yes, Aunt Amaya.”

“Well, you have a busy day ahead. So, it’s good they started it off well.” She said, daintily eating her food.

“I know.” Asha suddenly didn’t feel so hungry.

“Oh, you do?” Magnifico asked, cocking his head to the side. Asha chuckled softly. “Well, I can fix that!”

Asha raised an eyebrow.

“Joe!”

Joe walked in, bowing. “Yes, your highness?”

“Clear Ashas schedule for the day! It’s her birthday. She shouldn’t have to work!”

“Yes, your highness.”

Honestly? Asha felt relieved. She smiled at him. “Thank you, uncle.”

He nodded. “Well, now that your schedule is cleared, I need to show you something after breakfast! Eat up!”

Magnifico nearly shoved all his food into his mouth before Amaya laid a hand on his arm, reminding him to slow down with a smile on her face.

“I would like you not to choke on Ashas birthday, dear?”

“Sorry, sorry. Im very excited.”

“Why?” Asha had finished half her plate. “What are you going to show me?”

“The wishes.”

Asha gasped. “You’re finally showing me?”

“You’re going to take over someday. Might as well know how to grant them.”

“Really?” Asha smiled widely. It was only a well-placed look from her aunt that stopped her from mimicking her uncle and shoving the food in her mouth.

After they had both finished their food, Asha grabbed Magnificos arm, practically dragging him towards the observatory.

“Haha. See you later my dear!” Magnifico called as he was dragged out of the room by Asha. She could her her aunt laughing as the door shut behind them.

“What are the wishes like?” Asha asked.

“Heavier than you’d expect.” Magnifico answered.

“Are you going to teach me magic?”

“…Do you want to learn?”

“Yeah!”

“Then I will teach you.”

Magnifico smiled, opening the doors to the observatory. It was beautiful. The windows were stained glass, images of Magnifico on them, giving the ground a rainbow coloring in the morning sun, there was a miniature of Rosas in the corner, and a bookshelf of magical books in the corner. To the side, below one of the windows, was an alchemist's workstation. Magnifico took his staff from its holding spot as Asha looked up. Above her, were all the wishes.

All of them were blue, bumping into each other as if speaking to one another.

“...woah…”

“Amazing right?” Magnifico smiled.

“Yeah…”

Magnifico waved a hand, and a wish came down, settling in front of Asha.

“Hold it.” Magnifico said.

Asha reached out and it settled in her hands. Like Magnifico had said, it was heavier than she expected. She could see inside the ball shaped wish and saw a woman dancing with a handsome man. It felt fantastic.

“…Wow.”

“This, Asha, is the wish I’m granting tonight. A simple wish really, one of true love.”

“it’s beautiful.”

“It is.”

Asha looked up as the wish floated back up. There were…a lot. That didn’t make sense. Her uncle granted tons of wishes every night.

“Uncle?”

“Yes Asha?”

“…Why are there so many of them up there?”

“…What do you mean?”

“The wishes…don’t you grant many of them every night? It doesn’t make sense…this is a lot of wishes that haven’t been granted.”

Magnifico sighed softly. “Well…there are some wishes that I can’t grant.”

Asha looked at her uncle. “What do you mean?”

Magnifico pulled down a wish. One of an older man playing the mandolin and singing to a crowd. “Some wishes, are dangerous.”

Asha looked at her uncle, waiting for him to explain more. He looked at the wish.

“This is a wish to inspire others. But it’s too vague. Inspire others to do what, exactly? Rise up against us?”

“That old man looks harmless, uncle.”

“He might be. He may not be. You never know what lives in the hearts of others.”

Asha played with her hair. “I don’t understand.”

Magnifico bit his lip. “I’m not explaining this well…okay. Let’s say, you have a wish to become rich. But your wish doesn’t clarify how you become rich. If I were to grant that wish, it could be disastrous. It could be a case of others turning to gold by this person’s touch or drowning the city in gold. Am I making sense?”

Asha thought it over. “Why don’t we give the wishes back then instead of granting them then?”

“Oh! That’s a very good question!” Magnifico grinned. It seemed he never had another person to talk to about this. Asha felt emboldened by his enthusiasm. “When someone willingly gives a wish up, the wish granter gains the power from that wish. That power from ungranted wishes, can then be used to protect Rosas and its people.”

“Protect them from what?”

“…Stars.”

Asha raised an eyebrow. “Stars?”

Magnifico sent the wish back up and summoned a book, opening it to the front page, showing it to Asha. “Okay so, if someone wishes hard enough and with all of their heart, it can summon a star straight down from the sky. These stars, however, are extremely…dangerous.”

Asha looked at the illustrations as Magnifico flipped. It showed a person wishing on the ground, then a star person answering the call. Asha turned the page and saw that the kingdom depicted in the previous pages was under attack by this star, and the star overpowering them.

“…Uncle, these are just fairytales.”

Magnifico shook his head. “No…this is history.”

Asha looked to her uncle. He looked sad. She’d never seen him like that, save for her father's funeral.

“…Your father and I, we came to this land together…built this kingdom together. But the reason we left, was because a star attacked and destroyed our home. Because of a single wish…we…”

Asha put a hand on her uncle's arm and squeezed it. “I’m sorry, uncle…father never told me this.”

“You were too young.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“More responsibility on your shoulders. You shouldn’t have to bear this particular burden until you’re ready.”

Asha sighed softly. “I understand uncle…how will my magic lessons fit in?”

“I’m sure you’ll be able to skip some meetings. I will make it work.”

Asha smiled and hugged her uncle tightly. He gave her a squeeze back. “You remind me of your father everyday, Asha. I only wish he had been around to see how you’ve grown.”

Asha felt tears prick her eyes. He smiled and ruffled her hair. “I have to get some work done…Why don’t you go around town? I’m sure the people will want to see you today.”

Asha nodded softly. “That’ll be nice.”

“Alright. See you later then.”

She nodded and left the room, closing the door behind her. She was left in the morning light with her thoughts to collect. Something didn’t feel right about the story he told. In the back of her mind, she felt like Magnifico was lying about something. She paid no heed to it. Why would her uncle lie?

Outside the window, she saw the north tower. It had stood empty for as long as she could remember. The other three towers had uses, but that one didn’t. She stared over at it.

Then she saw a figure in it. Asha rubbed her eyes. Nothing again. She felt something like a tug in her stomach. She had always been curious about the north tower. Maybe instead of going to the city, she could explore the castle. She bit her lip. Uncle would be mad if she was caught. Magnifico said that tower was practically falling apart.

“Asha?”

She turned and saw her aunt Amaya.

“Are you alright?”

“Oh. I thought I saw something in the north tower.” Asha explained.

Amaya raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“It was probably just a trick of the light.” Asha brushed it off, chuckling. “Uncle said I should go into town today. Do you want to join me?”

“I cant, unfortunately.” Amaya frowned softly. “I have some work to do.”

“Huh. That’s what uncle said!”

Amaya chuckled. “The work of a king and queen is never done. You should enjoy your day. Bring back a strawberry scone from that stall I like though.”

Asha nodded as Amaya walked into the observatory. She looked back out at the tower. There was something moving there again. She hadn’t imagined it. The tugging got stronger. If she was quick, her aunt and uncle wouldn’t notice.

So, Asha steeled herself, and started heading down the steps.

At the bottom of the spiraling steps to the top of the north tower. As Magnifico had told her before, it was practically falling apart. She wondered why they’d never bothered to repair it. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea. Shed never done anything like this before. Shed never gone against her aunts and uncles wishes. She turned to leave.

Then she heard singing.

It was a boy's voice, soft and remorseful and sad. Shed never heard anything quite like it. There was someone up there. She took a deep breath and started heading upwards.

It was a long way up, and there were small intervals in the boy's song that made Asha pause and consider going back down before she’s caught. Then the voice started again, and she knew she couldn’t leave whoever was up there like that.

Finally, she reached a green door. The boy's singing was loud now. She put her hand on the door, reeling back when it shocked her. A magic ward. Why would her uncle need this? Something in her told her she could push past it. So, she took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and put her hands on the door. Magic pulsed at her fingertips, easy as breathing, as if someone was guiding her.

She opened the door.

The boy stopped singing, looking at the girl who had suddenly opened the door.

He screamed.

Asha screamed back.

#disney wish #disney wish rewrite #wish asha #wish star #my writing #chapter 1 #second star to the right

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