Disney's Wish: Reimagined

Chapter 4 - Star

"Star," Asha beamed. "Of course! Because you're a star! You're the star! I—you're... WOW! Just wow!"

With elegance, Star ascended, twirling in a circle before extending a friendly wave. Now that she'd been given the chance, Asha gracefully curtsied. The princess then took a few steps back, tucking a few braids behind her ear.

"But... How is this possible? Like, I know I wished on one, but that's not—I mean, this isn't...! Like, no." Valentino rolled his eyes below her. "I must be crazy. Do I seem crazy to you? Quick, check my pupils! Maybe I'm concussed!"

As if to ask if she trusted him, Star offered her his hand. She cautiously reached out, and the moment their hands met, a wave of happiness and warmth washed over her.

"Whoa," she murmured. He released her hand and floated downward until his feet touched the ground. With every step he took, Star left aureate footprints that gradually faded away over time. "I have a weird question," Asha abruptly added.

The young man cupped his ear and leaned in attentively, waiting patiently for her next words.

"Do you... grant wishes?"

Star cast her an uncertain glance and merely shrugged.

"Oh, sorry." Asha rubbed the back of her neck. "I don't mean to pry. I just... oh, never mind. It's a long story. Plus I'm no stranger to magic, so I can't help but be curious!" At her command, a small flame emerged from the tip of her index finger.

Tilting his head further, the ethereal entity moved a bit closer as if to request more details.

In response, Asha inhaled sharply. "My father—King Magnifico—is capable of granting wishes," she explained, drawing circles in the dirt with her toes to illustrate the physical appearance of those wishes. "But not in the way I expected." She then kicked the dirt, ruining her artwork. "He steals these wishes from people, and, well... chooses which ones to grant. At first I was like, dang, that's super cool! But after actually seeing the wishes, I started to wonder what was really going on. And now I'm realizing how stupid I sound considering there are thousands of people in Rosas, and he grants only one wish per month, so of course many wishes are to be overlooked! Turns out I was right to have reservations, because..." Asha hadn't noticed, but Star was slowly turning a shade of red. "The grant-wishing power Magnifico wields is a form of Dark Magic."

Like a pinball, the boy rebounded off a few tree trunks to release some steam, gradually reverting to his golden state. His antics caused Valentino to jump into Asha's arms. When he was finished, he sat atop a tree branch with crossed legs, mind clearly whirling with thoughts and opinions.

"Don't like that, huh?" Asha remarked, gently stroking Valentino's fur.

Star violently shook his head, floating down from the tree while his elbow continued resting on one knee.

"Me neither. I guess that's why they call the truth 'ugly' sometimes." She hesitated, furrowing her brow. "I really looked up to him, too. I wanted to be him. 'Don't meet your idols,' they say. Too bad I was raised by mine."