Of Stardust and Wishes (A Wish Rewrite)

Chapter 11 - Promises of Power

A/N: I must admit, I changed how wishes are physically represented in this version. How the Disney film portrays them wouldn't work with where I wanted to take the story, and just how diabolical I wanted the villains to be. I promise there's a method to my madness ;)

_______________________________________________________

Amaya's hand raised to shield her eyes against the sun. All she could make out was the shadow of the jagged teeth that ran the length of the battlements. She clicked her tongue; she'd have to get one of the servants to perform repairs again. This salt air did little more than slowly rot her beloved castle. She sighed and resumed her stroll through the rich gardens.

Sol froze where he had dropped, his back rigid against the crenelated wall. He had found Cassiopeia. The scourge of the skies, who had embarrassed his brother in her escape over 500 years ago, was here. Here on this little island in the Mediterranean. Invisible to the heavens under the heat of the eternal sun. He slapped his forehead, cleverer and cleverer. How long would she have continued to go unnoticed? He took a tentative glance around the gap in the stone and was relieved to see the queen had moved along in her morning constitutional.

"Bet you're glad you let me out now, hey Polaris?" he muttered.

It was decided, he had to leave. He must tell his brother. Then they would rally the stars and...and....do what? He couldn't see the island from the sky. How in the world would he lead an invading force back to it? Asha had to guide him through the cave for him to even set foot here. And Asha.... oh no...Asha, his head beat against the solid stone behind him. He still had a loose, and frighteningly combustible, cannon on his hands. That strange girl and her obsession with power.... oh, why had he even agreed to her wish?

Because you're too naive, too trusting, too weak. His brother's voice pounded through his head; you always manage to mess up everything! Well, he couldn't be blamed for everything, could he?! The Library of Alexandria really wasn't his fault...how could he have known the wind would change? And then there was Troy...ok, Troy was his fault. But what about.... oh, who was he kidding? He buried his head in his arms. He had made so many mistakes, too many to count. Too many people wishing for one thing and doing something else. Too many lives ruined by wishes much smaller than Asha's. Too many ways for everything to go wrong. Was he really that easily taken in? Why had he given her something so immense?

His head rose. But yet if he hadn't granted her wish, he would have never found Cassiopeia, "So there," he told the figment of his brother.

Besides, if he left, he'd never be able to return to Asha. And where would that leave him? All she would have to do is make one catastrophic decision and his brother would make sure he was sky bound for eternity. This time there would be no apology. He mussed his hair, those were the rules; one wish, one conversation. True, he was "bending" those same rules as he sat there contemplating the entire situation, but it was only to prevent further disaster.

With a determined grunt, his fist met the palm of his hand. He was not going to make another mistake. He would make sure of it. He knew there was some good in that ambitious girl. Underneath all the grit and determination, he'd seen a seed of light twinkling at her core. If he could encourage that, then he was sure he could get her to a point where she could be a benefit for this little island. Maybe as a surrogate ruler, he was sure she would like that. And wouldn't that look even better when he eventually delivered the delinquent queen to his brother?

The boy smiled and picked his way to the other end of the battlements. Checking to make sure no one was looking; he swung his legs over the side and fell to the city below.