The Wish Rewrite with the Cat

Chapter 3

Asha

Valentino and I still sat on the branch overlooking the sea.

I edged to my feet. "We should go back home, Valentino; Mama, Papa, and Saba will be getting worried."

He jumped to his hooves. "Maa!" Looking forward to his next bowl of milk and bedtime, as usual.

Then, a beam of green light shot out from the woods behind us and hit the star, pulling it backward.

"What's happening?" That didn't look good.

Valentino nearly fell out of the tree. "Maa?!"

"Come on!" I caught him and flung him over my shoulder. "We have to see where it's coming from." Mama, Papa, and Saba would have to wait.

Beams of green light didn't normally appear in the sky. Was this a spell of Magnifico's? But the wish ceremony was over.

I clambered down from the tree and put Valentino down in the grass.

We followed the beam of light through the trees to the hill overlooking the city. The castle tower's usually domed roof was open like a flower, and the beam of green light shot up at an angle from it.

So, this magic did come from Magnifico. Why was he pulling at my star?

Arden seemed to grow, blazing with light like the sun as the beam pulled it closer.

The beam yanked Arden down into the woods with a burst of blinding light.

Heat rippled through me, sending tingles down my spine, fingers, and toes. It was electric, flowing up into my head and lifting all thoughts. It was joy and hope and possibility and wonder inside the most loving light.

I shook my head clear. "Come on, Asha, snap out of it." Could light be loving? That sounded ridiculous, didn't it?

Valentino wobbled backward, tail wagging.

"You felt it, too, didn't you?"

He flopped onto his stomach and rolled over with his tongue hanging out. "Maa."

I scooped him up. "I'll take that as a yes." Hopefully, he'd be sober soon.

Why did Magnifico cast a spell to pull Arden to Earth? To use its power to grant wishes? And why Arden? Did he think ripping Arden from the sky was proportional to me questioning him and drawing him for a joke?

Oh, I had to go home with Valentino; I'd already spent enough time here. I turned away from the view of the city.

But something prickled and held me back.

Magnifico had pulled Arden into the forest. My star. He wouldn't leave such power lying around; I saw his tower. He'd want to collect it. Should I just go home and let him find it? Or should I find it myself? If I found Arden, would Magnifico think I was stealing it? But it was my star, not his. If he pulled it down to punish me, wouldn't he be satisfied if I kept it? I shook my head. Oh, what did I know about magical stars? I should just let Magnifico take it. But what would he do with it? He'd use its powers to grant wishes to make him and the kingdom look better, of course. I wanted that, right? I was all for our kingdom. But still...trust Magnifico with Arden, the star that blessed my birth and watched over me? It was as precious as my wish to enrich my world as an artist. I couldn't let magic meant to care for me and my family be spent on Magnifico's vanity. I couldn't let him have it!

"Valentino," I placed him on the ground. "I know you probably want to go home and have your bedtime milk..."

He stood up, his eyes now focused, but confused. "Maa?"