G5 Adventures in Wish

This day could have gone so much better.

Allura and Twitch were in Rosas and had somehow gotten the king to include them on his court, Asha lost her chance at being King Magnifico’s apprentice and for some reason… King Magnifico was going to keep the wishes of Asha’s family and probably never grant them.

And it was pretty easy to see that Asha and her family, including little goat Valentino, left the scene with heavy hearts, leaving the Mane 6 to follow.

Sunny figured that Asha might need some friends nearby, so she and the Mane 6 followed them back to their home, where Asha discreetly promised them that she would bring back some food before she and her family went inside.

But, little did the ponies know that the events of the wish ceremony were going to set off a chain reaction they could only dream of.

XXXXXXXX

“It just doesn’t make any sense,” Zipp said as she paced in front of her friends while Asha and her family prepared their dinner. “Asha is perfectly qualified to be Magnifico’s apprentice-- a little nervous, maybe, but… she was perfectly qualified, nonetheless!”

“Do you think Allura did something to Magnifico?” Misty asked in worry. “To make him not give Asha the position?”

Hitch growled at this. “I wouldn’t put anything past that overgrown furball.”

“What do you think, Sunny?” Zipp asked. “Do you think Allura had a paw in this somehow?”

However, Sunny wasn’t paying attention… she was staring constantly inside the window of the house, watching Asha and her family with sad eyes. “Sunny?” Pipp looked confused. “You okay?”

“...they all just look so down,” Sunny frowned, gazing at Asha and her family. “Come look.”

The five other ponies gathered around Sunny and looked into the window, where Asha and her family were sitting inside, having dinner. “I just don’t understand. Why crush her hopes… like that?” Zipp asked, feeling her ears flatten against the side of her head. “Making it seem like he would get his wish granted, it was just so…”

“Cruel,” Misty finished when Zipp trailed off. Everypony looked at her, confused, but Misty just watched Asha and her family with sadness. “It was cruel. Opaline sometimes did the same with me.”

“When she manipulated you for a cutie mark?” Izzy looked at Misty with a sad gaze.

Misty nodded. “I remember there was this one time… I failed to get Sparky… I was so scared to admit it, and when I did… I was just bracing for the worst. But… there was a moment when she didn’t react. I truly thought she was handling it better than I thought she would. I started to relax, even growing hopeful that maybe she’d let that failure go. I should’ve known better. As soon as I began to smile a bit, she began yelling at me at the top of her lungs, using her magic to trap me in my room, taking me off guard. She claims she was saving her breath to yell at me, but I know it was just another manipulation tactic. So, I, or in this case, Asha, would know who was really in charge. It’s one thing to know someone’s in charge, but to know that they’re in charge of how you feel, having such control over your emotions, is something else entirely.”

The rest of them remained quiet following Misty’s words, looking back through the window where they all looked so sad. They began to wonder what Misty really went through with Opaline, and if Asha was going through the same thing.

After a moment, the ponies managed to hear the conversation at the dinner table more fluidly. Sabino sighed, picking up the teapot. “Come now. We don’t waste food.”

“You’re right, Saba,” Sakina said. “We should be looking at the bright side.”

Sakina then turned to her daughter. “Asha, you got to the final few being considered for the most prestigious position in the kingdom. And, Saba, there’s always next time.”

“Cheers to that,” Sabino said, raising his own cup to clink against his daughter’s, both of them chuckling merrily.

But Asha couldn’t pretend to be happy. Not when she knew that Sabino’s wish would never be granted. And, now, because of her, neither would her mother’s.

She couldn’t promote this false hope King Magnifico had installed in them... or the false hope he installed in all the people of Rosas. “Asha?” Sakina asked when she noticed her daughter was silent. Asha sighed before finally speaking. “Saba, I need to tell you something.”

“I don’t think… um… your wish…” Asha paused. Jeez, she couldn’t do this. She couldn’t crush his hopes. Not like this. She just couldn’t. But she had to. “...will ever be granted.”

“What?” Sabino asked at the same time Asha’s mother turned to her, confused. “Why would you say such a thing?”

“Because the King told me so,” Asha admitted, looking at the people she loved most in the world. “He said it’s too dangerous to grant.”

“My wish… is dangerous?” Sabino asked, looking confused and devastated. He had never had a malicious thought… towards anyone or anything. How could his wish be… dangerous?

The six ponies glanced at each other, confused. Sure, they’ve never formally met Sabino, but seeing him from afar, they couldn’t imagine his wish being… dangerous. “No. That’s the thing. I don’t think it is at all,” Asha said, smiling when she remembered how beautiful it was. “You… you saw it?” Sakina asked with wide eyes, and this caused Asha to nod. “I did. And you should know what it is…”

“No. No. Don’t say anything,” Sabino said firmly, making it clear he didn’t want to know. “But it’s so, so beautiful,” Asha said, her heart instantly warming just thinking about it. “Well,” Sabino said, “clearly Magnifico feels otherwise, so…”

“Saba, what gives him the right to decide?” Asha countered, almost pleadingly. “He… he is the King,” Sabino answered, almost looking as though it pained him to say that. “He has made everything possible for us.”

Asha began to stand up at this. “If you had seen them, if you had felt them like I did, you would understand. It’s not just yours, Saba. There are so many wondrous, powerful wishes that will never be granted just floating there… helpless--”

“Sit down, calm down,” Asha’s mother said, worried about the thoughts going through her daughter’s head. What she was saying, suggesting, it was treason. “I can’t!” Asha protested. “I can’t just sit here with you, Saba, knowing your incredible wish and not tell you--”

“Then don’t,” Sabino said firmly, stopping Asha from her rant. “W-What?” Asha asked, confused. “You are excused from the table,” Sabino explained, not looking at his granddaughter, confusing her even more. “Saba?”

Finally, Sabino looked up at Asha, and the look in his eye made her flinch. “Why? Why would you want me to know a wish that can never be?”

“But… I didn’t… but it’s your wish!” Asha argued, knowing her grandfather was right, but she didn't want to admit it. “Are you trying to break my heart, child?!” Sabino stood up from the table, trying, hoping, to get through his granddaughter who had a heart that was sometimes just too big. “No… No… I would never, ever try…” Asha sat back down, the tears she spent almost all day trying to hold back finally breaking through.

They all looked at Sunny, and from the look in her eyes, they knew she agreed with Asha. That the wishes didn’t have the right to be up there, alone and helpless. Sunny just wished that the rest of her friends saw them like she, Asha and Misty had. Then they’d understand.

Suddenly, Asha ran out of the house and the ponies quickly scurried away when they saw her mother following, quickly hiding out of sight. Sunny hesitated for only a moment before running after her. Her friends called out to her in whispers and tried to stop her, but she ignored them, hurrying after the crying Asha.

XXXXXXXX

Asha ran for quite a ways, panting and trying to get ahold of herself, but… hurting her grandfather was the last thing she wanted to do. She stopped, nearly tripping, grasping on a tree to help keep her on her feet.

Now what was she going to do? “Asha!” cried a sudden voice. “Asha, where are you?!”

Then there was the sound of footsteps-- er, hoofsteps, approaching her from behind, and it was revealed to be Sunny, looking concerned for the group's newfound friend as Valentino came in right behind her. “Asha? Are… you okay?”

“H-How much of that did you guys hear?” Asha asked, sniffling her tears away.

“Long enough,” Sunny said with a solemn frown. “The king… really thinks your Saba’s wish is… dangerous?”

“It’s not. It’s really…” Asha sighed, trailing off for a moment before sighing and starting to sing.

Asha: Isn't truth supposed to set you free?
Well why do I feel so weighed down by it?

Sunny and Valentino immediately followed behind Asha as she continued her song.

Asha: If I could show them everything we've seen
Open their eyes to all the lies, then
Then would they change their minds like I did?

But when I speak they tell, “Sit down”
But how can I when I've already started running?

Oh this where we've been
But it's not where we belong
And I may be young, but I know I'm not wrong...

So I look up at the stars to guide me
And throw caution to every warning sign
If knowing what it could be is what drives me
Then let me be the first to stand in line

So I make this wish
To have something more for us than this

Then, Sunny decided to go ahead and join in, feeling inspired by Asha’s hopeful words.

Sunny: So I make this wish
To have something more for us than this

Asha and Sunny: Hey, yeah, yeah, yeah
Hey, yeah, yeah, yeah, ah, ah
More than this, oh, whoa, whoa, ah

Sunny, deciding to sing her own verse, continued.

Sunny: All my life, I felt there was something bigger, though,
I did what I was told when someone told me “no”.
Now I've got all of this freedom in my bones
But I've still got lid on so it doesn't overflow

Cause I've got reservations and hesitations
On where I should even begin
I'm past dipping my hooves in
But I'm not, no, I'm not past diving in

If I could just be pointed in any given direction
On where to go and what to do
My legs are shaking but my head's held high

Suddenly, Sunny stopped as she saw her father. He was in a glowing golden light, watching her with the biggest, most compassionate smile, just like he always had. Asha saw her father too, but his back was towards her. The younger Asha sat next to them as they both looked up at the sky. Tears came to both of their eyes as they stared at their fathers, both of them holding back a sob.

Asha and Sunny: The way you always taught me to

Then, Asha ran toward the tree on the ridge, knowing what she had to do, with Sunny following behind and Valentino trailing behind them.

Asha: So I look up at the stars to guide me
And throw caution to every warning sign

Sunny: I’m sure there will be challenges that find us
But we can take them on one at a time

By this time, Sunny, Asha and Valentino had reached the tree on the ridge, looking up to the stars above.

Asha and Sunny: So, we make this wish
To have something more for us than this
So we make this wish
To have something more for us than this.

Asha closed her eyes as Sunny regained her alicorn form, flying around above her. Wind blew around them as Sunny’s cutie mark began to glow brightly.

Asha and Sunny: Hey, yeah, yeah, yeah
Hey, yeah, yeah, yeah, ah, ah
More than this, oh, whoa, whoa, ah

So we make this wish
To have something more for us than this

Suddenly, a bright golden light came from the biggest and brightest star from the sky. It was truly something neither Asha nor Sunny had ever seen before. It blinded them, but it blinded them in warmth, if that were even possible.

That light seemed to wash right over Asha's house, and the rest of the ponies felt it first hoof.

Misty gasped as soon as the light had passed over the house. “What was that?!”

“I don’t know, but we oughta check Asha and Sunny and make sure they’re okay. Something tells me that Asha and the king didn’t leave on good terms, and with Allura and Twitch still out there…” Hitch trailed off, not even wanting to go to that possibility. They all ran in the direction their friends went, hoping they were okay.

XXXXXXXX

Turns out, it wasn't just Asha, Valentino and the ponies who felt and saw this strange light.

In fact, all of Rosas saw and felt it.

It was a golden light of love, one that had every visitor scrambling to their windows to see what the cause was.

And unfortunately, King Magnifico, Allura and Twitch saw this golden light as well. “What’s happening?” King Magnifico wondered as he, Allura and Twitch watched the strange occurrence-- even the wishes were starting to move rather strangely... something they had never done before. “Oh, no no no...”

Allura snarled as the golden light seemed to pass. She’s felt this kind of… magic before. And if it wasn’t Magnifico, she had a feeling that she knew who it was from.

But before she could say anything, Queen Amaya walked in. “Mi rey, oh, you spoil us with your magic. Whatever that was, it was marvelous.”

“I didn’t do it,” King Magnifico muttered, staring up at the wishes. Queen Amaya looked stunned at this. “What?”

“And,” said King Magnifico, “it effected my wishes.”

The king continued to stare at the wishes for a moment. Any other magic was forbidden in Rosas for this very reason. Was it some sort of warning? “I believe I have just been threatened.”

“You most certainly have, Your Majesty,” Allura said, stepping up with Twitch by her side. “And I have a feeling I know who it was by.”

Queen Amaya looked at Allura, confused. “Who would dare threaten the king in this manner?”

Twitch giggled sinisterly, rubbing his front paws together.

‘Creatures who mean to bring you harm, Your Majesty,” Allura explained, beginning to use her powers of purrsuasion without the king and queen realizing it. “Creatures who mean to bring down everything you built. I’ve felt that magic before. This is their magic.”

Queen Amaya was even more confused by this statement. “I… don’t understand. That magic, it was wonderful. It felt so… wonderful. How could something that felt so nice… be so bad?”

“Don’t be fooled by appearances, love,” King Magnifico turned to his wife. “If these creatures mean to do Rosas harm… mean to do me harm, they must be taken care of.”

He turned back to Allura. “Tell me everything you know about these… creatures.”

Allura nodded and, with a smirk, began her explanation. “They come from a faraway land called Equestria…”

XXXXXXXX

“Come on, ponies, pick up the pace!” Zipp said as she, her sister and the rest of the Mane 6 galloped through the forest in search of Valentino, Sunny and Asha. “We need to find the others and make sure whatever that light was didn’t bring anything dangerous with it!”

Izzy panted tiredly, not used to running at this pace. “I… just hope… Sunny is okay!”

“Wait a sec, look!” Misty said, pointing to Asha, Sunny and Valentino coming down from the tree where Asha and Sunny had made their wish. “There they are!”

“Whoa, ha!” Sunny exclaimed to Asha as they walked along, not noticing Valentino was being left behind. “What was that?”

“Are you girls okay?” Hitch asked as the rest of the Mane 6 approached. “There was this really bright flash of light, and…”

“You guys felt it too?” Asha asked the other ponies, who nodded in agreement. “Wasn’t it wonderful? It… it was electric.”

“It was joy and… and hope…” Sunny continued, the biggest smile on her face.

“And possibility and wonder…” Asha continued, “...inside the most loving light. Wait... can light be loving?”

Sunny shrugged. “That one was,” she said before she turned to her friends. “I know it sounds ridiculous, but…”

That was when she noticed her friends weren’t paying attention to her and Asha.

Instead, they were looking behind them, at Valentino jumping around, chasing something that was golden, though it was moving around so fast, they couldn’t tell what it was. However, when Asha and Sunny turned around, Valentino was nowhere to be found.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, the same golden light zoomed past the six ponies and Asha, startling them, with Valentino right on its tail. Asha called after Valentino and ran after him, the six ponies following close behind. The golden light streaked through Asha’s barn and straight into the clothesline, getting caught in a red garment that was hanging from it.

The garment fell from the clothesline, the golden light still caught in the garment. Asha and the ponies skidded to a stop, cautiously approaching it with curiosity and a little fear. “W-What is that thing?” Pipp asked with a slight tremble. “It’s not an alien, is it?” Hitch dove behind Zipp. “I hate aliens!!”

“It’s creepy, that’s for sure,” Asha answered, staring at the garment intently. Suddenly, the garment floated up with the golden light inside, making it look like it was standing up on its own.

It suddenly moved towards Asha, leaning in close to her before bending down before a teeny tiny golden finger reached out and tapped Asha on the nose. “That… does NOT look like an alien,” Misty said silently. The golden light then flew off, and, on pure reaction, tried to grab the light by grabbing the garment. The light got caught on the clothing, but still flew off, tearing it apart by the thread.

It flew off, but Asha refused to let go, stumbling along behind it. “Come on, guys!” Zipp called to her friends. “Let’s go!”

As the ponies gave chase once again, Asha tried to pull the light thing closer to her using the thread that connected them like a lasso, but the light seemed surprisingly stronger than Asha and the string was pulled out of her hands. “Try and surround it, guys!” Sunny shouted to her friends. “Make sure it doesn’t get away!”

Her friends nodded and followed it head first through the brush it went through without hesitation. However, once they did, they skidded to a stop, their mouths gaping open. They stared up in surprise when they saw the golden light flying back and forth, the red string getting caught in the trees as though the light was purposefully trying to decorate the tree branches with the red string.

Suddenly, the golden light finally stopped and turned its big eyes to the Mane 6 and Asha, dropping the ball of red yarn it had in its… fingers? Points? Paws? Honestly, even Zipp didn’t know what to call them.

None of the others could believe their own eyes.

It was almost like they were looking at... a star.

Asha stumbled back a step, looking at the star with wide eyes. “Um… okay.”

Suddenly, the golden star zoomed towards Asha, startling her and causing her to yelp. Sunny was in alicorn form in an instant, charging her horn, ready to blast it if it hurt Asha. She wasn’t going to take any chances with all this other stuff going on.

However, the star just floated before her, slowly floating closer, a big smile on its small face. Asha leaned back, clearly uncomfortable and thoroughly confused before she chuckled nervously, holding her hands between herself and the star.

When Asha tried to duck under and behind the star, the star just slowly turned around, the smile plastered unfalteringly on its face. It squeaked softly as it danced around Asha. “Ho-ho there…” Asha said, greeting the small being as calmly as she could. “Uh… that has to be the craziest thing we've seen so far on these missions,” Pipp said to her friends taking a picture of the creature. “Uh… whatever it is, I guess.”

Suddenly, the star flew around Asha, coming back up with a small pocketbook. “Huh? Wait, what are you doing?” Asha asked, feeling around her pockets as though to confirm it was really gone, which it was.

She seemed to realize what just happened, as though a delayed reaction, when she whirled around and grabbed the small book that the star-shaped creature was holding. “That is private!”

The creature, once again, was surprisingly strong as Asha seemed to have to wrestle the book out of the star creature’s grip.

Once she did, her own momentum from pulling was used against her and she accidentally hit herself in the forehead with it. “What is it?” Zipp muttered, pulling out her FlyPad as the star flew above Valentino and picked up his long ears, pulling Valentino to his back hooves in the process. “It kind of looks like… a star?” Hitch muttered, narrowing his eyes at it curiously as it flew away, following a pink butterfly. “That’s… that’s impossible,” Sunny said firmly, glancing up at Asha. “I mean, I know we wished on a star just a few minutes ago… but…”

“No,” Asha finished when Sunny trailed off, as the star came back to float in front of her. However, the star nodded, reaching out toward her with one of its tiny points. “Yes?” Asha asked hesitantly, reaching out with her finger to touch the star’s point.

Misty approached the star with her own curiosity, gazing at it with eyes wide. “Hey there, little fella… where in the world did you come from?”

The star turned before Asha could touch its point, bouncing off of Misty’s nose, spreading gold light around, some landing on a group of purple mushrooms that were at the base of a nearby tree.

But that wasn't even the weirdest thing to happen.

As the golden dust began to shower on the mushrooms, they actually started… yawning and coming to life!

Asha, Valentino, and the rest of the ponies slowly approached the yawning, living, mushrooms with wide eyes. “This is crazy,” Asha muttered in shock. “We love crazy!” the mushrooms exclaimed. “Me too!” Izzy agreed with a huge smile, not as surprised as the rest of her friends. “Who knew mushrooms liked the same things I do, right, ponies?”

Pipp nodded slowly to this. “Uh, sure thing, Iz. Sure thing.”

“Oh! I’m seeing things,” Asha muttered, her eyes wide, not quite believing this. If it shocked the six magical talking ponies, surely this was… crazy? “Well, if you're seeing things, then so are we…” Zipp muttered. Suddenly, the star flew away, with Valentino immediately following it. The star and Valentino seemed to communicate, and Hitch heard exactly what Valentino was saying. “Uh… Asha,” the earth pony sheriff said rather nervously, “Valentino and the star…”

Asha looked up to see the star above Valentino, the star dropping its light over Valentino, the same light that made the purple mushrooms talk, and Valentino had his mouth open, willingly ingesting it. “Whoa, what are you doing?” Asha asked as she rushed over to Valentino. “Valentino, don’t eat that!”

Asha tried to redirect the stream of golden light away from Valentino, but soon, he closed his mouth and swallowed.

There was a tense moment of silence when Asha and the six ponies stared at the goat, waiting to see what the magic would do.

Valentino bleated, then looked confused as though that wasn’t the sound he was supposed to make. The ponies were confused. “Uh… Hitch? What in the hay is going on?” Pipp asked, not taking her eyes off Valentino. “What did that magic do?”

“It was more what it didn’t do,” Hitch said, using his special kind of earth pony magic to try to listen to what Valentino was saying as the little goat bleated once again. “Apparently it’s not doing what it was supposed…”

That was when the star touched the top of Valentino’s head, sparks of golden light floating for a moment where they touched.

There was one tense and suspenseful moment as everyone seemed to lean in closer to Valentino. “It didn’t work,” Valentino then accused, looking at the star. “When does the magic happen?”

There was a beat of silence before Pipp screamed, catching the others offguard. This couldn't be happening, could it?

As for the others, their eyes went wide as Valentino himself seemed to realize what had just occurred. “Oh, something definitely happened,” Sunny muttered, staring at Valentino in complete surprise, but Valentino wasn’t finished. “I’m talking! I am talking! Ha! Who knew my voice would be this low?”

Suddenly, Star flew away, spreading his magic to surrounding flowers and animals joyously. As the magic touched them, they began to chatter happily. Zipp was on top of them in less than a second.

“Okay, uh… we have a few thousand questions. Starting with… how was Asha and Sunny able to connect with a star all the way across the sky and ending with…”

“How is any of this possible?!” Pipp interrupted her sister dramatically, putting her hooves on her head, her eyes still wide with disbelief.

“Just relax,” a small, gray bunny said with a dismissive wave of its paw. “To all your questions, there is one very simple answer.”

“Which is…?” Asha asked, not believing she was asking a bunny something. Just then, a brown squirrel climbed up a tree next to Asha. “Well, think about it. We’re no different, you and me. We are all…”

“Overwhelmed?” Asha asked, her brain somehow not comprehending what in the hay was going on. Is this what it was like to be Hitch? Or, have his powers at least? This caused the bunny to giggle rather slightly. “And completely entirely made of the very same, very special thing, which is…”

“Hope?” Sunny asked, trying to take a gander at it. The animals sighed heavily, making it clear that her answer was wrong. The squirrel climbed onto Asha’s shoulder, perching herself there. “Let’s just try this another way…”

And before anyone else could realize it, another rousing song began with the forest animals taking the lead.

Squirrel: Have you ever wondered why you look up at the sky for answers?
Or why flowers in the wind are effortless and eloquent dancers?
Or what forms the rings in the trees?
Turns a pine from a seed?

“Um… photosynthesis?” Izzy asked with a shrug, causing the animals to sigh heavily again. “What? It’s true.”

Grandmother Tree: What's passed down generationally

Male Tree: To you?

Baby Tree: And to me

“Genetics,” Hitch answered casually, though the forces of nature simply ignored him.

Owl: And why our eyes all look like microscopic galaxies?
Have you ever wondered why you look up at the sky for answers?

Star flew up to the sky, spinning around himself before exploding light across the sky as the animals continued singing.

Animals: Well, you don’t have to look too hard.
We’re here for all your question marks.
If you’re try’na figure out just who you are...

“Don’t look far,” a chipmunk said in a normal voice as Asha passed them and was twirled around by the animals.

Animals: In the sky, and your front yard
In your heart and in the scars
If you really wanna know just who you are

That’s when Asha was caught in the paws of a massive brown bear named John, much to her bewilderment. “You’re a star!” John then exclaimed before going off into the forest. “Yes!”

Male Rabbit: Boom! Did we just blow your mind?

Pipp: Oh, yeah!

Valentino: Well, I’ve known the entire time

Female Rabbit: When it comes to the universe, we're all shareholders

Rabbits: Get that through your system!

Hitch: Solar!

Turtle: See, we're all just little nebulae in a nursery
From supernovas now, we've grown into our history
We're taking why's right out of mystery, closure
Now we're taking in

Turtle and Rabbits: All the star exposure!

Mice: We eat the leaves and they eat the sun

Valentino: See that's where all the balls of gas come from

“Ugh, Valentino!” Zipp groaned in disgust. “That is SO not where that kind of gas comes from!”

Mushrooms: Hey, you still look like you’re
Hanging on by a strand

Squirrel and Mushrooms: But if you just the mushrooms
Then you’ll soon understand

“So your dust is my dust?” Valentino asked as Star floated closer to him and Asha. “Fantastic!”

Animals: WHOO!!!

That’s when a herd of deer rushed by, scooping Asha and Valentino onto their backs while the Mane 6 ran alongside them.

Animals: Well, you don’t have to look too hard
It's all around and not too far
If you're try'na figure out just who you are

Male Deer: You’re a star!

Animals: Do you know you're a work of art?
Even in the deepest dark
If you really wanna know just who you are

Valentino: I’m a star!

Grandfather Tree: Here's a little fun allegory

Grandmother Tree: That gets me excitatory

Mother Raccoon: This might sink in in the morning

Racoons: We are our own origin story

Grandmother Quail: If I'm explaining this poorly
Well, I'll let Star do it for me

Mother Quail: It’s all quite revelatory

Baby Quails: We are our own origin story

That’s when the Mane 6 and Asha began to understand what the animals were trying to tell them, and the Mane 6 felt so inspired that they too began to sing alongside the animals.

Mane 6 and Animals: You don't have to look too hard
It's all around and not too far
If you try'na figure out just who you are

Asha: You’re a star!

Mane 6 and Animals: No matter where you end or start
We're all each other's counterparts
If you really wanna know just who you are

Asha: I’m a star!

Mane 6: WHOO!!!

Baby Rabbit: Ooh, I’m a star

Male Deer: Watch out, world, here I are

Animals: Hey, hey

Porcupine: You know who's lookin' sharp?

Owls: Who?

Turtle: Me! I’m a star

Animals: Whoo!

Deer: Ooh, you’re a star!

Animals: Watch out world here you are!
Hey, hey

John: You know who's lookin' sharp?

Owls: Who?

Animals: You! You’re a star!

When the song was over, the animals chatted happily with each other, predators and prey alike before dispersing.

“Whoa-ho! That was… incredible!” Sunny said to her friends as the remaining animals ventured off.

“My father said that we were connected to the stars,” Asha continued. “That's why when Sunny and I …wished, you came. For us. For… me…”

“Hey, star creature thing,” Zipp said, flying close to the star with narrowed eyes, her detective instincts taking over. She wanted to learn all she could about this thing that came from the sky out of seemingly nowhere. “Do you grant wishes? You know, the whole ‘star light, star bright, I wish I may, I wish I might’ thing and all that? Or, do you not have that power? And, why are you here anyway? I mean, I know because of Sunny's and Asha’s wishes, but they're like… two creatures out of a million universes. Why them? What's your real reason…”

“Okay Zipp. No need to give the star the third degree,” Pipp said, pulling her sister away. “Yeah. I mean, he's new here. Maybe we oughta give him a moment to adjust before we bombard him with questions,” Misty added. “I definitely know how nerve wracking it can be to be in a strange place.”

“Yes, but I'm just thinking maybe we should find out his true intentions before he screws us all over. I mean, we know nothing…”

As Zipp continued to drone on and on about how this star could be a threat, the star flipped upside down, watching Zipp's mouth move. He smiled as he shot golden light on her chin, making two eyes and a mustache that quickly disappeared.

The ponies watching her as she talked couldn't suppress their chuckles, at least, not successfully, confusing the pegasus mare. “W-What? What are you guys laughing at?”

“Nothing,” Sunny answered, shaking her head. “All I know is that… Asha and I… we wished for more for Asha’s family, and the people of Rosas, and… Equestria.”

That got Star’s attention, and he flipped rightside up again, looking concerned. Asha seemed to read the look on his face. “Oh, no, no, no, no. Not in, like, a selfish way. I just want their wishes to have a chance.”

The star looked confused, as did the other ponies. “Asha, you… never really told us what happened in there, other than Magnifico not giving Asha the position and Allura and Twitch being here,” Hitch said gently. “And what was that about your grandfather's wish being dangerous?”

Asha sighed heavily at this. “After Sunny poofed herself and Misty out of the tower, I asked the king to grant my saba's wish. He said it was beautiful, but… dangerous and that he only grants the wishes he's sure is good for Rosas.”

That's when she pulled out her journal and showed the group the picture of the wishes she had drawn on her way home. “Look, see, King Magnifico has their wishes in the castle… captured in these ball-like, bubbly things that are very beautiful… but very locked up. And he'll never give them back.”

Izzy looked stunned at that. “What?! That is SO not nice!”

“But why would he never give them back if he's not gonna grant them?” Pipp looked entirely confused. “And what does Allura have to do with all this?”

The star looked at the ponies in confusion, unaware of who Allura was at the time. But Asha answered this before the ponies could explain. “I don’t know. She… she was just there.”

Suddenly, the star started zooming around, picking up the yarn he strung through the trees as decoration. The star moved so fast, the ponies, Asha, and Valentino couldn’t keep track of him. Just then, the star stopped at a clearing in the trees that gave a perfect view of the castle, circling the castle that looked so small from this distance, leaving a circle of golden light. “Yes, that’s the castle,” Asha said, uncertain as to what the star was saying. Pipp and Izzy looked at Hitch, but he just shrugged, shaking his head.

The star then flew to Asha and dropped the ball of yarn in Asha’s hand. Sunny got it first. “You mean, we take them back ourselves?” she asked, not sure if she was understanding the star right, causing the star to nod.

“But wait a second,” Hitch pointed out as he quickly grabbed the ball of yarn from Asha. “Wouldn’t that be stealing? That's kind of a serious thing, you know. I should know. I AM a sheriff, you know!”

“Well, technically, those wishes… they don’t belong to him,” Misty said with a thoughtful expression. “They belong to the people who made them. So, does it count as stealing if you’re stealing something that’s already stolen to give it back to the pony… er… person it was stolen from?”

“Uh… yes! If it’s stolen, you file a report and the authorities will jump through the proper legal hoops to get it back!” Hitch answered, clearly not happy with the idea of stealing. “And if the thief is the authority?” Zipp countered, stumping Hitch. “I’m totally for it,” Pipp said, raising a hoof with a smile. “Keeping a person’s wish even though he’s clearly not gonna grant it is so wrong.”

“Maybe… maybe we should just… vote for it. Yeah,” Hitch said, desperate to talk his friends out of what he knew would be a colossal mistake. “Good idea, Hitch,” Sunny agreed with a smile. “All those in favor, raise your hoof… or hand… or… point?”

Everyone, except for Hitch, raised their hand, point or hoof, making Hitch groan. “Please, Hitch? We can’t do this without you,” Sunny pleaded to her foalhood friend with the biggest puppy eyes she could muster. “But we will if we have to,” Zipp interrupted, hovering in the air, crossing her hooves. At everyone’s look, she chucked nervously and quickly amended. “But, uh… we really don’t want to.”

Hitch sighed, heavily, hesitating before finally answering. He couldn’t let his friends do this without him. “Alright, fine. But don’t say I didn’t warn…”

Hitch was cut off by the sudden hug Sunny was giving him, causing him to chuckle lightly. “Alright, alright. Don’t get all sappy on me just yet. After all, we still need a plaaaan!”

Hitch drew the last word out as Sunny grabbed his hoof and dragged him in the direction Star zoomed off in, the rest of their friends hesitating slightly before following behind.

Valentino dropped from the tree branch he was sitting on, wanting to catch up with his friends, falling on his head.

And after a moment, the baby goat quickly jumped to his hooves. “Ha-ha! Meant to do that,” he announced before galloping after them. “I'm coming!”

As he quickly ran off after the others, the smallest purple mushroom called after them. “Bye-bye!”

Now our heroes had their mission... and needless to say... it was not going to be easy.