Author's Note

Word to the wise... this chapter is gonna get emotional pretty fast, and it'll probably be one of the longest chapters so far.

All of this background info was thought up by me and the AMAZING Willow Nightsong, please give them your love!

Allura's Story Starts to Come to Light, The Point of No Return and The Reveal

Sunny, Misty, Hitch, Pipp, Zipp and Izzy honestly couldn’t believe the events that had been happening in the kingdom of Rosas recently.

Not only were Allura and Twitch in Rosas, but Asha told the ponies that she learned that King Magnifico was hoarding the wishes his subjects made for himself, and he wasn’t going to grant most of them.

Sunny and Asha made a wish on a star that summoned a little being that the group was going to call Star for now, because it seemed fitting, and they now had a plan.

Despite Hitch’s initial hesitation, the group was going to find their way back into the castle and get the wishes belonging to Asha’s family back.

But, heh... this was going to be a lot easier said than done, believe me.

Now… let’s get back to our story so we can figure out what happens next.

XXXXXXXX

Allura and Twitch sat in the tallest tower of the castle, where all the wishes were kept, and Allura kept her eyes over the entire kingdom of Rosas.

She knew good and well that the happiness that golden light brought a few moments ago could only mean one thing.

Sunny Starscout and her putrid pony friends were here… ready to take the FINAL shard and rebuild the star, the one thing she needed to reunite with her brother after so many years.

The winged snow leopard sighed, looking at the star shard that hung around her neck, putting her paw on it, deep in thought. “My dear brother… it’s been so long since we were banished from our colony… by our own subjects, no less. You, banished to some unknown world beyond, and me, suffering in Starlight Ridge until those… ponies banished Twitch and me.”

Twitch sighed and put his paw on Allura’s as she sighed again. “Besides… only you knew the real… me…”

XXXXXXXX

“Come on, Alterro! Try and keep up!” a tiny Allura shouted in glee as she and her brother raced through the forest to get back to their colony before the sun set. “Father’s gonna kill us if we’re late!”

Alterro was probably Allura’s best friend in the whole world when she was a cub. He had a light purple coat with slightly darker spots with a mane of dark purple with streaks of red, orange and yellow with wings feathers of the same three colors, not to mention light red eyes to match, and his cutie mark was a flame, a contrast to her own icy powers.

Alterro panted tiredly as he chased his sister through the forest. “Allura, slow down! You know it takes me a minute to get up to full speed!”

Allura rolled her eyes. Her brother never wasn’t as good at the physical stuff like she was. He was smart though, she’d give him that. He was smarter than she was, but he also was pretty chill when it came to… well, just about everything.

Suddenly, though, Allura skidded to a stop when she saw a familiar figure at the edge of the treeline. It was their father.

Allura’s heart stopped. They couldn’t be in trouble... it wasn't even dark yet.

They still had time to play, even though it wasn't a LOT of time.

However, when she saw the expression on his face of dark blue fur, her heart stopped again before racing in panic. “Father…?” she asked hesitantly as Alterro skidded to a stop beside her. “What’s… what’s wrong?”

Their father was silent for a moment, a look of anger and… something else on his face. His black mane with dark blue highlights was rather messy, which contrasted with how he was usually neat and tidy, no matter what was going on in their quiet kingdom.

He always told them one important thing... whatever they were feeling on the inside, don’t let it show on the outside.

And that meant whatever was going on had to be bad news. “Come with me,” Allura and Alterro's father said to his children sternly. “Now!”

He paused when Allura and Alterro didn’t move. “It’s your mother.”

Allura and Alterro glanced at each other with wide eyes before running after him, their hearts racing. They knew their mother’s health was declining, but… she seemed fine when they left the palace early that morning to play in the forest.

It was their day off from royal training today and they wanted to take advantage of it. Did things really decline so quickly? If they had only known, they never would’ve left the palace.

They finally reached the top of the cliff where their grand home sat after what seemed like forever, and Allura and Alterro burst inside, rushing through the palace doors and rushing to their parents' chambers, where their mother rested.

Allura and Alterro's father, known far and wide as the powerful King Nekro, stopped outside the chamber doors, and he didn’t look at any of his cubs... almost as if he was trying to not show emotion at all. “Go now. Say goodbye to your mother before she goes to meet Parisa.”

Alterro gasped, horrified upon hearing his father’s words, almost refusing to believe such a claim. “No… no, that’s not… she was fine when we left! She was okay…!”

“Don’t raise your voice at me, boy!” Nekro yelled, interrupting his son. “Or you can stay out here, and your sister can say her goodbyes without you! Is that what you want, boy?!”

Alterro swallowed his words, shaking fearfully at this loud tone. Allura swallowed the lump in her throat, remaining silent. Sure, her father was strict, but he’s never seen this side of him before. Threatening to keep Alterro from seeing their mother in her final moments for raising his voice… it seemed... unnatural, even for King Nekro.

After a few more moments of silence, Nekro nodded his head to the door, giving Allura and Alterro permission to open the door and say goodbye to their beloved mother and Leopardia's beloved queen. “We can go in together,” Allura whispered to her brother. “So we don’t feel so afraid… okay?”

Alterro nodded rather stiffly at this. “Okay… thanks, Allura.”

With a deep breath, Allura and Alterro opened the big double doors together, grabbing each other’s paws after they did so. They cautiously walked in, afraid of what they’d see, but were surprised when they saw what they didn’t expect.

They expected their mother to look different. They weren’t sure how, but just… different. But… she looked like she always did. Those same kind, loving green eyes... her warm and tender smile.

The only thing that was different was the way her white and light-purple fur seemed duller somehow… and her entire body seemed weighed down and weak.

She could barely keep her beautiful green eyes open, but as soon as she caught sight of her beautiful cubs, she didn’t look like she was dying. She looked like she did every other day… all except for her insanely shallow breathing. “Allura… Alterro…” she smiled as the cubs slowly came into the room. “Did you enjoy your day playing in the forest?”

“Y-Yes,” Alterro said softly. “But if we knew that you were this sick, we would’ve come back sooner.”

“Do you need us to get you anything?” Allura asked, hopping up onto the bed. “I can make some ice if you need to cool down… o-or Alterro can warm you up with his new fire spell! We’ve been working so hard, and…”

Queen Felicia chuckled, which ended in a cough. “Oh, you two have always been so… so thoughtful. Promise me… promise me you’ll never lose that… that side of you. Especially towards… each other. The two of you… you have a special bond. One… that cannot be easily broken or… or replaced. Don’t… don’t lose sight of that or each other.”

Allura tried to hold back her tears to this. “We… we promise.”

“Mom…” Alterro sniffled, rubbing up against her. “Please don’t go…”

“We’re gonna miss you so much… Father is too…” Allura agreed softly. Felicia smiled softly as she tried to keep some of her strength up for this final farewell. “I… will never leave you. The Great Leopard Spirit may take my soul, but I will not run in her great fields. I’ll… I’ll always be right…”

Felicia lifted a paw, putting it on Alterro’s chest for a moment before moving it to Allura’s. “...right here. Never… forget that. And that is where I’ll be until we… meet again.”

Allura and Alterro fought back tears as they purred against their mother for what seemed like the final time. This was it… sickness was finally taking her after so long.

As they hugged their mother, Allura spoke up once more. “I… I love you, Mom. I love you so much…”

However, the only response she got was silence. “M-Mom?”

Again, only silence. “Mom, come on!” Allura pleaded. “This isn’t funny!”

Allura and Alterro sat up, looking at their mother, whose eyes were closed and had a soft smile on her face. But her chest had stopped moving.

Queen Felicia... after all that time suffering... was gone.

Immediately, Allura began sobbing, collapsing on their mother’s still body. Tears streamed down Alterro’s face, but he tried to remain strong for his sister. He gathered her up and held Allura as she cried in her brother’s fur, slowly rocking her back and forth as he stared at his beautiful mother’s unmoving body, before softly closing his eyes, a few more tears falling silently down his face before they stopped.

It was then that King Nekro entered the room to find his children sitting before his mate’s still body. “F-Father, she… she’s gone,” Alterro muttered softly. “...I know. May Parisa bless her soul,” Nekro muttered emotionlessly before clearing his throat. “Come, both of you. The funeral will be arranged in a few days, but you two need to focus on your lessons.”

Allura looked confused as she and her brother approached him. “But… Father, what lessons? W-We weren’t scheduled to have anymore today.”

“Oh… but there are new lessons,” Nekro said, a twisted grin forming onto his face. “MY lessons… to shape you into the rulers you were DESTINED to be.”

XXXXXXXX

Allura rubbed her eyes with her paw to get rid of the tears starting to form. She hadn’t thought about that day in… a long time. Not since she and her brother were banished and separated.

It was not long after that day that both twins learned that it was better if they just sealed their emotions away and never let them back in again. That way, they didn’t get hurt.

Finally, she took a deep breath. “It all went downhill from the moment I lost my mother, Twitch, but… those are stories for another time.”

Allura and Twitch are startled out of their reverie by the sounds of Magnifico muttering to himself, the type of muttering that reminded them of a mad creature. Suddenly, they heard him yell, “Why is there NOTHING!” before he threw the book he was reading into the fire.

Allura and Twitch stood up, leaving the room of wishes to the study outside just as Queen Amaya entered the room. King Magnifico had been combing through every single book he had for the past hour since Allura told him of the ponies and Equestria, trying to find any spell that could’ve made that magic, but he found nothing. “Mi rey, what has happened here?” Queen Amaya asked as she gave the study a once over. Books were strewn all over the floor, papers with half written notes messily filled the desk, and ink jars were tipped over, soaking the papers with black ink.

Needless to say... this room was a complete mess. “I was just about to ask the same thing,” Allura told the queen while King Magnífico began pacing back and forth. “I don't know what we're dealing with apart from what Allura told me and these books are useless!”

“Just breathe…” Queen Amaya started, hoping to calm him down, but King Magnífico groaned. “Do not tell me to breathe,” he said as he turned to his wife, pointing to the tapestry that told how he lost everything all that time ago. “Everything… everything I do is to make sure that never happens again.”

A thought began to form in his head. A dangerous thought, and... if he was being quite honest, his only thought. “And when you're threatened, you do not breathe. You focus.”

He walked to the glass case that held the book. A book he promised he'd never use. But desperate times called for desperate measures. And this was a desperate time indeed.

Allura hummed in thought as she eyed this mysterious book with unbridled interest. “I’ve never seen a book that radiated with such… power before.”

Twitch hid behind Allura's leg, and Allura could've sworn she felt him shaking. “Twitch, what has gotten into you?”

Was he… scared of the book. That wasn't like him. “To summon such light,” King Magnífico continued, “would demand a spell so powerful…”

He lifted his hand, removing the protection spell and opening the glass case. Queen Amaya was by his side in an instant, fear radiating off of her. “No, you yourself say: ‘Forbidden magic is not the way’.”

Allura smirked, walking up next to him, and for the first time since they met, Twitch did not follow her. “But, a king must be always prepared to do anything to protect his kingdom,” Allura said, using her powers of purrsuasion as she spoke. However, Queen Amaya was firm in what she was telling her husband. “First, you must protect yourself.”

“That’s what I'm doing!” King Magnifico said to his wife sternly. “Not like this. We know nothing of these pages. You command great magic. But with this book… I fear it commanding you,” Queen Amaya stated. “Please, put that book down. If you want answers about the light… I suggest you look to your people. They love you.”

King Magnifico had to agree with this. “I know.”

“They would do anything for you.”

“Of course they would.”

“You are their handsomest, most beloved king.”

King Magnifico felt a smile come onto his face at the last remark. “You're right. I am a handsome king.”

Twitch felt a gag underneath his breath at this… was all romance this… lovey-dovey? If it was, he never wanted to find a rabbit girlfriend.

Allura, on the other hand, was growling in frustration that Queen Amaya’s concern for her husband's sanity was overriding her purrsuation magic. No matter… she would make the king see things her way soon enough.

King Magnifico put the book back in the glass case and sealed it. “Oh, my love, excellent advice. Rosas is so lucky to have you. As am I.”

Allura sighed to herself as she watched King Magnifico and Queen Amaya leave the room, realizing that if she was going to have a formidable ally on her side, she was going to have to step it up. “Come along, Twitch… let's see if we can find those ponies. If they're here, we're sure to find them.”

XXXXXXXX

At the same time, Asha, Valentino and the ponies were heading into the city with Star to see if they could get back the wishes of Asha’s family…

..which was going to be a lot easier said than done.

Asha was keeping Star in a tiny burlap sack while they were walking, and Misty, Izzy and Sunny were using the invisibility spell on the Mane 6 to keep them hidden from sight.

However, the way Star was wiggling, it would be clear that he would give them ALL away, whether that was his intention or not. “Can you stop squiggling, please?” Asha whispered into the bag. “You’re drawing attention!”

“Technically, so are you,” Hitch whispered, noticing the people around them glancing at Asha strangely, “talking into a bag like that.”

Asha then realized that Hitch was right, smiling nervously at the people around them. “Hi, hello,” she greeted nervously. “You know, I’m just gonna…”

And with that, Asha and the ponies ran off with Valentino in pursuit, hoping to get away from prying eyes before their cover was blown. “How exactly are we gonna get the wishes back, Asha?” Zipp asked. “There are a million guards around here and it’s not gonna be easy to sneak past the king AND Allura and Twitch!”

“Don’t worry,” Asha reassured as the group neared the castle. “I think my friends might be able to help us with that part. I just… REALLY hope they don’t freak out.”

They finally made it into the lower sections of the castle, but they quickly had to duck out of sight when they saw a shadow in the corridors. Turns out, it was Simon, who yawned and proceeded to walk on once he didn’t see anything. “Okay,” Sunny muttered, “we’re gonna need a place to hide until Asha tells her friends about all this.”

“I think there’s a storage room not far down the hall,” Misty said, trying to keep the spell intact. “If we can get there, I can release the invisibility spell.”

“Uh, yeah, sounds great,” said Asha, “but we need to go go go!”

And as soon as the group saw that the coast was clear, they ran into the storage room, which was surprisingly full of chickens, hay and other things, and the ponies sighed as Misty released the spell over them.

That was far too close for comfort.

Asha opened the bag and looked down at Star. “You can come out now.”

However, when Star flew out of the bag, it strutted in mid-air, wearing a pair of pajamas made from the purple yarn it was playing with earlier. “OMP, that is so CUTE!!” Pipp said as she took a few pictures. “Strut your stuff, Starry! Strut your stuff!”

“Wait a minute,” Hitch blinked. “Is he wearing… pajamas?”

Valentino climbed onto Asha’s shoulder with a smile. “Thank you… I feel seen.”

“Okay…, focus,” Asha muttered as Valentino got down off of her shoulder. “I need to talk to Dahlia.”

“Right,” Misty nodded. “There has to be a way to sneak into the king’s study.”

However, Star and Izzy made a lot of noise while they were exploring the storage room and seeing what they could find, only making Zipp sigh wearily. “Without anyone knowing we’re here, remember, Iz?”

“Oh, uh… right, right!” Izzy remembered their mission, trying to be cool, calm and collected. “Totally remembered that our mission is at stake if we don’t pull this off.”

“Yes, yes, I’m way ahead of you,” Valentino said, balancing a basket that Star had dropped on his head. “Star and these horses may alarm the masses.”

“Uh, yeah,” Hitch nodded. “A lot like a talking goat.”

Valentino looked at him in surprise. “What?”

“Hitch is right, Valentino,” Asha agreed. “Which is why you’re all staying here.”

“With the chickens?!” Valentino asked, stunned as Star squealed, looking rather suspicious and disgusted by the chickens themselves. “Did you see what just came out of that one’s…”

“I’ll be right back,” Asha said to the group as she began to leave the storage room. “Guys, keep Valentino and Star as quiet as you can.”

“Will do,” Sunny said sincerely. “Please… be careful, Asha.”

Asha only gave a slight nod before closing the door, leaving the group alone.

“So… what are we gonna do while Asha’s gone?” Pipp asked. “I mean, she can’t honestly expect us to stay here without entertainment.”

“We’ll figure something out,” Zipp said to her sister, pulling out her FlyPad. “But for now… let’s focus on the mission ahead.”

XXXXXXXX

Asha left the storage closet and crept closer toward her kitchen, where all of her friends were having a conversation about the light that the entire kingdom had seen the night before. “Come on, even you have to admit, Gabo,” said Hal with a cheerful smile on her face. “That light last night felt amazing!”

However, Gabo still felt rather suspicious. “It was probably a curse.”

Then, Dahlia brought a fresh batch of cookies out of the oven, much to the others’ delight. “COOKIES!!”

“No! This batch is for the king and his new members of his council!” Dahlia said sternly. “That rabbit… Twitch, I think? He really has a sweet tooth.”

That’s when Dario approached with a big, goofy grin on his face. “A squirrel just said ‘good morning’ to me.”

Asha froze at this… one of the animals that Star had given magic to spoke to Dario? That could blow their cover all together! However, Gabo seemed reluctant to believe it. “I have no response to that.”

“I didn’t either. Right?” Dario asked, looking at the others. “I mean, what do you say to a squirrel?”

Asha took a rather deep breath and let a smile grace her face. This was it… she was finally gonna talk to her friends.

Suddenly, as she took a step further into the kitchen, she heard a noise coming from the storage room, causing Asha to gasp and freeze… and this caused her friends to look at her.

To save her cover, Asha kicked over a stack of pots and pans. “Oh! I really have to watch where I’m going.”

“You touch ‘em,” said Gabo, “you wash ‘em.”

“It was an accident.”

Gabo yelped at the sudden voice, discovering Bazeema had somehow popped in out of nowhere. “How? How do you always do that?”

Bazeema only smiled nervously, chuckling coyly as Dahlia approached Asha, who was picking up the pots and pans from her supposed… mishap. “Hey, how are you and your poor Saba this morning?”

“Um… coping,” Asha answered in half-truth before clearing her throat. “And curious. How do the kitchens get food up to the king?”

Dahlia seemed a bit bewildered as to why Asha would ask her such a question. “Oh, um, the formal servers bring his meals to the dining room.”

Suddenly, Asha could have sworn she heard Sunny’s voice calling out after a whooshing star. “Star, sit! Heel! Do… anything besides that!”

Asha chuckled nervously, trying to make everything like it was normal. “So, what about when the king eats in his study? Who brings it then?”

“Well, his study is off-limits,” Dahlia said before clearing her throat and letting through a little smirk. “Details are known to only a select few.”

Asha’s eyes lit up hopefully. “Including you?”

“No comment.”

“Ladies,” Valentino said loudly from inside the storage room, “please!”

“Who is in there?” Dahlia wondered before Asha propped up against the wall. “I don’t hear anything,” she denied before getting back on the matter at hand. “Dahlia, if you know a secret way into the King’s study, you have to tell me.”

“Why?” Dahlia asked, a little more than concerned for Asha’s strange behavior. “What is going on with you?”

But before Asha could explain, she noticed Safi heading toward the storage room, and immediately panicked. “Whoa! Wait, wait, wait, wait!” she said, running in front of Safi and blocking the door. “What are you doing?”

“I… I gotta collect eggs,” Safi explained casually. “No! I mean… let me,” Asha offered, trying to not blow her cover. “I’ll do it for you.”

“Nah, that’s okay, Asha…”

“But your allergies!” Asha argued. “All that sneezing. That can’t be good for you.”

Safi gave Asha a heartbroken look at this. “Are you trying to take the chickens away from me?”

“You know Safi loves those chickens,” Bazeema said softly as Safi hugged the egg basket tight. “I do…”

That’s when Asha began to get bombarded with questions of confusion from her friends.

“Are you okay, Asha?”

“Something’s up with you…”

“What are you hiding?”

“Oh!” Asha blocked the door quickly. “Nothing!”

“Life is to be lived!” Valentino shouted once more. “And nobody!” Asha quickly fibbed, but this didn’t stop the questions from pouring in.

“What is going on in there?”

“Why are you all sweaty?”

“You can tell us anything.”

That’s when Gabo began to get really riled up. “Move or we break the door down!”

“No, no, no, no. Fine! Fine!” Asha took a deep breath before beginning her explanation. “Yesterday morning, while I was on my way to give the tour to the newcomers, I made some… interesting new friends. They were in Rosas for a mission all their own, so invited them to stay, but they had to hide so no one would know they were here… especially the new members of the king’s council.”

“You mean that cat and bunny?” Dahlia looked concerned. “Why?”

“Well, that’s hard to explain on its own,” Asha admitted. “But then… last night… after everything had happened… me and one of those new friends made a wish… on a star.”

The others stared at Asha in confusion and bewilderment, while Gabo was the only one to speak up. “What are you, five?”

Asha braced herself as she prepared to open the door. “And the star… answered.”

It was at that moment that Asha opened the door, and all the teens witnessed something completely out of the ordinary.

Chickens bawking and dancing as if they were singing a joyous tune, Pipp and Valentino conducting them all and the other ponies trying to keep the peace as much as they could.

Needless to say, Asha’s friends were stunned and shocked at what they were seeing.

“All right, that’s it, ladies!” Pipp said enthusiastically. “Your wings may not be able to fly, but your voices caaaaaaaaan!!!”

Sunny gasped upon noticing Asha and her friends entering the room. “Asha, we are SO sorry about this! Pipp was getting restless and we tried to stop her, but uh…”

“As you can see,” Zipp sighed wearily, “my sister trots to the beat of her own drum.”

The chickens continued to bawk and dance, and even Izzy found herself tapping her hoof to the beat of the music, giggling to herself. “I don’t see what’s so bad about this, it’s actually fun!”

“Izzy!” Hitch scolded. “Not the right time!”

“Okay, ladies!” Valentino shouted. “Big finish!”

For the big finish, some of the chickens launched eggs into the air and two more chickens caught them while all the bawking and dancing ceased as soon as Star flew in and struck a pose along with Pipp.

“Whew, mama!” Pipp said in excitement. “That is so going on my PonyGram feed later!”

That’s when she noticed her friends glancing at her. “What?” Pipp looked confused. “What are you all staring at?”

Then, Pipp finally took notice that Asha’s friends had entered the room with them, and while her eyes widened her heart dropped in pure fright. “Uh… oopsie…?”

Star smiled and flew right up to them, but Asha's friends just stared at him in amazement. Safi inhaled sharply to sneeze, before Dahlia quickly put a finger under his nose to stop it. “Asha? Are they…?” Zipp began to say. before Asha cut them off as they gaped at the talking ponies.

They didn't know which one was crazier, the flying star or the magically talking ponies. “Star? Ponies?” Asha took the opportunity to introduce her old friends to her magical new friends. “These are my friends.”

Seeing that Star was already flying around Asha’s friends to get a better look at them, this gave the ponies the initiative to approach and introduce themselves properly. “Hi. Um…it’s nice to meet you. I'm Sunny,” Sunny said cautiously before then pointing at each respective pony as she said their names. “And this is Hitch, Pipp, her sister Zipp, Izzy and Misty.”

“This is all just objectively impossible,” Dahlia said as Star flew around them, tapping their noses with his point and making them all chuckle and feel good inside.

In fact, all six of the ponies were enjoying the hoofshakes and rubs they were getting from Asha's friends, finally feeling somewhat at ease.

Even Simon smiled a bit when Star came to him and booped him on the nose, but then, Star suddenly looked sad, and seeing something so full of love and joy sad broke all of their hearts. “What? Why am I making you sad?” Simon asked Star in concern. Suddenly, Asha seemed to figure it out. “Oh… Simon’s 18,” she told Star. “He’s already given his wish to the king.”

“Oh…I can't remember what I lost,” Simon responded as Star flew away.

“That sounds… really sad,” Pipp said in concern to her friends. “It just… doesn’t sound right.”

“You’re right, Pipp, it doesn’t,” Sunny whispered. “But remember, keep your opinions to yourself for right now.”

However, Star flew back but this time with a ball of yarn, shaped into a small heart. Simon reached up and grabbed it when he suddenly heard a voice hiss in a tight whisper, “Don't accept it!”

Everyone turned to see Gabo hiding behind bales of hay and chickens. Seeing an opportunity, Star flew right up to Gabo, who panicked and began running around the room with Star chasing him. “Ooh! This looks fun!” Izzy exclaimed before joining the chase. “Izzy! Wait!” Hitch started, but Izzy was already off. “No! Stay away! No, no, no, no!” Gabo said with a shriek as he tried to avoid Star and the hyperactive unicorn. “Am I the only one who realizes this is gonna end very badly?!”

“Well, not necessarily,” Zipp said with a raised eyebrow, “as long as everyone keeps quiet about Star, and well… us for that matter.”

“Magic is forbidden by anyone other than Magnifico,” Gabo said with shrieks added in as he held up a stool to keep Izzy and Star away from him, “who is also the only one authorized to grant wishes!”

“Self-authorized,” Misty stated firmly while taking a step forward, making it clear what her stance was. “Wait. Does Star grant wishes?” Simon asked in a voice with so little hope, but there was hope in it, which was more than they heard in his voice since his wish was taken. “Well… no, not technically,” Hitch said with a slight wince. “But,” Asha quickly added, “I think it wants to help me and Sunny pursue ours.”

“Like a fairy godmother!” Dario said with a smile. “Wait,” Dahlia looked at Sunny in surprise. “You’re the friend Asha mentioned that she made that wish with?”

“Uh, yeah,” Sunny chuckled nervously. “Guilty as charged, I guess.”

“Life is not a fairytale!” Gabo cried as he tried to avoid Izzy and Star, but Izzy grabbed him in a tight hug from behind. So to protect himself further, Gabo grabbed a chicken and held it up, allowing Star to tap the chicken's beak with his point and give the chicken the power of flight. “Whoa,” Zipp blinked up at the flying chicken. “Even I didn’t see that coming.”

“...what did you wish for?” Gabo asked Asha and Sunny with a look that spelled irritation and anger. “No-- you know what?”

Gabo then put his hands over his ears and babbled, causing the ponies to wince. “Don’t tell us. I want no part of this.”

“Wow…” Pipp deadpanned. “He’s a real charmer, isn’t he?”

Suddenly, before any of the ponies could tell Pipp to be quiet, a fanfare rang throughout the castle, and this caused everyone to remain alert.

“That’s the king’s call to assemble,” Bazeema said. “We better go.”

“Guys… we need to have you promise us something really important,” Sunny said with urgency in her voice. “Please… Magnifico, Allura and Twitch can’t know about us or Star.”

“And we promise,” Asha pleaded, “mine and Sunny’s wishes won’t harm or affect any of you. Or Rosas.”

“...that’s a big promise, Asha,” Simon said solemnly. “Especially since part of it comes from magic, talking ponies.”

“But we trust you,” Hal added with a reassuring smile. “Right, Bazeem… where’d she go?”

When the others looked around, they discovered that Bazeema had completely vanished, and this left Gabo completely stunned in himself. “How does she do that?”

“Hey, don't look at me,” Misty said, raising her hooves. “She must've snuck off without us knowing.”

“Speaking of which... you guys better get going,” Zipp said, “before you get in trouble with the king and his supposed council.”

Asha turned to the ponies. “You think Misty's well enough to do the spell?”

Misty nodded, feeling less stressed and more at ease now that she didn't have to shoulder the burden alone. “Yep. Luckily, since Izzy and Sunny can do the spell now, we just have to do the spell on ourselves and one other.”

“Don’t worry,” Hal reassured with a smile as the rest of the teens (all except Dahlia) headed toward the door to head to the assembly. “We won’t tell anyone, Asha.”

“Right…” Dario nodded. “About the chickens.”

“Or your little talking pony friends,” Safi agreed, patting Izzy on the head as they headed out. “We got you. Right, Gabo?”

“...I don’t squeal,” Gabo said simply before closing the doors behind him, leaving the ponies, Asha, Valentino, Star and Dahlia alone. However, not long after they had left for the assembly, Dahlia turned to Asha and the ponies in suspicion, looking more toward Asha than anyone else. “What are you not telling me?”

“Uh-oh…” Hitch looked nervous at this. “Asha might be in a little bit of trouble here…”

“It’s okay, Hitch,” Asha reassured before facing her best friend. “Yesterday, I kind of challenged the king.”

“What?!” Dahlia asked in shock, leaving Asha to shrug. “It’s, uh… complicated.”

Dahlia waited for Asha to continue her explanation for all this. “And…?”

“Dahlia…” Sunny began to say with the most sincerity that she could muster. “...what would you do if you found out the wishes of those you love with all your heart will never be granted?”

“...what is she talking about?” Dahlia looked at Asha in concern. “Does she mean… your Saba’s wish?”

Asha nodded to this claim with a heavy sigh. “And, thanks to me, my mother’s.”

“That’s why we’re here,” Misty said. “We’re here to help Asha get their wishes, so she can give them back to them.”

“You’re here to steal from the king?” Dahlia asked in shock. “It’s not stealing,” Asha answered simply as Star floated closer. “The wishes don’t belong to him.”

“And you can't just ask Magnífico for them back?” Dahlia asked, hoping to stay as logical as possible, but Asha only sighed, looking away. “I think I've ruined my chances of asking Magnifico for anything.”

That was when Zipp stepped up, hovering in the air, getting Dahlia's attention. “Besides, even if she didn't, it wouldn't work.”

Dahlia looked back at the ponies, confused. “What do you mean?”

The ponies looked at Asha as though in silent questioning. “It's okay guys,” Asha reassured. “You can trust her. She's my best friend.”

Sunny sighed, looking down before looking right at Dahlia. "Allura and Twitch, the new members of the king’s council? They’re both evil. Really evil.”

“Allura wants all the shards of this magical star,” Misty continued. “We don't know why but… we have five of them. But she has one.”

“And she will do anything to get her greedy paws on them. Even if it means having the king hold Asha's family's wishes over her as leverage,” Hitch continued.

“But…she can't make the king do anything. Magnifico wouldn't do something like that…” Dahlia looked at Asha. “Would he?”

“Maybe not alone,” Pipp said, gaining Dahlia's attention. “But that's what makes Allura so dangerous. She can make a being do anything she wants by her voice alone. Without even her victims realizing it.”

“Which means she could make Magnifico do anything,” Zipp concluded. “So… you have to remember this,” Sunny said sternly. “If either Allura or the king makes a drastic move… not only could our world of Equestria be in danger, but Rosas could be at stake too.”

Dahlia seemed to think long and hard about this. She may have just met these ponies today, but she’s known Asha for as long as she could remember. And if Asha trusted the words of these ponies then… what did she truly have to lose?

So, against her better judgment, she led the group back into the kitchen and approached a small dumbwaiter in the wall. “This is how we get food to the king’s study.”

“Dahlia… this is genius!” Zipp exclaimed as Asha giggled and hugged Dahlia tightly. “Now we can get into the king’s study and get the wishes without him ever noticing!”

“But… there’s not a whole lot of room in there,” Hitch observed. “How are we all gonna get up there without being seen?”

“Uh… two things you’re forgetting, Hitch,” Izzy smiled. “One… we can do that nifty invisibility spell Misty taught us to keep invisible if we need to!”

“And two,” Pipp said with a smile as she unfurled her wings, “we have these puppies!”

“Great-- we'll meet each other in the tower,” Sunny said, shifting into alicorn form and putting herself, Zipp and Pipp under the invisibility spell before they flew off.

Misty closed her eyes, putting herself and Hitch under the spell. Izzy also did the same with herself before they climbed into the the dumb waiter. It was a tight fit, but Asha and Star were able to fit inside, though it was like playing Tetra.

However, Valentino just jumped in, landing on Asha and knocking the wind out of her. “A new way to climb! Backing up!” he said rather musically as he backed up into Asha, somehow putting his but in her face. "Are you sure about this?" Dahlia asked, still very nervous about the whole situation. “Allura and Magnifico could come back at any time.”

“And that's why you're gonna stall them,” Asha said quickly, pushing Valentino's butt out of her face. “Please and thank you, best friend ever?”

“How is she supposed to stall a king and a vicious, evil snow leopard?” Hitch's voice asked, though his body was nowhere to be seen, to which Dahlia quickly agreed. “You'll think of something,” Asha assured, before pulling the door down. “You're a genius!”

“Okay, guys... let's do this!” Misty whispered to the others. “Eh, move it, Valentino!” Hitch grunted as he tried to reach the pulley. “Asha and I have to pull the rope thing!”

“And we ride!!” Valentino shouted as the dumbwaiter began to go up, but immediately realizing an error he had made. “I’m sorry, that was right in your ears.”

XXXXXXXX

The fanfare continued to sound as Dahlia made her way outside to the assembly, where people were continuing to talk about the light that had passed through the night before.

Only a few moments later, King Magnifico, Queen Amaya, Allura and Twitch came onto the stage, and King Magnifico tried to get everyone’s attention. “Quiet, quiet, quiet!” he said, causing the crowd to hush. “I know you are all wondering about that little light last night…”

This caused the crowd to cheer before Allura continued for the king. “A light that he did not command or condone!”

The cheering subsided immediately, and the crowd looked at one another, murmuring in confusion. “Allura,” King Magnifico said to the winged snow leopard, “why don’t you take the lead and explain what went on last night?”

“Thank you, sire,” Allura bowed, letting Twitch off her back before she came forward, lightly using her magic of persuasion on the crowd. “That light you all saw was magic, though it was quite clumsy and amateurish. And I am aware that magic in this kingdom is STRICTLY forbidden by anyone other than your beloved king. They used magic to put you all at risk!”

The crowd gasped at this. “But don’t worry, they are no match for me,” King Magnifico interrupted. “And though I have my own suspects, I assure you,” Allura said to the crowd, spreading her wings darkly, “when they are caught, they will be punished… severely.”

Dahlia looked up at the tower worriedly. “Asha…” she muttered. “Whatever you and those ponies do next, you better do it fast…”

XXXXXXXX

“You are awfully slow at this,” Valentino told Hitch and Asha as they slowly made their way to the king’s study in the dumbwaiter.

“Oh, yeah, sure,” Hitch whispered. “You try and make it into the king’s study in an extremely tiny dumbwaiter!”

“Shh!” Asha said to Hitch, upon hearing a tiny, jingling bell outside the door. “I think we’re here!”

“Adventure awaits right outside this door!” Valentino added. “Yeah, let’s go!” Izzy said and tried to open the door, but she found it particularly hard to open. “Uh-oh… uh, ponies, I think the door might be stuck.”

“Stuck?! Oh, great!” Misty sighed. “Sunny, Pipp and Zipp need us to open the window for them so they can get in! Now what are we gonna do?!”

“I’ll ram it!” Valentino offered before head-butting the door, only for him to groan out in pain. “It hurts without horns.”

That’s when Star seemed to get an idea, sticking one of his points out from a small crack underneath the door and shooting tiny wisps of magic out of it. “What are you doing?” Asha asked Star in a whisper. “I think he’s trying to get the door unstuck,” Misty said, “so we can get out.”

“Okay, but uh, Star? Please be careful,” Hitch said gently. “We do NOT wanna get in trouble for messing up the king’s study.”

Star tried to hit the lock on the door with as much precision as he could, but his blasts seemed to start going all over the place, hitting various objects… including a magnifying glass, which let the light pour through it and catch a paper on fire.

But after a moment, Star finally got the door unlocked, much to the group’s delight. “Yes!”

Unfortunately, after Asha opened it, everyone gasped upon seeing the king’s desk on fire. “NO!!!”

That’s when Misty heard pecking at the window, letting her know that Sunny and the pegaus sisters were outside and waiting to be let in “Quick, Hitch!” Misty cried. “Get Sunny and the sisters inside! We gotta put the fire out before anyone sees!”

XXXXXXXX

Unfortunately, Dahlia saw the glow of the flames from down at the assembly, where King Magnifico was finishing his speech to the people of his kingdom. “Rosas needs you. Any information would be most helpful. And I know you will never, ever let me down. Thank you.”

The crowd began to cheer as the king nodded to Allura and prepared to take his leave, and Dahlia knew that if she didn’t say or do something fast, all their friends would be in HUGE trouble. “Allura, your majesty, wait!” she called, stopping the duo in their tracks and causing many people to mutter in confusion. “Um…”

“Yes?” Allura raised an eyebrow. “Go on.”

“Ahem. Okay… hi, hi. Uh…” Dahlia seemed really nervous in that moment, but she was determined to not let Asha down. “Hi, I’m Dahlia. I make your Magnifico cookies.”

Allura seemed suspicious of such a thing, but King Magnifico smiled and brought himself forward. “Fantastic. What can I do for you, Dahlia?”

“Oh, thank you for asking,” Dahlia chuckled. “You said any information would be helpful. But pragmatically speaking, what qualifies? Evidentiary? How about circumstantial? First hand? Ooh, second hand?”

“What about hunches?” asked a man enthusiastically. “Oooh, sure,” Dahlia nodded. “How about hunches?”

Allura sighed heavily at this… what was this girl trying to do, put them all to sleep? “Yes, yes,” she finally said. “ Any information about who or what caused the light would be helpful. So, yes, hunch. Hunch away.”

“Technically speaking, Miss Allura,” said a woman from the crowd respectfully, “you and the king said it was amateur magic, but how come you don’t know how they did it?”

King Magnifico looked stunned at this. “What?”

“Oh, um…” Allura looked to Twitch for an answer, “Well, it’s…”

“Perhaps you could define amateur?” Dahlia requested.

“This is about what you know,” Allura said defensively. “The king and I both know that this is about your safety, and most importantly, the safety of your wishes.”

Simon raised his hand from the crowd. “Um, do you mean our wishes aren’t safe?”

“Of course they’re safe!” Dahlia said with a nervous chuckle, knowing that if this situation didn’t deescalate fast, this was going to get a lot worse.

XXXXXXXX

Asha, Valentino, Star and the ponies worked together as fast as they could to get rid of the fire by pouring water over the king’s desk and fanning away the flames with their wings and whatever else they had handy, and hiding all burnt evidence in the dumbwaiter to take down with them.

“Phew…” Zipp sighed out of fear. “I sure hope he didn’t need those.”

“This only proves how powerful Star's magic is,” Misty said cautiously. “We have to keep him safe from Magnifico and Allura at all costs.”

“But first things first,” said Sunny, “the wishes. Come on!”

The rest of the Mane 6 followed Asha and Sunny toward a large wall on the other side of the study, but luckily, Asha knew what was really behind it. “That’s actually a door, and Magnifico waved his hand and it just…”

But when Asha waved her hand in front of the door, it never moved. “Okay, how about this?” said Sunny, moving her hoof a certain way, but the door still didn’t move. “Nothing? Wow… this door is tough to crack.”

“How about… this?!” Izzy jumped up and waved her hooves. “Or this?” Pipp struck a pose… make that several poses. “Or… maybe this? Oooh, this is a good one!”

Fortunately, Star was able to wiggle one of his points and the door opened automatically. “All right!” Zipp high-hoofed Hitch. “Teamwork!”

“Okay, let’s get the wishes,” said Sunny, “and get out of here before anything else goes wrong!”

“Come on, guys,” said Misty to Izzy, Hitch and the sisters. “You’re gonna love this.”

Hitch, Izzy, Pipp and Zipp followed Asha, Valentino, Star, Misty and Sunny inside the room, and needless to say, their eyes went wide at all the floating wishes above them, unsure of what to say, but… they were DEFINITELY sure of how to feel.

“Wow… you were right, Sunny,” Zipp muttered. “They really are beautiful…”

“I… I don’t even have the words or the hashtag to describe this,” Pipp shook her head, taking a picture of the wishes. “It’s just… incredible!”

Star, on the other hand, was having a lot of fun flying alongside the wishes, seeing what they were and imagining how many people would love to have their wishes back, in order to make them come true someday.

“Star,” said Asha worriedly from the floor, “I’m glad you are having fun, but you have to focus. Please… you, Sunny and the pegasus sisters need to find my Saba’s and mother’s wishes as fast as you can!”

“We can do that!” Zipp said, unfurling her wings before looking up. “But uh… t-that’s a LOT of wishes to cover.”

Sunny sighed when she saw the mass multitude of wishes above them, realizing Zipp was right. “Luckily, we have Dahlia covering for us, so we have plenty of time to search. I just hope she can keep it up for a little while longer.”

XXXXXXX

Back at the assembly, the townspeople were starting to ask more and more questions about the wishes, and Allura could sense King Magnifico’s anger growing steadily, knowing this could be crucial in her own plans.

“How do we know our wishes are safe?” a woman asked. “We never see them.”

“Why can’t we see them?” another woman asked in the same manner. “Why is that a rule?”

“Why can’t we remember them?” asked the man from before, causing Dahlia to quickly step in. “One question at a time.”

“Since we’re asking,” said another man, “what if we want to change our wish?”

“Good point,” said another woman. “Wishes can change!”

“All right, all right, all of you! Calm down!” Allura tried to keep order under control. “Let’s form a line, everyone will get a turn.”

“You know what’d comfort us?” asked another man. “Another wish ceremony.”

“Yeah!” said another man enthusiastically. “It would make us all feel so much better!”

“Please, Your Majesty!”

“We could do it now!”

“No! Not now!” Dahlia yelped out of panic. “Bad timing!”

However, it didn’t help the situation when the townspeople began to chant. “Wishes, wishes, wishes, wishes…!”

Queen Amaya could also sense the anger in her husband growing stronger, just by looking at him. It was only going to be a matter of time before he did something drastic… exactly what Allura was hoping he would do.

Finally… King Magnifico snapped. “SILENCE!!!!”

Almost immediately, the crowd fell silent. “Is that all you can think about?” King Magnifico scolded. “A wish-granting ceremony?!”

“You know…” Allura said quietly, beginning to use her purrsuasion magic more and more. “...a wish-granting ceremony might be just what these people need to do your bidding. Offer them a reward for anyone who can identify the culprit/culprits… make their loyalty in you rebuild, stronger than ever before. Do it, your majesty… do it for Rosas.”

The king’s eyes flashed as he slowly fell under Allura’s trance, and after a moment, sighed. “Fine. Whoever identifies the traitor, your wish will be granted!”

“What…?” Simon muttered as the rest of the crowd cheered… except for Asha’s friends. If they identified Asha and her new friends as the traitors… they would probably never be forgiven.

However, Allura had one final thing to add. “But hear this! Anyone who helps the traitor, anyone who lets King Magnifico down, your wish will never be granted!”

The crowd let out a stunned gasp at this, and King Magnifico and Allura began to leave. “Wait!” Dahlia cried. “Your Majesty!”

“Enough!” King Magnifico silenced her as he and Allura left, with Queen Amaya and Twitch following behind.

XXXXXXXX

Once he, his wife and Allura and Twitch were inside the castle, King Magnifico let out a growl out of frustration. “How brazenly they question me!”

“They only question you,” Queen Amaya tried to reassure her husband, “because you make them feel safe enough to do so.”

“Queen Amaya, please forgive me, but it does seem like King Magnifico has a point,” Allura said with a smirk. “If they dare question his power, he should have a right to be angry.”

“Finally! At least someone understands me,” King Magnifico huffed in anger. “Allura and I will be up with the wishes. Disturb us with nothing but good news.”

“Keep the queen… company, Twitch,” Allura said softly. “We won’t be long.”

Twitch gave a little salute before Allura followed the angered king up the grand staircase, but along the way, King Magnifico felt the need to sing out of frustration.

King Magnifico: I can't help it if mirrors love my face
It's genetics!
Yeah, I got these genes from outer space!

Peep the name, I'm magnificent!
I put the "I" in omnipotent!
I'm passionate, I'm not petulant
Someone praise me for my benevolence!

Allura did her best to not follow behind as King Magnifico conjured illusions with his magic to go along with his song.

King Magnífico: (Just look!)

I'd give the clothes off Benito's back
If you really needed that
I'd be the first one to volunteer Henry!
If your home were to crumble
Or if you were in trouble!

I let you live here for free
And I don't even charge you rent!
I clean up all your messes
And I'm always there when you need to vent!

I give and give and give and give
You'd think they'd all be content
And all I really want is just a little respect

And this is the thanks I get?!

Allura yowled in fright as King Magnifico kicked away the suits of armor that were lined along the hall, but soon composed herself when she followed him further up the stairs.

King Magnifico: This is the thanks I get?!

Chorus: Da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da

King Magnifico: This is the thanks I get?!

Chorus: Da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da

King Magnifico: This is the thanks I get?!

XXXXXXX

Back in the study, Star managed to find the orb with Sabino’s wish inside, much to the joy of the others. However… the celebration was short-lived, because after Asha got her grandfather’s wish, Sunny heard King Magnifico and Allura coming, causing the group to dash into hiding.

As Allura followed Magnifico, she began to feel uncomfortable. She's persuaded creatures before, and to persuade them, she had to learn to be good at reading their emotions. What makes them change? She developed the ability to predict how they react. Otherwise things could get… messy.

But it felt like Allura couldn't read Magnífico. Well, she could, but she couldnt predict him. He was like a caged animal ready to react and Allura couldn't seem to figure out what. Looking back, the should've been the first sign that things couldn't end well, but still, Allura wanted to believe she had the situation under control. But… she didn't have him under control.

The winged snow leopard shook her head. No. She wouldn't think about that.

Allura quickly focused back on Magnífico, who was looking at his reflection on the wall, which seemed to be its own being more than a reflection.

Mirror Magnífico: You look so brilliant

King Magnifico: Oh, that's the least you could say
There's more, admit it

King Magnífico turned around, his back facing the wall, and eight more reflections appeared, each adding their own compliments one at a time.

Mirror Magnífico #1: You're cute

Mirror Magnífico #2: And strong

Mirror Magnífico #3: And bold

Mirror Magnífico #4: And brave

The song paused as all the Magníficos looked at Allura expectantly. Her eyes widened briefly as she was caught off guard. She hated being caught off guard. She needed to get this situation under control. “Maybe,” she suggested beginning to use her purrsuasion on him, “you should just calm--”

But to her surprise, they didnt work as he turned around and opened the door to the wishes, waving his hand dismissively at Allura, causing her to panic. They always worked. Well, except for… no. They always worked.

King Magnifico: (Whatever)

See this kingdom, I built it up
And you still complain? Ungrateful much

Asha and Valentino swallowed nervously as King Magnífico walked right past them. Their faces could still be seen through the beakers on the desk they were hiding behind, but King Magnifico was so caught up in himself that he didn't notice them.

The ponies stood in plain sight, putting more concentration into the spell than ever before. They stood off to the side of the room while Magnífico swirled the wishes around him. Misty and Izzy kept their eyes closed, hoping to keep their fear from bubbling up while Sunny watched with wide eyes as she witnessed Magnífico begin to crack.

But that was when Sunny noticed something else too. She noticed Allura who genuinely looked concerned, but she tried her best to hide it. But Sunny could see a little bit of fear in her eyes. It startled her so much that the spell flickered. When Misty saw Sunny flickering, she whispered Sunny's name.

Sunny blinked before also closing her eyes, concentrating on keeping her emotions in check. Even though Misty, Izzy, and Sunny had their eyes closed, they trusted their friends to tell them if they were in danger or needed to react.

King Magnifico: Hmm, are you sure that you're not the prob?
I'd love to see you try and do my job!

I granted fourteen wishes last year
C'mon, that's a high percent
And now you're questioning your king?
The disrespect I just underwent

You know I always got your back
Yeah, really though, it's no sweat
Since the day you were born and the day that we met

As King Magnífico sang, Asha and Valentino crawled out of the room with Sabino's wish. The ponies held their breath, but the king was too wrapped up in himself to even notice, and Allura was watching him with a tense expression.

King Magnifico began to swirl the wishes around, growing more and more angry. Allura took a step back, her own fear growing as he began to remind her of someone else. Someone she worked so hard to forget.

Hitch, Pipp, and Zipp watched with shocked eyes, unable to move. They couldn't help but feel fear for the wishes. He was being so careless with them, so reckless.

King Magnifico: This is the thanks I get?!

Chorus: Da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da

King Magnifico: This is the thanks I get?!

Chorus: Da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da

King Magnifico: This is the thanks I get?!

As King Magnífico sang the chorus, his eyes caught something. Something bad.

And surprisingly, he didn't spot the Mane 6 and their friends yet.

Curiously and out of fright, Allura followed his gaze and her heart stopped. This was bad.

Sure, she was all for it earlier. An hour ago even. But a lot could happen in an hour and it did. He seemed completely off the rails now. She couldn't control him and that's what scared her most.

The only creatures who got hurt when one was in control was only those that one wanted to hurt. She just prayed that the one creature she still had in her life wouldn't get hurt from this mad king.

Before Allura could blink twice, King Magnifico grabbed the book from the glass case, set it on the table and opened it, where Allura could feel the dark power of the book in the air, causing her fur to stand on end.

King Magnifico: I didn't wanna do this
I swore I'd never do this
But I'm hypnotized by how these pages flip
Cause I refuse to have my power stripped

A potion? A spell? A summon? A curse?
Anything to make that light reverse!
To this book I don't wanna be tethered, but
Desperate times call for desperate measures

Green light surrounded Magnífico as the light in the room seemed to dim. Tears filled Misty's eyes as she tried to hold her fear back.

She couldn't fail the spell. She couldn't fail her friends. But it was getting increasingly harder for all of them.

Suddenly, Misty felt a hoof on hers. She looked down to see a white hoof softly touching her charm bracelet. She looked up at Zipp to see a kind and reassuring smile on her face, telling her not to be worried. Misty nodded, and felt herself strengthen, making the spell easier.

Suddenly, King Magnifico shook his head. “Where was I?” he asked himself, but Allura remained quiet out of fear as he suddenly remembered where he was in the song. “Oh yeah.”

King Magnifico: There's a traitor in this town
And still I remain unbent
Come out now, explain yourself
I'm sure it's all just an accident!

That’s when the king approached the window, seeing the townspeople murmur amongst themselves, trying to figure out who the traitor was.

King Magnifico: Well, whoever finds them first
Now, that's a wish well spent
Honestly, keeping you safe
Should be worth every cent

And this is the thanks I get?!

Chorus: Da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da

King Magnifico: And this is the thanks I get?!

Chorus: Da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da

King Magnifico: And this is the thanks I get?!

King Magnifico was destroying every illusion of the townspeople he created, further frightening our heroes, causing them to scramble to the dumbwaiter and the open window while Allura and the king were distracted.

Finally... King Magnifico's anger and greed seemed to exceed levels that the ponies could ever imagine, just with one blast of magic.

King Magnifico: OHHH, THIS IS THE THANKS I GET?!!!

And finally... at long last, the song was over.

The Mane 6, Asha, Valentino and Star shuddered as Asha closed the dumbwaiter and Sunny and the pegasus sisters flew out of the open window.

Allura, however, remained frozen in place, unable to get rid of the images that flowed through her mind… images she hadn’t thought of in such a long time.

XXXXXXXX

“No, no, NO! You idiotic cubs!”

Allura and Alterro’s father had been screeching orders at them ever since target practice started a half an hour after breakfast, a few days after their mother had passed away.

For some reason, King Nekro wanted his children to know how to fight without mercy, and if they didn’t do what he said or didn’t do it EXACTLY right, they were severely punished.

“S-Sorry, Father…” Alterro mumbled in fright. “Mom… she said that…”

“Your mother is GONE!” King Nekro screeched. “Mention her name again and you both will be stripped of your privileges!”

“W-Why are you doing this?” Allura tried to hold back a sob. “We… we’ve been working so hard!”

“...working hard isn’t enough,” the cubs’ father spat. “We have to make sure others listen to our rules and respect us as they should. If they don’t… then they die without mercy. That’s something I hope you and your brother learn when you start leading Leopardia, Allura. After all… your mother isn’t here to protect you now.”

XXXXXXXX

Allura shook her head as soon as a gentle paw touched hers, and looked down to see Twitch looking at her with concern. “I… I’m fine, Twitch,” she said, trying to compose herself. “Just… a bit out of it, I suppose.”

“Come, Allura! Come!” King Magnifico said as he held the book close to him. “I have just the place for us to work.”

With the wave of his hand, a secret staircase opened up under the floor, and King Magnifico began to move down the staircase, with Allura and Twitch following behind.

But deep down in her heart, Allura knew that whatever was going to happen next… it wouldn’t be good for anyone.

Not even for her and Twitch.