G5 Adventures in Wish

Things have escalated to a whole other scale, if you all may remember.

Sakina’s wish had been destroyed, fueling King Magnifico’s dark power so much, he was able to extract the wishes from Sunny, Hitch, Pipp, Zipp and Izzy, leaving Misty (the only pony to not have a wish) immune to the king’s dark power.

After escaping and leaving Asha’s mother and grandfather to sail toward the islet, Asha, Valentino, Star and the Mane 6 swam back toward Rosas to try and deal with King Magnifico’s reign of terror and get the final star shard back from Allura.

And hopefully… they will succeed without many other problems.

XXXXXXXX

And try as he might, he couldn’t get Allura and Twitch to stick around.

Nevertheless, he was determined to keep his search going. “To harness a star…” the king muttered before flipping the page, revealing a staff that made his eyes light up in greed. “Ooh, a staff. A staff of such power, even the night will bow to my command.”

With a malicious chuckle, King Magnifico immediately got to work putting ingredients into the cauldron for the completion of the staff. “One branch of mountain ash bathed in Tollen’s potion. Molten iron for strength, copper for a strike. And most important, the power cast from the innocent hearts of three.”

The king made three wishes float over to him, and these three wishes belonged to some of the people who had questioned him in the assembly earlier that day. “You dared to question me and all that I do for you. You don’t deserve to be granted,” the king said to the wishes before bringing them closer and clutching them tighter. “But, through me, you may serve a greater purpose.”

Then… King Magnifico smashed all three wishes, causing them to shatter, and causing the people they belonged to sudden grief that they couldn’t explain.

King Magnifico’s eyes glowed with an eerie green light as he cackled, grabbing the branch and sticking it inside the potion. “Yes… yes!!”

Within a matter of a seconds, the branch turned into a long, elegant-looking staff with a diamond tip at the end of it that looked like it had little mirrors on each side-- perfect for a king who thought of nothing except for himself.

Not long after the staff was completed, Allura and Twitch led Queen Amaya down into the study, all three of them looking worried and frightened.

“Allura, Twitch, Amaya, darling! Come, come! You’re just in time to meet my new toy!” King Magnifico said, slamming his staff upon the ground and feeling the power it radiated. “Now, that is power. Am I glowing? I feel as if I am. Yes?”

“...do you see what I mean, your highness?” Allura said, trying to keep her feelings under control. “He’s… lost his mind, quite frankly.”

Queen Amaya never thought she would see her husband in such a manner, and like Allura and Twitch, it truly scared her. “How could you? You know the ways of forbidden magic are…”

“Unappreciated, much like I am by my own people. By that girl,” King Magnifico said bitterly. “She did this. She and those little pony friends of hers pulled a star from the sky to destroy everything I’ve built!”

“Asha…?” Queen Amaya seemed unsure of what to believe by this point. “No, she only wanted her family’s wishes back.”

Suddenly… Queen Amaya gasped and froze when King Magnifico held the staff out at her threateningly. “Do you side with the traitor, Amaya?”

“...no. No,” Queen Amaya said quickly. “You know I would never side with a traitor of Rosas. I have believed in you from the moment we met. We built this kingdom together. There is nothing more important than that.”

It seemed to take a moment for King Magnifico to believe this, but when he did, a cheerful smile overtook his face. “Wonderful.”

Allura sighed in relief. “But… your majesty, there is… something I wish to ask of you,” she said cautiously, despite Twitch trying to stop her. “When you took those five ponies’ wishes, it contained most of their magic. We agreed when Twitch and I first came to you, we would share their magic if we ever were to get ahold of it, yes?”

“...did I, though?” King Magnifico asked. “I don’t remember making that sort of promise.”

“But… you did,” Allura protested, getting in his path as he began to leave. “If you give them to me now, I can charge this star shard just enough to open a portal and find my brother, so we can…”

“I told Asha and I told you before, you ungrateful cat! I decide what everyone deserves!” King Magnifico said, causing Allura to back into a wall with Twitch. “And since you seem to care more about your brother than serving your only ally…”

“He is my brother!” Allura snapped in retaliation, much like she had with her father many years ago. “I love him! He is all the family I have! You… you are nothing but a tyrant!”

“...a tyrant? Is that what you think?” King Magnifico asked after a moment, causing Allura to cover her mouth with her paw. “Well… then I suppose a tyrant might do this!”

The king pointed his scepter at Allura and Twitch, glowing with a wicked green light and causing both Allura and Twitch to groan in pain as both their wishes were painfully removed, causing Allura’s cutie mark to disappear and both of them to fall to the ground, weak.

Queen Amaya gasped at this behavior, and King Magnifico sighed in pleasure. “Perfect… two more to add to my collection. Now, my dear Amaya, let’s go set the stage,” he said to his wife with a cheerful grin. “I’m on the hunt!”

Queen Amaya watched her husband leave for a few moments before she turned to Allura and Twitch. “Are you two all right?”

“...my wish… my wish is gone…” Allura said quietly. “I… I can’t even remember what it was, and I…”

“Just… stay down here and rest for now,” Queen Amaya said, rubbing Allura’s mane in comfort. “I’ll update you once we find something out.”

That was when Queen Amaya took her leave, causing Twitch to come up and put his paw on Allura’s face in comfort, as if asking if she was really all right.

Allura sighed heavily. “I feel so empty, Twitch. Like… all of my joys, my efforts of being carefree… are gone forever. Your wish was taken too, and… that’s the last thing I wanted. Maybe… maybe those ponies were right. Maybe… I have become a monster… just like… him…”

Twitch knew that Allura was referring to her father… the worst snow leopard she had ever known, in that statement, and immediately tried to comfort her as silent tears stroked down her furry cheeks.

She was alone, powerless, in this world run by a mad man, and there was probably nothing that she could do to stop this nightmare from ending.

Or… was there something that she could do?

XXXXXXX

By this time, the city and toward the castle, where a large assembly of people were gathering for a wish ceremony celebrating the one who had revealed Asha and the ponies as the suspects responsible for the crime.

Once they were safely hidden at the back of the crowd, Valentino peeked his head out from underneath Asha’s dress. “You know, all of this is just a bump in the road. A gigantically, humongous bump.”

“Gee, Valentino,” Hitch rolled his eyes quietly. “No kidding.”

“Everyone, focus,” Misty said firmly. “We have to find Dahlia and the others, right, Asha?”

“Right,” Asha nodded. “They’re the only ones we can trust right now.”

Valentino looked at the large crowd, trying to spot Dahlia and the others, but only shook his head in response. “All I see are feet.”

“If I had my alicorn form,” Sunny sighed, “I could’ve flown up and spotted them by now. But... I don't even remember how to turn into an alicorn to begin with.”

“Don’t worry, Sunny… everything is gonna be fine,” Misty tried to reassure. “At least… I hope it will be.”

XXXXXXXX

“Look at these poor people!” said one the heralds, bringing three whose wishes had been destroyed up onto the stage. “Asha and her Equestrian friends stole and destroyed their wishes. She and those… those mules must pay!”

Not too far away from the stage, Dahlia and the other teens had gathered, all except for Simon, and Safi eventually spoke up with worry. “They say Asha’s family’s gone missing.”

Gabo merely scoffed and crossed his arms. “I bet those horses killed them.”

“I don’t know, Gabo, Sunny and her friends don’t seem like that kind of type,” Dahlia frowned. “But… then again… this whole thing feels… wrong.”

But as the crowd cheered, Queen Amaya sat herself down in her throne, looking worried for various reasons, but Izzy seemed to sense it as something else. “The queen looks… scared.”

“Maybe she’s finally seen her husband for the psychopath he is,” Zipp crossed her hooves. “Or maybe it’s Allura’s doing.”

“I don’t think so, Zipp,” Hitch frowned. “The queen’s frightened nature seems pretty genuine to me.”

“If we could get her on our side,” Asha said, “maybe she might know a way to take Magnifico down.”

“Yeah, that’s all well and good,” said Pipp, “but how do we talk to her without being seen by anyone else?”

But upon seeing a mouse sneaking around for food nearby, Asha glanced at Star with a sly little smirk. “I think we’re thinking the same thing… again,” she said, just before Star started to zip over to the mouse to get its attention. “W-W-Wait, discreetly!” Zipp whispered scoldingly. “We do NOT wanna get caught!”

And so, donning a yarn mustache, Star began to cautiously sneak over to the mouse while the Mane 6 and Asha continued to watch the assembly, staying as out of sight as they possibly could. “You are all probably wondering why you are here,” said the king to the unsuspecting crowd. “Yes, there’s a savage teenager running around with a star, destroying wishes. But… guess who bravely came forward and identified her confidants. Give a big cheer for Simon O’Donohue!”

A spotlight immediately fell on Simon on the stage, causing Dahlia, Safi, Hal, Gabo, Bazeema and Dario to gasp in shock.

But no one could be more shocked than Asha herself. “...Simon…?”

“Simon did this?!” Pipp scoffed in disbelief before crossing her hooves. “The nerve of the sleepy guy!”

King Magnifico chuckled as the cheering began to subside. “I know, I know! Tell me, I was as surprised as you all. Our sleepy little Simon here. No need to be nervous, Simon,” the king said as he brought Simon further out onto the stage. “Be proud! Show us your joy!”

“Are you sure your little mouse-sized plan is gonna work, Asha?” Hitch asked. “I mean, without my animal communication powers…”

“Don’t worry, Hitch,” Asha reassured quietly. “Star and I have that taken care of.”

XXXXXXXX

Queen Amaya sat on her throne, watching the assembly when she felt something crawl onto her shoulder and whisper in her ear. “Your Majesty!”

The queen then glanced over and saw a talking mouse perched on her shoulder, causing her to freeze up within moments. “Oh, my…”

“I know, a talking mouse, but don’t panic. I’m very clean, and I have an important message for you,” the mouse said politely before clearing its throat and speaking. “You once said, ‘Generosity is the true essence of Rosas’. I can see your fear, but Rosas needs your help now. Love, Asha and the Equestrian ponies.”

The mouse then chuckled. “The love part was my idea,” she admitted. “Okay… bye.”

And with that, the little mouse scurried away, leaving the queen to contemplate with what had just been said.

Maybe Asha and the Equestrians were right. Maybe… her husband wasn’t as pure as she thought she was.

XXXXXXXX

Once Asha had gotten confirmation from the mouse that the queen had gotten her message, she and the ponies turned back to the assembly, which was honestly getting pretty nerve-wracking, knowing the king's true, wicked intentions. “So, my dear Simon, are you ready to see your wish?”

King Magnifico brought out the orb with Simon’s wish inside, causing Simon to gasp in recognition. “To be the king’s most valiant, courageous, and loyal knight!”

Gabo crossed his arms within the crowd. “Just not a loyal friend…”

That’s when King Magnifico smiled, tossed the wish into the air and gripped onto his staff. “It is my great pleasure to grant you your heart’s desire.”

The crowd gasped in awe as Simon was lifted up into the air with the king's magic, his normal clothing becoming armor while gaining a shield and a sword in the process. But... that's where the real enchantment of the wish-granting began.

After a moment, Simon began to groan in pain, as if he was fighting back some wickedly dark magic, and after a moment, the king pulled him down hard, and after a few moments, Simon stood up, his expression dark and his eyes glowing as he held his sword up to the sky. “LONG LIVE THE KING!!!”

The crowd cheered, not suspecting anything while the other teens, Asha, Valentino, Star and the Mane 6 looked on in horror.

Simon had just become a pawn in the king’s game, and now, they could ALL potentially be at risk.

Zipp noticed Bazeema sneaking the rest of the teens away from the assembly, and immediately pointed this out to her friends. “Where are they going?”

“Come on!” Asha whispered. “Let’s follow them before they get too far away!”

And as Asha and the Mane 6 followed the other teens’ shadows away from the assembly, King Magnifico turned to Simon with a chuckle. “Oh, isn’t that wonderful?”

“There are six more traitors, Your Majesty,” Simon bellowed for all to hear. “Dahlia, Gabo, Dario, Safi, Hal and Bazeema!”

“Find them,” King Magnifico urged the people of Rosas, “so they may pay for their betrayal. Find Asha and her horse lackies, so you may be rewarded. But most importantly, find me that star, so I will have the power to grant all of your wishes!”

The crowd cheered wildly at this, not knowing that they too were pawns in the king’s evil plan to get his revenge on Asha and the ponies and pawns in order to finally get Star in his clutches.

XXXXXXXX

“Come on, this way!” Zipp whispered to her friends as they crept through the city streets, following the shadows of the other teens. “I think they went down this way!”

“That’s what you said the last two turns!” Pipp said to her sister in exasperation. “I really don’t wanna get caught and thrown into a dungeon!”

But as they turned a corner, they realized there was nothing there-- no door that the others could have gone into. Asha looked around in confusion, clearly bewildered by losing them so suddenly. “It’s a dead end.”

“There has to be something here,” Hitch said before groaning, frustrated. “If I could only remember my wish, maybe I could use that to get us out of this!”

“Hitch… I know this is frustrating, but… believe me when I say… you guys still can protect us. Protect Rosas,” Misty said gently. “I know it doesn't feel like it right now, but you all have something to offer. You're all smart and brave and kind. I've seen you. Any of you would do anything to help your fellow pony, with or without your wish at work.”

“Well, yeah, but our cutie marks and wishes made us who we really are,” Pipp said with a frown. “Without them… we’re nothing.”

“Well… yes, your wishes and your cutie marks are special,” Misty said softly, “but… I do know that… somewhere deep inside you, there’s a reminder of your true selves, whether you wanna see it or not. And I know we can do this. Now… help me look for a clue that might point to where Dahlia and the others went.”

“Well, it may be a dead end,” Valentino said as he saw some wood perched on the wall, “but it’s a dead end with unsanded mahogany!”

Valentino began to rub his butt on the wooden boards, feeling very relaxed and content when all of a sudden, the wood fell down, revealing a hidden entrance within the palace walls. “Oh,” Asha blinked in surprise. “Good find, Valentino.”

Valentino smiled proudly. “My butt found it.”

“Ugh… when you say it, it sounds SO wrong,” Pipp gagged before the group began to cautiously enter, unsure of what they would find in this closed-off space that their other friends must have gone into.

XXXXXXXX

As it turned out, Bazeema had led the other teens to a secret, comforting space within the lower parts of the castle that only she knew of…

…and where she would be sure they would not be found. “Whoa!” said Dario in amazement as they looked around. “So, this is where you go when you sneak off, huh, Bazeema?”

“Thanks for keeping it all to yourself,” Gabo scoffed. “Introverts deserve sanctuary,” Bazeema said simply, causing Hal to chuckle and smile. “I’m happy for you.”

“We’re safe here,” Bazeema then assured, but then, Gabo had to interrupt with his pessimistic attitude. “No, we’re not safe anywhere. We’re fugitives, thanks to Asha and those horses she came in with.”

“We may have just met those ponies this morning, but I believe they’re not capable of this. Come to think of it… this doesn’t sound like Asha at all,” Dahlia frowned. “She said she just wanted her family to have their wishes back.”

Gabo shot her a look. “And you believed her?!”

“It’s the truth, Gabo.”

Asha and the ponies, along with Valentino, appeared in the doorway of the room, causing many of them to duck behind Dahlia for safety. “Oh! Hi, Asha. Hi, horses,” Dario said absent-mindedly before Gabo pulled him behind Dahlia. “Please,” Dahlia begged, “say you didn’t destroy those peoples’ wishes.”

“Of course she didn’t,” Zipp said bluntly. “It was Magnifico! He destroyed Asha’s mother’s wish too!”

Gabo scoffed at the white pegasus princess in disbelief. “Likely story…”

“Listen, Gabo, I know you don’t wanna believe us, but it’s the truth. King Magnifico… is a monster, quite frankly,” Misty said sternly. “He destroyed Sakina’s wish, just like he did for those people, and he took my friends’ wishes too, along with their magic!”

“Wait,” Hal stopped the conversation, eyes wide. “What?”

“It’s true,” Sunny said as she, Izzy, Hitch and the pegasus sisters showcased their blank flanks. This caused the teens to glance at each other in concern before Sunny continued. “Misty is the only one immune to his power cause she doesn’t have a wish. He and Allura could be gaining power as we speak and we need to stop them before its too late.”

“Well… we didn’t see Allura or her bunny at the ceremony, but… the king was acting awfully… awfully…” Safi said as he felt the urge to sneeze. “Awful,” Bazeema answered for him, covering his nose so he wouldn’t sneeze. “Simon,” Dahlia added sadly, “looked like he was in pain.”

“Yeah,” Gabo rolled his eyes. “Right before he snitched on us.”

Safi then let out a sneeze before looking toward the others, worried as ever. “We’re doomed…”

That was when Asha made an affirmative decision in her mind, her eyes narrowing. “Not if we fight.”

She looked to Star, Valentino and the ponies, who nodded before shutting all of the windows so they wouldn’t be heard, just before a rousing song began.

Misty: You’ve been deceived
Magnifico is not the man he claims to be

Sunny: He’s more vicious than I could have ever comprehended

Asha: When we made a wish and Star came down
This is not what we expected
Or intended
But now that it’s happened, we don’t regret it

Zipp: Cause now we’ve seen him show his true colors
In shades of green

Asha: Saying that your wishes aren't safe because of me and
That's a lie lie lie lie
And I know we can’t do this on our own and…

Sunny: If it’s not us, then who and when?

Pipp: If we don’t fight, they know they win
Not allowed

Hitch and Izzy: Knowing what I know now

Sunny: The lengths they’ll go, there’s no amount

Asha: I won’t sit back
Watch this play out
That's my vow

Mane 6 and Asha: Knowing what I know now

As the song progressed, the teens began to have a different change of heart, slowly beginning to realize what Asha and her friends were trying to warn them off.

That’s when Dahlia decided to make the first move for their independence and freedom, encouraging others to stand beside her.

Dahlia: Get up yah!
Know I'm not the only one that's

All: Yeah!

Dahlia: Fed up

All: Yeah!

Dario: Wait til' they hear our feet go dun dun dun dun

All: Yeah!

Hal: I don't think he's prepared for what's coming

All: A revolution hit the ground running!

And now that all of them were in on Asha and the ponies’ fight for justice, they began to piece together a lookalike of the castle out of old junk they had down in that room, all while the song continued.

Asha and Sunny: If there's one thing he can't keep down

All: Uh-huh

Asha, Sunny, Dahlia and Hitch: It’s us and the strength we’ve found
It’s too loud

All: Loud!

Misty: Knowing what we know now

All: Knowing what we know now

Gabo: And who, who knows if we’ll succeed?

All: But we

Pipp and Hal: Won’t stop and we won’t retreat
Or turn round

All: Round

Mane 6 and Asha: Knowing what we know now

All: Knowing what we know now

Teens: Hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo
Hoo-ha-hoo-ha-hoo-ha
Hoo (Hoo-hoo)

Safi: Can he tell what we're becomin'

Dario: Hear it in the way we’re drummin’

Bazeema: I was sweet, but now I’m somethin’ else

Mane 6: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!

Dario: Ain't it nice of us to drop in

Hal: To take what's ours to take it back in

Gabo: He thinks we’re nothing

Asha: But we’re something else

All: YEAH!!

But it was at that moment that Queen Amaya stepped into the room, her face solemn. “Uh-oh…” Izzy gulped. “You think we might have been doing that a little… too loud?”

Suddenly, as the others began to worry that their efforts would be in vain… Queen Amaya slammed the door shut and began to join in!

Queen Amaya: I’ve seen too many
Bad things that I can’t keep count

All: He loves

Queen Amaya: One thing more than himself
His crown

All: Crown

Queen Amaya: Knowing what I know now

All: Knowing what I know now

Queen Amaya: The good in him
I’ve watched it melt

All: I was

Queen Amaya: Fooled by the love I felt
So profound

Teens: Ahhh

Queen Amaya: Knowing what I know

Asha: I know

Dahlia: I know

Mane 6: We know now

All: Knowing what we know now!

And with that said, the song was over and finished. Delighted to know that the queen was on their side, Star immediately floated over and booped her nose with one of his points. “Oh!” Queen Amaya said in surprise. “Hi.”

“Your Majesty?” Asha looked to her queen with a courteous smile. “This is Star, Sunny, Hitch, Misty, Izzy, Zipp and Pipp.”

“It’s an honor to meet you, your highness,” Sunny bowed to the queen, causing her friends to bow in response. “Officially, of course.”

“Oh… you are all extraordinary,” Queen Amaya booped Star, causing him to laugh before rubbing Izzy on top of her mane, causing her to smile before the queen’s expression fell from happy to quite serious. “You need to know, Magnifico has embraced a most corrupt magic. He is intent on capturing Star. He wants to take all of Star's energy for himself.”

“But if he takes Star's magic, he'll be unstoppable!” Zipp frowned. “We can't let that happen!”

“Then Star needs to leave, like, right now,” Gabo said urgently. “No, no!” Valentino immediately rejected the thought. “If anyone’s leaving, it’s gonna be you.”

“Weirdness aside, Valentino has a point, Gabo,” Misty said. “Just like me and my friends can't go home until our mission is over, Star won’t go until those wishes are free.”

Hal turned to Asha and the ponies hopefully. “Does that mean you have a plan?”

“...of course we have a plan,” Asha smiled at her friends with confidence. “Just gather around and listen close.”

Asha gathered the other teens around to fill them in on the plan, but after a moment, Zipp turned to Queen Amaya with a question in mind. “Safi said he didn’t see Allura and Twitch at the ceremony, your highness. They’re probably working with Magnifico in order to fuel the last star shard with the magic of those peoples’ wishes, right?”

Queen Amaya sighed sadly. “I don’t know how to tell you this, Zipp, but I don't believe that Allura and my husband will be intertwined with one another any longer.”

“Huh?” Hitch looked at the queen in confusion. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“Well,” Queen Amaya began, “the thing is…”

“I'm rather powerless at the moment.”

Everyone yelped at the sound of Allura’s voice, and they turned to see Allura and Twitch trudging into the room, their heads hung low and their eyes filled with guilt and shame.

However… Zipp wasn't one to be fooled by this behavior. “You both have some nerve, you know that?” she asked angrily. “Coming in here, telling us you're powerless to gain our trust so you can backstab us, charge the last star shard and take over Equestria?! Paradise may have had a chance at being reformed, Allura… but not--”

“Zipp, stop!” Sunny stopped the white pegasus from speaking further. “I… know how we can know for sure if she's telling the truth. Misty, you’re the only one of us with magic, so… can you…?”

Misty didn’t have to think twice, so she nodded and approached Allura and Twitch before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. “I might seem a little quiet, but my strength is very real. When my cutie mark comes to life, my heart helps me feel!”

As her cutie mark and horn lit up with bright light, Misty began to use her magic to look through Allura’s memories, and saw… a lot, quite frankly.

The day she and Alterro were born…

…the day their mother died…

…days and days on end of their father's endless abuse…

…the day that Allura and Alterro got separated…

…the day Allura met Twitch in Starlight Ridge shortly afterwards…

…and then, all the events that happened up until this very moment in time.

After a moment, the magic faded, and Misty looked to a guilty Allura with sympathy in her gaze. “The king… took your wish too… didn’t he?”

“...he did. I want to remember what it was, but… I… I can't stop thinking about the pain I've caused to all those creatures over the past year,” Allura said as she looked down at the stone floor. “I… was angry, for reasons I can't remember, but I do remember how many I hurt with my villainy. I… I don't want to be like that anymore. Twitch… he's all I have left and his wish was taken just like mine.”

“It’s true,” Queen Amaya said to the stunned group. “I saw it with my own eyes.”

“...I don't expect to be forgiven, but… can you get back Twitch’s wish for me? Please?” Allura begged the ponies desperately. “That’s… that's all I really need. If he's happy, I suppose I'll be happy too.”

Star squeaked and floated over to Allura, causing Twitch to back up out of worry and hide behind a nearby barrel. Allura lifted her head just in time to see Star boop her nose with one of his points. “Oh. Um… hello.”

“Aww, come here, cutie little bunny!” Hal said as she picked Twitch up off the ground and hugged him tight. “Ooh, you and just the cutest, wootest little bunny-wunny I've ever seen!”

Twitch, at first, became rather uncomfortable with the non-stop hugging, but after a moment, sighed contently and nuzzled into Hal's embrace.

It was at that moment that Asha approached Allura and rubbed her mane. “All I know of what you did in the past is from Sunny’s stories. But… if Misty really saw what she saw, and believes you deserve a second chance… we'll help you AND Twitch get your wishes back.”

Allura looked at her, stunned. “R-Really?”

“Of course we will. Sometimes, ponies… and non-ponies… make mistakes,” Sunny agreed with a soft smile. “But it’s what we do on the inside that counts. Right, guys?”

Hitch looked at Allura for a moment before eventually smiling. “Sure.”

“I'm willing to believe it,” Pipp shrugged. “Besides, that bully of a king overtook you as a villain a long time ago.”

“Welcome to the team, Allura-Bura!” Izzy cheered. “You too, Twitchy-Witchy!”

Zipp, however, took the longest to answer, eyeing Allura and Twitch with suspicion, but what broke her glare… was Star. The star-shaped creature booped the white pegasus on the nose, causing him to look at her expectantly.

And after a moment of staring, Zipp sighed and looked at Allura and Twitch again. “I… guess if the others trust you, then… maybe I should to. But make one wrong move…”

“Thank you… thank you, all of you,” Allura said gratefully. “We won’t let you down, will we, Twitch?”

Twitch immediately shook his head to this. “Uh-uh.”

“Then let's get you guys caught up on the plan,” Asha said with a welcoming smile. “The sooner we get this ball rolling… the better of Rosas might be.”

But before anything could be said… Allura gave her star shard to Misty, who looked at her in surprise. “Please, take it. I… don't really have a need for it anymore, not if I don't know what my wish is, anyway.”

Misty took the star shard with grateful eyes as she and the ponies spared glances of surprise and warmth.

Maybe there was hope for Allura to be reformed after all.