Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from Wish, the rights to them belong to Disney and not to me.
Starlight and wishes
"Please! Please, grandpa!"
"Come now. It is way passed your bedtime and you must get some sleep."
An old man and his young granddaughter both entered a moderately-sized bedroom after venturing up from downstairs.
The old Caucasian man wore a yellow tweed tunic, brown tights, matching brown boots (which were replaced with just socks due to how late in the night it was) and a ruby red cape hung from his shoulders. A sparse patch of ivory hair covered his head and in-between his ears somewhat like sideburns. He had a large nose and very kind but firm teal eyes.
The Afro-Hispanic little girl wore a simple pink/purple gown. Her skin was the same colour as milk chocolate and her smile was just as sweet. Freckles dotted across her face like stars across a navy blue backdrop. She had a long hop of hair that reached back her mid back that was very well braided and she had huge golden honey/brown eyes which framed her face.
The two entered a sweet little room, the floors were made of pine and the walls were made of oak. There was a plush pink carpet and adorable child-appropriate furnishings; there was a bed in the middle of the room with an adorable plush baby goat placed next to the pillow. There was a small table placed next to the bed, it was made of pine (like the floors). A small wooden toy chest was tucked into the corner and it had beautiful intricate designs etched into the wood and a wardrobe similar to the chest stood opposite the bed and was closed. The floor was strewn with toys and an assortment of trinkets and marks of childhood had been scribbled and etched into the walls.
The old man sauntered through the open door as the little girl trailed along behind him, jumping about like an excitable puppy as she squeaked and squealed with joy and glee.
It was supposed to be bedtime…an hour and a half ago.
"Just one story! Come on! I promise I'll go to sleep!"
"….One story?" He asked.
The little girl, known as Asha, nodded with a huge yet beaming smile on her face that exposed each and every one of her tiny baby teeth which shone like twinkling stars of the heavens. Her eyes were huge and brimming with innocence and childish play.
The old man rolled his eyes and sighed in defeat.
He should have remembered how wilful and stubborn his granddaughter was…
His shoulders slumped as he plodded over to the bed, set the candle down on the nightstand and proceeded to watched as his grandchild leapt up into the air and then practically dove under the vibrant pink duvet with little butterflies and stars embroiled on to the material. Then her sweet little head popped out from the top of said blanket as she lay her head back against the large plump pillow, that smile of hers never faltering for even a second.
The gentleman couldn't help but feel a smile of his own tug at the corners of his lips and his heart swell at the sight, in spite of the exhaustion and fatigue plaguing his mind.
The old man then slipped under the covers where his seven-year-old granddaughter lay, letting her scoot over so the small child could nestle herself comfortably in the crook of his old and creaky arm, and pulled the large book on to his lap. Once the book was situated properly, the grandparent opened it to the first page but also made sure that the main occupant of the bed could see the words scrawled on each page as well as the illustrations.
He pulled his grandchild close to his thin chest and relaxing into the covers warmth as he opened the book, yawned, and began reading.
"Once upon a time, there lived a young sorcerer who understood the profound significance of wishes. He recognised the fragility of these desires and devoted himself to mastering the magic that could shield and nurture them."
Asha listened with keen interest and gazed at each and every word with big eyes shining with intrigue.
"Together with his devoted wife, they discovered a pristine island in the heart of the Sea. It was a haven for dreams and wishes to flourish and so, the sorcerer bestowed his protection upon all who sought refuge."
Her grandfather continued to read.
"Soon enough, he and his wife created a kingdom where every wish, no matter its origin, was embraced and people from distant lands flocked to this enchanting realm and entrusted their wishes to the sorcerer's care, hopeful that one day their heart's desire would be granted. The sorcerer and his wife eventually became the king and queen of this great kingdom and ruled with benevolence and fairness."
The warmth of her blanket, the lullaby of the wind and crickets chirping outside her bedroom window, the love in the air and her grandfather's gentle voice and loving embrace cocooning her small form began to have its effect on Asha as her mind began to cloud over with foggy exhaustion. She couldn't help but begin to feel sleepy but she still tried to stay awake enough to keep listening to the story that was being read to her and, instead of pumping chaotic yet excitable thoughts, her mind began to swirl with peaceful and serene yet slumber-some wishes.
Her eyes started to grow heavy and a yawn ballooned in her throat.
It was so warm and gentle, like a gentle candlelight.
The sleepiness continued to grow heavier and heavier with each word uttered.
"Soon enough, the sorcerer and his wife created a kingdom where every wish, no matter its origin, was embraced and people from distant lands flocked to this enchanting realm and entrusted their wishes to the sorcerer's care, hopeful that one day their heart's desire would be granted. The sorcerer and his wife eventually became the king and queen of this great kingdom and ruled with benevolence and fairness."
Asha's eyes were barely open now and a sleepy yawn escaped her mouth, her small body slumped into the cozy bed as she shuffled comfortably and snuggled her face into the plush covers. Her hair dragged a little across the sheets as her head moved from side-to-side and she could feel the blanket brush against the tip of her nose, she inhaled the sweet scent of the clean fabric.
It wouldn't take much longer until she had fully surrender to sweet sleep.
Not only that but her grandfather had apparently noticed that the child was on the very precipice of wakefulness and the volume of his voice had dwindled from a certain strength to a gentle and lulling whisper that intermingled with the gentleness of the beautiful sounds from outside.
Unbeknownst to the child, her grandfather smiled sweetly down at his grandchild as he cast her a grin with smiling eyes.
"…And they say that someday, the king will take on a sorcerer or sorceress as an apprentice and train them to become the next guardian of wishes."
He closed the book with finality as he uttered the words "The end".
After he closed the book, he placed it back on the bedside table where it originally sat and the bulky book made a gentle "thud" as it made contact with the wooden surface of the table. Then the man leaned into the candle and proceeded to inhale, pucker his lips and blow out the candle which darkened the room considerably and left the atmosphere feeling even more sleepy than before —as a matter of fact, the old grandfather struggled not to let his eyes close and not let himself drift off where he lay.
He planted a fatherly kiss on the tiny girl's temple and then got to work in getting himself off the bed.
He gingerly maneuvered his old and aching body into sitting up and, with sore hips, he pressed his hands down on the mattress and catapulted himself up and soon found his own two. He could feel his knees try and threaten to buckle under his own weight but he resisted and then quietly made his way back towards the door so he could make his way towards the landing and straight towards his room where he could finally get some sleep.
He could hardly wait.
"Grandpa…?"
The sweet lithe voice glided through the air like a bird taking flight, it sounded weak with exhaustion.
The man glanced over to the little girl, she barely had her eyes opened and she had a sweet smile.
"Yes, sweetheart?"
"Can I…" Asha opened her mouth and a yawn squeezed through her sleepy vocal cords. "…Can I become the a sorcerer? Like you?"
The old man nodded, his smile broadening on his wrinkly lips.
"I believe you can. Goodnight, my little wishing star."
Asha's eyes finally drifted closed and she finally surrendered and let herself drown in the sweet and dark abyss of slumber.
"G'night, grandpa."
A/N: So I decided to join the bandwagon and do a rewrite of the movie Wish after watching some amazing animatics featuring the Star boy. Since I can't do animatics (but I'll think about it), I thought I should write a fanfic instead. I haven't seen the film itself yet but I thought I should give it a go and rewrite the story itself.
I hope you guys enjoy it!
-Chloemcg