Good Wish Gone Bad

by Disney Book Group

  Tina’s parents were so excited they began screaming as they embraced each other. Then Tina’s mother turned to Stella and hugged her, too, as tears streamed forth. As the applause echoed through the vast stadium, Stella was overcome with emotions. She wanted to laugh, cry, and scream even louder than Tina’s parents! But instead, she simply stood there in awe, staring down at Tina as a beautiful stream of wish energy began to flow from her, before cascading through the stadium and up into Stella’s Wish Pendant.

  Then, as the sun’s rays began to burn through the cloud that had cast a shadow on the track moments before, Stella saw hundreds of glowing Wish Orbs flying up into the sky. There were so many of them making their way to Starland that the cloud was completely eclipsed by them—and as Stella glanced around, she noticed one Wish Orb in particular. It was definitely an Inspirational Wish Orb, and it was floating directly above the head of little Ruby, the girl in the green dress who had talked to Tina earlier that day.

  The orb that had brought Stella to Wishworld for Tina had been beautiful, but Ruby’s was even more dazzling, with a light unlike any other. It positively took Stella’s breath away.

  Stella had expected Skylar to be waiting for her out on the Launchpad when she returned from her mission—but in fact, it appeared that everyone had already left for the day. So after unfastening herself from her star, Stella made her way out into the hallway all alone. It seemed a bit anticlimactic after such an exhilarating mission. But then Stella spotted Skylar suddenly racing up to greet her.

  “Welcome back!” Skylar said, her face shining as brightly as her golden hair and lab coat as she approached. And before Stella knew what was happening, she was wrapped up in an enthusiastic embrace.

  “Thank you,” Stella replied after they parted. She had never seen Skylar quite so excited, or even quite that friendly with the rest of the staff. Stella felt both proud and a bit embarrassed by the exuberant reception.

  “I’m sorry to have missed you out on the Launchpad—but come with me,” Skylar said, squaring her shoulders and becoming slightly more formal. “We have so much to discuss.”

  Stella nodded dutifully and followed her mentor. But instead of going to Skylar’s office or the Wish-Tank conference room, they headed down to the ground floor and out through the sliding glass doors at the back of the building. Then Skylar continued to make her way across the vast sparkling blue deck where employees usually went for their lunch breaks or informal meetings at the silver and gold outdoor tables. But they didn’t stop there, either. Instead, they headed all the way down to one of the many grassy hills that surrounded the Wish-Tank headquarters.

  Stella breathed in the sweet Starland air and looked out at the reflection of the stars dancing on the placid, shimmering surface of Luminous Lake. Far off in the distance, she could see the outline of some of Starling Academy’s tallest buildings, which instantly reminded her of Cora, who had been on Stella’s mind quite a lot in recent months. In many ways, Inspirational Wish Missions weren’t all that different from the idea Cora had had back at Starling Academy about leading by example to encourage more wishes. Perhaps it was just a coincidence, but a small part of Stella also couldn’t shake the feeling that Cora had somehow been with her on her most recent mission.

  “So”—Skylar’s voice gently guided Stella’s focus back to the present—“as you already know, the Inspirational Wish Missions the staff have been going on have all been tremendously successful—and each one has reinforced the profound power these unique wishes possess.

  “But your most recent mission has brought more positive wish energy to Starland than we ever could have anticipated,” Skylar said. “Far more than your previous one.”

  Even though Stella had already suspected as much, Skylar’s words made her skin tingle with pure joy. “I’m so happy,” Stella replied.

  “I am, too—but there’s more,” Skylar said. “As a result of our findings, the members of the Starland Wish Science Senate have approved our proposal for the new Inspirational Wish Orb category—and a new section of the Starland Wish-House has indeed been created for them.”

  “Oh, that’s wonderful!” responded Stella, who widened her eyes, awed by everything that had happened in the time she’d been working at the Wish-Tank.

  “It truly is—and I must say, I don’t think we would have been nearly as successful without all of your contributions,” Skylar noted with a warm smile.

  Stella didn’t want to be too hasty, but she was getting the distinct impression that Skylar was about to present her with something substantial. Perhaps she was going to give her yet another Inspirational Wish Orb already—or maybe a promotion? But as her mentor shifted her eyes up to the sky, they clouded over as she became melancholy and let out an audible sigh.

  “What is it?” Stella finally asked, although she wasn’t entirely sure that she wanted to know the reason for the sudden shift in Skylar’s mood.

  “I’m sorry,” Skylar said softly, still looking up at the stars. “We have so much to celebrate, and yet I have some difficult news to share with you.”

  Stella brought a hand to her mouth and braced herself for the worst. Finally, after briefly closing her eyes, Skylar spoke. “While you were on your last Wish Mission, I received word that Lady Astrid had completed her Cycle of Life.”

  “What? No!” Stella gasped as tears began to well up. In spite of everything that had happened with Cora, the headmistress of Starling Academy had always been incredibly kind and supportive, and Stella considered her to be a powerful influence and guide.

  “I know she meant a lot to you, but what you may not realize is how much you meant to her,” Skylar continued while taking her Star-Zap from her pocket and handing it to Stella. “Here, you must read this now.”

  Stella looked down at the Star-Zap as a holo-message appeared before her eyes. It was titled THE LAST WISH AND TESTAMENT OF LADY ASTRID and the words that followed were almost more than Stella could bear: Of all the Starlings I have had the pleasure of knowing, there is only one who I feel is capable of leading the students of Starling Academy. There is only one who I believe will be able to guide them toward their brightest futures. So, it is my final wish for Stella Albright to take my place as headmistress of Starling Academy.

  As the words sank in, Stella shook her head and swallowed hard. “Me?” she finally asked, looking over at Skylar.

  “You,” Skylar replied. She gave Stella a gentle nod before shifting her eyes back to the sky. “Look—over there. Do you see her star?”

  Stella looked up, searching through the vast array of twinkling lights until she zeroed in on the one that she felt quite certain was Lady Astrid’s. It seemed to be smiling down at her—strong, confident, and wise—and it helped Stella smile through her tears.

  Of course Stella didn’t want to leave the Wish-Tank so soon, but she knew that she had to honor Lady Astrid’s last wish. As she contemplated this next step, she couldn’t help thinking about the oracle Lady Astrid once mentioned to her, and she wondered if she had ever discovered the remaining section—if perhaps this, too, had been recorded as part of Stella’s destiny. Maybe Lady Astrid had even left clues in her office so that Stella would be able to find the text she had hidden and finally see it for herself!

  Stella also thought about how strange it would be to walk the halls of Starling Academy, no longer a student but the head of the entire campus. Once again images of Cora and especially of all the plans they had made together rushed forth. But then, as her thoughts drifted to that awful day when Cora was expelled, she noticed a small cloud floating in front of Lady Astrid’s star, obscuring its light. Stella shivered as an icy chill ran down her spine.

  Perhaps her most challenging and important missions weren’t entirely behind her after all.

  “Wow,” Vega said as she shut down The Great Holo-Book of Wish-Granters. “I already knew that Lady Stella was powerful. But now? I’m in awe.”

  “I know,” Libby agreed, picking up the holo-
book and taking it back to the table where she’d found it. “Everything she discovered? All of the things she’s done for Starland? It’s incredible.”

  “But what about those clouds—the ones she saw during her last Wish Mission, and then the one floating in front of Lady Astrid’s star?” Tessa said, her green eyes now turning dark with worry. “That was obviously some sort of sign—like Cora, or Rancora, trying to ruin everything again. Right? Just like Scarlet thought she was doing at Lady Stella’s graduation.”

  “Yes,” Cassie agreed, adjusting her star-shaped glasses. “And I think it was Cora disguised as Barbara’s friend who made Tina hurt her ankle, almost like she was granting a bad wish or something. It makes me even more worried about Sage and the others. Do you think they really went to the Negative Energy Facility?”

  “I’m sure they did,” Tessa replied with a frown. “I hate to say it, but we need to go find them and see if they learned anything else about Rancora. What we discovered here isn’t nearly enough.”

  “But we did learn enough about Lady Stella to know that she’s got at least as much power as Rancora, maybe even more,” Vega pointed out. “And we have a better idea of how we can help her…but we also know that the Negative Energy Facility is the last place she would want us to go.”

  “Well, then what do we do?” Libby asked, tugging on a lock of her pink hair.

  Vega narrowed her blue eyes, considering the possibilities. “We need to go to Lady Stella,” she concluded. “We need to tell her that we’re ready to help—and, unfortunately, we also need to tell her about the others going to the Negative Energy Facility. She’s not going to be happy about it, but she needs to know.”

  “But I don’t want to get Sage in trouble!” Cassie insisted. “I don’t want to get any of them in trouble.”

  “They may already be in trouble—the kind that only we and Lady Stella can get them out of,” Libby replied. “I think Vega’s right. It’s our only option.”

  “I agree,” Gemma chimed in.

  “Me too,” Clover said.

  “Then it’s settled?” Vega asked, searching the faces of each girl.

  At last, each one affirmed they would go find Lady Stella. So they slowly made their way out of the headmistress’s office and toward her residence in StarProf Row.

  Adora shivered as she and Sage marched ahead of the others on their way to the Negative Energy Facility, with MO-J4 buzzing close by Sage’s shoulder. After walking through Dimtown, on the outskirts of Starland City, they could tell they were getting close based on the shriveled gray plants lining the dark and dusty trail. The plants were clearly damaged by the trace amounts of negative energy that seeped out of the facility.

  Finally, the girls came to the jagged, sinister-looking cliffs above the NEF. The creepy surroundings were unsettling, but Adora felt certain that they would all be well protected. She glanced back at her companions and smiled proudly at the adorable yellow jumpsuits she had created. The garments would definitely be enough to keep them safe—she was sure of it. Or at least she thought she was.

  But when they saw the cave that surrounded the Negative Energy Facility from a distance, all six girls let out a collective gasp. As Vega had predicted, there was a lot more security than what they had seen in the holo-records about the place (back when Cora made that first trip), including an enormous chain-link fence surrounding the cave, which crackled and glowed with the same sort of purple voltage as Bad Wish Orbs did. Further adding to the ominous feel of the place were the two enormous armored Bot-Bot guards patrolling the gated entrance.

  “I did not expect to see such large guards,” said MO-J4 in his clipped voice as he hovered a bit closer to Sage’s shoulder, his little silvery-blue body beginning to shake. “Miss Sage, you know I will do anything for you—but I am not certain that I am equipped for this.”

  “And I’m sensing something bad is going to happen,” Piper whispered. “I don’t think we should go any closer.”

  “What?” Adora hugged her arms across her chest and spun around to glare into Piper’s wide aqua eyes. “Don’t you remember what you said earlier, about getting the feeling that we must come here—that it will hold all the answers?”

  “Yes, but—” Piper stared down at the ground and shook her head.

  “I’m with Piper and MO-J4,” Astra interjected, kicking one of her sparkly red star ball shoes into the dusty ground. “I think we should turn back now. This place is seriously creepy.”

  “It is a lot freakier than I expected it to be,” Leona agreed, her golden curls trembling along with the rest of her shaking body. “And if MO-J4 can’t help us, how are we supposed to get inside?”

  “He didn’t say he couldn’t help us,” Sage noted, batting her eyelashes at the Bot-Bot. “Right, MO-J4?”

  “Correct,” he replied. “I did not say I cannot help you. If you are certain that you require my assistance then I am most happy to do all that I can.”

  “I’m sure you can do it,” Sage insisted. “You’re stronger and smarter than any Bot-Bot I’ve ever met.”

  “Oh, thank you, Miss Sage!” The screen that functioned as MO-J4’s face lit up with a small pink heart. “You are quite wise yourself.”

  “Okay then, let’s go!” Adora said, starting toward the fenced-in cave.

  “Uh-uh,” Leona replied, shaking her head and turning on the heels of her gold boots. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can do it—I was more interested in these cute jumpsuits than going inside, anyway. They’re totally my color!”

  “I can’t go, either,” Piper said, barely able to meet Adora’s angry gaze. “Plus, I feel like someone should stick with Leona.”

  “Me too—sorry!” Astra frowned before spinning around to catch up with Leona and Piper, who were already heading back the way they came.

  Adora stuffed her hands into the pockets of her yellow jumpsuit, pouting as she watched her fellow Star Darlings depart. Then she turned to look at her two remaining companions. “Sage? Scarlet? Am I going to have to do this alone?”

  After a short pause, Sage spoke. “No. We have to do this. I’ll go with you.”

  Although Scarlet was feeling uncharacteristically frightened, she also knew this was an opportunity she couldn’t possibly run away from. It was dangerous, yes, but that was part of the appeal. “Okay. I’m in, too.”

  Adora heaved a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”

  “You’re coming, too, right MO-J4?” Sage asked.

  “Of course, Miss Sage,” their Bot-Bot replied.

  So the three girls continued up the path, with MO-J4 buzzing close by, until they all arrived at the front gate. But as she looked up at the giant armored Bot-Bot guards towering above her on either side, Adora didn’t feel quite as confident as she had before—especially when the one who was apparently in charge began to speak in a deep, threatening voice.

  “Negative Energy personnel only,” he said, holding up one of his mechanical arms and fanning out his metal fingers, while his purple Bot-Bot eyes glowed from inside his shiny black helmet. “Please submit your credentials.”

  The three girls exchanged worried looks, and then Sage said, “We’re here on official business—investigating the recent negative energy crisis on behalf of Starling Academy.”

  “Please submit your credentials,” the Bot-Bot Guard repeated.

  Sage shot a hopeful look at MO-J4 before looking up at the guard. “Oh—well, our credentials should have been transmitted to your system.”

  “Yes,” MO-J4 chimed in as he touched his arm to a scanner on the side of the Bot-Bot Guard. “Our permission codes have been transmitted. Please check your log.”

  The guard’s glowing purple eyes blinked as he scanned his system for the information. After beeping and buzzing for a few moments, a holographic message appeared on the screen implanted in his armored chest. It read NEGATIVE ENERGY FACILITY ADMISSION GRANTED. STARLING ACADEMY SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT. ADMIT MO-J4 AND THREE GUESTS. ESCORT INSIDE FACILITY UPON ARRI
VAL.

  “Yes!” Scarlet cheered under her breath, bending one arm and pumping her fist at her side triumphantly as Sage and Adora both sighed in relief.

  “Follow me,” said the first Bot-Bot Guard, placing one of his big metal fingers on the gate, which immediately sprung open.

  The guard led the group the rest of the way up the dusty path and into the cave, with its jagged blue-gray cliffs. But the moment they got inside and saw the Negative Energy Facility rising up before them, with its gruesome tear-shaped dome glowing in black and purple, the girls all stopped dead in their tracks and literally started shaking in their shoes.

  “Oh, my stars,” Scarlet whispered first.

  Sage nodded, her lavender eyes wide with fear. “It looked scary in the holo-footage, but I didn’t realize it would be this—”

  “—terrifying!” Adora interjected, finishing Sage’s sentence.

  Meanwhile, the Bot-Bot guard was already at the heavy black door, punching in the code; within moments it began to slide open.

  “Enter,” the guard commanded, turning to the girls. But then he extended his mechanical arm to stop MO-J4. “All Bot-Bots must wait outside.”

  “What? Why?” Sage demanded.

  “Bot-Bots cannot sustain power inside, due to the lack of positive energy,” the guard explained.

  “Oh.” Sage puffed out her lower lip in an exaggerated frown as her eyes darted from Vega to Scarlet. MO-J4, however, assured her that they would be fine inside without him.

  “You must also wear these,” the guard added as three pairs of sparkly silver gloves materialized and floated over to them. “Protective hand-wear.”

  “How could I have forgotten?” Adora admonished herself, pulling on her gloves and then hoisting her hood over her pale blue hair, before turning to her companions. “I guess this is it, then?”

  Sage and Scarlet nodded solemnly after donning their hoods and their gloves. Then they all began to slowly creep toward the doorway, tiptoeing past the guard and into the facility. As they made their way through the gray fog, carefully avoiding the glassy black orbs that were crackling and bobbing all around them with a disturbing purple glow, they grabbed each other’s hands, tightening their grip when the sounds of wailing and moaning became louder and louder still. When something suddenly made a loud crunching noise underfoot, they looked down to see the same bits of shiny, jagged black rock that they’d observed in the holo-footage when Cora snuck into the Negative Energy Facility.