A Magical Friend

by Chloe Ryder

  ‘Don’t mind Mrs Steeplechase – she’s all whinny and no kick. Mum and Dad will be thrilled to see you,’ Stardust whispered reassuringly. She began to mimic Mrs Steeplechase, walking stiffly after her, copying the way Mrs Steeplechase’s large bottom was swinging from side to side.

  Giggling quietly, Pippa followed Stardust over the Plateau and along a winding path. After a while, the path opened out at the top of a hill. Pippa stopped and stared.

  Ahead of her, nestling among the other hills, was Stableside Castle, the biggest castle she’d ever seen. Its white stone walls sparkled like pearls in the bright sunlight. Eight flags, each a different colour but all decorated with a golden horseshoe, fluttered from the tall turrets, and the enormous wooden drawbridge was lowered, as if to welcome them.

  ‘That’s my turret,’ Stardust said, pointing her nose at the smallest one, which was topped by a pink flag, waving in the breeze. ‘It’s got the best view in the whole castle.’

  A group of horses was clustered around the drawbridge with cameras slung round their necks, obviously waiting for someone to arrive or leave.

  Mrs Steeplechase tutted. ‘The ponarazzi are still here then! We’ll have to take the secret path and go in through the back way or else the girl’s picture will be all over the island by tomorrow.’

  ‘They’re always trying to take pictures of the Royal Family,’ said Stardust.

  ‘No talking and hurry up,’ Mrs Steeplechase said sternly, as she trotted down the hill towards a small door concealed in the Castle’s walls.

  Pippa’s stomach churned uncomfortably as she followed behind Mrs Steeplechase. Stardust’s hooves crunched on the white gravel at the base of the Castle wall, and Mrs Steeplechase turned to Stardust.

  ‘Try to trot quietly, child,’ she said.

  But Stardust took no notice of the rotund nanny and continued to clatter beside her, not seeming at all worried that she was in trouble.

  The hidden door led into a large courtyard with a stage on one side, backed by a huge, stone wall. The wall was bare except for eight iron nails sticking out of it forlornly. Stardust blinked back a tear.

  ‘That’s where the golden horseshoes should hang,’ she whispered.

  A wave of sadness hit Pippa and she had to catch her breath. She glanced around and saw piles of silk ribbons, rosettes and flowers strewn across the ground. It was as if the courtyard had been abandoned suddenly. A small, chestnut pony was sweeping them up. A trail of black hoof marks led to the door they’d entered by. Pippa stared at the marks. Something about them bothered her but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

  ‘We were decorating the Castle for the Midsummer Ball,’ Stardust said, nodding at the ribbons. ‘But now no one has the heart to get things ready. It’s only a week away and it takes ages to prepare everything, especially the food for the banquet.’

  Mrs Steeplechase trotted across the courtyard to a wooden door guarded by a black pony wearing a red sash. Grandly, the pony bowed his head, then nudged open the door.

  ‘This is the Royal Court,’ Stardust whispered, as they entered a large room full of perfectly groomed ponies with gleaming coats and polished hooves.

  One by one they fell silent, staring at Pippa with wide eyes as she walked across the room. Pippa felt very small as she made her way nervously through the crowd. All of the ponies wore brightly coloured sashes and some were decorated with jewels. A chestnut pony, with bulging eyes, a square nose and emeralds in her mane, gave Pippa a particularly mean look. Next to her, a smaller pony, with the same shaped nose and eyes, gave her an identical, hard stare.

  ‘That’s Baroness Divine and her daughter Cinders,’ whispered Stardust. ‘No one likes them. They think they’re so much better than anyone else. Cinders shouldn’t even be here. She should be at school, like me.’

  Mrs Steeplechase stopped in front of a beautiful palomino pony with a long, white mane and tail, and her companion, a large, copper-coloured pony. Stiffly, she bent one leg, bowing her head to the ground. Stardust copied, leaving Pippa standing awkwardly between them. Unsure what to do, Pippa curtsied as if she were greeting her ballet teacher.

  ‘Your Majesties,’ said Mrs Steeplechase, rising slowly. ‘Princess Stardust has found a stranger on our island. A human.’

  ‘So I can see,’ said the Queen, her brown eyes resting on Pippa. ‘What is your name, child? And where do you come from?’

  Overcome with shyness, Pippa stuttered her name.

  ‘P-P-Pippa MacDonald. From Burlington Terrace.’

  ‘Isn’t it brilliant!’ said Stardust. ‘Pippa’s been sent to help us find the missing horseshoes.’

  A surprised murmur rippled round the room. Baroness Divine stepped forward.

  ‘No human has ever set foot on Chevalia before. How can we trust her?’ she demanded shrilly.

  ‘She’s a pony lover,’ said Stardust indignantly. ‘Only a true pony lover can find Chevalia and understand our language.’

  Queen Moonshine stared at Pippa, making her squirm inside, but she stood tall, hoping the Queen would see that she had nothing to hide.

  ‘Chevalia is a very special place. It relies on horse and pony lovers from around the world to keep it alive,’ the Queen said in a low voice. ‘Their love is captured by the eight magical horseshoes that hang on the Whispering Wall. Once a year, the magic in those horseshoes must be renewed by the Midsummer sun or it will fade. If that happens, then our beautiful island will sink into the sea.’

  Pippa gulped. Now she understood why Princess Stardust was so sad that the wall was bare.

  ‘This is a time of grave crisis,’ Baroness Divine continued. ‘Midsummer Day will soon be upon us but the magical horseshoes have disappeared. How did you get here? Who told you that Chevalia needed help? How do we know we can trust you?’

  Chapter 4

  The Royal Court was so silent that Pippa was sure everyone would hear her heart thudding.

  ‘I didn’t know Chevalia needed my help,’ she answered truthfully. ‘I was on holiday with my family when a magic wave scooped me up. Rosella and Triton rescued me and they brought me here.’

  The ponies stared at Pippa in awe. An excited murmur rippled around the regal room.

  ‘The human girl saw Rosella and Triton – but why? They never show themselves to humans.’

  The Queen stamped a hoof for silence.

  ‘There is an old legend that tells of a human girl who comes to Chevalia in its time of need. The seahorses brought you here, so I believe you are that girl.’ She touched Pippa on the top of her head with her muzzle. ‘Welcome to Chevalia. Good luck with your quest. If there is anything you need, then please ask.’

  ‘She needs me,’ Stardust said, trotting forward.

  Mrs Steeplechase frowned.

  ‘Hush,’ she chided. ‘You may only speak to the Queen when she speaks to you.’

  ‘But Pippa is my pet! I found her. Besides, how else will she find her way around the island?’ Stardust insisted.

  The Queen smothered a smile.

  ‘I’m sure we can find Pippa a good guide,’ she answered. ‘Perhaps your big sister Crystal –’

  ‘I’d really like Stardust to help me,’ Pippa said bravely, interrupting the Queen.

  The Queen looked uncertain.

  ‘Let Stardust help,’ the King said. ‘It will be good for her to have some responsibility for a change.’

  ‘Very well,’ said the Queen. ‘You’d better start straight away. Time is running out.’

  ‘Thanks, Mum,’ whinnied Stardust. ‘Your Majesty,’ she added hastily, when Mrs Steeplechase glared at her.

  As Stardust and Pippa left the Court, Cinders started complaining.

  ‘It’s not fair,’ she whispered loudly, so that Pippa could hear. ‘Princess Stardust gets everything. I want a girl too. I’ve wanted one much longer than she has.’

  ‘Hush,’ said the Baroness. ‘Better things come to those who wait.’

  ‘What does she mean?’ as
ked Pippa.

  ‘Don’t pay any attention to her – she’s always been jealous of the Royal Family,’ said Stardust. ‘Come on. Let’s start searching for the missing horseshoes.’

  Stardust used the same hidden door they’d entered the Castle by.

  ‘Where are we going first?’ asked Pippa.

  ‘Mane Street,’ said Stardust. ‘It’s where everyone hangs out.’

  ‘It doesn’t sound like a very good hiding place,’ Pippa said doubtfully.

  ‘Exactly!’ said Stardust. ‘If I were hiding something that’s where I’d put it because no one would think to look there. Hop on my back. It’s so much fun when we gallop together.’

  ‘But what about Mrs Steeplechase?’ asked Pippa.

  ‘Horseflies to Mrs Steeplechase! Mum and Dad didn’t tell you not to ride me, did they?’

  Pippa didn’t need a second invitation. She loved riding Stardust and her mouth stretched into a wide grin as she vaulted on to her back.

  Mane Street was the wide, grassy road on the Plateau that they had crossed earlier.

  ‘That’s my school,’ Stardust said proudly, as they passed by Canter’s Prep School for Fine Equine. ‘Miss Huckleby is the best teacher ever. You should hear her read Black Beauty.’

  Stardust’s school was a blue, wooden building with window boxes overflowing with colourful flowers and tubs filled with carrot sprouts.

  ‘The carrots are for snacking on,’ Stardust said, pulling up two and giving one to Pippa.

  Crunching on their carrots, they peered in through the windows, where a class of ponies was starting a maths lesson.

  Stardust giggled.

  ‘Look at Honey admiring her sparkly hoof polish. She’s my third big sister. The grumpy-looking pony wearing the boring wooden tiara with the acorns is Cloud, my second big sister. My eldest sister is Crystal. She’s left Canter’s now. She’s going to be Queen one day and she never lets us forget it!’

  Cloud turned to the window with a scowl, and Stardust quickly pulled Pippa away.

  ‘Don’t let her see you,’ she said. ‘She’d want to know why I’m not in school and there isn’t time to explain.’

  They crept round the back of the school, passing the Sand School Pippa had seen earlier, and a green field where some tiny ponies were learning to trot. Stardust barely glanced their way, but Pippa held back, sure she saw something glinting in the long grass at the edge of the field. Could it be one of the missing horseshoes? She hurried over and was disappointed to find it was just an ordinary old horseshoe.

  Pippa’s eyes grew wider and wider as Stardust pranced along Mane Street pointing out all of her favourite shops. Pippa noticed that all the shoppers were looking at her too!

  ‘That’s the salon where I go to have my mane and tail washed. They have gorgeous strawberry-scented shampoo. And look – Dolly’s Tea Rooms. You should taste their buckets of hot carrot juice. Delicious!’ Stardust said, smacking her lips. ‘And there’s Mr Gems. He sells the nicest jewels ever.’

  It reminded her of the high street back at home, only Mane Street was much prettier, with beds of sunflowers decorating the pavements and tiny silver horseshoes strung from the old-fashioned street lamps. Everywhere was spotlessly clean – even the silver water troughs had been polished until they shone. The street was packed with ponies and Pippa was amazed to see so many different types. There were well-groomed ponies, stocky working ones and scruffy little Shetlands. Everyone seemed very quiet, mostly talking in whispers. When a pony whinnied with laughter, it earned them a glare.

  ‘It’s been like this since the horseshoes went missing,’ sighed Stardust.

  Pippa was beginning to doubt that they’d find any of the golden horseshoes here. There were too many ponies and not enough hiding places. There was a funfair at the end of the street, though. That looked like a more promising place to hide things.

  ‘Shall we try in there?’ she asked.

  ‘That’s where I’m taking you!’ Stardust said excitedly. ‘You should see the merry-go-round. It’s rainbow-coloured with tiny flashing lights. It’s so pretty. And the ghost train is really scary. It’s even got Night Mares.’

  ‘Night Mares?’ asked Pippa. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘The Night Mares are spooky-looking ponies. They’ve lived here for ever, even when Chevalia was just a tiny lump of volcanic rock and not the magical island it is today. I’ve never seen one but everyone says they’re really mean.’ Stardust shivered. ‘Do you want a ride on the ghost train? It’s great fun.’

  ‘I thought we were looking for the horseshoes,’ said Pippa.

  Stardust went pink.

  ‘We are! It’s just so brilliant having you here and I want to show you everything. But you’re right. Finding the horseshoes is the most important thing. Without them Chevalia will lose its magic.’

  Stardust shuddered, her brown eyes suddenly glistening with tears.

  ‘Don’t worry,’ Pippa said, stroking her neck. ‘I promise we’ll find the horseshoes.’

  ‘Really?’ sniffed Stardust. ‘Thank you, Pippa. You’re the best pet ever.’

  Pippa opened her mouth to argue that she wasn’t a pet, but Stardust was already heading into the fair.

  The fair was less crowded than Mane Street. None of the ponies, except for the really young ones, seemed to be enjoying themselves. Pippa and Stardust walked around the rides but found nothing.

  ‘Let’s search the rest of the Plateau,’ Stardust said eventually. ‘It’s big enough to hide all eight of the horseshoes.’

  Pippa and Stardust spent the rest of the day walking the Plateau. It was hard work and there were many false alarms. By teatime Pippa had met many of Stardust’s friends and they had both found lots of precious items that other young ponies had lost, like hairclips and combs, but they hadn’t found any of the golden horseshoes.

  As the sun began to set, they made their way back to the Castle. Pippa was hungry and very frustrated that they hadn’t discovered anything about where the missing horseshoes might be.

  ‘We both need a hoof massage with dandelion hoof balm,’ Stardust said longingly, as they passed by the Mane Street Salon. ‘But Mrs Steeplechase is very strict about mealtimes. She won’t let us go out together tomorrow if we’re late.’

  ‘We must find those magical horseshoes tomorrow,’ said Pippa.

  Meals were eaten in a huge dining room with three stone feeding troughs, and a special gold one at the top of the room for the Queen and King. Once again, everyone stared at Pippa as she followed Stardust to a trough.

  As the serving ponies carried in buckets of steaming oats and carrot mash, Pippa wondered what she was going to eat, but she needn’t have worried. One of the cooks came out of the kitchen to serve her personally.

  ‘Fish and chips!’ Pippa cried delightedly. ‘My favourite food!’

  There was even a knife and fork to eat it with. As Pippa tucked in hungrily, Stardust watched in amazement.

  ‘So that’s what those are for!’ she exclaimed. ‘I’ve only ever seen them in the Museum of Human Artefacts.’

  Pippa laughed and listened to the ponies whinnying around her. Most of their chatter was about the missing horseshoes. Pippa caught her own name several times and a few of the ponies shyly nodded at her. But not everyone was as friendly. Several refused to look, turning away if Pippa smiled at them. She finished her meal with a rosy red apple and felt better for having eaten after such an eventful day.

  When Stardust and Pippa left the dining room to go to bed, one pony neighed at them as they passed.

  ‘It’s funny how the girl arrived at the same time that the horseshoes disappeared. I don’t trust her.’

  The words stung, but Pippa held her head up high. The ponies of Chevalia needed her and she wasn’t going to let them down.

  Chapter 5

  Stardust’s room was right at the top of the eighth tower of the Castle, reached by a spiral ramp. It was large and round, with curved stone walls. On her dres
sing table, in pride of place, was a little doll that had washed up on shore.

  ‘I’ve wanted a girl ever since I was a foal but I never dreamt I’d get one,’ Stardust explained.

  ‘I’ve wanted a pony for ever too,’ said Pippa.

  Stardust looked confused but then she laughed.

  ‘I get it! You’re my pet and I’m yours.’

  ‘Can’t we just be friends?’ Pippa asked.

  ‘Friends,’ Stardust said slowly. ‘That sounds nice. Yes, let’s be friends.’

  ‘You’re a magical friend,’ said Pippa.

  ‘No, you’re a magical friend.’ Stardust laughed.

  Stardust slept in a huge bed with a straw duvet and a horseshoe-shaped headboard covered with rosettes. Pippa slept on a special put-you-up next to her. The bed was surprisingly comfortable and she fell asleep immediately.

  The next morning, Pippa woke early. Stardust was still snoring softly, so she stared out of the window. Pippa was terrified of heights and at first it made her feel queasy being so high up. Taking deep breaths, she looked out over the magical island. It calmed her down to think about all of these ponies living together in such a special place. She gazed down on the Plateau to see ponies strolling on Mane Street and in the distance she spotted ponies working the fields in the Grasslands. As she looked out to the sea, she could see nothing around for miles, and she reminded herself that Chevalia would be lost if she didn’t keep her promise.

  Pippa counted the days on her fingers. There were only six left until Midsummer. Time was running out. They had to find the golden horseshoes before it was too late. Yesterday had been fun but Pippa worried that Stardust had been more enthusiastic about touring Chevalia and showing off her new friend than she had been about searching for the missing horseshoes. But today would be different. Pippa decided it was time to take charge.