Destiny clapped her hands to get the goblins’ attention. “You’d better go tell Jack Frost that you don’t have the sash anymore,” she said. “I wouldn’t want to be in your shoes when he hears that I have it back!” The goblins looked sadly at each other, and shuffled off toward the exit.
“Now I should clean up this mess,” Destiny said. With a wave of her wand and a little fairy magic, the stage was soon back to normal.
Rachel, Kirsty, and Destiny flew back to the hallway and into the storage room. Destiny was still holding the precious sparkly sash.
“Thank you so much for your help, girls,” Destiny said, happily clutching the sash to her chest. “I could never have gotten this back without you.” They all hugged, and then Destiny waved her wand again and returned Rachel and Kirsty to their human size.
“Are you going to take the sash back to Fairyland now?” asked Kirsty.
Destiny nodded.
“The sooner it’s back in its rightful place, the better!” she declared. “Good-bye, girls. I’ll see you again soon!”
Rachel and Kirsty waved as Destiny disappeared in a whirl of sparkles. Then Rachel squeezed Kirsty’s hand.
“Come on!” she said. “Let’s get back to The Angels!”
In the dressing room, Rachel and Kirsty found The Angels hugging and jumping around with excitement. Lexy saw the girls and rushed over to them.
“They found the truck!” she squealed happily, dancing around the room. “The driver’s GPS sent him to a duck farm in the middle of the countryside! Then his truck broke down and he couldn’t call us because his cell phone battery was dead. But at the last minute, a tow truck drove past and rescued him, and then his GPS started working again. Can you believe it?”
“The costumes are all safe,” said Emilia. “So now we can relax and give you that tour of the stadium we promised. Come on, girls!”
As they started out, Rachel and Kirsty shared a secret smile. The sash was back in Fairyland, and costumes everywhere were safe! Now there were only two magic objects left to find.
“Isn’t it amazing that the truck was found so quickly?” said Serena, linking arms with the girls as they walked into the hallway.
Kirsty and Rachel looked at each other and giggled.
“It’s just like magic!” said Kirsty.
At breakfast the next morning, Mr. Tate had a surprise for the girls.
“We thought you would like some new outfits to wear to the concert tonight, so we’re taking you shopping at Macky’s,” he said.
“That’s the biggest department store in the whole city!” gasped Rachel, her eyes sparkling. “That’s so exciting! We’ll be able to use the tips Rich gave us.”
But when the adults started talking about how to get to Macky’s, Kirsty whispered in Rachel’s ear.
“What about the harmony key?” she asked. “I really want to visit Macky’s, but we have to help Destiny get her other two magic objects back before Jack Frost and his goblins ruin rock music forever!”
“Queen Titania always says that we should let the magic come to us,” Rachel said thoughtfully. “I think we should go to Macky’s, but keep a lookout for anything that might lead us to the goblins and the harmony key.”
“You’re right,” Kirsty said. “Oh Rachel, I can’t wait to see what Macky’s is really like!”
The Macky’s building was truly magnificent. It was made of gleaming white marble and was surrounded by big pillars. Flags fluttered above every entrance, and tall doormen in blue uniforms held the heavy glass doors open for the girls and their parents.
Rachel and Kirsty felt very excited as they rode up the long escalators to the third floor. The juniors department was huge! As their parents headed off in one direction, Rachel and Kirsty hurried eagerly toward a rack that was full of clothes in all the colors of the rainbow.
Kirsty pulled out a pretty red skirt and a fitted white top with a sparkly red star on the front. “This would look great with some glittery ballet flats!” she said.
Suddenly, a small child ran past them and pushed Rachel into the clothing rack. “Hey!’ cried Kirsty. “You should be more careful!” But the child didn’t respond. He or she was wearing a hooded sweatshirt, and ran over to join two other children. They began pushing each other and yelling.
“I’m OK,” said Rachel, turning back to look at the clothes again. “That skirt is just right, Kirsty. It’s red—the color that Rich and Charlotte said looks the best on you. You should try it on!”
“First we have to find something for you to try on, too!” said Kirsty with a smile. “Rich said that blue would look great on you.”
They looked through the racks, pulling out clothes and holding them up against each other. Suddenly Kirsty gave an excited cry.
“Perfect!” she said triumphantly.
She had found a pair of dark blue jeans with sequin trim on the back pockets and the waistband, and a bright blue wrap top covered in tiny sequins and sparkles. Rachel clapped her hands together.
“Amazing!” she declared. “Kirsty, I think you’re as good a stylist as Rich!”
Just then, there was a loud shout from the dress department. The rowdy kids Rachel and Kirsty had seen earlier were now parading around the store in expensive evening dresses. Their heads were draped in silky scarves, and one of them had just stepped on another’s gown.
“What noisy children!” said Mr. Tate, walking up behind the girls. “I wonder where their parents are.”
“I haven’t seen any grown-ups with them,” commented Rachel.
“Hmm, it’s strange to see so many little kids running around on their own like that,” said Kirsty thoughtfully.
“Ah, I see you’ve found some outfits,” said Mrs. Walker.
“You’d better try them on,” said Mrs. Tate.
The best friends walked into the dressing room and chose an empty stall. As they tried on their new outfits, Kirsty leaned closer to Rachel.
“I think those kids we saw might actually be goblins!” she said in a whisper. “They keep hiding their faces, they’re the right size, and there are no adults with them.”
Rachel nodded in agreement.
“We need to find out what they’re up to,” she said. “But we can’t follow them—our parents are waiting right outside!”
They stood side by side and looked into the large mirror. The clothes looked great, but now they had even more important things to think about!
“Let’s tell our parents that we like these outfits, and then we’ll try to get closer to the goblins,” said Kirsty. “They’re bound to be carrying the harmony key with them.”
Rachel nodded, and they changed into their own clothes again. Kirsty bent down to tie her shoelace … and froze.
Very slowly, she looked up at Rachel and gestured for her to come take a look. As Rachel bent down, Kirsty pointed.
Poking out from the bottom of the stall next-door was a pair of large, green feet!
“Now that is definitely a goblin!” Rachel hissed.
“Absolutely,” agreed Kirsty in a low voice. “Come on!”
The girls stepped out of their dressing room and Kirsty pulled open the curtain of the one next to them.
The goblin inside didn’t notice them at first. He was too busy admiring himself in the full-length mirror! He was wearing a purple velvet suit and a rainbow-striped vest. As they watched, he raised a fedora to his head.
Kirsty and Rachel burst out laughing at the sight of the vain goblin! He whirled around and let out an embarrassed yelp of surprise. His green cheeks went red.
“You terrible girls!” he stammered.
“How dare you laugh at me! I’m the most fashionable goblin in the whole world!”
He stuck out his tongue and darted past them angrily.
“Quick,” said Kirsty, trying to stop giggling. “We have to follow him!”
The girls dashed after the goblin, but they ran straight into their parents, who had been waiting outside the dres
sing rooms on cushy sofas.
“So, did you like the outfits?” asked Mrs. Walker.
“We loved them,” said Rachel.
“Wonderful!” said Mrs. Tate. “Let’s go look for shoes to match.”
Kirsty and Rachel exchanged desperate glances as the well-dressed goblin disappeared behind a clothing display. They would have to give up the chase … for now.
The shoe department was up on the next floor. As the girls and their parents rode up the escalator, Rachel and Kirsty spotted three small figures dressed in bright clothes and wearing long wigs. One had bouncing black ringlets, another had sleek blond locks, and the third had fiery red hair. They were running up the down escalator, shrieking with laughter. Shoppers were leaping out of their way and pressing themselves against the side of the escalator to avoid them.
Suddenly, the black-haired goblin fell over the side of the escalator onto the one going the other way. He started to wail as he rode up the escalator away from his friends.
“Jump off!” shouted the blond goblin, riding down to the bottom and staring up.
“No, stay on and then come down the other way!” shouted the redhead, joining him.
The black-haired goblin began to run down the up escalator, puffing and panting, while the other two shouted words of encouragement.
“You can do it!”
“Faster!”
He put on an extra burst of speed, lost his balance, and tumbled head over heels to the bottom of the escalator. He landed at the feet of an angry-looking security guard in a blue and silver uniform.
“What’s going on here?” the security guard demanded.
“Run away!” shrieked the blond goblin.
The goblins scattered, and the security guard chased after them. They made a break for the music department.
“We have to follow them!” whispered Kirsty to Rachel. The girls chose their new shoes very quickly, and a few minutes later they were lining up to pay.
“After all that shopping, I could use a cup of coffee,” said Mr. Tate. “Would anyone be interested in going to the café on the top floor?”
“Good idea!” said the other adults.
“I’m not thirsty,” Rachel said. “Are you, Kirsty? If not, maybe we could go and look around the music department instead?”
“That sounds fine,” said Mrs. Walker. “We’ll meet you in the café when you’re done looking around.”
“Come on,” said Kirsty in a low voice, as she and Rachel headed away from the adults. “We have to stop those goblins from causing any more trouble—and find out if they have the harmony key!”
“Look at that mirror!” said Rachel suddenly.
She pointed to a mirror by a shelf of shoes. They had been using it to see the shoes they were trying on. But now it wasn’t reflecting the girls’ feet. It was shimmering and sparkling with gold and red light!
“Oh, Rachel,” whispered Kirsty. “It’s fairy magic!”
The girls dropped to their knees next to the mirror. It began to ripple like water after a pebble has been thrown into it. Rachel and Kirsty caught a glimpse of pink towers and blue sky. Then a small figure filled the mirror and burst out of it in a flurry of golden sparkles and music notes. It was Destiny!
“Hello, girls!” she said. “Any sign of the harmony key?”
“Destiny, it’s great to see you!” Rachel smiled.
“You’re just in time,” Kirsty added. “The goblins are here in Macky’s, and they’re causing lots of trouble!”
“We were about to follow them to the music department,” said Rachel. “But it’s hard to keep them in sight.”
“Well, let’s see what we can do about that,” said Destiny with a smile.
She waved her wand. With a flurry of fairy dust, the girls shrunk to fairy size, complete with glittering, gauzy wings.
“Thank you!” said Rachel, fluttering her delicate wings and doing a somersault in the air. “They won’t spot us so easily now!”
“This way!” said Destiny, pointing toward the next department. “I have something to show you, and the electronics department is the perfect place to do it.”
They fluttered toward the electronics department, making sure the other shoppers didn’t see them. Destiny waved her wand at a row of flickering TV screens in front. A golden crackle erupted on the screens, and an image of The Angels appeared on every one. They were in their dressing room, looking very upset.
“It’s true,” Emilia was saying. “Every single copy of the sheet music for ‘Key to My Heart’ has disappeared!”
“But it’s our new charity single,” groaned Serena. “We have to sing it at the concert tonight, or nobody will buy it—then the charity won’t get any money.”
“Without the sheet music, none of the backup singers and musicians will be able to perform,” said Lexy. “What are we going to do?”
The images faded, and Destiny looked sadly at Rachel and Kirsty.
“This isn’t a coincidence,” she said. “The harmony key protects rock stars’ music. Without it, everything could go wrong for The Angels … and their favorite charity won’t get a cent!”
“We’re not going to let Jack Frost ruin everything,” said Kirsty in a determined voice. “Come on, let’s find those goblins and make them give back the harmony key!”
When the girls reached the music department, everything seemed calm and quiet.
“Maybe they’ve gone to another department,” Kirsty suggested.
“No, listen!” said Rachel.
The girls could hear a rhythmic squeaking sound in the distance. It grew louder and louder, until a unicycle with a squeaky wheel sped around the corner, ridden by a goblin wearing a long dress. Close behind him was another goblin on a pogo stick, wearing a pair of heart–patterned pajamas and a curly blond wig that bounced around as he jumped. A third goblin was wobbling along on roller blades, wearing an old-fashioned bathing suit and a knitted hat.
“More goblins!” cried Kirsty.
“Look at what that goblin on the pogo stick has on a chain around his neck,” Destiny said, glowing with excitement. “It’s my harmony key!”
The goblin with the key looked very grumpy. The girls and Destiny fluttered closer to hear what he was saying, making sure to stay out of sight.
“Stop telling me what to do!” he whined to the other goblins. “I’ll hide the key later—right now I want to play with my pogo stick!”
“But where are we going to hide it?” demanded another goblin. “We’ve been all over the store looking for the perfect hiding place, and all we’ve found are those pesky human girls!”
As the goblins argued, Rachel leaned over to Kirsty and Destiny.
“I think I could get close enough to unfasten the chain from his neck and fly away with it,” she whispered.
“Oh, be careful!” said Destiny anxiously.
Rachel flew up behind the goblin, ducking down behind his shoulders so that the other goblins couldn’t see her. She reached up to unfasten the chain, but one of her wings accidentally brushed against his green skin.
“Something’s tickling my neck!” he exclaimed, whirling around. “Hey! A fairy is trying to steal the key!”
He yanked the chain from around his neck and tucked the key inside his pajama pocket.
“Run away!” bellowed the goblin on roller blades.
The three goblins zoomed into the next department, and Destiny and the girls flew after them. They stopped abruptly just inside the entrance. The department was full of kids … and they were the same size as the goblins!
“It’s the toy department!” Rachel groaned. “How are we ever going to find three little goblins in here? They look just like children!”
“Let’s fly up to the ceiling for a better view,” suggested Destiny.
They fluttered up to the ceiling of the toy department. There were crowds of children gathered around low tables piled high with toys. But there was no sign of the goblins.
“It’s
no use.” Destiny sighed. “We’ll never find them!”
Suddenly, there was a familiar shriek from the other side of the room.
“That’s a goblin!” Rachel exclaimed.
They flew toward the sound, being careful to stay out of sight, and saw the three goblins staring in fear at a guide dog. It was a gentle golden retriever and it wasn’t paying much attention to the goblins, but their knobbly green knees were knocking together.
“Help!” squealed the goblin in the blond wig. “It’s huge!” He leaped into the arms of the second goblin.
“I don’t like hairy monsters, either!” squeaked the second goblin, leaping into the arms of the third goblin, who shrieked and collapsed under their weight.
“Those silly goblins!” said Rachel as the dog and his owner walked away. “Guide dogs are the nicest dogs in the world.”
Destiny giggled, but Kirsty was looking thoughtful.
“If they’re that scared of dogs, maybe there’s another way to get the harmony key back,” she said. “Did you notice those battery-powered toy dogs when we came in?”
“Yes,” said Rachel eagerly. “They’re in a wooden pen in the middle of the department.”
“Maybe we could trick the goblins into thinking the toy dogs are real!” said Kirsty.
“Then they might forget all about the harmony key once they get spooked by the dogs,” said Destiny. “Kirsty, that’s a great idea!”
“Let’s each go after one goblin,” said Rachel. “We can try to drive them toward the pen.”
Destiny the Rock Star Fairy Page 2
