“But what about the kids in the department?” Kirsty asked. “We can’t let them see us.”
“I can use my magic to distract them for a few minutes,” Destiny suggested.
She waved her wand, and a cloud of magic sparkles danced through the air. With a series of popping sounds, they turned into hundreds of multi-colored balloons. A sparkly banner appeared on the other side of the department. It read: FREE BALLOONS!
Shouts of delight went up from the kids as they ran toward the beautiful balloons. Within seconds, the area around the toy dog pen was completely deserted.
The plan worked perfectly. By zooming up and down the now empty aisles of toys, the girls chased the goblins closer and closer to the wooden pen. At last they all charged forward and the goblins collided with a big CRASH! They tumbled head over heels—straight into the wooden pen!
The goblins sat up and shook their heads dizzily before realizing they were surrounded by yapping, flipping dogs.
“EEEK!” squealed the blond-wigged goblin, trying to clamber on top of the second goblin. “There are hairy monsters everywhere!”
“Help!” cried the third goblin, “Save me!”
“Get off!” wailed the second goblin.
“Goblins!” interrupted Destiny, hovering above the pen. “I want you to return the harmony key right now.”
“No way!” squeaked the smallest goblin.
Just at that moment, one of the toy dogs yapped loudly and flipped over, landing on the lap of one of the goblins.
“I think I’m going to faint!” the goblin whimpered.
“If you give me the key, I’ll make sure you’re all safe from these monsters,” said Destiny, folding her arms.
“Just give her the key!” The goblin trembled. “I don’t want to get eaten!”
The blond-wigged goblin pulled the harmony key out of his pocket and threw it to Destiny, who shrank it down to fairy-size in midair and caught it in one hand.
“Those ‘monsters’ are just toys!” she said, rising high into the air. “Now you have to stop causing so much trouble and leave the store!”
“What?” roared the smallest goblin. “You pesky fairies!”
“This is your fault!” shouted the third goblin to the one with the blond wig. “You and that silly pogo stick!”
He yanked the blond wig off the other’s head and jumped up and down on top of it.
“I’m going home!” he said grumpily. He stomped out of the toy department, followed by the other goblins.
Destiny and the girls flew back into the electronics department next to the TV screens. They were so excited that they had outsmarted the goblins and gotten the harmony key back!
“I can’t thank you enough,” Destiny said as she hugged them both. “I have to take the key to Fairyland so that The Angels get their music back in time for the show, but I’ll come back as soon as I can. We have to find the magic microphone!”
“We’ll be ready and waiting,” Rachel promised.
Destiny smiled and waved her wand over the girls, returning them to human size. Then she disappeared in a shower of glitter and music notes.
After a few seconds, there was a golden crackle and a picture of The Angels appeared on the television screens. They were laughing and hugging.
“Found in the nick of time!” Emilia declared, waving a book of sheet music in the air.
The girls smiled happily at each other as the picture faded. Then Rachel glanced at the clock on the wall and gasped.
“Kirsty, there are only four more hours until the charity concert!” she exclaimed.
Kirsty’s eyes widened, and she clapped a hand over her mouth in surprise. “Oh, Rachel, if we can’t find the magic microphone, Jack Frost could still ruin the concert for everyone by making the sound and lighting systems go haywire,” she said.
“Don’t worry, Kirsty. I’m sure we’ll find the magic microphone in time,” Rachel said. “After all, we’ve got Destiny to help us. If anyone can find it, we can!”
Rachel and Kirsty’s thoughts raced as they got changed. They had to get ready for the Christmas lights ceremony and The Angels’ charity concert. They felt excited and worried at the same time. Jack Frost had already tried to ruin things by stealing Destiny the Rock Star Fairy’s three magic objects. Even though the girls had gotten back the sparkly sash and the harmony key, the magic microphone was still missing. Some sort of technical glitch could still mess up the concert!
“Look at the stars twinkling in the sky,” said Kirsty, pressing her nose against the hotel-room window and gazing up. “It’s a beautiful night.”
“I’m glad,” said Rachel, joining her at the window. “The Christmas lighting ceremony would get canceled if it rained!”
“Hurry up, girls!” called Mrs. Tate from outside their room. “The Angels will be here soon.”
Kirsty looked at the clock on the wall. “Oh, Rachel, it’s almost time,” she said. “And there’s still no sign of the magic microphone!”
“I know,” said Rachel, looking serious, “but I’m sure we’ll find it. We can’t let Jack Frost ruin things by making us worry. Just think, Kirsty: Tonight we’ll be helping The Angels turn on the city’s Christmas lights! Can you believe it?”
“No!” said Kirsty, grinning at her best friend. “I’ve seen it on TV so many times, but it just doesn’t seem real that we’re going to be part of it!”
“Come on, girls!” called Mrs. Tate again.
Rachel and Kirsty smiled at each other in excitement, then pulled on their coats and hurried out of their room.
The Angels were waiting for the girls downstairs in the hotel lobby. They waved when they saw Rachel and Kirsty.
“Have a wonderful time, girls,” said Mrs. Walker, kissing them both. “We’ll see you later, after the ceremony!”
Their parents left to make their own way to Main Street, and Rachel and Kirsty rushed over to The Angels.
“Girls, you look great!” said Serena, giving them each a hug. “Come on, our car’s here!”
They led the girls out of the hotel. A long, pink Cadillac was waiting outside, with a smiling chauffeur behind the wheel.
Feeling like rock stars themselves, Rachel and Kirsty climbed in and snuggled into the soft, cream-colored seats. The Angels joined them, and then the Cadillac purred away.
“We’re really excited about turning on the lights,” Emilia told them. “It’s such a special occasion.”
“Lots of people get really dressed up, and there’s a great party atmosphere,” Lexy added eagerly. “It’s almost like a carnival!”
Serena laughed and pointed at a scooter that was riding alongside them in traffic.
“See what we mean?” she giggled.
Kirsty and Rachel looked over at the scooter, and their mouths fell open in surprise. Six goblins were standing on the back of the bike in a pyramid, just like stunt riders! They were waving their arms around to try to keep their balance, looking very unsteady and nervous.
“Oh, no!” groaned Kirsty in a low voice. “Rachel, look at the driver!”
Spikes of silvery blue icicles were poking out from underneath the driver’s helmet. It was Jack Frost!
As Rachel clutched Kirsty’s arm in alarm, Jack Frost turned and gave them a horrible, mocking smile. Then he held up a glittering gold object. “The magic microphone!” whispered Rachel in Kirsty’s ear. “And there’s no way we can get to it!” “If only Destiny were here,” Kirsty said.
With a final flourish of the microphone and a cackling laugh, Jack Frost picked up speed and roared away. He sped in and out of the busy traffic, with the goblins clinging on for dear life.
Suddenly, the goblin at the top wobbled. He flapped his arms like crazy, looking like he was trying to fly, but it was no use. As the girls watched in horror, he lost his balance, fell off the scooter, and landed right in the middle of the busy road!
The goblin leaped to his feet as quickly as he could, but the scooter was already almost ou
t of sight. Furious, the goblin jumped up and down in the middle of the road and shook his fist after the disappearing pyramid of goblins.
“It’s lucky that everyone wears special outfits for the ceremony,” said Kirsty in a low voice. “People will think he’s in a costume.”
Car horns honked at the angry goblin, and he shook his fist at them, too. Then he spotted a bus and jumped on board. The girls saw him slump down into a seat, folding his arms and looking very grumpy.
Luckily, The Angels hadn’t noticed anything. They were practicing their harmonies for the concert that evening, and the car was filled with their sweet, clear voices. Normally, Kirsty and Rachel would have been thrilled to hear this private performance, but right now they were just worried about the magic microphone.
“We have to tell Destiny that Jack Frost is here,” Rachel whispered in Kirsty’s ear.
“I know,” said Kirsty. “But how? She can’t appear to us now, because The Angels would see her.”
Suddenly, the soft purr of the Cadillac’s engine was replaced by a banging, rattling sound. The car began to jerk and shudder, and then it came to a stop in the middle of the road.
The Angels stopped singing and looked around in alarm.
“That doesn’t sound good,” said Lexy.
“We’re going to be late for the ceremony!” Serena cried.
The chauffeur got out and opened the hood. A cloud of steam hissed, and he coughed and waved his hand to clear the air.
“Let’s go and see if we can help,” said Emilia. “Girls, you stay here. Hopefully this won’t take long!”
The Angels got out of the car and joined the chauffeur as he peered at the engine. With the hood lifted, neither the Angels nor the chauffeur could see into the car, which was lucky, because …
“Oh, Kirsty, look!” Rachel cried in excitement.
The gear stick was glowing and sparkling. Then, with a burst of tiny fireworks in the shape of music notes, the top of it flipped open like a lid. A platform rose out of it with Destiny right in the middle!
“Destiny!” cried Rachel and Kirsty together.
“Hi, girls!” said the fairy.
She gave them a dazzling smile.
“Jack Frost is here in the human world!” Kirsty blurted out, her words tumbling over themselves.
“Oh, no!” Destiny exclaimed. “How do you know?”
The girls explained what they had seen.
“We have to follow him!” cried Destiny at once.
“Yes, but right now we’re not going anywhere,” said Rachel, waving her arm toward the open hood. “The car broke down!”
“The Angels are supposed to be turning on the Christmas lights very soon,” Kirsty added urgently. “If they can’t get there, the ceremony will be ruined!”
“This is all because the magic microphone is still missing,” Destiny said with a frown. “You see, it keeps things working smoothly around rock stars, but in the wrong hands it could make all sorts of technical things go wrong. That could mean failing sound equipment, mixed-up lighting …”
“Or broken car engines?” Rachel finished.
“Exactly,” Destiny said, nodding. “But I can fix that!”
She flew over and landed delicately on Rachel’s shoulder. Then she waved her wand at the front of the car, and a healthy roar came from the engine.
“Hurray!” cried Rachel and Kirsty, clapping their hands together.
Destiny quickly hid inside Rachel’s bag.
Looking very relieved, The Angels and the chauffeur jumped back into the car, and they continued on their way again. Rachel and Kirsty watched the clock anxiously. Could they reach Main Street in time for the ceremony?
The car arrived at Main Street with only a minute to spare, and The Angels and Rachel and Kirsty jumped out and hurried up the steps to the podium. The waiting crowds cheered, and the mayor smiled in relief.
“Keep a lookout for Jack Frost!” said Destiny, peeking out of the top of Rachel’s bag.
Rachel and Kirsty didn’t need to be told to do that! Their eyes were already scanning the packed crowd, searching for any sign of Jack Frost’s spiky head.
The Angels stood in the middle of the stage and waved to their fans. Next to a microphone was the big red button that would turn on the Christmas lights.
“We are thrilled to have been asked to turn on the city’s Christmas lights this year,” Serena began. “It’s such an honor to …”
As she continued her speech, Kirsty gripped Rachel’s hand tightly.
“I see him!” she exclaimed.
Jack Frost was standing at the edge of the crowd. Before the girls could think of what to do, he stuck out his tongue and then tapped his wand against the magic microphone.
Immediately, the streetlights and all the lights in the stores went out. Main Street was plunged into darkness! Gasps went up from the crowd, and the girls heard the mayor stumbling around the stage. He tapped the microphone, but it wasn’t working.
“Don’t panic!” he shouted as loudly as he could. “Everyone, stay where you are! Just a technical glitch, that’s all!” He turned to his assistant and added in a low voice, “Find out what’s wrong and fix it—quickly!” Destiny flew out of Rachel’s bag. “Don’t move,” she said. “I’m going to turn you into fairies!”
The girls couldn’t see her wand, but they could feel themselves shrinking down to fairy-size as filmy wings grew on their backs.
“Take my hands,” Destiny whispered.
Rachel and Kirsty stretched out their hands in the darkness, and felt Destiny’s fingers intertwine with theirs. Then they fluttered their wings, rose into the air, and flew to where they had last seen Jack Frost standing.
When they left Main Street, they saw that the lights were still on in the side streets. Almost at once, Rachel spotted a skinny green leg disappearing through the stage door of a nearby theater.
“In there!” she cried.
The girls raced toward the door and zipped into the theater.
Inside, the lights were down and a musical was in full swing. The girls paused in dismay. The loud singing was drowning out any sound of giggling goblins that they might have followed. They had to shout to even hear each other.
“Let’s fly over the rows one by one and search,” Kirsty yelled.
They split up and began a careful search of the theater, from the front to the back. No one saw them because it was so dark, and all eyes were on the stage. Just as the song finished, Kirsty grabbed the others’ hands and pointed. Jack Frost was sitting in the very back row with five goblins!
They all had large bags of candy or popcorn open on their laps, and their feet were resting on the backs of the seats in front of them. They were making so much noise that they were disturbing everyone around them. The goblins were noisily unwrapping candy and making sucking sounds as they shoved them into their mouths. Jack Frost was heckling the actors by shouting “Boo!” as he helped himself to the goblins’ treats. The goblins hadn’t quite grasped the idea of heckling, though. One just kept gelling “Rhubarb!” Another was shouting, “Heckle! Heckle!” and the remaining three were crying, “It’s behind you!” at the actors.
“Those awful troublemakers!” cried Destiny in distress. “They’re ruining the show for everyone!”
“They haven’t seen us yet,” said Kirsty. “Let’s creep up on them and try to find the magic microphone without them noticing.”
“Good idea,” said Rachel. “They must think they’ve lost us.”
They flew carefully toward the back row. Closer … closer … until at last they were right behind Jack Frost’s seat.
“Look!” whispered Destiny.
Underneath his seat, lit up by the pale aisle lights, was the shining magic microphone!
“All we have to do is reach out and take it,” said Rachel breathlessly.
Slowly and quietly, the three friends stretched their hands toward the microphone … but then they heard a nasty chuckle above them.
Jack Frost was peering over the back of his seat—and pointing his wand at them! “Oh, I don’t think so, little fairies!” he cackled. “You’ll never get the better of me!”
Kirsty opened her mouth to respond, but she never got the chance. The doors of the theater crashed open and revealed a wet, muddy green figure wearing a bike helmet.
“YOU LEFT ME BEHIND!” he bellowed.
It was the goblin who had fallen off the scooter! He was covered in mud, dripping with water, and boiling with rage as he pointed a bony finger at the other goblins.
“I got thrown off the bus because I didn’t have a ticket,” he screeched. “I was pushed into muddy puddles, squashed by late-night shoppers, and almost trampled by a police horse, and it’s all your fault!”
He flung himself at the other goblins, and the back row suddenly became a mess of green arms and legs. Squeals and yells filled the air.
Jack Frost hadn’t taken his eyes off the girls. He wasn’t going to let them take the magic microphone while his back was turned! But because his attention was on Rachel, Kirsty, and Destiny, he didn’t see the angry faces of the people in the row in front, turning around to glare at him. He also didn’t see them get out of their seats to call the ushers over. He definitely didn’t see the ushers arriving and reaching out to grab the goblins and their master!
“Hey!” yelled Jack Frost as an usher grabbed him, pinning his arms to his sides.
“Let go of me!” wailed the muddy, screeching goblin as another usher seized him by the shoulders.
The goblins and Jack Frost writhed and yelled, but the ushers held them firmly.
Destiny the Rock Star Fairy Page 3
