Magic Ballerina 13-18

by Darcey Bussell

  Holly caught her breath. They were the Snow Maidens!

  “Can you show us the way to the centre of your land, please?” she called out to the Snow Maidens who were gracefully pirouetting in the frosty air, hearing the urgency in her own voice. She’d suddenly remembered the poor Winter Fairy fading away, all alone in the icy outskirts of King Rat’s domain.

  There was no reply from the Snow Maidens, and the White Cat whispered out of the corner of his mouth that they couldn’t speak. Holly felt her mind cast right back to the time she’d watched the dancers in the theatre with her mum. And now, here she was, flying amongst the real Snow Maidens as they bobbed and flitted and floated in graceful curtsies and soft whirls. And as she watched them, she suddenly realised that there was music in the air. It was faint and distant-sounding, but it was definitely there.

  “Did you hear that, Cat?” she breathed.

  The White Cat cocked his head, his ears twitching, then frowned. “Hear what? I don’t hear a thing!”

  “Music!” said Holly, concentrating hard with every bone in her body. And that was when she noticed something wonderful. The Snow Maidens were rising and falling in time to the music.

  Holly’s heart beat faster as a feeling of understanding came to her. “Can you hold the sleigh still, Cat?” she asked him. “I need to follow their dance.”

  The White Cat looked puzzled, but nodded in agreement. Holly carefully stood up, concentrated on the rhythm and tried to relax and let herself go with the flow of the music. It felt magic, especially when Holly realised something else as she danced. The Snow Maidens were smiling and unfurling their arms slowly and gracefully, as though pointing the way. Listening with all her might Holly continued to dance, and, following the direction of their outstretched arms, the White Cat steered the sleigh to the very heart of the Land of Snow. A moment later, the sleigh began to float gently down amongst the trees.

  The music has stopped, thought Holly, tuning into the breathless hush.

  Then, “Look! There it is!” came the voice of the White Cat, a little muffled in the dense white world.

  Holly followed his gaze. Hanging from a slender branch, almost hidden from view, was a white lantern, which cast a soft yellow glow upon the thick snow.

  “We’ve found it!” breathed Holly. “We’ve actually found it!”

  As the sleigh hovered above the pool of light, Holly carefully opened the door of the lantern and took out the tiny bottle of potion that nestled inside. She and the White Cat grinned at each other.

  “Well done!” he said, excitement in his voice.

  “Now just the return journey to make,” said Holly.

  “Yes, and now it’s my turn to do a bit of work!” said the White Cat. “I’m sure I can find the way back to the Winter Fairy. You have a rest. You certainly deserve it!”

  Holly lay back gratefully against the comfy padded seat in the sleigh. “It’s true, I was concentrating so hard on listening to the music when I danced, I’m exhausted,” she said. Then she sat bolt upright again as something hit her. “Of course, that’s it!” she cried. “That’s what the Winter Fairy meant when she said, ‘Listen …’ I thought she meant listen to the important thing I’m about to tell you. But that was the important thing. I had to listen to the music!” Holly smiled to herself.

  But the smile waned at the sight of another sleigh, an enormous one, zooming towards them. Then her stomach turned over as the features of the driver came into view. A dark brown pointy face. Nasty, piggy eyes.

  King Rat.

  “Oh, my shimmering whiskers! Look who he’s got in the sleigh with him!” said the White Cat, a note of alarm in his voice.

  Holly gasped. Beside the repulsive Rat, looking pale and weak, sat the Winter Fairy.

  “Now what do we do, Cat?” Holly felt herself tense up and her next words came out in a loud, urgent voice. “We have to get the magic potion to the Winter Fairy! We absolutely have to!” Then she faltered a little. “Only how can we approach her when she’s with King Rat? And what’s he doing here, anyway?”

  “He must have forced the Winter Fairy to tell him what you and I were up to when he spied us leaving his Ice Palace in our sleigh,” said the White Cat, his mouth set in a thin line.

  Holly nodded fearfully. “And now he’s after us, trying to grab the potion and stop our mission.” She spoke more quickly. “We’ve got to get away from him …” Then her eyes flickered uncertainly, “… and yet we’ve got to get to the fairy. But it’s impossible to do both, because they’re side by side in that enormous sleigh that’s getting closer and closer to us by the second! Oh, Cat, whatever we do, we can’t win!”

  The two of them watched, their hearts in their mouths, as the grand and glittering sleigh came swooping down upon them. And in that second, Holly knew she had to think of something immediately.

  “Keep him talking,” she told the White Cat urgently, “while I try to smuggle the magic potion to the Winter Fairy.”

  “Good afternoon, Your Majesty!” the White Cat called cheerily, bowing his head respectfully.

  Holly couldn’t help noticing how King Rat instantly puffed up. He obviously liked to be recognised and respected.

  “I do hope you’re enjoying showing your … er … friend around the Land of Snow, as much as my friend and I are enjoying it, Your Majesty!” went on the White Cat, in his politest tone.

  The sleighs drew level with each other.

  “Huh! I wouldn’t enjoy it in that ridiculously little sleigh!” the vain King Rat replied.

  “Well, yes, yours is certainly much the grander of the two!” agreed the White Cat, as Holly subtly signalled to the fairy that she had the potion. The fairy’s eyes widened and Holly could see she understood, but how was she going to get the potion to her?

  King Rat was still distracted, boasting about his sleigh. “Not only is it grander, it is faster and it has more gold on it too.”

  Holly had never thought so quickly in all her life. “It is, but what’s that rushing noise?” she cried. “It sounds just like the noise our sleigh made earlier on when we nearly crashed, doesn’t it, Cat?”

  She gave the White Cat a meaningful look and, to her relief, he seemed to understand. “Absolutely the same sound!” he agreed, nodding hard. “But it’s definitely not our sleigh. No, no, ours is fine now we’ve lightened it.”

  “Then it must be your sleigh, Your Majesty!” said Holly. “Oh, dear! I’m so sorry!”

  “Mine? Mine? What are you talking about?” King Rat cried, rocking the sleigh violently as he threw himself from one side to the other, trying to look over the edge.

  “It’s all right, you just need to lighten the sleigh by throwing something out,” went on Holly smoothly. “That will cure the problem.”

  “Yes, we threw out a blanket, and that certainly did the trick!” said the White Cat cheerily. “Do you have anything you can throw out, Your Majesty?” he added innocently, whilst twitching his sparkling whiskers.

  King Rat’s eyes darted this way and that, until finally they settled on the fairy. Holly didn’t dare look across at the White Cat as he performed his magic. Was their plan going to work?

  Finally, King Rat spoke. “You’ll have to get out …” he said to the Winter Fairy. “Just until this problem with the sleigh is sorted.”

  Holly could hardly contain herself. But then she saw the look in the poor fairy’s eyes. It was a mixture of fear that she wouldn’t have the strength to fly, and something else that Holly couldn’t fathom. But a moment later, the fairy spread her wings and seemed to float out of King Rat’s sleigh.

  “Well, I can’t imagine that making any difference!” King Rat muttered, as he kept rocking from side to side, in his clumsy attempts to see what was happening to his sleigh.

  While he was distracted, the White Cat took the chance to lower their sleigh until it was in the perfect position for the fairy to float straight into. Holly watched her glide weakly down through the snowflakes, and come to res
t right beside her, with her wings folded, her head lowered wearily.

  “Drink this!” Holly whispered urgently, handing the magic potion to the fairy. “Hurry!”

  The moment the Winter Fairy had swallowed the potion, the White Cat cried out, “Right, hold on tight!” And there was an enormous jolt that made Holly and the fairy clutch each other tight for a few seconds. Then they fell apart, wide-eyed at the sound of King Rat shouting his head off.

  “What did you do to his sleigh, Cat?” asked Holly, as they zipped smoothly away through the white clouds.

  “I thought he might enjoy a quick spin!” answered the laughing White Cat, as all three of them turned to see the Rat’s enormous sleigh whizzing round and round like a crazy merry-go-round.

  The fairy smiled a bright smile and Holly couldn’t believe how quickly she’d changed. In no time at all, the potion had clearly done its work. She was no longer a fragile fading thing, but a twinkling feisty fairy, beginning to flutter and light up with life.

  “Oh, you’re better!” cried Holly happily. “Enchantia will be restored to normal now!”

  But the fairy didn’t have a chance to say anything in reply. Suddenly, they all froze with fear at the sound of King Rat’s furious voice, frighteningly close to them.

  “You wait, you three! I’m coming to get you! Right now!”

  Holly turned to see that the enormous great sleigh had stopped spinning and was zooming towards them, cutting through the air like a massive torpedo.

  “Oh, no!” said Holly.

  “Oh, my glimmering tail!” squeaked the White Cat.

  “Hold my hands!” commanded the fairy. Holly and the White Cat immediately did as they were told. “Oh, my …”

  There was a flash and a whoosh and the next thing they knew, all three of them were standing in the very field that Holly had first found herself in, when she’d arrived in Enchantia. Only now the grass was lush and green, and the sun was shining pleasantly, warming them with a soft gentle heat.

  “Oh, my beating heart!” said the White Cat a little shakily.

  “We’re safe now,” said the Winter Fairy, letting go of his paw.

  Holly took a deep breath to calm herself. “How did you do that?” she asked, turning round slowly, but not letting go of the fairy’s hand. She couldn’t believe that she had come so speedily from cold Winter and terrible fear to warm Spring and safety.

  “My powers are strongest in the Land of Snow,” the fairy replied with a smile. “And once I’d drunk the magic potion and restored myself, there was nothing more King Rat could do to harm us. When you held my hands, my powers flowed through you too. I simply magicked us out of King Rat’s clutches!”

  Then she looked properly at Holly. “I don’t know what I would have done without you,” she said gratefully. “It was incredible the way you managed to find the magic potion.”

  Something was still troubling Holly, though. “What if he captures you again?” she asked anxiously.

  The fairy smiled. “There is no more potion left. I hold the Power of Winter inside me forever! There is nothing King Rat or anyone can do to alter the balance in Enchantia now. So, I thank you both from the bottom of my heart.”

  Holly felt a surge of something peaceful inside her and smiled back at the fairy. “Good, because I don’t like that mean old rat and his nasty magic!” she said.

  The fairy gave a tinkly laugh. “Well,” she said, “somehow, I don’t think King Rat will be in the mood for doing any magic – nasty or otherwise – when he sees what has happened back at his ‘Ice Palace'!”

  Holly wanted to know what the fairy meant, so the White Cat drew a circle with his tail on the bright green grass. Immediately, a mist rose up inside the magic ring, then it slowly began to clear, revealing King Rat’s Ice Palace. Holly gasped as she watched the scene at the palace unfold. The glistening ice was melting and water was trickling down the sides of the building. But it wasn’t clear sparkling water, it was grey and murky.

  Before their eyes, the Ice Palace was vanishing and in its place, a grim grey old castle was taking shape.

  “That’s King Rat’s real home!” said the White Cat.

  Holly’s eyes were wide. “I can hear angry shouting,” she said, still peering into the circle at the incredible scene.

  “Look, there! In the moat!” said the White Cat, pointing.

  And Holly laughed at the sight of a sunken sleigh and King Rat flailing about, splashing the water and yelling, “Get me out of here, you buffoons!”

  His mouse guards were trying their best to help him out of the water, but his wild kicks were soaking them.

  All the ice statues had melted and the people trapped inside them were cheerfully heading home.

  Then the scene began to fade and the distant yells of King Rat became fainter. “Where has my palace gone? Why is everything melting?” His words seemed to fly like sharp pins off the cold stone walls of his castle.

  “I think we’ve seen enough,” laughed the White Cat, “don’t you?” And with that, he gathered up his tail and gave it a quick twirl before leaping into the air. Holly watched his legs criss-cross at least six times at the ankles. By the time he landed in a perfect demi-plié, the scene before them had completely disappeared.

  The fairy sighed happily. “We shall have a party in your honour, Holly, to thank you for helping to restore the balance in our land. In fact, I can hear the music beginning already!”

  Holly listened. Yes, there was definitely music in the air. But something else was happening too. Her feet had started to tingle and she knew that this was one party she would have to miss.

  “It’s time for me to go back,” she said quietly. “But I’ll think of you and imagine you all dancing …”

  “… while King Rat sulks in his horrid old castle!” added the White Cat, chuckling to himself.

  “Yes,” laughed Holly. “And I’ll be back soon, I’m sure.”

  Her dear friend hugged her and the fairy placed a fluttery kiss on her cheek. Then Holly rose up in a mass of sparkles, the music still sounding in her ears, a soft lilting melody, as light and floaty as a snowflake.

  A second later, Holly found herself right back in the corridor outside the studio where she’d just done the audition. As always, when she returned from Enchantia, no time at all had passed in the real world. She felt as though she could still hear the tinkling snow music, though.

  But a second later it faded and in its place came the sound of her teacher’s voice. “Ah, there you are, Holly! I just wanted to tell you and Chloe that I’ve decided you both auditioned well enough to take the roles of Snow Maidens, along with the older girls in the production. Your dancing was beautifully expressive and, as you learn to listen to the music more, you will be perfect.”

  Holly felt a lovely thrill go zapping through her. “Oh, thank you, Madame Za-Za! Thank you so much. I promise I’ll listen as hard as I possibly can from now on!”

  And she smiled to herself, quite certain that she truly knew how important it was to listen to the music. She would never ever forget her time with the Snow Maidens in Enchantia. They would inspire her to dance their dance with all her heart. And the best thing of all was that her mum would be back in time for the show. She couldn’t wait!

  Try to create a beautiful shape with your leg, sweeping it up and then down in this graceful step, always keeping your knees straight.

  1. Start in first position, facing the barre and holding on lightly with both hands for balance.

  2. Keeping tall, extend your right leg out behind you, as high off the ground as you can. Point your toes and your upper body will naturally tip forwards.

  3. Then lower your leg and your body will straighten back up again. Come to rest with your feet in first position.

  4. Repeat this step three times and then change legs.

  Holly’s eyes widened as, slowly, she took in what her mum was saying. “You mean …”

  “Yes,” smiled her mum. “I’m givin
g up professional ballet!”

  Holly couldn’t believe her ears. She’d been living with her aunt and uncle during term time because her mum and dad, who were divorced, were away on tour with their ballet companies. Only now her mum was coming home for good! It was the best news she’d heard in ages.

  “But won’t you miss dancing?” Holly asked quickly, thinking how awful she’d feel if she couldn’t go to her own ballet school, Madame Za-Za’s.

  Her mum looked thoughtful. “You know in your heart when the time is right to give something up, Holly.” She paused and sighed, then broke into a smile. “Anyway, I’m not giving it up completely, I’m going to teach instead.”

  “Really? But that’s brilliant!” said Holly.

  “It certainly is,” her mother smiled. “The only downside is that the ballet school I’m going to work at is a bit of a distance from here, so we’ll be moving again. I’m sorry, love,” she finished, seeing the look in Holly’s eyes and giving her a quick hug. “I know you’ve settled in well here, and Auntie Maria and Uncle Ted have loved having you but, well, you’ll have me as a teacher from now on!”

  Holly nodded. She felt over the moon that her mum was going to be back, but it would mean she could no longer go to Madame Za-Za’s ballet school. And that meant giving up all sorts of things – including her best friend, Chloe. She felt a lump in her throat, but smiled so her mum wouldn’t realise she was sad. She didn’t want Mum to think she was upset about her coming home, because she wasn’t. She was really pleased.