by Chloe Ryder
Pippa stared into the distance. She could see the rocks – three of them, with jagged tops and steep sides – but that was all. She took a step sideways and saw something flash.
‘Yes,’ she said, her voice rising with excitement. ‘There’s definitely something sparkly between the middle and end rocks.’
‘You’ll have to hurry,’ warned Triton. ‘The tide has turned and very soon those rocks will be under water.’
‘Once the sea comes in it will be too late,’ added Rosella. ‘There’s a nasty whirlpool around those rocks. It’s very dangerous. Even with our magic we’re not strong enough to get close to them.’
Pippa sized up the rocks. They were so far away and the sea was rapidly creeping up them. Suddenly she felt very small and alone. Could she really do this by herself?
‘I must!’ she said forcefully.
Pippa rushed along the beach. The sand was soft under her bare feet but running down the path from the headland had taken more out of her than she’d realised. The muscles in her legs ached with every step. She could feel herself slowing and, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t make her legs work any faster. She was conscious of the water bubbling up the beach, its frothy white fingers curling around the rocks. What if the tide beat her and the whirlpool prised the golden horseshoe free and whisked it out to sea?
‘No!’ she panted. She couldn’t let that happen. All eight of the golden horseshoes had to be in place on the Whispering Wall in time for Midsummer Day so that their magical energy could be renewed and Chevalia could be kept safe.
There was such a long way to go. It seemed hopeless, but Pippa didn’t give up. On she ran, her heart pounding loudly in her ears, blotting out all other sounds. It was only when a shadow fell over her that she realised she wasn’t alone.
‘Stardust!’ she squealed.
‘You’d been gone such a long time I was starting to worry. I had to come and check you were OK. Get on my back,’ Stardust called, slowing to a walk.
‘I’m so happy to see you!’ exclaimed Pippa.
‘Well, what are best friends for?’
Pippa stumbled alongside her. Her legs were trembling and she didn’t think she had enough energy to jump on to Stardust’s back. Stardust seemed to realise this because she stopped and knelt down on her forelegs.
‘I hope Mrs Steeplechase isn’t watching right now!’ she joked.
Pippa couldn’t help laughing too. The royal nanny was so strict she wouldn’t care if all seven of the missing horseshoes were in danger of being swept out to sea – manners and behaving like a proper Princess Pony came first!
Climbing astride Stardust’s back, Pippa sunk her hands into her silky mane and wound it around them.
‘Comfortable?’
‘Very,’ said Pippa.
She lurched sideways as Stardust rose up, only just remembering to squeeze her legs into Stardust’s flanks to prevent herself from sliding over the pony’s head.
‘Let’s go,’ Stardust called, bucking with excitement as she raced away.
Pippa leaned forward like a jockey, taking some of her weight from Stardust’s back as they galloped across the beach. Sand sprayed up from Stardust’s hooves and her long, white tail streamed behind her like a silky banner.
Was it her imagination or was the sea coming in even faster now? Pippa couldn’t take her eyes off it as she willed it to slow down. It was no good. The sea closed in, licking against the bottom of the rocks and becoming deeper and deeper, until it spun round them in circles, like water whirling round a plughole.
‘Faster!’ Pippa cried urgently.
She threw herself flat against Stardust’s neck, making herself as streamlined as possible. Stardust galloped harder, her breath coming in noisy rasps. Gradually, the rocks came closer, but poor Stardust was exhausted. As she lost speed, Pippa could hardly bear to watch the sea’s greedy, blue fingers reaching up the rocks to the glittering object wedged there.
Bravely, Stardust galloped on but her stride was shorter and she kept stumbling. Now they were closer there was no doubt that the glittering object was a golden horseshoe. But there was still some distance to go to reach it. A white wave lapped over the horseshoe.
‘Oh no!’ groaned Pippa.
They’d finally found the second horseshoe but any second now they were about to lose it again.
Chapter 6
A pony was thundering up behind them, neighing loudly. Was it Mrs Steeplechase? Pippa could hardly bear to look. But no, surely the royal nanny was too large to gallop that fast. Turning her head, she saw that it was Blossom.
‘Blossom!’ exclaimed Pippa. ‘What are you doing here?’
‘When the racecourse turned a corner I saw you both from the cliff top. You promised you’d watch me and I knew you wouldn’t let me down, so I guessed something must be wrong if you were down here on the beach. What’s happened?’
‘We’ve found one of the golden horseshoes,’ Pippa said, pointing at the distant rocks. ‘But it’s almost under water!’
‘You won’t get there in time to retrieve it,’ Blossom said, galloping beside Stardust. ‘I’ll go for you.’
Relief swept through Pippa but it was quickly replaced with despair.
‘What about the race? You were in the lead.’
‘I pulled out. Chevalia matters far more than the race.’ Blossom snorted. ‘Besides, winning isn’t everything. Helping your friends is much more important.’
‘But how will you get the horseshoe off the rocks?’
‘With my hooves,’ Blossom said bravely.
Pippa shook her head. The whirlpool was already too strong. Blossom would need all four hooves on the ground to withstand its force.
‘I’ll come with you,’ she declared.
‘There isn’t time to stop for you,’ called Blossom, who was starting to pull ahead of Stardust.
If Blossom was making sacrifices and putting herself in danger then Pippa must too.
‘You don’t have to stop. Come closer and I’ll jump on your back,’ she shouted.
‘Pippa, no!’ shouted Stardust. ‘It’s too dangerous. And you’re scared of heights.’
But Pippa was too busy concentrating to answer. As Blossom moved closer she noticed that she was taller than Stardust. Could she manage to transfer herself from one pony to the other without falling off? With a shudder, she ignored the pounding sound of Stardust and Blossom’s hooves.
Blossom matched her pace to Stardust’s until she was exactly alongside her, then she closed the gap between them.
‘Ready?’ Blossom called.
Pippa swallowed hard. She felt light-headed suddenly but there was no time to lose. She reached out for Blossom’s mane. It was still plaited from the dressage competition so there was little for her to hold on to. And how did she think she was going to get her legs over? Pippa realised that she would have to get into a crouching position to transfer herself from Stardust to Blossom’s back. Pippa stared at the ground tearing by. It seemed a very long way down.
I can’t do it, said a scared little voice inside her head. But Pippa had already done so much on Chevalia that she’d never thought possible. Gathering all her courage, she held tightly on to Stardust’s mane. She decided she would do it on the count of three.
One, two and . . . three.
Slowly, she leaned forward and brought her feet up behind her, on to Stardust’s back. Seeing the ground moving so fast beneath her made her feel a little bit sick. Pippa refused to think about that. She fixed her gaze on Stardust’s mane as she got her feet in the right position. Her heart was racing in time with Stardust’s hoof beats and her mouth was dry. Pippa took a long, deep breath. She pushed herself up so she was crouching on Stardust’s back. Now all she had to do was to jump over to Blossom. Pippa reached out for Blossom’s plaited mane.
‘I’m ready,’ she called.
‘Be careful,’ shouted Stardust.
Pippa hesitated. Her head was spinning.
�
��Are you sure about this?’ called Stardust.
Pippa didn’t answer. She summoned up every last bit of courage – and leapt!
Her stomach dipped. She seemed to hang in the air for ever but it was only a few seconds before she landed with a bump on the other pony’s back. Blossom was broader than Stardust and had a much bouncier stride. Pippa was flung up and down for a moment then, losing her balance, slid sideways.
‘Help!’ she squeaked.
Pippa hung on, her legs gripping more tightly around Blossom’s sides. Blossom misunderstood this movement and, thinking that Pippa was asking her to go faster, she sped up. Lurching forward, Pippa desperately clung to Blossom’s unravelling plaits. She couldn’t fall off now – there wasn’t time! She hauled herself to the middle of Blossom’s back. She knew that she had been very lucky that nothing had gone wrong so far. Now that she had regained her balance, Pippa leaned forward and urged Blossom on.
‘Go, Blossom! Go, Pippa!’ Stardust called, as Blossom raced ahead.
Only the tops of the rocks were visible now. Blossom raced across the glistening, wet beach and into the sea, her steps slowing as the water deepened.
‘Careful,’ Pippa said, feeling Blossom strain against the current.
‘Look!’ cried Blossom. ‘The horseshoe!’
It was upside down, wedged between two rocks.
Just then a large wave crashed into Blossom, making her stumble.
‘Eeek!’ Pippa shrieked, as the wave soaked her too.
‘Sorry,’ said Blossom.
The seabed was uneven and covered in slippery seaweed. Pippa was amazed at how sure-footed Blossom was as she waded on.
‘Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you’re clumsy,’ Pippa told her.
‘I’m not now, am I?’ Blossom said delightedly. ‘It’s because I’m really concentrating and I’m not worrying that everyone is watching and laughing at me.’
When they were just an arm’s length away from the rocks, Blossom suddenly stopped and wavered.
‘Oh, horseflies!’ she exclaimed. ‘The current’s too strong. This is as close as I can get!’
Chapter 7
Pippa stared at the rocks. Beneath her, the water swirled and bubbled like a giant’s cooking pot. If she fell off Blossom trying to reach the horseshoe she’d never be able to swim against the current.
I’m not going to fall, she told herself. But Blossom’s legs were buckling against the force of the whirlpool.
‘Blossom, can you stand very still while I climb up your neck?’
‘Yes,’ said Blossom, ‘but hurry! The tide’s coming in really fast and I can feel the whirlpool sucking at my legs.’
Pippa quickly pulled herself towards Blossom’s head. She clutched Blossom’s mane with one hand and leaned over to the rocks. If only she could stretch a little bit further . . . Growing red in the face, Pippa reached out until her fingers were brushing the horseshoe. It was almost in her grasp.
Almost.
But the horseshoe was wedged firmly between the rocks and just couldn’t be pulled free.
‘Please hurry,’ Blossom said urgently.
It was no good. The task needed two hands. Reluctantly, Pippa let go of Blossom’s mane and tried again. The horseshoe budged by the tiniest amount then stuck fast. Carefully, Pippa wriggled it backwards and forwards. It reminded her of wobbling a loose tooth. She rocked the horseshoe forwards and backwards, until it shifted a bit more.
‘Hurry!’ whinnied Blossom.
The water was still rising and was splashing around Pippa’s bare feet now. She yanked the horseshoe as hard as she could.
Over the roar of the whirlpool, Pippa thought she could hear Stardust calling her name from the shore. It made her feel braver to know that her best friend was cheering her on.
With all of her might, she pulled at the horseshoe again. She felt it grate against the rock then, suddenly, the golden horseshoe became free. The suddenness took her by surprise, and she slid backward, almost losing her balance. Wildly, Pippa grabbed Blossom’s mane. As she did so, the horseshoe slipped through her fingers.
‘No!’ Pippa snatched at it, trapping it against Blossom’s neck and only just preventing it from dropping into the churning water.
‘I caught it!’ she yelled.
Straight away Blossom swung round to face the beach and then froze in her tracks. Standing in the water a few hooves away were two scruffy ponies.
‘Night Mares!’ Pippa gasped, recognising Eclipse and Nightshade from the previous day and realising that they were the ponies she had seen at the edge of the Wild Forest.
‘Give that back,’ Eclipse said in a mean, shrill voice.
‘It belongs to us,’ said Nightshade.
The water was rising even higher by this point, and Pippa worried that they’d all be carried out to sea.
‘PIPPA!’ Stardust called from the beach.
Stardust’s cry gave Pippa an idea.
‘This horseshoe belongs on the Whispering Wall,’ said Pippa. Then she shouted to Stardust, ‘Catch!’
Pippa hurled the horseshoe into the air and Stardust galloped to catch it in her mouth.
‘NO!’ cried Eclipse.
‘Let’s get out of here,’ Pippa said to Blossom.
Blossom waded back towards the beach, and Pippa turned to see Nightshade and Eclipse still standing in the water, staring up at the headland. Pippa followed their gaze to see the mysterious cloaked pony looking down at them. The two Night Mares were just standing, as if glued to the spot, in the rising water.
‘You two!’ Pippa called, as Blossom pushed further towards the shore. ‘Get out of the water – it’s dangerous!’
Pippa felt Blossom’s muscles contract as she bravely fought against the tide. One careful hoof at a time, she waded back to the beach. Clutching Blossom’s mane tightly, Pippa cheered her on until, at last, they were back on dry sand.
‘That was close,’ said Blossom.
‘Too close,’ agreed Pippa.
Stardust trotted up to Blossom and Pippa and gave the horseshoe to Pippa to hold.
‘I tried to call to you,’ she said. ‘Those Night Mares came out of nowhere.’
‘They were watching us,’ said Pippa. ‘And there was someone else watching too.’
‘Who?’ asked Stardust.
Pippa pointed to the top of the cliff, but the cloaked pony had vanished. She then turned to check on the Night Mares in the water – they were soggy and defeated, but wading clumsily through the shallows.
‘I don’t know,’ admitted Pippa. ‘But I do know that we should get this horseshoe back where it belongs – on the Whispering Wall!’
Stardust darted alongside Blossom and, side by side, they raced across the beach, leaving the Night Mares behind.
Pippa looked back to see the Night Mares emerge from the water. They started to come after Pippa and her friends, but the gap was too big for them to catch up. With an angry toss of their heads, they turned and galloped away in the opposite direction.
Blossom and Stardust began to climb the steep cliff path.
‘You did it!’ Stardust said, her dark eyes shining with happiness.
‘We all did it,’ said Pippa. ‘Together!’
‘I’m glad I have two best friends,’ said Stardust.
‘Look,’ Blossom cried suddenly. ‘The giant seahorses are watching.’
Pippa proudly waved the golden horseshoe above her head. The seahorses reared up in delight. Droplets of water flew from their spiky manes, falling like silvery fountains. Pippa sighed happily as she prepared to slide from Blossom’s back.
‘Don’t get down yet,’ said Blossom. ‘I don’t feel tired now.’
‘What about the race?’ Pippa asked. ‘Don’t you want to go back and finish it and get a medal?’
Blossom shook her head. ‘There’s always next year. I’ll definitely enter the Equestriathon again, but right now I’ve got something that’s much more important than a medal – two best fri
ends.’
‘Best friends for ever!’ said Stardust.
‘For ever,’ Pippa and Blossom agreed.
Slowly, they went back up the path, stopping to pick up Pippa’s sandals.
‘Oh, I don’t even remember dropping them,’ said Pippa. ‘I’ll have to go barefoot. They’re no good to wear.’
‘Don’t worry, the royal blacksmith will fix them for you,’ said Stardust.
Triumphantly, they made their way back to the Royal Games grounds on the Plateau. It was impossible to keep the horseshoe a secret. When they approached the show arena a crowd of ponies quickly gathered to greet and cheer them. Pippa blushed deep red as some of the bolder ponies reached out to touch her with their noses as she passed.
The Queen and King were in the royal box watching the end of the Equestriathon. Pippa slid from Blossom’s back as Stardust led the way in. Quick as a flash, Cinders came out of her own box to block Blossom from following them.
‘Only members of the Royal Court are allowed in here,’ she said nastily.
But the Queen had already seen that Pippa was carrying a horseshoe and she excitedly waved Blossom in.
‘It’s not fair,’ Cinders hissed to her mother, Baroness Divine.
Divine narrowed her eyes. ‘Good things come to those who wait,’ she whispered back.
Pippa wondered why Baroness Divine never had anything nice to say, especially now, when they’d found another of the missing horseshoes. She soon forgot the Baroness, though, as she dropped a curtsy to Queen Moonshine. The Queen was the most beautiful pony she’d ever seen. Her golden coat seemed to glow and her pure white tail fell elegantly to the ground.
The Queen’s face lit up with joy.
‘The second missing horseshoe,’ she whinnied. ‘That’s wonderful news. I’m very proud of you all.’
