Star Friends – Mirror Magic

by Linda Chapman

  “How do we release it?” Sita asked.

  “Imagine you’re closing a door on it in your mind,” said Bracken.

  Shutting her eyes, Maia did as he said. The feeling of energy faded and when she blinked her eyes open, the world was back to normal again. She felt slightly dizzy. She swayed and looked at the others – they looked slightly wobbly, too.

  “We should practise every day,” said Lottie.

  Juniper jumped on to Lottie’s shoulders. “You should all start using your abilities to help people. Even if it’s just with small things. When you use magic to do good, the magic current will be strengthened and your magic abilities will grow.”

  “What about dark magic?” said Maia, looking at Bracken. “What happens when people use that?”

  Bracken’s ears flattened. “Dark magic comes from the ground. Bad people can use it to conjure Shades – evil spirits who exist in the shadows. Once a Shade has been conjured, it can be released into the world to bring misery and unhappiness. It can also be trapped inside an object like a necklace, book or toy that the person using the dark magic will give to someone they want to hurt or harm in some way.”

  “How can a Shade harm someone?” said Lottie.

  Juniper swung on to Lottie’s other shoulder. “Some Shades whisper to people, encouraging their worst feelings of jealousy, anger and greed, twisting their minds. Other Shades bring nightmares to life or trap people using magic or cause accidents to happen. There are many different types. If we find a Shade trapped in an object, we must release it and send it back to the shadows.”

  “But only a Spirit Speaker can do that,” Bracken put in.

  “What’s a Spirit Speaker?” asked Sita curiously.

  “Some Star Friends are called Spirit Speakers because they have the magic ability to command spirits. But none of you seem to have that ability,” Bracken answered. “If we find an object with a Shade trapped in it, we’ll just have to hide it where no one else will ever find it.”

  “And stop the person who conjured the Shade in the first place,” added Juniper.

  Willow shivered. “We’ll have to be careful. If someone is using dark magic, it could be very dangerous.”

  “I don’t care,” said Maia determinedly. “I’m not scared.”

  “Me neither,” said Lottie.

  “So, how do we find out if someone is using dark magic?” Sita asked.

  “We need to look out for strange things happening, people acting in unusual ways or people being exceptionally unhappy, miserable, hurtful or scared,” Bracken said.

  “I think the older Star Animals are right and someone is using dark magic,” said Willow. “As soon as we got here I could smell it in the air – a hint of sourness that wafts in and out. It makes the hairs on my back prickle.”

  “What about you, Bracken?” asked Maia. “Can you smell dark magic, too?”

  He shook his head. “Not all Star Animals can. It’s a bit like different humans having different magical abilities. Willow is sensitive to dark magic and can smell it. I can’t.”

  “Sorrel – the wildcat – is even more sensitive than I am,” said Willow. “I am able to smell a hint of dark magic in the air but she is able to follow the scent of it.”

  “Will she help us?” asked Lottie eagerly.

  “No,” said Willow. “She’ll be travelling on now to find her own Star Friend.”

  “We don’t need her anyway,” declared Bracken. “We’ll be fine on our own.”

  Maia nodded. “We’d better keep our eyes and ears open for anything weird going on,” she said, looking at Lottie and Sita, who both nodded.

  “And, in the meantime, we should keep learning to use our magic,” said Lottie.

  “This is all so amazing!” said Sita, stroking Willow. “I can hardly believe it.”

  Maia crouched down and hugged Bracken. Sita was right. It was amazing! In twenty-four hours everything had changed. She didn’t know where it was all going to lead but one thing was for sure, their lives were never going to be the same again!

  When Maia got home, she went straight up to her room. She wanted some time on her own to think about everything that had happened. As she reached the top of the stairs, Clio came out of her bedroom.

  “Do you think I’m pretty?” Clio asked.

  Maia was taken aback. “What?”

  “Do you think I’m pretty?” Clio demanded.

  “Um … yes,” said Maia.

  “Not as beautiful as Beth though?” Clio persisted.

  “Well … Beth is really, really pretty,” said Maia, thinking of Clio’s friend with her waist-length dark hair and olive skin. “Like stunningly, model-looking pretty.”

  Clio frowned and pulled the compact out of her pocket to look at her reflection. “It’s not fair,” she grumbled. “Why should Beth be so perfect? Why should she be the one who gets to be a model?”

  Maia edged past her. Clio was so busy looking in the mirror that she didn’t seem to notice.

  “OK, and today’s prize for the weirdest sister goes to Clio Greene,” Maia muttered as she reached her room.

  Shutting the door after her, she sank down on her bed. Alone at last.

  Maia remembered what Bracken had told her as she had left the clearing. He had said that now she was his Star Friend, he would always appear if she called his name. She decided to try it. “Bracken?” she whispered.

  There was a shimmer of starlight and then Bracken appeared, his ears pricked, his tail waving.

  “Hello!” he said, leaping on to the bed.

  She hugged him, burying her face in his soft fur.

  As he nuzzled her neck, she felt a wave of happiness sweep over her.

  “So, did you like doing magic today?” he asked.

  “Definitely!” she said. “It’s brilliant that Lottie and Sita are Star Friends, too.” She stroked his back. “Are there any others around here? Or is it just us?”

  “Just you,” said Bracken.

  “Are you sure?” Maia remembered what she had been thinking about the night before. “It’s just that there’s this old lady I know – Auntie Mabel – she was friends with my granny who died last month. I was wondering if she might be a Star Friend and … well … if my granny might have been one. Granny Anne definitely believed in magic and she was always helping people.”

  Bracken looked puzzled. “There are definitely no other Star Animals anywhere near here – only the ones I travelled with. We would have sensed any others when we arrived. The old lady you’re friends with can’t be a Star Friend.”

  “Oh,” said Maia, disappointed.

  “Maybe she’s the kind of person who could have been a Star Friend but never met a Star Animal,” Bracken suggested. “That sometimes happens. However, your granny might have been a Star Friend. When she died her Star Animal would have returned to the Star World.” He nuzzled her. “I can’t say if she was or not but I’m sure that if your granny was a Star Friend she’d be really pleased to know you are one, too, Maia.”

  She hugged him tightly and an image of Granny Anne’s smiling face filled her mind.

  Bracken licked her hands and Maia felt a new determination steal over her.

  I’ll do my best to be a good Star Friend, she told Granny Anne in her head. I promise I’ll make you proud.

  It was very hard waiting for afternoon to come the next day. Maia longed to go to the clearing and start practising magic again, but Lottie was busy with activities all morning and Sita was out with her family. The day seemed to crawl by but finally it was three o’clock, and Lottie and Sita arrived at Maia’s house on their bikes. They set off to the clearing straight away.

  As they turned on to the lane that led to Granny Anne’s, they passed Ionie playing in her garden with her two rabbits. She looked up but they didn’t stop. Maia felt a pang of guilt as they cycled past. But she couldn’t stop and say hi, she and the others wouldn’t be able to do magic if Ionie joined them.

  Cycling on down the
lane, they left their bikes in Granny Anne’s garden and pushed their way down the overgrown path. As soon as they ran into the clearing, Bracken, Willow and Juniper each appeared out of thin air. Juniper scampered up Lottie’s arm and jumped on to her head, making her giggle. Willow danced round Sita and then butted her gently with her head and Bracken bounced around doing play bows and barking. They seemed as happy as the girls to all be together.

  “Let’s do more magic,” Maia suggested, shooting a look at Lottie and Sita. They both nodded eagerly and sat down on the grass with their animals beside them. Maia breathed in and out, opening her mind, letting all her thoughts fade away. She felt the tingling start and magic flowed into her. Opening her eyes, she saw everything with super sharpness again.

  Sita and Lottie were already on their feet.

  Lottie turned two handsprings effortlessly. “I feel brilliant!”

  Sita smiled happily. “It’s the best feeling. I just want to go and help people.”

  “Me, too. I wish…” Maia broke off. She felt as if her eyes were being drawn towards a patch of brambles at the edge of the clearing. She frowned. Why did she feel she needed to look at that spot?

  “What is it, Maia?” Sita asked.

  “Shh.” Maia held up a hand. She could tell that something was wrong, something needed help. She looked into the bushes and concentrated hard. Normally she’d only be able to see a cluster of bramble bushes but now she could see through the branches. There was an animal there – a young squirrel caught in the thorns. It was struggling but it couldn’t get free.

  “Over there,” said Maia, pointing. “There’s a squirrel who needs help.”

  They all followed her to the patch of thick brambles. Now they were closer they could see the branches moving. Not caring about the thorns that caught at her skin, Maia pulled the branches apart. “Look!” The little grey squirrel froze for a moment and then struggled harder, getting even more tangled up.

  “You can help it,” said Bracken. “Work together.”

  “Sita,” said Willow. “Use your magic to calm it first.”

  Crouching down, Sita reached into the branches. As she murmured to the squirrel, it stopped struggling. She touched it and all the little animal’s tension and fear seemed to drain away. It stared at her with trusting dark eyes. She gently untangled the brambles from its fur and lifted the squirrel out.

  “You poor thing,” she soothed, stroking its coat and letting it nestle against her.

  “That could be its drey up there,” said Maia, spotting a nest made of leaves and twigs, high up in a fork in one of the branches.

  Juniper scampered up the tree and inspected the drey. “Yes, this is where it lives,” he called. “Lottie, can you bring it up? Then it can recover in safety.”

  Lottie took the squirrel from Sita. Maia wondered if it would start to panic again but it seemed to accept them as friends now. Lottie tucked it into her coat and started to climb the tree. As she did so, Maia blinked. Her eyes felt weird. It was as if she could see where Lottie would climb a second before she did it.

  “Bracken! I can see what she’s going to do before she does it,” she whispered.

  “It must be part of your magical ability,” Bracken said. “You can probably choose to use it or not. Try and control it with your mind.”

  I want to see normally! thought Maia. It was too weird seeing a second in advance.

  To her relief, her eyes returned to seeing things in normal time, although she could still feel Star Magic tingling through her.

  Lottie reached the fork in the tree and placed the squirrel inside its nest. Juniper chattered at it and it chattered back. Then Lottie and Juniper climbed down the tree. Lottie jumped the last few metres. “It’s safe up there,” she said.

  They all exchanged happy smiles.

  “That was fun,” said Sita. “I want to help something else.” She glanced at Maia’s hands. “Maybe I can heal your hands?”

  Maia had been so busy thinking about the squirrel that she hadn’t noticed her hands hurting. Looking down, she saw they were covered in scratches. She held them out.

  Sita touched them. Maia felt a soothing warmth and the scratches stopped bleeding but they didn’t disappear completely.

  Sita looked disappointed. “I can’t seem to help more than that.”

  “Don’t worry,” said Willow. “I’m sure if you keep using your magic you’ll be able to soon.” Suddenly she tensed, her large ears swivelling. “Someone’s coming!”

  The Star Animals vanished just as Ionie appeared in the clearing.

  “Hi,” said Sita, smiling at her.

  “What are you doing here?” Lottie said.

  Ionie raised her eyebrows. “I live near here. What’s your excuse? I’ve seen you coming here every day.” She gave them a curious look. “Why?”

  “It’s none of your business,” said Lottie.

  “We just like it here,” said Sita.

  “We’re going now anyway,” said Maia.

  “You don’t have to,” Ionie said quickly. “You can stay if you want.”

  “Um … actually we’d better go,” said Maia, feeling awkward. “Mum will be wondering where we are.”

  “OK. Whatever,” Ionie said, shrugging and scuffing her foot on the ground. “Bye.”

  Maia, Lottie and Sita headed for the path. As they were about to leave the clearing, Maia glanced back. Ionie was watching them go with an almost wistful expression on her face. Maia suddenly felt bad and took a step back towards her, but Ionie turned away quickly and hurried into the trees.

  “Morning,” Maia’s mum and dad said when Maia went downstairs for breakfast the next day. She’d slept well with Bracken curled up at her feet. He’d promised he would vanish if anyone came in, but he hadn’t had to and it had been lovely to wake up and cuddle him.

  “Hi.” Maia poured herself some cereal. She waved at Alfie who was in his highchair. He pulled his dirty bib up over his face, peeking out from behind it.

  “Alfie, don’t do that – you’ll get porridge in your hair,” her dad said, pulling the bib down so he could spoon some porridge into Alfie’s mouth. Alfie took a mouthful but then blew a raspberry so that it all spattered over Mr Greene. “Alfie!” he groaned.

  Maia handed him a cloth. “Now you’ve got porridge in your hair!” Mealtimes were always messy when Alfie was involved. Keeping a safe distance from the highchair, she sat down with her own cereal.

  “What time are Lottie and Sita coming over?” her mum asked.

  “At nine thirty,” said Maia. “We’re going to finish the posters for our cake sale and put them up around the village so everyone knows about it.” And after that we’ll cycle to the woods and practise doing magic again, she added to herself, her heart racing at the thought.

  “OK, well I’m dropping Clio at Beth’s for an hour or so while I take Alfie on a play date, but Dad will be here if you need him. If you go out, tell him where you’re going.” Her mum went to the door. “Clio! You need to have some breakfast before I drop you at Beth’s.”

  A few minutes later, Clio came downstairs in her pyjamas and dressing gown. Her hair was dishevelled and there were faint grey shadows under her eyes.

  “Ce-o!” Alfie crowed. It was his way of saying her name.

  Clio ignored him. Maia frowned in surprise. Usually Clio made a big fuss of their little brother. But now she just pulled out a chair and slumped into it.

  “Toast?” her mum said, handing Clio a plate. “You’d better get a move on – we’ve got to leave in fifteen minutes.”

  “I can’t be ready by then!” Clio pulled the compact out of her dressing-gown pocket and checked her reflection. “I look awful. I need at least half an hour.”

  “You’re only going to Beth’s house. Give your hair a quick brush and you’ll be fine,” Mrs Greene said.

  “But I have to do my make-up! Beth always looks great.” Clio looked at herself from different angles in the compact and examined a small spo
t on her chin. “It’s not fair,” she muttered. “Beth never gets spots. Why does she get to be so perfect?”

  Maia looked at her in surprise. She was used to Clio laughing about how annoying it was to have a beautiful best friend like Beth, but today she sounded genuinely resentful.

  “Clio! Put that mirror away and eat your breakfast!” said Mrs Greene, scooping the compact out of Clio’s hands and putting it on the table. Clio grabbed it and stuffed it in her pocket. She sat munching her toast, not saying another word.

  “Teenagers!” Maia saw her dad mouth silently at her mum.

  Maia finished her cereal. “I’m going to get dressed.”

  “Will it take you half an hour to get ready, Maia?” her dad asked with a grin as he cleared away the remains of Alfie’s porridge.

  She grinned back at him. “Oh, at least.”

  Knowing she was being teased, Clio scowled at them both and stomped back to her room.

  Mr Greene shook his head pityingly. “It’s hard being fifteen,” he said.

  “I heard that!” Clio shouted down the stairs.

  As soon as Sita and Lottie arrived, they raced up to Maia’s room. They were going to finish the posters with the door shut so Bracken, Juniper and Willow could appear.

  “I used my magic last night,” Sita said excitedly, as Maia closed the door and the three Star Animals appeared.

  “What did you do?” Maia asked as Bracken bounded round her legs.

  “Rohan was crying and Mum couldn’t settle him.” Rohan was Sita’s baby brother. “When Mum went out of the room, I used my magic. I sensed he had a tummy ache. I put my hands on his tummy and felt the pain fade away. And then he stopped crying and went to sleep. Mum was really pleased.”

  “That’s so awesome!” said Maia.

  “It felt brilliant,” said Sita, her eyes shining.

  Willow nuzzled her hands. “You’re going to be an amazing healer, Sita. I know you are.”

  “I did something, too,” said Lottie, stroking Juniper. “The little boy next door had been playing with his Frisbee. It got stuck on the garage roof and I heard him crying. When he went inside for his tea, I checked there was no one watching and used my magic to climb up a drainpipe and get it. He was really surprised when he came out after tea and found it on the ground. His mum said the wind must have blown it down.” She grinned. “But it wasn’t the wind, it was me!”