The Night of Courage

by Danielle Star

  “Where is she? What could have happened?” Cleo asked anxiously.

  Cora gathered up all her courage and announced, “Let’s go look for her.”

  The Melowies carefully walked into the cave, but Electra was nowhere to be seen. Neither was the egg. They could see another opening at the other end of the cave.

  “She must have gone out through there,” said Selena. “But why isn’t she answering us?”

  “Hey, look at that!” Maya said. When the filly got to the middle of the cave, she saw that there was more than one opening. There were five, each leading in a different direction.

  “They look like the points of a star,” Selena noticed.

  “Let’s split up,” Cora said, taking control of the situation again. “If we each take a different exit, one of us is bound to find Electra. We can mark our paths through the forest by making arrows with sticks on the ground. That way we can find our way back.”

  None of them noticed the sneaky smile on Eris’s face. She had an evil idea. She had worked out how to pass the survival challenge and make the others look bad. She just needed to wait for the right moment.

  Cleo, Maya, and Cora each took a different exit and walked deeper and deeper into the forest. Eris waited in the shadows of the cave and secretly followed Selena.

  Selena walked into the forest, calling Electra’s name; her voice was mixed in with the voices of the other Melowies and a single owl hooting. There was no trace of Electra.

  Suddenly, the glow of the plants around Selena faded. She didn’t want to admit it, but she was scared. The only source of light was the tiny insects and their glowing blue antennae. What if she came across some scary animal hiding behind a tree, ready to eat her?

  “Cora did have a good idea,” she whispered to herself as she made another arrow on the ground with sticks.

  Sometime later, the Melowy from the Night Realm sat down on a rock, feeling very tired and discouraged. She was so worried about Electra that she was about to cry. She looked back at the path she had taken and noticed that the arrows she had been making were gone! They had all disappeared, swallowed by the darkness, just like Electra.

  Then Selena really did begin to cry. “Electra, where are you? And what has happened to my arrows? How will I ever find my way back to the other girls?”

  She sat and thought about a solution to her problem, but that only made her feel more trapped in this maze. There seemed to be no way out. But then she looked up at the sky. Thousands of stars formed constellations she had never seen before. They seemed to be showing her the way. The Power of Night had come to her rescue! She couldn’t say how, but somehow she knew the stars were pointing her back to the tree house. She just had to let them guide her.

  “This trail is all bends and curves!” Maya exclaimed. She had been looking for Electra everywhere but hadn’t found a trace of her. Just as it happened to Selena, she was starting to feel alone and scared. She was not made for adventures. She missed her friend, who was the life and soul of their group, and the only one who could always cheer everyone up.

  A thousand thoughts filled Maya’s head as she bent down to make another stick arrow on the ground. “What if an animal comes and moves my arrows?” she wondered. “Or what if the wind blows them away? Maybe there should be a backup plan, just in case, some other way to find my way back. It’s better to be safe than sorry.”

  She pulled a roll of gauze out of her survival backpack. She cut a few strips and tied them to the trees as she walked along.

  A short time later, Maya finally gave up. Electra couldn’t have gone this far. Maybe she went back and is waiting for us at the tree house, she thought. She turned around toward the tree house and realized her arrows had gone missing. She followed the strips instead. She still felt uneasy, though. After all, who had taken the arrows? And where had Electra gone?

  When Cleo realized her arrows had all disappeared, she leaned up against a tree and sighed. She had no idea what to do next.

  “What on earth could have happened to my arrows?” she wondered out loud. “I made so many of them. If only I could use some magic. But I don’t even know what realm I come from, or what that magic would be.”

  Just then she heard a noise from nearby in the forest. It seemed to be coming closer. Suddenly, two amber eyes appeared in the darkness, staring straight at her.

  The Melowy held her breath as a wild boar with steam streaming out of its nostrils slowly walked toward her. It was a big brown boar, with stubby, chipped teeth. It kept jerking its head back and forth as if it was getting ready to attack.

  Cleo was so scared she couldn’t move a muscle. She couldn’t even think properly.

  “Why haven’t you jumped on me?” she whispered to the creature. “Do you enjoy scaring your food?”

  Then she noticed the boar wasn’t really jerking its head back and forth. It looked more like it was trying to point toward something. It even began pawing the ground with one of its powerful front legs. All of a sudden, the animal turned and started walking down a path. It looked back at Cleo and jerked its head again.

  Cleo didn’t know where she found the courage, but she finally dared to look the boar right in the eyes. The amber glow that had only a moment ago filled her with fear now seemed sweeter than honey. Her instincts told her to follow this odd creature. She could sense that it wasn’t trying to hurt her; it was only trying to help her.

  She walked side by side with the boar and eventually started to hear the sound of rushing water. The boar had led her back to the brook they found earlier. She was so excited to be back she almost didn’t realize someone was kneeling on the path in front of her, brushing away arrows. She peered a little closer to get a better look. Just then, she heard another voice calling from the distance.

  “Cleo!”

  “Cora!” Cleo turned, looking around for her friend.

  “Somehow all the arrows I left along the way disappeared!” Cora called as she bobbed along in the freezing-cold stream. She was letting the current of the brook carry her back in the direction of the tree house. “While I was looking for Electra, I found a waterfall,” Cora explained. “I went over for a drink, slipped on a stone, and fell in! Once again, the cold water saved me.”

  Cleo smiled back at her friend. But it wasn’t really a happy smile. There was still no sign of Electra.

  The moment she picked up the egg, a mysterious force sucked Electra farther into the cave. Next, the ground suddenly opened under her feet, and she felt herself falling. At first, she screamed, but then she noticed that she was falling very slowly. It was like she was in a dream.

  When she finally landed, it was on something that felt like a soft mattress. It was completely dark, and darkness weakens any Melowy from the Day Realm. Electra was a little scared, but she tried to look at the bright side. At least she was alive!

  She could still hear her friends’ voices in her mind. Electra, stop! It might be dangerous! Why hadn’t she listened to them? Why didn’t she ever think before acting?

  All of a sudden, Electra heard a noise nearby, and she froze in her spot. What if she had fallen into a monster’s cave and it was coming to find her?

  She couldn’t see anything in the dark, but she heard what sounded like a door squeaking open in the wall behind her. She couldn’t see the figure that appeared in the doorway, but she did recognize the voice.

  “Hello, Electra.”

  “Congratulations, you are all right on time. It’s ten o’clock, and here you are … Well, most of you, at least,” Ms. Ariadne said, standing in the clearing under the tree house. She had come to take all the Melowies back to the Castle of Destiny.

  “What a nice tree house,” she said. “I see you didn’t waste too much time making it attractive, though. Anyway, it’s time to go back to school. Follow me!”

  No one noticed the look on Eris’s face. She seemed very surprised to see that the others had made it back to the tree house on time. The rest of the Melowies stared up
at the tree house. Everyone else’s shelter had been built on the ground. They all pointed and looked amazed. Maya, Cora, Cleo, and Selena didn’t notice. They were looking down at the ground with sad expressions.

  “What’s wrong, girls?” Ms. Ariadne asked, seeing the looks on their faces.

  “Well, one of our best friends is missing,” Selena said.

  “Yes, I noticed that. Oh well. You will just have to get used to life without her. When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Weaklings like your friend Henrietta, on the other hand, they get lost. The Castle of Destiny wants only the best students.”

  “Electra is not a weakling!” protested Maya, who was usually very quiet. This time, she could not help herself.

  “Come on, there is no point in crying over her. Your friend failed the test—she didn’t pass the challenge. You’ll be better off without her. The principal is waiting for you. If you don’t make it back, you’ll be losers, too.”

  But the four girls did not budge. They weren’t going anywhere without Electra, even if it meant they were going to fail the test. They all knew that any student who disobeyed a teacher at the Castle of Destiny would be expelled, but they couldn’t leave without Electra.

  Eris was the only Melowy from the group who followed Ms. Ariadne.

  “I have passed the test, and I don’t want to get in trouble just because one of my group failed,” she said. “You are right, Ms. Ariadne. Electra was weak and would never have made it. I’m coming with you. I will do anything to stay at the Castle of Destiny.”

  “That’s the spirit,” Ms. Ariadne said.

  Now Cleo couldn’t stop herself. She stepped forward, full of anger.

  “Eris, I saw you last night, you know!” she shouted.

  Eris stopped in her tracks as if something had bitten her. The teacher stopped as well.

  “Of course you did!” Eris said. “We all wasted last night looking for Electra.”

  “We did, because she is our friend,” Cleo said. “Only you weren’t looking for Electra, were you? You followed each of us and threw away the marks we were making on the ground so that we couldn’t find our ways back to the tree house.”

  “That isn’t true!” Eris shrieked. “You are lying because you want me to fail like the rest of you.”

  The other Melowies stared at one another in amazement. “So that’s what happened to our arrows!” said Selena. “That’s okay—the stars showed me the way back.”

  “Luckily the stream carried me back,” Cora said. “Otherwise, I would still be lost in the woods, too.”

  “I only found my way back because I tied bits of gauze to the branches as I passed,” Maya added.

  “And I met a boar that showed me the way!” said Cleo.

  “If only something like that could have happened to Electra,” Selena said. “Why couldn’t she find her way back to the tree house? Maybe she is hurt. Maybe she has fallen somewhere.”

  “I know where she is,” Ms. Ariadne interrupted, tipping her cowboy hat. “Follow me.”

  This time the Melowies trotted quickly behind the teacher. They were absolutely delighted to find Electra waiting for them at the gate of the castle. The four girls gave her a group hug.

  “Electra!” Maya cried. “It’s so good to see you again. We were so worried about you! What happened?”

  “It seems this was part of the plan all along,” Electra explained. “Ms. Ariadne wanted to see if we would be sensible enough not to put ourselves or the group in danger. She placed the egg at the entrance of the cave to test us. Even though you all told me not to, I couldn’t help myself. When I touched the egg, I began to fall down a hole. Principal Gia met me and brought me back here and … I know I was wrong …”

  “Electra,” said Ms. Ariadne. All the girls looked at her in shock that she remembered the correct name. “You’re wrong now. Don’t you remember what the instructions said? ‘The biggest mistake is being afraid to make mistakes.’ Your mistake ended up proving the strength of your friendship. You, Selena, Cleo, Cora, and Maya have passed the test—the test of friendship!

  “That does not, however, apply to you,” added the teacher, turning to Eris. Eris looked back at her with a gloomy expression. “I am going to make sure that your punishment will serve as an example for every student. You have shown that you care more about yourself than others, so your punishment will show you how to be caring. Theodora, the castle’s cook, always has a lot of work to do. There simply isn’t enough staff in the kitchen to help her. You will go down there to help her with the cooking and cleaning every day.”

  Eris rolled her green eyes. She couldn’t stand the idea of helping anyone, let alone Theodora, with her honey-sweet manner and that annoying little dog. It was going to be hard for her to make it through this punishment.

  In a secret room, Principal Gia was looking out the window, watching the sea of magical clouds that swirled around the Castle of Destiny. Then she turned and stared at the wall. Her face was glowing. “Maybe it’s them,” she whispered. “Maybe they’re the ones who can save us!”

  There was no one in the room with her. Just something that glittered in a strange and extraordinary way.

  “There are evil forces who even now await their chance to destroy the balance,” came a voice from the object. And Principal Gia knew that if those forces ever found out where the diamond was hidden, they’d stop at nothing to steal it.

  It was a beautiful, warm morning at the Castle of Destiny. The gentle breeze blowing off the sea of clouds made the air fresh and fragrant. It was an excellent start to a new day.

  “Ew!” Maya cried. Her usually perfect mane was a complete mess. It was time to get out of bed, but she still had her blanket pulled right up to her nose.

  “What are you ewwing about?” asked Cora, who was always up first. She was already dressed and her mane was styled beautifully.

  “Today is our first Art of Powers class,” Maya groaned, burying herself even deeper under the covers. “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten.”

  “Of course I haven’t forgotten!” cried Cora. “I’m so excited. I can hardly wait for it to start!”

  “Lucky you. I’m terrified!” Maya muttered, finally sitting up in bed. “I’m so nervous that I didn’t sleep at all last night.”

  Selena groaned and stretched. She hadn’t slept very well, either.

  Art of Powers class was very important for Melowies. Not only because it was something they had been dreaming about since they were little fillies, but also because they couldn’t become true Melowies unless they learned to use their powers properly. Getting a bad grade in Art of Powers meant being expelled from the Castle of Destiny.

  Electra yawned loudly. She had slept like a log and had only just woken up. She lay with her head hanging off the side of the bed, and her tail rested on her pillow.

  “You’d better get a move on, sleepyhead,” cried Cora. “You don’t want to be late today!”

  “Why? What is so special about today?” Electra mumbled, rubbing sleep out of her eyes.

  “It’s the first day of Art of Powers class,” sighed Selena. “As if we don’t have enough schoolwork already … I still haven’t gotten over our survival challenge in the Neon Forest.”

  “But we all did really well!” said Electra. “Even though I went off after that egg. This class is going to be great. I can feel it. I already know how to use my power a little. I realized that the other day.” Electra winked at her friends and concentrated hard. Her face turned orange and was hot to the touch. Melowies from the Day Realm, like her, were connected with the sun’s energy and light.

  “Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” Selena asked. “You look like you’re going to burst into flames.”

  Electra was getting hotter and hotter. Sparks started to fly off her mane.

  “No problem! Everything is fine! Don’t panic … but I can’t seem to stop it!” Electra cried, waving her arms to cool herself down.

  Danielle Star
has done a bit of everything. She’s been an assistant cook at a famous French pastry shop, the editor of a fashion magazine, and a dance teacher. Once she started writing, though, she never stopped. Today she lives in the English countryside with her five horses; her cat, Sugar Cube; and her dog, Fluffy. Every morning before she starts writing, she drinks a big wild strawberry smoothie and reads a good book.

  Copyright © 2016 by Atlantyca Dreamfarm s.r.l., Via Leopardi 8, 20123 Milan, Italy. International Rights © Atlantyca S.p.A. English translation © 2018 by Atlantyca S.p.A.

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  All names, characters, and related indicia contained in this book are the copyright and exclusive license of Atlantyca S.p.A. in their original version. The translated and/or adapted versions are the property of Atlantyca S.p.A. All rights reserved.

  Published by Scholastic Inc., Publishers since 1920, 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012. SCHOLASTIC and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Scholastic Inc.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Text by Danielle Star

  Original title La notte del coraggio

  Editorial cooperation by Lucia Vaccarino

  Illustrations by Igor Chimisso (layout), Miriam Gambino (clean up), and Alessandra Bracaglia (colors)