A Unicorn Adventure!

by Chloe Ryder

  “You were wonderful,” Stardust said, nuzzling her nose against Pippa’s neck.

  “So were you . . .,” Pippa said, aware that it was now very quiet.

  Misty was staring at her accusingly. “What have you done to our tree?” she challenged.

  “Um,” Pippa said weakly, knowing exactly what Misty meant.

  “It’s stopped singing! Listen.” Misty hummed a bar of the lullaby and waited, her golden horn pointing at the tree as if inviting it to hum back to her.

  The tree remained silent.

  “You’ve hurt our tree,” said Misty.

  “No,” Pippa said, pulling the horseshoe out of her pocket. “It’s not my fault. You see, it’s because of this horseshoe. It’s magic—that’s what made the tree sing. But the horseshoe doesn’t belong here. We have to return it to the ancient Whispering Wall at Stableside Castle before Midsummer Day or Chevalia will fade away.”

  “You didn’t say that the tree would stop singing,” Misty replied.

  Behind her, the watching unicorns nodded in agreement.

  Misty quickly tossed her head. There was a flash of gold and suddenly she was wearing the horseshoe on her horn. A loud cheer rang out, and the unicorns stomped their hooves.

  Pippa stared at her empty hands and gasped.

  “Give that back,” Stardust said, walking up to Misty. “The horseshoe doesn’t belong here.”

  “It does now. We unicorns love our singing tree. We’re keeping the horseshoe.”

  Pippa didn’t want to upset the unicorns, but she knew she had to get the horseshoe back to the Whispering Wall, for their own good and the good of Chevalia. She did some quick thinking, then went and stood between Stardust and Misty.

  “Chevalia is your home too, and if you keep the golden horseshoe, then you will lose more than just this tree. The whole Cloud Forest will disappear. That’s why you have to give the horseshoe back. But if you love to sing, how about singing with the royal ponies? Your voices are so beautiful, they could learn from you. You wouldn’t even have to leave the Cloud Forest,” she added quickly, as Misty started to protest. “We could ask the Royal Court to come here.”

  Misty turned her back on Pippa and spoke to her family in urgent whispers. Pippa strained her ears, trying to figure out what they were saying.

  At last, Misty turned to Pippa and said, “They don’t believe your story about royal ponies, a castle, and a wall that whispers. It all sounds like make-believe. They want me to keep the golden horseshoe, but if you bring the ponies of the Royal Court here to sing with us, then they would believe you.”

  Pippa hopped onto Stardust’s back.

  “We’ll bring them here right away,” she promised.

  Pippa was very glad that Honey was with them—she’d been to the Cloud Forest many times and had a good idea which way to go. But even Honey got lost in the large forest, and twice they had to retrace their hoofsteps.

  It was lunchtime when they finally returned to the castle. Pippa’s stomach grumbled as they made their way through the packed dining room. The rosy red apples piled in the feeding troughs looked delicious. There was no time to stop for food, though. With Stardust and Honey at her side, she made her way to the top of the room, where Queen Moonshine and King Firestar were eating from their golden trough.

  Pippa, Stardust, and Honey curtsied.

  “Your Majesties,” Pippa began, “we’re sorry for interrupting your lunch, but we have something important to ask.”

  Queen Moonshine pushed aside a large carrot. “Go on, my child,” she said.

  The dining room fell silent. Pippa’s ears burned as she quickly explained in a loud, clear voice what had happened that morning.

  When she’d finished, she heard Cinders snort and whisper loudly to her mother, Baroness Divine, “She expects us to believe that?”

  Several other ponies added exclamations of disbelief. There were whinnies of “Make-believe!” and lots of laughter.

  Pippa was angry. “It’s true,” she said, turning around to address the dining room. “Why would I make it up? Come to the Cloud Forest and see for yourselves.” She paused to stare around the room. “If you’re brave enough, that is.”

  The laughter turned to mutters. Pippa noticed Divine whispering something in Cinders’s ear. Cinders nodded, and then she quietly left the room.

  Pippa turned to Stardust. “I’m sorry,” she began. “I tried my best—”

  Someone was banging a hoof for silence. A hush fell as Baroness Divine stood and addressed the dining room.

  “I say we give the girl a chance. Maybe she is telling the truth. And if she isn’t, well, maybe it’s time she left the island.” She stared at Pippa, her square face tilted, her brown eyes challenging.

  Pippa stared back. Her heart was thumping so loudly she was amazed that no one else could hear it.

  “Thank you, Baroness Divine,” she said.

  Divine nodded. “If Your Majesties agree, then I suggest we leave for the Cloud Forest immediately. And if the horseshoe isn’t there, then Pippa must return to her home.”

  Pippa opened her mouth to protest but thought better of it. Divine was challenging her. If she didn’t agree to her terms, then Divine would accuse her of making the whole story up. But the story was true, and soon she’d be able to prove it.

  “Pippa, are you happy to take us to the Cloud Forest?” asked Queen Moonshine.

  “Yes, Your Majesty,” Pippa said loudly.

  “Then let us depart,” said the queen.

  At first the royal ponies chatted noisily and there was lots of laughter as they trotted through the Grasslands and the Savannah. But as the Cloud Forest came into view, the procession slowed and the chatter died away. At the edge of the forest, Pippa, Stardust, and Honey waited for everyone else to catch up.

  “Are we really going in?” grumbled Princess Cloud. “Hasn’t the joke gone far enough?”

  “It’s not a joke,” Pippa said quietly.

  Even bossy Princess Crystal’s eyes were round with fear. Her voice cracked when she asked, “Does everyone have to go in?”

  “The unicorns are expecting the entire Royal Court,” Stardust said impatiently. “Anyone who is too scared to enter can just wait here.”

  Many of the ponies were scared, but no one wanted to look like a coward. When Pippa stepped into the forest, they all followed. The responsibility weighed heavily on Pippa. Would they be able to find their way back to the unicorns? And would Misty honor her promise to return the golden horseshoe when the royal ponies appeared and sang?

  Pippa led the procession of ponies through the mist, retracing her steps from the morning’s adventure. As the giant tree finally came into sight, Pippa stared up its thick, redwood trunk to the dragonfly nest, from which a fountain of flames could be seen shooting out every now and again. Seeing the tree once more made her appreciate just how high it was, and knowing she had scaled it gave her a burst of courage.

  The royal ponies stopped close to the base of the tree to stare openly at the unicorns. The unicorns stared back in silence. It was hard to say which party was most surprised to see the other. The unicorns and ponies had more in common than they realized, and there was no need for them to be afraid of one other. Then Pippa realized something and her mouth fell open. It wasn’t just Honey and Goldie, and Stardust and Misty, who looked alike. The ponies all seemed to have a unicorn double, identical in every way except for their horns and sizes.

  Nudging Stardust, Pippa whispered, “Look—every pony has a unicorn twin.”

  Princess Crystal had noticed this too. Soon she was moving around the tree, pairing the ponies up with their unicorn doubles. When everyone had a partner, Crystal and Petal, her unicorn twin, both raised a hoof and began to conduct. The unicorns sang first, one line at a time, then waited for the ponies to sing back to them. Their voices complemented each other’s so beautifully that the sound was even more wonderful than that of the singing tree. Stardust sang to Misty, Honey to Goldie
, and Queen Moonshine to a magnificent unicorn with a tall, golden horn. There were even stocky unicorn equivalents of Cinders and Divine.

  “That’s so beautiful,” Pippa said, swallowing a lump in her throat.

  As the song ended and the voices faded away, Crystal and Petal bowed to each other.

  Queen Moonshine stepped forward, curtsying to her unicorn double, who was wearing a tiny gold crown decorated with purple daisies.

  “I’m Moonshine, Queen of Chevalia,” she said. “That was wonderful. We’d be honored if you would join us for the Royal Concert on Midsummer Day.”

  “I’m Sunrise, Queen of the Cloud Forest.” The unicorn’s voice tinkled like a mountain stream. “It would be our pleasure to host the concert here in the Cloud Forest.”

  The sound of hoofbeats jarred in Pippa’s ears. Turning quickly, she saw two scruffy ponies darting away through the trees. An icy shiver ran down her spine. The ponies running away were Night Mares!

  She called urgently to Misty, “Where’s the magical horseshoe?”

  “Here,” Misty said, pointing her horn to a fallen log. Then she looked confused. “Where’s it gone? I definitely left it there.”

  Pippa noticed Cinders and Divine sharing a smug smile.

  “Divine, have you seen the horseshoe?” asked Pippa.

  “No, I’m afraid not,” Divine replied. “Are you sure there was a horseshoe here? Or did you just make that up to get attention?”

  The watching ponies shifted their hooves as they muttered among themselves.

  “It was here,” Stardust confirmed. “Maybe it fell off the log?”

  “No,” Pippa said grimly. “I just saw two Night Mares running away through the forest. They must have stolen the horseshoe while we were singing.”

  “More make-believe.” Divine shook her head.

  “Quick,” cried Stardust. “Jump on my back, Pippa. We have to catch them!”

  Pippa jumped onto Stardust’s back and hung on tight to her long white mane as the princess pony galloped after the Night Mares.

  Chapter 6

  A thick mist enveloped Stardust and Pippa as they raced through the Cloud Forest. Pippa looked around her, ducking frequently to avoid being snagged by low-hanging branches. The Night Mares had a head start but Stardust was fast—and much quicker at turning. She began to gain on them.

  “Stop!” shouted Pippa. “Stop, you thieves!”

  In the distance Pippa could hear the roar of the river. If Stardust could reach the stepping-stones before the Night Mares, there was a good chance they could get the horseshoe back.

  “Faster.” She leaned forward, urging Stardust on.

  Mud and leaves were kicked up by Stardust’s hooves. Her breath came out in snorts and her sides shook as she chased after the Night Mares. They were almost at the riverbank when she finally caught up with them. As she stopped, Pippa leaped from her back and ran toward the biggest of the scruffy ponies, who was carrying the golden horseshoe in its mouth. Its forelegs were in the water but it was hesitating.

  “Which stone do I step on first? Lightning, can you remember?”

  “Um,” Lightning said, stretching out a hoof, then quickly pulling it back. “Are you sure we crossed here, Thunder? The river’s very fast-flowing.”

  “Useless brother! Of course it was here,” roared Thunder. “Why did the Mistress pair me with you for such an important mission?”

  “Take that back. I’m not useless—I spotted the horseshoe,” Lightning said, blocking Thunder’s path.

  “Get out of the way,” Thunder growled, shoving past him.

  “No!” Lightning whinnied in fright as he slipped on the muddy bank and fell, taking Thunder down with him.

  There was a loud splash as the Night Mares landed in the river. The two brothers struggled to their hooves, their dark manes plastered to their faces. Pippa and Stardust roared with laughter as Thunder and Lightning splashed around. But the current was too strong, and suddenly they lost their balance and were swept away downstream. Pippa and Stardust stopped laughing then.

  “We have to help them,” cried Pippa.

  “And save the horseshoe,” Stardust added.

  They hurried along the bank after the Night Mares. Willowy trees grew next to the river, and their long branches trailed in the water.

  “Grab the branches!” Pippa called. She didn’t want the thieves to escape with the horseshoe, but she certainly didn’t want them to drown.

  The Night Mares listened to Pippa and swam to the opposite bank, where, grabbing onto the branches, they pulled themselves out of the rushing water.

  Pippa and Stardust stopped and stared at them in dismay. Still clinging onto the willowy branches, the Night Mares stood in the shallow water while they regained their breath.

  “You can’t catch us now,” Lightning shouted excitedly.

  Pippa heard hooves coming up behind her. Misty dashed past, stopping at the water’s edge. She leaned down, dipped her horn in the water, then quickly stood up. Pippa’s ears rang with a cracking sound as the river began to freeze over.

  “What’s happening?” she yelled over the creaks and groans of the water turning to ice.

  “It’s horn magic,” Misty explained. “All unicorns have a magic horn, and they can do one special thing with it. My horn freezes water and melts it again.”

  Soon the river was a thick slab of smooth ice. The Night Mares were having trouble standing and leaned against each other for support. Thunder tried to climb onto the riverbank and lost his footing. He dropped the horseshoe, and it skidded across the ice into the middle of the frozen river. Each time he tried to go after it, his hooves slid in different directions.

  Pippa ran toward the nearest tree. She climbed onto a willowy branch that was threaded with vines.

  “Careful,” shouted Stardust.

  Pippa’s heart raced as she grabbed a vine and swung on it like a rope. When she swung out over the river, she reached down for the horseshoe. Her fingers brushed the cold metal, but before she could pick it up, the vine swung her away out of reach. Pippa pushed herself back over the river. Gritting her teeth, she stretched as far as she could. Her fingers touched the horseshoe and curled around it. She quickly snatched it up.

  “Hooray!” Stardust and Misty cheered as she swung back to the tree.

  Misty dipped her head and touched the frozen river with her horn. With a groan, the ice split down the middle and started to melt. Muttering and grumbling, the Night Mares waded through the slushy ice, climbed onto the opposite bank, and trotted away, their heads low.

  Pippa threw her arms around Stardust and hugged her tight.

  “We did it!”

  Misty hung back, until Pippa put out an arm and drew her close. They were still hugging when a voice echoed behind them.

  “Well done, everyone.”

  Pippa turned around to see Queen Moonshine leading the ponies and unicorns through the trees toward them.

  She nuzzled Pippa’s wavy brown hair with her nose. “You’ve been very brave. We should never have doubted you.”

  “Stardust and Misty were very brave too,” Pippa said quickly.

  “Yes, they were,” Queen Moonshine agreed. “And now it’s time to return to the castle. We must hang this fifth horseshoe back on the wall where it belongs before anything else happens to it.” She turned to address the unicorns. “Please, would you all grant me the honor of joining us? We’d love you to stay with us and sing at our special Midsummer concert.”

  The unicorns shuffled awkwardly, until Misty stepped forward.

  “Thank you. That would be a great honor for us too, but . . . She hesitated. “We’re unable to leave the Cloud Forest.”

  “Why?” Stardust blurted out, unable to hide her disappointment.

  Misty still hesitated, blushing. “We’ve never left the forest before—we’re too scared to. We know about the ghosts who live beyond the trees.”

  Pippa bit the inside of her lip to stop a smile. “We t
hought there were ghosts in the Cloud Forest until we met you, but there’s no such thing.” She pushed a damp curl out of her face. “And even if you are scared, you shouldn’t let it stop you from doing the things you want. I was terrified when I climbed the tree and faced the baby dragonflies. Honey was scared when we all sang the lullaby together. The royal ponies were frightened to come into the Cloud Forest. But we all managed to conquer our fears.”

  “Please come,” said Stardust. “Your voices are wonderful. It would be amazing if we could all sing together at the ancient Whispering Wall on Midsummer Day.”

  Misty looked thoughtful.

  “I’ll come if I can sing a duet with Honey,” Goldie spoke up.

  Honey shook her head sadly. “I’m sorry, but my voice isn’t good enough for that.”

  “It would be if you practiced—and I can help you,” replied Goldie.

  “That’s very brave of you,” said Misty.

  Honey pawed the ground. She took a deep breath and quickly said, “Okay, I’ll do it.”

  Misty touched her horn to Honey’s, then she gracefully turned around to face the watching unicorns.

  “These ponies have shown such courage by coming here today. And now Honey has shown even more bravery by agreeing to sing a duet with Goldie. Can you overcome your fears too?”

  There were bright flashes of sunlight sparkling on golden horns as every unicorn dipped his or her head in agreement.

  “Yes,” they sang, their voices chiming like magical bells.

  Misty nodded back at them proudly. “Let’s go to the castle,” she said with a smile.

  The late afternoon air seemed to shimmer with the beautiful voices as unicorns and ponies stood together and practiced their singing before the Whispering Wall. Sun streamed into the courtyard, its long, glittering fingers brushing the four golden horseshoes already hanging on the wall, making them sparkle and glitter with magic.