An Amazing Rescue

by Chloe Ryder

  ‘You’ve given Cloud wings to fly,’ she breathed.

  ‘Yes,’ Peggy neighed. ‘I’m allowed to use my magic to help any pony in difficulty, even if they already live here on Chevalia.’

  Cloud’s eyes widened in surprise and at once she began flapping her wings, causing the mud to bubble like volcanic lava.

  ‘Harder,’ Pippa encouraged her.

  Cloud’s new wings soon found a rhythm. Mud sprayed off her in all directions, spattering everyone. Then, with an enormous pop, Cloud burst free.

  ‘Hurrah,’ cheered Pippa.

  Cloud rose into the air but the mud on her wings was making her fly lopsidedly. She rolled towards Peggy, slapping her with a muddy wing. Caught off balance, Peggy reeled backward and landed on the ground. There was a loud clap and a flash of brilliant green light. Silence followed.

  Everyone stared at Peggy. Her wings had disappeared, leaving her as a pretty, silver-coloured pony.

  Cloud reared up, squealing in horror. ‘What have I done? I’m so sorry. How can you ever forgive me?’

  A slow smile spread across Peggy’s face. ‘The power is yours now, Cloud. I bestow upon you the magical gift of flight. Use it wisely. There are many ponies in the human world who need help. Go and seek them out and, by rubbing noses with them like I did to you, allow them to fly so that they may come here to the safety of Chevalia.’

  ‘If there still is a Chevalia,’ Stardust burst out. ‘Divine has run off with two of the horseshoes.’

  Cloud hovered above Peggy.

  ‘Are you sure that’s what you want?’ Cloud asked. ‘I could rub noses with you and transfer the power back.’

  Peggy closed her eyes. ‘I’ve loved my job. But I’ve done it for hundreds of years and lately I’ve grown tired. It’s time to step down and let someone younger take my place – if you want to, that is?’

  Cloud’s silver-grey chest swelled with pride. ‘I do. I want it more than anything.’

  ‘Then the power is yours,’ said Peggy. ‘And will be for as long as you stay in the air.’

  Stardust was bursting with impatience. ‘But what about the horseshoes?’ she shouted.

  ‘Can I make them fly?’ Cloud asked, nodding at Stardust and Cinders.

  Peggy smiled and whispered, ‘The power is yours.’

  Cloud flew to Stardust. Keeping her hooves above the ground, she rubbed noses with her sister. There was a crack and a flash of light. Stardust gasped.

  ‘I’ve got wings!’

  ‘Me too,’ Cinders cried, as Cloud rubbed noses with her friend.

  ‘Hurry, Pippa! Climb on my back.’ Stardust hovered as low as she dared without touching the ground.

  Pippa reached for a handful of mane and pulled herself up on Stardust’s back.

  ‘Ready?’ asked Stardust.

  ‘Let’s fly,’ Pippa agreed.

  Stardust flapped her enormous, feathery wings. The draught fanned Pippa’s face and lifted her hair as they rose into the air. Cloud and Cinders flew up alongside them, weaving through the branches until they were flying above the trees.

  ‘There’s Mum,’ Cinders said, pointing with one of her hooves to a tiny pony who was racing beneath them through the forest.

  ‘After her,’ cried Pippa.

  Side by side, the three ponies flew after Divine.

  Chapter 7

  The Baroness galloped through the forest. She kept glancing upward as she weaved through the trees. The satchel swung wildly from her mouth. Once it got snagged on a branch but Divine yanked it free and galloped on.

  ‘Hurry,’ urged Pippa. ‘She’s getting away.’

  Stardust’s wings beat faster, fanning cold air at Pippa and making her eyes stream.

  Divine burst from the Wild Forest and on to the vast green Plateau. Head down, she galloped straight across it. As she reached the other side she darted towards a bush and disappeared down a hidden path.

  ‘Where’s she going?’ Cloud wondered.

  ‘That’s a secret path to the Volcano,’ Cinders said as she flew after her mother, her wings creaking, her muscles straining with the effort.

  ‘The Volcano? But why would she go there?’ asked Stardust.

  The flying ponies were finally gaining on Divine.

  ‘Stop her,’ shouted Cloud.

  As one, the trio of flying ponies swooped. Stardust and Cloud flew on either side of Divine while Cinders floated down in front of her mother.

  With the ground approaching, Cloud called frantically, ‘Hooves up. Don’t touch down.’

  Pippa was breathless with excitement and fear. Her knees gripped Stardust’s flanks and her fingers were tightly wrapped around Stardust’s mane.

  Cinders hovered in front of Divine. ‘Stop!’ she called. ‘Where are you taking the horseshoes?’

  Divine tossed her head. ‘Get out of my way, foal.’

  ‘Please, Mum,’ begged Cinders. ‘Give the horseshoes back. No one needs to know it was you who took them.’

  ‘Never.’ Divine’s eyes rolled wildly, showing their whites. ‘I’m taking the horseshoes home, where they belong.’

  ‘They belong on the Whispering Wall,’ said Pippa.

  Divine cackled with laughter. Suddenly she reared up and, thrusting her face at Cloud, she rubbed noses with her. There was a loud crack and a blinding flash of light. Black dots swam in Pippa’s eyes and she rapidly blinked them away. A breeze fanned her face. Squinting at Divine, she saw that the pony was sprouting an enormous pair of chestnut-brown wings.

  ‘No,’ Pippa breathed, an icy feeling shivering down her spine.

  A wicked smile lit Divine’s face. Experimentally at first, she flapped her wings. Her confidence grew as they lifted her into the air.

  ‘The time has come,’ she whinnied, her shrill voice echoing weirdly as she flew higher above the narrow path, ‘to return this island to its original form!’

  Pippa clenched Stardust’s mane, fighting back tears, as Divine flew away triumphantly, the satchel swinging from her mouth.

  ‘After her!’ ordered Pippa.

  ‘Yes, hurry,’ said Cloud.

  In a whirr of wings, the three ponies gave chase. Stardust’s huge, white wings clapped together as she climbed higher. Pippa could hardly breathe. The ground whizzed away from her in a blurred mix of greens, browns and sparkling blue sea. They flew over Stableside Castle, the eight flags fluttering from each of its toy-sized turrets. Soaring after Divine was like playing a crazy game of tag. Each time Stardust, Cloud and Cinders drew closer, Divine would suddenly change direction.

  ‘Hold tight,’ Stardust shrieked, shooting left. Pippa slid right and only just held on.

  Soon after that Pippa began to cough. Smoke and ash hung in the air, tickling her nose and sticking in the back of her throat.

  ‘We’re almost at the top of the Volcano,’ Stardust said, coughing.

  Pippa stared ahead as a tall cone of black rock rose from the tip of a cloud. Smoke belched from the Volcano. Sweat trickled down her face. She coughed again, clutching Stardust’s mane as she used her other arm to cover her mouth.

  Then, all at once, she had an idea.

  ‘Cinders, Cloud,’ she whispered urgently. ‘Drive Divine higher.’

  Unquestioningly Cloud and Cinders did as she asked, but when Stardust tried to follow Pippa stopped her.

  ‘Hide in the cloud above,’ she whispered.

  Stardust’s ears flickered quizzically as she followed Pippa’s instruction.

  When the misty cloud engulfed them, Pippa called out again, ‘There’s Divine – below us. Can you fly down and surprise her?’

  ‘I certainly can,’ Stardust said, dropping straight down.

  Pippa kept her eyes on Divine’s broad back as they hurtled down towards her. A dangerous plan was forming in her head. Pippa didn’t share it with Stardust in case the pony tried to stop her.

  ‘Three, two, one,’ she counted, then leapt from Stardust on to Divine.

  ‘Pippa!’ Stardust cried
in horror.

  Pippa smiled grimly as she landed on Divine’s back.

  ‘Get off, you horrid little girl!’ Divine bucked wildly, twisting in the air to try and unseat Pippa.

  With a vice-like grip, Pippa hung on to Divine’s mane with one hand as she swung down to grab the satchel with the other. Taken by surprise, Divine let it go. Pippa threw the strap over her head, then leapt on to Cloud’s back – the Princess Pony had been flying alongside them. Pippa was trembling like crazy but she’d made it!

  ‘Noooo!’ shrieked Divine. She snatched for the satchel but Pippa held it high above her head. Divine lunged again. Pippa swung the satchel round to the other side. Divine snapped her teeth but Pippa ducked.

  Cloud darted away, startling Divine, who carried on flying, almost slamming straight into the side of the Volcano. With an angry screech, she folded her wings back, sticking out her hooves as she skidded to a halt. She was still travelling too fast. Her hooves pedalled the air and, with a crunch, she ploughed into the side of the Volcano. There was a loud pop.

  ‘Aaaaarghh!’ Divine’s furious screams rang out as her wings vanished.

  Cinders flew behind Divine, holding her wings outwards and upwards to slow down. Pippa winced, but Cinders managed to stop, her hooves barely a millimetre from the ground. Sweat dripped from her heaving sides.

  ‘That was close,’ she panted. ‘I thought I was going to crash into the Volcano.’

  ‘You silly little foal,’ spat Divine. ‘How could you betray me like this?’

  ‘No, Mum,’ Cinders said, her voice trembling. ‘How could you betray Chevalia?’

  ‘You don’t understand,’ said Divine, her voice husky with regret. ‘Chevalia needs a change. But it isn’t over yet.’

  The words hung menacingly in the air. Divine snorted then, wheeling round, she cantered up the Volcano’s steep slope. Pippa watched until her large, chestnut body was totally swallowed up by the misty cloud at the summit. Slowly she opened the satchel and removed the two golden horseshoes. As she held them up, the horseshoes glittered brightly, their magic spreading hope among the three ponies hovering in the air.

  Stardust bucked triumphantly. ‘We’ve almost done it,’ she exclaimed.

  ‘Almost,’ Pippa breathed. ‘But Divine is right. It’s not over yet. There’s still one horseshoe missing.’

  Chapter 8

  Pippa held the horseshoes tightly as Stardust, Cloud and Cinders flew back to the Castle. They made a magnificent sight, swooping like three huge birds over the island. Word soon spread and by the time they approached the Castle a crowd was waiting to greet them. The ponarazzi were there, pushing to the front of the crowd. Flying in a V-shape, the ponies soared over the clicking cameras, dipping their wings in salute as they flew into the Castle grounds. Pippa blinked furiously – the pop and flash of the ponarazzi cameras were as irritating as a cloud of gnats.

  Stardust and Cinders landed in the Royal Courtyard to a gasp of admiration from the watching crowd. There was a loud crack as their hooves touched down. In a flash of light their wings vanished.

  Stardust sighed happily. ‘That was such fun.’

  Cloud hovered several centimetres above the ground as everyone made their way to Queen Moonshine, King Firestar and Peggy, who was wearing a new sash of deep green and a jade-studded tiara.

  Stardust and Cinders curtsied so low their forelegs almost touched the rough stone floor.

  ‘Welcome back,’ Queen Moonshine said, her voice as rich as warm honey.

  Pippa sneaked a glance at the Queen. She was looking even more beautiful than ever. Her long mane and tail flowed to the ground in a snow-white waterfall. Her golden coat shone from hours of grooming and her hooves were painted with a pearly hoof gloss. In contrast, Peggy’s grey coat was flecked with the white hairs of old age. Her muzzle was wrinkled and her hooves gnarled. She looked so much older than when Pippa had left her in the forest.

  ‘You’ve been very brave,’ the Queen said, her gaze taking in first Pippa then Stardust, Cinders and Cloud. ‘Peggy has told me everything – how you ventured into the Wild Forest then chased the Night Mares to retrieve two of the missing horseshoes.’

  Night Mares? Pippa opened her mouth to protest but she felt Peggy’s gaze boring into her. Peggy shook her head ever so slightly. Pippa snapped her mouth shut. Peggy looked away and Pippa was left wondering if perhaps she’d imagined the head-shake. But Stardust, Cinders and Cloud didn’t correct Peggy either so Pippa decided she hadn’t imagined it and remained silent.

  ‘You may come down,’ Queen Moonshine told Cloud. ‘The danger is over.’

  Cloud stayed in the air.

  A tut rang out behind her. The watching ponies parted as Mrs Steeplechase muscled her way to the front.

  ‘Your mother said to come down,’ the royal nanny said forcefully. ‘Hovering in the air isn’t appropriate for a young Princess.’

  Cloud smiled politely. ‘Peggy has lost her wings.’ She paused, her silence hanging tantalisingly in the air. ‘Chevalia needs a new flying pony – someone to go to the human world to save the neglected ponies. Someone to lead them to Chevalia, where they can be happy and free.’

  Mrs Steeplechase inhaled sharply, but Queen Moonshine nodded, her eyes soft with understanding.

  ‘Do you wish to take Peggy’s place?’ she asked.

  ‘Yes.’ Cloud nodded fiercely. ‘More than anything.’

  ‘Then the role is yours with my blessing,’ said the Queen. A tear formed in her eye and she blinked it away. ‘Just remember to come back and visit us often.’

  ‘I will.’ Cloud darted forward as if to nuzzle her mother with her nose, then quickly shied away.

  Stardust and Cinders giggled and even Pippa managed a smile at the thought of the Queen suddenly sprouting wings. The smile faded quickly, though, as she stared at the two horseshoes weighing heavily in her hand. There was still one horseshoe to find. Without it there would be no refuge for any ponies on Chevalia.

  As if hearing her thoughts, Stardust burst out, ‘There’s only one day left to find the last horseshoe if Chevalia is to survive.’

  Murmurs of shock rippled through the watching ponies.

  ‘No!’ exclaimed Pippa. ‘It won’t come to that. I won’t let it. We will find the final horseshoe. I promise it’ll be back on the Whispering Wall before sundown on Midsummer Day.’

  A cheer rose from the crowd. Pippa felt sick with fear but she forced herself to smile back.

  ‘And now,’ said King Firestar, ‘let’s hang the horseshoes in their rightful place on the Whispering Wall.’

  He nodded to Pippa but, instead of stepping forward herself, she waved Cloud closer.

  ‘You should do this,’ Pippa said, handing her the horseshoes.

  Cloud blushed, but her protests were drowned by the cheering crowd.

  ‘Cloud, Cloud, Cloud,’ they chanted.

  Shyly Cloud took the horseshoes from Pippa and flew to the wall. As the rays from the sun stroked the ancient stonework, Cloud hung the horseshoes back where they belonged. She flew backward as they fizzled and flashed with magic.

  The ponies cheered and stamped their hooves. Cloud tossed her head then soared upward. She circled the Royal Courtyard once then flew away.

  Pippa realised she was holding her breath. Letting it out, she turned to Stardust and hugged her tightly.

  ‘We can do this,’ she vowed.

  ‘We can,’ Stardust neighed. ‘For the love of Chevalia, we can.’

  After a lifetime in the air, Peggy has given up her wings and passed them – and the responsibility that comes with them – to none other than Princess Cloud, third in line to the throne of Chevalia. The mysterious former winged horse shared her secrets with me as she curled up on a straw sofa and sipped apple-spice tea.

  TI (Tulip Inkhoof): Peggy, please can you tell our readers how you came to be a winged horse?

  P (Peggy): It was a long, long time ago, my dear – back then, Chevalia wasn’t much more than a
volcanic rock in the sea. My friend Nightingale was a brilliant scientistmagician. She found a way to increase the island’s size and magic, and she was determined to make it a safe haven for ponies from the human world who were treated poorly. Nightingale developed a magic flying potion that gave me wings, and for hundreds and hundreds of years I flew all over the human world, rescuing neglected ponies and bringing them here.

  TI: Why haven’t we been able to meet you until now?

  P: Well, Tulip, an unfortunate side effect of Nightingale’s potion was that I couldn’t set hoof on land. If I had done, I’d have lost my wings. That was something I had to sacrifice in order to help other ponies.

  TI: Did that make you sad?

  P: Yes and no. I’ve always taken pleasure in seeing the rescued ponies have long, fun-filled lives on Chevalia. In fact, I brought your great-great-grandmare to this island – I can still remember it like it was yesterday. She was curious like you, but ill treated in the human world. I found her tied to a post in a busy, crowded town. When I rubbed noses with her she grew wings like mine, although hers were temporary, and together we flew to Chevalia, where she touched down and started a new life. It fills my heart with joy to know that I’ve helped achieve Nightingale’s dream for Chevalia. But, I must admit, occasionally I felt a small pang of envy when I watched ponies galloping and frolicking. Sometimes I wished I could just set down and have a good canter myself.

  TI: And now you can!

  P: Yes, that’s right. Another pony – a very brave pony – has taken on the wings of responsibility.

  TI: So it’s true? You can confirm that Princess Cloud has become the new Peggy?