My Secret Unicorn (5 page)

Michael bit his lip. ‘Maybe tomorrow.'

‘But…'

‘No!' Michael interrupted her, his tone sharper. ‘I don't feel like it tonight. OK?'

His words seem to cut through the icy air.

Lauren stared at him. He'd never snapped at her before. ‘OK,' she said slowly.

Michael swung himself on to Moonshine's back. ‘See you tomorrow!' he said abruptly. ‘Come on, Moonshine!' He clapped his heels to Moonshine's sides and they flew away into the sky.

Lauren looked at Twilight. ‘What was all that about? Why did he snap at me?'

‘I don't know,' Twilight said in surprise. ‘You were only suggesting he help Jodie.'

‘It would be such an easy thing for him to do,' Lauren said.

Twilight nuzzled her. ‘Never mind. He can always get some mistletoe tomorrow. Let's not worry about it, Lauren. We should go and see how Rosie's getting on now.'

‘Yes.' Lauren scrambled on to Twilight's back. ‘Come on! Let's go!'

Rosie was talking to Sparkle when Lauren and Twilight got to the copse of trees.

‘We've tried touching everything!' Lauren heard the other girl saying to her unicorn. ‘What did Lauren mean, Sparkle? It's really annoying. I wish she'd just told me what to do or at least given me more of a clue…'

Lauren felt a bit uncomfortable hearing herself being talked about like that. ‘Hi!' she called.

Rosie broke off with a gasp. ‘Oh, hi,' she said, looking a bit embarrassed at having been overheard.

Twilight landed beside Sparkle. ‘So, haven't you found out what you have to do yet?'

Sparkle shook his head. ‘No. The only thing we've found out is how to untangle brambles.'

Rosie looked at Lauren in frustration. ‘Can't you just tell us? I want to help Ellie so much. She's been really upset today. I went round to her house and she was crying. Please, Lauren, can't you give me more of a clue?'

Lauren felt awful.
I must be like Mrs Fontana
, she told herself. ‘If you look, you will find what you need,' she told Rosie.

‘But I've been looking!' Rosie exclaimed. ‘Sparkle's touched everything here!'

As if to prove her point, Sparkle
walked round the clearing touching trees and branches, the grass, flowers…

‘But you have to say the person's name!' Lauren burst out as she watched him. ‘You can't just touch things. It doesn't work like that!'

Her hand flew to her mouth.
I probably shouldn't have said all that
, she realized.

Rosie was looking at her. ‘So we've got to say someone's name? Try again, Sparkle!' As Sparkle began to touch things again, Rosie said her friend's name. ‘Ellie.' But because Sparkle didn't touch any of the rose quartz nothing happened.

Try the rock. Try the rock
, Lauren thought.

‘It isn't working!' Rosie cried in frustration.

Feeling equally frustrated, Lauren dug her hands into the pockets of her jeans. Her fingers closed on a packet of mints. An idea sprang into her mind. There was a rock of rose quartz only about a metre away from her. She stepped towards it, pulled a mint out of her pocket and dropped it just in front
of the rock. As Sparkle came over he smelt the mint and bent his head to the ground to eat it. His horn touched the rock and at the same moment Rosie said, ‘Ellie!'

There was a bright purple flash.

Sparkle snorted in surprise and jumped backwards as the surface of the rock began to glow.

‘What's happening?' Rosie said, running over and putting her hand on Sparkle's neck. They both stared as a picture of a red-headed girl sitting up in bed, arms wrapped around her knees, swam slowly into view in the rock.

‘Oh…oh…wow!' Rosie breathed. ‘It's Ellie!'

Lauren backed away towards Twilight. He nuzzled her shoulder and she knew what he meant.

Without saying a word to Rosie she swung herself on to his back.

‘Let's go,' she murmured.

‘Yes,' he whispered back. ‘They've found the power they need – we should leave them to work out how to use it.'

He soared into the air.

Rosie looked round. ‘Where are you going?'

‘You do not need us any more,' said Lauren, speaking in her mysterious Mrs Fontana voice. She thought for a moment. ‘Now you know how to see, you will be able to help your friend.'

‘But how? Oh, please stay,' begged Rosie. Lauren shook her head. She was feeling a bit guilty about the way she had used the mint to help. She couldn't imagine Mrs Fontana having done such a thing. But it had been so hard to watch Rosie getting more and more frustrated.

‘You will work it out,' she said. ‘Use the rose quartz wisely – and use it well.'

She felt pleased with herself. That was just the sort of thing that Mrs Fontana used to say to her.

‘But how?' Rosie's eyes suddenly lit up. ‘Oh, hang on – I think I know…Of course, we can see Ellie's mum using the magic! I'll be able to make Ellie feel so much better tomorrow night.'

Lauren smiled to herself. ‘Goodbye!' she called and Twilight swooped away.

She hugged him as soon as they were up over the trees. ‘We did it! We helped her to find out what her power was without telling her – though maybe I shouldn't have used the mint.'

‘I don't see why not,' Twilight said. ‘You didn't tell her what the power was. I thought it was a really good idea.'

‘Yeah, and now Rosie will be able to check on Ellie's mum and think up a way to let Ellie know that everything is all right.'

‘Why do you think she said she'll be able to make Ellie feel so much better tomorrow night?' Twilight asked.
‘Why isn't she going to do it in the morning?'

‘I don't know,' Lauren said, frowning. It
was
a bit of a strange thing for Rosie to have said. She shrugged. ‘Maybe Ellie's out tomorrow or something and Rosie won't be able to see her until the evening.'

Twilight nodded. ‘Shall we watch them tomorrow night? See what happens?'

‘Definitely,' said Lauren. As she spoke, something white floated past her face. She blinked. It was a snowflake! And another. And another…

She looked around. ‘Twilight! It's starting to snow!'

He whinnied in delight and soared upwards. The snow drifted down all around them. Twilight plunged through it and Lauren laughed in delight. ‘Use your magic so we can fly through it, Twilight!'

He tossed his head and a purple spark flew out of his horn above his head. The
air around it shimmered in a pale violet circle. As the snowflakes touched the edge of the light they vanished. Twilight flicked sparks from his horn until there was a line of them arching over him and Lauren like a magic purple rainbow, keeping the falling snow off them. They cantered through the sky, staying warm and dry. Lauren wrapped her hands in Twilight's mane and laughed out loud in delight. She loved flying through snow! ‘Faster, Twilight! Faster!' They swooped and soared. By the time they reached the farm, they were both out of breath but their eyes were glowing.

‘That was brilliant!' Lauren said.

Twilight nodded. ‘I hope it snows
tomorrow when we're out with Michael and Moonshine!'

Lauren slid off his back. The snow was settling on the ground. She patted his neck. ‘I'd better turn you back now.'

She said the words of the Undoing Spell and Twilight turned back into a pony. She put him into his stable and put his night rug on him. Through his half door she could see the white flecks of snow swirling down through the black sky. He nuzzled her cheek softly and blew on her hair.

She gave him a hug. ‘Night, Twilight. I'll see you tomorrow.'

She hurried back to the house. Excitement was buzzing through her.
What a fun night! Playing games with Michael, helping Rosie, flying through the snow…A grin spread across her face. She loved having a unicorn of her own!

When Lauren woke up the next morning, the snow was lying thickly on the ground. Twilight's field was a carpet of white, icicles were hanging from the roof of the house, and every tree branch was weighted down with snow. The snow had stopped falling but the clouds were grey and heavy and it looked as if more snow would fall soon.

Lauren hurried downstairs. Max was outside with their dad and Buddy, having a snowball fight. Lauren's mum was in the kitchen, making hot chocolate. ‘Morning, honey. Hot chocolate for you?'

‘Yes, please. Can I have some marshmallows on top?' Lauren asked eagerly.

‘Before breakfast?' Mrs Foster grinned. ‘Oh, go on then. I'll have some too!'

As Lauren fetched them from the cupboard the phone rang. Her mum went through to the lounge to answer it. She came back a few moments later. ‘That was Jodie, Michael's mum. It's too snowy for him to ride over today but
she's going to bring him over in the car about eleven.'

Lauren nodded. It would have been fun to go riding but the snow looked too deep.
Never mind
, she thought to herself.
We can still go flying tonight!

Her mum put the mugs on a tray. ‘Come on! Put your boots and gloves on and let's go outside!'

They went outside to join Max and Mr Foster. Buddy was racing around, pouncing on the snow and chasing snowballs. Lauren grinned. He was covered with a fine coating of snow. ‘He looks like a yeti!'

Max lay down in the snow to make a snow angel.

‘Watch out, Max!' Mrs Foster called as Buddy raced over and leapt on top of him, plumy tail wagging and tongue hanging out of his mouth. Max squealed and giggled and rolled over, pushing Buddy off. When he stood up he was covered in snow from the top of his hat to the toes of his boots.

‘Now you both look like yetis!' grinned Lauren.

‘I'm a yeti!' Max roared like a monster and picking a huge armful of snow he raced at Lauren and chucked it over her head.

She squealed and, grabbing handfuls of snow, she started to chase him around the driveway. Catching up with him she stuffed some snow down his jumper, but then she felt a thump as her dad got her squarely on the back with a snowball. She swung round. ‘Get him, Max!' she cried.