Show-Jumping Dreams (8 page)

“Slow down, honey!” Mrs. Judd cautioned. “I think you should listen to what Simon has to say before you get your hopes up. Isn’t that right, Simon?”

The vet nodded. “The treatment she had was something very new, involving stem cells. It seemed to go well, but I’m afraid we can’t expect miracles . . .”

Alex felt her high spirits sinking as she listened to Simon explaining that it could be weeks before they knew whether the treatment had worked. “Does . . . does that mean Pasha’s leg might never get better?”

“I think there’s a fair chance that it will. But it’s best to be prepared just in case,” came the vet’s reply. “As I say, miracles are rare.”

A fair chance? What did that mean? It didn’t sound all that promising. Alex felt her hopes being crushed.

After Simon left, Alex went back out to the stable. She found Comet standing with his head very close to Pasha’s. The
little chestnut pony’s eyes were closed and she had a blissful look on her face.

As Comet sensed Alex’s presence, he looked up and stepped back from Pasha. His eyes glowed like amethysts. It was a look that sank deep inside her chest and made her heart flutter.

“Comet—” Alex began.

But before she could finish her question, Alex heard the sound that she had been hoping for and dreading at the same time: the hollow sound of galloping hooves overhead.

She froze. Destiny was here! There was no mistake.

Comet raced past her out of the stable.

Alex ran after him to a corner of the yard where a twinkling rainbow mist was drifting down. In the middle of it, Comet
stood in his true form, a palomino pony no longer. Rainbow droplets gleamed on his noble arched neck, cream coat, and flowing golden mane and tail; magnificent gold-feathered wings sprang from his powerful shoulders.

“Comet!” Alex gasped. She had almost forgotten how beautiful he was. “You . . . you’re leaving right now, aren’t you?”

His wonderful violet eyes lost a little of their brightness for a second. “I must. If I am to catch Destiny and save her from our enemies.”

Alex’s throat burned with tears. She knew she had to find the courage to let her friend go. She hurried toward him. Leaning against Comet’s glowing shoulder, she rested her face against his warm silken cheek.

“I’ll never forget you,” she murmured adoringly.

“I will not forget you, either, Alex. You have been a good friend,” Comet neighed softly. He allowed her to hug him one last time and then gently backed away. “Farewell. Ride well and true,” he said in a deep musical voice.

There was a final flash of violet light and a silent explosion of rainbow sparkles that floated down around Alex and tinkled like miniature bells as they hit the ground.

Comet spread his golden wings and soared upward. He faded and was gone.

Alex wiped away tears, hardly able to believe that everything had happened so quickly. Something lay in the yard. It was a single glittering gold wing feather.

Bending down, she picked it up. The feather tingled against her fingers as it faded to a cream color. Alex slipped it into her pocket. She would always keep the feather to remind herself of the magic
pony and the wonderful adventure they had shared.

As she turned back toward the stable, she heard a soft neigh. Her little chestnut pony came out and cantered around the yard in a perfect circle before walking toward her.
Look at me, I’m all well again
, she seemed to be saying.

“Pasha! You’re not hurt anymore!” Alex gasped delightedly. A smile broke out on her face as she knew that this was Comet’s final gift to her. “You were wrong, Simon. Miracles can happen . . . when you have a magic pony’s help!”

Pasha nudged her arm gently and blew sweet breath onto her neck. Alex threw her arms around her pony’s neck and breathed out a long sigh of perfect happiness.

“Thank you so much, Comet. Take care. And I hope you and Destiny get back safely to Rainbow Mist Island.”

Read the first chapter of

A Twinkle of Hooves

“Bye, Alice! I hope you and Fleur will be really happy!” Steph Danes called, her voice catching. She waved to the six-year-old girl who sat in the front seat of the car parked outside her house.

“Thank you. We will!” The little girl waved back, her small face shining with happiness.

Steph’s eyes pricked with tears as the car and the horse trailer it was towing moved slowly away up Porlock Close. She watched until they were out of sight and then her face crumpled as she turned to her mom.

Mrs. Danes gave her daughter a hug and stroked her short fair hair. “Good job, honey. I know it was hard for you to let Fleur go. But we don’t have the room to keep a pony you won’t be riding anymore.”

“I know.” Steph sighed, wiping her eyes. “And Fleur’s going to a good home. Alice really seemed to love her, didn’t she?”

Her mom nodded, smiling fondly. “All little girls love their very own first pony the best. You were Alice’s age when we got Fleur. It’s too bad that you’ve outgrown her, but it happens to everyone eventually.”

Steph nodded. She knew her mom was right, but she was going to miss Fleur, her little chestnut Dartmoor pony, like crazy. They’d had so much fun together in the last three years. Steph was going to feel very lonely not seeing her every day.

Steph and her mom walked back into the house together. It was hot in the kitchen with the bright sun pouring in through the open back door. Steph got them cold drinks from the fridge.

She stared into space as she drank, feeling sad. Saturdays were usually for riding, and then grooming Fleur until her chestnut coat gleamed.

“Do you want to clear out the stable?” Mrs. Danes asked. “You could practice what you learned at that workshop on stable management over spring break.”

Steph had really enjoyed the workshop. She wanted to work with horses when she grew up. “I guess I could do that now,” she answered, deciding to get the upsetting task of removing all traces of Fleur over and done with.

Steph went outside to the old garage at the side of the house. Her dad had converted it into a stable when they’d had the driveway extended and a bigger garage built. As she forked up soiled bedding and began to wheel it away, she felt an overwhelming wave of sadness. Fleur wasn’t even here to appreciate what she was doing.

What was Steph going to do now without her very own little pony to look after and love? She sighed heavily before giving the stable floor one last mopping, but as she did a car drove up the cul-de-sac and pulled into the driveway.

Her dad got out and walked around to her. “Hello, sweetie. Keeping busy?” he asked.

Steph nodded. “I’m almost done. It’s horrible, though, without Fleur.”

“It must be,” Mr. Danes agreed sympathetically. “We’ll all miss her.” He gave her a hug. “I knew you’d need cheering up, so I popped into the new riding stables in the village. Judy Marshall, the owner, says they aren’t too busy today. You can go right over and have your pick of the ponies to ride.”

Steph stared at him in surprise. How could he even think that she’d want to ride a pony she didn’t know? It was far too soon. She’d feel disloyal to Fleur.

“I don’t really feel like it right now. Maybe some other time,” she murmured.

“I don’t like to think of you sitting around brooding,” her dad said kindly. “Why don’t you give the new stables a try? Riding’s what you love doing the most, after all, isn’t it?” he asked gently.