Isla and Buttercup

by Julie Sykes

  “Way to go, Freya and Honey!” cried Rosa as she appeared from the trees with Violet, Ariana and Matilda.

  “Isla! I’m so glad you’re all right,” Buttercup said, racing over to her. “We were in the barn when I heard you shout at Valentina outside. When I went to the door I saw you running towards the lake. I galloped after you and got there just as you grabbed Valentina and disappeared with her and Ms Willow! What’s going on?”

  “Oh, Buttercup!” Isla jumped from Prancer to bury her face in Buttercup’s mane. “Thank you for coming after me.” Being with her unicorn, that was all that mattered!

  “I always want to be by your side when you’re in danger,” said Buttercup.

  “And I want to be by yours,” said Isla hugging her.

  Ariana’s voice brought her back to reality. “You’ve done it, Whisper!”

  Glancing round, Isla saw that Whisper had used her calming magic to free the wolves. The red had died from their eyes and they were now slinking away, shaking their heads as if they were dazed. The others crowded round, congratulating Whisper.

  “Come on, Golden Briar!” cried Valentina. “We need to free my aunt!”

  As Golden Briar cantered towards the cave, Matilda squealed, “Isla, you and Buttercup have bonded!”

  Buttercup excitedly nuzzled Isla’s head. “She’s right. You’ve got a streak of pink, yellow and green in your hair. The same colours as my mane!”

  Isla felt like she was going to explode with happiness as she and Buttercup hugged. “I still don’t understand how you got here to the lagoon,” she said.

  “We guessed Ms Willow had taken you here,” said Matilda.

  “Buttercup and Crystal worked together, combining Buttercup’s finding magic with Crystal’s snow magic and making the coolest snow twister ever!” said Rosa. “We weren’t sure if it was going to work but the twister was like a massive tornado. It followed Buttercup’s magical arrow and brought us to these woods.”

  “We didn’t know where we were and then you suddenly appeared with Valentina, Golden Briar and Prancer!” said Ariana. “So, what happened to you?”

  Isla and Prancer quickly explained.

  “I’m free now. I don’t have to do what Ms Willow says any more,” said Prancer, delightedly.

  “Hey, everyone!” Valentina called from the cave entrance. “My aunt and Thyme are inside but I can’t wake them up.”

  “They’re under a spell,” said Prancer. “If we take them back to the academy, one of the teachers should know enough about spells to work with me to lift the enchantment.”

  “Let’s go!” said Rosa.

  “NO!” screamed a voice. There was a flash of light and a bolt of magic came shooting towards them. The unicorns leapt out of the way just in time.

  “I never should have trusted you!” Ms Willow hissed at Valentina.

  “Move, Golden Briar!” Valentina screamed as Ms Willow threw a firebolt at them.

  “I’ve got this!” Golden Briar slammed his hooves on the ground and, calling up his wind magic, he swept the firebolt to one side. It hit the tree and exploded with a terrifying bang. Flames and sparks shot into the air. Isla clutched at Buttercup’s mane as they were blown sideways, crashing into Pearl. Another firebolt spun from Ms Willow’s hand. Golden Briar forced that one away too. The trees swayed, their branches creaking and groaning in the wind.

  “Everyone, over here,” shrieked Violet. “Let Twinkle protect you.”

  Twinkle had conjured a shimmering dome of starlight. It rose over him like a curved shield. Buttercup ducked behind it, along with the other unicorns and their riders.

  CRACK! CRASH! BANG!

  The firebolts came fast and furious, hitting the shield and pinging off in all directions. Nearby bushes and trees burst into flames. Ms Willow’s face screwed up and she flung her hands to the sky. A black bolt of lightning forked down and slammed into the shield. It buckled and bent.

  Twinkle half closed his eyes as he tried desperately to keep the shield in place.

  “Keep going, Twinkle,” urged Violet, stroking his neck.

  “I can’t hold it for much longer.” Twinkle was gasping with the effort. “We need a new plan.”

  Ms Willow cackled and an arrow of dark magic whizzed towards them, black smoke trailing in its wake. It speared the dome at its centre. There was a loud pop and the shield collapsed.

  “It’s over!” Ms Willow said, sneering. “Bind them!” She pointed at the unicorns.

  From the pockets of her cloak silver ribbons came slithering like evil snakes. They raced across the ground towards the unicorns.

  “Keep clear of the binding ribbons!” cried Prancer anxiously. “If they wrap around you, you’ll be under Ms Willow’s control!”

  “Use your magic, Golden Briar!” cried Valentina.

  Golden Briar stamped his hooves. A wind swept the ribbons straight into the branches of a tree.

  Ms Willow snarled in fury and hurled another ball of magic at Golden Briar.

  BANG! As the magic exploded, Golden Briar reeled backwards, the wind dropped and the ribbons fell to the ground. They began to slither towards the unicorns again.

  Valentina threw her arms round Golden Briar’s neck. “Try again! You can do it, Golden Briar. Trust me, you’re brilliant.”

  Golden Briar arched his neck proudly and banged his hooves down. The wind tore through the trees and swept the ribbons back – straight towards Ms Willow.

  “No!” she said, gasping and attempting to hurl another spell at Golden Briar, but it was too late. The ribbons were already winding around her. They surged over her, rapidly encircling her until she was almost completely covered.

  “Oh wow, Golden Briar!” squealed Valentina. “Look what you did!”

  With a roar, Pearl transformed into a sabre-toothed polar bear and leapt on to Ms Willow, pinning her down to stop her wriggling away like a silver slug.

  “What should we do with her?” Matilda yelled from Pearl’s back.

  “I’ll use my spell-weaver magic to transport her to Unicorn Academy,” whinnied Prancer. “The teachers can help me from there. With Ms Willow a prisoner and unable to do bad magic, the island will be safe again. After that, I shall find my real owner, Lacey. I’ve missed her so much. Thank you for freeing me!” Tossing her magnificent mane back, she trotted over and touched her face to Ms Willow’s head. There was a flash and the two of them vanished.

  “We did it!” said Ariana looking stunned. “We actually caught Ms Willow. The island is safe again!”

  Golden Briar nuzzled Valentina’s neck. “I hope Prancer reunites with her real owner. It must be awful for them both to have been separated,” she said. “I can’t imagine not being with you, Valentina.”

  “It would be the worst feeling in the world,” agreed Valentina, hugging him.

  “Valentina you’ve bonded! There’s a golden streak in your hair!” cried Isla, pointing. Valentina grabbed a strand of her long brown hair and, seeing the golden streak, she burst into happy tears. “Now we can graduate!” she cried.

  “We’re all going to graduate together!” cried Rosa. “Hip hip hooray!” she whooped. The others joined in and for a few wonderful moments the dark trees rang with the sound of their cheers.

  As the cheers faded, Violet was struck by a worrying thought. “How are we going to get back to the academy?”

  “I can try conjuring a twister again,” said Crystal eagerly. She stamped a hoof.

  A few pink sparks flew up into the air, turning into pink snowflakes. They swirled together in a small tornado. “It’s much too small,” said Crystal in dismay. “Making such a huge twister before must have worn my magic out.”

  “Don’t worry,” Rosa comforted her unicorn. “You did brilliantly just to get us here. We’ll find another way to get home.”

  They all exchanged looks. No one wanted to be the one to say it but how were they going to do that?

  “Girls?”

  They swung round. Ms Nettl
es was standing in the cave entrance, swaying slightly, her glasses sitting at a wonky angle on her nose. Her unicorn, Thyme, was standing beside her, yawning sleepily.

  “Whatever’s going on?” Ms Nettles demanded, taking her glasses off and rubbing her eyes.

  “You’re awake, Aunt!” said Valentina, looking relieved. “Are you all right?”

  “The bad magic must be fading. Prancer said the island would be safe again with Ms Willow a prisoner!” Isla said.

  Ms Nettles blinked. “The last thing I remember is heading off to a meeting about Ms Willow now a Whatever is going on?”

  The girls quickly told her what had happened.

  As they talked, Ms Nettles’ eyes grew wider and wider. “Well, I never! You really freed Prancer and captured Ms Willow?”

  “Yes,” said Valentina. She smiled at her aunt. “I’m so glad you’re OK. When Ms Willow told me she’d kidnapped you, I was really worried.”

  “You have a good heart, Valentina,” said Ms Nettles, smiling back. “Even if it has been buried under a slightly questionable attitude at times. But I’ve always had faith in you and…” Her smile broadened as her eyes fell on the golden streak in Valentina’s hair. “It appears I was right. You have finally bonded with Golden Briar.”

  Valentina beamed. “Isla and Buttercup have bonded too. We can all graduate – so long as we can get back to the academy in time.”

  “Can you help us?” Ariana asked Ms Nettles anxiously.

  “Thyme does not have transporting powers,” said Ms Nettles. “However, I have an idea. You say the Frozen Lagoon is on the other side of the trees? And underneath its surface there is all the magic that Ms Willow has stolen from the island?”

  They nodded.

  Ms Nettles vaulted onto Thyme. “Then maybe the island magic can help us. Come with me – there’s no time to waste!”

  They followed Ms Nettles through the trees.

  “If my plan succeeds then by working as a team we can return to the academy and release the stored magic back to where it belongs,” Ms Nettles explained over her shoulder.

  Isla felt her stomach twist with excitement. What were they going to do?

  They reached the Frozen Lagoon and followed Ms Nettles on to the thick ice. Underneath the surface the multi-coloured magic bubbled as if it was desperate to be free. The unicorns slipped and slid but they kept on going until they reached the very centre of the lagoon.

  “Stand in a circle, everyone. Now hold hands,” said Ms Nettles. “If we all unite, I believe we can direct our unicorns’ magic into something different from their usual powers. Unicorns, you must touch each other too, and everyone must focus on melting the ice.”

  “Melting the ice?” said Valentina. “But won’t we drown?”

  “Trust the island to look after us,” said Ms Nettles confidently. “Amazing magical feats can be achieved through love and faith. With your love of each other –” her look took in all the girls and their unicorns – “and your love of the island, we can do this. Are you ready?”

  Everyone nodded.

  “Then form a circle. Unicorns, call up your magic and focus on what you want it to do!”

  The unicorns stood shoulder to shoulder, their muzzles touching as they drummed their hooves on the ice.

  Melt the ice, melt the ice, thought Isla, concentrating hard. To her astonishment, sparks flew up from the unicorns’ hooves and joined together above their heads in a ball of glittering light.

  “Keep going, everyone!” urged Ms Nettles.

  Isla’s mind filled with pictures of the ice melting. She felt Buttercup trembling as she conjured every bit of magic she could.

  A bright pink star suddenly shot from the glittering ball, then another and another, until suddenly there was a great fountain of stars shooting into the sky. They whizzed through the air and landed on the ice.

  CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

  As the stars fell, a spiderweb spread across the icy surface and the magic water began to bubble up from underneath. The only solid ice was the circle the unicorns were standing on. More stars shot out as the icy lagoon split into fragments and melted away. The water rushed faster, swirling round the girls and unicorns on their island of ice, rising higher but not touching them. Suddenly, it exploded over the banks of the lagoon, flowing away in multicoloured streams and rivulets. The water was returning the magic to where it belonged.

  “We’ve done it!” cried Ms Nettles triumphantly. “Now, Crystal, try using your magic to make a twister again. I am sure the island will help us.”

  Crystal slammed her hooves down on the ice and an enormous twister of pink snowflakes whooshed around them. “It’s working!” she whinnied as the twister suddenly swept them all away.

  There was a lot of explaining to do when they got back to the academy. The other teachers were delighted and very relieved to see the girls, unicorns and Ms Nettles back safe and sound, and to catch up on what had been happening. The girls heard that Ms Willow had been bound by magic and taken away to prison. She would never be able to cast spells again.

  The next day, when the girls woke up, everywhere seemed to glimmer and shine more brightly than ever before, as if the beautiful island was rejoicing at having its magic back. The morning was spent grooming and bathing their unicorns and packing their bags, and after lunch everyone’s parents started to arrive for graduation. They toured the school and stables, admiring the decorations and Matilda’s mural, before it was time for each dorm to do a riding display.

  Isla’s heart jittered inside her chest as she waited at the edge of the arena on Buttercup. The unicorns’ coats shone and the sparkly ribbons plaited through their manes and tails looked beautiful. Ruby dorm was on first and the parents clapped loudly as Buttercup found various things hidden around the arena that Golden Briar then transported back to Valentina with her wind magic. Anna’s unicorn Lumiere performed an amazing light display accompanied by a lively polka tune from Molly’s unicorn, Sparkle.

  Next it was the turn of Diamond dorm. Isla clapped enthusiastically as Honey thrilled everyone with demonstrations of her superspeed, Pearl used a glamour to turn into a snarling tiger and Whisper soothed her with calming magic. Then Crystal carried everyone to the centre of the arena in a snow twister, where Twinkle covered them with a glittering translucent shield.

  The riding displays were followed by the actual graduation ceremony. As darkness fell, students and unicorns filed into the ballroom to huge applause from the parents and teachers.

  “Stay back, give us some space so my parents can see me properly,” Valentina hissed as Buttercup trotted up behind Golden Briar.

  Isla grinned, “That’s the bossy Valentina we know and love,” she whispered to Buttercup. Valentina had softened a lot over the year but it was clear that her snooty, aloof side hadn’t left her. Isla didn’t mind. Valentina had more than proved that her heart was in the right place.

  As Ms Nettles started her speech, Isla looked round at her friends and thought how much she was going to miss them. They would definitely keep in touch, though. Violet had already arranged a sleepover at her house. Ms Nettles’ voice broke into Isla’s thoughts.

  “Graduating students and unicorns, the staff and I are very proud of your achievements. You came here as strangers and leave as lifelong friends. Wherever you go on the island, know that your friends are with you.” Ms Nettles paused as everyone cheered and clapped. “And now,” she said, as silence fell again. “Please come forward and collect your scrolls.”

  Isla was so thrilled to receive her graduation scroll that, when she’d shaken hands with Ms Nettles and Ms Rosemary, she turned to wave it at her own and Buttercup’s parents.

  “Party time!” said Buttercup as they filed off the stage.

  The ballroom was hung with snowflakes and the long tables piled high with so much delicious food – tiny sandwiches, chocolate cakes, plates of unicorn-shaped biscuits, fruit platters and a huge sugar unicorn. Some of the students and unicorns dan
ced whilst others talked or gathered around the table, eating and drinking.

  Isla and Diamond dorm took plates heaped with treats outside to the banks of the lake. The rainbow-coloured water shone in the moonlight and, behind the lake, the marble school buildings were silhouetted against the star-studded sky.

  “It’s so beautiful,” said Rosa. “I’m glad we managed to stop Ms Willow. Just imagine if she’d captured all our unicorns.”

  “It would have been awful,” Ariana said softly.

  Violet smiled at Isla. “I’m so happy we graduated together.”

  Isla nodded, her hands playing in Buttercup’s long silky mane. “And Valentina, too.” She looked over to where Valentina was joining in the dancing with Golden Briar.

  “Yes,” said Matilda. “She’s changed a lot this year.”

  “We all have,” said Violet thoughtfully. “But isn’t that part of being at Unicorn Academy? To learn about our unicorns and ourselves?”

  “I’m going to miss it,” said Isla softly. “And all of you.”

  “Don’t get sad now,” said Matilda quickly. “There’s Violet’s sleepover to look forward to, remember?”

  “And we’re going to holiday together every summer!” said Freya.

  They all smiled.

  “Just think how good our magic will be by next summer after we’ve practised some more!” said Buttercup.

  Isla hugged her. “Your magic is really good already. I’m sorry I ever doubted you. When you asked it to find Ms Willow and it took us to Ms Nettles in the shed you were right. It was Ms Willow in disguise!”

  “Everyone’s magic has been useful,” said Rosa. “We worked as a team.”

  “Because that’s when unicorns and their riders are strongest,” said Buttercup, looking at Isla through her eyelashes.

  Violet smiled at Twinkle. “You know, I think that might be the most important lesson of all.” There was a whizzing noise and a bang and the sky was suddenly filled with pink and purple stars.