by Sue Bentley
She had spent the afternoon at Zoe’s house, watching some of Saffron’s show-jumping DVDs. Zoe’s mom had gotten pizza and snacks and turned the event into a party.
Now Alex and Comet were cutting across the fields on their way home. Another search among the rock formations had proved fruitless. There had been no more signs of Destiny.
“It was so much fun today and Saffron was great. We’re all getting along better. But Zoe will always be my best friend,” Alex told him happily, resting her hands in her lap.
Comet huffed out a warm breath and snorted softly. “I am glad that things have worked out well for you.”
Alex thought she detected a trace of sadness in his voice and guessed that he was missing his twin sister.
“They’ll work out for you and Destiny, too,” she said nicely. “I know they will.”
Comet’s eyes glowed with new hope. “I hope so. Thank you, Alex.”
Gray clouds were gathering above the huge boulders. Alex shivered and reached out to stroke the palomino’s silky neck. “It’s getting cold. There’s a warm stable and a bucket of oats waiting for you at home. Shall we go?”
Comet pricked his ears. “I am ready. Hold tight!”
Alex caught her breath as the magic pony rocked back onto his hind legs and pawed the air with his hooves. When he leaped forward, tiny rainbows glimmered in his caramel coat and sandy mane.
They galloped toward a stony track and in no time at all reached the winding lane that led to Scarp Hill Farm. Comet smoothly changed pace, and Alex rose to the trot as the farmhouse came into view.
Her heart gave a lurch as she spotted a truck in the yard. It was the horse ambulance. “Pasha’s back from the specialist center!” she cried delightedly.
Dismounting quickly, she led Comet into the stable.
“Pasha!” The chestnut pony was in her stall, which was open and led into the yard. At the sound of Alex’s voice, she pricked her ears. Turning her head, she nickered and gave a friendly blow. Comet snorted softly to her and the ponies gently touched noses.
“Oh, that’s so sweet. Pasha looks a lot happier, doesn’t she?” Alex stroked her pony’s nose.
She quickly unsaddled the magic pony and gave him a scoop of food to eat, before rushing into the house to talk to her mom.
Simon Green, the vet, was sitting at the table, drinking a cup of coffee. He looked up and smiled. “Hi, Alex.”
“Hi, Simon. Hi, Mom. I just saw Pasha! She looks great! Has the treatment worked? When can I exercise her on a lunge rope in the yard? How soon can I ride her again?” Eager questions spilled out of her.
“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.
“Well, yes—usually,” Steph admitted. She still wasn’t sure that this was a good idea, but her dad had gone out of his way to get her a ride and she didn’t want to hurt his feelings. “I guess I could go over there and take a look.”
“That’s the spirit! Come on, grab your riding gear. I’ll have a quick word with your mom. See you in the car.”
Despite herself, Steph felt a bit brighter because of his enthusiasm. Maybe getting to know some new ponies would be fun and help her miss Fleur less—at least for a little while. “Okay.” She sighed. “Thanks, Dad.”
She went into the house, put on her boots, and came back out holding her riding hat by the chin strap.
“All set!” Mr. Danes started the engine.
It was only a few minutes’ drive to Marshall’s Stables. Mr. Danes and Steph went toward the office just as Judy Marshall was coming out. She was a slim woman with dark hair, a round face, and friendly blue eyes.
“Hi! You must be Steph. Nice to meet you,” she said, smiling.
“Nice to meet you, too, Mrs. Marshall,” Steph said, making an effort to be polite. She still wasn’t sure that she wanted to do this.
“Call me Judy. Everyone does. Come and meet the ponies.” She turned to Mr. Danes. “Steph will be fine now. We’ll look after her.”
“See you later then, sweetie. Have a good time.”
“Bye, Dad.” Steph watched him walk away and then followed Judy toward the main stable block.
The smart redbrick buildings were around two sides of a square. Two smallish ponies were tied up outside the tack room. A boy and a girl in riding gear stood waiting to mount.
“Judy? Someone’s on the phone for you!” a voice called.
“Coming!” Judy answered. She turned to Steph. “Sorry, but I need to take this call. Why don’t you have a look around? Just check with a staff member before you take a pony out, okay?”
Steph nodded, smiling awkwardly. “Thanks, Judy.”
She walked toward the loose boxes. The ponies turned to look at her, twitching their ears curiously. Steph went along the row, stroking and patting each one in turn. Their names were on the doors: Jiggy, Binky, Misty, Lady, and Rags. They were all nice, but none of them were Fleur. She fondly remembered the little chestnut pony’s silky mane.
At the end of the row, there was an empty box. As Steph reached it there was a bright flash and sparkling rainbow mist filled the walls of the box. Rainbow drops settled on her skin, glittering in the afternoon light.
“Oh!” Steph blinked, trying to see through the strange mist.
As it slowly cleared, she saw that there was in fact a pony in there after all. It was a handsome black-and-white piebald with a broad white stripe down its nose and large deep-violet eyes. How could she have missed it before? But Steph couldn’t deny he was there now and as the pony looked at her inquisitively, Steph felt her heart melt just a little.
“Hello, you!” she crooned gently. She’d never seen a pony with eyes that color. Maybe she could ride him. But just so I can tell Dad that I did, Steph thought quickly.
Opening the door, she went inside and lifted her hand to stroke the pony’s satiny cheek. It turned to look at her.
“Can you help me, please?” it asked in a velvety neigh.
About the AUTHOR
Sue Bentley’s books for children often include animals, fairies, and wildlife. She lives in Northampton, England, and enjoys reading, going to the movies, and watching the birds on the feeders outside her window. She loves horses, which she thinks are all completely magical. One of her favorite books is Black Beauty, which she must have read at least ten times. At school she was always getting scolded for daydreaming, but she now knows that she was storing up ideas for when she became a writer. Sue has met and owned many animals, but the wild creatures in her life hold a special place in her heart.