Magic Ponies: A Special Wish (3 page)

‘Oh wow!’ Marcie gasped, absolutely spellbound. The winged pony was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. She caught her breath. ‘C-Comet?’

‘Yes, Marcie. It is still me,’ Comet said in a deep musical whinny.

But before she could get used to the sight of Comet in his true form there was a final swirl of glittering rainbow mist and Comet reappeared as a handsome dapple-grey Connemara pony.

‘That’s a really cool disguise! Can Destiny use her magic to disguise herself too?’ Marcie asked.

Comet nodded. ‘But that will not save her from the dark horses if they discover her. She is in danger. I need to find her and take her back to the safety of Rainbow Mist Island. Will you help me, Marcie?’

Marcie saw that Comet’s deep violet eyes were shadowed by worry for his sister and her heart melted. ‘Of course I will. Oh, just wait until I write to my best friend Lara about you.’

Comet swished his dark grey tail. ‘I am sorry, but you can tell no one about me and what I have told you!’

Marcie was disappointed. She would have loved to share this amazing secret with Lara. It would have been very special, more than ever with Lara living so far away now.

‘You must promise,’ Comet said, looking at her with his big eyes.

Marcie nodded slowly. If it would help protect his twin sister from the dark horses until Comet could find her, she was prepared to agree. ‘I promise. No one’s going to hear anything about you and Destiny from me.’

‘Thank you, Marcie.’

Reaching forward, Comet gently bumped his nose against Marcie’s arm. She reached up to pat his satiny cheek.

‘Marcie? Are you still down there?’ called a voice.

Marcie stiffened as she looked back at the big flowering bushes that screened the field from the house. She caught a glimpse of her mum’s bright blue top through a small gap in the leaves.

‘Mum’s coming!’ she gasped in panic.

Oh no! There wasn’t time for her to hide Comet. Her mum was going to see her new magical pony friend at any second!

What was she going to do?

Chapter
THREE

‘There you are, love,’ Mrs Locket said, slipping her arm round Marcie’s shoulder as she came and stood beside her at the fence. ‘I thought I’d find you here, staring at that rickety old shed we were going to turn into a stable. I hope you’re not too upset about having to wait for your pony.’

‘Um… well, I am a b-bit disappointed,’ Marcie stammered. Why didn’t her mum say anything about the gorgeous dapple-grey pony that was standing in the field as large as life?! Instead, Mum was just looking back at her in concern – it was almost as if she couldn’t see Comet.

Marcie carried on carefully. ‘I don’t feel all that bad. It’s not as if I’m never going to be able to have one, is it?’ She was surprised to find that now Comet had arrived, she really was OK about having to wait for a pony of her own.

‘Thanks for being so understanding, Marcie. Your dad’s taken it quite hard,’ Mrs Locket said. She sighed. ‘I just hope it won’t be too long before he finds work again.’

‘It won’t be. I’ve got a good feeling about it,’ Marcie said.

‘I hope you’re right.’ Her mum smiled and reached out to ruffle Marcie’s shoulder-length brown hair. ‘Well – supper’s almost ready. I’m just about to dish it out. Are you coming in?’

Marcie looked at Comet, who was listening to the conversation, his intelligent eyes twinkling. It was really odd. But Mrs Locket
still
didn’t seem to have noticed him.

‘Marcie?’

Marcie’s head snapped back. ‘I’ll just be a minute.’

‘Right you are.’ Her mum turned and went back up the garden.

Marcie waited until she was out of sight behind the bushes before talking to Comet. ‘I don’t get it. What just happened?’

‘I used my magic so that only you can hear and see me,’ Comet told her.

‘Really?’ Marcie was delighted. ‘So you’re invisible now? That’s really cool.’ She had a sudden idea. ‘Why don’t you live in this paddock? No one will know except me. There’s lots of juicy grass to eat, rainwater in the trough and the shed for shelter if it rains. And I’ll come and see you whenever I can!’

Comet nodded. ‘This is a good place to stay while I am searching for Destiny.’

‘That’s settled then,’ Marcie said happily. ‘I’d better go now, or Mum and Dad will wonder what’s keeping me. I’ll sneak out to see you later.’

‘Thank you, Marcie.’ Comet turned and walked a few steps, then bent his head and began cropping the grass with his strong young teeth.

After a final glance over her shoulder, Marcie hurried back up the garden. There was a brand-new pony in her paddock after all! But never in her wildest dreams could she have imagined that it would be one as amazing and magical as Comet!

*

Marcie was almost too excited to eat, but she made herself take her time. She didn’t want her mum and dad thinking she had tummy ache and making her lie down for a rest.

After they finished supper, Marcie helped load the dishwasher and her mum insisted she did an hour’s homework. Sighing, she went upstairs to do it all in double-quick time – she wanted to spend every minute possible with Comet!

When Marcie was sure her mum and dad were engrossed in watching the news on TV, she decided to risk nipping out to see Comet. She grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl on the kitchen table and quickly chopped it into bits before disappearing into the garden.

The sun was setting and streaks of peach and salmon pink coloured the darkening sky. It was a glorious evening, and as Marcie jogged down the garden to the paddock, her heart began beating fast. She couldn’t wait to see the magic pony again. But he wasn’t standing in the paddock where she’d left him.

‘Comet!’ she called.

There was no answer. No handsome dapple-grey pony came galloping up the field. The door of the big old shed hung open. Maybe Comet was inside. Marcie went into the paddock to look.

But he wasn’t in the shed, or behind it, or anywhere else.

Marcie’s high spirits took a dent as she wondered whether Comet had changed his mind about staying in the paddock. Maybe he had grown tired of waiting for her and gone to find someone else to help him search for Destiny.

‘Comet! Where are you?’ she called again, starting to get worried.

There was a faint rustling sound from behind her.

‘I am here, Marcie,’ Comet nickered, blowing warm breath into her hair.

Marcie spun round, a huge grin spreading across her face. He smelt wonderful – of grass and fresh air and something sweet that was his own magical scent. She threw her arms round his neck and pressed her cheek to its silky warmth.

‘Oh, I’m so glad you came back!’ she burst out. ‘I thought that maybe you’d left because you didn’t like it here.’

‘I like it very much.’ Comet’s violet eyes glowed with amusement. ‘I simply went to have a look around while I was waiting for you. There might have been traces of where Destiny has passed by.’

Lowering her arms, Marcie stepped back. ‘What sort of traces?’ she asked curiously.

‘Wherever Destiny goes, she leaves a trail of softly glowing hoof-prints that are invisible to most people in your world,’ Comet told her, twitching his ears.

‘Really?’ Marcie said, amazed. ‘Will I be able to see them?’

Comet nodded. ‘But only if you are riding me or I am very close to you.’

Marcie knew he must be longing to find his twin sister, who was all alone and missing her family. ‘I should be able to come and help you look for Destiny tomorrow. We usually go shopping together early on Saturdays. Mum and Dad always take hours and it can be dead boring. I’ll make an excuse to stay here,’ she decided.

Comet looked pleased. ‘Thank you, Marcie.’

Marcie remembered the apple in her jeans pocket. ‘I brought something for you.’

She took the slices out and offered them to Comet on her flattened palm. The magic pony stretched forward and she felt his soft lips nuzzling her cautiously as he picked up a piece of apple.

He started crunching and in a few moments he had eaten all the apple. ‘That was delicious. I like your human food.’

‘Wait until you try carrots and peppermints!’ Marcie smiled, feeling a rush of affection for her amazing new friend. ‘See you in the morning then. Sweet dreams,’ she called to him as she went towards the gate.

Chapter
FOUR

‘Are you sure that you don’t want to change your mind and come with us?’ Marcie’s dad asked the following morning as he picked up his car keys.

‘Positive!’ Marcie said firmly. ‘You know I hate food shopping. I thought I’d… um… send Lara a really long email. I want to know how she’s getting on at her new school, what her new house is like and if there are loads of good places to go out riding on Tramp.’

‘Good idea, love. You and Lara can catch up on all the pony news, like you used to,’ her dad said. His face clouded. ‘I expect she’ll be disappointed to hear that you won’t be having a new pony after all.’

‘Maybe at first, but she’ll understand, like I do,’ Marcie said brightly. ‘Some things are better when you have to wait for them.’
Especially when you’ve already got a secret magic pony friend to keep you company!
she thought.

‘I’m glad you’re able to see things that way,’ her dad said, looking happier.