Magic Ponies: A Special Wish (6 page)

‘Yeah! Why don’t you?’ Sally gave him a playful shove, but began helping him.

Marcie grinned. Those two were a double act! Shaking her head slowly, she walked the few metres to the paddock.

‘Are you ready to go home now?’ she whispered to Comet.

‘Yes. I thought I might go out searching for Destiny again,’ Comet told her. ‘But I do not think you should come with me, as I sensed the dark horses’ presence earlier.’

Marcie felt a prickle of concern. So she hadn’t been imagining things – that dark shadow was real. Would Comet’s magic be strong enough to protect him from his enemies when he was so far from home?

Her mind was filled by this worrying thought as she led him out and let the paddock gate shut itself behind her with a soft click.

Chapter
SEVEN

As it was growing dark, Marcie slipped down the garden to check that Comet had returned after his latest search.

To her relief he was there, his dapple-grey coat gleaming softly in the moonlight. Her heart swelled with happiness and pride as she looked at him. She didn’t think she’d ever get over the incredible feeling of being friends with a magic pony.

‘Greetings, Marcie,’ Comet snorted softly.

‘I was worried about you,’ she admitted. ‘What would happen if the dark horses found you while you were looking for Destiny?’ she asked him.

‘Before I came here I looked into the Stone of Power to see where Destiny was. Its magic still gives me some protection,’ he told her.

Reassured, Marcie gave him some pieces of carrot from her pocket. Comet crunched them up eagerly. She spent a few more minutes with him, saying goodnight, and then hurried back indoors before she was missed.

Mr Locket had just finished on the computer. Marcie asked if she could use it and emailed Lara to tell her about her ride with Ian and Sally. She didn’t mention Comet, but said that she’d borrowed Drift to ride. She sent the message and after a couple of minutes, Lara emailed back to say that she’d love to meet Ian, Sally and their ponies when she came to visit.

Marcie signed out and then logged off. She was feeling happier than she had for some time as she went upstairs to read for a while before going to bed. But she had only just opened her book, when a loud knocking sounded on the front door.

She sat up, frowning. Who could it be at this late hour?

Marcie came out of her bedroom as her dad answered the door.

Ian’s panicky voice floated up to her. ‘Is Marcie there? All the ponies have escaped! Can she come and help us look for them?’

‘Oh no!’ Marcie flung herself down the stairs. ‘What happened? How did they get out?’

Ian avoided her eyes. ‘Um… never mind that now. Sally’s already out looking for them with Mum and Dad. I’ve come to ask you to help, because you know the area better than we do.’

‘I’ll just grab a torch!’ Marcie turned to her mum and dad. ‘It’s OK if I go, isn’t it?’

They nodded. ‘Of course you must help, but you can’t go out in the middle of the night by yourself,’ her dad said.

‘We’ll come too,’ her mum decided.

After grabbing coats, boots and torches, Marcie, Ian and her mum and dad set out. They walked round the road and turned into the top of Willow Lane. Sally and her mum came hurrying up to them.

‘Any sign of the ponies?’ Ian asked his sister.

In the torchlight Sally’s face looked pale and drawn. She shook her head. ‘Dad thinks they might have cut across the fields opposite. He’s gone to look.’ Her voice broke on a sob. ‘Oh, I hope they have. I can’t bear to think about them getting out on to the main road…’

Marcie went to put a comforting hand on Sally’s arm.

The other girl twisted away distractedly. ‘Don’t touch me!’ she snapped.

Marcie tried not to feel hurt. Sally must be so upset that she hardly knew what she was saying. Marcie didn’t blame her. She knew she’d be half mad with worry if anything happened to Comet.

Comet! He would find the missing ponies in no time, but how could she get away from the others and go to ask him for his help?

‘I’ll… um… check on this side,’ Marcie decided on impulse. ‘Dad? Why don’t you and mum fetch the car and meet me down at the bottom field. The one with the gate that leads out on to the main road.’

‘It makes sense to split up,’ her mum agreed. ‘And Marcie knows these fields like the back of her hand.’ She turned to Marcie. ‘Don’t take any risks, love. If you see any sign of the ponies, stand still and keep flashing your torch on and off until someone comes to help you.’

‘I will,’ Marcie promised, already pointing the torch to light her way as she walked over the cattle grid into the first field.

She crossed her fingers, hoping that none of the others would follow. Luckily, Ian went off with Sally and their mum, while Marcie’s parents headed for their garage. Marcie was about to double back and head for Comet’s paddock, when her fingers began to tingle and Comet himself appeared beside her in a cloud of shimmering rainbow mist.

‘Comet! What are you doing here? I was just about to come and look for you!’

‘I heard all the voices and guessed what had happened. Hurry! Climb on my back, Marcie! Do not worry. I have used my magic to make you invisible too when you are riding me.’

Marcie mounted. She twisted her hands into his dark grey mane and held on tight. ‘I’m ready!’

Comet sped away, moving as fast as the wind. A protective bubble of rainbow sparkles surrounded Marcie, keeping her safe on top of Comet’s back. One. Two. Three. The fields rushed past in a magical blur. There was no sign of the ponies.

Down in the bottom field, Comet raced alongside the tall hedgerow towards the gate. They had to find the ponies before they reached it and were spooked by the traffic that lay in the road beyond. Comet sped on, his flashing hooves eating up the ground.

Suddenly, Marcie spotted three shadowy fast-moving shapes in the distance.

‘Look there’s Drift, Rufus and Fiddler!’ she gasped. ‘Thank goodness they’re all together.’

‘I see them too,’ Comet neighed.

Leaping forward in another dizzying burst of speed, he easily closed the distance between them. Comet rode up alongside the terrified ponies. Marcie’s fingers tingled again as he sent out an invisible spray of violet sparks that settled on them like soft rain.

The runaway ponies gradually slowed to a trot and then a walking pace and finally they stopped, their sides heaving.

Marcie was still worried. Any one of the ponies could get scared by a sudden noise and bolt again. And the gate to the main road was horribly close.

‘Do you think you could use your magic to make them follow you?’ she asked urgently.

Comet nodded. ‘I have an idea. This way they will get to safety more quickly.’

There was another violet flash of Comet’s sparkly magic, and rainbow shimmers whirled around them all. Marcie felt the air whistle past her ears as they all found themselves flying through the night with the stars twinkling above them. There was a slight jolt as Comet’s hooves touched down further up the field. The other ponies were safely beside him.

‘Wow! You were amazing, Comet!’ Marcie said, dismounting.

‘I am glad I could help.’

She was reaching up to hug him, when she felt him stiffen and lean down to stare at the grass.

Marcie looked down too. In front of them both and stretching away up the hill was a faint line of softly glowing violet hoof-prints.

‘Destiny! She came this way!’ Comet whinnied excitedly.

Marcie felt a pang. Did that mean that he was leaving, right now? ‘Are… are you going after her?’ she asked anxiously.

Comet shook his head. ‘No. The trail is cold. But it proves Destiny was here,’ he said, his eyes glowing with fresh hope. ‘When she is very close, I will be able to hear her hoof-beats. And then I may have to leave suddenly, without saying goodbye.’

Marcie bit her lip as she realized she had secretly been hoping that he might stay forever. ‘Couldn’t you and Destiny live here with me and share your paddock?’ she asked hopefully.

‘No, Marcie, that is not possible. We must return to our family on Rainbow Mist Island,’ Comet explained gently.

Marcie swallowed hard, feeling tears well up. ‘I guess I knew that really,’ she admitted. She forced herself to smile as she decided not to think about Comet leaving and to enjoy every single moment she had with him.

Just then a car swung off the main road and pulled into the gateway. Its headlights streamed into the field on to Marcie, Comet and the ponies. Marcie felt herself tense and then relax again as she remembered that Comet was invisible to everyone except her.

‘I am not needed now. I will see you tomorrow, Marcie.’ Comet disappeared in a final shower of violet sparkles that glistened as they fell around Marcie’s feet.

‘Marcie! You’ve found them!’ Her mum and dad had opened the gate and were walking towards her.

Moments later, Ian, Sally and Mr and Mrs Bale appeared at the top of the field, their torch-beams wobbling as they came running towards the Lockets from the opposite direction.

‘There they are! It’s our ponies!’ Sally cried, dashing forward.

Fiddler nickered softly as she saw her. Sally flung her arms round the palomino’s neck and burst into tears of relief.