Magic Ponies: A Special Wish (7 page)

‘It’s OK, Sally. Fiddler isn’t injured. They’re all fine,’ Marcie said reassuringly. She wished she could have told the other girl about how brilliant Comet had been, but of course, she never would.

Sally turned on Marcie, her face twisted in anger. ‘No thanks to you! It was your fault in the first place! You left the paddock gate unlatched. That’s why the ponies escaped!’

Chapter
EIGHT

Marcie blinked at Sally in shock and dismay.

‘I… I didn’t. I closed the paddock gate after I let Com–’ she began and broke off in confusion, as she remembered that she couldn’t mention the magic pony in front of her parents. They had no idea that he even existed.

Sally’s lip curled. ‘You obviously didn’t bother to check that it was fastened properly. Don’t try and wriggle out of this. You could at least say sorry!’

‘I would apologize, but I honestly don’t think I left the gate open,’ Marcie said reasonably.

But Sally was too wound up to listen. ‘I don’t believe you! Stay away from me. Do you hear?’ she shouted. She whirled round and stomped away.

Marcie watched her go, speechless. ‘Ian. You believe me, don’t you?’ She turned to him, hoping that he would listen to her.

But he shrugged and looked embarrassed. ‘I… I don’t know, Marcie. Leave it for now. You can’t get through to Sally when she’s like this,’ he said. He turned to his dad. ‘Let’s get the ponies home.’

Mr Bale nodded. He thanked Marcie’s mum and dad for helping to search for the ponies.

Mrs Bale turned to Marcie. ‘Whatever did happen, no harm’s done. Don’t worry about it now. Let’s all go home,’ she suggested.

‘Everything will seem clearer after a night’s sleep,’ Mrs Locket agreed. ‘Come on, Marcie. We’ll all drive back.’

Marcie’s heart was heavy as she trudged through the gate and went towards the car with her parents. ‘I don’t get it. Why’s everyone blaming me?’ she gulped, close to tears.

‘They’re tired and upset,’ her dad soothed. ‘I suggest you go and see Ian and Sally when they’ve had a chance to calm down.’

‘It won’t do any good. I know what Sally’s like. She hates me now,’ Marcie said miserably.

Their promising new friendship looked like it was over before it had really got started.

Over the next few days, Marcie racked her brains, trying to remember whether she had left the Bales’ paddock gate open.

She was talking to Comet one morning before she left for school. ‘I remember that I was worried about you meeting those horrible dark horses when I let you out of the Bales’ paddock. Maybe I wasn’t concentrating and I left the gate off the latch. If I’m honest, I’m not even sure any more.’

Comet’s deep violet eyes softened. ‘Even if you did, it was not done deliberately.’

‘Try telling Sally that,’ Marcie said sadly. ‘I’ve called round twice after school
and
phoned, but she won’t even talk to me. She’s my best friend here now that Lara’s moved away. No one loves ponies as much as we do at school! Even Ian’s only just about speaking to me, but I’m sure he’s just being polite. I know he secretly blames me for letting the ponies escape. I feel awful!’

Comet leaned towards her and huffed out a soft warm breath. ‘You are a kind person and good friend.’

Marcie felt herself calming down as she stroked his velvety dark-grey muzzle. ‘Thanks for believing in me. You’re the best friend anyone could have,’ she said fondly.

Comet fell silent and his ears swivelled thoughtfully.

‘What?’ Marcie asked.

‘Do you remember the day we met Ian and Sally at the farm gateway?’

Marcie nodded. How could she forget? ‘You stopped Drift from hurting us and galloping out into Willow Lane, didn’t you? Sally and Ian were squabbling about who’d left the stable door open.’

‘That is right.’ Comet’s mane stirred in the breeze. ‘Did they not also say that Drift could be difficult?’

‘Yes,’ Marcie agreed, trying to remember exactly what the Bales had said about the big brown horse. ‘I got the impression that she likes escaping and running off.’

‘That is what I thought.’ Comet snorted in satisfaction, his eyes twinkling mysteriously.

Marcie frowned, still puzzled. What was Comet getting at?

‘I think you should go and see Ian and Sally again,’ Comet decided, swishing his tail.

‘Really? I’m not sure it would do any good,’ Marcie said doubtfully, but she trusted Comet’s judgement. ‘I will, if you think I should.’

Comet nodded. ‘I do, Marcie. Friendship is important. Is it not worth fighting for?’

‘I guess it is,’ Marcie agreed. ‘I’ll give it one more try and this time I’m not leaving until Sally agrees to talk to me. We’ll go over to Blackberry Farm as soon as I get home after school. OK?’

Comet nodded, his eyes shining with wisdom.

Marcie was so nervous about their plan to go and see Sally and Ian that she could hardly concentrate in class.

Somehow she managed to get through her schoolwork. Luckily, they were concentrating on their projects. Marcie’s was about heavy horses and their lives, so she found herself enjoying writing a page about shire horses. It was a surprise when the bell went for the end of lessons and she could rush out to meet her mum.

‘You seem a bit more cheerful,’ Mrs Locket said as she parked the car on their drive. ‘Have you made things up with Ian and Sally?’

‘Not yet. But I’m working on it!’

She changed out of her uniform and was about to go out to Comet when the house phone rang.

Her mum picked it up.

Marcie heard her say, ‘When did this happen?’
It’s your Dad
, Mrs Locket mouthed at her silently.

Marcie crossed her fingers and toes for good luck as she waited for her mum to put the phone down.
Please, please let it be good news
, she prayed.

Mrs Locket took a deep breath and stood with her hand on her chest.

Marcie almost exploded with impatience. ‘Mu-um! What’s going on?’

‘I can hardly believe it myself,’ her mum said, blinking dazedly. ‘Your dad’s just been offered a new job, much better than his present one. He starts next week. It pays a lot more than he’s been getting. So I think you can start looking at ponies for sale.’

‘Really? Yay! That’s fantastic! Good for Dad!’ Marcie squealed. She grabbed her mum and they did a triumphant little dance up and down the hall.

She was going to get her pony and Comet would have a new friend to share the paddock with! She couldn’t wait to email Lara and tell her the fabulous news, not mentioning Comet, of course. But first, she was going to Blackberry Farm.

‘I’m going to make Sally see what she’s missing by not being my friend,’ she told her mum determinedly.

‘Good for you, love. That’s the way. It might be tough to get her to talk to you, though. Do you want me to come with you?’

‘No. I have to do this on my own,’ Marcie said firmly, already halfway out of the door. ‘I won’t be long.’

At the paddock, she told Comet the good news about her dad’s new job.

His intelligent eyes shone. ‘That is wonderful, Marcie. What sort of pony would you like?’

‘A Connemara, of course! What else?’ Marcie said immediately. ‘Everything’s starting to go right now. It would be just perfect if Ian and Sally wanted to be friends with me again.’

Comet didn’t reply. He tossed his head and in a flash and a cloud of violet sparkles he was fully tacked-up. ‘Climb on my back, Marcie!’ he neighed.

As they rode out on to Willow Lane, Marcie’s bright self-confidence wavered. What if Sally still wasn’t prepared to listen to her?

They had reached the curve in the lane, just before Blackberry Farm, when Marcie heard a sound she had been longing for and dreading at the same time.

The hollow sound of hooves galloping overhead.

‘Destiny!’ Comet veered off into the nearby field, following the magical hoof-beats, which sounded louder and closer. Panting with excitement, he halted briefly beside a hedgerow.

‘You must get down now, Marcie,’ he told her gently.

Marcie dismounted. She knew that this time he was leaving. Her heart ached with sadness, but she knew she would have to be very strong.

There was a violet flash and a twinkling rainbow mist floated down around Comet. He stood there in his true form, a dapple-grey pony no longer, but a magnificent magic pony with a noble head, cream coat and spreading golden wings. His golden mane and tail flowed down in shimmering silken strands.

‘Comet!’ Marcie gasped. She had almost forgotten how beautiful he was.

‘I hope you catch Destiny. Good luck! I’ll never forget you!’ she said, her voice breaking.

Comet’s deep violet eyes clouded over for a moment with sadness. ‘Farewell, young friend. Ride well and true,’ he said in a deep musical voice.

There was a final violet flash of light and a silent burst of rainbow sparkles that showered down round Marcie in crystal droplets and tinkled as they hit the grass.

Comet spread his wings and soared upwards. He faded and was gone.

Marcie gulped back tears, hardly able to believe that this had happened so fast. Something glittered on the grass. It was a single shimmering gold wing-feather. Reaching down, she picked it up. It tingled against her palm as it faded to a cream colour. She slipped it into her pocket, knowing that she would treasure it always as a reminder of the wonderful adventure she had shared with the magic pony.