Authors: Linda Chapman
He sped up. The wind blew her hair back and the stars blurred around her.
Twilight used his magic to guide them to Fox Farm. It was set on its own, well away from any other houses. The security light came on as they landed on the driveway and they saw a shed next to the house. âI bet the sleigh's in there!' said Michael, getting off Moonshine.
He found the plant pot with the key underneath, and opened the shed door.
Inside there was a bright red pony sleigh with a harness nearby.
âIt's gorgeous!' said Lauren. âIt looks so Christmassy!'
âThis harness should fit Moonshine,' Michael said, looking at it. âCome on, girl.'
Moonshine walked obediently over to the sleigh. Michael carefully did the harness up, adjusting the buckles until
the red leather straps were all a good fit. âThere!' he said. Moonshine pulled the sleigh out of the shed into the snow.
Lauren grinned. âWho needs reindeer? Someone should tell Santa that unicorns are much better!'
âWill you be able to fly with it?' Michael asked Moonshine.
âI don't think so,' said Moonshine, looking worried. âIt's too heavy. If I take off now I'm sure it will just drag me back to the ground.'
âWhat are we going to do?' Lauren said.
âLet me try something,' said Twilight.
He walked forward and touched his horn to the red sleigh.
Lauren held her breath. Was anything going to happen?
Twilight's horn glowed and a silver star shot out of the end. It turned into a flame and ran around the top of the sleigh leaving a glittering, sparkling trail.
âWhat's happening?' gasped Michael as the whole sleigh suddenly started to glow and glitter as if covered in silver stardust.
Lauren grinned at Twilight. âMagic,' she said.
Twilight stepped back and Moonshine cantered forward through the snow. âThe sleigh feels so light!' she gasped. She flew into the sky, pulling the sleigh behind her. âLook at me!'
âThe magic's worked!' exclaimed Michael.
Lauren hugged Twilight. âYou did it, Twilight!'
Moonshine cantered round in a circle and flew back down. âIt's easy to pull now.'
Michael shut the shed doors and climbed on to Moonshine's back. âCome on! Let's get it back to my house!'
They flew into the sky, Moonshine pulling the sleigh and Twilight cantering along beside her. âWe'd better not forget the mistletoe!' Lauren reminded Michael.
They reached the woods. Twilight flew among the trees, stopping near the top branches so that Lauren could lean forward and snip away bunches of mistletoe leaves with their clusters of greeny-white berries. When her arms were full they cantered to the sleigh and
Lauren put the mistletoe inside it. âI'll get some more!' She and Twilight flew back and forth.
âI think that's enough!' Michael grinned. âJodie's going to freak when she sees so much mistletoe.'
âYou mean more than she's going to freak when she sees the sleigh?' said Lauren. âHow
are
you going to explain it to her?'
âI've had an idea about that.'
âWhat?' Lauren demanded.
Michael just tapped the side of his nose. âWait and see!'
They set off to Michael's house.
Checking there was no one about they flew round to the quiet back garden. Moonshine landed softly on the snow and Michael quickly undid the buckles and straps and set her free. He folded the harness up and put it into the sleigh under the mistletoe.
âPerfect!' he said, as he looked at the sleigh. âNow I just need a Christmas card!'
He let himself quietly into the house and a few minutes later returned with a card in an envelope. He put it on the sleigh seat.
âWhat does it say?' Lauren whispered.
Michael grinned. âI'm not telling.' He glanced up at the house window. âI'll turn Moonshine back and get ready for
bed, then I'll wake Jodie and Chris up, saying that I've heard a noise outside. You and Twilight can hide in the trees over there and watch.'
âOK,' Lauren agreed excitedly. She couldn't wait to see Jodie and Chris's faces when they saw the mistletoe-filled sleigh!
Hiding in the trees, Lauren and Twilight watched as Chris pulled back the curtains
and looked out of his bedroom window. He turned and seemed to shout something. The next second, Jodie and Michael were standing beside him.
âThey've seen it!' Lauren whispered to Twilight.
He snorted softly. âI wonder what they'll say?'
A few minutes later, the door opened and Michael, Jodie and Chris came hurrying out into the snow.
âIt's the sleigh!' Jodie gasped. She touched it as if she couldn't believe it was real. âButâ¦but how can it be?'
âIt can't have just arrived in the middle of the night,' said Chris.
âIt's filled with mistletoe! And look, there's a card,' said Jodie. She picked the card off the seat and opened it.
â
With love from Santa
,' she read out.
Michael's eyes glanced towards Lauren in the trees. Her hands flew to her mouth as she tried to stop herself giggling out loud.
âI must be dreaming,' Jodie said, passing a hand over her eyes.
âYou're not dreaming. It's real!' Michael told her.
âMichael's right!' said Chris. âI don't know how the sleigh got here but it's definitely here!'
Jodie started to laugh. âIt's a miracle. That's what it is! The sleigh's here and it's full of mistletoe and we can take it back with us tomorrow morning! I don't know how it got here but this is the best Christmas present I could ever have had!' She hugged Michael and Chris. âI'm so happy!'
Looking over Jodie's shoulder, Michael grinned in Lauren's direction.
Feeling a warm glow inside, Lauren hugged Twilight. âCome on,' she said. âLet's go home.'
Twilight walked quietly through the trees. When he was a safe distance away he rose into the air and they began to fly back towards the farm. âI'm so glad we got the sleigh and the mistletoe,' Lauren said. âAnd that I worked out what was wrong with Michael in the end. I should have just asked him straight out when he started acting strangely.'
âWhy didn't you?' Twilight said.
âI was trying to do what Mrs Fontana once told me,' Lauren admitted. âJust
wait and be there to listen when he wanted to talk.' She sighed. âBut that wasn't the right thing to do this time. If I'd just found out what was wrong, I could have told him he was worrying about nothing much sooner than I did. Well, from now on, I'm going to do
what Sidra said. I'm going to follow my heart. Sometimes I will do what Mrs Fontana would have done, but only if it feels right.'
âIt's not easy being the Keeper of Secrets,' Twilight said to her.
âNo, it's not,' she told him. Determination filled Lauren as she thought about how they'd just helped Rosie and Michael. âBut I can do it, I know I can â with you helping me, of course, Twilight.'
Twilight whinnied. âI'll always help you, Lauren.'
âWe'll always help each other,' she said, hugging him.
A snowflake drifted down and then
another and another. âIt's snowing again!' Lauren said.
Twilight tossed his head up and purple sparks shot out of his horn. They covered him and Lauren in a glowing arch of light. Warmth flowed through Lauren, partly from the magic but partly from knowing that she and Twilight would get through any problem â together.
The snow began to swirl more heavily. Twilight cantered faster and faster. The wind streamed through Lauren's hair and her skin tingled and glowed. She laughed out loud in delight. It was almost Christmas. She had a new friend with a unicorn and she felt she was beginning to learn how to be
Keeper of Secrets at last. There was a new year coming and it was going to be fun!
She wrapped her hands in Twilight's mane as they galloped onwards through the snow, a rainbow of glittering sparks arching above them.