Chapter 6

6 The Night Dragons gazed up at the sparks. They swirled through the sky, arranging themselves into different shapes and patterns. First, they formed a huge rectangle. Then they began to form words. Tonight Only! Magic Forest Talent Quest.

Only true stars may compete. Show starting soon. Do not be late! "See?" the Fire Queen cackled meanly. "I am simply here to let everyone know about the talent quest." Much to the astonishment of the Night Dragons, the Fire Queen and her sparks flew off into the night sky. They didn't take so much as a blade of grass with them. "Weird," Rosie said. "Really weird," Phoebe agreed. "What is she up to?" Stella had no idea, but she knew one thing for sure: There was no way the junior stars should go anywhere near that talent quest! Madame Prancey trotted over. "I suppose that decides it." She sighed. "Decides what?" Stella asked. "You dragons will have to take the junior stars to the competition," Madame Prancey snorted. "I

was going to take them. But I can't fly. We won't make it in time." Stella stared at her, aghast. "You can't be serious! The talent quest is a trap." "The Fire Queen is definitely up to something," Rosie added. But Madame Prancey dug in her hooves. "They must go," she said. "True stars always perform. No matter what!" The junior stars twinkled furiously, jumping up and down on Stella's back. "We want to go! It's our first performance!" "It could be your last one," muttered Stella under her breath. Doing what the Fire Queen asked seemed like a very silly idea. Phoebe nudged her. "Maybe we should go," she said. "It's the only way to figure out what the Fire Queen is really up to. And we still need to find the missing stars." "Phoebe's right," Rosie said. "And if we're expecting the Fire Queen to trick us, then she

won't be able to. We're too smart for that!" Stella smiled at her friends. She often felt like the brave one of the group. But her friends were every bit as brave as she was! "Let's do it. But we must be on guard at all times." "For sure," Phoebe said. Rosie began to giggle. "I can't believe I'm laughing when we've just met the Fire Queen. But you look so funny, Stella. You really ARE the Starlight Dragon." All the junior stars were clinging to Stella. "It's why we love you so much," trilled one of the little stars. Stella smiled. She had always adored stars. Clearly, they adored her right back! She made herself make a serious face. "You must listen to me and my friends. Understood?" "Yessssss!" chorused the stars. "Do any of you know where this talent show is being held?" Stella asked. "Noooooooo!" chorused the stars.

Madame Prancey did not know, either. Stella frowned. The further they got into this quest, the more complicated it became. She scrunched her eyes shut and let out a long, slow breath. "Stay calm," said a familiar voice. "Losing your cool is not going to help right now. And remember, you're not doing this alone." She opened her eyes to see LuckyStar spinning by her side. Phoebe and Rosie were also right there. "We'll figure it out," Phoebe said. "Together," Rosie added. Stella felt a gentle tug. The ball of magical thread was unwinding. Its end pointed toward the horizon. "That's the way to go," Phoebe said. Stella nodded. "Hey, stars, can some of you please climb onto Rosie and Phoebe? I can't take you all." "We want to ride on you!" they wailed.

Rosie laughed. "Nice try, Stella." Stella sighed. The stars were very cute and very persistent. "Okay, okay! But you'll have to climb up onto my back rather than cling to my wings and legs. I can't fly like that." The stars did as they were told and arranged themselves into neat rows. "You look like a bus for stars!" Rosie laughed. "I feel like a bus for stars." Stella grinned. "Let's follow those sparks."