Chapter 10

CHAPTER TEN Violet felt her feet hit grass and, as the sparkles cleared, she saw the turrets of Unicorn Academy and heard her friends and their unicorns all talking at once. Crystal's snow twister had brought them to the lawn outside the school. Crystal hung her head, taking deep breaths, and Twinkle dropped to the ground, exhausted. "We need to get the teachers straight away!" said Matilda. "You all go!" Violet told them. "The unicorns need sky berries to help them recover." "We can get some, can't we, Rosa? I feel stronger already," said Crystal, who was more used to using her magic than the others. Rosa nodded

and the pair left for the stables while the others galloped off to rouse the teachers. "I'm sorry, I didn't have enough energy to hold the shield any longer," Twinkle said to Violet, his sides heaving. "I hope Prancer is OK." "Me too. It must be horrible being under the command of someone like Ms Willow, but now we know we'll be able to try and help free her. You were amazing, Twinkle. You saved us all and held the shield long enough for Prancer to tell us what's going on." Violet threw her arms round his neck. "I'm so proud of you." Twinkle nuzzled her. "I wouldn't have found my magic if you hadn't jumped in front of me to protect me from Ms Willow. I thought you were going to be hurt. It was really brave of you. You shouldn't have done it though. I'm meant to protect you." "No, that's wrong!" Violet said hotly. He looked at her. "We protect each other, Twinkle," she told him, more gently. "We're a team. It's not just you protecting me. We're partners." "Partners," he said slowly, as if getting his head around the idea. Violet smiled. "Yes. So, from now on, no more

thinking you are the only one who has to do the protecting. And," she took a deep breath– she didn't want to ruin the moment but she knew that now was the right time to say something– "no more bossing me around all the time, OK?" "What do you mean?" said Twinkle in surprise. "You keep making decisions for both of us without asking what I want," Violet told him. Twinkle thought about it. "I suppose I do." He looked at her through his eyelashes. "But if you don't want me to do that then you need to tell me what it is that you want, Violet. I can't be a mind reader." Violet realised he was right. She'd spent so much time thinking about how bossy he was, but really she was as much to blame for not speaking out. She needed to stop always agreeing with him and make sure she told him what her opinion was. "Agreed," she said firmly. "From now on, we'll make decisions together. We'll be a real team." He snorted happily. "I'd like that." Rosa came cantering back with a bucket of sky berries. She jumped off Crystal then shared the sky berries out. "Here you go, Twinkle. Eat these and you'll soon feel better. Oh, my goodness!" She broke off with a gasp. "You've bonded!"

Violet lifted her plait and saw a strand of purple and blue hair running through it. "We have! Look, Twinkle!" Twinkle's eyes sparkled in delight. "We're going to graduate after all, Violet." She flung her arms round him and hugged him tightly. "Violet! Matilda!" Ms Nettles came hurrying across the grass with Ms Rosemary. Rosa, Ariana and Freya followed them. "Are you and your unicorns all right?

They nodded. Looks of relief crossed the teachers' faces. "I can hardly believe Ms Willow is behind all this," said Ms Rosemary. She turned to Ms Nettles. "What are we going to do?" "We must find her and stop her," said Ms Nettles. "We must also free poor Prancer of the binding." "We'll help," offered Rosa. Ms Nettles' strict face relaxed into a small smile. "I think you've all done quite enough for now," she said. "Thank you, Diamond dorm. You've been very brave. Now, take your unicorns back to the stables and then off to bed, all of you. I'll arrange for some hot chocolate and cookies to be sent up to your dorm for when you get back." "Something tells me Ms Willow won't allow herself to be caught that easily," said Freya, as Twinkle finished the sky berries and stood up, his strength restored. "I wonder what she's planning on doing," said Ariana uneasily, as Violet vaulted on to Twinkle's back. "How is she going to control all the unicorns?" "I don't know," said Rosa. "But Ms Nettles is right, she has to be stopped. And if there's any way

we can help, we will!" "Hooray for Diamond dorm!" whooped Matilda and the others joined in the cheer. They raced back to the stable block but, as the others headed inside, Twinkle held back and looked up at the glittering sky. "I always said I liked the starlight, didn't I?" he said softly to Violet. "You did. You said it gave you a magical feeling," said Violet. "I guess we just didn't know how true that was!" She smiled. "Starlight magic is so cool. We'll have to go for lots of night-time rides from now on so you can practise it." Twinkle turned and looked at her. "One little canter before bedtime, now I've got my energy back?" Violet grinned. "Yes, let's!" With a happy toss of his head, Twinkle set off across the frosty grass. As the cold air stung Violet's cheeks, she buried her hands in his long mane and urged him faster as the bright stars twinkled down at them from the clear night sky.