Chapter 1

UNICORN ACADEMY ...Where magic happens! Zara and Moonbeam JULIE SYRES illusteated by LUCY TRUMAN nosy crow

CHAPTER ONE "We won!" Zara punched the air as her unicorn, Moonbeam, galloped across the dry grass and plunged into Sparkle Lake. "Yay!" Moonbeam kicked up her hooves, showering them both with the glittering water. Zara pushed her straight brown hair away from her face. "Hurry up, slowcoaches!" she called to her friends. "It's lovely and cool!" With whoops of delight, Phoebe, Lily and Aisha galloped into the lake on their unicorns Shimmer, Feather and Silver. "It was so hot and stuffy this morning in class, I honestly thought I was going to die. I think we should ask Ms Rosemary if we can have afternoon lessons in the lake," said Phoebe, pushing her long blonde plaits over her shoulders. "It would be awesome!" Zara laughed. "Yep, cos she'll definitely agree

to that!" It was the middle of the summer and Unicorn Island was suffering from a heatwave. At first, Zara and her friends in Amethyst dormitory had loved the long hot days and nights. But after several weeks of soaring temperatures the heat was becoming unbearable. The grass had dried to a yellow crisp and the flowers and plants had all wilted. The fountain was reduced to half its height and the lake had shrunk, leaving a rim of cracked dried mud around the edge. The unicorns splashed around, kicking water at each other with their hooves. Lily leaned forward and whispered in Feather's ear. Suddenly the lake began to ripple. Zara smelled the sweet sugary scent of magic and saw sparkles bubbling up through the water from Feather's hooves. The ripples grew stronger until the water rose in a tall, glittering wave. It arched high over Zara, Phoebe and Aisha. Zara held her breath, expecting a soaking. CRACK! More magical sparkles fizzed in the air and the wave exploded, raining shimmering droplets down on everyone. Zara laughed, enjoying the cool mist falling on her face and hair.

Lily, Phoebe and Aisha clapped and cheered. "Go, Feather and Shimmer!" Zara clapped too but she couldn't help feeling a little bit envious. She knew Lily's unicorn, Feather, had created the wave with her special moving magic and Phoebe's unicorn, Shimmer, had broken it with his energy magic. When would Moonbeam discover her magic? The unicorns usually found their special magical powers during their first year at the academy. Those who didn't had to stay on for a second year with their partners.

"He's coming back," Moonbeam whispered. Zara leaned over her neck. "Who's coming back?" she asked, wondering what Moonbeam was talking about. "He is," said Moonbeam dreamily. "But who?" said Zara. "Who are you talking about?" She felt a prickle of frustration. Moonbeam

often went off into daydreams. "What do you mean, Moonbeam?" Moonbeam started in surprise as if she was waking up. "Oh, sorry! I'm not sure what I was saying." "Hurry up, you two!" Lily called from the bank. "Lunchtime's nearly over and we need to dry off before afternoon classes start." "OK," Zara called. "We're coming!" But Moonbeam didn't move. "Zara, wait, I feel strange, like there's magic all around me. My skin's tingling." Zara shrugged. "Shimmer and Feather were just doing magic. That must be what you can sense." "This is different," Moonbeam insisted. "For a moment back there I… I felt like I'd found my own magic." Zara frowned. "But you didn't do anything magical, Moonbeam." "No, but I had a feeling," said Moonbeam. Zara sighed. Moonbeam was always going on about feelings and how important they were. "Moonbeam, you know I want you to find your magic just as much as you do but imagining it's happening isn't going to help. Come on, let's go and dry off. We've got Care of Unicorns after