Chapter 10

CHAPTER TEN "Watch out!" yelled Zara. They jumped back as the man landed with a plop in a pile of soft snow. It was Mr Longnose! Sitting up, his fingers closed on something in his hand. "Girls, what are you doing here?" he said, shocked. He clambered to his feet, his eyes widening as he noticed the frozen count. "I knew it!" gasped Zara. "Mr Longnose is in league with the count and he's come to rescue him!" Zara aimed the weather machine at him. "Well, stop right there, Mr Longnose. You're toast– well, ice!" "Wait!" Mr Longnose held up his hands. "Please, put that thing down, Zara. I can assure you I am not here to help the count." Zara held the weather machine steady. "A likely story!" "No, please listen!" begged Mr Longnose. Aisha stepped forward. "Zara, wait, we should hear Mr Longnose's side before we zap him." She glanced at Silver. "It's really important to listen properly when people have something to say." Silver nuzzled her. Zara nodded slowly. "All right. Go on then, Mr Longnose. Explain yourself." "Thank you," said Mr Longnose. "I was marking the projects you did while you were in detention. Aisha wrote about Count Thornberry, mentioning that he had a secret lab in the ice caves of the Diamond

Glacier." "Aisha!" Zara exclaimed. "We agreed not to write things about the count." Aisha blushed as all eyes turned to her. "Did we? I… um… can't have been listening." The others groaned. "Well, it's lucky you did," said Mr Longnose. "I'd suspected that the count was behind the extreme weather disasters ever since I found a notebook he'd written. It was inside an abandoned cottage near where the tidal wave struck. I didn't have any proof that he was responsible, though, and I couldn't track him down. His family castle was shut up and I didn't know about the secret ice lab until I read Aisha's report. I told Ms Nettles my suspicions and she allowed me to ask the magic map to bring me to the Diamond Glacier. I was prepared to confront the count, but it looks like you've done my job already." Zara slowly relaxed. "So, you're not in league with him." "No," said Mr Longnose. "He may be a brilliant scientist, but he is arrogant, vain and cruel. I love this fascinating island and I promise you that I would never, ever do anything to hurt it. As well as being an inspector, I am part of an organisation of scientists who are committed to helping protect the island. We've had our suspicions about the count for some time. Now that you've found him out, he must answer for the damage he's caused. Shall we go back to school, and then I can get the proper authorities to deal with the count?" "That sounds like a VERY good idea!" said Phoebe. "But how do we get back?" said Zara. Aisha's eyes sparkled. "Zara, weren't you listening?" she teased. "Mr Longnose said he came here using the magic map, which means that the thing he's holding in his hand…" "Is the little model that will help us get back to the school!" finished Silver. "It always appears when people use the map," said Aisha. "Or had you forgotten?" Zara grinned, taking the teasing good-naturedly. "OK. Maybe I prefer it when you don't listen, Aisha!" Silver turned to nuzzle Aisha's black ponytail and gasped. He lifted up a streak of red, green and silver with his muzzle. "We've bonded, Aisha!

Look!" Aisha squealed with joy. Putting her arms round Silver, she hugged him tightly while her friends cheered and their unicorns stamped their hooves on the ice. Even Mr Longnose smiled. When they had all finished congratulating Aisha and Silver, Mr Longnose held out the little model of the academy. Clearing his throat, he said, "I believe we need to hold hands." The girls swiftly grabbed hold of each other. "You can probably just hold Moonbeam's mane," Zara said to Mr Longnose. He looked almost as relieved as the girls! "Wait!" Aisha squeaked. "Before we go, Feather, can you use your moving magic to put this pink diamond on the bear?" She pulled the diamond out of her pocket. "Of course." Feather sent the crystal flying from Aisha's hand and dropped it on the bear's head. Immediately the snow on the bear melted

and the ice began to crack. The bear shook its head and started to roar. "To Unicorn Academy!" cried Mr Longnose hastily. Aisha's feet rose from the ground and a moment later she felt herself spinning through the air. In no time at all, they arrived back at the academy, landing beside the enormous map in the hall. Ms Nettles was waiting beside it with Ms Tulip and Ms Rosemary. "You're back!" she exclaimed. "And girls! What are you doing? I didn't realise you were in the Wastelands!" "We were kidnapped by Count Thornberry!" said Phoebe. "Right," said Ms Nettles crisply. "You had better come to my study and tell me exactly what has been going on!" Between them, the girls and Mr Longnose explained everything. Ms Tulip

barely waited for them to finish before she jumped to her feet. "My hero," she said, gazing at Mr Longnose. Mr Longnose gave a modest cough. "The girls are the real heroes. They kept their wits about them when the count snatched them from the school grounds. They managed to escape from his clutches and they also stopped him from doing any more damage. I merely brought them home." "What will happen to his weather machines?" asked Zara. "Once Lysander is locked away, I shall return to his laboratory and personally see that everything is destroyed," said Mr Longnose. "No one is getting their hands on any of his equipment or notes. It would be far too dangerous." "Well," said Ms Nettles. "I'm most impressed, girls. Your bravery and dedication have saved the island. You have also learned a very valuable lesson." Her glasses rattled as she looked at each of the girls. "Never judge a person by first appearances. Mr Longnose, thank you for the work you have done and if, at any time, you fancy a change of profession I would be happy to offer you a job as a science teacher. I have had excellent reports about the science lesson you taught the other day from both the staff and students." Mr Longnose flushed scarlet. "Well… er… I have to say I did find teaching that lesson surprisingly enjoyable, Ms Nettles. Maybe I will consider your offer." Behind his back, Phoebe grimaced but Aisha chuckled. Mr Longnose wasn't that bad and anyway, in a month's time they would have left the academy and be heading for lots of new adventures! The day of graduation dawned bright and sunny with a crisp frost. Aisha was happy with the music and they'd practised lots but still her tummy fizzed with nerves. The unicorns were brushed, their hooves painted with glitter and their manes plaited with ribbons. The first parents arrived as lunch was finishing and the dorms came out one by one to do their displays. Topaz dorm were before Amethyst. "What if no one likes my music?" Aisha whispered to Silver as they watched the boys doing an acrobatic display on their unicorns' backs. He nuzzled her. "Why wouldn't they? It's brilliant."

Looking into his dark eyes, Aisha realised that as long as Silver thought that, nothing else mattered. As the first bars of her music floated into the arena, Aisha's worries melted away. The parents and teachers clapped in time to the beat. Feather used moving magic to hide various objects which Moonbeam located using seer magic to help her predict where they were. Then Feather moved a pile of snow banked up outside the arena, building a giant snowman. While the parents watched, Silver turned invisible and he and Aisha rode to the centre to stand by the snowman's side. Feather stood back with a bow and Shimmer exploded the snowman with energy magic. As the flakes of snow floated to the ground, Silver and Aisha appeared as if by magic, the snowflakes catching on Silver's mane and in Aisha's hair, to the audience's applause. After the displays were over, everyone congratulated Aisha on her music. The graduation ceremony followed. Aisha saw her parents clapping proudly in the audience as she went to get her scroll and her heart swelled. Afterwards, the students and parents mingled, ate and danced in the hall, decorated by the students with stars, rainbows and twinkling lights. "We did it," Zara said when, finally, the girls and their unicorns went outside to watch the fireworks. "We're guardians now." "I can hardly believe it," said Lily. "I'm going to miss everyone," said Phoebe, her eyes filling with tears. "We'll still see each other," said Aisha. "Soon," said Zara. "First sleepover is at my house!" They hugged as the first fireworks exploded in the sky. Silver rested his head against Aisha's shoulder as the sky came alive with glittering colours. "I'm glad we found your magic and graduated with everyone else," Aisha whispered. "But I'm even happier that Ms Nettles chose you to be my unicorn." "Me too. We're going to have so many more adventures together. I just know it!" Aisha turned and kissed his forehead just as a huge red firework heart exploded in the air. Silver stamped his hoof and suddenly he and Aisha vanished from sight. Facing each other in the middle of the crowd, they shared a special secret moment together as they watched the heart fall from the sky in a stream of glittering red stars.