Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE,

Ivy clung to Flame's mane as they landed with a soft whump, his hooves sinking into springy grass. She blinked her eyes open and saw they were on the top of a high cliff, a huge observatory towering in front of them. She could hear the soft shush of the waves breaking on the sand far below. Lyra picked a tiny model of Unicorn Academy out of Misty's mane. "Look at this!" "What's that for?" asked Sienna. "I don't know but I guess we'll need it when we want to go home," said Lyra. She stowed the model in her pocket. "Come on, let's go and look inside." The observatory had a ramp leading up to its door. As they clip-clopped up it, Ivy breathed in the salty air and squinted up at the golden dome. It was closed and moonlight reflected off it, making it shine brightly. The girls dismounted and Lyra turned the handle. The door opened to reveal a small hallway with a ramp spiralling up from the centre.

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"This is so exciting!" Ivy whispered to Flame as they followed Lyra and the others upwards. She gaped as she and Flame stepped into the top of the observatory. They were inside the dome and its curved walls were lined with cupboards and bookcases with a walkway suspended above them. Models of planets hung from the rounded ceiling and a huge telescope mounted on a frame dominated the middle of the room. Next to the telescope was a long rectangular display board. Lyra shone her torch on it. "It's a map of all the constellations," she said. She widened the arc of her torch, shining it around the observatory until she found a switch on the wall. When she flicked it on, the room filled with warm glowing light. "This really is a towering high place with an all-seeing eye." Lyra pointed to the telescope. "Spread out, everyone– we've got a treasure map to find!" Evie frowned. "Hang on a minute. The riddle said that the place where the map was hidden would be impossible to climb– only this place isn't. There's even a ramp for our unicorns. Maybe this isn't the right place." "It could have meant the cliff," suggested Sienna. "If you approached the observatory by boat, then it would be impossible to climb up to it." "Yes, come on, get looking!" urged Lyra. Evie looked unconvinced but she joined the others as they fanned out to search the observatory, pulling open all the cupboards. They were packed with ancient scientific equipment and books.

Ivy couldn't resist having a closer look at the telescope. It was secured on a cone-shaped metal mount in the centre of the room with a wheel that allowed the telescope to turn. Ivy twisted it, wishing she could open the roof and view the stars. She spotted a button in the centre of the wheel and pressed it. There was a soft click then a grating sound above them. Ivy stared up as a panel in the observatory roof slowly slid back, revealing the night sky. "Oh, wow! Look!" she exclaimed, gazing up at the inky blackness lit by the moon and thousands of twinkling stars. Pressing her eye to the telescope, Ivy's mouth dropped open In awe. "The sky feels so close when you look through the telescope– almost like you can reach out and touch it. I can see the Rising Phoenix and my Spinning

Dragons and, oh, so many other constellations!" "That's cool," said Lyra, "but we're not here to look at the stars, Ivy. We need to find the map." Ivy reluctantly moved away from the telescope as the others set about hunting again. Evie pulled open a cupboard. "Maybe the map is hidden in one of these books?" She took out a pile and turned, but as she did so she tripped and the books flew from her arms. She gasped as one nearly hit Ivy. "Whoops! Sorry!" "Don't worry," said Ivy with a grin. They were all used to Evie's clumsiness. She crouched down to pick up the book and noticed a small button at the base of the telescope. It had a picture of a unicorn on it that was identical to the one In each corner of the parts of the map they had collected so far. "Hey," she said, her voice rising. "I've found something. Come and look!" She pointed out the button as the others rushed over. "It's Daybreak!" said Lyra. "Just like the pictures on the map and on the buttons that opened the hidden room and the tower." "Try pressing it, Ivy," urged Sienna. Ivy tried. The telescope creaked and started moving of its own accord. "What's it doing?" said Evie in alarm. "I don't know but I really hope it's something to do with the map," said Lyra. When the telescope stopped moving, Ivy stood up and looked through the eyepiece again. "What's it pointing at?" Sienna demanded. "At a constellation that looks like a tree," said Ivy. "I can see a trunk and spreading branches." "The Memory Tree constellation!" Evie hurried over to the display of the constellations on the wall and pointed to one. "Does it look like this, Ivy?" Ivy glanced over. "Yes, that's it!" "It's named after the Memory Tree in the school grounds," said Evie. "The Memory Tree?" Ivy echoed, frowning. She'd never heard of it. Evie nodded. "It's an ancient tree that was planted when Daybreak, the