Chapter 10

CHAPTER TEN Layla got on to Dancer's back and he flew into the sky. He headed back across the school grounds towards the woods. "We should be able to see their tent easily from up here," he said. "We don't need to find their tent," said Layla. "Look, I can see them!" She had spotted the rest of Sapphire dorm and their unicorns standing at the edge of the woods. What are they doing? she wondered. Dancer flew towards them. As he got closer, Layla saw Rainbow stamp one of his front hooves on the ground. Multicoloured lights

suddenly illuminated a path through the trees. "Hello!" Layla shouted to her friends, excitement buzzing through her as Dancer flew towards them. What would her friends say when they saw Dancer flying? "Was that Layla?" Isabel said in surprise. Sophia was the first one to spot Dancer. Her mouth fell open. "Layla!" she squeaked. "Look up there, everyone!"

The other unicorns all whinnied in amazement as Dancer flew lower. Scarlett's eyes turned the size of saucers. "Oh my… Wow!" she breathed. "Dancer's got flying magic!" exclaimed Olivia. "And you've bonded," cried Ava, pointing at Layla's hair. "How did it happen? When?" demanded Isabel. Dancer landed and Layla got off his back. Everyone crowded round asking questions and Layla and Dancer told them everything that had happened since they'd left school to go camping. "Sounds like we missed a really awesome adventure," said Sophia, when she'd finished. Ava hugged Layla. "You've been so brave. It was amazing to go to the volcano all on your own." Layla grinned. "I wasn't on my own– I had

Dancer!" He nuzzled her hair. "So, what are you doing?" asked Layla, looking curiously at the path of lights. The others exchanged looks. "Um… We were planning a surprise for you," said Scarlett. "For me?" said Layla in surprise. Olivia linked arms with her. "We were missing you and we were planning to go back to school and see if we could persuade you to come back here with us." "We've done all sorts of things to try to make the woods less scary!" said Ava. "Come and see what we've done for you!" said Isabel, pulling her over to the lights. "You start here on this path of light that Rainbow made." Layla glanced around at her friends' eager faces and her heart filled with happiness. Sapphire dorm was the best! Putting her hand on Dancer's neck, she walked with him down the path of twinkling

rainbow lights with her friends following. After a little way, the lights changed to small blazing fires. "I made these!" said Blaze proudly. "They're magic so they won't burn anything they shouldn't." The fires led back to a clearing on the edge of the woods where there was a large pale blue tent with a bright blue flag. A campfire was burning outside the tent and a pot of gently bubbling hot chocolate was warming above it. A rainbow arched over the tent and all around it bloomed jasmine bushes, the tiny white flowers giving off a sweet, heady scent. "Star magicked up those flowers," said Ava proudly. "They're beautiful," said Layla, breathing in deeply. "So, will you stay the night with us?" begged Olivia. "We've got a spare sleeping bag and pillow for you."

Layla beamed around at all her friends. Her fear of camping by the woods had vanished now– if she could climb a volcano to do what she felt was right, she could do anything! "Of course I'll stay!" she said. As the sun set and darkness fell, the unicorns munched on fresh sky berries from a sky-berry bush that Star had grown, while the girls cuddled up in their sleeping bags around the fire, dipping strawberries and marshmallows on sticks into the hot chocolate. Layla didn't think she had ever felt happier. She glanced across to