Mrs Foster looked at Lauren’s face as she walked into the kitchen. ‘Oh, Lauren,’ she said softly. She hurried over and hugged her.
Not wanting to start crying again, Lauren swallowed hard.
‘Mrs Fontana was old, honey,’ her mum said. ‘She wasn’t well. I know it’s dreadful but at least she won’t be in pain any more. Come on, sit down.’ She led her to the table. ‘You don’t have to eat anything if you don’t want to, but try. It might make you feel a little better.’
Hannah looked at her sympathetically as she sat down. ‘We don’t have to go
out for that ride this afternoon. I guess you don’t feel like it.’
Lauren hesitated. For the first time in her life she didn’t feel like going out riding with her friends but she knew how much Hannah had been looking forward to it. And if she didn’t go, she’d just hang around feeling unhappy. ‘It’s OK,’ she said quietly. ‘We can still go.’
Her mum squeezed her hand. ‘It’s probably good to do something to take your mind off things.’
Lauren nodded. They began to eat. It was macaroni cheese, one of her favourite meals, but she found she could only manage a few forkfuls and she was glad when the time came to clear away.
Afterwards, she and Hannah went down to the field and saddled up Magpie and Twilight. They were just putting their hats on when Jessica and Mel turned up. Lauren was dreading telling them the news but as soon as she saw them, she knew they had already heard. Their faces were worried.
‘Hi, Lauren,’ Mel said. ‘Have… have you heard the news about Mrs Fontana?’
Lauren nodded. Mel and Jessica hadn’t been friends with Mrs Fontana in the same way she had but they knew her and they knew how much Lauren liked her.
‘Are you OK?’ Jessica asked her.
‘Yeah,’ Lauren muttered.
Twilight nuzzled her arm.
‘Do you still want to go for a ride?’ Mel asked.
Lauren nodded and put her foot in the stirrup. ‘Yes.’ She swung herself on to Twilight’s back as Hannah mounted Magpie and the four of them rode into the woods.
It was strange riding through the trees and remembering all the times she had met Mrs Fontana there, but there was something comforting about being with Twilight and the others. They rode to where the banks and hills were. Hannah had a great time on Magpie. He was fast but responsive and she soon had him cantering up and down the slopes. ‘This is great!’ she exclaimed.
She saw Lauren’s face and looked guilty.
Lauren didn’t want Hannah feeling bad for enjoying herself. After all, she’d never even met Mrs Fontana.
‘It is fun, isn’t it?’ she said, forcing herself to smile. ‘Come on, Twilight!’ She cantered him after Magpie. ‘Who wants a game of tag?’
‘Me!’ the others all cried.
They raced round, chasing each other on the ponies.
‘We’ll have to come here again when I next visit,’ Hannah said when they finally began riding home.
‘Yes, we could have a picnic if it was the summer,’ Mel said.
‘Maybe we could even ask if we could camp out here,’ said Jess. ‘And get Grace and Jo-Ann to come.’
‘That sounds brilliant!’ said Hannah. She began to plan with the others what they could do.
Lauren patted Twilight’s neck and let them talk. The afternoon had been better than she had thought it would be, but now she was longing to turn him into a unicorn and for them to just be on their own.
After supper that night, Lauren helped Hannah pack her things so that they could spend as much time as possible with the ponies the next day before she had to go. Hannah smiled at Lauren as they finished and closed her case. ‘Thanks. It’s been brilliant being here, Lauren.’
‘Will you ask your mum and dad if you can come again in the summer?’ Lauren said.
‘Definitely!’ Hannah replied. ‘Maybe I can stay for a whole week then. Oh, Lauren! Thanks for reminding me how much I like being with ponies. I’m never ever going to let myself forget again.’
‘I won’t let you!’ Lauren said, smiling at her. ‘I’m going to be emailing you photos of Twilight and Magpie all the time.’
‘You’d better be!’ Hannah said. She yawned. ‘I’m tired. It must be all the riding.’
They hugged each other and said goodnight. Lauren went to her room and waited for her parents to go to bed too. Luckily they liked to go to bed early because of having to be up to feed the animals on the farm in the morning. While Lauren waited, she looked through the chest. The book was very old and seemed to contain lots of information about the different types of unicorn magic and what it could be used for.
Lauren rubbed her head. It was fascinating but she couldn’t take it in. She still couldn’t quite believe that she was supposed to be one of the Keepers of the Unicorns’ Secrets. How could she be? Surely she didn’t know enough about unicorn magic.
As soon as the house was quiet, she pulled her jeans back on and crept outside.
Twilight was waiting for her. She said the spell and turned him into a unicorn.
‘Oh, Lauren!’ he snorted. ‘I can’t believe Mrs Fontana is dead.’
‘I know,’ Lauren said. ‘And I’m supposed to be the next Keeper of the Unicorns’ Secrets. But how, Twilight? I don’t know enough.’
Twilight looked at her, his eyes deep and dark. ‘Mrs Fontana wouldn’t have chosen you if she didn’t think you could do it, Lauren. And you’ve got the book and I’ll help you.’
‘I suppose,’ Lauren said, feeling slightly comforted. ‘What do you think we’ll have to do?’
‘Help unicorns and their friends, just like Mrs Fontana did.’ Twilight looked thoughtful. ‘I guess it means we have to start looking out for unicorns to help, instead of just helping your friends and the people that you meet with their problems.’
‘So everything’s going to change,’ Lauren said.
‘Things always do,’ Twilight told her softly.
Lauren remembered the words of Mrs Fontana’s note. This is the way it has to be, she thought. She leaned her head against Twilight’s warm neck. ‘Do you think when Unicorn Friends die they get to go to Arcadia with their unicorns? Maybe that’s where we saw Mrs Fontana going last night?’
‘I’m not sure,’ Twilight replied doubtfully.
‘Maybe they are in Arcadia together,’ Lauren said. She had an idea. ‘I know. Why don’t we use the rose quartz stones to look for them!’
Twilight could use his magic to see people wherever they were in the world. All he had to do was touch his horn to a rock of rose quartz.
Lauren swung herself on to his back and they flew to the far end of the field where there were some rocks of rose quartz.
Lauren dismounted. Twilight looked at her and then touched his horn to one of the rocks. ‘Mrs Fontana,’ he said.
There was a faint purple flash and purple smoke covered the stone. As it cleared, Lauren could see that as usual the surface of the rock had begun to shine like a mirror. Her breath caught in her throat as she leaned forward. What were they going to see…?
Nothing.
The mirror shone but all that they could see was a swirling pinky-purple haze. There was no sign of Mrs Fontana.
‘What’s happened? Why’s it not working?’ Lauren frowned. They’d never tried to look at Arcadia before. ‘Maybe we can’t see into Arcadia.’
‘Or maybe Mrs Fontana has gone somewhere else where even unicorn magic can’t see,’ Twilight said.
They both stared at the rock. The pinky-purple haze moved. Lauren felt a sudden urge to touch the rose quartz. She reached out. As her fingers touched the shining surface, she gasped. A wave of warmth seemed to flood out from the stone. It wrapped around her, making her feel safe and loved.
Twilight snorted.
‘Can you feel it too?’ Lauren said in a trembling voice.
He nodded. ‘It feels like… like Mrs Fontana’s there.’
‘Watching over us,’ Lauren breathed. ‘Caring about us.’
Twilight lifted his head. The rock stopped shining and Lauren felt the strength of the feeling fade but she was still left with a warm glow inside. She looked at Twilight.
‘Even if we can’t see her with your magic, Mrs Fontana’s still there somewhere,’ she said.
‘And she’s with her unicorn,’ Twilight said. ‘I felt it so strongly.’
An image of Mrs Fontana hugging her unicorn the night before filled Lauren’s mind. She remembered the look of joy on the old lady’s face, and the way she had looked so free from pain and worry. Lauren knew that she and Twilight would never see Mrs Fontana again but suddenly the thought didn’t make her feel so sad. Mrs Fontana had been right. Things did change – it was the way life was – but change wasn’t always bad. Mrs Fontana had gone but now she was with her unicorn again and this time they would never be parted.
And I’m a Keeper of the Unicorns’ Secrets, Lauren thought. Excitement flickered through her at the thought. She and Twilight had so much to do – so many people to help, so many adventures to have. She remembered something Mrs Fontana had written: your time has come. ‘It’s our time now, Twilight,’ she said softly.
Twilight nodded. ‘We’ve got to help other secret unicorns and their friends.’
Lauren looked up at the sky. The stars glittered brightly overhead. ‘We’ll do our best, Mrs Fontana. I promise,’ she declared.
An echo of Mrs Fontana’s wise voice seemed to float through her head. ‘I know you will, my dears. You always do.’
Lauren felt calm and happy. She put her arms around Twilight. Life changed. People changed. But there was one thing she knew for sure – she and Twilight would always love each other and be there for each other. That would never change.
She looked at her secret unicorn. ‘I love you, Twilight.’
He pricked up his ears, bathed in starlight. ‘Always and ever?’
Lauren smiled. ‘Forever,’ she said.
