CHAPTER SEVEN
Two by two, the students and their unicorns emerged from Wonderwood Forest. Valentina and her flame-colored unicorn were the first back, but Ava, Layla, Isabel, and Rory were only seconds behind. No one had seen Sophia. Ms. Furi checked her pocket watch impatiently—it was nearly time to go inside.
Valentina raised an eyebrow at Ava and Layla. “It looks like your friend didn’t find a unicorn. Oh well, that really is too bad.”
“Cheer up, Val,” chirped a voice. “I’m not leaving yet.”
Ava and Layla shrieked with happiness. Sophia was running toward the group, followed by her rainbow-maned unicorn. Valentina scowled.
Ms. Furi greeted the late arrivals with a beady stare. Then she reached over and pulled a single leaf out of Sophia’s hair. “Do you care to explain this, Miss Mendoza?”
Sophia looked confused. “What is…?”
“It’s a leaf from a tangletwist tree,” snapped Ms. Furi. “You were specifically given instructions not to cross the Shimmerstone Wall.”
“But I—”
Ava shot a nervous look at her friend.
“Breaking rules might be okay back home, Miss Mendoza, but we take this very seriously at Unicorn Academy.” Ms Furi’s face was now pale with anger. “I’m afraid this is grounds for dismissal.”
Sophia heard the words, but she couldn’t quite believe them.
“This can’t be happening,” she whispered. “I’m sorry.”
Ms. Furi’s voice remained firm. “Please head back to your dorm and pack your things.”
“No!” blurted out Ava, clutching Layla’s arm.
Crushed, Sophia gave her unicorn one last stroke, then turned and slowly trudged away.
Sophia had never felt so lonely. As she walked miserably up the steps to the academy courtyard, her heart grew heavier and heavier. She hadn’t just let herself down, she had let her family down, too. She wondered how she would find the words to tell her mom that she had been kicked out of school.
“What was I thinking?” she said sadly, walking past the gleaming marble statues dedicated to Unicorn Academy’s greatest heroes. “How could I ever become a Unicorn Rider?”
Sophia looked down at her ripped jeans and her beloved checkered shirt, still covered with twigs and leaves from her struggle in the tangletwist tree. She didn’t look anything like a hero. Compared to the riders celebrated in the monuments around her, she—
Sophia stopped in front of a statue of a handsome, bearded man gazing out toward the ocean.
“Wait a minute,” she murmured. “Is that my dad ?”
“It is indeed.”
Sophia spun on her heel and came face-to-face with Ms. Primrose.
“I don’t understand,” said Sophia. “Was my dad a…Unicorn Rider?”
Ms. Primrose gave a little nod. “One of our best.”
“Why didn’t he ever tell me?” asked Sophia. “I thought he was a truck driver.”
“He wasn’t allowed to tell you,” Ms. Primrose told her softly, “but he told us all about you. Come with me.”
The head teacher guided Sophia into the beautiful front lobby of the academy. They walked slowly, taking their time to study the display of photographs, certificates, and artifacts mounted on pedestals.
“This is where we remember Unicorn Academy’s proud history,” explained Ms. Primrose.
“There’s my dad again!” exclaimed Sophia, pointing at a black-and-white class photo. “I knew he went to a riding school, but I wasn’t expecting this.”
“Like all Unicorn Riders, your father graduated and became a protector of Unicorn Island. He left to raise your family back home, but he always returned when we needed him,” said Ms. Primrose. She paused for a moment before adding, “Five years ago, when the island was in great danger, he came back to join the fight against Ravenzella.”
“The Queen of Grimoria?” Sophia gasped.
“Yes,” said Ms. Primrose. “Your father sacrificed himself to save this island and lock Ravenzella in the Cell of Eternity.”
Sophia felt overwhelmed. “That was him in The Sparklebook? We always thought he died in an accident.”
Ms. Primrose put her arm around Sophia, then patiently explained how incredibly brave her father had been. It was a lot to take in. Tears welled up in Sophia’s eyes. On the same day that she had discovered this news, she would be leaving—returning to a life without magic and unicorns!
“You did break a rule today,” Ms. Primrose said carefully, pointing up to another photograph of Miles Mendoza riding his unicorn. “But I think you deserve another chance. I have faith that you will be more mindful of our rules moving forward.”
“Thank you so much!” Sophia cried. “Hey! The unicorn that I matched with in the forest…”
“Yes,” said Ms. Primrose. “She was your father’s unicorn. Her name is Wildstar.”
Sophia repeated the name: Wildstar. It had a lovely feel to it.
The soft clip-clop of hooves echoed through the lobby. Wildstar came up to stand beside them.
“You knew my dad?” whispered Sophia, reaching out her hand.
Wildstar whinnied gently. The unicorn gazed sadly up at the pictures on the wall. She missed Sophia’s dad, too.
“Unfortunately, when a unicorn loses their rider,” said Ms. Primrose, “they also lose their magical abilities.”
“Oh!”
Poor Wildstar. Losing her magic as well as her best friend—it was almost too sad to think about. Sophia wished that she could find a way to help the unicorn.
“Ms. Primrose!” she suddenly cried out. “Could it be up to me to bring her magic back?”
The head teacher’s eyes twinkled mysteriously. “Fate works in interesting ways, Sophia.”
A little later, the new students and their unicorns began to trickle up to the Enchanted Archway in the heart of the academy’s gardens. Ms. Furi had told everyone to arrive by two o’clock, and nobody dared to be late. Ava paced up and down, desperately looking for Sophia. Her face lit up when she saw her friend making her way to join the group.
“Please, please, please tell me you can stay,” she begged, taking both of Sophia’s hands and squeezing them tightly.
Sophia grinned up at Wildstar, then nodded her head.
“Yay!” cheered Ava.
Ms. Furi walked over and glared at Sophia, until Ms. Primrose arrived and whispered something in her ear. A flash of disappointment passed across Ms. Furi’s face, and then she stalked away.
Ms. Primrose turned to the assembled group.
“You have taken the next step toward becoming Unicorn Riders,” she said in her clear, singsong voice. “The Fate Fairies will now name your unicorns and give out your riding uniforms.”
As the Fate Fairies gathered into a shimmering cloud and began to flutter around the Enchanted Archway, Sophia wondered what her uniform might look like. The older students she’d seen around the academy appeared very nicely dressed, mostly wearing crisp jodhpurs and glossy riding boots. Compared to them, she couldn’t help but feel a little unsure of herself in her ripped jeans and old high-tops. What would her magical makeover be?
The little colored orbs of light surrounding the Fate Fairies began to flare brightly. In unison, they summoned each rider and unicorn pairing:
“Ava and…Leaf!”
As Ava stepped forward, the Enchanted Archway glowed with powerful fairy magic. Suddenly her everyday outfit was transformed into a beautiful forest-green tunic decorated with petals and butterflies.
Sophia clapped in approval. This wasn’t like any school uniform she had ever seen before. It was charming, sweet, and one hundred percent Ava.
“Look at you, Leaf!” cried Ava, embracing her unicorn. “Your saddle matches my dress.”
The next hour was full of smiles and surprises as each of the students were introduced. Layla and her unicorn, Glacier, looked amazing in icy blues, pinks, and snowflake whites. Rory was super-happy when the Fate Fairies dressed him and his unicorn, Storm, in vivid lightning flashes. Isabel’s match, River, was still a little nervous and shy, but dressed in swirls of pink and blue, the pair looked totally unstoppable. And no one was more diva-fierce than Valentina and her unicorn, Cinder, who wore a studded leather saddle.
Now the Fate Fairies were ready for their very last transformation: “Sophia and Wildstar!”
Sophia stepped underneath the Enchanted Archway and instantly felt a burst of magical energy rush through her body. Her friends from Sapphire dorm started cheering.
Sophia’s ripped jeans and sneakers were gone. Instead, she was wearing a stunning gold-and-purple riding outfit that was decorated with stars. Wildstar whickered joyfully, rearing up to reveal an amazing gold saddle with rainbow-colored swirls.
“These uniforms are certainly a change from tradition,” remarked Ms. Furi.
Ms. Primrose tried to hide her smile. “It seems that the Fate Fairies feel this class has a lot of personality.”
Ms. Furi huffed grumpily as the students led their unicorns out to the stables. The bright, airy buildings came alive with noisy whoops, chatter, and laughter as everyone oohed and aahed over the amazing spaces. Just like the dorms, every stall had been customized to suit the unicorn that would live there.
“It’s so beautiful,” cried Sophia as they walked into Sapphire dorm’s stable. “And a little different from the barn at home!”
Wildstar snickered as if to tell her, “This will do just fine.”
The stable was circular, with rafters draped in gorgeous summer flowers. There were many baskets of sky berries for the unicorns to eat and a well of cold turquoise water in the center. Fernakus the Dwerpin was waiting to meet them, floating through the air on an adorable flying pig called Petula.
“Jiminy Flipmouse,” he exclaimed, “those are some top-notch unicorns! The magical water flowing here from Starglow Lake will keep them in tip-top shape. Trust me, they’re in good hands!”
Sophia nodded gratefully, then guided Wildstar into her stall.
“What do you think?” she asked.
Wildstar took in the round windows, the soft straw bedding, and the twinkling stars hanging down from the ceiling.
“Those stars! They’re like my pendant,” said Sophia, taking it out to show the unicorn. “Dad used to call me his shining star, but maybe you already knew that?”
Wildstar’s eyes grew tender. She placed her muzzle in Sophia’s hands, and the pair stayed like that for a moment, silently remembering.
“Okay,” decided Sophia at last. “You better get some rest—training starts tomorrow. We’re going to bond, you’ll get your magic back, and I’m going to be a great Unicorn Rider, just like my dad. Sound like a plan?”