The morning the royal children were scheduled to visit, the ponies bathed in the river. “We have to look our best!” Electra said.

Belissima frowned. “It’s not the only important thing. You have to show your best magic, and be friendly, too.”

Electra turned to Skydancer and Daisy. “Easy for her to say,” she muttered. “Belissima always looks perfect!”

Suddenly, a dark head rose from the surface and Marina swam over to Daisy, presenting her with a crown of seashells and coral.

“It’s so pretty!” Daisy dipped her head so Marina could place the crown on her. “Thank you!”

Marina nodded and slipped back under the water.

“Wow! That’s gorgeous. She really likes you!” Skydancer said.

“I’ve been singing to them while everyone else has been working on their Glitter Gifts.” She didn’t tell her how Marina had found her crying by the riverbank.

“You’ll be the only one out there with a crown,” Skydancer said.

That made Daisy feel a little better.

When they dried off, Skydancer asked a few birds in a nearby tree to thread daisies into her mane. The birds flew away and returned with flowers clutched in their beaks. Bobbing through the air, they tucked the posies in her beautiful blue and white mane.

Daisy smiled at her friend. “You look magical.”

“How about some braids?” Skydancer asked.

Daisy nodded excitedly, and three birds flew over, each grabbing tiny sections of her mane. They crossed them back and forth until she had several delicate braids falling along her neck.

“Thank you!” she cried. Maybe her splendid mane and seapony crown would distract the royal children from noticing that she didn’t have a Glitter Gift. Or that her hooves didn’t make glitter.

Maybe she should hide in her stable instead.

After a breakfast of oats and apples, the ponies lined up in the arena. Even the second-year ponies were there. Daisy hadn’t been in the huge ring before. It was amazing. Stands for the children and their families circled the field. Tall flags from each of the kingdoms lined the stadium, flapping in the breeze.

But when the princes and princesses started filing into the arena, Daisy’s stomach felt hollow.

“I’m nervous,” Skydancer said.

“Me too,” Belissima said. “I’ll be part of the next selection class. One of these children will choose me.”

Once the arena was filled, the headmaster and headmistress climbed onto the stage behind the ponies.

“Welcome, princes and princesses of the hundred kingdoms,” Headmistress Valincia said. “Our ponies have been working hard and are delighted to show you their magic and their talents today. First up, the second-year students, who will be part of our selection ceremonies this year. Then you’ll meet our newest ponies, who will be matched with their owners next year. Sit back and enjoy the show!”

Belissima trotted into the arena. Girls in the crowd stood to get a better look at her beauty. She pranced across the field, but Daisy could see she wasn’t smiling. Then she stopped in the middle and paused, before her coat turned from light purple to dark purple. She got a big round of applause from the crowd. Lots of girls shrieked that they were going to choose her for their pet.

“I think I’m going to throw up!” Skydancer whispered, shuffling her feet.

“Why?” Daisy asked. “Your routine is awesome. You’ll do great.”

Skydancer blew out a long breath. “Thanks. You’re such a good friend.”

The rest of the second-year ponies performed, and they all got plenty of cheers from the princes and princesses.

Then it was time for the first-year ponies. Duke trotted out first and the crowd went wild as he stomped the huge boulders into dust. They gasped when he touched one of the rocks with his horn and turned it red before he destroyed it.

After Duke, Razzle galloped onto the field, leaving a cloud of green glitter behind her. A few animals from the stables joined her, and she copied the sounds of the chickens, the cows, and the ducks. Everyone enjoyed her mimicking.

Daisy was the last pony on the list and she was getting more nervous as the line grew shorter. What if no one clapped? What if people booed her? What if they laughed?

Skydancer’s routine was Daisy’s favorite. Her friend got a standing ovation when she finally landed on the ground with her bird friends perched on her wings.

Then Daisy heard her own name announced.

“Our final presentation is from one of our most wonderful students,” Headmaster Elegius said. “Let’s give a warm welcome to Daisy!”

Daisy pranced onto the field as she’d practiced. She did a simple spell to make her quill write “Hello children” on a large scroll floating next to her. Then she stopped to sing in the middle of the field. That got a polite round of applause. It wasn’t the most exciting routine, but it was finally over. She bowed and galloped toward the rest of the ponies as they chanted, “Daisy, Daisy, Daisy!”

Then she heard whispers from the crowd. “Where is her glitter?”

“Why aren’t her hooves making glitter?”

This was horrible. She should have stayed in her stable instead of embarrassing herself. She closed her eyes, wishing with all her might that she could disappear. “I don’t want to be here, please let me disappear!” she whispered to herself.

Then the crowd gasped. “Where did she go?”

“I can’t see her!” someone said.

“That pony vanished!” another person cried.

Daisy looked over at her classmates. They all looked shocked, too.

“Daisy, where did you go?” Skydancer asked, looking around.

She ran back to the center of the field, but people in the arena were still standing, looking for her.

Daisy lifted her hoof. She couldn’t see it, either! How did that happen? I wished in a rhyme, Daisy realized. And I really, really wanted to disappear!

She stopped running and closed her eyes again. I wish my friends could see me again, she thought. Not quite a rhyme but maybe close enough?

Then the crowd roared. “What an incredible Glitter Gift!” someone cried from the crowd. “She can turn invisible!”

“That’s the pony I want to choose,” a little girl said.

“I’m going to pick that pony next year,” said another child.

“No, I am!” shouted a boy.

Her friends started chanting once more. “Daisy! Daisy! Daisy!”

Daisy wasn’t sure she could make it happen again. So she closed her eyes and wished again she could disappear. And she did!

The crowd gasped.

Daisy trotted over to her classmates and wished she could reappear. The crowd cheered when she became visible once more among her friends.

Skydancer nudged Daisy with her nose. “See? I told you that you’d have a wonderful Glitter Gift.”

“I can’t believe it,” Daisy said, breathless. Her magic wasn’t weak, after all! For fun, she tried levitating a rock nearby. If she could turn invisible, certainly she could raise a rock, right?

She stomped the ground and thought to herself, That rock over there, fly into the air!

The rock shot up off the ground.

Daisy laughed and reared her front legs. I just had to really want to do it. I had to believe I could do it.

After Headmaster Elegius invited the children to come down to the field and visit with the ponies, he walked over to her with a huge grin.

“Congratulations, that’s a fine gift. One we’ve never seen before at the academy.”

“Really?” asked Daisy.

“Really. And now we know why your hooves don’t make glitter. You wouldn’t be invisible with a trail of glitter behind you.”

Daisy’s ears perked up. “That’s true!”

“You’d be a perfect guardian pony,” Headmistress Valincia said, walking over to join them. “It’s an incredible gift. It’s like the magic seen years ago. Strong magic.” She looked at the headmaster and raised an eyebrow. He nodded thoughtfully.

“So is that going to be my study group?” Daisy asked. “Guardianship?”

“Turning invisible would also be suitable for tricks, but you’d be quite an asset as a guardian,” the headmaster said. “It’s your decision.”

“If you think guardianship would be best, that’s what I choose,” Daisy said, a bit overwhelmed by the responsibility of helping a queen or king rule someday. But deep down, she now had no doubt she could do it.

The children rushed over to Daisy, stroking her mane and patting her back. “I’d love to have you as my pony,” one little girl said. “Then I could disappear with you when it was time for school.”

Daisy laughed.

“I’d sit on you and we’d disappear and I wouldn’t have to be a princess for a little while,” said another girl with long red braids.

“Well, I won’t be in the selection ceremonies this year, but I will be next year.” Daisy’s heart swelled with pride as she saw the excited faces of the children gathered around her.

Once the princes and princesses left, it was time for the celebration feast. Everyone cheered when Daisy walked into the banquet hall.

Headmaster Elegius walked up to her. “Get used to all the attention, Daisy. I hope you’re feeling better now.”

“Oh, I am. I only wish I could let my family know I discovered my Glitter Gift. I had them pretty worried when I left for the academy.”

“We have a day off classes tomorrow so we can clean up from today’s festivities. Why don’t you pay them a visit?” he asked.

“Really?”

He grinned. “Yes. You’ve earned it.”