Season's Galloping Read online

  A Magical Friend

  A Dream Come True

  The Special Secret

  A Unicorn Adventure!

  An Amazing Rescue

  Best Friends Forever!

  A Special Surprise

  A Singing Star

  The Lucky Horseshoe

  The Pumpkin Ghost

  Season’s Galloping

  With special thanks to Julie Sykes

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Prologue

  Hidden in the middle of the seas is the island of Chevalia, a magical place surrounded by golden beaches. It’s ruled by the royal ponies Queen Moonshine and King Firestar from their court at Stableside Castle.

  But a long way from Stableside, in the middle of the Horseshoe Hills, was a smaller, dilapidated castle with crumbling ivy-clad walls. Mice and beetles lived in the empty rooms. Bats roosted in the turrets and spiders hung from thick webs.

  In a dark room with spots of damp peppering the walls, a mean-looking pony with a square nose was preparing to go out. She put on a black cloak and pulled the hood over her face. Next, she covered her hooves with foam-backed horseshoes. The pony, whose name was Divine, walked to the opposite side of the room, then trotted back. Her hooves made no sound on the stone floor.

  “Perfect!” A wicked smile lit Divine’s face. “No one will hear me when I walk down Mane Street to strip the Christmas tree of its decorations.”

  Reaching up, Divine unhooked a large sack from a nail on the wall. She hung it round her neck and went out through the back door. On silent hooves, Divine galloped to Mane Street.

  While the ponies of Chevalia slept, Divine stared at the enormous Christmas tree, tall and proud at the end of the street. Its snowy branches were covered with horseshoe decorations that sparkled in the moonlight. Divine set to work, removing the horseshoes and hiding them in her sack. When the tree was empty, she brushed the stray pine needles and glitter from her cloak. A wicked smile lit her sallow face.

  “Chevalia,” she whispered, “I’ve ruined Christmas for you. Only when you accept me as your rightful queen will I stop thinking up ways to make your lives as miserable as mine.”

  Divine cackled softly as she galloped away, the tree decorations bouncing in her sack.

  Chapter 1

  Pippa MacDonald woke early. It was unnaturally quiet, and the room was bathed in a bright white light. Butterflies danced in her stomach as she leapt out of bed.

  “Snow!” Pippa’s breath came out in a white cloud as she threw back the curtains and stared onto the street. “Snow for Christmas day.”

  On tiptoes, Pippa crept downstairs to the Christmas tree. The fresh smell of pine needles tickled her nose.

  “Wow!” she gasped. The tree stood in a sea of presents. Pippa’s eyes traveled over the parcels, trying to guess the contents from their shape. So many of the gift tags had her name written on them, but had she gotten the present she wanted the most? “Please let there be ice skates!” Pippa had her heart set on a white pair that she’d seen in Till-ingdale’s department store.

  Pippa couldn’t wait for her family, Mom, Miranda, and Jack, to wake so she could find out.

  Jack woke next. He ran around the tree shouting, “Choo choo!” He’d been hoping for a train set.

  Miranda clumped down the stairs, grumbling. “Why so loud?”

  “It’s Christmas!” Pippa squealed.

  “Presents, presents, presents!” Jack yelled as their Mom followed them into the front room.

  “Can we open them now?” asked Pippa hopefully.

  “Not yet,” said Mom, her face serious. “There’s been a change of plan. We’re going to school.”

  “Good one!” Pippa laughed, thinking that her mother was joking. No one went to school on Christmas morning.

  “It’s true,” said Mom.

  “Ha ha ha!” Jack giggled.

  “I’m sorry, kids, but a friend called me late last night. She’s using the school kitchens and gym to prepare a Christmas feast for local people who aren’t as lucky as we are. But she doesn’t have enough helpers, so I said we’d go along too.

  “Really? Suddenly I don’t feel so lucky,” said Miranda.

  “I’m not going to school on Christmas day!” Jack jumped up and down. “No!” he shouted. “No. No. No.”

  “Yes,” said Mom firmly. “We can all help out. And our Christmas can wait for a few more hours.”

  Pippa frowned. She didn’t want to help either. But it seemed mean not to, especially when Christmas was supposed to be a time of good will.

  After a hurried breakfast, they wrapped up in warm coats and winter boots. Jack was still being difficult, so Pippa volunteered to pull him on a sled. Mom was carrying two large bags filled with food.

  “Why don’t you pop them on the sled, Mom?” offered Pippa. “I can pull the groceries and the brother!”

  Mom placed the bags in between Jack’s legs and said, “Hold on to these.”

  “I’ll eat it all up,” he joked with a smile.

  As they trudged through the snow on the familiar route toward school, Pippa pretended she was a reindeer pulling Santa’s sleigh across the sky. But of course it was much harder to walk in the snow than fly through the air.

  Still, Pippa loved hearing the crunch of the snow as her feet sank into it and seeing how the sled’s train smoothed over her footprints as she pulled it. As they neared the school, they joined up with other parents and children. Many of them were also carrying bags of food.

  “Cody!” called Pippa, catching sight of her best friend. She hurried across the yard and caught up to Cody by the frozen duck pond next to the gym. “Merry Christmas.”

  “Right back at ya,” said Cody. She pointed to a pair of ducks huddled together at the edge of the pond. “Look at them, poor things. The ice is so thick they’ve got nowhere to swim.”

  “They’ll have to learn to ice skate,” said Pippa. Her heart leaped with wonder. Had she gotten the ice skates she wanted?

  The gym was buzzing with activity. Volunteers of all ages, wearing Santa hats, were busy hanging decorations and setting the tables. In the school’s kitchen, which joined onto the gym, a group of parents was singing as they prepared the Christmas feast.

  “Mmm,” said Pippa, her stomach rumbling in appreciation. “Something smells delicious.”

  “There’s no time for daydreaming.” Mom came up behind Pippa. “We’ve got a ton of work to do to make this day special.”

  “Yes, ma’am!” said Pippa smartly. She gave Mom a mock salute. “What can I do first?”

  “Open the door,” said Mom. She pushed her brown hair away from her face. “It’s getting hot in here.”

  Pippa ran to the door and opened it wide. A flurry of fresh snow rushed in on a cold breeze. Pippa opened her mouth to catch the snowflakes on her tongue. Most of them landed on her nose, making her giggle. Out of the corner of her eye, Pippa saw something gliding closer. She stopped catching snowflakes and stared in surprise.

  It was a pony. A pony with wings.

  “Princess Cloud?” Pippa blinked and rubbed her eyes. “Is it really you?”

  Pippa couldn’t believe that Princess Cloud would be here on Christmas day, but the ponies of Chevalia always found ways to surprise her.

  Princess Cloud flew across the yard and hovered in front of her.

  “Hello, Pippa,” she said breathlessly. “I’m so glad I’ve found you at last! I flew to your house and knocked on your window with my hoof, but nobody was home. I followed the trail you left all the way here. I’ve
come to take you back to Chevalia.”

  Chevalia was a magical island inhabited by talking ponies. Pippa loved visiting, especially to help her friends there sort out their problems, but today her heart sank. “Is something wrong? I can’t come right now. I’m needed here, to make a special Christmas feast for people who wouldn’t get one otherwise.”

  “You’re very generous, Pippa, but Chevalia needs you too. It’s Divine. We think she’s up to her old tricks again,” Cloud said persuasively.

  “Then of course I’ll come.” Pippa suddenly remembered that time stood still in her world when she was in Chevalia. She could help both her pony friends and her human ones. She looked around to check that no one was watching; then she vaulted onto Cloud’s back.

  Pippa sank her hands into Cloud’s soft white mane as the pony rose into the air. It was a thrill to fly over the snow-covered houses. Pippa tried to guess what lay under the white blobs in people’s yards. Before long, they reached the sea. Cloud raced across the ocean, her wings flapping rhythmically. Pippa leaned back, breathing huge gulps of the salty air.

  “Chevalia,” she whispered, as finally a small white dot appeared on the horizon. The first sighting of her favorite island always made her heart soar, and this time the island she loved was covered in snow!

  As the dot grew larger, Cloud flew lower. Her hooves skimmed the snowy treetops of the Wild Forest as she flew toward the eight tall turrets of Stableside Castle. When the trees gave way to the plateau, Cloud banked away from Stableside, flying on to the collection of buildings on Mane Street.

  Pippa loved Mane Street. It was the road where the ponies did their shopping, went to school, visited the fun fair, or just hung out together. “Oh look!” she breathed. “A Christmas tree! It’s beautiful.”

  “It was beautiful,” Cloud corrected her.

  The tree stood at the far end of Mane Street. Its long straight branches were covered with glossy green needles that shone in the sunlight. Pippa was surprised to see that a crowd of ponies had gathered under the tree.

  “Are they waiting for something?” she asked.

  “Yes,” Cloud continued. “Until last night, the tree was filled with silver horseshoes. There’s a tradition here in Chevalia. The royal family provide the shoes and the ponies of Chevalia decorate them. Today is supposed to be the day of the tree ceremony. That’s when Queen Moonshine picks her favorite horseshoe. The winning shoe is placed at the very top of the tree. Then Queen Moonshine switches on the tree lights and there’s a huge street party to celebrate.”

  “The tree ceremony sounds amazing,” said Pippa. She hoped she could take part in it.

  “It should be,” said Cloud, lowering her head, “but not this year. Last night, while everyone was sleeping, someone stole the silver horseshoes. Every single one is gone. Christmas is ruined!”

  Chapter 2

  “Pippa!” said a familiar voice. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

  A pretty pony with a long white mane separated from the crowd and galloped over to nuzzle Pippa in the neck. “Something dreadful has happened. Our horseshoes have been stolen!”

  “Not again!” said Pippa, hugging Princess Stardust. “But at least this time the horseshoes are tree decorations, right? Not the golden horseshoes that hang on the Whispering Wall.”

  The eight magical horseshoes that hung from the stone wall at Stableside Castle were essential. Without their energy, Chevalia would fade away.

  “They’re not just tree decorations!” said Stardust impatiently. “They’re royal tradition! Christmas will be ruined without them.”

  A hush fell over the clustered ponies. Suddenly they parted, making way for Queen Moonshine and King Firestar. The Queen, a dainty palomino with a golden coat and a snow-white tail so long it brushed along the ground, wore a deep red sash patterned with sprigs of holly. King Firestar, a tall copper-colored pony with bright eyes, wore a contrasting green sash patterned with robins.

  “Your majesties.” Pippa curtsied beside Stardust, her head bowed.

  “Philippa MacDonald, here again when we need you most,” said Queen Moonshine. Her dark eyes held Pippa’s. “Without the horseshoes, we cannot have our tree ceremony. Please say you will find them and bring them back.”

  “I will!” Pippa promised. She loved Chevalia and would do anything for the island.

  “Thank you.” The Queen was relieved.

  “We can always count on you,” King Firestar added. “Our hero.”

  “Another adventure with my best friend,” said Princess Stardust happily.

  “I know exactly where to start our search. The Volcano.”

  “The Volcano?” asked Pippa. She wasn’t so sure.

  “Of course,” Stardust rushed on. “See all those sooty black marks under the tree? That can only mean one thing. The Volcano Ponies have been here.”

  Pippa shook her head, her brown curls bouncing as she protested, “The Volcano Ponies are our friends! They wouldn’t steal from us. They’re very shy. If they’ve been here at all, then they must have snuck out under the cover of darkness to see the tree.”

  “I’m sure it was them. I bet they were hoodwinked by Divine again. She probably made them steal the magical horseshoes. Divine keeps trying to spoil things for Chevalia.”

  Pippa recalled how Divine had tricked a couple of the Volcano Ponies into doing her bidding, helping her steal and hide the magical horseshoes that gave Chevalia its energy to exist. That seemed like a long time ago now, the first time Pippa had been called to help Chevalia, but she remembered that adventure like it was just yesterday.

  “I don’t know,” Pippa protested. “The Volcano Ponies are clever, and I don’t think they’d fall for Divine’s tricks a second time.”

  “I still think it was them,” Stardust repeated.

  “It’s not nice to accuse ponies without any facts to prove it, Stardust,” said Pippa. “I tell you what: let’s go visit them. We could take them some Christmas treats and then ask if they know anything about the missing shoes.”

  A familiar stubborn look crossed Stardust’s face. Pippa waited quietly.

  “All right then,” said Stardust ungraciously. “If you insist.”

  “I do,” said Pippa. “Thanks, Stardust. You’re such a good friend.”

  “I am? Yes, I am,” said Stardust. “Let’s go visit the Mane Street Bakery. When I passed by earlier, Madame Colette had lots of tasty things in her window. We could take some to the Volcano Ponies. Everyone loves Madame Colette’s cakes.”

  Madame Colette had a line of ponies stretching out the door. When she spotted Pippa and Stardust waiting at the end, she called them inside.

  “Peeepa, Prrrincess Starrrrdust,” she squealed. “Come in, come in, mes petites.”

  Pippa was learning French in school and knew Madame Colette was being friendly by calling them little ones.

  “Have you come to buy the special cakes, baked by moi? Royalty comes to the front of the line, c’est vrai?!”

  Pippa was embarrassed about skipping ahead in the line, but none of the waiting ponies seemed to mind. In fact, they all laughed as Madame Colette fussed and petted her, blowing in her hair and nuzzling her nose against Pippa’s cheek.

  She offered Pippa a square sample of cake.

  “C’est magnifique,” said Pippa appreciatively.

  “Merci,” replied Madame Colette. She was a pretty horse with a jet-black coat and bright rubies in her mane.

  When Pippa explained that they wanted to take a present to the Volcano Ponies, Madame Colette emptied her shelves of pastries and cakes. “The poor petites, stuck up there in that hot volcano. Go quickly. Take them my cakes while they are still fresh from the oven. I will bake more for the waiting ponies.”

  Pippa’s mouth was watering as she and Stardust staggered out of the shop with boxes full of pastries. “We’re never going to get these all the way up to the Volcano on our own! We need something to put them in.”

  “Tony Tack might have
a hoofbarrow in his hardware store,” said Stardust.

  Pippa knew it would be nearly impossible to push a hoofbarrow up to the Volcano. But she did have an idea of what would glide over the snow.

  “Look after these for a minute,” she said. She left her cakes and pastries with Stardust while she dashed up Mane Street. Halfway along the road, she stopped next to a small shop with a large glass window.

  “Eclipse’s Sleighs.” Pippa pressed her nose against the glass and stared at the display sleighs parked inside.

  “Pippa!” Eclipse appeared by her side. “I thought I saw you! Welcome back to Chevalia. Have you come to buy a sleigh? I can make you a fabulous deal. I’ll have you on the snow for next to nothing.”

  Pippa gave Eclipse a winning smile. “Actually, I was hoping I could make you a fabulous deal. Please would you lend Princess Stardust and me a sleigh, in exchange for a freshly baked carrot cake? We’re off to visit the Volcano Ponies. We’re taking them pastries as a Christmas treat.”

  “In that case, how can I refuse?” Eclipse whinnied. “But on one condition. Instead of giving me the carrot cake, you take it to my friend Nightshade. I haven’t seen her since I moved down to Mane Street. I miss her so very much.”

  “Deal!” Pippa struck the bargain by patting Eclipse on the neck.

  “Thank you, Pippa,” said Eclipse. “I love Mane Street, and my new shop is doing extremely well. But I miss my old friends. They don’t visit that often. They’re so shy that Mane Street overwhelms them.”

  Pippa called for Stardust. When she trotted over, Eclipse showed them around to the sleigh lot at the back of her shop, where she helped them to pick a sleigh. “This one,” she said, pointing to a smart purple sleigh in the corner. “It’s not the biggest but it’s the lightest, so it should be easy for you to both pull.”

  “Pull? Me?” Stardust was outraged. “I’m not a common work horse. I am a Princess Pony.”

  Pippa laughed. She patted her friend kindly. “Of course you are, Stardust, but you’re also going to help pull the sleigh.”