arms glowed in the fiery heat beneath her. She held her breath, hardly daring to look down. Stardust hit the ground with a thump and galloped several strides before she was able to pull up.
‘We did it,’ she gasped.
‘ You did it,’ Pippa corrected her.
‘We!’ Stardust shouted to make her voice heard over Misty’s triumphant cheers. ‘That was teamwork. I could never have done it without your help.’
‘We help each other all the time,’ said Pippa.
‘I know,’ Stardust said happily. ‘It’s what best friends do.’
‘It’s my turn now,’ called Misty.
Stardust turned to watch the little unicorn run at the lava. Her golden horn bobbed up and down as she pounded towards the molten river. There was a determined glint in her eye as she took off. She cleared the lava in one giant leap and her smile was brighter than the morning sun as she landed gracefully.
Pippa and Stardust cheered but there was no time to rest. The three friends continued steadily up the Volcano.
‘How much further?’ Stardust asked.
‘We’re nearly there,’ said Misty.
As the climb became steeper, Stardust and Misty fell silent, saving their energy for the ascent. Sweat trickled from Pippa’s scalp and ran down her forehead into her eyes. Her curls felt limp, like seaweed stranded on the beach. She pushed them back from her face. What would they find at the top of the Volcano? With the hungry, red flames belching skyward it was hard to imagine anything existing up there at all. The path continued to twist until, rounding another bend, Stardust drew up sharply.
‘What’s that?’
‘It’s a castle!’ Pippa said, her heart thudding against her ribs.
Ahead of them was the biggest castle she’d ever seen, built into the face of the Volcano. Its turrets loomed above them, with their tall, slit windows staring out like all-seeing eyes. Ebony towers and turrets spiked upward from behind a solid jet wall. A massive drawbridge was drawn up, preventing intruders from crossing a moat of bubbling orange-red lava and reaching an enormous, coal-coloured door.
The whole place had a forbidding look. Even the craggy stone walls seemed to shout, ‘ Go away! ’
Stardust gave a huge, sad sigh.
‘I don’t believe it. We’ve come all this way and now we can’t get in.’
Chapter 3
Pippa squinted, scanning the Volcano Castle for a way in. She spotted guard ponies peering down over the walls.
‘Look,’ she said, pointing. ‘The guards have seen us. They’re lowering the drawbridge.’
Two stern-faced Night Mares, wearing black sashes encrusted with diamonds, were letting the drawbridge down.
‘Why would they do that straight away,’ Pippa mused, ‘unless they’re expecting us?’
‘You mean it could be a trap?’ Stardust asked, her voice squeaky with fear.
‘Maybe – perhaps Divine guessed that we’d come after her.’
‘We don’t have to go in,’ Misty said, taking dainty steps backward.
‘We do,’ said Pippa. ‘It’s our best chance of finding the last horseshoe.’
As the drawbridge clanged down over the moat, the guard ponies motioned for them to cross it and come up. Stardust stepped forward and, after a hoof beat’s hesitation, Misty followed. The flapping of wings made Pippa look up.
Something soared overhead and was gone in a flash. She gazed at the sky but there was nothing there. She gripped on to Stardust’s mane as the Princess Pony trotted across the rattling drawbridge.
‘Welcome, strangers,’ neighed the guards.
‘Hello,’ Stardust whinnied back. ‘Please can we come in?’
The Night Mares exchanged a grin.
‘Of course,’ said the taller one. ‘It’s a pleasure to have you here. It’s not often that we get to welcome visitors.’
Pippa could feel Stardust quivering beneath her. Taking a deep breath to steady her own trembling hand, she patted Stardust’s neck. Bravely Stardust stepped up into the castle, which appeared to be the home of
‘We did it,’ she gasped.
‘ You did it,’ Pippa corrected her.
‘We!’ Stardust shouted to make her voice heard over Misty’s triumphant cheers. ‘That was teamwork. I could never have done it without your help.’
‘We help each other all the time,’ said Pippa.
‘I know,’ Stardust said happily. ‘It’s what best friends do.’
‘It’s my turn now,’ called Misty.
Stardust turned to watch the little unicorn run at the lava. Her golden horn bobbed up and down as she pounded towards the molten river. There was a determined glint in her eye as she took off. She cleared the lava in one giant leap and her smile was brighter than the morning sun as she landed gracefully.
Pippa and Stardust cheered but there was no time to rest. The three friends continued steadily up the Volcano.
‘How much further?’ Stardust asked.
‘We’re nearly there,’ said Misty.
As the climb became steeper, Stardust and Misty fell silent, saving their energy for the ascent. Sweat trickled from Pippa’s scalp and ran down her forehead into her eyes. Her curls felt limp, like seaweed stranded on the beach. She pushed them back from her face. What would they find at the top of the Volcano? With the hungry, red flames belching skyward it was hard to imagine anything existing up there at all. The path continued to twist until, rounding another bend, Stardust drew up sharply.
‘What’s that?’
‘It’s a castle!’ Pippa said, her heart thudding against her ribs.
Ahead of them was the biggest castle she’d ever seen, built into the face of the Volcano. Its turrets loomed above them, with their tall, slit windows staring out like all-seeing eyes. Ebony towers and turrets spiked upward from behind a solid jet wall. A massive drawbridge was drawn up, preventing intruders from crossing a moat of bubbling orange-red lava and reaching an enormous, coal-coloured door.
The whole place had a forbidding look. Even the craggy stone walls seemed to shout, ‘ Go away! ’
Stardust gave a huge, sad sigh.
‘I don’t believe it. We’ve come all this way and now we can’t get in.’
Chapter 3
Pippa squinted, scanning the Volcano Castle for a way in. She spotted guard ponies peering down over the walls.
‘Look,’ she said, pointing. ‘The guards have seen us. They’re lowering the drawbridge.’
Two stern-faced Night Mares, wearing black sashes encrusted with diamonds, were letting the drawbridge down.
‘Why would they do that straight away,’ Pippa mused, ‘unless they’re expecting us?’
‘You mean it could be a trap?’ Stardust asked, her voice squeaky with fear.
‘Maybe – perhaps Divine guessed that we’d come after her.’
‘We don’t have to go in,’ Misty said, taking dainty steps backward.
‘We do,’ said Pippa. ‘It’s our best chance of finding the last horseshoe.’
As the drawbridge clanged down over the moat, the guard ponies motioned for them to cross it and come up. Stardust stepped forward and, after a hoof beat’s hesitation, Misty followed. The flapping of wings made Pippa look up.
Something soared overhead and was gone in a flash. She gazed at the sky but there was nothing there. She gripped on to Stardust’s mane as the Princess Pony trotted across the rattling drawbridge.
‘Welcome, strangers,’ neighed the guards.
‘Hello,’ Stardust whinnied back. ‘Please can we come in?’
The Night Mares exchanged a grin.
‘Of course,’ said the taller one. ‘It’s a pleasure to have you here. It’s not often that we get to welcome visitors.’
Pippa could feel Stardust quivering beneath her. Taking a deep breath to steady her own trembling hand, she patted Stardust’s neck. Bravely Stardust stepped up into the castle, which appeared to be the home of
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