My Secret Unicorn (5 page)

‘Hi,' Lauren replied, feeling awkward.

‘Look, I'm sorry about snapping earlier,' Hannah said. ‘I just felt you weren't listening to me. You were trying to make me do stuff I didn't want to do.'

‘I'm sorry too,' Lauren said. ‘I just thought it might be fun to do some
pony stuff. I didn't mean to upset you.'

‘That's OK. I'm just not into ponies any more.' Hannah looked at the telly. ‘Shall I turn this off?'

‘No, it's fine. I don't mind watching it with you,' Lauren replied.

Hannah smiled. ‘Cool.'

Lauren sat and watched the programme. It was OK, she supposed, but she would far rather have been outside with Twilight. She didn't know any of the bands playing, although Hannah seemed to know lots about them. As it finished, she glanced at her watch. Grace would be arriving any moment.

‘I should go back out,' she said, standing up. ‘My friend's coming round
with that pony I told you about.' She looked hopefully at Hannah. Surely she couldn't resist coming out to see Magpie?

But it seemed as if Hannah could. She picked up one of the magazines that was lying beside her. ‘OK. See you later.'

Lauren sighed. If only Hannah would come with her. She left the house and

reached Twilight's field just as Grace came riding through the wood on Apple. Magpie, a glossy young piebald pony, was jogging beside Apple, his ears pricked up, his dark eyes curious.

‘Hi!' Grace waved.

Lauren waved back and went over to take Magpie's reins. He pulled forward excitedly, almost knocking Lauren over.

‘Sorry, he's only young and he's not used to strange places,' Grace said as Lauren steadied him. ‘It'll do him good to be here for a few nights.' She looked round. ‘Where's your cousin then?'

Lauren felt embarrassed. She didn't want Grace to feel put out about having brought Magpie over for nothing. ‘Oh,
she's just inside at the moment,' she said. ‘She'll be out soon.'

Grace smiled. ‘I bet she'll love Magpie. Oh well, I'd better be getting back. Mum's been out at a show all day with some of the ponies and I said I'd be there to help her unload and feed them. Maybe we can all go for a ride some time? You, me, Jo-Ann and your cousin. Mel and Jess too, if they want to come?'

‘Yeah, sounds great,' Lauren said vaguely. ‘Thank you so much for bringing Magpie round. I'll give you a ring.'

‘Cool!' Grace said. ‘See you!' She rode off on Apple.

Lauren led Magpie over to the fence.
Twilight whickered and came over and the two ponies touched noses. Magpie seemed to relax slightly as Twilight breathed softly at him.

‘Guess I'll be riding you as well as Twilight for the next few days if Hannah doesn't want to ride you,' Lauren said to Magpie. A picture of Hannah sitting in the lounge reading her magazines came into her mind. Fun as it would be to have two ponies to ride, it would have been even better if she and Hannah could have gone riding together.

I wish Hannah hadn't changed so much
, she thought wistfully.

Lauren laughed in delight as she and Twilight swooped over the treetops later that night.

‘This is fun!' Twilight said.

Lauren wrapped her hands in his mane. With the stars whizzing by, she could almost forget all about Hannah not liking ponies any more.

Suddenly her eyes caught a flash of
yellow in the trees beneath and she heard the faint yap of a dog.

‘Twilight! It's Mrs Fontana and Walter! Mrs Fontana must be feeling better if she's out walking in the woods. Let's go and see them.'

Twilight swooped down.

Mrs Fontana was walking slowly along the path. She was looking through the trees, almost as if she was searching for something. Walter was not bounding on ahead as he usually did, but was staying close to her side.

Twilight whinnied and Mrs Fontana glanced up. For a moment a look of delight crossed her face but then her shoulders seemed to sag and the delight
instantly faded. Lauren stared at the old lady in surprise. It was almost as if Mrs Fontana had been expecting to see someone else instead of them.

‘Hi, Mrs Fontana,' she called.

Mrs Fontana smiled with her usual warm smile. ‘Hello, my dears,' she said as Twilight flew down and landed.

‘How are you?' Lauren asked.

‘Oh, I'm as well as can be expected.' Mrs Fontana coughed and pulled her mustard-yellow shawl around her. Lauren looked at her in concern. Mrs Fontana didn't seem any better. So what was she doing out in the cold November night?

‘You look so lovely flying together,' Mrs Fontana said with a strange, sad
smile. ‘Sometimes you really remind me of my old unicorn, Twilight. He was called Midnight Star and had a silver horn like yours. His mane reached to the floor and he had the deepest, darkest eyes I've ever seen.'

Lauren looked at her. There was something she'd wanted to know ever since she'd first found out Mrs Fontana had once had a unicorn but she'd never found the right moment to ask. ‘Mrs Fontana, why did you let your unicorn go back to Arcadia? Why did you say goodbye to him?'

Mrs Fontana paused before answering. ‘Things change,' she said at last. ‘The time came for me to let him go.'

Twilight whickered anxiously.

‘You'll understand one day,' Mrs Fontana said.

But Lauren knew she never would. ‘I couldn't do it,' she breathed. ‘I couldn't say goodbye to Twilight. Not ever.'

‘It was hard,' Mrs Fontana said, her eyes clouding with memories. ‘The hardest thing I've ever done but it had to
happen. Still, I know that one day we will meet again and then we will never be parted.'

‘You'll meet again?' Lauren said, confused. ‘But how? And when?'

‘How and when are not questions I can answer, my dear,' Mrs Fontana replied softly. ‘But enough about me. Are you having a good time now your cousin is here?'

Lauren sighed. ‘Not really.'

‘Hannah doesn't like riding any more,' Twilight said.

‘Oh dear,' Mrs Fontana sighed. ‘And you were so looking forward to doing pony stuff with her.'

‘I wish people didn't have to change,
Mrs Fontana,' Lauren said wistfully.

Mrs Fontana looked at her. ‘Oh, usually you find that people haven't really changed deep down, however old and grown-up they get. I don't think Hannah will really have changed. I think she probably just needs reminding of how much she loves ponies.'

‘My mum said the same thing,' Lauren said. ‘But it's not true. I've been trying to get Hannah to do pony stuff but all she wants is to sit inside. Can you think of anything, Mrs Fontana?'

‘Lauren's been trying really hard,' Twilight added.

‘Hmm.' Mrs Fontana frowned thoughtfully. ‘Perhaps you've been trying
too
hard, Lauren. Most people don't like feeling they're being forced into things. Is there any way you could get Hannah to do stuff without it seeming like you were trying to
make
her like ponies again? Then she might remember how much she really loves them.'

Lauren thought hard. ‘Hannah's very kind,' she replied slowly. ‘I guess if I couldn't look after Twilight and Magpie for some reason, she might offer to look after them for me.'

‘I know!' Twilight snorted. ‘Why don't you pretend you're sick, Lauren?'

‘Yeah!' Lauren looked at him in excitement. ‘Perhaps I could pretend to be ill tomorrow morning. I know it
would be a lie – but it would only be a little white lie and it might help.'

‘I could wake her up by whinnying from my field and you could say that you don't feel well enough to get up and feed and groom me and Magpie,' Twilight put in. ‘Then she might offer.'

‘And if she does all that stuff, she might just realize how much she likes being round ponies!' Lauren exclaimed.

Mrs Fontana laughed. ‘Sounds like you two have a new plan. You don't need me to think of anything after all.'

Lauren smiled in delight. ‘Oh, Mrs Fontana, this might just work!'

Mrs Fontana coughed and her face creased with pain. ‘Are you all right?' Lauren asked anxiously.

‘Here, can I help?' Twilight said, reaching out with his horn.

‘No, Twilight.' Mrs Fontana stepped back. ‘I am old. That is all.' She coughed again. ‘Go on. You two go now,' she said, her hand on her chest as if it was
hurting her. ‘I'm sure you want to be having fun, flying.'

‘But…' Lauren began.

‘Go,' Mrs Fontana insisted.

Lauren could tell there was no point arguing. She took hold of Twilight's mane.

‘Good luck helping Hannah,' Mrs Fontana said. ‘I hope you can remind her of how much she loves ponies.'

Twilight tossed his head, his silver horn glinting in the starlight.

‘We'll do our best,' Lauren promised.

‘I know you will. You always do. That's what makes you both so special.' Mrs Fontana smiled, but her eyes seemed sad and clouded. She put a hand lightly on
Twilight's mane and nodded gently at Lauren. ‘Goodbye, my dears.'

Lauren looked at her in surprise but Twilight was already plunging into the sky. Lauren suddenly had a strange urge to stay with the old lady and not leave her. ‘Goodbye, Mrs Fontana!' she called uneasily.

Mrs Fontana lifted one hand and then turned away and stepped into the trees with Walter at her side.

As Lauren looked at the suddenly empty path, her heart clenched and a hard lump of tears formed in her throat. Unhappiness swept over her in a wave.

Don't be silly
, she told herself quickly,
Mrs Fontana's only stepped off the path and gone to walk among the trees like she always does.

But something seemed different.

‘Are you OK?' Twilight asked as her fingers tightened in his mane.

‘Yeah,' Lauren said slowly. ‘I… I just feel a bit strange.' She glanced down at
the empty path again. ‘I don't really know why.'

‘I feel odd too,' Twilight admitted. ‘Do you think our plan for Hannah will work?'