Dreams Come True

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    Lauren stared after him. She was sure her mum would just laugh at Max’s idea about aliens, but the last thing she wanted was Max going on and on saying that there was something odd about Twilight.
    ‘You see all the trouble you’re causing?’ she said to Buddy, who was sniffing at Twilight’s tail.

Eight
    I t was Lauren’s turn to help wash the dishes after supper. Once they were all dried and put away, she pulled on her boots. ‘I’m going to see Twilight, Mum,’ she said.
    ‘OK,’ Mrs Foster said. She looked round. ‘Has anyone seen Max?’
    Lauren and her dad shook their heads.
    Mrs Foster smiled. ‘He’s probably in his room drawing aliens.’
    ‘Or Twilight’s spaceship,’ Mr Foster said with a laugh.
    Lauren let herself out of the back door, feeling very relieved that her mum and dad were treating her brother’s suspicions as a joke.
    ‘Hi, boy,’ she called, as Twilight whinnied to her from the paddock gate. ‘Do you know why Shadow wouldn’t jump today?’ she asked Twilight as soon as she had turned him into a unicorn.
    ‘No,’ Twilight replied.
    ‘Let’s go and see him,’ Lauren said. ‘There has to be a reason.’
    Twilight flew to Shadow’s field. The little dapple-grey pony was standing quietly, still looking very unhappy.
    ‘Oh, Shadow,’ Lauren said, sliding off Twilight’s back and going over to him. ‘What went wrong today? Why couldn’t you jump?’
    Shadow whinnied.

    ‘Oh,’ Twilight said. He turned to Lauren. ‘Poor Shadow. He says he really wanted to, but he just didn’t feel brave enough without the touch of my horn.’
    Shadow neighed sadly.
    Lauren didn’t like to see Shadow looking so upset. ‘I don’t know what to do,’ she told Shadow. ‘You know Twilight can’t be a unicorn when there are other people around.’
    Shadow nodded.
    He didn’t try jumping again that evening. After all, they knew he could jump at night when Twilight was a unicorn – it was jumping in the day that was the problem.
    Lauren sighed unhappily as she and Twilight flew home. She really wished there was something they could do to help.
    The next morning at school, Mel looked serious. ‘I’ve decided that I’m not going to try and jump Shadow ever again,’ she told Lauren. ‘It just makes him so miserable and I’d rather get teased than make him unhappy.’
    ‘What will you do about the meeting on Saturday?’ Lauren asked.
    ‘I’ll have to say that I don’t want to jump him.’ Mel glanced across the classroom to where Jade and Monica were sitting. ‘And I’ll just have to put up with whatever those two say.’
    Lauren squeezed her arm comfortingly. ‘Take no notice of them.’
    ‘Easier said than done,’ Mel sighed. She forced a smile on her face. ‘Will you still come over with Twilight this afternoon though? We could go for a trail ride.’
    Lauren nodded. ‘Sure,’ she said.
    When Lauren got to Goose Creek Farm that afternoon, Mel was already mounted on Shadow. ‘We’d better get going,’ Mel said. ‘Mum thinks there might be a storm coming.’
    Lauren looked up at the overcast sky. The air certainly had a heavy, stormy feel about it.
    They rode up the path towards the woods. Mr Cassidy was fixing a fence near to the hay-barn. ‘Don’t go out too far,’ he called.
    ‘We’ll stay close to the farm,’ Mel promised. ‘Come on, Lauren! Let’s go.’
    They urged Shadow and Twilight into a trot.
    ‘Let’s go into the woods,’ Mel said. ‘There’s a great trail there with a sandy bit where we can have a canter.’
    ‘OK,’ Lauren said, shortening Twilight’s reins. His ears flickered back and forth. ‘Come on, boy,’ she said encouragingly.
    A few minutes later, they entered the woods. The tops of the tall trees met over their heads like a green ceiling. Lauren smiled to herself. What would Mel say if she knew that Twilight had jumped over those very treetops with Lauren on his back?
    ‘Here’s the long canter,’ Mel said. The trail stretched out in front of them, straight and inviting. ‘Are you ready?’
    Lauren nodded.
    Mel leaned forward and gave Shadow his head. The dapple-grey pony bounded into a canter. Twilight hesitated for a moment and then, when Lauren squeezed his side, he followed.
    The wind whipped against Lauren’s face as she leaned forward and urged Twilight on. His hooves thudded down on the sand and she could feel a broad grin stretch across her face. This was as good as flying!
    At last, the trail began