Dreams Come True

that was filling the air. There was only one way for her to get out.
    ‘Get up on Shadow and make him jump the branch, Mel!’ Lauren cried. ‘It’s the only way.’
    ‘But he won’t do it!’ Mel shouted.
    ‘Just try!’ Lauren called.
    Clutching Midnight to her chest, Mel scrambled on to Shadow’s back.
    Lauren glanced around, desperately hoping to see Mr Cassidy or the fire department arriving, but there was no one there. ‘Shadow, please!’ she yelled, as Mel began to trot him towards the log. ‘You’ve got to jump it! For Mel!’
    She heard Shadow neigh uncertainly through the smoke. Please jump it , Lauren prayed. You might not have Twilight’s magical powers to help you, but you can still do it. Please, Shadow, please!
    She saw Shadow hesitate and dread gripped her heart. He wasn’t going to be able to do it.
    ‘Melanie!’ Hearing a hoarse cry, Lauren swung round. Mr Cassidy was running up the hill towards them, looking horrified. For a moment, Lauren felt a surge of hope but then her heart plummeted. It was obvious that Mr Cassidy couldn’t move the log on his own. There was still only one way for Mel to get out and that was for Shadow to jump.
    Twilight seemed to realize the same thing. Throwing his head back, he whinnied loudly to Shadow. As he did so, a fork of lightning flashed across the sky, making every hair of his grey body shine with a bright white light.
    Suddenly, Lauren saw a new look of bravery flash into Shadow’s eyes. Tossing his head back, just like Twilight, he broke into a canter. Mel grabbed hold of his mane with her free hand. Shadow’s stride lengthened. His ears pricked and the next second, he was soaring over the burning log, clearing it with ease.
    Mel was hanging on to Midnight, a look of astonishment, relief and delight on her face as they galloped up to Twilight. ‘He did it!’ she said, sliding off Shadow’s back as he halted. ‘He jumped it, Lauren! He actually jumped it.’
    ‘He was amazing!’ Lauren cried, and

    Twilight whinnied in agreement.
    Just then Mr Cassidy reached them. ‘Mel! Oh my goodness,’ he said, his breath coming in short gasps. ‘I thought you weren’t going to get out. What were you doing in the hay-barn?’
    ‘Rescuing Midnight,’ Mel stammered.
    ‘But I told you not to leave the barn,’ Mr Cassidy said, pulling her into his arms and kissing her. ‘I’m just so glad you’re safe.’
    ‘And it’s all because of Shadow,’ Mel said, breaking free and hugging the dapple-grey pony. ‘Wasn’t he wonderful, Dad?’
    Mr Cassidy smiled at Shadow. ‘The best.’
    Shadow whickered proudly, happiness lighting up his dark eyes.
    As the fire crew arrived and began to put out the fire, Mr Cassidy helped the girls make up a special feed of warm bran, carrots and molasses for Shadow and Twilight. Once the two ponies were dry and bedded down in two stalls, Lauren and Mel went inside.
    ‘I can hardly move I feel so tired,’ Mel said, as she and Lauren kicked off their boots by the back door.
    ‘Me too,’ Lauren agreed.
    Mrs Cassidy was waiting for them. She was upset with Mel for taking such a risk but she was so relieved that both girls were safe that she made them enormous mugs of hot chocolate with marshmallows floating on top.
    As Lauren looked out of the kitchen to where the fire crew was saying goodbye to Mr Cassidy, she breathed a sigh of relief. Luckily the flames hadn’t spread to the barn, so Mr Cassidy’s hay was OK.
    In fact , Lauren thought, everything has turned out OK . She and Mel and both horses were safe. Midnight, the kitten, had been reunited with Sparkle and Mel had made the little family a new bed in the stall next to Shadow.
    Lauren shivered as she realized that it could have all been so different. If it hadn’t been for Shadow’s bravery, she didn’t like to think what might have happened. She remembered the way he had hesitated as he’d approached the log. How had he suddenly found the courage that he needed to jump it?
    That night, when Lauren turned Twilight into a unicorn, she asked him if he knew how Shadow had found the courage to jump.
    ‘No, I don’t,’ Twilight admitted. ‘Shall we go and visit him to find out?’
    Lauren mounted and, with a kick of Twilight’s back legs, they rose into the night sky.
    Shadow was grazing near the bottom of his moonlit paddock. Lauren jumped off Twilight’s back and ran over to him. ‘You were amazing today, Shadow,’ she said, as he whinnied a