Pippa glimpsed the eight turrets of Stableside Castle stretching above the treetops.
The woods thinned and Stardust slowed to a trot as she came out on to a grassy plateau. Pippa turned her head to get a look at Mane Street. Sparkly, star-shaped bunting hung from the lamp posts and the flower beds were bursting with colourful flowers and extra large carrots for the ponies to snack on.
‘I’ve booked us and Diva into the Mane Street Salon for some pampering before the concert,’ said Stardust. ‘Honey’s coming too. Miss Hoof berry has a new glittery hoof polish that she’s desperate to try.’ Stardust chattered on, filling Pippa in on everything that had happened since they last met. As they took the windy path up to the Castle Stardust said, ‘But that’s enough about me. What have you been up to?’
Pippa didn’t want to admit to her best pony friend that she was nervous about the school play. ‘Nothing much. It’s been mostly school stuff,’ said Pippa.
‘Did you tell your school friends about Chevalia?’ asked Stardust. ‘I bet they are all so envious of you!’
‘Well, I wrote a story all about Chevalia and read it out to the whole class. My teacher said I had a brilliant imagination.’
Stardust giggled. ‘Didn’t anyone believe it?’
‘I don’t think so,’ Pippa said, sadly. ‘But I suppose that’s a good thing. Chevalia wouldn’t be the same if humans found out about it.’
‘Still, that was very brave of you to read aloud to the whole class. Didn’t you get stage fright?’
Pippa fell silent. She’d been petrified when she’d read her story to the class. Performing in the school play would be even scarier because she’d have to act as well as speak in front of everyone. She was just gathering her courage to tell Stardust all about it when the pearly white walls of Stableside Castle rose before her and the moment was lost. A group of ponies, with cameras hanging around their necks, were waiting by the drawbridge.
‘The ponarazzi have been camped outside the castle there ever since Diva arrived,’ Stardust explained. ‘There are pictures of her in all the magazines and newspapers.’
‘Where are we going?’ asked Pippa, as instead of crossing the drawbridge Stardust had trotted around the side of the Castle.
‘Just wait and see,’ Stardust said, mysteriously.
A few minutes later they arrived at the edge of an enormous amphitheatre. ‘Wow!’ Pippa stared at the huge, horseshoe-shaped stage in the centre. ‘I never knew this was here.’
‘It wasn’t – until last week,’ said Stardust. ‘We’ll be over there in the royal box.’ She nodded to a box in the middle of the amphitheatre. It was decorated with coloured rosettes and had an amazing view. A group of ponies were gathered on the stage.
‘That’s Diva, there,’ Stardust said, excitedly.
Pippa looked and saw a tall pony with a shiny coat as black as midnight. Her dark eyes shone like jewels and she had a pretty white blaze on her nose.
She was every inch the superstar with her sparkly, pink tiara, her head held high and her ears pricked forward. Her voice wasn’t so pretty, though. As they approached Pippa heard her complain, ‘Am I supposed to scrub my own carrots? How can I be expected to give my best performance when the food is unwashed?’ Diva stamped a hoof to drive home her point. ‘And the lighting is all wrong. It’s far too dark – no one will be able to see me! And I am the star of the show.’
‘How awful!’ called Stardust. ‘Have you complained to Dad? He’ll sort it out for you.’
‘Stardust, da . . . ha . . . ling!’ Diva swung round and her voice softened. She trotted over to Stardust and they rubbed noses. ‘And you brought your pet girl!’ she added.
‘Friend,’ said Pippa.
‘Yes. Diva, meet my best friend Pippa. Pippa, this is my hugely talented cousin Diva,’ Stardust said, proudly. ‘She’s the star in the
The woods thinned and Stardust slowed to a trot as she came out on to a grassy plateau. Pippa turned her head to get a look at Mane Street. Sparkly, star-shaped bunting hung from the lamp posts and the flower beds were bursting with colourful flowers and extra large carrots for the ponies to snack on.
‘I’ve booked us and Diva into the Mane Street Salon for some pampering before the concert,’ said Stardust. ‘Honey’s coming too. Miss Hoof berry has a new glittery hoof polish that she’s desperate to try.’ Stardust chattered on, filling Pippa in on everything that had happened since they last met. As they took the windy path up to the Castle Stardust said, ‘But that’s enough about me. What have you been up to?’
Pippa didn’t want to admit to her best pony friend that she was nervous about the school play. ‘Nothing much. It’s been mostly school stuff,’ said Pippa.
‘Did you tell your school friends about Chevalia?’ asked Stardust. ‘I bet they are all so envious of you!’
‘Well, I wrote a story all about Chevalia and read it out to the whole class. My teacher said I had a brilliant imagination.’
Stardust giggled. ‘Didn’t anyone believe it?’
‘I don’t think so,’ Pippa said, sadly. ‘But I suppose that’s a good thing. Chevalia wouldn’t be the same if humans found out about it.’
‘Still, that was very brave of you to read aloud to the whole class. Didn’t you get stage fright?’
Pippa fell silent. She’d been petrified when she’d read her story to the class. Performing in the school play would be even scarier because she’d have to act as well as speak in front of everyone. She was just gathering her courage to tell Stardust all about it when the pearly white walls of Stableside Castle rose before her and the moment was lost. A group of ponies, with cameras hanging around their necks, were waiting by the drawbridge.
‘The ponarazzi have been camped outside the castle there ever since Diva arrived,’ Stardust explained. ‘There are pictures of her in all the magazines and newspapers.’
‘Where are we going?’ asked Pippa, as instead of crossing the drawbridge Stardust had trotted around the side of the Castle.
‘Just wait and see,’ Stardust said, mysteriously.
A few minutes later they arrived at the edge of an enormous amphitheatre. ‘Wow!’ Pippa stared at the huge, horseshoe-shaped stage in the centre. ‘I never knew this was here.’
‘It wasn’t – until last week,’ said Stardust. ‘We’ll be over there in the royal box.’ She nodded to a box in the middle of the amphitheatre. It was decorated with coloured rosettes and had an amazing view. A group of ponies were gathered on the stage.
‘That’s Diva, there,’ Stardust said, excitedly.
Pippa looked and saw a tall pony with a shiny coat as black as midnight. Her dark eyes shone like jewels and she had a pretty white blaze on her nose.
She was every inch the superstar with her sparkly, pink tiara, her head held high and her ears pricked forward. Her voice wasn’t so pretty, though. As they approached Pippa heard her complain, ‘Am I supposed to scrub my own carrots? How can I be expected to give my best performance when the food is unwashed?’ Diva stamped a hoof to drive home her point. ‘And the lighting is all wrong. It’s far too dark – no one will be able to see me! And I am the star of the show.’
‘How awful!’ called Stardust. ‘Have you complained to Dad? He’ll sort it out for you.’
‘Stardust, da . . . ha . . . ling!’ Diva swung round and her voice softened. She trotted over to Stardust and they rubbed noses. ‘And you brought your pet girl!’ she added.
‘Friend,’ said Pippa.
‘Yes. Diva, meet my best friend Pippa. Pippa, this is my hugely talented cousin Diva,’ Stardust said, proudly. ‘She’s the star in the
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