All That Glitters Read online

  To my wild, creative, wonderful Riley.

  Love you!

  CONTENTS

  TITLE PAGE

  DEDICATION

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  SNEAK PEEK

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  ALSO AVAILABLE

  COPYRIGHT

  I don’t belong here.” Daisy shook her mane, backing away from the crowd of ponies waiting to climb the rainbow to the Enchanted Pony Academy.

  Uniponies played in the field of flowers. A pegapony soared into the air and floated down on magnificent wings. Right behind them, the rainbow that appeared in the very same spot each year was shining brightly, rising into the clouds. Soon, it would form stairs for each rare pony to climb. Will the stairs appear for me? Daisy wondered.

  A pack of horses with glimmering hooves galloped by. Clouds of sparkles swirled behind them. They were Glitter Ponies—magical ponies. Daisy kicked at a patch of dirt, but her own sparkly hooves only stirred up a bit of brown dust. Her hooves were shimmery like the others, but they had never made glitter.

  That one fact had worried her for as long as she could remember. All her life the question had swirled in her mind—was she really, truly magical? She was about to find out.

  Daisy’s mother gave her an encouraging nudge with her nose. “If you can climb the steps to the academy, you belong there. Only Glitter Ponies can climb the stairs.”

  “But what if I can’t?” Daisy asked. “I don’t know my Glitter Gift.” Not only were Glitter Ponies magical, each one was also born with a special talent. Daisy hadn’t experienced a smidge of magic yet. “What if my hooves are just a mistake?”

  Mother smiled. “Then you’ll come back to the farm and live a long, happy life with us. But if you can climb those stairs, you’ll live with royalty someday.”

  All Glitter Ponies were sent to the Enchanted Pony Academy to develop their magic and skills, preparing them for the day they became royal pets. In addition to the glitter, some ponies had other rare traits, like wings and horns, or coats and manes of bright, beautiful colors. Daisy’s fur was a boring shade of pale pink.

  When the princes and princesses and royal children of the hundred kingdoms turned nine, they got to choose a magical pony from the academy. It was a great honor. But for a pony like Daisy, it would be incredible.

  She’d been born in a small barn in the country. Her family had never seen a trace of magic in any of their foals. All her life, Daisy had seen Glitter Ponies from around the world gather at this very spot. Living so close to the rainbow, she’d watched them climb away to the magical land where the academy had stood, safely hidden, for hundreds of years.

  Now that she was four, it was finally Daisy’s turn. But she hung her head. “No one’s going to pick me if I can’t make magic.”

  “Every pony born with sparkly hooves is magical,” her father said.

  She stomped her hoof on the ground. Another puff of plain old dust rose up. Daisy usually kept her disappointment about her hooves to herself. She even covered them up with dirt sometimes so she could forget about them. But it was hard to escape her brothers’ taunts and teasing about her useless hooves. How they would laugh if she was sent home! Today they stood nervously beside her, saying nothing.

  “The academy will help you find your magic. Not everyone knows what their Glitter Gift is yet,” Mother said. “We’re so proud. We’ve been waiting for this day since you were born and we saw those hooves.”

  Mother had taught Daisy to read from a very young age, just so she could study every book in the library on the Enchanted Pony Academy. She could spend hours getting lost in the fascinating stories and history of the academy. But the longer her hooves stayed glitter-less, and the more time passed without a gift, the more afraid she grew to even dream of this day, knowing she might not make it up that rainbow.

  Now that the day was here, she wanted to be magical more than anything.

  A trumpet sounded and the ponies started lining up in front of the rainbow. Daisy froze.

  “Maybe the academy will let you wait until next year,” her father said. “Since your magic hasn’t appeared yet,” he added softly.

  Daisy swallowed the giant lump in her throat and thought for a moment. It would be easy to run back home. But she had to find out if she was magical. She had to climb those stairs. “I need to try, don’t I?”

  “That’s my girl,” Mother said.

  Her brothers shuffled their hooves on the ground. “You’ll be great, sis,” said Buck.

  “We’ll miss you,” Aggie added, blinking a few times.

  “Me too,” she whispered.

  She quickly rubbed noses with her family and held back her tears. If she did make it up the rainbow, she wouldn’t see her family for a long time. They’d never been apart, not even for one day. “Wish me luck.”

  “You don’t need luck,” her dad said. “You’re kind. You’re smart. You’re a hard worker. You’re wonderful even without magic. Believe in yourself and you’ll be fine.”

  But Daisy didn’t agree. If she didn’t have magic, she would let everyone down. She slowly walked over to the end of the line behind the other ponies waiting to climb up to the school beyond the clouds. Would she be able to join them?

  A pure-silver unipony stepped to the front of the crowd, standing at the base of the rainbow. Her long horn was pearly white.

  “I’d like to welcome this year’s class of Glitter Ponies on this gathering day. I am Headmistress Valincia. We are so pleased to continue our important tradition of teaching our treasured Glitter Ponies the ways of magic so that they may assist the royal families in the hundred kingdoms.”

  The group of twenty Glitter Ponies whinnied and stomped with excitement. Daisy’s heart clip-clopped in her chest. She couldn’t believe this day was really here.

  Headmistress Valincia continued. “As you know, the magic that was once strong in this land was nearly destroyed during the Age of Recklessness, when magic was used irresponsibly. It is our duty to see that you ponies learn the proper ways to use your powers for the greater good. We must prepare for the day when powerful magic returns.”

  Daisy shivered, remembering the stories she’d read. Of magical beings thinking only of themselves. Someone casting a rain spell for their crops at the same time someone else cast a spell for dry weather. Careless spells like that clashed, and eventually the magic weakened and faded. The dragons fled during that time. Other magical creatures simply vanished. Many ponies thought these tales were merely legends. But Daisy believed. There were misty, mysterious lands hidden throughout the world that could hold any number of secrets.

  Headmistress Valincia continued. “That magic lives on in a select few horses. And we are honored to welcome those ponies today to the Enchanted Pony Academy, hidden beyond the clouds at the other end of the rainbow. It is with great pleasure that I invite you to take your first steps on this exciting journey.”

  Daisy glanced over her shoulder at her parents and brothers, standing in a circle of other horse families saying good-bye to their children. She blinked back a tear and bobbed her head at them. They did the same.

  A sleek unipony with a purple mane was the first to step forward. A set of stairs appeared in the rainbow and she dashed up. The crowd cheered. “Go, Violet!”

  Next was a lovely pegapony, flapping her white wings. She flew the short distance to the rainbow, then walked gracefully up the colorful arch.

  “We love you, Skydancer!” shouted a g
roup of white ponies.

  Skydancer looked back, fluttering her bright blue eyes. She tossed her head, and her curly, ice-blue and white mane bounced as she galloped the rest of the way into the clouds.

  Daisy closed her eyes, imagining the incredible castle that awaited. The one she’d studied so many times in her books. She was moments away from seeing it. Hopefully, she thought.

  A yellow pony with a bronze mane and matching sparkly hooves trotted back and forth in front of the rainbow. She left behind a swirl of bronze glitter.

  “Good-bye, Sunny!” shouted several ponies below.

  Daisy swallowed nervously. All these ponies seemed so different from her—so amazing, so confident.

  The crowd cheered as the next pony approached. He was huge, with giant wings, a horn, and black sparkly hooves. Daisy didn’t know one pony could have so many magical qualities.

  “An allapony,” someone whispered.

  “Duke, Duke, Duke,” some of the horses chanted, as he reared on his big hind legs.

  One after the other, the ponies climbed the rainbow. None of them seemed nervous like Daisy was. Soon, there was only one pony left before her, a midnight-blue unipony. The pony looked back at her. “See you up there!” Then she dashed over to the rainbow and climbed the stairs.

  Daisy’s heart was racing. It was her turn and everyone was watching. What if the stairs didn’t appear? She’d be so embarrassed. She was frozen for a moment, uncertain that she could really do this. But after taking a deep breath, she slowly walked to the rainbow.

  She glanced back at her parents and their big smiles. “Daisy, we love you!” Mother called.

  Daisy lifted her hoof and, holding her breath, she set it on the rainbow. Her heart raced like she’d been galloping for miles. Then—she felt something solid beneath her hoof. It was a stair! She must be magical! She took another step. She was doing it! She was climbing the rainbow! Laughing, she charged up the colorful stairs.

  Below, someone gasped. “Where’s her glitter?”

  “Why aren’t her sparkly hooves making glitter?” another pony asked.

  Daisy sighed. She’d been secretly hoping if she made it up the stairs, the rainbow might activate her glitter—if she had any. Disappointed, Daisy quickly ran the rest of the way up the rainbow and into the clouds, still not convinced she belonged there.

  As Daisy walked down the other side of the rainbow, the amazing castle she’d dreamed about so many times suddenly appeared.

  “It’s incredible!” she whispered. Tall turrets rose on each of the four corners, and a courtyard bloomed with flowers inside the walls of the castle. Orchards and fields lined the land around the magnificent school. “I’m really here!” She shivered with excitement.

  The other Glitter Ponies were gathered in front of a small stage. Daisy trotted over and hid herself in the crowd before anyone could notice how plain she was. Next to her stood the lovely white pegapony she’d seen earlier.

  The pegapony smiled at her. “Hi, I’m Skydancer. We didn’t meet earlier. What’s your name?”

  “I’m Daisy. I don’t know anyone here.”

  “Well, now we know each other, right?”

  “Right,” Daisy replied with a smile.

  A midnight-blue unipony with a rainbow mane looked over her shoulder. “Shhhh! The welcome ceremony is starting!” She stomped her shimmery left hoof, which lit up and glowed along with her other hooves and her horn.

  An orange pony with a green mane tied into a row of buns narrowed her eyes. “Electra, calm down!”

  “Sorry, but I’m excited, Razzle!” Electra said, shaking her mane. “We sailed across three oceans, and now we’re finally at the Enchanted Pony Academy.”

  Daisy couldn’t believe all the ponies’ brilliant colors and sparkles. She felt completely boring with her simple pink coat and dull white mane.

  All the chatter stopped when a huge horse climbed the stage. He had three horns in a triangular shape that met at the tips: one silver, one gold, one iridescent. He was big, shimmering gray, and a little scary. Daisy couldn’t stop staring. In all her reading, she’d never heard of horses with three horns!

  “He’s a tripony,” Skydancer whispered. “They’re very rare.”

  “Good afternoon,” the tripony said, his slow, deep voice booming. “I am Headmaster Elegius. Welcome to the Enchanted Pony Academy. Today is one of the most important days of your life, second only to the selection ceremony. That’s when you will be chosen by a royal child to be their loyal pet.”

  “I wonder who will pick me,” Skydancer said dreamily.

  I wonder if anyone will pick me, Daisy thought sadly.

  Headmaster Elegius continued. “Testing begins tomorrow to assess your Glitter Gifts so we can place you in the right study group: pageantry, guardianship, tricks, or healing. These are the skills the princes and princesses most desire in their royal pet. Our upper-year ponies will escort you to the school entrance. Then Headmistress Valincia will take you on a tour and show you to your rooms. We’re so happy to have you here.”

  The most beautiful pony Daisy had ever seen walked over to her group. She wore a headdress with a bright-green, heart-shaped rock nestled on her forehead. Daisy knew from her books that this was heart ore, a stone found only in the deepest forests of the land. It was very hard to find.

  “I’m Belissima, a second-year student,” the pony said. She even had a gorgeous voice! “I’m lead pony of the Earth barn. Follow me and let me know if you have any questions.”

  The ponies had lots of questions: “What’s your study group?” “What’s your Glitter Gift?” “How did you get so pretty?”

  Belissima let out a soft, tinkly laugh. “Let’s see, my group is pageantry. And this is my skill.” She closed her eyes, and her coat turned from a soft purple to a dark, sparkly purple. Her hot-pink and white mane turned to sparkly white and light purple.

  “Wow,” said the ponies.

  Belissima flicked her tail as if to say no big deal. “That blue unipony over there leading the other group? That’s Ranger, the head pony for the Water barn. He can make it rain. He’s in the tricks group. And the purple pegapony over there, Lavender, can make flowers bloom. She’s in healing.”

  “How is that healing?” Skydancer asked.

  “Healing isn’t just about making creatures better. It’s healing the environment, too. Fixing burnt fields or dirty water,” Belissima explained. “Some of the royal children want a pony who can help the sick people in their kingdom, and keep the environment healthy and safe.” She started walking toward the school, and the group of ponies followed.

  “What’s pageantry for?” Daisy asked.

  Belissima kicked a rock along the path. “Sometimes the children want a royal pony for ceremonial purposes, for parades and parties. They just want a pet who can put on a good show, and be exquisite and elegant.”

  The ponies strolled past orchards of apples as they chatted.

  “And tricks?” Razzle asked. “What about tricks? That sounds fun.”

  Belissima laughed. “It is. The princes and princesses often like to have a pony who can entertain them and bring cheer to the people of their land.”

  “But guardianship is the best, isn’t it?” Electra asked.

  “There’s value in all the study groups. But the ponies in guardianship often have the finest skills. They provide protection and guidance to their owners. Those children destined to be kings and queens usually choose a royal pet with guardianship skills to help rule their kingdoms.”

  Daisy couldn’t decide which group she’d want to be in. They all sounded so wonderful.

  They stopped at the gates to the school. Headmistress Valincia was waiting for them. “Hello, hello. So nice to see you all. Are you ready to explore the academy?”

  “Yes!” shouted the ponies, a few rearing on their back legs.

  “This way.” Headmistress Valincia opened the enormous front doors and led them through a courtyard into a beautiful r
oom. It had pillars, high ceilings, and a chandelier hanging over a bubbling fountain. Giant paintings covered the walls, along with a huge map of the school grounds.

  Some of the ponies “Ahhed” and some of them “Ooohed.” It was the fanciest place Daisy had ever seen.

  “Here’s the gathering room,” Headmistress Valincia said. “We host parties and important meetings here. And ahead on the right is the banquet hall.”

  The ponies followed her to a big room filled with long, wooden tables. Troughs along the walls overflowed with wonderful food. “We enjoy breakfast, lunch, and dinner here,” the headmistress said.

  The headmistress showed them the classrooms inside the academy, and then the outdoor areas for subjects like flying and weather spells. Finally, she took them to see their stables.

  “There are four barns: Water, Sun, Earth, Sky. The four elements, which bring balance to our world. Each barn has a lead pony in charge. You must follow their orders.”

  Then she read off the stable assignments. When she nodded at Daisy and announced that she was in the Earth barn, Daisy thought she might be getting more magical already. Not only was Belissima the lead pony of Earth, but Skydancer would be living there, too.

  Daisy, Skydancer, and three other new ponies followed Belissima to a big green barn.

  “We’ve got the best barn and we have the most fun,” Belissima told them. “We usually win most of the contests with the other barns, too. But there are rules to follow.”

  She explained how they each would have chores to keep the big main room looking nice. Everyone had to be in their stalls to sleep by nine. And they weren’t to leave the school grounds.

  “Will we get an incredible headdress like yours?” Skydancer asked.

  Belissima laughed. “Only the lead ponies wear the headdresses. Each barn has a different stone that represents their element. Mine is heart ore, for the earth.”

  “What are the other stones?” a unipony asked.

  “The lead pony for the Water barn has a fathom pearl, a dark blue pearl harvested from the depths of the oceans by mermaids,” Belissima explained.