Dreams That Sparkle Read online

  She levitated her Ever Ink quill and a piece of paper and wrote a message for Sunny. “Thanks so very much for the offer, but I don’t need you to come over and prepare my mane after all.” Then she stomped her hooves to charge up her magic and created a spell to chant. “To Sunny, send this note, so she can see what I wrote!”

  The note folded itself and flew through the air, right out the door. Belissima left her stall, hoping the ball would go better than the introduction ceremony.

  As Belissima approached the great hall, she spotted an elaborate carriage arriving at the gates. The headmaster had enchanted the rainbow that led to the school so carriages could travel up and over the colorful arch to the hidden academy.

  She ducked behind the hedge so she could watch without gawking. The door opened and a coachman rolled out a pink velvet carpet. An elegant older couple both wearing crowns stepped out and headed for the party.

  Then Princess Zenia emerged from the carriage in a poufy pink gown that matched the velvet rug! It was the same exact shade. The train of her dress dragged along the ground until two birds flew out of a box on top of the carriage, and each picked up part of the train with their beaks, lifting it off the carpet.

  Princess Zenia didn’t even seem to notice. She marched into the ballroom with her nose in the air.

  Belissima wondered if she’d be holding up her dress like that in a few months. She peered at the dusky sky to find a star to wish upon. Please don’t pick me!

  After a few moments, she went inside the great hall to join the ball—and stay far away from Princess Zenia. That wouldn’t be hard. The place was packed with people and ponies dressed in their very finest. Food and drinks covered the tables, and golden troughs overflowed with apple tarts and carrot cake. Hopefully, everyone would be too busy checking out the amazing scene to pay her any attention.

  But everyone turned to stare at her. Then whispers started. “She’s so beautiful, she doesn’t need any fancy gear!”

  “Won’t she look incredible in a royal portrait!”

  Belissima cringed at the thought of standing still for hours so that her painting could be done.

  “Smart choice not covering up that beautiful coat with any adornments.”

  Belissima sighed.

  A woman near her gasped. “Why, even her breath is beautiful! She smells like flowers.”

  Darn. The posy pie was still working! Belissima stomped over to the dessert table. Her friends Alia and Rasha hurried over.

  “Why didn’t you get dressed up?” Rasha asked. She wore a beautiful sparkling headdress.

  Belissima flicked her tail. “I didn’t feel like it. But you two look very lovely. Are you having a nice time?”

  Rasha nodded. “Yes, the food is wonderful.”

  “I’ve met so many nice children. I can’t wait to see who chooses me,” Alia said.

  Then Belissima noticed Princess Zenia watching her from across the room. “I’ve got to go,” she said, so the girl couldn’t talk to her.

  But before she could leave, an older woman wearing a crown approached her and stroked her mane. “So wonderful and silky.”

  How dare the woman march over and touch her without asking. Belissima flicked her tail angrily—and ended up swatting the woman’s backside!

  Belissima held her breath, waiting for the woman to get angry. But the woman just laughed delightedly.

  “Oh, the exquisite thing doesn’t even realize how long her lovely tail is!”

  Belissima gritted her teeth. What did she have to do to get people to stop commenting on her looks?

  Princess Zenia stared at them, her eyes wide and her mouth rounded in a tiny O. Maybe Belissima didn’t seem like such a good choice anymore after swatting one of the royal mothers.

  Belissima paused as a bold idea bloomed in her mind. It was totally unlike anything she ever would have done before, but she was desperate. She trotted out of the room with a smile. She had big plans for the pageantry exhibition the next day.

  Belissima lined up along the exhibition field with the other ponies who had focused on pageantry during their time at the academy. Some of the royal children and their families had spread blankets on the ground and snacked from picnic baskets.

  Princess Zenia sat under the shade of a glorious golden tent while two giant white birds flapped their wings, cooling her.

  Oh no, thought Belissima. Maybe it will be worse than being a pony who poses and preens. Maybe I’m going to be one of her servants! Luckily, she had a plan that was bound to make the princess think twice about choosing her.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to our exhibition featuring the ponies from the pageantry study group!” Headmistress Valincia’s voice rang out over the field. “Today you will see the glorious routines they’ve created that will shine during any parade or party.”

  Belissima was the first pony called to perform. She was proud of her routine, and wasn’t nervous at all when she trotted onto the field.

  And once again, she was appearing without any special outfit. The sparkly costume she had prepared hung in her stall. The new plan she’d concocted wouldn’t work if she were covered with material.

  Her music started playing and she began her performance. She cantered to the beat, then ran in a few figure-eight motions. Glitter from her hooves billowed around her. She pranced sideways and held her tail high.

  Her routine was going perfectly and she was proud of her hard work. Especially her final move, the capriole.

  Most ponies couldn’t do it. It was a very advanced move. She leaped into the air, tucked in her front legs and kicked out her back legs at the top of the jump. It would be an incredibly dramatic move during a parade or important event. The crowd offered wild applause.

  She galloped in a few more intricate patterns, and stirred up an enormous cloud of glitter as her finale. The crowd cheered as she bowed dramatically.

  But instead of returning to the sidelines to chat with the children, Belissima dashed to the field that bordered the forest. She ran through thickets of burrs that clung to her coat and mane. She searched for puddles and sloshed through them, sending mud flying. Branches tore at her coat, leaving a few scratches. She was covered in dirt and burrs by the time she returned to the performance ring.

  She stood in front of the crowd waiting to get their attention. She expected to hear whispers and gasps. While a few spectators did glance her way, no one looked disgusted that she was filthy.

  Princess Zenia was even smiling at her!

  Belissima trotted over to Rasha. “Why doesn’t anyone notice I’m so dirty?”

  Rasha looked confused. “What are you talking about?”

  “I just ran through the field and got covered with burrs and mud and scratches.”

  Rasha shook her head. “It must have all come off, because you look just as nice as usual. You don’t have a spot on you. No scratches, either.”

  Belissima turned her head to inspect her coat. She groaned. It was like she’d never even run through that scrubby field! How in the world was she clean? What had happened to her scratches? Now she’d have to come up with another plan to make Princess Zenia think she was the wrong pony to pick.

  *

  Belissima tossed and turned all night, worrying and creating her next scheme. What she finally decided on was so bold, it made her jittery. But nothing else she’d tried so far was working, and she could not be Princess Zenia’s pet, or servant, or whatever horrible plan the princess certainly must have in store for her.

  The next morning before heading for the graduate parade, Belissima closed the door to her stall. She levitated the pair of scissors up until they floated in front of her nose. She couldn’t believe she was going to do this.

  Stomping her hooves, she chanted, “With these shiny shears, snip my mane shorter than the ears!”

  The scissors zoomed through the air, and she watched as strands of her mane fell to the barn floor around her.

  When the scissors finally stopped,
the large pile of long pink strands scattered on the ground made Belissima gasp. But maybe now the royal children would focus on her performance and not her appearance.

  She looked in the mirror. It wasn’t a cute short cut like some ponies wore. It was jagged and uneven. No one would call her beautiful now.

  She trotted to the arena where she’d be promenading in the parade. Prepared for the stares and snickers, she raised her head. But as she got closer to the track she felt something long and silky brushing against her neck.

  Impossible, she thought. She stopped trotting and conjured a spell. “In front of me here, make a mirror appear!”

  She peered into the glass that suddenly hovered at her side and gasped again. Her mane was back, longer and thicker than ever! Was there no way for her to escape her looks, even for an afternoon?

  She was so distracted, she stumbled a few times as she pranced in the parade. She ran off without having a chance to visit with the children or to search for her mother.

  Back in her stall, Belissima cut her mane off again. It quickly grew back. She dashed outside, rolled in the dirt, and then hurried back to look in her stall mirror. The dirt simply disappeared. Maybe her Glitter Gift was more than just turning her coat from purple to pink. Maybe her Glitter Gift was always being beautiful!

  She sat on the floor, depressed. Perhaps it was her fate to be nothing more than pretty. Which was perfectly fine for a pony who actually loved pageantry. But to her, it seemed utterly useless compared to the skills and Glitter Gifts her friends in the healing group had. Her mother had told her to be grateful for her gifts. Why couldn’t she have been blessed with a wonderful healing gift, too?

  That afternoon, Belissima went to the flying fields to see her friends in the healing group perform their magical cures. One pony brought dead flowers in a vase back to life. Another healed a baby bird’s broken wing. Lavender made a circle of flowers sprout and bloom.

  Belissima felt so jealous watching them do such wonderful, helpful things.

  Princess Zenia was there, but she wasn’t even watching. She was looking at her nails. While most of the other princesses wore simple dresses, Princess Zenia wore another elaborate gown. Her hair was styled into an intricate bun on top of her head.

  Belissima imagined the crazy creations the princess would probably make with her mane. She shuddered just thinking of it.

  She scanned the crowd, noticing how many ponies and children seemed to be getting along well. On the sidelines, Alia chatted with a princess. She’d seen the two of them together before. They both looked quite happy.

  Not far from them, a boy held a carrot for Andover, who munched and crunched as they watched the demonstrations.

  Rasha was talking with a girl and waved to Belissima, so she trotted over to them.

  “Isn’t this so much fun?” Rasha asked. “Have you met any children you really like?”

  Belissima sighed. She’d been so worried about Princess Zenia, she hadn’t spent much time getting to know the other children.

  “No, I haven’t. Actually, I haven’t talked with too many children.”

  The princess with Rasha bit her bottom lip. “I should tell you something.”

  “What is it?” Belissima asked.

  “None of the other children are going to pick you at the ceremony.”

  Tears pricked Belissima’s eyes. Did they think she was too naughty after running through the fields? “Why?”

  “Because we heard Princess Zenia wants to choose you. And if anyone picks you instead, she will be so angry. Everyone knows you don’t want to make Princess Zenia angry. At least that’s what I’ve heard.”

  Belissima forced a smile and said thanks, then galloped toward her stable. What was she going to do? Princess Zenia was clearly not her perfect match. Should she drop out of the selection ceremony so she couldn’t choose her?

  Belissima shook her head. She wasn’t a quitter. There had to be something else she could do. She was top pony in her class! She could find a solution.

  She slowed her trot to a walk and thought about it for a moment. Should she turn to her friends for help?

  While she had wonderful friends, she didn’t think any of them could understand what she was going through. Any one of them would probably love to be called the prettiest pony to ever have walked through the halls of the academy—and being chosen by Princess Zenia would be a dream come true for any of the ponies in the pageantry group. It sounded very ungrateful to complain about her looks and the fact that she had a princess who wanted her. This was a problem she’d have to work out by herself.

  There must be something I haven’t thought of yet!

  And then the idea hit her. There was one last thing she could try, and what she needed was hidden in the library. She hurried to the big, quiet room in the school.

  The library was empty except for the librarian, who looked up and said, “Hello, dear, don’t you look lovely as always. Can I help you?”

  “Thank you, but I know what I’m looking for.”

  She headed for the section on the hundred kingdoms and searched for the biggest book on the shelves: The Complete History of the Hundred Kingdoms. With a spell, she levitated the book off the shelf—and gasped. The cookbook wasn’t there!

  She looked behind other books nearby, but there was no sign of the magic cookbook. She hurried over to the checkout desk.

  “Excuse me, can you tell me if the Magic Treats and Eats Cookbook is checked out?”

  “Certainly!” The pages in the librarian’s checkout book turned themselves, until she found what she was looking for. “Ah ha, here it is. That book was checked out yesterday by Stone, in Earth barn.”

  Belissima nearly shrieked. He was the very last pony who should have that book.

  “Thank you!” she called, as she ran out of the library.

  Belissima searched Earth barn, but Stone wasn’t there. She trotted along the training field and went to the banquet hall, but there was no sign of him.

  Where could he be? Then she smelled a delicious scent wafting from the kitchen.

  “Oh no.”

  Quietly, she entered the kitchen. Stone was reading the cookbook, and the counter was covered with ingredients.

  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  He looked up, surprised. “I’m making a recipe.”

  “From the magic cookbook. Stone, no pranks during selection week. It’s already too stressful. Jokes are not appropriate right now.”

  He flared his nostrils. “What makes you think I’m making a prank recipe? There are nice, helpful ones in here, too.”

  “You like to play jokes. All the time. And you told the first-years in Earth barn you wanted to make atchoo pie.” She tapped her hoof angrily.

  “I was kidding about that.” He sighed. “I wasn’t planning to pull a prank. Honest. I wish everyone didn’t think I’m nothing but a joker. I’m more than that, you know.”

  Belissima didn’t know what to say.

  “Do you know what it’s like when everyone thinks all you’re interested in is goofing around? Making jokes? I like to have fun, but that’s not the only thing about me. I thought if I could make this one special recipe I had in mind, the ponies might see me differently. You don’t know how bad I feel sometimes.”

  Belissima lowered her voice. “Yes, I do, actually. And I’m sorry. I know exactly what it’s like for everyone to see you only one way. Of course you’re more than just a jokester, Stone.”

  Stone looked down and softened his voice. “Thanks, Belissima. That means a lot coming from you. You work so hard in your classes, and you’re so nice to all the ponies in school.”

  She was touched that he said nothing about her looks. “You’re very welcome. So tell me, if you’re not making a prank cake, what are you making?”

  Stone smiled. “This might sound crazy, but I think I might be able to shoot a rainbow from my horn.”

  “What? You’re not teasing me?” she asked.

 
He shook his head. “I told you, this isn’t a joke. I can shoot sparks, and I think if I combine a few of these recipes, I could make a rainbow. Just for a short time.”

  Belissima paused. She didn’t want to discourage him and tell him that would be impossible, especially for a first-year student, but she also didn’t want him to be disappointed when he discovered it was too hard of a spell for him. “Stone, that sounds amazing, but that would require incredibly strong magic.”

  He flattened his ears. “You don’t think I could do it?”

  “That’s not what I’m saying. Of course you should try. I just want you to be aware of the difficulty in what you’re trying to do. But why now? It’s a busy, fun week. The first-years don’t have classes. Why spend all this time in the kitchen trying to master an extremely difficult recipe?”

  Stone tilted his head and thought for a moment. “I’ve got all this extra time on my hands, and I don’t want to get in trouble. So I just thought, wouldn’t it be nice to see a rainbow during the selection ceremony? It would enhance everyone’s magic. It would make the day even more special, don’t you think?” He sounded quite sincere.

  “It certainly would. I’d love to see a rainbow. I hope you can make it happen. Can I take a look at the cookbook for a moment?”

  “Sure, I’m still mixing up my latest batch. So far, I was able to shoot mist from my horn and then I also made it sound like a trumpet.”

  Belissima giggled. “That’s a good start.”

  “I’m sure I’ll have a lot of fun with those discoveries someday. I may not be one-hundred-percent prankster, but I do like my jokes!” He grinned, showing all his teeth.

  Belissima couldn’t help but laugh. “You know what? We all enjoy your jokes, too, Stone. You’re a lot of fun.”

  Stone whinnied and got back to work on his recipe.

  She paged through the cookbook and found the recipe she was looking for. A few of the ingredients would be tough to find, but it didn’t seem too hard. “Stone, can you leave the cookbook in the kitchen? I’d like to try something tomorrow.”

  “Of course! But you better not pull a prank,” he said, laughing. “I’m kidding, I know you’d never do that.”