Winter Wonderland #5 Read online

  To Strawberry, pretty funster with attitude—SB

  GROSSET & DUNLAP

  Published by the Penguin Group

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  Text copyright © 2009 Sue Bentley. Illustrations copyright © 2009 Angela Swan. Cover illustration © 2009 Andrew Farley. First printed in Great Britain in 2009 by Penguin Books Ltd. First published in the United States in 2013 by Grosset & Dunlap, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group, 345 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014. GROSSET & DUNLAP is a trademark of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.

  ISBN: 978-0-698-15966-2

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter ONE

  Chapter TWO

  Chapter THREE

  Chapter FOUR

  Chapter FIVE

  Chapter SIX

  Chapter SEVEN

  Chapter EIGHT

  Chapter NINE

  Chapter TEN

  About the AUTHOR

  Comet folded his gold-feathered wings as he galloped across the hillside on Rainbow Mist Island. The magic pony felt a stir of hope. Surely his twin sister had found her way home at last.

  Destiny had been lost for so long.

  Comet’s cream-colored coat and flowing gold mane and tail glistened in the moonlight. Overhead, stars pricked the midnight-blue sky. He sped onward, past distant mountaintops that were wreathed in the multicolored mist that gave Rainbow Mist Island its name.

  Small stones struck deep-violet sparks from his shining hooves. The magic pony slowed as he caught a movement. There—at the cave entrance in that steep rock face!

  Comet moved forward cautiously. He hoped it was another one of his Lightning Herd and not one of the dangerous dark horses. But he thought about how lonely he felt without his sister, and the magic pony decided to take a chance.

  “Destiny?” he neighed softly.

  An older horse with a wise expression stepped out from the cave. “Your sister has not returned. But I am glad to see you again, my young friend,” he said in a deep velvety whinny.

  “Blaze!” Comet bowed his head before the leader of the Lightning Herd.

  Blaze’s dark eyes softened as he saw Comet’s disappointment. He picked his way across the rocks until he stood next to the magic pony.

  “I do not think Destiny will come back while she blames herself for losing our stone,” Blaze neighed softly.

  The Stone of Power protected the Lightning Herd from the dark horses who wanted to steal their magic. The stone had been lost when Comet and Destiny were cloud-racing. Comet had found the stone, but Destiny had already fled.

  “I wish I could find her and tell her it is safe to come home,” Comet said sadly. “But I do not know where she is.”

  “The stone will help us!” Blaze struck the ground with one shining front hoof, and a fiery opal, glinting with many bright colors, appeared. “Come closer, Comet.”

  Comet’s deep-violet eyes glowed with eagerness as he did as Blaze urged. The stone grew larger and brighter, and an image appeared in the rainbow depths. Comet saw Destiny galloping across a snow-covered field in a world far away.

  He had to find her!

  There was a bright flash of dazzling violet light, and a rainbow mist swirled around Comet. Where the magnificent golden-winged pony had been there now stood a sturdy mouse-colored Highland pony, with a darker gray mane and tail.

  “Go now, Comet!” Blaze said urgently. “Use this disguise to find Destiny before the dark horses discover her!”

  Comet’s light-grayish-brown coat bloomed with violet sparks. He snorted softly as he felt the power building inside him. The rainbow mist swirled more thickly around him as it drew him in.

  “Yay! I totally love snow!” Preeti Nimesh exclaimed.

  She stood looking out of her bedroom window, where someone seemed to have thrown a big soft white blanket over the garden during the night. The whole world looked fresh and new.

  Huge soft flakes, like cotton balls, were still falling. Amazing, she thought. The snow’s going to last forever!

  Preeti ran out onto the landing. “Mom! Dad! Grandma! Have you looked out the window?” she called.

  Her parents’ bedroom door opened, and Mr. Nimesh came out in his pajamas, looking sleepy-eyed. “Do you know what time it is, Preeti? Where’s the fire?” he asked, running a hand through his hair.

  “There isn’t one,” Preeti said, grinning. “But I can’t stay in bed anymore. Look!” She opened the curtains so her dad could peer outside.

  A shifting curtain of snow blurred the white landscape of front lawns and the street beyond. Usually there would be cars and buses rushing past. But this morning, nothing was moving. Half-buried cars stood in many driveways.

  “Look at that!” her dad exclaimed. “The snow must be almost ten inches deep. Your school’s definitely going to be closed, and I think I’ll be walking to the hospital.”

  Mr. Nimesh was a doctor. Luckily, his hospital was only a few streets away. He went back into the bedroom, and Preeti heard him talking to her mom.

  “A snow day. Cool!” She clapped her hands in delight. She enjoyed all of her classes. But if it came to school or playing in the snow with her friends—it was no contest.

  Another bedroom door opened and a small boy exploded into the hall. His dark hair was shiny, like Preeti’s. But where hers was long and straight, his was short and curly.

  “Snow! Snow! Snow! Have you seen it?” Viren cried, whirling around and waving his arms like a human windmill.

  “Yeah! Of course I have!” Preeti said, rolling her eyes. “Didn’t you just hear me and Dad talking about it?”

  At six years old, Viren was three years younger than his sister and small for his age. But he made up for it by having more energy than a box of frogs. He finally stopped spinning for long enough to make a face at her.

  “I’m going to build a snow dinosaur in the garden!” he exclaimed, crossing his big brown eyes. “You can help me if you want.”

  “I’m not sure what I’m doing yet,” Preeti replied. “I might call Lisa and Hayley, and ask them to come over.”

  “Lisa and Hayley are totally boring!” Viren sneered. “All they talk about is clothes and silly girly stuff on TV.”

  “No, they don’t!” Preeti defended her two best friends. “You’re just annoyed because they don’t want to hang out with my extremely annoying little brother,” she said with slow emphasis.

  “I don’t want to hang out with them, either!” Viren stuck out his tongue, darted back into his bedroom, and slammed the door.

  “Boys!” Preeti sighed as she went to get dressed in warm clothes and boots. Her grandma was making breakfast when Preeti came downstairs into the big eat-in kitchen. It was a big light room, with a table and chairs and comfy sofas set near patio doors that looked out onto the garden.

  Sunetra Nimesh wore a pale green sari, and her graying dark hair was pinned into a neat bun at the back of her head. Small stud earrings twinkled at her ears. She looked up with a warm smile. “Good morning, darling.”

  “Hi, Grandma!” Preeti
sang out, sitting at the table and helping herself to the delicious freshly made chapatis. She loved it when Grandma made these for a special treat. They were much tastier than their normal breakfast cereal.

  Preeti was looking forward to the next few days. This was almost like having a winter vacation! As she ate, she began making plans. Maybe she’d dig the old sled out of the barn. Then she, Lisa, and Hayley could all go to the nearby park. There was a big hill there, and it would be fun to have races down the snow-covered slope.

  She decided that she’d call them as soon as she finished breakfast.

  “I wonder what the weather forecast is.” Grandma switched on the TV.

  Preeti looked up as the announcer began speaking.

  “Heavy snow is expected for the next two weeks. People are advised not to travel unless it’s absolutely necessary. Many roads are impassable, and most schools and many businesses are closed. There are no buses running at the moment . . .”

  “Oh.” Preeti’s shoulders drooped. Hayley and Lisa both lived miles away, all the way across town. They weren’t going to be able to get to her house. “It’s not going to be much fun staying home from school if I’m all by myself,” she said glumly.

  “It is lucky that you and Viren can play with each other,” Grandma said, pouring her a glass of milk.

  Yeah, just great—not! Preeti thought. The last thing she felt like doing was babysitting her little brother.

  “Good morning.” Mrs. Nimesh greeted them both as she came in with Viren.

  Preeti saw that her mom was wearing a sweat suit instead of the usual skirt and jacket she wore to the law firm. She guessed that she’d decided to work from home today.

  Preeti excused herself and stood up. “I think I’ll go to the barn and check on the pets. It’s freezing outside, and they might need extra bedding.”

  “Aren’t you glad that we haven’t bought you that pony you wanted?” her mom commented. “Imagine having to muck out in this awful weather.”

  “I wouldn’t mind,” Preeti said at once. She meant it, too. She knew she’d do anything for a real pony of her own. She and Lisa and Hayley talked about them all the time.

  “I’ll help you!” Viren said, grabbing a chapati and leaping up.

  Grandma put a hand on his arm. “No, you will not. Stay there now. Eat,” she urged. “Your sister can feed those rabbits and guinea pigs.”

  Preeti grabbed her coat from the mudroom and went outside. The air smelled cold and clean, with a chalky freshness. An icy wind was now blowing, and cold snowflakes stung her face and stuck to her eyelashes. She wondered if Lisa and Hayley were missing her as much as she was missing them.

  Preeti pulled up her collar as she trudged through the deep snow. Her boots sank almost up to their tops as she picked her way slowly to the huge old barn at the edge of the garden. Beyond it was a blurred white view of open fields and woods. Opening the barn door, she went inside.

  A warm smell of clean animals met her. The far end of the barn housed her dad’s lawn mower, workbench, and gardening stuff. Three large cages stood against one wall.

  “Hi, guys!” Preeti said, bending down to talk to the bunnies and guinea pigs. “Guess what. It’s snowing outside! It’s a good thing you’re all cozy in here.”

  The little animals came snuffling up to the wire mesh to greet her. Her favorites were two handsome guinea pigs, called Chandra and Surya. Surya had golden fur that grew in swirly rosettes. And Chandra had petal-soft silver-tipped gray fur.

  Preeti filled water bottles, tipped food into bowls, and replaced soiled bedding. Luckily she had recently stocked up on food. A friendly local farmer had sold them a huge bale of straw and a bunch of hay. So no matter how long the snow lasted, she knew that the animals would be warm and well fed.

  She had just finished cleaning up when there was a bright flash of violet light and a shimmering cloud appeared in the center of the barn. Preeti saw twinkling crystal droplets forming on her coat sleeves.

  “Oh!” She narrowed her eyes as she tried to see through the strange multicolored mist. Had some kind of weird ice storm blown into the barn?

  As the mist began to fade, Preeti saw that a pony was walking toward her. It was sturdily built, with a well-shaped head, a pretty light-grayish-brown coat, and a darker gray mane and tail.

  “Can you help me, please?” it asked in a velvety neigh.

  Preeti felt her mouth drop open as she stared at the pretty pony in complete shock. She must have been so amazed at seeing it just appear in their barn that she was imagining things. There was no way a pony could talk!

  “Where did you just come from? How did you get in here?” she murmured aloud to herself.

  The pony flared its nostrils and lifted its head. “I have just arrived here from far away,” it whinnied.

  Preeti did a double take. “Y-y-you really c-c-can talk? But . . . but how come?”

  “All the other magical Lightning Horses in my herd can talk,” the pony told her proudly. “My name is Comet. What is yours?”

  Preeti still couldn’t believe this was really happening. It was like something out of a fairy tale. She felt like pinching herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.

  “I—I’m . . . um, Preeti Nimesh,” she found herself saying. “I live here with my parents, my grandma, and my little brother, Viren.”

  Comet dipped his head in a formal bow, and his dark gray mane swung forward. “I am honored to meet you, Preeti.”

  “Er . . . me too,” Preeti, said, wondering if she should curtsy or something. She settled for bowing her head in a jerky little movement. “Did you say that you came from far away? Like a different town or something?”

  “A lot farther. I live in another world, on Rainbow Mist Island, with my twin sister, Destiny.”

  “Really? Cool! Is she outside in the snow?” Preeti asked, fascinated, about to go back into the garden and look for another talking pony.

  Comet shook his head. “Destiny is here in your world, but she is in hiding. She fled here after the Stone of Power was lost during a game of cloud-racing. This stone protects our Lightning Herd from the dark horses who want to steal our magic. I found it, but Destiny had already run away. I have come to find her and take her home.”

  Preeti swallowed hard as she stared at the amazing pony, who, she noticed, had beautiful glowing deep-violet eyes. He looked like a Highland pony she had seen in one of her magazines.

  Everything Comet had told her sounded so strange and magical. She was still having trouble taking it all in. But one thing in particular fascinated her.

  “You say you were cloud-racing? But how . . .”

  Comet’s large eyes widened. “Stand back, please,” he snorted.

  Preeti felt a warm tingling sensation flowing down to her fingertips as bright violet sparks bloomed in his mouse-colored coat, and more shimmering rainbow mist billowed around him. The sturdy Highland pony was gone, and in its place was a pale-cream pony with a long flowing mane and tail that sparkled like spun gold thread. But it was the spreading gold-feathered wings springing from his shoulders that took Preeti’s breath away.

  “Oh!” she gasped in wonderment as she gazed at the magnificent sight. She had never seen anything so beautiful in her entire life. “Comet?”

  “Yes, it is still me, Preeti. Do not be alarmed,” Comet said in a deep velvety neigh.

  Before Preeti had time to get used to seeing Comet in his true form, there was another burst of violet sparkles, and the multicolored mist dissolved into shimmering dust, revealing the sturdy gray-brown pony once more.

  “Wow! That’s an amazing disguise. Can Destiny make herself look like you?”

  Comet nodded, his tail twitching. “But no disguise will help her if the dark horses find her. She has been far away from the Stone of Power for so long that they are able to see through her magic. I must look for my sister. Will you help me?”

  “Of course I will,” Preeti said at once, not thinking how difficult that could b
e.

  She suddenly remembered the news announcement about how the weather had brought everything to a standstill. It had been bad enough making her way through the deep snow to get to the barn. Tramping through it for hours in search of a lost pony would be impossible.

  She told Comet her worries. “The snow’s really thick outside, and it’s very hard to walk in it. Maybe I could ask Mom and Dad to help—” she began.

  “No! I am sorry, but you cannot tell anyone about me or what I have told you,” Comet snorted, his eyes serious. “You must promise me, Preeti.”

  Preeti chewed her bottom lip. She felt disappointed that she couldn’t tell her parents about the amazing pony. She was sure they would have kept his secret—even if Viren definitely wouldn’t have been able to! But Comet was looking at her with a mixture of complete trust and confidence, and she found herself nodding.

  “All right then,” she said hesitantly, prepared to agree if it would keep Comet and Destiny safe from their enemies.

  “Thank you for keeping my secret.” Comet gave a soft blow and reached forward to gently nuzzle her coat sleeve. “And do not worry. I have my magic to help us when we search for Destiny.”

  “That’s . . . um, okay then,” Preeti said, intrigued. She couldn’t imagine what sort of “help” he meant, but she guessed it was going to be something really unusual.

  As she reached up to stroke his satiny cheek, a proud smile spread across her face. A magic pony had chosen her to be his friend. How amazing was that?

  Comet’s ears swiveled, and he turned his head toward the door. At the same time, Preeti heard a noise behind her. She spun around to see her little brother brushing snow off his coat as he stepped into the barn.

  Catching sight of Preeti and Comet, Viren froze.

  “Where did that pony come from?” he gasped, his big brown eyes like saucers.

  Preeti racked her brains as she tried to come up with something. What could she say to Viren? How could she explain Comet’s presence?