her feelings.â
Stardust was surprised. âI was only teasing. I didnât mean to upset herâI forgot how much she wanted to sing the solo.â
Stardust was anxious to make it up to her sister, so together they sneaked out of the Royal Courtyard.
Once outside, she whinnied to Pippa, âGet on my back.â
Pippa jumped onto Stardustâs snowy white back, and they cantered off to look for Honey.
âThere she is,â Pippa said, pointing, as they left the castle over the drawbridge.
âSheâs heading for the Grasslands,â Stardust said, galloping after her.
Leaning forward like a racing jockey, Pippa buried her fingers in Stardustâs mane. The pony galloped so fast that the air rushed at Pippaâs face, making her eyes water and her hair stream out behind her in dark, wavy ribbons.
Honey didnât stop at the Grasslands but galloped on across the Savannah.
âWhereâs she going?â Pippa shouted.
âI donât know.â Stardust sounded worried. âThis is the way to the Cloud Forest, but she canât be going there.â
âWhy not?â
Stardustâs stride faltered slightly. âBecause itâs haunted.â
Pippa tightened her fingers on Stardustâs mane, knowing that if Honey entered the haunted forest, she and Stardust would have to follow her.
âFaster,â Pippa urged.
Stardust lunged forward.
âHoney, wait!â called Pippa. âStardust has something to say to you.â
They were almost at the edge of the Cloud Forest when Stardust finally caught up with Honey.
âIâm sorry,â Stardust panted. Her sides were heaving and Pippa slid from her back to give her a chance to catch her breath. âI didnât mean to hurt your feelings.â
âI canât sing either,â Pippa confided. âIâm useless at it, and I get so shy I blush.â
âYou, shy!â Stardust and Honey exclaimed together.
Pippa nodded. âIâm very shy about lots of things, but Mom says if you pretend to be confident, then everyone will think you are.â
Stardust was impressed. âThatâs great advice! I never guessed that you were shy about anything.â
âSo where were you going, Honey?â Pippa asked. âHave you got a secret hideaway?â
Honey blushed and shuffled her hooves. âSort of,â she admitted. âIf I tell you the truth, you wonât believe me.â
âWhy wonât we believe you?â asked Pippa.
âItâs a secret, so you have to promise not to tell anyone,â Honey said. âI was going to see my friend Goldie. She lives in the Cloud Forest.â
âNo one lives in the Cloud Forest,â said Stardust.
Honey took a deep breath. âSheâs a unicorn.â
âA unicorn?â Pippa asked, surprised. âUnicorns are real?â
âOh, please!â Stardust snorted with laughter, until she noticed that Pippa was glaring at her. âThereâs no such thing as a unicorn,â she said. âUnicorns are make-believeâthey only exist in bedtime stories for foals. Besides, you wouldnât dare go into the Cloud Forestâeveryone knows itâs haunted.â
Just then a beautiful noise drifted toward them. As they stood and listened, Pippa wished her ears could prick up to detect sounds like Stardustâs and Honeyâs.
âWhatâs that?â she whispered.
âItâs the ghosts!â neighed Stardust. âHop on my back, Pippa. We should get out of here.â
Now it was Honeyâs turn to laugh. âOh, please!â she said. âThereâs no such thing as a ghost. Thatâs the sound of the unicornsâ song.â
âItâs beautiful,â Pippa said, feeling herself soothed as if by a lullaby.
âItâs amazing!â said Honey. âBut Iâve never heard them sing together like that. We must find Goldie and see