Free Show-Jumping Dreams by Sue Bentley Page B

“Take a nice nap now.”

    Back outside, she didn’t know what to do. Zoe was grooming Maxi and her mom was making lunch. Her dad suggested they take a walk around the show’s booths, which sold everything from riding boots to the latest saddle soap.
    Alex didn’t really feel like it. Pasha’s injury had cast a shadow over the day for her. “Thanks, but do you mind if I go for a walk by myself instead?” she asked him.
    “’Course not, honey. It’ll do you good. Don’t be too long.”
    “I won’t.”
    She wandered across the truck park. Riders on ponies and horses passed her on their way to and from the show-jumping and dressage enclosures. It was a warm spring day; families were enjoying picnics on the grass as they watched the different competitions.
    Alex went through a gateway that led to a small wooded area. Flame-shaped yellow crocuses glowed against the dark soil next to shy violets. One or two people were walking their dogs, but theplace was mostly empty. The rich smells of bark and grass surrounded her.

    Alex paused on the shore of a small lake. She noticed a patch of mist hovering above the water. It seemed to be drifting toward her.
    Suddenly there was a bright flash of violet sparkles, and a shimmeringcloud filled the entire clearing. Alex saw rainbow droplets glistening on her skin.
    “Oh!” She narrowed her eyes, trying to peer through the strange multicolored mist.
    As it began to fade, Alex saw that a pony was walking toward her. It was a palomino with a glossy caramel-colored coat, a sandy mane and tail, and bright deep-violet eyes.
    “Can you help me, please?” it asked in a velvety neigh.

Alex froze. She stared at the pretty pony in complete astonishment. She must still be feeling so upset about poor Pasha that she was imagining things! Whoever heard of a pony that could talk?
    “What are you doing in here? I wonder who you belong to,” she murmured aloud to herself.
    The pony lifted its head proudly andflared its nostrils. “I belong to no one. I am Comet of the Lightning Herd. I have just arrived here from far away.”

    Alex’s jaw dropped. “Y-you can talk? B-but how come?”
    “All the magical Lightning Horses in my herd can talk,” Comet told her. “What is your name?”
    Alex swallowed, still not quite believing that this was happening. She felt like she’d stumbled into a real live fairy tale.
    “I-I’m . . . um, Alexandra Judd, but everyone calls me Alex,” she found herself stammering. “I’m . . . here at the horse show with my parents and my best friend, Zoe . . .”
    Comet dipped his head in a formal bow, and his pale sandy mane swung forward. “I am honored to meet you, Alex.”
    “Um . . . me too,” Alex said, feeling as if she should curtsy or something. “Did you say that you came from far away? Like a different country?”
    “Much farther. I live in another world on Rainbow Mist Island with my twin sister, Destiny.”
    “Really? Wow! Is she here, too? Where is she?” Alex asked, fascinated, looking around for another talking palomino.
    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 our game of cloud-racing. The stone protects our herd from the dark horses who want to steal our magic. It has been found, but Destiny does not know this. I have come to find her and take her home.”
    Alex blinked at the handsome pony. What he had told her was so magical and strange. She wasn’t sure that she could take it all in. But one thing in particular was puzzling her.
    “Cloud-racing? What’s—” she began.
    Comet’s violet eyes widened. “Stay back, please,” he snorted.
    Alex felt a strange tingling sensation flowing down to her fingertips as violetsparks ignited in Comet’s caramel-colored coat and shimmering rainbow mist swirled around him. The palomino had disappeared, and in its place was a pale-cream pony with a flowing gold mane and tail that