A Singing Star (5 page)

‘
Sailing the glistening sea.

Pirate ponies have all the fun.

While landlubbing ponies get none!

Hey!
’

Pippa glanced at Diva as she sang. The pony was singing quietly so that Pippa had to strain her ears to hear.

She leaned across and whispered in Diva’s ear, ‘You have a beautiful voice.’

Diva turned as red as an apple. ‘Really? You’re not just saying that? Only this is my speaking voice, not my proper singing one.’

‘Really,’ Pippa said, firmly. If she could convince Diva that all she needed was some self-confidence then it wouldn’t matter if they failed to get Diva’s proper singing voice back in time for the concert.

‘Bravo!’ boomed Captain Rascal. ‘That was as lovely as a sunset at sea! Come aboard, me hearties, and I’ll sail you where ye need to be.’

Led by Zimb, the ponies and Harmony waded out to the pirate ship. Two girl pirates, wearing matching polka dot bandanas, lowered a gangplank and they scrambled aboard. The crew adjusted the sails, leaving a small one flying at the front, and the boat glided slowly into the caves. Inside it was so black that Pippa couldn’t even see her hand when she held it in front of her face. She shivered and wrapped her arms around her chest.

‘What’s that noise?’ whispered Stardust.

At first Pippa could only hear the steady drip of water on rock. She pushed her hair away from her ears and then she heard it too. ‘It’s Divine and it sounds like she’s singing,’ she whispered back.

‘That’s so spooky,’ Diva said, sounding perplexed. ‘I hope she’s not going to use my voice next.’

‘Don’t worry.’ Pippa reached out and stroked Diva’s neck. ‘I promise we’ll get your singing voice back soon.’

Chapter 5

The pirate ship creaked then shuddered to a halt.

‘Here we are. Away ye go, me hearties,’ boomed Captain Rascal.

‘Away ye go,’ echoed the parrot.

Pippa leaned forward but even when she scrunched her eyes up she couldn’t see a thing. How the Captain knew they’d arrived at the entrance to the tunnels was a mystery to her. ‘Where do we get off the boat?’ she asked.

‘Over there,’ replied a friendly voice. A light shone behind her. Pippa turned and saw one of the polka dot pirates carrying a lantern attached to a long pole. ‘Here, take this,’ said the pirate pony.

‘Thanks,’ said Pippa. In the light she could see that the tunnel ceiling was quite low so she slipped from Stardust’s back. The pirates had lowered the gangplank and it was resting on a rock. Pippa went over and held the light so that Stardust, followed by Diva and Harmony, could see to get off the boat. When it was Pippa’s turn the plank creaked as she placed her foot on it. Pippa stood very still. She gripped the lantern tightly as she plucked up the courage to walk the plank. ‘At least there aren’t any sharks,’ she told herself firmly. But who knew what else was lurking down in the oil-black sea­­water beneath her!

Halfway across the plank Pippa heard a splash. She froze. What was that? The water was still again but Pippa was stuck. The plank seemed to go on for ever. Would she really make it to the end without falling off?

‘Come on, Pippa, you’re nearly there now,’ called Stardust encouragingly.

‘You can do it,’ said Diva. ‘We know you can!’

Pippa took a deep breath. Of course she could do it if she believed in her­­­­self. Isn’t that what she’d been telling Diva? Pippa smiled at Stardust and her cousin. ‘I can,’ she said, loudly, and she took another step.

Once she got going again, it was easy. Pippa practically ran the last few steps and jumped off the plank. The lantern flickered and she steadied it with her free hand. ‘Whoops! Mustn’t let it go out,’ she said. ‘Then we will be stuck!’

The moment everyone stepped ashore the pirates raised the gangplank.

‘Aren’t you coming with us?’ asked Pippa.

‘Nay. We’re pirate ponies, not landlubbers. We belong at sea,’ said Captain Rascal. ‘Good luck, me hearties.’

The tunnel was only wide enough for everyone to walk in single file. Pippa had to go first as she was carrying the lantern but Zimb flew by her shoulder. Water trickled down the rocky walls and made puddles on the ground. Bar­­nacles and mussels clung to the rocks, their shells clamped tightly together. The tunnel twisted and turned. In some places it was so low that everyone had to bow their heads to avoid scraping them on the rocky ceiling.

Pippa couldn’t stop shivering but Zimb’s soft voice, whispering in her ear, gave her the courage to go on. Often the tunnel split and sometimes there were multiple passages to choose from. Then Diva would stand with her ears pricked until she picked up the sound of Divine’s voice drifting towards her. They walked for ages. One of Pippa’s shoes was beginning to rub the back of her ankle when suddenly the tunnel opened out into a small, rocky cave littered with slimy seaweed.

‘There she is!’ Pippa pointed to the middle of the cave where Divine stood with her back to them. A glass bottle was propped between her front hooves. Her nose was in the air and her mouth wide open as she sang gustily to the empty cave.

‘My voice!’ cried Diva. Her eyes were bright with tears as she stared round at her friends. ‘She’s got my voice in that bottle!’

Divine stopped singing and swung round. ‘It’s
my
voice now,’ she crowed.

Pippa clenched her hands. ‘It’s not. That’s Diva’s singing voice and you stole it.’

Divine cackled with laughter. ‘You again! You don’t give up, do you?’

‘No, I don’t,’ Pippa said, bravely.
Yes, you do,
said a small voice in her head.
Remember rehearsing the play with Miranda? You gave up then, didn’t you?
Pippa felt hot inside but she squashed the thought flat and turned her attention back to Divine. ‘Now give Diva her voice back or –’

‘Or what?’ Divine said, scornfully. ‘You’ll run and tell your mummykins? Too late, foolish child. I shall sing at the concert tonight and everyone will love
me
.’

Love me . . . love me . . . love me . . .
Divine’s voice echoed softly in the cave.

‘Give me the bottle, please.’ Pippa stepped towards Divine. ‘You’ve made Diva very upset.’

‘Stay back!’ Divine raised a hoof in warning. ‘Come any closer and I’ll smash this bottle on the rocks. Then Diva’s precious voice will be lost for ever.’

For ever . . . for ever . . . for ever . . .
called the echo.

Pippa froze. She was convinced that Diva didn’t need her singing voice back to be able to sing again – all she needed was to believe that she could do it. But what if she were wrong? She couldn’t take that risk.

‘Zimb,’ Pippa said in a low voice. ‘Can you sneak round her and get the bottle?’

‘I shall try,’ he replied.

On silent wings, Zimb flew over to Divine.

‘Divine,’ Pippa called, hoping to distract her. ‘You don’t need someone else’s voice to be loved. If you treat the other ponies nicely and show them how much you love them then everyone will want to be your friend.’

Divine’s eyes flashed hopefully. ‘Why should I believe you?’

‘Because –’ Pippa started but it was too late. Zimb had reached the bottle and snatched it from the floor.

Divine wheeled round. ‘Little thief!’ she squealed.

Thief . . . thief . . . thief . . .
the cave called back.

‘That’s it, Zimb!’ said Pippa.

Zimb was struggling. The bottle was too heavy for him to carry. When Divine’s flaying hooves knocked the bottle, Zimb let go. Pippa went cold with fear as it sailed through the air. She jumped to save it but the jar slipped through her fingers. There was a fierce crack as it hit the rocks and broke apart. Shards of glass pinged around the cave and Pippa covered her head with her hands to protect herself. A long silence followed. As Pippa uncurled her hands from her head a low moan filled the cave.

‘Nooooo,’ wailed Diva. ‘My singing voice . . . it’s lost for ever.’

‘Ha, ha, ha!’ Divine squinted, making her eyes look small and mean. ‘Serves you right for meddling. If I can’t have your voice, no one can.’ Swirling her cloak around her she leapt into a tunnel at the back of the cave and galloped away.

Pippa listened to her hooves echoing into the distance. ‘I’m sorry.’ She threw her arms around Diva’s black neck. ‘I’m so very sorry.’

‘I used to be special – now I’m just ordinary.’ Diva’s sobs rang around the cave. ‘I’ll never sing again. Never!’

Something was tickling Pippa’s ankles. She stamped her feet and felt water splash up her legs. Fearfully, she glanced down. ‘Oh no!’ she cried. ‘We’ve been here too long. The tide’s coming in.’

‘It’s over my hooves already,’ squeaked Stardust. ‘Help! What are we going to do?’