A Singing Star (6 page)

Chapter 6

Pippa’s head spun. They were going to be trapped in the watery tunnels.

‘I’ll fly to Stableside Castle for help,’ said Zimb.

‘There isn’t time,’ said Pippa. ‘We’ll have to call for the pirates.’

Stardust looked worried. ‘But they’ll never hear us in here. We don’t have the conch shell to make our voices louder.’

‘Diva has a powerful voice,’ said Harmony. ‘The pirates would hear her . . . if she sang.’

Diva shook her head. ‘I’m sorry but I can’t do it,’ she said, dramatically.

‘We’re all here for you,’ said Pippa, stroking Diva’s flowing mane. ‘We believe in you.’

As she waited for Diva to reply, Pippa crossed her fingers. If Diva said yes then she would try harder at all the things she found difficult too, starting with her lines for the play.

‘Oh, OK,’ Diva said, reluctantly. ‘I’ll try.’

‘That’s my Diva,’ said Harmony.

‘Ssstand back, give Diva some room,’ instructed Zimb.

Diva stood alone in the centre of the cave. Pippa held the lantern out to make a spotlight. There was a faraway look in Diva’s eyes as she opened her mouth and began to sing. ‘
Yo! It’s a pirate’s life for me . . .
’ she crooned.

‘That’s so beautiful,’ called Pippa. ‘Again, Diva. Louder this time.’

Diva blushed. ‘Thank you, Pippa,’ she said. ‘
YO! IT’S A PIRATE’S LIFE FOR ME
,’ she began again.

As Diva sang the pirate sea shanty, the echo sang it back to her. Pippa swallowed a lump in her throat. She’d never heard such a wonderful voice. Zimb ushered everyone along the tunnel, back to the cave where the pirate ship had left them. The water was rising too quickly. By the time they reached the cave it was up to Pippa’s knees. She held the lantern high above her head and peered into the gloom. Where was
The Jolly Horseshoe
?

Suddenly Diva stopped singing, but her voice continued to echo through the tunnels.

Diva’s ears swivelled forward. ‘Is that what I sound like?’ she asked.

‘You sound like a star,’ said Pippa.

‘With an audience,’ added Stardust. ‘Look!’

Pippa looked to the mouth of the cave just in time to see
The Jolly Horseshoe
sail through. ‘Hoorah!’ she cheered. ‘You did it, Diva. You haven’t lost your singing voice at all. There was no magic in that potion! Divine stole something else from you, something much more important – your confidence.’

Diva stared at Pippa with a mixture of surprise and joy. ‘You’re right, Pippa. I can sing. But it’s not too late, is it? I haven’t missed the concert?’

‘No,’ said Pippa, as the thud of
The Jolly Horseshoe
’s gangplank echoed around the cave. ‘There’s still time to get you back to Stableside Castle for your performance.’

Captain Rascal insisted on sailing everyone around the coast to the beach nearest to Stableside Castle. ‘It’s a pirate’s life for us,’ he laughed.

‘There won’t be enough time to get you ready.’ Stardust fussed over Diva. ‘And we’ve missed our appointment at the Mane Street Salon. Can any of you pirate ponies please lend me a brush so that I can try and smarten Diva up a bit?’

Stardust’s request was met with gales of laughter. ‘A brush!’ The pirates with the spotty bandanas giggled. ‘What’s a brush?’

‘Don’t worry, Stardust,’ said Diva. ‘I don’t mind how I look. It’s more import­­­ant that I give my best when I’m singing.’

Pippa smiled to herself. Diva wasn’t the diva she’d seemed when they first met. ‘That’s true,’ she said. ‘But Stardust has a point. You’re a star, Diva, and the Royal Ponies will expect you to look tidy.’

Pippa used her fingers to untangle the worst knots in Diva’s mane and tail. She found a clean tissue in her pocket and wiped the mud from the Cloud Forest away from Diva’s face. ‘You look great,’ she said, stepping back to admire her work.

The strong wind blew the boat around the island. It wasn’t long before
The Jolly Horseshoe
arrived at the beach where Rosella had left Pippa. ‘Not far now,’ said Pippa. ‘Are you ready to sing, Diva?’

‘I’m readier than I’ve ever been,’ Diva said, with a smile.

There was a loud rattle and the boat shook as Captain Rascal dropped the anchor. ‘All landlubbers ashore,’ he cried, lowering the plank.

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

‘Not me. I’m staying aboard for the finale.’

‘The finale?’ Stardust was mystified.

Captain Rascal winked. ‘Let’s just say that I’m here to make sure the evening ends with a bang.’

As Pippa, Stardust, Diva, Harmony and Zimb made their way to Stableside Castle they were joined by some of Zimb’s horsefly friends. ‘We came to sssee where you were,’ they buzzed. ‘The unicornsss are here too. They’re already ssseated in the amphitheatre next to the ponies from the Mighty Oaksss Senior Ponies Stables, who didn’t get to hear the concert earlier.’

As the turrets of the Castle grew nearer Pippa felt fizzy with excitement. Diva was very quiet but her face was set with determination.

‘You’re going to be brilliant,’ Pippa whispered.

‘I’ll give it my best,’ Diva replied.

The amphitheatre was buzzing with chatter as Pippa and Stardust took their seats in the royal box.

Queen Moonshine leaned forward in her seat. ‘We were beginning to worry that you wouldn’t make it,’ she whinnied.

‘Did Divine give Diva her singing voice back?’ asked Princess Crystal. ‘Is it as good as it was?’

‘Wait and see,’ Stardust said, with a smile.

‘What about Diva’s hooves and mane and tail? Did she get them done? Only she missed her appointment at the Mane Street Salon,’ Princess Honey said, anxiously.

Before Pippa or Stardust could answer the conductor tapped his baton against his music stand. The audience fell silent. A soft, pink spotlight circled the stage and came to rest in the centre where Diva stood with her head bowed. Bathed in light, she turned to the royal box and curtsied to the King and Queen. She winked at Pippa and Stardust, then throwing back her head she began to sing.

After the performance the audience went wild. They cheered and stamped their hooves and some threw wild flowers on to the stage. Diva was made to sing three encores before finally the conductor tapped his baton on his music stand for silence. Diva stepped forward. In a low voice she addressed the crowd. ‘Ponies, unicorns, Pippa MacDonald and friends of Chevalia, thank you. Your support means so much to me. It was only with the help and love of my friends that I made it here tonight. They taught me a lesson that I’ll always remember. Never give up on your dreams. If you believe in yourself then you can make good things happen. I believe in me but I also believe in Chevalia, a magical place for ponies and their friends. To Chevalia.’

‘To Chevalia.’ As the roar of the crowd died away pink stars exploded overhead.

Pippa stared up as more bangs sounded and the sky was filled with a rainbow of coloured stars. ‘Fireworks,’ she said, happily.

‘So that’s what Captain Rascal meant when he said the evening would end with a bang! I love fireworks,’ Stardust added.

‘Me too,’ said Pippa as a rocket whizzed into the night sky and exploded in a myriad of coloured sparkles. ‘What a perfect end to a brilliant concert.’

After the concert
everyone wanted to congratulate Diva on how well she’d sung. There was such a huge crowd around her that Pippa and Stardust couldn’t even see her. Gradually the ponies drifted away. When at last Diva was on her own again she made straight for Pippa and her cousin Stardust. Her eyes shone with happiness. ‘Thank you,’ Diva said.

‘No, thank you,’ said Pippa. ‘You showed me how important confidence is. You’re a truly extraordinary pony, Diva.’

Stardust neighed. ‘Let’s get something to eat. The buffet looks delicious and I’m hungry after all that excitement.’

There was plenty of food. Stardust and Diva tucked into carrot burgers and hot popped oats, washing them down with steaming carrot juice. To Pippa’s delight the Stableside cook had remembered her too. She had her own dish of fish and chips served in a paper box and a mug of hot chocolate. Pippa drained the hot chocolate and licked her lips. ‘How come food tastes so much better when it’s eaten outdoors?’ she asked.

‘I don’t know but it does!’ Princess Stardust agreed.