Over The Rainbow (3 page)

‘Rule number four,' said the Ruler quickly. ‘No losing the Rule-Ruler.'

Elly headed off after Madame Fernyfrond again, who was by now a long way ahead. Immediately, she fell over again.

‘Rule number 132 – no falling over,' said the Ruler.

Elly frowned. ‘You've already said that one! With a different number!'

‘Rule number 20,' said the Ruler bossily. ‘No arguing with the Rule-Ruler.'

Madame Fernyfrond turned around. ‘What
are
you doing, Elinora?'

‘I can't seem to walk along these floors, Madame Fernyfrond,' Elly explained.

‘Well, it's no wonder!' said Madame, examining Elly's shoes. ‘Those clod-hopping human shoes are not suitable for these floors.'

‘Rule number 597,' chimed in the Ruler. ‘No human shoes.'

From a pocket in her gown, Madame Fernyfrond produced a pair of blue slippers. ‘Put these on,' said Madame Fernyfrond, ‘and then flutter your wings just slightly as you glide along.'

After that, Elly found it much easier to move across the slippery corridors, although it took a while to get the hang of it. If she beat her wings even slightly too hard, she ended up sliding into the walls!

Elly and Madame Fernyfrond passed some students on the way, who gave Elly curious looks. Elly looked back at them just as curiously. They were all dressed in knee-length deep-blue tunics that buttoned up over the shoulders, paired with rainbow-striped stockings.

That must be the uniform here,
thought Elly, relieved. All of the fairy schools she'd been to before had very traditional fairy outfits, complete with scratchy, itchy tutus. Elly hated them! At least these uniforms looked comfortable. Elly hummed to herself, feeling a little happier.

But the Ruler interrupted her. ‘Rule number 175 –
no humming.'

Elly sighed, remembering the noise and bustle of South Street School. Even at Mossy Blossom Academy they'd been allowed to make noise at lunchtime. She and Saphie always made the biggest racket of all!

Elly's home was very noisy, too. Baby Kara was always making things fall over with a bang. Her mum was always crashing about in her inventing studio. And her dad liked singing duets with their musical bathtub at the top of his voice.

Suddenly, Elly felt so homesick that it was all she could do not to burst into tears.

Finally, Madame Fernyfrond came to a stop outside a bright blue door with a number five on it. ‘This is your dormitory,' she said, rapping sharply on the door.

‘Come in!' called a friendly voice.

Inside were four beds hanging from the ceiling like swings. The walls, the curtains and the rug were blue. The beds were covered in blue bedspreads. Even the light bulb was blue. Lying on one of the beds, reading a book, was a small, pretty fairy.

‘Elinora, this is my grand-daughter …' Madame Fernyfrond started to say.

But Elly needed no introductions. She had already flown up to the bed and flung her arms around the surprised fairy.

‘Saphie!' cried Elly. ‘You have no idea how happy I am to see you!'

Chapter Four

S
aphie was equally happy to see Elly. ‘But what are you doing here?' she asked.

‘It was Grandmother's idea,' explained Elly.

Saphie smiled. ‘Same here!' she said. ‘My family came for a visit to Rainbowville, and Grandma Fernyfrond convinced them that I should attend the Rainbow Academy.'

‘And you've already improved vastly in the short time you've been here,' said Madame Fernyfrond.

Elly felt like giggling. Saphie was the most perfect fairy she knew. She always got 100% in her spelling tests and she knew how to do all kinds of extra-tricky stunt flying. And she never forgot to recharge her wand, like Elly did. How could Saphie
possibly
improve?

‘Thank you, Grandma,' said Saphie politely, without looking even slightly annoyed. Saphie was perfect when it came to manners, too!

Just then, a bell chimed.

‘Ah, dinner-time!' said Madame Fernyfrond. ‘Sapphire, please take Elinora down to the dining hall, and then help get her set up.' Then Madame glided out the door.

Elly grinned at Saphie. ‘It's just like we're back at Mossy Blossom together!'

Saphie pulled a face. ‘More than you realise, unfortunately. There's another student here from Mossy Blossom, as it happens.'

‘Who?' asked Elly curiously.

‘Who would be the last fairy in the whole of the Fairy Realm that you would want to share a dormitory with?'

Elly looked at Saphie in horror. ‘No way!'

Saphie nodded. ‘Gabi Cruddleperry!'

‘Oh no!' said Elly. ‘Please tell me that she's nicer than she used to be, at least?'

Saphie shook her head. ‘Sorry,' she said. ‘She's worse than ever. She's decided that she's the best fairy here and she's always doing magic when she's not supposed to. And somehow she keeps getting away with it. Yesterday, she put a dizzy spell on Evie Glitterwings. Every time Evie tried to stand up, she'd just fall over again. Gabi thought it was really funny.'

‘That's terrible!' groaned Elly.

‘It gets worse,' said Saphie. ‘The fourth fairy in our room is Gabi's cousin, Nadia.'

‘You mean we're sharing with
two
Cruddleperrys?' said Elly in disbelief.

Saphie nodded. ‘Afraid so,' she said, giving Elly's hand a squeeze. ‘Which is why I'm so extra-specially pleased to see you. It's been terrible dealing with them on my own. Gabi is still really cross with you, but because you're not around she picks on me instead! Nadia is just as bad. Last night they changed my toothbrush into a big slug. And last week they turned my sheets into cheese while I was asleep. When I woke up they'd melted all over me!'

Elly frowned. ‘That won't happen again, ever!' she promised. ‘No-one melts cheese on my friends while I'm around.'

Saphie laughed and gave her friend a huge hug. ‘I'm so glad you're here!' she said. ‘Now, we'd better hurry.'

‘Rule number 348,' the Ruler piped up. ‘No being late for dinner.'

Saphie leapt down from the bed, landing gracefully on the ground.

Elly did the same, but not nearly so gracefully.

‘Let's go,' said Saphie. ‘And leave that annoying Ruler in your drawer!'

‘
Great
idea!' laughed Elly.

‘Rule number nine! No leaving the Ruler behind!' shrieked the Ruler, as Elly and Saphie headed out the door.

Cooking smells wafted up the corridor as Saphie and Elly neared the dining room.

‘What's for dinner tonight?' asked Elly, sniffing hungrily.

‘Well, today is blue day,' said Saphie, ‘so it's probably blue soup, followed by blue stew and blueberry pie to finish.'

‘
Blue
day?' repeated Elly.

‘Every day here is dedicated to a different colour of the rainbow,' explained Saphie as they entered the dining hall. ‘Today's colour is blue, so we wear blue uniforms and eat blue food. Tomorrow is indigo, so we have to wear our indigo uniforms and eat indigo food. ' Elly giggled. ‘That's the craziest thing I've ever heard!'

‘I thought so too, at first,' agreed Saphie. ‘But I'm used to it now. And the food is actually pretty tasty.'

Elly wasn't sure she believed Saphie when she was handed a big bowl of blue soup. It smelt OK. But it looked like paint!

‘Don't worry, it's nice,' whispered Saphie. ‘They make it out of special blue tomatoes. It tastes just like red tomato soup, I promise.'

Elly took a little sip with her eyes closed. To her surprise, Saphie was right! It tasted exactly like tomato soup.

Then Elly tried another mouthful, with her eyes open. But for some reason now it tasted, well,
blue
!

‘I feel like I'm sleep-eating!' Elly giggled to Saphie, closing her eyes again.

After dinner, Saphie took Elly on a quick tour of the school.

‘That's the Flight Simulator room, where we do Extreme Flying,' Saphie said, as they glided past a series of blue doors. ‘This next room is where we do Human Studies. It's set up to look like a human classroom. And that,' added Saphie, pointing to a heavy-looking door, ‘is the library. Hardly anyone goes there because they all listen to wand-books instead. I like it, though. It's a good place to escape from the Cruddleperrys!'

Next to the library door was a shining silver gate, padlocked shut. Behind it was a dark, narrow set of stairs, leading downwards.

Elly stopped and stared into the gloom. ‘What's down there?'

‘The Rainbow Laboratory,' replied Saphie. ‘It's located right below the school.'

‘The Rainbow Laboratory,' echoed Elly, remembering what Grandmother had told her. ‘Isn't that where the rainbow is made?'

Saphie nodded. ‘Yes. It's also where the main Sky Scanner is kept,' she said. ‘It's an incredibly important place.'

‘I'd love to have a look in there,' said Elly longingly.

‘Forget it!' sighed Saphie. ‘Only a few of the very top students in the very top class are ever allowed in.'

Just then, a bell rang out.

‘That's the bed-time bell,' said Saphie. ‘Come on. We'd better go. I can just hear that Rule-Ruler now.
Rule number eleventy-million. No ignoring the bed-time bell!'

Elly took one last look at the stairs. She knew she'd probably never get into the Rainbow Laboratory. But that didn't stop her from really wanting to!

Chapter Five

W
hen Elly and Saphie arrived back at their dormitory, they were shocked by what they saw. The room was in total chaos! Papers and books were scattered everywhere. The bedspreads were lying in a jumbled heap on the floor. And huddled up together on one of the beds were two girls, looking very scared.

Elly recognised Gabi Cruddleperry.
The other girl must be her cousin Nadia,
she realised.
I'd know a Cruddleperry anywhere!

‘What's going on?' asked Saphie.

Gabi pointed a trembling finger towards the cupboard. ‘There's a ghost in there,' she whimpered. ‘We managed to trap it, but who knows how long that door will hold?'

Sure enough, there was a furious banging sound coming from the cupboard, like something was hurling itself against the door. And the closer Elly got to the door, the more furious the banging became.

‘It's probably just a bird that got stuck in here,' said Elly, trying to sound brave.

Gabi shook her head. ‘It isn't a bird. It's an enormous blue ghost,' she insisted.

‘Well, there's only one way to find out for sure!' said Elly.

With her heart racing, she flung the door open. Immediately, something flew out of the cupboard, covered in a blue sheet. Then it started flying crazily around the room, bumping into things as it went.

‘See! It's a ghost!' shrieked Nadia.

Elly jumped up, grabbed the sheet as the thing flew past and yanked hard. The sheet fell off to reveal a small package, covered in stamps.

Once the sheet was off, the parcel stopped flying madly and darted straight into Elly's hands.

Saphie laughed. ‘It's just an express parcel with homing stamps on it. Looks like someone's sent you something, Elly! It must've got tangled up with the laundry when it was trying to find you.'

Gabi and Nadia stopped looking scared and started looking annoyed instead.

‘See, Nadia? I told you Elly was trouble,' said Gabi crossly, jumping down from her bed. ‘Let's go and get some hot chocolate from the kitchen.'

Then Nadia glared at Elly. ‘When we come back this room better be tidy.'

Elly rolled her eyes at Saphie as the Cruddleperrys stalked out.

‘See what I mean?' said Saphie, shaking her head. ‘Worse than ever.'

But Elly grinned. ‘Forget about them,' she said, plonking herself down on the floor. ‘Let's open my parcel.'

Inside the parcel was a small, heart-shaped pendant on a chain. A butterfly-shaped card fluttered out, which Elly carefully caught.

She recognised her mum's handwriting straight away –
it was always hard to read
.

Darling Elly,
Here is a Heart Tracker pendant to
remind you that we are thinking of you
constantly. When someone who really
cares about you is nearby, it glows.
    Love from Mum, Dad and Kara.

Elly felt tears in her eyes as she slipped the pendant on. ‘I miss them so much!' she said.

Saphie nodded. ‘I miss my family, too,' she admitted. ‘But at least we can look after each other now.' As Saphie spoke, the heart on the pendant glowed with a soft, pink light.

Elly gave Saphie's hand a grateful squeeze. She was so lucky to have a friend like her! ‘Come on,' Elly said, jumping up and brushing her tears away. ‘We better get this room tidy. If I have to listen to any more Cruddleperry complaints tonight my ears will pop!'