Winter Wonderland #5 (7 page)

“Phew! I didn’t expect to hear about us on the news!” Preeti said to Comet. She had removed his soiled bedding and spread fresh straw, and was now giving the guinea pigs some pieces of cucumber for a treat. Chandra and Surya were making excited grunting noises as they snuffled and licked cucumber juice from her
fingers. “It’s a good thing that woman and the snowplow driver didn’t get a good look at us, or I’d be in deep trouble with Mom and Dad now!”

With Comet looking after her, Preeti knew she couldn’t have been in safer hands. But her parents wouldn’t see it like that. She didn’t want to try to explain what she was doing riding around at night.

Comet’s gray mane swung forward as he nodded in agreement. “When we go out looking for Destiny again, I will use my magic to make us both invisible.”

“You can do that? Wow! That’s
so
cool! Then I don’t need to worry about anyone seeing us.”

It had been so amazing to ride Comet. She had loved their exciting snowy adventure. “I’d like to go out with you
again right now,” she said, although she knew it was far too risky, especially with Viren likely to pop his head into the barn at any moment. “Though I’d better wait and slip out when everyone’s asleep, like last night.”

But by a stroke of luck, Preeti found herself with time on her hands that afternoon. Grandma was walking over to visit her friend Mr. Linford, and Mom and Viren had gone with her. Her dad was at the hospital, so the house was empty for once.

“I pretended I had some homework to do,” she told Comet. “So I could stay here. Now we can go out looking for Destiny.”

“Thank you, Preeti.” Comet’s eyes flashed, and he pawed the floor with one front hoof. “Climb onto my back again.”

Preeti didn’t
need to be told twice. As they galloped away from the barn, she showed him the way to a different part of town. Once again, Comet’s shining hooves skimmed the surface of the snow and their invisible passing left no trail.

The snowplows had been busy, and traffic was beginning to move very slowly on the main road. Preeti saw lots of snow-covered cars left in driveways and parked along the side of the road. Ice and snow blocked all the side streets.

“There’s a park just over there with lots of places where Destiny might hide,” Preeti said, pointing.

Comet pricked his ears hopefully.

As they drew closer, they could hear shouts and laughter. About thirty kids of all ages were playing in the snow. More of
them were riding their sleds down a steep hill.

Preeti and Comet rode between the trees and snow-covered bushes, keeping a sharp eye out for any signs of a pony. At first, Preeti found it strange that no one paid them any attention, but she soon got used to it.

Being invisible was a lot of fun!

They investigated an area with clipped hedges, but found nothing. Comet snorted and they rode on toward a large frozen lake.

Ducks and geese waddled on the surface, and noisy seagulls wheeled overhead. A forest of tall dried reeds stuck up through the snow along a stretch of the lakeside, providing enough cover for a lost pony. But once again they had no luck.

Galloping away from the park, Comet headed toward a shopping center.

“Let’s try over there,” Preeti said, squeezing him on, as she pointed to a superstore with a large parking lot. “Maybe it would be warmer behind the store. A pony could find shelter there.”

Comet nodded, flicking up his tail with eagerness.

But he had barely begun to cross the snow-covered parking lot when Preeti felt him stiffen. As her magic pony friend
stopped and leaned down to look at the ground, she looked down, too.

In front of them both and stretching all the way across the parking lot was a faint line of softly glowing violet hoofprints.

“Destiny! She came this way!” Comet neighed excitedly.

Preeti felt a pang. Did that mean her friend was leaving right now? “Are . . . are you going follow her?” she asked anxiously.

Comet shook his head. “No. There is no point. This trail is not fresh. But it proves that Destiny was here. She cannot be too far away. When she is very close, I will be able to hear her hoofbeats.”

“Will I be able to hear them, too?” Preeti asked.

“Yes. But only if you are riding me, or we are together,” he explained in a soft neigh.
“And I may have to leave suddenly, without saying good-bye, to catch up with her.”

Preeti bit her lip during this reminder that Comet could not stay with her forever. She swallowed hard as tears threatened to well up, knowing that she would never be ready to lose her special magic friend.

After searching for a while longer, with no more signs of Destiny, Preeti and Comet turned toward home. Preeti wasn’t sure how long Grandma, Mom, and Viren would stay at Mr. Linford’s house, and she hoped they would get back before they returned.

On the way, they cut through some narrow lanes and alleyways and finally
emerged at the far side of the park, a short way from the frozen lake. A group of people were on the shore. As they drew closer, shouts rang out.

“A little boy’s fallen through the ice!” a girl cried.

Preeti tightened her hands on Comet’s mane and looked toward the commotion. She had a bad feeling about this. More people were running toward the lake, where a tiny shape out on the ice was waving its arms around.

As the magic pony checked his stride, Preeti frowned. There was something familiar about that figure. Then her heart missed a beat.

“It’s Viren!” she gasped.

What was her little brother doing here?

Comet didn’t hesitate. “Hold tight!”

He launched himself into the air in a mighty leap. Seconds later he landed lightly on the lake’s frozen surface, in the center of the reed bed. A foot away, Viren’s head and shoulders were sticking up through a hole in the ice as he tried to pull himself out.

Quickly dismounting, Preeti crawled forward and knelt at the edge of the reeds.

“Hang on, Viren!” she gasped.

“Preeti? Is that you?” His frightened dark eyes widened in shock as he looked around, trying to see where her voice had come from. “Where . . . where are you?” he gulped, his teeth chattering.

Preeti remembered that she and Comet were still invisible. What was she to do? How could she explain her sudden appearance? There was no blizzard to hide them this time. She felt torn. She had to help her brother, but she had promised to keep Comet’s secret.

Preeti made up her mind.

“Comet! Make me visible, please!” she whispered.

The magic pony’s wise eyes gleamed. “Very well.”

Preeti felt the familiar warm tingling feeling flow down her fingers and saw bright sparks igniting in Comet’s coat as a shimmering multicolored mist swirled around them. The magical rainbow fog
spread out across the lake’s surface, making the ice safe and hiding them from the people on the shore.

Preeti lay down and inched herself forward onto the thicker ice. “Don’t worry! I’m here!” she called to Viren.

His face crumpled with relief. “Preeti!”

Almost there!
Preeti kicked out strongly with her feet and skidded toward him.
Yes!
Her fingers closed on a wet sleeve. “Got you!”

She took a firm hold, pulled with all her strength, and hauled Viren out. He collapsed in a wet heap on the ice beside her.

For a moment she lay there, panting. Viren was shivering badly.

A magical fleecy blanket of shimmering rainbow mist settled warmly
around them both. “Quickly, while he is still confused. Lift him onto my back,” Comet neighed softly.

Preeti was worried that Viren would be too heavy for her. But as she scooped him up in her arms, she found that he was as light as a feather, and she mounted Comet easily.

With a burst of violet sparkles, Comet made them all invisible before he sprang into the air. His giant leap carried them high above the frozen lake. Then, landing on the shore, he bore them home at nearly the speed of light.

Preeti hardly had time to catch her breath before she found herself inside the warm barn. Moments later, she was standing beside Comet, looking down at Viren, who lay on the clean straw.

Her brother sat up, rubbing his eyes as if he was waking from a dream. “What . . . what just happened?” Viren blinked up at her in surprise. “I . . . I don’t get it. How did I get back here?”

“I managed to grab you and pull you out of the water. You were in a bit of a daze, but you managed to walk home with me,” Preeti improvised quickly. “It
was lucky I was at the park and saw you fall through the ice. What were you doing there, anyway? You know you’re not allowed to go off by yourself. If Mom and Dad find out about this, you’re toast!”

Viren’s face clouded. “You won’t tell them, will you?” he pleaded.

“I haven’t decided yet. Why
were
you at the park, anyway?” she asked him.

Viren hung his head and looked sorry for himself. “After I got back from Grandma’s friend’s house, I came to see Comet. But he wasn’t in the barn! When I couldn’t find you, either, I went to look for him by myself. I thought he might go to the park because there was grass there to eat.”

Preeti nodded. It kind of made sense.

She felt a stir of guilt. This was partly her fault. She could have invited Viren to help her look after Comet, instead of always trying to avoid him. And maybe if she and Comet had come back earlier, none of this would have happened. Viren had been brave to try to find the lost pony all by himself.