Alex paused on the shore of a small lake. She noticed a patch of mist hovering above the water. It seemed to be drifting towards her.

Suddenly there was a bright flash of violet sparkles and a shimmering cloud filled the entire clearing. Alex saw rainbow droplets glistening on her skin.

‘Oh!’ She narrowed her eyes, trying to peer through the strange multicoloured mist.

As it began to fade, Alex saw that a pony was walking towards her. It was a palomino with a glossy caramel-coloured coat, a sandy mane and tail, and bright deep violet eyes.

‘Can you help me, please?’ it asked in a velvety neigh.

Chapter
TWO

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 to herself.

The pony lifted its head proudly and flared 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? But-but how come?’

‘All the other 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 trials 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 honoured to meet you, Alex.’

‘Um… me too,’ Alex said, feeling as if she ought to curtsy or something. ‘Did you say that you came from far away? Like a different country?’

‘Much further. 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. This 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 warm tingling sensation flowing down to her fingertips as violet sparks ignited in Comet’s caramel-coloured coat and more shimmering rainbow mist swirled around him. The palomino had gone and in its place was a pale cream pony with a flowing gold mane and tail that sparkled like spun silk. But it was the wide-spread gold-feathered wings that sprang from his shoulders that stole Alex’s breath.