The Naughtiest Unicorn Page 3

  Eventually it was time for Mira and Dave. Dave was still asleep and was now gnashing his teeth loudly (Mira thought he might be sleep-eating). With some help from Raheem and Freya, Mira dragged Dave’s basket to the front. Old Mr Trotsky peered at him suspiciously.

  ‘I am here to tell you the story of a unicorn that has, until now, remained hidden in history!’ declared Mira. She pointed at Dave. ‘The Great Dave-ius III. He was really good friends with Cleopatra and Jesus.’ Mira looked over at Mr Trotsky, who was frowning. ‘One day the Great Dave-ius III really annoyed a witch and she turned him to STONE!’

  The class gasped.

  Mira pointed at Dave again. ‘He was frozen. He could not do anything except stare with his beautiful silver eyes. He was a statue for a hundred years.’

  ‘What happened then?’ piped up Flo, Freya’s twin sister, from the front row.

  ‘Um . . .’ said Mira. The class looked expectantly at Dave. Who did nothing.

  ‘And then he died. The end!’ said Mira.

  There was silence. Flo started clapping, but then she stopped.

  Mira took a bow, but as she swept down she knocked the sunglasses and they tumbled off Dave’s head and onto the floor.

  ‘His EYES fell off !’ shrieked Flo and she fainted.

  ‘YOUR UNICORN IS ASLEEP!’ bellowed Mr Trotsky, as Flo’s unicorn, Snowflake, prodded her with a hoof. ‘That,’ said Mr Trotsky, ‘is a Havoc Point.’

  CHAPTER SIX

  Perfect Prancing

  ‘Maybe Dave’s just tired after the lesson?’ said Raheem at lunch as they ate their Rainbow Pie. (Rainbow Pie had seven different-coloured vegetables in it. Mira didn’t think that was very magical.)

  They all looked at Dave. After finishing his lunch in about three seconds, he’d gone back to sleep.

  ‘Maybe he just doesn’t like you?’ said Darcy.

  ‘What?!’ Mira spat out her Rainbow Pie.

  Darcy shrugged. ‘Just saying. He’s getting you in trouble a lot.’

  ‘We can swap if you like?’ said Freya. She hadn’t been able to eat yet as Princess was hugging her so hard she couldn’t move her arms. Raheem looked up. He was having a unicorn-free lunch as Brave had gone outside to charge around and leap over jumps.

  ‘You can’t swap your unicorn!’ said Darcy, shocked.

  Mira felt a bit sad. She didn’t really feel she’d bonded with Dave yet. Mostly, he’d been asleep, grumpy or naughty. BUT he was who he was. And he was her unicorn!

  Mira shook her head firmly. ‘No,’ she said. ‘Dave does like me. He’ll get the hang of school soon.’

  ‘He’d better hurry up,’ chimed in a voice. They looked up to see Jake standing by their table looking smug. ‘If you want to go on the quest that is. You already have TWO Havoc Points and if you get three then that’s detention and you have to stay here while we all go questing.’

  ‘I wouldn’t mind getting detention and staying here,’ muttered Raheem as Jake and Pegasus strode away. Mira crossed her arms. There was NO WAY she was getting another Havoc Point and missing the quest!

  Mira and Dave managed to keep out of trouble for the rest of the day. And the next morning it was time for their first riding lesson!

  Miss Glitterhorn had said that the best rider would be given the honour of leading the quest. Jake had told them all that he’d been having riding lessons since he was a baby, so he was one hundred per cent sure he was going to be quest leader. Mira knew she wouldn’t be the best, but she didn’t mind about being particularly good at riding – just as long as she and Dave made it on to the quest.

  Class Red filed into the meadow at the front of the school. It was being decorated for the first quest party. Glittery bunting hung from trees and hedges. Class Green were blowing up balloons and Class Indigo were helping Miss Ponytail, the Art teacher, set up a giant knitted scene of the Great Quest of 1488 (that was when Unicornardo da Vinci invented a horned helicopter and flew it over the Diamond Lake).

  The first quest was a BIG deal at Unicorn School. When Class Red had completed their quest the entire school would come out to celebrate with them.

  ‘What do you think the quest will be?’ Flo was hopping from foot to foot with excitement. She was wearing a new homemade horn (she seemed to have quite a few).

  ‘I reckon we’ll have to climb a mountain and then probably fight a witch,’ said Darcy, pointing at the glittery ice-capped mountains that loomed behind the forest.

  Raheem looked alarmed.

  Jake smirked. ‘My dad said the first quest is always super dangerous and not everyone makes it back. Only the BEST unicorns and their riders.’

  Raheem had to go and have a sit down.

  Miss Glitterhorn rounded up Class Red by clapping her hands. ‘It’s time for your riding lesson, class! Please escort your unicorns to the stables to glitter-shoe their hooves.’

  ‘Miss, Miss!’ Darcy waved her hand in the air. ‘What are glitter shoes?’

  ‘Don’t you know ANYTHING?’ Jake scoffed. ‘They’re not glitter shoes, it’s “glitter-shoe”. Unicorns need glitter to protect their hooves before they can be ridden. There’s a glitter-shoe box outside every stall.’

  ‘Thank you, Jake, be nice, please,’ said Miss Glitterhorn. ‘Yes, glitter is very important for unicorns. It keeps their hooves safe and makes their horns sparkle. But the horn glitter is only for very special occasions. Now, hurry up, everyone. Glitter-shoe your friends!’

  Once the unicorns all had glittered feet (and Darcy had glitter-rimmed her wheels), they lined up in the paddock. Miss Glitterhorn showed them how to mount a unicorn using the mounting block. Darcy had a whizzy harness which helped her out of her chair and onto Star. Raheem thought it looked a much safer way to get on Brave, but Miss Glitterhorn wouldn’t let him.

  Dave stood very calmly next to the mounting block while Mira put her hat on. That was a good start, she thought. But then she tried getting onto him and Dave kicked up his back legs and tipped her into a bush.

  Mira picked a clump of leaves out of her hair. She stroked Dave’s muzzle and gently placed both hands on his back and climbed onto . . . nothing as Dave trotted to the other side of the fence. Mira landed with a thump on the grass.

  This. Was. Not. Fair!

  The others were happily mounting and dismounting their unicorns and practising going from a walk to a trot around the edges of the paddock.

  Mira could feel tears pricking at her eyes. Why didn’t Dave let her ride? Why wouldn’t he behave properly? WHY was he making Unicorn School so difficult? All Mira had ever wanted was to come here and make a unicorn best friend and earn loads of medals so she could put them on the shelf at home. Was that TOO MUCH TO ASK?

  Mira was really crying now. She put her hands over her face so that no one could see. She felt a nudge at her back.

  Looking over her shoulder, she saw Dave. Mira sniffed. ‘Leave me alone, Dave.’

  But Dave ducked down and, with a flick of his nose, tipped Mira up and onto his back. Then he trotted over to the rest of the class and joined the back of the line, as the unicorns took turns weaving in and out of sparkly cones set all around the field.

  Mira sniffed loudly and wiped her nose on the sleeve of her T-shirt. Then she leant down to give Dave a hug. ‘Thank you,’ she whispered.

  Dave flicked his ears in response.

  Over the next couple of hours they practised walking, trotting and cantering and communicating with their unicorns using their voice and their body. Dave didn’t put a hoof wrong – and Mira couldn’t stop grinning!

  Then it was time to learn the unicorn and rider’s most important skill: prancing. The unicorns had to pick their feet up high and bounce along. It was a bit like trotting and quite bumpy. Miss Glitterhorn shouted words of encouragement. ‘Very good, Jake, but straighten your back. Not so bouncy, Flo! Raheem, just GET BACK on your unicorn . . . Excellent. Who’s that? Mira! Mira?! Oh! Gosh! Well – excellent, well done. Lovely prancing!’

  Mira was
so surprised at getting praise from Miss Glitterhorn that she nearly fell off Dave!

  Darcy grinned and held up her hand for a high five when Mira got back to the line. ‘You guys are totally going to get a Best at Prancing medal!’

  Mira couldn’t quite believe it. For the first time, lessons were going well at Unicorn School. She stroked Dave’s scratchy mane between his ears. He gave a proud fart.

  Miss Glitterhorn clapped to get their attention again. ‘I’m delighted to say that, for the loveliest prancing I’ve seen in a long time, our leaders for the first quest will be . . . Mira and Dave!’

  Mira thought she might actually burst with pride.

  ‘But . . .’ Jake blurted out.

  ‘Yes, Jake?’ said Miss Glitterhorn, looking surprised.

  ‘But my dad was quest leader on all the quests he ever did. He . . .’ Jake’s voice wavered and he looked down and twiddled his fingers. Mira thought he might be crying.

  ‘Oh, Jake,’ said Miss Glitterhorn, ‘there will be plenty of chances to be the leader. Now, one more prance around the paddock then it’s dinner time!’

  The unicorns got into line but Jake was still looking down and fiddling with something in his pocket. Mira nudged Dave with her foot and they rode over to Jake and Pegasus.

  ‘Are you okay?’ said Mira. And then she stopped. ‘Is that a doughnut? Why do you have –’

  With a sly grin, Jake threw the doughnut across the paddock. Dave bolted after the snack, which sailed over the fence.

  Mira clung desperately onto Dave’s mane. Everything around her was a blur! Dave soared over the fence and thudded down on the other side.

  Mira could see people and unicorns scattering and objects flying in all directions. Something was ahead of them . . . A colourful, glittering rectangular shape stretched across their path.

  Then suddenly Dave skidded to a halt – Mira lurched forwards, but she clung on. She saw the doughnut lying on the ground just in front of them.

  ‘Phew!’ she panted, sitting up straight. Then Dave gave a buck and Mira was tipped out of the saddle. She went straight through the glittery shape and landed with a bump on the grass. She could hear voices saying strange things like ‘The mural!’ and ‘I spent five years knitting that!’

  ‘That – Mira Desai – is a Havoc Point,’ said a very cross Miss Glitterhorn.

  Mira stood up dizzily. ‘But, wait . . . No! Three Havoc Points means . . .’

  Miss Glitterhorn frowned. ‘No quest for you.’

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  An Unexpected Quest

  Mira sat in the classroom, looking at her drawing of Princess Delilah Sparklehorn. Everyone else had gone to the first quest farewell ceremony. She could hear them all cheering outside. Mira didn’t want to go to the ceremony. She knew she’d feel even worse watching the rest of the class going off on their quest and seeing how excited they all were.

  Jake had denied all knowledge of the doughnut and was made quest leader. The mural that Mira had sailed straight through, making a big hole, was currently being repaired by Class Yellow.

  Mira sighed and put the Princess Delilah Sparklehorn picture in her bag. Then she set off for the PE office, where she’d been told to go for her detention. As she walked down the corridor she heard a snort and turned to see Dave trotting beside her. He nosed around in her bag.

  ‘I don’t have any snacks, Dave,’ said Mira

  Dave pulled out the Princess Delilah Sparklehorn picture.

  ‘NO! Don’t eat that!’ Mira snatched the picture back and smoothed it down. ‘Princess Delilah wouldn’t have got me in trouble,’ she said quietly.

  Dave looked at Mira and blinked. Then he carried on trotting down the corridor.

  When they reached the office a fierce-looking PE teacher called Miss Hind was sitting behind a desk.

  But she wasn’t the only person in the room.

  ‘Darcy!’ exclaimed Mira. ‘What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be on the quest?’

  ‘TELL me about it,’ cried Darcy. ‘It’s an absolute outrage! I have been making a VITAL contribution in every lesson.’ Star snorted in support.

  ‘Yes,’ said Miss Hind, ‘but you haven’t done any of your work.’

  Just then, in walked Raheem and Brave.

  ‘What are YOU doing here?’ said Mira and Darcy together.

  ‘I’m in detention,’ he said.

  Darcy frowned. ‘Really? What did you do?’

  ‘I put a unicorn poo in Miss Glitterhorn’s bag and got three Havoc Points at once!’ he replied, his eyes wide, almost as though he couldn’t believe it himself.

  ‘WHAT?!’ said Darcy.

  Unicorn poos were very small and neat and glittery, but they were still poos.

  The teacher grunted from her desk and gestured for them to be quiet.

  ‘Why would you get put in detention on purpose?’ Mira whispered as Raheem sat down.

  ‘I thought you might like some company!’ Raheem grinned.

  Mira wondered if it was more about not having to go on the quest but she didn’t say that. Brave seemed quite cross with Raheem and was refusing to look at him.

  ‘Did you hear what the task was?’ said Darcy.

  ‘No,’ said Mira glumly.

  ‘It’s GLITTER-PICKING,’ Darcy replied. ‘It sounds absolutely rubbish. I’m glad we’re not going.’

  I’d happily go glitter-picking, thought Mira, as the teacher told them to stop talking again.

  Miss Hind led them out into the stables. She pointed to a pile of dustpans and brushes and a poo shovel, and told them that their detention task would be mucking out ALL of the unicorn stables. Then she turned and headed into the PE office. They heard her turn on the TV.

  ‘What?’ said Raheem, horrified. ‘I thought we’d be writing lines or tidying the stationery cupboard!’

  ‘More poo for you, Raheem!’ giggled Darcy. ‘Well, have fun. Me and Star have stuff to do.’ They scooted off to the other side of the stables, where they appeared to be looking at photos on Darcy’s phone.

  Mira wondered if you could get medals in detention. She hadn’t imagined her first medal would be Best at Picking Up Poo, but at least it would BE a medal.

  ‘Come on,’ she said. ‘We have a lot of poo to get through.’

  It wasn’t so bad at first – the neat little unicorn poos were quite easy to pick up. But Dave’s poos, of course, were different. They were sloppy and messy. And giant. Every time they cleared a stable he would add a new poo on top of the straw, like it was a fun game.

  Mira paused for a moment and stared out towards the forest. She wondered what Class Red were doing now.

  Then she saw a bolt of glittery light shoot up from the trees and into the sky.

  ‘Guys!’ she shouted. ‘Quick!’

  ‘What?’ said Raheem nervously.

  Darcy wheeled over. ‘Hey, how’s it going? Oh, Raheem, you missed a bit.’

  ‘They set off a flare!’ said Mira. ‘I read about flares in the handbook.’ She tried hard to remember what it had said. She had been distracted by the photos of the unicorns . . . Then she remembered something Rani had told her. ‘OH! It could be a DISTRESS FLARE! It’s a signal that means they’re in danger!’

  Raheem’s eyes went wide, but Darcy looked unsure. ‘They’re glitter-picking,’ she said. ‘The worst that could happen is someone could get trapped in a bin bag.’

  ‘Actually they collect the glitter in special boxes,’ said Raheem. ‘And it’s really valuable. And they said at the farewell ceremony that they need to collect loads to fill the Great Horn at the quest party, and they collect it at the Glitter Glade which is an amazingly special place. So glitter-picking is a really important que – ow!’

  Darcy elbowed him and looked pointedly at Mira. ‘It’s a silly quest and we are not missing out.’

  Mira looked out one more time but the forest was still and silent. She sighed. The Glitter Glade sounded completely magical. She wished she was there now.

&n
bsp; A few minutes later something made them all stop. A long, low howl rang out from the forest.

  It got louder and louder, and then was accompanied by other sounds – screeches and rumbles. They all looked at each other.

  ‘The Dangers of the Forest,’ whispered Raheem, fearfully.

  ‘What?’ frowned Mira.

  ‘I read a book before I came here about all the possible dangers that lurk within the Fearsome Forest,’ Raheem said. ‘There were ninety-seven. And lots of them can be identified by their sound. That could have been a bear, or a werewolf, or an earthquake – an avalanche. . .’

  More howling and moaning rang out from the forest.

  ‘A land whale?’ suggested Darcy.

  ‘Should we go and get Miss Hind?’ said Mira. She felt weirdly excited. Obviously she didn’t want Class Red to be in danger, but if they were they would need rescuing . . .

  ‘She might think we’re being silly,’ said Raheem.

  Miss Hind did think they were being silly. She said the forest made all sorts of noises and that they’d probably imagined the flare. And she was very cross that they had interrupted her during a crucial moment in Champion WWUWF (World-Wide Unicorn Wrestling Federation).

  ‘I’m sure something’s wrong,’ said Mira as they walked back out into the yard. ‘What if they ARE in danger and we don’t do anything at all? We can’t just stay here and do nothing!’

  She paused for a moment and stared at Dave and then back at the forest. ‘Team. I think it’s time for a RESCUE QUEST!’