Amelia Fang and the Unicorns of Glitteropolis Read online

  Suddenly, a tiny angel-kitten wearing a ruffled collar flew onto the mini stage at the front of the room, snapping Amelia out of her thoughts of home.

  “I have some sad news,” announced the angel-kitten in a squeaky voice. The crowd murmured and groaned.

  Another angel-kitten in a ruffled collar fluttered onto the stage. “The star of our weekly show, Adonis the Almighty, is missing.…” The murmurs grew in volume.

  “He went to visit his Uncle Abdominus last weekend in a small town just outside the Fairy Forest and was supposed to return today,” a third angel-kitten said. “But he hasn’t come back.”

  “The Creatures of the Dark strike again!” a majestic peacock cried.

  “Tragic,” McSparkle said. “If he has been kidnapped, that’ll be the fifth Creature of the Light to be snatched!”

  “Who else has disappeared, apart from Fairyweather and your brother?” Amelia asked.

  “Fairyweather’s sister, Sherryweather, and Flavia the unicorn. They both went missing a few weeks ago,” McSparkle said. “They’d gone for a morning picnic in the Meadow of Loveliness but never returned. All that was left was their picnic blanket.” He shook his head in disbelief. “I’m just glad the unicorn lords are investigating. If anyone can track down the culprits, Alpha Unicorn can!”

  Amelia and McSparkle’s conversation was interrupted by a large genie with a clipboard shouting across the room.

  “Hey! You!” she shouted, pointing at Grimaldi. “Can you sing?”

  “I—I—I—” Grimaldi stammered, looking down at his kitten disguise in a panic.

  “GOOD,” the genie said. “We need a fourth singer for the Angel-Kitten Quartet. You can step in for Adonis.”

  “What?” Grimaldi shrieked, spitting his fifth mug of Sugar Slush everywhere.

  “Peculiar pumpkins!” Amelia squeaked.

  “Amelia, what do I do?” said Grimaldi, trembling partly from fear, but mostly from the amount of sugar he’d eaten. “I’m seeing three of you….”

  But before Amelia knew it, the genie was ushering Grimaldi onto the small stage.

  “The angel-kittens have never missed a show. This is what Adonis would want,” the genie said. The three remaining angel-kittens reemerged carrying various strange-looking instruments.

  One angel-kitten chimed a bell. Another bonged a huge gong. Then the whole group started playing a strange but catchy tune.

  Grimaldi stood frozen to the spot, holding a microphone and a bongo.

  “SING. SING. SING. SING!” the crowd chanted.

  Grimaldi opened his mouth…then burped a cascade of pink sparkly bubbles, before collapsing on the angel-kitten with the small trumpet.

  “Kitten down. Sugar coma,” McSparkle called.

  “I think it’s time to go,” Amelia urged.

  Along the cobbled streets of Glitteropolis, a very tired Amelia dragged her feet behind McSparkle.

  “Never fear, young Amelia. I know the perfect place for you all to stay: an eighty-four-star hotel with the best views in Glitteropolis. Follow me!” McSparkle called back.

  Florence stomped along slowly, carrying Grimaldi, who occasionally murmured “Sugar!” Tangine, making use of his fairy wings, weaved in and out of the streets and swooped under and over the glitter-coated bridges.

  “Here you go!” McSparkle sang as they approached a tall pastel-pink building. Above the revolving door it read:

  Welcome to the Syrup Slumberlands Hotel

  “Thank you, McSparkle. You’ve been so kind,” Amelia said.

  McSparkle blushed a little. “Aw, shucks! Always here to help! Ooh, wait a minute….” He fumbled behind his ear and pulled out a ladybird with two very long curly antennae. “Here, take this lucky charm!” he said, handing the bug to Amelia.

  The ladybird buzzed and flew behind Amelia’s ear, making her squeak.

  “Lucky charms are the most reliable way to communicate in Glitteropolis,” McSparkle explained. “Just tickle it between the antennae, say who you want to call and voila! Go on, give her a try!” He ran around the corner out of earshot.

  Amelia reached behind her ear carefully and found the little bug perched comfortably. She felt between its two antennae and tickled its head gently.

  “McSparkle,” said Amelia, feeling a little silly.

  The lucky charm began to buzz gently, making Amelia giggle, before she heard McSparkle’s voice say, “Hellooooo there!”

  “That’s amazing!” Amelia said. “How do I, er, turn it off?”

  “Same way you turn it on!” McSparkle said with a chuckle. “You can call me any time!”

  “Thank you,” Amelia said as she tickled the lucky charm to end the call.

  After several attempts to use the hotel’s revolving door, the friends eventually entered the Syrup Slumberlands Hotel. They were greeted by an old and wrinkly fairy, who showed them, very slowly, to a marshmallow-scented room.

  Once they were alone, Florence sniffed the air. “THERE IS NO WAY I’M GONNA SLEEP IN THIS STENCH,” she said.

  “Perhaps we’ll get used to it?” Amelia said hopefully.

  Florence had dumped Grimaldi on one of the marshmallow beds. “Argh,” he groaned. “I have a sugar headache.”

  Squashy gave him a suspicious sniff.

  “WHAT A TURNIP,” Florence said. Then she wandered over to a huge screen on the other side of the room and pressed a big button at the bottom.

  A bright, moving image of a galloping unicorn suddenly appeared, making the friends jump. Tangine picked up a remote control and pressed a rainbow-colored button at the top.

  “Movies!” he said excitedly. “I’ve never seen a movie…. There’s a restricted scary section. How about The Goblin, the Beast and the Coffin or Toad Wars?” he went on, flicking through the film choices. “Oh, how about The Vampire King Strikes Back?” Then he paused and sighed. “I wish Dad were here.”

  The menu suddenly froze, as the words BREAKING NEWS flashed across the screen. A smart-looking unicorn with a curly blond mane and a tie appeared.

  “The Creatures of the Dark strike again as another member of our community has gone missing. Alpha Unicorn and the unicorn lords have confirmed that Adonis the Almighty, star of the McPot o’ Gold’s angel-kitten show, has indeed been kidnapped. Alpha Unicorn advises Glitteropolans not to leave the safety of the city from now on. He has also confirmed that the Rainbow Rail WILL be closing, with the last trains to and from Vivid Valley leaving tomorrow.

  This is Eunice Eversprinkle on Glitteropolis Today, wishing you light always.”

  * * *

  —

  “Whoa…,” Tangine said.

  “If we don’t leave Glitteropolis before the end of tomorrow, we’ll be stuck here forever!” Amelia said. “We have to find Fairyweather before then!”

  “I don’t get it,” Tangine said. “Who’s kidnapping these creatures? And why?”

  “It can’t be the Creatures of the Dark,” Amelia said thoughtfully. “They still don’t know the truth, and they’d run a mile at the sight of a Creature of the Light. Something odd is going on, but I don’t know what it is….”

  “WELL, WE AREN’T GONNA FIGURE IT OUT BEFORE BEDTIME,” Florence declared.

  “You’re right. It’s late,” Amelia said. “Let’s get some sleep so we can get an extra-early start tomorrow.”

  “Good idea,” Tangine said with a yawn.

  Grimaldi was already snoring.

  Amelia, Florence and Tangine fell asleep to the comforting screams and wails of Toad Wars playing on the TV in the background.

  * * *

  “Ergh, my head is all fuzzy,” moaned Grimaldi, rolling off his marshmallow bed the next morning. He clutched his skull. “I never want to eat or drink or SMELL sugar ever again.”

  “Let’s go, guys,” Amelia said. “We
have to try to find Fairyweather before the Rainbow Rail closes for good!”

  Grimaldi began to breathe quickly.

  “Don’t panic,” Amelia said. “We need to stay calm and focused. Florence is seeing Fabio at the FairyGround today—he might be able to help us.”

  Amelia spotted a booklet called The Sights and Sparkles of Glitteropolis next to one of the marshmallow beds. It contained a map of the city. “I’m sure they won’t mind if we borrow this!” said Amelia, taking the booklet.

  As the friends were struggling through the hotel’s revolving doors, the fairy receptionist called after them. “Wait! Excuuuuuuse me!”

  “OH MAN, SHE’S PROBABLY NOTICED THE MAP’S GONE,” said Florence, pushing at the door harder.

  The revolving door spun around at lightning speed, sending the friends flying back into the lobby, landing at the old fairy’s feet.

  Amelia looked up sheepishly. “Um, hello…,” she said. “I’m really sorry for taking the map!”

  “What’re you talking about?” the fairy said. “You forgot your duster!” She held up the jeweled stick Amelia had found in Fairy Forest. “You want to be more careful with that. It’s an expensive one.”

  “Oh!” Amelia said. “I must have dropped it. Thank you.”

  After many more attempts at the revolving door while the old fairy watched in amusement, the friends finally made it out of the hotel.

  “Duster?” said Tangine, looking at the stick in Amelia’s hand. “As in, for dusting?”

  Amelia shrugged. “Beats me,” she said. “I guess that would explain the feathers, though. Who would need one of these?”

  As the friends weaved their way through the streets of Glitteropolis toward the FairyGround, Amelia spotted a small shop called Angel-Kitten Theatrical A-Mew-Sments. In the window was a glittery display of hats, jackets and ruffled collars. A handwritten sign read:

  BUY TWO RUFFLED COLLARS—GET A LIMITED-EDITION DUSTER FREE!

  Amelia took out the duster she had found, and her brain began to whirl. Hadn’t the angel-kittens at the McPot o’ Gold been wearing ruffled collars?

  “We need to find a newspaper!” Amelia said.

  “How about that place?” suggested Tangine, pointing at the Unicorner Shop.

  Amelia ran in and found a stack of The Curious Cloud newspapers. The whole front page was dedicated to Adonis’s disappearance. A picture of the star mid-song dominated the cover; one paw was on his chest, and the other was holding up a jeweled stick as if it were a conductor’s baton.

  Amelia’s eyes widened as she stared at the picture. Her attention focused on his feather duster.

  It was exactly the same as the one Amelia was holding.

  “What’s up?” Grimaldi said.

  “I was there…,” whispered Amelia. “I was there in the Fairy Forest when Adonis was kidnapped. It’s his duster I found.”

  Amelia stared hard the picture of Adonis. She ushered her friends closer and made sure the shop owner wasn’t listening.

  “Do you remember when we saw those Creatures of the Light in the Petrified Forest a few weeks ago? When we were trying to rescue Squashy?”

  “Not really a forgettable experience…,” Grimaldi said.

  “HA! So you DID trespass on the palace grounds!” Tangine said.

  Florence glared at him. “REALLY? YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT THAT NOW?” she growled.

  “But of course, that’s in the past! All over. Done.” Tangine laughed nervously and looked down at his feet.

  “Well,” Amelia continued. “That’s the angel-kitten that approached me. It was Adonis!”

  Grimaldi picked up a copy of the Curious Cloud and opened it, revealing a whole spread filled with pictures of the other missing creatures.

  “I recognize her!” He pointed at a picture of a unicorn. Printed below was the name Flavia Flitterberg. “She’s the unicorn that turned my scythe into a sunflower!”

  Florence looked at the pictures of the missing creatures and groaned. “OH MAN…I THINK THAT’S THE FAIRY I SQUISHED,” she said, pointing at the picture of Sherryweather.

  There was an awkward silence. “I’m sure she’s…okay,” Amelia said reassuringly. “But I wonder why they’d crossed the border into the Kingdom of the Dark?”

  “Isn’t it odd that all the creatures we saw in the Petrified Forest a few weeks ago have since gone missing?” Grimaldi asked.

  “Hmmm.” Amelia frowned. “There’s definitely something weird going on here.”

  “Hey!” the unicorn shop owner called. “You gonna buy one of those newspapers or what?”

  Amelia put the paper down. “Come on. We need to get to the FairyGround to meet Fabio! It’s the only way we’ll get any answers,” she said.

  * * *

  The Glitteropolis FairyGround was buzzing with the hum of roller coasters, the flashing bright lights of the rides and excited Creatures of the Light.

  “LOOKS LIKE WE’RE EARLY,” said Florence. “FABIO’S NOT HERE YET.”

  “Hey, lovely Creatures of the Light!” said a flamboyant flamingo-dragon. “Are you interested in winning free tickets to go on a ride of your choice?”

  Amelia didn’t really feel like going on a ride—her mind was racing, and she was worried they were running out of time. “I don’t know,” she said. “We’re supposed to be meeting a…friend.”

  “All you have to do is make the bell ring by hitting the pumpkin with the rainbow hammer!” the flamingo-dragon said.

  Amelia flinched. “Hit the pumpkin?”

  Squashy went pale and squeaked nervously.

  The flamingo-dragon pointed to a fake pumpkin that looked more like a mutated potato.

  “THAT’S NO PUMPKIN,” said Florence, poking the model. A small light rippled through the pumpkin and up a pole connected to its behind, before ringing out:

  “DONG DONG DONG! CONGRATULATIONS—YOU WIN! DONG DONG DONG!”

  “Fizzling feathers! You did it!” the flamingo-dragon said. “Nobody has ever won before. You’re certainly a strong unicorn.”

  The flamingo-dragon handed over four glittery tickets, eyeing Florence suspiciously. “Well, enjoy your ride. You won fair and square!”

  “COME ON,” said Florence. “MAY AS WELL USE THESE TICKETS WHILE WE WAIT FOR FABIO. MIGHT BE FUN.”

  “Ooo! A haunted-house ride!” said Tangine, pointing at a crooked mansion. “That’ll feel like home.”

  * * *

  Inside the haunted-house ride, the friends were strapped into a coffin-cart on wheels that rattled its way through the fake mansion. Creepy music was playing as they traveled along a dark corridor. Suddenly, a robotic vampire burst out from a doorway.

  “BLEEEEEH!” it shrieked, making a tiny unicorn in the coffin in front cry. “I VILL SUCK YOUR BLOOOOD!”

  “We don’t say that!” Amelia scoffed. “I hate blood! It makes my breath stink!”

  The robotic vampire opened its mouth, revealing a set of long, sharp fangs. It leaned forward, toward the crying unicorn. “Mommyyyyyy!” the unicorn screamed. “Make the bad vampire go away!”

  “It’s just pretend, twinkletoes,” the unicorn’s mother said.

  “Are vampires really real, Mommy?” the little unicorn said.

  “Yes, dear, but they can’t hurt you in Glitteropolis,” the mother said. “That’s why Alpha Unicorn is closing the Rainbow Rail, to make sure those nasty creatures stay away from us.”

  Tangine leaned forward, clenching his fists, but Amelia placed a hand gently on his arm.

  A group of young fairies were giggling on the coffin-cart behind Amelia and her friends.

  “I can’t wait for the next part,” one fairy said. “It’s the SCARIEST!”

  The coffin-carts rolled along a rickety wooden track into a fake graveyard.

  Dry ice filled the room
and a rumbling sound was heard. A huge shadow appeared in the mist, revealing a big, hairy robotic yeti with ten eyes, three rows of pointy teeth and gigantic claws.

  A little cloud of glitter rose from the small unicorn’s cart in front.

  The fairies screamed and giggled. “THE BEEEAASST!” one fairy cried. “It’s so UGLY! Quick! It’ll crush your bones!”

  “ARGH!” Florence grumbled. Then…

  POW!

  But it wasn’t Florence who had punched the robot yeti. It was Tangine.

  The fairies in the coffin-cart started screaming as the robot yeti span out of control.

  “Right in the hair,” Tangine said smugly.

  It was noon, and Florence stood munching on a pile of Cuddly Custard Pies while she waited for Fabio. Amelia, Grimaldi and Tangine hid behind a nearby cotton-candy stand.

  CLIP CLOP CLIP CLOP CLIP CLOP…

  “Lovely day for it,” came Fabio’s deep voice. “I see you’ve already tucked into a Cuddly Custard Pie or four. Would you like another?” he asked.

  “I’LL HAVE ANOTHER FIVE. I’M STARVING,” replied Florence.

  “Five pies for the lovely lady,” Fabio said to the pixie behind the counter.

  “I AM NOT A LADY. I’M A…A…” Florence paused.

  Amelia held her breath. Grimaldi put his hands over his eyes.

  “I’M A STRONG, INDEPENDENT UNICORN,” Florence said at last.