Amelia Fang and the Unicorns of Glitteropolis Read online

  “I thought I told you to leave!” Alpha Unicorn said.

  Ricky caught his breath. “I tried to stop them, sir….”

  From behind Ricky, an almighty herd of Creatures of the Light exploded into the candy chambers. McSparkle was at the helm, riding upon a swarm of ladybirds.

  “YAHOOOOOO!” he cheered. “Me lucky charms never lie! But it appears you do, Alpha Unicorn! Yeah, that’s right. We heard EVERYTHING!”

  The assembly of Creatures of the Light caught sight of Amelia and skidded to a halt.

  “VAMPIIIIIRE!” a flying pig screamed, and the herd turned to run back out again.

  “They’re harmless, though!” a genie said. “We heard the truth!”

  The crowd turned back, waving their croissants and various baked weapons of choice. But then they paused mid-run once again as a bunny rabbit screamed, “Gaaaah! It’s gonna crush me toes!” pointing at Florence.

  The herd prepared to scurry out of the door for a second time.

  “But they’re on our side!” a ladybird squeaked.

  Everyone started forward again.

  “DEATH!” squealed a twinkling star, looking at Grimaldi with big wide eyes.

  But this time everyone just looked unimpressed and continued into the candy chamber.

  “All right,” McSparkle said, “we’re all here. Sorry about that. It’s just gonna take a bit of getting used to the Creatures of the Dark, after being terrified for so long!”

  Amelia smiled. “It’s okay. We felt the same when we first met you,” she said.

  “As soon as I heard what was happening through me lucky charm, I contacted as many creatures as I could,” McSparkle said. “And we broadcast the truth across the whole network of ladybirds.”

  McShine stepped forward. “ME BROTHER!” cried McSparkle. Amelia thought they were going to go in for a hug, but they ran toward each other, then linked arms and danced a reel.

  “The truth about the lies is out!” Grimaldi said. “Wait, is that right? Or is it the lies about the truth? I’m confused.”

  “Outrageous!” Alpha Unicorn said. “Guards! Lock them all up!”

  Graham looked at the sea of creatures in front of him. “But, sir, there aren’t enough chambers….”

  “Then Rainbow Flush them all!” Alpha Unicorn said.

  “Father, we’re trapped—there are too many of them blocking our way out,” Fabio said. He looked around desperately as a group of angry leprechauns surrounded him and Alpha Unicorn.

  “Leprechauns…ASSEMBLE!” they cried. The mob of leprechauns pounced, forced Alpha Unicorn and Fabio into the nearest chamber and then locked it with a flourish.

  McSparkle broke free from the commotion and skipped up to Amelia, tipping his hat. “Y’know, you look better without the fairy wings—you suit being a vampire much more.” Then he bowed. “Thank you, Amelia, for revealing the truth to us all.”

  Amelia blushed. “Thank you for believing us,” she said with a smile. “Oh, and here…” She tickled behind her ear and out flew the lucky-charm ladybird McSparkle had given her. “You might say it worked like a charm.…”

  “You keep it,” McSparkle said. “Then we can stay in touch!”

  The crowd cheered and Daisy-Squashy pa-doinged into Amelia’s arms, then settled cozily on top of her head.

  Amelia held hands with Grimaldi and Florence, who put a big hairy arm around Tangine.

  Fairyweather flew over to Amelia. “I can’t thank you enough for bringing Tangine and me together again.”

  “AND ONCE KING VLAD’S NOT A BEE ANYMORE, EVERYTHING WILL BE JUUUST SWELL,” said Florence.

  “A bee?” said Fairyweather, looking confused.

  “OH…YOU DIDN’T KNOW YET?” Florence said. “WELL, THIS IS AWKWARD.”

  Fairyweather looked blankly at Amelia, then burst out laughing. “My husband as a bee…Now, that I have got to see!”

  “She’s not angry?” Grimaldi whispered to Amelia.

  “WE CAN EXPLAIN,” Florence said.

  “Oh, my sweetlings, it’s okay,” Fairyweather said. “I’m sure it’s nothing that can’t be fixed.”

  Fairyweather bowed her head. She then opened her wings and slowly rose above the crowd.

  “It’s time to unite the Kingdoms of Light and Dark once and for ALL! I, Queen Fairyweather La Foofle of the Kingdom of the Light, with King Vladimir of the Kingdom of the Dark, will make sure you are FREE to live wherever you wish!”

  The candy chambers exploded with cheers.

  Ricky and Graham stood awkwardly at the side of the dungeon. “I did not see this coming,” Ricky said.

  “Y’know, Ricky,” Graham said. “I’m kinda tired of being a guard. The hours are too long. I’ve always wanted to travel.”

  “Me too, Graham—maybe I’ll join you!” Ricky said. “How about a trip to Nocturnia?”

  “…And then Florence and Adonis did this amazing duet—you should have heard it, Mom! And we went outside and danced until we all fell asleep. The sun never ever goes down in Glitteropolis, so we had no idea what time it was. I think we danced for two days solid!”

  It had been a few nights since Amelia and her friends—along with Queen Fairyweather—had returned to Nocturnia. Amelia was still recounting tales of their adventures to her proud parents. King Vladimir was back to being a vampire—Fairyweather had found bee-Vladimir in the Bug Blossoms near the Meadow of Loveliness and used a wish at the well to change him back.

  “Darkling, I knew it was you right away,” she said, laughing. “You were the only bee trying to build a honeycomb palace.”

  “Well, I had no idea how long I’d be a bee, so I thought I’d make it feel like home,” he said. “I tried talking to Tangine to tell him I’d wait in the Bug Blossoms, but I could only buzz.”

  Queen Fairyweather and King Vladimir sat together at the head of the long dinner table in the Nocturnia Palace Dining Hall. Since they had been reunited, they hadn’t left each other’s side.

  Countess Frivoleeta had been a little wary of Fairyweather when they first met, but once Fairyweather complimented her frills, the countess warmed to her.

  “You know, we could do something positively disastrous with your hair!” said Countess Frivoleeta, admiring Fairyweather’s ringlets. “I have a frightful collection of hairpieces in my horrifying-hair room back at the Fang Mansion. We could try them out and make you look just like me!”

  The countess was so excited that her left eyeball popped out, making a PLOP sound as it landed in Fairyweather’s plate of Spaghettied Spleen.

  Fairyweather scooped up the eyeball with her spoon. “Eye eye, countess!” she said, chuckling.

  The king burst out laughing, but it came out as a loud BUZZZZ. “Oops.” He blushed. “Still a few lingering bee habits.” He pulled a jar of honey from inside his cloak. “Dig in, everyone—I made it myself!”

  Amelia never thought she’d see the day when vampires, yetis and grim reapers would be sharing a celebratory dinner with Creatures of the Light.

  Amelia sat next to Tangine and Florence, who was munching on a platter of Sparkled Skin Shreds and Deadly Drizzled Donuts. The Fangs’ ghost butler, Wooo, the Mummy Maids from the palace and Sherryweather—who was quite the chef—had all worked together to combine some delicious Light and Dark dishes.

  Count Drake was happily engrossed in a new Glitteropolis-themed crossword puzzle.

  “Oh, Fairyweather,” King Vladimir said softly, “I still can’t believe we’re together again.”

  “It’s a miracle, my gorgeous little glitter puff,” Fairyweather said. “If it weren’t for Amelia, Squashy, Florence, Grimaldi and our son, I might never have seen you again.” She smiled at Amelia and her friends.

  “And if it weren’t for Amelia, Squashy, Florence, Grimaldi and our son, I’d never have made the best honeycomb cas
tle the bee community ever did see either!” the king replied.

  Fairyweather flew up to him and perched lovingly on his shoulder. “To friends!” she declared.

  Amelia grinned at Tangine. “To fur-riends!”

  “Exactly,” Tangine agreed, raising a glass of Sugar-Loaded Slushy with mischief in his eyes. “To FUR-MAIDS!”

  And everyone burst out laughing.

  Suddenly, McSparkle and McShine skipped into the room, playing fiddles.

  “Are you ready, folks, for an angel-kitten show like no other?”

  Grimaldi, Adonis and Flavia strutted into the dining room, each wearing a ruffled collar. Grimaldi had dressed in his angel-kitten costume for the occasion. Amelia giggled and began clapping in time to the music. And Squashy pa-doinged in, dressed as a daisy once again.

  “He’s so cute!” Flavia squealed, then licked Squashy on the belly.

  After much dancing, laughing and a few too many Sugar-Loaded Slushies and Shimmering Shandies, Queen Fairyweather clinked her glass and called out above the music, “Tangine, my sweetling, your father and I have something we wish to give you.”

  Tangine’s eyes lit up and he ran over to his parents. “You do?”

  “Since I haven’t been around for any of your birthdays, I want to make it up to you….” Fairyweather looked at her husband. “Your father told me about your little phase of being a spoiled sprout.” Tangine blushed and twiddled his thumbs. Florence gave his shoulder a friendly squeeze. “And how you really wanted a pet…”

  A Mummy Maid walked in, carrying a huge golden box tied up with an orange ribbon. “Happy birthdays!” Fairyweather said.

  Tangine didn’t say a word. Florence poked him. “Th-th-thank you,” he stammered, pulling the ribbon loose with a shaky hand.

  As soon as Tangine opened the box…

  PA-DOOF.

  A huge pumpkin landed on the tabletop with a thud.

  “A pet pumpkin!” Tangine shrieked.

  Squashy bounced cautiously onto the table. The two pumpkins stared at each other in silence. Amelia picked Squashy up and rubbed his tummy reassuringly. “I’m sure you’ll get used to each other.”

  Tangine tried to pick up his new pumpkin—but he was too heavy.

  “He was in the genetically modified section,” King Vladimir said. “Nobody buys those poor things. But we thought you’d like him.”

  Tangine looked as if he might cry. “I…love him!” he said, and gave the big pumpkin a hug. “I’m going to call him Pumpy!”

  Pumpy bounced up and down—THUD THUD THUD—making the cutlery clatter and the glasses topple over.

  “Well,” King Vladimir said, “I think it’s time you all went to bed. The grown-ups have lots of important things to discuss now that the Kingdoms of the Dark and the Light will be coming together!”

  Tangine folded his arms and raised his eyebrows. “Really, Dad? We all know you’re just going to play Dungeons and Daymares.”

  “Oh, are we, now?” said Fairyweather, folding her arms too.

  The king looked at his wife and smiled sheepishly. “You will love it, darkling.”

  Amelia felt her heart swell as she watched Tangine and his family laugh together.

  * * *

  As Amelia lay in her coffin that day, with Squashy snuggled up beside her, she thought about how lucky she was to have friends like Florence, Grimaldi and Tangine. She was looking forward to sharing the kingdom with lots of new creatures too. And if she’d learned anything from all of this, it was that Cuddly Custard Pies really weren’t that bad, especially if you coated them with a sprinkle of Foot Flakes and Soggy Sweat Syrup.

  Or is it…?

  When she’s not trying to take over the world or fighting sock-stealing monsters, Laura Ellen Anderson is a professional children’s book author and illustrator, with an increasing addiction to coffee. She spends every waking hour creating and drawing, and would quite like to live on the moon when humans finally make it possible. Laura is the creator of Evil Emperor Penguin and illustrator of Witch Wars, as well as many other children’s books. Amelia Fang is her first series as author-illustrator.

  lauraellenanderson.co.uk

  @laura_ellen_anderson

  @Lillustrator

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