“Come on over to the cauldron,” Mist said.

  Clara and the eight pegasus princesses huddled around the cauldron. Clara peered down to see a bubbling scarlet potion.

  “We’ve already added dehydrated dragon fire, phoenix song, merfairy humming, pink mist, and shredded rainbow seaweed,” Flip explained.

  “Because we have hooves instead of hands, two fairies helped us open the jars and put in the ingredients,” Aqua said.

  “But they left so they could go finish making their own potion for the fair,” Mist said.

  “So,” Flip said hopefully, “we were wondering if you would help us add the last three ingredients.”

  “Absolutely,” Clara said.

  “The next ingredient we need is one pinch of snail trail. The potion ingredients are arranged in ABC order,” Flip explained. “So the snail trail should be in the S section.”

  Clara looked at the shelves. She noticed a card with a Q written on it taped to a shelf. She looked to the right and saw an R card. She looked further to the right until she saw a shelf with an S card on it. Clara skipped over to it. She saw jars with labels that read SATURN RING DUST, SEA BREEZE, SILENT LAUGHTER, and STEW STEAM. Then, right between jars labeled SMILES and SNAKE SLITHER, was a jar full of silver dust labeled SNAIL TRAIL. Clara grabbed the snail trail off the shelf and skipped over to the cauldron, where all eight pegasus princesses eagerly held their spoons in their mouths. Flip nodded encouragingly at Clara.

  Clara removed the lid, pinched the dust with her fingers, and dropped it into the cauldron. As the potion bubbled and churned, the pegasus princesses stirred and stirred. After a few seconds, the potion had turned bright pumpkin orange.

  Flip dropped her spoon. “That was perfect,” she said. “Now we need one handful of butterfly flutter.”

  “One handful of butterfly flutter coming up,” Clara said. She put the lid back on the snail trail and returned the jar to its place on the S shelves before she skipped across the laboratory to the B section.

  Clara saw jars labeled, BAT SLEEP, BEAR GROWLS, and BENT RAINBOWS. And then, right between BUMBLEBEE BUZZ and BURST BALLOONS, was a tall jar of yellow powder labeled BUTTERFLY FLUTTER. Clara picked it up and noticed it felt warm. She skipped back over to the cauldron, opened the jar, and grabbed a handful of what felt like sand that had been out in the summer sun. She dropped the butterfly flutter into the cauldron. The potion frothed as the pegasus princesses stirred it until it was lemon yellow.

  Flip put down her spoon and said, “There’s only one more ingredient—a splash of cat purr. But just be careful not to get the cat sneeze by accident.”

  Clara nodded. She put the jar of butterfly flutter back and found the shelves with C ingredients. She saw jars labeled CURLED DOG BARK, COBWEB SILK, and CHIPMUNK CHIRPS. Then she spotted a jar of glittery light-blue liquid labeled CAT PURR. It was right between jars with the labels CAT BLINK and CAT SNEEZE. Clara was careful to choose the cat purr. She skipped over to the cauldron and unscrewed the top. She tilted the jar to one side and flicked her wrist as though she were throwing a frisbee. Light blue liquid splashed out of the jar and into the cauldron. The potion bubbled and foamed. Clara screwed the lid back onto the jar and returned it to the shelves while the pegasus princesses stirred.

  After several seconds, the potion stopped bubbling. It looked thick and lime green.

  The pegasus princesses dropped their spoons into the cauldron. “It’s finally ready,” Flip said. She grinned at Clara. “Would you like to try it right now?”

  “Yes,” Clara said, jumping up and down.

  The pegasus princesses reared up and whinnied.

  “I can’t wait to see if it works,” Dash said.

  “I’m so excited I can hardly stand to watch,” Snow said.

  “All you need to do is reach into the cauldron and sprinkle some potion on the top of your head,” Flip said.

  “But maybe you should take off your hat and goggles first,” Stitch said. “The potion only works if it touches your head.”

  Clara nodded. She took off her pointy hat and goggles and set them down on the floor. She dipped her hand into the potion, which felt like warm chocolate sauce. She scooped some up and splashed it onto her head. Clara smiled as the potion ran down her forehead, nose, and cheeks. Then, she opened her eyes to find that the pegasus princesses were all staring at her with wide, unblinking eyes.

  “At least we know this version of the potion doesn’t make you grow a tail,” Aqua said. “That was the problem with the last one.”

  “Or horns,” Mist added. “That was the problem with the version before that one.”

  “Or whiskers,” Aqua said. “That was the problem with the first version we invented.”

  Flip smiled reassuringly at Clara. “Let’s see if it works,” she said. “What happens if you imagine you’re flying up to the chandelier?”

  Star and Rosie sucked in their breath.

  Stitch crossed her hooves for good luck.

  Dash bit her lip.

  Snow anxiously swished her tail.

  “Here goes,” Clara said. She imagined she was shooting upward. To her amazement, her feet lifted right off the black tile floor, and in a half-second she was hovering right next to the chandelier. She laughed with delight.

  “It worked!” Stitch said, uncrossing her legs and rearing up.

  “I can hardly believe it,” Rosie said, shaking her head.

  “Hooray!” cheered Aqua and Dash.

  “You’re a natural flyer!” Flip exclaimed.

  “I’m so glad we made a double batch of this version,” Star said.

  “What a relief,” Snow said.

  Flip flapped her wings and joined Clara in the air. “Try flying around the chandelier,” she suggested.

  Clara imagined flying in a circle. She bolted forward and zoomed around the chandelier, barreling toward Flip.

  “Whoa,” Flip said, laughing and ducking to avoid a collision. “I think we’d better go outside before we crash into the shelves of potion ingredients and make a giant mess.”

  “My parents would definitely tell me flying is an outdoor activity,” Clara said. She flew downward until her sneakers were back on the floor. Flip landed with a clatter next to her.

  “And besides, it’s about time for me to go to the Magic Marsh to make sure everything is ready for the Potion Fair,” Flip said. “Would you like to fly along with me? I’d love to have your help.”

  “Yes,” Clara said. Her heart quickened at the thought of flying through the wide open sky, right next to Flip.

  “Excellent,” Flip said. She turned to Star. “Would you mind coming to the Magic Marsh a little early and bringing the potion with you? I don’t want to bring it now just in case Clara needs some help flying.”

  “Of course,” Star said. “And since we made a double batch, why don’t I bring half of it to the fair and leave half of it here for the next time Clara visits?”

  “Great idea,” Flip said. “Thank you.”

  Clara turned toward the laboratory door, but then she noticed that the pegasus princesses were exchanging nervous looks. She worried that she had grown a tail, horns, or whiskers after all.

  “Um, there’s just one more thing,” Star said. “Though we’re a little embarrassed to ask.”

  “Before you go—” Rosie began, and then she frowned.

  “Is there any chance you could just—” Snow continued.

  “Take off our hats and goggles for us?” Aqua finished.

  “The fairies put them on us,” Mist explained.

  “And getting them off is just a little complicated with—” Dash said.

  “Hooves,” all eight pegasus princesses said at once.

  Clara laughed. “Of course,” she said. “I’d be glad to help.”

  She skipped over to Flip and pulled off her peach hat and goggles. Then she took off Star’s black hat and goggles, Aqua’s teal hat and goggles, Mist’s silver hat and goggles, Dash’s purple hat and goggles, Stitch’s green hat and goggles, Rosie’s pink hat and goggles, and Snow’s white hat and goggles.

  “Thank you,” Flip said.

  “And just one more thing,” Star said. “Will you pour half of the flying potion into one of those empty cauldrons? I’m not so sure I can do it without spilling a lot of it.”

  “Life with hooves is really tricky,” Aqua said, sighing and rolling her eyes.

  “Of course I can help with that,” Clara said. She pulled an empty peach-colored cauldron off the top of one of the stacks. She set it down next to the cauldron full of potion. Then she bent her knees, wrapped her arms around the full cauldron, and used all her strength to pick it up. She poured half the green potion into the empty cauldron. “Phew,” Clara said, putting down the cauldron.

  “Thank you so much,” Star said.

  “I promise we would want to be friends with you even if you didn’t have hands,” Flip said.

  “But I have to admit it’s helpful that you have them,” Snow said.

  “It sure is handy that you have hands,” Stitch said, rolling her eyes at her own bad joke.

  Clara giggled.

  “Let’s fly to the Magic Marsh now,” Flip said to Clara. She turned to Star and added, “I’ll see you there in just a few minutes.”

  “The rest of us will join you there right before the Potion Fair,” Aqua said.

  “Wonderful,” Flip said. She turned to Clara. “Follow me!”

  Clara followed Flip out of the laboratory, up the spiral staircase, and back into the front hall.

  “Do you feel ready for your first trip through the sky?” Flip asked.

  “I’m ready,” Clara said, and she felt her heart quicken.

  “And if anything goes wrong, I’ll be right next to you,” Flip said.

  Clara nodded. “Thank you,” she said.

  “At the count of three, let’s both run toward the front doors. One. Two. Three. Go!” Flip said.

  Flip galloped and Clara sprinted across the front hall. The doors magically swung open to reveal an expanse of blue sky. Down below, Clara saw an ocean of green treetops. Flip leaped out, flapped her wings, and soared into the air. Clara sucked in her breath, took a giant jump out the doors, and imagined flying alongside Flip. The next thing she knew, she and Flip were flying side by side.

  Clara’s heart raced as wind riffled through her wavy black hair. For a moment, she turned her head and looked back at Feather Palace. The silver, wing-shaped castle’s towers and turrets shimmered in the sunlight. Clara faced forward, gazing at the expanse of blue sky below her and ahead of her.

  “Flying is so much fun,” Clara said.

  “I had a feeling you’d like it,” Flip said.

  Clara made a fist and then raised her arm so she felt like a superhero. “I’m Super Clara!” she called out.

  Flip raised one of her front legs and said, “And I’m Super Flip!”

  Clara and Flip laughed.

  Clara turned upside down and flew feet first. Flip turned upside down and flew hooves first.

  Clara did a somersault in the air. Flip did a somersault next to her.

  Flip’s eyes widened and twinkled. “Somersaulting just made me think of a way we could have a little fun while we fly to the Magic Marsh. Do you ever like to play games where you pretend to be different animals?”

  “All the time,” Clara said, nodding. “My sister Miranda and I pretended to be wolves and cheetahs this morning before breakfast. And sometimes we’re greyhounds, kittens, and bumblebees.”

  Flip flashed Clara an excited smile and said, “Watch this.” The gemstone spiral design on her tiara glittered. She did a somersault. And then there was a large peach wolf with wings flying right next to Clara. Flip the wolf turned toward Clara and winked a glowing, amber eye. Then she raised her head and made a soft howling noise.

  Clara giggled. She looked upward and howled back. “I’m a wolf, too,” she said in a low, raspy voice. “Woof! Woof!”

  “Sometimes if I howl loudly enough, real wolves howl back,” Flip barked. “Want to try it?”

  Clara glanced down to see that she and Flip were passing over a thick, dark pine forest. It looked like a perfect home for wolves. “Absolutely,” she said. “Let’s pretend we see the moon.”

  Clara and Flip both looked upward at an imaginary moon and made the loudest, shrillest howling noises they could for as long as they could. When they were out of breath, they stopped and listened. Soon Clara heard high-pitched howling coming from the forest below.

  Flip pricked up her wolf ears and grinned.

  Clara grinned back.

  Flip winked and somersaulted. In an instant, she was a pegasus again.

  Clara glanced down and saw that the woods below had thinned into a giant meadow full of wild flowers. Flip followed her gaze. “That’s where the butterflies and bumblebees live,” she said. “I know what we can do!” Her tiara sparkled. She did a somersault. And suddenly a massive, peach-colored bumblebee was flying next to Clara. Flip the bumblebee looked at Clara with giant, shiny eyes. “Now buzz as loudly as you can,” she said in a high, vibrating voice.

  Clara and Flip both made loud buzzing noises. Clara stopped when her nose started to itch from so much buzzing.

  They waited and listened for a few seconds. Soon, loud buzzing echoed from the meadow below. “The bees are saying hi to us,” Flip buzzed. “Want to see how bees dance?” She twittered her antennae and wiggled her stinger. Clara giggled and did a bee dance, too. Flip winked her enormous, shiny bee eye before she somersaulted to change back into a pegasus.

  “Do you see that peach-colored cloud in the distance?” Flip asked, nodding ahead of them. “That’s the entrance to the Magic Marsh.”

  Sure enough, if Clara squinted she could see a tiny peach dot in the sky ahead. She concentrated on flying as fast as she could toward the cloud, and she laughed as she bolted forward. “Wheeeeee!” she called out.

  “Wow! You’re fast,” Flip said, zooming forward next to her. “And, speaking of fast, watch this.” Flip’s tiara sparkled. She did a somersault. And then a peach-colored cheetah with dark peach spots raced through the sky next to Clara. Even her wings, Clara noticed with a grin, had spots. “Roar!” Flip called out.

  “Roar!” Clara called out, pretending she was a lightning-quick cheetah.

  Clara was surprised to hear roaring noises echoing in the distance.

  “Those are the Wing Realm’s wildcats,” Flip meowed. “Don’t worry. They’re all very friendly.”

  Flip and Clara sped forward. The peach cloud in the distance grew larger and larger until it was right in front of them. Flip and Clara landed on the cloud, which felt slightly soggy, almost like thick mud, under Clara’s sneakers. In the center of the cloud was a puddle of bubbling, peach-colored liquid. “I’d better go back to being a pegasus now,” Flip said. “But thanks so much for pretending to be animals with me. It’s one of my favorite games.”

  “I had fun too,” Clara said. “Thank you.”

  Flip did a somersault and turned into a pegasus. For a few seconds, she whinnied, snorted, stomped her hooves, flicked her mane, swished her tail, and flapped her wings.

  “What are you doing?” Clara asked.

  Flip smiled self-consciously. “It always feels a little funny returning to my normal pegasus body after being so many different animals,” she said. “I’m just getting used to being a pegasus again.” She let out a final loud snort and stomped all four hooves as hard as she could. “Phew!” she said. “That’s better now.”

  Flip looked at the gurgling puddle in front of them. “Getting into the Magic Marsh is always super fun,” she said, with a grin. “Follow me!”

  Flip bent her legs and leaped right into the middle of the puddle. In an enormous splash, Flip sank down into it and disappeared.

  Clara looked at the churning, gurgling puddle. She took a long, deep breath. She bent her knees. She closed her eyes. And then she jumped right into the center. For a split second, she sank deep into the puddle, so she felt as though she were in a swimming pool filled with warm, thick water. Just when she needed to take a breath, everything went pitch black and she felt as though she were falling through the air. Bright lights flashed. And then Clara was standing next to Flip on a wooden walkway. To her surprise, her clothes, skin, and hair were completely dry.

  Clara blinked and put her hand on Flip’s shoulder to steady herself. She felt a tiny bit dizzy.

  “Welcome to the Magic Marsh,” Flip said.

  Clara sucked in her breath as she looked all around her. The wooden walkway cut across a field dotted with scarlet, crimson, magenta, and fuchsia puddles. The puddles gurgled and bubbled. They churned and swirled. They sprayed streams of liquid upward, reminding Clara of the fountains in Feather Palace’s front hall. Between the puddles grew clumps of star-shaped lavender flowers with long, stiff peacock-blue stems.

  “The Magic Marsh is amazing,” Clara whispered.

  “I had a feeling you’d like it,” Flip said.

  A crimson puddle right next to Clara and Flip suddenly sprayed a stream of liquid straight upward. “Whoa,” Clara said, stepping back and raising her eyebrows. “What kind of puddles are these?”

  “They’re wild potion puddles,” Flip said as the puddle shot five jets of liquid into the air and then went back to bubbling. “There are some potions that creatures in the Wing Realm make and there are other potions that form naturally in the wild. The Magic Marsh is full of the wild ones.”

  “Wow,” Clara said. “And what are those star-shaped flowers?”

  “They’re wild wand flowers,” Flip said. She smiled playfully. “Pick one and wave it in front of you.”

  Clara crouched at the edge of the walkway next to a cluster of wild wand flowers. She chose one with an especially long stem and an especially bright lavender star. She plucked it from the marsh, stood up, and waved the stem as though it were a magic wand. Instantly, the wand flower vanished. On the walkway, just in front of Clara’s sneakers and Flip’s hooves, appeared a pile of raspberries.

 

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