Emma's P. O. V:
I go with Becky and Jade to Raven's stall the next morning to see Zoe standing in the doorway of the empty stall.
I wear a long sleeved pink and black checkered shirt and black jodhpurs with onyx crystal necklace and matching earrings.
I ask Zoe, "We're going to find them, Zoe."
She nods as Becky and Jade also appear. "Raven won't let himself be stolen for long," Becky says in an attempt to cheer her up.
Jade adds, "Yeah, he's probably have overcome the thieves right now."
Becky says, "He's probably driving their van back as we speak." Jade and I giggle at this but Zoe doesn't crack a smile. "That would be so Raven, wouldn't it?"
Zoe sniffles, "The old Raven would've fought back... now, I'm not so sure."
Sam calls, "Team meeting."
We leave the stall and go to Sam's office. I wrap an arm around Amber's shoulders.
Sam asks Zoe and I, "Are you alright?" Zoe and I just nod silently. Sam knows how close raven and I are. I was just as devastated as Zoe is about his abduction.
"No—no, I'm not alright! Now, I've had two horses stolen," Mia says tersely, glaring.
"We're all upset. It's awful," Says Sam.
"Daddy's absolutely livid," Mia says as Susie nods in agreement. "He has a good mind to sue the stables."
"That's not going to help bring Raven home, is it?" Zoe asks.
"What's it to you? He's my horse!"
"Look! There were three guys the first time at the stables they tried to take them. The photographer guy must have been working with them! You should be questioning him right now!"
Derek apologises, "I'm sorry, Zoe. We don't have enough evidence to charge him. He was released this morning."
"What?!" Zoe and I exclaim in unison as we frown.
"Just let us deal with the investigation."
Zoe says sarcastically, "Yeah! The people let the main suspect go! Go ahead, do your job!"
"Zoe," Sam scolds. "The best thing we can do is carry on. We've got the County Show tomorrow."
"How can you even think that with Raven missing?" I demand to know, now glaring.
"Life must go on!" Sam tells us sternly. "I want you all in the tack room in an hour. We're going to go over the show courses together, and we're going to work out how we're going to win this thing."
I shake my head at Sam before I break away from my sister and walk off.
I ignore Amber calling after me, "Emma...!"
I try to fight the tears that sting my eyes as I wander aimlessly. I just can't believe my friend is gone!
I decide to ride to Pin's house after racking up Hugo, needing to be with my friend. I also have an apple in my jumper pocket. Then, I remember his conversation with Zoe and my heart skips a beat. Pin really feels that way about me? I do too.
I reach Pin's house in over half an hour and tie Hugo up before I walk up to the entrance to the crate. I gently tap my knuckles against the wall, causing Pin to look up. He smiles at me. "Hi," Pin greets.
"Hi." I enter the crate and kneel opposite Pin, the moor pony still lying on the ground between us.
Pin tells me worriedly, "He's not doing so well. He should be on his feet by now. It's not good for him being stuck in this crate."
"Last night was pretty crazy, huh?" I utter, remembering his conversation with Zoe again, causing Pin to jerk his head to me as a blush spreads across his cheeks.
"Right. Zoe and I weren't ourselves. At all." My heart sinks at this. Did he not mean what he said? But I know Pin loves me. He's told me himself countless times. Pin gives me an assuring smile which calms me.
"And then... Raven got taken," I sniffle. "Derek says they'd be long gone, and I... I guess Zoe and I just have to accept that."
"Don't. That's not who you are," Pin says with a shake of his head. "You don't give up. That's what I love about you. I mean..." Pin stands up as he trails off. As I get to my own feet, the moor pony also jumps up. "Whoa...!"
I giggle as I say, "Someone's feeling better."
I pat the pony's muzzle as Pin tells me, "See? You're a fighter—just like him."
I say in realisation, "You know what? You're right. You're totally right! We've got to try! But... where would they take him?"
"How about nowhere?" Pin suggests, much to my confusion.
"The ferries didn't run last night. I doubt any boat could've got through that storm! Which means..."
Pin trails off but I snatch his hand as I whirl and race towards the stables, saying, "Come on!!" We get back to the stables on Elvis and Hugo and head straight for the tack room, seeing the others in there, including my little sister. "Guys! Guys, we think that Raven is still on the island!" They all look pretty gloomy at the prospect. "Well, come on! Let's go!!"
"Emma, Derek said that—" Jade begins, turning from the whiteboard, but I cut her off.
"Who cares what Derek says?! They could still be here! We have to go look for them! Come on! Let's go, people!"
"But, we can't leave now. We promised Sam we'd meet her here."
I scoff as I say, "I can't believe you guys are all just sitting here! You know what? Fine! If you guys aren't going to help me, Zoe and I will just go by ourselves. Come on, Zoe!"
She jumps to her feet and goes to leave with me as Mia says, "This isn't about you, Emma, Zoe. For once, in your lives, this is not about you!"
Pin says, "Guys, listen! The ferries weren't running last night."
"Really?" Says Marcus.
"But that means that Raven could still be on the island," Murmurs Amber.
"Yes, exactly! Somewhere out there is a horse who's been through unimaginable things, and it's happening to him all over again," I say. "Sure, we've only got a tiny chance of finding him, but wouldn't you rather know that you tried?"
Marcus gives a smile as we make plans to ride out. He leaves a sorry note for Sam while my sister joins us. Jade takes Spirit with her, while Zoe rides Major and I mount Hugo again.
We canter through the fields until we come to a stop, and Zoe calls, "We are going to search every inch of this island and leave no stone unturned! If there's any chance they're here, we'll find them!"
Susie mutters, "She means she and Emma will find him and get all the glory."
Mia says, "Not this time!"
Pin states, "If the storm comes in again, turn around and head back. It's too dangerous." We all nod in agreement.
I say, "Amber, Jade, I want you to check the cliffs, and Becky, the hills."
Becky says fearfully, "But that's where Ghost Pony lives!" This makes Mia laugh. She's on a new, black horse named Sparkles.
"Oh, get a grip, Becky! The Ghost Pony's a fairytale? It's like being scared of the Tooth Fairy." Susie laughs at this.
Becky tells them, "I am scared of the Tooth Fairy! What's she need all those teeth for? What's her plan?" Susie and Mia look exasperated by this.
I ask, "Pin, can you go with Amber and Jade?" He nods. "And Marcus, with Becky?" He nods as well. Becky's eyes bug in her head at this.
She asks Jade, "Will I actually have to speak to him?"
Jade whispers to her, "It's a distinct possibility."
"Okay. What's it they always say? Just be yourself!" Becky squares her shoulders as she takes a deep breath.
Zoe adds, "Susie, Mia? Can you guys take the south of the island and Emma and I will take the north toward the caves?"
Susie mutters, "They so want to find Raven themselves."
Mia speaks up cockily. "Um, Zoe, I was thinking, I should check the caves first."
"Fine. Then, we'll take south," Zoe says.
"What? And let you and Emma find Raven and be the heroes once again?" Zoe and I exchange exasperated expressions. "I don't think so!"
I groan in exaggeration, "Go wherever you want, Mia!"
"I will!"
I roll my eyes as I murmur to Hugo, "Come on, boy. Let's go find Raven." We all split off into our assigned groups, with my me, Zoe, Mia and Susie heading north.
I won't rest until I find my best friend.
Pin's P. O. V:
I ride with Amber and Jade through the cliffs, but so far, we see no sign of Raven.
Since she has such a strong bond with Raven, I can't imagine what Emma must be feeling about him being stolen.
"It's no good. Raven's not here," I state. "We should try the caves, too. See if Zoe and Emma need help."
"Yeah," Murmurs Jade.
Amber questions me, "Pin, why did you go to the prom with Mia? I thought you and my big sister were together?"
"Felt like it," I say vaguely. The blonde gives me a raised eyebrow. I let out a sigh. "Alright, I got caught up in her games. It was stupid, I know. I didn't mean to hurt Emma. I wanted to go with her but Mia was persuasive enough. I did tell Emma that there's nothing going on with me and Mia, and things are okay between us."
Amber insists, "Well, you should tell Emma that. And Zoe."
"Zoe and I are just friends. She made that perfectly clear. And, that's cool. We're friends. And, besides, I know I'm in love with Emma," I say.
"That's great to hear. You and Em belong together," Amber says, smiling.
Emma's P. O. V:
I ride beside Zoe in the direction of the caves. She and I are going to our left, but we see Mia go right.
"Where are you going? The caves are this way," I remind her.
"This is a shortcut," Mia says tersely.
Zoe says, "I don't think that's such a good idea in this weather. It's really slippery." The ground was wet from last night, and it looks like there'll be another storm.
Susie agrees, "Zoe's right."
"Ugh. Fine," Mia says, clicking her tongue and urging her horse towards us.
Major wasn't listening to Zoe as she mutters, "Major, can you stop messing around?"
Walking Rain between Zoe and Susie, I instruct Zoe, "Shorten your reins a bit."
Zoe pauses and shortens the reins, instantly gaining the ex-police horse's attention. "Huh. It worked." She smiles at me gratefully.
I say, smiling back, "Major likes to be told what to do. Just like Spirit."
"Ugh. Yeah. Unlike Raven," Zoe mutters sadly.
We ride for a few minutes until Mia calls to Susie, riding ahead of us, "Susie, check the way to the caves, will you? I don't want to get my phone out."
Zoe and I look at Susie as she takes out her phone and brings up the map. Susie tells us, "Don't look at me like that. Mia's my best friend, Zoe, Emma. You do things for your friends, even if you don't always agree."
Zoe says, "You could stand up to her, you know that, right?"
"Why would I do that?" Susie questions while putting away her phone. "She needs me. Everyone thinks she's got that perfect life. I mean, her dad's this great guy..."
"He seems okay. He's always buying her stuff and throwing his weight around the yard," I say.
"Yeah, but he never spends time with her. She feels ignored," Susie says.
"We're sorry. We didn't know," Zoe apologises as I nod my head in agreement.
"Don't judge a book by its cover, Zoe, Emma. Even it is an exceptionally beautiful one," Susie says, smiling.
Pin's P. O. V:
As I continue riding with Jade and Amber, the storm comes in again.
"We should head back," Says Jade as Merlin starts to shift around on the spot, raising his head.
I say, "Way ahead of you. With this storm coming in, I've got a bad feeling about this."
"Come on, boy. Calm down," Amber says to the gray pony as he continues to shift on his hooves. Merlin doesn't like storms. He spooks really easily in them.
"Keep your hands relaxed, Am," I tell her as Jade and I pause.
"I'm trying. He's not listening," Amber responds. Merlin whinnies and rears up a little, causing Amber to gasp.
I nudge Elvis up beside Merlin but he tears again, and Amber tumbles from the saddle, crying out.
"Amber!" Jade and I exclaim. She grabs the pony's reins while I dismount and rush up to the young's girl, dropping into a crouch beside her.
"Are you okay?!" I ask, feeling my heart pounding in my chest as I help her to sit up. If anything bad had happened to Amber while I'm with her, I'd never forgive myself.
"Y-Yeah. I think so," She says. Merlin calms down a bit but still fidgets in place.
"Can you stand?" I ask. I help Amber to her feet and she shows no sign of a sprain or anything. "Come on. Let's head back."
Amber nods her head and strikes Merlin's neck as she murmurs, "Ssshhh, it's okay, boy. There's no reason to be afraid." He calms down a bit more at Amber's voice.
I give the blue eyed girl a leg up into the saddle and she keeps a steady grip on the reins. Jade and I stick close to the gray pony as we ride back to the stables together.
It seems to help keep Merlin calm enough.
Emma's P. O. V:
We keep riding for another half hour, and the dark clouds overhead get thicker.
"Guys, we really need to be getting back now," Susie says nervously.
I say in agreement, "Susie's right. The storm's getting close."
"Sure. You guys go back. I'll meet you there," Mia says as she urges her horse forward.
"You mean, you're going to keep looking?" I ask.
"Guys, please!" Susie asks.
"The storms pick up really quick on this island!" Zoe says urgently.
"How would you know? You've been here for like, five minutes," Mia scoffs.
"My mum told me! It's not safe!"
"You just don't want me to find Raven first. Emma, too," Mia says, making me feel exasperated. "This is all part of your guys' plan to prove that you're the big heroes! Well, guess what? Today is not your day."
Zoe demands, "What are you talking about, Mia? Are you that threatened by me? And Emma?"
"How many horses have you owned, Zoe? How many competitions have you won? Oh, and while we're on it, where's your dad? Oh, that's right, I forgot! He doesn't want to spend time with you, or your family! The only one of us who has the perfect life, is Emma! She has both her mother and little sister here, and she's the so-called Horse Whisperer!"
I snap, "Do you think I became a "Horse Whisperer" overnight, Mia? Do you think I've had it easy?! My dad died in a horse riding accident with Hugo when I was only five years old!! I still kept Hugo because I knew my father would've wanted me to look after him! And I knew Hugo needed me! My little sister didn't know our father at all because he'd died the year after she was born!" This causes all three girls to stare at me in shock. None of them knew the details. "You think I'm here for the glory?! Well, you're wrong! I'm here because I just want to find your horse who has become my best friend for longer than I could remember! I've known Raven far longer than any of you. You may own him, Mia, you know nothing—absolutely nothing—about him! You only ever care about Raven because he's a super valuable horse! Well, I don't care about what type of horse Raven is. He's missing, and I'm scared for him. It's time for you to grow up, Mia!"
Zoe snaps back at the stunned brunette as she gets over her initial shock, "Oh, yeah?! Where's your dad?! Oh, that's right, I forgot! He's over there, waving his credit card, and completely ignoring you!"
"What'd you tell her?" Mia demands Susie.
"Nothing! They were asking me all these questions. They tricked me!"
"Oh, yeah right!" Mia snaps, whirling her horse around.
"Mia, don't be stupid! There's a storm coming!" Susie calls after her friend, but Mia ignores her. "Mia!"
"Get lost, Susie!"
Zoe tells us, "This is my fault. I'll deal with Mia. You two go find the others."
"Be careful, Zoe," I tell her before turning Rain around with Susie and we trot back to the rest of the group.
Susie says to me, "Emma, I'm sorry about what happened. I had no idea."
"It's okay," I say.
We meet back up with the rest of our group and I ride between Susie and Marcus the rest of the way back. When we reach the stables, we're met with Elliott.
"Sam called me. I've been so worried. Where's Mia?" He asks, gazing around at us as he runs a hand through his hair. My friends and I exchange worried glances.
Marcus tells him, "Sorry Sir, she's still out there."
Susie says, "She was upset. She rode out into the woods. Zoe followed. Something must've happened!"
"Isn't that Mia's horse?" We turn as Becky's question to see Sparkles galloping straight for us.
"Sparkles!" Susie gasps in relief.
"Susie said they're in the woods? I'll ride out there first," Marcus says.
"I'll take the roads."
"Gotcha."
Marcus starts to leave.
Becky says unhelpfully, "It's like a film!"
"Yeah, well, let's hope the film isn't Revenge of the Ghost Pony," Jade mutters, looking back at the blonde.
"Jade, you don't even believe in GP!" Becky reminds her, frowning.
"You know what? After today, I'll believe in anything!"
I say, "Come on, we need to go tell Sam what's going on."
Before we could move, there's a whinny behind us and Pin declares, "There they are!" We turn to see Mia riding behind Zoe on Major, the African-American girl leading Firefly beside them.
Wait... Firefly...?!
Jade asks in shock, "Is that... Firefly?"
Zoe calls, "She's hurt!"
Marcus and the adults rush toward them and Pin follows to help bring the flea bitten gray horse into the stables. After we'd put our own horses away, Elliott carries his daughter inside and Sam pulls me aside to scold me.
"I can't believe you went out in that weather!"
"I'm sorry!"
Zoe says, "Her ankle—I think it might be broken."
Elliott says to his daughter, "I'll make sure I get you the best doctor, and I'll get somebody to get you some soup, okay?"
"Daddy..."
"I'll call the ambulance and get you to the doctor right away," Elliott says. "Goodness knows when the fountains will start running."
Mia nods and meets Zoe's gaze. Zoe gives her an encouraging nod.
Mia says to her dad, "Dad, if you could just stay here... just for a moment?"
Putting a hand to her cheek, Elliott says, smiling, "Sure. 'Course I can."
Zoe and I leave and we linger in our horse's empty stalls, letting out sad sighs. After a moment, we leave. Zoe is confronted by Marcus while Pin comes up to me with Amber, pulling me into a tight hug.
"I'm glad you're safe," Pin says, and I feel warmth bloom from the embrace.
"Me, too. We still didn't find him," I murmur.
We pull back and Pin asks Zoe, "Is Mia okay?"
Nodding and brushing some hair back, Zoe replies, "I think she will be."
Pin tells me, "On our way back, Amber fell off Merlin."
My eyes widen as I gasp, putting my hands on her shoulders, "Are you ok?! You're not hurt, are you?!"
"I'm fine, sis. Pin was there to save me," Says Amber, gazing up at the Hawthorn in awe, letting out a dreamy sigh.
Pin says with a slight blush, "Merlin just got spooked by the storm, but Amber didn't get injured."
I hug Amber out of relief before I straighten. Pin puts his arm around my shoulders.
Sam walks up to us as she says, "It looks like a bad sprain. She won't be able to ride tomorrow." Jade and Becky join us. Sam looks at me sternly and Pin tightens his arm around my shoulders. "I'm so mad at you right now, Emma."
"I'm sorry, Sam, but we had to—"
"—try," She finishes, nodding her head in understanding. "Of course you did."
Becky says in realisation, "Hold on. If Mia can't ride, then, we need someone else in the show tomorrow."
"Then, that means..." Jade trails off as we grin at Zoe.
"Zoe's on the team!" Becky concludes.
"Oh. No! No, I-I can't...!" A blue car pulls up and a bald African-American man gets out, along with Maggie and Rosie. "Dad!"
"Zoe!" He calls as she runs over and hugs him. "It's you! Oh, it's so good to see you!"
Jade and Becky hug one another as Pin hugs me, and we exchange grins, before I rest my head against his shoulder.
We may not have been able to find Raven, but they were definitely still out there, I know it.
My heart tells me he's still on the island.
And we will get him back, no matter what.