It is the 31^st December in Gemstone Glade. Unicorns assemble at the fountain to say their prayers for 2019. They place their horns in the water, which turns purple then pink with unicorn magic.

Then they come to the centre of the glade and touch their horns to the ground, blessing it in preparation for the new year. They softly neigh in the cold December night.

Real magic begins to unfold. A purple bridge appears before them; it is a portal to another unicorn world, where rainbow unicorns live in a multi-coloured land of pretty pastels and soothing shades, all the colours of the rainbow creating a paradise of living colour.

Slowly they jump on to the wooden bridge and begin their journey to a new world. Wonders will unfold before dawn. When they return, they will bring a little bit of rainbow magic with them. Please come back to learn about their adventures!

Happy New Year from the Gemstone Glade Unicorns, may 2019 bring you all you wish for and even more.

© Can Stock Photo / Ancello

Ruby Rihanna flies round the glade, excitement electrifying her body. She is still recovering from her adventures with last year’s Christmas advent calendar, read all about it here.

Today, she will touch a magic bauble on the Gemstone Glade Christmas Tree. Her fingers flutter with glee. Christmas is such fun in Gemstone Glade!

She has made a choice, flying towards a red bauble, her own colour. Tentatively, she touches it. The bauble disappears with a pop! In her hands she is holding a feather, double the size of her. Perhaps it is holding her! Golden with glitter, it encases her in a deep spell of winter wonder.

© Can Stock Photo / hibrida13

Rihanna hangs on the feather with both hands as it slowly rises, soaring ever higher. They fly over the trees, until a golden tunnel appears before them. Rihanna is dazzled by shining gold as they enter the tunnel. Just when she thinks the tunnel will never end, it does just that, and they are confronted by a golden forest glade.

Golden trees, a golden fountain with golden water, golden roses … and golden crystals at the edge of the glade, iron pyrite and citrine towers. Jumping off the feather, Rihanna flies around the new glade, drunk on golden delight. It is a sister glade to Gemstone Glade, but gold, and magical beyond comprehension.

A unicorn appears, a horn of gold glowing in the low winter sun. He nods to her, as he slowly walks through the glade, and drinks from the fountain. Rihanna joins him, washing her face in the golden waters and feeling refreshed as she has never felt before.

Image courtesy of Victor Habbick at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Golden fairies fly in to the glade. “Who are you?” they cry with golden smiles on glittering faces.

They explain that the feather has opened a portal to their world, the golden paradise of sacred gold healing waves. “We send gold healing wherever it is needed, it is our job!”

“Can we ride the feather with you back to your world? We would love to see it!” exclaims Gold Gretchen.

“We can teach you so much!” adds Gold Gideon.

So they all ride the feather back to Gemstone Glade. The crystalline fairies there welcome them in true Gemstone Glade style, by throwing a fairy party. In to the early hours there is dancing and feasting. Finally, the golden fairies say they must return to their world.

“But, Rihanna, please take this!” Gold Gretchen hands her a gold wand. “With this, you can weave golden magic too!”

Rihanna fingers the wand reverently, as they wave goodbye to their new friends. “We will be back!” they promise.

The Gemstone Glade Christmas Tree stands still as the party continues, silent witness to the magic of the glade. Soon, it will be Christmas Eve. On this special day, the fairies choose a child to visit, leaving a magic present of their choice. However, Fantastic Fairy Fiona will be zooming to several children this year, with her new superpowers. Recap on her story 

The fairies decide to indulge in some rest before their hardworking Christmas Eve. Peace descends on Gemstone Glade, the sacred peace of Christmas, the silence of every sleeping child’s dreams.

Fluorite Fiona flies in circles round the Christmas Tree, trying to choose a magical bauble to touch. She laughs in anxious anticipation. Then she decides on a shining gold bauble, staring at her reflection before finally, and oh so slowly, touching it.

The bauble is gone with a whoosh! In her hands there appears a silver and gold tiara. It shines in the winter sun like a jewel from heaven.

Fiona sighs. It is so beautiful. Tentatively, she places it on her head. It fits perfectly. The fairies cheer below.

© Can Stock Photo / webking

Then something very strange happens. Her attire changes to a sparkling gold tunic, FANTASTIC FAIRY in silver crystals over her chest. Her arms and hands grow stronger. Fiona laughs with disbelief. She has turned in to the fairy version of Wonder Woman!

And then she hears it, in her head. All the children crying, lonely or bullied. So many voices, all imploring her for help. “I will help,” she murmurs. She flies through a tunnel of wind, to her first child. He is alone in his bedroom, crying because Mum and Dad are arguing. “You are alone no more!” she sings. The boy looks up, a smile slicing in two the stream of tears. Fiona laughs again. She tells the boy a story about Gemstone Glade and its regular visitors. He listens, entranced, all troubles forgotten.

More voices whisper in Fiona’s ear. She whisks off in a cloud of gold bubbles. It is time to break up a fight between two boys. They are amazed to see her, and stop fighting as she gives them some sage suggestions. She giggles. This is easy.

Fiona decides that she likes her new life. Perhaps she will take on this role permanently. It will be a tiara for life, not just for Christmas.

The Gemstone Glade Christmas Tree stands regal in the afternoon winter sun, baubles glittering like promises of a sparkling tomorrow. Amethyst Angelina sits royally at the top of the tree, waving her wand every so often and laughing; she adores the Christmas season and has decided that the Christmas Angel spot is the best in the world.

Kunzite Karl has been nominated to touch the next magical bauble. He is a pink fairy with diamond tipped wings; he decides to fly to a pink crystal. The wind rushes through his wings as he flies playfully around the tree, teasing the audience below and eating expectation like the sweetest candy.

Then he stops at the rose quartz pink bauble, and gently strokes it. Music plays as the bauble fades and then is gone. A small pink cloud appears in its place, growing larger as it floats above the fountain and hovers there. Slowly, glowing pink snowflakes start to fall, mixing with the fountain waters below and turning them pink.

Then the snowflakes take form, turning in to rose pink fairies, fluttering their wings with the wonder of the new born. “Hello!” one of them cries. “We are from Rose Quartz Paradise, you have opened a portal to our world. We are delighted to be here and will stay and play for a while!”

The Gemstone Glade fairies open their arms and flutter their wings in welcome. They all play together in the pink fountain waters. “Let’s stay longer!” sings one of the pink fairies. “Let’s build houses!”

A cloud of fairy wings flies in to the trees, waving magenta pink wands. In the tree branches, there appear tiny pink wooden tree houses.

The Gemstone Glade fairies squeal in delight. Their new friends are a Christmas dream come true! It is time to organise a Gemstone Glade party. The fairies begin to sing their favourite songs, as they gather sweets and logs for a fire. The day will be long, and fairy candles will burn in to the night. Gemstone Glade magic has met its rose pink match.

Emerald Ella’s task today? To touch the second magical bauble on the Gemstone Glade Christmas Tree. She shakes her dark green body and flutters her wings in excitement. The life of a fairy should not be this much fun.

She chooses a dark green bauble, her own colour but twice the size of her. Tenderly, she strokes it. With a loud pop! it explodes in a cloud of magic green dust.

In Ella’s outstretched hand there appears a warm mince pie, the smell of the perfect Christmas teasing her senses. It has small green crystal sweets on top. Ella laughs and strokes the pie.

With another puff! multiple mince pies materialise and fly towards her friends on the ground below. The fairies jump up and down in delight. It is a mince pie party, and there is one for everyone. Each pie is crowned by crystal sweets that are the colour of their recipient. The fairies giggle. The magic of Christmas lights up the glade with festive cheer.

Ella slowly eats her pie, and then frowns. There is something metal in the middle. Carefully, she retrieves a golden coin. A tree is engraved on it.

“Look!” she shouts to her friends. “Magic money!”

They all find their coin, and then begin to dig. When all the coins are planted, the fairies join hands and sing. “Magic money tree! Magic money tree!”

Will the money trees have grown by the spring? Check back in three months and see!

Meanwhile, the fairies continue to dance. A fairy party never really ends.

The remaining baubles on the tree wink in the winter sunlight, secrets safe within.

Dolomite Daisy flies gleefully to the largest bauble on the Gemstone Glade Christmas Tree: a shining gold snowflake. She is the first fairy to test the magic of the tree. Hesitantly, she touches the shimmering snowflake.

It disappears with a whoosh! In its place, a small golden cloud appears, floating gracefully to hover over Daisy. She looks up in awe and anticipation, and is not disappointed.

Tiny golden snowflakes fall from the cloud, raining on Daisy like a heavenly shower. The flakes melt somewhere deep inside, and cover her in gold glitter. She feels refreshed, washed from the inside out. Daisy’s wings turn golden, glitter going everywhere as they flutter.

Daisy laughs as glitter forms the shape of a snowflake on her chest. The healing properties of gold swim through her crystalline veins. Ten years drip off Daisy like melting snowflakes, as a youthful bloom lights up her face.

The golden cloud disintegrates, and is gone with one final spray of glitter which lands in the fountain below. A golden promise of a better tomorrow kisses Gemstone Glade, as the magic of Christmas begins in earnest.

An expectant breeze plays with the tree branches. Something is coming. It is the hour for Gemstone Glade to welcome Christmas, a magical time of year in that most magical of glades.

A large Christmas tree appears high in the sky, as snowflakes begin to fall: a secret promise of a winter wonderland. Large angels with rainbow wings escort the tree safely to the ground. Majestic and king-like, it stands by the fountain. The angels begin to decorate the tree with large baubles, every colour of the rainbow competing for that special place: the top of the tree.

Then Amethyst Angelina flies regally in to the glade, holding her head high and landing on top of the tree. The Gemstone Glade fairies hold their breath in collective awe. This fairy princess hardly ever comes here; she is real royalty, with special magical powers beyond the dreams of the other fairies.

Angelina looks like an angel from heaven, as she sits smiling on top of the tree. Her purple wand and diamond tiara shine with inner light. “Let Christmas begin!” she chants. “Each day you may touch one of the very special baubles, and then let magic enfold you in its festive arms!”

The fairies cheer. This is set to be the best – the most magical – Christmas ever. As it snows, Angelina smiles, snowflakes in her eyes. The scene could not be more special. The fairies begin to dance. Let the festivities commence!

(c) Can Stock Photo / neillockhart