Amelia and the Unicorn Parade

Chapter Seven: Iris’s Unicorn Parade

Amelia Jean Stratton was finally feeling better after her flu ordeal, which meant two things: she could go back to school, and Spark was already plotting her next “brilliant” idea.

This time, the chaos began over breakfast.

“I’ve decided to host a parade,” Spark announced, hopping onto the counter and dramatically waving a spoon like a baton.

Amelia, who was halfway through her bowl of cereal, groaned. “A parade? Why?”

“Why not?” Spark countered, shrinking to hamster size and sitting daintily in a coffee cup. “Iris suggested it, and I think it’s an excellent idea. Who doesn’t love a parade?”

Iris, perched in her booster seat, clapped her hands excitedly. “Parade! Parade!”

Elias looked up from his plate of eggs. “This sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.”

“Exactly,” Amelia muttered, glaring at Spark.

Dad strolled into the kitchen, coffee mug in hand. “What’s this about a parade?”

“Spark’s throwing one,” Amelia said flatly.

“A small, tasteful procession,” Spark corrected. “Nothing too extravagant. Just a few floats, some glitter cannons, maybe a marching band.”

Dad paused mid-sip. “Did you just say glitter cannons?”

“Don’t worry,” Spark said, waving a hoof. “They’re biodegradable.”

“Absolutely not,” Mom said, walking in with her no-nonsense face. “No glitter. No cannons. No parades.”

Iris frowned, crossing her arms. “No parade, no breakfast.”

“Here we go again,” Dad muttered.

Mom sighed. “Fine. You can have a parade, but it stays in the backyard, and it better not turn into another ‘glitter incident.’”

Spark beamed. “Victory!”

Amelia put her head in her hands. “We’re all going to regret this.”

The Planning Phase

Spark wasted no time assembling her “parade team.”

“Iris,” Spark declared, pacing across the backyard like a general planning a battle, “you will be the Grand Marshal. Your duties include waving adorably and being showered with applause.”

Iris nodded solemnly, as if this were the most important mission of her life.

“Amelia,” Spark continued, “you’re in charge of float design. I expect creativity and sparkle.”

“Why do I have to help?” Amelia protested.

“Because you’re my favorite mortal, obviously,” Spark replied, as if it were the most logical thing in the world.

“Great,” Amelia muttered. “Can’t wait.”

“And Elias,” Spark said, turning to him with a sly grin, “you’re in charge of logistics.”

“Logistics?” Elias repeated suspiciously. “What does that mean?”

“It means you get to make sure nothing falls apart,” Spark said cheerfully.

Elias scowled. “So I’m basically the cleanup crew?”

“Exactly,” Spark said, clapping her hooves.

Elias groaned. “I hate everything about this.”

The Parade of Chaos

By the time the parade began, the backyard looked like a craft store had exploded. Spark had conjured two makeshift floats—one made entirely of balloons and another that suspiciously resembled the family’s lawnmower covered in streamers.

Iris stood proudly on the balloon float, waving her scepter (a spatula she had “borrowed” from the kitchen). Amelia sat on the other float, glaring at Spark.

“This is ridiculous,” Amelia muttered.

“Ridiculously fun,” Spark corrected, adjusting her tiara.

Elias was stuck walking behind the floats with a broom, grumbling about “parade logistics” as he swept up confetti.

Mom and Dad watched from the porch, their expressions a mix of amusement and concern.

“This is surprisingly tame,” Mom said.

“Don’t jinx it,” Dad replied.

Enter the Glitter Cannons

Just as the parade reached its grand finale, Spark made her move.

“And now,” Spark announced, her horn glowing, “for the pièce de résistance!”

“Spark,” Amelia said warningly, “what are you doing?”

“Relax, Amelia Jean,” Spark said, her eyes twinkling mischievously. “It’s just a little sparkle enhancement.”

Before anyone could stop her, Spark unleashed two glitter cannons that sent a shimmering cloud of sparkles into the air. The backyard sparkled like a disco ball in the sunlight.

“SPARK!” Mom yelled, her hands flying to her head. “What did I just say about glitter?!”

“It’s biodegradable!” Spark called back, grinning.

“Amelia,” Elias muttered, brushing glitter out of his hair, “why do we put up with her?”

Amelia sighed, but a small smile crept onto her face. “Because she’s Spark. And honestly, I think we’d miss her if she wasn’t around.”

Spark trotted up to them, still beaming. “See? Even the skeptics are starting to appreciate my genius.”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Elias said, rolling his eyes.

Dad walked over, inspecting the glitter-covered lawn. “Well, at least the grass looks festive.”

“I call that a win,” Spark said proudly.

Lessons in Glitter and Family

As the sun set, the Stratton backyard still sparkled faintly in the fading light. The kids sat on the porch steps, exhausted but laughing as they recounted the day’s chaos.

Mom walked out with a broom, handing it to Spark. “Since this was your idea, you’re helping clean up.”

Spark gasped, clutching her chest dramatically. “Me? Clean? But I’m the star of the parade!”

“And the star is also responsible for glitter removal,” Mom said firmly.

Spark sighed. “Fine. But I’m charging extra for manual labor.”

Amelia laughed, shaking her head. “You’re impossible, Spark.”

“And you, Amelia Jean,” Spark said, grinning, “are my favorite impossible mortal.”

As Spark began sweeping—sort of—Amelia leaned back against the porch railing, watching her family. Chaos or not, she wouldn’t trade this life for anything.

The End (or the beginning of the next glitter storm…)

Disclosure: These prose were written with the assistance of OpenAI’s ChatGPT 4o.