AN: I don't own The Last Unicorn or any of Peter S. Beagle's original characters, or places, etc. I just really love the story :D

This is my version of what happened after The Last Unicorn. I probably took some liberties, made some assumptions . . . but yeah, that's what fanfics are for . . . or I'm horribly mistaken . . . Anywho, I knew they were trying to make a live-action movie, but now I hear that a novelette (which I haven't read yet) came out and he's writing a sequel based on that. So I have no idea if this story will be true to what Beagle intended or not, but I hope you like it anyway. Cheers and enjoy!

The Truth

Not many people would consider a black unicorn to be an omen of good fortune, and one couldn't blame them. After all, a white unicorn is the very image if purity and innocence. What possible fortune could a black one bring? But is it not also possible that a unicorn cursed with a black coat has its own misfortune?

There is such a creature, born of a love that was not destined to be, and hidden away from the world for fear of the reaction to such a beast. She lives, with her mother, in an enchanted forest, where and game cannot be caught and it is always spring. Where her mother too hides, from the world of humanity, which brings back memories of the possibility of a life of love once gained and then lost in what seemed like much too short a time.

Since the return of the unicorns to the world some have joined them in their forest. They treat the Black Unicorn with something like a combination of pity, disgust and fear. They do not even know what to make of her. She does not know what to make of herself. Why is she different? What caused her to be this way?

"Mother," she says, after finally she built up enough courage to ask. "Why am I black? Why was I born different from the others?"

The Unicorn looked to her daughter, sorrow in her eyes. "You are not like other unicorns my daughter. What you are is . . ."

"You must tell me mother. It is my right to know. I not only differ from the others in appearance but in personality as well. I'm not as composed as they are, or even as composed as you are. My emotions take hold of me and it's as though I cannot control myself. Why am I this way?" She insisted.

"You are the way you are because half of you is not unicorn." The Unicorn looked away; off into the distance and for a moment it seemed as though she had forgotten her daughter was even standing there. "I will tell you about my past and the days in which there were no unicorns walking the earth, save myself.

"Many years ago, before you were born there was a king, a mad, evil, king full of greed named Haggard. He found that nothing in the world could make him happy but the sight of unicorns. So he sent his servant, the Red Bull, out to herd all the unicorns there were to his castle by the sea, and drive them into the ocean, and the Red Bull did this to the point where I was the only unicorn left.

"One day a butterfly passed through this forest, telling tales of the Red Bull and told me that I was the only one left. I had no choice but to journey out and find the others to see if what the butterfly said was true. On my journey I met many people, but most humans could not see me for what I was as the unicorns has been gone for many years. I was eventually accompanied by a wizard named Schmendrick and a woman named Molly Grue. We journeyed together to the castle of King Haggard.

"Just as we were approaching the castle the bull came upon us. In order to save me from the bull Schmendrick cast a spell on me. The spell transformed me from a unicorn into a human. Confused, the bull left me in peace and returned to its lair, but as a human I was no longer immortal. I had feelings I had never felt before but I was able to enter Haggard's castle under less suspicion, calling myself Amalthea. We spent weeks in this dead place, every thing was the color of stone, it was all stagnant and grey but for the waves of the ocean carrying the unicorns in and out on the tides. The only other thing in that place that held any life for me was the king's son . . . your father, Prince Lir."

The Black Unicorn stared at her mother in awe. For a long time she could not find anything to say. "B-but," she stammered finally. "But where is he? Why were you changed back?"

"In order to save the unicorns from Haggard we needed to get out of the castle through the bull's lair. I was going to leave Lir behind, despite everything that had happened, but he followed us down. He tried to save me from the bull when I was changed back into a unicorn by Schmendrick, who was also trying to save me. The bull began to drive me into the water, and as Lir went to protect me he was killed. It was at that moment that I was finally able to fight. I ended up driving the bull into the water, and with nothing guarding them anymore the unicorns were free, but I was a unicorn again. Before leaving I brought Lir back to life but I could not stay, there was something pulling me away, something at the time I could not name. But now I finally realize that it was fear. Fear of choosing one life over the other, fear of loosing parts of myself as I did so. I started out a unicorn and thus I must continue on as a unicorn, but I fear that I have made a bigger mistake in keeping you from the truth and . . . from your father. . ." she sighed.

The Black Unicorn could only stare in shock at her mother. How could this be? How could she never have heard about it until now? Where was her father? Was he even still alive?

"I know what you are thinking. And if it is truly what you feel you must do then I will not keep you. If you must find him then go, it is your right." said the Unicorn. "But be warned my daughter. There are things out there more terrible than you know. Humans come in many shapes and sizes and sometimes they are the most terrible creatures of all but go, before it's too late, for we are immortal, and their lives are very fragile compared to ours."

"But mother," the Black Unicorn said. Her mother stared back at her sorrowfully. "You still love him, don't you? Why will you not come with me?"

"I cannot. I have abandoned him once already. We cannot be together now . . . but you, you have the magic of a unicorn, the heart of a human, and, I think, the form of one too hidden somewhere inside of you. When you need it the magic will bring out your other form. Now make haste. When night falls, all sorts of creatures come out and they well not care what creature you are. You must make as much ground as you can before the sun sets."

The Black Unicorn looked worriedly to her mother, then away into the distance, the borders of their forest. She turned back to her mother, nuzzled her cheek and then was off at a run through the forest, her own journey about to begin.