Just a little story I wrote while I had some free time. As usual, all disclaimers apply. Hope everyone enjoys.
Unending Love
Regret. Love. Feelings so strong they could never be denied. The unicorn stood at the top of the hill in the small forest clearing. It was here that her journey had begun. Here she had first heard of the Red Bull. Here she had vowed to find the other unicorns, determined that she was not the last. Here she left her friends and fellow animals for a strange world where she was mostly unknown. It was here she remembered who she once was, who she is, and who she will never be again.
The unicorn sighed in her quiet, dignified way. She knew she should be happy that the other unicorns were free once more. She was not the last unicorn in the world. She was happy. But she felt lost. Of all the unicorns in the world only she could love, and regret. And she did. The unicorn hung her head as a little tear escaped the corner of her eye.
"If you have become human enough to cry, then all the magic in the world cannot change you back."
She knew Schmendrick had been right. She was unlike the others, but she was not human either. Desperately she tried to forget Schmendrick, Molly Grue, and especially Lir. But try as she might, she could never forget. All she could do was regret.
"Amalthea?"
The unicorn knew who had spoken even before she looked around. Only one of the other unicorns addressed her with her human name. It was a wise old stallion who had been a mentor to her as a young unicorn. He had been a trusted friend and councilor for many years.
"Yes, Wise One."
"You have been distressed for a long time child. You must move beyond the past."
"But I am not myself. I am not like the others. How can I move beyond my emotions, beyond what I have become?"
"Emotions are not meant to be a hindrance, nor an illness. You speak as though you are fighting a disease. You are only fighting yourself. It is true that you are different. But you understand more, have seen more. For all my years you understand better than I the world beyond our forest. You have been given a curse and a gift. It is your choice which it will become."
The unicorn blinked. She hadn't expected him to understand, or even really advise her. His words caught her off guard. She was about to shake her head in disagreement when a thought came to her. She thought the idea foolish but she had to ask. "Is that why you use the name given to my human form?"
"I call you Amalthea because it is who you are. You must come to terms with what happened, with what is happening still. You are a unicorn, you were a human. Both entities are a part of you, forever. I am just trying to help you see the truth."
"I see. There never was a unicorn who could regret or love. What purpose would these feelings have among us?"
The old stallion shook his head as if in confusion. "There are some questions even I can't answer. I only know that they have a purpose, maybe not for us, but for you."
The unicorn looked up at the stars that dotted the sky and thought for a moment of the many different people she had met. Most of whom never knew her for what she truly was. But Molly, Schmendrick, and Lir knew. They had always known.
"Sometimes I miss them. On nights like this, when I stand and look at the stars, or when I look through the forest. Even when I do nothing at all."
"They are your past. They made you who you are now, who you will be forever. They are in your heart, as much a part of you as Amalthea is."
"How can that be?"
"Because you can feel. It is that fact alone that allows you to keep them close to you even now. It is because you can love, and be loved, that they are in your mind and in your heart."
"How do you know this? How do you understand feelings?" the unicorn asked in bewilderment.
"You are not the only one who has known a magician. I have seen my share of humans, many with powers beyond what we understand. Though I was never human I saw what humans feel. The magician shared his feelings with me through his magic. Because they were his feelings they did not affect me as your feelings do you, but I gained an understanding from what he showed me."
The unicorn bobbed her head in understanding. She had never realized that some of the others may know of feelings such as regret. Though they could never fully know what she felt, they may have a slight idea of her emotions.
"Amalthea, let your heart, not your history, decide your future. You cannot base your actions on who you once were, but base them on who you are now. Think and feel, that is the only way."
"I will try, Wise One."
The old stallion turned to walk away when the startled flutter of several pairs of wings broke the silence. A small flock of birds filled the night sky overhead. The two unicorns looked at each other. Not many creatures, human or animal, disturbed the forest. Hunters knew that the forest was enchanted and so they never hoped to find animals there. The animals themselves were peaceful, they rarely startled one another.
The unicorn deliberately started forward. Something told her that this disturbance was not caused by a normal occurrence. Nor was it one of the other creatures of the forest. She had to find the source. She had reached the edge of the clearing. There didn't seem to be any danger. The unicorn stepped forward, ready to disappear into the forest, when she caught the faint sound of confused hoof beats. Startled, she jumped back. The sound was quickly growing louder, steadily drawing nearer.
The unicorn stood back from the edge of the clearing and readied herself to face whatever appeared from the cover of the trees. She would never give up her life or home without a fight. She calmly stood her ground as she listened to the steady thuds of heavy hooves beating through the underbrush. She knew that the creature was a strong, sturdy animal from the sounds of its running. The old stallion came to stand beside her. His head was lowered and he stood ready to fight. The unicorn took comfort in his presence. At least she wouldn't have to fight alone.
The two unicorns watched as a large horse jumped from the darkness of the forest into the clearing. From the labored breathing of the beast the two unicorns could see that he was no threat to them. On the back of the horse was a pack of some sort. The unicorn almost disregarded the pack until it moved. Something about the movement caught at her memory.
"Lir?"
The pack on the horse's back fell to the ground. The unicorn carefully walked up to the lump on the ground, sure now that it was a human. She gently nudged the human until she could clearly see the face. It was that of an old man who had seen many hardships and sorrows. But she could never mistake that face for anyone else. Lir lay on the ground before her.
"I have traveled everywhere looking for you. I had to see you before I died."
The unicorn shook her head. "I can heal you. You won't die." Gently she touched her horn to Lir's face, desperately trying to heal him.
"Amalthea, I am an old man now. Unlike you, I won't live forever. I came here to die. Here to a place of peace and joy."
"No." the unicorn whispered. "I can save you."
"You can't save a man from time." Lir smiled up at the unicorn, as if trying to memorize every detail. He seemed so frail as he tried to reach for her mane. The unicorn lowered her head to his hand, knowing he was almost gone.
She wasn't sure how long they stayed there, with his hand resting on her nose. She wasn't aware of the presence of any other creature. But when Lir's hand dropped she didn't care who was around, or how much time had passed. She only knew that it had not been enough.
The unicorn hung her head in sorrow. She was still human enough to cry. Now tears threatened to spill down her face. The unicorn wanted to run as far from this clearing as she could but her sorrow held her rooted to the ground. As she fought with her emotions she caught the faint sound of whisperings.
"Magic do as you will. Magic do as you will."
Schmendrick and Molly stood at the edge of the clearing. Schmendrick's hands were raised high above his head. His eyes were closed and his lips moved as he whispered the words that would perform some sort of spell. Molly's eyes shone with tears as she stood beside Schmendrick, glancing between him and Amalthea.
The unicorn watched Schmendrick carefully. She wasn't sure what he was trying to do. Would she become human again. She hoped not. Being human meant nothing now that Lir was gone. Amalthea took a gentle step forward when she felt something brush against her. She looked around, half hoping to see Lir standing there. Instead she saw a unicorn.
"Amalthea, what happened?" the unicorn looked around and saw Schmendrick. "What did he do to me?"
Amalthea felt joy for the first time in a long time. "He has given us forever."