AN: The Last Unicorn in no way belongs to me. I just had this idea to make a happier ending where Lear and Amalthea don't have to part.
The Golden Unicorn
"What good is all the magic in the world if it can't save a Unicorn?" Molly asked in desperation.
"That's what heroes are for," Shmendrick replied looking directly at Lear.
"That's exactly what heroes are for!" Lear exclaimed, pushing past the wizard and the woman, running directly for the Unicorn and the Red Bull.
The Unicorn was grace itself, jumping and dodging away from the Bull, trying desperately to escape from it and from the ocean it was trying to drive her into. As she dodged away once more from the Bulls' horns, Lear interposed himself between them.
The Bull didn't slow.
Lear held his place, watching the furious muzzle of the flaming Bull come ever closer to him. One thought of Amalthea stilled any fear he might have had. He closed his eyes.
The impact sent him soaring through the air to land on the sand of the beach. There was no pain. But everything was fading away.
Everything but the color of her eyes and her blossoming smile. Those followed him into the darkness of death.
Amalthea heard Molly scream and turned in time to see Lear standing resolute between them, his eyes closed and his face peaceful. Then, there was the impact. With a toss of its' mighty head, the Red Bull threw the hero high into the air. Lear landed heavily further along the beach. His body shuddered once, then stilled.
Lear.
Lear!
She neighed angrily, charging the Bull instead of running. It backed away from her fury. She kept at it, backing it further away, now driving it into the relentless surf of the ocean.
The Red Bull lowed angrily, but it continued retreating away from her until it disappeared in the waves.
At the same moment it vanished, all the Unicorns of the world leapt from the incoming surf, galloping away freely from the water towards their forests they had been forced to leave behind.
They moved like a living stream, all glowing from the light of the moon. Finally there was only one left on the beach.
The Last Unicorn. Amalthea.
Molly was kneeling beside Lear's body. Crying and whispering whys.
Shmendrick watched as the Unicorn Amalthea walked gracefully forward to the body of the fallen hero. He looked oddly peaceful considering he had died in such a horrible way.
The Unicorn was beautiful, as all Unicorns were. But, after now seeing all the other Unicorns, he realized she was different. Their coats and manes had all been white. But her's was a white that glowed like the stars itself.
Perhaps while all the other Unicorns had been trapped in the ocean, they had lost some of their magic. Maybe, even after freeing all the others of her kind, Amalthea would still be alone, because she alone had never entered the waves.
Yes, she was more beautiful than any other Unicorn. Her mane flowing with every movement she made, glowing the resplendent silvery white of purity and innocence.
Amalthea stood looking at the body of the human she loved.
Slowly she dipped her head down to touch her horn's tip lightly on his forehead.
Lear's shape twisted, clothes ripping away into rags, limbs lengthening into delicate hooves, face expanding into a fragile looking muzzle, hair extending into a golden mane that rippled in the breeze from the sea. And a beautiful glowing golden horn spiraling up from his forehead that now bore a red star.
Molly gasped lightly, while Shmendrick gaped.
There was a light. And a voice. He knew that voice. That melodous, magical voice. Was it truly her? Amalthea?
He slowly blinked his eyes awake, seeing first only sand.
"Lear?"
Yes, it was her. And it was coming from above him.
He lifted his head from the ground and tilted his face in the direction of her voice. And saw his beautiful Amalthea. She was a Unicorn now, but she still looked at him with all the love as when she was human.
"Amalthea," he whispered.
"Lear, can you stand?" she asked, smiling in a way impossible for hoses but completely natural for a Unicorn.
He was about to state he could, when he noticed he now had four legs instead of two. He stared at the golden hooves and forelocks that he possessed in awe, lifting his head up to look once more at his beloved in shock.
Slowly, he smiled.
Of course she couldn't stay human. But that doesn't mean he had to either. He had never known a human could be changed into a Unicorn. But it was perfect.
Molly watched as the form of Lear changed into the form of a Unicorn.
Amalthea nuzzled Lear's cheek gently before calling his name.
It looked as if he were waking from a deep sleep. Slowly, he blinked his way back into consciousness. At Amalthea's voice he turned his head up and gazed at the Unicorn like a dying man looks at a god.
"Lear, can you stand?" she asked, smiling in that gentle way that completely warmed your heart.
Lear looked at the ground, and froze at the sight of his front hooves.
Everything was silent for several seconds. Then, he looked back up at Amalthea with a smile.
His back legs kicked out as he tried to get himself into a position to stand up. With a little difficulty, he rolled onto his stomach, planting all four hooves into the sand and rising slowly with jerky motions.
Slowly, he stood.
He was a little taller than Amalthea, his legs a little thicker. All around a little bigger. Just as a male to a female normally was.
He carefully stepped one hoof forward at a time, walking until he was right next to Amalthea.
He lowered his head to brush against her neck, stroking her lovingly.
"What… what just happened?" Shmendrick gasped, staring at the new Unicorn.
Amalthea laid her head on Lear's shoulder, snuggling closer to him.
"He died a pure death. He gave his life for the Unicorns. It almost never happens, but when it does, if their soul is untainted, they can shed their mortal forms." Amalthea said, smiling. "Most Unicorns are never in danger, so it almost never happens. And even rarer is it a pure soul."
"What will happen now?" Molly asked.
There was a silence for a moment before Lear spoke up.
"We'll go to her forest," he said, looking at the person who held all of his heart.
"Yes. We will," Amalthea replied, smiling up at her new mate.