Taken By Evil, What Happened Next
Atalanta weeped for several days and nights for her fallen mate, Numinor. When he was retrieved and the Shadow Unicorns chased away, he was brought to her area. There Atalanta had cleaned his dead body and performed the Celestial Valley Death Ritual. Even though it had been many days since he had been killed, he coat shined like new and the gold jewel at the base of his horn sparkled. Numinor would not be buried. His spirit would travel with every unicorn first. The death had hit the unicorns too. Every night, the sun would set sooner than usual, for their golden one, was dead. Even the coats of the unicorns began to dim. For there was no golden star to brighten it. Everyone was desperate for happiness.
Atalanta woke from a fitful dream with cold beads of sweat dripping
from her royal purple mane. In her dream the watching pool had called to
her. A helpless voice from it's depths. It sounded like...NUMINOR! Could
it be? Could he be trapped by the waves of the black waters. It could be
possible! She rushed toward the side of the watching pool. She dipped her
horn into the water three times.
"I call on the golden one, Numinor!" she said but instead of finding
him, she found an old poem. It read:
Do not fret, wise governor
He is alive, the one called Numinor
Watch this pool with hopeful eyes
I warn you now, do not be surprised
To rescue him from this depth,
You must cast a spell with a single breath.
He will hear you the very same.
His lost path found, if you just call out his name!
In a flash, the poem disappeared. How was this possible? Then she
remembered. This was Old Unicorn Magic, only to beused in the worst situations.
But would it work? She watched the pool as long as she could, but finally
found that she had to falasleep.
The next morning Atalanta found Numinor! He was creeping up an unreal
mountain. She called out his name 3 times!
"Numinor, Numinor, Numinor!" she said. Numinor picked up his head
with all his strength left.
"I am coming Atlanta." He spoke as if he was carrying the whole
world on his shoulders.
Then, something glowed within Numinor, his strength was back and
he galloped toward Atlanta. Atlanta backed up as he sprang out of the Watching
Pool. He was transparent, and he landed in his own body as it sparked him
back to life.
"Numinor! Where have you been!" she exclaimed. Numinor smiled.
"I was just grazing along the lush green Valley grasses one day
when the dead spirit of the Shifter came upon me. It banished me to that
awful place in the Watching Pool. I think he was taking revenge on his
own death." He said. He sighed.
"It was an awful feeling, pure evil just sweeping upon me." He kneeled
down, an exhausted movement.
"I am glad you are back Numinor, I hope you are never taken by evil
again." And so the Celestial Valley had their Numinor back, and the Valley
was filled with happiness.
Numinor awakened deep in the night. He was in Atalanta's area for
the night. Something was surging through him andthreatening to take control,
and it did. It threw him into a field and he began twitching. When it stopped,
Numinor got up, an evil smile on his face. The Shifter spirit was still
inside of him. He turned to look at the peacefully sleeping Atalanta. With
the real Numinor screaming inside, they left. The only sound was the soft
thudding of galloping hooves that traveled across the darkened field.
Evil had won after all!
For the moment...