Hey, this is my first fanfic. Don't be too harsh on me; I'm trying. Most of the characters are not actually in the Unicorn Chronicles, but oh well.

Alexeika looked around at the tall trees and underbrush and took a deep breath of the fresh clear air. "What happened, Mommy?" she asked.

"This, Lexi," her mom said proudly, "is Luster." She scooped Alexeika up in her arms and took her over to a stream nearby.

"What's Luster, Mommy?" Lexi asked. "It smells good."

"Luster is the land of the Unicorns, my dear," her mom replied. "We will get to see them. Would you like that, sweetie?"

"Yay!" said Lexi. "I like Unicorns. Where is the pretty necklace?"

"Oh, it's in my pocket, dear." Her mom brought out the pretty necklace and put it on her neck. "Should we go visit Grimwold?"

"Uncle Grimwold! Yeah! Yeah!" cried Lexi, jumping up and down in the mother's arms. "Uncle Grimwold!"

"Ok, ok!" her mom laughed, boosting Alexeika up higher. "It will be a long trip, dear, perhaps a few days or more. Do you think you are up for it?"

"I can do anything you can do, better!" sang Lexi cheerfully. "I can do anything better than you!"

"I know you can, Lex. But we probably will have to sleep on the ground," her mom added, looking at her seriously. "Do you really want to do that?"

"Camping! Yippee!" Lexi replied. "I like camping. I'll sleep on the ground!"

"All right, Alexeika. If you're sure you're up for it, we'll go." Her mom let her down onto the ground beside the stream. "Ready?"

"Camping trip! Camping trip!" cried Lexi. "Yay! Camping trip!"

Her mother, Emily, held her hand as they walked through the woods. Lexi was really just as good as one could expect a five-year old to be, for the whole trip. She hardly complained at all, only a little when she was hungry. Emily had to carry her sometimes, but for the most part she walked on her own, which was pretty amazing little girl. She didn't complain when they slept on the ground, or drank out of streams. That was how Emily had brought her up, so she could one day come to Luster and make the trip as she, herself, had done so many years ago. On Earth, they lived away from all other people, except for Grimwold, who came to visit them sometimes. They slept in a large redwood tree, and no one had ever come across their home yet. They had plenty of food, since Emily knew how to hunt, but they had never lived quite like they did in Luster. Lexi didn't complain, though. She was an angel. They were walking in an open meadow one day, when suddenly Emily heard a voice.

"Stop right there, human."

Emily turned around, but there was no one to be seen. She peered into the woods at the edge of the meadow, and still she couldn't find anyone.

"Looking for me?" The voice came again.

"Lexi, I want you to come here and stay right next to me. Hold my hand tight," she instructed Alexeika, so did so without question. Emily continued to search for the source of the voice, but there was no one there.

"Ahh, you have forgotten what you learned here, Emily," continued the voice. "Don't you remember me?" There was a rustle behind her.

Alexeika looked at her confusedly as she was turning around, but knew better than to complain. Emily looked behind her swiftly, and sure enough, there was Mordaluna, a female Unicorn who Emily had known when she was young. "Morda!" she cried, and rushed to embrace her friend. "I've missed you so!"

"As we all have missed you, my dear Emily," said Mordaluna. "But now you have returned, and brought another with you, I see?"

"Lexi, this is Mordaluna. She was my best friend when I was young," said Emily. "Alexeika is my daughter. Come say hello to Morda, Lexi."

Alexeika came forth shyly. "Hello," she said simply. She was staring at Morda's long horn in awe.

"Well, hello there, little one," replied Mordaluna. "It is wonderful to meet the daughter of one who was so perfect in youth."

"She can't understand you, remember, Morda," said Emily, "you'll have to put your horn on her shoulder."

"Yes I can, Mommy," said Lexi, surprising them both. "I understand her."

"Like mother, like daughter, then," Morda said cheerfully. "I suppose the gift is hereditary. It must come from the boon Firethroat gave to Cara so many years ago."

"Yes, that is where mine came from," replied Emily thoughtfully. "I had assumed it would only come down to me, though, since mine is so weak. It has been for four generations, though, so why not five?"

"Apparently hers is stronger than yours, if she can understand me without her having to touch me even once," remarked Morda. Alexeika was looking at them, confused. "Your family has a gift, my dear," Morda told her. "It is a gift to be able to understand all people, even if they do not speak a language you know or have heard before."

"Oh," said Lexi. "Um. aren't you speaking my language, though?"

"Hers must be a lot stronger than mine, if she doesn't even have to translate it in her head," Emily said. "She can't even tell you aren't speaking English."

"She isn't?" asked Lexi. "It sure sounds like English. Mommy, I'm tired. Can we go to sleep?"

"Sure, sweetie," Emily replied. "Let's sleep right here. The ground looks nice and soft."

Well, that's it for now. I'll add more later, but this is the intro or whatever. Anyway, please tell me if you like it. It is my first fic, after all, and so I have NO IDEA what I'm doing. (