Molly the Unicorn Part 3
by Neoraichu
This story is based on the Movie, the Last Unicorn.
...
Schmendrick awoke in the morning after spending the night sleeping in the grass. They were all too tired to go back to town after battling the Red Bull again. He glanced over to Molly and Amalthea, and noticed that Molly was half buried underneath Amalthea. They looked so cute together. He remembered the first time he saw Amalthea asleep at the side of the road when Mommy Fortuna's Midnight Circus came across her those many days ago. Even if he never knew what a unicorn was, he knew at the very least that horses sleep standing up. Of course, Mommy Fortuna's hunchbacked assistant, who was called Rukh, did not know that. He and Mommy Fortuna knew better, but he chose to feign ignorance in the matter.
He stood up and brushed the loose grass from his robes.
While he wasn't sure exactly what to do, he knew that they couldn't just keep stumbling around fighting off the Red Bull every night. With only one unicorn able and willing to fight, it was only a matter of time before the Red Bull won by luck or by wearing Molly down. The castle seemed to be the right place to go, but he was also sure that's what they'd expect them to do. It was also the most logical place to try and trap them. It felt like the right thing to do was also the hard thing to do.
Judging by the past conversations he had with the citizen's of the Kingdom of Haggard', they could not be far from the Castle itself. They would certainly reach it by nightfall even if they avoided using the main roads. It would improve the chances of avoiding any patrols around the castle.
It was time to gently wake the ladies. He walked over to where they lie asleep.
...
Lir paced in his room. He knew Haggard ordered him to help the Red Bull, but he didn't have to like it. A knight like him was a Monster Slayer, not a monster enabler, and the Red Bull seemed like a monster to him no matter how noble its goals appeared to be. But his father the king ordered it, and Lir was nothing if not loyal and obedient. He wished he had enough time to go and slay another monster, just to take his mind off what he had to do this night.
...
Molly awoke to a hand gently caressing her ear. A human hand. Her first impulse was to take the hand in her own, but then she remembered that unicorns don't have hands. She then realized that there was a mass laying next to her, and a neck draped over her own. The warmth of Amalthea's body felt good against her own.
She opened her eyes to see Schmendrick, and Amalthea's head in the corner of her sight. In that moment, Molly felt like she was truly loved in a way she hadn't felt since she was still living with her mother and father as but a small girl. It was before she ran away from home to live with Captain Cully in the woods as his common law wife.
"Good morning," said Schmendrick softly, "did you sleep well?"
"I had a strange dream," she replied.
"How so?"
"I dream I lived in a magical forest where I protected all the animals there, and made it so it was always bright and green. There was always flowers to smell and fruit to eat, and even the bears would rather eat fruit instead of other animals."
"That doesn't sound so odd to me."
"Yes, but whenever I stopped at a pond or river to drink, the reflection was my human self, not a unicorn. I couldn't tell if my human reflection was happy or sad. She just was."
"Well, I suppose that part might be a little odd, I admit."
"I think that's not odd at all," said Amalthea, "it just means that even if Molly lives for even hundreds of years, she will still have some of her human heart beating in her chest. You will never truly forget who you were, and who you are now."
"It sounds beautiful when you put it that way," sniffed Molly.
"I think so too," said Schmendrick. "It's time to get up now. We're close to the Castle of King Haggard, and I still have no solid clue about what we should do to free the other unicorns once we get there."
"Perhaps King Haggard can not see the harm he's done by capturing all the unicorns in the world," suggested Amalthea, "and we can convince him that freeing them is the right thing to do."
"Why do I fear it couldn't possibly be that simple," sighed Schmendrick.
"I think I have to agree with the wizard this time," added Molly, "although I wish in my heart that you are the one who's right, Amalthea."
Amalthea slowly stood up, being careful not to step on Molly. Once she was on her feet, she nuzzled Molly's cheek to signal it was alright for her to get up as well. The attention made Molly's heart beat a bit faster, and the heat rise up in her face again. She hoped that they just didn't notice it as she made her way to standing up. Unfortunately, the smile on Amalthea's face and the smirk of the face of Schmendrick told her otherwise.
"What?" sputtered Molly, "What are you two gawking at? Is there something in my teeth?"
"Amalthea and Molly sitting in a tree..." sang Schmendrick.
"OH SHUT IT YOU QUACK!" yelled Molly.
"A unicorn can't sit in a tree," said Amalthea said innocently.
Schmendrick just started laughing. He laughed so hard that he had tears in his eyes. Molly felt so embarrassed. She was sure she was blushing worse than ever before. Amalthea just didn't seem to understand.
"I don't understand..."
Schmendrick paused from his laughter to say, "Well, I was just saying that you and..."
"He was just saying we like each other!" blurted out Molly, cutting off Schmendrick.
"Oh," said Amalthea sweetly, "That's so sweet."
"Well actually Amalthea..." continued Schmendrick, "OUCH!" Molly had 'accidentally' stepped on his foot.
"I think that's all we wanted to tell you, that's all we have to say," said Molly.
"I see now," said Amalthea.
"Ow ow ow," said Schmendrick as he hopped around on one foot.
"Walk if off Schmendrick," said Molly, "just walk it off."
After a few minutes, he was back to his normal footing, but giving Molly a dirty look.
"Okay," she said, "let's get this show on the road, okay?"
"I thought Schmendrick say to stay off the road," said Amalthea innocently.
"It's just... I mean," sputtered Molly, "oh never mind."
Schmendrick was smirking again, but Molly was too distracted to yell any more.
The three of them set of quietly towards the Castle of Haggard. They stopped a few times to drink water and eat some wild fruit that all of them could eat. The hours seemed to pass by quickly. Traveling off the road slowed them down more than they imagined it would. It was closing on sunset by the time the castle of Haggard came into view.
The afterglow of the sunset wasn't even over yet before the Red Bull appeared.
"I think you're right Schmendrick," yelled Molly, "The Red Bull must be operating out of this castle! I think that means the other unicorns aren't far away!"
Molly and the Red Bull charged each other straight away. Neither one flinched or turned away. When their horns collided, there was a great explosion. After the light of the blast faded, they were both down and struggling to get back to their feet.
It was about then that Molly heard Amalthea yell, "There's a mounted rider up on that hill! He has weapons and I think he's watching you!"
Molly couldn't afford to take her eyes of the Red Bull to look around. She couldn't see Amalthea at the moment, and had no idea which direction she was pointing. The Red Bull had regained its footing, but was making no aggressive moves. It was shaking its head back and forth like it was trying to clear it. Molly took advantage of the moment to shake her head as well.
She could hear Schmendrick talking in the distance though. "Stay back mounted knight," he was saying loudly, "you don't want to mess with the Great Wizard Schmendrick!" Was that the sound of a horse charging?
The Red Bull looked like it was ready to attack again at any time, so she still could not take her eyes off it. She figured as a wizard, he should be able to take care of himself against one mounted knight. Of course, he couldn't handle Captain Cully's crew. He was vastly outnumbered.
Then she could hear Schmendrick chanting, "Magic Magic do aw you will, Magic Magic..." It was suddenly cut off by another voice shouting "Boot to the head!" She heard a sickening crunch and a sound like a sack of potatoes hitting the ground.
The Red Bull was distracted by the sounds, and Molly attacked when it was looking to it's right. Her horn pierced the Red Bull's left shoulder, causing it to scream in pain. As it staggered back from her, she heard Amalthea shouting, "Oh no! The mounted knight is kidnapping Schmendrick!"
Molly turned to see the mounted knight riding off with someone over his saddle in the direction of the castle. It had to be Schmendrick over the saddle. The Red Bull was fleeing after the rider. She tried to chase them, but stumbled in the ground that was broken up by the explosion and tumbled to the ground.
By the time she got back on her feet, the rider, the Red Bull and Schmendrick were out of sight. Amalthea was standing by her side.
"What will we do?" asked Amalthea.
"Great," muttered Molly, "I have to save all of the unicorns in the world and Schmendrick as well."
