A/N: Heyhey, I'm back! Sorry it took so long, but y'all know why; this is just how it's gonna have to be. But other than that, things are goin great. I got an awesome idea about a very important thing (thanks a bunch to uniasus ), so hopefully it'll make the story even better! Thanks to Lightfoot, StarRuby, Asmodeus, keeper of time, Kalyra Shadowdancer, Indigo Princess, 792067502, Rivendellgurl15, Asmodeus1389 (are you the same person as the anonymous "Asmodeus"?), Anne, and copperHair for reviewing! Y'all are hangin in there and for that I am forever grateful!
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Disclaimer: I own Thianc, the Six, Keliandra, the plot, and anything else you don't recognize from the books. Mary Stanton owns the rest.
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A light breeze blew through the rolling hills of a strange valley. The rustling of leaves was an unfamiliar sound, as was the trickling of the stream over the rocks He looked around wildly, startled and angered by it.
Then, a strange scent caught his nose. It smelled of lavender and happiness, things that he was unaccustomed to. He heard the soft chime of a far-away bell and saw ahead a hazy figure approaching. He tried to run but could not; his hooves were rooted to the ground.
As the creature drew nearer, it became clearer. Its outline sharpened, and he could see that it was a unicorn. The scent of lavender became stronger as it approached, and he could see that it came from her likewise-colored body. The unicorn's silvery mane poured over her neck, and her tail floated behind her like a platinum river. He felt a certain connection to the unicorn mare, a faint one that he could not identify.
She stopped before him but did not say anything. She looked at him intently, studying him inside and out, searching for some indiscernible trait deep within. It was many minutes before she was satisfied, but once she was, she seemed to forget about him altogether.
As the lavender mare turned to leave, he felt every invisible bond leave his body. Suddenly free, he turned to leave as well, but something stopped him. There was something about this place that was much too familiar, and something about her that was as well. His curiosity got the better of him, and he turned to follow the unicorn.
She was moving more quickly than she appeared, and as silently as the moon. He rushed to catch up, but stumbled on every unseen rock and root. But regardless of the noise made by his falling or his cries of pain, the mare never acknowledged his presence, never so much as turned an ear.
She led him across the entire valley, past trees and over hills that were familiar and strange all at the same time. Visions flashed in his head of a dozen foals running through the fields, too real to be imagined but too false to be memories. The irregularity began to aggravate him, and he considered turning back.
Suddenly, the lavender unicorn stopped before a large grove of trees. It was densely packed, and little light penetrated the canopy into the air below. It was definitely the gloomiest place he had seen in the valley so far, and he wondered what the light-filled mare would want in it. Nevertheless, she entered quickly, dodging the trees in what seemed to be an often-traveled path.
Feeling more at home in the dismal atmosphere, he slowed down and went at his own pace, losing sight of the lavender unicorn. After a few minutes he stopped and listened for any sound that would betray where she was, but there was none. Becoming nervous at the thought of being alone in such a sickeningly happy place, he started to head in the direction that he thought would lead him out of the trees, but he only seemed to be going farther in. Every tree looked the same; there was no way to distinguish one from another. He didn't want to admit it, but he was lost. He needed to find the lavender mare and get her help.
Just then, he noticed a light coming from his right. Thinking that it led out of the grove, he walked toward it, eager to get out of this strange place.
But the light didn't lead out of the trees; it led to a clearing in the center of the grove. And in the clearing stood the lavender unicorn, the light making her glow more brilliantly than before. Beside her stood another unicorn who stood at least a hand taller and was a deep emerald green.
As soon as he saw that other unicorn, he felt a strong surge of emotion. It was a mixture of enmity and reverence, hatred and love. He was so torn that his very mind seemed to be splitting in two just by looking at him. To ease the pain, he turned him complete attention to the mare, blocking out the green stranger.
But the lavender mare who had brought him there was not what she had been. He found that he had difficulty looking at her as well, though the feelings toward her were not as strong. That all changed when she began to speak.
We have found The One, she said to both unicorns present.
As soon as she spoke, his mind blew open again, creating such turmoil that he could just barely hear her voice. We have found The One, she repeated, and now you can come home. It is time to come home...
Thianc woke with a start. He was breathing heavily and was covered in sweat, even though the nights in the Valley of Fear were as hot as the days. Shaking slightly, he looked around slowly, making sure that no one had seen him awaken.
The green unicorn was worried, for this was not the first time that he had had that particular dream. More often than not, the purple unicorn mare was in his mind as soon as he closed his eyes, and this lack of privacy and understanding bothered him. However, this was the first time that the other unicorn was there, the large emerald stallion who had stood beside her. Thianc shuddered as he remembered the pain that had seared his mind when he had laid eyes on him. He had seemed familiar, and this frightened him even more.
Deep in thought, Thianc didn't see Gruetir approach and didn't notice him until he was right in front of him. The Captain's fiery red eyes briefly studied him, noting the sweat that darkened his flanks and his heaving sides. "And what's the problem here, Thianc?" he asked coldly.
Thianc, jerked from his thoughts, only glared in response. Gruetir laughed. "Bad dreams again, I suppose," he mockingly. "Another visit from that scary purple unicorn?"
The green stallion masked his embarrassment with rage. "Don't talk of what you don't understand, Gruetir," he said through clenched teeth.
"Ah, so it was about her." The black unicorn laughed cruelly. He then turned his back to the seething Thianc and said over his shoulder, "You might want to consider the source of these dreams. Those who dream of the Light usually end up crossing over. I'm sure that the Shifter would have some things to say to you if you decided to take that path, and I don't imagine that they'd be very pleasant."
As the Shadow leader began walking away, a small black object, barely visible against the night sky, flew from Castle Entia. It arced through the air and landed in front of Gruetir, stopping him in his tracks just a few paces from Thianc. The black stallion glanced hatefully down at the equally dark creature, which resembled a small bat.
The creature straightened into an important-looking stance and met the unicorn's gaze. "Gruetir," it started in a small but loud voice, "His Majesty the Shifter has requested your immediate presence in his throne room. I suggest that you make haste; it seemed rather urgent." With that, the small messenger turned and flew back toward the castle.
When the creature was out of earshot, Thianc snorted with contempt. "It seems that the Shifter has things to say to you. Maybe you should consider your dreams." With a short laugh, the green unicorn turned and made his way toward the Pit, the jewel at the base of his horn glowing dimly in the dark. Behind him, Gruetir stood, glaring hatefully at the disappearing figure. When he could no longer be seen clearly, the leader of the Shadow unicorns turned and began the ascent to Castle Entia.
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Thianc descended into the depths of the Pit just as he had done days before. He ignored the questioning gazes and small mutterings that followed him through the passages, not stopping until he reached the cavern that he had visited earlier.
Looking inside, he saw the dark forms of the laboring slaves hard at work. But he only counted eight, and on further inspection he saw that the fox was missing. The green unicorn cursed under his breath, then raised his voice and said, "Where is the vixen?"
The slaves glanced up and visibly stiffened in fear at the sight of the stallion in the doorway. They glanced nervously at each other, but no one said anything.
"Answer me!" Thianc bellowed. "Where is the vixen that was working here before?"
"She's not here anymore," the blond-haired man said. His posture portrayed strength, but his blue eyes gave away his fear.
"And where is she?" Thianc demanded, losing his patience.
The blond man opened his mouth to answer, but the other man stood up angrily and interrupted him. "If the Shifter himself hasn't told you, then why should we? Haven't we suffered enough of the Shifter's wrath without that on top of it?"
Green eyes flashing, Thianc stepped into the dimly lit cavern, the emerald at the base of his horn glowing more brightly as he approached the outspoken man. The slave's brown eyes widened as the unicorn approached, fearfully realizing his intent. "This is not the first time you have crossed paths with me, but it will be the last. If you think that the wrath of Entia is one to be reckoned with, just wait until you have endured mine."
The other slaves in the cavern backed away from the man as the unicorn neared him. Obviously frightened, he backed to the wall, but slipped on a stone and fell to the ground. Up against the wall, there was nothing for him to do but watch in fear as the green stallion approached and scream as his horn pierced his skin.
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Gruetir stood at the door to Castle Entia, slightly winded from the uphill climb. He knew that the doors would open when his Master was ready to see him, and it wasn't long before they opened, seemingly of their own accord.
The Shadow unicorn passed through the doorway and entered one of the many dark stone halls of the castle. The small, bat-like creature reappeared and scuttled on the floor in front of him, leading him to the chamber where the Shifter would receive him. The tiny sounds made by the creature's claws were drowned out by the metallic sound of the unicorn's iron hooves on the stone floor. The sound seemed to echo throughout the entire castle, reverberating endlessly through long forgotten corridors and passageways.
Finally, after many minutes of following, the black stallion was led into a small chamber. An empty fireplace was positioned in one wall, opposite which was a large window overlooking the Fiery Field. Gruetir looked out at his home as the messenger left the chamber, looked at the vast region over which no vegetation grew or water ran, looked at the desolate space in which his kind had lived in since leaving the Celestial Valley. The green valley...
"Does all that grass appeal to you, Gruetir?"
The leader of the Shadow unicorns quickly spun around, coming face to face with his master. The Shifter was in the form of a Shadow unicorn, but with many refinements. Two bat-like wings rose from his withers, and his tail was a whip-like appendage rather than one made up of loose hairs. He stood squarely on his iron hooves, his fiery eyes studying the unicorn before him. His expression was hard for Gruetir to read, a mixture of amusement and confusion.
"You forget that I have the ability to see everything that goes on the dark, twisted caverns of your mind, Gruetir." The Shifter's voice was difficult to read as well.
"Entia, I..."
The Shifter shot him a look that quickly silenced him. The evil being turned his back to Gruetir and gazed out through the window at the Fiery Field. After a moment, his voice rang out again, as cold and mocking as before. "Tell me about the grass, Gruetir," he said, not looking at him. The Shadow unicorn's mind involuntarily summoned an image of a grassy plain, which Gruetir quickly tried to remove.
Entia smiled, seeing the image and sensing the creature's dismay and growing anger. "The large, grassy fields… And how does the grass taste, Gruetir?" Just as involuntarily, the taste of the new spring grass filled the Shadow unicorn's mouth.
The Shifter saw this as well; his task was almost complete. "And what about water? Tell me about those clear, crystal rivers, Gruetir."
Just as images of swiftly flowing rivers filled his mind, Gruetir yelled, "It was all Thianc! This is all Thianc's doing! In an attempt to take my position he is filling my mind with these pictures, these weaknesses, and hoping that I am demoted because of them! Shifter, Master, you must understand. I would never dream of leaving the Shadows for the side of Good. But Thianc, he has dreams! Every night he is visited by a purple unicorn mare from the side of Good, and every night she tries to convince him to join her. It is Thianc who is weak, Thianc who would betray you!"
Entia had weathered the Shadow unicorn's ravings, enjoying his outbursts. But when his mysterious dreams were mentioned, the Shifter spun to face his captain. "Don't ever mention Thianc's dreams again," he whispered in a dreadful tone. "His dreams are a direct message from Atalanta the Dreamspeaker and a direct connection to the Celestial Valley. In her attempt to win Thianc back, Atalanta is telling us the Celestials' tactics, giving us their secrets. And I will not have that advantage lost by my idiot captain who cannot keep his jealous nose out of matters which do not concern him."
Gruetir was shocked at his Master's obvious rage, especially that it was aimed at him. He opened his mouth to protest, but the Shifter cut him off. "Do not try to save yourself, for I have seen more than you know. You taunt Thianc, ridicule his dreams so that he does not focus." Entia muttered something under his breath, and suddenly Gruetir found himself in immense pain; it felt as if his iron hooves and horn were on fire. "Like it or not Gruetir, Thianc is the key to winning this war, the war which will decide the fate of the world. And I will not lose this war."
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At that moment, a brilliant green light illuminated the dark sky, coming from a great column from the depths of the Pit. Entia saw it and swore under his breath. "Thianc…"
He then turned back to Gruetir. "Let that be a lesson you won't soon forget." The evil being delivered a final stab of pain before releasing his captain and soaring out of the window down to the Pit.
Gasping for breath, Gruetir stood in shock at what had just happened. Remembering what his Master had said, his eyes darkened in hatred, not toward Entia, but the one who had brought it all upon him.
The bright green light was extinguished, leaving all of the Valley of Fear shrouded in night one more. And in the darkened chamber of Castle Entia, the leader of the Shadow unicorns devised a plan.
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Okay, well, now that I think about it, that wasn't really very much. I'm sorry! If I get enough reviews or whatever I'll try to update again before winter break is over, but I'm gonna try to work on some of my other stories too. There's just too much to do and not enough time to do it all! I just cannot thank you guys enough for really being supportive and seeming to genuinely like my stuff. I've gotten some pretty major compliments lately, which will hopefully inspire me to write more and more often, but no guarantees. I love every one of my readers to death for everything you all have done for me. Return the love; REVIEW!!!