I can't believe this is so late! I'm /so/ sorry! Please forgive me! ::wails:: please!

I'm SO sorry my last chapter was so lame! I'm sorry! ::weeps:: please forgive me! ::covers eyes with hands:: I'm afraid to look at my reviews because of chapter six! ::peeks through quivering fingers:: Mithros! I looked...wait...you /liked/ it? All of you /liked/ it??? ::blinks stupidly, in daze:: ::realization strikes:: ::runs in circles squealing:: ::sobs hysterically:: you guys don't have the faintest clue how happy you make me!!!

To all my reviewers: ::falls to knees at you feet:: thank you! thank you! ::touches forehead to ground:: Thank you! I can't really reply to every single one of your reviews anymore...I got ::counts on fingers:: /sixteen/ reviews for chapter six! I'm sorry, but that's just a few too many. From now on, all of those who compliment shall have my upmost gratitude guaranteed, but only those who asked questions or made comments that I need to reply to will get answers.

Lady Knight Wolfy: ummm...the unicorn's horn /didn't/ get cut off...if it seemed that way, I'm sorry. What happened was, since the horn was so deeply embedded, the people cut the /wood/ to liberate the trapped horn. The horn is still intact (although maybe a bit scratched ;) )—Peachblossom isn't doing this to destroy all of the unicorns (though I'm sure he would just see that as an added bonus) but to show them that /he/ is the best—that no matter what, he is superior.

Disclaimer: ::weeps hysterically:: I don't own anything! Anything! ANYTHING!!! ::runs in circles screaming insanely:: ::Is dragged off by men in white lab coats:: NO!!!!! Not the room! Not the room!

::sniffle:: okay guys...this chapter is back to business...not much silly things anymore...mostly serious plot-kinda-things...::makes silly face:: there—that was one of the only silly things in this chapter, so /live with it/!

Lights...camera...ACTION!!!



Chapter seven: Fate

Kel laid on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Around her hopped sparrows, peeping anxiously, and by her feet lay Jump, beating his tail on the bed, a look of upmost concern (not a very common expression for a dog to wear) etched on his face.

In Kel's mind she kept replaying that voice. The one that had come to her once she had tamed the unicorns. "You have tamed them. Now what will you do with them?" It was unlike any voice she had ever heard before. Even the memory of it hurt. Why had someone asked her that? Why?

Finally she could no longer take it—she just /had/ to go see Neal. As far as she was concerned, if he was willing on an every-day basis to recite needless facts to her and their friends, he could also give her answers and research things when necessary.

Her feet had taken her to Neal's door. With her knuckles, she rapped three times. No answer greeted her knockings. Kel tried the handle and it turned. Slowly she pushed the door open, and called quietly, "Neeee-eeaaalll?" in a sing-song voice. She almost started laughing at what she saw. He and Yuki were kissing passionately, standing near their hearth. They were so engrossed in each other that they didn't even seem to hear Kel's call.

Slowly Kel walked over to the couple and Tapped Neal's shoulder, "Oh Neeee- eeaaalll?"

Neal squealed and jumped back from Yuki, tripped over a book on the floor, and tumbled to earth. Yuki produced her fan and snapped it open to conceal her swollen lips—she was trying to hide her smile. Finally the Yamani gave up and collapsed in a barrage of giggles.

Kel smiled innocently down at Neal and inquired sweetly, "Why are you on the floor, dear Meathead?"

Neal scowled at her mercilessly, "Because, dear Protector, I have a friend like you!"

"Awww..." Kel cooed in false-sympathy, "Poor wittle Nealan has his feelings hurt!"

Neal made no reply to this remark, and instead stood up and dusted himself off, grumbling darkly under his breath about pathetic, cruel lady knights who pretended to be people's friends just so the scoundrels could push their "companions" off of cliffs of treachery...or something to that effect.

"Oh, Meathead dearest, I need to discuss something with you. If you don't stop muttering things, I won't be able to think straight, and you know how much I hate that, don't you, Nealy sweety?" Kel's face continued to wear a mask of innocence, concern, and sweet good-nature, but her eyes twinkled evilly.

Yuki winked at Kel and strutted out of the room, leaving the two knights alone to discuss matters.

Suddenly Kel became serious. "Neal, I haven't told you something yet—when I had just tamed the unicorns, I heard this voice go through my head..." she continued to explain what it had said, and how it was oddly feminine, in a way, how the sound of it hurt every ounce of her being...finally Neal hauled them off to the library. After rooting through bookshelves for a while, they went to visit Alanna the Lioness. When they found her and explained their predicament, the champion simply said,

"That was the Goddess."

Neal slapped his forehead and exclaimed, "Of course! Who else but the Great Mother would control unicorns? Only maidens can tame them, so /of course/ the Great Lady would have created them!"

"But Neal, what does it mean? Why would the /Goddess/ talk to /me/?"

Neal rubbed his chin thoughtfully with one hand and tapped the armrest to his chair with the other. Scrunching his eyebrows together, he thought for a moment, then said, "There must be some /reason/ you tamed the unicorns...not every virgin girl can do it—they have to be strong of will, pure of heart, kind of soul—"

"Your point please, dear Neal." Neal blinked stupidly to clear his daze, then realized that he had begun to wander and stated quickly,

"Not every girl can tame a unicorn, let alone a herd of twenty or more—"

"Twenty-six" Kel corrected automatically.

Neal waved one of his hands in dismissal of such a trivial fact and continued, "my point being that the Goddess chose you to do this task—you were not only the only girl in Third Company to be able to even /hope/ to tame any unicorns, and maybe you're the only girl /anywhere/ who fits the perfect description to be able to tame all of those unicorns."

"And...?"

"And, Lady Knight, that means this is not chance...this is fate."

::hits head repeatedly on desk:: I know that was terribly, horribly, grotesquely short after such a long wait, but PLEASE BEAR WITH ME!!! ::sobs:: I have a serious case of writer's block...help me and tell me:

what kind of quest should Kel be sent on with her unicorns? should she go alone, or should she "magically" (fatefully hehe...) find another girl(s) that can help with the unicorns? what nationality should the bad guys be? (Gallan, Scanran, Tyran, Carthaki, etc.) should Dom and Kel kiss /before/ or /after/ Kel goes on her questy-thing? (definitely my top priority...lol)

So...let me know...If I get good advise, I might have the chapter ready today! Maybe at 75 reviews...

Fanta