Disclaimer: Not stealing anything rave-related. Just borrowed them and put them into a little fantasy world up in my head… up in my head…

Author's Note: To my dear group members: Well what is there to say except there's a little more dramatization from the original. Eheh.

The Last Unicorn

Chapter Two: Child of Light

Elie brushed past Cattleya, pushed open the door, and ran into the forest near the house. The young maiden ran until her legs were tired and couldn't carry her anymore.

She dropped to her knees and sobbed for a long time, her slender palms covering her pale face. Tears, like pearl droplets, slid down her cheeks and splashed onto the emerald earth.

Everything seemed so hopeless at that moment… Cattleya, ill and dying, confined to her bed… all the money gone and not a single penny left…the devastating drought which had brought nothing but disaster and decay all around…

"What do you weep for, child?"

Elie brushed her tears aside and looked up. There stood a tall, handsome man, his person cloaked in a long white cloak that seemed to be blown by some wind that she couldn't feel. Out of his face, framed by electric blue hair, two sapphire eyes stared at her.

The most outstanding feature, other than his blue hair, was a dark black symbol painted over one side of his face.

Did that tattoo mean…?

"Yeargh! Get away from me!" Elie cried, springing up from her kneeling position. She grabbed a tree branch and held it in front of her like some deadly weapon with which she was going to slice his head off with. "You're not a witch are you?"

This, of course, was a very silly thing to say. Firstly, witches are female, not male. The term for males is wizard. Secondly, no mortal weapon, much less a mere twig, can even come close to inflicting even the slightest scratch on them.

If the stranger found Elie's reaction highly bemusing, he showed no sign of it.Still gazing at her, he replied. "A witch I am not. My name is Siegahart and I am the Enchanter of this forest."

"Oh." Was her only clever reply. Assured that Sieghart wouldn't cast some weird spell on her and turn her into a pig, the girl dropped the branch and moved closer. "Can you help me?"

"Only to the best of my ability." Sieghart replied. "You seek something?"

"Can you help me find a unicorn?" Elie asked him hopefully, praying hard that Griffon Kato was wrong about the mythical creature being extinct.

Unfortunately, the Enchanter shook his head. "I'm afraid not, my child. The unicorns that once roamed this land are no more. They were hunted down by humans a century ago."

Her hopes dashed, Elie said mournfully. "Then you cannot help me. "She began to cry once more, her shoulders heaving up and down with eachfresh sob.

Feeling a wave of sympathy for the young maiden, Sieghart stepped forward and wrapped his cloaked arms around her, pulling her into a warm embrace. As it turned out, an Enchanter's shoulder is rather comforting, not to mention waterproof.

At last, Elie pulled away from him and whispered softly, "Thank you for helping me, Sieghart. I'm sorry for bothering you and wasting your precious time. I should be on my way now." She turned to leave when Seighart called after her. "Wait."

Elie turned round, large brown eyes staring at him. "I may be able to grant your wish by turning you into a unicorn. But a word of caution: the spell is irreversible and once it is done, it you cannot turn back. Are you sure you want to do this?"

The young maiden thought for awhile, then nodded. Anything to help Cattleya get better.

"All right. Then step here."

Elie did as she was told, her heart pounding with nervousness and excitement. Sieghart raised a palm over her head and muttered an old, but powerful spell.

"Pure and holy, Child of Light. Source of healing, strength and might. Take from death its one way track. Rise again and turn it back!"

His last words roared in her eyes. A howling wind surged through the entire forest, as a soft white light glowed about her. She shut her eyes, and waited for the final transformation to take place.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………

Author's Note: Have you watched howl's moving castle where the girl turns into an old woman right at the beginning of the story? I feel kinda déjà vu in here!

In the next chapter: Haru and Griff end up somewhere in Reina's…er…residence. But can they get what they seek? And will the price be too great for them to pay?