Here's where the cover art clipart for my fanfic comes into play. Enjoy! :)
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"Get up!" the Dark Unicorn proclaimed, gesturing for Syrena to stand up on her hooves again.
"What? Eh…" Syrena turned her gaze towards the sky. The sun had gone down and dusk approached. Even as she watched the sky turn to night, she also saw a full moon come out, its silver light shimmering down upon the hills and the white sandy beach.
The waves protruded the area, splashing against the beach in an effort to rain down upon the land.
Syrena shivered, realizing that, on this white sandy beach, she was alone, with only the Dark Unicorn standing before her. The Dark Unicorn wouldn't stop staring at her, glaring at her was more like it. What was he up to?
"I said, 'get up'! Get up now!" the Dark Unicorn cried, shocking Syrena.
"Okay, okay. I'm getting up," Syrena said, hesitating as she stood up on all fours. She looked at the male Dark Unicorn, terrified. "What do you want?"
The Dark Unicorn tilted his head back in laughter. This was the last thing Syrena wanted. She wanted to go home, back to the Hills! Why wouldn't this Unicorn leave her alone? She really wanted to be free of him, return to the blissfulness that was the Hills.
At least, that's what she hoped for.
She looked at the Dark Unicorn, panicking, "What do you want with me?!"
The Dark Unicorn looked at her now, curiously. "Isn't is obvious? Syrena, it's me! It's your father!"
"What?" Syrena asked, confused. She shook her head. "No. No, my father abandoned me shortly before I turned a year old. My mother did, too, the moment the Valley Unicorns took me, built their house for me. I have no one now! Except for Whipstaff and Aslan. And Silvestra."
"Child, do you really think your family would just abandon you like that?" the Dark Unicorn asked, staring at her with great interest.
Syrena eyed him suspiciously. "They would if they realized all that I've been through! Just the other day, my mother and father left me, once I settled into my house. I haven't seen them since! What makes you think you're my father?"
"Because you were born a shapeshifter, as I was, and your mother. Shapeshifter's blood is in your veins, as it is for all Unicorns and Talking Animals. We can shapeshift at will, thanks to the Shaman of the Whills granting us this gift, and Aslan passing it along to us," the Dark Unicorn exclaimed, staring at her with wide eyes. "Child, do you not understand your heritage? Shapeshifter's blood is in you. Whipstaff must have awakened it."
"I don't believe you! Stop this!" Syrena said, charging at the Dark Unicorn.
"Syrena, listen to me! Ehhh!" the Dark Unicorn said, darting away from her, just as his black spiral horn clashed with Syrena's pearly spiral horn.
Syrena dodged and parried the Dark Unicorn's blows, determined to see that he wouldn't dare cross paths with her again! She banged her pearly spiral horn against his black spiral horn, wanting nothing more than to stop this madness from happening to her. She had to stop this! She had to do something to ease her mind.
She refused to listen to him. She wanted nothing to do with him, and yet, he wasn't attacking her, except for when they clashed amidst the pale moonlight. There was no stopping these attacks until Syrena fell onto the white sandy beach. She turned her gaze in time to see a conch shell nestled on the beach, close to her. She spun around, right as the Dark Unicorn pinned her down.
She struggled to break free, but to no avail. He simply would not let her go!
"Syrena, listen to me!" the Dark Unicorn stated, in fury.
"No! How can you be my father?" Syrena asked him, tears leaving her eyes.
"Syrena, I can assist you. The Dark Unicorns can help you. So can any Unicorn, if you're willing to listen to them. Let me help you now!" the Dark Unicorn said, getting her attention, just as Syrena grabbed the conch shell and blew into it.
She smiled, grateful the trick worked, but only for a minute, for she turned to the sea, right as a blue-coated Sea Unicorn landed in the sand, skidding to a halt in front of the Dark Unicorn. No way! Syrena recognized this Sea Unicorn. It was… her mother? But how?
"How are you here?" Syrena asked her mother, cautious.
"He is your father," her Sea Unicorn mother stated, as the Dark Unicorn released Syrena. "You must listen to him. We will guide you through the seven realms, the second Seven Realms. We're willing to help out your children, your grandchildren, your great-grandchildren, and your descendants, if you're willing to listen to us."
"Yes, I am your father and I want to help you. All you need to do is ask and I'll join you," the Dark Unicorn stated, with kindness in his heart.
Syrena stood up, grateful to see her mother, but confused by the scene before her. The Dark Unicorn wanted to help her. She gazed at him, curious about him. Those eyes… those bright blue eyes he had. She recognized their ancientness and their longing.
"F—Father? Father, why are you doing here and in this form?" Syrena asked, crumpling before him and her mother. "How can this be? How could I be born from a Dark Unicorn and a Sea Unicorn?"
"In time, you will understand," her Sea Unicorn mother said with a warm-hearted smile.
"Right now, we must ensure that you will leave the Land of Unicorns," her Dark Unicorn father stated. "The Land of Unicorns must move on from their solitude. The other realms need to know about the Unicorns, the fact that we still exist in this world, and that we're not hidden from them."
"How do we do that?" Syrena asked, curious but cautious.
Her Dark Unicorn father smiled, chuckling a little. "Oh, in a matter of time, you will have to face Lockslear and marry him. It is foretold that you will do this. He is your mate."
"He's a cat!" Syrena said, astonished.
"Oh, it's nothing we can't handle. He's a shapeshifter, too," her Sea Unicorn mother said, stating matter-of-factly.
"Besides, you'll have us as your guides. Your mother is part of the Sea, and I'm part of the skies," her Dark Unicorn father said with great joy. "It was simply meant to be."
"So, I'll always be watched then?" Syrena asked, cautiously.
Her Sea Unicorn mother looked at her in astonishment. She told her promptly, "It's not that bad. Besides, consider us your guardian angels." She said, trying to make things better.
"Thanks," Syrena said, softly. She watched as a portal opened up, spinning in circles while revealing a green grassy field and a forest. It was the Grove. But who was that coming from the portal?
It was the short, brunette-haired man named Whipstaff and he looked positively distressed. Wait. She recognized him, even in his human form! She smiled, approaching him now with great joy and wonder!
"Whipstaff, what are you doing here?" Syrena asked, laughing in delight.
"What am I doing? I came here, looking for you!" Whipstaff said, mildly convinced. He added, out of remorse, "But I see you no longer need me."
"Yes," Aslan said, appearing before them, "I daresay your companionship is over; at least, for now anyway." He said to Whipstaff and Syrena. He smiled, telling them, "You can relax. Where you're going to is a whole new world."
Syrena sighed, understanding that her first journey was done. "Right. Onto Phase Two then," she smiled, hoping that no matter what happened next, her journey would be worth it.