"You shouldn't have followed us," Lowery muttered, "You'll only slow us down."
Prince Owen tightened his lips.
"I won't. Besides, nothing could keep me away from her."
He nodded to the Lady Claire, who was leading the procession. Lowery gave him a sardonic look.
"She's a stegoceratops, you know."
"I know."
Lowery's mouth hung open.
"How?"
"I could sense that she was something greater than me when I first met her. I feel foolish around her, but when she speaks to me, that feeling stops. But this isn't about what I want. Loving me has made her human. It's beautiful and tragic. I know she belongs to the world, but a part of me hoped that she would have settled on being mine. I suppose she will, once this is over."
Lowery snorted.
"Not likely. She'll have to change back to face the boar, and when she does, you won't be able to love her, because that's bestiality."
"I don't care."
There was a long silence. As Prince Owen walked, his lip began to quiver. Tears trickled down his cheeks, making it no further than his beard. Lowery scowled.
"What are you crying for?"
"I'm not crying!" Owen snapped, "I'm just leaking sadness!"
He sniffed and ran his sleeve over his face.
"You're right. Claire is going to change back, and when she does, she won't love me anymore. Compared to her, I'm nothing. She's gone on a marvelous quest while I just sat in a castle doing nothing. I may have antlers, but that's nothing compared to a set of wings. My story won't have a happy ending. When this is over, she'll leave me, because she doesn't need a stupid prince getting in her way."
Claire wheeled around suddenly and put her hands on his cheeks. She kissed him, and he went rigid. When she pulled away, she was a stegoceratops again.
"I'd never leave you, Owen. Some stories don't have happy endings, but ours does. I'm not a unicorn, and you're not unworthy. We love each other, and that's never going to change."
Owen sniffled happily, then coughed.
"Don't watch me cry."
"You're just leaking sadness . . ."
They smiled and pressed their foreheads together. When they parted, they noticed that their companions had vanished.
"They're gone," Claire lamented, "Everyone who isn't real will have disappeared now, because I understand that this story is not theirs. I wish the real Karen could have joined us . . ."
"Don't worry about her. We're here for the stegoceratops . . . stegoceratopses . . ."
Claire nodded.
"I know. I remember. They've been herded into the sea. All we have to do is face the boar and free them. Then, I'll bring them to our world, and they can live among humans once more."
"All of them?"
"Every last one. Well, except . . ."
She closed her eyes, pained by her memories.
"I couldn't get Penumbra. She . . . Well, you know."
Owen nodded.
"That's okay. You tried. What do we do now?"
Claire gave a valiant snort.
"We move deeper into the cave, find the boar, free the stegoceratops-es, escort them to the portal, and leave before the worlds tear apart for good."
"What if we don't make it?"
"We have plenty of time."
"No, I mean, what if we die?"
"Then we die. What's important is the stegoceratopses."
There was a roar from the other end of the cave. The walls began to glow. Owen gulped and moved closer to his wife.
"Claire . . ."
"He's coming."
"Why?"
"I'm a stegoceratops again. That's what he's searching for."
Owen looked left and right.
"This tunnel is narrow. How are you going to get past him?"
"I'm not."
Owen turned to her suddenly.
"Claire!"
She closed her eyes, squeezing out a single tear.
"I always knew it would end this way. It's my fault they're gone, and I have to pay for my mistake."
Owen shook his head fervently.
"No, no, no! You can't do this! You promised we'd set them free together!"
She gulped.
"Or die trying. Owen, I wish I could survive this, but it's becoming clear that you're the one who has to free my people. You said it yourself: I've gone on a marvelous quest, and you waited in the castle. This is what you've been waiting for."
"It's not. The world needs a Queen."
"Lily will take my place."
They could feel the heat of the fiery boar leaping from the cavern walls. He was getting closer.
"I won't let you die, Claire. Not again."
"It's not your choice."
Owen stared at the flames that were beginning to leap around the other end of the tunnel. The path curved upward, so it was impossible to see the boar itself.
"Claire . . . I know you want me to be a hero, but you have to understand that I can't be heroic if I let you die. Yes, I've been standing idly by while you do great things, but that's only because you're so amazing."
"You are too."
Owen smiled.
"I'm going to tell you a secret, Claire. Every noble thing I've ever done was for your benefit. I'm only a hero because you told me to be one. That's fine by me. I finally understand why I feel so insufficient around you. It's because I was meant to support you, not outshine you. I can live with that. I've been helping you all along, and I'm proud of what I've done."
Claire frowned.
"Owen, you're not making sense."
He smiled.
"You're my everything. The only way I can be a hero is if I save the stegoceratopses on your behalf, because I'd never give my life for them, otherwise. I'm not a hero, but I'm a hero for you."
Claire gave him an incredulous look.
"I still don't know what you're trying to say!"
He smiled and gave her a wink.
"That's okay. We'll give this boar what he wants. Heroes are meant to die for unicorns."
He kissed the ridge of her beak hastily, then backed up and changed into a stegoceratops. By the time Claire realized what he was planning, it was too late.
"OWEN, NO!"
She thundered down the tunnel as he did, but he was too fast. He disappeared over the ridge, and the boar gave a furious scream. Claire passed the monster, but she did not see the beast, exactly. All she could focus on was Owen's body.
And then, she reached the end of the tunnel. The gray sunlight made Claire turn her head. She leapt into the fresh, cold air, and felt salty water lapping at her feet. She stood in the wet sand, staring at the sea that spanned her field of vision. The stegoceratops were in there, she knew, and it was up to her to get them out.
RRRAAAHHH!
The entelodon's roar shook the earth. Claire looked over her shoulder, and it dawned on her just how pointless Owen's sacrifice had been. As long as the boar was still alive, he'd herd every last stegoceratops into the sea, including her. And it was all by her own doing. She was the one who thought of The Last Unicorn as she designed the temporary world. It had seemed like a good idea, at the time. She aimed to give this hybrid land meaning, so that she would not lose her path. But she had. She had gone astray, and now, the stegoceratops would be gone forever, along with her and Owen. It was more than she could bear.
"Damn you!" she shouted, "Why did you have to leave me? We were supposed to do this together!"
She fell to her knees, weeping.
"Owen, you idiot. I can't do this without you . . . not without you . . ."
She sobbed as the boar emerged from the cavern. He took his time. He knew how defenseless she was.
Well, well, well. Look who's all alone. Did you really think you could defeat me? You're even weaker than the last Queen . . .
Claire buried her face in the sandy muck.
"Just kill me."
I don't think so. If I kill you, you'll rise up and leave my domain, but if I keep you here, you and your little friends will be dragged into the abyss for all eternity.
Claire closed her eyes.
"No . . ."
Oh, yes.
She rolled over, moaning like a sick animal.
"I've done it again. I've made everything worse. I thought at the very least, I would be the only one to suffer, but now I've lost everything . . ."
"Not quite."
Claire sprung to her feet and stared up at the castle with wide eyes and a hanging jaw. Owen was standing on the mountain, completely unharmed. The boar snarled at him.
How is this possible? I killed you!
Owen crossed his arms.
"No, you didn't . . . I mean, yes, you killed me, but I'm alive now, so you didn't kill me in the sense of . . . in the sense that . . . since I'm alive, I'm not dead, and therefore you didn't kill me, even though you killed me physically. What I'm trying to say is-"
ENOUGH! Why have you returned?
Owen lifted his chin.
"To save Claire. Because I'm useful."
You can't save her. You don't have the power.
Owen smiled.
"Maybe not, but I have these . . ."
Suddenly, two massive, white wings unfolded from his back, and he glided down to where Claire was standing. He elbowed her playfully.
"Pretty cool, huh? I was waiting to reveal them at just the right time."
The boar tossed his head.
Enough! Are you going to fight me or not?
Owen stepped forward.
"If you attack Claire, I promise you won't make it out of here alive. Then again, you're already dead, so no matter what happens, you're stuck in the Beneath. The only difference is that if you fight me, you'll have to spend the rest of your days knowing you lost to a single man. It's up to you, though."
The boar considered this, then turned around slowly. He lumbered into the sea, never looking back once. Owen watched his flaming body fizzle beneath the waves, then turned to Claire with a proud smile.
"That was easy. I didn't even have to fight him."
Claire bumped him with her beak.
"I know you would have, if you were forced to."
He knelt beside her, running his hand down her snout, as he so often did. She gave a gentle rumble, then peeked over his shoulder.
"So you have wings now."
"Yep."
"That's funny. I wonder how that works."
Owen shrugged.
"We'll find out someday. For now, let's get back to saving the stegoceratops."
Claire was about to give him a nod of acknowledgment, but she lifted her head suddenly and screamed.
"OWEN, LOOK OUT!"