The next day as the sun started to rise, Phoenix woke up and shook her head. She looked around, a bit confused before she remembered where she was. Her gaze went over to see Bucky still sleeping soundly, back to her. She smiled to herself and shifted position a tiny bit. She watched the herd rouse itself and get ready for the day. Getting to her hooves and shaking her body out, the chimera stepped just outside the den and started to graze. Bucky could sleep a little longer. As she grazed, Phoenix saw her mother exit her own den and Tempest approaching her. She privately thought how nice it was that neither of them gave the herd any sort of mind as they openly showed affection. They crossed horns and Tempest bumped his nose to Allianna's subtly. The two older unicorns then broke off to take their places. Allianna ascended to the dais while Tempest took his place off the dais to her right. Phoenix recalled a conversation she had with her mother and wondered if this was the day.
Allianna had plans to promote Tempest from her advisor to the rare position of Guardian-Protector, the fourth in the Nation's long history. He would retain his advisory duties but giving him the title of Guardian-Protector would give him a boost. Phoenix had brought up the potential nepotism involved but was told that while plenty of the herd would put their lives on the line for the Queen, one who is Guardian-Protector earned the title through a great deed. Killing Thanatos made him more than worthy. The Nation at large would have whatever opinions they would have about it but none could rightfully deny that the Abhorred One of their era had been the one to end the Continental Nightmare once and for all. Tempest had more than earned it. Allianna caught Phoenix's eye and wordlessly nodded, wishing for her to rouse Bucky.
Phoenix turned around and reentered the den. "Bucky. It's time to wake up," she said, nudging his arm with her nose. Bucky stretched and yawned as he woke up. "Hey, Nix," he smiled, setting a hand under her chin and rubbing it. Phoenix leaned into it. "It seems Mother is getting ready to hold court. We're guests but it's only polite for us to attend. It won't take long. I promise," she said. Bucky sat up, got to his feet, and started pulling his night clothes off. He got into a day outfit that was colored blue with silver accents. He pulled his boots on and admired the quality of the outfit. It looked like how he imagined elven clothes from The Lord of The Rings or some other high fantasy novel. There was also a scale pattern in the light fabric, evidence that it was made for a dragon. He followed the chimera out to where the herd was gathering. They stayed out on the edge of the herd as Allianna tapped her hoof on the dais.
"Friends. Family. I only have two things I need to discuss this morning before I release you for the day. First order of business, and I hope he forgives me for drawing attention to him, but as you can see, we're hosting my daughter and a human in the forest," she announced. Bucky felt self-conscious as several heads turned to look at him. He leaned into Phoenix's side. "They will be here for a time for some spiritual healing. I want you to welcome James as if he were one of our own and remember our mission of hospitality," the Queen continued. Several unicorns nodded in Bucky's direction for a moment before Allianna got their attention again. "My last order of business, I feel is long overdue. I wish to honor a unicorn for service, not just to me or the herd, but to the world at large. Tempest, will you join me up on the dais?" she directed at the black stallion. Murmurs immediately went up among the herd and Tempest looked shocked.
Bucky and Phoenix looked at each other. They then watched the events as they unfolded. Tempest was staring at the Queen, rooted to his place. They could practically hear his heart racing. He looked down at the three steps up to the dais before hesitantly ascending. Allianna shifted to face him, a hind hoof brushing her long tail aside. She smiled fondly at him before swinging her head to look at the herd. "I know this will be contentious to the oldest of us here but I'm confident in my position and reasoning for this," she began before looking back at the Abhorred One. "Tempest. You've been a good friend to me for almost a century. You've weathered everything life threw at you. Most importantly…you killed Thanatos. You ended the Continental Nightmare. For that service to All World, I wish to bestow the title of Guardian-Protector on you," she announced.
"What is that?" Bucky whispered as the herd erupted into talking about this turn of events. "From what I understand, it's a title given to unicorns who have done a great service to the Nation. By killing Thanatos, Tempest went even beyond that. He saved, not only unicorns, but horses, cerapters, and pterripi from the nightmare that kelpies presented. Sure, Tempest did it purely for my mother's sake but the fact Thanatos was the last of his kind makes this a bigger deal than you realize. As far as I know, Tempest is only the fourth unicorn with this title so it's not given lightly at all," Phoenix explained before hoof taps caught their attention and silence fell. The black stallion had remained quiet throughout the entire thing but his red eyes had remained locked with Allianna's violets. When silence settled over the gathering place, he swallowed. "Are you sure?" he asked simply. Bucky could hear himself in the unicorn.
"I know you killed him for my sake and only my sake. However, I'm looking at the bigger picture here. It wasn't just me you saved by killing Thanatos. You've saved countless mares and later stallions, from the kelpie threat. You're worthy of this title, Tempest. I want you to be remembered and honored for this great deed," she replied, just as simply. Tempest slowly closed his eyes. "I am…honored…and humbled, Your Majesty," he said. Allianna smiled before looking at the herd. "I know many among you disagree on principle but be mindful. Were it not for Tempest, Thanatos would not have stopped with me. He would've spread his evil across the Continent. I would've honored any unicorn who did away with him this way," she said before adjourning the herd who split off to talk about things among themselves.
Phoenix and Bucky slowly closed the distance, watching the Queen as she bumped noses affectionately with the Abhorred One. "You shouldn't have given such a prestigious title to me, Allianna. I truly don't deserve it," he said. "You deserve to be King for the deed you've done. You deserve the world. But as things stand…this is the most I can do," she said. Tempest looked at her helplessly. Bucky and Phoenix looked at each other knowingly. "Be it far from me to disagree. I wish only to serve you. To love you," he said in a low tone. Allianna bumped noses with him again before he noticed the man and chimera. He shot Bucky a scowl before heading off. The Queen sighed before joining her guests. "I don't mean to sound like I'm making excuses for him…but you know my history, James. Tempest was part of the herd when that happened. He blames himself for that. He was never a trusting soul to begin with but my assault shook him more than he lets on. He takes my protection very seriously. You're a human. Our natural wariness of your kind is at work in him but he's also acting out of fear for me," she explained.
"I get it. Don't worry about it," Bucky brushed it off. Allianna smiled before looking at Phoenix. "I'm going to take James off your hooves for a bit if that's okay," she said. The chimera nodded. Bucky leaned his forehead to hers under her horn and watched her walk off to graze. "So…what's going to happen now?" he then asked the Queen. "I wish to show you our history. Come," she responded. Bucky followed her out of the gathering place and down a well-trodden path. "You're aware of his feelings for me, aren't you?" Allianna ventured, more of a comment phrased as a question. "He hides it…but I can see it because it's the same as me. And judging how the herd treats him, I can see why he hasn't been made King. But this assumes you reciprocate," Bucky said.
Allianna looked at him as they walked. "I'm afraid my experience has taken a severe toll. But be assured. I no longer have the words to express them but Tempest knows me well. The most I can call him is a friend…even though my feelings go much deeper. But don't feel sorrow for my fate, James, or Tempest's fate. We've managed to carve out a life together in spite of the circumstances. We're as close to official pair-bonds as two unicorns in our positions can be. For me, it's enough. For him, it's enough," she assured him. Silence then fell between the two as they emerged into a clearing with a good-sized lake in the center. "You see that giant tree over there?" Allianna then asked, pointing at a dead redwood. "That's the Tree of History. Prepare yourself, James. You're about to see the beauty of unicorn art," she said, with a hint of pride for her people.
Bucky was led to the petrified tree, already in awe of its sheer size. Much like the tree dens, the Tree of History had a large opening carved into the trunk, allowing them to enter it. The inside was lit up by the same spell Bucky had seen the herd cast the night before. Allianna was right. The artwork he saw was beyond anything he had ever seen. It was beyond museum quality. His eyes were instantly drawn to a scene that had a solid white unicorn with violet eyes fighting a very familiar black one. "Tempest?" he questioned as he approached the painting. "I see you noticed the resemblance. But no. That's not Tempest. That's the Enemy in the guise that spawned the Abhorred Look. The mare he's fighting is my most ancient ancestor, the First Queen," Allianna explained, joining him.
Bucky looked at the Enemy's likeness again. "Tempest is a dead-ringer for him," he noted. "According to Byakko High King, his resemblance to the Enemy doesn't end with just his appearance. Even their voices match exactly," she mused. Bucky shot her a look of alarm. The Queen just chuckled. "Relax. They look and sound identical but Byakko has assured me the resemblance ends there. Their energy couldn't be any more different. Besides, when the First Queen defeated him, the Weaver spoke through her and banished the Enemy from ever setting foot in unicorn forests for the rest of Time. He can never return here," she assured him. Bucky hummed before studying the First Queen's likeness. She was breathtakingly beautiful. "What was her name? I've only ever heard her referred to as the First Queen," he ventured. Allianna just smiled fondly before moving off to another painting. "Her name is known to all my subjects, as it has been since her time. However, when she passed, her son, King Visigoth declared that her name will never be spoken again. So as much as I would love to share her name with you, I'm bound by royal edict to keep it unspoken," she explained.
"The First Queen was also the first Guardian-Protector. She saved my people from the Enemy and was posthumously given the title by Visigoth for that service. So Tempest, the lowest of souls in the opinion of my people, now stands equal to the most venerated in terms of title," she added. Bucky moved over to where Allianna was and he looked at the painting. It was a solo portrait of another black unicorn but the very feminine features made it plain it was a mare. "Desdemona. Easily the unicorn who did the most damage to the Nation after the Enemy. She was Tempest's immediate predecessor. He has a special hatred for her," Allianna said by way of preamble. She led Bucky through a series of paintings that detailed Desdemona's rise and fall, learning about the Royals of that time period. He was moved by empathy for Queen Atalanta and King Ostrogoth.
The last painting in the series was of Desdemona lashed down by magic while another unicorn was posed in a way that his hoof had come down on her horn and it broke off. An unnaturally large white tiger was also in the painting. Allianna took note of the pity on Bucky's face. He didn't know the significance but he was inferring enough to feel pity. He looked at the Queen quietly. "Breaking Horn. It's considered a fate worse than death. Queen Atalanta had every reason to execute Desdemona for plotting regicide among her other crimes but she couldn't live with having blood on her hooves. So she had Desdemona's horn broken and she was banished from the forest," she explained. Bucky nodded before looking back at the painting. "I guess breaking a unicorn's horn cuts them off from their magic or something?" he inquired. "To an extent. The magic remains in us but our horns are necessary to cast it correctly. We have no way of knowing for sure but apparently, she still had enough casting ability to shoot sparks and start fires. Mind you, this was 400 years ago," Allianna replied.
Sighing a little, the white mare moved off. "Desdemona was never seen again in any forest but rumors around the Wilds spoke of how a broken-horned black mare was often heard keening in the night over the loss of her horn. A Stormcrow from the era made it his mission to spy on her for reasons only he knew. He was gossipy for a Stormcrow and probably got his kicks out of her misfortune. He supposedly witnessed her trampling a farmer to death and setting his farm ablaze when she was very ill. Her hatred for humans was well-documented. Suzaku witnessed a similar incident but it's likely he saw the same thing the Stormcrow did and the two were unaware of each other's presence. The Stormcrow lost track of her not long after. Seiryu once visited Queen Galatea, daughter of Atalanta and Ostrogoth, and mentioned off-hand that he had come across a unicorn skeleton picked almost clean of fur on the edge of the Great Desert. A skeleton with a broken horn. No signs of predation or suicide. Could've been her. We will never know," she finished.
Bucky felt some tears sting a bit and hid his eyes. He felt Allianna gently bump and lean on him a bit. "Don't pity the dead, James. As tragic as Desdemona's life was, she had committed some serious atrocities. Abhorred Ones aren't the only black unicorns in the world. There are others with eye colors that span the visible spectrum. They've either chosen lives of solitude, formed herds of their own out in the Wilds, or attached themselves to humans as helpers. They're making the best of their situation. Desdemona had a choice. She chose the path of evil. My house could've ended with Queen Atalanta and Phoenix never would've come to be. In a sense, you should be thankful for what she had done," the Queen soothed. "Why hasn't anything changed? Why are black unicorns still looked down on?" Bucky asked, wrangling himself under control.
"Things like this take time. I started the process by welcoming Tempest into my forest and refusing to bend to societal expectations of me when dealing with him. I cannot command the hearts of others to change. It might seem small or like I'm not doing enough but trust me, I'm leading by example. Ever since Tempest came here, some herds across the Continent are starting to rethink the old ways. But in the grand scheme of things, my kind has bigger issues with the Vanities, unicorns too vain or high on themselves to mesh with our way of life. They're a constant reminder of how the Enemy tried to turn our entire species against the Weaver. We're beautiful creatures but we strive to remain humble about it. Black unicorns are looked at a bit more fondly by comparison," she explained.
Silence fell as Bucky mulled over everything. Unicorns weren't all that different than humans if he thought about it. But somehow…things were a bit more nuanced with how they perceived those with black fur. It all came down to a malevolent spirit. If the Weaver's existence was a fact in this world, so was the Enemy's and he was the sole reason why black unicorns were looked down on. Then learning that Tempest was completely identical to the Enemy in looks and voice…perhaps there was a reason for that, too. "You said Tempest is basically the Enemy in everything by energy, right?" he asked. "That's right. Byakko never forgets a voice and he's one of the very few still alive today who has seen and heard him. I'm not sure how Earth marks time but All World is currently in the Third Epoch. The Enemy hasn't been physically seen or heard since the end of the First Epoch when the Year of Cataclysm began," the Queen responded.
She watched Bucky walk around the tree, taking in other paintings. There was a fair amount of world history there in addition to Nation history. Bucky stopped short when he came upon a painting of a Ziz with a glowing eye like the sun. "What the hell?" she heard him mutter before he turned to face her. "All World has pteranodons?" he asked. Allianna quirked an ear. "I don't know what that is but what you looking at is a Ziz. They're one of the Three Races, along with the Behemoths and Leviathans. That Ziz, in particular, is Tobias, the current Lord of Air," she said before giving him a crash course in the Faction Wars and the War of Lords that was going on at the same time. Tobias was chosen to be the previous Lord Anan's heir to his position.
Bucky was only half-listening as he stared at the painting. He knew what he was looking at. "Ziz" just had to be the local name for a pteranodon. There was no mistaking it. If extinct flying reptiles existed in this world, bonafide dinosaurs probably did as well. He decided to look a bit harder at the older artworks that dated back centuries ago before he came across exactly what he was looking for. It was a painting of a mottled green and yellow Spinosaurus. "What do you call this?" he asked, pointing at it. "Wow, you're really doing a deep dive into our history. That's a Sailback, a type of Saurian, who used to live in the lake outside. He and King Dorado, son of Visigoth, had something of an understanding. The Sailback was allowed to live in the forest lake as long as the herd was left alone. He was apparently old and struggling to feed himself so the herd helped him. This was thousands of years ago. Saurians of all kinds are now extinct. Dorado kept records about Sailback culture, though, and I find them fascinating. They had a special reverence for the moon and apparently, they didn't have names. So this Sailback is known only as King Fisher among our kind," Allianna responded.
Bucky absorbed what he learned. He never considered the idea of All World having anything but magical and modern animals. But here was evidence they had many of the same species spanning the whole of history. Here, dinosaurs were called Saurians, spinosaurids were called Sailbacks, and pteranodons were called Ziz. The Tree didn't have much more to offer on that and Bucky decided to hold any questions for another time. He did have one he needed answers for now. "You say that…Sailbacks are extinct but the Ziz aren't?" he asked, pausing to make sure he used the correct terminology. The Queen nodded. "The Leviathans, Behemoths, and the Ziz were thought wiped out from the Legendary Massacre that the War of Lords ended in. But they weren't. They were in hiding for centuries and are now slowly coming out. There's a known community of Ziz living in the Western Range. They're dangerous but not like they were when Lord Anan ruled them," the Queen responded.
The two eventually left the Tree to return to the gathering place. Bucky paused to look at the small lake, thinking about how a few thousand years ago, there was a bonafide dinosaur that lived there. But just like on Earth, dinosaurs no longer roamed this planet. He felt disappointed that he had missed them. "What happened to them?" he asked as he rejoined Allianna on the walk back. "To the Saurians? Truth be told, they were mostly hunted to extinction. Many also got caught in the crossfire of the Faction Wars. Habitats were destroyed. Many were captured either as mounts, weapons, or beasts of burden. Resource competition. Just a lot of factors. The Faction Wars were about two thousand years ago. So the Saurians haven't been gone all that long compared to some other species. Now that I think about it…it was around the same time the Kirin Nation also vanished without a trace," the mare mused.
They reached the gathering place and Bucky's eyes found Phoenix watching a unicorn putting the finishing touches on a painting he hadn't noticed when they had arrived. Allianna walked in that direction and he followed. "Looks beautiful, Amasia," she told the brown mare. Bucky took in the subject. It was a unicorn fighting a kelpie. He recognized the kelpie as Thanatos. Which meant the unicorn was Tempest. "Thank you, Your Majesty. It's just about done," the mare replied. Bucky took a closer look and noticed that there was a second, white unicorn hovering just above Tempest as if it were a shadow. The white one had blue eyes, however. "Is that what I think it is?" he asked, catching Amasia's attention. She gave him a once-over before smiling a bit. "None of us were there when this happened but this is as close as I could manage when His Majesty, Byakko High King, told us about it. He was the one to escort Tempest back here. That white unicorn was what he caught a brief glimpse of when Tempest destroyed Thanatos," she explained.
Bucky looked thoughtful. "You said Tempest looks the way he does due to a curse, right?" he asked. The Queen nodded. "I believe that Tempest's surge of power somehow disrupted the curse. If true, then he would've been the first unicorn since the First Queen to be pure white. There hasn't been one since her day and my herds across the Continent keep meticulous records," she explained. "How many Abhorred Ones have there been?" Bucky then asked. "Four, including him. There's no pattern or set time for each that have been born. It's completely random. The only thing that has remained true each time is that there is only one at any given time. Tempest is the current one. We'll not see another until he's passed on," Allianna responded. The White Wolf looked at the ghostly white unicorn above Tempest. The facial scar was shared between the two and with the eyes being blue, it was plain it was him.
"Imagine if your ancestor had been there in spirit," he said, simply. Allianna looked at him, surprised. She looked at the painting as Amasia continued it. Bucky looked over at her with a smile. "The First Queen was, by all accounts, kind and fair. She had an unrivaled sense of duty and commitment. I try to emulate that in my rule. If she were here today, I have no doubt she would've done what Tempest did," she mused. Bucky watched her, still smiling. Allianna chuckled before she met his gaze. "She was there, James. I can feel it," she said. She motioned for him to follow. "Can I ask your honest opinion, James?" she ventured. "Sure, I guess," he responded. "It might be unfair for me to ask you since you're an outsider but…do you think my ancestor would be proud of my rule?" came the question.
Bucky looked towards the tree canopies. "I would think so. I know you've had a rough go at it, to put it very mildly but from my observation, you're doing a great job at ruling. Your herd looks happy, healthy, and at peace. I'm just a man but I can feel the energy here and I haven't felt this at peace in a very long time. Ever since I fell…I just went from one fight to another for years. Phoenix and Wakanda both gave me a sense of calm in an otherwise chaotic life I never asked for. That feeling is increased tenfold now that I'm here in this forest. If your woods are influenced by your mood, Your Majesty…you're doing good work," he said.
Allianna blinked as she took in his words. She then smiled widely and leaned her head on his arm. "Thank you, James. That lifts my spirits. I'm very old compared to you but I'm in my prime of life by my people. My experiences often cripple me with doubt. That's why I try my best to make my forest a welcoming one. If I'm helping you, then that helps me heal further," she said. Bucky blushed a bit and rubbed the back of his head. He recalled that Allianna had been relatively young by her kind's standards when she had been assaulted. She had apparently just become a fully mature adult when it happened or was on the cusp of becoming an adult. Bucky was blown away by how strong she was.
The two looked at each other. "We're a traumatized bunch, aren't we? You, me, Phoenix, and Tempest?" Allianna ventured with a smile. "We are. I sometimes don't know how I functioned without Nix. She…she makes me feel whole again," Bucky responded, looking to where the chimera was sunning herself in a shaft of light through the treetops. The Queen found her eyes going to the single spot in the herd without color. Tempest was grazing in some other sunbeams and as usual, the light seemed to die around him. She often wondered if she was the only one who noticed. "Before I let you go, James, I have another question," she spoke up. "Fire away," he responded. "When you look at Tempest…does the light seem to die when it touches him?" she asked, her violet eyes still on the living black hole in her herd.
Bucky looked to where Tempest was. "It kind of does. I can still pick up some shine on his coat but yeah. I would say the light dims more than it dies when it hits him. Are all black unicorns like that?" he inquired. "Not to my knowledge. I don't leave this forest very often so I haven't had the opportunity to find nomadic herds of black unicorns out in the Wilds. But Tempest is unique because he's the Abhorred. It's possible the curse affects how light interacts with him," the Queen mused. The two looked at each other and the Queen gave him a smile. "Thank you for indulging me, James. You can go now," she said. Bucky grinned and bowed a little. "If it's not too bold of me to say, Your Majesty, I hope you find your voice again," he said before walking off.
Allianna watched before she looked back in Tempest's direction again. She wished it so. She was as in love with him as he was with her. He could freely say it. Her trauma prevented her from doing the same. She couldn't even say it to herself. But Tempest never pressured her to say what was in her heart when she lost her ability to voice those thoughts. It was all rooted in terror but she didn't know why that was. Thanatos had taken her body, fertility, and dignity but that was all. Tempest had proven without fail he wasn't a monster. Only the Weaver knew. Allianna then smiled to herself. She and Tempest knew each other's hearts. That was all that mattered.