Brian didn't know what he had gotten into when he responded to a Unicorn's summons. He didn't know the ropes of the job and had short of forever to learn it. He had become a Unicorn. But worst of all, the job description didn't mention the fact he would become a she...
 
 

The Unicorn Club
Part One
 
by Andy Hollis

 
 
I kicked a stone along the dirt path, and waited for the puffs of dust to clear before I chased it. The path wound its way through the city park and several acres of woods, and I hoped find a little relief from the heat. The air conditioning at school crashed and I had the afternoon off.

After brushing trash off a park bench, I sat down and kicked at an old candy wrapper. I sighed, and shook my head. The mounds of litter in the park would soon take over, but it gave the squirrels something to play with. Someone really should do something about the garbage, but it wasn't going to be me. I watched a couple of the tree rats fight over a paper cup before I stood up again with a frown on my face.

I swore I heard someone call my name, but I couldn't see anyone. I started walking for home when the call came again, louder, and this time I heard it only in my thoughts. I looked around again then set off in the direction I thought the call was coming from.

"Hurry."

The urgency in the message made me break into a run. I crossed the main road and spotted something white laying in a ditch about fifty yards down the road. I ran harder, but stopped as I found a barrier in the way. I reached out and touched the air. A force field? I've watched enough Star Trek to guess what it was but I never thought I'd find a real one. I tried again, and found I could push my way through the barrier as if I was walking through Saran Wrap.
I felt the field stretch, then pop.

Silence. I looked around amazed at the sense of utter peace I felt. I couldn't hear a single bird or even the rustle of a breeze. For the first time I took a good look at the ditch. I had to blink several times and rub my eyes, but the vision did not vanish.

A unicorn lay on it's side, panting against the ground. My mouth dropped open to my knees. The creature had a milky white coat with a snow-white mane and tail. It's hooves looked like burnished gold while the horn -- the horn was indescribable, a swirl of ever-changing colors that gave me a headache to watch.

The unicorn raised its head to look at me. "How old are you, boy?"

"Twelve, and I'm in the seventh grade," I said automatically. "I'm Brian."

"Too young by far but what can I do?" the unicorn said and lowered its head again.

Kneeling down by the animal's side, I could smell a slight, musty scent from the unicorn's coat. "Is there anything I can do to help. You look hurt..."

"No, not hurt. My kind lives just short of forever and my time has come. We are so few now..." He raised his head and pressed the tip of his horn into my forehead.

Although I felt pressure and blood running down my checks I didn't feel any pain, or even the slightest concern about what was happening.

"It is done. You were the one to answer my call, and now the one selected to take my place. Guard this land well, boy. I have cared for it since -- well long before humans ever came here. I would have liked to teach you, but the call did not reach you in time. You are the unicorn now, and you have just short of forever to learn the job."

"Me?" I said. "I'm not a unicorn. What am I supposed to do?"

The unicorn closed its eyes and quickly faded away. I stood up and wiped tears from my eyes. A second later I heard the real world return with a loud hiss. The blood stains from the hole in my forehead faded from my clothes.

Birds chattered over my head, and I heard something else.

"We welcome the new unicorn. We welcome the new unicorn."
Right over my head I spotted a pair of squirrels, but -- this was crazy. It was impossible. I must have had a touch of sun stroke or something. Unicorns -- talking squirrels... I hurried back to the path to head for home.

I trotted for a few yards when a red fox stepped into the path in front of me. "Unicorn, I need your help. My vixen is hurt and I have been waiting for you."

"A talking fox isn't as bad as talking squirrels, but what am I supposed to do? I'm not a vet."

"But you are the unicorn," the fox said as if expecting that to take care of everything. I could see the panic in the animal's eyes.

"Where is she?"

The world spun around, and I found myself nose to nose with the fox. I looked back at myself. "I'm a fox. But that's impossible." I bounced around on four legs for a moment. The weirdest thing about this was I didn't feel any different. It felt right to stand on four paws and to have a tail stretching out behind me. It took a moment longer to adjust to a new world of smells and sounds.

"Follow me," the fox said and took off into the woods. We ran for what seemed like miles before I found the battered vixen partially hidden in the dry under brush.

"The new unicorn is here."

"What happened?" I asked sniffing the vixen. She looked in bad shape.

"Dogs," the fox said. "Dogs caught her and almost killed her."

The world spun around again and I found myself standing on four longer legs. I snorted and lowered my head to touch my horn to the vixen. I felt the power flow then stepped back to watch the fox heal. She stood up and shook herself off.

"Thank you, thank you," the male said bouncing around his girl friend. She gave me a wide grin.

"Thank you, too," she said. A second later I shrank back down to fox to let her lick my nose.

"I am at your service, unicorn," the male said. "You are new at this and I can help."

"Would you?"

"Tonight. I do not like being out in the daylight like this. I will know where to find you."

With another thought, I changed into a bird, a robin I think, and spread my wings to fly home. Flying was fun but I still felt too stunned to really enjoy it. I ran inside, yelled out, "Hi, Mom," then ran to my room. She was on the phone, as always. Making another of her -- deals. Ever since Dad left she hasn't wanted to get a real job, but she does act like a real wheeler-dealer, a mover and shaker -- well, whatever.

I closed and locked my door, sat down on the bed then muffled a scream in my pillow. I had met a unicorn; no problem with that except unicorns don't exist. I was now a unicorn too, and I could not only understand animals but change shapes as well. This couldn't be happening, but... I walked over to my closest, and moved the clothes off the door to uncover the mirror. With a thought, I changed back to unicorn.

This was incredible. I could look at the swirling lights and colors in the horn without getting headache now, but I took a good look at the rest of me. Not bad, I thought, for a horse. I didn't have a beard like I thought I would. I did not have goats' hooves, but I did have a milky white coat and snow white mane and tail. Something was wrong. I couldn't place it, but something was wrong. I knew I wasn't an expert on horses or unicorns for that matter but I shook my head and thought about changing back to me.

I stopped, and stared at my reflection again. I lowered my head and checked underneath me from one end to the next. I was a girl. I changed back to me and dropped my pants. I was a boy as a human but a female unicorn. That didn't make any sense at all. The unicorn was a...

I couldn't remember looking but if that one was female and I turned into a much younger version of her... This was going to be a real headache figuring everything out.

I walked over to my window, opened it checked out the nearest tree. "You," I said pointing at a squirrel. "Front and center, please."

"Me?" The squirrel squeaked. "Me?" Two seconds later the tree rat was sitting on my windowsill. "How can I help, unicorn?"

I tested something else. I opened my hand and watched half a dozen peanuts appear in my palm. "You can pass these out."

Two more squirrels scrambled up to my window. "Can we help? Can we help?"

"No, but thanks. I tossed a couple handfuls of nuts out the window and got rid of the rodents. I opened a notebook on my desk and jotted down a note. If I had to learn this job I had better keep notes. Rules, I needed some sort of guidelines about this and the first had to be -- Unicorn rule number one: don't feed squirrels.

I wandered out to the kitchen and immediately found unicorn rule number two: don't eat meat.

"I'm going to go out this evening," Mom said from behind me.

She held out a twenty-dollar bill. "You want to call out for pizza?"

"Yeah, that's great. And a movie?"

"Okay, but -- I'd better make the call. What do you want?"

"All veggies for me. I think I'm going to be a vegetarian from now on."

"You? You would give up hamburgers?"

With a loud sigh, I nodded. "Don't want to have clogged arteries before I'm a teenager. Do you know anything about unicorns?"

"Don't have time now, sweetheart, but you could try the Internet when I get off the phone. Brian, what's that noise outside? Sounds like it's coming from the back yard. Check it out, will you?"

"Right. Sure, it could be robbers or muggers and you want me to check it out?"

"In the middle of the afternoon? Scoot."

I walked outside through the kitchen door and then peeked through the fence to the back yard. Besides the squirrels there had to be a dozen cats, dogs and assorted creatures waiting underneath my window.

"What are you guys doing here?" Next mistake -- they all started talking at once. I had to hold up my hand, line them up and handle the issues one at a time. What did I look like? A free clinic? All the animals there wanted to me to fix their hurt paws or untangle fur or offer a free meal and comfort. After all, I was the unicorn.

"What was it?" Mom asked when I finally managed to get back inside.

"Some dogs and cats and a raccoon were in a fight. It's okay now."

"The pizza will be here any minute and I'm off in about five minutes. Give me a kiss, and I just heard that you won't have school tomorrow either."

I gave her a peck on the cheek. "Great news. I'm going to be busy tomorrow so don't worry about me."

****

The stack of books weighed twenty tons, I thought, as I carried them to the nearest table. The library had dozens of books on unicorns and even more stories in anthologies but -- I had to go through them all.

A night out with the foxes was fun, and I would do it again, but I still hadn't learned anything about my job.
The problem was that the books told me what a unicorn was, and I knew that, but they didn't go into what a unicorn did. I turned a page amazed at the artwork I had found, but...

"Well, well, well. And just what are you doing here?"

I lowered my book and stared at an elderly man that was only three inches tall. He stood on the table, smaller than some of the books were thick. "Homework."

"But with all these human books, and this place?"

I looked around the room, saw no one looking this way, and shook my head. "I don't do pixies."

"I, my good beast, am a leprechaun, and I'm seeking you out because I need a way home... If you would be so kind."

"A plane ticket to Ireland? What do I look like? A bank?"

"To the fairy lands of course. What are you, dense?"

"No, just new to this and there isn't anyone around to teach me -- except you of course."

"Teach you what?"

I gave the little person a wide grin. "My job. The unicorn that did this to me is gone and it looks like you're elected, if you would be so kind."

"Tell me what sort of a job would a unicorn have except to be sending folks like me back home on request. You know leprechauns and unicorns have always had a tight bond in that respect. Unicorns always do whatever the leprechaun asks them to, if you follow me."

"Oh, really?"

"Of course. It's like a tradition. Take that as your job description my lad, and be happy with it. There now, I've taught you everything you need to know about being a unicorn so send me home."

"Sorry, but I can't. For one thing, as an American unicorn I wouldn't think of it -- without the appropriate payment, and for the next, I don't know how."

"Oh, bloody... Excuse me, are you really as young as you look?"

"I'm twelve, does that count?"

"Too young by half if you ask me. What good is it for a unicorn to pass on to someone still in the nursery? We'd better go back then. Come on now, I haven't got all day about this."

"Go on back where? I'm kind of busy what with tiny people interrupting me from my research."

The leprechaun shook his head. "Perhaps I had that coming, but this is important. I need to take you to see my pal, the wizard. Oh, and don't give me that look, my good beast. John's all right for an American wizard and he isn't the mercenary that American horses are."

"Okay, but could he help me about unicorns?"

"As much as any I'd say. Now step lively, lad. Since you don't wear shirts with pockets in them any more I'll ride in this." A small leather shoulder pouch popped onto the table.

I started to pack the leprechaun in the bag when he jumped up from the table and touched me on the forehead. "Ow. What did you do that for?" I reached up to rub the spot when I found a rather hard lump. "Uh oh, is that what I think it is?"

"Of course, what did you expect. It's growing in nicely at that."

I concentrated as hard as I could about getting rid of the horn, but nothing happened. The little man laughed at me.
"You can hide it, of course, but you can't change it. Do you have any idea how much raw power is stored in that horn? Here, I'll do the magic the first time. There, no one can see the horn but you and me now. Touch it again and feel the way I did it."

"Oh, I've got it, and thanks."

The wizard lived about a mile from the library. I'd never think of a wizard living in standard split-level in the suburbs, but the leprechaun insisted this was the right house. I walked up to the front door and rang the bell?"

A moment later a tall, and rather young man answered the door. "Sorry, I have all the papers I need."

"It's me, John. Move aside and let us in."

"Tim? Timothy, what are you doing back here?" I followed the wizard inside and took the seat John pointed at. "Well?"

"It's not that bad, my lad. Not bad at all. We have a problem here. I was on my way home like, I told you, but you know how long that takes and how it drains my power reserve."

"Well, yes."

The leprechaun snapped his fingers. "That's why I had this brainstorm I did. I thought why should I go through all of that to get home when yon beastie could do it and not work up a sweat."

"Yon beastie?" John demanded. "Please, excuse him, son. I'm sure he didn't mean that the way it sounded. Don't be rude to the child, Tim."

"Don't fooled by the lad's scruffy schoolboy exterior, John. Under that disguise is the new unicorn."

"A what?"

"Unicorn, John, pay attention. I don't like repeating myself."

"And just what do you mean by unicorn?"

Timothy snorted. "You don't know? It's a type of horse with a bloody great horn sticking out of its forehead."

"I know what a unicorn is..."

"Then why did you ask? I swear you humans are getting to be worse every time I make the crossing. What sort of wizard are you that you didn't feel the passing yesterday?"

"I felt something, but what are you talking about?"

"This boy is the new unicorn. I asked him to send me home, but that's the problem. He needs someone to teach him what a unicorn is and how to use his powers. That's why we're here."

The wizard peered at me for a moment. "Okay, son. What happened?"

"I'm not sure, sir. I was on my home from school yesterday, and I found a unicorn."

"Let me get this straight. You found a unicorn?"

"Yes, sir. It's a type of horse with a bloody great horn sticking out of its forehead."

"Very -- witty. I got that part. Then?"

"I tried to help, but he or she jabbed me in my forehead with that horn and told me I was the new unicorn. He -- died before he could tell me what that meant. I started for home when a fox asked me to help his vixen. She'd been caught by dogs and almost died, but she was a real fighter. I helped her of course, but that's when I found out I could change into a fox."

"I see. This was a normal fox?"

"I guess. I've always liked foxes but I've never been able to talk to them before."

"And you changed shapes?"

"Yes. I changed into a fox first, then into a unicorn so I could heal the vixen and when she was better I turned into a robin to fly home."

"I suppose that beats walking, but would you care to show me how you can change?"

After I shrugged off the shoulder bag, I stood up and changed to unicorn. "Like that."

"That is a bloody great horn," John said and reached out to touch it. I shied away from him.

"Don't be a fool, John. You know how it is with unicorns. You are not qualified to touch one."

"You mean that's for real?"

"Aye, it is. Only a virgin can touch a unicorn. Anyone else winds up with an ass's hoof instead of a hand. You can change back again, lad. I think he's convinced."

"That I am. Okay, but what do you need from me?" John waited until I had re-taken my seat before offering me a Coke.

"I know what a unicorn is, sir. I don't know what a unicorn does. The other one didn't have a chance to fill me in. He said he was the land's guardian and now I am but how do I guard it and from what? And every animal in my neighborhood thinks they can come to me with all their problems because I'm the unicorn."

"I don't know either. Until a moment ago I never dreamed that unicorns were real. I've had enough experience with magic now, and the fairy realm, but I've never found a unicorn nor have I ever met anyone that has. Have you tried calling to another unicorn?"

"No, can I do that?" I asked, excited by the thought.

"According to some of the legends I've read."

With a thought, I closed my eyes, and tried reaching out with my thoughts to anyone else. I felt my forehead getting uncomfortably warm, but I kept concentrating. I did feel a tickle from very far away.

I tried focusing on that tickle. A full-grown stallion appeared in the room snorting. He stood up and pawed the air in front of the wizard.

"What have you done. You had no right to take me from my lands, wizard. You had..."

"Stop, I brought you here," I said standing up. The unicorn stared at me for a second then did the most perfect double take I had ever seen.

"Well, hello, beautiful!" At last, he dropped down to all fours and nuzzled my face.

"Don't even think it, mister."

"Don't play with me, I beg you. I have never seen such a lovely sight in my life. When you are grown I will be yours forever."

"Excuse me, sir," John said. "Our young friend here is new to this. He needed someone to teach him how to be a unicorn, and he called you."

"Thank the light for that. I felt the passing yesterday, but I never dreamed I'd find this waiting for me. It has been so long since we have had a new unicorn. I will do everything I can to help you, my dear."

"That's a relief. Can you send this leprechaun back to the fairy lands so I can see how it's done?"

"Your command." The unicorn's horn started to glow. He drew a door in the air and opened a path to a different world.

"Much obliged," Timothy said and quickly vanished through the opening.

"First," the unicorn told me, "let's get rid of that ugly human body of yours."

"What do you mean? I like this body. It's the only one I have."

"But you are one of us now. You have no need for that shape, and it is hardly becoming, my dear."

"I will keep this shape. Thanks, John, I'll -- see you around." Before the man could answer I was called to follow the stallion away. I changed to unicorn and left.

I felt the same envelope of silence surround us as the unicorn led through the wizard's front door. We shot into the air like a comet, blazing golden light behind us like a tail. In seconds I could see the earth as a globe spinning around in its course as others joined us in the gallop. From the far reaches of the world the unicorns came until the herd numbered twenty.

Underneath us I could see glowing points of lights on the earth's surface that showed the area belonging to each unicorn. Mine was the mid-Atlantic coast from Delaware through the Carolinas.

"That is mine," each unicorn told me, in turn, as an introduction. They had no names as such except for individual smells and thought patterns.

At least I wouldn't wind up being called "Starflower" or "Windwalker" or something. I felt the power around us growing stronger as I was taken on a tour not only of earth but the old fairylands as well.

There, through the various layers of worlds we found more unicorns, of course, those that had decided to give up guardianship for the life of the herd.

For the first time I realized the extent of the unicorn's gift to me. I now had the power to tap into creation itself. The beauty of the moment and the grandeur of the guardians touched me to the bottom of my soul. I could accept myself as a unicorn and part of this intense force of nature, but I had no idea why I was chosen.

I had always been an average kid. I got good grades at school but nothing to brag about. I had friends before, but now I had a herd. I was now part of what seemed to be a losing battle to protect the world from the humans' constant growth.

I had a vision in a blinding flash of light. I saw the unicorns, myself included, reclaiming the earth after the last human was gone, and I knew that perhaps I really did have just short of forever to win the war.

I touched down again deep in the woods a few miles from my house. Now, I felt, I knew what my job was.

Saturday morning I excused myself after breakfast, told Mom I'd be gone most of the day, and took off. I surrounded myself with the unicorn shield, changed shapes and took off for a tour of my area.

Boy, I had a lot of work to do.

I live right in the middle of the Shenandoah Valley. Far away enough from the cities of Northern Virginia to be rural, but still close enough to have easy access to everything. As I moved further and further away from home, I used my horn to claim the land as mine, and to bring back what I could. I knew I could never cover the entire area at once so I would have to divide it into sections and work on one section at a time.

At home again, I grabbed every map I could find of the area, and took them to my room to make a plan. I sketched out what I wanted to do, and ran downstairs for lunch. All I wanted was another couple of bowls of granola. I knew I was now a growing unicorn, but I hoped I wouldn't lose my taste for other foods. I stopped in the bathroom and screamed at my reflection.

The bump on my forehead now stuck out several inches. I reached up and made the thing vanish again, but I would have to be more careful in the future about checking my appearance.

For the rest of the weekend, I worked at litter removal. I started in the park with a trash bag and a jabber and went from there. I just picked up the litter and dissolved the small stuff, the cigarette butts and organic trash, into component parts.

On Sunday night I took another run with my fox. We ran through the wood with one goal in mind. "Here," he said and sat down on his haunches to scratch an ear. I looked out over the stretch of road and had to agree. A dozen animal trails all converged here to cross the road. And this was where so many bodies were found the next morning.

I built a crossing underneath the road. I made sure the tunnel was large enough for badgers and porcupines. The dogs and the deer would still have to contend with the cars, but they had much more of a chance. I ran through the tunnel a couple of times, packing in the earth and making sure it would withstand the weight from a lot of traffic.

"It's done," I said and marked the tunnel with a touch of power. "I want you to use this too."

"Whatever you say," he said with such an impish grin I had to believe him.

We placed two more crossings along the main road, and I made a note of a few more places that I could get on my way in to school in the morning.

I stared at the mirror not sure if I wanted to laugh or cry. My mouth and nose had grown -- a lot -- overnight. I had the beginnings of a fine muzzle. My teeth looked larger still. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't reshape my face, and I couldn't hide them like I did the horn.

"Are you going to be in there all day? I thought you wanted to leave early." Mom opened the door. "Are you okay in here?"

"Yeah, I was just washing up."

I followed her out to the kitchen. At least she hadn't noticed the changes. I gulped down three bowls of cereal. I grabbed my new canvas garbage bag and jabber and headed for the door.

"Brian? How long has it been since you've seen a dentist? It looks like your teeth are growing much too fast for your face."

I shrugged. "They feel fine, and the better to eat veggies with."

"I guess, but I'll make an appointment."

Great. So Mom had seen the changes and probably everyone else would too. I've been called worse than "horse-face" and no one would see the bloody great horn, but... I went to work.

I had just finished my third cross through tunnel, when I checked my watch and looked up to see a park policeman heading toward me.

"What in the world is going on here, and how did that happen?" He pointed in the direction of the entrance.

"I did that. It's an animal crossing. I followed the animal trail here, and put that in so they can run under the road instead of under tires."

He shook his head and studied my trash bag. "You're the one that's been cleaning up around here?"

"Yeah, I figured someone had to do it so it might as well be me."

"Do you have permits for all this?"

"Sure do," I said. "You'd think they'd be happy to have me cart off this litter and stuff for free, but no." I reached into a pouch in my bag and pulled out two stacks of papers that hadn't been there a moment before.

"It looks in order. Okay, keep up the good work, son."

I had more than enough opportunity to do so. Because of the mounting costs of the air conditioning repair, summer vacation started a week early. I took the time to post signs all over town.

The Unicorn Club
Lend a hand or a hoof.
Keep our parks clean.
Anyone who wants to help
Please call
Brian Trent.

I added a few unicorn graphics, and waited, but I didn't get any takers. During the week I did get a lot of city officials stopping me and asking what I was doing. They all had the same thing to say.

"The city isn't responsible for this. It isn't in the budget at all this year."

"Have I sent anyone a bill? The city doesn't care, but I do, so I'm responsible for it."

One reporter gave me a nice write up in the Sunday paper, but it still didn't get anyone else interested in helping. I also read a lot of letters to the editor using me to complain about the mayor and the city government for not caring about the city grounds.

Nothing happened, though, until I met the girl in the clearing. I had moved away from parks and was working on the woods when I found her. I knew the girl was from my school and she wasn't the type to sit out on the grass for very long without moving. I walked over collecting the litter.

"Hi, Taylor what are you doing out here?"

She raised a finger to her lips and sooshed me. "Be quiet, you little creep. I'm waiting for the unicorn."

I laughed. "That would be me. Did you see my posters for the Unicorn Club?"

"There's a unicorn in these woods -- a real one. My folks are into magic and stuff and I'm going to catch it.

"You?" I said with another laugh. "Come on, Taylor, don't you know the rules? You're not a..."

"Of course I am," she said with a shake of her long brunette hair. "I only fooled around one time and that didn't count."

"Of course it did, and you know it. You're going to be waiting a real long time. But why would you want to catch a unicorn in the first place? Couldn't you just let it alone?"

"I would, but my folks want the horn. They say it's the single most powerful tool in the universe, and they want it bad. Now what am I going to tell them? And how did you know I wasn't a virgin?"

"Uh, Taylor, that's not the kind of secret boys keep."

She stood up. "I'll kill him. I will so totally destroy that little... Have you seen the unicorn?"

"Yes, Taylor, and the dragons and griffins that live in the woods too. I talk to her all the time, and that's why I named my club after her and that's why I know you're wasting your time. She isn't interested."

"Oh, go pick up trash, creep. Just think, you've already reached your career potential."

"And so have you," I said, but under my breath.

To make matters worse, the next day two park policeman and two guys in suits came to my house from the Mayor's office.

"The Mayor is very proud of you son, and he wanted me to give you this award for your initiative and all your hard work on behalf of the city grounds."

Mom sounded impressed. "Please tell His Honor that we are proud to accept. Brian has really taken this to heart and is planning many more improvements to the grounds."

"That's just the point, Mrs. Trent. Mayor Korgan appreciates all your work, Brian, but do you have any idea what a commotion this had made? The Mayor's office has been swamped with calls about having you out there all by yourself doing the city's job. So, from now on, Mayor Korgan is asking you to stop, cease and desist. The city is going to take over trash pick up and removal and place the animal crossings."

"Okay, but when the city gets the bill don't come crying to me about it. I must have saved you guys thousands of dollars."

Since I was out of a job, so to speak, I went out to the woods, found the exact center of the area and started a different task. I changed long enough open a doorway to another world. I stepped through the opening into a quiet forest clearing. At one end I saw a waterfall that must have been twenty feet tall. I was tempted to stand underneath it.

I walked over the river and lowered my head for a drink. I stared at my reflection for a while still amazed by the sheer beauty of the unicorn.

"So you made it through, did you laddie -- oh, well lassie is it? Glad to see you again."

I stared at the leprechaun. "I came here to get away from people, even tiny ones. How are you, Tim?"

"As fine as ever, Miss. I was looking however for a ride back to see our John."

This time, I lowered my head further to jab my horn in his direction. "Tell me something, Tim, what do you see when you look at me?"

"A vision of loveliness to be sure. A fine unicorn filly with such..."

"Cool it. I meant, when you look at me do you see a taxicab?"

"Ah, point taken, Miss, but since you are going back and it is so hard for the likes of me to go through..."

"Gold. Five gold pieces a ride. Sounds like a winner to me."

"You drive a hard bargain, but what would a unicorn as lovely as you need with gold?"

"I'm a part time human, remember, and I can think of a million things I can do with gold."

"But couldn't you just call up all you need with that horn?"

"Of course, but then why should I pay me for a ride? It's your gold I want, not mine. See, I give you something you want and you give me something I want. That's called a trade."

"Highway robbery is what that is called, young lady and don't forget it. I'll pay, but I won't be asking you for help anytime soon."

"I can live with that." I changed back to myself, pocketed the money, and let the leprechaun back into my pouch. "I..." My stomach itched. I scratched and scratched but the itch would not go away. I pulled up my T-shirt and stared at a patch of milk white hair on my tummy.

"Since you will not be needing the gold much longer..."

"I need it now." I walked back through the gate and straight to the wizard's house. I knocked on the door.

"Well, welcome back. Brian, isn't it? Saw your picture in the paper the other day. Makes sense that you would be the one to run a clean up campaign around here. Come in."

"And not even a word for your old friend, Timothy? It's just hello to the beastie and not even a thought about the leprechaun."

"I need your help," I said quickly. I waited until he had closed the door behind me before I pulled up my shirt again. "I can't get rid of it."

"After your rather spectacular exit the last time you were here, I wondered if you even want to be human again. Let's look... You have a spell on your forehead." I dropped it so he could see the horn. "And the beginnings of a tail," he said pointing to a bump I hadn't noticed.

"I don't want to be a unicorn full time. I like being me, I mean, the human me. How can I tell my Mom?"

"I think you had better. I'm not sure if there is much I can do for you, if your magic can't, but try this." He said a few words making the hair and bumps vanish.

"You did it." I said. "What did you do?"

"A simple illusion, only. I don't know if this will help as your changes become more drastic. Being a unicorn doesn't strike me as too terrible a change."

"No, it isn't, but... I'd better get used to the idea. Thanks for the help."

****

I walked through the park kicking trash out of my way. After a month, the place looked just as bad as when I started. I had yet to see anyone picking up trash, but I just knew the cops would come out of nowhere to stop if me if I tried.

Something was wrong. I hurried back to the woods and down the road until I found a work crew with shovels and a bulldozer. I broke into a run. They were working on my first animal crossing.

"Hey, what's going on?"

"Beat it kid, we're trying to fill this in." One of the men said, and I watched as still others tried to shovel dirt into the tunnel entrance. The shovels stopped in mid-air and all the dirt scattered to one side or the other.

"Aren't you the kid that built this?"

"That's me. And no one is filling that in."

"We're under orders from the Mayor's office. We have to close these crossing because they don't meet the new code requirements and then we will start on the new ones."

"Oh, that's just great. The animals around here use them and they don't care if they meet your code. How long will it take you to get the new ones built?"

"We expect to finish in about two years. My company has to do an environmental study to determine the best placement for the crossings and then we need..."

"Two years?" I shouted. "But what are the animals going to do in the mean time?"

"Until then they will have to use the road."

I had a clear vision of me, pawing the air, with head lowered, ready to tilt against the bulldozer.

"This is too stupid for words." I don't know if the fury I felt showed up on my face, but the men stepped back. "No one is touching these crossings -- period." The power flowed from my forehead.

"What's going on?"

Everyone turned to see a reporter and TV cameraman. "Oh, hi, you're the news guy from channel six. I'm Brian Trent and these guys are trying to close down the animal crossings I made."

"Look, kid, we have work to do, and you are in the way. I don't know what you did here, but you had better stop it."

I told the news guy my story and even showed him the animal tracks at the other entrance while the cameraman took pictures of the crew's wasted efforts. I felt my tail twitching underneath the illusion. "It isn't a big issue but a great story about the city. I'm fighting city hall and this time I intend to win."

As more people gathered to see what was going on in the park, the news guy called the cameraman over and started recording. "This is David Channing with Channel Six news. I'm here today in the Bennett Memorial Park with a young man intent on fighting City Hall. This is Brian Trent and you may remember a story we did last month about young Brian's efforts to clean up the park."

The cameraman backed off and showed the new batch of litter and debris on the ground.

"Well, Brian, it looks as if you've been falling down on the job."

"Not me. The Mayor ordered me to stop picking up the litter. I wanted to do it, and I must have carted out hundreds of bags of trash from the park and the woods, but that wasn't good enough. The Mayor said he was getting a crew to come out and do the job but I haven't seen them yet."

"And what's going on over there?"

"While I was on the job I dug out animal crossings at six points around the park and the woods. I was tired of seeing so many animals as road kill and I wanted to help. I made the crossings and the number of deaths is down to almost nil.

"Now the Mayor is having those guys fill in my crossings until they can study the issue and build new ones. That's going to take years, and in the mean time the animals will have to use the road again."

"So it looks like all of your hard work has been for nothing."

I felt myself starting to shake. "Not this time. I don't see one good reason why they can't wait until the study is done and they are ready to build the new crossings before they close mine. I'm afraid that the study will show I picked the right locations for the crossings. Two years from now they will just unplug mine, claim all the credit and waste probably hundreds of thousands of tax dollars."

"Do you have anything to say to the Mayor?"

"Yes, I do. Mayor Korgan, maybe you are trying to help and maybe you just don't care, but stay out of this. This is going to kill thousands of animals over the next two years and there isn't any reason why."

"Thank you, Brian." The news guy left me to walk over to the crew.

"You're on the air. I'm David Channing from Channel Six news. Are you the foreman?"

"Larry Thomas, and yes, I'm in charge here." He blinked as I gave him a little nudge about telling the truth.

"Why are these animal crossings being closed?"

"They don't meet the new code," Larry said quickly. "Now up until last week there wasn't a code for animal crossings at all, and I've got to say that the kid did a great job on these. Brian, isn't it? Get yourself a degree in Engineering and you're going places. But, as I was saying the Mayor wants them closed."

"How much is all this going to cost the city?" I asked.

"Forty thousand per crossing, and we've got the contract for all six. Most of the money is going for the study to determine the best locations for the crossing."

"And after the study?" I asked.

"Oh, we're coming right back here, unplugging these tunnels and shoring them up with some bricks. Two years from now no one will remember your work, son, and the Mayor can take all the credit for being so sensitive to the environment.

"They already have a survey showing your tunnels were about a hundred yards away from the real sites so that no one can say we just used them again."

"And this is costing forty thousand per tunnel?" David asked.

"You got that straight. We work for the Mayor's brother-in-law so he can pad the bill all he wants."

"How many contractors put in bids for this work?" David shoved the microphone closer.

"Are you kidding? The Mayor doesn't take bids from anyone outside the family. He gave his brother the litter clean up job at one hundred thousand a year, and you can see the quality of that work. It's the city's money after all."

"What was that?" David said and tapped his ear piece. "The Mayor's office just called the station, and His Honor is on his way here to rebut Mr. Thomas' statements. Back to you, Kevin, and we will be standing by."

"What did I say?" Larry asked.

"Probably enough to get the Mayor and his whole family busted. Can you stick around, Brian?"

"You'd better believe it. I want to hear this, too."

Twenty minutes later the crowd made way for the Mayor's limousine. Mayor Korgan climbed out of the car as the cameraman began shooting again. Several other news people followed in the Mayor's wake.

"This is David Channing reporting live from Bennett Memorial Park. His Honor, Mayor Korgan has arrived and he doesn't seem happy. Your honor? Did you hear the statements made by Larry Thomas earlier?"

"Yes, I did..." He blinked as I gave him a double dose of truth telling, "and I wanted to assure the good people of this city that -- that forty thousand dollars is a very reasonable figure for this kind of work. And that I am going to take all the credit for young Brian's work. Don't give me that look, young man, it's politics, pure and simple."

"Mr. Mayor, is it true that you hired your family for these two projects?"

"Of course. That's part of the game. I set them up in dummy corporations, and it's really simple to fix bids after all.

I'm not going to let that kind of money out of my family."

"How much do you get out of all this?" I asked.

"Ten thousand per tunnel and twenty five thousand per year for the litter clean up. Well, I see your point about the litter, son. My brother has always been a lazy son of a bitch. I've already paid him out the first hundred grand on this project and he had better not have spent it all. I don't think he's hired anyone yet, but it will get done."

"Do you always get money back on these contracts?" I asked.

"Of course. Kickbacks are a part of being in politics, and I don't know anyone in city government that isn't getting his share. I didn't spend half a million dollars on my campaign last year for nothing. The suckers -- well should I say taxpayers? -- gave me the keys to the city treasury and I intend to empty it while I'm in office."

I shook my head. "It's one thing to steal from the taxpayers, sir, but what about the animals? Why close the tunnels?"

"I've got to prove that the tunnels we build, if we build them at all, aren't yours. I couldn't stand an audit right now. So, we lose a few animals? You get roadkill all the time and there's nothing we can do about and still keep all that money in my pocket."

"That's all you care about?"

"It's my retirement I've got to think about, son, and not worry about the animals. Go hug a tree if it will make you feel better, but I don't care. And stop giving me that look. Your mother was involved in a lot of these deals."

"Did she know about your kickbacks and everything?" I asked worried.

"No, but..." He snapped his fingers. "It will take that long to make it appear that she did. If you say one word about this to anyone she will take the blame. What would your life be if she's in jail?"

"Mr. Mayor? Do you realize that you've just blackmailed a twelve-year-old boy on the news?" Larry Thomas cut in.

"I'm sure the boys here can be reasonable about that tape."

"What tape?" David said. "This is a live broadcast, your honor. From what I'm hearing from the station the phones are ringing off the hook, and it looks like the network will pick up on this for the evening news. Headline, Bennett City: Mayor Korgan shamed out of office by twelve-year-old. Would you like to tell us, for the record, who else on your staff is taking kickbacks?"

The Mayor started naming names. All I could do was stand there, with a huge grin on my face for the cameras. That will teach them to mess around with this unicorn. My work there was done. I decided to leave the truth spell in place on the Mayor. He needed it.

When I walked in the kitchen door, Mom was waiting for me. From the look on her face I thought I had better duck before she hit me. "What are you trying to do to me? Don't you know that is how I make my money too?"

"But Mom, I didn't do anything -- really. The Mayor was the one that spilled the beans. Didn't you hear what he said about giving you the blame?"

"Yes, I did, but still... Go to your room. I'll deal with you later."

"Can I take a shower first? I really need it." I didn't wait for her reply. I headed for the bathroom and took off my clothes.

I dropped the illusion and studied myself in the mirror. It wouldn't be long before the change was complete, and then what? My legs stretched several inches and my feet starting to feel hard. My tail reached the floor, and my ears were stretching up over my head. Odder still my white coat had covered my chest and even my nipples were gone.

I climbed into the shower and let the water steam. I scrubbed down, but all I could think about was standing under the waterfall I had seen on the other side. I wanted to do that -- a lot. In fact, as soon as I could get back I would. I could just feel the water rushing through my mane and tail.

"Brian, what on earth are you doing in here to make such a racket. It sounds like you're breaking the tub." She pulled back the shower curtain and screamed.

For the first time I realized I had changed to unicorn in the shower and that my hooves were clattering on the non-skid ceramic.

It took a moment, but Mom recovered enough to reach into the shower and turn off the water. "Oh my god."

"Mom, it's me." I changed back to myself and with as much dignity as I could manage I reached for a towel. I started to wrap it around my waist when I screamed. My coat now covered my entire front and nothing was left.

Although I knew that this was going to happen, somehow I never quite believed it. The sight of my smooth crotch made me cry out. "Mom, I'm a girl."

She held me for a moment. "You'd better dry off. What happened here?"

"It's a long story."

"I'll bet it is. Okay, Brian, I'll meet you in the kitchen. I'm going to make some coffee, and I will want a full explanation."

I dressed first in my illusion, then in my clothes. I walked out to the kitchen, grabbed a soda from the fridge and took a long drink.

"Sit down, young man, and tell me why I saw a unicorn in our shower."

When I finished she refilled her cup. "So, you're a unicorn -- a female unicorn. You can change shapes to anything except back into a human. Not only that but you have been to the Fairy realm and you've even carted a leprechaun back and forth. You know a local wizard, and you put a truth spell on Mayor Korgan to make him confess to all those crimes."

"That's pretty much it."

"The only reason you look like yourself now is because of an illusion, and we both saw that you are no longer a boy. You can't change back into your old self, but could you change into a girl?"

"I never thought about it." I concentrated and it worked. I felt my hair grow down past my shoulders as the rest of my body pulled into new curves.

"Oh, Brian, you're beautiful. Perhaps we had better do some shopping for new clothes."

"Not a chance, Mom. I'm not a girl, and I'm not about to wear skirts and things. From the way I'm changing I won't need clothes at all for much longer."

"I understand, but even when you change all the way what are you going to do? Go live in the woods? Sweetheart, you haven't even finished middle school, and as Brianna you won't have to worry about someone seeing through your illusion."

My cheeks flushed. "I could change the paperwork, but..." I had a sudden thought. I closed my eyes and changed back to myself then again, but this time I changed back all the way to a human male. "It worked. I'm me again, at least, for a while. I won't be able to maintain this shape for very long, but enough to make it through school. I don't know anything about being a girl."

"But you have a month and a half to learn. Since you are a female underneath that shape you really should plan for it."

"I guess, but..." To avoid Mom's glare I changed back to female. This was going to be confusing.

Over the next couple of days I officially changed from Brian to Kimberly and I called up a new set of records from school and everywhere else. I found I really liked the girl in the mirror, although it took longer before I was comfortable with the clothes Mom had bought me.

An emergency election was being held to replace the Mayor and most of the City government. Mayor Korgan was not a popular man about town anymore. I made it a point to attend to the debates between the new candidates, just as I made it a point to start picking up the litter again. I became the second member of the Unicorn Club since my cousin Brian was out of town for the rest of the summer.

"There," Mom said as she came in from the back yard wiping her hands. "It's done."

"What?"

"Your stable. Judging from your looks you are going to need one, and soon, Kim. I mean, you do make a gorgeous girl, and an even prettier unicorn, but unicorns really should sleep outside, don't you think?"

"I guess, but I haven't changed all the way yet."

She sipped at her coffee. "That's what I've been thinking about."

"Uh oh. Am I going to like this?"

"You should. Look, Kim, you seem to be fighting this change, and that can't be good for you. Have you ever considered changing and getting it over with instead of staying as long as you can in between? As a unicorn you can easily change back and forth to human for a while," she pointed out.

"Yes, but it's still hard for me to accept being a full time animal, and a part time human. I..."

Mom walked over to the cabinets and pulled out a tray. A moment later she covered the tray with oat pellets and mash that made my mouth water. "It's horse chow," she commented as she held the tray just under my nose.

I opened my mouth and started eating. She led me away from the table and outside. All I could think of was chewing on the food, and I hardly noticed as my arms stretched into forelegs. I shook my head, closed my eyes and waited as Mom stood by. As I felt the change finished I lowered my head to finish breakfast.

"That's it. Thought this might do the trick."

For an instant, I saw bands of golden white light cross the morning sky. I felt power from the air and the earth surround me to acknowledge the change. I was truly the unicorn now, and ready for new life. As the power withdrew I let Mom take me over to check out the stable.

"Why don't you just stay like this for a while to get used to it," Mom suggested and I agreed. I still had my duties as a unicorn to follow, but it was easy enough to go about them hidden from the human world.

On the third morning after the change Mom brought three men out to the back yard instead of breakfast. I couldn't believe she would do this to me. I changed shape, and trotted out of my stable whinnying for my feed.

"Isn't she beautiful?" Mom asked. "My daughter found her and brought her back here. Just be careful with her, gentlemen. It's true what they say about unicorns and virgins."

"She is everything you said, and more," said one of the men. He walked up to me with his hand out. I took the lump of sugar from him, and let me pat me. He took his time examining me, and stood back. "What a waste of a good animal."

"I beg your pardon?" Mom asked.

"Mrs. Trent, let my colleagues take a look as well." The others also examined me and conferred with the first guy.

"It's a pity, but she probably won't live very long."

"What are you saying? She's a unicorn and they live just short of forever."

"Mrs. Trent, when you told us you had a unicorn the other day we thought this would be the case. She is beautiful, but she is a fake. Take a close look at the horn," he said and broke off the tip. Mom screamed.

"It's just old bone. See these little scars here on her forehead? Those are left over from the surgery that attached it. Her coat looks natural, but look here at her mane. The roots are showing and they care coming in as black."

"And you can see here," said one of the others. "Her hooves have been gilded and the gold is starting to flake off. It is a shame since she would have been such a beautiful horse. Here," he said and pressed against my forehead. I was ready for this, and screamed in pain. "Infection from the surgery has already set in, and I doubt if there is anything that can be done for her."

"Give our condolences to your daughter and make her comfortable for her last days. We can find out the way out, and thanks."

"But..." Mom glared at me as the men left. "What did you do?"

"Me? What did I do? You were going to sell me to them!"

"No, I was going to be your agent. Do you have any idea how much money you could bring in for us?"

With a thought, I brought in a shower of gold coins. "Is that enough for you? I have powers and powers but I'm not bulletproof, and people would kill -- really and truly kill me to get my horn. How could you do this to me, Mom? I am a unicorn and not a circus side show."

"Oh, Kim, I never meant it like that. We needed the money..."

I didn't wait for her excuse. I opened the gate to my waterfall and ran through it. She could wheel and deal all she wanted now but without me. I was a full time unicorn now, and I didn't need to go back to her. I didn't need to go back to the human world at all.

After an hour under the water, I felt better, changed back to human and went for a swim. I started to climb out on the far bank when I looked up to meet a pair of bright green eyes. A faun stood in the woods waiting for me to get out of the water. He looked to be my age, and he wore nothing but a grin. It was obvious what was on his mind.

"Nymph pretty," he announced.

"Unicorn nasty," I said right back as I changed back. He made room as I walked up the bank. 'What's your name?"

"Name?"

"Never mind." I walked for a while listening to the birdcalls and the chatter from the animals. The faun gave up on me after a while, and I did need the time alone. After a couple of hours I changed to human and walked back through my gate to my back yard. The gold coins were still lying on the grass.

"Mom?" I called out as I walked in the kitchen door. She ran in from the living room and hugged me for all she was worth.

"I thought I had lost you."

"I didn't think I'd be back this soon either, but I did cool off. I need to go away for a while. I'm going on a grand tour of all my area, and I'm going to fix what I can and take notes. It would be faster if I went by myself, but could we go by car?"

"Deal. The reporters are still calling for Brian, and I could use a vacation myself."

"Good, if you can stand having me as a unicorn, so can I. There are worse things, but come on. I've got a big job to do and just short of forever to do it in."
 
 
End of Part One.

"I'm a unicorn, Mom. It's a type of horse with a bloody great horn sticking out of it's forehead. There are two extremely handsome stallions that are ready to fight to the death over me when the time is right, and I don't -- do you hear me? I will not date outside my own species."

The Unicorn Club
Part Two - Lawful Touch
 
by Andy Hollis

 
 
I slammed the kitchen door behind me, dropped the bag of groceries on the counter with another bang and gave my mother my best glare. "What part of 'no' don't you understand?" I half shouted.

"Now, Kimberly, there is no reason for you to behave this way," she said grabbing the bag before it fell over.

"You asked another creep of a boy to take me out?"

"Justin is a nice boy, the least you could do is go out one time? It's just a play date, after all, at your age."

"Get real, Mom. What planet are you on? Not a single boy that you've tried to set me up with believes that stuff about 'play' dates. They feel that you've given them permission to try and paw at me all afternoon. I'm not doing it, and I've told you and told you I wasn't doing it. How can I make you understand, mother, that I may be female, but I'm not a girl?"

"Of course you're a girl, sweetheart," she said but I shrugged off her attempted hug. "And a very pretty girl at that."

"No," I said and walked over to stare at the mirror on the kitchen door, a diet motivational aid. She was right -- even I could see that. Kimberly Trent was a pretty girl. I had shoulder length brunette hair, worn with a barrette, gorgeous brown eyes and a face that would launch a hundred ships at least. The only problem with this picture was that I had been born a boy, named Brian.

Turning away from the mirror, I dropped to all fours and took my true shape as a unicorn foal. As a filly, I stood as tall as a two month old horse. I was small enough to be comfortable in the small kitchen, although I did have to watch out for the horn.

"I'm a unicorn, Mom. It's a type of horse with a bloody great horn sticking out of it's forehead. There are two extremely handsome stallions that are ready to fight to the death over me when the time is right, and I don't -- do you hear me? I will not date outside my own species."

"But, Kim, it's for you."

"Oh, right, you want me to..." With a sudden thought, I did something I had been dying to do for the last two months. I changed back into my first self, a twelve year old boy.

"There," I said, reaching under my t-shirt to unfasten the bra. "Now, Mom, are you going to set me up with girls?" I pulled off the shirt, pulled off the bra, and dropped it into the trash can.

"Kimberly!" she took her turn at shouting. "What do you think you're doing? Change back this instant!"

"No way, Mom. You didn't answer my question. Now that I'm a boy again, are you going to set me up with girls?"

"Of course not, you're much too young for dating," she said quickly.

"If I'm too young to date girls, how come Kim isn't too young to date boys?"

"You don't understand, Kim -- Brian, whoever you are now." She walked over and sat down at the kitchen table.

I grabbed a soda from the fridge, and pulled back the ring.

"You want one?"

"No, thanks."

After a gulp of cola, I sat down across from her. "Okay, Mom. What don't I understand?"

"How can you stand being a boy again?"

"Because it's what I've known my whole life. I know how much you want me to be a girl, and I've tried and tried, but I hate dressing up in skirts and those fancy shoes you keep buying me, and I won't do it anymore."

"But that's just the point, sweetheart. You look so good dressed up, but I've never once seen you trying to do better. You refuse to wear make-up, and I admit you don't need anything but a hint of color, and you won't let me pierce your ears."

"I've told you the reasons for that," I cut in.

"I know, but I thought if I could just get you interested in a boy it might bring out your feminine side."

I shook my head. "Not going to happen, Mom. I'm not interested in boys -- human boys at least. You will get grand-foals soon enough, but until then..."

"You don't have to talk like that, Brian. You aren't an animal."

"Yes, I am. I'm proud to be a unicorn, and I wouldn't give it up for anything. But, when I'm human, I am either going to be a boy, or if I go back to being Kimberly I will be a tomboy. It's still summer time, and I'm going to wear shorts and sneakers not skirts and sandals."

"No. I can't have that, Kim," Mom said, and I could tell she meant business.

"Then it's settled. I changed all those pretty -- frilly things you bought me back into boy's clothes so you don't have to worry about buying me new stuff. At least now, when school starts, I don't have to worry about changing my records."

"Kimberly, I want you to change back into a girl, this instant."

"Not a chance. I tried it your way, I didn't like it and it just doesn't work. I was born a boy, and there is no power in the world that can make me change back. I don't have to be human, if it comes to that, and I don't have to live in this house."

"Go to your room, young man. I just wish your father was still around. I won't have you talking like that to me."

"Fine, I won't, but you still don't get it. I'm going out."

This time, I stormed through the kitchen door to the back yard.

That, I thought, was the straw that broke this unicorn's back. I cut a small hole in the fabric of space-time and stepped through to the other side. As always, I landed at my favorite spot, a large lake fed by a huge waterfall from the river above. I stripped out of my clothes, dove into the lake and swam for the other side. Once there, I changed to unicorn and climbed out of the water underneath the fall itself. The water did sting my hide, but gave it a great scrubbing and this was the one thing that could get me relaxed and calm me down again.

Mom knew me well enough that she wouldn't worry that I would cut out on her for real. I threatened a lot, but that was it. But she was just so irritating... The worst thing I could do now was to back down on being Brian again. I did need to let her know that I would stand up for myself, and I wasn't going to take any more of those creeps trying to maul me.

I looked up as I sensed a large group of humans passing close enough to the lake to be an issue if they came looking for water. I had no problem with the satyrs, nymphs or even the occasional leprechaun I had met here, but I didn't want the humans to find me, at least in unicorn shape. I changed back to human myself and made a quick dash across the lake for my clothes. At least I had chosen something gender neutral that morning so it wouldn't be an issue, and I wouldn't have to use magic to change, especially if there were any wizards in the group.

Just as I pulled my t-shirt over my head, I heard a gruff voice behind me. "Well, now, what do we have here?"

That was impossible. No one could have snuck up on me like that. I spun around to face a giant. He had to be seven or eight feet tall, and had a face to match. One eye looked half-closed by some weapon, and he did wear a long scar down the other cheek. He towered over me.

"Pretty one, aren't you? Lord Kalandros will pay through the nose for you."

"Who are you?" I demanded.

It must have sounded lame, because he laughed. "The name's Creel. I'm an authorized slave catcher for Lord Kalandros, your new owner, boy. Let's have a better look at you," he said and reached out a hand the size of a ham at me.

"Don't touch me," I warned him, backing up. "I'm not responsible for what happens if you do."

Creel grabbed me with both hands, lifted me off my feet and screamed as my defenses kicked in. Panicked, I changed back to unicorn, and kicked with my forelegs. I struggled until he dropped me again to stare first at his burnt hands. The hands quickly turned black and shriveled into hooves. He looked down at me, with his mouth open.

I shrugged back into human form. "Only a jackass would touch a unicorn like that, you jerk." He couldn't see my horn now, but he could see the spark of golden light that formed about a foot from my forehead to complete the spell.

"It won't be long until you look the part. Tell me about this Lord you work for."

"Stop this. I didn't know what you was. No one told me there was a unicorn in these woods, honest."

"Oh, man," I said and snapped my fingers. "I forgot to print up the flyers." I watched as the man's arm grew longer. He bent over and rested his hooves on the ground. "Tell me about Lord Kal -- whatever you said his name was."

"Kalandros. He owns most of the kingdom, and slaving's his biggest business. That's why he has so many authorized slave catchers. And I'm the best -- always have been."

"If it's that big a business do you have anyone left in this country that isn't a slave?"

He shook his head as his muzzle grew in, velvet with fur. "We go through once a year. We get a lot of strangers -- anyone unlucky enough to be out when I go through. You would have been the prize that made this trip worthwhile."

"Suppose I sell you back to this Lord Kalandros. I hope he treats his animals better than his slaves." The new donkey shook his head and started to bolt. "Calm down," I said. He had no choice but to obey. I called up a rope and bridle, placed it around the donkey's head and tied him fast to a tree.

Picking through Creel's clothes, I found a couple of heavy bags filled with gold coins. "I guess not -- too bad, so sad. But I need to do something with you, can't just let you wander around out here. There's lions and tigers and bears in these woods as well as unicorns, oh my."

"You're a thief as well?" he asked me as I packed away his gold. "What use would a unicorn have for gold?"

"Unlike you, I can turn to human when I need to, so I do have more use for it than you, Creel. You will remain a donkey for the rest of your life. That's just the way it works, so don't get yourself in a lather about how it's my fault. I warned you, and I didn't have to do that. Just get used to the idea that you're the one that's going to be bought and sold from now on. So, how do I get to be an authorized slave-catcher catcher?"

"If you weren't a unicorn I would have kicked you to death by now."

"And I love you too. I think I'll call you Sunflower," I said as I led the donkey away from the lake toward the rest of the humans.

"You would do that to me after this? At least, call me by my right name. I beg you."

"Sure. Okay, but don't blame me for that either. Let's find out how much a good donkey is worth around here."

A long caravan stood waiting in the middle of a dirt road that cut through the woods. I had never noticed the road before, but I had no reason to wander away from the lake, either. Four of the carts bore cages, overfilled with humans of all ages. The stench from the cages made me double over and throw up in the bushes long before we reached the first cart.

Four more carts appeared to have supplies, and the guards, about six of them, sat on the ground playing cards while their horses rested, upwind of the cages.

All four of the cages looked so filled that no one had the room to lay down at night. Nor did any of the captives have any choice about sanitation or cleanliness. The people at the edges of the cage could get some of it outside, but those in the middle had no choice but to use the straw that lined the bottom of the cages.

As I passed the first cart, the two horses that pulled it stiffened and dipped their heads. Nothing like giving away the game, I thought at them, but the second set did the same. The guards up front didn't notice, but the slaves in the pen had. Some of them even reached out hands through the bars to me.

"Help us, Lord, help us."

The horses also looked to me. "Help us, Unicorn."

I put my finger to my lips, quickly, and waved in a flood of healing energy that touched the horses, cleaning and tending their hundreds of cuts and sores, then did the same for the humans. Nothing could dampen the smell, but I did change all the straw for fresh. I turned my back, and led the donkey forward, and somehow, all of the smallest kids vanished from the pens, sent home with a gold coin from Creel's supply as compensation. The slaves quickly filled in the empty spaces, but kept silent.

The guards didn't move from their game as I walked up to them. One of them called out, "Hey, your Lordship, we've got company."

A moment later, a young man, with long, dark brown and carefully coiffed locks, poked his head out of the first supply cart. He pulled the rest of his bulk out after that. He looked to be about eighteen, and wore rich, dark red satin clothing with bright streaks of gold and silver thread catching the sunlight. It was all I could do not to laugh at him.

"And you might be?" he demanded.

"I am Brian, the son of Lord Trent. I'm heading for the market to sell my donkey. And you are?"

"I am Clark, nephew and heir to Lord Kalandros. Good looking animal."

"Sure is, and one of the best. His name is Creel..." I said before everyone from soldier to the youngest remaining slave broke out laughing. I swear if the donkey could blush he would have been red.

"Good name for the beast, lad. We too, have a donkey named Creel in our party, who is very late getting back," Clark commented. "If you care to ride with us, we will help you with the animal."

"Thanks," I said. "My father had a message for your uncle..." I paused and stared at Clark. I tied Creel to the back of the cart, and accepted Clark's hand up to the front of the cart. Not only was Clark a virgin, but she was a female as well. Most of the bulk was swaddling to make him seem more muscular.

"Nice disguise," I whispered to her.

Her face blanched. She glanced around, but none of the guards was paying us any attention. "How did you know?"

"I have my ways. I've had to pretend to be a girl before, so I have some idea what you're going through. It's not easy."

"Guards," Clark called out. "Creel can just as well catch up. We had better get back on the road."

"Whatever you say, your Lordship," the man said with so much disdain in his voice I wondered if he had guessed as well.

Drivers, roused from their naps, took their places on the rest of the carts while Clark settled in to drive ours. The guards spread out on the road ahead of us, with no one bringing up the rear. I wasn't about to ask, but I sent the rest of the kids home leaving those over sixteen in the cages. Once again, the slaves were quick to fill in the spaces, but all of them could breathe a little easier.

Creel noticed the sudden loss of numbers, and I heard him braying his protests.

Clark peered around to the back of the cart. "Certainly sounds like our Creel, too. What's the matter with the beast?"

I gave the donkey a firm glance. "Who knows?" I swear I could see the little daggers flying towards me from Creel's eyes. With everyone's attention on the donkey, I sent half the females home. This time, Creel didn't fuss.

We rode towards civilization for the rest of the afternoon, making good time -- I hoped. I wasn't worried about getting home late. Time ran, as the old stories said, differently between the two worlds. We made camp as twilight settled in.

Clark made all the men help, and I joined in too, yet it was still a struggle as they took "His Lordship's" personal tent from the cart and set it up. The pavilion looked big enough to hold everyone, including the slaves, but she made it clear that I was the only one that would share it with her. She ignored the sound of the men laughing.

"Better watch your backside tonight, laddie," a couple of the soldiers told me as we finished setting up camp. The designated cook had a fire going, and several pots of something pasty and gray bubbling for the slaves. On a separate fire, a large pot filled with stew simmered for the rest of us.

"That's strange," one of the guards said. "I could swear that we had more slaves in the pens than those. Didn't Creel bring in a bunch of kids, too?"

The others shrugged and looked at the pens. "And more women than that," another commented. "Who's been watching the carts, anyways?"

"Check with Creel when he gets back," another said. "They couldn't have gotten out. And where would they go out in these woods?"

The men relaxed and I watched the relief on Clark's face.

"Nasty business," she muttered. "My uncle would kill us if we came in empty handed, but all Creel brought in were kids, women and old men."

I took a bowl of stew and half a loaf of bread. "What happens to them?"

"Uncle sells them wherever he can. The best of the lot he usually keeps for himself," Clark said with a shudder.

"My father doesn't do this at home. How many slave catchers does your uncle have?"

Clark laughed. "To listen to Creel, he's the only one, but actually there are five. Any more and we'd run out of people to tend the land."

Sometime during the night the rest of the slaves vanished from the pens. In the morning, the guards found the cages broken into pieces. Creel's supply of gold was almost gone as well, but then I didn't need it.

"Must've been a raid," the men decided and explained to Clark. "Probably Jargan wanting the slaves himself. If Creel were here this wouldn't have happened, but without him..." he trailed off in a shrug.

"He will have a lot to answer for, when and if he does return," Clark retorted. "At least they left us the horses and, of course, the better Creel."

"Are you still going to the market?" I asked.

"Where else can we go?" Clark answered. "Without Creel we have no hope of getting those slaves back. The King's Laws are very strict on that. Only an authorized slave catcher may catch a slave."

"You know," I said. "It makes a lot more sense to hire the people you need than to buy them."

"Yes, it does, but you don't know my uncle."

"But I want to meet him," I said. "I promised my father to sell my donkey to him and to no other." Creel brayed and shook his head, and Clark laughed.

"Your Creel certainly has more sense than ours."

That afternoon, Lord Kalandros examined the carts and the broken pens. Fat and flab covered the man from his cheeks to his toes, and his little piggy eyes darted from face to face constantly. He raised his right hand, covered with rings, and pointed at Clark.

"Well?"

"A raid, my Lord. Creel vanished somewhere in the woods yesterday and without him we couldn't hold the others off. We think this is the work of Jargan but we aren't sure of that."

I looked around the city, surprised by the wide streets and large houses every where. The shops looked clean and inviting, and I could smell meats cooking in the Inn across the street from us. Kids ran back and forth along the streets laughing and playing.

From my seat on the cart, I could look up a broad avenue to Lord Kalandros' castle, a huge thing built of dark gray and black stone, the looked over the city and the surrounding countryside.

Clark had been right. Lord Kalandros had been waiting for us when the carts pulled into the city and he did blow his lid when he saw the pens empty and broken.

"Who is this?" he asked, finally calming enough to point at me.

"Brian, the son of Lord Trent, Uncle. His father sent him to your market with that donkey."

"My father is well," I said quickly, "and he sends his regards, my Lord. I think you met him last year at court?"

"Yes, yes, I remember. That donkey will bring a fair price, I think..." he said looking over the pens. "But not nearly the price that you will bring. Guards, take that boy to the holding pens for the sale tomorrow. At least we will see some profit for this trip."

"Uncle," Clark protested. "He's a nobleman's son. You can't be serious."

"Would you care to join him in the pens, boy?" His glare silenced Clark. "Then be quiet."

"My father will not tolerate this," I said, standing up in the cart.

"A minor lordling with little influence in court. Take him now."

I jumped down, and stared at the guards. "Don't worry, guys. I won't fuss, but you, Lord Kalandros, you'd better listen up. I can break you and throw you out on the street and all this will be -- um -- gone with the wind."

"Bluster all you want. Take the donkey to the stables, and the boy to the pen. Now."

The guards led me to the castle and below to the slave holding pens. At least I wouldn't be alone. There were hundreds of people in the pens with me. The men shocked me when they put me in a private and clean cell. I guess it was from my "noble" birth -- or they just didn't want to risk having the prize slave get hurt.

About two minutes after the guards had left the area, I heard a voice from somewhere in the cell.

"As I live and breathe. Brian, my lad, what are you doing in this Light-forsaken hole?"

I spun around, then stared at the tiny person that appeared in the bars of my cell door. "Tim? What are you doing here?"

"Trying to understand why you're here, my lad."

"Long story. I was at my favorite waterfall and some creep named Creel tried to put the snatch on me, and you know what happens when someone who isn't pure touches me. I couldn't just let a donkey wander around those woods to be eaten by lions or something, so I sold him to Lord Kalandros who threw me in here."

"You turned Creel, the slave catcher into a donkey?"

"Yes," I said with a long sigh. "Weren't you paying attention? I said that I was at my favorite waterfall..."

"I got that part, laddie me buck. Lord Kalandros is a powerful man. So why aren't you back at your waterfall?"

"Think he's more powerful than me?"

The leprechaun shook his head. "I don't like the sound of that, lad. Your power isn't something that you should throw around. I can see getting rid of vermin like Creel, but you can't save the world."

"This may not save the world either, but getting rid of this Kalandros guy couldn't hurt. I know not to overuse my power, but sometimes it's necessary. I want to stop the slave trade here and I am going to do it. Do you know where he keeps his vaults?"

"Oh, aye lad, that I do. But only a fool would try for that... Or a thick headed unicorn. What do you need all that gold for anyway?"

"To give out to all these slaves for their trouble. I told Kalandros I'd break him if he tried to make me a slave and I'm going to do just that." I opened the door of the cell.

"You coming with me?"

"I'd better," he said.

I walked along the damp passages where Tim directed, since I didn't think he'd pass on a chance for gold. "Tim?"

"What?"

"Why can't I save the world? This world needs saving, too. I mean back home I can't do much except take care of my area, but as soon as I get one part cleaned up and start to work on another people just mess the first part up again. The other unicorns are great, but kind of standoffish, you know? All they care about it is their areas, and they never want to do things as a group or anything. I know, I've asked. We could get together and really do something for our world, but no... They won't. So why not this world?"

"Because people are thick headed, like you -- stubborn, like you -- and they don't know what's best for them. It's not your job to tell them, either. They need to blunder and make their own way. Now as I see it, laddie, you do have a lot of power. You can do almost anything you please, and heaven help the rest of us, but power, see, is addictive. Once you start using it, you can't stop. Sure enough, Lord Kalandros is a nasty piece of work, but where does it stop if you take him out? Lord Belgarion is just as nasty, although he doesn't sell slaves, instead taxing his people into poverty. Would you take him out because it's the right thing to do?"

I laughed. "I see your point. Power corrupts and all that, and what's to stop me from turning Lord So and So into a tree because he jaywalked? But I want to do something. I can't at home. Maybe I could make a difference here, even if I don't save the whole world."

"Well, now, laddie, that is something. But now you have me to guide you along the straight and narrow so it will work."

"Thanks, Tim, you don't know how much that means to me," I said. I meant it too -- more or less.

A guard snapped to attention in front of us. "Who goes there?"

"We're going to the vaults. Would you mind leading the way and opening the door when we get there?"

The guard stared at me, puzzled. Then, a smile spread across his face as he eyes glazed over. "Of course not, lad. This way."

"Now that, I have to admit, is a very useful talent," Tim commented.

"We're going to the vaults," the guard announced to the others as we walked out of the slave pens into the castle proper. I used a touch of power to make us inconspicuous as we walked. The rest of the castle staff took it for granted that we had genuine business there.

Down two flights of steps, into the depths of the earth, the guard led us to the massive doors that blocked the treasure room. With a quick command to the officer on duty, the doors were opened and the men stepped aside to let me enter the room.

"Jesus, Joseph and Mary," Tim said and whistled as we took our first look at the tonnage of gold Lord Kalandros had accumulated from the slave trade. In room after room, we counted thousands of piles of gold coins and ingots that were taller than me.

"No wonder he didn't think I could break him," I said. With a word, the gold vanished down to the last bit of dust.

"And just where did you send all that boodle?"

"Someplace safe. Don't worry, you can have as much as you want," I said feeling generous. "Within reason," I added. I felt generous, not foolhardy.

We walked out of the room. "Are there any more vaults like this?"

The first guard shook his head. "Why would his Lordship need more? That much wealth dazzles the mind, doesn't it, boy?"

"I'll say." I questioned the other guards. Satisfied that we had taken everything there was to take, I asked the first guard to take us back to the slave pens.

"Get up. Get up," a guard yelled and banged the door to my cell open. "His Lordship wants to see you."

"Huh?" I asked and rubbed my eyes. "Before breakfast? Is he crazy?"

The man half shoved, half dragged me out of the cell to the main holding pen. "And what do you know about that?" he asked and pointed to the huge hole in the wall that had let hundreds of slaves walk out of the castle. The fact that each slave had a considerable amount of gold from the vaults when they left had not been discovered -- yet.

"Looks like you've got a bad problem with mice, or maybe termites," I said with a shrug. "Definitely mice," I added as a swarm of rodents crawled through the opening from the outside.

The guard slammed the door closed. "Now what do we do?"

"I'd get a lot of cheese," I said. "You know, before they go for the door and the rest of the walls."

"What's going on here?" asked another guard. "It's almost time for the auction."

"The slaves are all gone, except this one. There's a million mice in there that ate holes right through the wall. Don't know if the slaves ran away or got eaten."

The new guard went for the door in spite of our warnings and opened it. The rush of mice from the other side knocked him off his feet and to the floor. Seconds later the mice covered him and ran on in a mad rush upstairs. A couple of the mice glanced at me.

"We do good, unicorn?"

"You're doing great, guys," I thought back at them. "Head for the kitchen now."

The guard screamed as he tried to brush the creatures off without getting bitten.

"That's odd," I commented and looked through the doorway. "Where are the rats?"

"Here, unicorn, here," came a slightly deeper voice as a swarm of rats followed the mice out of the room. The guard on the floor fainted from the new threat. Following the mice up the stairs, the rats bowled over two more guards and Lord Kalandros, who were on the way down.

"My Lord," the first guard shouted and ran to help the man.

"The slaves have escaped and rats and mice have torn a huge hole in the outside wall."

We heard, but ignored, the screams that were drifting down the stairs.

"Hey, Lord Kalander," I called out. "Don't you have any exterminators around here?" The man glared at me as he trod the rest of the way down.

The second guard got to his feet. "The vermin are attacking the whole castle, my Lord."

A deep bell rang out from underneath us. The gongs were loud enough to make the floor shake and vibrate from the noise. Sure enough, a couple of minutes later three guards came running through but skidded to a stop at the sight of the fat man.

"My Lord," one said, panting. "My Lord. The vaults are empty. The guards on duty say that no one went near the door, but we found a huge tunnel cut into the wall from the surface."

"My Lord," another man yelled and joined us. "The damage is getting worse. Holes are being cut through the outside walls at every turn. We must get everyone out of the building at once, before it falls.

"You, boy," Lord Kalandros growled and pointed at me. "You threatened to break me. What do you know about this?"

"Me? I was locked up in a cell last night. What could I know about this?"

The castle shuddered as huge sections of the lower walls fell. Lord Kalandros looked around. "Upstairs, now. Get everyone out. You. Tie up that boy and bring him with us."

"No need," I said. "I'm so out of here." The guard didn't wait for another command.

With the fat man leading the way, we pushed up and out of the castle along with a steady stream of people, slaves and rodents. I turned to watch the building crumble. I knew it wouldn't fall until everyone was out, but they didn't know that.

"Uncle, what happened?" Clark asked as she joined our group.

"We seem to be under attack from mice and rats, and that slave boy of yours. Very impressive, but if you think that this will ruin me, you are mistaken. This is only a small part of my wealth."

I gave him my best 'so what?' look. I used a touch of power to urge him on.

"I have many castles like this -- and gold, boy -- more gold than you could ever dream about. I have holdings in Tunistra, Glengarion..." He counted off a long list on his fingers.

"Is that all?" I asked him.

"Is that all? You would never be able to strike all of my holdings. I will survive this, but..." He stared at me as I shook my head.

"Sorry about your luck Clyde, but you'll find that all of them are gone, too."

"That's impossible. No one could have done that, no matter how much power he or she might have," he claimed.

I shrugged and pointed at the castle as the last of the people and rodents left it. The building fell in on itself and tumbled into so much dust. "Told you I would break you, but would you listen? All that gold of yours is going to buy back the freedom of all those people you've enslaved over the years and to compensate them for the time they've lost from their lives. The families of those that didn't make it will also get compensated. What's left over I'm going to send to Clark here and pay off my friend, Tim, who's making all the arrangements."

I glared at him, then managed a smile. "I'm sure in a few years you can start rebuilding your empire, but I'll be there to take it all away from you again. Next time, don't mess with people that have real power."

The man shriveled as the enormity of what I had done sunk in. He turned ashen gray, but I wasn't buying it for a second. When he jumped at me, I was ready.

"Don't touch me. I'm not responsible for what happens."

Lord Kalandros made another grab for me, I dodged out of the way but his right hand connected with my chest for a second and he screamed, pulling his arm back. He hadn't made enough contact to get the full dose as Creel had, but his right hand and arm did turn into a donkey's foreleg and hoof.

He looked at his new limb, then at me and I saw his thoughts wheeling behind his eyes. "Unicorn. Grab him," he ordered, but his men weren't paying attention.

"Only a real jackass would touch a unicorn like that, and you're going to carry that as a reminder the rest of your miserable life. I'm out of here."

In front of the entire population of the city, I changed back to my self, and let my horn glow in the sunlight. A second later, I stood under my waterfall and let myself breathe.

"Kimberly?" Mom called out as I walked in the back door.

"No, it's me," I answered back, and I saw the disappointment on her face as she entered the kitchen. "Told you I was staying like this."

"I'm sorry, Brian, really sorry." She put her arms around me and hugged. "I love you, no matter who you are or what you are. I'm glad you're home."

"So am I. I had a great time, Mom. I overthrew this dictator, stole like a billion dollars in gold and gave it all away, and almost got sold into slavery. That other world is really a fun place to visit."

She looked at me, then sighed. "Okay, don't tell me what you did. Hungry?" She made me a couple of sandwiches. I sat down to eat and she brought over a cup of tea to sit with me.

"Brian, I know got way too pushy with you as a girl, and I want to apologize. I was so intent on getting you to be more feminine I ignored everything else, especially what I was doing to you and what those boys were doing."

I washed down the mouthful of peanut butter with milk and nodded. "Thanks, Mom. I know. The weirdest part of this whole thing is that it doesn't matter that much to me if I'm a boy or girl. I mean before this happened I cared a lot, but now I'm always going to be a female on the inside and that doesn't matter to a unicorn except in mating season. I can accept that, but if I turned back into Kimberly, would you still make me dress up every day?"

Mom opened her mouth -- and then closed it. "I know you can make me tell you the truth but I will anyway. I would. I can't help it. Kimberly is far too pretty a girl to be a tomboy. You have a face and now a figure that demands to be dressed up. I promise I will never ask another boy to take you out, you can count on that, but if you turn back to Kimberly I would expect you in skirts and blouses."

I shook my head. "I'll think about it, but I don't like them."

"Fair enough," she said, and this time I thought she meant it.

Two days later, I ran in from patrolling my area to find a young man, in his late teens, waiting for me in the living room. I took one look at him, and thought about slipping off and turning into Kimberly right then and there.

"Good day, my dear," he said quietly. He stood up and bowed.

"And to you," I said, shocked to see another unicorn -- in human form, no less. I had never met the colt, but I was delighted to do so now. "Have you taken a human name?"

"No, and I do not intend to," he said, letting me sense his particular scent and thought patterns that served as his unicorn name. I returned the favor.

"The High Council has sent me to bring you to answer the complaint against you."

"What complaint?" I asked.

"I don't know the details, but you need to come with me."

"Okay." I left a note for Mom. When I was ready, we both changed shapes to travel to the other world. I followed the colt to a huge, open air auditorium. Various people, unicorns and humans waited for us.

"Please take your human form," the elder human told me.

"You are the boy known as Brian of Trent?"

"Yes, sir," I said looking around the place. "What's going on?"

"You have been charged with irresponsible and illegal use of power, by Lord Kalandros. How do you plead?"

"Not guilty," I said as two guards ushered Kalandros in between them

"My safety is guaranteed from this creature?" he demanded of the elder.

"Before the High Council, it is. For the record, please state the nature of your complain against this child to the council so that the child will also understand what is being charged. Brian of Trent, you will remain quiet and not contradict anything that is said at this point. You will have a chance to answer later."

"This child was brought to me as a slave, and by law had no rights to use his powers against me or the rest of my property. I demand the return of my property -- all of it. But, in lieu of that, I will accept his horn as payment. In the last few weeks, I have feared for my life from all the former slaves that are hunting me. My worthless nephew has all but taken control of my estates and I have nothing."

The elder looked at me. "He's lying, your honor. I wasn't a slave when I came to him. I have witnesses that will tell you that..." In a flash of white light, Clark appeared beside me. "I told him that if he tried to make me a slave I would break him and I'm a unicorn of my word. Clark here is Lord Kalandros' -- niece," I said deciding to tell the truth no matter what. "Sorry girlfriend, but was I a slave when you brought me to that city?"

"She is a female," the unicorn beside the elder confirmed.

"Why the disguise?" the elder asked.

"I've been dressing as a boy my entire life, sir, because my uncle demanded it. The King's Laws are strict on what a female can and can't inherit, and he wanted to make sure his entire fortune stayed in the family.

"Brian came with us to see Lord Kalandros as an equal and not a slave. I protested as hard as I could about the way my uncle treated him."

"What say you now?" the elder asked Lord Kalandros.

"The truth now," the unicorn added.

"Whether or not he was a slave when I found him doesn't matter. I made him a slave and I stand by my complaint."

I stared at Lord Kalandros for a moment, then gave him a wide grin. "Are you, then, an authorized slave catcher?"

"No, of course not. I am Lord Kalandros, boy, and not some menial..."

The elder said, "The King's Laws are strict on that point. You had no right or authority to make the boy a slave."

"Well, Creel, the slave catcher caught him."

"Did not. He was much too busy turning into a donkey to catch me properly. I warned him about that too, like your hoof there, but people never seem to listen to me."

The elder sighed. "The boy told you that he would break you if you made him a slave illegally -- and he did. I see no grounds for your complaint, Kalandros. Dismissed."

Lord Kalandros started to protest, then shut his mouth. He glared at me for a second, but left the auditorium with his head hanging.

Clark grabbed me into a long hug. "Come back with me, Brian, the entire world is ready to honor you for what you did."

I looked around for the colt that had brought me there. He stood waiting for me at the back of the enclosure. I changed to Kimberly, hoping I looked pretty enough and that he liked my dress. "Some other time. I -- uh -- have some business I need to take care of here. I'll check up on you in a week or so. Good luck, Clark!"

The colt walked up to me, and took my hand.

"Come on, tall, brilliant and handsome," I grabbed his arm and hugged it. "You have just got to meet my mother."
 
End of Part Two

"These powers of yours are asking me to be a baby sitter?"

"Heaven forbid. He has an older sister for that. He will be wanting a companion, like, a pal, if you get my meaning."

"Thirteen year old girls, in the eighth grade do not pal around with eleven year old boys."

Tim laughed. "Even I know that, lass, you being in the eighth grade and all, but the Powers had something different in mind. They were wanting you to go as a boy again..."

The Unicorn Club
Part Three - The Immovable Force
 
by Andy Hollis

 
 
Scene 1.

As the last bell on a Friday afternoon rang, I hurried for the door, no longer bothered by the scent of vanilla and lavender that I wore, or the sensation of Mom's favorite skirt swirling around my legs. I didn't have a favorite skirt, yet, since my mother had taken over the job of being my fashion director.

Outside, the June days grew long, and hot straining the school’s air conditioning again, but this time, the town had a mayor that did things about outdated school buildings and honesty in office.

"Hey, Kim!" "Kimberly, hi!" I heard many people shout as I rushed by. Waving, I sighed as I thought I could never have been this popular if I had stayed on as Brian.

Once home, without too many distractions on the way, I ignored the squirrels and assorted other creatures asking for my attention. I raced inside, left my books on the kitchen counter, and took my math book upstairs to my room. I tossed the book in the general direction of my computer desk.

"Watch it, there, my good beast," a small voice said from the desk. "Top of the morning to you, as well."

"The rest of the day to yourself, wee Timothy," I answered leaving the leprechaun sputtering. "If you need a ride over to see your pal John, I'm sorry, but I'm way too busy."

"Busy, are you? Well, as a matter of fact, so is he. Our John is tied up with his own concerns, affairs of the heart, you might say."

I laughed. "He's got a girlfriend? It's about time."

"Spoken like a true female of the species," he said with a sigh.

"I look like a boy to you?"

"No, not at all. But why then, would a young lass of your charms, worry her pretty little head over mathematics, let alone chuck books at unsuspecting people?"

"Unsuspecting people as small as yourself should let unsuspecting unicorns know that you are there before you do get a book chucked at you, and if I don't know math how could I ever tell if you were cheating me with all that gold?" I asked and walked over to the desk to pick up the book

"Me? Cheating you, is it? You think I'm a thief?"

I laughed as I sat down. "Now there's a loaded question. If I say 'yes', you'll spend the next year letting me know how much I hurt your feelings. If I say 'no' I'll have to triple the security on the gold so you won't think you can pull a fast one on me."

The leprechaun sighed, and shook his head. "You do know me all too well, lass, I'll give you that. But now then, my girl, it's your lovely self that I'm needing today."

"Lord Kalandros?"

"It's nothing like that, and that one passed a few months back, unloved and un-mourned to the end. I have been asked to ask you on a mission by the Powers themselves," Tim said and waved his arms grandly.

"There are powers and powers, Tim. What do you mean?"

"Not what, but who. You, my lass, as a Guardian of the Worlds, do have the Unicorn's share of powers, in a manner of speaking, but on my world The Powers are the controlling forces. Much like the old gods on this one. No, they are not the creators, but everyone pays respect to them," he laughed for a moment. "Well, treats them much like they do leprechauns on this world, if you get my meaning. But the Powers are real, and they wish you to do them a favor, if you will."

I shrugged. "If there is fame, fortune and a handsome unicorn at the end I am so there, just like the last time."

"I can't say as there will be any of that, now, but there is a young lad that is in desperate need of a friend, shall we say, to be with him through the troubles that will face him in the weeks ahead."

"You know I don't date outside my own species, Tim."

"I'm not asking you to date him, girl, he's only but eleven, for pities sake."

"Eleven," I demanded. "These powers of yours are asking me to be a baby sitter?"

"Heaven forbid. He has an older sister for that. He will be wanting a companion, like, a pal, if you get my meaning."

"Thirteen year old girls, in the eighth grade do not pal around with eleven year old boys."

Tim laughed. "Even I know that, lass, you being in the eighth grade and all, but the Powers had something different in mind. They were wanting you to go as a boy again, after all, Brian of Trent is famous in that world."

I paced the room, and remembered to smooth my skirt before I sat down on the bed. "You don't know what you're asking me to do. I'm a girl, now. I made a promise to my mother and everything. It's been over a year since I became a unicorn, and it's taken almost that long for me to -- get in touch with my feminine side. I kind of like wearing this stuff now. I'm popular with everyone in school, and I have a boy friend. I don't know if I can go back to being a boy."

"Like riding a bicycle it is, you never forget. Go on, laddy, get into some proper clothes because we have to go."

"Thirteen year old boys don't hang around with eleven year-olds, either," I said trying to protest, although I was already changing into the old me.

"Then go as an eleven year old."

"I'm thirteen, I.... What the heck," I grumbled and made myself younger.

"Well now, very nice, I think. What are you supposed to be?"

I looked in the mirror, and laughed. "So, I'm pretty for a boy. At least I'm not the little geek I was the last time I was eleven. We'd better get out of here before Mom sees this."

Scene 2.

The Powers asked a little of me. I never actually saw them, but I heard them and felt their presence through my entire body. I had no choice but to believe Tim's story. I agreed to meet the boy in question, Toby by name, in the bakery shop of a small village. As good as any spot, I thought, making sure I had a lot of ready cash with me.

The scent of baking bread lead me straight to the bakery. Once again, I felt impressed by the builders of this village, it was gorgeous, with wide streets, flowers everywhere, and even a fountain or two. Not many people showed themselves, but it was early, several horse drawn carriages did roll past, although each team stopped to pay respects to me.

The drivers didn’t notice me, just yelled at the horses for stopping. I shook my head, and walked into the bakery. I had almost expected row after row of donuts and cakes like the shops back home, but this one had nothing but bread. The baker, an elderly man, wearing mostly a large apron, worked between two huge ovens, the heat from the fires left me sweating in seconds.

The man looked up, stared at me, and hesitated before he spoke. “Well, what can I do for you —— child?”

“I don’t care how much, and I want all the bread in the shop.”

He smiled, a warm, wide expression. “What are you supposed to be?”

“Hungry. Starving. I’ve never smelled bread that good in my whole life.”

Shaking his head, he tried again. “I meant, are you supposed to be a girl or a boy.”

“That’s up for discussion.”

“What do you mean? You have to be one or the other.”

My turn to shake my head. “I’m a boy, that used to be a girl, that used to be a boy, and I will be a girl again, or my mother will just kill me. After that, it gets complicated.”

He held up both hands, “Please, lad, don’t make that more complicated than it already is. This batch of bread is for the Lord’s wife, but after that I can sell you some. One copper penny per loaf.”

“I could eat a dozen right now, but I can wait. Could I….” We both turned as the door opened. A boy, about my size entered. This one glanced everywhere, like a wild animal. He checked out the street behind him a couple of times before taking another step inside. Closing the door, he held up one hand with three fingers up.

“Be done in a few minutes, Toby, my lad. Where’s that beautiful mother of yours today?”

“Gone,” he said, as he put three copper coins on the counter. “Cassandra wants these.”

“And half a loaf for yourself?”

Toby nodded so hard his body shook.

For the first time I realized that Toby broadcasted on a wide spectrum. I picked up the emotional content first, then the pictures and words he was sending to the man. I found a lot of parental feelings here, on both sides, but no blood relation.

“Now, Toby, do you know this lad?”

With a shake of his head, Toby glanced at me, and looked away.

“I’m Brian,” I said, and sent back to him. I held out my hand, but all he did was frown.

“What did you say?” Toby asked me.

“I’m Brian, I….”

“You can talk,” Toby screamed in my mind, as he threw his arms around my chest and hugged. “No one in this village can talk, except those weird human grunts.”

I laughed. “I’ve never heard it put just that way.”

“What?” the baker asked me. “Well, our Toby seems to like you.”

“I can talk to him,” I said with a shrug.

Toby looked at the man and nodded.

“No,” the man said. “That boy’s a wild thing, living out there in the forest as he does. He can barely say three words when it comes to that.”

Both Toby and I laughed at that. “It’s so sad he doesn’t understand real speech,” Toby commented. “He’s really a nice man, and he likes my whole family. No one else does around here.”

I held up a finger. “You know, sir, if you listen really hard you might just pick his speach up. He would love to talk to you.” I gave the baker a slight nudge with my horn, and had Toby turn to face him. “Okay, Toby. Say something, and not too fast, okay?”

Again, Toby broadcast to the man, and this time I saw the expression on the man’s face change to wonder.
“I heard that, I really heard that. You can talk?”

An odd feeling grabbed me by the throat. I left Toby and the baker talking, and walked outside to find my best colt-friend. He was dressed as a teenaged, human boy, but with a face that made me shiver and sigh. He frowned as he took a good look at me.

“I don’t suppose this is a chance meeting?” I asked, sweetly as I walked with him away from the bakery.

“No, it isn’t. Why are you here?”

“I came at the invitation of the Powers.”

He snorted. “Ah, the Powers, is it? And I suppose these powers also made you appear as a human male? It is most unbecoming for you.”

“Yes, you big jerk. The powers wanted me to be a boy to help watch a child that is important to them.”

“Ah, I see. The Powers.”

I laughed. “Yes, the Powers. You don’t believe me?” I asked, letting the hurt sound in my voice.

“The elders asked me to ask you if you intend to meddle, once again, in the affairs of humans. Powers or not, that is something you tend to do.”

“One time, and they will never let me live it down,” I said. “You didn’t answer my question.”

“I don’t know. Where you go, trouble is bound to follow close behind you.”

I looked up at him, and gave him my best grin. “Oh, you’re calling yourself, Trouble, now?”

“No, I….” He said, and caught on. “Point taken, my dear. No, I don’t believe your story about the Powers, either.” He stiffened, and closed his eyes for a moment. An odd expression crossed his face, then he looked down at me. “Sorry, I owe you an apology. The Powers did tell me that your story is true. And…. They asked me to keep my tail out of this.”

“You have a very cute tail, as a matter of fact,” I said. “But I think I can handle the kid myself, but if you want to stay with me, he could use a strong, male role model.”

The now named Trouble gave me his pinched lip grimace, “I think I will leave the child rearing in your lovely, and capable hands, and no matter what happens, the Elders will know it is the fault of the Powers that asked you to do this.” With that, he vanished.

I walked back to the bakery to find the baker removing a dozen loaves of bread from am oven with a huge, wooden board. Toby gave me a puzzled glance. “I met a friend outside, for a moment.” I explained.

“I have no friends here, except for Mr. Bederick,” he thought indicating the baker.

I nodded, and watched as Mr. Bederick sliced a small loaf in half, gave each half a generous dollop of butter from a crock under the counter and handed them over to us.

Never had I had a more intense experience with bread. From the first bite, of the light, and flakey crust, through the delicate middle, I felt that my life was complete. “I’m sending a hundred loaves home to my mother to keep for me,” I said.

“Baker,” a rather large woman said from the doorway. “Is Lady Everly’s order ready, yet?”

“Only just, good wife. I have all the loaves cooling now.”

“I don’t have time to wait. Wrap them up now, and….” she paused as she looked down at us. “Oh, I see your letting animals into this shop? I’m not sure if she will want those loaves if you let that creature near them.”

“Then tell her ladyship that I will have the order ready late this afternoon, after the boys have left,” Mr. Bederick said quietly. “That child is as the Powers have made him.”

Toby bowed his head at the mention of the Powers. I did the same.

“Witch’s brat,” the lady growled out. “Should have been put to death at birth. I will take the order now, and let them cool at the Manor House.”

“I’m sorry you had to hear that, lads,” the baker said as the lady stormed out of the shop, loaves in her basket.

A few minutes later, a tall man, wearing a badge of sorts, entered the shop and looked down at Toby, then at me, then back to Toby.

“So, it’s true. The brat’s here by himself.” He placed his right hand on the hilt of his sword.

“Get out of here, Gustav,” Mr. Bederick said half flying over the counter. “No one is going to threaten this or any other child in my shop. His mother is away so you feel brave enough to fight a little boy?”

“I will have his head. I will stake it outside the forest by his Mother’s cabin. Let that show her what we do to witches around here.”

“Bad! Man bad,” Toby said. He lowered his head and rammed it into the man’s chest.

“He stabbed me. You saw that, he stabbed me,” Gustav yelled.

“Where would that boy hide a dagger?” Mr. Bedrick commented, apparently ignoring the spreading blood stains on the man’s shirt.

With a flourish, Gustav drew the sword from the sheath, and held it out. “I’m going to….” he started as Toby broke into peals of laughter. I couldn’t help myself, and laughed, too.

Gustav stared at the empty hilt. “My sword. What happened to my sword?”

“I would think it to be the Powers,” Mr. Bedrick said. “They do not want you to harm Toby more than I would, or do you think one of the lads here could have stolen it from under your nose?”

“Witch’s magic,” the man spat, then turned and hurried out the open doorway,

I brushed aside Toby’s curly black locks, to find a handsome pair of white horns. On second thought, antlers, I thought. They reminded me of a fawn’s growth. “You’re a faun?”

Toby nodded. “Part faun,” he said, out loud, but sent a torrent of pictures to me of his life in the forest.”

Outside the warm confines of the shop, I felt a crowd gather. “We’re going to have trouble,” I said. “Maybe we had better leave now.”

“Bread,” Toby said, simply.

“I will take care of the rest of it,” Mr. Bederick said, quietly.

When Toby’s loaves were ready, the baker tied three with a rope, and lead both of out of the shop. People did shy away from Toby as we walked down the street.

I said, in a voice designed to carry to everyone. “Mr. Bederick? I know I’m new in town, but why does everyone hate Toby so much?”

“He’s the witch’s brat,” several people shouted back.

“Then why does everyone hate his mother?”

“She’s a witch,” people told me, as if I was dense.

“I know that, but what has she done to make you all hate her?”

“Melody moved into a cottage inside the Forest about fifteen years ago,” Mr. Bederick told me. “She sells potions and trinkets, that sort of thing. She’s never done anything to anyone here.”

“You’re kidding, right?” I asked looking around at everyone. Toby just shook his head.” “You mean she doesn’t open the heavens and call down lighning and tornados on this village once a week?”

“Not once,” Mr. Bederick replied, playing along.

“What sort of witch is she? What about bringing up savage demons from the pits to run around tearing people up? No, maybe a plague of locusts or frogs?”

“You can get frog beads at her shop,” someone pointed out. “Very nice they are, my wife loves them.”

“Beads?” I demanded. “She runs a bead shop? Ooooh, scary.”

“Think what you like, boy, but you never can tell with witches.”

“I don’t know about that, sir. I mean, you should know where you stand with a witch. If you stay around a wicked witch it’s a sure bet that you will wind up a frog, or worse. If you stay with one of those good witches, you’ll wind up all sweetness and light. So what kind of witch is this Melody?

Not getting an answer, I said, “Okay, let’s find out, then. How many people here have been turned into lizards?” I waited. “No one was turned into a newt? That doesn’t look good. Okay, who had their little dog, threatened?” I cackled and added, “And that goes for your little dog, too? Anyone? Say, what about those potions she sells? Do they work?”

“Of course they work,” several people added.

I shook my head. “So, you do have a real, card carrying, bubble riding, good witch there. I’d register a complaint with the Witch’s Counsel, all of you are missing out on the real, witching experience, here.”

“You never can tell with witches,” another man, stated.

“Maybe not, but what about mothers” I asked back. “Since Toby is Melody’s only son, do you think if you hurt him, she might get a bit mad? That guy, Mr. Gustov said he wanted to cut Toby’s head off and stake it outside her home. That might show her that you hate kids, but do you think she’d let it go? Oh, well, it was all an accident, no harm done?”

Several people shook their heads.

“I know what my mom would do if someone hurt me. I’d think Toby’s mom might just show you that witching experience after all.”

“The boy is lying,” Gustov called out. “Melody wouldn’t dare do anything to the entire village.”

I looked right at him, and shook my head. “You never can tell with witches.”

Someone threw a stone at Toby’s head. He spun around, caught the stone and threw it back with a delighted, “Catch!” The stone hit the man right on the chest knocking the wind out of him.

“Did you see that?” several people shouted.

“Great catch, Toby!” I said. “What a throw. You’ve got a career in the major leagues with am arm like that.”

Another man drew back his arm, but a bolt of lightning sizzled through the air and struck his boot. He jumped a few times trying to put out the fire, A dozen more lightning bolts struck the ground inches from people’s toes. Everyone leapt backwards.

“Witchcraft!” several people shouted.

As several dozen more bolts hit the ground, the crowd scattered. The people that remained seemed more determined to do something.

“Look!” I shouted, and pointed to a huge black cloud forming at one end of the village. Funnel clouds touched down and grew into twin tornados. The twisters moved forward as arms and legs took shape in the clouds.

“Demons,” a dozen people yelled. The twisters resolved into towering figures, that appeared to be an inky black insult to the sunny day. They lumbered at the villagers.

That did it. “Man,” I said. “Why did everyone run away?”

“I think we should be going, too,” Mr. Bederick said, quietly, looking back at the demons.

“They won’t hurt us,” I commented.

“Is that what you wanted, Unicorn?” one of the creatures asked in his own language.

“Exactly. You guys were wonderful. Thanks!” I thought back to them.

The demons faded out as Mr. Bedrick took Toby by the hand and started hurrying down the street. “I’m taking you home,” he said.
Toby nodded, and clutched his loaves tighter.

For two kids and an old man, it took hardly any time to half walk, half trot to the edge of town. The road lead through several flat pastures before the ground gave way to the line of trees that marked the edge of what appeared to be a great forest.

Toby pulled Mr. Bedrick by the hand towards the woods.

We walked for a while. I turned at the sound of horses behind us. I saw four riders galloping hard after us. “You get Toby home, sir. I’ll take care of this.”

“Brian, I can’t let you….”

“Those demons were friends of mine,” I said with a quick wink.
“You think I can’t call them back? They weren’t even demons. The only real demon in this part of the world is a friend of mine, call him Charlie for short. He’s exactly what you’d expect from a demon, too. He’d slip a knife in your back as he shakes your hand.”

He frowned for a moment, as if trying to think of something, then nodded as he let Toby hurry him down the road.

I turned to face the riders, with my arms crossed over my chest. The horses ran within five yards of my position, then stopped, without warning. Two of the riders flew forward over the animals’ necks, and hit the ground with a splat. The others held on, barely. The two horses with riders, threw them off, then all four walked around their riders to stand before me, and bow. I let them up and each nuzzled me, in turn. “Wait for me over there,” I said, and the horses complied.

The men picked themselves up and dusted off. All but Mr. Gustov, who sat waiting for someone to help him. Once on his feet, he glared at me.

“What happened?” he demanded and walked toward me.

I held up a hand as a large, wooden sign appeared next to me. All four men took their time to read: ‘Beware of Unicorn’.

“So, boy, you claim to be a unicorn?” Mr. Gustov demanded.

A second later, I reared up on my hind legs, taller than the men now as a unicorn, and let my horn speak for me.

“Any questions?” I asked as I turned back to human. “The boy, Toby and the baker are under my protection, is that clear?”

“A thousand gold to the man that brings me that horn,” Gustov shouted out.

The three men shuffled their feet for a moment, but didn’t make a move.

“Did you ever hear of a man named Creel?” I asked them.

“Oh, right,” said one. “He was that slaver that was turned into a donkey….”

“I was the last being to see him as human. It wasn’t something I’d wish on anyone else. He does look a lot better now, but do you really want to spend the rest of your life pulling that man’s plow?” I asked and pointed at Gustov.

“He’s lying,” Gustov shouted. “Nothing will happen to you while I’m with you.”

I stared at him. “They call me and my kind of unicorns, the Guardians of the Worlds. You think you can fight me? What, with that sword of yours?”

The empty hilt of the man’s sword flew from his sheathe, hovered in front of his nose for a moment while the blade grew back, then promptly smacked him on the backside.

“I’m the richest man in this Duchy,” he said and glared at me. “You don’t frighten me, not at all. Grab him, men, and I will take the horn.”

“You want a piece of me?” I asked, with a laugh.

Three men backed away from me, slowly. “You want that horn,” one of them said, “You take it.”

I dropped my arms and sighed. “You just won’t learn, will you? Go ahead, try and take my horn, but when you’re a donkey and all of your wealth has reverted back to the Duke, you can’t say you weren’t warned.”

“But we’re his only family, we are,” one of the men protested. “We should inherit like all his money and property.”

“Better leave that to the courts, guys, but you will get one good donkey out of the deal.”

With a scream of frustration, Gustov bent over, and charged right at me. I stepped out of the way, but he grabbed me with one arm, and picked me up. He clamped the other arm around me in a bear hug, before he screamed once.

I dropped to my feet as the man stared at his hands, melting quickly into hooves. “What did you do to me?”

“Only a jackass would touch a unicorn like that, mister. I can’t believe you were that stupid. Okay, maybe I can, but you asked for it.”

“Turn me back,” he whimpered.

“What part of ‘You’re going to turn into a donkey for the rest of your life’, didn’t you understand? I put up that sign, showed you what I was, and still you got greedy. Too bad, so sad.”

“But,” he trailed off as his mouth stretched into a donkey’s muzzle.

“You’re friends were smart enough to leave me alone. They are getting five thousand gold, each, and one donkey, from your estate. The rest is up to the Duke. Run along, Snowflake, you have a lot of hauling to do yet. I get the horses, okay?”

Without waiting for an answer, I jumped up grabbed a saddle, and directed the horses after Toby and Mr. Bedrick.

Scene 3.

Toby turned around and waved when he realized it was me riding one horse and leading the others.

“Get on up,” I said, and waited for the other two to mount. “Gustov won’t be needed these animals anymore, and I thought we could ride.”

“It would take a miracle from the Powers themselves to make Gustov give up one horse, let alone four.”

“He’s not very bright. How in the world did he ever get to be so rich?”

“He married the Duke’s only daughter, not for long, mind you, but he’s the only heir to the Dukedom.”

“Not anymore,” I commented. “It’s complicated.”

Mr. Bedrick gave me a wide smile, and nodded his head for a moment before helping Toby up.

We rode to the edge of the forest. I jumped down from the saddle, and asked the horses to follow me into to the line of trees that marked the forest proper. Toby stayed on the horse, enjoying the ride, but a look of guilt crossed his face as a taller boy, stepped out in front of us.

“Deelan,” Toby said, more to the boy than as an introduction.
The boy — faun, I thought, or rather fawn, was just that. From the waist down Deelan stood a deer, with a russet velvet coat, long legs, and split hooves. A pair of respectable antlers grew from his head. With no clothes, or any sense of modesty, he stared at us.

“Where have you been?” the faun demanded in the picture, telepathic speak that Toby used.

“To the village to get the bread. This is Brian, who saved my life a couple of times and Bedrich the baker.”

“Thank you for the life of my brother,” the boy told me in halting speech.

I answered him in the same picture language that he used with Toby. He gave me a wide grin, which reminded me of my fox back home -- probably for the same reason, too.

“Your sister,” Deelan told Toby, “is yelling and screaming at Father about something at the house. Do you know what it is?”

Toby shook his head, as we walked and lead the horses through the woods. “Cassie was home when I went to get the bread.”

The word ‘cottage’ didn’t come close to describing the house, that looked like it was built into the living trees in a small clearing maybe two hundred yards from the forest’s edge. White, with green shutters, the house welcomed us inside. I loved the place from the first second I entered. Not grand by any means, but the place felt more like home than even my own.

A large crow squawked from the back of a kitchen chair.

“From Mom?” Toby asked

“Yes,” the crow answered. “The wizard in the tower is sending Melody to the Moon. You and your sister have to go quick.”

“Excuse me,” I said, with more than a hint of impatience in my voice. “Would you like to repeat that message properly, this time?”

The crow looked at me, out of one eye and then the other. “I work for Melody, not you.”

I laughed at the wicked glint in the bird’s eye. “What a cheeky bird,” I said with another laugh. “I don’t believe you said that to me.”

“You aren’t the boss of me. I take messages for Melody.”

“That’s a great attitude, for a crow, you know that?” I asked the bird. “It would be a real shame for me to have to turn you into a beetle. There you are, crawling on the ground for the rest of your life, but….”

I looked around the room and a large, glass jar appeared on the kitchen table. “I’ll keep you in here. I’ll have lots of twigs and leaves for you to eat, and aphids and things, and twice a day we can play — Earthquake,” I said and shook the jar with my right hand. “Won’t that be fun? Since you can’t take messages for Melody any more, who will be the boss of you?”

“You will,” the crow said, struggling to move his wings.

“I will at that. Now, which would you prefer — being a beetle for me, or having me tell Melody you were lying to her kids?”

“Okay, okay, you big bully. The wizard in the tower…” He paused as I used his thoughts and memories to map out the location of the tower. Even with the horses it was about a week’s journey to the North.

The crow cleared its throat. “The wizard is taking Melody on a trip to see the honey moon. There, I said it. Can I go now?”

“A honey moon?” Deelan asked. “The moon is made of cheese, not honey, everyone knows that.”

“It’s not that at all,” I said letting the crow fly off. “So, how long has your Mom known this wizard?”

“I don’t know,” Toby said with a shrug. “I didn’t think she knew any wizards.”

“A whirlwind engagement, then,” I said and the baker took in a deep breath. I nodded to him. “It’s really romantic.”

Toby made a face, and turned to face the door as a teenaged girl stormed into the house.

“We have to leave now,” she said to Toby. “And who are all these people?”

“That’s Deelan, my brother,” Toby said with a straight face.

“I know that, and a lot of help his father was. Mother is in terrible danger and would he offer any help at all?”

“Hi,” I said. “I’m Brian and this is Mr. Bedrich the baker. We had to get Toby out of the village and fast this afternoon and we brought him home. So, your Mom is getting married. That’s great. Looks like we are all going to the reception.”

“What do you know about this?” Cassie said, glaring at me.

“Your Mom sent a messenger crow with the news. He was just here. They want us to go to the reception before they go on their honeymoon.”

Mr. Bedrich nodded. “He’s right, my dear. The crow said as much.”

“That crow told me the wizard was going to sacrifice my mother to the Moon. Who are you going to believe? Me? I have almost as much power as mother does, or this boy?”

“Brian,” Deelan said. “You have power, he knows how to talk to crows.”

“Brian made that crow tell the truth,” Toby added in thoughts.

“Well, you can tell your friends thank you, but we have a long journey ahead of us.”

“Brian and I will ride with you, of course,” Mr. Bedrich said. “I am not about to let the pair of you go off alone to find this wizard.”

“I go, too,” Deelan added.

“Whether or not your little friend is right about the crow’s message, we will need protection, very strong protection against the wizard when we get there, and on the way,” Cassie announced. “We don’t need two little boys on this trip. Deelan, you will stay with Toby, but you, Brian, are going to be a wolf.” She pointed at me, and sang a word of power.

I shook my head. “Sorry, girlfriend, but I don’t do dogs.”

She tried again, as both Toby and Mr. Bedrich protested. This time, I just laughed. “You don’t have the kind of power it would take to touch me, Cassie. Besides, there’s a really great horn in the way. Let’s just let it go at that.”

“You don’t understand,” Cassie said. “I need something that is powerful enough to protect us on the journey, and save Mother from that wizard.”

“If she needs saving?” I asked her.

“I could never see mother marring some old man with a beard down to his toes.”

“Suppose he isn’t an old man. Wizards don’t need to look like that any more than witch’s have to look like green skinned crones. Malicious stereotypes if you ask me.”

“No one asked you,” Cassie said. “Toby, since your little friend refused, it’s going to be you, now. What we need is something more powerful than anything in the world, so I am going to make you a seeger.” She put up a wall almost a force field effect around Toby

“No,” Deelan said, pounding both fists on the wall of power.

“Dictionary, please,” I asked the house. A large book opened in front of me to the appropriate page. “Seeger, the speaker for the Powers,” I read. “Seegers are defined as elemental forces, chosen by the Powers, to speak for and if necessary, use the Powers own magic on the Powers’ behalf. Seegers take the shape of large cats, two or three times the size of a housecat, with wings. They are considered to be the most powerful creatures in the world, with the possible exception of the Guardians of the Worlds. See Unicorn.” I looked up from the book at Cassie.

“You don’t do cats,” she snarled at me. “But Toby does.”

“The Powers select the Seeger, not you,” I told her. I walked through her wall of power. “Are you going along with this?”

Toby shrugged. I heard a different voice answer, though.

“This is as it should be. Do not fight it. We have been waiting for Toby.”

The world spun around for a moment. A second later Toby grabbed my hand as we found ourselves in a huge, empty room. I started walking toward a brighter patch of light. A man, a tall man, wearing furs and a huge rack of antlers on his head, appeared in front of us.

“Welcome, you are most welcome here, children. I am called the Hunter, and you, Toby are the one who would join us? You have no speech, yet you would speak for us?”

“I don’t know,” Toby said with a frown. “I’m a faun, not a cat.”

“A seeger may speak for us in any shape it pleases, but your sister has requested that you be a cat. If you wish to take on the powers and responsibilities that come with being a seeger, you will take on the form of a winged cat, as all the others have, but you will also have this one.” The man nodded, and Toby changed from a mostly human boy to a full faun.

Toby glanced down at himself, and rubbed his hand on his new coat. “This is me. This is who I really am. I don’t care about power or anything else if I can be a faun like this.”

“Granted,” The Hunter said.

“What about Brian? Is he going to be a cat, too?”

“No,” the man said with a wide smile. “But he is your first project, Toby. It is important that Brian here gets to your Mother’s wedding safely. They are counting on it. You will make sure that happens, will you not?”

“Yes, no matter what my sister says,” Toby said with a deep bow to the Hunter.”

Back in Toby’s home, we stood within the wall of power. Toby bent over and changed in one, fluid movement into a cat. Black as soot, with sparkling green eyes, the faun did make a beautiful animal. He spread his wings, for a moment, then folded them back along his spine.

“What did you do?” Deelan yelled. “Toby cat!”

“Yes, he is,” Cassie said taking down the wall, and examining her brother. She glanced at me. The expression on her face was priceless, half anger and half confusion.

“You have power,” Cassie said to me. “Who are you?”

“It’s complicated,” I said with a shrug.

“Change Toby now,” Deelan said.

“I can,” Toby said and stood up again, as a faun. “The Hunter did this for me.”

Cassie screamed out her anger. “No, you’re a seeger. You have to stay that way.”

“Why?” Toby asked as Deelan hugged him. “I can speak for the Powers like this.”

“No one will know what you are, and they will attack us.”

“They will find out what I am if they attack us,” Toby told her. “I’ll be a cat if I have to, but only then.”

“He’s right,” Mr. Bedrick added, walking over to Toby.

Cassie’s finger’s flicked as she cast a small spell at her brother. If Toby felt it, he didn’t say anything, so I did.

“That wasn’t called for, girlfriend, casting spells like that at your brother. If you want him to protect us, you might as well be nice to him.”

Toby looked at me and shook his head. “A minor control spell,” he said. ‘Nothing to worry about, but thanks.”

I removed it, just to be on the safe side.

“The horses are packed, and I made sure that we have everything we will need, clothes, lots of food, blankets and bedding. Everything,” Toby announced.

“Good work,’ Mr Bedrich said quietly. “I think we have a long way to go, yet.”

“I know the way,” I added.

Scene 4.

We camped for the night on the other edge of the Forest. I helped the baker start a fire and get tents up while Toby and Deelan organized dinner. Cassie gave everyone orders, which she seemed good at.

“There are a group of humans heading this way,” Toby said quietly as the fire died down. “They want the horses.”

“Kill them,” Cassie told Toby.

“All life is sacred to the Powers,” Toby said. “Even theirs.”

“We could use another horse,” I suggested, “so you wouldn’t have to double up with Deelan.”

Toby shook his head, closed his eyes, and smiled. “That’s taken care of. They won’t bother anyone anymore. I turned them all into squirrels.”

“Just what the world needs, more tree rats,” I said with a sigh.

“But now they can steal as much as they like and not hurt anyone” Toby said, feeling proud of himself.

I patted him on the back and nodded. “Good work.”

Breaking camp, early the next morning, we left the safety of the forest, for the open plains. Steppes, I thought, that would lead to the north, north by northwest as I guided the horses on. A couple of minutes later, we stopped at the sound of a crying child approaching us.

A boy, fully human and looking about thirteen, half carried, half dragged his little sister toward the forest. “Hush,” he told her, over and over.

“I’m hungry,” the girl, who looked to be about three insisted.

“I’ll get you something to eat as soon as we find Da.”

“What’s going on,” Cassie demanded.

The boy looked up at us, startled.

“I asked you what you are doing to that little girl.”

“I’m sorry, miss. Our mum died last year, our da hasn’t been home for weeks, and we don’t have anything to eat. I need to find him to get money so we can live, and I can’t just leave her alone now can I?”

“You don’t have the right to bully your sister like that. I swear, all of you boys are just alike. I should make the two of you switch bodies so you can see what it’s like.”

“Now that would really help them out,” I said and jumped down from my horse.

“Toby, do it. Switch those two to teach him a lesson.”

“Me?” Toby asked. “The Powers say no. Let Brian do this.”

“What’s your name?” I asked the boy as I handed the girl a muffin. She stopped bawling while she ate.

“Eric,” he answered, and held out his hand for a muffin himself. Instead, I gave him a fist sized leather bag filled with gold coins.

“Get yourselves a real breakfast, Eric, and stock up for the next couple of years, okay?”

“But….” The boy visibly shook as he looked inside the bag.

“You’re a smart kid, Eric. Tell everyone your dad got you some money, no need to tell them or even hint at how much, right? Spend just enough to get by.”

He dropped to one knee, “Thank you, Lord.”

I laughed. “Not me. Here,” I said and gave him another bag filled with food this time. “This will keep both of you from starving on the trip back to town.”

“Thank you,” the little girl said and held up her arms.

I picked the child up and hugged her. “There, do you feel better now?” She nodded. “Eric’s going to take you home now, cause it’s much too dangerous for you two to wander in the forest all by yourselves. There’s lions and tigers and bears, oh my, in there, and seegers and unicorns and fauns, too. Here,” I said and handed the girl to her brother.

“Come on, Lil, we can go get a real breakfast at the Golden Griffin, now.”

I turned back to the others, to find Cassie in a glaring contest with her brother. I jumped back up into the saddle.
“We can go on, now,” I said.

“Not until this stupid cat learns some manners,” Cassie said. “How dare you disobey me? I made you a seeger, and you have to do what I say?”

“The Powers made me a seeger, and I speak for them. That’s what seegers do.”

“I don’t care, you listen to me, and listen good. You will do what I say, or I will make you a cat, just a plain old house cat, this time, and I will never turn you back,” Cassie snarled out.

“Okay, but remember this. I don’t do cats, either.”

Cassie turned her glare on me. “You were certainly generous with our supplies, weren’t you?”

“I didn’t touch our supplies, if you have to know, and those kids were starving. They needed the food a lot more than we did. Shall we go?”

“Toby, turn this impudent boy into a rat, now.”

“He doesn’t do rats,” Toby said. “The Powers said it’s important for him to get the Mom’s wedding.”

We rode most of the day, through a rolling countryside of green meadows and small villages. Bypassing the towns, we made good time, until about dusk. We made camp in a small, wooded glen overlooking still another meadow. I spent some time with the horses that night, grooming them the old fashioned way.

Crawling into the boys’ tent, I found Toby and Deelan zonked and down for the count. I stretched out on my bed roll, then frowned as I felt a summons, not very strong, but insistent. Outside, I followed the feeling to the other side of the glen and looked out across the ground to see two unicorns, standing side by side, waiting for me.
These were not Guardians, but members of a herd, somewhere.

“Join us, daughter,” the male said, in my thoughts. The female added the same sentiment. “We are so few, now.”

“I know, but the Guardians are fewer still,” I answered with a sigh. “I am needed here.”

The unicorns stiffened as Mr. Bedrich made his way through the woods. I lowered my defenses, and the others relaxed.

“Brian? Are you….” He placed his hand on my shoulder. I saw the look of sheer awe and wonder register on his face as he saw the unicorns. “By all the Powers, do they know we are here?”

“Of course, they do. It’s okay, you’re with me.”

“I’ve never seen anything more beautiful in my life.” The unicorns started walking in our direction. “I thought they would have vanished into the mist before anyone came this close.”

“Normally,” I said. “Every unicorn has it’s own set of defenses. You know what happens if you touch a unicorn?”

“I’ve heard.”

“At the approach of a human, if one unicorn lowers its defenses, that signals the rest of the heard that it’s safe.”

“That might be the case, lad, but how do they know it’s safe from us?”

I gave him my best grin. “I’m the one that lowered my defenses to let them know you were safe. I thought you might do that,” I said nodding to his hand with my head. “I didn’t want you hurt if you did.”

He withdrew his hand, as if burned. “You’re a unicorn?”

“A Guardian of the Worlds,” I said with a nod.

“You’re Brian of Trent? The one that broke Lord Kalandros?”

“Yes,” I admitted. “He asked for it.”

“I lost my wife and children in one of Creel’s raids, they didn’t survive. It was the gold from your Unicorn fund that paid for my shop.”

“Not much of a repayment for that,” I said, slowly.

“It was enough, although now I’m not sure if I can go back to my shop.”

“Doesn’t matter. I’m taking you home with me. With your baking, we could be very rich, in a week. No one can make bread like you do, at home.”

“That is a thought, but wouldn’t I stand out what with all of your unicorn friends?”

“I was born a human, a human boy. I feel more comfortable as a human, than a full time unicorn.”

He pulled me into a big hug. “Whoever you are, whatever you are, I can thank you for what you did for the world, and me.” He let go as the unicorns joined us.

I changed shapes, and nuzzled with the unicorn female for a moment.

“You are needed with us, as well,” she told me.

“Someday, I might just choose this,” I told her, “But not now, mother.” I felt someone else. My defenses went up as the others vanished. I took my human form, long before Cassie joined us.

“What’s going on?”

“We were watching the unicorns,” I said. “They must have startled when they heard you, because they just vanished into the mist.”

“Oh, really,” she said. “You need to get to bed, young man.”

Scene 5.

About noon the next day, I spotted the first hint of smoke ahead of us. We quickened the pace for the horses, and found a large village, smoldering from a recent fire. Bodies lay strewn along the roads.

“Raiders,” Toby said.

“Let’s see what we can do,” I said.

“No,” Cassie said. “We do not have time for this. We can ride around the outskirts of the village.”

“But the Powers,” Toby started to say.

“The Powers aren’t here, and you do what I say, remember that.”

‘Toby does what Powers say,” Deelan cut in. “Not you.”

“It’s okay. I will see what I can do for the people here, and meet you on the road later,” I said.

“Toby and I go with you,” Deelan announced. “We need to help.”

“You stay with me,” Toby said, with a real frown on his face. “They can catch up later, if we let them.”

I saw the faun looking torn. I placed a hand on his shoulder, and pushed him towards Toby. “He’s your brother and he will need all the help he can get from his sister. Stay with him”

Deelan nodded, gave me a slight smile, and walked nudged his horse over to Toby’s.

Mr. Bedrich and I dismounted, while I checked each of the bodies for any sign of life. Although most of them were dead, I was able to bring a few people back.

The majority of the villagers huddled together in the town hall. From their faces I could have sworn it was the aftershock of a bomb blast or something. They all had that far away, shocked look of disbelief. There were some happy reunions as the recently wounded found their families, but no one else paid the slightest attention to us.

“Who is in charge?” I asked. “My friend and I would like to help out, but we need help with the dead.”

“The elders were killed when they burned the village,” a young man, in his twenties told me. “The boy’s right. We need to get out there and check the damage.”

“My friend, Bedrich, and I have brought food, and supplies, too.”

A few people stood up at that, but the rest kept their places.
Outside, I pointed at two buildings that hadn’t been there when I went inside.

“You will find most of what you need, for the moment, stored there. I’m Brian,” I said and held out a hand.

“Oh, sorry. I’m Will,” the man said. “We had no warning,” he said quietly. “They rode into town with torches, shooting arrows and swinging swords. So many people were cut down. They must have taken everything that wasn’t nailed down, and it looks like they burned the rest.”

“Not all of it,” I said. “Here.” I placed a large pouch in his hand. “You can do a lot of rebuilding with this, and….” I had a bad feeling as I saw a large crow launch itself from a rooftop. “You,” I shouted and pointed at the bird. “Front and center.”

The bird fought me for five minutes. I didn’t want the creature hurt, but I had lost my patience. I used enough power to drag the bird from the sky. It landed at my feet. I bent over, picked it up by the neck, and shook it.

“You want me?” the crow demanded.

Not bothering with niceties, I read the crow, turned it into a beetle, and kicked it under a rock. “The raiders are camped about two miles from here, waiting on word back from that crow as to when help arrived.”

“I should have thought about that, myself,” Will said. “I won’t ask you about that crow, but what can we do?”

“Do what you have to, with our blessing,” I heard the voice in my thoughts.

“I will take care of it,” I said with a shrug. Will,” I said and met the man’s gaze. “There are two rules of magic that you, and your village will need to remember and live by.”

He frowned and shrugged his shoulders.

“Rule one: don’t touch the unicorn. Rule two: don’t get greedy. After that it goes downhill.”

Before he had a chance to answer, I jumped into the air as a hawk, and circled my way to the raiders’ camp.

Whoa, I thought, as I took a quick count. Several hundred men stood around the campgrounds. The sheer volume of horses and cattle spread around the camp was breathtaking. Flying higher, I spotted several small bands of horses, heading out presumably on raiding missions.

Looking further, I found another, larger band of raiders dashing toward the outskirts of a large village. The villagers ran for cover. I sent my thoughts out to the horses, and each of them stopped, then turned as if scared to death. Panicked, the horses ran back in the direction of the camp.

Now what, I thought as I called the rest of the horses home. I’ve got three hundred and some raiders, and I had to do something with them. I didn’t want to wind up their judge, jury and what have you, but I didn’t see anyone else being able to do this. For a moment, I wondered if the powers had intended this for Toby, after all, they were parked their right on our way north. I sighed, it was the kid’s decision to stay out of this, but I had a feeling the Powers were not pleased with him.

I circled the campground again, and focused on the man I took to be the leader. He certainly acted it, from what I could see. I read him, and pulled back. I felt I needed a shower or something to wash the filth of his mind off me.

After a moment, I found out where the raiders hid their loot. With a thought, I transferred all of it to my storehouse that used to be one of Lord Kalandros’ castles. I wondered what Tim would say when he saw all of that.

After a while, the last of the raiding parties rode in, well, they were dragged in by their horses, and there hadn’t been a single death today. With my horn, I surrounded the campground with a wall of power, and commanded all within the wall to freeze in place. I watched as the men struggled to move. I landed, changed back into myself, and walked between the men towards the leader. The men couldn’t talk, but their thoughts were still going on at rocket speed.

The campsite reeked of the stench of hundreds of unwashed men, animals, and the open latrine toward the back of the grounds. I managed to keep from passing out, but just barely.

I felt something small land on my shoulder. “Wondered if you would make an appearance, Timothy.”

“Merciful Powers preserve us. What have you gotten yourself into? What is all this?”

“They all belong to him,” I said walking up to the leader. “This person calls himself ‘Black Johnnie’,” I said. “He’s the leader of this rag tag gang of vermin.”

“I know who is he is -- by reputation only. Do you realize this is probably the most wanted man in the history of the world?”

“Really? Hi, I’m Brian Trent, unicorn at large, and this is my pal, Timothy. “I know I didn’t bother with the niceties, and all, but I thought you and your vermin were much to dangerous for that,” I told him and froze about half a dozen men trying to sneak up behind me. “I cleared out that warehouse you had in Glengarion, what was that? Twenty — thirty years of loot? Tim, did you see all that stuff?”

“Aye, that I did, laddy. Which brought me here.”

“How much gold did we get from Lord Kalandros in Glengarion?”

“I couldn’t answer that.”

“Oh, right, because I’m a ditzy female that doesn’t need to know math?”

“Still harping on that, are you? I suppose one of these centuries you might think to forgive an old leprechaun that spoke out of turn, but what’s done is done, as they say. I don’t know how much of all that gold came from Glengarion, nor do I wish to. What are you doing with this one, anyway?”

“Nothing much,” I said with a shrug, and walked around the man. “Doesn’t look like much, when you get right down to it. I really think this whole set up was meant for Toby, but he turned it down, so I’m the one that had to do it.”

“Do what?” Timothy asked.

“Put an end to Black Johnnie and all his men once and for all. I mean who else could do it? It would take a Duke or even the king to raise the kind of army that would be needed to catch these creeps, and I don’t see that happening, since most of the nobles are way too quick to take bribes from him.

“So,” I said with another shrug. “It’s up to me.”

“The price on his head is staggering,” Tim said. “Even more than for old Lightning Jack a few years back.”

“What happened to him?”

“Well, Lightning Jack was another raider, until his own men turned him in for the reward. They hung him, and let him swing for weeks out in the square by the King’s own castle, they did. They said that Lightning Jack left behind a treasure that would stagger the imagination.”

“Did you?” I asked, looking right into Black Johnnie’s eyes. “You did, at that. More than what I already took? Well, it’s all gone now. We’re going to need a bigger place.”

“What do you mean?”

“This is Lightning Jack, and Bloody Pete, and several other names. He’s had quite a career with this. When the heat’s really on, he has his men turn him in for the reward money, and there are always enough people, even in the Royal Guards so he can bribe his way out. The people don’t know what he looks like, and they wouldn’t care, really, who was hanging out on display.”

“So, what happens to them now?” Tim asked me.

“Well, this one is going to spend the rest of his life, and a short one it will be, as a housefly. He can live off other people’s waste for a few months, then die. The Powers, I am sure will welcome him to the afterlife, personally. What was that?” I asked, and looked at the raider. With a thought, I let him speak.

“You,” he sputtered. “You can’t do that. I’m a human being, I am.”

“No you aren’t,” I said. “You gave that up years ago when you decided to prey on others of your own kind. I mean, you raid these little villages filled with people that have almost nothing, and you take it, kill and burn while you’re at it, and come back in a few years to do it again. Not anymore. You’re men are going to spend their lives as farm animals, they will be divvied up among the towns that you raided, recently, to help rebuild.

“No one will know how you died, but your name will probably pass into a legend as a nightmare for kids. ‘Better be good, or Black Johnnie will get you.”

“You have no right to do this,” Johnnie yelled at me. “If you stop this….”

“What? You don’t have anything left to bribe me with, and if you did, I would just take it like all the rest.

“And, as for rights, I have every right, since the Powers themselves have asked it of me. What right did you have to take all those lives over the years? So, stop whining. I could grab you after you change, pull your wings right off and toss you in that trench back there. You’d still have plenty of food even if you couldn’t fly.”
Black Johnnie turned green at the thought. I think it finally sank in as to how he would be spending his time as a housefly.

“You can’t,” he said, weakly.

“Too late, I already have.”

Black Johnnie curled in on himself, shrinking, and screaming as his extra legs grew in. A minute later, he was in the air flying right for me. I caught him, shook him up, and said, “Help me, help me!” until I let him go. He flew right at my eyes. I grabbed him again, and said, “I know you can hear me in there, you do this again, and I will tear off your wings.”

The fly spun around for a moment, then headed for the trench.
“Any questions?” I asked the rest of the men. “None?”

“Can I be a fox?”

“Yes,” I told the man in the back. “You are.”
After that, I had twenty others that chose to be wild life, badgers, weasles and such, no skunks or rabbits, and the rest I divided into cattle, lots of chickens, horses and mules. Tim called in his friends, to drive the animals to their new homes.

Twenty minutes later, I rode a horse leading a procession of animals, most were loaded up with bags containing the property that had been removed from the village the day before.

The people from the town hall were all out, now, working together. I could smell food and lots of it either baking or roasting, and I realized how hungry I was. Everyone stopped and stared at me, and I heard several shouts and people recognized their animals.
Will met me, and shook his head. “What happened?”

“I found the raiders camp and I felt I had to something to stop this, so I did. I brought back everything that I could find that belongs here, including these animals, and I thought the extra animals might be put to good use. Uh — those are dairy cows, you know, for milk and butter? They aren’t for eating, if you follow me.”

“You mean you turned all those….”

I held a finger to my lips, and nudged the horse along the road. “You may not want to let people know that, but you can safely say that Black Johnnie is now a housefly. I think he’s better off like that. My friends will be around in a few days. We’re splitting up all their stuff between the towns that have been raided. I think that’s probably everyone, but you will get a sizable share.”

Will took the reins, and lead the horse for me. “I don’t know how we could ever thank you for this, Brian. Brian of Trent is it?”

“That’s me.” I said.

“Well, to whatever Power sent you to us, I will always be grateful.”

Will stood aside as I jumped down from the saddle. I gave the horse a good petting, and sent him off to join the others.

A long table had been placed by the town’s fountain. Loaded with food of all sorts, I walked over as everyone at the table stood up and cheered.

Will gathered the rest of the villagers, and stood up on one of the benches. “Everyone. Today, I think we should all thank the Powers, and this young man, for giving back to us what was taken. The lives that were lost yesterday can never be returned, but for those of us left, we can honor their passing, and their lives, by moving on and rebuilding. We now have the means to do just that.”

I tuned out the rest of Will’s speech as I stuffed my face. This had to be the one thing I missed most as a girl, being able to eat anything and everything I wanted without having to watch my “figure”. I swear I was ready to toss the next salad my Mom served me right on the floor for real food, but I was still mostly a vegetarian.

“What’s going on here?” a loud voice demanded behind me.

I think everyone looked over to see Cassie and Toby standing by the fountain.

“You are most welcome here,” Will said. “We are having a celebration for young Brian, there and his friend Bedrich.”

“You honor them, but what about me?”

“Brian has helped to restore this village from the raiders, and has given us the means to restore our lives. What part did you play in this?”

“She didn’t want to help, so she took her brother and rode off to sulk. Where’s Deelan?” I asked her.

“He was being too much of a pest, so Toby sent him home.”
Toby hung his head, but nodded.

“You didn’t. Not your own brother.” I saw where Toby had sent Deelan, to a large wooded area as a full deer. I sent him a thought, turned him back, and sent him home. “He’s okay now,”

“The Powers aren’t happy,” Toby said as he sat down next to me. “I was supposed to do something for them, but they said you took care of it. Thanks.”

Seething, Cassie sat down across from me, and glared. “We’ve wasted half a day, you know.”

“You agreed you would ride on, and let us catch up to you. You were the one wasting time coming back, but since it is a party for me, have some fun for a change.”

About an hour later, Toby and Cassie had filled themselves as well. She started talking about leaving, and I had to agree.
Five men, all dressed to the nines, approached my table and stopped two paces behind me. “I am Basil, lord Basil,” one said. “My friends and I are represent the top five families in this village, and we didn’t get nearly enough to rebuild our properties.”

I shrugged. “Take that up with Will, gentlemen, he’s the one in charge.”

Will, himself appeared a second later. “You have questions?”

“You gave us next to nothing to rebuild our homes,” Basil said.

“Yes, that’s true, but your homes weren’t touched in the raid. I understand that a tree on your property was burned, so I gave you enough to replace it. You, Serge, and you, Rupert, nothing at all happened to your property, so why do you expect money to rebuild?”

“I, for one,” said Basil, “want to rebuild my estate from the ground up. This time, I want a house at least three times the size of the current one, as befitting my station.”

“That would take most of the money we have,” Will protested.

“Then we’ll get it from the boy.”

“Sorry, mister, but that would break every rule in the Do-Gooder’s Handbook. This village gets what it needs to rebuild, but no one is going to get rich, or richer from it. In other words, you’re forgetting rule number two — Don’t get greedy.”

“This village is mine. I have the final say, by the King’s law, and I say that our houses are rebuilt before anyone else’s.”

“You’re just begging to be a housefly, aren’t you?”

Toby stood up. “I speak for the Powers,” he announced. His shape shimmered into the seeger form. He spread his wings, as Cassie said.

“Don’t you dare get involved in this.”

“The Powers say,” Toby insisted. He stared at Basil, then the others. A man’s voice spoke through Toby’s mouth.

“Basil, after the service that young Brian performed for this village today, and the rest of the world, we, The Powers have decided that you are no longer fit to be human. We are directing our seeger, Toby, to plant you on your estate as a tree for the next few years. When you are truly ready to apologize to Brian for your actions we will let you return to your human life. We have spoken.”

The man tried to speak, but it was too late, Toby closed his eyes. Basil’s entire body turned wooden as he vanished from the village.

“Thank you, seeger Toby,” Will said quietly.

Scene 6.

The next afternoon we found a small village, untouched by the raiders. A few people were about, most seemed to be off working. Cassie lead the group to the town center, and waved her arms at the people, mostly children, that were there. “Hear me, I am Cassandra, the most powerful witch in the world.”

The smallest kids ran for home calling for their mothers. The older kids just laughed.

“Well then, Miss Witch,” one of the men called out. “What would you have us do?”

“Have a celebration in my honor,” Cassie said. “A grand feast it will be, too.”

“This is but a poor village, miss. Where are we to get the food for your celebration?”

“We have it,” I said poking Toby in the ribs. “We can put a spread just like yesterday.” I saw his eyes glaze over at the thought and he nodded his head.

“No,” Cassie insisted. “The town is supposed to do that.”

“Look, Cassie, I don’t think your getting this whole idea, yet. Why would the town wish to throw a party for you when they have nothing to throw it with? If you want a party, we throw it for the town?”

“They will do this, or I will have Toby burn the village to the ground and turn everyone in it to mice.”

“Well, that’s a good reason to party, isn’t it.” I jumped down from the horse and walked over to stand beside Cassie. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed this, but the people around here don’t like witches much. You may not want to give them any more reason. I know, you never can tell with witches, but we may want to leave before they start throwing rocks.”

“Brian’s right, Cass,” Toby added. “They throw rocks at me just because our mother is a witch, and she never said anything about burning a village down.”

“I don’t care, it’s my turn to be honored, not Brian this time.”

“But Cassandra, my dear,” Mr. Bedrich said quietly. “Brian actually did something for the entire village, he didn’t ride into town and demand a party. There is big difference there.”

I saw the way the square filled with people, and I called out. “All part of the act, folks. Come, see our play about two brave youths and their kindly, old, father, against the very wicked witch.” I bowed, but no one bought it.”

“Do we have that celebration, or not?” Cassie asked.

“I think you lot had better leave town, now, before someone decides the world’s most powerful witch should burn at the stake,” one of the village women told her.

“Toby, I command you to burn this village to the ground, and turn all these people into mice.”

“Don’t you dare,” I said as I felt power gathering around the seeger. “You started this with all of your talk of witches. They have every right to throw us out, and I say we go before they do.” I jumped on my horse, and gave the command to the other horses to hightail it for the wide open plains.

Two miles out of town, I stopped the horses, and gave Cassie a long glance. “Look, girlfriend, I understand that you grew up in that cottage in the woods, and that you haven’t had that much contact with people, but that still gives you no excuse for that. You are really lacking in social skills, you know, so next time leave the talking to me or Mr. Bedrich.”

Cassie seethed. “Toby, turn this insolent puppy into a puppy. See how he likes it.”

“I don’t do dogs,” I said.

“Toby, I’m going to count to three, and you had better do what I say.”

“There are powers and then there are powers,” I said. “Neither one of you has the power to touch me. Let it go at that. We have a day and half left to get to the wizard’s tower, shall we get going?”

As we rode, Mr. Bedrich took a position next to Cassie, and it looked like they were having a real heart to heart. I hoped that would work, because she was really getting to be an issue.

Toby rode next to me, and shook his head. “Brian, you had better be careful. I didn’t have to turn you into a puppy, this time, but the next I might not have any choice.”

“You really would have burned down that village and turned everyone into mice?”

He shrugged, and nodded his head. “Cassie wanted it, and yes, I would have.”

“Don’t you care about the people involved?”

“No, why should I?” he asked me right back. “Humans have always hated me for being a witch’s brat and a faun. Why shouldn’t I hate them?”

“Because you speak for the Powers now. With the Power you have, you have to care about this world and the people in it — all of the people, humans, too.”

“Tbe Powers say that you are right. You are always right. I don’t care. Do not cross Cassie again.”

We rode up to the outskirts of a large town. There were hundreds of people on the road, most entering the city, some leaving. Riders made room for walkers and those riding animal drawn carts and carriages.

“You,” Cassie said, and pointed to a boy about Toby’s age. The kid looked at her, and held out his hand. I dropped a coin in it. “Run ahead,” Cassie told him, “and let everyone know that I, Cassandra, the world’s most powerful witch, will be arriving shortly.”

“You,” he said and broke down laughing. “You’re the world’s most powerful witch? Then why aren’t you flying on a broomstick or riding a tornado?”

“I don’t want to make a scene.”

“Eric, Danny, Clarence,” he called ahead. “Take a look at what we’ve got here. This girl’s the most powerful witch in the world. Said so herself, she did.” The boy ran ahead to join his friends. All four looked back at Cassie and laughed some more. They turned, and darted through the town gates.

“That really wasn’t very bright, girlfriend,” I said.

“Brian is right, my dear,” Bedrich said, quietly. “I thought we had an agreement that you were not going to make an issue of your position in power.”

“If we go that way,” I said and pointed. “We will avoid the town completely.

“No,” Cassie said, determined to push on.

A dozen kids, ten boys with two girls, met us inside the gates, only to laugh at and tease Cassie all over again. There were grown ups watching, but none made any attempt to stop the kids.

All the way to the town square, the kids danced beside us, calling out, “Here she is, everyone, the most powerful witch in the world. Show us some magic, miss. Show us how powerful you are.”

“Lighten up, Cassie. Even you will have to admit that you brought this on yourself, and the kids are just doing what kids do best. You know that. You still are a kid, after all.”

“Be quiet, just shut your mouth and give me some peace,” she said although her cheeks were still burning red.

Even though the square was filled with people, the commotion the kids were making didn’t seem to register. A few people glanced our way, but most went about their business.

“Everyone! I am Cassandra the world’s most powerful witch. Listen to me.”

“Of course you are, my dear,” an elderly lady said from beside the fountain. “Would you like to buy some flowers or herbs for your potions?”

“Go on, miss, might help your cause,” said the first boy.

“Toby, turn all of these brats into statues of me. Someone will honor me for this.”

“Now, now, dear. Don’t get yourself all in a fuss. Have some tea, that will help your nerves.”

Ignoring the old woman’s words, Cassie said, “Toby, do it. I want these people to see what power I command.”

“That would kill them,” I said.

“So, what are you supposed to be, then?” several of the kids asked Toby.

“I speak for the Powers!” Toby shouted out. He changed into cat’s shape. With his wings spread, he glared out at the children.
I hopped down from the horse, and moved in front of the kids.

“Toby, these kids are under my protection now. You aren’t speaking for the powers, and you are not about to kill them.”

“Get out of the way, Brian, or you will join them. Oh, I know, you don’t do statues, either.”

“All life is precious to the Powers, you said so yourself.”

“I don’t care,” Toby said, and I felt power gather around him.

“I’m a Guardian of the Worlds, Toby. Don’t mess with the unicorn.”

Toby laughed. “You? You’re nothing but another stupid human. You have no powers, and I warned you.” A ball of flame flew from his eyes, and stopped halfway between us. The flame danced for a moment on the breeze, and died out.

“You guys get back,” I said. “The kitty cat there is getting out of line.”

“Toby, get on with it,” Cassie yelled.

Toby summoned power, real power this time. With a thought, I released it. Adults were hurrying the kids away from the square now. Some stayed behind me, though.

“Toby, I’m your friend, and I always will be, but this fight has to stop before someone is hurt. Go ahead, ask the Powers what you should do?”

Instead, he threw spell after spell at me. I blocked each of them, and sighed. “You were given this chance to speak for the Powers,” I said. “But you aren’t. You can’t speak for your sister, when everything she asks is wrong. Drop this now.”

The seeger reached into himself and drew power, more power than I had ever felt before. That much power, if released, would go off like an atomic explosion.

A spark from the tip of my horn opened a minor vortex in the air over Toby’s head. I could see the swirling lights of stars in infinite blackness of space through the hole.

I directed the power from Toby into the vortex, where it exploded into a bright new star. The flame from the star burned itself out in seconds.

Another spark from my horn sent more beams of power down my body as I took my real shape again. A tear rolled down my cheek as I pointed my horn down at the cat. Toby tried backing away, but I wouldn’t let him move.

“You were given a great power, but you weren’t ready for it. Go back, Toby. Go back to the kid you used to be. You will always be a seeger, able to speak for the Powers, but you will have no more power, yourself.”

The cat vanished, and I covered Toby in a robe.

“No!” Cassie screamed at me.

“You are no longer a witch of any sort, Cassandra. You will never have power again. You lost that right when you commanded your brother to kill.”

“When my mother gets through with you, you will be sorry,” Cassie said.

“So be it. Let’s go talk to her, now.” I opened a gate to the wizard’s tower and sent the others through. I changed back to human boy, turned to the people of the village, and said. “Sorry for all the fuss.” I walked through the gate and closed it.

Scene 7.

I could not believe the village I walked into. Barely controlled chaos, I thought, compared to the orderly and neat villages I was used to. Houses seemed thrown around built wherever they could squeeze one in, although I did see one house pull itself up on little feet and walk over to a sunnier spot. This was crazy, and I wanted to live there.
Fairy folk filled the village, from the smallest sprites to full grown centaurs. As I walked further, a crowd of pixies surrounded me, laughing their heads off. All were naked and about the size of elementary school kids. I gave off several sparks of power from my horn, before they got the message and backed off.

A second after that, Toby grabbed me from behind, and hugged for all he was worth. I turned, and hugged him back.

“I’m sorry. I am so sorry, Brian. You saved my life back there.”

“That’s what unicorns do,” I said. “Where’s your Mom?”

“I haven’t seen her yet, but I’m sure Cassie’s found her by now.” He looked down for a second, then back at me. With a perfectly straight face, he said, “You are really beautiful when you’re angry.”

I shuddered trying to keep from laughing, but the giggles won out. “Thanks, I think.”

We walked down a winding path to what looked like a tall, brown stone Tower off to one side. Everything along the way, including most of the people were dressed up for what I gathered was a wedding party.

“Brian?” A man’s voice said from behind me.

“John?” I said, and turned around to face someone I never expected to see. “What are you doing here?”

The wizard grinned at me, “Getting married. I thought Timothy told you.”

I must have turned a dark shade of red. “You’re the one marrying Melody? I know he said you had a girlfriend, but…. Congratulations! That’s great. This is your new stepson, Toby, the seeger.

“Go on, he’s going to be your new step dad,” I said and pushed Toby forward.

Toby gave the wizard a quick hug. “Hello.”

“You’re a lot bigger than I thought,” John said and returned the hug.

“Brian,” Mr Bedrich called out from my right. “Trouble and it’s coming fast.”

“John, this is Mr. Bedrich, the baker. We have got to get him a shop here, he is a true wizard when it comes to bread making.’

“I’ve heard, but….”

“Long story,” Mr. Bedrich said.

A tall lady, with raven black hair stormed up the pathway. Power seethed around her, and for a second, I felt worried. Now this was a witch.

“My mother.” Toby said.

“Wow, she is the most gorgeous lady I’ve ever seen. Way to go, John.”

“Hello, my dear,” John said, and stepped forward to greet his bride.

“I take it this child is the one called Brian?”

“Yes, he is and Brian is a very good friend of mine, from my country. In fact, Brian is the very special guest I’ve been telling you about.”

“Do you realize that this child has ruined your daughter’s life?”

“I would trust Brian with my life,” John said, quietly. “I’m sure there is a good explanation….”

“I can explain,” I started to say.

“I’ll deal with you later, young man,” she snapped.

I felt deflated. “Yes, ma’am.”

For a second, John looked relieved. “Melody, Brian is….”

“A meddling little fool for all I am concerned.” I felt more power gather round her.

Toby stepped in front of me. “Mom, it’s my fault. All of this is my fault. I’m sorry.”

I stepped around Toby to stand in front. “No, it isn’t. None of this is Toby’s fault, ma’am. I stared at Toby for a second and he nodded. We said in unison, “It’s Cassie’s fault.”

Toby side stepped around me, again. “I never should have listened to her.”

“I should have known you boys would stick together.”

“I resent that,” I said. “My name is Kimberly, actually,” I said and changed back into my female self. “I can’t be John’s best man, but if you need a maid of honor, I am so there.”

“You’re even prettier when you aren’t mad,” Toby whispered.

“You, boy — girl, whatever you are, you have a lot to answer for. You took my daughter’s powers from her.”

“She gave me no choice,” I said. “She ordered her brother to kill people with his powers.”

Toby nodded. “Brian tried to stop it, over and over again, but I listened to Cassie, not him. I’m sorry.”

“It’s a long story,” I said, stepping in front of Toby. “The Powers asked….”

“I’m telling it,” Toby insisted and stepped in front of me.”

“Okay, you tell it.”

He did just that, in pictures and words, I saw the last few days played back for Melody’s benefit.

“Just what were doing at the baker’s by yourself,” she demanded.

“Cassie gave me the money, and told me I had to,” Toby said and showed her the scene.

“The people of the village didn’t try to burn you or stone you to death?”

“They did, but Brian stopped it. He saved my life.” Toby showed her.

“What did you mean by saying I was a ‘card carrying, bubble riding, good witch’?”

John broke out laughing, and another voice as well. I looked down to see Timothy by my feet.

“I’m glad you find that so amusing,” Melody said, with ice in her voice.

“Brian was making a reference to a theatrical show,” John answered. I sent her a mental image of the good witch, and her bubble. “There, you see, he was just distracting the people of your village from their anger at Toby,” John added.

Picking up the story, Toby showed her the lightning bolts and demons and our flight from the village. He gave her a full account of how I made the crow tell the truth, and for the first time, Melody laughed.

“That crow hasn’t been the same, since.”

The story went on, until Toby showed Cassie commanding him to change Deelan into a real fawn.

“Cassandra!” Melody shouted out, in a voice designed to carry.

“I’ll get her,” I said, and with a snap of my fingers made the girl appear next to her mother.

Cassie startled, then glanced at her mother. “Oh, did you want me? Did you find that horrible creature that took my powers?”

“Yes, she did,” I said. “I want you to tell your mother the truth, Cassie, and there is a word for creatures like me. Why don’t you use it?” I changed back to boy. “It’s me.”

Cassie glanced at me, then back to Melody. “He’s a…. He’s a unicorn, Mother. A Guardian of the Worlds.”

“This I have to see,” Melody said.

“Okay,” Toby answered and caught his mother up on his adventures so far.

I felt completely awed by the sight of me as a unicorn, as seen through Toby’s eyes. There I was, surrounded by golden streams of power, lowering my head to point my horn.

Melody sighed, and looked away from her son. “Cassie, I won’t tell you how angry I am for what you have done. Nothing would compare to it. How could you do that to your own brother?”

“Brother? Mother, that animal may call itself your son, but I will never be its sister. I had a chance to use it to get all the power in the world, and I took it. I didn’t know that unicorns were more powerful than seegers. And you had better watch that horn, horse boy.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment, and I will warn you, you don’t qualify to touch me. Go for the horn, and you will wind up a donkey, like so many others.”

“Cassie? What does he mean you don’t qualify to touch him?”

“Oh, mother, I’ve been seeing boys for a long time, now. I had to something than just sit around in the forest, watching your pet.”

Melody looked down at me, and shook her head. “It would seem that you know my daughter much better than I do.”

“I am a teenaged girl,” I said with a shrug. “I have a boyfriend, but it’s different for unicorns.”

“I may not be a ‘Good Witch’, as in your show, but I cannot tolerate my daughter’s behavior, either. You were absolutely right to take her powers, as you did, and I apologize for the way I treated you earlier, Guardian.”

“Now do you see why I was so anxious to have Brian, or Kimberly here for our Wedding?” John cut in.

“Yes, I do, and I, too, will be honored,” Melody said, simply.

“Brian,” John asked me, “When you can travel as you do between cities, and worlds, why did you decide to ride here from Melody’s home. You could have saved yourself a lot of time, and effort.”

I nodded. “Yes, but the Powers asked me to do it this way, as did our Timothy, and it took me long enough to figure out the real reason for it.”

“And that was?” Timothy asked.

“The Powers knew what was going to happen to Toby, and they were willing to give him a chance. It’s not often that they have a chance to make a new seeger, but they had me along to make sure that nothing went wrong. They didn’t want me to let on to Toby or Cassie that I was a unicorn, and they wanted to see how Toby would handle himself and the powers he had. At every step of the trip he was given an opportunity to prove himself, you know, like one of those choose your adventure books back home. If Toby knew how much Power I had, he would have behaved himself, and probably forced Cassie to, as well. Who else could have stopped him if he did go bad? So you see, the immovable force, that’s him, met the irresistible object, that’s me.”

“That was so cute,” Cassie said from right behind me.

“Brian, watch out,” Toby called out.

I stood there as Cassie raised up a huge rock, and brought it down on my head. The rock crumbled into dust long before it could have touched me. “Thanks, Toby. I knew she was there.”

At that point, Cassie must have lost her temper. In spite of Melody’s screams, Cassie reached out to grab me by the throat. She came within an inch of touching me, before I made her freeze in place. I ducked away from her.

“Why don’t you take her to her room, put her to bed, and maybe tattoo rule number one on the back of her right hand,” I told the witch.

“Rule number one?”

“‘Don’t touch unicorns’,” I said. “I’ve always wondered why people tend to ignore that when they’re around me.”

For the rest of the day, as hard as I tried, I couldn’t spend time with Toby. His mother kept interrupting. She chatted, and talked, and wouldn’t leave me alone. I was tempted to go home and wait for the wedding ceremony, but I thought Mom would not understand.

At one point, Melody asked me a weird question. No one else was around, and I was sorry for it.

“Brian, you’re a very attractive young man, what do you think of my daughter?”

I broke out laughing. “Me? Attractive? Attractive to what?”

“No seriously, you really are a handsome boy. Cassie’s noticed it. What do you think of her?”

I shrugged. “I haven’t noticed anything about her. She’s completely self-centered, selfish, and power hungry, and if she ever grows out of ‘Princess’ mode, she might be a nice person…. Uh, I really doubt that, but you should know her better than me.”

“No, I meant how she looks. You two would make a great couple.”

I laughed again. “I can see that. It would be so romantic, you know, there we are, probably at my house, me on one end of the couch and Cassie on the other. She’d wave at me, and I’d wave back, then she might try to get closer to me. I’d tell her not to, of course, but she doesn’t listen. She moves closer, and closer, and she puts her arms around me. She’s hoping for a kiss, I just know it, but with her arms around me like that, she’d turn into a donkey for the rest of her life. I’d think, that would put a damper on things.”

“That’s the most horrid thing I’ve ever heard. Surely you don’t feel that way?”

“It’s the truth. I’m a unicorn, if you aren’t sure about that ask John, but a unicorn is a type of horse with a bloody great horn sticking out if it’s forehead. I’m a female. I’m not interested in other females, especially human ones, and I would never date outside my species.”

“But you’re a boy now,” she protested.

“You saw me in my real shape, earlier. So did Toby. “I came here as a boy at the request of the Powers. They thought Toby would be more comfortable with another boy of his age, instead of an older girl. He has one of those already.”

“I see,” she said, and for the first time that afternoon, she turned her back on me and walked away.

I cut another gate, and stepped through it to stand underneath my favorite waterfall. I could never get enough of the scrubbing and cleansing I felt every time I stood there. Another unicorn joined me in the spray. He nuzzled my neck for a moment.

“I hope the Elders aren’t mad at me?” I asked him.

“Relieved, I’d say,” Trouble answered me. “You acted on behalf of the Powers as you said you would, and that is it. Well, the adventure is over for you, my dear. Would you care to join me at home?”

“Not yet,” I said. “I still have to be at John’s wedding, and then, who knows, I might.”

Scene 8

I joined John and Mr. Bedrich for dinner that evening. The weather was perfect, and someone had set up a dozen picnic tables outside the Tower. All the tables were decorated for the wedding. One taste of the bread, and I knew who baked it.

“I have a new shop here,” Mr. Bedrich told me. “Much bigger than the old one.”

“I know where I’ll be every morning, buying bread for my mother.”

“I hadn’t thought about that,” John said. “She is invited to the wedding, if you would like to bring her back here tomorrow.”

“I’ll ask her.”

“Brian, what happened with you and Melody this afternoon? She was fuming about something.”

“And this is different from every other times she fumes?”

“You have a point, but she was really upset.”

I glanced around, and said, in a low voice, “She tried to set me up with Cassie. You know, what a lovely couple we’d make, and all of that. I didn’t tell her where to go, but I did let her know, it wouldn’t work. You know, she’s going to be trouble. I will do my best not to ruin your wedding for you.”

“I appreciate that,” he said. “You really think she would try something?”

“Look up the definition of witch sometime. John, you know me, I don’t want to say this, but -- she’s an airhead.”

John nodded, “You have that right, but I do love her.”

Shortly after the meal was finished, Melody brought three kids over to the table, and it was all I could do not to gag at the scent. She didn’t seem to notice, and neither did John but if nothing else I knew the smell of troll — a lot like rotting plants with a dead skunk thrown in for good measure. I could see the spell she cast on them, but why would she bring me trolls?

“Brian, good, I was able to catch you. I have three adorable kids here, who would live to see a real, live unicorn. Would you mind?”

I changed shapes, and moved away from the table. With a thought, I turned the kids into pixies for real this time. There was no way I could let three trolls loose in the village. Melody didn’t notice but the kids did. They patted themselves down, glanced at me, and ran in the opposite direction.

“Come back!” Melody screamed after them. “Come back.” She turned very pale.

“What’s the matter?” I asked her, and loaded her up with a truth telling spell.

“Those weren’t kids,” she said, with a frown. “They were trolls.”

“Trolls?” John and everyone else at the table demanded. “What were you thinking, bringing Trolls here. Now what do we do about it. They could kill people.”

“Why trolls?” I asked her.

“They were going to surround you, to pet you, and then turn back so I could….” She made her move, grabbed my horn with both hands, and broke it right off my forehead. With a shout, she held out the horn. “Now let’s see about those trolls.”

The horn started struggling in Melody’s hands. It jerked one way, and then another, trying to get free. She said a word of power, but it didn’t slow the horn down at all. She held on harder, until the horn pulled her off the ground. She dropped down as the horn shot up through the darkened sky trailing sparks of gold and white.

The horn exploded in the sky in huge clouds of multi-colored lights and sparks. Five, then six times the fireworks went off, until the last explosion resolved itself into words written across the sky for everyone to read.

“Congratulations John and Melody. Love, Kim.”

Everyone cheered, and applauded the show until the last of the sparks and words faded from view.

“You gave up your horn for that?” Melody asked, confused.

“Are you kidding? You think you could actually touch my horn and remain a human?” I asked her back. “I changed those trolls into real pixies, and they are off to join a troup. As for the horn, consider that a wedding present. You’re still you, and I still have my horn.” I showed her the real deal for a second, before I turned back into Brian.

“But how…. How did you know?”

“I know you’re Toby’s mom and everything, but you are about as subtle as one of those trolls. How many times have I told you I was a unicorn? One dozen, two dozen? You saw the size of my nose. If you had used even a little thought you would have known I could smell those trolls from the moment you brought them here.

“Normally, if someone brought Trolls to me disguised like that, I’d take it as a hostile action, but you wouldn’t be much of a witch if you didn’t try for my horn. I wouldn’t be much of a unicorn if I wasn’t ready for you. So, you’ve had your fun, no harm done, and I’ve had mine. If you try for the horn another time, you are in so much trouble.”

Melody pointed her right hand at me, and shouted out a word of power. I felt the power flowing from her, and it was strong, I had to admit that. She said another word, then cast a full blown spell at me. I yawned.

In spite of all the magic she threw at me, I sat down next to John. “I know you’re going to marry the witch, but if she keeps this up much longer I am going to get annoyed.”

“I could never tell you how sorry I am about this. She’s never behaved like this before. If I thought she would go this crazy at the thought gaining your power….”

“I’m going to have to do something, you know. This is getting out of hand.”

Toby put his hand on my shoulder. “The Powers say end this.”

I stood up, and patted Toby on the shoulder in return. “Okay, now that’s speaking for the Powers.” I turned to face Melody again. “Getting tired, are you?”

She looked it, her hair was hanging down in strands, and sweat covered her face. “I will find something that works against you, you miserable brat.”

I laughed. “You’re the one casting all those spells at me, and you’re calling me a brat? What if I threw them all back at you?”

“You can’t, those were my spells.”

“Okay, fair is fair, but the Powers want this ended. You have no more power, Melody, none. You are, for the rest of your life, a human woman, never again a witch.”

Melody spat out a word of power, anyway. This one was a doozy. I stood back as a dark cloud appeared in the air between us. A tall man, wearing gray robes and clothes of a noble stepped out of the cloud.

“Charlie!” I called out, delighted.

He took a moment to recognize me, and his face turned a little sour. “Kimberly, my love, so good to see you again.”

“Why, Charlie, you handsome devil you.”

“Now let’s not get personal, here. You called me?” he asked in disbelief.

“Not me, sorry. That was Melody, there — your ex-witch.”

“Ah, Melody, you look a little pale. Is there something I can do for you?”

She glanced between the two of us, and glared at me. “You know this demon?”

“Charlie? Sure, if you want us to go twenty rounds, it won’t happen. Been there, done that, you know, that sort of thing. Besides, it was just a matter of you not thinking things threw again. I’m a Guardian of this World, and I need to know what and who I’m guarding it from. Especially that horrendously, evil demon.”

“Why Kimberly, flattery will get you everywhere with me.”

“Don’t I know it,” I said with a laugh.

“Demon,” Melody said. “I summoned you with the last of my power. Help me. I want that unicorn’s horn,”

“What ever for? If I could give you your powers back, I would, but that would have been a more sensible request. It’s not true, you know, that ground unicorn horn has healing properties.”

“That horn is the most powerful magical item in the universe.”

Charlie laughed. “Only if it happens to be attached to a unicorn. It’s nothing more than bone without the unicorn to give it power.”

“He’s right,” I said.”

“You never told me that,” Melody half yelled at me.

“Would you have believed me if I did? Really, you would have thought I was protecting the horn by making up a story. Wouldn’t you?”

She nodded. “I would have. So now what?”

I called Cassie out of the crowd and when she had joined her mother, both of them fainted, gently to the ground.

“What did you do?” John asked as he ran over to kneel beside Melody.

“Take them inside, wrap them up snug and in the morning neither one will ever remember being a witch. You will have your family again, and I will have lost a real headache.”

“Until we meet again,” Charlie said, and vanished back into his cloud.

“John, I’m going home to get my mother, when is the ceremony?”

“Tomorrow, mid-day.”

“We will be here.” I said, and walked away from the village.

“Well, my girl, not a bad trip after all,” Tim said from my shoulder. “A fabulous treasure, and you gave John his life back from that blood sucking female. How she ever got her hooks into him I will never know.”

“You could have warned me,” I said.

“Not on your life. You had to see for yourself what sort of creature that was, and you did the right thing. I thank you for it, as do the Powers.”

“Well,” I said with a sigh. “There is one thing I learned from the villagers, and I will never doubt their wisdom again.”

“What was that?” he asked with a frown.

“You never can tell with witches.”

“Aye, lassie, remember that. The same holds true of almost anyone in this world.”

“Even me.” I said my good-byes to Timothy and headed home.
 
 
End of Part Three

The phone rang. For the first time since I had changed to unicorn, I couldn't tell who was on the other end. Worried, I ran in to Mom's bedroom, and picked up the receiver.

"Hello?"

"I seek the one known as Brian of Trent," a deep, gravely voice said from the other end.

"And who should I say is calling?"

I heard another voice in the background. "I am his father," said the first voice.

I could see the speaker now, and I shuddered. The creature looked for all the world like a six foot flounder wearing a gray uniform. "You mean that Brian is half-human, and half alien fish?"

Someone laughed, and I knew the voice now. "No, I am his father. Tell Brian of Trent that I will meet him on the next rotation after the learning...." After a pause, the creature said, "The time period called tomorrow after school."

"Okay," I said and hung up the phone.

---

 
I stood in front of my mirror and stared. The bikini fit. I had never tried one on before, but Mom insisted, and she was right. I looked great. A part of me still didn't feel right, looking like a pin up girl, but the rest of me, did.

I was doing this for Mom, after all, not me, I told myself over and over. But still, I felt like I was advertising for boys.

The phone rang. For the first time since I had changed to unicorn, I couldn't tell who was on the other end. Worried, I ran in to Mom's bedroom, and picked up the receiver.

"Hello?"

"I seek the one known as Brian of Trent," a deep, gravely voice said from the other end.

"And who should I say is calling?"

I heard another voice in the background. "I am his father," said the first voice.

I could see the speaker now, and I shuddered. The creature looked for all the world like a six foot flounder wearing a gray uniform. "You mean that Brian is half-human, and half alien fish?"

Someone laughed, and I knew the voice now. "No, I am his father. Tell Brian of Trent that I will meet him on the next rotation after the learning...." After a pause, the creature said, "The time period called tomorrow after school."

"Okay," I said and hung up the phone.

Two seconds later, I stood in an alleyway somewhere in Glengarion. I changed to my boy self, kind of gangly and awkward now that I was fourteen, but he had asked for Brian. I walked down the alley only to have a dozen rats get in the way."

"Where do you think you're going, little boy," one of them said to me.

"Guess what, guys, it's not your lucky day. I'm the exterminator, and if you don't get out of the way in five seconds, you will be earthworms."

Fifty more rats seethed into the street the support the first dozen. "Let's take the exterminator apart," the first rat said.

A flock of robins landed on the street in front of me. I snapped my fingers, and all of the rats turned into worms. The birds made quick work of them, but some did find hiding places.

"Thanks, guys," I told the birds.

"Any time, unicorn," the birds sang back and took off.

I walked back through the alley, then had to look up as I felt something evil, and disgusting coming in, fast. I saw a black speck dropping right at me. The speck grew larger, and I saw what it was. I put up all the shields I could.

The harpy let loose, with a bomb of excrement. I thew it back at her, until all of her feathers were covered with the filth. She fell the rest of the way.

I stood there, watching as the creature smoldered. "I had no quarrel with you, ancient one. Why the lovely greeting?"

"Those rats were my agents," the creature said.

"Well, you win some, lose some. Save a few rats, or fight with the unicorn. Not a good choice."

"I am an immortal, unicorn. You dare fight me?" she said, and tried to stand up.

"Do you want to spend the rest of eternity as an earthworm with your agents?"

She took off, awkwardly, but she managed to fly. I watched her until I knew she wouldn't try anything else.

I found the room with the fish, turned invisible, and walked inside.

Charlie, the demon, sat on a cot, tied up, and wrapped in chains. The flounder shook the telephone receiver.

"Why do I not hear her?"

Charlie sighed. "She has broken the transmission."

"Our fleet draws closer to this world, and I must present the being, known as Brian of Trent, to my lord and master.

"I tell you again, you do not want to do that. Brian of Trent is one of the more powerful creatures in this part of the galaxy. Do not give him reason to destroy your fleet. Tell your lord and master that it is too dangerous. You need to leave this galaxy, and now."

The fish started pacing. "Our fleet has spent thousands of generations traveling from our galaxy to this one. In all of that time, the only being greater than our fleet we have found is the Destroyer. He requires Brian of Trent, and we will deliver this creature to Him."

The fish stood taller than I did, by at least a foot. It had a flat head, with gray, tough skin, and eyes that moved from one side of the head to the other depending on the field of vision it needed. The body was covered with a gray suit, but it stood on three points. Two, elongated back fins, and a tail gave it balance.

It moved slowly across the room. "Do you think the female will tell Brian of Trent to be ready?"

I dropped the spell, and said, "Yes, she did. I am Brian of Trent." With a thought, I released Charlie from his bonds. "This is my demon, and if anyone is going to bind him, it will be me. So, Darth Flounder, you are my father?"

The fish pulled what might have been a weapon from a pocket in it's suit. "I am...." he said, and said a long sting of consonants with a few vowels. "You will come with me to see the lord and master of the fleet that is now approaching this world.

With a snap of my fingers, I made the object in his fin, or whatever, crumble into dust. "Let's see this fleet of yours."

A large screen appeared in the middle of the room. The picture turned on and searched the star fields until I did spot a large field of bright dots, moving. I focused in on the fleet. "Whoa, those ships are really cool, Gortex, for short...." Charlie laughed. "Why me?"

"The Destroyer wishes it so. We will present you to the Destroyer for some of it's vast energy, and then return to destroy this world, and your home world while we are at it. We will then move to capture this end of your galaxy, while the Destroyer works on the other."

"You heard him," I told Charlie. "He's threatened the worlds of this galaxy and I have to do my job. I will never, ever watch those stupid space operas after this,"

"What is a space opera?" the fish asked.

"You would never understand." I scanned the fleet, and nodded. "There must be a thousand ships, and that big one in the center -- your lord and master's flag ship?" I scanned in on the ship as Gortex agreed. I found what I thought was the bridge. The captain, or whatever he was called looked to be a fifteen foot tall, hammer-head shark.

I searched for a moment, then started my plan. I had to gather all of the crew into landing pods, thousands of them, and I launched them all to an aquatic world on the other side of the galaxy. Then, taking one third of the ships at a time, I sent them to an empty world that would be the perfect garage.

I gathered all the crew on the big ship, and sent them after the rest.

"What did you do?" Gortex demanded.

"I am a Guardian of the Worlds. You, as a representative of the invading fleet declared that your fleet would destroy this world, and my home world. I took the fleet away from you. Only the Flag ship remains, and that one is mine."

"You never told me the extent of this being's power."

"Until now," Charlie admitted, "I didn't know that it was that extensive myself."

"Learn something new every day," I said. "Now, Mr. Gortex, I think we need to pay calls on your lord and master."

I checked the atmosphere in the ship, and popped over to it, dragging the flounder with me. We landed in the bridge.

The Captain stood there, at least twenty feet long from head to tail, glaring at us.

"Please, my Lord and Master," Gortex said, and groveled on the floor. "I have the being known as Brian of Trent. I had no idea he was so powerful."

"What have you done with my fleet?"

I shrugged. "The fleet is now parked safely on a world, out there, some where. Your crew have found new lives on another world as well. I'd say they were happy as clams. In fact, I think they are clams."

"You are but a child of your species?" His eyes studied me, lifeless and black as a shark's.

I nodded. "As a unicorn, I am full grown, but yes, I am still considered to be a child."

"I have guided this fleet through the vast, intergalactic space to this spiral mass, only to be defeated by a child?"

"Too bad, so sad," I said with a smile. "Now, I am going to send the two of you off to join your crew, while I revamp this ship to suit my species."

The shark struck out at me. I didn't believe the speed that he could use to move that tail. It connected, and sent me flying across the bridge while the shark screamed in pain. I looked up to see the creatures mouth coming down at me. All those teeth closed around me, I felt myself being picked up, but the shark screamed again as his tongue sizzled.

I jumped out of the mouth, landed behind the command chair, and watched as the shark changed shapes. It shrank.

"What did you do?" Gortex shouted at me.

"He's going to be a donkey -- it's a beast of burden, so I can't send him to a water world."

"A beast of burden?" Gortex asked.

"What did you do to me?" the donkey asked,

"Take it easy, Daisy, it's only for the rest of your life. Now, Gortex there is going to take care of you."

I made Gortex look as human as I could, and sent both of them back to the fairy world. They really should fit right in. A moment later, I started to work on the ship. Soon, I could sit down on the command chair and feel comfy.

A large cat, with outstretched wings appeared on the floor beside me. "Toby?"

The seeger opened it's mouth, and a lady's voice spoke through it. "The Powers wish to thank you, once again for the tremendous service you have done for our world.

The screen in front of me showed the fairy world. The picture focused down to show John's tower in the north. The picture followed a line to the north east and showed a deep forest, I could feel the magic in it. There, in the center of the forest stood a large clearing. Nothing there, except a lake. A line, in blue, drew a large square around the lake and moved out to cover half the forest.

"This is the Barony of Trent," the lady said. "It is in independent holding, in your name only, but you now have a home on this world."

"Thank you for that," I said, truly moved.

"Now, before you wish to explore -- Space, the final frontier, you are needed here. Our seeger, Anna, will take you there."

A moment later, I found myself in a large hall, half filled with people, the same courtroom that I had faced Lord Kalandros. I sat down in an empty bench and waited.

Soon enough, a guard dragged a boy, my age, through one of the side doors, and forced him into a box in front of the court.

"You are the boy called Eric?" what looked to be a clerk asked,

"Yeah, that's me, sir, but I ain't no bloody thief."

"The judge will determine that."

More people entered the court, including a little girl of four that ran over to my bench and climbed up on my lap.

"Hi," she said. "Are you going to save us again? Everyone's mad at Eric."

"Of course I am," I whispered.

She hugged me, and settled back to watch.

I saw Eric look around the hall for his sister. He spotted us, stared at me for a second until I saw his face light up in recognition. He closed his eyes and bowed his head for a minute, then glanced back at me. He looked relieved,

My mouth opened as John and Melody walked into the room, with Toby right behind them. Cassie was not there. Will, my friend from the raided village walked in after them. He stared at me for a moment, then walked back.

"Brian?"

"Yes, it's me. This is Lil, the sister of that young man up in the docket. I think both of them may need a place to stay after this."

"I know just the place, too. I was called here, but until I saw you I had no idea it was so important."

"More than that," I said. "Seeger Toby is here, too. The powers are placing a lot on the outcome of this trial." I quickly told Will what had happened the day before I met him the year before.

Toby turned around in his seat, and stared at me. He gave me a wide grin, then pulled on John's sleeve and made him look as well.

A moment later, the three of them walked back as Will and I moved over on the bench.

Toby managed to squeeze over to give me a quick hug before Lil complained. "The Powers are so grateful to both of you for coming today."

"Toby, have I met your friend?" Melody asked.

"My dear, this is my friend, Brian of Trent. Kimblerly Trent was your maid of honor?"

"Yes, I remember Kim. A lovely girl. I am so happy to meet you,"

The Clerk of the Court called for silence as the judge entered. The judge took his seat.

"Eric, you are accused of taking a large amount of gold coins from Lord Heyden. How do you plead?"

"I didn't do it, m'lord. The gold was a gift to me and my sister. I was careful with it, I was -- just like he told me. I only bought what we needed to live, food and clothes, m'lord. But Lord Heyden started taxing us. I mean the tax men came every week to take more and more from us until we had nothing left, that's when he started talking that I had stolen the gold."

Lord Heyden stood up. At that point, I gave him a full dose of truth telling.

"Is this true, you taxed this boy of all that he had?"

"Of course it is. He had gold, and a lot of it. I wasn't about to let this vermin keep wealth like that, when I could take it from him."

"And you charge him with stealing from you?"

Lord Heyden puffed up for a moment. "He didn't steal anything, but he told his village his father had given him the money, and his father is a known smuggler and thief. Then he changed his story to say that some noble boy gave him the gold. Utter rubbish. Let him prove that, or I want him hung as a thief and the son of a thief."

"Very well, Eric, is it? Who is the noble boy that gave you the gold?"

"He didn't give me his name, m'lord. I was taking my sister to find our dad, when we met him and his friends coming out of the forest. There was a girl, two fauns and and old man with him. The girl was mad cause Lil was crying, but she always gets cranky when she's hungry, and the boy had to fight with them others for us. He saw that we was starving, and he gave Lil food, and the gold to me to take care of her. We owe him our lives."

"Do you know where this boy lives?"

"No, m'lord, but he's right back there, the one with my sister on his lap. You could ask him yourself."

I handed Lil over to Melody, and stood up. I slid out to the aisle, and motioned for Toby to follow me. I approached the bench. "Your honor, I gave this young man food, and gold. The kids were starving."

"Do I know you?"

"Yes, you do, your honor. I'm Brian of Trent. Two years ago you upheld my claim against Lord Kalandros. I took the gold from my own funds, and I will swear to it, if you like. I am a unicorn of my word."

The judge laughed. "Brian, if there is anything in this life I would swear to, it is just that." He stood up, and cleared his throat. "Will everyone stand? We are in the presence of a Guardian of the Worlds."

Everyone stood. I felt like blushing. "It's okay, just doing my job."

As the people sat back down, the judge turned back to the matter at hand. "Lord Heyden, I direct you to pay back every penny of the gold you took from Eric and his sister with a fifty percent penalty for their trouble."

"You believe the word of this child over me?" Lord Heyden shouted.

"Yes, I do. The Guardian known as Brian of Trent has proven time and time again that he is a unicorn to be trusted. Your case is dismissed."

Fiery letters appeared in the air between me, and Lord Heyden. "Beware the Unicorn."

"Pay the kid the money you owe him, and leave, Lord Heyden. Anything else will have you end up Eric's donkey, you know that."

He walked through the letters. "I'm not afraid of you."

I changed to myself, and reared up pointing my horn right into the man's face. "Only a jackass would touch a unicorn. Go ahead, make my day."

The man turned and ran away. I changed back to human. "Good choice." I turned, and handed Eric a bag stuffed with gold coins. "He forgot this."

Toby touched Eric's arm. "I speak for the Powers," he said, and kept his mouth open. "Go with our friend, Will, back to his village. There is a place for you and your sister there. You have been given a great task to perform, when you are ready for it, until then, you will want for nothing."

Chapter 2.

I sat down in the ship's command chair, and resisted the urge to ask for Engineering. "Computer on."

The whole bridge lit up, as a voice responded. "Welcome back. How can I help you?"

"I need information on the Destroyer."

"The Destroyer of Galaxies was discovered by this fleet. An entity of unlimited power, the Destroyer spans the space of two light years."

The screen lit up, and showed a film. The creature had no real shape, only fuzzy outlines -- like a jellyfish. I could see flashes of light, pulsing through the thing, I thought, like neurons, firing.

I watched a bolt of energy fired from the thing's core. The energy engulfed a small star. In seconds, the star shattered only to be absorbed into the Destroyer.

"The Destroyer is on course to intersect this world. From what communication we could establish, the Destroyer is looking for the being known as Brian of Trent."

"Why?" I asked it,

"To destoy it," the machine said, and for the first time since I had changed into a unicorn, I felt scared.

"How far away from this location is that thing?"

"Twenty light years. But, as it absorbs more engery from the stars it consumes, it is moving faster."

"Take us there," I said. "I want to approach the Destroyer from the middle.

The world blinked, and I saw the Destroyer now on the open screen. It moved in waves from the tip of it's nose to it's tail like a giant amoeba. I felt nothing from the creature.

"It is not aware of the presence of this ship," the computer stated.

"Probably doesn't care."

"Is this ship equipped with a lab?"

I felt another blink, and found myself in the lab. I could live here, I thought, looking at the banks of computers. I brought the sight of the creature up on the screen. I sent my thoughts out to probe the Destroyer, and pulled back a second later. The power felt familiar, somehow.

I tried again, sending my thoughts deep in the creature's innards, until I found what I took to be it's core. The thing wasn't truly aware, as such, it just was, but I felt the power that had created it, and it was mine.

Toby's star, I thought with a shudder. I had directed all that power to deep space, where it had exploded looking like a star, that burned out in seconds. But, there was power left over that had grown, and grown with the power I had used to send it to deep space. From there, it had started to search, for me, the one it was created to destroy.

How stupid could I have been? Stupid enough. I never considered that spell could take on a life of it's own. No, it was in deep space and it had exploded and it was over. Now I had to pay for that mistake.

I used my horn to cut a small piece of the beast off it's side. I brought it into the lab, then had to make a shielded box to to hold it. The piece tended to shoot out bolts of energy to regain strength.

After the computers made a complete analysis, I tried to destroy the sample. I tried every spell I could think of and nothing happened. If I couldn't destroy a little piece of the creature what was I going to do with two light years worth?

I finally put the sample back where I had found it, and shuddered.

I read through the analysis, and wished I had paid more attention in science class. None of it made much sense.

"What can destroy that thing?"

"No power in the known universe could destroy it."

I paced the lab for an hour, before I took off to find the kitchen. I ate, and settled back to think. I must have racked my brain for hours, thinking of all the old science fiction films I knew, then it came to me. Maybe nothing could destroy it, but could something absorb it?

"Computer, in this galaxy there are objects that are pure gravity, nothing, not even light can escape their gravitational pull. Find a 'Black Hole.'"

One second later, the computer brought up on the screen something that scared me to the depth of my soul. The Black Hole was nothing, non-existance. This was gaping maw in the galaxy that sucked everything into it.

"If the Destroyer came anywhere near this, what would happen."

After a moment, it said, the Destroyer would be contained within the Black Hole, and it would eventually be destroyed in turn."

"Is there a Black Hole anywhere on the creature's course?"

A star chart appeared. "The Destroyer is here," the computer said, "and this is it's present course.' A line appeared from the creature to the fairy world. "The closest Black Hole is here." Another line veered way off course.

"I will need to find a way to either bring the Destroyer to the Black Hole, or the Black Hole to the Destroyer."

Directing the ship back into orbit around the fairy world, I took myself home, to think some more.

Chapter 3.

After several days, I had the beginnings of an idea. I turned back to unicorn, cut a doorway into a different world, and traveled the forest where I could find Trouble, and his family,

Trouble met me, I think he came the moment he felt my distress. We nuzzled for a moment, before he looked me straight in the eyes.

"What happened now?"

"I need to see the Elders," I said. "There is an entity, stronger than anything in this universe heading this way. It can destroy stars in seconds, and it will take no time to destroy all the worlds we guard."

"I see. Come with me, and now."

We traveled to still another world. I found myself in a large, open field. A few unicorns were present, as well as two of the elders.

Trouble approached first, and waited for the acknowledgment. "Elder, I bring my friend to you, She has terrible news for the worlds we guard."

"Daughter, you may speak."

"The danger before is one of my own creation. I acted, perhaps a little hastily, but I had no idea that the consequences could be so grave." I projected my memories to the elder. "Mother, here, in the battle, the seeger, Toby, used power so grave I could not let that spell complete or it would have destroyed the village we were in, and a great deal of the surrounding countryside. I truly believed that it would destroy everything in range."

"I agree with your assessment. The spell would have done just that. And you responded?"

I showed her the vortex into deep space I had created, and the explosion as the spell went off.

"You did well, my daughter. I would not have thought of that. That spell exploded harmlessly in space."

"I thought so, but the spell was not destroyed in that blast. The explosion scattered the power of the spell over a vast distance in space, but the power remained. It grew." I said. "The power grew into an entity of it's own. The power now has some awareness of itself and others, and watch...."

I projected the image of the Destroyer feeding on a star.

"It would take two years for a beam of light to travel from one end to the other of that -- thing. It is on a direct course toward my home world, and the fairy realms looking for me. It was created to destroy me, and it will wipe out everything in its path. to do so."

I next showed her my memories of everything I tried to do to destroy one little piece of the thing.
"It feeds on power, mother, all power. The starship I took from the invaders declared there was no power great enough in the galaxy to destroy the entity, but only absorb it."

I showed her the image of the Black Hole, and this time she all but screamed trying to turn her head and close her eyes.

"Enough, child, I have seen such, once in my life, and I thank the Light that I was too far away to be swallowed by the dead star. Do you think you could lead that being to the Black Hole?"

"No, mother, I don't. I think I would be destroyed long before then. I have a plan to bring the Black Hole to that creature."

"Impossible."

"Yes, I agree, but there may be a way. I will need time, and a lot of help from every available Guardian to test my theory on this. But, if I am right, we will be able to get rid of the creature long before it can pose a threat to us, or this densely populated area here, about halfway between the creature and us."

She turned and studied Trouble for a moment. "Your father would be perfect for this assignment, my son. I will ask him, for both of you, and have other's join you as they can.

Chapter 4.

I brought the three of us on board the flag ship I had named The Guardian, and directed it back to the Destroyer. Both of the males stood, frozen as the screen displayed the creature. Again, I saw the Destroyer send an energy bolt that took a part a planet.

"That must be dealt with, now."

Without warning, Dad popped out of the ship. and streaked toward the Destroyer before I could stop him. He entered the energy field, and created a vortex with his horn. Traveling in huge circles, Dad made a maelstrom in the power field, but the creature absorbed it. A bolt of energy struck the unicorn and knocked him silly. I grabbed Trouble's hand and together we brought his father back to the ship before he was hit again.

As soon as he was comfortable, I sliced a couple of hunks of the Destroyer, trapped them in boxes, and directed the ship out of there.

Dad woke, a little groggy, and gave me a small smile. "Thank you for my life, daughter. After everything I had heard about the beast from the Elder, and you, I still had to be headstrong, and make a fool of myself. What could possibly stop that thing?"

"You'll see when you're ready. But, for the moment, I want to try something."

In the lab, I had set up the boxes containing the hunks of energy, with a clear view inside. I called on all the powers that I could think of, and formed a tiny dot of the matter that made up the black hole. It appeared in the box with the energy, and we watched as the piece of the Destroyer fought against the gravitational pull. Two seconds later, the hunk of Destroyer vanished forever inside the mini hole.

"What is that?" Trouble asked. The box that contained the hole started to shake. With a thought, I unmade the mini hole.

Back on the bridge, I took us back to just within range of the singularity. Dad, and Trouble simply shook their heads.

"How many of those boxes would we need?" Dad asked.

"Between five and seven hundred," the computer answered.

"This will take time," I said, "and with all the help we can get. When the boxes are ready, we take fly them inside the Destroyer, and open them. All the minis will draw together to for a real Black Hole and you saw the result."

"Do we want to have seven hundred boxes on this ship all at once? What if one broke open?"

"Not on this ship. I have a thousand ships ready to fly, and we would load one box per ship."

The process of making the mini holes was tedious, and time consuming. It took a lot of trial and effort to find the right size -- large enough to be effective, but not enough to destroy the box.

Unicorns would come and go to help as they pleased, but we always had enough help to keep the job going around the clock. I always knocked off and went home to keep Mom happy.

****

"This is so stupid," a stallion complained. "Why do we have to waste all this time making these boxes? We should be fighting, like unicorns, not making boxes because a little girl said so."

"That little girl knows what she's talking about," said another.

"Patience," Dad cut into the conversation. "You can't fight that entity like a unicorn. I tried. If that little girl hadn't pulled my tail back onto this ship I would have died, fighting like a unicorn. That thing feeds on power, any sort of power. With all the power I used against it, I would have been no more than a light snack."

"But it can't stand up to all of us," the stallion insisted.

"My son, that is an idea. Let's try it. My daughter to be has samples of the creature. Let us see for ourselves how well that would work."

I brought out a box containing one squre foot of the beast. The stallion went first. I saw power spinning from his horn, into the box. I saw him struggle as he drew more power and fired it over and over at the sample.

"It's getting stronger," the stallion said.

Dad, Trouble and I added our power to the stallion's efforts. I had to call it off when it looked as if the sample would break the box.

"Now, watch." I placed a mini hole into the box, and in seconds, the sample vanished into the void.

"You see?" Dad asked. "This may be tedious and boring, but it will work. If every Guardian tried at the same time to fight that monster, we would only make it stronger, and lose most of our number."

The stallion went back to work, but I had the feeling he was not convinced.

For the next few days a lot of unicorns showed up to help, but several more started complaining about how tedious this was. My stomach turned sour as I thought about it, and I did report to the Elders about this as well. I thought there would be trouble, real trouble, and I wanted it stopped.

The next day, everyone working in the lab stopped as we received a distress call from one, then another unicorn. Everyone popped up to the bridge and with all that power we arrived at the Destoryer's location in seconds.

There, I saw a whirlwind inside the creature where six unicorns were fighting. A second later, one unicorn passed. Acting as a group, we pulled one unicorn out of the creature as another passed. It was a fight, not against the Destroyer, but with the unicorns that were fighting it.

We managed to pull another unicorn from the fray, as the last three were taken by the Destroyer. A moment later, we had the remains, and I took the ship away.

I felt something else. During the fight, the Destroyer felt my presence. We dodged the bolts of power it sent after us, but the thing transmitted to me.

The language made no sense, but the meaning was clear. "My creator demanded your death, Brian of Trent, I will give it to him."

I didn't try to respond.

In spite of our best efforts, we lost one unicorn on the way back. I refused to believe it. Five unicorns down, when our numbers were so few to begin with. I wanted to cry, I wanted to scream, and most of all I wanted to tear the Destroyer apart piece by piece and make it suffer as I was.

"Daughter?"

I looked at the old unicorn, and blinked my eyes.

"We have to get the stallions back to their families, and the Elders are calling for us, all of us."

"I thought that unicorns faded out when they passed," I said.

"They do, when it's the right time for them to pass," he said. "In time, the Light will call them back, but until then their families will care for the bodies."

The meeting with the Elders went quickly. We stood in a smaller circle, while the Elders forbade anyone from approaching the Destroyer.

"When the Black Hole project is completed, we will all go to see this to the end. After that, we will call on every capable unicorn to replace what was lost so carelessly,"

Chapter 5.

One thousand ships stood ready on the barren planet I had chosen for them. Each contained one box straining with it's cargo. I placed my ship at a safe distance from the Destroyer, far enough away to avoid the gravitational pull, but close enough to see the results.

The first wave of three hundred ships flew into the middle of the Destroyer, dropped their cargo, and returned to their home world without any response from the creature. The second wave drew a tentative probe, but nothing else. The last wave drew no response.

All of us used a little power to force the boxes into one, huge flock. I gave the command, and all of the boxes vanished, freeing the mini holes. As I expected, the holes started to pull together. Over the next hour, the mini holes formed a small black hole in the center of the creature. Those of us that had worked on making the mini holes, directed power into making the hole larger.

"There," I said, and pointed at the screen. We saw the new black hole, that looked larger than our model. I felt the first waves of a quasar, forming.

The new singularity was not within light years of any star system. But, it pulled in light, gasses, and bit by bit, the Destroyer lost mass as it, too, was pulled into the Hole.

The creature shot bolts of pure power into the hole, hoping to destroy it as it had everything else in it's path, but the power could not escape.

The Destroyer turned frantic as it reached out for anything that might save it. I felt it touch me, and I heard the question it asked. "Why?"

"My death is not yours to give," I answered it.

I felt a pang as I watched the last bit of the creature vanish into the hole, and I felt something else, something that made me furious, but I had no time to deal with it now.

The Elder mare cleared her throat. "Five lives were lost to impatience. But now, they have been redeemed by our Daughter, through her knowledge of human science, and the will to take the time to find the correct solution."

"Grandmother, I think it was also the same trap I've fell into from time to time. I mean, the Guardians have so much power that we tend to forget that no matter how much power you have there will always be someone or something that has more. The stallions that were lost could not even imagine anything that could stand up to six unicorns."

Chapter 6.

I dropped everyone off at their worlds, and took my ship back into orbit over the fairy world. I touched went straight to John's tower, dressed as Kimberly, and knocked on the door.

Toby opened the door, then slammed it in my face. In spite of the bolt, I pushed the door open, and froze the faun where he stood.

"I speak for the powers," he said.

"I don't," I answered him back, with a shrug. "So, tell me about that little spell of yours you directed to kill me.

"You killed it. You destroyed it. What more do you want? That was all the power I had left."

"I thought you were my friend," I said. "I would have given your powers back to you, when the Powers decided it was right, but not after that. That THING destroyed whole star systems. Do you have any idea how many worlds -- how many peoples it killed?"

"No," he stammered out. "It told me it was feeding, growing big enough to destroy you. I didn't know it was killing people."

"Tell me the truth, or it will go a lot worse for you," I said.

"Or what? You're going to throw me into that thing you made?"

"It's a Black Hole, and no, I'm not here to punish you, the Powers will do that. I just wanted to know why? Why did I have to destroy a life form like no other. Why did you set it on this galaxy to destroy everything in it's path?"

"You really are stupid, you know that. I wanted the power again. I created that spell to destroy you and everything for miles around you. All those kids, and the grown ups, too."

John walked into the room, staring at his step-son.

"You sent my spell into space, and took all of my powers away from me, but I made that spell blow up, like you did with that fake horn. You thought it was over, but I knew it was still there. I could draw power from it, not much, but enough. I helped get it started, and it grew, and grew until my spell could destroy a world, then a star, and even a unicorn.

"When my spell moved close enough to this world, then I would have you. With you out of the way, I could take my spell back, and I would have more power than all of the Guardians. I would have more power than the Powers. No one would ever laugh at me again."

"People laugh at you now?"

"All the time," Toby shrieked. "They call me stupid, because I can't talk like they do. I'm half-faun, and they hate me for it."

"You know that isn't true," John said. "No one has laughed at you or made fun of you since you moved here."

"I hear them laughing all the time," Toby said.

"So? People can laugh, and it doesn't have to be at you," I said. "I used to get beat up at school all the time, so which is worse?"

"I don't care. Everyone hates me."

I looked at John. "Ever wonder about Columbine? We came this close to losing this world because of his hatred."

Toby screamed. "The Powers say I am not a seeger any more. They hate me, too." He balled his fists, and stormed across the room at me. "You have taken everything from me."

"Go ahead, hit me if it will make you feel better. Have I ever hated you?"

He stared at me, then shook his head. "No."

"Toby, it's my job to guard this world against threats -- even from my friends. But, this can't go on. I think you need a vacation, a long vacation, and maybe when you get back you will feel better about yourself."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm going to grant your fondest wish," I said. "I want you to spend some time with your father and brother."

He snorted. "They hate me, too. I turned Deelan into a fawn, remember?"

"You think they could forgive you for that? They have, I know. Here," I said. A second later, Toby turned into a faun, as he had that day with the Hunter. "Go, they are waiting for you, and they will send you home, when you are ready."

Toby patted himself down. "You did this for me? Why? I tried to kill you."

"You forgot who you were. Cassie's spell, and all that power made you forget the person you were when I met you. Toby, you are a good kid, a really good kid. Remember that." I sent him off to join his other family.

"That was very kind," John said. "I will miss him, too. He is a good kid."

I felt something else, and I nodded. "Take care of the others," I said, "but I need to see someone."

Outside, I found Trouble waiting for me. "Are you quite finished?"

"Yes, thank you," I said with my best grin. "Why are you here?"

He gave me a puzzled look. "Why do you think, my darling. We need to answer the Elder's call."

"I didn't hear them? What call?"

"Remember? We need to replace what was lost."

I frowned and walked by his side. "We need to pass our powers on to new unicorns?"

"No, why would we give up our lives when we are needed here? I have no wish to return to the Light at this point. There are other ways to replace unicorns, many ways, and I will be happy to teach you what they are."

"Oh," I said, feeling stupid. "Oh!" I felt my whole body blush. "I just bet you will teach me."

"It is our duty as Guardians, my dear."

"Duty, so that's what you call it."

He picked me up, kissed me right on the lips, and a second later we stood in a huge pasture not far from his parents home.

Chapter 7.,

I walked into the house, through the kitchen door, to find Mom sitting at the kitchen table, smoking and drinking coffee. "Mom?"

"Kim," she said and crushed the cigarette out. "I wasn't expecting you in so early. Where have you been? Saving the galaxy from aliens?"

"No, that was last month, Mom. This time I was getting everything ready."

She looked down at the papers on the desk. "I'm glad you're getting ready. I don't know how I am ever going to manage this mess."

"What?" I asked as I sat down at the table. A glass of sweet ice tea appeared on the table in front of me.

"Bills. I did get that raise at work, but even that isn't helping. The bank will be foreclosing on the house, and soon."

"I told you I could take care of that," I said.

"What, with those gold coins?" she demanded.

Two ingots of gold appeared on the table, along with several huge jewels, two huge diamonds, and a larger sapphire. "Like that?"

"That's a fortune," she said. "Where did you get this?"

"From my vault in Glengarion. Mom, this isn't even petty cash for me, just loose change."

"You could have told me about this," she said.

"I have, lots and lots of times, mother, but you kept saying that everything was fine. You didn't need this."

She slumped forward. "I never dreamed it was real."

"It is. That alien creature I fought was real, and I have a fleet of a thousand spaceships ready to go anywhere in the galaxy. Now, are you ready for some good news? The best news is the world?"

"Yes, if you will sell this gold off and pay the mortgage."

"I will, there's that new jeweler in town that buys this stuff. But, we may not have to. Let me explain."

"Let's get to the jewelers now."

"Mom, I wanted to tell you the best news in the world."

"Do you want to go out for ice cream? We can afford to celebrate now."

"Mom, will you just listen to me? I'm going to have twins."

"That's nice, Kim, but what about that ice cream...." She frowned. "What do you mean twins?"

"Boys, twin boys. Mom, I'm pregnant. I won't be able to stay here much longer, that's what I was getting ready."

"Kim, are you sure? Have you seen a doctor?"

"I am sure, and no, I don't need to see a doctor." I took a long sip of my ice tea. "Not much a doctor could do for me, anyway. But, as I said, I'm leaving here, and...."

"You're running away? Kim, this is no time for a temper tantrum. You're too young to be pregnant.... Who's the father?"

"Trouble, my colt friend?" I said. "You've met him. Tall, handsome and brilliant?"

"He's in trouble for this. What's his real name?"

"You don't speak Unicorn, Mom. You wouldn't understand it."

She stood up. "Kim, look at you. You are developing nicely, and beautifully at that, but you're not ready to have a baby, let alone twins. If you can carry to term it will be a miracle."

"Mom, you're not getting this. I am fully grown, as a unicorn, and I won't have any problems at all. That's what magic is all about. It takes six months, well five months now, and...."

"What takes six months?" she asked.

"My term. It takes six months, which is why I can't stay here much longer. I have to go home, and get ready."

"You are home, and it takes nine months, the last time I checked."

I shook my head. "Mom, think about this. I'm not pregnant as a human."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded.

"Mom, when a two horses mate, what do you get?"

"A foal," she said.

"Yes, and that takes eleven months. When two people make love they get a baby and it takes nine months. When two unicorns mate, well, have wild passionate sex like you wouldn't believe, it takes six months to make a unicorn foal. I'm not having babies, Mom. I'm having unicorns."

She stared at me.

I pointed down to my nether regions. "I'm not ready to carry a human baby to term in this shape, but I couldn't think about carrying two foals, with hooves and horns like this. I have to turn back to unicorn so I can't stay here much longer. I've spent the last month getting our new house ready."

"New house?" she asked, and still looked stunned.

"Yes, palace would be a better word. See, technically, I am the Baron of Trent, now. The Powers awarded me my own land, and that title since I'm famous there as Brian of Trent. I had to be a boy most of the time I spent there, so I have a title, and all this land but most of the land is in this enchanted forest, well, except for the lake, but I didn't want to clear trees for the house, I think they'd get upset, so I built the manor house in the same town as John built his tower.

"You were there for his wedding last year. Remember? Nice place, and our house will move itself, when it feels like it, but it is really big. And there is this huge pasture, for Trouble and his folks when they come to visit, and to raise the kids."

"Kim, couldn't you just turn the babies to human?"

"No, that wouldn't be right. They are going to be born unicorns, and I will be there to help teach them their jobs, but it will be their choice if they want to turn human or to take human names. I mean, I will, once the kids are weaned, and they may change because I do, but they are going to be unicorns before they are humans. I did it the other way, you know, and it makes things a little awkward with the others."

"You don't have to do this," Mom said. "You are still so young to get tied down with kids, now."

"I am a unicorn, mother. All able bodied unicorns were called, by the Elders, to do our duty to the worlds and our species, and to replace those poor souls that were lost. I am having two, and from what I've heard there are a total of twelve on the way.

"I do have just short of forever to live my life, have fun, and raise many more foals than these, but the Guardians need the new unicorns now, not in a few years when you think I will be ready, I know what my duty is -- duty, that's the word for it, and it is another part of the job description."

"So, as I understand this, you are going to live in this big house, as a unicorn to have your twins, and it's a magic house?"

"I will be in stable as a unicorn, and yes, it is. Come on," I said pointing to the kitchen door. "It's right out here."

Mom opened the door to see the lake at the south end of Trent. She slammed the door closed. She opened it, and stepped through to the banks of the lake. She looked around the forest as I joined her.

"It's okay, everyone. I want you to meet my Mom," I called out.

Two young satyrs ran out from the woods. They giggled, bowed, and ran back. A moment later, two fauns stepped out of the woods. Deelan pushed his brother forward.

"Deelan, good to see you. This is my Mom. Toby?"

Toby bowed his head. "I owe you more than I can every repay," his thoughts flashed at me. "I lost me in the power of the seeger, and I swear it won't happen again. You were right, my father and Deelan welcomed me back, and this is where I belong."

"He means home, with our family, not here," Deelan explained.

"I got that part. Mom, this is Deelan, and his brother Toby. Toby's the kid that did his best to destroy the universe."

"They're naked," Mom said, as if in a daze.

"No, they're fauns. Half deer, and half boys. It really wouldn't make sense for them to wear clothes."

"They even have white tails, this is incredible. I am so happy to meet both of you."

Toby bowed, again, and held out his hand to Mom. She shook it, and stepped back. "Where is the house?"

"In town. I wanted this land to stay untouched, a sanctuary for anyone or thing that needs it." I turned to Toby. "I'm going to show her the house. You are welcome there, when you go back to visit your mother."

Toby nodded, and both of them ducked back into the woods.

I snapped my fingers, and we stood at the edges of the village. Mom took one look at the village, the controlled chaos of the houses, and villagers, and sighed. "I could live here."

"This way," I said and almost dragged her down to Mr. Bedrick's shop. "You won't want to go home after this."

I saw Mom's eyes water as we walked into the shop. "What is that? I've never smelled anything so delightful before."

"Bread. Mr. Bedrick is a true magician when it comes to baking bread. Mr. Bedrick, my Mom."

"Ah, the lady who would have killed you if you didn't change back into a girl?"

Mom laughed. "That is so true"

Mr. Bedrick split a loaf of bread, added butter and gave each of us a half. Mom took one bite, and glanced at me.

"I will never forgive myself. Kim has told me so much about your bread, but I never believed it could be true. I will be staying here, with her, and I will need a least a dozen loaves a day."

"For you, Mrs. Trent, no charge. You will have all the bread you want. I owe my life, and my shop to your daughter, and her Unicorn Fund."

"I will still pay you for mine. I'm eating for three now."

"Congratulations," he shouted. "You and your stallion friend must be so excited."

"Yes, it's his first time, too. He will be moving in with me, too, to help with the foal rearing."

"The two of you will be married?"

"In human terms, no, but in unicorn terms, yes. There is a ceremony that the Elders have for this occasion, and when it is our turn, I will invite the whole town. I have one more stop to make before I show Mom the new house."

After we finished our bread, I took Mom outside, then took us to Glengarion to visit my first warehouse.

"Kim, that building is yours? It's a palace right out of a fairy tale."

"Where do you think you are, Mom? This whole world is a fairy tale. But, I took that from the slave trader I told you about, and that is where I store my gold, and the gold for the Unicorn Fund. Come on."

We approached the main doorway, complete with a portcullis. "Password," the door said.

"Let me through, or I will kick you down with my hooves."

"Enter, Lady Kimberly."

The door and the gate cranked open long enough for the two of us to enter, then they slammed shut.

We walked through the yard to the main keep. A leprechaun popped in front of the door. The tiny person was young, as leprechauns go, and he help up a hand.

"Now, then, who might you be?"

"Kimberly Trent, the unicorn that owns this castle, and you?"

"Are you any relation to Brian of Trent?"

"Yes, that's me, any other questions?"

"State your business, or be turned away," he said.

"My business is my own, not tiny people's. But, I need to pick up some gold, and show my mother around the place. I know, you're just doing your job, but don't annoy the unicorn. I'm pregnant, and not in the mood for it."

Ten more leprechauns appeared in front of me. The one I had been talking to backed off, and an older man, cleared his throat. "Now then, missy, we will let you in, but first, we have several demands that must be met."

I changed to unicorn, power ran up and down my horn and I pointed to right at the man's chest. "I think someone needs a lesson in manners." I used the power to clear the castle of everyone, except the mice.

I looked around the assembled people. "Okay, wee Timothy, what is the name of the Light are your buddies doing, trying to keep me out of my own castle?"

"It's okay, lassie, the boys were just having a little fun with you, that's all."

I stared down at the man with the demands. "You think this is a bit of fun?"

"No, it isn't. We are the workers in your castle, and we will not be ignored. We have demands that have to be met, missy, or you will be barred from this place."

"Excuse me? You are within five seconds of spending your life as a cockroach. Do you want to rethink that last statement? I am a Guardian of the Worlds, and I'm pregnant, don't mess with me."

"All you ever do with that gold is give it out to people in need. What about us? We need it, too, and we are demanding half of that gold for our use."

"This is a not for profit operation. According to the 'Do-Gooders Handbook', rule number 56, helpers at the warehouse are not entitled to any more compensation than has been agreed to. Tim, how much do you pay these guys?"

"A gold piece a day."

"And what is it that they do for that gold piece a day?"

"We take care of the gold, and everything. We keep it organized, and neat."

I stared at the man. "And?"

"That's what we do. We keep it organized, and if we don't get the gold we demand, we will just take it."

"You're a cockroach," I said and watched the leprechaun shrink into a bug. "Anyone want to join him? I turned the man back. "Any questions?"

"She can't take all of us. Get her, lads, take that horn from her head."

"If you touch me you will spend the rest of your lives as donkeys. That's the way the magic works and I can't turn you back. Go ahead."

"She's right, Collin, that's the way the magic works. Only a jackass would touch touch a unicorn, and I will not prove it."

Collin waved his hands, and cast a spell at me. "Now, then, missy, give us the gold."

"And, if I say no?"

"I command you to give us the gold," he shouted, and stood back.

Others started in with the chorus, "Give us the gold." All of them cast control spells at me.

After a while, I had two groups. The larger one was with Collin, and the rest were with Tim. "We are not cockroaches," one of Tim's group said.

Collin stepped forward. "I command you to give us the gold."

I looked at Mom. "It isn't all a fairy tale. But see what I go through? I don't need a crew of leprechauns to keep this place neat and organized, and I don't need to pay them in gold for a job that should pay a few copper pennies. Try to be nice, and they want more."

I sighed, and turned back to the new Leprechaun's Union. "Who asked you guys here to keep this place organized?"

"Timothy did, as a favor to you," one said.

"Who agreed to pay you so much for your services?"

"Timothy, did."

"Who owns this castle and all the gold in it?"

"You do," the group chorused.

"I can do with magic what you guys do for a gold piece a day. I won't be a bully about this, but I want each and everyone of you to apologize to my mother for causing this scene, then go back to work. Or, you may walk out the gates, and you will be barred from ever returning. Your choice."

Each member of the group cast another control spell at me. "Give us the gold.

"Five.... four.... three.... two.... one. Done." I cast the controls spells right back at them. "Freeze, each of you.

They did so.

"Get on your hands and knees and bark like dogs."

They did so.

"All of the gold that Tim paid you has been returned to the Unicorn Fund, with thanks for the donation. Now, march out that gate, and go home. You are not permitted to return here, or to any of my warehouses. Anyone who tries will be a cockroach. Is that clear?"

"Stay right where you are," Collin said, shaking himself out of the control spell. "You don't scare me, my girl. Give us the gold."

The others followed his lead.

"Okay, you're cockroaches, and you were warned. You will stay cockroaches for the next two years, anyone who survives will get a gold piece from me. Good luck, but I will spray this place down with Raid if you get any ideas."

I gathered the bugs up, and dropped them in the back alley where I had met the flounder.

"What was that all about," Mom asked me.

"The definition of power. I found rule number one the hard way, but it's true. People with power have a hard time thinking that there are others that have more power than they do. Those leprechauns didn't believe that I could take them. But, that's rule number one. No matter how much power you have, there is always someone or something that has more. That applies to everyone, except God. I told you about the Destroyer, the being that was two light years long? One light year is several trillion miles. It was about half the distance from our sun to Alpha Centauri. It could destroy stars with a thought. It killed five unicorns, because they grew impatient, and could not believe it had that much power.

"And yet, all that power was no match for a Black Hole. So, it goes on."

The castle doors opened, and I took Mom through the building.

"Well?" I asked her at the end of the tour.

"I could shoot myself. For two years, you have been telling me about this wealth, and I thought you were making up tales, like you did when you were small. All the times you offered to pay the bills, I just shrugged it off and worried myself sick, because I didn't understand rule number one, either. My child is not supposed to have all this power, but, now that you do, let's go see the new house."

Chapter 8.

I stood in my pasture, watching my two month old foals race, hell for leather across the fields, stretching their legs, and enjoying the sun.

"Well, Lassie," Tim said, popping in on one of the fence rails. "Things are still quiet at the warehouses after your last inspection. The boys are growing well."

"Yes, they are," I said with a lot of pride. "The last of this years foals have been born. We have seven boys and five girls. Finally, a real increase in numbers. Trouble and I are going to do our duty again, when the boys are grown a bit more."

Tim sighed. "The end of an era, this is. No more adventures for you, and Brian of Trent will fade away into the legends of this world, as did Black Johnnie and Lord Kalandros."

I gave the leprechaun a long stare. "And just what do you mean by that?"

"Now that you're the mother to such fine boys, you won't be turning human anymore now will you?"

"You don't know me, too well, do you? If you think I am putting myself out to pasture just short of forever, you are getting senile in your old age. You may be too old for adventures, but as a human I will be fifteen in a couple of months. I have a large area back home, that has to be tended, and I will not go back as a unicorn, and I am still a Guardian, kids or no kids. The boys have seen me, in my human forms, both of them, and they are eager to give it a try, too."

"I should have known you would be bringing them up to be as headstrong, and stubborn as yourself."

"Why thank you, Tim, I didn't think you had noticed. Stubborn, that's me, headstrong, and I don't back down, but even you, I hope, will admit that Brian of Trent left this world better than he found it."

"Yes, my lass, I will admit that, and so will everyone that was a slave, or lost a loved one to Creel. You did well for this world. But, and I mean this from the bottom of my heart, heaven help us when there are three of you out there, trying to help."

"You haven't seen anything, yet," I said, and stepped out of the way as Mom and Mr. Bedrick walked out to the paddock.

The twins raced each other to get the the fence first.

"Gramma, Grampa, cakes?" they chorused.

"Of course, little ones," Mr. Bedrick said and passed out two oat cakes, made with fresh grain and a helping of maple and brown sugar oatmeal from home. Two seconds later, Trouble popped in for his share.

I saw the way Mom looked at the baker, and he returned the look. There was a bit of difference in their ages, but if they could find some happiness, I was all for it.

A shadow passed over the grass. Mom looked up and trembled at the sight of a large dragon, with bright red and yellow scales, flying over head.

The twins looked up, and shouted, "Uncle Charlie! Uncle Charlie!."

"Very good, both of you," I said. "Charlie sent that dragon over head. Why, I couldn't say, but the twins saw it as an illusion, not a real dragon. Okay, boys, why did you know that wasn't a real dragon?"

"Mommy, it has no smell, and no heartbeat, and we can't hear the wings beating."

"And that means?" I said.

"We always use our noses, ears, and eyes."

"Perfect. You guys are learning fast. Now, I want you to do this together. Use your power to bring that dragon down here."

Bands of Light flowed from both of their homes, surrounded the illusion, and brought it gently down to the ground.

"Okay, kids, let's make this illusion better."

"Do they have that much power?" Mr. Bedrick asked.

"Yes, and much more than that, even for toddlers, but it's Charlie's power they're using."

The dragon grew twice the size, a moment later, the smell of sulfer filled the air, and the sound of rasping breaths followed by a couple of loud growls followed.

"Good job. Both of you will make the Elders so proud. Now, who can tell me what you do when you meet a real dragon?"

"We bow real low," one said, and showed his grandmother. "And we say, 'Ancient One, it is an honor to see you."

"No, that's not right. We say, 'Its an honor for you to see us!"

"Uh uh. Mommy, what's right?"

"You had it right, my darling boy. Your brother was just teasing you. Now you," and I said the other's unicorn name. "Do dragons eat unicorns?"

"No, they don't Mommy"

"Good for you. Now, let's make that dragon fly."

Charlie appeared outside the fence. "Kimberly, my love, what are you doing?"

"Showing the kids how to make your illusion better. See?" I pointed at the dragon, that sat up on its haunches and growled. A moment later, it blew a jet of flame."

"That's draining my power when you do that," Charlie complained.

"Why did you send that dragon here, if you didn't want the kids to play with it."

"Good dragon, Uncle Charlie," both of the boys said.

"I am not now, and I never will be related to a unicorn," he half shouted.

"But Charlie, you should be proud that the boys have taken to you so well. Remember what happened when we first met?" I said.

"All too well," he said. With a snap of his fingers, he made the illusion vanish, and he vanished a second later.

"He didn't say good 'bye," one of the boys said.

"You could bring him back and remind him," I said.

A second later, Charlie popped back in. He glanced around. "What?"

"You forgot to say good 'bye to the kids. It means a lot from their favorite uncle."

"Good 'bye, children, and don't ever do what your Mom tells you to do." He popped out again as the boys laughed.

"You're demon sounded rather testy when he left," Tim commented.

"He hates being a doting uncle, or so he says."

"Now then, my lass, I had a question for you. What happened to all of the cockroaches that used to be my pals? I knew where they nested."

"Ah, glad you asked. I had a change of heart," I said. "I gave them new lives."

"As what?" Tim demanded.

"As leprechauns. I gave them a new, permanent home, and let them invite their families and, or girl friends to go with them."

"Do I want to know where you sent them?"

"Sure, if you ever want to visit them. I sent them to Gallway, a little place outside the city, and close enough to the bay."

"You sent them where?" Tim asked.

"Ireland, wee Timothy. I sent them to live in the west country. If anyplace in the worlds needs leprechauns it's Ireland."

Tim threw back his head and laughed. "That it does, my lass, that it does. I have never been there."

"Then, when the kids are old enough, and if Mom wants to go on a vacation, you can come with us."

"I think I just might. If only to keep you and the kids on the straight and narrow, if you get my meaning?"

"That, I do," I said with another laugh. "I don't know what I would ever have done without you, Tim. I really don't."

"Uncle Tim, did you really know Mommy when she was a little boy, before she became a unicorn like us?"

"I did, lad, I did, and someday, when you are old enough, I will tell you all about it."
 
 

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Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction set in a universe where magic works. If anyone has questions about the science involved in this tale, please refer to the previous statement, or see my story, 'Faster Than a Speeding Tall Building', for more information.

AH