Unicorn Lost

Presents

A	s Jeanette was scarfing down the pizza she wished she had a glass of Dr. Pepper. She turned to her mom to ask for something to drink but didn't say anything.

Jeanette looked puzzled as she watched her mom, a herbivore, scarfing down the pizza as well without removing the pepperoni. Jeanette turned her head, looked down at the pizza and to everyone around her. "This isn't right," she though; then looked up at the stranger. Jeanette looked at him as if she was hit over the head with a ton of bricks, as if all of that day's madness suddenly made sense. Jeanette drew her sword out of its sheath, ran it into the stranger's heart and pulled it out. With the look of shock and horror, Rebecca dropped her pizza and ran to Jeanette, pulling the sword out of her hand. At the same time Florence also ran, but to catch the stranger as he fell.

"Jeanette, what have you done?" her mother cried out.

With a look of determination and clarity she answered, "Mom, don't you see what's going on?"

Unable to know how to answer, Rebecca simply says. "What?"

Hearing the stranger coughing and gasping Jeanette began to explain. "Even in a land of magic, don't you think today's events are too strange?"

Still unable to know what to say, Rebecca just shook her head.

"Early this morning, when Kathy killed the Captain, the rest of the army scattered but never regrouped. We got out of that jam way too easily. It's possible the Captain and the rest of the army did not know what Kathy was capable of, knowing that she only recently became a unicorn, but once they were able to collect themselves they would know that even as a real unicorn, Kathy's horn was either almost or completely drained of power."

With everyone in dead silence, except for the stranger who was gasping for his last few breaths, Rebecca finally put an intelligent thought together long enough to ask, "But what does that have to do with him?"

Jeanette continued by pointing out all the strange stuff that had happened this far. "When Kathy reduced the wolverine to a pile of smoldering ash, we were all cowering together, google-eyed. One of us even whimpered out the words, ‘That was awesome.' Hello! It's not like none of us have never seen what a unicorn is capable of doing. Next, keeping in mind this is still in the middle of the night, we decide to get an early start on our adventure rather than head back to bed, though time was never a big issue. Third, we're hungry, but we don't stop to pick berries or nuts. Even your limited capabilities could be used to get at least something to eat. Fourth, when we saw a purple butterfly fly above Kamida's head, you and I didn't do anything about it. And when she pulled a sword on you, you didn't talk her down, persuade her or anything. Fifth, when Florence cried out ‘It's the Red Dragon.' I was totally off-hinged, rambling about how I was going to kill the dragon and yet you didn't say anything."

Looking as though she just received a painful revelation, Rebecca said, "Oh, Jeanette..."

"Mom, there's something I have to tell you. The real reason I broke these three out of their cell was because I heard there was a unicorn, a wolf and a sorceress on a mission to free their unicorn, who's being held by the giant and guarded by the Red Dragon. I felt this was my opportunity to fight and kill the dragon who killed Dad."

"Jeanette," Rebecca interrupted, "There's no way you are going to fight a dragon. Even for a knight, going after a dragon is dangerous."

"Mom," Jeanette pleaded. "The torch will protect me. This is far better protection than any knight ever had."

"Even with that bit of advantage," Rebecca said sternly, "Going after a dragon is way too dangerous. You're not trained..." She tried to say but by this time, she sounded a bit choked-up. "Even if you were to become a knight..." Rebecca turned her head unable to speak. "Your dad died in the line of duty--I will NOT lose you as well. Being a knight is a noble thing, and only a few could ever be a knight; and while you have it in you...you could still get killed. Being a knight is a major undertaking. It's not about thrill seeking and slaying dragons. So no, you're not to face that dragon!"

The queen stepped in. "Your mother is right Jeanette. I knew your father, Sir Alex; and he knew the risks involved. And even with the powerful protection you carry, you have not been schooled as a knight. And while I can understand your mother's concerns, I know you can be a knight; but to be a knight you cannot be out for revenge. The role of the knight is to protect--nothing else."

"Sixth," Jeanette continued, putting the dragon slaying aside. "You gave no indication you knew Kamida was coming with a couple of cans of haggis in a backpack, and yet you said the haggis was for a dark haired stranger. You seemed clairvoyant about one thing, but not the other."

Rebecca looked as if everything was starting to dawn on her.

"Seventh, we have nine cans of food, though two of them were for some dark haired stranger, and a can opener. Everyone is hungry and nobody stops to think that cans have food, something used to deal with hunger. Eighth, I slapped Provence. We have our yelling matches, but I would never slap her. Finally, a pizza appears close to where the stranger is standing. For the time being Kathy is a real unicorn, and unicorns are not able to materialize a pizza. Mom, you know magic better than I do. That was a transporter spell. That pizza came from somewhere and none of us happened to be carrying one. The Ogre knows we are coming and he's throwing everything at us to get us confused and turn on each other; even getting this guy to use a spell against us."

Florence piped up, "Whoever this person is...he's gone now."

Going to the backpack, Jeanette pulled out the two cans of haggis. "Florence and your Majesty, we don't have a frying pan or any spoons, but would you two be interested in some haggis?"

The Queen sighed and then smiled, "Given the strangeness of today, why not."

"I'll have some as well," Florence said in somewhat disbelief over what just happened.

Jeanette opened the two cans and handed them to Florence and the Queen. Without even so much as a plastic spork, they dig in.

-page oo34-
written by Jeanette Isabelle.

Copyright and Credit:
  · Florence from "Freefall" © Mark Stanley.
  · Magic Gardener © Hortmage.
  · Jeanette © Jeanette Isabelle.
  · Kathy from "Carry On" © Kathy Garrison.
  · Kamida © Guest #1.
  · ToraKiyoshi - Writer.
  · White Pony from "Cross Time Cafe" © S.Kidwell.
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