Unicorn Lost

Presents

R	ebecca and her party arrive at the old, rusted service gates...

...and realized they were unable to get in by any conventional method. Rebecca stepped aside and with a smirk, "It's chow time." Stan grabbed the gates in his jaws, breaking them from their hinges, and tossed them aside. With her torch Jeanette stepped in first and stepped aside allowing the others to proceed.

The chef, with his knife in position, made his move to ambush Rebecca. Misty, no longer with a fake limp, made a flying leap and with her walking stick took the ferret by surprise. Knocking the ferret upside-the-head, rendering him unconscious. Misty then went for the rope and contrary to the incompetence she displayed earlier, cut the rope in two pieces, throwing one of the pieces to a now dismayed elder chipmunk. "Tie his feet while I tie his hands before he regains consciousness."

Taking full charge of the situation, Misty skipped the pleasantries to a bewildered group of travelers. "I'm Misty and if you want to save your unicorn, we must hurry. Stan, because you are too big to go this way, you go around to the back and lay low. Once Rebecca gives you the signal, you crash through the dining room window. Everyone else will follow me. The ogre has sent his followers to go after you. They don't know it yet however that they're headed in the wrong direction and will rendezvous with the dragons headed this way."

"Wait, how...," Rebecca began to say.

"I'm in charge of the orb," Misty interrupted. "Let's go."

Out from under the rainless dark clouds and the biting cold, the stench of evil worsened and a sense of cheerlessness was all over the rescue party like a wet blanket. Still clinching her walking stick like a closed umbrella, this self-assured stranger, with all the tact of a bull in a china shop, led the way through the caverns to the kitchen with the only true source of light emanating from Jeanette's torch. Once there, Misty put an ear to the kitchen door. Nothing. She opened the door, still nothing. Misty quietly motioned for the rest of the party to proceed. The quietness Misty experienced was certainly strange in the ogre's castle and was now on guard against the threat of being lulled into a false sense of security. Misty knew the ogre had sent his people to go after the unicorn and her friends, but with the exception of the chef, who was now tied up, it appeared as if everyone of the ogre's minions had left. Misty knew that wasn't true. A few of the ogre's men would remain to stand guard.

Going across the kitchen, Misty observed how everything was exactly where she and the ferret left it prior to going after the unicorn. The kitchen door leading to the rest of the castle was still open, the same as it was when she encountered the ferret. Misty motioned everyone to lay low as she went for the door. It was all clear. Still quiet, she signaled the rest of the party to proceed as she led the way through the halls and up two flights of stairs. At the second landing, Misty once again signaled everyone to lay low and then proceeded to the balcony above the floor of the ogre's courtroom. Just as Misty suspected, even to somewhat of a relief, guards were stationed in the court room guarding the orb, White Pony and the ogre himself.

Going back to the stairs where she left the rest of the rescue party, Misty broke her silence, with a whisper. "It's as I thought. Guards did remain in the courtroom, even with the rest of them looking for you." Misty was about to say something else but stopped; she had a concerned look on her face. Misty then looked down the staircase. "We need to go back down one level."

Misty lead the party just outside the courtroom, positioned outside the ogre or the guards' view, but still able to see the orb continually emitting the same pattern of white and blue swirls and White Pony asleep in his cage. Misty, with the same concerned look on her face, finally laid out her plan. "Rebecca, because timing is everything; on my mark, using your control bracelet, signal Stan to come in through the dining room window and to the courtroom and do so quickly. The breaking glass will alert the ogre and the guards. Tell him that once White Pony is free that he must safely escort White Pony, Kathy and Florence as far away as possible and as quickly as possible. Kathy, Florence; you need to be ready to run. Are you with me so far?"

"How do we break White Pony free?" Rebecca asked.

"You will, with your control bracelet. Once Stan runs into the courtroom, you destroy the orb. That will set White Pony free. Jeanette, as Stan escorts Florence and the unicorns, you and I will keep the ogre and his guards occupied."

Rebecca, with a look suggesting this was a bit too much, "I can't destroy the orb."

Misty sighed, "You must. That is the only way to set White Pony free."

"I mean, I don't know how to."

"Then give me the bracelet. I'll do it."

Rebecca, now annoyed at Misty for suggesting such a thing, "I don't know you. I'm not going to hand over control of the bracelet just like that. For all I know this could be a ploy to get the bracelet and gain control of Stan."

"And how do you know us anyway?" Jeanette interjected.

Answering Jeanette's question, "I told you. I'm in charge of the orb. As long as you have the bracelet and Stan has the jewel, I can see what you are doing, with the orb."

Knowing she was not going to win this battle and get the bracelet so easily, Misty changes the plan. "I could destroy the orb at the orb itself. However, I could be killed when the orb shatters... That's what I will do. I will go back to the orb under the pretense of trying to reestablish its connection to Stan. The connection has already been reestablished; the ogre doesn't realize this. Once I have the orb set to self-destruct, I'll start to run and tell everyone the orb is about to explode. Hopefully that will send the guards into a panic. Rebecca, you then signal Stan to crash the window. Hopefully the breaking glass will cause more commotion, and before the orb shatters signal Stan to escort Florence and the unicorns out. Once the orb is destroyed, the bracelet is rendered powerless and the gem on Stan's forehead will come off."

"I understand," Lady Rebecca began, "by giving the signal to Stan before the connection is broken, he must carry out that command until the task is complete, even after he has been set free."

"I know Stan's history and I know what it means to set him free, but we have no choice but to free him." Misty continued with the revamped plan. "Jeanette, you then come running in and together we keep the ogre and the guards occupied as the unicorns run off. Doing so will weaken the ogre and eventually kill him and finally free this place of evil." Referring to Jeanette's sword, "I gather you are handy with your weapon."

Jeanette, referring to her torch, "Indeed I am, but what about you?"

Misty then shifted her walking-stick from her right to her left paw and with the right paw, gave the handle a twist and pulled out a sword and showed the rescue party. Misty put the sword back in its place, gave it a twist to lock it back in place. With everyone knowing what was expected, Misty proceeded under the pretense of trying to reestablish the connection as planned.

~~~~~~~~~~~{ Meanwhile }~~~~~~~~~~~

Outside the castle, as the rainless dark clouds continue to loom over the land, the ogre's men continued their search for the unicorn, unaware of the dragons and the ferret king's army approaching them from opposite ends.

-page oo66-
written by Jeanette

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.
  · Tiger_T. - Writer.
  · White Pony from "Cross Time Cafe" © S.Kidwell.
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