~*~One Unicorn~*~

IN a land far away and long ago, there was as a mighty kingdom. This Kingdom was ruled by an aging widowed king and his only daughter. Now since Aurora was his only child, and the image of his beloved wife, Leetah, whom had died giving birth to the child, the king took every measure to assure that his daughter was safe and happy.1

As she grew, Aurora tired of the constant companionship of her nursemaids and would often sneak off to find some time to herself. One day, as she was walking among the tall hedges of the far garden walls, she took notice to a small rabbit that crossed her path and disappeared beneath the emerald branches. Curious, as any young child, she bent to follow it in hopes of captureing it as a pet. To her astonishment though, where she had always assumed was merely a continuement of the wall, was a gate. Delighted in her new discovery, young Aurora slipped through the iron bars and found herself in a bautiful secret garden, untouched by the pampering hands of the servants and workers of the palace, a place of wild beauty. As she wandered down one of the many overgrown paths admiring the many different colors, her eyes caught sight of a lone rose bush set apart from the others. Its beautiful flowers were so white that they made freshly fallen snow seem dull.2

Aurora couldnt help herself and reached to pluck one of the blossoms for herself. Now since the king had taken pains to ensure his daughter never shed a tear, she didnt know of thorns and as she reached to break the stem, she pricled jer finger on one of the thorns. Gasping in pain she dropped the rose to the ground and held her finger close. As she watched, a single drop of crimson stained her finger and grew, trickling to the ground. Now since Aurora had never known pain before much less realized that such a little prick on her finger meant nothing, fear gripped her and she began to cry for the first time.3

As her tears trickled down her cheeks, a single droplet landed on the center of the fallen rose, and began to grow. Now this caught Aurora's attention and soon she forgot all about the pain in her finger or her tears and focused her eyes on the growing teardrop. As she watched, it began to take form. Soon, the flower itself had vanished and in its place, within what was once a mere teardrop, lay a tiny unicorn.4

Aurora gasped in delight as its tiny horn peirced the watery sac and it struggled to free itself. She reached foward and pulled the little animal to her, gathering him up in her lap and stroking his soft silky coat. At that moment it craned its head up to let its dark sapphire eyes gaze into hers and she was slightly startled as a gentle voice echoed into her mind,5

"Aurora... Aurora, why were you crying?"6

She smiled, somewhat comforted and not afraid of the voice. Somehow she knew it was the voice of the tiny creature in her arms. A creature that her father had always told her stories about, a creature that she'd believed to be a mere myth.7

"Because my finger hurt" she explained in a soft tone, letting the silence hold between them for a moment before continuing, "Are you mine unicorn?" she asked softly.8

"Yes" he said reaching his tiny ashen muzzle up to nuzzle her cheek tenderly, "As long as you speak the truth, I will live."9

"Then you will live forever because I will never lie to you my friend" she said wrapping her arm around his neck and hugging him close.10

~*~To be Continued~*~11