Unicorns Broken Wing
When Uni next awoke there was a massive storm raging, the air outside was crackling with electricity, rain pounded the sodden earth, the wind whistled in its fury, and the animals cowered in any dry spot they could find. Uni staggered, still half asleep, to the window, where a sight greeted his eyes that spurred him to instant action, he grabbed for his pants, pulling them on as quickly as he could, kissed Jola tenderly on the black skin of her cheek, and ran for the door, behind him he never noticed Jola’s eyes watching him leave.
Outside Uni shivered as the rain hit his bare torso before he changed to unicorn form, and raced to the rescue of the person he had seen from his window, a young angel, fighting a desperate battle against the Naga, evil half men half snakes, that had emerged from the depths, Their human upper bodies covered in the same glittering, reddish coloured scales as the snake tails that formed their lower halves.
“Hiya big fella.” She said with a large smile to Uni, ‘Nice to see a unicorn again, and so handsome too.”
Even in unicorn form Uni blushed a bright red and as gored a Naga, he shuffled from foot to foot.
“And he’s MY handsome unicorn,” said an angry voice as Jola appeared from the darkness beside him, glaring angrily at her, “I’m only twelve you know, my name’s Amanda,” said Amanda quickly, seeing the anger in Jola’s face.
“Wow, she’s beautiful.” Said Sheen as he Kasandra and Lone arrived, driving the Naga back.
“Don’t you be calling me beautiful,” said Amanda angrily, acting as if Sheen had called her a dirty word, swinging the huge sword she carried and decapitating a Naga, “I’m just as ugly as any person you ever met.”
Sheen’s eyes opened widely, and then he smiled shyly, but didn’t call her beautiful again., he watched as she kicked the Naga’s head and it shot across the ground in front of her.
Uni and Jola were killing Nagas with each thrust of their horns, and Sheen, Kasandra and Lone were forcing the Nagas back further still. The battle had turned and it gave Sheen a little more time to talk, as a sword whistled past his head, he casually mentioned, “You play soccer I see?”
“Better than you.” said Amanda, still angry after being called beautiful, “You horses just can’t control the ball.”
This was too much for Sheen, whose grandfather had taught him soccer since before he could remember, it was a sport where he could use his feet instead of his then deformed arm, and he had loved it ever since. So he changed to human form, and in the middle of the battle field, they started to play soccer, with the head of a decapitated Naga, while the battle continued around them. They dodged and ducked, and played their makeshift ball with a skill that would have excited professional players.
All the time the fighting went onwards, with no quarter given on either side, Uni and Jola were both covered in the sickly, green Ichor that served the Naga as blood, Kasandra and Lone were hunting Nagas on the makeshift playing field, bring one down just before Sheen scored a goal, Kasandra cheered briefly before another Naga slithered across the field, attempting to kill Sheen and Amanda. Kasandra and Lone were after him immediately.
They were at two goals apiece when Sheen noticed the pain in her face as she moved, “I can fix that.” he said as her face twisted in pain again.
“Oh, I never even noticed,” Amanda lied, “Can’t feel any pain at all.”
Sheen changed to unicorn form, the splendid young black stallion he had become, and ordered her to turn around, and carefully he used his horn to mend the broken bones in her wing, Although it took much longer than Uni would, Sheen noticed that his healing had improved greatly, as he watched the wing start to heal in front of his eyes, Amanda gutted one Naga that had managed to get close and was about to impale Sheen with a large spear. He was so intent on healing Amanda that he didn’t even notice.
Elsewhere the Nagas were retreating back underground, and finally everyone was free to lend a hand, but Uni shook his head. Sheen was becoming the leader he had always dreamt of, and so they all stood and watched Amanda’s wing become whole again, and when it finally was, she flapped her wings and lifted once more into the sky.
Before she disappeared she called down to Sheen, “Pretty good for a horse, wanna do it again when I get my ball?”
Sheen nodded and smiled, and Amanda disappeared into the morning sky, and together the tired unicorns headed back to sleep some more, except for Sheen who was still staring after her. Uni put his arm around his shoulders gently and led him home.
