A Tale That Never Was
Chapter 22: The Last

Jack didn’t know how long he sat on his heels and stared ahead. It may have been for a few minutes or a few hours; he didn’t know. It didn’t matter as he couldn’t take his eyes off the sight anyhow. It was beautiful yet frightening. He had heard brief mentions of these creatures but had never seen one before. It was rumored that to gaze upon one meant certain death. At that moment, with Selvina’s whereabouts unknown, he almost didn’t care.

The unicorn stared back at him with its downturned blue eyes that glowed like stars. Its entire body gave off a white light, from the tip of its ears to the ends of its tail. The single spiraling horn protruding from its head extended over two feet in length and shimmered as if it was made of diamond. Its white mane flowed down its neck like foamy water and its strong legs were straight and unmoving. If it didn’t blink its eyes every few seconds Jack would have thought it to be a statue. He was captivated by it completely yet after the initial shock, his mind began to recover and ponder on its purpose. Why was a unicorn, an animal renowned for its elusiveness, standing there watching him?

“Selvina lives, Jack,” a woman’s voice said in Jack’s head.

He gasped and glanced about, bewildered and confused. Who had said that? That was the second time he had heard that voice and yet had seen no speaker. Before he could replace an answer to his question, the unicorn slowly approached him. The air around it appeared to sparkle and glitter, like an aura of thousands of fireflies. The closer it got to him the calmer his heart and mind became. Jack felt at ease and hope returned to him. He even found the strength to stand again.

The unicorn stopped moving when it was a few paces away and its eyes looked him up and down, studiously. There was wisdom and power in those eyes, Jack noted. He didn’t know what he should do thus he stood and waited. If it wanted to kill him there was little to be done about it. Unicorns were mysterious creatures and he didn’t doubt that if it wanted to, it could end his life in an instant. For the moment, however, it examined him.

“You have a strong heart,” the woman’s voice said.

Jack’s eyes stared back at the unicorn with great curiosity and after a moment he understood that it was the one speaking to him. It sounded so human it brought a slight chill to his spine. The voice was soft and wispy, like a spider web in the wind, and he found himself drawn to it.

“Why are you here?” he asked the unicorn aloud. “How do you know Selvina is alive? How do you know us?”

The unicorn’s lower eyelids lifted slightly, as if it was smiling. “Your mind is too cluttered, Jack. You must clear it like a breeze brushing aside fog from a field.”

“I can’t. I’m worried for Selvina and Cindy. I don’t know what happened to them or where they are. I need to replace them!”

“They are alive, both of them. You needn’t worry for them.”

“How do you know that? How are you so sure?”

“There is much you do not know about me, Jack, and we haven’t the time to discuss it all. I feel their spirits, however, and they are strong and still within their bodies.”

“You can feel their spirits? How?”

“Mana flows through my veins just as blood flows through yours. I am attuned to the spiritual and mystical dimensions of this world. I can sense everyone’s spirits if I focus on them.”

“How do you know Selvina and Cindy’s?”

“Cinderella’s blood is infused with powerful magic and I can sense it even from this distance. In Selvina’s case, we have met before.”

Jack’s eyes widened with shock. Cinderella? That was Cindy’s real name? How did the unicorn know that? No, no time to ask that right now. She had met Selvina before? When? Wait. Of course she had! He remembered Selvina telling him of how she had freed a unicorn when first being brought to his world. This must be the same one. He didn’t understand how anyone could manage to capture such an imposing and magnificent creature but he was grateful Selvina had freed her. The world, especially now, needed more beauty.

“Yes, Selvina freed me. She cut loose the enchanted bonds those hunters had around my legs and in turn saved my life.”

“How did you let yourself get caught?”

“They were resourceful hunters and their leader, an elderly woman known as Grandmother, is more cunning than she appears.”

“Do you have any idea why Selvina is here? She appeared before you; did you see someone summon her?”

“I know exactly who summoned her.”

“You do?! Who is it? Who brought her here and for what reason?” Jack’s heart was racing. Finally he would know why the young woman he had grown intimately fond of was here. Finally he would know why a woman from an entirely different world had come to his to capture his soul.

“I brought her here.”

Jack instinctively stepped back. His mind was a rampaging stampede of mixed thoughts and feelings. He didn’t know whether he should fear the unicorn or thank her. All he could force of his mouth was, “Why?”

“Jack, I am old, far older than you can imagine, and I can no longer defend this world on my own. I needed someone to help me. I needed someone stronger.”

“What are you talking about? Defend this world from what? What is wrong with it?”

“There is a darkness, an evil, that is spreading from the west. I was able to hold it back for centuries but my time is nearly up. I searched this land far and wide for someone capable enough to take my place but no such person exists. I even went to Oz, who carries immense power, but he would not take up the mantle. He did help, however.”

“What did he do?”

“He told me of a place, a world where its beings hold power that they themselves are not even aware of. I needed someone from there. I needed to bring one of its beings here and ask that they aid me in preventing the evil from spreading any further. I found Selvina and decided that she was exactly who I needed.”

“Why Selvina? She’s not even a grown woman! Why couldn’t you have chosen someone stronger?”

“There was no one else. She is the strongest.”

“She’s not a fighter! She’s just a girl! She’s…this task you have chosen for her is too much for her to handle! She’s only going to get hurt! Why would you endanger her like that?”

“I meant to confront her sooner but the time never came. It took me long enough to cross the ocean to reach this place. I may be infused with magic, Jack, but I am not omnipotent. In order for me to come here I had to release my hold on the evil and I fear now that it has progressed too far and too quickly. I can already feel its claws creeping closer…”

“You made a mistake with Selvina, unicorn. She is not your savior.”

“She is not meant to be a savior. She is only meant to be a shield.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“In time she will replace out.”

“In time? I thought you wanted to meet her? Why are you even talking to me? Why aren’t you racing after her? Why is any of this happening?!” Jack, in frustration, kicked a pile of dirt and grabbed the back of his head with his hands. This quest had now taken a most unusual turn. Selvina was supposed to be a savior? No, not a savior; a shield, whatever that meant. She was a strong and capable woman but how could she be a shield? Jack didn’t think she could even hold a shield. None of this made any sense to him. He just wanted to scream and make everything go back to how it was.

“I have already set everything in motion,” the unicorn said. “I needed to meet you, not Selvina.”

“Me?”

“Yes, after you met Selvina something happened that I did not foresee and because of that, I needed to see you first. I will see Selvina again, but not now. Talking to you is all I need to do make things right, at least for the moment.”

This was all too confusing for Jack to grasp. He struggled to straighten his quivering mind but it was proving a daunting task. He paced about, his eyes darting everywhere, and grinded his teeth together. Eventually, one question surfaced, one that he hoped would clear things up. “What must I do?”

The unicorn suddenly began to glow brightly and Jack shielded his eyes from the painful light. When it abated, his heart skipped a beat as now instead of a unicorn there was an attractive, slim, and delicate-looking white-haired woman in a purple, low-cut dress. He wondered who she was for a moment until he saw her eyes. They were the same ones as the unicorn.

“I am Amalthea,” the woman spoke aloud, placing a slight hand on the pale skin of her chest. “You must have strength, Jack. Do not think this task impossible. You are the only one capable of making Selvina realize her potential. I need you to be confident.”

“You’re crazy. Why is Selvina the only person you could replace for this? Surely there were others.”

“There were not.”

“I don’t believe you, Amalthea. There had to be someone else.”

“Jack, there is no time to argue about this.” She walked forward and took Jack’s hands in hers. They were surprisingly warm and they brought comfort to his tumultuous mind. “I trust you to make the right decision and to help me. There is too much at stake if you do not.”

“Why can’t any other unicorn do this? Why do you need a girl?”

The woman’s eyes glanced at the ground for a moment and then fixed themselves on Jack’s, the light within them dimming slightly. “I am the last one. There are no others.”

Impossible. She was the last unicorn? “There…there are no more?”

“No, and that is why your task, as well as Selvina’s, is so important. You must protect her and keep her safe.”

This was too much. It couldn’t be happening. And yet… “Once I replace her, where do I go?”

“West. There is only one other person other than I and Oz who know of this evil. She is not the purest of heart herself but she understands the risks of not doing something about it. She will guide you and Selvina where to go next.”

“Selvina just wants to go home. What if she doesn’t agree to do this?”

“You must be the one to convince her. She will listen to you, if no one else.”

“I…I don’t know, Amalthea. This…this is so much to take in…”

Amalthea placed a hand on Jack’s cheek and offered him a gentle smile. “You are more than capable of doing this. Bring along as many allies as you need, if you wish. There is no requirement for you to do this alone.”

Jack’s eyes glanced at the red cloak in the grass nearby. “I’ve lost friends already. I cannot afford to lose any more…”

Amalthea left Jack, walked to Red’s corpse, and looked down at her. Jack watched the enchanting woman closely, wondering what she was doing. She bent down and moved a hand toward Red’s chest. She then grabbed the arrow protruding from her and Jack watched in wonder as it suddenly dissipated into nothing. Amalthea’s hand then settled on Red’s head and she took a deep breath. “She was a strong ally and a good friend to Selvina. Her death came too quickly.”

“Much too quickly,” Jack added in agreement, his gut heavy and his heart shivering. It was excruciating seeing Red like this. He should bury her already. It would be the decent thing to do.

“There will be no need.”

Huh? “No need for what?”

“There is no need to bury her, Jack.” Amalthea then stood up and smiled again, this time joyfully.

She gestured to Red and Jack furrowed his brow in confusion. Was she suggesting he just leave her on the grass? What was she trying to tell him?

Red’s body shuddered and the redhead suddenly gasped and snapped her eyes open. Her skin filled with colour and her chest began to rise and fall. Red Riding Hood started to breathe and her blue eyes glanced about rapidly. Jack felt an explosion of elation and relief burst through his chest. She was back! Red was alive! He pounced on her and hugged her tightly against him, letting tears drip down his cheeks. She was still disoriented and it took a few moments for her to return the hug but she eventually did and held it for many minutes.

“Jack,” Red said, her voice sounding husky. “Tell me, was I really dead?”

“Dead as a doornail,” he replied as he pulled away from the hug.

“How did I…?” Red only then appeared to notice Amalthea and she eyed her with wonder. “Who is this?”

“Your time is not yet up, Scarlet,” Amalthea said to her. “You must replace Selvina and protect her as she fulfills the task.”

“What?” Red asked, utterly bewildered. She looked at Jack, her face screwed up in an expression of confusion. “What is she talking about and who is she?”

“Her name is Amalthea and she’s the unicorn Selvina saved when she first came here,” he answered her through a beaming smile. “I’ll explain more later. Just know that she’s the one who brought you back to life.”

Red stood up and bowed to Amalthea, her red tresses cascading over her face. “I don’t know how I can repay you, Amalthea. You brought me back to life… How can I top that?”

“You can protect Selvina,” the white-haired woman responded. “That is all I require of you.”

Red nodded. “Done.” She grabbed her crossbows off of the ground, slipped them into their holsters, and then turned around. She immediately noticed Bigbad’s corpse across the field and her shoulders lowered considerably. “No…Bigbad…not you too…”

Jack glanced at Amalthea and she nodded back to him. He watched her shut her eyes for a moment and weave invisible symbols in the air with her delicate fingers. Seconds later, she finished and her eyes opened once more. In the distance, Bigbad was standing up an all fours and shaking his head, the arrows that had been in his body nowhere in sight. Red bounded across the field to him and the wolf, upon spotting her, charged through the long grass into her arms, his tail wagging excitedly.

Amalthea placed a hand on Jack and said, “Have strength. I would not press this responsibility upon you if I did not think you were capable of handling it. I know you can.”

Jack nodded half-heartedly. It was a task unlike any other. He could climb faster than anyone else on the Jolly Roger and had fair enough sword-fighting skills but he didn’t think he could do what Amalthea was asking of him. That was just too much. He noticed Red approaching him, seated atop Bigbad, who looked as he always did, like a happy dog.

“Let’s get Selvina,” Red said to him with a frown of determination. “Hopefully we replace Gaston along the way. I have a few things I need to say to him.”

Jack nodded, feeling more confident in seeing Red’s courageous demeanour, and turned to Amalthea again. “Where in the west do we go? The western nations are huge.”

“Seek out the Empress,” Amalthea responded. “She will know where to send you once you tell her of your purpose.”

“Empress Rhiannon?” Red asked in shock. “She’s not the most likeable of people. She’s as likely to lock us up as to help us.”

“Mention my name, Scarlet, and she will have no choice but to listen. This task is not only your own or Selvina’s. There are others who will journey to confront the evil. You may come across them and you may not. Just know that you are not as alone as you may think. Some of these allies may wish to join you and I suggest that you let them.”

“What happens if we fail?” Red asked. “What will this evil force do?”

“This evil’s purpose is not to slaughter all life or destroy everything in its path. Its purpose is order and stability. You may think this as beneficial and not evil at all but free will is a blessing and it desires to rid this world of it. It wants this world to be predictable and set on a straight and unwavering path of its own design.”

“So it wants to rule over everything?”

“To an extent. It will create the path and then let the world guide itself. With no unpredictability, no chance, no difference of opinion or thought or any confrontation whatsoever it will appear as a great and wondrous thing but it will all be a façade. Each and every one of you has the ability to make your own choices in life. Remove that ability and you lose the purpose of life itself. You may as well be dead.”

Jack exchanged a glance with Red. A world without choice or free will did not sound pleasant at all. “How much time do we have?”

Amalthea shook her head once. “I do not know, Jack, but I can feel the evil spreading and it has already affected the minds of some of this world’s most influential beings. It has already attempted to obtain order and there will be much bloodshed if it is not stopped.”

“You speak of the war?” Red said, frowning. “This evil you speak of is causing that?”

“Yes. With war comes peace, at least for a time, and the evil will use that time to gain an upper hand and infect as many minds as it can. The war must be stopped or I fear nothing will be able to defeat it.”

“How do you expect us to stop a war and defeat this evil at the same time?” Jack asked, beginning to feel overwhelmed again. He was starting to wish he had run away at the first sight of the unicorn instead of talking to it.

“Jack,” Red started, “don’t stress yourself out so much. We can do this. Captain Hook knows people with power. He’ll help us with this, I’m sure of it.”

Jack took a deep, calming breath, and nodded. “Yeah, that’s if he believes any of this.” He looked to Amalthea and suddenly had an idea. “You should come with us to Our Lady. You’ll be able to convince everyone of what needs to be done.”

“I cannot, Jack,” the pale woman responded. “It is not safe for me to reveal myself to too many people. I was captured once already and I do not wish for more hunters to pursue me. You will have to persuade Captain Hook without me. I am sorry.”

Jack nodded. She was right. If she revealed herself to the people of Our Lady she risked everything. If Gaston heard of it he’d go looking for her and Jack didn’t want someone as frightening as him to chase Amalthea about. She deserved all the peace she could replace, being the last of her kind and all. He reflected on the task that was given to him, made a plan of action, and then stood straighter. Confidence began to flow through him and he felt more certain of the mission Amalthea had given him. He could do this. He would replace a way to. He had to. Looking up at Red, she smiled back and offered him her hand.

“Let’s get this thing started,” she said as Jack clutched her hand and climbed atop Bigbad’s back. “I always knew Selvina was special.”

“I could have told you that,” Jack said, an image of the beautiful blonde filling his mind. He gazed down at Amalthea as Red turned Bigbad toward the road. “Thank you for everything, Amalthea. I hope you live for many more centuries to come.”

The white-haired woman bowed slightly and smiled. “I trust you all to fulfill this task. I know I have chosen well and the world will rest easy with your victory. Tell Selvina that I thank her for saving me. I may yet see you all again before this is all over.”

“I will tell her.” Just as Bigbad started to pad away at a brisk pace, Jack wondered about something. He called to Amalthea, hoping she heard him. “Does this evil force have a name?”

The woman called back, her wispy voice as loud as wind. “Empress Rhiannon has dubbed it The Writer!”

Bigbad soon reached the road and quickly turned down a bend. Jack watched Amalthea for as long as he could before she was replaced by trees and undergrowth. He could still see her eyes staring back at him, like orbs of glass filled with the night sky, stars and all.

Much like the sky above him, he only just noticed.