The Journey Home

Rochelle awakes to find herself injured, but alive, and exactly where she needs to be. Now, it's a race against time.

Rochelle was first aware of darkness. She supposed that the afterlife would most likely be fairly dark, but this wasn't really what she had been expecting. It was more like the kind of darkness found behind one's eyelids, which was odd, because wasn't she dead? She had felt the piercing stab of the dark unicorn's horn as it ran her through, ending her life, and yet...

Rochelle opened her eyes.

She was in a cabin. It was a tiny affair, consisting of one room roughly sectioned off into different areas based upon decorating and furniture choices. She was lying on a cot, covered with a thick, woolen blanket that was almost too warm to be underneath. There was a fire merrily crackling in the hearth next to her, and a rich, meaty smell was wafting through the air, making her mouth water.

Rochelle struggled to sit up, her whole body aching. A large hand suddenly appeared from nowhere, firmly pressing her back down onto the cot.

"Don't move," a gruff voice instructed. Rochelle turned her head this way and that, trying to catch a glimpse of the man who had saved her.

He was old, with white hair that sprung up in random places, like he had been standing in a windstorm moments before entering the cottage. He moved over to the stove and stirred the contents of the kettle briskly, barely sparing Rochelle a second glance.

She tried to open her mouth to speak, but discovered that her throat was quite dry. A glass of water sat by the bed, and she lifted herself up just enough to drink it.

"Where am I?" Rochelle finally managed to croak, her voice weak. The man glanced over at her briefly.

"My house," he answered shortly. Rochelle's brows furrowed.

"What happened to me?" she tried again. The man raised a bushy eyebrow at her and walked over, plunking a bowl of soup down on the table next to her. He helped her into a sitting position, still ignoring her question. Rochelle looked down at herself, and discovered her entire torso was heavily bandaged, and that she was wearing the spare set of clothes she had brought along for herself.

The soup was warm and delicious, with large chunks of meat and vegetables that were steeped in juices. Rochelle devoured it, realizing that the last time she had eaten had been before she went into the Mermaid's Sea. Once her stomach was filled, she set aside the bowl and stared expectantly at the man, who had taken a seat next to her while she ate.

He sighed. "How much do you remember?"

"I was stabbed by the dark unicorn," Rochelle answered. "Then I fell unconscious. What happened to me? I thought...I thought I was dead."

"You almost were," the man replied. "If I hadn't heard the screeches from that unicorn, you would have been a goner. After you fell, I came out and took you back into my cabin, gave you the antidote, and hoped for the best."

"What happened to the unicorn?" Rochelle asked, concerned the man had driven it off or injured it.

The man stared at her for a long while, making her nervous. Had she asked the wrong thing? she wondered. But what could possibly be so wrong that he hesitated to tell her?

"I have never seen anything like it before," the man spoke at last. His voice was subdued, and had lost its gruff tone. "That unicorn was full dark, all evil. And yet, after you fell...something changed. It turned white, seemed to be completely cured. I thought that wasn't possible, but it happened right in front of my eyes." The man shok his head, looking impressed. "You've got something special about you, girl, though I don't know what it was that did it."

"I...I just felt so horrible, for that unicorn," Rochelle murmured. "It was in pain, and it was so alone..."

"Well, you saved it, too, that's the important thing," the man said briskly, standing up from his chair. "Name's Berkley. I live out here, away from the rest of you lot, but occasionally I get stragglers. You should be healed and ready to leave in about a week, so-"

"I don't have a week!" Rochelle burst out. Thoughts of Alyx flooded her brain. How long had she been out? Was there still enough time? Could she even walk, in her condition?

"Mr. Berkley, you have to understand. My friend is dying, he's been poisoned by a dark unicorn, too. I know you have the cure, you saved me-"

"I didn't just save you on my own," Berkley interrupted. "That changed unicorn had a hand in it, too. Did you know unicorn tears have special healing properties? Well, they do. That's part of the remedy, a unicorn tear. If that unicorn hadn't given up a tear for you before it left, you would have been dead, without a doubt."

Rochelle bit her lip, fighting to stay calm. "A-are you saying there's no way you can help him?" she whispered.

Berkley shrugged. "I can certainly try, but I'm not saying it's gonna work," he warned her. Rochelle nodded vigorously.

"Anything, any chance at all is better than none," she said.

Berkley nodded. "Fine. Do you have the wine from the trolls and the scales from the mermaids? I hope you do, because if you don't..."

"They're in my bag!" Rochelle responded, finally understanding the need for the objects gathered on her journey.

Berkley retrieved the items in question and stepped over to a little work stand in the corner of the cottage. He took down a bowl from a shelf above, and poured the wine into it. Muttering a chant under his breath, he shook out a few scales from the pouch and ground them up into a fine powder, sprinkling them into the bowl of wine, and shaking the rest in a circle around the bowl. Still chanting, he picked it up and moved carefully over to where Rochelle was sitting, making sure not to spill a drop. Setting the bowl down, he gestured for Rochelle to give him her hand.

Berkley pulled out a knife and pricked the surface of one of her fingers, squeezing out a small drop of blood into the bowl, his chanting reaching a pitch. He stirred the bowl twice with his knife, then clapped his hands together and said, "That's as much as I can do. I substituted your blood for the unicorn tear, as you still have a bit of it in you yourself. It may not do the trick, but it's the best I can do for you."

"Thank you so much, Mr. Berkley," Rochelle said warmly as the healer poured the wine back into the canteen and sealed it. "Thank you so much for everything you have done for me. I am forever in your debt."

"Eh, don't worry about it, Miss," Berkley shrugged, waving off her gratitude. "You're a very special girl, and you've shown me things I may have never seen with a lifetime of searching. So, it is I who must thank you. Now, seeing as you were unconscious for nearly a day, how much time do you have left to get back to this boy of yours?"

"None," Rochelle answered, fear filling her heart. "He only had four days at the most. This is the last."

Berkley looked very grave. "I'm afraid there isn't much I can do for you at this point, Miss," he said. "I can give you a horse, but that's it."

"I thank you all the same, Mr. Berkley," Rochelle responded, breathing deeply. "Is it possible that I might try and stand up? It would be a bit difficult to ride a horse if I cannot stay on, I imagine."

It was painful, but Rochelle managed to stand without wobbling. Walking was even harder, but she gritted her teeth and took the steps needed to make it to the door. Outside, it was a beautiful day, with the sun shining cheerfully down into the meadow. It was hard to believe that just a day before, she had been lying on the ground, bleeding to her death. Rochelle shook her head slightly to clear it of morbid thoughts, and took her first steps outside, with the full intention of being able to walk normally by the afternoon.

In the corner of her eye, there was a sudden flash of white. Confused, Rochelle turned toward the flash, only to come face-to-nose with a white unicorn.

Gasping in surprise, which hurt her ribs, Rochelle stared up at the creature before her. the unicorn looked much like its dark counterpart, except that the coat was the white of newly fallen snow, and the eyes were a warm, dark brown. Rochelle had the sudden impression that this was the unicorn who had killed her and then brought her back to life, though she couldn't say why she thought that. Tentatively, she reached up her hand, and the unicorn pushed its nose into it, snuffling softly.

"Well, there's a mount for you," Berkley said from behind her. Rochelle turned to find him leaning in his doorway, staring admiringly at the beast at her side. She nodded, smiling slightly.

"I think it would like to take me home," she said, though again, she was unsure of why she thought that.

"She," Berkley said in response. Rochelle stared blankly.

"Your friend is a she," Berkley repeated. Rochelle nodded in sudden understanding.

"Oh. I'm sorry, girl," she said to the unicorn, who whickered softly in response.

Berkley disappeared into his cabin, returning shortly with Rochelle's pack, an apple, and a mug of strong-smelling herbal tea. "That should help with the pain, and give you an extra jolt of energy," he said, handing the mug to her. "And this, of course, is for the lovely lady," he added, tossing the apple to the unicorn, who caught it with ease and munched contentedly.

The tea was so bitter it made Rochelle's eyes water, but she forced it down and handed the mug back to Berkley, taking the opportunity to pull him into a hug as she did so.

"Thank you," she whispered to him, pulling back quickly. Berkley shuffled his feet and shrugged a few times, making her giggle.

He helped her onto the back of the unicorn, where she sat uncertainly, never having ridden a proper horse before, let alone a unicorn. Berkley mimed grabbing onto the mane, which she mimicked, twisting the soft strands of hair around her hands and holding on tightly.

"Well, goodbye, then," Berkley said with a wave. Rochelle smiled down at him, and then the unicorn took off.

They were flying past trees so quickly that Rochelle was certain they were going to be hit by outreaching branches, but miraculously, they seemed to avoid every one. Rochelle kept her head low, just in case, and soon they were charging along the edge of the Mermaid's Sea. A boat appeared in the distance, and the unicorn leapt onto it without even slowing, and it took off at high speed, appearing to be pulled by a team of large fish of many colors, following the orders of a mermaid directing their course.

Rochelle took the opportunity to wonder how all of this was falling into place so perfectly, catching the eye of the unicorn. She snorted, and Rochelle laughed, hugging the animal's neck tightly.

"How can I ever thank you for this?" she asked aloud. The unicorn shifted and snuffled her bag. Chuckling, Rochelle rooted through and found a stash of red apples, freshly picked. She gave two to the unicorn, and watched for land in the distance.

The boat finally pulled to a stop on the other side of the sea, and the unicorn jumped out onto land, taking off without looking back. Rochelle barely had time to shout a thank-you to the fish before the forest swallowed them up, and green was all she could see.

The familiar path widened before them, and they raced across the Bridge of the Stone Trolls almost before Rochelle even realized it. No one was around to welcome them there, but the lack of their presence was a kind of welcome in itself, she supposed.

They were nearing the village now. Rochelle felt her heart speed up at the thought of finally being home, of seeing her family, and of whether or not she could actually save Alyx.

At the very edge of the woods, the unicorn slowed to a stop. Rochelle half-fell off the creature, which hurt her ribs terribly, but she put on a brave face and thanked the unicorn over and over again for her kindness. The unicorn nuzzled her tenderly in response, stole a few apples out of Rochelle's bag, and watched her walk back into her village. When Rochelle turned again, she was gone.

Rochelle ran all the way back to her house. Her family was there to greet her when she did, but she only had time for a brief hello before asking to see Alyx. Her mother's face was grim as she led the way into the bedroom, where Alyx lay.

He was pale and wan, and there were dark circles under his eyes. He was also uncommonly still, and when Rochelle checked his pulse, it was barely there. Biting her lip in fear, she brought out the canteen of the remedy.

"Let him drink some, and pour some on his wound," Brody the mouse instructed, having appeared beside her the moment she entered the house. Rochelle followed his directions, pouring some of the mixture down Alyx's throat, and unbinding his wound carefully to wash it in the remedy.

Everyone in the room held their breath. Rochelle watched Alyx's chest carefully, seeing it rise once, twice, then lay still.

Overwhelming sorrow filled her. She had failed him, then. After all of her work, all of her effort, she still wasn't good enough to save him. Oh, if she had only been quicker! If she hadn't been so weak! Rochelle's eyes filled with tears, and one dripped down onto Alyx's wound, mixing with the remedy and turning it crystal clear.

Alyx's chest began to move again with a great heave, and he coughed a few times, his eyes fluttering open. Rochelle stared in astonishment, then threw herself at him, hugging him tightly. Alyx seemed confused, but his arms came around her as well, stroking her back gently as if to soothe her.

"I...I thought you were dead," Rochelle said, releasing him. Alyx smiled weakly at her.

"Me, too," he admitted, chuckling softly. Rochelle grinned at him, unable to stop herself.

"Miss Rochelle," Alyx began. Rochelle cut him off.

"Just call me Rochelle," she said with a smile.

"Rochelle," Alyx said slowly, as if testing out the lack of formality. "I cannot ever thank you enough. I am forever in your debt. Please, if there is anything at all I can do for you, would you let me know?"

"I'd like to see you again," Rochelle said without thinking, surprising herself.

Alyx looked as taken aback as she felt, but his smile was wider as he responded, "I think that is something I can do."

"Yay! Alyx can come back!" her youngest sister Arica shouted joyfully. Everyone laughed, and Rochelle realized something abruptly.

"Today's my birthday," she said aloud, smiling to herself.

Author's Note

Well, I hoped you enjoyed this foray into my fairytale side. Be on the lookout for further adventures of Rochelle and Alyx; I'm not quite done with these two yet, though it may not follow the same storyline.