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Loving a Unicorn

Heartbeat Passage

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Alis Mitsy

The full book (re-published) is available on Smashwords! This is a re-published tale made available (additionally) through Smashwords for those who would like to support and those who follow my work only through the eBook sites.

Thank you for supporting my work!

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/717076

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Chapter One

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Christian walked without rhyme or reason to his footsteps, striding between the coniferous trees as the forest enveloped him. There was no path to follow, only loam that was rarely trodden by human beings in its isolation and a quiet peace that chased the ache of study from his mind. Spring sang through the forest, a harmonious melody of birdsong as the culprits flitted from branch to branch, and he lost himself in their instrumental language, sinking into a world that he feared, one day, mankind would forget. From his flat, it was only a short walk before he reached the tree line of the woods and, from there on out, he could forget the human world completely, losing himself in a natural, unspoilt world.

He scratched his head, fingers raking through a mop of brown hair already tousled from a light wind. It never seemed worth the effort that others of his age went to in styling it, though it was the fashion of the younger generation to glue it in place with hair gel. He had no idea how people had the time to think about their appearance when there was so much to do, so much studying. University was gruelling. Christian shook his head, shoving his hands deep into the pockets of his olive green jacket, which was light enough to keep the spring chill from his skin. He'd had the jacket for several years but, even though the zip caught, he looked after his belongings so well that everyone not in the know thought that he'd bought it only a few days before wearing it out.

Mind wandering, he rolled his shoulders, his studies tickling at the back of his mind. They never went away, always prying when he wanted a little escape for himself. He'd come to the end of his engineering degree and, while he found it interesting, the working world loomed ahead with gaping jaws. Maybe that was why he spent so much time walking in the forest as it meant he did not have to face a truth that he didn't yet know how to tackle. Of course, life would sweep him along when the time came and he would not be alone in the first steps of his career but Christian dove into books with greater relish than ever before, living another life and only returning to the real world when it demanded he do so.

Sometimes it was better to live in a fantasy world. Yet reality would always have a loving hold to guide him back to the present, his friends and family. Christian's lips tugged up in an unconscious smile. He should go see his mother sometime soon. She must be missing him – she often called him to see how his work was going. It was a shame that he never had all that much to say. Life continued on much the same as it had done before. What new was there anymore?

He paused at a small clearing, head tilted back to a blue sky dotted with wisps of clouds high, high above. He shifted, rubbed his thigh and wriggled his hand back into his pocket again, hiding it from view. Although the birds sang as merrily as ever and a red squirrel scampered along a thick branch in a flick of bushy tail, something held him in place, heartbeat quickening. The skin on the back of his neck prickled and he stood still, listening as intently as a human could, which was not all that carefully when it came right down to it.

Was he not alone in the forest? Christian swallowed, Adam's apple bobbing as his throat grew tight.

The squirrel streaked up into the pines as he struggled to discern any noise that could be from a silent watcher. Did they mean to harm him? Was there even anyone there? Were they animal or human? Christian narrowed his eyes, peering through slanted sunlight, too bright and glaring in his eyes when he needed to see all he could.

He turned in a slow circle, three hundred and sixty degrees, skin cooling. There couldn't be anyone there, surely not. It was his imagination running away with him. Christian relaxed, hands uncurling from fists he had not realised had formed in his pockets. How daft he could be!

“It is strange to see one of your kind so far from concrete and brick lives."

He jumped, looked over his left shoulder and then his right when the owner of the voice was not immediately forthcoming from the rustling leaves. His heart beat quicker and quicker and, although the voice did not _seem _to be threatening, he brought his hands out of his pockets, at the ready. A bubble of inappropriate laughter tickled his throat. Just what did he think he was actually going to do if he was attacked? Hit his assailant with a book? He'd never even been in a fight! He felt the weight of his small backpack, straps across both shoulders, and shifted it carefully, considering his options. It was packed with books... No. He shook his head, lips twisting. It could work.

A feminine giggle, not unlike the nicker of an equine, burbled up from the flora adorning a thicket where the trees grew close enough together that a large creature could conceal itself inside and not be spotted by the casual hiker. He squinted into it, eyes narrowed into strained slits.

“Forgive me. I do not mean to jest or give you...how do they say it... 'The run around'. I will not forever remain hidden from you, Christian."

The bushes between two pines trees rustled, rounded leaves drifting to the ground as they were disturbed, and he took a step back, hands raised. His palms faced out. What could he do? Yet what – or who – emerged from the thicket surprised him more than any predator with ill intentions ever could have. A white unicorn, as bold and brilliant as the light of day, stepped forward as if she was part of the luscious undergrowth herself, her coat as white as fallen snow on a mountain peak. A spiralled, silver horn rose from the centre of her forehead and her long, flowing mane and tail fell down over the arch of her neck and powerful hindquarters like the finest of spun silk.

Christian gaped, closing his jaw quickly when he realised he was staring. But how was he _not _supposed to stare at a unicorn? She – for she was certainly a female from the lilt in her voice and defined, dished face – pawed at the earth, a woven gold bracelet jingling musically with precious gems on her leg. The bracelet, stretching from the knee of her right foreleg down to her fetlock, however, was not the only piece of jewellery she wore. Around her neck hung a heavy gold circlet, sliced through with crimson and emerald shades so pure that Christian could only suspect that they were the finest cuts of the stones found naturally. The necklace dipped down to a 'V' over her chest, the heart of it cupping a milky opal that flickered with every colour under the sun as the unicorn walked, the movement of her breath rolling through her flanks elating the beautiful into the exquisite.

She raised her head, taller than Christian, to look at him from the side with one, intelligent eye. He shivered. Violet was not a natural colour for such an orb, yet it sat perfectly upon her head, crafted for her, as unique as she was.

“I've been watching you for some time." The unicorn said with a gentle toss of her head, flipping her mane over to the other side of her neck. “You are quite the fascinating human, Christian."

He started, blinking as words flourished and died on his tongue.

“You've been following me?" He forced out after a longer pause than he was proud of. “For how long? Not from the flat... That's too far. Why have you been following me? Why would you _want _to? How come I didn't see you?"

“Oh..." She ducked her head, forelock falling over her eyes as she peeked up with a look that was both shy and mischievous. “It's been a little longer than that. And only when you entered the forest, mostly then. I'm too easy to spot within your city, hardly easy to trot around when humans are gawking at you like you've grown a second head. But you like to walk here and read here rather a lot, don't you?"

“How long..." He shook his head, bringing his hands up behind his neck, fingers splaying flat against skin. “How long have you been watching me, if it has been more than today? And why on earth? You didn't answer me. I didn't even know unicorns lived so close to the cities. I thought you hated the cities. I didn't even quite believe you even existed." He gulped, looking down at his shoes. “How do you even exist?"

Despite his shock at being stalked and then addressed by a creature assigned to myth and legend, excitement stirred in his chest like butterflies trapped behind the birdcage of his ribs. What was her life like? How long had she been living in the forest, meandering so close to his home? Where did she live? Why had such a beautiful – there was no denying her elegant grace – unicorn decided to reveal herself to him? Christian grinned like a loon, his smile widening without conscious thought. So many questions and he had no idea how much time he had with her!

But why on earth was she following him through the forest? More than once!

The unicorn turned her body side on to him, jaw working as she licked her grey lips with a broad, fleshy tongue – a sliver of pink.

“I am Celeste," she introduced herself, tail swishing. “And you are aware that I know who you are."

“That's... a lovely name," he said lamely, struggling to come up with better words. “And one befitting your splendour." Somewhat better. “How do you know who I am?"

“I followed you into the city sometimes, though it is more difficult to blend in. Most humans think me a dumb equine, not a being of their intelligence. It can be funny sometimes. I take some amusement from them. Yet, kind Christian, there is a reason that I have revealed myself to you today that is not satisfied by jest and small talk."

“Oh? Why now of all times?" A strange, hoarse laugh that was not amusement burst from his lips. “I... Well... I can't be all that interesting to you. You're a unicorn. I'm your ordinary guy. Christian." He posed, arms spread wide. “That's me."

“Yes, I am a unicorn."

Celeste tilted her head, one silver hoof resting on its tip in the grass.

“Why would that be a reason for you not to be interesting?"

Celeste rolled her head, stretching out the kinks with a deft shake, horn sparkling in the sunlight. He twisted his fingers together, tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth.

“You are interesting to me because you are a human. And you are yet so different from the other humans I've seen!"

Life flared to her hooves and she pirouetted on her hind legs, hooves pawing the air as the wind caught her mane to trail it out from her neck. Christian followed her every move, eyes riveted upon her body, every movement handled with the grace of a higher being. Had there ever been a creature so majestic?

“Christian, in all my years, I have never found another being as fascinating to me as I find you." She dropped back to all four hooves, neck arched. “You're a different creature entirely to all I am accustomed to. There's a light in you, Christian. I cannot help but want to know more. And I will know more. That's if, you will allow me closer to you, into part of your world."

Celeste smiled with her eyes, lips tugged up in a fraction that was her version of a smile; her equine muzzle did not allow for overtly human facial expressions, yet she made do. Turning away, Christian struggled for words, starting a sentence several times only to let it trail off into nothingness as the unicorn nickered, waiting for him to come to his senses.

“I am very flattered that you think I'm...fascinating..." He blushed, rubbing the back of his neck as he slid his gaze away, cheeks warm. “It's not something I would've thought about myself. You are, by a long, long shot, the more interesting individual here, I must say."

“Then we both are intrigued by one another."

Celeste paused, horn angled towards him. He would have spoken to fill the silence but held his tongue, feeling that something hung in the air between them. The mare tossed her head, working up to something in a manner that was so human that he almost forgot that a unicorn stood before him.

“Christian..." She raised a front hoof, bobbing it in the air. “Would you go with me on a date?"

Christian stared. He must have misheard. He chuckled and scratched his arm, shifting his weight back on to his heels.

“A date?"

He did his best to keep his jaw from falling slack, sure that Celeste was going to correct him at any given moment. The unicorn whinnied, head tossing back as her mane fell in time to shimmer down her neck, every part of her body in tune. The young man shifted, unable to find a comfortable position in which to stand – nothing seemed right. Something twisted inside him. Oh, if only he was wrong... If only she _had _actually invited him on a date. That would have made everything so much better, truly, as insane and crazy as the notion was.

“Yes, a date." Her violet eyes twinkled. “Is that not what humans call courtship these days?"

“Uhh... Yes?"

“Then the term is correct!"

Celeste lifted both front hooves a few inches off the ground as she pranced, head bobbing in what Christian could only assume was unicorn excitement, dancing as humans would on the balls of their feet. He hadn't spent all that much time around equines in the past. He licked his lips, mouth too dry. It seemed that that was about to change.

“Is that a yes?" She pressed, insistent on an answer. “You will go on a date with me, will you not, Christian?"

“Well... H-how could I say no?" Christian stammered, tongue-tied and twisting his fingers together. “Of course it's a yes! Though I can't believe _you _have asked me. It's hard to take in, I hope that's okay." He rubbed his forehead, brow furrowed, pain flaring in his temple. “I fear this is all a dream I'm going to wake up from. You have to admit that this is all a bit surreal...Celeste."

He liked how her name sounded on his tongue. Celeste whinnied and dipped her shapely head.

“Excellent! I believe it is customary for the male to divine the venue of the date."

He swore her eye twinkled but she swept the flicker away beneath her silvery forelock.

“Christian, where may I meet you for our date? Is there a common location that you may suggest?"

Flattening a stray strand of hair with his fingers, he wondered what he was getting into but ploughed ahead, reckless as anticipation tickled his nerves.

“By the edge of the forest would be easy for both of us to get to, I think. Are you familiar with the monument? The statue of a man riding a horse and the list of names?"

For the first time, Celeste appeared sheepish and dragged the toe of her hoof through the dirt, drawing mindless circles with the tip as she hid behind her forelock.

“Only for all the times I've followed you, Christian. I am free come the end of the week, your weekend, if you are available to meet." She ducked her head. “If my observations are correct, you do not have lectures to attend come Saturday. Would that be convenient for you?"

He chuckled, relieved to have the arrangements sorted, the technicalities of meeting smoothing themselves out as they conferred.

“Saturday at noon it is then."

As the unicorn melted into the trees with no more than a whisper of leaves to denote her presence, Christian stood stock still, eyes taking on a dreamy cast. She moved so beautifully as if she was floating over the earth rather than pacing over it, each stride fluid perfection. Who else could say that they had a date with such a physically and intellectually intelligent lady?

Although, as his heart swelled and fluttered, he knew he had a date to plan. And it had to be the best date he would ever come up with in his lifetime. Christian gulped.

No pressure then.

Chapter 2

Christian had not thought that walking along a street with a unicorn was the subtlest of moves, yet here they were. Hoof in hand? Not quite. The stares he'd expected – for who wouldn't look twice at a creature like her? – never came, though he had chosen his route well. He tugged his collar away from his neck. People had to be staring. It was all going to go wrong, oh so wrong. He ground his teeth together. No! They only had to get through a small part of the town, sticking to the back streets, and all would be fine – they'd be at the place he'd planned for their date, with what little information he knew about Celeste.

He bit his lip, gnawing a dent into the soft flesh. Oh god, how he hoped it would go off without a hitch! Garbed in turquoise jewellery and a headpiece that hooked over her ears to drape the semi-precious stones down the sides of her face, she appeared goddess-like in her grace, even if shying away from humans with the edge of a wary equine in her step. Yet he could not understand why people did not allow their gazes to linger as he had done on their first meeting. Even her silver hoof jewellery, bangles of the finest metal clinking against each other, should have drawn the eye. It drew his and he exhaled slowly, counting each blue stone set into the metal. He was yet to see her without an elaborate ensemble.

“Please try not to pay any attention to them." He cast her a reassuring, if shaky, smile. “You are a unicorn, after all. They won't do anything to you, I promise."

Celeste lifted her head, ears pricked and alert as a car tootled past, slowing to almost a crawl as its occupants gawked. One girl with pigtails crouched by Celeste's hooves and held up a mobile phone to take a picture of a ladybird on the pavement, blonde plaits dropping into her face. Celeste snorted and lifted a back hoof, tail swishing.

“Do not worry for that, Christian. Their eyes are not on me today."

He rolled his shoulders, trying to shake the tension from them. Maybe she wasn't so bothered by the passing attention, after all. Maybe he'd been rude to stare in the first place.

Reaching out to brush her muzzle over his shoulder, the unicorn nickered.

“They cannot see me, Christian." She bobbed her muzzle at the little girl, dancing back to her mother on tottering legs. “Look. Do you think she would have walked away from me if she could see me?"

Christian looked closer, misunderstanding.

“Celeste, you hardly look like a horse, come on now."

She giggled, eyes dancing.

“Not at all. This horn of mine is useful for more than simple appearances. Step closer."

Following her lead, Christian shuffled nearer, cautious about getting too close. She was so much larger than him that he had to tilt his head back to look up at her when she pulled her head back to observe something that had caught her attention. The air shimmered and he gasped, looking out at the familiar street as if through a sheet of melting glass. He saw, from Celeste's perspective, how the world moved around them, unknowing of their presence. No one noticed Christian disappear and his eyes strained wide, looking from left to right and left again. Celeste eyed a passing man and his dog, the canine's nose twitching. Clearly the 'mask' that hid them from the outside world did not include dogs.

“This is how I move through the city unseen. Although it does not feel comfortable to cloak myself for too long." She scraped a hoof across the pavement. “It...itches."

Gaping like a goldfish, Christian closed his mouth and swallowed, struggling to comprehend how matter bent around him as easily as a hot knife cut through butter. It made sense for a unicorn to use magic though and he grasped at that straw of fragile sanity. The reality gave him back his tongue.

“You are full of surprises." He couldn't think of anything else to say and touched her shoulder as they continued on, muscle moving beneath a taut, smooth coat. She felt so solid when her magic was of another world. “I have somewhere quieter for us to go. You will not need to hide yourself there."

Heart beat fluttering, Christian led the way through the streets, heading closer to the heart of the city. As cautious as he had been to move closer to the unicorn, he feared breaking the illusion by moving too far away and kept his steps as close to her hooves as physically possible without touching. He did not like that she could not move as freely as she wished, however, for people would stare and treat her like a circus curiosity. He couldn't imagine what that little girl would have done if she had been able to see the unicorn a hair's breadth away. Probably the girl would have clung to one of Celeste's legs.

No, she should not have to hide herself. He had a plan. A good plan. Christian smiled. It was so simple, he really should have thought of it sooner. Whereas the library was easily accessible, few people used it these days and much fewer the archive library.

And his unicorn had a love of literature.

Leading her down a side street, he rapped on the back entrance of the library with his knuckles. In the dimmer light of the side street with tall town houses and offices reaching towards the sky, Celeste exhaled softly, peering over Christian's shoulder with great curiosity. Her cloaking illusion shimmered, rippling with silver veins of magic, and dissolved into silver rain around them, droplets spattering lightly to the stone underfoot.

“What are you doing? Why are we here?"

“You'll see." He laughed as her warm breath washed over his cheek. “Patience, patience!"

“I have plenty _of patience," she snorted, tapping the side of his head with her horn – gentle enough to be playful. “The difference is that _impatience is ruling right now. Let's go inside!"

“We have to wait to be let in, Celeste – ah, here he is!"

Christian grinned as a key turned in a lock on the other side of the door and he stepped forward to greet a small, middle-aged man that appeared permanently hunched over and shrunken into himself. The man squinted up at them through a pair of round spectacles, blonde hair cropped short to his skull. A zit perched on the end of his pointed nose.

“Good afternoon, Christian," the man said, stepping back to allow them inside with barely a second glance at Celeste. “It's nice to see you back. Do come in – and quickly now. You'll let the warm out."

Stepping inside to a long corridor, the librarian closed the door at their heels and led them deeper into the bowels of the building. Celeste took shorter strides to keep a more comfortable pace while Christian made his introductions.

“Celeste, this is Damien. He manages the library here. He spends most of his time down the archives so you don't see much of him."

“Yes, well, I have to take care of the books, all climate controlled. My reading pleasures are best enjoyed in peace and quiet too, not the rough housing of this city. That reading in coffee shops lark will never sit right with you. You know that. I've said it before. A pleasure to meet you, my lady," he added, directing the last part of his utterance at Celeste.

She nickered, extending her horn politely towards him. The librarian pushed his glasses back up his nose, eyes dropping to her silver hoof jewellery as they exchanged pleasantries, his eyes tired and crinkled at the corners.

“A pleasure to meet you too, sir."

“It's only usually me back here, I do so hope you'll forgive the dust." He waved a hand, a wedding band on the fourth finger. “This isn't as important to keep clear. The books are more important."

He took them to the brightness of an open lobby and respite area, dotted with comfortable sofas and various other seating for avid readers to situate themselves upon. Celeste immediately cloaked herself, giving the appearance that Christian and Damien stood there alone. Stairs rose from the lowered section, designed for reading, to the main event of the bookshelves, stretching out of sight from their position and packed to the brim. Celeste looked from left to right and up to the ceiling, adorned with an imitation of a rare tapestry, in awe. Christian hid his smile. If she had been human, her jaw would have dropped so sweetly.

Damien cleared his throat.

“If you do that way," he inclined his head to the bookshelves, illuminated by gentle overhead lighting strips, “you'll have access to the complete public library. But, if you follow me, you'll see a collection that only some are privileged enough to access."

Celeste dragged her gaze away from the books with great difficulty, eyes filled with longing. Her cloaking illusion flickered as her attention wavered, horn glowing with silver ribbons.

“My village doesn't have so many tomes! However did you acquire them all?" She paused, mind catching up with Damien's words. “What do you mean there are more? More scrolls to be uncovered?" She stamped a hoof. “Where? Show me!"

Damien fluttered his fingers as Celeste trotted into the lobby, pivoting in the midst of a ring of plush sofas to take in her surroundings, illusion breaking for the briefest of instants. A teenage girl blinked at the unicorn, tugged at her plait and returned to her hardback book, tucking herself securely into the crook of the sofa. Her roll of the shoulders bolstered Christian even as Celeste made herself vanish once more, heart beat returning to some semblance of normality. Maybe not everyone was so in awe of a unicorn that they would gape and make his date uncomfortable if he took her into other parts of the city. He pushed his hair back, trying to tame the wayward strands into something more acceptable of style with his fingertips. It didn't matter if it behaved or not; where they were going, they would have no company but each other, exactly as he'd planned.

As Celeste moved in the direction in which Damien had gestured for more wonders, he brought a hand to his face and shuffled from foot to foot. His eyes dropped as her bangles jingled, draping over her fetlocks.

“Ah, but the hooves..."

“I shall tread carefully," Celeste rushed to reassure him, craning her head back round to peer between the shelves. “How many books do you have here?"

“In the archive?" The librarian blinked, pushing his glasses back up his nose. “Three hundred thousand, rounded to the nearest thousand, of course, on my last count. This is the largest archive library in the country."

His tone rang with pride and, as they were permitted into the locked archive section of the library, she inundated the librarian with questions, commanding his attention. If Christian had had any doubt about her intelligence – he knew so little about unicorns, after all – her sharp queries assuaged that concern within the course of a few minutes. He should never have doubted her, beautiful inside and out.

So far reassured that the once again uncloaked Celeste would treat his charges with care, Damien took them to the library, squeezing the unicorn mare down a narrow corridor that opened up into a reading room. Ever the hospitable host, he granted them access to a comfortable, plush bean bag for Celeste – thought out in advance – and a straight backed but padded reading chair for Christian. The edge of the room had a few bookcases for tomes that were less sensitive to sunlight while the left side of the room as they walked in was floor to ceiling glass, looking out over the city and scurrying life. Celeste nickered, stretching out her head to touch the glass with her velvety nose.

“This is amazing... Do all of your cities have collections like this?"

“Only the best. The books are through here." He inclined his head towards a second door, closed with a key in the lock. “Most of them need to be kept in a climate controlled environment, out of direct sunlight."

Damien nodded his agreement, fiddling with his glasses.

“Please, help yourself to anything from the archive. I must return to the library but Christian well enough knows his way around." Damien smiled, retreating backwards towards the door. “He can be your guide."

“And I am confident he will excel at it."

Christian blushed and tried to rub the blush from his cheeks as Celeste turned her attention to him, Damien retreating from the reading room. Clearing his throat, he smiled at the unicorn, lips rubbery and gestures ungainly as he struggled in the glow of her beauty. Her look was devastating, violet eyes capturing and drawing him in and in and in. He blinked and shook his head as if to clear it.

“What would you like to retrieve from the archives? Is there anything in particular that you are interested in?"

Celeste considered, horn angled to the side.

“Do you have anything along the lines of historical accounts? Great battles along our shores? I have heard of some landings but my knowledge of specific human history has gaps."

“Of course." Christian gestured to her to follow. “I know exactly where those are."

Diving into the archives, he stepped into rows upon rows of books with a sense of calm familiarity. The air was cool and tickled their skin as they paced within, Celeste with her ears pricked and unsure of which direction in which to look. So many tomes! How could she ever spend enough time in such a library to read them all? She nickered and Christian smiled at her eagerness, selecting a few choice hardbacks for her with yellowing pages. In a past life, before being donated to the archive, they had not been as well cared for.

She didn't allow them to return to the reading room but insisted they pour over the books right there in the archives themselves. Finding a small table, Christian heaved one up for her perusal, opening it to the title page. The cover was dark brown leather, engraved and painted with gold leaf to highlight its exquisite detailing. There an issue faced him: how would she turn the pages? The question was swiftly answered. He watched in awe as her horn took on a light glow, a silver shimmer so subtle that he could have missed it if not peering closely, aiding her in turning the pages.

If unicorns existed...it made sense that magic did too. Her cloaking had not been the only magic she was able to perform, he should have known that. Christian swallowed hard, feeling very small and insignificant. There was _magic _in the world. How was he supposed to wrap his head around that? He was nothing in comparison to her. Why had a magical being asked him out on a date? Could he measure up to Celeste? There was only one way to tell and he was as interested in history as the unicorn.

Leaning in close to Celeste, he basked in her. After what seemed like an age – the hands on his clock ticked on as the light dimmed outside – the unicorn sighed and raised her head, working out the kinks from holding her neck arched in one position for so long. She started, hoof catching the floor, and nudged Christian's shoulder with her nose.

“Christian!" She spoke as if she had forgotten he had been by her side. “I'm sorry, I'm being such a terrible companion. It's only..."

She turned in a slow circle, careful of her hindquarters as she took in as much of the archives as was possible, and hungry for the knowledge contained within.

“I completely understand," Christian said. “I was the same the first time I came down here. We're lucky to have a library like this to use."

Celeste brushed his cheek with her nose and his heart leapt into his chest, thudding so loudly that he was afraid she would hear, she had to hear it! He covered up his nerves by finding a piece of literature for himself and encouraging the unicorn back to the reading room where they would be more comfortable. Celeste giggled as he walked backwards, fingers crooked like his lopsided smile. Her eyes shone and there was a spring in her light, easy step.

Sitting down with an early edition – first run – of Stubb's Anatomy of the Horse, Christian turned the pages absent-mindedly, tracing his fingers over the images, a curious combination of etching and inking that he had never quite been able to figure out.

“So, Celeste," he began, “tell me about yourself. What is your home and your family like?"

She settled herself on top of the red bean bag sofa before replying, head over the table where a book on myths and legends resided for her approval. Although she admitted that she had never heard of the name, the mare had not been able to resist its allure.

“I live several leagues or so from where we met in the forest earlier this week," she said, more interested in the book than speaking of her home. “It is one of the deepest parts of the forest. It is not intended to be out of the way of mankind but it has that effect regardless."

Celeste wrinkled her nose at the dust rising from the book and snorted daintily.

“Humans are better away from our kind, mostly, and the majority are more infatuated with their cities rather than the natural world around them. Some parts of this world are still untouched with many creatures roaming wild and living far, far away from concrete walls."

“I understand, being in the city never sat right with me," Christian confessed. “It seems so closed in and I can't sit for very long, unless I'm reading." He chuckled, fingering the page. “That's a different story."

“I can understand why you stayed in a city when you have a library_ like _this."

“Don't you have libraries where you live?"

Celeste tilted her head from side to side: sort of.

“We have scrolls recording our history but our stories are passed down through the spoken word, generation by generation. Seeing how your kind have recorded even tales makes me wonder if we should have taken greater steps to document what may be lost."

“It's never too late to start." Christian paused, mulling her words over. “What do mean about something being lost?"

Celeste sighed, muzzle dipping to the table as her ears slanted to either side of her head.

“Life is...difficult for the herd at this time. Life is not what it once was for us."

She blinked, throat working as she swallowed. Christian trailed his fingers over her mane , waiting for her to continue while offering what comfort he could. Her skin was electric beneath his fingertips and he inhaled sharply when she leaned into his touch, eyes half closed. Celeste nickered.

“We are struggling to survive with fewer and fewer stallions alive to continue our species, our mating for the purpose of foal-making. What foals are born, they are more often than not fillies, which, while a wonder, will never be able to breed with one another. Even with our magic, our heritage, it is impossible. We must have stallions to secure our future."

Celeste closed her eyes, ears flat to her skull and tail clamped down over her hindquarters.

“If we do not find a way, I fear that I will be one of the last of my kind."

The unicorn trembled, muzzle resting on the wooden table as her tail swished back and forth against imaginary flies. The flies in her head could not be batted away with a flick of her tail. In a decidedly equine fashion, for all her grand heritage, muscle twitched beneath skin, shaking off imagined irritation. It was difficult to shake off an agitation of the mind, as much as her body strove to comply. Christian stroked her neck, pushing his fingers beneath her mane to ease over warmer skin, the hair perfectly free of knots. Magic? He didn't know what to think anymore. What could he think? His head spun.

“I am sure that won't happen," he said. “It would be terrible to see the unicorns disappear...so soon after you made yourself known to me. All the teachings..." He shuddered. “A loss so swift would be sorely felt."

He had no substance to back up his words and sighed, letting his hand drop to his side. What good could he do? She was facing the disappearance of her entire race while the greatest problem he faced was his score in his next exam. His life paled in comparison.

To his surprise, Celeste shuffled closer, stretching her legs out to the side furthest away from him to ease in beside the chair, her head on the same level of his with a bit of a stretch. Though sadness rimmed her gaze, there was a softness to the orbs that he had not seen before. Instinctively, for it felt like the only right thing to do, he stroked the length of her face, from the base of her horn to between her flaring nostrils. She snorted and pushed into his touch.

“At least I was able to meet you, Christian." She breathed over his cheek, peering down the length of her muzzle at him. She had to turn her head to the side to see him clearly. “You're special. You make me want to fight even harder for the lives of my herd."

Blushing, he dropped a kiss on her nose, hand gliding down the silken underside of her white-grey neck. Celeste nudged her forehead up against Christian's as they forgot their reading and breathed in each another's scents. His partner's headpiece caught on his hair but Christian could not find it in himself to untangle it. The moment was too pure, a dream solidified, to spoil. The aroma of aged books enveloped them and Christian inhaled Celeste's sweet scent: hay, wildflowers and a dab of the equine that made him want to curl into her and stay in the crook of her legs until the sun slipped below the horizon.

Drawing back enough to look her in the eye, Christian kissed her dished cheek, too shy to see if she would accept a kiss on the lips.

“Let's speak of something a bit happier," he suggested. “I want to see you smile again."

Christian brushed her forelock to the side and winked, looking into her sidelong eye as she whinnied, tail flicking. It was tricky to tell what the tail motions meant but he hoped that her swish was from agreement and not prolonged stress or restlessness. He would learn sooner or later, he was sure.

“Perhaps you'd like to hear about my herd?"

“Of course!"

The unicorn turned the page in her book, bringing up an aptly placed unicorn with her head bowed towards a nude male companion. Christian kindly averted his eyes.

“We have fewer unicorns in the herd than we used to, having left for greener pastures. Our homes are on one level as a general rule and mine is the largest in the village at the present time."

Celeste's chest puffed out and she gave a little toss of her head.

“We do have a library of sorts in my home too, though we do not record histories and stories as you do. They are books on magic and teaching that we record." She set her horn aglow. “For passing this on to the next generation and ensuring that any magic users who come across them in future years are able to take knowledge from them as we do."

“It sounds like you are renowned in your herd, if you have a library in your own home!" Christian could not deny that he was impressed. “How did that come to be? Why do these books reside with you?"

The unicorn shrugged, head rolling rather than her shoulders, which were tucked too close to her body to allow the motion.

“It is potentially my position in the herd. My home is the safest place to store them at present. It's nothing more than that."

“In fact," she added, as if struck by a sudden afterthought. “My position in the herd hierarchy is more elevated than I have permitted you to know, in all truth of the matter. Only my sire and dam are higher than me."

“Are you the princess of the herd then?" Christian asked with a wink, fingers tracing over the pages of his book as his mind moved on to the next question he wanted to ask of the stunning mare.

“Precisely."

Christian's eyes widened and, while he was still digesting the casually imparted information, Celeste nuzzled underneath his chin, careful to keep her horn from smacking him in the face. On autopilot, Christian stroked her cheek, touching her skin with the impression of his fingertips in a feather-light caress. Celeste nickered and scooted in closer, beans in the sofa perch crunching beneath the shift of her body.

“Christian, I have many questions to ask of you," she murmured. “Would you be so kind as to indulge me, now that you know some of my home? I've watching you for so long, there is so much I want to know."

Could he ever refuse her? Settling himself, Christian smiled to himself, placing each fingertip against its fellow from the opposite hand as Celeste verbally attacked him, a light glow of magic surrounding her body as excitement got the better of her. Words ran into their companions as he did his best to answer each and every one of her curiosities, from his home life to the world he had grown up in. It was going to be a long evening; it was too easy to talk to the unicorn.

And talk they did.

End preview of Loving a Unicorn, Heartbeat Passage.

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