by Alex Powell
"Lying!" the serpent said, but it was starting to get smaller.
"Do you really think so?" Carol's voice came back, sounding small.
"I love every single one of your freckles, and the scrunch your nose makes when you're thinking. I love the protective instinct you have that always compels you to speak out against injustice. I love that your phone ringtone is "Staying Alive" and that whenever it goes off, you make a new friend."
The serpent shrunk down again, and Maíra could finally see Carol again. The serpent flailed, trying to wrap its withered coils back around Carol, but it was drying out and becoming wrinkled, like something dead and preserved.
"I love you too, Maíra!" Carol said. "Don't listen to this disgusting creature. You are a real woman, and you shouldn't have to listen to all those stupid, ignorant things other people say. I've always wanted to be with you, ever since I first saw you on the bus when I asked about your shoelaces."
Loathing made a screeching noise, like nails on a chalkboard, and burst into a cloud of ash. Slowly, it drifted away on an invisible breeze, and was swept away. The library came back into focus around them, undisturbed by their earlier battle. As the serpent faded, so did Maíra's armour, leaving her back in the fairy dress.
Maíra dismounted, and Carol made her way through the library towards her.
"Hi," Carol said, and her cheeks had turned red enough to obscure Maíra's favourite freckles.
"Hi," Maíra said, suddenly shy.
This was silly; they'd both just fought a battle to the death over Carol's love. It felt a tiny bit surreal now that the serpent was gone, but Maíra was still wearing the dress, and the unicorn was waiting behind them, calm and patient.
"Um, can you... come with me?" Maíra asked breathlessly. "Right now?"
"Are you asking me to come away with you into the sunset?" Carol asked, still pink-faced.
Maíra blinked and looked out the window. There actually was a sunset. How long had that battle gone on for in real time? Maíra hadn't realized that this entire venture had basically taken all day.
"Yes, I suppose," Maíra said. "Not that I was aware of the sunset, but it is a nice touch, you know with the dress and the unicorn."
"Where did you get a unicorn?" Carol asked, suddenly smiling. "It must be like a dream come true for you. An actual unicorn."
"Oh, it was much different than I thought it would be," Maíra admitted. "A lot of kidnapping and going to fairy realms involved, also death-defying adventures and battles with giant snakes. No, the real dream-come-true is you."
Carol's blush returned full-force, and Maíra smiled. She never realized just how adorable Carol looked when she was blushing. It would have to go on her list of things to love about Carol.
"Were you always this smooth?" Carol asked.
"Um, no. I'm not actually sure where this is coming from," Maíra said.
"Okay. Well then. Yes. I'll come with you. My shift ended at five, and it looks like we passed that during the epic basilisk battle," Carol said.
"Basilisk?"
"It's a fandom thing."
The unicorn knelt down for them to climb aboard, and it took off as soon as they were settled.
"Where are we going?" Carol whispered.
"No idea, the unicorn goes where it will," Maíra replied back.
Carol had her arms wrapped firmly around Maíra's ribcage, and Maíra flushed with pleasure at the warm feeling rising up in her belly. It was a different feeling from the burning feeling of the magic from earlier. It was much more comfortable. Content.
"Happy," the unicorn said, sounding pleased. "You're happy."
"So where are we going, unicorn?" Maíra asked.
"You'll see," the unicorn said cryptically. "I think you'll like it."
"Is it always like this with unicorns?" asked Carol, and Maíra could feel where Carol was resting her head against Maíra's shoulder.
"Unicorns do as they like," the unicorn said primly. "We are made of an uncontainable force."
They ended up was on a beach, just before the sun dipped below the horizon, lighting up the edge of the sky in incandescent crimson. The unicorn came to a halt and let them both off its back. Maíra took Carol's hand in hers and they walked along the edge of briny sand and warped logs, just listening to the gentle lap of water on the shore.
"Of all the ways that I imagined this happening," Carol said, "and I imagined it a lot, this situation never came up."
"No, because our love is much more spectacular than that," Maíra said with a laugh.
"I've got my own knight in shining armour," Carol said, grinning and squeezing Maíra's hand.
"So what happens now, a happy ending?" Maíra asked, looking down at their clasped hands before surveying the romantic scene before them. "You have to know, real life doesn't really work that way. Not usually."
The unicorn snorted from behind them and added, "But usually, people don't think that it will work. They don't believe, and believing is half the battle."
"I daresay we know a thing or two about battles," Carol said with a shy smile.
"That we do," Maíra admitted.
"I think we need to go for it," Carol announced, hair whipping around her face in the ocean air.
"All in? Just everything, all at once, full blast?" Maíra asked.
"It's the best way to fall in love."
"She's right, you know," the unicorn added. "And don't try to deny that it's how you first fell in love, all that time ago."
"Well then," Maíra said, and then held out her hand formally. "If you'll have me."
"Always. Anytime. Forever."
Maíra turned, took Carol by the hands, and they spun around together on the beach, kicking up sand and laughing until they finally collapsed. They cuddled there in the sand together until the unicorn finally said, "It's time for me to go."
"So soon?" Maíra asked, turning her eyes pleadingly on the unicorn. "You've helped me all this time, and now you have to go? Can you visit me sometime?"
The unicorn tossed its head and nickered, a sound like chiming bells. "I'm always with you, because true love never dies."
"But you can't stay here," Carol said.
"No, I am a being of another realm. I had only one day to meet you," the unicorn shook out its mane. "It was the best day I've ever had."
"Where will you go?" Maíra asked, holding out her hand, but not quite touching its silky hide.
"Between moonbeams and across rainbows," the unicorn said with a little dance of its hooves. "I can go wherever I want."
"I don't want you to leave," Maíra said. "I know, I didn't believe at first, but I need you."
"You don't need me here," the unicorn said. "You think you do, but you need to believe in yourselves to do as you did today. You must always stand up for those you love and don't back down. That's how you'll keep me."
A strange golden fog rose up all around them, and Maíra grabbed Carol's hands and held on tight. When the mist cleared, they were in front of Maíra's house, and Maíra was back in her pyjamas.
"Don't forget!" the unicorn's voice rose all around them, but the figure of Maíra's love had long since vanished, leaving the human realm.
"What do we do now?" Carol asked, squeezing Maíra's hand.
Maíra tugged Carol toward the front door of her house and let them both inside. "We love."
"That sounds so easy."
"Carol, loving you is the easiest thing in the world."
Somewhere across the barriers between the worlds, a unicorn sighed happily and it gleamed for all to see, its light as strong as the brightest of stars.
Fin
About the Author
Alex Powell is an avid writer and reader of sci-fi and fantasy, but on occasion branches into other genres to keep things interesting. Alex is a genderqueer writer from the wilds of northern Canada who loves exploring other peoples and cultures. Alex is a recent graduate of UNBC with a BA in English, and as a result has an unhealthy obsession w
ith Victorian Gothic literature. Alex has been writing from an early age, but is happy to keep learning to improve on their writing skills. Feedback and comments as well as any questions are appreciated! You can reach Alex at [email protected]