False Truths, False Hopes

He knew it would come to this. The reason why his brother and Chanté had traveled from Crystal Valley all the way to the Realm of Trully was not because they were curious about humans. Well, they were. But they could never say anything to any of the clan members about it. And heaven forbid should Shy mention something to Chronicles about it. As both clan leader and father to them both, Chronicles held a hard understanding about humans that neither one truly came to grips with. He never told them the truth of why the clans split, or why he hated humans so much.

Now as Keith and his brother Shy hashed out their possible future, the memories of his father haunted the back of his mind. In the past, he had thought it was because his father lacked the responsibility to continue what his grandfather had left off. In truth, Chronicles had been skipped as leader after his father. Though it was clan law that leadership be passed to the next generation, Providence saw fit that Keith's mother and her family be passed the bit. Chronicles was none too happy about it. And then another truth. After the rebuild of the Eastern Clan, it was Shafari who approached Keith to reveal the Healers' story. Yes, Healers and humans once worked together. So why the split?

"I can't believe you told them it was a rogue Healer!" Keith had yelled.

For him to believe that Shafari, his once former master and slave trader, had convinced humans that a shape-shifter had become mentally unstable and rebelled unknowingly against them, destroying crops and buildings, and even killing a person or two, was downright crazy!

"Well, what was I supposed to tell them?" Shafari demanded. "That one of their own kind had managed to do it?"

Of course. Jenario...the human mage who stole a unicorn's horn and, now possessed by it, went mad with uncontrollable power and destroyed the relationship between the two races. Chronicles had witnessed it, had heard the stories told about it many times. Now he wanted revenge against the ones who burned down their home clan and forced his people into exile. No, Shafari could not tell the truth. Magic was too new for people to fully understand. To say it was one of their own would only cause chaos amongst themselves. No. It was better this way. Or at least up until now.

"You sent Glory back to Lexington?" Keith's brother hounded him.

"She's better off away from me, Shy."

"Lexington? That puts her right next to Crystal Valley! If Chronicles decides to wage war, she'll unfortunately be the first to know."

Keith was silent. Glory's radiant smile came to mind. How could he let something like that happen?

"We have to stop it," he finally said.

"Oh, and you suppose he'll change his mind just by taking a good look at her? Keith, she's pretty and all, but..."

"You know she's worth it!"

"And you know Chronicles would too if he had his way!" Shy returned.

His way. Chronicles’s way. Maybe if it went Keith's way for once, things would be different. He would have to try. Lives depended on it. Because if he didn't succeed with this, there was always the Dark Unicorn to contend with.

Jenario... Keith's gaze trailed off in the distance. Could something seen more dangerously important that this be useful in aiding against the invasion of his kind? It's worth a try...