The Battle Against Extinction

It was a warm summer morning. The flowers were in bloom and the birds were singing with glee. When the snow white unicorn, with the golden horn and gem blue eyes, awoke from her deep sleep. Debediah pulled herself up from her bed and went for a walk. While Debediah was walking, she heard a wise old owl telling her a young a story about unicorns. Debediah was surprised to hear the story her mother had told her before she died. Debediah stopped and looked up into the old oak tree which stood tall and proud.

She called up to the owl. The owl glanced at Debediah from her well guarded nest.

The owl asked "what do you want?"

Debediah replied "who told you that story?

The owl responded with a huff "no one told me. I was there. I saw it with my own eyes."

Debediah said, "you mean there is a black unicorn with flame in his eyes and a horn made of fire."

The owl, losing patience, answered in a stern voice, "yes, it is all true my child, now be off with you. Leave my family and I out of it. "

Debediah walked over to a tall pine tree that gave her shade from the blazing sun She sat down. There she stayed for some time thinking about the story. It came time for her to realize that she must find the black unicorn. That way they would become one and continue the bloodline of their species throughout time.

Debediah was not sure where to start. She had only two choices. One choice was the "The Hills of Darkness" the other place was the "The Forest of Death."

"The Hills of Darkness" were always dark, the sun never shone. As far as Debediah knew, nothing could live there. She could always go to "The Forest of Death." The only thing that lived there was the gruesome blood-sucking animals from hell.

When Debediah was young she had walked by "The Forest of Death." While she walked by, she heard something behind her. It sounded like someone crying out for help with their last breath. Debediah turned toward the sound. All she could see was a large spiny bush with spots of blood, on it.

She started to push the branches apart, when all of a sudden a young man came flying out. Debediah jumped back and a young man fell in front of her. He reached for her and said, "help me!"

Debediah leaned down beside him. The young man was covered in deep claw marks. Half of his hair, on his head, was pulled out. Debediah was surprised that he had made it this far. She laid by his head, he could barely pull his weary body up and across her back. Debediah lifted herself up slowly and walked home carefully.

When Debediah got to the entrance of the cave, she called home. Her mother, Kendra was waiting for her. Kendra said, "bring him in, I will make a bed for him to sleep in.

Debediah's mother went right to work, running in and out of the cave hauling in grass and hay. She placed everything in a small corner of the cave and told Debediah to place him on the bed. Debediah walked over to the bed, her mother had made, and leaned down beside it. Debediah slowly rolled her body over, so the man would slide off her back. The man fell into a deep sleep.

Kendra whispered to Debediah, "come my child, let him rest now."

Debediah went and laid down beside her mother in their hay bed. The bed was just big enough for the two of them.

"Debediah, my dear child, there is something I must tell you, that I have been keeping inside for a long time. I feel you are ready to know the truth. At one time, not too long ago, there were thousands of unicorns, until the evil ones came and tried to take over. They almost did. Four unicorns managed to escape from the evil ones. The four that managed to escape was you, your father, a young male name "Rebel" and me. We were short on food and one of us would have to go out and find food. Your father wouldn't let me go because you were too young to be without a mother. Your father decided he would go, because he knew how not to be trapped by the evil ones. But the young male, Rebel, would not hear of it.""Rebel attacked your father and knocked him out. Before I could stop him, he ran out of the cave. On his
way back, the evil ones found and captured him. He had no chance once they saw him. They threw chains around his neck and the leader of the evil ones, known as "Temptress "put him under a sleeping spell so he would not break the chains.""Then she put him under another spell as he slept. When he, awoke, she had full power over him. She had changed his appearance, he was black and his horn and eyes were made of flame. He was no longer white
with blue eyes and a horn made of gold ""Your father died five years later in his sleep. He was old, it was his time."

"Debediah, the story I just told you is for your own safety, remember it. It may save your life some day. The evil ones that killed so many of our kind, is still out there. Beware, they may try to trap you or kill you if they ever find you. The evil ones made "The Forest of Death" and "The Hills of Darkness." "Debediah," her mother said, "it is time for us to get some sleep. Close those big blue eyes of yours, my child, and always remember that I love you with all my heart and soul. "The night was cold and dark. The moon was full as Debediah's mother kissed her child for the last time before she closed her eyes and went into an endless sleep.

Morning came and the birds were singing their good-bye song. Debediah woke with a jolt, she had heard that song only one time before. She looked up at her mother, Kendra had died in the night. Debediah pushed her mother, trying to wake her up, hoping that the song was not to her mother, but Kendra did not wake up. Debediah pushed her body into her mother, nuzzling her, and began to cry. The mother she had loved more than life itself, was no more.

Debediah went out to find a place for her mother to rest. She found a big beautiful rose bush in bloom. This is where her mother would sleep for eternity, under the rose bush.

Debediah walked back into the cave and laid down by the young man, she would not leave his side. Two weeks later the young man woke up. When he first saw the snow white unicorn, he jumped. Debediah looked at him and said, "don't be afraid, I brought you here and will not hurt you. My name is Debediah. "The young man replied, my name is Tholan."

Debediah and Tholan soon became dear friends. They would go for long walks together. Three years passed, when one day Debediah noticed Tholan was not looking well. The poison from the animals of "The Forest of Death " had now gone through his whole body and was taking him away from her. A week later he died. Debediah placed him beside her mother, under the rose bush.

Debediah lived by herself for two years. She always felt like there was something or someone missing from her life. Until she heard the wise old owl telling the story about the unicorns. That is when she knew what was missing and she had to find the black unicorn. That is when her search for the black unicorn began!

Writen By Juanita Fraser