#unicorn reader

As expected, the advertising had attracted many guests to witness the claims and see for themselves. People of all ages came to see if the rumour were true, as well as the stories. A young, golden haired boy, barely in his teen years, also frequently snuck inside, wanting to see. Speedwagon couldn’t help himself but keep coming back, ever since he saw that these creatures were true, he kept coming back when every display show was on to see them. 

To see her. 

The unicorn. 

[Colour] coat of soft fur that looked softer than clouds could ever hope to be. A [Hair colour] mane that flowed gracefully like the waves of a flowing stream of water, her tail sharing its grace. Everything about her radiated grace and peace, pulling at something deep within his soul that even he didn’t know about. A mix of awe but also sorrow. Her [Eye colour] orbs glowed with such sorrow for being captured and forced onto display; snatched away from her home, her family. 

Each time he went there, he looked only at her. Others saw her too, but they only looked at her for her beauty and grace, seeming to be ignoring the pain in her eyes. Begging silently for someone, anyone, to help her. And yet they all stared and gawked at her until the ringleader shooed them away. Speedwagon kept low and hidden as he did, noticing the way people’s expressions would drop as they looked away from the unicorn, as if something was taken from them that they may never regain again. 

“Oi, kid! Scram!” One of the employees of the ringleader shouted after spotting Speedwagon, who quickly slipped out before they could have a chance to grab him. The unicorn watching him the entire time. At one point, he thought he could hear her speak to him, a whisper among the wind, begging for his help. Those bright, beautiful eyes in his mind throughout the day, the pain weighing heavy upon his shoulders, gnawing and festering within his gut.

That night, he couldn’t sleep without seeing those eyes. That pain and sorrow that stared at him, begging for his help. He could not allow her to remain in that cage. Not something as pure as she. With this in mind, Speedwagon got up and rushed towards the circus. 

The grounds were silent aside from some guards moving around to ensure the creatures were in cages still and everything was in order. It wasn’t much to be concerned about as Speedwagon had broken into and trespassed in places similar to this. He knew how to be careful. The image of the unicorn’s cage was present in his mind, telling him what to search for, thus taking him only a few minutes to find her cage. 

Smiling, he quickly made his way over to her, keeping his footsteps quiet. As well as his voice. “Hey. Over here.” Her ears twitched before she turned her head towards the voice, surprise flashing across her [Eye colour] orbs, her voice also quiet. 

“What are you doing here?” She questioned, a mix of curiosity and surprise stitched into her tone at the fact that he was actually here again. The young boy smiled simply and quickly got to work on trying to pick the series of locks on her cage door. 

“I’m gettin’ you outta here.” he answered, keeping his voice low. “You don’t deserve to be trapped like this.” His words sparked hope within her, something she had not felt since her capture. The locks clicked open one at a time as he worked through them before the cage door quietly creaked open, allowing her the sweet taste of freedom. Smiling, Speedwagon quietly guided her away from the circus grounds, hoping none of the men would spot them. 

Once they were away, Speedwagon turned to her, “There, you’re free now. Go.” She turned and looked at him, a softness in her [Eye colour] eyes that had replaced the heart-aching sorrow, instead, now a fluttering warmth coursed through Speedwagon at them. A sense of peace. 

“Thank you I shall not forget this for as long as I live.” She spoke, lowering down to his height and lightly nuzzling against him, careful of her horn. Speedwagon smiled, nuzzling back and petting her. 

“What’s your name? I’m Robert Speedwagon.” The light in her eyes glowed again, sparking like fireflies on a moonlit night. 

And those very few that did remain alive vanished into the unknown, using whatever magic they had to avoid humans at any cost. Some went off to the deepest parts of forests where humans rarely ventured, other simply disappeared altogether. Sad as it was, humans’ knowledge of these majestic creatures faded away, disregarding them as nothing but stories and fairy-tales.

Though, there were a very few who still believed in those creatures and still hunted them down for their magic. Whether it be to sell or for selfish reasons. And those selfish reasons was what intertwined the paths of a human and a unicorn.

***

“C’mon! Boss wants this thing in his place ASAP!” One of the humans shouted, watching as four of the other humans shoved the creature into the small cart. Beautiful alabaster skin ruined by ugly bruising and cuts from their weapons from when she tried to defend herself. Legs bound by gripping rope that gnawed at her joints, locking them in place to keep her still and a sheath forced onto her horn in an attempt to contain it and stop her from striking at them. Which she had done a good handful of times. 

[Name] was no dumb animal as the humans believed. She was intelligent enough understand the language of humans as well as speak some herself. That was one factor many humans had forgotten about her kind. The forest around her was cut off by a sheet thrown over the carriage, blocking off the sunlight and encasing the unicorn in darkness. Lowering her head, the waves of sorrow washed over her body. She had been captured and now was destined to suffer the same horrific fate that others of her kind shared.

Well, that would have been the case if, part way through the journey, something happened. Shouting and yelling awoke the unicorn from her dreamless sleep, setting her nerves on edge at the familiar sounds of violence clashing around the carriage though she was blind to it by the sheet. 

But, despite this, she was not blind to the power she could sense. An unmistakable power that was beyond anything humans could hope to understand. A lightness that matched that of the sun’s and the moon’s. Beautiful, incredible. Holy. Before anything could be done, a pale blue light engulfed the unicorn’s body as if the moon itself was trapped inside of the carriage with her, demanding to be freed. 

***

Gyro gave a sigh of relief, dusting himself off and returning his Steel Ball to its holster. Bodies surrounded the area, the terrorists proving to be less than a challenge armed with nothing but guns. No Stand users. His attention shifted to the carriage with the large sheet draping over it, a clear sign that they were transporting something they didn’t want others to see and that made Gyro want to see it. 

As he and Johnny approached it, Johnny stopped and snapped his attention to his arm. A bright glow radiated from the Corpse part within his arm, shocking both males at this sudden reaction. A similar glow radiated from within the carriage as well, casting the silhouette of a horse that shifted somewhat before the glow from both Johnny’s arm and the carriage faded as quickly as they appeared. 

“What the Hell was that?” Gyro asked, throwing a look at Johnny who just stared at his arm confused. 

“I-I don’t know.” he admitted, “I think... there might be something in that carriage that triggered it, maybe?” Both men turned their attention back to the carriage, unsure of what to expect that could be hiding under that sheet. Well, one way to find out. Gyro approached the carriage, one hand grabbing the sheet whilst the other reached for his Steel Ball again -just in case he needed it- and removed the sheet. 

“What the fuck...?” Gyro’s words trailed off as shock painted his face a little. There inside the carriage, bound like an animal, was a woman unlike any woman he has seen before. Alabaster skin that should have been flawless was bruised from the weapons and raw from the rope that dug into her delicate skin. Silky [Hair colour] locks spilled past her shoulders and over her bare body, acting like a curtain to shield herself from his eyes. 

Throwing a glance over at Johnny, Gyro gave him an uncertain look. He was expecting a horse or something from that silhouette they saw, not a naked woman. “Uh, Johnny,” the Italian called, giving the woman another glance “Do you have a blanket or a jacket or something on you?” After a moment of rooting through his supplies, Johnny tossed him a spare jacket he had and Gyro caught it before entering the carriage. 

“Hey, you alright?” he asked the [Hair colour] woman, gently shaking her shoulder then laying the jacket over her; the jacket was just big enough to cover everything that needed covering but she would need clothes or she will freeze. As Gyro started to cut away at her bindings, she shifted a little, rousing from her unconscious state. 

“Don’t fidget or I’ll end up cutting you by mista-” He was cut off when he saw her face. Her features were nothing short of stunning with her doe-like [Eye colour] orbs that sparkled in a way that no human’s could; glowing with an innocence and purity that he had never seen before. Smooth skin that would put fine pottery to shame but the feature that mostly caught his attention was the odd scar on her forehead. It mimicked a star in shape and pinkish, a clearly fresh scar. As he gazed at her, the Corpse part in his eye flickered, casting a light over the woman and what Gyro saw made the breath from his lungs be snatched away. 

Where the woman sat, he could see the translucent image of a horse that bared a form of resemblance to the woman sitting before him. Same eyes. Same skin colour. Same delicate appearance. Hell, even the same hair colour. But where the woman’s scar was sat a horn. 

This... this wasn’t possible. Was it? This woman was... a unicorn? They actually exist? That would explain the covered carriage and all but why did she look human instead of- It clicked in Gyro’s head. Johnny’s Corpse part must have reacted with the unicorn as he was closer to the carriage when it happened, and that somehow transformed her into a human. 

Her eyes drifted down to her hands, looking at them as if she had never seen them before. Confusion painted her features as she examined her new body, Gyro only kneeled there, not quite sure what to do. 

“W-What did do you?” her voice was soft and fragile, thin sorrow stitched into her words that made Gyro’s chest clench with a cold guilt of sorts. He slipped the knife back into his pocket, 

“We...” he threw another glance at Johnny who was watching all of this from outside the carriage, the steel bars allowing him to have front row seats to this, and he was just as shocked and unsure of what to do as Gyro. “Um, we saved you from those terrorists.” the Italian forced out, hoping that the answer was something that she would be happy to hear though the lost expression on her face told him otherwise. 

She looked lost and confused, scared even. Her beautiful [Eye colour] eyes examined him then her own body again, her hands resting against the floor as she pushed herself to stand. Her legs weak and strange as she had never used her back legs in such a way before, resulting in her stumbling and falling if Gyro hadn’t caught her. 

“Hey, hey careful. Don’t push yourself like that.” his tone was coated in a softness that even he didn’t know he could hold. This creature -this majestic, stunning creature- was lost in the new world she was cruelly thrown into and now, trapped in a body that wasn’t even hers, because of the Corpse part, he couldn’t deny the twisting feeling that knotted his stomach. 

“C’mon, let’s get you outta here.” he said, gently helping her to her feet and taking slow steps for her to adjust to her new body. His eyes glanced up at the sky, they had a few hours of sunlight left, it that, and they needed some place to camp for the night. Somewhere safe. 

“What’s your name? I’m Gyro and this is Johnny.” The [Hair colour] woman looked between the two men and Johnny could feel a similar sense of nipping guilt that Gyro did. This was what the Corpse part was capable of? But, most importantly, why did Valentine want a unicorn? It was obvious that those people belonged to the Government and therefore Valentine, but why did he want this creature so badly? 

“My name is [Name].” Even her name sounded wonderful and suited her perfectly. Slowly, they helped her onto the back of Slow Dancer and she rested her head against Johnny’s back, exhausted from the recent events. 

***

Finding a spot to camp wasn’t that difficult, thankfully, and soon enough, Gyro had gotten a fire going. [Name] sat in front of the fire, watching it dance and twirl, displaying its golden colours proudly - because it had every reason to be proud, it was in its form, free, unlike herself. 

No words had been shared between them since they found her hours ago, they had no idea what to say to her. No idea how to help her but they knew they couldn’t leave her. Gyro looked over at her as he poured some of the coffee in a cup for her. He didn’t even know if she would drink it but the least he could do was offer. He approached her and held the cup for her, 

“Here you go. It’s coffee.” She hesitantly took the cup from him and looked at it, sniffing it a little then took a small sip. 

“Thank you.” Gyro smiled at that, plopping down beside her. A silence hung between them, broken only by the whispers of nature and the crackling of the fire. “Why did you help me? Why didn’t you take me like the other humans did?” [Name] asked him, her [Eye colour] orbs sparkling with wonder that pressed against that thin veil of sorrow. 

Gyro gave her a look as if she asked him a weird question, “Isn't it obvious? You’re a unicorn, you don’t deserve to be captured.” Surprise flashed across her face at his answer, there was no hidden deception or lies under his words. He was genuine. Despite her new form, [Name] still retained some of her former senses, such as knowing when something meant harm. This human and his friend, they were no threat to her. 

That, itself, put her worry at ease for a bit. However, if she remained in this form, she was cut off from the world she knew. Her magic locked away behind a wall that she couldn’t break down no matter how hard she tried. She felt hollow and empty. 

“Thank you for saving me then, Gyro and Johnny.” Normally, [Name] would never thank a human for what they had done to her species but these two had saved her from an awful fate and they deserved her gratitude for that. She felt a hand on her shoulder and she turned to see Gyro giving her a warm smile that outmatched the flame’s warmth. 

There was a light in his emerald coloured eyes that was unlike anything she had seen before, something strong and determined but was not twisted by need or corruption like she saw in the eyes of so many humans she has crossed. Was this the human spirit she was seeing? If so, then it was... beautiful. 

Slowly, she leaned her head against his shoulder, feeling Gyro’s body tense slightly before relaxing. “Don’t worry, [Name]. We’ll find a way to turn you back.” It was clear by the tone that was branded into his voice that that was a promise. 

Another thing was the magic they had in their horns. It was one of the main reasons why they were hunted. The mere thought of one of her kind bound and chained like a beast with their horn ripped from their skull made [Name]’s eyes brim with tears. Gyro did what he could to comfort the former unicorn. He couldn’t deny his own anger for such things but to see her like this, it made his heart clench. How could they do such awful things to these majestic creatures? Gyro had made a promise to [Name] that they would do whatever they could to help any other unicorns they could, as well as [Name] herself. 

Odd as it was, during her time with them, Gyro felt... connected to her. He didn’t know how nor when it started but there was this drive in the back of his mind that told him to protect this woman. There was this light tingling that would flutter around his body whenever she looked at him with those [Eye colour] doe-eyes of hers that melted away any negative feeling he felt. Was that part of her magic? No, she said all her magic had been sealed away when she became human. So what caused it?

He brushed it aside, shifting his attention to the fire again. “Gyro,” he turned to the former unicorn, who now dawned a dress they were able to get her that fit her perfectly. If he didn’t know her truly, then he would have mistaken her for any other human. 

“Yeah? What’s wrong?” he asked, shifting a little so she could sit beside him. In an attempt to understand humans better, [Name] often asked Gyro or Johnny questions about humans, which they tried their best to answer. Her [Eye colour] eyes glimmered as she looked at the flames then at the light haired Italian. 

“When I go back to my true form, will you lose interest in me as we are now?” Gyro rose a brow at this odd question. “Will you see me as an animal?” she enlightened him. Gyro shook his head, 

“What? Of course not.” he told her, turning to face her properly, “You’re not an animal. Well, technical sense, you are but that’s not the point. You’re a unicorn, one of the last ones and you should protected.” The surprise that painted her delicate features made him smile a little. [Name] glanced down at his hand, her own hand slowly itching towards his; Gyro watched this with curiosity, wondering as to what she was doing. Her hand rested against his, in which he interlocked their fingers gently, giving her the chance to pull away if she wanted to. She didn’t. 

***

There was one main reason why [Name] hated humans. That one primal fear that resulted in her distrust of humans. They killed without reason. They kill each other for sport, for fun or simply because they wanted to. She could never understand why they were as heartless as they were. 

Tears welled in her bright [Eye colour] eyes as she held onto Gyro’s collapsed form, crimson red blood spilling from his wound and pooling around them. Her hand holding his tightly, hoping that he was going to be alright. That the wound was not as fatal as she believed. Vain hope, that was what it was. 

“Gyro...” His name left her lips as a sob, a tight agony clenching around her heart. He couldn’t die. She didn’t want him to. He was one of the few humans she did not wish to see dead. He had shown her a kindness that no other human has. His hand tightened around hers, his emerald green eyes fighting to remain open as his clung to the last threads of life. 

“[Name]...” his voice held no confidence, no boldness that it had in her time of knowing him. “Go...Get...get outta here...” he tried to force out. His voice sounded distant that he was unsure if she could actually hear him. She shook her head, [Hair colour] locks spilling over her shoulders like a curtain around them, blocking out the rest of the world. Gyro looked at her, the life flickering in his eyes like a dying candle. “H-Holy....Corpse...” he forced out, trying to motion to the unconscious girl on his horse only feet away from them. “...f-fix you...” Her eyes looked over at Lucy, her mind piecing together what he was trying to tell her. The Holy Corpse was what turned her human, so the Holy Corpse would be able to turn her back into a unicorn now it was united.

Looking back down at Gyro, [Name] stopped. Emerald green eyes stared up at her blankly. Dull, blank and hollow. Lifeless. Tears trickled down her cheeks, sorrow flooding her body. Reluctantly, she lowered his body to the ground, her hands shaking as she did, and rose to her feet. Valentine approached her, eyes scorching with a coldness that made her want to turn and flee. And she did. She turned and fled towards Lucy, towards the Holy Corpse. After everything that Gyro and Johnny had done for her, they saved her when they could have killed her, they took care of her when they could have tortured her; and now, it was her turn to repay them. 

The second her hand touched Lucy Steel, a golden glow radiated from the girl, drowning the pair of them in a blinding light. Johnny shielded his eyes from the light and looked back when it faded. Standing beside the horse and girl was a  alabaster horse with a silky [Hair colour] mane and a horn upon their forehead. Valentine’s eyes widened with amazement at this. 

“A unicorn.” [Name] turned towards Valentine, her eyes locking onto him as she began to approach him. 

“[Name], no! He’ll kill you!” His words fell upon deaf ears as the unicorn continued her advance towards the President. There was this look in her eyes that made Johnny stop, a steel in them that he had never seen before nor believed she could even hold in them. As she grew closer to Valentine, her horn emitted a bright glow, similar to that of what the Holy Corpse produced. The water around her began to swirl differently than that caused by he Holy Corpse. 

Without warning, she charged. The waves around them following alongside her like an army, forming into the unicorns that had lost their lives because of humans. Valentine had little time to react as the light blinded him, leaving him exposed for the incoming attack. 

Johnny shielded his eyes from the blinding light, feeling the air swirl aggressively around him. The echoing calls of the souls of the dead unicorns drowned out any other sound. A moment passed before it began to fade, the air calming down as the echoing calls died down, melting into the gentle breeze. Johnny moved his arm to see no trace of Valentine, only [Name] standing there with her horn no longer glowing. The steel in her eyes no longer there.

His eyes widened at the sudden realisation, “Gyro.” He turns Slow Dancer towards where Gyro laid, making his way over along with [Name]. The unicorn looked at the deceased Italian, sorrow in her [Eye colour] eyes. Slowly, she lowered her head to him, her horn glowing again with a gentle light. The light encased Gyro’s body, knitting together the wounds until there was no trace of them ever being there. 

Before Johnny could speak, a low groan was made from the Italian, catching Johnny by surprise. Gyro lifted himself to a sitting position, his hand resting against his head to soothe the dull throb. He turned to Johnny, 

“Did we win?” The young Joestar didn’t respond, instead, he pushed himself from his horse and wrapped Gyro in a tight hug. “Whoa, whoa, what’s this about?” Despite this, he made no attempt to push his friend away. His attention turned to the alabaster animal beside them. 

“Hello, who’s this?” he asked, bringing his hand up to stroke the horse’s nose. Johnny looked at him with confusion, glancing between Gyro and [Name]. What was he talking about? 

“Gyro, it’s [Name]. The unicorn girl we’ve spent most of our time helping.” How did he not recognise her? Did Gyro even see the horn hovering in front of his face? Gyro glanced at Johnny then at the horse. 

“Johnny, this is a horse. Not a unicorn.” Johnny looked at [Name] confused at Gyro’s response. She only turned and walked over to Slow Dancer, leaving the two humans to themselves. 

After Johnny had told Gyro that the President was dead and that the Holy Corpse was safe, Gyro mounted Valkyrie again after checking on Lucy. He looked over at the alabaster horse that seemed to be watching them. Odd behaviour for a horse, in his eyes. 

“Hey Johnny, is that horse watching us?” he asked. Johnny looked over to see [Name] watching them. How could he not remember her?

“Um... maybe it wants something we’ve got? One second,” Slow Dancer approached her and Johnny made it appear to be rooting through his bag for something. “Why does he not remember you? He doesn’t even seem to see your horn.” 

[Name] lowered her head a little, tossing a small glance over at Gyro who was watching them from where he stood. “He forgot about me because I was human when he last saw me.” she told him. “He will remember the human I was but not who I truly am.” It might have been Johnny’s mind playing tricks but he was certain he heard traces of sorrow in her voice at that. 

“Will we ever see you again?” She gave him a soft smile, her eyes lighting up a little. 

“You will. I will be watching over the both of you.” A sense of relief washed over Johnny at that. He smiled a little, bringing his hand up and giving her a pat, earning a small smile from the unicorn. Johnny turned and returned to his friend. [Name] watched as the two humans rode off towards the city again. They taught her that not all humans were as cruel as they seem. They gave her hope. 

***

Gyro walked out of the shop, dusting off his outfit and correcting his hat with Johnny limping beside him, his crutch helping him maintain balance. “I can’t believe those guys tried to mug us off! What kinda idiots do they take us for?” The two laughed a little as they walked over to the railing, leaning against it for moment. Gyro’s gaze drifted off as Johnny spoke, landing on a beautiful woman who stood beside a tree. A soft smile on her lips. 

Something washed over him at the sight of the woman, the way her silky [Hair colour] locks flowed in the soft breeze, how her [Eye colour] eyes sparkled with purity. “Gyro, what’s wrong?” He was pulled back to reality by Johnny’s voice, tearing his gaze away from the woman for a moment. He turned back to see the woman gone. 

“Did you see her? That woman standing there a second ago?” He pointed towards where she was. Johnny looked over to see no one there. Gyro blinked in confusion, he could of sworn there was a woman there. And she looked so familiar. Weird. 

“You alright, Gyro?” Johnny asked. Gyro stared at that spot a little before turning away,