Quatre’s rubbed his eyes sleepily as he walked out of the seaside mansion. A faint glow was creeping over the eastern horizon, but the sky was still dark. Still, he found it hard to sleep sometimes. Even after attaining peace, there were the dreams to haunt him. While he couldn’t find sanctuary in sleep, he had discovered that he could at least find it while walking outside in the pre-dawn hours.
He crept away from the manicured lawn and towards a more remote area where the weeds grew up to his knees. He closed his eyes for a moment to listen to the soft sound of waves lapping against the sand on the beach, and then the light fwap of the dew covered grass hitting against his legs as he walked through it. A bird flew up in a flutter of wings as he disturbed its nest and he opened his eyes once again to take in the scene around him, dark and dreary in the gray light. A small cluster of trees stood about a hundred yards away and a light fog hung low in the air. He walked towards the trees slowly, watching the ethereal fog swirl around his feet.
Quatre stopped cold and looked towards the trees once again, this time seeing a white mare standing there. At least, that’s what he assumed it was at first. It was stunningly beautiful, and it’s soft white fur looked dreamlike in the fog even before he noticed the long horn that spiraled up from its forehead.
He blinked and walked towards it cautiously with one hand stretched out in a friendly gesture.
The creature stood perfectly still as it watched him approach with a slight glimmer of amusement in its eye. Quatre couldn’t shake the feeling that the unicorn was trying just as hard not to scare him away as he was trying not to scare it away.
He stopped when he reached the unicorn, and looked at his hand uncertainly. Surely it was wrong for a soldier like himself to touch anything so beautiful. He looked back up and the unicorn’s wise eyes met his for a moment, lending him the courage he needed. Without further hesitation, he brought his hand up and pressed it against the silky fur of the unicorn’s neck.
In an instant he jerked back again at the sudden surge of . . . of what? He hadn’t been ready for the thousands of emotions caused by the link with the mythical beast.
The unicorn tossed its head and gazed at Quatre expectantly. Understanding, he smiled slightly and reached his hand out again, this time not pulling away. The unicorn’s eyes seemed to smile at him. The young man had always had a look of innocence, but the wonder in his tear-filled blue-green eyes in the delicate moment gave the impression that he was still a child.
As the first rays of the sun crept over the horizon, a single crystalline drop slid down Quatre’s cheek and without thinking he wrapped his arms around the creature’s neck. The unicorn seemed to understand this and offered no resistance. It offered what comfort it could to the heavy-hearted gundam pilot, feeling a strange kinship to him.
The unicorn, like others of its kind, had the ability to heal wounds, though usually not the emotional kind. Still, when Quatre drifted off to dream with his arms still wound loosely around the unicorn’s neck, his visions held none of the gory scenes of war that so often woke him from the night.
It was not until a few hours later that he opened his eyes, finding himself alone on the grassy hill with the sun high up in the sky. The unicorn had vanished, not even leaving a broken blade of grass as evidence of its presence. Perhaps it had been part of a dream; perhaps it had never truly been there.
Relena’s mansion, bright and festive, could be seen from the road as the cars arrived one after another for the party. Quatre was just one of the many to walk into the doors and be greeted by the sound of music and laughter. Relena greeted him with a warm smile. “Hello Quatre. I’m so glad you could make it.” Her words sounded rehearsed, but probably sincere.
“Miss Relena!” Quatre returned her smile, surprised to see her so soon. “I couldn’t miss the festivities, not after we finally attain peace.”
Duo Maxwell waved from the punch bowl and Quatre offered an arm to Relena as the two walked over to him. “Duo! It’s so good to see you!” Quatre exclaimed. Duo grinned mischievously. “You too, and the lovely lady you have with you.” He winked at Relena jokingly. “It’s a little stuffy in here though. Anyone else wanna join me outside?”
Quatre, eager to talk to a friend his own age, nodded and the three walked towards the veranda. Duo was the first to make his way out. He leaned against the railing and stared out across the gardens. They were lush and green at this time of year, with flowers of all kinds blooming. In the moonlight the fountains and statues seemed to shine a silvery white color.
Quatre and Relena followed close behind Duo. As Quatre caught the scent of honeysuckle he looked out at the gardens and stopped in shock as he saw the unicorn standing no more than five hundred feet away. The horn was glowing faintly and was absolutely unmistakable from where they stood. Relena looked at him curiously. “Is something wrong?”
He looked over at Duo, who seemed oblivious to the fact that there was a legendary animal standing right in front of them, and finally whispered. “Do you see that?”
Relena looked over at the unicorn and then back to Quatre. “You mean the horse?”
Quatre blinked in surprise, looking at the unicorn to make sure he had seen correctly and then back at Relena uncertainly. “Yeah, the horse.” He forced a smile, wondering if maybe he really was seeing things.
Relena, unconcerned with the matter, turned to look inside and smiled. “Oh, Lady Une is here. I should go say hello. Are you going to stay outside?” Quatre nodded in reply and Relena made her way back in the French doors.
“You don’t see just a horse, do you?”
Quatre jumped at the sound of Duo’s voice, forgetting for a moment that he was there. Duo turned to look at him expectantly. Quatre walked over to Duo, still glancing at the unicorn every now and then. “Then you see it to, Duo?”
“The unicorn?” Duo grinned. “Of course I see it. It’s kind of obvious, isn’t it?”
Quatre hesitated for a moment, confused all over again. “I’ve heard that only certain people can see unicorns, but why you and I? I would have thought that if anyone could see something that’s thought of as a symbol of purity and love, it would be Relena.”
“Do you mean because she’s a pacifist?” Duo asked, waiting for Quatre’s nod before going on. “I’ve wondered the same thing myself. I think, maybe I understand though. Even unicorns will fight, Quatre. When I saw it for the first time, I got the feeling that it understood the things I had done. That there are some things important enough to fight for.”
Quatre stared out at the unicorn and their eyes met for a moment. Finally, Quatre nodded in understanding. “Truth, hope, faith, love, freedom, and happiness aren’t worth sacrificing, not even for peace. But I still don’t understand why Relena can’t see it.”
At the mention of the girl, the unicorn gave a short, indignant flick of its tail and turned, walking away with all the grace and dignity it possessed. Duo raised an eyebrow, amused. “Maybe that would answer your question. It looks like it’s just a matter of taste. Or maybe Relena just can’t see her.” He shrugged, seeing the unicorn had disappeared into a clump of trees. “I should go back in and find Hildre. Talk to you later, Quatre.”
Quatre muttered a half-hearted good bye as Duo left, and then walked off of the veranda into the garden. He stopped when the music had all but faded away and sat next to a fountain, his mind once again obsessing over the fact that Relena, who everyone loved, couldn’t see the unicorn.
“My, but you are a stubborn one.” A soft female voice commented.
Quatre looked up quickly and saw a young woman standing on the other side of the fountain. Her waist length white blonde hair was pulled back elegantly, but a few loose tendrils fell into deep blue eyes and framed her fair facial features. “What do you mean?” He asked, caught off guard by her sudden appearance.
She smiled and walked gracefully towards him, sitting on the edge of the fountain so that she faced him. “Why, why, why. Duo had no problem accepting that that girl couldn’t see her, but you can’t help but dwell on it.”
“Her?” He asked cryptically, confused as to how this girl could know what he had been thinking.
“Aisling.” She replied, adding in explanation, “The unicorn.”
He blinked in surprise. “You’ve seen her as well? Who…”
She smiled as he trailed off. “I’m Nerissa, and of course I’ve seen her. Anyone who is capable of seeing her, and who she is willing to be seen by, can see her.”
“So why not Relena? She’s one of the nicest people I know. Without her, we would never have had this peace.”
Nerissa sighed and offered a tolerant smile after hearing his small objection. “There are more important things. ‘And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.’ Not peace, but love. Or so says the Bible of the Christian faiths. You yourself made a similar comment earlier. You understand, obviously, because you fought in that war. Sometimes, peace is the best condition for evil to thrive in. Unless evil is fought, it will prevail. Unicorns love all life and they are gentle creatures, but they understand that for what is good and right to prevail, sometimes one must fight.
“Some legends say that only children can see unicorns,” she went on, “But that isn’t necessarily true. Children simply are more likely to have a firm grip on the deepest truths. They are able to love and believe without question. It is that faith that allows you to see Aisling.”
Quatre looked down humbly. “Do you mean to say that Relena doesn’t have faith?”
The corners of Nerissa’s mouth turned down. “The person who is not willing to fight for anything or anyone is the person who has not yet learned to truly love.”
Quatre looked up suddenly, shocked by the words. “That’s a horrible thing to say.”
Nerissa smiled sardonically. “Unicorns are very honest, they don’t lie or sugar coat the truth.” She stood up and brushed herself off. “Believe me, or not. The choice is entirely yours, but I have answered your question as best I can. Good bye, Quatre.” As she quickly walked away, her pale blue dress swished softly around her bare feet and only the faint scent of seashore lingered in her place.
“I would see the White Tree in flower again in the courts of the kings, and the Silver Crown return, and Minas Tirith in peace: Minas Anor again as of old, full of light, high and fair, beautiful as a queen among other queens: not a mistress of many slaves, nay, not even a kind mistress of willing slaves. War must be, while we defend our lives against a destroyer who would devour all; but I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend: the city of the Men of Numenor; and I would have her loved for her memory, her ancientry, her beauty, and her present wisdom. Not feared, save as men may fear the dignity of a man, old and wise.”
--J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers