“Oh, look who it is. Ms. Rainbow! Why don’t you cough up some glitter? Haha.”
“I can’t believe she actually thinks unicorns exist.”
“She’s mentally insane. No wonder her mother abandoned her.”
“That’s obvious. Why else would Orlando be so consumed by his gatekeeper work? I bet he can’t stand her and chooses to drown in his duties, just so he doesn’t need to deal with her.”
I sighed, putting my hands against my ears in an attempt to block out the whispers that assaulted my sensitive hearing.
Why won’t they leave me alone? Why does everyone believe I am crazy? All the rumors are wrong. Everything they’re saying is wrong. Mommy didn’t leave me. Daddy doesn’t want to work all the time to avoid me. Why can’t they understand I’m telling them the truth about what I am? Why?
I opened my tear-filled eyes as I turned around and ran into the forest. I could hear the lingering laughter mocking me as I retreated.
It made me wonder why I still lived. Why was I brought into such a world if I had no one to turn to?
I was the only unicorn shifter in existence, or so the records claimed. Not that it mattered; no one believed me anyway.
Even with the multiple voices and fingers pointed in my direction, and the kicks and shoves I received from my enemies who never believed me, I knew shifting into my unicorn form wouldn’t stop the bullying. No, it would only escalate it.
I promised Daddy I would never show that side of me unless it was to defend myself or to train. Only my Master could see that form, and he would train me when the time was right.
But when would that time come? When would I be able to prove my worth to a society who saw me as nothing but a burden? Being alone was hard for many people, and I had been alone my entire life.
I continued to walk through the forest as I tried to calm down— allowing my feet to wander aimlessly. It always ended up this way, with me retreating back to the only companion I’ve ever had: nature itself.
I had no friends or relatives to reach out to. My mom was far away, too far for a simple train ride to see her wondrous smile. My father was a gatekeeper, helping guard the gates of dimensions to various worlds. Such a role was usually a birthright or achieved at a young age.
Yet my dad was a late bloomer, only becoming a gatekeeper when I was six years old. Now, at nine years old, I was alone— having to defend myself in this isolated community.
Being different didn’t mean you were treated like you were special. All it resulted in was becoming an outcast.
No matter where I turned, shifters young and old looked and whispered. Some didn’t hesitate to point and laugh. I was the laughing stock of the town, and I would always be, unless I proved myself worthy.
I stopped in my tracks as I felt the first drop of rain fall from the sky. I looked upward, curious about the sudden change in weather.
Drip – Drop – Drip – Drop
The specks of water from the sky above began to fall one by one, until it was pouring down. I stood still, allowing the cold drops of water to beat my flesh as my eyes pooled with tears.
For a shifter well known to be happy and free, I was nothing like those myths.
I was sad...so depressed at my circumstances that I sometimes wondered what was so great about living. My own Council, who should cherish my existence as the first unicorn shifter, discarded me entirely.
As the councilman said right in my father’s face, ‘She is nothing but a mistake.’
I tried to stop the tears from falling down my cheeks, holding back the sobs that begged to escape— to be heard by anyone willing to listen to my silent plea.
“All I want is a purpose. A meaning in this world. I hate this life. I want to be strong. To not care about what people say. I don’t want to feel such misery anymore. Can’t anyone help me?” I shouted up at the sky. My hands clenched to fists as I continued to cry, unable to hold back any longer.
I was tired of being pushed and shoved— tired of being hit and abused every day wherever I turned. I wanted to learn how to fight, to be strong enough to defend myself.
I didn’t care if they feared me. I was nothing to them to begin with. I would build my own foundation, a solid barrier around myself so no one could bring me down. I'd prove to the world that I was someone to acknowledge and not cast aside like a piece of trash.
All I needed was someone to help me achieve my ultimate goal.
"Celestia."
I swallowed the lump in my throat, turning slowly to see the familiar man I'd begged for many years to train me— my father's best friend and Master.
Magnor Rune was a legend— specializing in martial arts, combat, and magic. His father had lived for many generations and had passed down his acquired knowledge to Magnor who continued to learn while teaching and training many shifters across the dimensions. He'd settled here in Versa many years ago. He was the one who had trained my father until he was summoned to his gatekeeper duties.
I'd been begging Magnor to train me from the time I could barely walk, wanting to be like my father and mother who were both powerful and respected. He'd denied my request each time, using the excuse I was either too young or inexperienced to begin my training.
One must desire so strongly to become great before they hear their calling. Forcing yourself to achieve those standards will only end with failure.
Since then, he'd continued to decline my request; my last one was last year when I turned nine. After that, I'd given up asking. I didn't see the point and my heart couldn't handle the rejection anymore. I had dealt with my fair share and adding more would only tip me over the edge— as if I wasn't there already.
I stared at him with sad eyes; my tears continued to flow down my cheeks as the rain beat down on me. He must have used some type of spell – the water not landing anywhere near his body, leaving him dry.
His silver eyes stared at me, holding much wisdom in them. He glanced at my soaked appearance, a frown forming on his previously expressionless face.
I didn't reply to his call, only turned my back, facing away from him. No words could describe how I felt— the desolation and self-pity I'd buried in my very soul had finally resurfaced and raged for freedom. I knew Magnor could help me; he could remove me from my hopeless outlook on life.
But again, I was tired of asking. If the strong desire I felt within myself wasn't enough to prove my bullies and enemies wrong, that I wasn't some weakling who'd be a nobody for the rest of her life, then I'd never achieve that level of ambition.
I opened my mouth to speak, knowing it would be in vain.
"Everyone looks at me as if I'm nothing...a nobody. A hindrance. I bet just looking at me makes them cringe in disgust. Every day is the same. Even when I try to focus on the better parts of life, to acknowledge my worth and how these struggles will pass, the day still turns out far worse than the last. I'm tired...so tired of this. Why won't anyone listen? Why do I continue on this unknown path of life if all that is left for me is pain? I go to school just to be shoved and abused and all the teachers ignore me. I finish school and am pushed into a corner to suffer the onslaught of insults, followed by more kicks and punches. I limp home to an empty house, with not even one person to share my agony with." I trembled as sobs overtook me. I hung my head low, crying my eyes out.
"I miss Mama and Papa. I want to be loved...to have friends. Yet, no one wants me."
I lifted my head to face him, glaring.
"Is that not enough of a resolution to be trained by you? Will I ever be worthy of your guidance? Or am I nothing to you too?" I snarled, trembling.
If he deemed me not ready, I would accept my reality: that I'd never be good enough for this world.
He took a step forward— followed by another. In a few long strides, he was directly in front of me. Whatever barrier that shielded him grew in size— stopping the rain from its hard descent against my pale skin.
I lowered my head, closing my eyes as I readied my heart for the same set of words. Instead, he patted my head gently.
When was the last time anyone had patted my head? When had someone last shown me an ounce of affection instead of inflicting pain?
I covered my eyes with my hands, crying harder. He wrapped his arm around me, pulling me into an embrace.
I didn't hesitate— crying my heart out in his arms. If this was the last time I'd have someone to listen to my cries, I'd let every tear fall. I'd let go of all the pain that had piled up from the years of abuse and hate. The world would feel the sadness I'd locked inside my soul.
When I shed the last of my tears and my whimpers softened, I pulled away, looking up at him for his answer. He gave me a small smile and his silver eyes softened.
"You’re ready," he whispered.