The combined power of the unicorn’s glowing horns made seeing an easy task and that made traveling easier. Being with Hunter and Nightmare also made it more enjoyable. I watched Daydream and Nightmare together. Their love practically radiated from them, though it was hard to explain just how I could see that.
Hunter and I talked about our lives in our own world to pass the time. While I liked to daydream, his dream world was more in the computer realm using them to escape reality and create complete worlds of his own. It was interesting to get to know him, even if we didn’t have much in common.
Daydream stopped our conversation with a gleeful sound. I looked ahead and could just make out a large dark mass in front of us.
“Is that the mountain?” I asked skeptically.
Daydream nodded. “Yes.”
“Just wait till you see it up close,” Nightmare said, his voice giving the eerier impression the place was haunted.
“Great,” Hunter muttered.
I nodded my agreement, and focused on the mountain before us. I could feel the song inside me pulling me towards its origin. “I know,” I muttered, “I’m going.”
The rock face came up before us and I gasped in horror at the rugged, jagged mountain. Its slope was almost invisible covered with rocks that jutting upward at odd angles and ending in even sharper points. What was more unbelievable was the mountain’s color was a black purple. It had nothing to do with the glow from the unicorn’s horns, but radiated from inside the rocks. I slid slowly off Daydream’s back, my eyes never leaving the mountain and Hunter followed.
“Tell me we don’t have to go up that,” Hunter said, looking straight up at its sheer size.
I took a step back dreading the thought of climbing such a monstrosity, but even as I tried to step back the song began singing louder and yanking me forcefully forward. I had never felt it so strong and relentless. It had always been sweet and gentle as it wooed me towards its origin. This new version was as scary as the mountain. I shuddered, trying to decide what to do.
Daydream must have sensed my lack of courage, because she stepped closer to me and put her horn on my shoulder.
“Shh, child. Don’t fight the song, feel it. Let it become one with you as you did to find Hunter and Nightmare.”
“It’s so strong,” I whispered.
“Yes, it is finally coming home. Don’t be scared. You must let the song guide you not let it rule you. It is a part of this world. Use it. Let it show you the true mountain,” Daydream whispered to me.
I swallowed hard and nodded. I could do this. After all I had come this far, to go back now would be a betrayal of what I had already accomplished. A picture of my grandfather came to mind. He wanted this. I had to have courage, if not for me, then for him.
I took a deep breath. “Can we find any path at all?” I asked softly.
Daydream and Nightmare looked at each other, almost sadly it seemed. Daydream finally shook her head. “There is no path, however, I can pick out a way for us to travel. Grace, follow me, then Hunter, and Nightmare will bring up the rear.”
“Shouldn’t the guys be in front? You know, for protection or something?” Hunter questioned.
“No,” Nightmare answered, “Daydream is able to pick out the better path. Plus, if Grace falls you need to be behind her to catch her. We are in more danger from the rear than the front.”
Hunter shook his head. “If you say so.”
“Grace, you need to focus on the song. Follow me, but concentrate not on your steps but on the mountain and the song.”
I nodded, not really understanding. I was seeing the mountain, but how could I focus on it? I thought about it as I followed Daydream. The way was so hard, a slightly wrong placement of my foot and I stumbled again. Hunter grabbed me and I nodded absently to him. It was almost a normal routine now. My hands were rough and scraped. From the way the others struggled, I could tell they didn’t have it any easier. I had to find an answer quickly, but the mountain was already foremost in my mind because of the pain it was causing my friends and I. How much more could I possible concentrate on it?
A hole that appeared out of nowhere caused me to fall yet again. I narrowly missed twisting my foot. I tried to stop myself by grabbing onto the closest stalagmite but its saw-toothed edges cut my skin deeply and I was forced to let go. I yelped in pain as I hit the ground.
“Grace!” Hunter yelled sometime after I hit.
Somehow the thought of “What an ironic name,” made it though my pain riddled brain. I sat up gingerly and grasped my hand, applying pressure to try to stop the blood. Somehow, Daydream managed to turn around and came to my side.
“What happened?” She asked.
“A hole… out of nowhere,” I managed through gritted teeth.
Daydream nodded her understanding. “Show me your hand.”
I held it out to her, still gripping it in my other hand.
“You did a number on that one.”
“It seemed like a good idea at the time,” I muttered.
Daydream chuckled. “At least your humor is still in tack, if not your grace.”
I grimaced. “Daydream, it hurts.”
“I can see that,” she answered, still examining it. “Okay, close your eyes and trust me.”
That was the easy part. I could trust Daydream with anything. I shut my eyes tight and waited. A moment later, warmth surrounded the pain and encased it. The warmth continued to seep into the hand, it felt as if a flowing brook was running through my veins, healing every centimeter of my hand as it moved. Following the brook was something so calm and soothing, a peaceful healing.
“Open your eyes, Grace.”
I looked down at my hand, feeling no pain at all. What I saw made me stare in amazement. There were no bruises or blood, only perfect skin, which seemed to have a newborn baby’s glow.
“Wow,” I whispered astounded.
Daydream nodded her approval. “Yes, it’s not bad. Come on, let’s keep moving.”
I nodded and stood up, still shaking my head in wonder. Glancing back at Hunter, he gave me a look that expressed his own shock. I smiled.
“It’s nice having two unicorns around,” he commented.
I had to agree. I turned to follow my unicorn again, when I noticed the rock that had caused all the pain in the first place. My blood was still on it, but instead of rolling down the side, it was seeping into it, almost as if the mountain was accepting my blood as part of itself. I shook my head at the crazy idea. That wasn’t possible. But the idea made me think about all the other ‘impossible’ things that had happened to me lately. I reached out a hand and rubbed it against a part of the rock that I was passing. It was warm to my touch, almost pulsating with life that I had not noticed.
Daydream had said to know the mountain and to feel the song. I already knew the two were linked somehow. Could they be part of the same? I needed to find out. I focused on the song allowing it to fill both my mind and heart. Once again, I felt it flow through me as powerful as a river and as gentle as a brook. I focused the song thrusting it towards the mountain. The pulse that I had felt from the mountain before was a slow dormant one, but now both the song and the mountain sprang to life. I could see the mountain now with my mind and heart, rather than my eyes, and it was full of life. Where the deep black purple coloring was before a now vibrant violet was the inlaid hue and the jagged rocks flowed together to become smooth gems.
I saw Daydream twalking carefully among the gem-like stones. It looked to be slippery and some of the gems were sharp, but that didn’t make any sense. I remembered what the mountain really looked like and realized my eye’s vision was doing its best to blend with what I saw in my mind. The mountain and song were trying to tell me something. I looked around again and saw off to my right a ladder of gem steps extending up the mountain and out of sight.
“Daydream!” I called. She stopped and turned to me as my vision returned to normal. “There are steps over there,” I said, pointing in the directio
n I had seen them.
“You're kidding right?” Hunter asked.
Daydream looked in the direction and back to me. She smiled. “Okay, but I can’t see them. You’re going to have to lead, Grace.”
“Me?” I squeaked.
Daydream smiled and I heard Nightmare snort from behind me.
“You see the steps right?” She asked calmly as I looked again. “Listen to the mountain and song,” she added, when I didn’t answer right away.
I heard the music well up inside me as I looked to where I knew the steps should be. Hunter came up to stand beside me and as we watched the mountain began to move. The first step simply formed where it belonged, but where the second step should have been was a jagged rock instead. As the four of us watched, the rock melted down forming steps two and three. Behind them were more steps reaching up past where I could see, just as I knew there should be.
“Wow,” Hunter said.
“Uh-huh,” I agreed.
“Lead on, Grace,” Daydream commanded.
I nodded and picked my way over to the steps. Once there, the climbing became much easier and faster. This mountain was full of surprises and I had the feeling we were just seeing the beginning of them.
^^^^^^^^^^
Chapter 4