He woke, but couldn’t open his eyes.  He tried to breathe, but only inhaled dirt.  The dirt around him weighed down heavily.  He’d been buried alive, and he was terrified.  Where was she? He knew that she’d been responsible for this.  He tried to scream, but choked on a mouth full of dirt.  He couldn’t move more than a few centimeters at a time.  He shifted his body as best he could, loosening the dirt that surrounded him.  His eyes remained closed, unable to open them.  Even if he could, what would he see?  He was in complete darkness, buried under who knew how many feet of dirt.  He tried to think.  The ceiling had been a good Eight feet tall, and at least six feet below ground. If the ground from above had come down, and the walls caved in around him, that would be enough to keep him pinned for most of the day at this point.  He heard movement not too far from him.  Was she moving out of the dirt? No.  She couldn’t escape before him.  He moved faster, trying to pull himself out of the dirt.  The more He moved, and higher he got, the easier it became.  It still took hours until he was close to the surface.  Once he finally reached the top, He gasped for air, the darkness still surrounding him as he opened his eyes.  He looked around, the fresh dirt of another section that would have been around where she had been had been dug up.  He pulled himself from his would be grave, and moved towards the freshly dug earth to examine it.

Yes.  There it was.  She had left a trail of footsteps.  He looked to the direction the footsteps had gone.  She had gone towards the woods.  Wonderful.  Now hopefully he would be able to catch her before the pixies did.  He ran in the direction of the footsteps, listening, and keeping aware of where she would have gone, and where the pixies would be.  He heard the footsteps ahead, running fast, and running hard.  If She kept that up, she would tire out soon.  He was closing in on her, his steps light, and silent as he moved into the forest.  These were his lands, he knew them better than anyone.  If He kept her going in this direction, She would be heading to the next lightning harvest location.  He pushed himself to run faster as he heard another noise approaching from the direction she was heading in.  The chimes of the pixies could be heard before the soft blue glow of them.  He became close enough, and dove, tackling her to the ground.  He placed a hand over her mouth to cover her scream as the pixies grew closer.

“Quiet, or you will kill us both.” He whispered harshly directly against her ear.  She stopped moving, her eyes shifting towards the sound of the chimes, and the light of the pixies.

Another sound broke the silence.  The sound of a twig breaking, and the snorting of a horse.  No. He looked towards the noise, the faint form of a black unicorn glowed in the light of the pixies.  Another dangerous beast within the forest.  If the Unicorn had seen them, it would have surely skewered, and devoured them.  His hand remained over her mouth, His body weighing down on hers as he waited.  His eyes shifted between the unicorn, and the pixies.  He hoped, and prayed to the mother, to the dark sibling, the light sibling, whoever would answer.  Just let the pixies eat the unicorn, and leave them alone.

The pixies attention was drawn to the Unicorn, their speed increasing.  The Unicorn sensed the pixies approaching, and panicked.  It reared back, neighing and kicking its feet.  The pixies drew in closer, faster, and the unicorn turned to run in a panic.  The pixies followed, and both were almost out of sight.  The pixies caught the unicorn just before it escaped their vision, the lights from the pixies lit up every bloody bite, and they were left to silently watch the beast slowly being devoured alive.  The screams, and cries of the beast echoed through the dark forest.  She moved beneath him, trying to escape, and push him away, but he held tight, refusing to let go.  He never intended on letting her die, and he wouldn’t let it happen that way even if he did.  Even he wasn’t that cruel.  The cries stopped, and the pixies picked the bones of the beast clean before moving along further into the forest.  He loosened his hold once they were safe, and sat up as she scurried out from underneath him.

“Why did you make me watch that!?!?” She exclaimed, rubbing her eyes, that he realized had begun to tear up.

“I was protecting you!” He exclaimed back. 

“You could have faced me the other way!” She cried, more angry than hurt. “You didn’t have to hold my head to face, and watch the entire thing!” The tears were coming full force now, and he couldn’t tell if she was angry, or if she was truly upset. “I felt every second of its death…” She cried softly, her entire body shaking.  He moved towards her, trying o comfort her, but she pulled away, and sneered at him. “Don’t fucking touch me you asshole!” She growled, smacking at him.  He put his hands up defensively.

“Fine.” He said, sitting back on his knees. “I won’t touch you.” He said, keeping his eyes on her. “Just let me take you somewhere that you can get cleaned up, and I can give you a change of clothes.” He said calmly.

“So you’re going to take me home?” She asked, the tears stopping, her body relaxing slightly.

“Not quite yet.” He said calmly. “Eventually Though.”

“I’d rather just go straight home.” She said, standing to run.  He lunged at her, grabbing her ankle, and pulling her feet from beneath her.  He couldn’t let her get away just yet.  He pulled on her ankle, She fell to the ground. her head hit a rock.  She was silenced.  He pulled her towards him, checking to make sure she was alright.  She was breathing faintly, but she was still alive.  He stood, lifting her body up, and throwing her over his shoulders.  He shifted into a large bird, carrying her as he headed to a new hiding place that he had decided on while he had been digging himself out.  no one would find them in this new spot, he had no doubt about that.