Asa gazed out onto the horizon littered with trees, this was her home ever since she left her home with the humans at the age of twelve. She always knew she was different and she embraced it, she was free to be herself out here. Asa was half human half healer, which is a magical race with the ability to heal, and you may think life out here gets lonely but not for her, she has the animals and her unicorn, Unity.

“Well, Unity, another glorious morning,” she said while rubbing her snout.

Hayal whinnied with glee. Since she was half-human she couldn’t understand the animals but they loved her all the same. She was raised by Unity’s herd, but Unity had always been her favorite. She hopped on the back of Unity and clicked her tongue for her to go and held on tight.

Asa grinned as Unity ran across the meadow in her forest. 

“Faster!” she smiled, laughing wildly. Unity kept going at a rapidly increasing rate. She didn't bother flinching in fear, she was the queen of the forest, she was brave, she was unafraid. Always. That was practically her line. She repeated it to herself often. Unity slowed and stopped. She turned to the other unicorn, Avrea.

“See? We won, even with a passenger,” she smirked cockily and laughed. Avrea nickered playfully and she went on her way

Just as they were gaining speed a chocolate centaur stepped out onto the path.

“Woah girl!” Asa ordered Unity.

They stopped just in time but they weren’t safe, it was Azazel, the centaur that she… Images of her leading the forest animals to a centaur and driving him out… She was pulled back to reality, her on Unity’s back and Azazel blocking the path. 

“Listen, I don’t want any trouble,” she promised.

“You should’ve thought about that before driving me out!” he shouted.

“You gave me no choice,” she tried soothing, "I was protecting my family.”

“This isn’t your family, you're human!” he yelled. 

That hit her like a brick wall, she had always considered the forest as her home and the animals as her family, but it still hurt when someone denied that.

“Yes. They. Are,” she said angrily, “Get over it, the forest is mine now.”

“Oh really?”

“Yes. the creatures under your ‘care’ chose to back me when I saved them.”

He glared at her. “You didn't save them! And you would be nothing without them, they chose you once and they won't again. You are weak, and I will crush you. I'm going to offer you one chance to get out of my forest.

“You wish. It's my forest now, Azazel. Get over it.” 

“Fine.” he spat. “Diablo, attack.”

A black dragon a bit larger than a horse swept from above the trees towards her, flame exploding from his mouth, catching fire to several trees. It sizzled out quickly, and she turned and ran. She had Unity to flee and didn’t stop until she was well away from home.

He was right, she wouldn't be able to rally the creatures of the forest again. She collapsed and gave way to despair. It was hopeless. She was banished from her home, everything, and everyone she loved. Her mind wandered to when she had come.

She had been twelve. Her parents just told her the truth of who she was, that her father was some magical race called a healer, separated from the others. She had been so shocked and confused, so she had left. After a month of relying on the kindness of strangers and her own wits, she had arrived at an enchanted forest.

She met a unicorn outside it, grazing quietly. Young, still. Unity. The unicorn had been friendly with her but had a sort of heaviness and sadness about her. She had wandered in and found wonderful and beautiful creatures. Some of them, like the phoenix and griffon, were proud and free, leading themselves. But what got her were the weak ones, the rabbits and the deer, and the gentle ones, like the unicorns.

She kept searching, looking for what was the problem until a strong centaur found her. He hid and ambushed her, holding her at arrow point to explain herself. Azazel had been the king of the forest, a tyrant of all creatures not independent. They all understood her, though she couldn't hear them, and she united them. She drove out Azazel and became a benevolent ruler.  The unicorn herd took her in, and she had lived with and grown closer to them since. She couldn’t give up, she had to do it, for the animals, for the unicorns, and most of all, for her adopted mom, Unity.

“What will we do Unity?” Asa asked her unicorn.

She got off Unity’s back and began pacing, she needed a plan. The humans!

“Come on girl, we're getting help,” she told Unity.

They spent weeks trying to find her old parents but they found nothing. 

“New plan, we’ll find the griffins,” she said.

They were off on a mission that would shape the future of the forest. The trees began to thin out and rolling hills formed, they were almost there. She saw the griffins and walked up to Sky, the leader of the griffins. 

“Hey Sky, I know I can’t understand you so shake your head up and down for yes and sideways for no,” Asa instructed, “Will you help me take back the forest? And where’s Savita?” 

Sky shook her head up and down and pointed her head to the distant hills to let her know that is where the phoenix is.

“Thank you, meet me at sunset tomorrow at the edge of the forest,” Asa said.

She took Unity to the hills and called out the phoenix’s name hoping that she would get an answer.

“Savita! I need help!” Asa shouted.

Savita appeared in front of her. She was beautiful, she had wings that looked like fire that spread out for what seemed like miles and a long feathery tail flowing behind her, and an orange fire-like chest that puffed out proudly.

"I need help, shake your head up and down for yes and sideways for no,” Asa instructed, "I need help taking back the forest.”

Just as the griffin, Sky, had done she shook her head, yes and Asa put her head to Savita’s to let her know she was grateful, then hopped on Unity and instructed the phoenix to meet her at the edge of the forest at sunset tomorrow.

The sun had risen high in the sky by the time Asa woke up and she was ready to find the humans today.

She climbed on Unitys back and told her where to go, her new determination dissipating. Would they even want to see her after all this time? No, she couldn’t think about that, she had to be strong for the forest.

“Let’s go girl,” Asa said calmly and they set off.

By the time they found the humans, time was well on its way to go from morning to noon so they had to hurry. She walked up to the door and she stopped before knocking and looked back at Unity and she threw her head at the door. 

“Here goes nothing,” Asa said as she knocked.

Her parents opened the door and were shocked to see their daughter standing there, neither her parents nor she had seen each other in a long time. 

“Asa? My baby, you’re home!” her mother said with glee, “Honey!”

Asa awkwardly smiled. “Hey, mom…” her mother embraced her and her father walked into the room. He ran to her in shock and they all hugged for a while. Her smile faded and she wiggled out of their arms.

“No. my forest is in trouble, I need you to get as many humans as possible. I’ll be back in a few days to get you guys.” Asa said in a rush.

“Hold on there, who’s Azazel and what is that behind you?” her dad asked.

“He’s a centaur and that’s Unity, my unicorn, she keeps me company,” Asa responded, “Will you help?” her parents looked shocked at what they just heard but they had to help. Right?

“Of course,” her parents said in unison.

“We will meet here in two days with our armies gathered to battle for the fate of the forest. My forest. Prepare to lose, Azazel.” she said confidently. 

 Her human family had gotten the whole neighborhood plus some police officers, Sky brought her griffins, and Savita came with her mate Ozu. They had met up at the edge of the forest as she said they would and were now headed for Azazel and they were sure he would have the wolves, other centaurs, and the other forest animals with him but they had to try. 

“Azazel! This is your only chance to back down,” she shouted.

Her army hid waiting for Asa to make a move, Asa knew that she was in for a fight but she had all she had and Unity went to get her herd so they were ready. 

“Is that so? It doesn’t look like you have much help,” he said with a chuckle and his own army of centaurs and forest animals appeared and...

Oh no, he brought Diablo, his dragon. He had a set of horns on his head and a fin-like neckpiece that ran down his neck and his back. He was smokey black and had green eyes, they were in for the battle of their lives.

“Yes it is and I have friends of my own,” she said as her own army came out of hiding.

“I have the forest this time. A few creatures are nothing,” he said.

“We will win,” she said.

“Then so be it, a fight it is,” he said followed by a battle cry from everyone on his side of the battlefield and they charged.

“Go, go, go!” she ordered and they all charged and the unicorns had arrived so she hopped on the back of Unity as she sped by. 

The clearing was filled with screeches and screams as everyone went into battle, the phoenixes took care of Diablo, the humans had guns and were shooting the centaurs, griffins were surrounding the forest animals and some dealt with diablo with the phoenix’s, and the unicorns also went at the centaurs and forest animals. 

He had his dragon and the animals, not the magical ones just the normal ones, lined up, forced to fight. She could tell none wanted to. She caught the eyes of a wolf she once saved from the brink of death. Yeah, they didn't want to.

The battle began. Everything blurred together. She couldn't watch all the others fighting, she could only focus on Azazel. She took her spear and charged him, shouting a battle cry. They fought hard, she cut him several times and he wounded her, until she finally got the upper hand and pinned him down.

“Whos weak now?” she said through gritted teeth before she ended him. His eyes widened. She turned away and left.

“Cease!” every creature everywhere stopped and looked at her. Diablo was dead, killed by Unity, among others.

After hours of battling the sun began to rise and Asa’s team had won the battle and the centaurs, or at least the ones left, had to leave the forest and never come back. They won and when they met on the battlefield, they didn’t flinch away.

Years later she died because of heart problems because healers can’t heal themselves but before she died she had a son with the man of her dreams, he was a Werewolf, and their kid, Mooi, was one too but with healing powers, as long as he lives or his children lives the forest will be safe from harm.

“Don’t ever forget Mooi, to always follow your heart and protect the forest at all costs,” Asa told him before she died.

And Mooi did as told, when he grew up he protected the forest and all the creatures and animals in it but his mother was a legend around there and her story was told over and over again of how she united the forest and stopped the feud that would have destroyed the forest in its wake. 

“And then she met a werewolf. They fell in love and married, and had one son. Me. and as you know, when my mother died I took her place. And that is the story of how the forest was united.” I smile as all the creatures cheer. They love that story. I bid them goodnight and go to my mother’s treehouse. I miss her. I only got five years with her but each one was precious and I never forgot her. To them, she is a hero and a legend. To me, she is just the one person I wish most would return to me. I still remember her weak request to look after the forest, the day my mom died, the day a legend died, the day I learned that all legends rise but few die and leave such an impact for as many years as she would.