Meeting you (1)

"Goodness, get ready soon! You two are going to be late!" Mama said helping the other chefs with breakfast.

All the windows were open and a few children set up decorations outside. Some of the other children were making large flowers in the dining hall while another handful did their regular chores. Mrs. Kimberly was writing down the things Imogen and Turilla had to take with them.

"Good morning Mama." Turilla and Imogen smiled brightly.

"Morning! There is a slight change of plans, the location that you two would take the exam has changed." Mama said running about.

"What? Who changed it?" Imogen asked while she sat to help the children with chores.

"Not changed per se but it moved… On its own." Mrs. Kim replied giving Turilla the list which she groaned at the number of things. "Pack your bags for four days to a week trip."

"Why is it so long?" Turilla gasped.

"The relocation is in a forest which is three kingdoms away," Mama said. "Quickly now go pack up Mrs. Kim gave the list to Turilla right away."

"Yes, Mama," The two girls said in unison before going back upstairs to their bedroom.

Every year on a particular date, children from all over the kingdom gather at a certain place to do a test to figure out what kind of Unicorn the child would grow up to be. It's like looking into the future but a little different. This year however the location of the examination has been changed and instead of the usual only children from the same village come to do the test, children from all nearby kingdoms are to come to the same place.

An hour passed after the girls got their things ready for the long journey ahead. Turilla had already inhaled her food and left to play with the others leaving Imogen with Mama and Mrs. Kimberly. The three talked about various kinds of things.

"Mama? How was the exam during your time?" Imogen questioned.

"Hm… It was different. I remember like it was yesterday." She reminisced. "We had it in the town square so all of us walked there. In those years each individual had to bring their master. "

"Really?"

"Oh yes, but for old times sake I'll tell you a special story too." Mama giggled. "It's a story about a little girl who found out about the world in the hardest way possible."

"How is that related to the-"

"Oh shush."

~Flashbacks~

The streets were empty and the fog had settled in covering all the pathways. Lamp posts turned on automatically with the help of the Unicorn policemen who were standing guard. Very few houses had any lighting at all so it was bedtime after the sun went down.

In the house at the end of the street sat a girl on her rooftop. No one could see her. Moonlight shone all around her. Little did anyone know that the coming dawn would be the day of her birth and the death of her beloved father. Her whole family was unicorns from the lowest in the hierarchy.

As time passed by, a meteor shower that she waited for each year started. Making dozens of wishes the little girl noticed something move in the shadows under her.

'D- did they f- find me?!' she thought quickly standing up. Pulling up her hood she waited for the next movement.

Shooting up and landing perfectly like a cat was a child. They didn't utter a word nor movement next to the little hooded girl who stood frozen in place. Her heartbeat started to speed up quickly.

"Whew- Gah!!" The other child screamed, noticing the little girl's presence. "Who- Who are you?"

"Uh… I… C- Can't te- tell you…" The little girl stammered in fear.

"For a second there I thought I got caught."

The other child revealed their face removing the hood. Covered in black from her clothes to shoes, a girl about fifteen. She had the most beautiful reddish-brown hair the little girl had ever seen. A tiny bag hung on her shoulder that looked like it would burst open.

"Wha- What's your name?" The little girl somehow made out.

"705 Madam." She replied with a curtsey.

"What kind of a name is that?" The little girl laughed. "Nice to meet you, 705."

"Hmph- It's a code… I don't exactly have a name…" 705 sighed. "What about you? What's yours then?"

"It's Clairenteena Washel." (dear lord I need better names XD) She replied with a slight bow.

"That's a lovely name… but it's a bit too long." 705 smiled. "How about Claire? If I may call you that."

"Hm… It's much shorter. I like it!" Claire said.

"The night sky is lovely isn't it?" 705 said sitting next to Claire.

"Yeah… I used to come up here with my father every year. The night before my birthday, we would watch the meteors and eat sandwiches."

"Is that so? Must have been nice. Wait, does that mean it's your birthday tomorrow?"

"Yes. It is."

The two children sat on the quiet, dark rooftop and stargazed. During that night it felt as if there was a war going on outside their town. For that single night, it felt peaceful. The two girls loved each other's company although it was the first time they have ever met.

"Hey, Claire?"

"Yes?" Claire said, still staring at the ocean of bright stars.

"Why don't you give me a name?"

"Really? Are you sure?" She asked excitedly before thinking of an endless list of names that she adored.

"Yeah-" 705 was cut off by a loud horn that sounded afar. "Oh, heavens I forgot."

"Hm? What's wrong?" Claire asked, watching 705 scramble to her feet before giving her a piece of paper.

"I have to go now. But if we meet again… please tell me my name." 705 smiled, jumping off the high roof and landing soundlessly before running towards the sound of the horn.

"Happy birthday!!" She screamed a whisper.

"Good… bye…" Claire said to the air.

The next day Claire's thoughts were filled with 705 and a name for the red-haired girl. Chores, her job nor her chaotic household was distracting enough to suppress her thoughts. Later that night, Claire went up to the rooftop again, but she was left alone with the starry sky this time.

The rain that night didn't allow her to wait outside for long so she used that time to think of a name for 705. In the tiny room that was the attic, Claire lit a candle and took out the paper that was handed to her the previous night.

On it was a scribbled mess. It looked like water had smudged all the writing. Claire did her best with the little vocabulary that she knew to decipher it. All she could tell was that an address was written on it. She fell asleep since she stayed up all night the previous night as well.

The next day the unicorn exams were held. Children from the whole town came to the capital to take the test. Many of them came with an adult who was their master but Claire didn't have a master, so she was accompanied by her older sister who taught her spell. Claire saw a familiar shade of red in the humongous crown of sixteen-year-olds and dashed to that person without a second thought.

"7- 705 is that you?" Claire said slipping through the crowd, ignoring her sister's calling.

"Clarenteena! Come back they are going to announce the names." Her older sister said pulling Claire's hand.

"B- But... I... saw..."

"It's ok now let's go back."