Hopeful Hooves: A Unicorn Friendship Tale

CHAPTER THIRTEEN: MERCY

When the three unicorns looked up, the biggest Karkadann was walking towards them. She was bigger than Isabul herself, causing Charity immense fear. 

"So is this true that Isabul had tried to hurt you without a cause?" she asked sharply. Charity looked at her, trembling. What is she going to do? Stomp on me?

"Well, we do not tolerate such behavior, so as a result, we have taken the permanent decision to expel her from this herd. We are sorry for your injury, so you can be glad that she will not do this again."

Aurora shrieked with joy, but Charity and Melody watched sadly as the old one left. 

"Why are you guys sad?" the youngest asked. "She got what she deserved."

"She must be going through deep turmoil to do such a thing to me," Charity said sympathetically. "Of course, this does not justify her actions. I have gone through hardships and I have not acted maliciously. Nevertheless, it must be painful for her to be an outcast."

"It sure is!" Melody added. "Rhinos are herd animals, which means they need close friends to be emotionally stable. I pray she finds some good friends who will influence her to be kind."

Aurora's smile faded from her mouth. She was about to open her mouth when suddenly they heard a moaning sound.

"Ohhhhhhhh!"

"Was that..." Aurora stated.

"Isabul?" Charity continued. She motioned for her friends to investigate the sound. And sure enough, it was Isabul. Her leg had three arrows embedded in it, causing swelling in the surrounding area. The arrows didn't penetrate deep into the thick rhinoceros skin, but their presence caused intense pain and posed a risk of infection if not extracted. 

"You know the old saying — whatever you sow, you will reap," Aurora said with anger. "She stomped on your leg, causing it to become injured. And now she is getting a taste of her own medicine—her own leg is injured!"

Aurora's right, Charity thought. Everything I got from Isabul is coming back to her. But how many times have I done wrong? Would I like it if, when I rejected Aurora, Melody had rejected me? Isabul still deserves love and respect, and I will give it to her.

"Aurora," I know that saying," she finally said. "It is from a book that my parents read to me. But let me tell you another saying from that book. If your enemy is hungry, give her some food. If she is thirsty, give her a drink. By doing this, you will heap burning coals of fire on her head. The saying interprets itself. If we do something nice for our enemy, it is so shameful that it is like getting fire on your head. It's not a guarantee that Isabul would change. But even if she does not, I will forgive her regardless."

She went up to Isabul, who grunted, "What are you doing here, Chipmunk?"

"Here, let me get this out for you," the alicorn replied. Using her teeth, she pulled out each of the arrowheads. Isabul winced in pain, but she started feeling much better after Charity pulled out the third one. 

Melody had brought a first aid kit, so she pulled out some antiseptic and applied it on the wounds. They stung a little, but the ointment relieved the giant unicorn. They then covered the wounds with a giant leaf they had found.

"I am really thirsty," Isabul muttered. "But my leg hurts so bad I can barely walk to that nearby herd who is drinking water."

Charity gasped. She couldn't even walk normally, let alone carry anything else with her arm. How could she carry a huge Karkadann?

She made up her mind to use her front legs to carry Isabul, and to walk on her hind legs. The let foreleg had already been crippled, but to her amazement (and everyone else's) she could carry Isabul and walked. She nearly lost her balance, but she unfurled her wings, stabilizing her.

"Thank you so much," Isabul muttered, and walked to her new herd, which accepted her.

Another Rhino from this herd  had been watching everything that happen and said to another, "It must have taken an act of mercy for someone to do that."

"I heard what the Rhinos said, and they said the word mercy, which is the greatest of all of them!" Aurora said. "So since you found the greatest of all the qualities, you finished the paper!"

"Sunshine," Charity laughed. "Silly, I haven't finished the paper just because I found the greatest quality. There are still more qualities to find. Plus, we are still looking for our parents. Maybe we can stay at your grandmother's for a weekly rest, since it's Saturday tomorrow. Then on Sunday, we can continue our journey."

"Ok," said Aurora. "By the way, since I found the quality, can you please let me write the word?"

"Sure," Charity said.

Aurora dipped her horn in the mud and filled out the word.

THE THINGS NEEDED TO BETTER THE LAND

IN ORDER TO BETTER THE LAND, THE THINGS THAT NEED TO BEEN SEEN MUST COME FROM THE HEART IN THE HEAD. THE LAND NEEDS ACCEPTANCE, COURAGE, G_________, I______, H______, T_______, AND THE GREATEST OF ALL, MERCY. 

If we had mercy for each other, instead of paying back, we'd have fewer crimes, Charity pondered.