This short story focuses mainly on Michél, one of Bob's three boyfriends. It offers some insight into his life between the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Age, and how he meets Bob for the first time. It is written from Michél's point of view. Enjoy!
The year 1798 was a violent one. I can never seem to erase this part of history from my mind. The footsteps of revolution were still marching down the cobblestone streets of France, never seeming to end. In the central plaza of Paris, the shadow of a guillotine loomed over the bloodthirsty crowd, all of who were cheering for her next victim to be beheaded. A frail man stepped up to the frightful machine, shaking every moment that he was still breathing. And with a few quick movements, the executioner released that terrible lever, ending the poor man’s life.
What had he even done to deserve such a ridiculous penalty? They say that he was accused of treachery against the Jacobin regime, but I knew that was a lie. All he had ever wanted to do was to protect his family. Claude was a good man, and it was a pity that he had earned such a brutal death sentence. Past where the crowd was standing to watch the next victim’s demise, I stood with the horses, trying to calm them down. For such colossal creatures, they scared so easily. These were the horses that were forced to bring the day’s wine to Madame Guillotine, day after day. Six tumbrils today, and the number of victims from the first were quickly thinning.
After watching the executions from my post, I figure one could say that I had become desensitized to them. True, there are a choice few that I have seen upon that accursed stand, and that I did care dearly for, but the rest…I can only pity, nothing more. I imagine it must have been twenty minutes or so before I moved from my post, determined to get away from all this mess, at least for a while. The horses gave me comfort, and I to them as well. But enough was enough. Moving as quickly as I could, I snuck into the nearest alleyway, and turned right, down another alleyway. That was the amusing part of Paris; so many alleyways, and so many places to hide from my superior.
It was he who found me tending to the horses on my own one cloudy morning, trying to calm them from the ringing sound of the guillotine’s blade, and the ominous cheer of the crowd down below. He then hired me, and kept me alongside the horses every day, realizing my small “talent”. I never considered it to be a talent…just a habit I had been paid for, really. As I wove around a pyramid of wine barrels in my path, I paused for a brief moment.
I could leave this place if I wanted to. I possessed the power to do so. So why hadn’t I left? Was it because France had been my home for the past one thousand years?
One thousand years. Had it really been so long? To me, it only seemed like a mere five years. Time flies so quickly. I sat on one of these wine barrels, contemplating on whether to leave the city or not. I didn’t have a home to go back to…no family to worry about.
Everything a typical human worries about constantly. But I was not a typical human, no. There was a reason I was so good with the horses. I was practically one of them myself…albeit, a more “ascended” form of equine, as we like to call ourselves.
People say the unicorns died out long ago, poached by hunters for their horns. Our species is now extinct as they all say. But I can reassure you that there are a few of us left…we have just all assumed human forms, and lived our lives as normal.
Assuming my true form, I trotted the remainder of the alleyway, determined to reach the end of it. Before I could reach the end, however, a small spherical object rolled out in front of me, and I realized, from the shiny red color, that it was an apple. As I leaned down to pick it up with my teeth, I realized that my meal hadn’t come alone. A small boy was running straight behind it. He was dressed in very ragged clothes, and his shirt was full of patches. His face was covered with dirt, and his hair was sticking up in various places, as if he hadn’t bathed in weeks.
Backing away from the apple, I stared down repulsively at the boy, who was staring up at me in awe.
He needed new clothes. These simply weren’t going to do. “A unicorn.” the boy breathed, his eyes growing wide. I had to resist rolling my eyes, so instead, I snorted. Half of me was intimidated by the fact that he could run off and tell whomever he wanted than he had seen such an elusive creature. But the other half knew just as well that the boy most likely had no family to tell.
The boy picked up the apple just then, and out of habit, my eyes followed it, breaking me out of my silent thoughts. He smiled at me with that dirty little face of his, as he held out the apple to me.
Be kind just this once, Michél. It won’t kill you.
“I was planning on having this for lunch, but I suppose you can have it, Monsieur Unicorn.” the boy said. I tilted my head to the left for a moment, staring at the fruit that was often my downfall. “Here,” the boy said, “Take it. You look much hungrier than I.” I shook my head at him, and pawed the ground with a hoof. He needed those new clothes now.
Was that called being nice?
I took a few steps towards him, and surprisingly enough, the boy didn’t move. He seemed to have a general idea of what I was about to do, for my horn was glowing. I was truly surprised by his bravery. In a matter of minutes, the boy had some new clothes, a change from what he had been wearing seconds ago. And in his other hand rested another apple, shinier than the one he offered me. The boy’s eyes grew as wide as dinner plates just then, as he looked down at his new attire, and the food I had so graciously given him.
“Thank you so much, Monsieur Unicorn.” the boy whispered, as he rushed up to hug my left foreleg, rubbing his cheek against my pristine white fur. I nuzzled the boy’s shoulder, before lifting my head again.
“My pleasure, mon petit.” I said, offering a small smile. The boy stared up at me once more, in absolute shock that I had just spoken to him. He didn’t speak another word as I disappeared into thin air, my job having been completed.
I reappeared in another alleyway, a mere few seconds later. But this one was slightly more different than the one I had been in before. For beginners, the fashion of the people walking around had changed a tad bit.
Had I gone too far?
I quickly assumed my human form, and stepped out onto the main streets. I was still in Paris, but for some reason, things seemed to have changed from how I remembered them before. I was now on my way towards the great cathedral of Notre Dame. The labyrinth of alleyways I had taken led here, and I had known that already. The people walking in the plaza didn’t seem to notice my out of place fashion, and I continued walking along, trying to figure out why things looked different.
A newspaper blew across my path, and I picked it up, to keep it from flying away. The date read “December 2nd, 1804”. I must have really made a miscalculation on where I had wanted to go.
The headline immediately under the date read, “NAPOLEON BONAPARTE, EMPEROR OF FRANCE.” Raising a brow, I read through the column. Who was this Napoleon? And how did he manage to overhaul the Jacobin regime? Just then, I spotted a crowd of people forming near Notre Dame, as if preparing for a parade. And a parade it was. I shoved my way through the crowd, securing a place for myself at the very front. A pure white horse trotted along the pathway, with a man upon his back. I realized that I still had the newspaper in my hand, and I snuck a quick look at the drawing of this “Napoleon”. Looking up at the man again as he passed by, I concluded that this little man had indeed gained control of our entire country.
He’d have to be a much better ruler than King Louis XVI if he ever wanted to earn my respect. All the respect that I had for rulers had died along with the pompous idiot and his queen. As Napoleon and his horse marched onwards, I noticed that something was a bit…off about his horse. The first giveaway was the strange discoloring of the tip of his tail.
It was pink.
Pink! As if someone had decided to just dye the tip of his tail, and nothing more. My curiosity peaked just then. I turned around, and shoved my way through the crowd once more, reaching the back of it. I was going to follow this “Napoleon” and his horse.
The second giveaway?
This was no horse. He was a unicorn.
I kept myself expertly hidden as I followed the man and the unicorn. The procession seemed to end at the steps of Notre Dame, where Napoleon calmly left his horse to an attendant. I paused just then, deciding on what to do. Napoleon began heading up the steps, with Pope Pius VII greeting him at the entrance. The two shook hands, and the Pope led Napoleon inside, as a choice few followed them inside. Ignoring that for the moment, I strode up to the attendant that was holding the Emperor’s horse.
“Excuse me, Monsieur, but would you mind if I took a look at the Emperor’s fine steed here? I noticed that something seems to be wrong with his foreleg.” I said. The attendant gave me a wary look, before raising his brow in question. “Are you a vet?” he asked.
“Yes, and I care for the good of the horse and our dear Emperor.” I said, biting back the sarcasm that was on the tip of my tongue. Oh, how I loathed sucking up to people. It was far beneath me. But humans were too curious for their own good, so I had to quell those curiosities before any suspicion arose. Eventually, the attendant handed me the horse’s reins, and I took them into my hand, leading the horse down the steps, and to level ground.
Of course, his leg wasn’t broken. It was just fine. But the attendant was watching me very closely, and I pretended to look over the horse’s leg. “You’re a unicorn as well, no?” I said, in a voice low enough for only the horse to hear. His ears swiveled around to face me, as I looked up into his eyes.
“How did y’all know?” he asked, eyes widening.
“Force of habit, I suppose. Besides, there aren’t many of us left.” I said. The horse looked me up and down, from my ponytailed hair(which was a strange tint of blue that I told humans was from mercury poisoning) to my clothing, which I had magically adapted to the times.
“I thought I was the only one here.” he said. I noticed the other’s strange accent, which definitely was not of French origin.
“Not at all. There’s very few of us left here in France, but a majority went into hiding up in the Pyrenees long ago.” I said. The unicorn gave me a curious look.
“Why didn’t y’all go with them?” he asked.
“I’ve lived down in France for over a thousand years. I saw no reason to, as long as I assumed this disguise.” I said, gesturing to myself. The unicorn nodded in understanding. He then grinned at me, which I found very unusual.
“Name’s Bob, y’all. But as long as I’m Emperor Napoleon’s horse, call me Marengo.” he said. I nodded quickly.
“My name is Michél Blanc.” I said.
“Pleasure to meet you, mon ami.”
After some time of small talk, I returned "Marengo" to the attendant, who had asked me if the foreleg was in a good condition. Reassuring him that it was, I headed off past Notre Dame, and down towards the Seine. The unicorn had told me that later on, he would meet me down here, to just talk. He seemed a bit older than I, but still youthful.
It was a good hour or so when the Pope consecrated Napoleon, and the two stepped back out into the Parisian sunshine. The crowd milled around them again, and it wasn’t too long until another procession followed. Having nothing better to do, I merely followed along with the crowd, until it disintegrated somewhere along the Seine. From what the other unicorn had told me, Napoleon wasn’t returning directly to his new home in Tulieres that day. He would be staying in Paris for the next few days, for some royal duties or whatever it was.
“Hey there.” a voice said from behind me. I whirled around, only to face a man in an entirely white suit, with shockingly white hair pulled back into a ponytail, much like mine.
“Do I know you?” I inquired, curious about this man’s identity. His hair color was the most unusual thing I had ever seen on someone who looked to be in their mid twenties. But for some reason, his voice seemed familiar.
“You just met me some time ago, y’all!” he said, chuckling. It was then that I realized it was the unicorn with the strange accent…Napoleon’s steed.
“Ah, it’s you again. My apologies…I didn’t quite recognize you there.” I said.
The other unicorn man laughed, before clasping his hands together.
“So…should we take a walk or somethin’?” he asked. “There’s still so much I want to talk about.” he said. Nodding, I turned around, so that we could start heading back up the Seine. “Of course.” I said, motioning for him to follow. Bob trotted alongside me, as he began talking almost immediately.
“So y’all decided not to leave France, right?” he asked.
“Correct. And pardon my asking, but just where are you from? I don’t recall meeting any unicorns with your...dialect around France.” I said.
“It’s understandable, y’all.” he said, with a laugh. “I’m from Eden.” I paused in my step, turning to face him.
“Eden as in…?”
“The Garden of Eden? You know, from that book that the humans call the "Bible"?”
“Now you’re pulling my leg.”
“No I’m not! I really am from the Garden of Eden!” Bob said, clenching his fists a bit, like a petulant child. I looked at him curiously, amusement in my expression.
“Eden?” I asked again, just to be sure. The white-haired man nodded. I was still doubtful about his answer, but I figure each to his own, no?
I heard a myth once that the unicorns of Eden were amongst the rarest of our species. They made their home within the house of God, and were therefore the purest of our race. But in accordance with the Scriptures, these unicorns never left Eden, so as to keep it hidden from the prying eyes of humans. So what was he doing here in Paris? What business did he have here, being Emperor Napoleon’s steed?
We meandered down one of the numerous alleyways, and found a small section of a brick wall that had become rubble, from the previous Revolution. In these back alleyways, the most interruption we could expect was a passing dog, nothing more. The two of us sat, and continued our chat.
“So tell me….Bob, just what are you doing here in Paris? A unicorn of your type should be residing back in Eden, no?” I asked. Bob nodded slowly, before hanging his head only slightly. “I should be…but I don't feel like I really belong.” Bob said. I raised my brow.
“Belong? But you were born there…how can you feel like that?” I asked. The other unicorn man hung his head even lower in shame.
All of a sudden, this strange unicorn man stood up, and began walking away from me.
“I’ve said too much.” he muttered, as he rapidly changed form, back into his disguise of Marengo.
“Wait!” I yelled after him. But it was too late. He was already gone, galloping around the corner. Irritated, I myself switched to a more demure form of Camargue horse, and I galloped after him. Eventually, I caught up with him in yet another alleyway, skidding to a stop right in front of him. “Now wait just a moment!” I demanded, slamming a hoof on the ground. Bob shied away out of habit, rearing up on his hind legs. He then swiveled around, and tried to gallop away once again, but it didn’t take much for me to put a stop to his sudden escapade, since we were not in the presence of humans.
“Wha--?” Bob said, struggling to raise a hoof. All four of his hooves were firmly attached to the ground with ice. This sudden stop had caused him to revert back to his normal unicorn form.
“That’s right.” I said, trotting around to speak with him face-to-face. “You forget that we possess magic. Now, monsieur, if you would kindly continue on with what you were going to say. I don't appreciate sudden rudeness like that.” I said, in a low tone. Bob furiously shook his head from side to side, as his horn sparked in an attempt to release himself.
“The ice is hexproof. You were the one who wanted to speak with me, and I intend to hear the end of it.” I demanded, poking a hoof into his chest. Who would do such a thing? Pique someone's curiosity and then run off? I wasn't about to let him go that easily.
Bob’s ears were pinned back, as he reluctantly agreed. “Fine.” he said. I released him from my icy grip, and he instantly sat down, not unlike a dog would. Strange posture for a unicorn, I must say. I remained standing, as he looked me straight in the eyes.
“I don't feel like I belong because….well…” Bob said, muttering the last part under his breath. “What was that?” I asked, tilting my head.
“I’m…gay.” he whispered. He then cringed, as if I was going to explode in rage. At this point, I couldn’t keep a straight face anymore. I burst out into a fit of giggles, shaking my head from side to side. “Oh, that is just…just too funny.” I said, wiping a tear from my eye with my hoof.
Bob pouted, as he looked at me. “What’s so funny, y’all?” he asked. I could sense the hurt deep within his tone, and I apologized. “My apologies…but I can completely understand why you would feel like that. Worry not though!” I said, reaching out to tilt his head up so that his eyes were level with mine. Bob’s eyes, widened just then.
"I'm the same as you." I said, offering him a kind smile.
“Really?” he asked, his eyes widening in surprise. I nodded, before I took my seat as well. Once he was calm again, Bob began with his story once more, explaining how his father, Ares, had always instilled in him that he was to be a war horse, that there would be no room for enjoying himself or exploring things that interested him. Ares was blissfully unaware of his son's true nature, and for that, I was glad. From what it seemed, his father would have a complete fit if he ever learned of Bob's secret. Luckily for him, his secret was safe with me.
“And what of the rest of your family? Sisters, brothers?” I asked.
“Sister.” Bob answered, with a soft smile, before he continued.
"Sophia and I leave Eden a lot to go explorin', just 'cause there's so much to see in this world." Bob said, as his smile grew more mischievous.
“That’s why I came here. I took the place of the real Marengo, and so far, I’ve been doin’ pretty well with my disguise. But y’all saw right through it. I mean, I know it’s because y’all are a unicorn and all, but—"
“Your tail.” I said, with a blunt tone. “My tail?” he asked. “Yes. It was clear as day that the very tip of your tail was pink, as if someone had dyed it that color, and left the rest of your tail white.” I said.
“Oh….guess I didn’t pay much attention.” Bob said. “You’re lucky that I’m the one who caught it. A more experienced unicorn hunter would have caught you in a snap.” I said.
“Right. I forgot those guys still existed.” Bob said, frowning a little. “I figured that if I could disguise myself as Napoleon’s horse, it’d make things a little easier for me. At least I could still use all four legs.” Bob said, with a laugh. “But who knew he was Emperor?” Bob asked, with a grin.
“Oh yes…Emperor.” I spat. “What’s wrong?” Bob asked, sensing the change in tone. I sighed heavily, before explaining where I had come from, before I ran into him. “I was here during the previous regime, under King Louis XVI. It fell out from under him, and it led to the Terror. I’m sure you’ve heard of it all, no?” I asked. Bob nodded. “Good thing that y’all were able to teleport out of there.” he said.
“Good thing, yes. I probably wouldn’t have survived another moment there.” I said. I then bowed my head to the other unicorn out of respect. “Thank you for telling me your story, monsieur.” I said. “No problem, y’all.” Bob said, with a chuckle.
“To be honest, it’s good to know that there’s other unicorns like me.” he said, with a grin. “It’s a reassuring fact.” I said, smiling back at him. Bob looked up to the sky for a brief moment, realizing that it was nearly nightfall. “I should probably be gettin’ back to Napoleon now.” he said, turning to leave. “But it was really nice meetin’ y’all. Hopefully we’ll run into each other again.” Bob said.
“Certainly.” I said, smiling back at him. He then assumed his form of Marengo once more, and broke into a gallop towards where his current master was staying for the night.
I turned in the opposite direction, and calmly trotted back out into the main square, back again in my human form. Walking on two feet wasn’t too bad after you’ve been doing it for a while. I quickly readjusted my scarf, so that the horrible scar on my neck wouldn’t show. My mind then quickly went back to that silly, pink-haired unicorn. After being with him for some time, he wasn’t too bad. And his looks were definitely a plus.
“I’ll be seeing you again, mon ami, don’t you worry.” I said, smiling as I headed west of Notre Dame.
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