What Happened After the Battle

After Ari, Arianna Princess of Balinor, and Chase, Sunchaser Lord of the Animals, defeated the Evil Shifter and Kraken, they must now complete one more task to find and save Ari's family, the king, queen, and the two princes. Ari, Finn, Lori, Chase, Linc, Toby, and Rednal are on their way back to Balinor when Linc, Ari's pet dog, smells something. He points this out to Chase, Ari's bonded unicorn. Then suddenly Chase stops and telepathically says, "Linc smells something off in the distance. Should we go on ahead and check things out before we let the others follow?"

Ari considered this and minded back, "I think that would be best." She turns to her friends and tells them to wait behind while she and Chase check thing out ahead. After a great argument with Finn, the friend Ari made in Deridia, before taking part in The Trial by Fire, they all agreed that they should check it out alone. After they caught their breath Ari and Chase took off. About a half-hour later Ari and Chase smell a scent of sweet roses. Taking a deep breath in, she bends down close to his ear and whispers "You know what this means, don't you?" he looked up at her and smiled. "Atalanta is here somewhere." Atalanta is the unicorn known as Dreamspeaker, mate to Numinor, the Golden One, and counselor to her herd. So they keep on walking until they see this very bright white light surrounding this amazing violet color unicorn with a long silvery colored mane and tail. Ari gasps, "Atalanta, what are you doing here?" Both Ari and Chase stride over to her and they all sit on the ground. This is when Atalanta tells the two all about the task that they are going to have to complete. Ari collects her thoughts: "So you're telling me that my friends and I are going to have to complete another mission, which we have no idea what it is to save my parents?"

"Unbelievably, but that is exactly what I am saying," she sighed.

Chase stands up. "You have to be kidding me. Not after what milady has just gone through. She needs time to rest, to catch her strength, and to take care of herself. She hasn't done that since she came back to this place. I think that she deserves at least one day's break. Don't you agree?"

Atalanta starts to cry. "I do agree with you, but she has to do this within two weeks or she will never be able to save them, and all I want is for her to be with her family and be happy again."

Chase rebounds, "Then why don't you find them?"

Atalanta starts "I wish I..." but Ari interrupted before she could finish her sentence.

"STOP! Stop it right now! Chase I know that you are just looking out for me, but I have to do this. It is my job as Princess of Balinor. Now where is it again that we have to go to take on this task?"

"You have to go four days into the sun as it is setting, you must not travel at night and you must not turn around at any point," Atalanta recited.

"Alright, let's get back to the others," Ari demanded.

"And there is one more thing," Ari and Chase turn around. "You must not use the scepter. Do you understand me, Arianna? This is the most important thing that you must promise me."

Ari smiles, "I understand, and I promise that I will not. Chase here will help me keep that promise won't you?" Chase simply looked at her on his back. The next thing you know Atalanta was gone and Ari and Chase are alone. They start heading back to the others and when they arrive they tell them everything that they just heard. As usual, Finn and his unicorn Rednal can't wait to get started, Linc is just glad that he gets to go, and Lori starts to complain about it. Ignoring Lori's sobs, Ari turns to the other and says "Get a good night sleep. We are leaving at dawn." Soon they all drifted off to sleep.

At sunrise the next morning Ari and Chase woke everyone up and they set off. They traveled incognito so no one would recognize Ari and Chase. They didn't want to be stopped every five minutes to kiss someone's baby or cow. They traveled four days into the setting sun and did everything Atalanta told them to do. So far this mission was the easiest but on the fifth morning things started to stir up. When Ari woke up there was a girl with long, blonde hair standing outside their tent. When Finn asked what she wanted she replied that she had a message for Princess Arianna:

You have done well so far, my daughter, but now you must face that task at hand.

The girl standing in front of you is your task. You must pick to either help out this complete stranger or help out one of your friends that you have brought with you. I cannot tell you who it is or why. You must figure out which one it is and decide whose problem is more important. If you choose the right person and solve his or her problem, I will be able to see you again, my daughter. I am permitted to give you one hint:

The two problems you must face

One is old and one is new

One is selfish one is kindness

I cannot tell you which

For this you must choose

Choose wisely for you may not

Go back

Ari turns to Finn and Chase. "I know what I must do." She then turns to the new girl, "What do you need help with?"

"My family is in trouble. My mother is deeply ill and if she does not get better it will infect my whole family and then the village."

"So you need me to help save your village? Finn, do you or Rednal need help with anything?" He shook his head no. "Linc or Chase, do you need help?" They both answered no. "So that leaves you Lori. What do need help with?"

"I want to go home and I don't care about what you need to do to save your family. Get me home right now."

Ari turns to Chase, Finn, Linc, and Rednal. "I know what I must do. Sorry, I don't know your name, but will you please take me to your mother?"

"Certainly, right this way, and my name is Erica." She led her to her home. Ari went inside with Erica while the others wait outside.

Around moonrise both Ari and Erica exited the house with smiles on their faces. Ari turned to Chase: "Erica's mother is going to do just fine."

Then out of nowhere a bright like comes from the moon and ended right at Ari's feet. Four people came walking down it: a tall male, a slight shorter female, and two young boys. Ari looked over at Chase and again up at the four people and both she and Chase ran to meet them. As Ari reached the tall man, he stretched out his arms and embraced her with a great bear hug. "Well done. Your mother and I are so proud of you. You have handled everything so well."

Ari, her family, and friends stayed the night but as soon as everyone awoke the next morning they set off again. Ari was finally going home with the people that she loved and she was finally going to be able to relax and have some fun. And maybe, just maybe she might get around to finally sending Lori back to Glacier Farm. But who knows? Maybe another adventure will pop up and Lori will yet again have to wait to go home.