Legend of the Infected Unicorn

 

Many years ago, across land & sea, over the mountains, hidden past the deserts, tundra and every oasis, lied a forest.


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This forest was green and lush, filled with flora and fauna of each type. Deep within the farthest reaches of the forest, nestled amongst the cliffs and far from the protected sunlit canopy, rested a secret cave.

Not one of the animals in the forest knew of this cave’s secret location, as it looked like the rest of the forest: thriving, dense, flourishing.

Any life near the entrance of this cave was nourished by a strange energy flowing from within, none knew of its actual presence other than the magical vitality exuding from the area.


Inside this cave was yet another forest, vastly larger in comparison to the outside foliage, but different in many ways.

Light entered this cavern, only where the granite & slate had shifted over eons to let in photons sparingly; visible rays of sunshine were rare occurrences and would be relished by the occupants of this underground with starving proportions.

Much life lived here, in rations.

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Brambles scrambled for a drop of water or a sip of sunshine and would voraciously fight against each other, drained fauna eagerly devoured any green shoots and leaves which blossomed in this sullen place.

However, even within this dreary and painful spot, life bloomed.

The ravenous forests fed the malnourished fauna, the dying fauna fed the scavengers and thickets; a dismal equilibrium existed.


One day, there came a singular being unlike any other: a creature of light and darkness, a weak and powerful being. This creature was invited to feast upon the decaying life and feed the brambles with its pneuma. Filled with diligence and perseverance, the creature willingly dashed himself through thorns and fangs, gladly feeding the darkness with their blood feast; as this was the only way he could appease the ever-famished void ruling this forest. Each moment was spent healing scars as they were ripped open again, only to satiate the unending hunger of the dark forest.

Every now and again, this creature would come across a pool of muddy water to drink, or a dead tree to nibble on and these materials would be met with a thankful cry of relief and eternal gratefulness as to their lightly nourishing properties; an afternoon nap in a scarce beam of sunshine would be a blessing.

Ever smiling, this creature was happy for each day to happen and became friends with the dark forest creatures. He continually brought them any food and water they may need and led them to shelter when the darkness was too great. The forest creatures thanked him for providing them with such sustenance, however would bite his heels for a fresh blood banquet when he was asleep; this unicorn slept with infinite heaviness and was not woken easily.


One late afternoon, the unicorn trotted upon a beautiful sight which made his hooves stop dead in their tracks. A ray of sunshine filled with color and softness revealed a deity of magnificent proportions. Sitting upon a throne of ash, a beautiful virgin girl invited him towards the warmth of burning embers scattered around her feet. Beckoning with a glance that would make most faint, the unicorn slowly approached with eyes lit from the fires of the underworld. She asked him with a shimmering smoothness,

“Come child, serve me and all your greatest dreams shall come true.”

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With a wave of her hand, a fissure opened in the earth below to reveal a cavern glowing with fire and ice.

The unicorn had survived in the dark forest his whole life, nonetheless, he had grown tired of the constant sacrifices made each hour to the thankless void of the forest.

So, he took a large breath of air, and plunged down into the netherworlds; searching for something better.


For almost a decade the unicorn spent day after day indulging and surviving in the ever-changing underground, filled with searing heat and solid ice. After a time, the unicorn noticed that the pleasures of this place were hollow and unfulfilling. Overcome with a deep depression, he pondered if there ever even could be a place filled with love and compassion, ruled by harmony. He decided such a place did not exist and that the only way to end his suffering was to give his life to the Goddess and finalize his existence.

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Just as he was preparing to slide down the great waterfall of lava into the sea of frozen needles, a knight appeared. Faint at first, increasing with a magnanimous glow, he freshly carried an air of peace. He then spoke unto the unicorn, saying

“You do not belong here. I have watched you tirelessly tend to the wounded and give of your heart with undying compassion, but this place holds no purpose for you, as it will continue to consume that which has been drawn to it.”


The unicorn knew this to be the truth, as he had found out years ago the deity which had promised so much was a farcical liar and further was enslaved herself to the yet greater misery of this underworld.

“I know of this, noble knight,” he solemnly spoke “nevertheless, what else can I do but be devoured? Were I even able to find the road back to the surface from this wretched place, the dark forest above holds no purchase either.”

The knight knew of the pain from which the unicorn spoke and said,

“Fear not. I know you feel the life you have given to this place and the one above feels without purchase and in vain, however these two realms are not all that exists.”

With a grim and kind stare he said,

“Find the Lieutenant, he will show you the path.”


Although weary of his life, the unicorn began to put one hoof in front of the other, beginning on his search for the Lieutenant.

This underworld was larger than even the dark forest above and a monstrous place to travel through, however there were some creatures here and there to provide him with knowledge of its vast canyons to aid in his search.

After exhausting years of this continued quest, the unicorn finally came upon a fortress.


Unlike anything he had ever seen, this fortress was built of some type of alien metal. Its parapets were lined with silicon traces, transistors buzzed with the hum of electrons and an unnatural light gleamed out of small windows covering the sheer walls.

The massive structure was surrounded by a moat of binary, charged with viruses and glitches.

On the near side of the moat was a panel made of whirring fans and processors.


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The unicorn walked steadily toward the panel, apprehensive and vigilant. Once he was close to the console, it vanished and a bridge of light appeared across the moat, revealing an opening into the interior of the fortress.

He tentatively walked across the bridge, unsure of the decision to do so. Even so, he trusted himself with a faith not known before.

Upon arriving within the interior, he immediately started to regret his desire to cross the moat, but the bridge behind him had disappeared and he had no choice other than to trudge on.


The interior of the fortress was dark and silent, devoid of life, unlike the nether-realms of the exterior and above.

Cold stone walls and never-ending hallways outlined its features.

A forbidden sense of fear seemed to permeate its very existence.

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Even with this cool desolation inside the fortress, the unicorn was not scared.

Torches lined a specific hallway and before long the clop of his hooves could be heard echoing down the passageway.

Wondering if this pathway would lead him to doom or destiny, the attentive unicorn was observing all sights and sounds keenly.


After what seemed like an eternity, the unicorn came upon a control center.

Colors lined the walls, refracted from the many screens scattering the destination.

Shiny glass glittered light about the ceilings and floors, radiating an artificial luminescence.

In the center of the room was a swiveling captain’s chair made of a neon gel; atop the chair’s back sat a sort of man.

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He was tall and stout, wearing a tattered duster with a militant jacket underneath. Peering up and around at the screens, he suddenly reached a long leg out to the floor to turn and face the unicorn.

A powerful force, with wrinkles and leathered skin, the bearded man sported an eyepatch over his third eye, the other two were squinting into the unicorn’s soul. He rasped,

“Welcome, dear traveler!”

The unicorn stammered,

“Are you the Lieutenant?”

He let out a smoky bellow from the pits of his belly, and smiled. After the gleam in his eye sparkled long enough, he said,

“Lieutenant Kernel, nice to meet you. I have been working here for ages to find harmony, and here you are.”

Puzzled, the unicorn confusingly proclaimed,

“You know me? I do not even know myself.”

An even louder laughter left the body of the strange man,

”Yes, I know you: Infected Unicorn.”

Offended and aghast at the definition of himself, the unicorn stamped his hooves with fury and said,

“Infected? I am perfectly healthy and capable of survival!”

The Lieutenant chuckled and said,

”Why, of course you are! I am merely observing what I see. A hardened spirit, filled with scars upon scars, living with compassion regardless. Poisoned and attacked, again and again, yet here you stand before me. Infected by the scourge and filth of life, your own defenses have kept you safe, or sound at least, from destruction. Inoculated, for the time being.”

The unicorn could not deny that his body was filled with remnants of all types of war and continually bled from sources known and unknown for as long as he remembered, yet he did love life to its fullest; that he knew of it.

The Lieutenant continued,

“Infection, in many senses, is defined by the attack of a foreign body, with the physical manifestation of it related as the defenses of the system. In other words, ‘infection’ is identified by the embodiment of personal defense.”

The unicorn, still taken aback, listened on,

“However, you have taken ‘infection’ to a new level, and I believe you will continue to do so…Have you ever thought about how you infect others with compassion? Maybe the infection of free will into the minds of the forgotten? Infection can take on many forms, even the infection of harmonious behavior. That is where you come in.”


The Unicorn sat with his head drooped in silence for a few minutes, thinking back over his life and realizing that it was filled with many types of infection dualities. Infection of love, whilst being infected with poison. Infection of happiness, with the underlying infection of fear. The similarities were uncanny and numerous.


He took a few deep breaths, then looked at the Lieutenant with tears in his eyes and softly spoke, with a fresh calm,

“Lieutenant Kernel, you have revealed to me many truths about my life that were not originally seen; for this I am forever grateful to you.”

The Lieutenant became solemn as the grin from his mouth faded quickly. He slowly removed the patch from his third eye. Underneath was an impossible depth of color, filled with darkness and light.

He spoke,

“The path ahead is only for you to follow. You are grateful for the deathly poisons and the loving kindness alike, you are the duality, inside a singularity.”

He took another breath and told the Infected Unicorn,

“The world needs you right now. Those Infected, such as yourself, are important warriors to the vast amount of realms outside of the two you know. I will offer you a path, this path is dangerous and prosperous.”

The Infected Unicorn had dealt with danger his whole existence and was not afraid, but prosperity was a foreign concept. It was exciting and terrifying; exactly what he was looking for.

With a strong nod, the Unicorn proclaimed,

“Show me the path. I am ready.”

A smile returned to the ramshackle Lieutenant’s face, he said,

“I can see that you are. With honesty, in every moment and compassion in all interactions, you will defend.”

The Infected Unicorn said,

“That is my intention.”

Instantly, the control room disappeared and an entrance apparated before the Infected Unicorn.


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The Lieutenant’s voice echoed in his head:

“The Noble Knight and I will always be with you. Use your heart to reach us. Your soul will provide the key to bring the cool knowledge of intuition, your unicorn horn will be your hot weapon of compassion. Bring harmony wherever you tread.”


With that mindful mini-missive, the Infected Unicorn stepped through the doorway ahead of him…


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Some say the Infected Unicorn lives in all our hearts, trying to form harmony regardless of the cost.

Others say that he is in hiding, waiting for the right time to make his presence.

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Most say that he is a myth and never existed at all.



Infected Unicorn Productions strives to provide the best for the world in the areas of IT, Design, Marketing, Sales, Administrative, HR and other related services with harmony, compassion and love.