An unlikely friendship was once kindled. It
began long ago, in the grand country of New Zealand, which is no longer very
new.
At a place known as Trek Global, a
housekeeper, known as RICHARD arrived. This RICHARD was of German descent, and
was known for his grey beanie and glasses. Soon, he was established amongst his
fellow man (and woman) and was well liked.
Then it all changed. For another arrived.
Another known as Richard.
This Richard was an English wanderer, a
lost soul. Much that he had done had led up to this moment, though he did not
know it. He came to Trek alone and unaided. There he spent a night, where
people attempted to welcome him with open arms. Yet then he was gone the next
day, to the mystery of all. Much to everyone’s surprise, the Richards did not
meet that day.
But then Richard came once more, about a
week later. He was recognised by other Trekkers and, more importantly, finally
met RICHARD.
Their meeting was magical and fabulous.
Fireworks exploded as they were introduced. A delight was found in their common
interest of a name: Richard. Soon, they were nicknamed. Richard became known as
Richard 1, and RICHARD was adopted as Richard -1. But for all eternity, they
have been known as Richard and RICHARD, or, as the world learnt to known and
love them: The Richards.
A friendship formed, and then a partnership
came into fruition. It was never discussed what their aim was. Yet they both
knew what their destiny was: to adventure far and wide, exploring the deepest
and darkest recesses of the world.
It began with a simple trip. They left
their beloved hostel with no other weapon than the friendship they held in each
other’s hearts (and, of course, their swords). Their destination: the land of Unicorns.
RICHARD had been there before. “A place of
fabulousness and colour,” he had said. But when they got there, everything had
changed.
A short leap across the stars, and they
arrived in a land full of darkness, not of colour. Richard turned to RICHARD,
yet he did not utter a word. His face was etched in despair and misery. Turning
to his friend, Richard placed a hand upon his shoulder and spoke these words of
comfort: “we shall return the Fabulous to this world.”
They nodded at each other, and drew their
swords, venturing into the darkness together.
Nothing was as RICHARD remembered. An
opaque field could be felt, almost physically felt, as it shrouded the land,
not allowing the fortuitous and radiant light to shine through. Fear gripped
RICHARD, for he feared for his precious Unicorns.
“We’ll find them, do not fret, Brother
RICHARD,” comforted Richard. But inside, Richard, to, was full of fear. None of
this world felt right to him. A heavy weight was pushing on his head, and he
could feel it sapping his strength every second. They’d have to act fast.
“Demon of this land, show yourself!” he
roared into the darkness. An impenetrable silence followed his words. Then
there came the steady beating of a drum. It grew louder and louder, yet still
the Richards could not see anything. Darkness had wrapped them in her loving
embrace, and refused to let them be free.
“Who dares enter my domain?” A whisper on
the wind, that was all it was. Yet shivers were sent down the spines of many
who heard it.
“Two who wish to end your accursed reign!”
replied RICHARD to the darkness at large.
There was a slow, manic chuckle, and then
silence.
“Prepare yourself,” whispered Richard.
Something shifted in the darkness. The
Richards raised their swords, ready for whatever might attack. And then
something leapt at RICHARD. He let out a cry of fury, and brought his sword
down in a long arc. But soon his cry turned to one of fear, and instead of
finishing his stroke, he let his sword fall to his side as he ducked to avoid
the vicious blow.
“Brother, what happened?” enquired Richard,
his eyes darting between RICHARD and the darkness.
“Do not harm them. They are the Unicorns.”
“What?!”
It was then that the world was flooded with
light. Not the bright, brilliant light that RICHARD loved so well, but a dank,
green and sinister light, one that did not improve the feelings of dismay the
Richards felt. But at least their foes were revealed.
Unicorns could be seen everywhere. At
least, some form of Unicorns. Their coats were as black as the sky, and their
horns were of a dull grey. They frothed at the mouth, as though some great
plague had struck them. But it was the eyes that truly worried RICHARD. They
were not mad, or feverish, or even evil. They showed fear. Real and terrifying
fear, as though they knew what they were doing, but were helpless to stop its
terrible power.
“Something’s changed them, made them into
these monsters,” said RICHARD, his voice harsh.
“Yes, clever one, I did.”
The two Richards turned in unison towards
the voice, and their eyes widened in fright.
“Well this did not go well,” said Richard,
matter-of-factly.
Their cell was made of warped iron bars
that had been crudely welded together in an obvious hurry. Clearly it had been
made to hold the Richards.
“We must find a way to break free!” said
RICHARD, springing up to shake the bars in frustration. “Those Unicorns are my
friends. There must be a way to undo what has been done!”
“Calm, Brother RICHARD, it will not help
anyone if you lose control.”
“You are right. What do you suggest?”
“We bide our time. We are being kept alive
for some purpose. Let us find out what it is before we move. But if the chance
appears to escape, we take it.”
“No killing, remember that, Brother Richard,”
warned RICHARD. “These Unicorns are still my friends, no matter what’s been
done to them.”
“Agreed.”
And so they waited. Three days and three
nights past before an opportunity for escape arose. The blackened Unicorns
brought them food twice a day, and each time RICHARD attempted to communicate
with them. Yet they made no reply. Except for with their eyes. It was as if
their bodies had been drained of thought or feeling, but their souls still
endured.
“Eyes are the windows to the soul,”
explained RICHARD, as they ate their pathetic meals of noodles.
“Perhaps there is a way to pierce through
the veil that haunts them,” said Richard, his chopsticks holding a noodle,
hovering near his mouth as ideas formed in his head.
“What are you thinking?”
“An old trick that a stranger taught me
long ago. It is a way of cleansing the body of any ailment. It might just
work…”
And so, next time a blackened Unicorn
brought in their food, RICHARD hit it out of its hoof. Whilst the Unicorn was
distracted RICHARD got to work. It was a trick that was designed to target the
heart. Placing his forefinger upon the breast of the beast, he pressed firmly.
He followed by stretching his forefinger and ring finger as far as possible,
then, with a click, he brought them together and up, before jabbing sharply
into the chest.
The Richards were thrown back. Light sprang
from the chest of the beast and it let out a terrible howl. The white light
began to change colour, from red to orange, to yellow, to green. To blue, to
purple, and to indigo. And then it came back to white and flashed blindingly.
The Richards let out a scream as the light blinded them.
Slowly, their vision returned.
“Riccorn!” exclaimed RICHARD.
Before them stood the majestic pink figure
of a Unicorn. No longer was fear in its eyes, and no longer was its body
blackened against its will.
“Hello, friend. It is good to be able to
speak to you again.” Riccorn’s voice was deep and lyrical, as though he was on
the verge of song with every passing word.
“What happened to you?” asked Richard,
disbanding all greetings.
“We were captured, mutilated and enslaved
by She,” said Riccorn gravely.
“She? Who is She?” asked Richard.
“She calls herself Cyn, yet to us she known
only as She. No name befits the evil in her heart.”
“When did this happen?”
“A week ago. We were caught unawares and
our friends and family were blackened against us. We were helpless. But with
your help, we can overthrow the tyrant, and restore the beauty to this land.”
“But how do we do that?” questioned the
Richards in unison.
Riccorn chuckled to himself and the sound
sent floods of warmth through the Richards’ bodies.
“I have a plan. Follow me. And be careful:
She has eyes everywhere.”
“You truly believed your actions would go
unnoticed?”
The three heroes of our story turned in
horror, as the thing that they had been dreading occurred. Turning to face the
voice of Cyn, Riccorn cowered behind the Richards.
“Foul witch,” said RICHARD, stepping
forward, drawing his blade as he did. “Be gone from these lands before we are
forced to rid you of it ourselves.”
Cyn cackled, and fire danced in her eyes
dangerously. “Do not attempt to threaten me, housekeeper. I own you, and
everyone else in this forsaken world. I am above
you.” Following her last word, she spread her arms and shadows flowed from
her hands. The dark mass moved quickly, and the two tendrils of darkness
rounded the Richards, and latched themselves onto the quaking Riccorn. They
tightened their grip, restricting his movement, and began to slowly envelope
him, dragging him towards the smiling figure of Cyn. The Richards dived out of
the way as the shadows jerked Riccorn forwards.
“RICHARD, help!” the Unicorn cried. His
dazzling colour was beginning to fade, and the blackness that had previously infected
him was coming back.
“We must do something!” cried Richard, at
an utter loss at what to do. But RICHARD was calm. Richard’s panic seemed to
clear his mind. He stood up, his sword drawn. Then, in a sudden movement of
great precision and grace, he leapt forwards and slashed through the dark
tendrils that had ensnared Riccorn. There was a scream, as the radiant and magical
metal that had been forged for RICHARD sliced through the darkness and smote it
down, reducing those that had caught Riccorn to nothing more than smoke.
“Thank you, RICHARD,” panted Riccorn, his
body slowly returning to its proper glow.
“Come, let us banish this witch once and
for all, together.” Richard stood up, drawing his own sword and standing on the
other side of Riccorn. All three turned to face She, whose face was contorted
in pain and anger.
“You think that is the end of me?! You have
experienced nothing yet!”
And then She grew, expanding outwards, a
dark aura pulsating around her.
“EVERYBODY GET DOWN!” roared Richard,
throwing himself to the ground. RICHARD pulled Riccorn down with him, and they
all hit the floor just in time. There was a whoosh, and they felt a great wave
of blackness pass over them, rippling their hair.
Then they stood up, and the Richards nodded
at each other. In unison, they let out a fierce war cry, and charged towards
Cyn, their one and true enemy. At the same time, Riccorn let out a great call
and bowed his head. His horn seemed to shiver and shimmer with a strange light.
Then it erupted, sending waves of fabulous light forwards. It bounced off the
Richards’ swords and sailed towards Cyn.
The light passed right through her,
cleaving a hole straight through her blackened heart. She let out a scream of
pain, but did not fall down. Darkness fought with light, as the shadows
attempted to repair the damage. But the light kept on coming, and Riccorn began
to shake with the effort. And then the Richards arrived. Ducking and dodging
the lashing shadow tendrils, they hacked and slashed their way towards Cyn,
severing part of her power with each stroke. The witch’s power had begun to
wane.
“She is weakening, keep going!” called
Riccorn, stooping his head lower, using up all his power to focus his light on
the destruction of the witch.
“Enough, Riccorn, you’ll die!” shouted
RICHARD, Flipping over a swiping tendril and hacking it down.
“I… can… manage… a bit more,” stuttered
Riccorn, the strain now showing on his body.
“RICCORN, NO!”
But too late. With a scream and a blast,
darkness travelled along the light and struck Riccorn directly in the horn.
There was another blinding flash of light and a large crack was heard.
The Richards turned, and watched in horror
as their friend’s horn broke off at its base and went flying into the air.
Riccorn let out a scream of pain and collapsed, his willpower broken.
“That is what becomes of those who stand
against me,” panted Cyn, managing a malevolent grin despite her defenceless
spirit.
“Fuck you,” said Richard. He threw his
sword through the air and pierced the half-healed place where the witch’s heart
should be. His sword stuck and shone brightly. The magic of the blade fought
bitterly against the darkness, yet it prevailed.
Within her dying words, the witch cursed
the Richards for all eternity, great waves of abuse were hurled at them. That
is, until Richard stepped up and sliced off her head.
As her body wilted, the light returned to
the world, and the once fabulous and colourful landscape of the Land of
Unicorns returned to fruition. The blackened Unicorns that had been hidden
amongst the darkness returned to their rightful minds and colours and came
bounding back to thank the Richards for saving them. Then they noticed Riccorn,
motionless and hornless upon the ground.
“Riccorn,” whispered RICHARD, and ran over
to his dearest and oldest friend.
“It is okay, RICHARD,” came the soft and
lyrical voice of Riccorn. “I go now to a better place, knowing that my people
and my land are safe.”
“No, you can’t do this,” said RICHARD, and
tears began to swim in his eyes. “Do not leave me.”
“What other choice do I have? My magic has
left me. The shadow over-powered me. But I go knowing that I did my bit for the
love of my people. And my love for you.”
“No, NO!” RICHARD rounded on Richard. “Is
there nothing we can do to save him?!”
Richard stooped and picked up the snapped
horn. He stared for a long time at the horn, thinking and pondering over what
might be done. He examined it closely, inspecting the intricately carved design.
Then he walked over to Riccorn and knelt down, placing the horn next to the
dying Unicorn.
“He needs his power to survive. Quickly
now, I need you, RICHARD, and three Unicorns. Who volunteers?”
“I do.”
“As do I.”
“Me too.”
“Excellent. I require you each to channel
your power into the base of his broken horn. Channel it through your love for
him, for all that Riccorn sacrificed for you, to rid you of She.”
“What good will that do?”
“Love is your power, as your power is love,”
explained Richard, his voice calm and patient, despite the seriousness of the
situation. “Love is what makes Unicorns what you are. Cyn the witch ripped that
from your bodies, leaving you with nothing. And so your bodies’ wilted, leaving
only your soul with a sliver of love in it. If you are all to channel your love
towards Riccorn, I believe his powers can be returned.”
“What do you need me for, Brother Richard?”
asked RICHARD, curious as to the plan.
Richard smiled. “You bear the most love for
him. You must place your hand over his heart and apply pressure. You shall feel
a tug, as your love is tested, but if it holds true like I believe, then you
shall be the key to all.”
“Very well,” nodded RICHARD, “let’s do this
quickly. I can feel him slipping away.”
“On three then: one, two… THREE!”
The three Unicorns’ power surged together
and sparks flew everywhere as it hit the base of the horn. At the same time,
RICHARD placed his hand firmly over his Unicorn friend’s heart. Swiftly yet
steadily, Richard brought the horn closer and closer to the base, watching as
the light from the trio of Unicorns pulsated. Soon it began to surround the
base, and, as Richard brought the horn closer, it spread and the horn became
engulfed in the light’s aura.. Then the horn slid out of Richard’s hand, and
with a snap, it flew towards Riccorn, as though it was a magnet, and it
attached itself to the base. Riccorn’s horn was one again.
“Stop,” ordered Richard, standing up and
taking a few steps back. The others followed his example, RICHARD looking
wearier than before. But soon his face turned to glee, as the four-legged
figure of Riccorn slowly stood up. As he reached his full height, his aura
blazed fabulously and he let out a laugh full of mirth and music.
Much reason was there for celebration that
day. The evil witch, Cyn, had been banished, and no longer plagued the great
realm of the Unicorns. The Richards had become loving friends of the Unicorns
for the rest of time and space, and the love between RICHARD and Riccorn had
grown ever stronger.
But it was between the Richards that things
changed. From then on, they were rarely parted. They trusted each other, and
they also loved each other (in a straight way), and would not permit any evil
to enter their hearts.
J Richard
Ford
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