Warning: I do not own Unico in any way possible. We would also like to pay our respects to Mami Sugino, who did not get nearly the credit she/he deserved.
CHAPTER 1
We begin this tale in the Ozark Mountains located in Oklahoma. Young Unico was walking through the meadow, stopping to smell the sunflowers, which could grow up to three feet tall, far above Unico's head. He had visited this spot for over 20 years. However, he was growing lonely and longed for human contact. "Oh why, oh why can I not know the warmth of human affection?" Unico cried. The West Wind Heard his cry of pain and loneliness, and decided that he would assist the young foal, and open his eyes to the great world beyond.
Appearing before Unico, the West Wind spread its windswept arms apart. "Young foal, I have come to release you from your solitude in these mountains!" With these words, he used his god-like powers to sweep the foal off his hooves, transporting him thousands of miles away to the land of Caerau.
"Whooooooah!" screeched Unico as he landed in a jumbled heap in a ditch. Struggling to his feet, he took in his surroundings. Above him towered a giant fruit-bearing tree. The fruits were called Persimmons, delicious fruits growing from the Diospyros virginiana. "Yum!" thought Unico as he walked towards the tree. "Wait!" shouted a young boy, who suddenly scrambled out of a bush. "Those Persimmons have been poisoned!". Unico turned to the boy. "Why, who would do such a thing, sir?" he inquired. "The evil Giraffe, Maho Chiba, is coming this way! I hope to end his existence with one of these persimmons." "But does anybeast deserve such a death?"
The boy looked darkly at Unico. "Clearly you must an outsider. The legend of Maho Chiba is a bloodstained one, stretching back generations. It is said that he was once a calm and collected sage of a giraffe, respected by all the land. But one day, his lair became dark and an evil aura radiated from it. Some of the village elders were sent to investigate, but were slaughtered before they even entered the lair. The village then decided to drive away the sage giraffe, and sent a band of hunters to convince him to leave. However Maho Chiba didn't take kindly to their actions, and tore them apart. He then laid waste to half the village, killing off entire families. He had become a demon, possessing unearthly powers. Though many throughout the years have tried to vanquish him, his demonic power grew as the seasons passed. Even our greatest warriors were slain in battle with the mighty demon giraffe. Though no matter how many times we tried to destroy him, he never destroyed our village. The elders have speculated as to why this is, but we believe he will one day use the village to gain ultimate demonic power by using the ultimate – quick! Get down!"
Unico was forced to the ground by the young boy. Hidden in the tall grass, they waited. "What's going on?" asked Unico. "He comes" whispered the boy. Unico strained to listen for the footsteps of Maho Chiba. It was in vain. No sound issued from the forest's edge. He could not hear Maho Chiba, but he could feel him, his ghastly presence weighing down on his senses. The birds and insects grew silent. Suddenly, a shadowy wraith darted towards the Persimmon tree. Shimmering briefly, it consolidated into the form that Unico immediately knew was Maho Chiba.
The giraffe had indeed grown powerful over the generations. His eyes glowed white, and his entire body remained wreathed in incorporeal shadow. Standing at 28 feet tall, far above the normal height of giraffes, his skin had become tinged in an unearthly deep purple shade, almost midnight black in its complexion. The usual spots of a giraffe were jagged, and seemed to glow about the edges.
He glided over to the persimmon tree, and sniffed the supple fruit. He paused for a few seconds, his face blank. Then suddenly, a deep and powerful voice issued from his throat. "PATHETIC." He sneered. His nose touched the persimmon tree, and it immediately burst into black flames. Before the boy could even react to his failure, Maho Chiba instantly appeared at his side. "WORM." Sweeping his neck quickly towards him like a whip, his fangs extended from his jaws, slicing the young boy across the torso. Crimson steam issued from the bloody gashes, and the majority of his body boiled away to nothingness before he hit the ground. All that remained of the boys form was a lump of ichor withered on the dusty ground.
Unico stared in abject horror at the pile that was his newfound friend. Suddenly, in a fit of blind, seething rage, he leaps at the terrible giraffe and slashes at him with his horn. As his horn comes in contact with the shadowflesh of Maho Chiba, a powerful current ripples throughout his body, incapacitating Unico and leaving him paralyzed on the ground. "DAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA." With a swish of his tail, he turned towards the forest. His outline became more indistinct, more unfocused, until he appeared to become a part of the darkness of the forest itself.