CH-2
Making Friends
Two months have passed since the fateful day came when Mele and her minions attacked the Taro Shinoshi Orphanage. The attack cost the orphanage almost a million yen in damages and injured several orphans and caretakers. Thankfully, no loss of life was recorded thanks to the timely appearance of legendary hero Akaranger. However, one orphan lost her only true friend that day. Young Kaede's puppy was critically injured during the attack and close to death. Akaranger, who revealed himself to her as Tsuyoshi Kaijo, brought her and her puppy to a vet friend of his. The puppy was stabilized, but was in a weak condition and had to remain at the vet's office.
Tsuyoshi returned Kaede to the orphanage, but the events compelled him to adopt the young girl the next day. It was on that day that Kaede learned more about the Super Sentai and their history as many of Japan's greatest heroes. Sadly, her puppy's condition didn't improve for several weeks and, regrettably, was put to sleep. Kaede understood that it was for the best after Kakeru gave her and Tsuyoshi the recommended course of action.
Once it was said and done, poor Kaede couldn't help but feel the pain of loss for less than a month. She didn't know what she'd do without her friend. She was thankful that her adopted father was by her side, other wise she may've never recovered. This, however, left her without friends, and since she was being home-schooled by the Fiveman family rather than being at a real school, she cannot socialize with children her age. Tsuyoshi wanted her to properly attend school, but was advised against it due to fear that she may be mocked due to her appearance like she was at the orphanage.
She needed a friend, and everyone knew it. After two months of self isolation, the time has come for that to happen.
Kaijo household
11:44 A.M.
"Tsuyoshi, do we have to?!"
"Yes, Kaede. You can't simply be around members of the Super Sentai all your life. You need to interact with children your age."
Tsuyoshi and Kaede were having a slight argument about what he has planned for her: getting social interactions with children her age by going to a park near their household.
"Don't you remember what I told you about the last time I had a 'friend'?!" Kaede snapped, "She betrayed me and got my puppy... my puppy..."
Tsuyoshi looked at Kaede with and understanding expression and said, "I remember and I understand, Kaede. But I need you to trust and believe me when I say that not all children are back-stabbers or liars. Besides, I don't recall you explaining why she betrayed you. Do you know?"
"Because she thought I was a freak and wanted to find a way to hurt me!"
"And you know this for sure?"
Kaede was about to argue, but she realized what he meant: after Mele attacked the orphanage and she got back from the vet, she confronted the girl about how Tomoo and his minions found out about her puppy. The girl did admit that she told Tomoo about Kaede's secret, thus shattering Kaede's trust and their friendship forever. She had assumed that the girl was an associate of Tomoo and that, just like the bully, she actually hated Kaede for her appearance despite the actions saying otherwise.
However, when the girl admitted to telling Tomoo, she did look like she had more to say. Kaede didn't even bother to stay and hear any excuses the traitor had to say. Before either could ever meet again, Tsuyoshi had already came and adopted Kaede. She's never seen the girl since. But when she remembered that face before she left, new thoughts entered Kaede's mind: what if she was forced to tattle? What if Tomoo threatened something of hers that resulted in the betrayal?
"...No..." Kaede finally replied in a small voice, looking down to the floor.
"Then the mystery of her betrayal is unsolved unless we meet up with her." Tsuyoshi said, "But I won't make you go to the orphanage, and I don't know if she is adopted at this point. I know you distrust other people, but I'm just asking you this time to give some one your trust for a little bit. Just like you did with me when we first met."
"The circumstances didn't really give me much of a choice."
"Yet you don't regret trusting me, right?"
"...Right."
"Then if you don't want to trust other kids, at least give them a chance and let time tell you whether or not you can trust them. Can you at least do that? For me?"
Kaede looked up and saw that Tsuyoshi had an almost pleading look and that he sounded like he was next to begging her to accompany him. After a moment of thought, she sighed in defeat.
"Alright, Tsuyoshi. I'll try to meet someone at the park."
Tsuyoshi gave her a look of relief as he went to get prepared for the day he had planned. Kaede remained still for a second, a thought quickly entered her head and made her act without thinking.
"Um... Tsuyoshi...?"
Kaede's sudden outburst caught Tsuyoshi just as he was about to leave the room.
"What is it, Kaede?" Tsuyoshi asked as he turned to her direction.
Kaede stiffened after she spoke. But there was something on her mind, something important that's been bothering her for the past month.
"Uh... Tsuyoshi... there's... something I, uh, need to ask you."
"What is it?"
Kaede looked at Tsuyoshi in the eye. She gained a lot of respect from her adopted father during their time together. She wants to see if it's alright to show that he really means something to her.
"And if he rejects the notion, what'll happen then?"
A scary, hollow voice stopped her thought at a heart beat. Her face became distant and scared, like a veteran with the thousand-yard stare. What was that voice? Was that her conscious?
"Kaede, what's wrong?"
Kaede was snapped out of her thoughts by the concerned voice of her adopted father.
"You zoned out for a second. What is it?" Tsuyoshi asked again with a very concerned look on his face. She needed to give him some form of answer.
'Better luck next time, I guess.' Kaede sighed in defeat as she feigned a small smile.
"Nothing's wrong, Tsuyoshi." Kaede replied, "I was just wondering if any of your friends will be joining us. That's all."
Tsuyoshi gave her an unreadable look before replying, "I already told you that I wanted this to be a father-daughter only outing. If we meet any of my kouhai, then maybe we'll talk for a second. But this is to help you make new friends, so no one else is coming. Understood?"
With a nod as a reply, Tsuyoshi left the room to prepare, leaving Kaede to shakily sigh.
'What was that? A voice in my head? Am I going crazy?' Kaede thought to herself. When she didn't get a reply, she just sighed and walked to her room and get herself ready.
Senjou Park
12:38 P.M.
After getting themselves ready and driving to the park, around an hour taken overall, Tsuyoshi and Kaede, who was wearing a hat, walked at the main entrance of the park. The path they were on forked in three different directions. Only a couple people, kids and adults, were seen in their view either exercising, playing, having pocnics, or even just relaxing.
"Alright, Kaede," Tsuyoshi started, "Where to? The playground? The picnic area?"
"I was thinking of a little walk around the park." Kaede said.
"Understood." Tsuyoshi agreed as he and Kaede walked on the pathway to their right.
They continued walking for what felt like an hour. They either talked with one another or shared small talk to any strangers walking by.
Correction: Tsuyoshi did small talk. He tried to get Kaede to talk more, but she was both too shy and too cautious to go any further than a simple 'hello'. Some women they talked to thought her behavior was cute and adorable, but Tsuyoshi really wanted his adopted daughter to be more open to strangers who want to befriend them. He really understood why she acted the way she did, but a child not interacting with other children didn't seem right to him. He needed to get Kaede to open up a bit more, but he was unsure as to how.
After their hour long walk, Tsuyoshi sat on a nearby bench and said, "Kaede, I'm going to rest here a little bit. Feel free to walk around as long as you stay in my sight. Understood?"
Kaede nodded as she walked away towards some trees. She walked around, poking around at small items from nuts that fell of the trees to flowers that grew under the trees. She was quite calm now that she was on her own and away from people.
'I know Tsuyoshi is doing this to help me, but I got plenty of friends.' Kaede thought as she walked and skipped around the trees, 'Jan acts even younger than me, the Hoshikawa family have been great tutors to me, and Tsuyoshi himself has been a great father. I don't need any-'
*POW*
Kaede suddenly crashed into something, causing her to recoil and hold her head in pain, falling on her bottom in the recoil.
"Ow..." Kaede groaned as she sat up.
"Uhgh... Oh! Sorry!"
Kaede looked up with a wince and saw a boy around her age getting up and walking to her with an apologetic face.
"Are you okay?" The boy asked with a concerned tone and a hand out to help her up.
Kaede cautiously and nervously took his hand as she got up.
"Thank you..." Kaede said nervously.
"I'm so sorry. I should've paid closer attention to where I was going." the boy apologized again as he bowed.
"I-It's alright. If it makes you feel any better, I wasn't paying that close attention either." Kaede shrugged nervously.
"Hey, are you sure you're okay?"
"Yeah. Why do you ask?"
"You have something on your head. Actually, you have two things on your head."
Kaede's eyes widen in horror as she reached to the top of her head and felt not the baseball cap she was wearing just a second ago, but her own horns, exposed and in the open! And some strange boy just saw them!
'No! No! NO! Where's my hat?!' Kaede thought as she looked around the ground, seeing her cap just a few feet to her left. As fast as she could, she ran to get it... only to trip on a root and fall face first in the grass.
"Whoa! Are you okay?!" the boy asked frantically as he ran to help Kaede up.
Kaede got up into a crouch as she held on to her chin, which was hurting the most. But the last thing on her mind was the pain. It was on the fact that a boy her age has saw her horns. The very horns that others mocked for many years. The laughter and mockery hit her mind hard, flashbacks from the orphanage coming back to her. In all this mental torment and physical pain, there was only one thing she could do...
"WAAAAAAAH!"
The boy jumped back when the red-headed girl in front of him cried like a banshee.
"N-Now, d-don't cry! It's alright! You're okay! You're okay!"
"Kaede!"
The boy's pleas for silence was interrupted by the sound of a concerned and elderly voice. He turned and saw Tsuyoshi run towards Kaede.
Once Tsuyoshi arrived he kneeled down on his knee and asked, "Kaede, what happened?!"
Kaede continued crying as she pointed to her hat on the ground. It didn't take long for him to figure it out: someone found out about her secret.
His fatherly instincts kicking in, Tsuyoshi quickly grabbed Kaede in a big hug and whispered comforting words to settle the girl's sobbing.
The boy could only look in confusion and shock as he watched Tsuyoshi comfort Kaede. He would leave if he wasn't concerned about the girl's wellbeing.
"Um, sorry to interrupt, sir, but what's wrong with her? Is she okay?" The boy asked.
Tsuyoshi looked at the boy and asked, "What happened? I only saw her fall and cry. What was going on before that?"
The boy replied, "It was an accident, sir. I wasn't watching where I was going and bumped into her. I saw that she had those... things on her head and when I asked about them, she flipped out and... well, you saw what happened next. Is she okay?"
Kaede continued crying as she said, "He-He-He saw my horns, Tsuyoshi!*sniff* He's going to-*sniff*-to-*sniff- he's going to make fun of me, I just know it."
"No I won't."
Kaede and Tsuyoshi turned to the boy in surprise. Kaede had a look of confusion as she finally started to settle down while Tsuyoshi had a look of mild surprise.
"I hate bullies, and I don't want to be one. So, I'm not gonna make fun of you. Besides, I think their kind of cool."
The boy finished with a small and comforting smile as he looked at the two. Kaede gave a small blush while Tsuyoshi showed a small smile. He was not only surprised about how mature he was for someone his age, but how sincere he was about his statement.
"T-These horns have caused me so much pain in my life. How can they be 'cool'?" Kaede hissed once she recovered from her shock.
"Kaede." Tsuyoshi slightly scolded before he looked at the boy, "I apologize for my daughter's behavior, but the kids at the orphanage where she lived in mocked her for her... unusual traits."
The boy gasped and said, "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean upset you. Like I said, I'm not a bully. I swear."
Kaede's glare soften somewhat before she gently got out of Tsuyoshi's embrace.
"I don't even know who you are. How can I believe any of that if I don't even know your name?" Kaede said coldly, getting a harsh look from Tsuyoshi.
"Kaede!" Tsuyoshi scolded, causing the girl to flinch.
"Oh, yeah.." The boy said defending Kaede, "We never did introduce ourselves. My name is-"
"Kohta! Come on, Kota! We need to leave now if we want to make it to the zoo before it closes!"
The boy, Kohta, immediately turned to the source of an older voice and replied, "Okay, Tou-san! I'll be right there!"
Kohta quickly bowed his goodbye and ran to his father, leaving Kaede and Tsuyoshi alone together.
Tsuyoshi smiled, "He seemed like a nice boy."
Kaede scowled, "They all seem nice until they betray your trust and rat you out."
"Kaede!" Tsuyoshi snapped, getting tired of his daughter's rude behavior, "We just met the boy and it wasn't for that long. We know next to nothing about him, so don't be so quick to judge someone before you know them."
"Like you're doing?! You said so yourself: we know almost nothing about him! He might look like a nice guy at first, but the next thing you know, he'll turn his back on you before you know it!"
Tsuyoshi was starting to get upset at Kaede's harsh behavior, but was able to calm himself before he'd do anything he'd regret. Letting out a soothing sigh, Tsuyoshi continued the conversation.
"Kaede, I know that trusting new people is hard to do and with your experience with other kids not being positive, I truly understand you don't want to have any friends besides the Super Sentai. But I want you to understand why I'm doing this: to give you some semblance of a normal life. I've lived my life long enough to know that life being a hero isn't a normal one, especially for those close to those heroes. You've lived a majority of your short life as an outcast, all alone with no one to talk to. That's not a life anyone should have or want.
"You say you don't need friends because you count a majority of the Super Sentai as close friends, but if you want to have a normal life, you need to bond and trust kids your age. I know what I'm saying may sting, but its the truth."
"Who says I need a normal life?" Kaede remarked as she averted her eyes from Tsuyoshi.
"But you want one, don't you?"
Kaede looked back at Tsuyoshi to try and make a rebuttal, but she knew that he was right once more and remained silent.
"Kaede, I don't want you to throw away any chances of a normal life because you don't trust anyone. Please, Kaede. Please at least try. For me."
Kaede remained silent for a minute or two before she spoke, "Okay. I trust you most of all, so if you think I can have some form of a normal life, then I will try."
Tsuyoshi smiled before he placed the hat back on her head and gently patted her head.
He stood up and asked, "Well, we still got plenty of time to use up, so do you want to continue our stroll around the park?"
Kaede replied, "Actually, that place the boy's dad said sounds interesting."
Tsuyoshi looked confused, "The zoo? Wait, you've never been to a zoo before?"
When Kaede shook her head, Tsuyoshi gave a somewhat surprised look before mentally reminding himself about her past. He gave a gentle smile to the small girl.
"Alright. Then I guess it's off to the zoo. I promise you, Kaede, you'll love it."
Nogeyama Zoo
2:27 P.M.
To say that Kaede loved the zoo was an understatement.
Upon seeing the animals on display, she just beamed at every little animal she saw. She especially loved the weirder looking animals like the peacocks and the giraffes. Tsuyoshi just followed the girl with a smile on his face. He was glad to finally see a smile on his daughter's face.
'Daughter... We've been a family for some time now, and yet it still feels odd to even think.' Tsuyoshi thought, 'If I'm just now getting used to this whole thing, I wonder how Kaede's doing with all this. I truly hope she's adapting to all this. I mean, she's really gotten used to the other Sentai members.'
At this time, Tsuyoshi and Kaede were sitting on a table in front of a kiosk that served ice cream, enjoying some rest and soft serves before they continue their walk.
"So, where to next?" Kaede asked as she ate her ice cream.
Tsuyoshi thought for a minute before saying, "Well, I think the local petting zoo's just a little ways away. There's nothing too special there, but it could be a great place to meet a few kids."
Kaede sighed but didn't say anything. She didn't want to upset Tsuyoshi for all the effort he's putting into giving her a normal life.
"To be honest, that sounds... like... fun..."
Kaede's thoughts were stopped when she saw a family of two, a father and a boy, walking by. However, the boy looked very familiar.
"Hey, is that...?" Kaede asked before Tsuyoshi turned and looked at her direction. He gained a small smile when he saw who she was looking at: the very boy from the park.
Kohta apparently noticed them as he directed his father over towards the table Kaede and Tsuyoshi was sitting. It didn't take long for the two families to meet.
"Hey. I didn't expect to see you two here." Kohta said as they neared.
"Kaede overheard your father talk about the zoo and got curious. I didn't think we'd actually meet." Tsuyoshi replied as he got up to meet the family, Kaede following after him.
"Kohta noticed you two and said he knew you, although I don't recall ever meeting you myself before." Kohta's father said.
"That's because we only met earlier at the park." Tsuyoshi replied before he turned to Kota, "Speaking of which, I apologize for not introducing ourselves earlier. I'm Kaijo, Tsuyoshi. This girl here is my daughter, Kaede."
Kaede remained silent as she shyly waved at the family.
"If I'm not mistaken, your name's Kohta, right? I overheard your father shout it while we were at the park."
"That's right. I'm Kohta. It's a pleasure to know the both of you, Kaijo-san." Kohta replied.
Tsuyoshi shook his head before he said, "Don't call me that. I'm not that formal. Just call me Tsuyoshi, okay?"
"Understood, Tsuyoshi-san."
Kaede turned to Tsuyoshi and asked, "Tsuyoshi, mind if me and Kohta talk alone for a minute?"
Tsuyoshi appeared hesitant, but replied, "Very well, but don't just call him 'Kohta', alright? It's rude."
Kohta shook his head, "No, it's alright. I was going to say you two could call me by my given name, anyway."
With that said, Kaede led Kohta away from the adults to have their private conversation.
"That Kohta..." Kota's father sighed as he rubbed the back of his head, "He's so easy to trust any stranger. Innocence of youth, I guess."
"Maybe, although I wish Kaede would be as open to strangers as Kota. She's very shy and untrusting of others." Tsuyoshi explained, watching Kaede walk away with Kota in tow.
"You mean she doesn't have a lot of friends?"
"None around her age. All the friends she has are my own. I really hope someone like Kohta could help her open up to the possibility to having a normal life."
"You mean she doesn't have one already?"
"For as long as I've known her..."
As the adults were having their exchange of words, so were Kaede and Kohta.
"Alright... Kohta, is it?" Kaede started, "I'm going to the point of this talk: did you tell anyone about what you saw at the park?"
Kohta shook his head, "No, I haven't told anyone, not even Tou-san. I swear."
Kaede crossed her arms and slightly glared at him, unnerving the boy.
"I-I mean it! I promise you."
Kaede simply looked at Kohta for a moment before sighing, "Alright. I'll believe you for now. But I'll never forgive you if you tell another soul about them, got it? They've caused me enough harm as it is..."
"Yet you found a family despite them."
Kaede stiffened when Kohta said that. He was right, after all. Tsuyoshi and his kouhai accepted her despite her physical deformity.
"If you give me the chance, I'll prove to you I'm a good friend. Deal?"
Kohta stretched his hand out to Kaede, who was still unsure about what to think of the boy in front of her. On one hand, he has an honest and somewhat cute face that seemed to be reliable, but on the other, the last time she thought that, it made her pay dearly. She took a second to think of any more positives and negatives to make her decide. She couldn't think of any more negatives, but a major positive came to her mind: her father trusted him. If she couldn't trust the boy based on her judgment, then she could try Tsuyoshi's judgment.
"Alright. I'll give you the chance."
Kaede shook Kohta's hand, much to her unseen embarrassment and his pleasure.
"Great! I won't disappoint you one bit!"
"Kohta, we're about to get ready to see the last of the animals. Tsuyoshi and Kaede can tag along with us, so you can continue talking with her for a little bit." Kota's father said as he and Tsuyoshi walked up to the talking children.
"We'd best finish up soon. The zoo's going to be closing in a little bit." Tsuyoshi explained.
"Understood." Both Kaede and Kohta said before the group went off to finish their walk around the zoo.
Outside Nogeyama Zoo entrance
4:18 P.M.
Over half an hour has passed and the small group enjoyed each other's companionship, especially Kaede and Kohta. Despite their conversations being mostly one-sided on Kota's side, Kaede still enjoyed the boy's company, something Tsuyoshi took notice. But now, Kohta and his father had to go to home, as did Kaede and Tsuyoshi. At the moment, they were at the zoo's main entrance preparing to say their farewells.
"I'm sorry we have to leave like this, but it is getting late and we need to do a couple things when we get home." Kohta's father apologized to the Kaijo duo.
"It's no problem." Tsuyoshi brushed off, "We completely understand."
"Yeah. We are getting a little tired." Kaede agreed, somewhat surprising Tsuyoshi due to her normally silent demeanor.
"Well, thank you both for understanding. If either of you want to do something like this again, feel free to call and let us know if you're in the area. I did give you our number, right Kaijo-san?"
Tsuyoshi nodded.
"Alright. We'll be going now. Have a safe trip, both of you."
"Same to you."
With that said, both men shook hands and walked to their vehicles, their children in tow.
Once Tsuyoshi and Kaede were on the road home, the pair reflected on the event that passed.
"So, what do you think about today?" Tsuyoshi asked.
"Well, it was a bit rough near the beginning, but I can't complain. I liked it." Kaede replied silently.
"Does that include your new friend, Kohta?" Tsuyoshi smirked
Kaede blushed from what her adopted father was implying, "Wha-what do you mean?! I-I just met him! It's not like I think he's cute or anything!"
Tsuyoshi cocked his eyebrow and smirked harder when Kaede realized what she just said.
"Oh, uh, I-I mean..."
Tsuyoshi chuckled, "I'm just teasing, Kaede. I'm just glad you've had a good day."
Kaede glared at Tsuyoshi before sighing, "Well, I admit, I am happy that you talked me into this."
"It's still a shame they had to go home. It may be their second to last day here, but I guess-"
"What?"
Tsuyoshi saw through the rear-view mirror that Kaede was confused about his statement.
"Didn't Kohta tell you? He, his father, and his little sister are here on vacation so that he could get closer to his cousin."
"He did mention staying with his cousin and aunt."
"Then I guess he just left out the vacation part of his story. From what I've heard, she's a bit of a nervous-"
"Who's the she?"
"Kohta's cousin. Why?"
Kaede's expression turned hurt when Tsuyoshi told her about Kohta's cousin being a girl.
"What's wrong?" Tsuyoshi asked, concerned.
"Kohta told me that his cousin was a boy. Why would he lie to me about something like this?"
Tsuyoshi frowned a little bit from what his adopted daughter continued to show her hurt expression, and he actually understood why she felt hurt. He recalled how her only friend at the orphanage lied to her about keeping the puppy a secret and that she told the local bullies about it. However, another reason for her hurt feelings is that Kohta's cousin might harbor feelings for him and might be able to steal him away if they get more familiar with each other. While some countries find cousins getting together unusual and even unacceptable, Japan was not one of those countries.
Tsuyoshi was already aware of Kaede's crush on Kohta, as well as the fact that she doesn't take the idea of losing someone she cares about very well. These factors may cause problems in the future...
"Well, maybe if we get free time tomorrow, we could-"
"Do you think he lied because he doesn't really like me?!"
"What? No. I think it's-"
"Maybe he wants to show his cousin off when he gets the chance!"
"Kaede, please cal-"
"He doesn't care about me, does he?!"
"Kaede!"
Kaede silenced herself when Tsuyoshi sternly yelled at her.
Tsuyoshi sighed to calm himself, "Kaede, I know you hate liars, but I doubt Kohta's one of those boys who'd lie just to hurt people. Not from what I saw."
"What if he wasn't showing his true self?"
"From what I heard from his father, I think that was his true self."
Kaede just remained silent, her mind in complete disarray about Kohta. Noting the silence, Tsuyoshi sighed.
"There might be a chance that I misheard him and Kohta's cousin is a boy. It was a little noisy when he told me. But look, either way, I can tell Kohta wants to be your friend and didn't want to hurt you."
"How do you know?! We just met them today!"
"True, but I have a good feeling about Kohta. I may not know him or his family well, but I trust my feelings about him. Everyone deserves to explain themselves if they've done something wrong, so the next time we meet, let him explain himself, okay?"
Kaede remained silent as she looked out the window to let her mind wonder.
'Maybe Tsuyoshi's right. I could be overreacting about this. Maybe if I give Kohta the chance-'
"Don't listen to those humans. They only care about themselves."
Kaede jumped when she heard the voice from earlier, yet she didn't look around because she knew it was just her and her father.
"That pathetic human is not your father. You don't have one. He'll just betray you just as the other humans have. In fact, he practically already did by defending that idiot boy."
'No. Tsuyoshi saved me. He tried to help my puppy. He's not like the other adults...'
"That'll just make the pain hurt more for you when he does betray you. That's what he wants: to make you hurt. He claims that he's a good person who wants to do right for you, but we both know that there are no humans like that."
'The Super Sentai-'
"Only care about human protection. You're not human, remember? You're something else. Something even more powerful than a human. You just need to use your power to show it..."
Meanwhile, Tsuyoshi tried to deal with the silence and give Kaede the time to calm herself. However, he looked back and saw Kaede having a distraught look on her face.
Tsuyoshi sighed, "I can tell you're distraught about this, so how about we go somewhere tomorrow and try and forget this situation. It'll be just the two of us having fun. Nothing more, nothing less. How does that sound?"
His voice snapped Kaede out of her trance. The 'conversation' she had with herself was still fresh in her mind, but Tsuyoshi's voice was able to solidify her feelings.
'Tsuyoshi does care for me, as does his friends. He cares for me because he's my-'
"Kaede? Did you hear me?"
She snapped out of her thoughts when Tsuyoshi asked her.
"I'm sorry, Tsuyoshi. I was... thinking about something and I didn't hear you. What did you say?"
"I was asking if you wanted to go somewhere tomorrow to just relax. Spend some time together. Is that okay?"
Kaede looked skeptical, "No attempts at getting me new friends?"
"Only if you want that. If not, that's fine. It can just be a father/daughter experience. The both of us just having a good time. I can even think of something to do. Okay?"
Kaede thought it over for a second before she replied, "Alright. If it's just the both of us, I'll be okay with it."
Tsuyoshi gave a small smile as he continued driving home, completely unaware as to what tomorrow had planned for him and his adopted daughter.
6:17 P.M.
The following day, Tsuyoshi and Kaede were arriving at a festival that was being held for the beginning of Fall. It wasn't a big festival, but it was still one that can bring in the crowd.
"Why are there so many people here?" Kaede asked, cautious about the unfamiliar faces.
"Well, that's pretty much the whole point to festivals: people of all ages get together and have a good time with one another, families especially." Tsuyoshi explained before he got a skeptical look from Kaede, "What?"
"Are you sure this isn't a way to get more 'friends' for me?"
"No, of course not. I promised us father/daughter time, and I intend to keep my end of the bargain. I'll only break it if you want to make new friends. That is, after all, your decision."
Kaede just smiled and followed Tsuyoshi as he walked towards the entrance.
Once inside, the two spent a good couple of hours just being around one another. They played various festival games, even winning a prize or two, as well as enjoy some of the snacks served there. Throughout the duration of their stay, both of them had a smile of some form on their faces, clearly happy about being with one another. Now, they were both walking around the area as they snacked on dango Tsuyoshi bought themselves.
"Well, how are you feeling, Kaede?" Tsuyoshi asked before he took a bite out of his dango.
"Great! This is what I needed: some time for the both of us to bond and have fun. I have to say I can't remember the last time I had-"
Kaede's thoughts were interrupted when she saw a certain black haired boy patting the head of a brown haired girl around their age. The girl was crying for some reason and Kohta was comforting her over it. Kaede remembered Kohta giving her a description of his little sister, and she didn't fit it. Then she must be...
"Kaede? What is it?" Tsuyoshi asked before he followed her gaze and spotted Kohta with a girl he never saw before.
"Oh..."
Kaede remained silent as she stared at Kohta patting the crying girl's head before the world tuned black.
In her mind, Kaede looked around only to see nothing but black darkness as far as her eyes could see.
"Hello?" Kaede yelled, only getting an echo as a response.
"Tsuyoshi, are you here? Kohta? Anyone?"
"Poor, poor Kaede..."
A voice from behind her caught her attention. She turned around and saw Tsuyoshi standing alone.
"Tsuyoshi!"
Kaede ran towards him and stopped just in front of him.
"I'm so glad to see you!"
"So am I, Kaede..."
Kaede felt a bit shook up when she noted the dark aura 'Tsuyoshi' was exuding. Before she could react, he suddenly grabbed her around her neck, shocking her even more.
"Tsu...yo...shi... why...?"
"I want to see the fear in your eyes, you monster!"
Kaede's eyes widen at the comment before she was picked up by the neck. She struggled to get a single breath before 'Tsuyoshi' threw her across the darkness. She bounced off the ground before she skid to the ground. Despite her pain, she was able to get to her hands and knees, looking at 'Tsuyoshi' with tears in her eyes.
"But-But I trusted you! You took me away from that horrible place! You helped me when I needed someone! I saw you as a father..."
"All the better. That look of betrayal just looks heavenly to me. I can't wait to make you hurt even more."
'Tsuyoshi' started walking towards her menacingly, causing the girl to try and back away, but for some reason she couldn't. Despite her brain telling her to get up and run away, her arms and legs just didn't respond. It was like they were stuck in place.
"Tsuyoshi, please! You said you wanted to help me! You said you wanted to be my friend."
'Tsuyoshi' stopped when she said that, "Me? Being friends with a freak like you?!"
'Tsuyoshi' laughed insanely at the comment.
"Why would anyone be friends with you?! In case you haven't realized, Kaede, I KILL MONSTERS LIKE YOU! I CANNOT BE FRIENDS WITH THEM!"
Kaede looked at 'Tsuyoshi' in pure terror before she felt another presence behind her. She turned and saw Kohta staring at her with a grin.
"Kohta!" Kaede finally found the strength to get up and scurried over to him.
"Kohta! Why did you lie to me?! Why is Tsuyoshi attacking me?! JUST WHAT IS GOING ON?!"
'Kohta' grinned even more before he punch Kaede in the face and brought her down, "Isn't it obvious? We're getting rid of a blight to humanity. As for why I lied? Well... I wanted to see you in pain before you die..."
'Kohta' slowly walked his way to Kaede, who crawled back as fast as she could, her eyes staring at 'Kohta's' soulless eyes.
"Red Bute..."
Kaede turned around and saw 'Tsuyoshi', now in his Akaranger suit, twirling his Red Bute staff as he walked towards her.
"Stay away! STAY AWAY FROM ME!" Kaede pleaded as both 'Kohta' and 'Akaranger' made their way towards her. Fearing for her life, she just cowered in place and started to cry.
"Now you understand?"
Kaede looked up from her cowering and saw a girl with bandages wrapped around her head with only one eye and two horns visible. Kaede also noticed 'Kohta' and 'Akaranger' stopped in place as the little girl in front of her continued to talk.
"Humans are treacherous and deceitful. They only care about themselves, and if not themselves, then other humans. They will never treat someone like you as an equal. In humanity's eyes, you will always be a monster. Something other than a human."
"B-But... Tsuyoshi said that he was close friends to non-humans... I even met a couple of them. They acted just like him."
"Those 'non-humans' are nothing more than naïve fools. They believe that peace with humanity is possible when all humanity wants is to destroy and conquer what they fear and don't understand. The only way peace can exist on Earth is if humanity's destroyed, and the one that can do that..."
The bandages started falling off, revealing that the girl... was Kaede herself!
"Is us." 'Kaede finished as she grinned like a mad man.
Kaede just stared at 'Kaede' as the words started to make sense. Kohta lied to her, and Tsuyoshi tried to defend him instead of help her. Humanity, be they normal or hero, only cares about-
"Kaede! KAEDE!"
Kaede's thoughts were interrupted by Tsuyoshi's voice. Unlike a moment ago, it was concerned and urgent. She turned to 'Tsuyoshi' and saw that he was still unmoving.
"Kaede, can you hear me?!"
Tsuyoshi's voice rang through her head again before she noticed a glow coming from 'Akaranger's' visor.
"Tsuyoshi?" Kaede asked as she walked towards 'Akaranger'.
"Did you not listen? He will betray you the first chance he gets."
"But he sounds... concerned. Like he lost something important..."
"KAEDE!"
"That's a trick! He's a human! You're supposed to destroy them! That is why you were put on this planet!"
"NO! I refuse to believe that! I'm not a killer, and I'll prove it to the whole world!"
"Don't be a fool! You know what you are, and that's humanity's destroyer!"
"KAEDE!"
The glow from 'Akaranger's' visor grew even stronger, blinding 'Kaede' and vaporizing 'Kohta'.
"You're right about one thing: I know what I am, but it's not a destroyer. I am..."
"KAEDE!"
"I AM... TSUYOSHI'S DAUGHTER!"
The light grew even brighter to the point where there wasn't even a shadow available. It was even to a point where she couldn't see anything.
"Kaede! Please, say something! Kaede!"
The whiteness in Kaede's vision slowly cleared to show Tsuyoshi kneeling in front of her and his hands on her shoulders. As her senses came back, she realized that Tsuyoshi was shaking her, trying to snap her out of her mental prison.
"Tsuyoshi..." Kaede whimpered, immediately getting his attention and stopping his shaking.
Tsuyoshi sighed in relief, "Thank God."
"Tsuyoshi, what happened?"
"I should be asking you that! After you saw Kohta, you froze up. I thought it was because you were shocked and saddened from what we saw, so I just suggested we go see him and talk about yesterday. When you didn't reply, I got concerned and tried getting your attention. But you looked like you were in some trance and I couldn't snap you out of it. I brought you to this remote part of the festival and tried snapping you out again. What happened?"
Kaede looked down in shame before asking, "H...How long was I...?"
"Not too long. Just a couple minutes at best. But those minutes felt like an eternity to me."
"The feeling's mutual..."
Tsuyoshi heard the crack in Kaede's voice and noticed a couple tears crawling down her face.
"Kaede?"
Kaede suddenly looked face to face with Tsuyoshi, revealing a pained expression and several other tears threatening to fall. The sight of it just made Tsuyoshi's heart stop in pain. Before he could say anything, Kaede wrapped her arms around him and started sobbing uncontrollably
"Tsu-Tsu-Tsuyoshi! It was... It was awful! After I saw Kohta, everything went dark a-and I couldn't see you or him! I was alone until... until... I saw you! But it wasn't you! It was some evil, twisted... thing that tried to kill me! Then... Kohta appeared and tried to beat me up! I thought the both of you betrayed me! Then, this girl appeared and told me that... that I'm supposed to... to... kill all of humanity!"
Tsuyoshi remained silent as he let the information soak in, as well as let Kaede cry on his shoulder.
'Hallucinations? Multiple voices? Is Kaede schizophrenic? No, she'd have plenty of physical reactions. She was completely still and unresponsive. Kaede, how long have you been...?'
"What am I? What's wrong with me?!"
Tsuyoshi snapped out of his thoughts when Kaede yelled that. He just wrapped his arms around her and started comforting her as best he could.
"There, there. It'll be alright. We'll be able get through this."
"But why's it happening to me?! Why does the world torture me like this?! What have I done... to deserve this pain?!"
"You've done nothing wrong, Kaede. You're just... different in more ways than we thought."
"But what does that make me?! What am I... if not just your daughter?"
Tsuyoshi was taken aback from the comment. He knew that she knew they were only related because a piece of said so, but if he takes her words as serious as they sounded, then that means...
"Kaede."
"I'm scared, Tsuyoshi. Scared at what I am. I knew for a long time I wasn't human, but just when I feel like I've figured it out... Life just says otherwise..."
"Shh, shh... It'll be alright, Kaede. We'll figure all this out... together."
Kaede stopped crying for a minute, relishing in the thought of being able to stay with her adopted father. All she wanted to do right now was just stay in his arms and forget all the pain. That thought stopped when she felt a drip on her shoulder. She looked up, expecting some form of rain...
Only to see a lone tear trail on Tsuyoshi's face.
"Tsuyoshi?" Kaede said before Tsuyoshi realized what she saw.
"Sorry." Tsuyoshi apologized as he wiped the tear trail, "I'm supposed to make sure that the tears would stop, and yet here I am shedding some of my own. It just really hurt seeing you so scared and confused, I couldn't help it."
Kaede shook her head, "It's alright. I'm just happy you're here with me, to help me get back to... normal, I guess. That didn't sound selfish, did it?"
Tsuyoshi chuckled, "Of course not. I'm just glad you're back to normal."
Tsuyoshi then got up as he and Kaede broke their embrace.
"Come on. Let's just go home and-"
*BOOM*
Suddenly, an explosion came from the fair grounds, instantly catching the pair's attention. It didn't take long before screams of fear and panic entered the air. This was followed by two more explosions, one coming after the other. Maniacal laughter could be heard at the epicenter of the explosions.
"Oh no..." Tsuyoshi grimaced, "Kaede, I need you to stay here and stay safe. If that's what I fear it is..."
"Go. I'll be alright." Kaede nodded before Tsuyoshi ran towards the inferno that was near the center of the festival. Kaede started praying when Tsuyoshi was out of her vision.
"Please be safe..."
Right after Tsuyoshi left, however, three figures were running towards her and on their way to a potential exit. She recognized the both of them immediately as Kohta, his cousin, and his father. As they ran, Kohta spotted her and stopped dead in his tracks.
"Kaede?" Kohta called out before he ran towards her.
"Kohta, wait!" Kohta's father ordered as he tailed his son, "Kohta we have to-Kaede?"
Kohta's father ran up to Kaede and asked, "What are you doing here, Kaede? Where's Kaijo-san?"
"He went to the explosion to help anyone there." Kaede said, "He told me to wait here for him to come back."
"What?!" Kohta's father exclaimed. "It's too dangerous for any of us to be here! Come with us. We can-"
"No! I have to wait for him! I know he'll be back! He'll be worried if I'm gone!"
Kohta's father sighed, "Alright, fine. I'll send Kaijo-san a text and let him know we have-"
Kohta's father stopped when a group of monsters appeared seemingly out of nowhere and started running towards them. While Kohta's family had no idea what they were, Kaede recognized them immediately.
"Rinshi..."
"Let's get out of here!" Kohta's father yelled before he led the kids away.
Kohta grabbed Kaede and yelled, "Come on!"
The group ran as fast as they could, a group of Rinshi following them. Despite the threat and danger, all Kaede could think about was Tsuyoshi and what he could be facing.
'Tsuyoshi... please be okay. We need you. I need you.'
Meanwhile, Tsuyoshi was running his way towards the explosion as fast as he could. Any and all trapped or injured civilian he stumbled upon were helped out and left. Once he was close enough to where the explosion was and was certain he was alone...
"GO!"
With that cry, a quick flash of red covered him, immediately turning into Akaranger. By that time, he had reached the epicenter of the explosions, only seeing several smoking craters and greatly damaged tents, one or two even being on fire. Akaranger wasn't concerned about that, though. He was more concerned about what caused all of this. He looked around for any foes in the area, remaining in his defensive stance during his search. Even though he didn't see anyone, he could feel a dark presence. As he looked around, he felt the strong presence just beyond a half-fallen tent not too far ahead of him.
"Come on out, RinJyuken monster!"
That order was followed by evil laughter as a figure walked out and revealed what it was.
The kaijin had a body that made it look like a hawk/human hybrid, having a hawk's head on it's chest and possessing feather-like armor all over it's body, even adorning feathers on a mask-like structure on it's head that had wings at the side.
"So you know me, Akaranger?" The kaijin chuckled in an elderly voice.
"Miki-san warned me of you, Kata! Rio was a fool for bringing you back!"
"It matters not what he thinks. All that matters is gathering despair to give us more power, and you're in the way. Rinshi, attack!"
Over a dozen Rinshi appeared from the shadows and attacked Akaranger. Akaranger reacted quickly and was able to punch one to the side before punching another. A Rinshi attacked from behind, only for Akaranger to spin around and hook kick it down. Three more jumped at him, only for one to get kicked back and the other two punched to the side. One last Rinshi charged only to get kicked in the face. It was after that kick he looked around and realized more Rinshi were coming.
'This is bad. I have to get back to Kaede.' Akaranger thought as he punched out two more Rinshi and drop-kicked another.
Kata chuckled evilly as the Rinshi charged at Akaranger. He may be mowing them down, but he is old and will run low on energy. Once that's so, he'll finish him off and rid the world of one less hero...
"Geki Waza: Hou Hou Dan!"
Suddenly, a roar erupted from no where and a glowing red tiger came charging at the Rinshi, instantly destroying half the battalion. Despite the surprise attack, Kata remained stoic as he turned to the attacker.
"Well, well. Look who arrived."
Three warriors ran towards Akaranger, Kata, and the surviving Rinshi. The warriors were in similar attire to Akaranger, only more simple and being similar to three big cats. The red had stripes similar to a tiger, the blue had spots like a jaguar, and the yellow had dots like a cheetah, as well as a skirt that showed she was the only girl on the team.
"Gekiranger!" Akaranger yelled, relieved that backup has arrived.
"Sorry for being late, senpai. We weren't alerted of the attack until a few moments ago." GekiBlue explained as he stopped and glared at Kata.
"Zowazowa! You won't get away this time!" GekiRed growled, prepared to fight.
"You cubs aren't at the level to even challenge me. None of you can defeat me. Rinshi, attack!"
The Rinshi complied and started ganging up on the four heroes, the group instantly retaliating with kicks and punches that knocked several Rinshi away. Despite the massive difference in number, the four were still able to hold their own and easily trounce the Rinshi. GekiYellow threw a flurry of lighting fast punches at a Rinshi before giving a final punch that threw it into a group, knocking them down.
Meanwhile, GekiBlue gracefully blocked a kick from a Rinshi before he delivered two powerful punches that pushed it back. Two more pounced, only for GekiBlue to kick both of them away with a roundhouse-sidekick combo. He got into a stance before he charged at a small group of Rinshi.
As GekiYellow and GekiBlue fought, both GekiRed and Akaranger fought back to back as they punched and kicked at charging Rinshi. GekiRed grabbed a punch from an attacking Rinshi before he flipped it onto the ground and punching out the downed foe while Akaranger kicked an attacking Rinshi away and blocked a chop from another, retaliating with a powerful punch and a spinning side-kick.
Kata, seeing his numbers shrink, joins in by flying up and stooping at the two Red Sentai. GekiRed spotted Kata's attack coming and somersaulted out of the way. Akaranger, however, wasn't as fast and was struck by Kata's strike, causing him and sparks to fly. As Akaranger rolled from the attack, Kata attacked GekiBlue and GekiYellow. As the two were distracted by the last of the Rinshi, they didn't see Kata flying at them until it was too late. Kata swooped at the duo and struck them, causing them to yell out in pain as they and sparks flew.
GekiRed saw the attack and yelled out, "Retsu! Ran!"
As Kata landed after his strike he laughed, "Pathetic!"
He then got out his sword and charged again, swiping at the two with it. Thankfully, both Gekirangers were able to recover and dodge before they regrouped with the Reds.
GekiYellow turned to Akaranger, "Senpai! We can handle Kata from here! Go and get your daughter away from here!"
Akaranger nodded, "Understood. I'll leave this to you."
With that said, Akaranger ran away from the conflict and towards where he left his daughter.
"Don't think you can escape me!" Kata roared as he ran towards the retreating Red, only to be cut off by the Gekirangers.
"Don't think you're going anywhere, zowazowa! GEKI NUNCHACKU!" GekiRed yelled as he summoned his signature weapon, his teammates summoning their weapons afterward.
Kata chuckled, "Let's end this, cubs!"
While Akaranger left the battle, Kaede and Kohta's family continued to run from the Rinshi chasing them. They were now just outside a forested area, but no further away from the Rinshi.
"Come on, kids! Don't look back! Just keep running!" Kohta's father yelled with the three right on his tail.
However, another group of Rinshi appeared in font of the group, causing them to skid to a stop. Kohta's father tried leading the group another way, only to be cut off by another group of Rinshi. Immediately after, a deep laughter entered the air.
"You pitiful humans are trapped!" The source of the laughter said as it departed a couple Rinshi away.
The being was a red and yellow monster with a razorback boar's face on it's chest, hair-like spikes on it's shoulder armor, three fingers with silver claws, and spiked boot-like feet.
"A monster!" Kohta's cousin screamed as she hid behind him.
"HA, HA! Scream all you want, kid! All it'll do is give me, user of the Rin Jyu Razorback-ken Shino, more power! And when I'm done with all of you, you're screams will be heard all over the valley!" Shino boasted.
Kohta's father raised his arm in front of the kids, yelling, "Stay back!"
"HA, HA, HA! Doesn't matter what you do, human! There's only one thing you weaklings can do: suffer!"
Shino stomped near the group, all cowering in fear. They would've tried backing up were it not for the fact that a group of Rinshi blocked off all their escape routes. They're trapped.
Kaede mentally begged for Tsuyoshi to appear and save the day, but that didn't seem to be likely. If he can't save them, who will?
"Save yourself, fool. Kill everyone. Human, Rinshi. It doesn't matter. They're all monsters. Kill them all."
Oh no, not that voice again...
"Your 'father' isn't coming. He's abandoned you. Left you to die in the hands of these beasts. Kill everything in your way and leave. Then your journey to kill all of humanity will begin."
Kaede tried to ignore the voice, but a thought came to her: the voice was half right.
'You're wrong about the humans being monsters, but you are right about the Rinshi being monsters. They took my friend away from me. They attacked me, tried to kill me. They torture innocents for power and pleasure. Let me use this power you're talking about on them.'
"Use it on everything around you. Rinshi and human. Why limit yourself when they will all kill you?"
'Let me use that power NOW! Or I'll just let myself die by their hands! You know I will, too.'
"...Very well..."
"HEY, GIRL! What's wrong?!" Shino roared at Kaede, "Too scared to even scream?! That'll be rectified soon e-"
Shino's rant was interrupted when three Rinshi were suddenly sliced apart. One was sliced in half, another had it's right limbs sliced off, and the last had their head torn off before they all faded into black smoke.
The other Rinshi backed away in shock while Shino and Kohta's family looked in surprise and, in the family's case, horror. Kaede started chuckling evilly, gaining everyone's attention.
"You're wrong, Shino." Kaede growled, "If anyone's scream will be heard all over the valley..."
Kaede looked up, revealing soulless eyes and a sadistic grin.
"They'll be yours."
Suddenly, several Rinshi started to be torn apart one after another. It didn't take long before all of the Rinshi in the area were killed, leaving a stunned Shino and a terrified family staring at Kaede, her grin growing after destroying all of the Rinshi.
Shino growled, "Y-You may've taken down those useless grunts, but you can't take me down!"
Shino charged, roaring in fury as his Ringi flared in power and pulled his fist back to throw a punch. However, he didn't make it a couple of meters before he was suddenly stopped. He grunted as he tried to continue his charge, but he seemed to be completely immobile, despite nothing holding him back. Suddenly, his right arm was forced upwards, followed by his left before he was lifted up into the air. Shino struggled against his unseen bonds, kicking his legs aimlessly as he did. As he kicked around, his legs straightened outwards, his grunts indicating that it was against his own accord.
"W-What's going on?! Let me go!" Shino roared as he struggled.
His grunts of struggling suddenly turned into yells of pain and agony. The yells caused Kaede's grin turned into a full on maniacal smile as it seemed like his limbs were started to stretch out.
"W-Wait! This isn't right! You're just humans! HOW CAN THIS HAPPEN?!"
"Simple:" Kaede replied before Shino's limbs were ripped clean of his body, causing his parts to fall to the ground, "I'm not human, you dumb pig."
As soon as Shino crashed to the ground, he exploded in a fiery inferno, screaming in pain as he did. Once the explosion ended and all that was left was a patch of fire, Kaede turned and looked at the frightened family. They cowered as Kaede just stared with a sinister aura around her. She was no longer in control, her powers have fully awoken. Now that the monster's dead, it's the humans-
"Kaede?"
Kaede's aura suddenly disappeared as a familiar voice entered her ears. She snapped out of her murderous stupor as she turned around and saw a familiar red warrior staring at her, a face of disbelief behind his mask.
"Tsuyoshi?" Kaede asked before the events that had just transpired entered her head.
Kaede recoiled as the memories hit her hard. Once she recovered, she showed a look of horror as she looked around the area. All those Rinshi, that Beast-Man: they would've cause trouble for any Super Sentai team. She destroyed all of them with ease. She did it in a way no human could do it! Could she control it?! Will she kill anyone she loved by accident?! Just what the Hell is she?!
Kaede screamed in fear before she bolted towards the forest.
"Kaede!" Akaranger yelled, trying to get her attention.
"She called you Tsuyoshi."
Akaranger turned to Kohta, who spoke that line. His father quickly took over.
"Tsuyoshi? Are you really...?"
"I'll explain everything later if you'll allow me. Right now, you need to evacuate and I need to get Kaede."
Akaranger didn't bother to wait for a response before he ran after the scared girl.
Meanwhile, Kaede just continued running away, tears escaping her as she ran. She had some destructive power that could rival some villains the Super Sentai have told her about. What if she couldn't control it? What if she accidentally hurt someone, or worse...?
She couldn't deal with it. She just had to get away. FROM EVERYONE!
As she ran, however, she tripped on a tree root, causing her to fall face first onto the ground. She slowly got up on her hands and knees, her tears falling down faster and harder than she thought possible. She stifled her sobbing as she got to a sitting position.
"Kaede!"
Her self loathing is interrupted when she heard a very familiar voice. She tearfully turned to see Akaranger running towards her. She immediately crab walked back away from him.
"Stay away! Stay away, Tsuyoshi!" Kaede begged as she backed into a tree, stopping her.
"Kaede..." Akaranger sad sadly as he reverted back to Tsuyoshi and neared Kaede.
"Tsuyoshi, please! Stay back! I'm too dangerous! I'm a monster!"
Tsuyoshi continued walking towards the screaming girl, who just continued to beg an plea for him to stay away. Once he was close enough, Tsuyoshi kneeled in front of Kaede and gently placed a hand on her tear-covered cheek, silencing the girl.
"I don't want to hurt you..." Kaede whimpered.
"And you won't, Kaede." Tsuyoshi tenderly said, "You won't hurt me because you don't want to. I know you won't."
"But what if I-"
"Kaede, we will be alright."
"But why is this happening?! What's causing this?!" Kaede sobbed, "Why can't I be normal..."
Tsuyoshi thought his words over before he said, "But you are normal, Kaede. You just-"
"Just what?! I can tear a monster apart with just my mind! I have voices in my head! I have these things on my head! HOW CAN I BE NORMAL TO YOU?!"
"BECAUSE YOU'RE MY DAUGHTER!"
Kaede jumped back when Tsuyoshi yelled that. She had never heard him yell that loud before, so it surprised her.
"Kaede, you're normal to me because you are my daughter, even though you're adopted! You smile like a normal girl! You have the compassion and kindness of a normal girl! You have the ability to tell the difference between right and wrong like a normal human!" Kaede's eyes widen at that, "You want to protect people you care about like a normal human! You want to have a happy life, just like everyone in the universe! Because of all these, I know for an absolute fact that you are a normal, human, girl! And nothing will ever change that."
Tsuyoshi panted after he poured his heart out at the girl. She just stared at him wide-eyed, unsure of what to say. Once Tsuyoshi's breath slowed down, his expression turned sad as he continued speaking.
"I know you don't want to hurt me, but if you leave, it'll hurt more than getting torn apart. I can't let you leave my life, Kaede... because I love you."
If Kaede's eyes weren't wide before, they were now.
"Wha... you..."
"Kaede, you may be adopted, but I've grown to love you as though you were my own daughter. That's why I don't want to lose you. I've been wanting to tell you this for a little bit, but I didn't know how you would react. I was uncertain how you were adapting and afraid I was moving things too far too fast, but if this is what it takes to keep you from running away, so be it."
Tsuyoshi walked over as he spoke before kneeling down and gave Kaede a hug.
"So please. Don't go anywhere. I love you, my daughter."
Kaede said nothing, stunned by what Tsuyoshi said to her. It only took a second before tears formed and she quickly returned the embrace, sobbing uncontrollably as she did.
"I love you too, Papa! I don't want to leave you, or everyone else! I just want to have a normal, happy life! But no matter what we do, what I do, it just get's more and more impossible! I just... I just...!"
Tsuyoshi hugged Kaede harder, "I know, Kaede. I know."
Father and daughter remained where they were as she continued crying on his chest. Tsuyoshi said nothing as he let the girl he adopted continue her sobbing. She had been through so much for her young age, and the abnormalities only made her pain worse. She needed this.
It took a couple minutes before they both heard maniacal laughter from the festival. Tsuyoshi looked in the direction and saw Kata fly away.
'Looks like he got away.' Tsuyoshi thought, 'Hopefully the Gekirangers will get him next time.'
"I'm sorry about this, Tsuyoshi." Kaede whimpered, interrupting Tsuyoshi's thoughts, "I want to stay with you, but I don't want to hurt you or anyone else. I just don't know anything about me and it scares me. What if I lose control, or hurt someone I'm trying to protect? I don't want that to happen."
"I know, Kaede. We'll figure all of this out. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but I've got a feeling we'll figure this out someday. When that happens, we'll finally have the normal life you wa... no, the normal life you deserve. I promise."
Kaede looked up at Tsuyoshi with teary eyes for a moment before a small smile crept her face.
"Thank you, Tsuyoshi."
Tsuyoshi, seeing an opportunity to lighten the mood, rebutted, "Back to 'Tsuyoshi'? What happened to 'papa'?"
Kaede's expression became one of surprise and embarrassment as her cheeks grew red.
"Uh... well... it's just..."
"Kaede, if you want to call me 'papa', you can." Tsuyoshi assured before he admitted, "Although, it may take some getting used to."
Kaede looked on at Tsuyoshi with surprise on her face as he continued.
"'Papa', 'Papa'," Tsuyoshi said though he was tasting a fine wine before he gave a small chuckle, "I kind of like it. Was that what you wanted to ask yesterday?"
Kaede silently nodded before Tsuyoshi chuckled before he reached out his hand.
"Come on, Kaede. Let's go home. We've had quite the day."
"But what about Kohta and his family?"
"I'll explain everything to them soon. But right now, I think it'd be best to get some rest, wouldn't you say?"
Kaede slowly smiled before she replied, "I'd like that, Papa."
Tsuyoshi returned her smile with one of his own as he grasped her hand. Kaede held on to his hand as they walked towards the remnants of the festival. Despite the fire and turmoil, the two could not help but bask in one another's grip. That day showed them the path ahead is most definitely a hard and trying one, but one very much worth it if it meant they could remain by one another's side as father and daughter.
And there we go. The second chapter is done... This took much longer than it should've and I really can't express my apologies to those who waited. All I can is that life LOVES to get in my way with work, random angst, and general laziness. Honestly, I even considered scrapping this story altogether for a time, but I didn't let myself do it. Good thing too, because I feel quite proud with this one. One more chapter before the main event begins. Let's just hope it doesn't take as long as this one did...
Anyway, please do leave a review if you enjoyed it. Flamers and trolls are not gonna be accepted.
Also, I don't own Elfen Lied or the Super Sentai. Lynn Okamoto, Shueisha, and Arms own Elfen Lied while Toei owns Super Sentai.