Like I said, perfect schedule... I hope at least...
This was a fun chapter to write since it was Cadinia's first ever full time with the Wild Force Ranger...
Now for the disclaimer:
Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers, or any songs in this story, all I own is Cadinia and her family.
Cadinia
I woke up at the crack of dawn, sighing before I grabbed my journal and opened it to a random page I had a song on.
I grabbed my guitar and started strumming softly.
"When the days are cold… and the cards all fold, and the saints we see, are all made of gold. When your dreams all fail. And the ones we hail, are the worst of all, and the blood's run stale. I want to hide the truth. I want to shelter you. But with the beast inside. There's nowhere we can hide. No matter what we breed. We still are made of greed. This is my kingdom come… This is my kingdom come." I strummed and hummed as I looked over the words and notes, "When you feel my heat! Look into my eyes! It's where my demons hide! It's where my demons hide! Don't get too close. It's dark inside! It's where my demons hide! It's where my demons hide!"
I heard knocking and I quickly put my guitar back down, along with my journal before I got back into my bed.
I heard the door open and I chanced a glance over my shoulder to see Merrick looking inside.
"Cadinia?" He grumbled, "It's five in the morning!"
I groaned and turned to him, "Rise with the sun, dude… besides, what are you doing awake?"
"Your playing woke me up." He replied sharply.
I blinked, "Well sorry… won't happen again…"
He nodded stiffly, "Good."
He walked out, closing the door loudly behind him.
I felt tears swell up in my eyes as I turned back away and pulled myself into a slight ball.
"I hate not being able to tell people!" I growled softly.
Growing up as a Solar Ninja, you're never allowed to tell anyone… and even if I was banished, I still practice my powers… so it's not like I can tell anyone.
I felt the window blow open and I heard Merrick running out.
"Looks like that's his Bat Signal…" I grumbled before I got up and ran out too.
10 minutes later…
Merrick met up with the others, who were all 'morphed' and attacking the multitude of monsters.
I hid behind a fence… till I felt something grab my arm.
"Ah! A little girl wanting to play!" A weird white clown-freak tugged me out of my hiding place.
"Hey let me go!" I growled, trying to pull away.
"Cadinia!" I heard Max call out close by.
"Let her go Jindrax!" Cole growled as they regrouped after knocking the monsters down.
"Not happening rangers!" This freak… Jindrax… denied, pulling out a sword, "Besides… you're gonna be a little tied up with this one! Rope Org!"
A large coiled up rope freak with legs and googly eyes stepped out of nowhere. "Ah! Rangers!" It spoke with a sailor's accent.
"You're coming with me." Jindrax pulled me away.
"Cadinia!" I heard Merrick as I struggled still.
5 minutes later…
We were on a broken cliff overlooking the Power Rangers and their battle.
I kept trying to pull away… but Jindrax held stiff.
"Man, you're feisty for a weak girl!" He complained and my eyes went wide.
"What… did you… just call me?!" I exclaimed, feeling anger burn inside me.
The moment I started feeling it, flames came to life where he was holding me.
The freak yelped and pulled away, waving his hand, "Hot! Hot! Hot!"
I got into a fighting stance, "That's not all I got."
I set my hands aflame… but he was ready.
He held out his sword and sent my attack back.
It didn't burn me, but the force sent me free-falling to the lower ground.
I braced myself for my impending death, but it never happened.
"Gotcha!" Merrick breathed out, and I looked to see him holding me up as he rode a bike with the head of a wolf before stopping and helping me to my feet, "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine." I breathed out before I saw Jindrax rushing over to the 'Org' thing, "But I wouldn't say the same for that freak… Hey!"
He jumped and turned to me, "How can you be so strong?! You're not a ranger."
"Just because I'm not some color-coded spandex wearing superhero doesn't mean I'm not strong." I growled, "Never judge an opponent by how they look."
"We'll see about that! Putrids!" Jindrax throw some sort of conch-shell into the air, sending out a bunch of those freaks again.
We got into fighting stances as they went at us.
I growled before I kicked one down and elbowed another.
"Cadinia, you gotta get out of here!" Taylor called.
"No way." I denied and shoved another… Putrid… down. "I'm not leaving you guys hanging like that!"
"You won't have to worry ranger! Time to tie up some loose ends!" The freak sent a set of ropes at Taylor.
"Watch out!" I shouted and got in front of her.
Of course… this caused both of us to be tied together, and I felt her demorphing.
"Yes! Two for one!" It called out.
I growled, "I don't think so…" I reached to put a hand on the ropes then frowned when I did. "No…"
I can't be out of juice now!
The other five easily got the Org back, causing it to run away, along with Jindrax.
"Well… this day isn't looking so good." I grumbled.
1 hour later…
We were walking to something the five -Merrick opted out of coming- rangers called 'The Animarium'.
Well… the four untied rangers were walking…
Taylor and I were arguing about how to walk in unison since her total right and my entire left got tied together.
"Okay… and here's the entrance." Cole noted as we got in front of a weird looking entryway.
"That leads to nowhere." I pointed at the clear see-through entrance.
"You'll see." They smirked lightly and slowly headed into the doorway.
When I stepped through… I had to blink several times.
Instead of stepping through into an empty entryway…
I was in a temple before we stepped out into the main area that was covered by trees.
"Okay…" I gaped and looked around.
"Welcome." I heard a voice catch my attention and I almost got into a fighting stance in the direction of it…
Except… Taylor pulled me back.
"Who are you?!" I stared at a girl in white.
"I'm Princess Shayla." She smiled lightly, "And you must be Cadinia… They spoke of you last night."
I nodded slowly, "Okay… uh… where are we?"
"The Animerium."
"That's impossible." I shook my head, "It's a myth. A stupid myth that's true and I'd rather not be a part of. Now if I could just find some sort of flame to burn these ropes off… I'll be on my way."
"Wouldn't that burn us?"
"Maybe you, but not me." I scoffed, "I'm immune to all things heat… now if I could just get something that'll work…"
"That Org's power is too powerful to break something so easily." Max denied and Taylor pulled in the direction of a small area… which caused us to fall to the ground.
"Okay… we need to work on our walking." I let out.
"Ya think." She looked over at me.
The guys helped us back up and I rubbed my still sore leg in pain.
"How'd this happen?" Alyssa frowned at my scar.
"Piranhas, South America… swimming." I answered simply, "Docs said I was lucky to keep it."
"Wow." They blinked.
"How long ago was that?"
"Two weeks." I replied, "I've been staying at Willie's Roadhouse."
They blinked, "The same place Merrick stays?"
I nodded, "Yeah… why?"
"Well… it's just… weird… and he was the one that saved you." Cole let out, "He's not exactly….."
"Open to people." Max finished.
I nodded, "I don't doubt that… now…"
Taylor and I motioned to our still connected bodies.
"We'll figure it out." They assured.
Taylor and I groaned, then tried to sit down… only to fall on our backs. "Make it soon!"
15 minutes later…
They tried everything, fire, cutting it… nothing worked.
"I'm beginning to think there's no way we'll be able to get free." I rubbed my forehead.
"Thinkin' the same." Taylor nodded.
I sighed and leaned against a wall, causing Taylor to do the same.
"So… while we're stuck together… mind telling me a little about yourself?" I looked over at her.
She shrugged, "I'm… 19 years old, I was in the United States Air Force…"
"Ah, that's so cool!" I reasoned, "Why'd you quite… besides the obvious reason…"
"I crash-landed here… I don't even think my old squadron knows I'm alive… and I'd like to keep it that way." She replied the looked at me, "Now you."
I nodded softly before I looked ahead, "I… lost my mom when I was a baby… and I've… been trained to fight by the other members of my family… learned I can only rely on myself… cause some people don't have the pleasure to have friends… especially when your family is strict and by the book."
"Wow… sounds worse than my family." Taylor let out.
"Believe me… my family is worse than anyone." I assured, "But… they do love me… they just don't show it a lot."
"You still love them?"
"Of course." I nodded, "You know… I'd do anything for them… that's why I left… against my will… but I left…"
Taylor nodded softly before she frowned and looked at my pocket, "What's that?"
I frowned and pulled out my solar bracelet.
On it was a golden crystal, big enough that it would've fit in the palm of my hand.
"Oh… just a bracelet I was given when I was younger." I shrugged, "Nothing important."
"Did it always have a… is that a Horse?" She looked at it closer.
"Horse? No… it's always been…." My mouth fell open when I looked at my bracelet again, "Clear…"
Inside was a small Horse-like animal.
"The HorseZord was hidden away when the Animarium first came into the skies." 'Princess Shayla' got our attention, "Only to awaken when it's protector comes."
"Protector?" I frowned, "Well… you must have the wrong girl then… cause I'm no protector… I bring destruction wherever I go."
"What makes you say-"
"Why do you think I left my family against my will?" I looked at her, "I was basically banished, and I can't ever return to them unless my Se…. Grandfather… says otherwise… and he never changes his mind like that. Not once."
"A little harsh, don't you think?"
I scuffed softly, "That was two years ago… like I said, I grew up fast."
"But… if the HorseZord really has awoken…" Taylor frowned, "You must have come here for a reason."
"I don't believe in myths, and I don't believe in destiny. They're just fake… no real truth to it… and destiny has never knocked on my door… I never want it to knock on my door. I'm perfectly content with living a normal life."
"We're tied together by a monster." Taylor retorted.
"Yeah, I see that." I rolled my eyes, "And if I could move my arm, you won't believe what I'd do right about now… I just want out so I can get back to the Roadhouse and pretend this never happened…"
"You can't." They chorused.
"Believe me… I know that." I sighed and looked away.
"There must be a way to free you guys." Cole walked over, "I mean… it's not like you're gonna be trapped like this forever."
"Not if we can destroy that Org." Max scuffed.
I groaned and banged my head on the wall, "This is gonna be a long day…"
"With you on that." Taylor moaned and leaned her head against the wall too.
Taylor
1 hour later…
The pond went up like a water fountain and we looked to see that rope freak back.
"Cole, Alyssa, Danny… Max… you go." Princess Shayla decided, "Cadinia and Taylor… until they've defeated the monster… you must remain here."
Cadinia groaned as they left, "I hate sitting around!"
"Agreed!" I nodded, "There must be something…"
"Have you tried to morph?" Princess Shayla asked.
"Yes… but it didn't work." I groaned.
"I can't believe fire didn't work." Cadinia growled, "Fire burns through everything!"
"Well… not everything." I reasoned.
"Yes, flame-resistant things are clearly nonburnable, but still!" She groaned.
The three of us laughed softly before I realized something.
"Cadinia… maybe we should try finding your Zord."
"No way… we can barely walk!" She denied.
"We'll learn as we go!" I grinned softly.
She sent a glare my way before sighing. "I'm so regretting this…"
5 minutes later…
"Inside, outside. Inside, outside." I repeated as we continued to step closer to an area of the Animarium none of us rangers have gone to before.
"I can't believe this…" She groaned, "None of you have been here?"
"Never had a reason… I can't believe it's so close to the Volcano… what kind of WildZord likes fire?"
"Maybe the kind who's protector is resistant against it."
I rolled my eyes, "I walked into that one… didn't I?"
"Kinda, yeah." She nodded.
We stopped in front of an opening at the foot of a cave.
I groaned as a hot wind blew at us, but Cadinia relished in it.
When the wind stopped, Cadinia smirked. "We're here."
"Great…" I grumbled.
We continued on in, and I noticed torches lighting with each step we took inside.
That wind blew at us again, and I nearly fell back, but Cadinia kept walking forward… me being forced to follow.
"You want us out? Then come out!" She called.
"Cadinia, what are you doing?" I hissed.
"Simple tactic. Draw out the enemy and do as you wish." She informed me softly.
And… it worked.
A large Zord jumped down from atop the cave and I noticed it's Golden sheen where a horses main color would be and silver mane and tail.
"The HorseZord…" Cadinia whispered before we slowly walked up to it, "I'm not gonna hurt you… we're not gonna hurt you…"
The Zord neighed loudly, but neither of us was fazed.
Cadinia got up to it and put a hand on its nose. "That's it… good boy… we won't hurt you…"
It gave another neigh before backing up and running at us.
I winced before I felt something coming off my right side… and I looked to see the ropes falling off.
Cadinia and I looked at our now free sides, grinning.
"It worked!" We cheered before high-fiving each other.
Right as we finished, my Growl Phone went off.
I grabbed it and put it to my ear while Cadinia went over to sooth the Zord some more. "Yeah?"
"We need your help! The Org's too much!"
I sighed, "We're on our way." I closed my phone and looked at Cadinia. "You up for this?"
She looked back at me before nodding. "Yes."
8 minutes later…
We reached the fight and saw my friends all morphed but barely making a dent in the Rope Org's power.
"Do what I do." I instructed before I pulled out my Growl Phone again, "Wild Access!"
Once I was morphed, I looked back at Cadinia who looked at her wrist… where, in place of her bracelet, a morpher like Merrick's appeared… only, hers had the gold head of the HorseZord.
She pulled the head off slowly and lifted it to her ear before putting her hand out, "Wild Access!"
When she came out of her morph, she was in a uniform almost exactly like Alyssa's.
Only… Cadinia's was goldenly shaded, and had… horse-like helmet, with the horse's eyes blue and above her visor, which looked to be held by a horse's mouth.
Her uniform on her body had the same as all of us, only with seven stripes across her chest… and the face of a horse as her patch.
She had a skirt that went to her thighs, also golden, and pants that followed after that to golden boots.
And… everything normally golden on everyone else's uniforms was silver on hers.
I swear though, I could see the grin on her face through the visor.
"Alright!" She cheered before we went at the freak.
"Good to have you aboard!" Alyssa called as I cut at some Putrids that suddenly appeared.
"Yeah! Now we've got another ranger!" Max cheered.
"Now let's go for something good… Horse Sickle!" Cadinia pulled out a sickle-like weapon before sending it into the ground, "Sweep!"
Within seconds, a crack in the ground spread up to the Rope Org, and flames followed.
"Woah." I gasped before looking at Cole, who nodded.
"Let's put ours together to help!" He called before the five of us, minus Merrick, combined our main weapons into the Jungle Sword.
"Jungle Sword!" We chorused, "Savage Slash!"
Cole sliced the weapon down, sending the energy strike at the freak.
Within seconds, it fell to the ground, sparking, before exploding.
"Yeah!" Cadinia exclaimed with joy before looking at us, "That was awesome!"
The six of us chuckled before I heard something close by… and I saw the Monster grew back three times as large as before.
"Then there's that." I commented before the five other rangers and I pulled out our Crystal Sabers to summon our WildZords.
"WildZords Descend!"
Within seconds, our Zords came down and combined before we got into them.
Merrick
I smirked before I looked at Cadinia, "Watch this."
I created my Laser Pool and put my three WildZord crystals at my end before I shot them with my Lunar Cue.
"WildZords Descend!"
Once my WildZords appeared I raised my hand into the air.
"WildZords Combine!"
Once the Predazord was made, I looked over at her.
"Wanna give it a try?"
She nodded before holding out her… Crystal Dagger… it was shorter than the Crystal Sabers. "Alright then… WildZord Descend!"
Within seconds, a Golden Horse jumped through the air and came down beside the two Megazords.
"What's say we combine our forces?" Cadinia got my attention, "Let me combine the HorseZord with your… Megazord?"
I frowned before I nodded, "Sounds like a good idea."
I crossed my Lunar Cue with her Crystal Dagger, and called out with her, "WildZords combine!"
The HorseZord came apart, putting its legs in front of the Predazord's and the head coming on like a helmet while the chest combined with the chest of my Megazord.
We got into it easily, and put our weapons into the two control panels.
"Steed-Predazord!" We chorused, "Awaken!"
"Alright! Let's unravel this twine freak!" Cadinia declared.
"You heard her." Cole chuckled before we advanced on the monster.
"Not so fast!" The Rope Org sent ropes at us, but we moved both Megazords out of the way.
"Not this time freak!" We denied before I looked at Cadinia and nodded.
I took a deep breath before I called, "Gator Boomerang!"
Within seconds, the Gator tail on the chest of the Megazord went into its hand and was thrown at the Org while the others called their 'Mega Roar' attack.
Once that was done, the Rope Org started to burn away.
"I'm untangled!" It complained one final time before it exploded.
Half an hour later…
I heard the others run after us as we walked through the streets, demorphed, with Cadinia head of all of us.
"Cadinia! Wait!" They called and I sighed as I stopped.
She froze and turned to us, "What?"
"Y… you're one of us now." Danny informed her, "Come with us to the Animarium…"
She shook her head, "I can't."
"Sure you-"
"No… I physically can't…" She looked away, "I hate heights and…." She shook her head and looked back at us. "Besides… I have a home at the Roadhouse… plus, I'm not exactly easy to sleep with… but when you need me… I'll know. Just like I'm sure Merrick would."
I nodded in understanding before I walked up to her, "I couldn't have said it better myself."
We were about to continue walking when Alyssa whistled, getting our attention.
She tossed Cadinia a golden-shaded jacket like theirs. "From one ranger to another."
Cadinia smirked before she looked at the back.
STAMPEDING HORSE.
She grinned softly before she tugged it on and nodded before she turned and continued on her way.
Later that night…
I walked into the Roadhouse to see Cadinia behind the counter.
"Cadinia…" I frowned.
"Co-worker should be more like it." She smirked at me, "Willie gave me a job."
I blinked, "Tell me you're kidding."
The smirk turned into a lopsided grin, "Nope. I don't kid about stuff like that. You're looking at your new co-worker, Howler."
I raised a brow, "Howler?"
"Taylor told me your moniker was 'Howling Wolf'… so, Howler." She shrugged.
I sighed, "Fine… Stamped."
She looked at me before she chuckled softly, "Good one… but… you'll have to try harder to get to my level."
I rolled my eyes, "Is this what every day's gonna be like with you?"
"Yep." She grinned again as she nodded, "Get used to it, Howler… cause I ain't leaving till it's over."
I sighed before I shook my head, "Alright…"
It's not like she's gonna do everything she can, right? There's only so much one normal girl can do.
Yes, Cadinia has a crippling fear that kinda keeps her from going up anywhere high in the sky... more on that will be revealed soon enough...
So, please review, Favorite and Follow.
See ya next week.