CHAPTER 7: AN EVENING OPPONENT

Neverworld.

Octoroo paced the floors. He had been looking in his little brown book for hours, and everything was beginning to make sense. With his stick in hand, he walked towards the window of the ship. He chuckled as he watched Rhinosnorous swimming among the red waves of the Sanzu river. Rhinosnorous had been on a mission to destroy the humans by putting them to sleep and, while the humans were in the dream world, eat them. He had even put two of the Samurai Rangers into the dream world.

As Octoroo continued to look on through the window, he could feel the furry warts behind him and all about the ship, hanging from the ceiling, giggleing like there was no tomorrow. Master Xandred's boots hit the floor as he emerged from his cabin. Octoroo could sense rage and anger within his boss.

"Any luck finding Dayu? Or perhapes a half-human?" Master Xandred asked, looking at Octoroo.

Octoroo turned around. "No, Master, but Rhinosnorous gave the humans something to dream about."

Octoroo walked towards his master and swisted his staff in-hand, but not pointing it directly at Master Xandred. He did see a half-human at the Tengen Gate awhile back, but now everything went quite. Master Xandred ignored the little squid's movements and gazed out the window. Just watching that Nighlok swim and having fun made his soul turn colder than what it was.

"Rhinosnorous! Get in here!"

"Got it, boss!" Rhinosnorous yelled, swimming towards the ship.

Master Xandred grumbled and groaned. "All of my plans to destory the Earth has been wasted on pathetic Nighloks without real plans. Not even my medicine can't help me with my headaches just thinking about it."

"Ohh-ahh-ohh, but, Master, it is your plans that make the Sanzu river rise and grow stronger so we can destroy the Samurai Rangers and all the pathetic humans of planet Earth."

"Well, I'll see to it you destroy them yourself. Get to it!"

"You have the word of Octoroo. I will defeat the Samurai Rangers in the human world, and then we'll be out of here for sure once we find out the Red Ranger's sealing symbol."

Rhinosnorous only heard part of the conversation. He ungripped his hands from a nearby post he clinged onto and walked towards the two before him.

"Yeah! And I'll help you destroy the city!" He exclaimed.

"Nonsense!" Master Xandred snapped, wipping his body around. "You grew into a coward when you were being destroyed, and you will never be summoned again!"

"But Master, he's-" Octoroo began.

"Shut up! I have a headache the size of the moon, and all you Nighloks can do is grow cowardly when the Rangers are defeating you and read books! I suggest you get out there and prove me wrong, Octoroo, and make me believe a small Nighlok like you can defeat the Rangers."

Octoroo took all this in, gripping his stick, its pointed tip staring at the ceilling. He sighed and walked towards the doorway. "Very well. I'll leave you and your medicine in peace."

Master Xandred looked at the Nighlok in the corner as Octoroo was out of sight. "As for you, Rhinosnorous, you will be called on when you are ready. As for now, go join the other Nighlok that is useless to me."

Rhinsnorous felt anger and rage. But all his mind could tell him to do now was to bow in respect, and he did so. "Yes, Master."

Master Xandred watched Rhinosnorous walk to the window and jump out into the waters. The splash was intense, as always, but this time different than usual. It made his hands clench into fists full of hatered.

Neverworld Shoreline.

Octoroo felt betrayed by his own master, but at the same time felt happy to have another chance at the Samurai Rangers. He walked among the red shorline and used his stick to guide him among the rough sand. He had seen this sand so many days he wanted to escape the Neverworld now. At this very moment.

"Octoroo!" A voice called, echoing across the sea.

Octoroo caught the sound and looked up. His eyes widened. "Oh, no."

Present Time. Forest.

The sunset was shaded in purple and brown, and Cole could sense the warm sun setting on his skin. The clouds were hung low in shades of blue and black, and the moon was preparing to shine through. Cole smiled at this sight, but his mind turned back to what he had been thinking about for hours: what would he eat at a time like this?

Cole looked around him, and the lush green forest had transformed into light colors of green and blue and gold. Cole could hear the sound of birds in the air and felt the wind, now warmer than the days before, upon his skin. Cole had felt much better after he decided to bath off in a pond that he found around a waterfall that he could hear from miles away and traced the sound. His hair was still wet, and his clothes were already dry, but kept its dirty apperance. Cole hadn't realized the holes in his knees were getting bigger as he walked until he stopped to look around the forest for food. He looked down and saw his pants, and knew they'd have to last him. Besides, its the only pair he has left. The splinters in his hands began to heal, and the water pulled away dirt and mud to clense it, as if the water was a cure.

Looking into the distance, Cole saw something moving. He paused just as the sound had paused. Breathing deeply, Cole walked closer to what he saw, or heard, in the far distance. He knew it was an animal.

Hearing the sound of leaves and grass against his shoes, now less muddy than before, Cole crouched before a large rock sitting on the ground. Over the rock's protective coating, a large mouse, grey and webbed claws on the end of his feet, was eating a small branch of leaves, now becoming nothing more than twigs. Cole wanted to grab the mouse instantly, but, he hesitated. He had only killed one animal before, and that was the wolf.

Could he kill something as innocent as that wolf had been?

Cole didn't think about his actions until he realized he was walking away from the rock and past some trees. His eyes caught sight of a dead tree, its branches hanging low and the bark broken to brown specks. He placed one of his hands on some of the tree bark, and felt a sharp pain in his already blistered hands. It came from a chopped peice of wood, brown, like the bark, and chipped at the corners. It stuck out from the surroundings of the brown bark, and seemed to be the only thing living in this part of the forest. Cole smiled to himself and grabbed the bark with his hands. He knew his grip would cause sharper pains on his blisters, but he couldn't bare to think of nothing but food at this point. Yanking gently, he groaned as he felt the wood come out slowly, his muscles tightening with each grip and yank, then, within an instant, the wood was directly in his hands, its sharp edge pointed towards the skyline. Cole felt a smile come to his face, but quickly let it fall. He wasn't going to let his heart turn cold, nor his evil feelings get in the way of his true feelings. He walked back to the rock and creeped over the coating again. The mouse was still there, much to Cole's hate that he didn't want to see the mouse again. Cole closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He edged his left hand, free of the sharp wood, and grabbed the mouse by the tail.

The mouse swirmed and squeeled, and Cole could hear every word it was saying in the language it, the animals, and Cole could understand. Cole clenched the wood deeper into his palm, and twisted it in his hands, the sharp point now looking at the forest floor. Cole felt his heart beat heavy, his teench clenched hard, and his breath almost went shallow when he placed the swirming mouse onto the rock and out of the thin air that held it.

Cole lifted the wood, its sharp edge in plain sight of his eyes. It seemed as if the night had betrayed him into giving him light so he could see what was being done.

"Forgive me." Cole whispered, and sliced down. It was that quick. Cole took a deep breath and felt his heart thump in his chest. He didn't want to do it, but he was to die here in this forest without this mouse to help him. His heart felt the same rush of speed just as it did when he swung on a vine.

"I'm sorry."

Hours Later. Nighttime.

Cole watched the flames dance around the logs of the forest. He had looked at this sight for a long time, and felt his soul's wounds come back together. Cole felt horrible to cook the mouse over this fire, and eating the mouse was another difficult part that he didn't want to do. Cole had to close his eyes the first three times in trying the mouse, but finally managed to look at the meat before him.

In the tribe, Cole didn't have to worry about food. The tribal elder had taught many of the older tribsman to hunt, but Cole was too young at the time to start hunting for himself. Cole had eaten small animals in his past, and it never bothered him until now. The best things he would eat all the time were bananas, not animals. Also, on the Animarium, he would eat what Alyssa, the white Wild Force Ranger, had cooked for him and the others every morning and night. It was the best food he had ever tasted besides bananas, and would eat it again if he had the chance.

But all of that was the past.

Cole felt horrible in the light of the fire. He wanted to get up and leave, but the flames kept him sitting on the ground. Cole felt the wind pick up speed in the trees, and the grass swaying in the clear breeze. Cole was beginning to smile again, his heart back in the right place, realizing the mouse would have been happier seeing the one's it left behind again one day, just as Cole will be. The mouse was almost gone, but Cole didn't seem to eat anymore. He wanted the mouse to be buried, like his golden retriver dog, but that would be like keeping an animal locked in a cage. Cole opened and closed his eyes, the flames going black and turning back into light again and again, his back against a strong tree. Cole felt his hunger return, and attempted to eat the rest of the mouse beside him, grabbing it slowly. When he saw the mouse again, his stomach turned, but managed to keep himself calm. Cole knew how to live in the wild, and he wanted to stay this way. he felt himself drifting off to sleep again, but his eyes were betraying him, just as they did when he was sick, and it seemed only a few seconds before he finally found sleep. But soon, hearing the noises of twigs and leaves through his sleeping state, Cole awoke sharply, and found a sword in his face. The tip almost at his eyelids.

"What a touching display." A familair voice said.

Cole looked up, his eyes wide open. "I knew you were still alive, Deker."

Deker smirked, twisting his trusty sword in hand. "And I thought you were dead."

Deker had been living alone again after training himself for his duel with the red Samurai Ranger. He rested upon a nearby mountain on this night, and had seen smoke rising from the trees when he rested on the edges of the mountain. He was hesitate to see who was responsible for the flames, but, then again, he thought it was a Nighlok causing pain and havoc. He was in his Nighlok form, training, when he saw the smoke, and dropped down from the mountain and into the forest, close to the spot of the smoke. He transformed into his half-human form and, when he saw the flames, he got a closer look at the person behind it. After getting a better look, he realized it was his look-alike, that "Cole", sleeping against the tree.

Cole grabbed the mouse lying on the ground, seeing the killing was real. He had cut a peice of his shirt off on the side with the piece of wood to not make the mouse covered in dirt. He extended his hand, with the mouse, to Deker.

Deker grew confused. Urumassa was now gripped at his side, its tip facing the ground.

Is this human trying to help me? He thought. This "Cole"?

"What is that thing?" He asked, seeing a hint of blood curled on the sides of the object.

"A mouse. I...killed it."

"Hmm," Deker smiled.

Deker looked at the flames before him, and sensed they were dying down. The night was still young, and the fire would have to last longer. Within seconds, Deker kicked his foot against the logs and saw the flames lash out at the thin air above it, dark red sparks flying into the dust. Deker sighed, seeing Cole had backed away from the sparks, and sat down on the other side of the flames. He saw the flames, but never intended to look at them long. He placed Urumassa beside him.

"I see you're still likeing it here." He said.

"Of course," Cole said, gripping the mouse and prepared to bite into it. "I like it here. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."

"Have you ever killed Nighloks before? Their the easy ones, but only if their not like Master Xandred." Deker said, looking at Cole.

"I've killed something like those Nighloks. They were called Orgs, and they wanted to destroy the Earth. They were led by Master Org."

"I don't know who this 'Master Org' is, but Master Xandred will be coming after me sooner or later if I don't battle the red Ranger."

Cole's heart skipped a beat. No, it was three beats. Five beats. Until Cole could catch his heart again, he took a deep breath.

"I was a red Ranger." He mumbled.

Deker heard this and widened his eyes. "So...you were a red Ranger? That's more interesting to hear than words from Octooroo's books."

"Deker, I'm not your enemy. I just want to help animals. I've always cared for them, and I wont stop doing so until I take my last breath."

"What makes you so sure? You killed that mouse, didn't you?"

Cole had almost forgotten that. "Oh. I also killed a wolf when it killed my best friend. I had no choice. It would have killed me, too."

Deker grinned. "Your quite the animal type, and I'm the Nighlok type. You wont surive for long if you keep walking around here like your doing."

"Look at yourself. I lived in the amazon jungles for twenty years. I know more about surviving in the woods than you think."

"That's easy for you to say, but I've been alone for centuries. I've killed more Nighloks than you've killed any animal."

"That's true, Deker. But I'm still what many call a wild child. I can communicate with animals."

"You shouldn't be seeing me long." Deker said, almost cutting Cole from speaking his last words.

Cole looked at him after realizing the mouse was gone. He must have ate it all without realizing it. "What are you trying to say?"

Deker stood up from where he was sitting. He grabbed Urumassa in the process. "The ultimate duel is finally here. I will finally be rid of this terrible curse."

Cole took this in. He thought back to the woman Nighlok and how she knew Deker. She was his wife, and Deker was living without memory of her or his past.

"Don't you remember your past, Deker? Anything at all?" He asked.

Deker looked at him coldly, clenching Urumassa in hand. Then, his eyes went to the ground, as if he was questioning himself. "All I remember is a great fire. Nothing more matters to me now than this duel."

"Your duel with the red Ranger?"

"No, our duel."

It was quicker than a flash of lightning. Cole felt himself being strangled against the trees and moss hanging from it. Cole tried to grab onto something, but everything flashed away from his eyes. he couldn't see anything except the flames fading into the distance and out of his sight. Cole saw nothing but quick flashes and dark figures flying past him. Then, he felt himself being thrown into the air. Cole screamed, and felt his hands fly around him, trying to grab onto a vine, but no vine was in sight, as far as Cole could see. Cole then felt the cold ground and his body ache from the impact. He felt his head ache as well. Then, he felt a cold feeling on his throat. He saw the red tip of Deker's sword at his forhead. The sword was pressed harder agianst his throat, and Cole felt his hands betraying him, but grabbed the sword and fought against it, feeling Deker's hands fighting Cole's hands back. It seemed like forever had passed, and Cole grew tired and weak to continue fighting, hearing Deker laugh and breath deeply against the back of his neck as he pressed the sword deeper in Cole's neck. Then, it stopped.

Cole turned around, coughing from the deep impacts that seemed to have cut his throat. Cole checked, but not a hint of blood was found. Not a scratch on his neck.

Deker breathed heavily, looking at the cold ground, realizing his blood lust got the best of him. He wanted to kill his look-alike, this "Cole", but couldn't do it. He got up and ran to a lake he had passed on the way to the flames of smoke he saw earlier, which were now far behind him and the look-alike.

Cole saw this. "Deker!"

Deker could hear the human yelling, but kept running towards the lake. He jumped off the side of the mountain, and landed straight on the edge of the riverside, the tip of the waters hitting his boots. He got up and put Urumassa back in its protective shield, sweat dripping from his palms.

Cole had gotten up from where he was and ran into the forest. The darkness crept up on him as he ran, realizing the night was later than what had it seemed to be. Cole kept looking on in the distance, running, his movements quick as an animal's speed. Cole saw the edge of the mountain, and stopped to look down. Deker was sitting on the rocks of the shore, his sword beside him. Cole began to climb down the side, and, watching his footing, he quickly grabbed onto a vine and swung down, the winds hitting his face. He planted his feet on the ground, and felt his hands leave the vine. Deker remained in his position, his head looking up.

Cole walked towards Deker without a sound. "Why did you want to fight me?"

Deker had sensed Cole's appearance. "My blood lust is stronger than I thought. I can't bare to think about killing you, or any other human, but I must battle in the ultimate duel."

Cole began to see what Deker was looking at the whole time: the moon.

The full moon was out on this night, and it shined brighter than anything in the forest. Cole wished he could see the full moon every night, but it would only come for a few weeks, maybe a year, at a time.

Cole sat beside Deker, carfully not touching the sword in its white covering. Deker didn't move his body nor his eyes.

"Why do you stare at me, human?" Deker asked.

"I can't believe that you saved me, and then you want to attack me. I know your cravings must be out of control, but you can't allow them to take control of you."

Deker didn't move, but his eyes almost shifted stance. "My cravings has taken control of me for centuries. I saved you because I didn't want you killed. I don't want to see humans like you killed, and I don't know why."

Cole looked at Deker, understanding everything now, then at the bright full moon.

"Why do you stare at the moon?" Cole asked.

"The moon helps me calm my spirit. My cravings hate it, and the Nighloks hate it, but I don't. It stirs me that way."

Cole kept looking at the moon, hearing Deker's words. They were both fighting one moment, now, they were sitting here together.

Morning.

Cole had never felt more restful now than the previous nights before. He opened his eyes, and the full moon was gone, the clouds and the sun now in its place. Cole looked around, and saw the water flow downward from the streams. He looked at the trees, and they swayed at the winds coming toward them. Cole looked to his side, but Deker was gone. He was nowhere to be found.

"Deker? Deker?"

Not a sound was heard, and Cole's screams echoed across the forest. He got up and looked around some more.

"He's trying to find peace within himself. I have to stop him from battling the red Ranger."

Elsewhere. Forest.

Deker was at the edge of the forest clearing. He saw the city before him, and knew this wouldn't be the last time seeing it.

"I will fight the red Samurai Ranger," Deker said, stroking Urumassa. "I will be free from my curse, and finally be at peace."