Hey everybody! The cold weather is about to get even colder in this episode.
I hope you enjoy!
Clipped Wings
"Pure white snowflakes fall all around. You can feel them melt on your skin. You are not cold." Instead of facing problems, sometimes it's just easier to pretend they don't exist. After all, a snow white lie was more appealing than a grim black truth. That was the system of the Frozen Forest. A paradise in hell. A falsehood to deny reality and offer salvation from sadness. Through it all, the tragedy and pain, there were still those strong of will, big of heart. Those who decided not to take the easy way out. Defiantly, they continued to fight with the smallest flicker of hope driving them forward. There was a problem with the world and they refused to ignore it. They refused to surrender their right to cry and scream. To be free.
Yamato was far ahead, stumbling on in a panic, his heart filled with regret and guilt. "I have to get away. I have to get away." he said. "Listen only to the sound of my voice." He was stunned for a moment. "Did- did I say that?" A supernatural force had climbed down his throat and spit out a sentence. As he uttered it, he felt briefly, artificially content. "I screwed everything up. I don't deserve to live." he said, reminding himself that he had no reason to feel like that. Eventually, he reached a small clearing with a smooth snowy hill. He fell to his knees and lied down in the white grass. He looked up at the grey sky and the snow falling around him. His heart rhythm and breathing slowed down. "So this is how it ends." Warm tears poured down his face, so warm they seemed that he no longer felt the chilling cold.
Rushing through the woods, Tusk, Amu and Misao searched for the missing Yamato. Misao felt the numbing snow on his sensitive skin getting even colder in the growing storm as they progressed with unceasing haste. "Guys, there could be a blizzard soon. We need to find him fast." he warned. "Thermodynamics are warped here, we could be walking in to a subzero temperature zone." speculated Tusk. "If that's where Yamato's headed, we have no choice but to keep going, we have a duty." said Amu. "Exactly. And as guardians, we must be prepared to go beyond the call of duty, to save our friends." said Tusk.
At a stone viaduct connecting two cliffs over a river, the rescue troop arrived. They would need to cross it in order to save their friend from certain doom. It was not as simple a task as it sounded though, for a familiar foe confronted them in the center. It was Nalia, giver of Continues, Ginis' most trusted ally! Their enemy stood before them, looking serious and nonchalant as always, waiting patiently for their arrival. How deep was her involvement in this incident?
"Damn Nalia! What do you want?" said Misao. Tusk looked at the Deathgalien leader with a scornful expression. "I second that. No thank you, Nalia." started Tusk. "A string of events starts with a single action, like a domino effect. Raven showed up, then Cubal and now you." Nalia scowled at the accusation. "Don't compare me to them. Cubal was acting on his own again and I want to know what evil scheme he was plotting behind our backs." she demanded. They were surprised to hear Cubal was acting alone. "Oh, I get it. So that's what happened. Awakening the malicious entity inside the Link Cube, that was deliberate?" added Misao. "Impossible." said Tusk. "That was a year ago, before Ginis chose his 100th target to destroy. Cubal couldn't have known then." Amu wanted clarity from the bad guy himself. "Cubal, if he's responsible for all this suffering, I'll make him pay, I swear. So spill your secret now, or else!" she demanded. "Or else- you'll make me pay, or so you claim. Not much of an incentive to talk, I'm afraid. If you want answers, ask Cubal, silly girl. Before I get to the schemer first and cut out his poisonous tongue." said Nalia. Amu winced at her vicious mockery until Tusk gently grabbed her shoulder and shook his head in discouragement, reminding her of their immediate concern. "Either way, we don't have time to waste on you, so get out of the way." he warned.
Nalia was not intimidated by the warning. "Zyuohgers, I won't keep you from rescuing your pitiful friend any longer. You've already given me everything I came for and now I'll leave the rest to you. Make the planet normal again so the Blood Game can continue. In its current state, it's not fit for entertaining Master Ginis. Not fit for destruction. Make it so, the shining blue crystal in the galaxy that Master Ginis was destined to destroy!"
Her business with them was concluded, so she jumped off the viaduct in to her personal Deathgalien jet and flew away. Inside the cockpit, she was frustrated about her situation, going to her enemies for information. She was determined to put it to good use. "Cubal, I'm coming for you. You will be reprimanded for betraying Master Ginis' instructions!" she muttered. As the jet fled in the light of the sun, the Zyuohgers watched in the distance with burning spirits of justice. "That's never going to happen!" shouted Misao vigorously. "Yeah! Nobody messes with this planet!" said Amu. "We still have a job to do, guys. Come on, we'll prove her wrong about the strong bonds between Zyumen and humans." said Tusk.
There was something else on their minds, Cubal. Each of them had a good reason to hate his guts. He trapped Amu in a Moeba's body, messed with Tusk's treasured books and frequently tormented Misao by exploiting his turbulent personality. Now they had a new reason. "We'll show Cubal as well." vowed Tusk. "Oorah!" shouted Misao in agreement, mimicking the warcry of U.S. marines. Amu nodded, also determined to teach him a lesson about the power of friendship. Sensing each other's feelings, the emotions they shared, a unanimous decision was made. Even if the world was beyond saving, they intended to save their friend, no matter what. They were going to defeat Cubal. ASAP!
Minutes later, the rescue troop reached Yamato and the blizzard of subzero temperature would soon follow. "Yamato!" called Misao. Their runaway friend was lying in the same place. However his expression had changed. There was no emotion in his eyes and he seemed to be talking to himself. Approaching him, they heard the words. Monotonous and empty.
"Listen only to the sound of my voice. Let your mind relax. Let your thoughts drift. Let the bad memories fade. Let peace be upon you."
Amu looked at him strangely. "It's like those people in the village." she said. "He succumbed to the Frozen Forest." concluded Tusk. Yamato couldn't endure the sadness, the feeling of someone else's blood on his hands. It offered to take away his suffering and he accepted. His strong will was broken. Amu hugged him in a platonic way to snap him out of it.
"Surrender yourself to your dreams. Let them wash over you like the gentle waves of the bluest ocean. Let them envelop you. Comfort you."
Her kind gesture was no use. She started to cry for him. Tusk was deep in thought, trying to find a solution to the problem. Nothing came to mind. But Misao was angry. He thought, how could he, someone so prone to depression and self deprecation, resist it, but Yamato couldn't? How could the man who snapped him out of his brainwashing, who reminded him it wasn't his fault, become brainwashed all on his own? It infuriated him.
He closed his eyes and opened them again. He was standing in a black space. "Oh no! I lost my bet." It was the dead crocodile Zyuman. "What was the bet?" asked Misao. They were joined by the dead wolf Zyuman. "He bet you would be the first victim of the Frozen Forest. I bet you would resist. I won." Crocodile handed Wolf some Zyuland currency. "Here you go, fleabag, not that you can spend any of it." he gloated. "Dammit!" said Wolf, remembering he was deceased. "I can't believe this is happening!" said Misao, lamenting about his own situation. "Then let's make a different kind of bet." It was the voice of reason, the dead rhino Zyuman. "I bet Misao can snap him out of it." Misao doubted himself. "What can I do?" he asked incredulously. "He won't hear you unless you speak your mind." said Rhino.
He closed his eyes and opened them again. Tusk and Amu made no progress since his communion with the voices in his head. Rhino's advice echoed in his thoughts and he knew what had to be done. He picked up Yamato by the collar of his jacket and punched him in the face. The chanting stopped. "Snap out of it already! When I blamed myself for the deaths of those Zyumen and hurting you guys, you convinced me I could use my powers for good. Now you're just going to run away and forget about all that? Hypocrite! Those emotions are painful, I know, but they belong to you. Don't ignore them, act on them! Atone and keep fighting!"
Yamato was petrified by Misao's pep talk. "Misao-" said Amu, surprised by his reaction. "Wake up." he said. There was a moment of pause, approximately 10 seconds long, where Tusk and Amu stared at Misao and Misao started at Yamato and Yamato stared at the ground. Misao had nothing left say to him.
"This is all my fault." It was Yamato. And that was his voice. Everyone looked at him, surprised. "That's why- that's why I have to take responsibility!" Misao offered his hand to help him up. He accepted it and was grateful for his harsh speech. "Thanks, Micchan. You made me see what's really important, what I, we, still have to protect." he said. "Don't mention it, I was only speaking my mind." replied Misao.
"This planet belongs to all of us!"
Meanwhile, at the lake. "Tell me, Cubegirl, what do you remember?" asked Leo. He was suspicious. Cubegirl, who was sitting on a rock, was afraid to make eye contact with the boisterous man. "To be honest, I remember things. But those memories don't feel right." she said shyly. "So basically, nothing." prompted Leo. She didn't want to vex him so she elaborated. "I remember about the cube. And there were others too, like a gold one and a prismatic one. Maybe I got the wrong cube and that's why it asked me to give it to Big Bro. Maybe I just have a malfunction and can't process qualitative data. The cubes are many, different colors, different sizes, always the same shape, this I know for sure." Her fragmented mind was like a jigsaw puzzle, each piece with little context and clearly the champion's credentials were involved somehow.
Bud arrived to check up on them. "Are you behaving?" he asked. "Yes." replied Cubegirl. "I was talking to Leo." clarified Bud. Leo confronted him again, his grudge was not yet resolved. "I'm going to hurt you." he said. Bud rolled his eyes. "We don't have time for this." Leo wasn't deterred, his anger was motivating him. "I don't care. Everything bad that's happened in my life started with you. Getting separated from my home, my family. Zyuoh Raven, the Frozen Forest, all those innocent people suffering for your mistake. Jun's death, Yamato going crazy. Everything started with you!" Bud tried to reason. "The Frozen Forest is amplifying your hatred, misdirecting it, trying to dominate you. To take over your mind. Resist. Think." Leo punched his fists together.
"I'll be fine once I kill you."
Author's Note:
A problem solved, another created. Another ranger succumbed to the influence of the Frozen Forest. I encourage anyone to review and if you liked this, feel safe to follow or fav, I would really appreciate it! =3
Next time, Leo and Bud will fight. Look forward to it!