"This is Krystal's Den." Cherry spoke quietly as they passed through the birth forest, nearing a particularly icy tree as she spoke.
Jay and Nya both exchanged a confused glance, but Kai spoke first. "I dont see a den."
Cherry shook her head. "You're simply not looking in the right spot." She stopped walking in front of a tree. "Odd. Someone's in his den." She observed quietly, slightly pushing back the ninja, she drew in a long breath, clearly trying to pick up in a scent, but there was much ice to where it was incredibly challenging for her.
Pixal's eyes changed to blue as she scanned around, soon pinpointing the den. Pixal set off her heat detectors and said. "There's only one person, and the mouth of the den is right there." She added, pointing to a brush that was hanging unusually low in the snow, perfectly blocking the entrance.
Kai nodded and Nya said determinedly. "We can take a hundred down."
"I dont think you should fight whatever is in there." Cherry whispered.
"They could be the mastermind behind it all! Destroying any and all evidence!" Jay whispered excitedly. "I say we take them down!" He declared.
"I agree!" Nya and Kai said at the exact same time.
Pixal and Zane looked to Cherry who was still taking in deep breaths. "I highly don't recommend doing that-"
"Too late." Zane spoke, pointing to where the bush was being shoved aside and the three bursting into the den.
"-because that's Krystal in there." Cherry finished, slightly frustrated. She sighed lowly and slowly crept into the den, where she saw Kai and Jay both on the ground struggling for air, and Nya being tossed to the side.
Pixal and Zane followed Cherry in shortly after, Cherry staring at Krystal with horror in her eyes. "You didnt kill them, did you?" Cherry shouted at him, making him jump up slightly and turning to look at her.
Fear flickered across his face and he hissed at her. "You need to get out of here."
"What? No way!" Cherry snarled back. "I'm not letting you leave my sights."
This huge creature, whom can only be assumed to be the missing season looked over his shoulder before looking back to his teammate's face then the three ninja on the ground. "They're alive." He finally spoke once more. "I didnt hurt them too much, they might be bleeding though."
Cherry didnt seem to care at all about the ninja anymore, she rushed forward and wrapped her arms around Krystal, hugging him tightly. Krystal's head jerked back slightly and he moved his head to the side. "Ive missed you so much! Where have you been?" She questioned.
Zane raised an eyebrow at Pixal, if she was gonna react this way, why not do that the second she picked up his scent?
Krystal awkwardly tried to pull away from her hug, but after a few moments of struggling he finally gave in and wrapped his arms around Cherry.
"I've missed you too." He muttered. His tail slightly wrapping around Cherry.
When Cherry finally let go of him she had tears forming in her eyes. "What the heck happened to you? What happened to your wing?" She roughly gripped one of the male's wings, which made him hiss out in pain.
He forcibly brought his wing back up against his body and said. "You need to go, Cherry."
"No!" She denied. "I cant leave you again!"
Jay and Kai had finally arisen to their feet, and were helping Nya up and watching the two interact, a wary look in their eyes. Krystal murdered people. They had every right to be watching every movement carefully.
"I... cant let you do that." Krystal sighed. "I'm really sorry, Cherry, I cant. I made a promise."
"A promise?" Cherry repeated. "What did you do?" She asked in a low voice.
Krystal paranoidly looked over his shoulder before going over to a nest and lying down in it. Cherry followed after him and sat down next to him in the nest. "A man approached me a year back." He spoke quietly, the five ninja slowly came closer to the large beast to hear what he had to share.
Cherry had a very distant look in her eyes, Krystal continued on, pretending not to notice. "He threatened me, saying that if I didnt do what he said, he'd harm all of the seasons and Maleeka." He paused and said. "I refused of course, I didn't believe anyone could overpower you guys, I held confidence in all four of you."
Cherry gently put a hand on Krystal, then when Nya remember soemthing that Cherry told them.
'He'd always come to her about his problems'. Nya looked to her brother and Jay, looking to see if they realize that this was what he was normally like.
They were too enraptured by the story to pay any mind though.
"What made you change your mind?" Cherry pressed gently, rubbing her alpha's shoulder.
Krystal shook his head violently. "I had to be shown what he could do."
Cherry looked at Krystal's torn pelt, his scales being shown very clearly underneath, some scales even missing. She looked to his wings, his face, his antler was even cracked."
"Did he hurt you?" She asked.
"He does everyday." He sighed. "A constant reminder that if I step out of line, one of you will suffer much more."
Cherry nestled against Krystal and continued to rub his shoulders.
"Cherry, you're not safe here, none of you are." He told them all, breaking away from Cherry's touch and walking forward slightly, Cherry only being able to reach his long tail now.
Cherry huffed and said. "You're getting abused for our sake." She snapped. "I cant leave you now!"
Krystal snarled and a low growl escaped him, making Cherry whine slightly and cower back.
Jay and Kai exchanged a confused, they looked to Nya who was just as confused, Pixal and Zane were no better.
"Now listen to me, Cherry." He snarled, slightly sneering her name. "That Green Pesticide kid just had a child, did he not?"
"Do you mean Lloyd?" Nya spoke up."
He ignored her. "If so, then watch that child carefully." He spat. "I already did all the other work, but that child will bear the element of Destruction." He spoke lowly. "The power of an Oni." He growled out his tail waving back and forth. "Damien has every intent on kidnapping that child and forcing it's power to be awakened prematurely." He growled out. "As that kid grows older, it will become desperate for a solution, from all the pain, and fall back into his hands for him to use as a puppet in return for keeping it's pain at bay." He explained harshly. "And that kid will never recover from it's pain and will eventually be killed from it's own powers ripping it's soul into two." He spat. "You got all that?" He growled to Cherry.
Cherry was just staring at him wide eye, but nodded slowly, shaking like a leaf.
"Then go!" He spat. He picked up a shard nearby him and threw at Nya. "And make that into a necklace, it will slow down any growth in her powers if you're unsuccessful, giving you a longer period of time to find a cure."
Cherry nodded and finally managed to calm herself down, managing to move around.
She casted a glance at Krystal and asked. "Are you sure? That crystal ment a lot to you..." She trailed off.
Jay, Kai and Nya all looked to each other with wide eyes, the crystal they weren't supposed to touch! Nya gripped it tighter and held it to her chest. Krystal trusted them.
"The more my powers grow, the more I'll be able to do, just go!" He snapped at Cherry. "And get out of here!"
With that he pushed then out of his den and a thick sheild of ice soon blocked the entrance.
All of them were dumbfounded, none knew what to say.
"We'll stop him." Zane finally broke the silence, gently placing a hand on the thick sheet of ice. "We'll free you from his chains, and protect Juliantha from whatever he plans to do to her."