In the shades of Kaleva, the moon phases changed, the sun awoke and died, the daylight turned shorter. Two weeks Buzz had been 'married'. And… no steps to better directions had been acceded. The stress grew, idiotic presumptions blackened his mind. Only willing to listen to his 'ranger instinct', he was very, very assured about the conspiracy belief. And this unfortunate dispel affected terribly his surroundings.
A cruel, cold man was the Pride of Star Command today. To his team, he was like a dictator. XR was not fixed, and so his anger did not abate. And in a certain other teepee, he caused different kind of dilemma. A saddened wife served him under his insults from day to day.
The sinister problem of Lightyear was that the dark side obviously never had fully let him go. Both Warp and Zurg were reformed and could control themselves, but why not he? His heart was supposed to be so virtuous again, but the evilness was still insidiously taking over it. Why? Had not tha-grydda healed him at all? Yes, it had… but only temporally. Later on, both the ex-villains had comprehended, that the reformation had to start from the heart itself. The herb of soundness was just a medicine that could yet very efficiently fade out the insanity, but not fully. The youngest male Lightyear still occasionally needed treatment, doses of this medicament. However, the healing regarding him had actually happened against his own wish, as he after the Isgurdian adventure was put in the LGM laboratory. Yet… his heart had not caused his amelioration. Thus he stayed predisposed to maliciousness… and this if what possessed the most sly tactics. It used his broken pride and feelings of disappointment to turn the Captain back to follow the dark paths…
Yoka-hanen, alongside with her half-unknown husband, gradually had changed from a jovial, playful girl to a comfortless plodder. As she was not an imbecile, quite fast she absorbed some words and expression of this different language. Little by little, yet not fully at all, she began understanding the meaning of those snappy arguments he barked from day to day. Nothing seemed to be all right for Proud Crescent. Complaints were presented whatever she did. If the food was not eatable, it was thrown out of the tent, the plate working as a Frisbee. If the resentment got the true upper hand of him, even furniture was sometimes knocked over. And after a comprehensive tent-cleaning, the worst hubbub usually began. The wife partially understood that he possibly complained about his things not being in order. But why? Couldn't he see the practical side at all? The kitchen corner was for dishes, pots and such, not for his sweaty socks.
But all in all, maybe Yoka could have stood his misconduct better, if Buzz had had at least some calmer moments. Well, true was that he had situations when he was not mooing like a cow stung by bee. But it was not quite pleasing regarding her to watch a sulky husband, who isolated himself in his own corner. The tart truth had unfolded its grooves, dripping sulphuric acid on her. Proud Crescent did not like her at all, if not even literally hated her. And she had thought him to be such an amusing, humoristic person… not a cyclone that gave her no value at all. Her patience concerning him could not grow to immense measures. The weeks had formed a psychological pit already, gnawing her nerves progressively to shreds.
Yoka could not be aware of his beginning insanity, and all the stupid misconceptions he hatched in his heart. The toiling Kalevan was not a part of any conspiracy, just trying her best to make his feeling better here at his noveau home. She wished he would grant her at least some humanly love, but nothing. Not even a little hug. She slept her nights alone in a separate bed, far away from him. The male had shooed her to the furthest corner of the teepee, so that she would not be on his way all day long.
Three weeks embraced Yoka-hanen with their cold touch. More and more impossible the situation began to be. Being alone one day, in the tent, the girl had time to think what was the problem that this relationship did not work. Was it because of her? What made her so displeasing for him? Putting fingers erect to count her assumptions, she pondered, "Food? No. He occasionally eats calmly. He does not like the cleaning of places, but that cannot be it." A notion she had never even deemed before, made a click. Her looks? "Does he think I am ugly?" This was somewhat a strange abstraction, but might, might form a causal connection. Gliding her hands along her narrow waist, she understood that the figure itself could not be the reason. Tidiness? No. As somewhat an over-hygienic person, she washed herself sometimes even too often. But… her face? Her hoyden behavior and attires?
"Hmm… what would I need to do to be beautiful for him? And if I would be beautiful, would he start liking me then?" A circle of afterthoughts. "Let us try." She rose up, walking to the near storage space.
Yoka opened up various pelt packets, took small metallic bottles out of bursas, and eventually arranged all the bric-a-brac on the floor. She really had not much before thought about her outer appearance. The maverick of the woods did not frequently need expensive perfumes or complex make-ups. Eventually this girl felt herself more comfortable in trousers than in a heavy long dress. Trailing hems made her feet always tangle; robes were like mobile prisons to wear. She took a hefty hand mirror, made of polished metal, in her hand. Her gray eyes under the black brows goggled back. How would she make herself look pleasurable for him? The thoughts wandered, wavering, thinking what he might like. What kind of beauty ideal did Proud Crescent's world have? Sininen and Kalvakka looked so different from the women in the village. Their faces were roundish, their noses were like those of children… they were short, fragile, everything was upside down for her. Examining her face, she slid a finger along her high nasal bone. The cheeks in the reflection were not round, but thin, ending up to almost an edged chin. The frames were not ugly, but she admitted that there were more attractive women in the settlement than she. Maybe her cast of features was exotic-esque for those coming from the sky, but here she was the average neighborhood girl.
She ran the finger along her eyebrow. What would she need to do with her facial features? Sadly agreeing with herself, she confessed she could not do a make-up. There were some bottles with earth pigment, rouge and some coal presenting an eyepencil. But what would she do with those? Mess up her visage and look like a clown? No, no, no. With a sigh, she tossed half of the implements back to a large purse. Something else had to be invented. Unbraiding her raven hair, she let the straight locks fall on her shoulders. How did Kalvakka and Sininen have both so long curls? Maybe they did not hunt or do such work as she did, so that their coiffures were not on their way constantly. She turned over the reflector in front of her. An open combing would do well. It softened her figure quite a lot, making her less a tomboy. An oiling with herb balsams made the hair scented, a balmy fragrance would replace the cosmetics. Putting ultimately the haberdashery back, she slid herself into her bridal gown, which was the best suit she owned. The lacing of all the buckles, corset ribbons and clips was a time-consuming work, but maybe worth of it. Maybe he would like her better this way. Then some armbands, necklaces, jewels… femininity stepped out of her. And now… she would wait. Even one warm smile from him would heal her sore heart to feel delight.
But the illusions shattered into sharp, stabbing splinters, as Buzz stepped in. Yoka tapped to him, offering him smilingly a good plate full of delicacies. A risus indeed had spread on his face, but what kind of smirk? Ironical, sneering, impolite. A nasty laughter fled his throat, as if he had considered her mannequin show as a poor-quality circus performance. The dish was snatched unfriendly from her hands, and instead of him staying with her, Lightyear traipsed out of the teepee. Furthermore impishly laughing, he closed the flap behind him. A teary breath burst out from her lungs. No, it had not worked either, in the middle of all those little endeavors to appease this strange, callous male. Weeks, weeks vanity… How much she had tried, how much attempted to be a good wife. Was it all futile? Why, why had her father given her to this man who did not appreciate her at all? She was repulsive in his eyes, other conclusion Yoka-hanen could not find for the bitter issue.
Outside, Buzz kept furthermore snorting. "More tricks, what? What did she try to do, draw my attention elsewhere with that masquerade? Trying to make me fascinated about her, so that my ranger instinct would grow hazy, and I could not see the conspiracy any more? Hah! Buzz Lightyear won't be fooled, not with stupid tricks." Unnoticed, he walked ahead, raving everything aloud. Yoka-hanen had not been at all hideous in his view, but he considered all this fancy to be only plotting against him. "Craters! I don't need that woman! I didn't want a wife or anyone harassing me from day to day! Crat… ouch!"
"Buzz, would you look at where you're going?" Mira rubbed her aching forehead. Although she had heard his curses from meters ahead, she had not expected him to collide with her so quickly. The fierce Captain had stomped headlong right from behind a corner, and collided with the Princess.
"Now blast, what are even YOU doing here? Can't I just be alone anywhere? I go to my tent, and there's some idiotic jester presentation waiting for me! And now what? You should be trying to contact Star Command, not wander here!" he brawled mindlessly.
Nova's mien turned to sheer confusion. Buzz was truly falling mentally apart. This kind of scuffle he never had let out of his trap. Well, when he lately had suffered from the shock-caused phrenopathy, he had been different, with different kinds of lalorrheas. And the senseless rambling just went on. Where was XR? What was that lazy engineer doing? Why no one did nothing? Why this, why that. Why did he have to stand that Yoka-hanen, yada yada, and why his team was doing nothing but loafing?
"Buzz, listen to me. You're not yourself at all. I haven't ever seen you as nervous and…" Mira uttered. She would not lend an ear to this codswallow.
"Nervous? Nervous? I can be nervous, if I want! I've been jammed on some stupid periphery planet, and the universe out there can be in jeopardy! There is no other Buzz Lightyear defending it but me! You…"
Nova's patience began heavily cracking. In Team Lightyear, she often remained as the background character during the missions, forced to listen to and accept every -even imbecile statement- that came from her commanding officer's side. But initially there was a freedom of speech. This was not Star Command. Although this might have been a failed commute, this kind of occasion was leagues away from the work routines.
"Buzz, would you sometimes put aside your stubbornness? There's a lot of other things to ponder than just your job. I mean, come on. Job, it can't be your whole life! You have not adapted to our new situation at all, it's…"
"NO I HAVEN'T!" Lightyear raved, his spit flying in the air. "I will not accept that I'm trapped somewhere, lost in worlds where I should not be! At the very instant, poised at the edge of the Galaxy, Evil Emperor Zurg may be plotting against the safety of the Alliance…"
The woman had set her hands on his shoulders, and aimed her very concerned regard straight into his insanity-sparkling eyes. "Buzz Lightyear. Evil Emperor Zurg is your father Zoxedasžeĉ Zora Lightyear and has been redeemed years ago. He is not building hyper-death rays to blast Capital Planet into smithereens, but is possibly worriedly waiting for you at home." Shaking lightly her head, she went on, "Can't you now see your own confusion? You're not at all considering things clearly."
"Umm… yeah, Zurg is my Daddy…" for a moment he fingered his cleft absent-mindedly, but then roared again, "But, I'm not confused! Buzz Lightyear is NEVER confused! I have been trained to defend the good, the universe, not trained to sit on my hinterland at some campfire, listening to poppycock about legends and lost cultures! I have to get out of here, while the evilness has yet not had its time to conquer the universe!"
"You're still not thinking clearly, whatever you would then like to do and whatever you're trained to be. You can't just live inside your job description all the time. Wake up, there is other life to think about than just being a space ranger. Have you at all thought about that you might never get back home again? How do you think you'll be a space ranger then, huh? And not just you, but we all! Remember, you're not alone here in trouble, and still we others have tried to cope with the situation. We got Mrs. Darkmatter here, who's missing her mate and child, we got Booster, who's missing his parents. And one ranger is broken. Still we others at least have tried to maintain our calmness. You should think of what your father once said, that you should not give in to the anger or you might turn back to the dark side! You're burning out, Buzz. Can't you see you're burning out?"
Frowning the Captain barked, "ANGER? What does Zurg know about ANGER? Blast, he gets furious every time if he sees something around him that is not purple and decorated with izzards! ANGER! I'll do anything what I want with my anger and I can deal with it." Grating his teeth for a second, he was to hop with his feet together in turbulent furor, "And sure you OTHERS can maybe see this all differently! Your backs haven't been loaded with all kinds of burdens, like mine. Never has been. Can't you understand what they did to me? They forced me to marry this kid! It's all a scheme against me so that I should stay and gather moss here! It's her fault, it's all what they have planned against me! " Steam was raising from his collars, as he foamed his absolutely gratuitous tirade. In such a point, when a person is irritated to the last drop of wrath, his or her statements do not in the most cases make sense any more. The darts are thrown out with no consideration. The adrenaline boils over, and burns the voice of reason.
And whereas he was fighting with his nerves, the Princess had hearkened enough of this absurd twaddle. "Yes, they gave you a wife. And that was the second topic where I was coming to. Is this how you are treating someone who you should indulge? Alright, I admit I don't like this Yoka-hansa, or what was her name, very much. But you can't blame her for something that is not her fault by any means. She's a bit of stubborn person, and unyielding, but still you can't act like that towards her. Guess have I been watching your commissions lately?" she put a finger to point at his chest, "And what I've seen? I could swear that the Buzz Lightyear I know, has turned back to the dark side. It's like you wouldn't have a heart any more! It's not her fault if the laws of this civilization are like this, it's not under her authority to decide to whom she's given or not given. Craters, if your father was here to see how his son behaves, I'm sure he'd give you a good paternal admonition! Good-bye. I wish you'd think at least half of what I've said to you now." Turning her back at him, she stomped away with fast steps. Her ears were so bothered to audit his firing counterarguments. She would leave him for good.
"Hmph!" the alone-left man snorted and kicked some rocks from his way, "Go! Leave me alone with my problems, fine! You'll be sorry sooner or later, when you realize how right I've been all the time. You can just lounge around in your snug teepees without worry in sight! Go, fine!"
Grating his teeth, and furthermore snarling after the gone Princess, he remembered the plate he still had in his paw. His dinner. "Now what mess am I supposed to eat today?" he sniffed cheesed off the already lukewarm food. Picking up the fork, he ruminated a hunk, twisting his face. It did not taste bad, after all. But… a tiny, unfortunate mishap had 'poisoned' the nosh. As the next bite appeared in his mouth, he coughed, drawing a long, black hair out. Obviously it had accidentally fallen off from among Yoka's locks, as she with the open coiffure had served him the tray. Nevertheless, this was worse than a nuclear accident for the extremely provoked male. Roaring he hopped on the frosted soil.
"She did this on purpose! She did this trick on purpose! Isn't it enough already that she can't cook, but has to mess up even the rest of the food with her dratted hair!" A cold gleam in his eyes, he winded back to the teepee. The flap was ripped violently open, and as the hut's master caught the woman with his eyes, another wrangle was ready.
"You've been doing your tricks enough for today! Craters, you can eat your filth by yourself!" he tossed the dish right on the floor with the nutritive ration. "I'm warning you, no more tricks! I've stood you and your scheming people long enough! It's about the time you to change, for your own sake. Tomorrow I won't be seeing this trash on my plate, is that clear?" he shook a finger in front of her face. Half understanding the insults, she had no opinion to answer. Poor Yoka had not even clue why the food had been rotten in his opinion.
"I'm going to sleep, and so are you." He snarled, tossing the pelts of his bedstead aside. "No more stupidities for today."
Lightyear was snoring in deep slumber, but the maltreated woman could not receive harmony. She shivered with sadness on her own mattress, hugging her knees under the blanket. The day had been horrible. Oh how much she had hoped, wished that this man would start to like her. But no, no, no. Only more the hell grew infernal, as the hours crawled forwards on all fours. Mixed were the feelings, what should she do? Not many days Yoka would psychologically stand this any more. The terrible monster called Proud Crescent was draining the last forces of optimism and bliss out of her. Nothing but yelling, humiliating. Never had she though a marriage to be like this. Wasn't the wife supposed to be something dear for the husband? What had she done wrong, if not wrong at all? And where would she go, if this would not stop? To flee… where? The lonely, whispering conifer forests were beyond there, in the middle of the deep wilderness. Would she run there? Find a secret valley where she would live the rest of her cursed days as a hermit? Burning tears were falling down her cheeks, but she bodily wiped hard them away with the coverlet corner. Yoka-hanen would not cry because of him!
But on the other hand, the illusive idea of refuge was impossible. The winter was curdling forth, and in the ice-cold desert she would have no shelter. Building up a proper hut would take a lot of time. Alone, in the depths, she would be an easy tidbit for the beasts. Good hunting skills would not save a sleeping maid. There was only death awaiting. And here… a torment of another kind.
A little star popped in her mind. What if… what if her father would listen to her, if she told him about how Proud Crescent was treating her? Maybe he would help. He had arranged this unbalanced union, maybe he could then also do something in order to end her agony. "I am going to see him tomorrow. I cannot live like this any longer. I am lower than a dog. He hates me, I have seen it now…" she repeated, moving her lips a bit.
Distress shaded equally the next dawn. The insomniac girl woke up to Buzz' bellows. The keeping of long hours yesterday had made her accidentally sleep over. And of course the breakfast was not served with a golden plate to the emperor, and the fireplace was extinguished. Cumbersomely she dragged herself to do the housework, and listen to his curses. Her fatigued mind blurred her vision, and in some kind of trance, the day approached. Carry water, chop wood, do food, be humble… This was a hell.
The late afternoon had tapped forth. Initially the miserable woman sat alone in the tent. Buzz was gone, and she would have at least one calm moment. But… it would not last quite long, would it? The brute would come back its sharp fangs glimmering. Rubble rained over her, hurting every spot. No, she would need to go to visit her father now, if she wanted any change.
Tears stinging in the girl's eyes she took long, angry steps toward the Council tepee. But would Vainamoinen understand? It was he, who had given her as a 'gift' away. But maybe, maybe there could be found a solution after all. He couldn't be so heartless towards her, that he would leave his daughter all alone to face this dilemma.
The faint odeur of leather and weakly-burning incense filled her nostrils as she stepped in. Home. That was the smell of home. But not any more, those were faraway dreams she encountered again in her slurred psyche.
"Honorable Vainamoinen", she bowed in front of the old leader, who sat alone in his wooden throne. The viisaat had seemingly scattered around the village, leaving their head alone.
"What is it, Yoka-hanen?" the answer was at first given softly. But as the primary, almost raving sentences began bursting out from Yoka's side, his expression hardened.
"Why did you give me to this man? He does not respect me at all! I am lower than a slave for him! Why did you do this to me? I thought you… you… at least do love me as an honorable father?" the woman flung her arms in the air after some minutes of futile fight. She should have been reverential and silent in front of this male, but now the formalities were muffled under her teary hollers.
"Stupid child. According to our laws, you have been given to him as a prize, and you should be content with your position! Do you not understand what kind of honor it is, for a woman like you, to be Proud Crescent's wife?" Vainamoinen had stood up, leaning on his cane.
"HONOR? Is it an honor that I am being yelled and treated like a scabby dog? I thought you would understand what I try to tell you, honorable Father! Think, if you were me…" a cuff on the ear stopped her speech. The head stagnated brutishly in front of her, his hand still in the air after the hit.
"Proud Crescent is our exalted guest, a visitor from the skies! How do you dare to talk about him with that kind of manner? If I was younger still, I would punish you with my own hands, but thank your luck that I am not in the strength of my youth any more!"
Inhaling deep, and rapidly, Yoka's eyes grew wide of terror and disbelief. "I… I thought… you… would understand me…" she stuttered, holding a warm palm over her aching cheek. The salty tears tortured her eyes even more, now falling freely along her face.
"Understand? I do not understand such mutinous, stupid talk! You know your place in the society, what you are as a woman. You know the laws, I have been generously teaching you my wisdom and the residues of our once so golden culture. So if I were you, and thank heavens I am not born to be a woman, I would be forever thankful to my superiors for such an honor as being a very dignified person's humble. So be happy in your place, and be grateful to me, that I did not give you to some local craftsman!" the hoary leader's eyes blazed in frenzy. And the regard he received from his scion, was on the other hand full of beginning despair.
"G-G-G-RATEFUL?" was the stammer back.
"YES! GRATEFUL! I have not spared you in vain for this long so that you would end up to be some insignificant warrior's own! Do you understand how much you dishonor your father with your stupid, naïve behavior? I have been patient with you, but this is the last drop!" Vainamoinen's fit of anger had come to the spot that he was shaking his cane in front of the girl's nose. The next hit would come from that, if she would not be sensible enough to get away and fast. Her hazy vision through the watery gaze gave route for backing and escaping the chief's animosity.
"So go to your place and be obedient to him! It is your fault if he treats you badly. Your fault if you cannot please him with your rebellious manners! GO! GO away from dishonoring me!"
And so Yoka-hanen spurted her legs to run. A cry, a cold cry waited for to get free from her throat, but with coughs she forced it to stay inside her burning chest. Legs. Feet. Was she buried in solid concrete? They moved, but in a boghole. Legs, run, run, run… The council teepee was far away behind her, but still she imagined being at the mercy of her father's violations. He did not love her any more, did he? Or were the laws the only issue he cared about? Dignity, respecting, honor, dishonor… was it her fault after all, the whole state of affairs? That she was bounced around insensibly? Her fault? Maybe it was then… maybe, maybe… Screams, ill words spun around her head. Running blindly forwards, she collided with woman carrying a water pot. Seemingly she fell down on the ground with her dish, but Yoka did not care to stop and see what she had caused. Legs, run… run, run, faraway… Far away from the psychological hell… but where? Where? There was no place for her to go.
Maybe Vainamoinen did feel pity towards his daughter, after all, although so violently disciplining her. In his heart, he had considered her sniffs, and decided to put some action on the road. From the back-chambers of the council tent, he called for a servant boy.
"Kullervo, the son of Kalervo. Go and call the viisaat. The Council needs to meet. And, ask Vipunen and Antero to bring Proud Crescent and Sininen in front of me." The adolescent bowed, and ran to fulfill his wishes. The dismayed man sat feebly down, massaging his wrinkled forehead. "Oh the dishonor, oh the dishonor…"
The flabbergasted Buzz soon stood anteriorly the chief's piercing stare. Mira quite well comprehended what this was all about, but her work was to be an interpreter, not a psychologist. She had attempted to bend the arrogant captain, but could not act like a nanny.
"Proud Crescent. I have heard saddening news about you. I have discussed with my daughter, who has also been acting insulting towards me. But I heard that you have been treating her cruelly. Why, may I ask? I hope she has not done an infamy against you."
Lightyear's muddled brains searched for an answer. She had been gossiping about him? As if all the events had not been already enough! The very evilness inside his subconscious took abruptly the upper hand of him. His feelings turned icy, like a blizzard on Antarctica. Oh, how much he wanted to slip lies to defend himself! And into lies his twisted statements blended.
"Honorable Vainamoinen, I have no idea what you are talking about. I haven't mistreated anyone. And even if I have reprimanded something or someone, isn't it my own thing?"
Vainamoinen sighed deep. Just now his glory was gone, and in the throne sat only a wizened, crestfallen male. "That is correct… it is your own thing. But did I not ask you once to accept my gift? You are not content with it, are you?"
"I didn't say so, honorable Vainamoinen", he dryly passed by the topic.
"Very well… Proud Crescent. You are allowed to do anything with your property… but I am speaking now as her father, not as the chief. I would definitely not want to hear about this again. Not to see my daughter coming and telling such things about you", the head rasped, his tone turning now very outraged, "If I was not under the laws of Kaleva, I swear I would chop your head off for this! But considering that I am forced to listen to the Council, and considering the deeds you have done for our people, I cannot do that. Yet I would not wish to see any more my daughter coming here and telling that you are a cruel man."
"I understand. This won't happen again", Lightyear bowed, and was allowed to leave.
Out there, the night had fallen, and snowflakes densely flying down. It had whirled frailly half of the day, but by the dusk, the weather was turning more to a whiteout.
And so did Buzz' mind turn shadowy, forecasting an emotional gale. Mira got frightened when she succeeded to see his gaze. His sapphire eyes were cold-blooded, similar to the look he had used to have as Lord Zenith. Maliciousness still lived somewhere deep inside his heart. Not uttering a word to her, Lightyear stomped towards his teepee. Nova was left to wait for the worst.