Let's go, father, Otoshiana thought, his never-blinking eyes seeming to stare blankly into space. The night had become bleak, the coldness into brisk. Trees began to sway lightly, and a more sense of comfort seemed to spread throughout the air, as if indicating morning was to arrive shortly.
The Senchi hissed evilly, as if cursing the arrival of sunlight. "Okay, got it?" Lance said thinly. His breathing had not expanded at the least. Rick nodded his head confidently and turned to face their opponent. Ruby red eyes filled with deviance gazed back at them. The Senchi began to clatter robotically, itching for a fight.
Rick fixed his stance, his feet spread out. He tightly clenched his fists and narrowed his eyes as the yellow brazen energy began to pour from him, becoming visible within seconds. It soon surrounded him entirely, waves of it wandering off then curving to return like boomerangs. The immense power filled the air with thickness. The intensity fluttered Rick's hair at the front, wavering it like it was playing piano. "Let's go!" Rick shouted angrily, shifting his feet.
"Don't talk so mighty, boy!" Otoshiana demanded. At the sound of his silent command, the Senchi began to rattle wildly, as if picking out their target. The soon found themselves shuffling through the air like wild dogs, mouths wide open in a never satisfied hunger. Blades protruded from their throats like horns full of life threatening poison, their metallic blue skin glimmering in the setting moonlight.
"Now, Rick!" Lance cried out. With a burst of energy, Rick took off, running right into the millions of snakes that rushed for him. With the Half Spirit's energy wrapped around him like a blanket full of protection, he rushed forward, his steps cracking the floor with their immense power. Electricity seemed to spark from his body as he ran faster and faster, rushing past the cool, setting night air. The Senchi raced faster and faster as well in anticipation.
Rick cried out as he ducked under the wave of infinite snakes, their shadows falling upon him as Lance stood back, watching as the poison took over all of his body. The Senchi shot through the air like terns, and crashed down on the dirt floor like cannonballs, letting out a loud, screeching noise that was discordant to Lance's ears. "Rick!" Lance whispered, his voice so weak that it was now a tiny whisper. His wincing eyes filled with worry, his teeth grit beneath his closed lips.
From Otoshiana's eyes, the wave of Senchi before him seemed to remain still and silent, filling the air with thick suspense. He stared hard at the metallic blue for a moment, waiting for a reaction. He couldn't see anything pas them, not even Lance, but he knew for sure that the blonde had jumped under the attack right before they crashed down like diving bombs. As tension began to mix with the suspense in the air, Lance swallowed hard. Could he really be…? the Minor thought.
"It's over," Otoshiana concluded with his monotone voice. As if on cue to the opponent's voice, screeching light began to filter from the space between the limp snakes that lay on top of each other. A slight electric humming began to take place, and filled the rising morning with its electric blue rays. "What…?" Otoshiana muttered solemnly to himself.
The sparking blue seemed to creep closer and closer to Otoshiana until finally, bursting from the wave of metal with a brave cry, arose Rick with the aura of yellow, gleaming energy gone, but with a hand that glowed with an ominous light. Yellow electricity sparked at the palm of his hand, pulled back at Rick's side as he jumped through the air. Time seemed to freeze at that moment, everything going in slow motion, even the sounds.
The slow fizzing of electricity filled the slumping air, Rick's body like a snail flying through the air. Then, suddenly, out of nowhere, time seemed to rush back to normal again, Rick's cry coming out in a normal pace as he crashed his palm into Otoshiana's chest, the electricity overwhelming the robotic armor.
As the electricity hummed between the two people, the suspense was finally released, hints of it still lingering in the air, yet the tension still rising, burning like a wildfire flame. Bright yellow light spilled onto Rick and Otoshiana's faces, both of them holding different expressions. On one side was the confident, smirking grin, and on the other, a surprised, widened stare. "Funny," Rick muttered as the electricity filled Otoshiana's body. "You said I'd be the last to die," Rick referred to the past. "But, even if that's true, you're the one that's going to die first!" he finished his words with a burst of electric energy, pushing Otoshiana halfway across the barren field, his feet dragging in resistance on the floor, releasing dust into the awaiting air.
"Impossible!" Otoshiana cried out. "How? He should've been crushed!" he demanded angrily as his sliding across the field stopped, half-visible clouds of dust filling the air. Electricity still sparked at his blue, robotic chest as his voice hummed out in an unstable tone. His scarlet eyes of deviancy were still frozen in a state of shock and horror.
With the Senchi dragging in front of him, the weak snakes seeming to resist moving, Lance cleared his throat, calling attention that was soon given to him. "I'll explain everything when this plan is all over," he promised. "But for now, there's still one more part you need to notice."
"What?" Otoshiana asked, confused. "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, angered.
"Take a closer look," Lance insisted. Otoshiana obeyed, his red eyes still wide with shock, but still able to peer right to left, and up and down. As soon as he realized what was going on, he took a big gulp of nervousness mixed with even further confusion. In the air, he spotted tiny little beads floating freely in suspension. They were held above his head, swimming like little clouds that were barely visible to the naked eye.
The beads danced like fairies, but were as deadly as a crazed bomb. The tiny little spheres of metal began to release wires from them, the thin strings floating out and connecting to the ground for support, the millions of wires trapping Otoshiana's body parts in a hateful hold. Now, he was prohibited from the use of his own body.
"But – but how?!" Otoshiana stammered in anger. "I melted all your metal long ago in the battle! How could you have more to use?!"
"Simple," Lance said weakly. "I told you before, didn't I?"
"What are you talking about? Just spill it, brat!" Otoshiana said monotonously.
"Didn't I tell you before that I don't like to waste things, unless it's completely necessary?" Lance said cleverly, still confusing the opponent. Otoshiana instantly remembered. But he still was confused.
"But what was there to let waste?" Otoshiana spoke, calmer this time.
Lance sighed. "You lost complete sight of it, and yet it was closest to you all this time," Lance explained. "Look what your first Senchi snake is wrapped around."
Otoshiana followed, and saw that the very first snake that gave birth to the other snakes was still wrapped around that metal bar Lance had spit out in the beginning of the battle. "No way!" Otoshiana cried out. "How could I miss something like that?" he blamed himself. The metal bar seemed instantaneously thinner, most of it still left like a motionless pillar ready to be used.
"Looks like you've got it," Lance said, continuing on. "After I completed making beads out of that metal, Rick rushed through your wave of Senchi while wrapping his body around the energy of the Lightning Half spirit, giving him a repelling magnetic force to the blue metal of your Senchi. Doing that, he was able to bypass your defensive snakes easily, and push you with a strong electric jolt to where I placed the beads."
"I see," Otoshiana muttered to himself. "You were smarter than me…" he said full of shame.
"Now, you tell me one thing," Lance requested. "Why did I need you to be so far away from us so that I could activate my trap on you?" Otoshiana gave a blank stare. "Think about it," Lance commanded as Rick began running through the barren field towards Otoshiana, tightening his fist with a knowing smirk.
"You brag way too much," Rick told Lance as he rushed through the brisk air.
"You're a smart guy," Lance complimented, ignoring Rick's comment. "When I spit that metal out, it was made of silver, and give me one characteristic of silver that surpasses every other metal in the world," the Metal Minor requested.
"No way," Otoshiana said with an even wider stare, if possible. "It… it's the best conductor of electricity…" he spoke blankly, the wires holding him like an invisible prison.
"Yeah," Rick muttered to him as he inched closer with each and every step. Charging for the armored enemy, electricity began to emit from both Rick's hands, the sparks flying crazily as the glow was blinding. Clapping his hands together to charge them even better, Rick stood before the imprisoned opponent, filling the rising morning with suspense. Even if sunlight had not begun to rise, everyone knew it was soon coming. "Now, it's over," Rick declared as he put out both his hands, the electricity beginning to crawl through the wires, then taking them over completely, the intense power sparking with a vicious cry of pain.
With the shaking of the lightning that continually ran through the wires like a never ending murder, Otoshiana cried out in pain, the horrifying, despairing cry filling the air and breaking the suspense. His screams were drowned out by the electric humming, yet so loud in everyone's ears.
When the sparks calmed and the electricity was worn out, white smoke hissed from the wires, rising to the air, ending the fight. Otoshiana stared at the floor, his body limp and his armor cracked at every single place you could think of like an egg. The wires continued to hold him from the floor, preventing his actual downfall. Why? He thought. If… if it was my purpose in life to make father proud… then why? Why did I lose? He thought in a growing sadness opening in his heart as pieces of the glimmering blue armor cracked and moved ominously, specks of it falling off. Why didn't life let me make father proud…? I owed him… he didn't care enough to stay… I was a horrible son. I followed his footsteps, but somehow, I still lost.
Thoughts rushed through his mind as the metallic armor fell apart, revealing skin and clothes, and his actual, depressed face. As the blue, metal mask fell off with its red, demonic eyes, specks of metal still clung to Otoshiana's human face, his blue eyes filled with sadness and his same old hairstyle swaying in the light breeze. Tears stroke down his cheeks, the hotness and wetness so familiar, even if it had been years since he had cried. Why father? Why did you leave? Did you not want me to follow your footsteps? Why?! The sadness was overwhelming and overtook Otoshiana's mind like a brainwash. Tears made a new mask for him, a mask of realization.
Suddenly, Otoshiana had a flashback, a flashback from far back then when he had just become interested in the clever games and tricky toys.
"Oto-chan," his father called to him across the room. The wooden walls were shiny and bright, light bouncing off them like crazy elastics. His father carried that same, comforting smile as he peered to the small child who lay on the floor who was fingering through his first puzzle that gave him so much trouble, yet he was confident to solve it.
"What is it, father?" Otoshiana asked, peering to his side as he lay comfortably and happily on his stomach, finding that old, crinkled smile that filled him with so much warmth.
"Let me ask you something," he insisted, sitting in his comfortable wooden chair, his voice croaky like a frog's as always. But that was the voice Otoshiana had always loved to hear. And it would've remained that way, forever and ever. "For what purpose do you carry to become so interested in these puzzles and games, and to begin studying engineering just so you can build these toys?"
"Well," young Otoshiana said, taking his finger and putting it on his lips. His eyes looked up to the ceiling, as if searching for the answer. In one hand, he weakly held the scrambled puzzle, his brown eyes filled with innocence. Otoshiana got up on his feet, and tugged on his clothes, straightening them out as he took a deep breath. As soon as he let out his exhale, he gave a friendly, childish smile. "I guess I want to study engineering in the future to build technology so I can help people, and make more peace for the world, instead of pain," Otoshiana replied proudly, bringing a weakly closed fist to his heart, giving an oath. He crinkled his eyes and smiled widely, taking pride in what he believed in.
"I see," the father answered. His son's words made him smile like they always did. The curved smirk that always seemed to set things straight seemed to be more filled with warmth than ever, so comforting and loving, it was like a blanket that kept you warm on the coldest winter day. "That's my son," he spoke in that same old, croaky voice that Otoshiana would remember for the rest of his life.
"I see," Otoshiana muttered to himself in his regular voice that seemed so different to the Minors' ears. They stared at him hard, making sure that he remained the way he was. Hanging limply from the supporting wires, Otoshiana began to feel the sadness mix with an even more intense guilt. "Sorry, father," he spoke lightly. "I mistook my meaning of life for someone else's idea for it." The Minors stared solemnly. They didn't know what happened in Otoshiana's life, but they knew it was a time to be sorrowful, even if it was their opponent.
As the armor continued to clink to the floor, the tears came down faster like a stream of regret. It wasn't following your footsteps that would make you proud, isn't that right, father? Otoshiana thought silently minutes before his death, staring up to the sky with those innocent, cheery eyes from his childhood. The clouds seemed to float lazily through the sky, each one carrying a message from someone else who was filled with regret at the moment. The brown innocence of Otoshiana's eyes returned, and a curved smirk that set everything straight of his own began to grow on his lips. It was to make the world a better place that would've made you proud, Otoshiana realized. More metal clattered to the floor. Sorry, father, Otoshiana wished among the clouds. I'll make it up to you the only way I can right now…
Suddenly Otoshiana felt the energy come back to his legs as the metal armor fell apart completely, and he took his hands and softly touched the wires, breaking them apart to make way for his feet. He hid his eyes by staring down, and the Minors began to take caution, shifting their feet.
"What should we do?" Rick asked Lance, standing before the slowly freeing Otoshiana, readying his stance and narrowing his eyes. Lance said nothing.
As the wires continued to snap with the soft touch of Otoshiana's fingers, he stepped out unsteadily, his steps powerful yet weak, filled with meaning, just like they were when they stepped across that wooden paved floor of his childhood house. His footsteps stammering, he neared closer to Rick. The Lightning Minor got ready to strike. "No," Otoshiana muttered solemnly in a more human voice, taking away the readied stance of Rick and changing it into a more realized one.
Otoshiana's footsteps shuffled against the dirt ground, his bare feet stepping weakly. He tried many times to keep himself from falling, tire marks spread all over his body. "I can't continue this fight," Otoshiana confessed as he walked towards Lance, who took a big nervous gulp. "I'm…" his voice choked. "Father," he ignored. "Let me make it up to you now, and make you at least… a little proud," he said, reaching for his pants pocket and taking out a thin, tiny test tube that glimmered lightly in the soon, rising sun. Otoshiana continued to step in variation towards Lance, his eyes still hard on the floor, his back slouched weakly, and his arms dragging across the floor with the test tube in his fingers' weak grip.
As Lance tried to keep his eyes on Otoshiana, he couldn't help but collapse to his knees as pain began to overtake his body and cough out a splotch of blood vigorously. He brought an arm to his mouth weakly and brushed away leftover blood. His eyes shaking as he tried to keep them on the stammering Otoshiana who seemed to completely change in a matter of seconds, he tried to get up, to be respectful, but his legs wouldn't seem to move, and he was even lucky that he could still talk with the pain that began to spread to his vital organs – his stomach, his heart, his lungs, everywhere.
Finally inches away from the Metal Minor, Otoshiana stopped pacing and stood solemnly in front of the teenage boy, who looked up with wondering eyes as to what Otoshiana did. "What… what do you want?" Lance asked quietly.
"I…" Otoshiana began. "I lied when I said there wasn't a cure for my poison," he confessed, his voice friendlier now. "H-Here," he spoke, bringing his arm up with the test tube and placing it in Lance's weak, shaking hands. Lance looked up at Otoshiana and found the trust in his eyes, and the regret in his tears. "S-Sorry," he stammered finally. No good, Otoshiana thought to himself. I can't keep this up. Calculating from the immense electrical torture I had to go through and the pressure of the electricity on my nerve system, I can't move for much longer. At this rate… I'll…
He sadly couldn't finish his thought as he collapsed to the floor, making the last, loud thump on any surface, whether it's the wooden floor of the past, the dirt caked floor of the present, or the underground moist of the future. His body lay still, his brown hair falling upon his face and his last tears he would ever shed.
Lance stared at the body as he thought hard whether or not all this was real. As he began to feel the sun rise, he gave a solemn nod to Otoshiana, as if thanking him. At a certain tree, the large metal hand still on top of the Sound Minor, it began to lose its grip, falling weakly to the floor as Marissa did the same. Her brown-blonde hair fell on top of her face limply as an arm lay by her face, her weak, and still unconscious body silently laying on the floor.
With some regret and guilt, Rick stared hard at the floor, and then to Lance. They traded looks, though they were the same.
Now, stuffing the glass container filled with the green liquid into his pocket, Lance rushed to Otoshiana's side, and began to pick him up, taking him away to a better place to rest.