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                                                       Chapter Two

 

                                                       

We were at this place called the Animarium.  My day couldn’t have gotten weirder than this.  It was explained to me how Merrick the Wolf Ranger gained all of Zen’Aku’s memories along with his essence.  This Zen’Aku was actually my father.  Before Merrick donned the wolf org’s mask, Zen’Aku lived as his own being.  There was a time when he had fallen in love with a woman. 

 

“The woman was…beautiful.” Merrick remembered.  “Her hair smelled like roses.  Her skin…so soft like silk.  Zen’Aku was afraid if anyone found out about their affair, the orgs would kill him themselves for mutiny.  The woman felt the same way.  She would be ridiculed for loving an org.  So they both decided to keep their feelings for each other a secret.”  Merrick grew even quieter, which gave me a chill.

 

“Merrick…please tell me.  Who is my mother?”

 

He looked at Princess Shayla.  “I know this may hurt you, please forgive me princess.  But… the queen had a child before you were even born.”  He looked to me.  “As you grew a little older, you showed signs of your org power.  The King unfortunately despised you, knowing his wife had the affair.  And he decided that you posed a threat to the Animarium.  So he used the power of this sacred pool to send you forward in time, I guess then you were raised by people that loved you.”

 

I nodded.  “They were good people.”

 

Shayla shook her head.  “No, it cannot be true!  Why would my father do such a thing?”

 

I looked to her.  “It looks like you didn’t know him as well as you thought you did.”  I smirked.  “We already have something in common…”

 

Shayla frowned.  “I can’t believe this.”

 

Merrick continued.  “But before you were sent away, Queen Mara bestowed to you that animal crystal you have now.  The legendary Mystic Raven.  It was her gift to you, in hopes that someday you’ll remember your heritage and use its power for the benefit of good.”

 

Cole chimed in.  “And the queen was right.  You can join us in our quest to protect the earth against the orgs.”

 

I thought for a moment.  “I am too old to be prancing about in some colorful get-up fighting off creatures that share the same power as me.  I actually have this org power running through my veins!  All my life as I know it was a lie. As I grew older, I knew somehow I was different from everyone else. Now to find out that I was shunned for being different, sent off like some unwanted package.  And my father, didn’t he even care?”

 

“He did, but there was nothing he could do.  If anyone knew you even existed, you could have been destroyed.  Even though he was evil, he did care.  The queen told him what her husband had planned for you, and that’s when he grew angrier and started attacking the Animarium, killing its residents one-by-one.  The ancient warriors and I managed to stop him, though he was killed and his power was formed into the wolf mask by General Nayzor.”

 

“Then later on, you found it necessary to wear that mask.  You defiled my father’s name.”  I was starting to feel so resentful.

 

“I had no choice; Master Org was trying to destroy the Animarium.  It was my duty as protector of the Animarium to stop evil at all costs.”

 

This was turning out to be bad.  The other rangers had left Shayla, Merrick, and I alone to talk.  Shayla was still in shock from the news. “Why haven’t you told me about this before?”

 

“Because I wasn’t sure if this was true.  But now we know.”

 

I stood up.  “Yeah, now we know.  Where do I go from here?  How am I supposed to continue my life…?”  I looked away.  “This is too much for me to take.”

 

Shayla spoke up.  “Too much for you?  This isn’t easy for me either, you know.”  She put her hand on my shoulder.  “But we can get through this together.  Stay here with us; I’d love to get to know you better.  So much was taken from you, and for that I’m sorry.”

 

“It’s not your fault, Princess.  You didn’t know the truth just like I didn’t.  Your father was a jealous fool and couldn’t accept me.  I can’t blame him.”  For the first time in a long time, tears streamed down my face.  I always thought crying was for the weak, but this one time I didn’t give a shit.  “I can’t stay here, I have a life back at Turtle Cove, and I’m a teacher, not a fighter.”

 

“After what I witnessed back there, don’t be so doubtful.”  Merrick then grabbed his dagger and lunged at me while my back was turned.

 

“MERRICK! What are you doing?”  Cried Shayla.

 

Just then I turned to him and saw nothing but a blur…but then time seemed to slow down immensely.  I saw the dagger’s blade start to come at me so I grabbed his arm, took the dagger with my other hand and flipped him to the ground.  I crouched over him with the blade to his throat.  Did I just do that?

 

He took the dagger from me and got up.  “See?  You do have it in you.  You can fight but just don’t know how to utilize your abilities.”

 

“Hold on, I refuse to be a part of this war between good and evil.  That’s your department.  Leave me out of it.”

 

“But why?  You live in the very earth that is being threatened by the orgs.  Don’t you care?”  Asked Shayla.

 

I shook my head.  “I don’t know what to feel.”  I clenched my raven crystal to my heart. 

 

“Loki-Mara.”  Merrick said softly.

 

I turned to him.  “What did you say?”

 

“That’s what Zen’Aku named you.  You should be proud of who you really are, not sobbing about it.  Imagine what you could do with your power.  We could finally defeat the orgs.”

 

“Look, I’ll think about it, but until I make a decision, I need some time alone to think things through.  I’m 28 years old and the life as I lived it till this day has been blissful.  I’m happy with it; I don’t deal well with changes.  Especially changes as great as this one.”

 

Shayla smiled.  “Take all the time you need… but please, don’t be a stranger.  Merrick went through something similar as you are going through now.  If anyone understands what you’re going through, it’s him.”

 

“Yeah, well… I’ll think about it.  But for now, just leave me be.”  I turned and left.

 

I should just forget about all of this…

 

 

Meanwhile back at the Nexus, Master Org was watching the whole conversation with Nayzor’s old mirror. 

 

“See?  We weren’t lying about her.”  Toxica said.  “That woman does have the Mystic Raven in her possession!”

 

“Yeah, and she would’ve killed us both if the Rangers didn’t stop her.”  Jindrax added.  “Ughh… a human actually kicked our asses.”  He grimaced.  “I feel so violated…”

 

Master Org looked at him.   “Not just a human, she’s Zen’Aku’s daughter you fool!  Imagine the true power she possesses…”

 

I could use it to my advantage.

 

“So…do you want us to go after her?”  Toxica asked.

 

Jindrax would’ve grown pale if he could, after hearing that.  “Are you nuts or just gone senile?  She beat you to a pulp.  You must have a death wish.  You had to be scared.”

 

Toxica glared at him.  “Scared?  Since when are orgs scared!  I LET her get the best of me, because I could sense something unique about her.  I wanted to see what she could do.”

 

“Sure you did.”

 

Master Org was growing rather irritated with the two duke orgs.  He flung the mirror in their direction.  “Be quiet!  You both are pathetic!  Stay here, I want to meet this… ‘Loki-Mara.’”  He teleported out of sight.

 

Jindrax looked at Toxica.  “Admit it, you were scared.”

 

Toxica huffed and walked away.

 

                                                                                          

 

 

chapter 3...