Yes, it’s going to be multi-part. I’ll try to have it done quickly. I didn’t want it to be multi-part either, but it’s so long. T_T

Phoneme Series Extra #3 Holiday Special

‘Snowflakes. Like the ocean’s tide, they only recede in the spring to return more tenaciously than ever again.’ The outstretched palm catches a moderately sized snowflake, its very edges stinging slightly of cold.

[Tales of a Lost World Holiday Special]

An abrupt noise forces the stretched-out palm to draw back with a bitter twitch. The hand falls back to the side of a young woman, with a waterfall of long dark hair partially tied up in a ponytail sitting snugly under a white beanie with green, yellow, and red stripes.

By the girl’s side is a sheathed Sparta, a shocking contrast to her pedestrian choice of dress, composed of a white hooded sweater and warm, snug pants.

The girl takes a brief moment to hastily slide on a pair of red mittens, before rushing to the source of the noise. She skids to a stop on the slippery, snowy floor. “Damn visitors.”

A huddle of young magicians apparently on a field trip are clambering all over the leafy boughs of a gigantic evergreen tree, as they litter it with variously strange items, such as pencils and mushroom spores.

“Hey, hey, look! The spores look like popcorn!”

“Hey Paul, want some popcorn?”

“Okay!”

“…AHH! THIS AIN’T POPCORN!”

“Hehehehehehehehehehe!”

The girl sighs exasperatedly as she watches the children fool around on top of the tree. She scratches her head, resigned to folding her arms and watching as the kids haphazardly dance around on the tree.

Suddenly an adult woman approaches her interestedly, straying away from supervising the children. “Hey, you wouldn’t happen to be one of the Happyville Rangers, would you?”

“Actually, yes, I am,” the girl answers in a distant tone, quickly flashing a badge. “My name’s Gwyneira, but most just call me Gwen. Can I help you?”

“Well, we’re taking the youngsters here on a field trip from Henesys, you see. Athena Pierce thought it might be a good idea for them to learn about other places far away from home up close. I was just telling the kids about the Happyville Rangers, so I was hoping you’d be able to give them so more information about the subject,” the older woman replies.

“I-I really don’t think that would be a good idea…” Gwen stutters, before trailing off as the woman seemingly ignores her, turning back to the children.

“Hey, children! Gather ‘round! This lady here is a Happyville Ranger! Wouldn’t you like to talk to her?” the teacher shouts to her students.

Gwen smiles hesitantly, taking a nervous step backwards as all the children crowd around her. She finally gives in, forced to answer the questions of the children surrounding her.

“Okay, listen up, kids. The Happyville Rangers are strong people that the folks here at Happyville have hired to watch over and protect the land that belongs to Happyville. Most of us rangers here are year-round residents as well, and we have a deep attachment to this place.

“That’s why we do not like it when someone disrespects our land or damages it. We are here to prevent that, and in order to do so, sometimes we are forced to use force.”

“Wow! Is it fun being a Happyville Ranger?”

“A-huh, you bet,” Gwen replies.

“I wanna be a Happyville Ranger when I grow up!”

“Heh…” Gwen answers, trailing off as she loses herself in a train of inner thought.

The woman teacher from before suddenly draws her back into the real world with a question. “You seem to have a deep attachment to this land as well, Gwen. Why did you decide to become a Happyville Ranger?”

“Huh? Me?” Gwen asks absentmindedly. “Well, you see…well, I guess it all started several years ago, when I was much younger. There’d been a terrible blizzard that year, one that killed many people in the village. My family was caught in that blizzard, and when it passed…I was the only one that had survived.

“I guess that’s why I wanted to become a Happyville Ranger. To protect, because back then I couldn’t protect those that I loved…that’s why it hurts when I see people attacking the village.”

“Wow…I feel sorry for you, lady!” one of the children cries out loud.

“Yeah!” another agrees, “I hope you feel better!”

“Th-thank you,” Gwen answers, quite moved. “I try to prot—”

A huge explosion rocks the ground at that moment, interrupting the flow of conversation. All heads in the area turn ninety degrees to the left, as flocks of angry birds scatter into the air from the general direction of the commotion.

“What on earth was that?” the woman teacher wonders.

“Stay here,” Gwen murmurs, “we may have trouble.” She draws her Sparta out of its sheath as she speaks, hurrying over in a gallop over to the scene of the disruption.

As Gwen makes her way over to the explosion, other curious bystanders and rangers like her begin to convene at the scene as well, staring bewilderedly as a plume of smoke and snow rises into the air.

“What is going on?” Gwen shouts into the awestruck silence.

As the plumes of grayish vapor fades, Arai can be seen sitting innocently on top of a pile of bodies that is Kunai, Ryuu, Ayame, Ivy, Sasha, Lily, Silver, Tide, and Otis.

Otis crawls indignantly to the top of the pile of bodies, head butting Arai fiercely on the thigh. “Way to go, Cookie-Cutter Gorilla!”

“Whoops!” Arai cries innocently, chuckling to himself. “Guess charging those light decorations with my Lightning Spear was just too much, huh?”

Ryuu suddenly pushes his way out of the huddle of bodies, thus toppling Arai and Otis off the top. “I’LL SAY! You blew up the damn tree!”

“Don’t say such mean things, Ryuu,” Arai replies.

Ryuu sighs exasperatedly. “That’s exactly what happened…”

As Kunai and the others slowly disentangle themselves from one another, Gwen steps forward, folding her arms suspiciously. “Wait,” she cries, addressing Arai. “You’re an Ice and Lightning Mage, aren’t you?”

“Yep!” Arai answers, saluting her. “Ice and Lightning Mage of the Joukai Third Division and Grandson of Grendel the Really Old of Ellinia, more commonly known as Arai!”

“You’re under arrest,” Gwen retorts flatly, grabbing Arai’s wrists forcefully.

“What?” Arai cries, his eyes widening slightly.

“What the hell?” Kunai shouts, jumping to his feet. “Hey lady, you can’t be serious! What did Arai ever do, well, except for blowing up that tree just now?”

“You’re under arrest for suspicion of being a felony threat to a large mass of people,” Gwen replies.

“For blowing up a evergreen tree?” Ayame questions perplexedly. “How can an accident like that be a felony?! You’ve got to be kidding me!”

“I’m not joking around here,” Gwen replies coldly. “There have been recent sightings of an unidentified IL Mage wandering the forests near Happyville. His presence has led to the disappearance of several villagers already, and we suspect that he is up to some kind of trouble. In order to protect Happyville, I must arrest this man.”

“But Arai didn’t even do anything!” Ivy protests. “We only just got here! You can’t arrest Arai!”

“I’m afraid I have to,” Gwen retorts flatly.

“Well, if you must, you must,” Arai replies, shrugging his shoulders. “It’s okay, guys. You don’t have to worry about me.”

“But…Arai!” Kunai cries. “We can’t let them just take you like that! You’re innocent!”

“Let him go,” Ryuu speaks up finally. “Arai’s a grown man. He knows exactly what he’s doing. If we wants to go, let him go. I’m sure he’ll be fine. He has a way of always coming out of bad situations.”

“Arai…” Kunai mutters, reduced to watching as a swarm of Happyville Rangers surround Arai and drag him off to the local jailhouse.

“They do it for the sake of Happyville, you know,” a woman suddenly speaks up nearby.

The others turn to the woman, surprised to see this new visitor. It is the schoolteacher from earlier, having appeared to watch the ensuing scene after the explosion. “Those Happyville Rangers, I mean.”

“So that’s why they arrested Arai,” Kunai mutters, taking a sip of steaming hot chocolate from a mug. He and the others, Ryuu, Ayame, Ivy, Sasha, Lily, Silver, Tide, and the schoolteacher sit inside a large, warm bar, each with a mug of hot chocolate at their fingertips.

“There’s been a weird Ice and Lightning Mage creeping around Happyville?” Ivy wonders out loud.

“Apparently yes,” the schoolteacher replies, “and this strange one has been responsible for the disappearance and possible murder of several people. That’s why some of the rangers are so edgy these days.”

“That still doesn’t make much sense, though,” Tide mutters. “Just because one person might be an ice mage doesn’t mean that he’s the culprit!”

“Well, the incident with the tree blowing up raised a big alarm among the rangers,” the schoolteacher answers. “They’re really in a hurry to close out this case. That one, the girl that arrested your friend in particular, is quite anxious to put this behind her.”

“But why would that be the case?” Ayame asks.

“It seems that several years ago her family was killed in a tragic blizzard that swept across the region,” the schoolteacher replies. “However, I’ve done research on this matter myself, and I believe this strange ice mage they’re looking for may have been responsible for that blizzard as well. That is why that girl, Gwen, is so eager to put a stop to him.”

“Well, he arrested the wrong person,” Ivy retorts stubbornly.

“That may well be the case,” the schoolteacher replies, “but you have to understand. Gwen has been stranded alone in this world for a long time. She just wants closure on this ordeal that left everyone that she loved dead.”

“I can understand some of what she must feel…” Kunai murmurs softly, his eyes straying to the ground. “To lose your family all in one day. It’s painful.”

“Tch,” Ryuu growls, “you all make me sick. What with your emotional crap and all that. I don’t wanna hear anymore about this.”

“Ryuu…! How can you say such a thing?!” Ayame shouts, jumping to her feet.

“What I’m saying is,” Ryuu snarls, drawing his sword, “is if you want this ‘closure’ or whatever, then the simplest thing to do is to just go out there, find this guy, and beat the snot out of him!”

“Heh,” Kunai replies, smiling slightly. “Now that’s the Ryuu I know.”

“So Redheaded Gorilla isn’t such a bad guy after all!” Otis shouts, popping rudely out from under Ryuu’s coat.

“Shut up,” Ryuu snarls, grasping Otis in his hands and squeezing him roughly, “or we’re going tree decorating with snail shell ornaments.”

“Eep,” Otis replies.

“Are you sure about this?” Shuriken mutters irritably, his face partially hidden under a fur parka. He carries a shovel over his shoulder, as he strides next to Zack, who is dressed similarly and also carrying a shovel.

In Zack’s hands he holds a faded piece of parchment. His eyes are narrowed as he scans the piece of ancient paper, searching for something. “Yup, I’m almost certain, Shuriken. There’s treasure hidden under one of these decorating trees! We’re gonna be rich, man!”

Suddenly Zack pauses in his absentminded wandering. He jabs a finger at a spot in the center of the parchment. “Oh man! It’s right here! Right under this tree!”

“We’re standing next to a building.”

Arai sits humbly by himself within the confines of a dim, murky jail cell, humming in a very annoying way the tune of When The Morning Comes.

A clang suddenly sounds, as the door into the outside corridor opens and slams shut. An approaching shadow notifies Arai of his imminent visitor.

As the visitor comes into view, Arai recognizes it as the girl from earlier that had arrested him. “Hey there!” Arai greets her cheerfully, “Would you like a cookie?”

“Um…no thanks,” Gwen replies. “Hey, wait a minute…where’d you get a cookie?!”

“That’s my secret,” Arai replies mysteriously, munching on the cookie rather obnoxiously.

“Yes, well…” Gwen continues, struggling to keep the conversation alive due to Arai’s strange antics. “We’ve come to notify you that you have three days in which to prove yourself innocent before we move forward and prosecute you.”

“Great,” Arai replies, unfazed. “Can I ask you a question now?”

“Uh…well, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt,” Gwen replies, taken by surprise.

“Why did you become a Happyville Ranger, and why are you so eager to charge me for this crime?” Arai inquires, his face and voice completely calm and under control.

“Well…” Gwen trails off, disconcerted by Arai’s probing questions. “When I was young, a blizzard killed my family. I wanted to become stronger, so nothing like that would hurt Happyville again, that’s all.”

“I see,” Arai replies. “And why so eager to take down any Ice and Lightning Mage you see?”

“Well…” Gwen replies difficultly, “there’s been a mysterious Ice and Lightning Mage hovering around these parts lately, and people have gone missing as well. We’re almost positive that this mage is responsible for capturing these people, and somehow we have a strange suspicion that he ties in with the blizzard that happened years ago too.”

“Hm,” Arai sounds. “So basically, you’re taking me out in order to secure the safety of the land you love. It makes sense.”

“Wait, why am I even telling you all this anyway?!” Gwen gasps.

“Probably because not even you believe I’m guilty,” Arai replies. “If you did think I am guilty, you would’ve treated me a lot differently already.”

“Th-that’s not true!” Gwen cries. “I don’t think you’re innocent at all!”

“No, of course not,” Arai answers. “It’s just that you and the other rangers are so eager to put this scary case behind you, that you’re ready to accept me as a scapegoat to end the nightmare.”

“Why are you saying such things…?” Gwen murmurs.

“Gwen,” Arai says suddenly. “That’s your name, right?”

Gwen nods, rendered slightly speechless by Arai’s eloquence.

“Gwen, I know exactly what it’s like to be you,” Arai says. “All my life, I’ve had people I love murdered right before my eyes. My friends, my family, they were all targeted. When I became a member of the Joukai, I wanted to change all that, so I could protect people.

“But because of what I did, people still died, and I lost many that I loved. My best friend died, and then also the woman I loved was taken away from me too. I’ve been and am alone in this world too, so if there’s anyway I can help you take down this mage who killed your family, let me help you.”

Gwen stands completely still for some time, moved by Arai’s speech. At last, she speaks, struggling to hold back the tears in her eyes. “V-Very well, then. You’re free to go.”

She inserts the key into lock in Arai’s cell, allowing the door to swing wide open and Arai to stride out. He stretches as he exits the cell, yawning slightly in the process. “Boy! Sitting around cramped in a cell all day is just not my idea of fun. I need to go tease Ryuu a bit to shake this rustiness off!”

Just as Arai hops past Gwen, a violent rumbling suddenly tears through the ground, rocking the very floor that the two of them stand on. Arai and Gwen throw themselves against the concrete walls for support, as the shaking intensifies.

“What the hell’s going on?!” Gwen gasps.

“Let’s go outside!” Arai suggests, waving for Gwen to follow as the two of them head into the snow.

Gwen lets out an audible gasp as they approach the scene outside. An apparent army of Yetis, some with Pepes riding on makeshift saddles on top, are rapidly approaching the time in an attempted siege.

Innocent pedestrians scream out loud as they cower under the beasts, running for their lives before the gigantic, muscular arms of the Yetis crush them.

Off in the distance, a high, piercing shriek like no other penetrates the stiff silence of the snowy tundra, rising high into the air as waves of blue energy ripple across the entire region.

“Yeti and Pepes!” Gwen cries out in despair.

“Even worse,” Arai mutters grimly, “a Paradox has shown up.” He stares off in the distance of the snowed-in woods where the shriek had come from. “Something big is happening over there.”

“We’ve gotta get to the scene,” Gwen replies. “Especially before anyone gets hurt!”

“Ryuu!” Arai cries aloud as he notices the others approaching them on foot, weapons drawn.

Ryuu comes to a skidding stop in front of them. “You’re free to go?” Ryuu questions, staring wonderingly from Arai to Gwen.

Arai shakes his head, raising a patient hand. “I’ll explain on the way. We have to go check out that Paradox that appeared just now. You heard the cry too, right?”

“Yeah,” Ryuu growls in reply. “We were just about to head out there ourselves.”

“Someone has to take care of these Yeti and Pepes that are attacking the town,” Kunai mutters. “I’ll stay behind and take them out. You guys go ahead and check out that Paradox or whatever.”

“Right,” Ryuu answers. “Okay, listen up: Ayame and I’ll go head for the Paradox. Arai, you and Gwen here should come along as well.”

“What about the rest of us?” Ivy asks.

“You guys take out the monsters that are attacking the town,” Ryuu replies. “There’s more than enough for you guys to handle.”

“Gotcha,” Kunai mutters. “Be careful.”

“Heh,” Ryuu growls, “you know we never are.”

With the group splitting up, Kunai leads the others as they head to the frontlines of the battle, whereas others are running away. “Let’s take these guys out before they do any extensive damage!” Kunai shouts to the group.

“Right!” Ivy, Sasha, Lily, Silver, and Tide chime in unison.

They each draw their weapons, bracing for the bitter fight between the huge beasts. Silver draws her Asianic Bow, stringing it with a golden arrow. Her eyes dart left and right, where Ivy and Tide are each fighting with their own personal Yeti.

‘Ivy and Tide are far too weak to be taking on these monsters. It may get dangerous for them.’ Silver fires the humming arrow, knocking off one of the Pepes from the back of its Yeti companion.

The Pepe falls to the ground dead in one blow, struck in between the eyes. Silver turns to check the fights of Ivy and Tide, who are struggling with the enormous beasts. ‘This is really getting troublesome.’

Kunai summons an Avenger in one hand, hurling it through the air and allowing it to slice through two Yetis at once. It swings in the air and returns like a boomerang, landing smoothly in Kunai’s outstretched hand.

The Yetis show no sign of slowing down, even as deep, bloody wounds appear in their chests. “Man, these guys are pretty tough,” Kunai grits his teeth. He loosens two Steelys from his store, holding them precariously in his hand.

With a flying leap, Kunai leaps into the space between two Yetis, firing with both arms and pinning them each with two Steelys on the shoulder.

The Yetis sway, having their support taken out from under them. Kunai fiercely continues the onslaught, shooting his Avengers through the arms.

As two of the Yetis fall, two more Yeti and Pepe arrive on the scene, creating large quakes as they pound the ground with their fists angrily.

Kunai takes a step back, accessing the situation. “Crap, why are there so many?! The more we kill, the more show up! What’s up with this?”

Meanwhile, Ryuu, Arai, Ayame, and Gwen finally arrive at the scene where the explosion had occurred. They turn their heads about, searching cautiously for the Paradox hidden in the darkness of the trees.

“You sure it was here?” Ayame questions, grasping her Geta in hand.

“I’m positive,” Ryuu replies. “Be on your guard.”

“Fools,” a voice suddenly rings throughout the clearing, stirring the tips of the trees in a foreboding manner.

The small group glances about themselves apprehensively, searching for the source of the voice. Suddenly Gwen screams out loud, pointing up at the sky.

Immediately, the four of them leap out of the way, as an asteroid of icy material crashes into the ground, leaving an enormous crater. Ryuu, Arai, Ayame, and Gwen lay sprawled across the rim of the still-smoking crater, searching the skies for the source of the attacker.

“You are slow to react,” the voice persists. Suddenly out of the blue, a hooded figure appears in the sky, held up by a pillar of icy stone. By the figure’s side, a monstrous creature takes form into the shape of a black dragon, outlined with an icy blue tinge.

The dragon opens its mouth wide, drawing forth another one of its devastating ice-meteor attacks. “Kill them, my loyal pet,” the figure orders of the dragon.

Ryuu’s eyes widen, as the dragon charges its devastating attack. “Who the hell are you?!” he shouts in the air.

“A member of the Shalom Clan, and nothing more,” the figure answers in an icy tone. “Words are futile. I have no more that I wish to discuss with you folk. Be gone.”

All of a sudden, the ice dragon finishes charging its attack.