C3 Red Snow Anniversary

Luna

Jade and I were locked in a cell inside City 3 for a few days. Mula sa maliit na bintana makikita ang pagbagsak ng mga maliit na niyebe.

" I am sorry I thought I could save you" Jade said I came closer to him and lay on his lap.

" Thanks for everything"

"I talked to your Mom before I came here. She said she missed you" I remember the last time I talked to her before I went on the mission so I smiled.

"I wish that this is not the last time that I could see her" I replied while looking at the ceiling.

"Who knows someone will save us" he bluntly said

"I will make sure that you can return to City 4 alive. You must live, Prem is waiting for you" I heard him laugh.

"Before I put the engagement ring on her finger. I clarify something in every mission I go too. I can't promise will I be able to come back alive. She must accept that. Hmm.. Imagine we spend our days in school. Half of your life we

are studying to fulfill our dream of becoming a soldier. Those dreams and struggles, hard work, effort will suddenly disappear with just one bullet"

"You're right that's how it is we can't change that"

"Someone is coming" he said, I got up from lying down and listened to the footsteps coming to our cell.

Sol arrived with four men, he opened the door and went inside.

"We haven't seen each other for a few days. How are you guys? Have you changed your mind?"

"Abandoning the sworn duty would be considered a crime for us" Jade replied to him.

"How about you Commander Luna?"

" I will not change my mind, I would rather die kaysa ilaglag ang mga kasamahan ko" he put his hand on his chin bago sumenyas sa mga kasamahan niya.

They brought out a thick jacket and shoes made of animal skin.

"Put it on, we're going somewhere" we didn't ask anymore. After wearing what they gave, we followed them.

" What's going on?" Jade whispered

There were many people outside, all of them dressed in black and holding flowers. As far as I know today is the 20th anniversary of Red Snow. Sol blew a trumpet hudyat na umusad sa paglalakad ang mga tao sa unahan.

"walk"

We took the steep roads up the mountain. In every breath I feel the extreme coldness of the surroundings.

"You can hold my hand" Jade said as we walked together.

"I'm fine" I put my hand in the thick jacket I was wearing.

A few moments later the sad song will be heard ahead. They are singing a song I don't understand but I guess that's a sad song. I turned back when I heard Sol's voice singing. We just kept walking until we were reach at a cemetery.

Naghiwa hiwalay ang mga tao, and searched for the graves of their loved ones. Mga hiyawan at iyakan sa buong paligid. I am standing while looking at them.

"Daddy" shouted a son who lost his father

"Jessie" I looked at the two old couples. The old woman was hugging the grave, she endure the extreme cold caused by the snow covering the grave.

"We have all lost our loved ones. Hanggat nandiyan ang mga taong nagbabanta sa kaligtasan natin. Hindi tayo matatahimik. How many more life must be sacrificed so that City 5 will fall completely? How many more lives will be taken from us?" The old man shouted.

It's like thousands of needles are piercing my heart. They just want freedom for everyone pero buhay nila ang kapalit sa kanilang paniniwala. It's the same on City 5. In every battle we lose thousands of lives of soldiers.

I also saw a pregnant woman. He is holding a necklace in her left hand.

"I can't handle handle to see this" I saw Jade crying. I tap his shoulder while trying to hold back my tears.

Sol walked to the center before kneeling in front of them all.

" I want to apologize to all those who lost their loved ones. I must admit that it is not easy to overthrow the powerful people who rule City 5. I do not know how many more lives will be lost. Maari isa sa inyo ang sunod na babawian ng buhay dahil sa walang katapusang digmaan ng dalawang lungsod. Maaring ako, o ikaw. Pero gusto kong isipin niyo kung hindi tayo ang gagawa sino ang makipaglaban para sa atin? We are blessed that we are free to make decisions in life. Think about what the people in City 5 are going through. They experience Arthur's cruelty every day. I know many of you are losing hope, what about our loved ones who are the inside City 5" every word that comes out to his mouth is full of determination.

" For the future of the new generations we must not give up" shouted one of his colleagues.

"As long as I live, I will not stop fighting for the freedom of our loved ones who remained prisoners of the rotten and wrong system implemented in City 5" he is looking at me while saying those words. He has a power to fire them up now I know why he became the leader of the flying army.

"They are right, we will fight"

"We will fight" for some reason the snow stopped falling.

Fast forward

" Alam mo minsan tinatanong ko ang sarili ko sino ba talaga ang tama. Mayroon ngang kasabihan hindi magkaroon ng rebillion or protest kung tama ang pamamalakad ng mga nakaupo sa pwesto"

I sighed

"We race in the same way pero bakit iba ang paniniwala nila?" Dagdag pa niya

" Lumaki tayo sa ibat ibang pamamaraan. For those someone who are lucky na nasa kanila lahat gigising sila sa umaga na nasa kanila parin ang lahat. Habang ang mga taong pinanganak na walang wala sa tingin mo malaki ang possibilities na sa paggising nila nandiyan na ang mga bagay na pinakaaasam nilang makuha?" He laughed after hearing what I said.

"Who knows?" He shrugged his shoulders in response

I remember a book that I read before when I was in college. A leopard is trying to reach the highest pick of the mountain. It is the same scenery, winter season, thick snow covering the entire mountain. He never stopped climbing no matter how difficult the road was. A few days later he managed to reach the top of the mountain. His body is weak, he has nothing to eat and drink, only snow can be seen all around. He lay on the ground as he waited na malagutan siya ng hininga. I just wondered if he doesn't know na ganoon ang kahahantungan niya o kapag alam niya na ganoon ang mangyayari sa kanyang pag akyat tutuloy pa kaya siya?

I looked at the people walking ahead. They already know the outcome of this battle but still they continue to fight.

"Are you one of them?" He asked while looking at the flying army.

"Yes I am a soldier"

"Really? I want to be a soldier when I grow up" he said using that innocent face. I remember my old self on him.

" Why you wanted to be a soldier?"

" I want to protect my love ones. I don't want them to see crying. Maybe if I can protect them they won't cry anymore"