Power Rangers Crystal Guardians Part II-
What has happened so far?
Christina was attacked by two beings, Runri and Yuki. Zephlin comes in to rescue Christina and says that she is to be the Elysion Gold Ranger. Over time, Christina finds the other Elysion Rangers, and when all of them are united, Runri and Yuki break away from the side of evil while at the same time not befriending the side of good.
The rest of the Power Rangers, Spike, Ray, Jacquie and Eric have joined the team by now and it is revealed that Zephlin is the White Ranger.
Even though Zephlin was the one to gather the Rangers of Elysion together, he still declares Christina the leader. This angers Spike, who disagrees that she should even be a Power Ranger.
The group has a lot of problems to work out, but they still work well as a team and have succeeded in stalling the enemies' plans for a while. But at a sacrifice. Christina was captured, and she discovered that Char, a servant of the enemy, was under a spell. In order to break the spell, Christina laid down her powers in an attack, and was hospitalized. Her plan worked, and Char is now on the Elysion Rangers' side.
During the fight against Char, Christina was transported to New Tech City, where she currently lies in a coma at the SPD Headquarters' Medical Center. The rest of the Elysion Rangers were welcomed by Commander Cruger, and now reside there, waiting for Christina to recover from her coma.
Chapter One:
Hidden Allies
Her breath came in and out with a sharpness to it. Faint voices could be heard. The voices sounded nearby, yet far away. Her face rested against something that felt cold and lifeless, and her eyes were refusing to open without her feeling like she was forcing them to.
Christina realized she must have been captured, and her senses began to wake up much faster. She sat up and rubbed her hand against her forehead, and she realized something else: she had un-morphed. She felt a wave of panic flow through her and felt her right wrist, her communicator was still there.
She stood up and looked around, starting to take in her surroundings. She was in a small cell that was completely devoid of all light and reflective objects. No wonder why she had un-morphed. With no light nearby, she had no power. And she didn't quite have the ability to draw light to herself like metal does with a magnet yet, either.
She noticed thick bars towards what she assumed was the front end of her cell and walked forward. It was just as dark and dingy outside her cell as it was inside. She reached forward to touch the bars, and was suddenly sent flying backwards against the opposite wall by a shock of electricity.
Well, she thought, rubbing her now aching back and shoulders, I'm not going to try that anytime soon again. She heard footsteps from somewhere nearby and stood up. If she was in Zephron's prisoner hold, she wouldn't give him the pleasure of seeing her weak and defenseless.
"I see you've woken up." Zephron's voice said from the shadows outside her prison cell. "How do you like the arrangements?" He asked. "I'm sorry it couldn't have been a little cheerier, but anything that reflects some kind of light means that you might get away from me."
Christina chose not to respond, which seemed to be the wise thing to do at the moment.
"Char," Zephron said in a commanding voice.
"Yes, my master?" Char stepped forward.
"Take the girl to the surface chamber." Zephron instructed.
"Of course." Char bowed.
Christina had never seen the boy, but she did remember the name and the voice from somewhere, but the source of her vivid memories eluded her. This annoyed her greatly, especially as her wrists were tied up behind her back.
Use your power. A childlike voice said inside her very heart.
She panicked. Great. Now she was hearing things.
Look within… Use your power. The same childlike voice encouraged her.
And Christina forced herself to calm down even as she was led down the dank and dark hallway.
I'll help you…The childlike voice continued. The others won't know where you were taken, so I'll help you escape so you can send them a signal.
Who are you? Christina thought, while keeping her facial expression neutral as best she could.
A friend. The childlike voice answered simply. I'll tell you when to act… I'll deal out the rest of the cards then on my own.
Gotcha. Christina only allowed herself to smile mentally, not showing anything on the outside but on the inside she felt highly satisfied, thinking that there might just yet be a way out of the hellhole that she was in.
"But how do we get her out of there? It's been hours and yet we still have got nothing." Jacquie was saying, looking and sounding frustrated.
"Calm down… If I know my sister, then she must have a guardian angel protecting her all this time." Elione said in a calm, reassuring tone of voice.
"Yup, I always knew your family was a bunch of weirdoes." Jacquie leaned against a tree. "Never thought I'd end up hoping that your belief turned out to be true."
There was a sudden loud but familiar shriek in the air.
"He's back." Zephlin said, referring to his Phoenix. He had sent out his Phoenix to scout the surrounding mountains to see if there was anything unusual that hadn't been there before.
"Ack… Don't you have a mute button for that thing?" Eric asked, holding his hands to his ears in hopes of dimming the sound the way holding your hands around a sphere of light dims the light coming from the sphere.
Zephlin held out his arm for his Phoenix to land on it, reminding Ray strongly of an Eagle trainer.
"He says he found something on the tallest mountain to the left that might offer us a clue as to where they took our leader." Zephlin said after a few moments.
"The tallest mountain in the range… That's mount Zai!" Jacquie realized out loud. "It's where a lot of people gather once a year at its base to worship and pay tribute to those colonists who dared to climb it and… well… colonize it. No one's ever tried to climb it since because the weather is always so unpredictable…"
"Well perhaps the descendants of those people can tell us something about the changes in the mountain that my friend found. Rangers… are you ready?" Zephlin looked at each of them. It was not a question, but rather, a demand.
They nodded and prepared to morph.
"Elysion White Ranger—"
"Elysion Blue Ranger—"
"Elysion Green Ranger—"
"Elysion Red Ranger—"
"Elysion Purple Ranger—"
"Transform!"
Now! The childlike voice said rather loudly in Christina's mind, and she stopped walking.
"Hey! I don't recall telling you to stop! Besides, you have no power… How can you possibly retaliate and leave unharmed?" Zephron snapped.
"Zephron… A person like me doesn't need outside forces to find their light…" Christina stated firmly. "All they need is a little faith in themselves… Strength… Determination… And speed!" She suddenly whirled around, throwing up her legs to kick her captors down.
Grab the key. The childlike voice instructed, and Christina saw the key on Char's black belt. She whirled around again while still looking back at the fallen figure of the boy, and grabbed the key quickly before they recovered from the shock of the surprise retaliation. Get further down the hallway… Quickly!
She didn't need telling twice, she sped down the hallway, making sure not to let go of the key she had in her hand. She found a safe spot, and struggled to undo the shackles that bound her hands behind her back. It felt very awkward for several minutes while she frantically worked to get the key into the key whole, then finally she heard the click that sounded like her life was starting again.
How can I get out of here without any power? She thought desperately.
You have power… Look inside and call it out. Light isn't destroyed… It is created, given or found. Never created.
All right, your call. You've helped me out this far; I see no reason why I should start doubting you now. Christina thought.
"Elysion Gold Ranger, transform!" She called out, and to her amazement, she transformed into the Gold Ranger despite there being no source of light. "Awesome." She said out loud. She looked at her outfit; it was still pretty much the same as it always had been, except now there was a golden crest on her chest with a gold dragon encircling the moon.
She heard footsteps coming closer to her hiding place, and she stepped out into the open.
Don't get too complacent, now. The childlike voice warned her.
Don't worry… I know what I'm doing. She thought back at it.
Zephron, Char and the fat guy all stopped in their steps when they saw her standing there in full Ranger motif.
"Great… And you said she couldn't morph inside the deepest pits of Hades where there was no light to be found." Zephron snapped at Izor, who seemed to cower at his wrath.
"Master, can I show her my power now?" Char asked.
"Oh, very well. Go all out if you must, but make sure she is still alive when you bring her back to me." Zephron turned sharply on his heals. "Izor, come with me. I will have you take care of another problematic matter for me."
"Yes, my lord." Izor hurried after his master.
"So, what's this big surprise you've got in store for me… Char, is it?" Christina asked.
"Something I've been saving just for you." Char said with a grin. "You've been nothing but a thorn in our side since your buddy, Zephlin, found you. Taking away our most powerful servants, and destroying the others that we sent out to capture you… You'll pay for your crimes against us…" Char held up his right wrist, revealing a silver watch with a black band around the clock.
"No way… You're a Power Ranger too?" Christina said, not hiding her surprise.
"Yes… And now you'll pay! Elysion Black Ranger, Transform!" Char became encased by black light – or was it energy? Christina couldn't decide. And he then transformed into an unmistakable Ranger of Elysion. The stripes on his arms and legs were gold, exactly the opposite color and pattern of the Gold Rangers' uniform.
His weapon was a long, curved sword with an equally long handle. The sword looked as if it was entirely made of ebony stone, and looked like it could cut through flesh and bone without a problem.
"Wonderful, isn't it? Two Rangers from the same legend pitted against each other, being forced to fight for their very survival." Char's voice came from underneath the black helmet that encased his head.
Christina scoffed.
"You're no Power Ranger." She snapped. "A Power Ranger doesn't fight for evil… A Ranger fights to protect the weak and innocent."
"Oh save your speech for someone who cares." Char said, lifting his large sword in preparation of attack. "Let's just get to business, shall we?"
Christina prepared to unsheathe her swords, but he was too quick even with his bulky weapon. She had to dodge out of the way quickly or risk being skewered like a human shish kabob. She unsheathed her swords as the Black Ranger turned around, and prepared to attack.
Standing at the peak of Mount Zai, the other Rangers were all looking for something that would lead them in the direction of where their leader was.
"So what are we looking for? All I've got is freezer burn on my fingers." The Red Ranger said, looking around.
"Patient. My friend said he found something here, like an entrance to a cave." The White Ranger stated.
"I still wish these uniforms came with thermal heating." The Red Ranger stepped a little further away from the group, noticing a strange black spot in the ground.
"What is it?" The Silver and Purple Rangers followed him.
"Zephlin, you might want to come take a look at this." The Silver Ranger called.
The others gathered around the black spot on the ground, and saw what appeared to be an opening to an underground tunnel.
"That's not the best part, listen." The Red Ranger said, sarcastically. Though he did mean it when he told them to listen.
They all went quiet, and could hear the faint sound of sword battle. The Red Ranger didn't notice the ground weakening underneath his feet, and almost ruined their cover when the ground collapsed altogether and he hit the floor.
"Ouch… I'm okay." He said, sitting up as he rubbed the back of his helmet.
"So… Where do you think this tall, dark and ugly tunnel goes to?" The Silver Ranger asked.
"Hopefully, to the source of that battle sound, and thus… Hopefully to Christina." The Blue Ranger said, stepping forward after leaping down to join them. The others followed him without question.
Fighting in the small hallway was not very comfortable. However, no pain no gain and Christina would rather fight than surrender to a prick that pretended to be a Ranger of Elysion.
"Why are you fighting for Zephron?" She demanded, blocking Char's sword with her own. The childlike voice now came from her, only it mingled with Christina's as well. "It is not the way of a Guardian of the Crystal!"
"I said save your speech for someone who cares!" Char snapped. "You don't know what you're talking about!"
There was a blast of dark energy from his sword, forcing the Gold Ranger against, and through the wall.
"Crap… That's gonna hurt tomorrow." She grumbled, rubbing her back and sitting up. She watched as the Black Ranger followed the path of destruction that she left behind to find her again. She stood up and sheathed her swords. She would not surrender, but she would not fight him either. "We're both Power Rangers, we're the same. Why can't we fight together instead of against each other?" She asked once he came within striking distance. The two voices were still intermingling with each other.
"Shut up! Just shut the hell up!" Char's voice came from his helmet. "Black Mist Attack!" He shouted.
The Gold Ranger suddenly felt herself sinking into the ground and she struggled to break free of the globs' hold on her legs.
"Azure Hurricane!" A familiar voice shouted, and she found herself being freed and able to move on her own again.
"Guys!" Christina said in surprise. "How did you get here?"
"Oh, we just decided to drop in." The Red Ranger said. "And now it's time to crash the party." He added, getting ready to do some martial arts offensive.
"Wait! Don't fight him!" The Gold Ranger warned.
"Why not?" The Red Ranger asked.
"Because… He's a Ranger just like us, can't you see?" The Gold Ranger looked over at Char in his Black Ranger uniform.
"It's true… When I first came to Earth, Christina wasn't the first one that I found. But Zephron was too quick for me at the time and the young boy ended up falling under Zephron's spell." Zephlin nodded.
"I see…" Christina muttered.
"Char… Unleash the Wormhole now." Zephron's voice echoed throughout the chamber.
"Yes, master." The Black Ranger nodded. He then stuck his blade into the ground, at least a foot from the tip, and spoke what appeared to be another language.
"That's the same disturbance in the Space-Time Continuum that I felt earlier!" The Purple Ranger said. "Everybody, duck!"
All the Rangers except for the Black Ranger ducked down low as the giant wormhole that he summoned appeared behind him.
Christina had to do some quick thinking, and then she turned to the others.
"Ray, take care of things for me." She said, before jumping forward with her swords outstretched, forcing Char and herself through the wormhole. Then the wormhole vanished in a flash of black light, and the brief sound of gravity disfiguring metal. And the second after that happened, the group of Power Rangers was forced back to Zephlin's clearing in the woods by an unknown force.
Spike cursed loudly after un-morphing back to his 'normal' state.
"What happened?" He demanded of Zephlin, who looked older and graver than usual.
"I had no idea that they had the power to open up Wormholes and Time Warps. There is no telling where she and the Black Ranger will end up now."
"He's no Ranger." Ray said.
"That boy is a Power Ranger whether you like it or not." Zephlin said so sternly that nobody said another word. He was giving a look that dared them to start another argument with him, and it was quite scary in their opinion. "And Christina must have been thinking that there was a need to bring him back to our side."
The others stopped what they were doing- mainly anything to try and ignore him- and looked at him.
"If all of the Rangers aren't together as one team, then the Crystal cannot be found and we have failed to do our job. Ray, it is obvious that she chose you to be our leader in her place while she was gone. You'll decide what will be our next move." Zephlin said, looking at Ray with an impassive expression on his face.
Ray nodded.
"Is there any way for us to track her communicator?" Ray asked. "I think we should try finding her first before we do anything else and confirm whether or not she is still able and willing to fight after we find her."
"There is a way to track a fellow Rangers' communicators…" Zephlin said thoughtfully. He walked over to the large boulder that was shaped like a giant chair. A screen appeared in the center of the chair and two blips were on the screen soon after.
"Hey, look." Jacquie said. "That gold flashing circle… Just outside that city."
"That's gotta be Christina. That black circle has to be that boy, then." Spike said.
"Yes, but that is in S.P.D. territory, I will have to contact Commander Cruger before we move in on their turf." Zephlin told them. He touched the screen and the face of the Commander of S.P.D. Power Ranger force appeared on screen.
"Lieutenant Zephlin, long time no see." Commander Cruger said. "I wasn't expecting your next report until a month from now."
"Yes, Commander, but an emergency has changed my plans. One of my Rangers has gone missing, and we think she may be in your territory." Zephlin explained. "Can you check your radar to see if there aren't any more Rangers in your area that aren't part of your squad?"
"Yes, our scanners have already picked up the Gold Ranger's signal. There's also another one as well." Commander Cruger responded.
"Yes, we know another Power Ranger went with her when she went into the wormhole. We just weren't sure as to where that wormhole opened up after it vanished." Zephlin nodded.
"Very well, I give you and your team permission to come into our territory to help your comrade." Commander Cruger nodded. "I will dispatch the B Squad in case the fight gets out of hand before you get there."
"Talk about mood-swings." Jacquie whispered so only Elione and Eric could hear her.
"You'd be moody too if one of your leaders went MIA." Elione whispered back.
"Good point." Jacquie shrugged.
"Cat, call the B Squad." Cruger ordered as soon as Zephlin signed off.
"Yes, sir." Cat nodded.
Within a few moments, Sky, Z, Sydney, Jack and Bridge had all filed into the Command Room.
"Rangers, I need you to go to the point just outside of the city. There you will find these two battling—" He showed the Gold and Black Rangers of Elysion on the screen, and the fierce battle that was currently underway between them.
"So, which one is on the good side?" Bridge asked.
"Currently, the Gold Ranger is trying to turn the Black Ranger over from the enemies' team." Cruger explained. "That is all I know."
"Wait a minute… How come we've never seen them before now?" Sky asked. "And how do you know it's not just some sort of trick of Grumm?"
"These Rangers are trained by another person whose responsibility is different from ours. Their trainer is an old friend of mine called Zephlin, and we both trained at S.P.D. Academy. You can trust these Rangers, just don't interfere unless things get out of hand before the rest of their team appears to help." Cruger told them. The Rangers nodded. "You are dismissed."
For what seemed like an eternity, the Gold Ranger felt as though she were being sucked through a tube made of gravity. So this is what traveling coach feels like. She thought, trying to humor herself a little bit. She looked around and saw nothing but what looked like warping space around her. Just as she was starting to feel queasy, she saw a short way in front of her what looked like a city off in the distance and she pulled herself towards it.
She felt the gravity try to pull her back into the warping space, but she pulled away from its influence as much as she could until finally it broke away from her entirely. She landed face-first in a pile of dirt and stood up slowly after she recovered from the slight shock of having been thrown through a space-warp.
"Aw, the little warrior girl feeling a little worn-out from her trip?" The Black Ranger said, stepping slowly forward. He was obviously used to these kind of trips.
"Char, if that really is your name," The Gold Ranger stood up. "I will ask you one more time to please join our side. I don't want to have to fight a fellow Power Ranger… But if it is the only way, then I will fight you."
"I'll make you a deal," The Black Ranger stopped just a few feet away from her. "If you can beat me in an all-out battle, then I will willingly join your side. But if I win, then I will kill you and take your powers to my master."
"Sounds fair enough." The Gold Ranger unsheathed her swords again, and prepared to fight him. "I accept your challenge."
"So… You're ready to die this quickly, huh?" The Black Ranger prepared his sword and raised it to strike down at her. "Your death will be quick, but not painless." He said.
"That's what they all say." The Gold Ranger retorted. "But each time has been a major disappointment." She added in a fake long-suffering tone of voice and sigh.
"So, you're quite the actress." The Black Ranger said as their swords clashed.
The sword was heavier than her own two twin swords, but she thought that was already a given no-brainer considering the monstrous size of his sword.
"Back Lash Wave!" The Black Ranger shouted, directing the blade of his ebony-colored sword at the Gold Ranger, who immediately counter-attacked with her Solar Eclipse Meteor Shower.
The two Powers clashed in an explosion of black and gold light that could be seen for miles around.
"You seem to have gotten stronger since the last time you fought." The Black Ranger stated.
"I've had practice." The Gold Ranger responded.
"You still have a long ways to go, though!" The Black Ranger lunged forward, taking a hidden blaster out of its holster and firing it at his opponent.
She managed to block the lasers from his blaster with her swords, and the lasers ricochet from her swords to a nearby hilltop, where the Gold Ranger noticed a group of five people in uniform that she knew instinctively must have been the S.P.D. Rangers watching the fight.
"Looks like we've got ourselves an audience." The Black Ranger hissed as he touched his right arm, which he just now realized had an open wound and was quite painful
"Wouldn't be surprised, what with all the racket we've been making here." The Gold Ranger pointed out.
There was a few moments pause while the two caught their breath, and the Gold Ranger decided to try once more to beat her adversary. Guardian, wherever you are now, I need your help. She thought, seeking for that voice that had helped her morph back in Zephrons' lair.
There were a few moments of tense silence, while she waited for a response, then…
I will help you. Focus all of our power into your swords. Our light should pierce the darkness clouding his heart. The voice answered after what felt like an eternity. And break his sword.
Right. The Gold Ranger thought as she started to try and focus all of her power into her twin swords, she recognized the lightheaded feeling she was starting to get and was not happy about it. She cursed in her own thoughts. Not now… Can't you wait for once till after I'm done fighting? She thought fiercely at herself.
Focus! The voice told her in a strict voice. Use all you've got otherwise it won't break the hold Zephron has on the Black Ranger!
Within moments, Christina could feel the power reverberating in her swords, to almost overflowing. She looked at the Black Ranger, who waited for her to make the next move.
"Aren't you ready yet? Or is the little girl still catching her breath?" He snapped impatiently.
"To save you a little bit of time, the good side always wins." Christina told him, and she ran straight towards him just as she saw in the corner of her eye a group of familiar people show up on the same hilltop that S.P.D. was observing on. She quickly put that out of her mind so she could focus on her main objective, and shouted, "Solar Eclipse Meteor Shower!" Her attack came from both the heavens, and her swords, bombarding the Black Ranger with wave after wave of golden energy.
The Black Ranger counterattacked after he regained his self-composure, and even through the waves of the attack, he gathered his own energy, and said the words of his own attack.
"Back Lash Wave!"
Again, their powers collided with each other with tremendous affect, illuminating everything with either a black or gold light and forcing the onlookers to shield their eyes because of the intensity of the light and energy. When the two colors of light faded away, the Gold Ranger stood in a position as though she had just struck an enemy soldier down with her twin swords. The Black Ranger stood with his own large sword raised in a position that suggested he had been doing all he could to ward off her attack.
There were a few moments of stunned silence as the two foes looked at each other, then the Gold Rangers' helmet began to crack down the center, and it shattered altogether with a loud pang. A small trickle of blood came down from her head, to her forehead and down a side of her nose, and she un-morphed completely, back to her 'normal' human form.
The Black Ranger un-morphed, to reveal that a change had come over him once again. His hair was still black, straight, and shoulder-length, but there was a new light in his dark blue eyes. His skin wasn't as pale, either, and that was obvious considering he wore a black sweater, pants and shoes.
"You've come back to us at last…" The Gold Ranger said in a satisfied, but weakened tone of voice.
"Christina, Char!" Zephlin shouted, running towards the two of them with an unusual expression on his face. It was almost as though he didn't know whether to praise Christina for her stubbornness, or to scold her for risking herself to free a fellow Ranger. So instead, he settled for, "That's enough!"
"It's you…" Char looked over at Zephlin. "You said you would come for me."
Christina un-morphed, and Zephlin stopped in his place.
"Christina, are you alright?" He asked, noting how pale and only 'half-there' she looked.
The other Rangers, including the S.P.D., joined them moments later.
"Guys, you can trust Char now… He is on our side." Christina stated, trying her best to fight off the blackness that threatened to engulf her.
"Christina, you need to rest." Zephlin said, "You've expended too much of your power and energy that you aren't used to using yet."
"Guys, don't be too hard on each other… Especially Char." Christina mumbled just before the darkness fell across her eyes.
She felt herself falling into darkness. Falling, falling, until she lost all consciousness and everything else seemed to just fade away. Even the voices that were shouting seemed to be far off in the distance, like an old out-of-tune radio that was struggling to pick up a networks' signal on its receiver until finally just giving out altogether. She didn't understand why this was happening, but even as she tried to hold onto her thoughts and figure things out, they slipped away like when she tried to hold onto beach sand. The more she held onto it, the more it just slipped through her very fingers. She gave into the looming darkness for now, thinking that maybe she just needed some time to recharge before she was able to figure things out. That was her last comforting thought as everything became lost to her.
"We need to get her to a Med. Lab and fast." Spike said, touching Christina's forehead.
"We can take her to the one at Central." Jack suggested. "They've got the very best doctors stationed there."
"Thank you, we accept your offer." Zephlin said. "You wouldn't happen to be Commander Crugers' legendary B Squad, would you?" He added.
"Yes, but first, let's get your leader to the Med. Lab, then we can talk." Sky answered.
Char remained very quiet throughout the while as they were transported to S.P.D. Central, even as they were greeted by Cruger himself and quickly shown to the Med. Lab waiting area. Char wondered how long he had been under Zephrons' spell, and why the very person he had tried to kill had wanted to risk their own life to bring him to their side. His mind buzzed with many questions, even as he sat down in a semi-comfortable chair away from the rest of the group. He even ignored the doctors as they insisted that they tend to the scar on his arm. He had his own reasons for keeping the scar, but he would not reveal it to anybody. At least, not yet.