Chapter 2- Monster Mayhem

Xxxxx

Following the Attack
Aboard the Ship
Sanzu River-Netherworld

The waves turbulently crashed against the body of the ship, causing the expanse sailing craft to roughly rock back and forth. In the distance, the swell of the auburn sea was almost tipping to the other side. With the amount of despair the most recent Nighlock caused, the plan to flood the Sanzu River was becoming successful.

Master Xandred happily drank his medicine, but stopped midway, realizing that his headaches were subsiding. The fact that Dayu went rouge hadn't bothered him anymore, nor did the annoying Furry Warts. They were sounding more melodic to him. The main villain rose from the wooden crate he was leisurely sitting on, passing by the surprised Octoroo and an inquisitive Serrator. He went above the board. Proudly, he advanced towards the prow of the ship, standing in a statuesque pose. This was his reign at his finest. Doing things his predecessors couldn't do before. He felt superior.

"Oh, ah, oh," Octoroo routinely said, while extending his head and looking towards the top. "Master Xandred is very happy right now."

"Of course he would be, after all, I sent out my finest monster," Serrator snidely commented, while internally making some plans. "Her mother might've failed before, but she's nothing like her."

"Nothing like my mother, huh," Empusa scoffed and stepped inside of the ship. She daintily sat on a fresh crate. A resurrected Mooger approached her with a bowl of ambrosia. "Thank you," she delightfully acknowledged and began to sip the drink of the Gods. "My mother yielded some success against those disgusting miscreants. However, how could she break that winning team? The Falcon and Crane, the Ape and Bear, along with the Wolf and Frog," she hated them. "For that matter, Rita and Lord Zedd were bumbling fools, and don't get me started on Rito and Goldar," she scoffed at the thought.

After her mother birthed her, Empusa was full grown and practically ripe. Rita and Lord Zedd held a party for her arrival and invited other villains. The soiree was grand, and that night the moon was the place to be. Miss Chief had a plan for her daughter, one that would put her in the higher ranks with Lord Zedd and Rita.

With Scorpina, Goldar's plighted, back on Titan, and Squatt and Baboo were a little to close to comfort, the only person left was Rito. The daughter was none too pleased with her mother's choice, and to spite her child, since 'mother knows best', she had sprayed her with the intention to make this match voluntary. From her father, Empusa gained stealth attributes. And she escaped just in time, but Goldar and Rito weren't too lucky. As a result, a pissed off Scorpina, who had to come back to the moon, executed her rage on Goldar for falling for another woman, while Rito was firm on making Empusa his bride.

The young monster, at the time, would've rather died at the hands of the Power Ranger or been in battle with Scorpina; after all, they had some animosity towards each other, than become the empress next to Rito. She loathed the skeleton more than anything. Even more, she sadly remembered it was her mother's death that broke the spell on everyone.

After her mother's death, Empusa did what any adult would do and explored the universe. That's how she came in contact wit Serrator. They soon fell in love, and due to the space's time difference, they had been together for centuries. Rather than decades to the human world.

Serrator clenched his fan, as she spoke of her past. "Thanks for the unnecessary history lesson," he sarcastically confessed.

"Oh, Serrator, you can't be that jealous," the female monster waved his words away.

"You were talking about your ex," he tightly mentioned.

"We were never together," she nicely reminded him.

"You say that now, but you were promised to him," Serrator said. "Damn your mother," he cursed.

"Leave my mother out of this," Empusa ordered with fury.

"I'd leave her mother out of his," Octoroo interrupted.

"Shut up," Serrator commanded tautly while huffing.

"Bitch," Octoroo muttered. The right hand man to Master Xandred shuffled towards them. "Are you sure the effects are long lasting?"

"As long my finger aren't cut off," she began to finely nail them down, "there's nothing to worry about," the Nighlock answered. "Right about now, the rangers should be at each other's throats. They're bigger idiots than I thought. How the Pink Ranger doesn't know the Red Ranger is her betrothed is beyond me," Empusa irritatingly gossiped. "Then there's the Green and Yellow Ranger, who are promised to one another. The poor Blue and Gold ranger, now that's another story. They're trying to cover up their sexuality, at least the Gold Ranger is slowly opening up about his."

"Well, you better get back out there," Octoroo was already tired of her. Part of him wished for Dayu to be back here; he could accept her malicious quips rather than a high school gabfest, "or Master Xandred is going to throw you over the ship and make sure you never come back."

"Now, Octoroo is that any way to speak to a guest," Serrator bowed down to this woman. He tenderly grasped for her hand. "She's the best thing to happen on this ship." The two began to speak sweet things privately.

All the while, Master Xandred pondered about the attraction he held. He missed her, although, he was cruel to her. He had some explantion for that. That inane musical instrument should've been torched from the beginning due to its significance. On the other hand, he needed that melody to soothe the choler that chronically erupted within his soul. Master Xandred never spoke of his feelings, and why should he? As the ruler of the Netherworld, his matters were concerned with taking over the world, the Netherworld, the universe, not reserving time for his personal issues. Forever, he was grateful to her, and yes, he still loved her, even if she was in love with someone else. It was a bitter pill to swallow, to know he wasn't the object of her eye. Moisture, not the one related to the Sanzu's essence, emerged in his eyes. He had to shake this weakness off.

He walked down the ship's stairs. Pretty soon, Master Xandred returned to his post, and he became exasperated at the scene playing before him. "What's going on here," he noted the philandering between his 'co-leader' and their subordinate. He snorted at them mixing business with pleasure. What a horrible combination, he mused. "I leave for five minutes to enjoy the sweet smell of my victory and come back to this laziness."

Glaring at the man, Empusa hoisted her body up. "How dare you say that to me," she sauntered towards him. "I went out there and battled, I'm the reason why the rangers are fighting each other, and you are upset with me for taking a break?" She disbelievingly asked.

"Such disrespect to your leader," Master Xandred roared curtly at her. "You were invited onto my ship, and I will gladly pull rank on you."

"Rank," Empusa wasn't having it. She left his side and resumed her stance with Serrator. Her fingers delicately tickled his chest armor. "He doesn't want me to leave."

Octoroo brought his staff forward and charged it up. "You heard Master Xandred, oh, ah, oh, you better leave now," he slowly ascended the cudgel.

"Poor Octoroo," the sole female aboard stated, knowing he was just as disposable as the former occupant of this place. Just then, a thought formed in her head. She sweetly smiled, while contemplating.

"Now, now, now, we shall not act like this towards one another," Serrator pointedly interjected, and he smoothed the suit of the woman he has history with. He inconspicuously kept feeling around her body. "We aren't too far from ravaging Earth for what it is, and us fighting isn't helping the situation."

"Oh shut up Serrator, you're too busy in lust with her to know left from right," Octoroo hushed him.

"At least I'm getting some," Serrator muttered under his breath.

"I heard that," Octoroo fazed him with his staff.

Serrator's usual white glow morphed to the color of blood. "What I would give to send the Papyrox monster towards you," he hissed irately.

"Your mama," Octoroo exclaimed.

"Up yours," Serrator was offended.

"Enough of this," Master Xandred snapped at them, and the ship tossed and turned erratically at his discretion. He was fuming with a dangerous amount of emotional arousal. He growled at the patrons on his ship. "This is insubordination! I am the leader, and I have heard enough. Fraternization is strictly forbidden," he held that close to his heart with obvious reason. He contorted his body to summon a Mooger for medicine.

Empusa loathed the way she was spoken to. Extracting her revenge, the inopportune moment was too good to be true. Her porcupine tips mutated into the alluring green color from before.

Several creatures secured themselves on Master Xandred's alligatored skin. The annelida hermaphrodites produced the necessary and enchanting hirudin. The cold barrier surrounding his heart languidly dissolved as the leeches tentatively dropped to the floor due to the exhaustion they acquired. He agonizingly groaned at the unusual feeling washing over him, and he plunged towards the floor.

"Why you little," Octoroo couldn't talk, since the Flurry Warts opened their mouths with repetativeness.

"You little, you little, you little," they descended, while chanting their words.

"We'll see you later," Empusa smirked, her hand interlinked with Serrator's, they vanished into thin air.

Octoroo dragged his feet. His lord moving along painfully. "Master Xandred, do you need your medicine," he called for one more Mooger.

"No, I need, I need," Master Xandred failed to stand on the first try. He relaxed his body as much as he could, and he victoriously rose from his mild paralysis. He turned to the stern with a new-found motivation. He would recapture her. "I need her."

"Master Xandred, no," Octoroo pleaded with him, and he struggled to hold on to the abrasive arm. "Don't leave."

"Octoroo, down boy," the leader snarled, as he was about to head to Earth.

"No, Master Xandred, you will perish on Earth's soil, and to regenerate you'll live in the Sanzu waters for some time. That would leave the rangers to be happy. Oh, ah, oh, that I don't like," the elder right hand man expressed rationally. "Stop it!"

Master Xandred forcefully shrugged him off. "I must hear her music again."

Octoroo began to exhale heavily. "Master, you don't need her music, the waters are at such a high elevation, everything should be okay," the shorter fellow pointed towards the light siam toned waves still thrashing about. This was unlike his master to suddenly abandon the ship, but he wasn't particularly questioning the 'her' in this situation.

When Dayu entered the ship, Master Xandred recruited her for the music. The sorrowful melody cured the burgeoning migraines. Yes, the music was magical, but that wasn't the only thing. He, soon, felt anomalous emotions for Dayu. In return, his anger erupted all the time in the ship's quarters due to her holding onto feelings for another person-he same person she belonged to in another life. He constantly berated, taunted, and yelled to curb her nonreciprocating rapture.

Octoroo observed this.

The third person in this little soiree, even with his amnesia, wouldn't be excited about this outcome.

"I do whatever I want, and if I need to kidnap her, I will," Master Xandred vowed with intimidation.

He entered the gap, which left Octoroo frightened for everyone's life involved.

Xxxxx

The Forest
Panorama City, CA
Earth

Dayu held her Furry Wart, while moping throughout the forest's land. Serrator was taking his sweet and precious time in fixing her Harmonium-the last item that reminded her of her previous life. Master Xandred was so cruel to her; he demolished her instrument, which caused her to flee the ship. She was sick and tired of being his doormat.

She regressed her steps, so she could leave to her resting spot. As she got closer, his movements were more pronounced. She stopped to see him.

Just a few yards away, Deker, her love from centuries prior to this existence, superbly moved around with a mealy Moogers' sword. His taut moves with the weapon portrayed a fluid, refined dance, the shininess of the garnet hitting the suns' rays and illuminating his heavily garbed body. Dayu remembered when he wore absolutely nothing, his muscled body a top of hers, her body climaxing at the feel of him moving inside of her so passionately. She hadn't realized she stopped breathing. That memory kept lingering. Their link was demolished due to a decision, a selfless one at that. All she wanted was to save him, so she sacrificed herself to be a Nighlock. Unfortunately, she was betrayed. Deker became a half human, half Nighlock with no memory of who she was or what they shared.

This wasn't supposed to happen.

She crept in his direction, loudly cracking a branch.

"Dayu, where is Serrator," he queried, while using his fingertip to lazily cleanse the blade. His back turned to her. "My hunger is increasing, and I need my Uramasa back."

"I haven't heard from him in two days," she answered. "You aren't the only one needing their relished possession." She went to sit down on a large stone, knowing her place was to act like a statue. The woman that used to live on Xandred's ship wanted to ask him questions. Jog his memory, do something. Each time, she became vastly frightened with his possible response.

"What's with you," Deker inquired, since she was a little more quieter than usual.

Her Furry Wart popped up, and she massaged the top of its head. "Missing Dayu, missing Dayu," the yellow, hairy ball chirped.

The opponent of the Red Ranger twisted to face her. Intrigued by the statement. "Does someone miss you," he questioned. This was unlike him to care. Most of the time he was obsessed with fighting the Red Ranger and craving the right duel. Without Uramasa he had the free time to ponder on some issues. He was concerned for Dayu's well-being, and he hoped that if someone was missing her, they wouldn't lay a finger on her. On his perilous journey to find the right adversary; he's encountered her more times than anyone else. He needed to protect her.

On the other hand, it's not like he was infatuated with her or something of that nature.

"Huh," she was surprised with his inquiry, "um, no, I don't think so. Do, do you miss somebody?"

Flashbacks flooded his mind. They were centered around a woman; he couldn't exactly see her face. He remembered laughing, smiling, and bridal carrying her around the land. He was in love, he gathered. Surprisingly, the feeling wasn't nauseating, and he did want to return to that point in his life. Eventually. Concentrating on a specific tree in the distance, he reminisced. "I don't know if I can call it that. I just know there was another life I led. One that wasn't in search of the ultimate duel, and I was indulgently happy. I guess it sounds kind of like a crime," he huskily laughed.

Dayu listened purposefully, while clenching her chest. The thumps of her heart threatening to beat faster.

"It reminds me of the Red Ranger and how he treats the Pink Ranger or the Green Ranger and how much he protects the Yellow Ranger. I believe the male rangers are clueless when it comes to love, and I just want to smack them for ignoring the woman that cares about them the most," he added, while thinking about it harder. "That woman received all of me, and that's all I wanted to do was cater to her. She literally lit up my life."

"Oh, I see," the woman in his memories— his true wife- wanted to cry, but she kept her sadness inside.

"It's ludicrous of me to think about, but that's not what matters. I don't miss her," Deker deceived as he got up and approached his companion for the past couple of weeks. As he strolled over, Dayu became extensively nervous. The thought of him coming near her, breathing on her, oh, she couldn't fathom the reality. That was from so long ago. "Who misses you Dayu?" He caressed her cheek, and she exhaled a breathy sigh.

"Missing Dayu, Missing Dayu," the blob repeated once again.

"I-uh, I," she stammered.

Out of the blue, a whooshing sound was over heard. The sun eclipsed and darkness surrounded them. Deker took a fighting stance, and he faced the direction of the sound. Amicably, he pushed Dayu to the back of him. She started breathing his scent once more, not worrying about what was to come.

She should've though.

As light shone again, the inflamed, cardinal man with cerulean colored accents brandished with a broadsword appeared. Dayu gasped at his unexpected arrival, while Deker's eyes became as hard as stone. The last time the two men were present in front of one another, they fought. This time he didn't expect for their encounter to be any different.

The two brawny mean circled around. Dayu stayed behind Deker.

"Dayu, I command you to return to the ship. I will resurrect your Harmonium," Master Xandred negotiated with intention.

"My Harmonium," Dayu whispered hopefully, and then she thought of Serrator. "Wait, Serrator promised he would revive my instrument. Why should I trust you?"

"I can help you faster than he can," the leader promised, while getting down on his hands and knees. His skin just beginning to get brittle due to the Earth's wholesomeness. He ignored the feeling.

Deker tsked. "Why should she listen to you? You ruined her Harmonium, and you left her out to 'dry'. No pun intended," he rudely remarked.

"Ahhh," the Master grunted, and he directly ogled at the object of his affection. Empusa's spell was enveloping his body at a rapid speed. His inhibitions were leaving, while his vulnerability laid evident. "Please, Dayu, you must come back with me, and I will be loyal to you," he pleaded with much need.

"Master Xandred, why all of a sudden," Dayu whipped around Deker's body, and she faced him bravely. "I'm very confused on why you are being so kind to me," she said unsure of what to do.

"Dayu, do not listen to him," Deker warned her, and he was feeling inadequate now. "Stay here with me, just like we planned. Serrator will aid us and fix both of our prized belongings." Any minute, he was ready to pounce on the man. If he hadn't known any better, Master Xandred was in love with Dayu. That bothered him.

Through a random crack, two leeches were flung potently. They were positioned for one person in mind, and this was Empusa's doing. Serrator nodded this was okay to do. In spite of everything, this would be 'fun'. Playing with Master Xandred was comedy, now, adding Deker and Dayu, she would humiliate the Leader of the Netherworld. With her part done, Empusa and Serrator continued in their intimate venture.

The leeches keenly feasted on Deker's skin. Penetrating his blood with the mystical spell of amor. Pretty soon, his knees loudly crashed on the floor. He was feeling weak, and he struggled to fight this. To no avail, he succumbed to their power.

Immediately, Dayu got down. She helped him and soothed his cheeks. Deker held onto her.

Anger erupted in Master Xandred at the sight.

"Master Xandred, no, I need to check on Deker," she exclaimed in a concerned maner. She was forced away, on the ruler of the Netherworld's behalf, but her eyes concentrated elsewhere.

Drawing his Mooger's sword, Deker stood courageously. "Master Xandred, I challenge you for Dayu's heart." He held onto his head after releasing those words from his mouth. His brain throbbing with all of these unfamiliar emotions.

Master Xadred used the elements to his advantage and struck Deker. Again, the half human-half Nighlock crumbled.

"Deker!" She yelled for him, as Master Xandred clamped his hand harder on her wrist. She screamed in agony, but she couldn't part with the man she has loved for so long. "Let me go," she yanked her arm, but it was futile.

Master Xandred's skin was decaying rapidly. He needed to make a split second decision. He was so close in getting her back, but he couldn't escape with her. He knew it, so he let her go, even though it hurt him to do so. The mad man withdrew to the place that would sustain his body, and he immediately jumped into the Sanzu River to revitalize whatever he had left.

Dayu raced to Deker's fallen body. Her fingers gently massaged his cheek again, and he wallowed in her touches. Deker's fingers laced with hers. His blue eyes stared at her with some recognition.

Instantly, Dayu was thrown back in time.

In her white gown, she marched down the aisle to dedicate her life to the man that owned her heart. She smiled, and she couldn't wait to build a future with him. Even more, she couldn't wait to get home. There, she had a powerful weapon awaiting him. Consummation was on her mind, and she planned to please him all night long. She also wanted to have little brown haired children with dazzling hazel or blue eyes running around in their front yard, either participating in the way of the bushido or learning music. Her life was complete with him, and all she needed to say were those three famous letters.

I do.

"I love you, Dalia," he professed.

As long as she had waited to hear those words, she realized something.

She is Dayu, a Nighlock, and no longer human

Next Chapter- Devotion Distortion (A look into Mentor's life, the Male Rangers battle, Spike shows up, and Mentor isn't pleased)