Summary: 500 years ago the Sacred Beasts were locked in a fierce battle with Empress Ventrixa and her clan. 5 humans were chosen to bear the powers of the Sacred Beasts, becoming the first Phantom Rangers. 500 years later, the seal around Ventrixa is weakened and evil breaks free once more. 5 new humans are chosen to become the 120th generation of the Phantom Rangers. Can they seal the Empress before the entire world is engulfed in darkness forever?
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Power Rangers Phantom Force
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Chapter II
The monster charged towards Arashi with sharpened claws extended, but the latter easily dodged out of the way from the attempted assault. Pulling his sword from his belt, Arashi raised it over his head and slashed downward, catching the monster right in the crevice between its neck and shoulder. Hissing in pain from the wound, it retreated several feet away from him.
"Pesky ranger! We should have gotten rid of you five hundred years ago!"
"I wasn't born five hundred years ago!" Arashi retorted.
The monster fired a ball of purple energy at him, and every instinct in his head screamed it was poisonous should it touch him.
Use fire against it!
"Fire?"
Holding his hands out in front of him like a shield, Arashi concentrated and felt his palms heating up like warming pads. Visualizing a ball of fire erupting from his palms, he was shocked to see when it actually did happen. The ball engulfed the lizard in a fiery vortex of flames, and screeches were heard as the monster flailed about helplessly. However, before he could go for the final blow, a mysterious figure emerged from the ground and easily extinguished the flames.
"You bring shame to my name, Dracorix."
"Lady Cavira! F-Forgive me!"
The mysterious figure looked over towards Arashi with disdain.
"So the Phantom Rangers exist in this time as well. Empress won't be happy with this. Get your sorry ass back to base," she snapped at her minion.
"R-Right away!"
The monster disappeared inside the same portal but the mysterious figure lingered behind. Arashi studied her carefully, her appearance reminded him of a butterfly, with wings extending outwards from both sides of her face. Her entire body was covered in what resembled like scales, and every one was brightly colored. The aura emanating off her felt different from the monster, alerting Arashi to the fact that she had to be on a higher level.
"You got away easy this time Phantom Ranger. You won't be shown the same courtesy next we meet," she said calmly before vanishing from view.
With the humanoid gone from sight, Arashi removed the gem from his brace and watched as he reverted back to his street clothes.
-Inari Shrine-
Yuki and Hana were observing the events through a crystal ball placed in front of the former, and both were amazed to find a descendant of the Shidou line becoming the first Phantom Ranger. As priestesses to the Sacred Beasts, both were in tune with the familial hierarchy of the descendants of the original five Phantom Rangers. Only those with connections to them could inherit the chosen powers.
"Arashi Caelum..." Hana murmured quietly.
"He is the son of Shizuka Shidou, though she chose to marry an American man and leaving behind her heritage."
"Shizuka must not have wanted her son to bear the burden."
The high priestess exhaled under her breath.
"Despite her efforts, none can escape their destiny. She may have given birth to Arashi and married out of the Shidou line, but her son was still chosen in the end."
Hana continued staring at the crystal ball.
The events of the day were rather taxing on Arashi's mind and body, and the moment he returned home, he threw himself on the bed and fell asleep for four hours. By the time he woke up, the moon was already hanging high in the sky. Groaning loudly to himself, he pushed himself up and went inside the bathroom to take a shower. The warm water worked to soothe his aching muscles as he stood under the stream.
Reaching for the shampoo to wash his hair with, Arashi squeezed a generous amount onto his palm and lathered his locks with it. His mind kept replaying the fight from earlier repeatedly. Of all the things that could happen in his life, he had to be a power ranger. In a way, it was kind of ironic since he used to watch super sentai back when he was in Japan. To actually be a power ranger upon coming to America? That was a surprise he didn't even see coming his way.
With his body nice and clean Arashi went over to the kitchen and opened the fridge, rummaging around until he found what he was looking for.
Soon the smell of curry filled the air as he stirred the pot and turned on the rice cooker. The one thing he could boast about was being a really good cook, a skill he picked up during his time in foster homes. His various foster parents taught him culinary skills and Arashi was eager to learn whatever he could. Now it seems that was finally paying off for him.
Curry in hand and a glass of water in the other, he sat down on the sofa and turned on the television. There was a news report going on about the incident from earlier, and a shaky footage of him fighting the monster was taken by someone who wished to remain anonymous. Arashi had to admit he actually looked good on television, and his moves were kick-ass. Not to mention the person managed to get the shot of him firing off a ball of energy.
"At least my face wasn't shown," Arashi said to himself, lowering the plate and taking a drink of water.
Finishing the rest of his dinner in relative silence, he washed the plate and headed to bed.
School was off the next day due to it being a Saturday so Arashi decided to explore the city. Manhattan was definitely the busiest borough of the five from what he could see, and he spent half of his time weaving in and out of the crowd. There were so many stores around and Starbucks located across the streets from one another. This was definitely different from his life back in Japan.
Heading inside one of the Starbucks to get a drink, Arashi ordered a coffee and grabbed a seat near the window where no one would bother him. The blueberry muffin he bought smelled delicious, but before he could bite into it, Arashi caught sight of a familiar figure standing outside the store.
"It can't be..." he whispered quietly.
Leaving the store with coffee and muffin in hand, he turned the corner and found himself looking at a familiar face.
"Penny?"
The girl turned around and her eyes widened in shock.
"A-Arashi?" she said.
"Why are you here?"
"It's none of your business," she retorted and attempted to march past him.
Arashi caught her upper arm easily.
"You can't run away from me this time," he said to her.
Her eyes darted around seeking any form of escape but Penny knew she was cornered this time.
"What do you want?" she finally quipped.
"After the tournament ended that day, you left before I could say anything. Where have you been all this time?"
She yanked her arm away and glared at him.
"None of your business," she hissed.
"Stop being stubborn and listen to me!"
"Make me!"
Arashi spun around abruptly and pinned Penny against the wall of the building. Several bystanders saw what was going and whistled, but Arashi ignored them and focused his attention on the redhead.
"W-What are you doing?" Penny questioned, refusing to meet his gaze.
Before Arashi could answer the question, a bright light emitted from Penny's palm and the two immediately peered down to see what it was. Nestled in the middle of her palm was a gem identical to the one in his pocket, only the center bore an image of a dragon instead of a phoenix.
"What is this?" Penny scrutinized the gem carefully.
"You're a Phantom Ranger..."
-Unknown mountain-
Cavira returned to the cave with her lieutenant cowering in fear behind, and the two of them were greeted with a very pissed off Ventrixa.
"What happened? Where are my humans?!" the Empress demanded.
"I apologize for the delay, but we've run into a slight problem."
"What? You're not as competent as you seem to be?" Galvator sneered.
"Shut your trap muscle head. I was going to say a Phantom Ranger got in the way," Cavira snapped.
Ventrixa screeched in anger.
"Even after five hundred years the Phantom Rangers are still around to thwart my plans!"
"Do not fear. There is only one so far, and if we can get rid of him before the others are found, they won't stand a chance."
"Then get to it!" Ventrixa ordered.
"Right away!"
Penny blinked several times.
"I'm a what?" she asked with small laugh.
"A Phantom Ranger," he repeated in a serious voice.
"Stop joking with me. I'm not a Phantom Ranger or whatever it is you say I am," she responded in annoyance.
Reaching into his jacket pocket to pull out his own gem, Arashi held it up for her to see and pushed the sleeve of his left hand up to reveal the brace. Penny's eyes ping-ponged back and forth between the gems and his brace.
"This isn't funny."
"Do I look like I'm laughing?" Arashi narrowed his eyes in anger.
A voice interrupted the two from behind at that moment.
"There you are Phantom Ranger."
It was the same monster from earlier.
"What the hell is that?!" Penny screamed in shock.
He grabbed her hand and ran.
The two of them fled down a long alley leading towards a small baseball field, but the monster was pursuing them the entire time. Arashi jumped over the fence and caught Penny as the latter did the same. The monster was closing in on them fast, and Arashi took her hand with the gem in it and closed her hands around it.
"You're a descendant of the Shidou line like I am, you can use its powers!"
"You're not making sense Arashi," Penny furrowed her brows together in confusion.
"Call out to the beast."
"What beast!?"
"The dragon!"
Penny glanced down at the gem and saw an outline of a dragon etched in the middle. A sharp pain tore through her head at that point, and she clutched a hand to her skull as the sound resounded louder inside her mind.
Penny Stevens, descendant of the Shidou line, you have been chosen to become a Phantom Ranger. Embrace your true powers and become the vessel for the mighty dragon!
A gasp escaped her lips as the same brace-like device materialized over her left hand.
"Do what I do," Arashi said.
Taking out his own gem and inserting it in the empty socket in the middle, he lifted his hand and spun the gem.
"Phantom Rebirth!"
A fiery vortex consumed Arashi and Penny actually screamed his name in anguish, but moments later the flames died away to reveal him transformed as a Phantom Ranger. Hesitating briefly while staring at her own gem, the redhead mirrored Arashi's movements and inserted the jewel into the middle of her brace.
"Phantom Rebirth!" she yelled while spinning it.
A whirlpool of purple energy erupted from the floor and expanded over Penny's body, but she felt oddly at ease with the element. The purple streaks snaked around her entire body and a suit formed, hugging every curve and crevice perfectly. Throwing her hands above her head, she cut through the energy field and emerged transformed. Arashi looked over and saw her clad in a pink suit, with dragon scales covering the front and back. Even her helmet was shaped to resemble the face of a dragon opening its mouth in a roar, and on her belt hung a pair of daggers.
You've become the vessel to the mighty dragon! The rebirth of the Pink Phantom Ranger is today!
Arashi flexed his arms and cracked his head from side to side.
"The immortal phoenix, Red Phantom Ranger!"
"The mighty dragon, Pink Phantom Ranger!"
Together the two stood side by side and faced the reptilian monster.
To be continued...
Review?
Next time: Arashi and Penny defeat the Lizard monster for good
A childhood friend of Arashi's shows up and becomes the third ranger
A stronger foe shows up and nearly brings down Arashi and Penny
See you next time!
Celsius Fate~