Episode 6: Sweet Dreams
"Magma sword!" "Tremor Hammer!" "Hydro Ax!" "Tornado Fan!" "Static Blaster!" The five rangers attacked the pig demon all at once, the combined force of their special weapons destroying him on impact. "And the sheep Talisman is ours!" Matt said cheerfully. "That makes five for us, and zero for the demons!" As the rangers walked away, Shiva stepped out of the corner. "Ha! Fools," she said sinisterly, "you've know idea that I wanted you to get the Talisman. Honestly, how Scurgious and Flario were never able to defeat you is beyond me." She pulled out a sack of dust, poured some in her hand, and whispered into it, "time for bed, pink ranger!" She blew the dust into the air, and it flew after Maria, lightly sprinkling itself over her head. "Now I just sit back, and wait. Hahahahaha."
As the rangers walked back to their dorm, Tyler stopped. "I'm gonna be late for wrestling practice!" He ran to the room and grabbed his things. "I've gotta go, too," said Sadie. "Bio class. Bye!" "I've got basketball tryouts," said Brandon, throwing his shorts on and grabbing a basketball. "See ya!" "I think I'm gonna hit the weights before our date tonight," Matt said to Maria. "Think you can get this back to the Power Chamber?" he asked, pulling the Talisman out of his pocket. "Well," she pondered playfully, "for you, I suppose she took it, giving him a kiss before he took off. All of a sudden, Maria felt extremely tired. She let out a big yawn. "Sheesh, why am I so tired? I suppose I could fit in a quick nap before going to the power chamber." She curled up on the lounge couch and immediately fell asleep. As soon as she was asleep, she drifted out of her body. "What's going on? Is that…ME?!" Just then, Shiva walked in, disguised as Tina. "That was much too easy," she said, transforming back into herself. "Shiva! I'd better get back to my body so I can morph," she said, rushing to her body. Before she could make it, though, Shiva raised a crystal. "I know you're trying to get back into your body, pink ranger, but instead, you're going right in here. Hahahahahaha!" "What? Noooooooo!" Maria shrieked as she was sucked into the crystal in Shiva's hand. "Sweet dreams, haha! Now, the Talisman." She plucked the sheep Talisman right from the lifeless Maria's hand. "Like taking candy from a baby." At that, she was gone.
Matt was walking back from the gym when his communicator sounded. He made sure the coast was clear, then answered it. "What's up, Maya?" "Matt, is everything okay? No one's brought the sheep Talisman back, yet." "That's impossible, Maria said she'd bring it to you." "I haven't seen Maria since she left with the rest of you. Do you think something happened?" "I better go check on her. I'll let you know." "Right."
In the Dark Temple, Shiva arrived cheerfully. "What are you so happy about?" barked Flario. "I've done what neither you nor Scurgious could do," she said, as she pulled the sheep Talisman from her pouch. "Lord Shendu, your first Talisman." She placed it in one of the twelve slots on Shendu's statue. "Excellent!" the statue dragon hissed. "The Talisman of astro-projection is mine!" "And just how did you acquire that? The rangers claimed that Talisman from the pig demon this morning," said Scurgious. "It was simple really. I put the pink ranger to sleep, let the Talisman do its work, captured her astro-projection in my dream crystal, and it was mine to take," she explained, clearly proud of her brilliant plan. "You've captured the pink ranger's astro-projection?" exclaimed Shendu. "That means her body is an empty vessel, waiting to be filled." "Yes, my lord, I thought that now, since you have the sheep Talisman and its abilities, you might enjoy possessing the pink ranger's body and using it to finish off the rangers, yourself." "Better yet," added Shendu, "I'll walk right into the Power Chamber and take the other four Talismans. Scurgious! Flario! You two could learn a thing or two from Shiva." At that, the dragon left his statue. Scurgious and Flario glared at Shiva as she basked in her master's praise.
Shendu arrived in the suite just in time to possess Maria's body before Matt came back. "Ah, now, to the Power Chamber." Just then, Matt walked in. "Maria! Are you alright?" "I, uh, what?" "Maya just asked me where you were. I thought you were gonna bring the sheep Talisman to her." "Um, yes, I just decided to take a nap first. I was going to go right now." "Good," Matt smiled, a little suspicious of Maria's behavior, "I'll go with you. I just need to change." Matt went to his room and turned on his communicator. "Maya, I think there's something wrong with Maria. She didn't remember my conversation with her from earlier and she's acting very strange." "That is weird, Matt. I'll have Alpha monitor her. Just keep her distracted until he figures it out." "Got it." He walked back out to the lounge. "Well, we're late for our date, so we'll go grab dinner, then bring the Talisman to Maya. Sound good?" Maria grunted, causing Matt to look suspiciously at her. "Uh, I mean, I just thought Maya would want the Talisman as soon as possible," she replied. "Nah, she said it's cool," Matt said, hiding his suspicion. "It's not like she's Shendu, or anything." "Yeah," she said, uncomfortably, "imagine that." Matt grabbed her hand and she instinctively pulled it back. When she noticed Matt's confusion, she realized she'd made a mistake. "Um, I, uh, hurt that hand…in the fight against the pig demon," she said, extending her other hand. Matt once again played along. "Oh, alright, I'll meet you outside. I've gotta grab something." Maria nodded, and left the suite. Matt turned on his communicator again. "Maya, there's definitely something up. She just lied to me. She said she hurt her hand in the fight this morning, but the monster never hit either of her handsthe whole fight. "You're right, Matt, Alpha tested her energy levels and they're completely off. Maria's energy is completely missing." "What do you mean, like it's not Maria?" "It's definitely her body, but she's not in it. Something else IS!" "How is that possible?" "Hmm. Did you see the Talisman with her?" "Not since before I left it with her. Why?" "It's possible that when she fell asleep, the sheep Talisman caused her to astro-project from her body. Someone, or something, must've then come along and taken the Talisman, using its powers to possess her body." "What should I do with her?" "Lead her along. Trick her into going somewhere secluded. I know a spell that can exorcise whatever is in her. I'll send the other rangers to perform it." "Right."
Matt led Maria to the beach. "I thought we were going to dinner!" Maria said, frustrated. "Yeah," Matt said, casually, "but don't you think the beach is more romantic?" Matt was clearly buying for time. "I agree, Matt!" Sadie and Brandon walked onto the scene. "That's why we thought we'd come here, too!" "Hope you guys don't mind a fifth wheel," Tyler ran out, holding something behind his back. The four rangers surrounded Maria. "W-What's going on here?" "Well," Matt began, "if you really were Maria, you'd already know, wouldn't you?" As soon as he said that, the expression on her face changed. "Damn. I thought I had you fooled," she cursed, her eyes turning red. "Who are you? And where's the real Maria?" Sadie demanded. "I," she began, as her voice changed to a high-pitched, inhuman sound, "am Shendu." The four rangers took a fighting stance upon learning that their friend had been possessed by the very demon they were trying to stop. "So," said Brandon, "you're the Shendu? Huh, you're probably the cutest demon I've met so far," he teased. "Laugh all you want," the demon retorted, "the sheep Talisman, as well as your precious pink ranger, is now mine. And soon, the other Talisman's will be mine, as well." "I don't think so!" shouted Sadie, charging her best friend. She restrained her. "Matt! Her legs!" Matt grabbed her legs. Then, Tyler pulled out Maya's Tranz Dagger and a rose, recited an incantation, and a beam shot out, hitting Maria. "NOOOO!" shrieked Shendu, before going silent. The rangers stood around their friend. A few moments later, she woke. "Guys? What are we doing at the beach?" Instead of answering, Matt and Sadie threw their arms around her, as Brandon and Tyler both let out a sigh of relief.
"I'm sorry guys," Maria said to the others, now back at the suite, "because of me Shendu now has the sheep Talisman." "Hey," Matt said, putting his arm around his girlfriend, "it could've happened to any of us." "Yeah," Sadie agreed, "besides, remember what Maya told us? Shendu needs all twelve Talismans in order to return. We still have four, don't forget." Sadie, Tyler and Brandon all hugged their friend as they got ready to go to bed. "Maria," Matt said, catching her before she left for her room, "I should've realized it wasn't you much sooner." Maria had no words. All she could do in response was to kiss him. "Goodnight," she whispered, cracking a smile as she broke the kiss. "Goodnight," Matt said in return.