Well here we are, the final part of "Gathering Storm". This will be the final part of the prequel to Biostorm for the moment. With a holiday and University coming up I won't have a lot of time for writing so I have decided I would rather push on with Biostorm than get dragged down by stories that aren't really neccissary for explaining Biostorm's plot. Hopefully I should be able to fire out the first few bits of Biostorm before the 24th of this month. I just want to say thank you to all those who have read or reviewed "Gathering Storm". In particular Kokua Aviatrix and Michelle the editor for their encourageing reviews and Michelle's constructive criticism.
One other small bit of housekeeping. In this part I describe Ezekiel's morphing sequence. I know that the sequences in the show are just for show but I have a theory. Morphers are supposed to create a portal to the morphing grid that the ranger passes through to morph. Since each ranger teams area of the grid is different I believe that they would all experience their morphing sequence as the morphed. In addition I have given Ezekiel the Mighty Morphin sequence from the PROOD episode "Once a Ranger" purely because it is more showy.
Anyway, as usual, all rights to their respective owners. Saban, Lego, etc.
Ezekiel's vision was blinded by white. When it subsided he was standing in a desert. He was briefly confused but then it hit him. This was what the rangers saw when they morphed. The ground shook and two lines erupted in the rock unleashing electricity across his body. He didn't flinch.
When the electricity had subsided his new suit was on him. It was crimson with the same white diamond patterns the other rangers apart from Tommy had. His hands and feet were now covered by white boots and gloves with crimson diamond around their tops. There were more flashes of electricity and Ezekiel now felt new and reassuring weight. Across his chest there now rested a golden breastplate, similar to the black and gold one worn by Tommy. Around his waist there was a golden belt. The buckle was a copy of the Power Ranger's but in gold and crimson. And on his left there was a place to sheath his sword. The ghostly image of his helmet now hovered in front of Ezekiel. Like the rangers it was mainly his primary colour and had a black visor. But his was different from the others who had their helmets modelled after Earth Rahi. His was instead modelled after the mask of light. There were raised details picked out in gold with the three vents on each cheek being picked out from the gold in crimson. Finally the three prongs on top of the mask were featured on the helmet. They too were gold and swept back from the forehead until they reached the back and protruded a bit. There was the now familiar tingle of power and the helmet materialised on his face.
The light returned and when it had subsided he was standing on the exact same spot he had left from. The Rahkshii hissed in displeasure while the Rangers were ecstatic.
"Wow."
"Morphinominal Ezekiel!"
"That's what I'm talkin 'bout!"
Ezekiel removed his sword from the ground and sheathed it at his side. Then he ran at the Rahkshii. His screamed and moved to meet him. Before they collided Ezekiel jumped over and as he landed he drew his sword and slashed at its back. It staggered forward in a shower of sparks and hissed in pain. Ezekiel then felt some of his new power flow into his sword.
"Destiny Blade! Lash mode!" The sword glowed, changing into a long segmented whip. He swung it over his head once before wrapping it around the Rahkshii's leg and pulling it off its feet. He then struck it a number of times with the lash. But the creature wasn't done yet. A terrific crack of thunder and an almighty flash of lightning and Ezekiel was on the floor beside Tommy. He got up quickly, his sword returning to normal, and spoke to the leader of the rangers.
"We can't beat this thing conventionally. We need to blast it apart Tommy."
"That we can do. Guys make the power cannon." Each ranger drew their signature weapon. Rocky had his sword, Billy a long double edged spear, Adam had a great black axe, Aisha had a pair of yellow daggers and Kim had her pink bow. They clipped each weapon together until they held a large crossbow like device between them. Ezekiel readied his sword again.
The Rahkshii now realised that something was up. It charged at the Rangers but never reached its target. The rangers fired the cannon while Ezekiel unleashed a wave of power by slashing the sword through the air. Both attacks struck the Rahkshii and it was obliterated. When the smoke had cleared. All that remained was a few scraps of armour, its staff and the spine and back armour.
The Rangers disassembled the cannon and began cheering. Tommy clapped Ezekiel on the shoulder.
"Not bad for your first fight… ranger." Under his helmet Ezekiel smiled and nodded. But his smile turned to a frown when he heard hissing from what was once the Rahkshii. He pushed Tommy aside just in time to avoid a globule of venom. He then spun, drew Aisha's blade-blaster from its holster and shot the new threat. He was rewarded by a squeal on pain.
After handing Aisha her weapon back Ezekiel wandered over to the small slug-snake like creature. He picked it up by the neck, examining its jaws and markings.
"No wonder this Rahkshii was so powerful."
"What is it Ezekiel?" Asked Billy. Ezekiel handed the body to him so he could look.
"It's a shadow Kratta. The final evolutionary form of all Kratta. They are the most powerful and can infect a target with a Makuta's shadow from range. They make the Rahkshii suits they control the strongest.
"Suits? You mean that thing Billy has has been controlling the Rahkshii."
"Yes Rocky. Teridax really meant business if he gave Zedd one of those."
Lord Zedd was only really afraid of two things, death and failure. But now there was another thing to be added to that small list. And that was the Makuta. Three of them now stood before him. On the right was a yellow and black one. He held curved blades like a praying mantis and had an overall insect like look. This was Bitil. The one on the left was a large brute with a much more draconic appearance with leathery wings, a fanged mask that had disintegrated Putties and a pair of wicked blade mounted on his forearms. This was Antroz. These two had butchered his honour guard of enhanced Putties as could be testified by the scraps lying at their feet.
But it wasn't these two psychopaths that Zedd was afraid of. It was their leader who towered above. Clad in armour of a dark gun metal and hold a wickedly bladed staff, Makuta Teridax was not amused. Zedd was pinned to the wall above his throne by a writhing hand of shadows. Makuta laughed. The sound was like tortured metal.
"I don't see how those rangers have such a hard time. You are pitifully weak little man." Bitil and Antroz both sneered in amusement.
"It wasn't my fault you're Rahkshii died. It's that Ezekiel. It's all his fault. I couldn't stop him becoming the destiny ranger."
"No you could not. And for that you have lost your reward." Makuta withdrew the "Toa stone" he had offered days before and crushed it in his taloned grasp. "We require pawns before we regain our former glory. But not you. You are far too weak." Makuta dropped Zedd who fell to the ground coughing. The Makuta disappeared into the shadows. But before they left entirely, Teridax said one more thing.
"We will find another more… capable ally…."
As the masters of shadow left, the fear power that had kept Rita silent and still dissipated.
"A fat lot of good you were! Why didn't you do something you stupid witch." Shouted Zedd.
"Me! What about you. So much for being a warlord!" She replied. The argument escalated and the few remaining putties and the pair's lieutenants slinked away before they could get dragged into it.
It had been three days since the fight with the Rahkshii and not a single threat had materialised in Angle Grove. Ezekiel had spent most of his time with the other rangers. They taught him about Earth, the city and human culture. In the evening he spent a lot of time in the command centre, alternating between sleeping, meditating and speaking with Zordon. Just now he was meditating and focusing. He had been attempting to re-establish his connection to his Psionic powers. He had met with little success, until now. In the small hours of Thursday morning he was struck down by a vision of the future.
Six Figures stood in an abandoned quarry. There were two females and four males. All of them were human. The one in red spoke asking his allies if they were ready. They replied yes. The first three, the male who spoke, another in black and a female in blue shouted a familiar cry.
"Unity, Duty, Destiny!"
They were surrounded by light and emerged as power rangers. They sprung into the fight first. The red ones helmet resembled a creature from Bara Magna, one of the vicious iron wolves in fact. The girl in blue had a helmet shaped like a Muaka Cat and the black one had the snarling features of a Sona Nuian Wyvern.
The three others now morphed. The second female, a slight blonde was first.
"Power of Light!" And her civilian form was replaced by a gold skirted uniform and a helmet resembling the mask of light. She drew an exact copy of the Kohlii staff of light and charged.
Next was the tall brown haired boy. He reminded Ezekiel of a face he had seen on a missing poster the previous day.
He brought his morpher up and shouted, "Power of Shadow". The light dissipated to reveal a massive, gun metal clad form of a ranger. He had a lot more armour than the others and his helmet resembled Makuta's mask of Shadows with a red visor. Unlike the others who charged forwards, he stalked forwards, drawing the scythe like form of the Kohlii staff of Darkness as he did so.
The final figure was black skinned young man. His call was, "Power of time". When he had morphed he stood in an orange and white suit with a helmet shaped like the mask of time. He too entered the fray.
Ezekiel could now see their opponents; they were the unmistakeable forms of mutated shadow Matoran. The rangers battled their way through a horde of them, alternating between martial arts, weapons and blasts of elemental energy. When they became surrounded, two new rangers arrived. One in black and white flew in on great mechanical wings and added her spear to the fight while another in crimson and gold leaped in with Ezekiel's sword.
Ezekiel tried to see more. But as abruptly as the vision had begun, it ended. Now he resolved to do what he had been planning.
When they found out the next day, the Rangers were shocked. But they understood why Ezekiel had to leave. They understood that he had a duty to his people and that the Makuta had to be opposed. But they made him promise to visit and they all went out for a meal the night before he left.
On the day of his departure, Tommy drew Ezekiel aside in the command centre and handed him a small bracelet like device.
"It's a communicator, like the ones that we wear. If you ever need us, just call." He said. Ezekiel took his new friend in an embrace.
"The same to you. I may have a duty to preform but I will always be ready to help my friends."
There were many hugs given and renewed pleas for him to visit. Kim was the most concerned.
"These Makuta will cause some major trouble Ezekiel. I can feel something brewing. Like a storm." The other rangers and Zordon also shared this concern.
"You know what we call a big storm on Bara Magna? A Biostorm. A storm so powerful it seems to have its own sentience. Your right Kim. There is something brewing. It's going to break like a Biostorm and I'm going to ensure its wrath is centred directly on the Makuta. That I promise you."
As he hoisted his rucksack on to his shoulders and turned to exit the command centre, Ezekiel turned and spoke to the Ranger's once more.
"This isn't an ending my friends. This is just the start of something great…" He glanced down, tears
threatening to well up.
"May you always live within the light my friends."
And with that, Ezekiel the Sword master, the Destiny Ranger, left. But as he said, this was merely the beginning of his legend.
