The Rangers' battle with Doomwing, Fury and Singe was escalating into the most brutal and devastating to date. With three of Arcanon's most powerful followers on the field at once, the Rangers were bringing out everything they possibly could to try and thin out the numbers. Unfortunately, their foes were also bringing their A-game to the proceedings.
Phillipe, Koda and Chase all had to run quickly as Singe concentrated his powers, bringing up columns of pressurised magma straight through the pavement, high into the sky.
"Shit, anyone else getting the feeling these guys have been holding back all this time?" Chase asked them.
"An Energem is at stake!" Phillipe reminded him, taking some pot-shots with his Dino Blaster, causing Singe little more than some mild annoyance. "With the final Energem at stake, they can't afford to lose this battle any more than we can!"
"If you'd fought this hard before Fury, I might have been in a little more trouble!" Ivan taunted the feline warrior, who was battling both him and Shelby.
"Doomwing might not be the only one regaining his lost power today!" Fury snarled as he cast them both aside to gain some room. He powered up his blade, ready for the next attack. "Only this time I'll ensure you NEVER escape!"
"Give up the Energem and maybe I won't use you to stuff a pillow!" Tyler said as he fought with Doomwing. He swung his Tyranno Smasher with all his strength, sending blows Doomwing's way as a distraction, but trying to focus his attack on the sword. He knew that the Silver Energem was in Doomwing's sword, and getting it out of his grasp was their top priority. However, it was easier said than done. Even unable to morph, Doomwing was a powerful enemy, and Tyler suspected he was somehow able to channel the power of the Silver Energem through his attacks.
Tyler locked the jaws of his Tyranno Smasher around Doomwing's blade, and started to exert pressure. The two grappled, and Tyler could see scratches starting to appear on its surface. Bringing the blade down towards the ground to anchor it, he increased the pressure, hoping to break the blade. He was concentrating too much on the blade, he didn't notice as Doomwing drew back his head, before pecking into him viciously. Tyler hit the ground and rolled away as his armour disappeared.
"Nice try Red Ranger, but not good enough!" Doomwing shrieked. "DOOM SLASH!"
Tyler could see the energy attack coming straight for him, but before it hit home, someone landed in between them, deflecting the attack, which slammed into a building behind them. The Rangers all looked in amazement at the new arrival.
"RILEY!" Chase called out. "You're...you're alright?"
"I'm great, thanks to Zenowing!" He announced. Zenowing landed beside Riley, drawing his sword.
"You have something of mine Doomwing!" He announced.
"Is this where you offer...?"
"No more offers! I know now that you cannot be allowed to exist!" Doomwing told him. He and Riley rushed forward, taking on Doomwing. "This time, you meet your end!"
Over in Amber Beach hospital, Sarah was sitting up in her bed, stroking the back of her head. The doctors had ascertained that she hadn't done any serious or lasting damage, but she did have one hell of a headache that she doubted was going away any time soon. The cause of her headache wasn't just the fall though.
"Sarah, sweetheart, you got lucky!" Mrs Thompson said for seemingly the hundredth time since she had woken up. "What were you thinking?"
"The guy was vandalising museum property!" Sarah groaned. "What was I supposed to do?"
"You call the police!" Mr Thompson said impatiently. "Or you call security or something like that. Worst case scenario, you just leave him alone!"
"So you think I should just sit back and do nothing while people do bad things?" Sarah asked her parents. "You always told me that I should help people..."
"PEOPLE, not things!" Her father interrupted her. "He was spray-painting a wall for Christ's sake! It's not like anyone's life was in danger!"
"Except maybe yours." Mrs Thompson said to her. "Sarah, you hit your head on concrete! Do you know how many ways that could have ended badly? Have you heard of concussion? Bleeding? Fracture? If you had fallen just a little differently you could have broken your neck!"
"Not to mention you have no idea who that guy was." Mr Thompson chastised his daughter. "He could have had a knife, he could have had a gun, he could have been some kind of lunatic!"
"He's a graffiti artist dad, not a serial killer!" Sarah said as she looked to him. "I REALLY doubt anyone who's going to start shooting up the place is going to stop for a bit of street art before they begin!"
"That's not a chance you should be taking sweetheart." Mrs Thompson said, taking her daughter's hand. "There are people out there trained to deal with..."
"And what if they're not there mom?" Sarah asked her. "When that bus you were on got blasted in that monster attack, it wasn't the police or the fire brigade that got you out..."
"No, it was a Power Ranger! The Pink one!" Her mom told her. "She was..."
"What makes you assume they're trained to deal with stuff like that?" Sarah asked her. "Hell, show me the training school where they teach you to deal with monsters that freeze things, or switch people's bodies, or grant crazy wishes, because if there is one then I'll happily go to it!"
"Sarah, I know you were trying to help, but you put yourself in danger..."
"No more or less than anyone else that helps during a disaster. You've seen the same news reports I have; you've seen ordinary men and women helping people out of flooded homes and storm-hit areas." Sarah told her, squeezing her mom's hand. "You were in this very hospital for a month after that monster attack, and I'm grateful every single day that the Pink Ranger didn't just stand back and do nothing. I figure if I can help someone else...maybe that's just one way I can repay what we owe to her."
"We'll talk more when you get out of here." Mr Thompson replied. "In the meantime, they're insisting you stay tonight at least to make sure you haven't done any damage to that brilliant brain of yours. In the meantime, we have stuff to do."
"Try to get some rest sweetheart." Mrs Thompson sighed, knowing that they were unlikely to be able to get their daughter to change her mind about this issue.
As they left, Sarah just lay back in the bed as the nurse came in.
"Any chance I can have some more aspirin?" She asked.
"I'm sorry Ms Thompson; you only had a dose three hours ago." The nurse told her. "It'll be at least another hour before we can give you any more."
"Wonderful." She grumbled, slumping down into the bedding.
Back at the site of the battle, the Rangers had split off, isolating Doomwing from his comrades. This left Zenowing to fight Doomwing by himself. Even from his battle with Fury, Riley couldn't help noticing the battle, and was in awe of Zenowing.
He was incredible with a sword, using a style unlike anything Riley had ever seen, but somehow he seemed to know it. There as a mystical element to their combat, and both blades were glowing brightly. Every time they connected with anything, a street light, a stone pillar, anything, they sliced right through. If any one of those attacks hit, by all rights it should slice straight through and end the battle, but as they launched up into the air, spinning away from each other, Doomwing managed to get a strike into Zenowing's back. They both plummeted to the ground, Zenowing landing face-first on the ground, while Doomwing managed to land on one knee, his wings folding up behind him.
"You...you know my moves!" Zenowing grunted through his pain. By all logic, Doomwing should have sliced him in half. Riley could only guess that he had channelled the same energy that powered his sword to protect himself at the last moment, but at the cost of one of his wings being crippled.
"Yes, and I've perfected them!" Doomwing taunted him. "But you also forget one thing! I NEVER fight fair!"
Zenowing was blasted towards him, landing in a crumbled heap at Doomwing's feet. Riley could see Arcanon arriving, opening his book. He pulled something out, which was glowing brightly in his hand. He could only assume it was the Dark Energem.
"Hold him!" Arcanon ordered his minion. Doomwing held Zenowing in a tight hold, forcing him to his knees with his hand outstretched. "One touch is all it will take!"
"And this time, you'll NEVER get out!" Doomwing cackled. Riley broke off from Fury, running straight for them.
"You'll never get the Silver Ranger back!" Riley told them, feeling a strange power flaring up inside him. Something came to his mind, something he couldn't explain. His blade started to glow, and he traced a triangular shape in the air.
"Green Prism STRIKE!" He called out, sending the energy blast their way. It hit Arcanon, who took the brunt of it, though the residual damage hit both Zenowing and Doomwing. Arcanon flew screaming far over the horizon and disappearing. Riley just stared at his hands in disbelief, while Zenowing took the opportunity to regain the advantage over Doomwing. Bringing his weapon down overhead with both hands, Doomwing had no option but to hold his sword up to block, which shattered under the attack. Doomwing ended up flat on his back.
"The Silver Energem never bonded to you! It bonded to me!" Zenowing declared as he held out his hand. The Silver Energem flew straight into his hand. "UNLEASH THE POWER!"
Before Doomwing's eyes, Zenowing morphed into the Silver Ranger, standing before Zenowing. Riley came to his side, but Zenowing held a hand across his chest.
"No, Doomwing is my responsibility, my foe to destroy." He told Riley. "Go help your friends! I have a LOT to make up for!"
Riley just nodded his head, before returning to the Rangers' battle. Now that they could concentrate on just two of their opponents, things were going a little better. Ivan loaded three Dino Chargers into his Ptera Sabre as Shelby took Fury down with her Tricera Drill.
"Not this day!" Fury told them, casting a smoke bomb to the ground. By the time the smoke cleared, he was gone. Singe just looked to the Rangers and sneered.
"Doomwing has failed; he is of no further use to Lord Arcanon." He announced. He too threw down a smoke bomb, but as it hit the ground, it went off like a damp squib. He just stared at it. "What...?"
"It looks like this time you have to stay until the song finishes!" Tyler announced as he powered up into his T-Rex Supercharge Mode. The rest of the team lined up behind him as he powered up his final attack. "Dino Supercharge, Final STRIKE!"
Singe attempted to teleport, but somehow his device failed him. He looked up only in time to see the blast coming towards him. He put out his hands, holding it as it slammed home, and being driven back, but managing to hold it. The Rangers dug in, also pushing forward, pushing their powers to their limits.
"Come on guys!" Tyler cried out in pain, feeling the power burning through him, and knowing that all his team mates had to be feeling the exact same pain, but the opportunity was too much to pass up. They were moments away from depriving Arcanon of one of his most powerful generals. Their suits glowed brightly and then disappeared as they forced through the last ounce of their power. Singe couldn't hold on any longer and the blast went through. He fell to his knees, staring at the Rangers.
"But...how? Why?" He asked, before falling face first to the ground and exploding, leaving no remains to re-animate. Tyler looked to the others breathlessly.
"Come on guys!" He panted. "One more to go!"
At the site of his own battle, Zenowing was now just toying with Doomwing, who lurched and lunged at him in desperate, futile attacks. He parried a blow and sliced into his side deeply.
"THAT is for the Greecha System!" He announced, before hacking at him again. "And THAT is for the moons of Titou!"
"He's...he's winning!" Tyler said, sounding impressed. "He's really doing it!"
"Yeah, but...why isn't he just finishing him?" Shelby asked.
"Death of a Thousand Cuts." Ivan told her. "He is punishing Doomwing, making him suffer as he has caused others to suffer."
Doomwing fell to his hands and knees, before looking up at Zenowing.
"Please, you can't do this!" He shrieked. "You know..."
"I know your evil has infected this universe for far too long already!" Zenowing announced. "Silver Prism, Final STRIKE!"
They saw him launch the energy strike at Doomwing, which hit him full on, before surging through him. Doomwing fell to the ground and exploded, leaving nothing of him as he did. Zenowing turned to face the Rangers, who all cheered as he put his sword away.
"Monster Extinct!" He declared as the Rangers all whooped with excitement. However, as they did, they saw that Zenowing didn't seem to share their excitement. Without warning, he fell face-first, straight to the ground. The Rangers all rushed to his side as he de-morphed.
"ZENOWING!" Riley called out as they got to him, turning him over. They all looked on in disgust as they saw his body was oozing blood at an alarming rate from a multitude of wounds.
"Oh my God, we have to get him to Ms Morgan!" Shelby shrieked.
"How did he even get this badly hurt?" Tyler asked. "He was banged up before he morphed but now..."
"These injuries, they are...they're identical to the ones Doomwing had!" Ivan said as a horrible thought dawned on him. Zenowing held up a hand.
"Do not waste your efforts on me, my fate is already sealed." Zenowing told them. They all looked to him alarmed. "We were connected, even after you managed to split us apart."
Riley's mind thought back to them bringing Zenowing to the lab. He was bleeding from an injury to his arm, just where Chase had shot Doomwing as he escaped.
"Anything that happened to him was going to happen to you." Riley gasped. "And...you knew this?"
"I did, but my sacrifice is worth it to atone for all that Doomwing has done." Zenowing told them, his breathing becoming weaker. He handed his Energem to Riley. "You reminded me of what I was, of the good I had sworn to do. It is for that reason I know that you will find another worthy of bearing my Energem."
With that, Zenowing took one last, deep breath, and fell still.
Over on Arcanon's ship, Arcanon arrived back in a rage over the days' events. Monsters cowered and wilfully fled to their cells, fearing for their lives. When he got to the lab, Wrench and Fury were waiting, with Snide held in chains in the centre of the room. When Arcanon arrived, he overturned a table, scattering tools everywhere.
"How could this HAPPEN?" He screamed at them, causing them both to back up. "How could we have been defeated like this?"
"The Rangers..."
"The Rangers are mere CHILDREN!" He screamed at them angrily. "Doomwing was a fool! His only value to me was the Silver Ranger! Losing him was no great loss, but now we've also lost Singe and the Silver Energem?"
"Lord Arcanon, there was nothing more we could do!" Fury pleaded with him. "Doomwing's incompetence..."
"Doomwing's incompetence I can do without, but it seems Singe was one of the few competent Generals I still had!" He interrupted Fury. He looked to Wrench. "Is the device ready?"
"Its almost finished, I just have a few more adjustments to make." Wrench told him. "I think I've even figured out a way to separate them completely! Once they're separated, you'll have no need of Heckyl!"
"It looks like there's a promotion in the works for you before you even sign on Snide!" Arcanon told the alien as he came face-to-face with him. "Let me know as soon as the device is ready to activate!"
As he left the room, Wrench went back to work. Snide looked to Fury and Wrench.
"I hope your split device works better than your escape device did for Singe." Snide stated. Wrench just turned towards him.
"Yes, it was such a shame it malfunctioned wasn't it?" He responded innocently.
Over at the Dino Lab, the Rangers were all gathered in the lab, around Zenowing's body.
"I can't believe he knew that destroying Doomwing would destroy him too and he fought him anyway." Shelby murmured. Riley put his arm around Leanne.
"That must be why he wanted to face Doomwing himself." Riley surmised. "He knew he would die, so he wanted to make sure none of us would be to blame."
"It is a noble sacrifice indeed." Ivan said, eliciting nods of agreement from the others. "He was truly a worthy Ranger."
"I wish we could have gotten more of a chance to know him." Tyler stated. "I mean, before all of this."
"I think he showed all of us that guy in the end." Chase added. Riley got up and headed over to Zenowing's body.
"I wanted to thank you for healing me, and...for somehow teaching me that awesome Prism Slash move." Riley stated, laying Zenowing's sword on his chest and folding his hands over them. "I guess the best way to pay you back is to use what you gave me for the good of others."
Koda's phone started ringing, breaking the mood. He looked to it, and then to the others apologetically.
"That hospital. Alessandra out of surgery." He told them. Kendall just patted him on the shoulder.
"We understand Koda, go and be with her." Kendall told him. Koda left the base, at which the others stood around, continuing to take stock of the days' events. Matt looked to them.
"Well, the good news is that there's been a couple of big wins today." He stated. "You were trying to take out Doomwing and get back the Silver Energem, but you also took out Singe! Arcanon's now down TWO of his most powerful followers!"
"That's true." Kendall answered, moving closer to him. "But that still leaves the complication. We now have the Silver Energem..."
"...But no Silver Ranger." Chase concluded, looking to Zenowing sadly. "So what do we do now?"
"Well, the first thing we should do is bury Zenowing." Tyler stated. "He deserves that much at least."
"There's a good spot down this cavern here." Kendall told them. "He won't be disturbed there."
With that, Phillipe, Ivan, Chase, Riley, Tyler and Shelby all gathered around Zenowing, acting as pallbearers to carry the brave Paladin to his final resting place.