The usual warnings applied. Also, "Matilde" is kind of a spoof of a Brazilian comic character. Really. Remember, what ain't mine, ain't mine. YOU ALL KNOW THE DRILL!
Power Rangers Mana Warriors
Episode 26 – Matilde the Monster
Sao Paulo, Brazil
"Why do WE have to do all the work?" asked Bulk, as he, Skull, and Lala were loading a jeep. "They get to take it easy."
"They have to do way more than you realize," informed Darius.
"Ya, right, like they're Power Rangers or somethin'!" snided Skull.
Darius said nothing, neither did any of the Rangers.
The group headed across town, to the St. Monica orphanage. "What are we here for?" asked Bulk.
"Yeah, why are we here?" added Skull.
"Because we aren't anywhere else," piped in Lala, before laughing.
"Because," corrected Maria, "these children need our help. I heard about one girl in particular…"
"Yes," said Niu. "Her name is Matilde. She's sweet, but she had a hard life. She never knew a mother and father, and she spent some time on the streets of Sao Paulo. No girl should live like that."
"And the children are our future," added Jerara.
"You mean a bunch of street-rats are our future?" asked Bulk. "That's a laugh."
"That's insensitive," said Kakuti.
"So we're going to see this Matilde…I hope she's not dirty," commented Skull.
"She probably took a shower more recently than some people," shot back Niu.
"SOME PEOPLE," laughed Bulk and Skull.
"We're all clean," said Lala. "Sort of!"
"And I'm 'sort of' happy with you," commented Niu. "Now you better all behave!"
"YES MA'AM!" said Bulk and Skull in unison. Then Skull whispered to Bulk. "She's a ninny!"
MW----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Spaceship
"So those Rangers want to just be…helpful!" spat Talia. "They could have accepted the offer that we take over the Earth, but no!" She then looked through a crystal ball. She saw an image of the awkward girl. She had long brown hair, and buckteeth. She was using a pillow as a punching bag. "Perfect. This girl has a history of problems. She's even been on the street a few times, and she's a psychological wreck. I'll make a monster from her!"
"But Rani, the Purge and the Sisterhood tried something similar, and failed," complained Riki-Tiki-Kali.
"But they are FOOLS, I am not!"
"Please, I'm not sure if this is a good idea."
"Some of your good ideas have failed. So let's try my idea."
"As you wish, Rani! Is there anything I may do to be of assistance?"
"Get General Mayhem. We need a diversion!"
"As you command!"
"Soon," said Talia, "the Rangers will be struck down!"
MW-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brazil
"Hi Matilde," said Maria to Matilde. Matilde shooed her away. A female caregiver explained something to her in Portuguese.
Matilde faced the Rangers, and gave them all the fingers. "YOU HATE ME!"
"We don't," said Darius.
"You hate me, EVERYBODY hates me!"
Just then there was a loud bang outside. Someone ran in. "MONSTERS, MONSTERS!"
"My colleagues know how to deal with this," said Darius, "Bulk and Skull and Lala will stay here."
The Rangers rushed out.
"Matilde, want to see something cool?" asked Bulk. He did a few fake karate poses, before he accidently slipped and fell. Matilde laughed at him. Then so did Lala. This made Matilde laugh even more.
MW--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mayhem was there, along with Verilax-9, and a large group of Thrashers. "Well well well," said Mayhem. "Once again, we fight!"
"And once again you lose," said Seann. "It's Morphin' time, deity forms!"
"Durgha!"
"Cuchulain!"
"Nafanua!"
"Ixchel!"
"Altjira!"
"Vitchua!"
"What?" asked Calia. "Do I have a form?"
"I don't know," said Red, "now let's FIGHT!"
Red had lion-like claws appear on his hands, and slashed through a quintet of Thrashers.
Yellow charged at Mayhem. Mayhem laughed, as he charged a bolt of energy between his horns. It became an energy ball that he launched, but Yellow ducked into the ground. She popped up with an uppercut from beneath him, and sent him onto the ground.
Calia was trading blows with a couple of Thrashers. They were quite good, and were blocking her punches. But then she spun around, whipping with the tail, and followed-through with a roundhouse kick.
MW------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Talia was waiting in a side alley. She looked through a window, and saw Matilde. Talia held up her staff and began chanting. She then aimed it and MAtilde, and she was zapped by red lightning.
"SOMEBODY COME HERE, I'M NOT FEELING WELL!" she screamed.
"It has been placed, now it shall be activated!" Talia teleported onto the roof, and set up a pedestal with a skull on it. She began chanting again, and clouds filled the sky. The eyes of the skull flashed.
Inside the building, so did the eyes of Matilde.
Talia then summoned Chopper and Brawl. "Yes?" asked Chopper.
"Go inside, and kidnap the buck-toothed girl in the red dress. Do it before Zotio realizes that I've done something. HURRY!"
"You want us to schvat the devotchka?"
"Whatever, JUST DO IT!"
"Right!" shouted the two in unison.
MW-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Elsewhere in Brazil
Riki-Tiki-Kali found a clearing in the thick Amazon rainforest. She sat on a log, and began playing her tablas, and strumming the sitar. A strange pattern appeared on the ground. "Rani is the leader, but I think she would appreciate some extra help!"
She returned to chanting.
MW------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Blue and Mayhem were once again exchanging blows. Green faced Verilax-9. Green's head-dress started to glow, and energy arced from it to Verilax-9.
"That was ineffectual!" stated the android, before sparks began flying. "I WAS INCORRECT!" Its eyes opened, and blasts were fired at Green, knocking her down. Orange was fending off a large group of Thrashers, and getting to Calia, who was losing. Just then, a motorcycle with side-car zoomed past them, knocking down many of the Thrashers. It was Chopper and Brawl, and they had Matilde with them, attached to a cart hauled behind the motorcycle.
Calia was contacted on her communicator. "This is a bad time!"
"Matilde has been kidnapped, Calia, and you can chase after them on your roller-blades!"
"Yes, I will," said Calia, thinking about all of her race who were "kidnapped." She had her Manaformer on one wrist, and held her key in the other. She pumped the key a few times, and it started to glow. "SPIRIT OF THE SIULO!"
She was surrounded by purple energy, and then she was in her ranger suit. She activated roller-blades in the feet, and rocketed off, pushing aside Mayhem and Verilax-9 on the way. "Excuse me, coming through!"
Purple found the motorcycle, and was in pursuit. Brawl aimed his cane at her, which turned out to also have a hidden machine-gun feature, and opened fire.
Purple was knocked down, but rolled and was soon back on her feet and rocketing towards them. The cane was aimed again. "SIULO FLASH!" she shouted, and a purple bubble flashed around her as the barrage came again. Chopper tossed a grenade at her, but she jumped to the side. Brawl then yelled something at Chopper, that was distorted by the bike's engine.
Then they came to a railroad crossing. The motorcycle abruptly turned right, onto the train tracks. Purple followed them. It was very rough running on the ballast. The motorcycle was also shaking, and the girl was screaming. "Hold on Matilde, I'll get you," shouted Purple. Once again, Brawl was firing shots at her. Then a loud horn was heard. Purple used her whip, and focused. She wanted to whip it in such a way that it would grab Matilde, but as she prepared, the motorcycle and all its occupants teleported out. There was another horn, and Purple tumbled out of the way, as a train came rumbling by. She contacted Fetu.
"Yes, I heard," she said. Matilde told her about the teleporting. "That was a trap, they wanted you to get hit by the train. Fortunately you survived. But next time they run onto a track, don't follow!"
"I won't," said Purple.
MW----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Mapinguari, ARISE!" commanded Riki-Tiki-Kali. A large beast covered in fur appeared atop the strange symbol, which vanished. It had long arms, tendrils on its back, and shaggy fur. It let out a loud roar, revealing its sharp teeth at the same time. "Excellent. Now I need some help!" She played the Tablas, and summoned General Taurus.
"Why did you bring me here? Talia's using that new girl."
"She is also using Mayhem."
"MAYHEM? Tell me what to do, I'll show that antlered loser what Taurus is made of!" Riki-Tiki-Kali was smiling.
MW------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Rangers were discussing what to do next. A call came on Darius' cellphone. Zotio answered. "Hello?" He heard something at the other end. "That's wonderful." He was silent for some more. "That's REALLY wonderful." And a bit more. "I'll have to tell everybody!"
The call ended. Zotio faced the Rangers. "That was Skull. Bulk, Skull, and Lala actually found Matilde, she'd escaped from them,"
"So that's why you're happy," said Seann.
"No, that's why I made them think I'm happy. Rangers, I believe that something's been done to Matilde. We have to teleport there immediately."
They teleported into a back alley.
MW------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"You had us worried," said Bulk to Matilde. "How did you escape?"
"SHUT UP!" yelled Matilde.
"You don't yell like that…" Matilde's eyes flashed, and then she swung a stuffed green rabbit. He was hit hard, and saw stars. "Ok, if you want to yell." He fell unconscious.
"No, no, no," said Lala. "Don't hit like that!"
"Ok," said Matilde. "I'll hit like THIS!" She struck Lala in the solar-plexus with her rabbit, and Lala went down.
"Go easy, man, easy," said Skull. "I don't want no trouble." He slowly backed away from her. "Easy!"
The Rangers came in and saw what was happening. "MATILDE!"
"You are all doomed," she said, in another voice. She levitated off the floor, and her head spun 360 degrees, yet remained intact and attached. "You will all suffer, Power Rangers!"
"Power Rangers?" asked Skull. "You must be kidding, there are no power rangers here!"
"FOOL!" With that she walloped Skull and knocked him unconscious.
"Nobody else is awake," said Darius/Zotio, "you know what to do! I'll make sure this building is evacuated."
"MORPHIN' TIME!" shouted Kakuti. "RED LION!"
"ORANGE DINGO!"
"YELLOW QUETZAL!"
"GREEN TURTLE!"
"BLUE STAG!"
"WHITE TIGER!"
"SPIRIT OF THE SIULO!"
"Rangers, you are doomed," said Matilde, with a slightly more feminine voice than before. Strange spots appeared on her skin, and she slightly grew in size. She was now wearing a red dress with strange spiral patterns on it. She waved around the rabbit like it was a nunchuck.
The Rangers prepared their blasters. Matilde yelled very loudly, knocking the Rangers down, and shattering lights and glass.
"We shouldn't fight in here, there's no bloody sense," said Blue.
"I agree," said Matilde. Then she took a deep breath. After that she blew. The Rangers were picked up by the wind and carried away. As they moved away and flew through a window, strange patterns flew by them.
MW-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thick clouds flew by them, and they saw flashes of light. The Rangers were dropped onto a ground that was covered in mist. Around them were strange trees.
"Where are we?" asked Blue.
"In an alternate dimension, either Matilde or Talia must have opened a rift," said Saba.
"That sword is right," announced Matilde. The Rangers spun around to see her. "Welcome to my playhouse. Enjoy your stay, because it's forever. You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave."
"You're lying!" shouted Purple.
"I'm truthing," insisted Matilde. "And I brought some friends!" With that, General Mayhem appeared, along with a group of Androids.
"What, no Thrashers?" asked Orange.
"So you could beat them? I don't think so," said Mayhem. "And these…" The Androids activated various weapons, "are not your daddy's robots!"
"KILL THEM!" barked Matilde. Mayhem and the Androids rushed into battle. Green got into a fight with an android that had two swords. It also fired exploding orbs from its eyes, and used these attacks to wear her down. She held up her left hand, that was holding the Turtle Blade, and then the Dragon Dagger appeared, and she destroyed the robot with both weapons. Yellow and Blue were fighting back-to-back, when an Android launched a net at them. Two more Androids went up to them with lances, to prod them. Blue used his Dirks and his helmet's antlers to cut through the net. Red and Orange rushed for Matilde, only to be tackled by a couple of particularly tough androids. They had to struggle to get back up. White was dueling with Mayhem, with Saba clashing against his sword.
"You're good, but I'm better," said Mayhem. "I'll run you through."
"Can you back up your boasting?" asked White.
"I don't have to, because I can do THIS!" He leapt backwards, and his sword energized. He plunged it into the ground, and a trail of swirling energy ran from it, kicking up dust. It hit and knocked down White, who dropped Saba. She picked up Saba and rolled out of the way as his antlers energized, and fired bolts at where she was. Mayhem was surprised with a whip lash to the back. Pruple stood there, smiling beneath that helmet. "You, stay out of this, SLAVE!"
"What did you call me?" demanded Purple.
"Slave, you idiot. That's all your kind are good for!"
"No, it isn't!" Her hands began to glow, as she put away her whip. Between her hands was intense energy. She held her hands forward, and the energy struck down Mayhem. "How does it feel that those you once oppressed are now better than you?"
"I don't care, look what Matilde's doing!"
Matilde punched into thin air, but her fist disappeared. A small portal appeared above Purple, and Matilde's fist struck her.
"What's going on?" asked Orange.
"THIS!" screamed Matilde. She did a few more "Portal Punches" that hit everyone, and then she clubbed Purple with the rabbit and hit White with a kick, also through temporary portals. White had to do something.
"Suppose the portals were tampered with?" asked Saba. "If I were able to shoot into one of her portals…"
"…It might upset the dimension and eject us all!" finished White. "You're a genius." A pair of Androids approached her from either side. One charged at her, the other had drills in place of hands and prepared to drill her. White leapt out of the way, just as a portal opened with the rabbit swinging through it. It struck both Androids, while Saba fired eye-bolts into the portal.
Matilde let out a shrills scream, knocking everyone down, and flashes of blue lightning arced around, and rifts appeared in the ground. Red saw what happened, and he leapt in front of Matilde. "Are those your teeth, or is that a mask?"
Matilde punched with one hand to the side and swung the rabbit, using two portals at once. He thrust his Lion-Spear into the portal, and scraped Matilde's left arm. Again she screamed. "You fight against a warrior, and you're surprised that he knows how to fight?"
"You're bloody daft," said Blue.
"We are the Power Rangers, do you have a problem with that?" asked Yellow.
"Actually, I DO!" said Matilde. There was a rumbling. Matilde laughed, and then opened her mouth. Strange white mucus was emitted, and it wrapped around the Rangers, entangling them. "You will soon die!"
MW-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brazillian Jungle
Riki-Tiki-Kali was playing on the tablas, and she strum a few notes on her sitar. Her head-jewel started to glow. "Taurus and Mapinguari, you shall GROW!" A rainbow beam shot at them, and then at the ground below them. A steam vent opened, and the two grew. "There is a disturbance near here. That girl has the Rangers trapped, but they are breaking free. I shall shift the dimension so it will open hear!" Riki-Tiki-Kali began chanting, and she held up her top most hands. A strange pattern appeared in the sky. Within that pattern, small rifts appeared. Then Taurus saw it. The Rangers fighting Matilde. Strangely enough, it seemed to be overhead.
"Whatever," said Taurus, as he punched at the symbol.
MW------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Somewhere"
More rifts appeared, and then the ceiling disappeared, and Taurus reached a hand down and grabbed Blue.
"PUT HIM DOWN!" yelled Yellow, as she freed a hand from the mucus, and used her gun to fire "up" at the eyes of Taurus, who then let go, but Blue "fell" the wrong way.
"The gravity here is at a ninety degree differential from there," said White. "We have to…"
The place shook violently, and then Matilde blew the remaining Rangers, along with the Androids, and Mayhem, out. She followed.
MW----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Blue, I didn't know that you'd fall…" said Yellow.
"You didn't know," said Blue. "Now we have to stop this monster." Mapinguari roared. "Ok, these monsters." The Rangers scattered as Taurus swung his axe, and then Mapinguari tried whipping with his tendrils.
"We must call upon the Zords," shouted White.
"Good thinking," said Blue.
The five main Mana Zords were summoned, and the red, orange, yellow, green, and blue rangers assumed their place in the cockpits.
"Seann here, Stag is bloody well ready!"
"Niu, Have turtle, will prevail!"
"Maria. Quetzal is flyin'!"
"Jerara. Dingo waiting to hunt some drongos!"
"Kakuti. Lion is ready, the warrior awaits the battle!"
"I've got this," said Yellow, "QUETZAL TORNADO STRIKE!" Her Zord dove and spun. Mapinguari just batted her away, but she was able to stop before she crashed.
"You don't do that to Maria," yelled Blue. The Stag's antlers charged,
"CAAAARN!" shouted Orange, as he dashed with his Dingo, and leapt at Mapinguari, scoring a hit as he passed. Mapinguari retaliated by breathing fire at the Dingo, damaging it.
"Let's join together," suggested Yellow.
"Yes," replied Blue. "All of you, MEGA MANAZORD!" The Zords combined to form the Megazord.
On the ground, Matilde began twirlilng her rabbit around, and then threw it at Purple, knocking her down. "THIS IS PATHETIC!" she yelled. "EVEN FOR A POWER RANGER!"
White held up Saba, and called on the Tigerzord. The Zord arrived, she jumped into it, and put Saba into the socket. She saw Taurus was ready to attack the Mega Manazord. "I don't think so," said White. The Tiger let out a loud roar, and dust shook up around Taurus. He was disoriented. "Engage Warrior Mode, NOW!" The Tigerzord transformed into Warrior mode, and the tail became a sword. Tigerzord and Taurus began clashing.
Mapinguari extended its tendrils to try grabbing the Mana Megazord. "STAR BLADE!" shouted the group in unison. The Sword appeared, and slashed at Mapinguari, hurting him. "CRESCENT SLASH!" The sword was swung, and the energy sliced Mapinguari, destroying him.
Taurus saw what happened, as the Tigerzord slashed with its sword, making him drop the axe.
"If it's all the same to you, I really have to go now," said General Taurus, as he left.
"I think we did a good job," said Orange.
MW-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Spaceship
"It's not over yet," screamed Talia. "Magic wand, make Matilde GROW!" She threw it down.
MW------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brazil
The staff struck the ground. Lightning arced, and then a vent of steam opened beneath Matilde. She laughed as she grew.
She held her rabbit in her arms, and pointed the head at the Megazord and the Tigerzord. She laughed as the rabbit actually fired bullets as though it were a machine gun.
"We're taking damage," yelled Green.
"Power levels are falling," added Red.
Inside the Tigerzord, White grabbed the ball that had the Sanskrit word for "sun" on it, and popped it into the chute. The tiger's head started to glow, and an enormous ball of hot plasma appeared before the Zord, and it was launched at Matilde. Matilde leapt and kicked the ball, and it crashed into the Tigerzord and exploded, sending it flying back and landing on some trees, crushing them. "GOOOOOOOOALLLLL!" shouted Matilde.
"Madre de Dios, what else can she do?" asked Yellow.
Matilde ran up to the Megazord, and stuck her front teeth into it. Electricity raced through the interior, causing all lights to shine bright, and alarms to go off. Sparks flew in all directions, and the Rangers were engulfed by dancing lightning. She let go, and the Megazord plummeted to the ground.
"I'm trying to junction the emergency pods," said Orange. "But we must distract her."
"That child needs to see a dentist," snickered Blue. "And give those teeth a good drilling!"
"That's it," said Green. She used her Dragon Dagger to summon the Dragonzord.
The Zord came out of a nearby lake, and walked over to Matilde. Green played the attack fanfare, and the warning lights flashed on Dragonzord's chest, before the missiles armed in its right hand. It fired them at Matilde, and hit.
"That HURTS!" She let out a shrill yell, that knocked down all the zords.
"Let me help," said Purple. She held up her right hand, and purple lightning arced up. "Jaguar, help me now!"
The large pod came, and it opened up to drop off the Jaguar, that Purple rode. Purple started to glow. "SIULO BLAST!" she yelled, and then energy was channeled through the jaguar, and hit Matilde, knocking her down. The Jaguar then transformed into Warrior mode. Matilde grabbed her rabbit, and again fired it off as though it were a machine-gun. The Jaguar in Warrior Mode whipped Matilde, and wrapped the whip around her. The flying manta, meanwhile, dropped bombs on her.
"You are making a big mistake, ALL OF YOU!" screamed Matilde. Her eyes started to glow, and she let out a laugh.
On the ground, Talia appeared to watch what was going on, along with the rest of her leaders. "Now watch this, I actually have a monster who can win. Riki-Tiki-Kali, TAKE NOTES!"
"WATCH IT AND WEEP!" gloated General Mayhem.
"She will be defeated, mark my words," shouted Riki-Tiki-Kali.
"Oh, quit your creeching, babbi!" retorted Brawl. "The devotchka will smash them real horrorshow!"
Matilde breathed in, and exhaled a cloud of thick smoke. It obscured the vision of the zords. And then sparks flew.
"This gas is incendiary," said White over the intercom.
"It burns as well," added Blue.
MW------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sao Paulo
Bulk, Skull, and Lala were worn out from playing with the children. "They're worse than that pink rabbit," said Bulk.
"You mean they keep going and going?" asked Skull.
"No, they're just worse!"
A TV was showing a news report, showing the fight between the Zords and Matilde.
"MATILDE!" screamed some of the kids in unison.
"No, it's a monster," said Lala.
"No it's NOT!" screamed a girl at her, who hit her.
"Why you…"
"Lala, Bulk, Skull, we must make sure they're safe," said Darius, "in case the monster invades Sao Paulo. "Now I have a phonecall to make!" He went to a closet, and activated his communicator.
MW------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Battlefield
"RANGERS!" came the voice of Zotio. "The Purple Jaguar and its Flying Manta can combine with some of the other zords for a new Megazord!"
"Right," said Purple.
"On it," said Blue. "Megazord, DISSASEMBLE!" It did so.
"YOU CANNOT WIN!" laughed Matilde. She punched the ground, and a shockwave knocked down all Zords on the ground.
"ACTIVATE!" said Purple. The Dingo and Lion became its legs, the Stag became a helmet, and the Quetzal and Turtle attached to its arms, and the Dragonzord attached to form armor. Then the flying manta-like Zord attached to become wings. The head changed to one that was more Siulo-like.
"Nice looking angel," said Matilde. "It will look nicer when I DESTROY it!" She useed her rabbit again, but the new Zord, called the Siulo Superzord, resisted the attack. It flew up, and the legs energized. All the Rangers inside (which was all but White) then shouted "VICTORY KICK ANIHILATION!" as the Zord began spinning, and corkscrewed downwards.
"Oh no you don't!" shouted Talia, as she used her magic and caused Matilde to teleport out. Then she and her goons did likewise.
"Where did she go?" asked Purple. The Rangers then teleported out.
MW---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sao Paulo
"Rangers, we're safe, but, there's been a terrible development," said Darius, who took the Rangers aside, to a room where Fetu and Sei were also sitting.
"Matilde has been taken, as you probably noticed," added Sei.
"What we do know about Talia, she's had at least two children in the past, a long time ago," explained Fetu. "One of them was a daughter named Vorosal, who she really loved. But Vorosal was killed. I think she may try to infuse the essence of Vorosal into Matilde, and turn her…into her new daughter, and heir to the Order of the Destiny Star, and with it, the United Alliance of Evil, since they are the only active members left."
Maria, Niu, and Calia started to cry, the others tried to comfort them. "What's wrong?" asked Kakuti.
"Matilde," sobbed Niu.
"This is a hard lesson," admitted Zotio, "that no matter what we do, losses do happen. But she is still alive. She isn't dead."
"That's right," said Calia, still tearfully.
"But from this moment on, if you see her in battle, you have to treat her as you would any other enemy," warned Fetu. "Hopefully there is a way to undo the evil within her. But if given a choice between destroying her and letting her level this planet…"
"We know," said Maria. The other rangers nodded.
-----------------
Author's Notes: Yes, I purposely wanted the Rangers to "win, without winning", and I think I did it well. Matilde will show up in later episodes. And there'll be a big surprise…