Disclaimer: The submitted characters and the world are not mine.
Last time we saw the Ethereal Ninjas: noticing an odd marking on his chest which nobody else could see, Easton began having multisensory hallucinations, which he hid from his teammates. Archer was arrested and nearly assassinated by Puppet Master, but taking her and Ishinomori, the Rangers headed for Scrimshaw, New Zealand.
*February 21st, Ethereal Megazord, Somewhere Over the Pacific Ocean, 4:30 am*
Easton, Susana and Archer were in the chest compartment of the Zord—Ishinomori had identified it as the place the Power Spheres arrived before being fired. He was exploring, making sure everything worked all right in Megazord formation. Archer had gone to sleep in the corner, refusing any of the makeshift bedding they had.
Checking her watch, Susana sighed and glanced over at Easton. "You haven't taken a turn."
Easton looked around at her. "Huh?"
"Piloting. Kerri and I have been swapping every couple of hours. You've just been staying down here. Doing nothing."
"Sorry."
"Is that an offer to pilot?" Susana asked.
Easton looked down at his lap. "I-I can't. I'm sorry."
"Why not?" Susana faced him fully. "You did this on the way to Japan, too. You're not pulling your weight, and I'm not going to take orders from you if you keep this up without telling anyone why."
"I haven't been taking orders!" Easton snapped. "Why are you so touchy about me being in charge?"
"Don't try to change the subject—"
"I'm not! You're the one who brought up me being a leader again! Every time you disagree with me you say I need to stop leading. I never said I was in charge of the team!"
"But you are. You're the one who calls the shots and tells us where to go," Susana said. "You overrode me when I wanted to go straight to New Zealand."
"Both of you stop shouting, I'm trying to sleep," Archer murmured from the corner.
Abashed, Easton lowered his voice. "I've been making suggestions because I know about a lot of Sensei Ngapoi's contacts. We're heading out of that territory now, so I won't be 'leading' as much—but everything we've done has been decided by majority."
"Okay. Then if I say that Kerri's complained about you not flying too, that makes a majority," Susana said diffidently. "Get up there and relieve her." She jerked her head towards the access ladder.
Easton looked from the ladder to Susana and back, looking like he wanted to argue. Folding her arms, Susana glared at him. Slowly, he rose and went to the ladder. He hesitated, hands on the rungs, then took a deep breath and began to climb. Exasperated and tired, Susana flopped over onto her pile of coats and shut her eyes.
"Before you say anything, I didn't know about your monster problem when I wanted to go on without you," she said.
"I wasn't going to ask, actually," Archer replied. "You couldn't have known and had enough trouble without involving yourself in mine."
"Good."
Nobody said anything for a few minutes. The Megazord's engine thrummed softly, and a faint wind whined around its hull. Susana began to doze. Boots clinking on the ladder rungs, Kerri climbed down into the room.
"Is something wrong with Easton again? He seems nervous but he won't tell me why."
"Join the club," Susana said, not moving or even opening her eyes. "The entry fee is one round of the quiet game."
"Just wondering." Kerri sat down on her own bed, yawned and stretched. Curling up, she began wriggling into a comfortable position.
As Susana drifted off, the Megazord jolted as if it had been hit. Susana's head thwacked against a console, and she bolted upright with a yell. Archer was already on her feet. As the girls tried to register what was going on, the Megazord began to tilt. The piles of coats and supplies began to slide forwards.
"Did we suck a bird into the engine?" Kerri exclaimed, scrambling to her feet.
"Is that even possible?" Susana retorted.
Archer was already climbing the ladder, the female Rangers on her heels. The Pacific showed through the viewscreen, getting closer as the Megazord flew. Nobody was at the controls: Easton lay on his side on the floor, one hand clamped against his chest and struggling to breathe. He looked terrified.
"Help him," Susana ordered, taking the helm. What had just happened to Easton? She quickly righted the Megazord. Someone had to pilot, so she resisted the urge to go help Easton.
"Easton—Easton, look at me. It's Kerri, you're okay. Are you hurt? Did something happen?" Kerri asked, trying to be soothing in spite of the anxiety coloring her voice.
"Don't try to make him talk, he can't," Archer said. "Easton, can you walk?"
Susana glanced back at the trio. The girls had helped Easton sit up and were crouching beside him. He gave his head one shake and shut his eyes, trying to slow down his breathing. Sweat glistened on his face, which Kerri touched.
"He's burning up," she said, sounding confused. "Tauza must be up to something."
"Then she's probably going to come after the rest of us next," Susana said, raising the shields to maximum. Hopefully that would help Easton, too.
Kerri kept up a soothing stream of whispers, and after a few long minutes, Easton's breathing deepened and slowed. Awkwardly, the trio made their way to the ladder and headed below. Susana glanced back once; Easton still looked pale and scared, but now almost embarrassed.
There was some kind of fumble at the bottom of the ladder, and after a moment, Ishinomori appeared in the hatch.
"I'll take a turn piloting," he said. From the tone it was clear this wasn't an offer.
"Thanks." Susana left the chair and hurried down the ladder. As she reached the hold, she saw the other girls still near Easton, who was leaning against a wall. Noticing her, Archer rose and slipped away, letting Kerri continue to talk in a low voice.
"Did you know he's afraid of water?" Archer asked in a low voice.
Susana glanced at her, startled. "No, he never mentioned anything like that. Though he has been uneasy whenever we've been near a large body of water." She smacked her forehead. "Why didn't I just make him tell me what his problem was?"
"Talk to him about it, not me," Archer said. "It'll probably help more."
"Right." Susana headed towards the pair. Apparently hearing her coming, Kerri moved away, giving the two some space.
Easton had a coat thrown around his shoulders. Now he was breathing normally, looking down at his lap and fiddling with his fingers. He looked tired. For a long minute, nobody said anything, just sat there. The awkwardness was palpable.
"I'm sorry," they both said at once, and looked up at each other.
"I shouldn't have pushed you so hard," Susana said.
"I should have told you why I didn't trust myself to pilot," Easton added. He looked down at his lap again. "Torture, monsters attacking my school, killing my friends, taking the closest thing I have to a family, chasing us across the world, and it's a stupid ocean that makes me lose it."
"Why?" The question popped out before Susana could stop herself. She backpedaled quickly. "If it's not prying, anyway."
Easton heaved a sigh. "No, you've got a right to know. Where do I start . . . You know my parents used to be students here, right?"
"I didn't, actually. I thought you were adopted by Sensei Ngapoi or something," Susana replied.
"Yeah, later. My Dad died before I was born—that's a whole different story—but my Mom tried to raise me herself." He sat up with a grunt, still not making eye contact. "About twelve, thirteen years ago, she took me out on the mountain. I don't remember why, a picnic or something. We found this lake."
His breathing had sped up again, and his shoulders tensed. Susana watched nervously, worried he was going to go into another panic attack. Easton was looking straight ahead, but his gaze was distant. He swallowed hard.
"There was a thing in the lake. My Mom tried to fight it off, but it was bigger and stronger and more powerful. I didn't get a good look until it was too late—it was huge, all slimy and weedy and . . ." he shuddered.
"You don't have to tell me this. Not if it still hurts," Susana interrupted gently.
"It's not so much hurt as . . . when I say that creature haunts my nightmares, I'm serious," Easton said, finally facing her.
Kerri's quiet snores and the thrum of the Megazord's engines filled the silence. Archer, her back to the others, braided a bowstring with nimble fingers. Slowly, Susana put a hand on Easton's arm.
"I know. I still have bad dreams about the monster that killed my Mom." Easton looked surprised, and she added, "Though when I say monster, I don't mean it as literally as you. I wish you'd told me before. You won't have to pilot again until we reach solid ground."
"Thanks. I wish I could help some other way," Easton said, sitting back again. "I feel useless down here."
"Focus on resting up. Likely as not Tauza will be waiting for us when we arrive, it'll be good to have at least one member of the team ready to fight."
"Two," Easton corrected her, with a nod towards Archer. The vigilante sat in the far corner, prepping a fresh bowstring.
Looking a little less pleased, Susana said, "If you say so. Think you'll sleep okay?"
Easton nodded. With one final squeeze on his arm, Susana moved over to her own pile of bedding. Obediently, Easton lay down, though he didn't shut his eyes. Behind her, Susana heard him roll over. He was probably just getting comfortable. Slowly, her eyelids drifted shut.
*Somewhere Near the Ethereal Academy, the Himalayas, 8:55 am*
Tauza crouched on the crest of a large rock, studying a squat stone pillar set in the ground. It was old and mossy, but the bat symbol on the top was still visible. Even though her armor left her arms, shoulders and face exposed, the mountain weather didn't bother her. Unlike the wintry slopes surrounding them, this valley was warm and green, dotted with little blue flowers. In its center stood a lake, very wide and mirror-still. All of Tauza's forces gave it a wide berth.
A shout rang out, and Tauza looked up just in time to see a pulse of red energy ripple in the air over the lake. It changed colors as it reached the crest, flashing different colors. As it reached the pillar she stood behind, the bat sigil blazed white, turning the energy ripple the same color. Tauza sprang to her feet and ran down the hill towards the source of the energy. It was Reggie, standing over a pillar very like the one she'd just left—only this one had a spidery crack in its center.
"I think ve have his attention now," he said, grinning.
"That's it?" Tauza asked, looking down at the crack. She turned her unimpressed gaze to the monster responsible, a red demonic creature covered with black cybernetic armor.
He cringed. "This is an old and powerful seal, General. It could take days to damage, and the other four pillars are already compensating."
"And the Masters are still reluctant to help?" Tauza asked Reggie.
The Black Ranger handed off his scanner to a Sniper. "Just as stubborn as ever. It'd be impressive if it vasn't so stupid. Still, ve vere able to disrupt the shield for . . . two point three seconds. If ve can veaken it sufficiently, one or two of Chiratheon's helpers could slip through, yes?"
"True. He might be able to give us some suggestions himself," Tauza said. "He's had years to study his prison, after all."
A single ripple broke the surface of the water, spreading from the very center outwards in a gleaming ring. Seeing it, Tauza whirled on the monster.
"Petardier, now!"
With a gesture, the monster summoned small detonators in either hand. Tauza and Reggie moved out of the way, and Petardier set them in place and activated them. After thirty seconds, they went off with red flashes and bursts of sparks. Energy arced over the lake once more, and the water began to boil. Once again, Petardier set his detonators. This time, there was a visible gap in the energy shield for almost five seconds. Chips of stone flew off the cracking stone pillar.
"Get back," Tauza ordered, doing so herself.
The lake roiled as if in a storm, spray fizzling against the force field. Moving with quick precision, Petardier set five more bombs on and around the pillar, and stepped back. This time, the battered stone exploded, the top half flung away by the force of the blast. At the same moment, a huge black wave shot towards the group, through the newly-opened gap.
Morphing, Reggie snatched Tauza by the waist and ninja-streaked out of the way, and just in time. The wall of water fell over Petardier and the Snipers with a boom like thunder. The monsters' yells were inaudible in the sound of rushing water, as they were dragged back into the lake kicking and struggling.
Blazing, the remaining four pillars sent up multicolored energy to reinforce the shield. It sliced the wave in two, and the water evaporated against it, sending up a cloud of steam. Reggie released Tauza, and she stumbled a little as she found her footing. Slowly, she walked back towards the place the pillar had stood. Her boots squelched in the new mud.
"You zaid Chiratheon could control anyone he killed?" Reggie asked, his voice startlingly quiet after all the noise.
"I did. Petardier will be able to tell him our intentions," Tauza said.
In the middle of the water, something large and whitish slid down the slope. Tauza waded in and stopped it, and Reggie joined her. Crouching, Tauza brushed aside slimy, dark water weeds and looked at the block. It was made of ice, rough and muddy. Still, a shape like a human body was visible inside.
A slow smile spread across Tauza's face. "And his scout will be able to talk to us, once we thaw it out. Get the Snipers."
*Trivia*
Chiratheon's Sentai counterpart was a much bigger deal in the overall story, appearing earlier and being Tauza and Xumara's counterparts' long-lost father.