I would like to thank LovingGinger30, Fool Arcane Kaiju, Ahkalia, NitroTheKidd88, Author196, UgunsGreka, HiroshitheHawk and WinxPossible for allowing me to use their characters . Also, NitroTheKidd88 [Y（・ω‐）Y] is my beta reader and my house stock for everyday monsters [Again, I encourage others to submit dailies as well!]. Thanks for support guys and hope the story will be a great success and you all enjoy it.
Chapter 5- It Comes With the Color Red, Leon!
It was a beautiful, yet lonely night in the town of Majestic Hills.
Almost every creature under the stars had given into the lull of sleep. However, there were the few who ignored the temptation, and stayed awake- out of spite.
Sitting by the window in his room was Leon, in red and black pajama pants and tank top. He looked towards the sky of stars, deep in thought.
It was worth a shot- looking towards the stars for answers.
"Can't you see what this garbage group is made up of? An unconfident and incompetent "leader", two over-excitable jocks, a lying hot-head, and a coward with no self-esteem!"
"An unconfident and incompetent "leader","
"An unconfident and incompetent "leader","
Tabitha's cutting words were on a constant replay in his mind. He sighed, deeply.
"Leon! What's going on? Why're you still awake?" asked a feminine voice.
Leon turned to see a woman in her early thirties- a bit shorter than Leon, but sharing a similar facial structure.
"I'll crash in a bit, mom! I'm just... thinking..." Leon replied to his mother- Martha Davidson.
"What is it? Son, you can tell me." Martha asked, concerned.
"Nothing too serious. I was just thinking that... I should get James united back with the family. It's different for our aunts and uncles, but he never did unite with you and grandpa…" Leon said.
Though, this was pushed to the back of his mind, since this ranger business began. No way he'd tell her about that, though…
"I don't know why, Leon. Though, I hope it happens as soon as possible. I never got why he was always so cut-off from the two of us… Every time the two of you visit us, he just ignores us." Martha explained, sadly. "But, I'm hoping for the best. He'll open up soon, I'm sure of it.
"I hope so too, mom." said Leon, trying to comfort her. "But, we'll find a way."
...
On the darkest side of the moon, untouched and unseen by any mere man, Arustar reviewed the footage of the ranger's last fights.
From an unbiased perspective, he had much to say from their style- both praises and criticisms.
"These humans really have something in them. No ordinary being could've destroyed Titaniath, or even strike Eliastro. They're brilliant fighters…" He said- admirably.
"Praising your enemy, Arustar!"
Arustar flinched, as Zuthora entered his study- with little tact.
"You know damn well the consequences if you dare betray me." the emperor threatened.
"...If not without their faults." Arustar finished. "My liege, I pride myself as a warrior, and I just couldn't help admiring another warrior.
"Arustar! Don't you dare talk to me like this!" Zuthora roared. "You locked yourself in here to find a way to destroy these rangers! Instead, I find you fawning over them!"
"I was simply admiring their techniques, is all." Arustar replied, cooly. "However, that does not mean I wasn't doing what you required of me."
"And what's your progress on that?" asked a still angry Zuthora.
"You see, these rangers each have a unique and fantastic way of fighting- but with that come their individual faults."
Arustar pulled a holographic screen to Zuthora's line of sight, tapping it. It began to play footage of the Orange-clad Ranger.
"This one is reckless. Impulsive. Dare I say bloodthirsty. The desire to rush into battle will get him killed."
He tapped on the screen again- this time, showing the Blue-clad Ranger.
"This one is a loner. An impediment to a team-based group, and is stubborn with her beliefs."
Again, Arustar tapped the screen, showing the Black-clad Ranger.
"This one is a coward. She holds herself back- for what? She refuses to acknowledge her potential out of fear."
He tapped the screen again- showcasing the Yellow-clad Ranger.
"Though her personality is that of a true warrior, this one is overly reliant on her staff. Take that away, and she is weak."
Yet again he tapped on the screen, showing the Green-clad Ranger.
"This one is like an earthling child on Christmas. Over-excitable and impressionable, and is hesitant to leap into action because of it."
Arustar tapped on the screen one last time- showcasing the Red-clad Ranger.
"However, the one who seeks my attention the most is this one. Their underdog of a leader. He has no confidence. The sick cannot heal the sick- and an unconfident misfit cannot lead a team of unconfident misfits."
Zuthora glared at him, unimpressed.
"So what's the plan?" he asked, with an irritated tone.
"Without someone to guide them, they're lost. The leader must go first.
"...And how, might I ask, are you planning to go about this?"
"You'll see in due time, master." Arustar said, with an impish smile.
He had quite the plan indeed...
...
In a park without a crowd, a young woman sat on a bench. She was about 19, and 5'0", with defined muscles, and a face set in a resting glare. She had dark hair cut in a long bang to the left of her face- covering the faded scar on her left cheek, electric blue eyes, and tanned skin with freckles.
She wore a deep violet jacket over a denim vest, a purple graphic T-shirt, tattered black jeans, purple and black canvas sneakers, and violet fingerless gloves.
'From next week on is the start of a new journey.' the girl thought. 'I don't know what challenges might come at me, but I'll face them with all of my might!'
"Blake, where are you?" came a voice nearby. It was a girl- with a figure matching Blake's, but lacking the scars and muscle. Her hairstyle was different, and her eyes were green.
"Ah, there." she muttered, sitting down next to her. She was met with a dull wave.
"What're you thinking about, sis?" the girl asked Blake.
"Nothing, Petra." Blake scoffed, hiding her nervousness. "Just thinking about college."
...
After a long, exhausting day of classes, the rangers had scheduled to arrive at C3 for some practice.
The exercise today was simply sparing with dummies. While watching "his" team, he was able to see each of their styles.
Twyla was sturdy and precise.
Tabitha was swift and graceful.
Blaise was rough and violent.
Roxy was strong and quick.
James was fast and smooth.
Though, he quickly noticed as Roxy began to falter- holding a training staff in hand. She seemed more upset, than anything.
He walked over towards her, cautiously.
"Hey, Roxy! Any problems?" Leon asked. "You know you can tell us anything."
"Ah! It's nothing." she replied. "It's just… it feels weird not telling Eldon about our ranger business. He started questioning where I was going by myself lately."
"Looks like he's a little overprotective." Leon concluded.
"Yeah, but it's not too bad!" Roxy gleamed. "He just wants to protect me from any sort of trouble."
Listening to what Roxy said only amplified his worried thoughts. He was too conflicted and confused.
"Yeah…" he mumbled. "Keep up the good work."
As he walked back over to his dummy, he noticed Prince Alveno walking towards him. At first, he was a bit nervous, but his expression was gentle.
"Leon, will you come with me for awhile?" he asked.
It felt like being held after class. He nodded, and Alveno lead him out the hall, somewhat out of earshot.
"Has something been bothering you?" Alveno asked. "You've been like this ever since Tabitha came back."
Leon sighed- leave it to Prince Alveno to notice even the slightest changes in behavior.
"Prince… Sometimes I think if I'll even be able to hold this team together, nevermind lead it." he explained. "We're all so different, and then there's just me… How will I be able to help these guys save the galaxy?"
"Leon, believe in me, and in yourself as well." Prince Alveno tried to convince him. "You will make a great leader."
"But... Will they even follow my lead? Blaise is twice as powerful, Tabitha is twice as fearless, and James is twice as independent. Any one of them could be better at this than me! I can barely even handle my own problems, how am I supposed to help theirs?" Leon admitted his true concerns.
"Sure, they may have the basic capacity, but look at their massive faults. Blaise- while powerful, is impulsive. Tabitha- while fearless, is a loner. James- while independent, is excitable. Those faults overshine those qualities of leadership. A leader should have all of these qualities, and be able to admit to their faults." Alveno explained. "And as for making the wrong choice? We all make mistakes. Trust in your teammates- they'll have your back. I may not know much of your personal problems, but believe me when I say that your teammates will assist you in this, as you will help them." he declared. "You will be a great leader, just have some confidence and faith."
Just as Leon was about to ask something, the alarm went off. Another attack from Zuthora's forces. They ran off into the main hall.
"There's a breach near Main Street." Martin informed.
"...Ready, guys..?" Leon asked the remaining rangers, hesitantly.
"Born ready!" James called.
"Of course!" replied Roxy.
"Always have." Tabitha said.
"Let's raise some hell!" yelled Blaise.
"As much as I'll ever be." Twyla nodded.
Leon smiled in confidence. "Let's head out."
...
When the six rangers- donned in their armor reached the point of attack, they saw some gobots pestering and attacking the pedestrians.
"Huh…" Tabitha commented. "Is Zuthora running out of generals?
"If we're only dealing with gobots, it won't be that big of a deal." Roxy said.
"Good. This'll be over soon." Twyla sighed in relief.
"Why wait? The action's the best part!" Blaise announced, and- as per usual, rushed headfirst into the gobots.
"Not this crap again…" James sighed, deeply, and followed after them. The other rangers were soon to follow.
… "Why do I have a bad feeling about this..?" Leon muttered, but proceeded.
The Orange Ranger was once again using his pent-up fury to deal with the gobots. Using the handle of his nagamaki like a baseball bat, he seemed focused on bludgeoning the minions into submission.
The Blue Ranger was cleaning up her set with ease- taking advantage of her trident's reach, and the mobility of her water abilities to her advantage.
The Yellow Ranger was using her speed and bo staff to deal with her set. She was easily able to take them out with a large thunder strike.
The Black Ranger- while still reluctant, had learned to fight to her advantage. She had learned when to strike and when to block while utilizing this strange weapon to efficiently destroy her own set.
The Red and Green rangers had grouped up for a tag team. With the might of their wind and fire, and their proficiency with their weapons, they were quickly able to defeat their set.
As soon as they were certain all the gobots were defeated, the team regrouped.
"That was easy!.. Too easy." Roxy said.
Just as suddenly, a group of arrow-like lasers was shot at them- out from the shadows, knocking them off their feet.
Though, as they looked around, they saw nothing that triggered the sudden change of events.
Quickly, they lept back up to their feet.
"Who the hell did that?!" Blaise screamed- under his helm, his face was red with anger. "Show yourself and face me with dignity, you milquetoast tail!"
"Greetings, Power Rangers! Or, should I say, power lamers." a feminine voice was heard, followed by laughter.
"Haven't heard that one before…" James huffed.
"I am your doom! Zuthora hired me to kill you, and I'll surely succeed!"
The voice laughed, again.
"We'll defeat you, the same way we defeated the others! Come out, you coward!" Leon challenged.
"Watch what you say, red ranger." the voice taunted. "Who would listen to a leader with no confidence? You lead this team into this obvious trap, and so easily, too!"
Yet again, the voice laughed. "The green one would make a better leader than you!"
Leon winced, at that.
"Watch what you say, you goddamn coward!" James yelled back- pissed. "What would you know about being a leader? You're just a puppet for a lost hand! My brother is a born leader- far better than I would be!"
"As far as I know, he's the wisest person I've ever met. He can keep us together better than anyone else!" Roxy added, in defense.
"A leader can put together a breaking team, and that's exactly what he did when I left the team. He truly is a leader." Tabitha said.
"Look at our options- who else would be torchbearer?!" Blaise yelled. "He's about 90% of my impulse control, and possibly the only one who stops the fight instead of adding fuel to the fire. No one insults the team but us, tail!"
"It's not only about being the wisest, or just being a problem solver. He believes in us all equally- a bunch of misfits. That makes him the best choice for a leader." Twyla finished.
Leon was stunned to hear this coming from them. Considering how often they fought or argued, it was inspiring to hear what they truly thought.
He was a fool for questioning himself as a leader when his team believed in him so much. His determination was restored.
Though, he was broken out of the stun as he heard the voice laugh again.
"You love this fool so much, don't you? Let's see how much of a leader he really is!"
"What's the plan, bro?" asked James, with a smile on his face beneath his helmet.
"Form a circle, back to back. Watch out for anything that looks odd." Leon ordered. The rangers nodded, and quickly got into formation.
More of the laser arrows were fired- but because they were in a circle and alert, they were much easier to block and deflect.
After a while, you'd think they'd just give up.
"We're going to be here all night, Leon. Let's get to the good part!" Blaise yelled out from behind him. He could practically feel him quaking with rage.
"Wait for a bit longer." Leon said, patiently.
As soon as he said this, he heard a splash- something had stepped on the wet mud in front of him.
He pointed his blade at them- sending a barrage of fireballs. The outline of an invisible target came into view, and turned visible after the hit.
On the ground, recovering was some sort of humanoid, feminine chameleon, with some sort of staff in hand.
"You'll pay for this…" the monster growled, and began to vanish again.
"Not this time!" Leon cried. "Let's get her!"
Tabitha and Roxy fired first- Tabitha with a high-pressure blast of water, and Roxy electrocuting said blast.
The attack left the monster stunned, enough for Twyla and Blaise to rush towards her. Twyla tackled the monster into the ground, and as she did so, Blaise leapt upwards dropped-kicked her with great strength.
Next came the green ranger- as the monster fired off another arrow laser, he swiftly deflected them with his whips, away from them.
The red ranger then slashed the beast with his katana, engulfed in flames. Again and again he slashed and slashed, sending her to the ground.
He lept backwards and up into the air, glowing with a powerful red aura. With his hands, he formed a circle motion, a white-hot flame in his palms.
"Red Phoenix Final Blast!"
With a thrusting motion, he shot the flame out of his palms, forming a spiral of energy. At the end of the spiral was the shape of a massive phoenix- which engulfed the monster.
As the flames faded, with an explosion, there was nothing left but a pile of ash.
The monster was defeated.
The rangers cheered on their victory and headed back to C3.
...
Zuthora cried in anger at the defeat of this monster, throwing his glass at the screen. It flickered out as those rangers began their hurrahs.
"Arustar!" Zuthora bellowed at the goblin king. "You said this plan of yours would end the rangers! All that reptilian wench did was look pretty and die!"
"It seems I underestimated their prowess. I apologize, master. This will not happen again." said Arustar.
"Next time, I want a complete victory." Zuthora hissed, and stomped out of the room.
'If my plan works, I'll be back to what I am…' Arustar thought. 'For this, I'll definitely need the ranger's help…'
...
The uplifted morale continued at C3. A small, modest celebration, but a celebration nonetheless.
Though, while everyone was distracted, Leon pulled James aside to talk.
"Something up, man?" James asked.
"You remember grandpa's birthday is coming up this Friday. You joining us?" Leon replied.
"Yeah, of course. Just hope nothing important pops out of the blue." James answered- quickly, almost dodging the matter.
"James…" Leon sighed. "You always do this when it comes to paying mom and gramps a visit- hell, even just talking to them. For once, will you tell me what the problem is?"
"Look, Leon. I don't want to explain myself right now, alright?!" James lashed out in anger. Before Leon could say anything else, he walked away to join the others.
Leon stood for a minute, shocked. It was rare to see James so angry, and he truly wanted this answer.
'James… Will you ever open up to me about this..?' Leon thought.
With reluctance, he went back to join the others.
Author's Note: Sorry guys for the delay. Coping with starting college was why it took a long time for the update. But, I will try my best to update soon. I hope you guys understand.
Coming back to the story, what do you think Arustar was planning, and why would he need the ranger's help? Besides, what is the issue with James and his family? All will be answered in due time. Please review of what you think of the story and your guesses to the questions. Until next time, Bye!
Next Chapter - Strength is in Belief and Trust!