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 [( *• ̀ω•́ )b] is my beta reader and my house stock for everyday monsters. Thanks for support guys and hope the story will be a great success and you all enjoy it.
Chapter 8- Strength is in Protection, Belief and Trust!- Rescue Full of Twists!
Previously on Rise of the Defender Beasts...
Almost ecstatically, Eliastro watched as the rangers squirmed and writhed under the pain of his machine.
"Soon, my first task will be complete… Tomorrow night, at the time of the eclipse, I will have that power!" Eliastro laughed maniacally, watching the pieces fall perfectly into place.
Arustar remained silent in the shadows, and turned tense.
'I think… The time for me to act has come.' Arustar thought, as he left the palace, not catching anyone's eyes.
Now, the thrilling conclusion!
...
At that same castle where the rangers were held captive, screams of pain echoed through the corridors.
Leon, Roxy, and Tabitha were all tied to strange machines. It was built like a six-sided pillar, with helmets wired above their heads. At that top, however, were six indigo-colored stones, floating above bowl-like shapes.
The three rangers were tied down to their own side, the auras of their color forcibly emitting from them, flowing upwards on the pillar. The stones were glowing with that same power, as the energy released from the bowl shapes.
As the painful process ended, the ranger's aura had completely faded. The stones, however, flared with energy. The beasts of the phoenix, thunderbird, and mermaid could be heard crying out for freedom.
From across the room, Eliastro grinned, watching as the cries of pain silenced, and the rangers fell unconscious.
Everything was falling into place.
...
Within C3, the remaining rangers were once again patiently waiting for any luck within finding their comrades. They'd been trying their hardest all day, but turned up empty-handed at every turn.
"Merlin… Please tell me you at least found a hint..?" James asked- with more impatience than hope.
"I apologize James, but we still don't have any leads." Merlin replied in a sad and low tone.
Though he was merely an assistant, something about the teens had made him grow to care for them. Their behavior towards him made Merlin feel like more than just a "helper", and made him more than an assistant to them. He wanted to help in any way he could, but…
The disappointment was clear on the ranger's faces. James could sense the last bits of hope slipping away from them.
"Let's head back out to search. Believe me, we will find a way to bring them back." James said.
It wouldn't be too hard for Blaise, Twyla, and Eldon to sense the hope leaving him, too. But he was hanging on.
They all headed up- but quickly stopped as Eldon followed.
… "You probably shouldn't come." Twyla mumbled, turning to him directly.
"Why not? It's my sister that got taken!" He quickly objected.
"Why not- you're not even a ranger!" Blaise scoffed. "You'll just be deadweight!"
"Ranger or not, that doesn't mean I can't be useful."
The two glared at each other, eyes locking for a solid minute- until James spoke up again.
"Eldon- we just don't want you to get hurt." James explained. "We all don't. Please, for all of our sakes, can you cooperate?"
Reluctantly, Eldon nodded, and sat back down. Though, there was a strange glint in his eyes. Blaise huffed- but dropped his end of the glare.
At that, the rangers headed off- up and into C3.
As soon as they were far enough, Eldon headed up after them.
…
"This is a damn chore."
Blaise huffed in annoyance as the three of them trekked through the forest.
"Complaining won't get us anywhere." James sighed in reply. "I know you're all exhausted, but don't give up hope!"
"We've been searching all this time…" Twyla mumbled, nervously. "What if they aren't even in Majestic Hills..?"
"Well, where the hell else would they go?! And why not just take the lot of us, while they're at it?!"
"Twyla, Blaise, please- we already have enough to deal with. Don't fight each other."
The deeper they traversed, the more tense they became. Though, before a conflict could boil over, a voice stopped them.
"It seems you're having a rotten time searching for the primaries."
The voice was familiar- but not recognizable. The trio of rangers remained confused- briefly trying to connect the sound to a name.
"God 'effing damnit-" Blaise hissed. "Come out of the wild and talk while I feel diplomatic!"
"Kehehe! Very well."
Stepping out from the bushes was none other than Arustar T.
At the sight, the rangers immediately pulled out their morphers. Arustar grinned at their willingness to fight- even with only half of their members.
"Don't waste your breath fighting me. You have teammates to save, do you not? And besides, I'm not here to kill you- but to help."
"What..? One of Zuthora's generals is helping us fight against him… But why?" Twyla asked, confused.
"You kids don't know much, save for what you're told. But, in due time, it will all make sense. For now, though, head west towards Leviathan Lake. Near the waterfall is where your teammates are imprisoned."
"And we should trust you? Zuthora's number one lapdog?" Blaise growled- seething, tossing the morpher in his hand. "I should kill you now just for testing my patience!"
Arustar laughed again, as he turned to leave.
"I would hurry, if I were you. They don't have much time left, I'm afraid…"
On that grim notice, he walked away.
"What should we do now..?" Twyla asked. "Should we go?"
"It's a trap. It's such a blatant trap!" Blaise yelled out- infuriated. "I'm gonna kick that gremlin in the ribs!"
"Trap or not, by now it's the only chance we have! We don't exactly have much of a choice but to go!"
Twyla nodded in confirmation. Again, Blaise scoffed, but didn't complain. With a silent agreement, the trio headed west.
From behind a tree, Eldon cursed under his breath, watching the three head to where the alien told them. He ran back to C3 as fast as his legs could take him.
...
"Prince Alveno! Merlin!"
Eldon leapt back into C3- exhausted from running uphill. He got nervous, seeing that the main hall was empty.
"Guys, come on!"
After the second call, Alveno came out of another room, with an expression of worry.
"What had happened, Eldon? Why are you looking so tense?" he asked, gently.
"The… In the forest… Some alien told Twyla, James, and Blaise where Roxy, Leon, and Tabitha are…" Eldon explained, struggling to catch his breath. "But, I… I have a bad feeling."
A worried expression formed on Alveno's face.
"Where did they go to?"
"The waterfall, by Leviathan Lake..."
...
Meanwhile, the rangers reached the location they were told about. The massive Leviathan Lake, and the waterfall overhead it. Surprisingly, the waters were rather calm today.
"No one's here. This wasn't even a trap- it was just a waste of our time!"
Before Blaise could do anything reckless, James stepped forwards.
… "They're somewhere around here. I can feel Leon and Tabitha's presence." he uttered. Though it was faint, he could feel the connection.
"But… How..?" Twyla asked, curiously.
James shrugged. "I don't really know. Since our childhood, I could just… feel him, y'know? My mom, too. And ever since we met Tabi- her too."
"...I'm still confused." Twlya mumbled.
James didn't elaborate any further. Instead, he sat down on the grass, cross-legged, and began to meditate.
…"Are you f%ing kidding me." Blaise uttered- the quietest he's ever been, but quaking in anger. "Do you honestly f%ing think you have the time to sit on your ass right now?"
"Blaise, he might be onto something…"
"James can experience tranquility or whatever when we… I don't f%ing know- find the rest of the damn team! I can't f%ing take this anymore-"
"Let him concentrate!" Twyla scolded.
"And you're agreeing. Maybe I'm the crazy one in this group! I swear I'm losing my mind-"
Blaise walked off to the side- in an almost ramble to himself. At the very least, he didn't punch James right then and there.
After a few minutes, James got up, and headed directly towards the waterfall.
"Taking a dip now are you, Zen Master?!" Blaise screeched, stomping after him. "Now where the hell are you going?!"
"They're behind the waterfall. I can feel them there."
"H-how the… You can't be serious, this can't be seriously happening…"
"...Ah… Back here." Twyla called, near the waterfall.
Behind the spray of the waterfall was a cavern. The perfect hiding spot- but it was a wonder how it wasn't discovered before.
For a moment, Blaise was utterly speechless.
"You'll catch flies with your mouth hanging open like that." James teased, nudging Blaise on the shoulder.
"Screw you." he hissed in reply.
"Let's morph and head in!"
…
The cavern was deep, dark, and grimy. Slowly, the cobble was replaced by stone bricks, lit only by torches. Old, molding statues of gargoyles, and rusting armors stood to the sides.
Blaise scoffed at the decor. "The interior designer took inspiration from Castlevania or something…"
"It looks more like a 60's movie…" Twyla mumbled, almost nervous.
"Eh. Same aesthetic."
At last, they entered a hall, seeing Roxy, Tabitha, and Leon tied down to the machine. The three quickly rushed towards them, but James paused.
"Oh my god- now what's up?!" Blaise asked.
"This seems so easy. Too easy…" James sighed to himself.
"True, Green Ranger." said a voice from behind them. As they turned towards it-
"Oh no-"
"Motherfu-"
"Damni-"
They didn't get to finish their statements, as a powerful strike of energy knocked them unconscious.
…
When James opened his eyes again, he felt lightheaded. His armor had dispersed.
"Guys?.. Guys!"
As he turned, he noted that he, too, was stuck in the strange machine. He turned- and could see Blaise and Twyla stuck inside as well, both slowly coming to.
As he turned forwards, he caught sight of none other than Eliastro and Arustar- both with evil grins on their faces.
"...I… told you so…" Blaise managed to scoff out- struggling to hold onto his consciousness.
"Not... the time… Blaise..." Twyla mumbled- struggling just as badly.
"Both of you are cowards!" James yelled to the aliens. "You tricked us! Don't you have a sense of honor?!"
"What else were you expecting from your enemy, little ranger? You should've listened to your orange bloodhound- how could you expect help from me?" Arustar laughed. "For a second-in-command, you're too easy to fool!"
"This is no time for chit-chat, Arustar." Eliastro said. "For now, I must finish my work."
"Of course."
As Eliastro flicked the machine back on, the cries of pain resumed.
…
Prince Alveno was getting more and more worried as the hours passed. It was nearing nightfall, and the rangers had yet to return.
Eldon was present as well- excused with the lie that he and Roxy were staying at a friend's place for the night.
At last, Eldon hopped out of his seat, and made his way for the stairs.
"Eldon, where are you going?" Prince Alveno asked.
"I can't just sit here and wait! Maybe they're in some sort of danger. I don't care if I don't have enough power, there has to be something I can do!" Eldon declared. "I'm heading to Leviathan Lake!"
"...Very well." Alveno nodded. "But, I won't let you leave without properly preparing."
…
Within the caverns, Eliastro held the six indigo stones within his hands. Each glowed with a color of a beast- red, green, yellow, blue, orange, black…
'At last, the spirits are in my hands. Once the eclipse hits, the power of the Great Beasts will, at last, be in my hands.' Eliastro thought, grinning. 'And then… The Royal Three…'
"Arustar! Gobots!" the general called out. "I am going to begin my ritual. Under no circumstances am I to be interrupted! Protect this place with your life!"
The gobots nodded, and went into position- sitting down on the floor in focus. The stones lifted out of his hands, and floated around him, glowing with the stolen auras.
...
Meanwhile, Eldon, Alveno, and Merlin had arrived to the waterfall- determined. They were donned in protective armors, and held weapons within their hands.
However, they were confused to find no one there.
"Now where should we go..?" Merlin asked.
"Hm… I have the feeling that there's some sort of magic at work here…" Alveno said.
"Magic… Must've been that monster. Prince, do you know where it's coming from?
"The waterfall. That's where it's the strongest.
As the group reached into the waterfall, they quickly found the cavern. They made no hesitation to enter.
"We have to be quiet. We have to reach the rangers without gathering attention." Alveno said. Merlin and Eldon nodded.
Of course, the gobots were easy to sneak past. They may have been large in numbers, but that was about it.
As they made it to the hall, hiding behind one of the walls, they caught sight of the unconscious rangers in the machine.
They tried to reach forwards- but suddenly, a blast of energy intercepted the attempt, destroying the wall they were hiding behind.
"So, you came at last to protect your little rangers, Alveno." Arustar grinned.
"You will pay for what you've done, Arustar." Alveno yelled, lifting the blade from his side. "I will destroy you once and for all!"
The Gobots- alerted of the noise, covered their exits. It seemed as though they would have to fight their way out.
As Alveno and Arustar fought, matching each other blow for blow, Merlin and Eldon took on the gobots. While Merlin fought decisively, trained and experienced in the blade, Eldon fought sloppily- like he'd never used a sword in his life. It was a wonder he managed to cut down even a few gobots.
"Eldon!" Alveno cried, deflecting another blast of energy from Alveno. "Free the rangers! The rope is enchanted, cutting it will wake them up!"
Quickly, Alveno blocked another attack, quickly raising his sword from a powerful punt. For such an unsightly being, Arustar was powerful.
Eldon nodded, running towards the machine, blade in hand. Quickly, he cut the ropes off of them- for each part he cut, each ranger jolted awake, and got up to join the fray.
"It seems you guys came up with something. Good job!" said Leon- energized. "Team, on me!"
"For once, it feels good to get out of bed!" James grinned. "Thanks, Eldon!"
"E-Eldon?! Well, I shouldn't be surprised, now…" Roxy sighed. "I'll explain later!"
"This is going too well for a plan those three came up with…" Tabitha muttered, with somewhat of sarcasm. "I'm impressed!"
"Eldon...?" Blaise asked. He chuckled. "Seems you're more than just talk, huh..?"
"Ah..! You guys came…" Twyla said in surprise. "Now we can fight back..!"
"Rangers! Let's morph!" Leon yelled, grabbing his morpher. The others followed suit.
"Defender Beasts, Rise to Defend!" they yelled- completely in unison.
…
…
…
Nothing happened.
"What was that?!" Roxy asked, shocked.
Arustar laughed, turning towards the rangers. (At the same time, he was holding back the urge to roll his eyes.)
"The machine you were in was used to drain you of your spirits! Eliastro has the stones, and is doing a ritual to steal your power two rooms down! I'm to make sure you don't interrupt his plans, and not lay a hand on the stones glowing in your individual colors!"
'Perhaps this will be enough of a hint.' he thought to himself.
"Guys, give us cover!" Leon yelled- stepping back up to his leader role. "We have to reach Eliastro!"
Even without their spirits, their powers still lingered. As a group, and with the reserves of their power, they could easily take out the few gobots in their way.
As they moved on, Merlin, Eldon, and Alveno focused back on Arustar.
Within the ritual room, Eliastro glowed with a colorful aura. The stones were burning brighter and brighter, floating closer and closer, as he uttered mantras under his breath.
"There! Now!"
Just before they could make it, the rangers grabbed their respective stones, interrupting the ritual. The auras flowed towards their bodies- as they felt the sensation of something trying to enter, but trapped.
Eliastro stood up with anger.
"Impossible! How dare you interrupt my ritual?!" Eliastro yelled, grabbing his blade. "You shall pay with your life!"
As he cut forwards with a powerful slash, he, instead, hit the stones, shattering them. With a powerful cry, the beasts were freed, and entered the bodies of their respective rangers.
"It's showtime at last!" said Leon, with a grin, feeling the familiar power within him.
"Defender Beasts, Rise to Defend!"
This time, it worked perfectly.
"Tabi, James, handle Eliastro! Twyla, come with me to handle Arustar! The rest of you- gobot duty!" Leon ordered. The members nodded, following through with the plan.
Blaise, Roxy, Eldon, Alveno and Merlin were handling the gobots- with ease.
"I love this part…!" Blaise hissed- wielding his nagamaki like a bat, ignoring its blade. He bludgeoned one in the face, and swept down to take out another two by the legs. The manticore roared fiercely within him. "You'll pay for the pain we suffered through!" he yelled, and ran headfirst into the next wave of gobots.
Eldon stayed near Roxy, protective as always. "You know you can be grounded for this! Do you know how much I was worried?" he scolded, sloppily stabbing one gobot, but kicking down another easily. "You should've told me sooner!"
"Eldon…" Roxy sighed, using her staff to knock down two in the guts. "I get why you're worried, and I appreciate it, but I'm not a little girl anymore!" she kicked another, and then slapped down another. With a cry from the thunderbird within her, she sent electricity throughout her staff, and with a circular motion, electrifying and destroying the gobots that remained.
"Where'd you learn to use that..? It's like you were practicing for years!"
"...Uh…"
"Wait… Wait… No way... Y-you said it was a book club!"
Roxy sighed- knowing she'd be getting one hell of a lecture once this was all over.
Leon and Twyla were trying their best to fight against Arustar. Despite leading them to their beast stones, he was not pulling his punches.
As Leon slashed forwards with his katana, it was dodged with ease, met with a powerful kick. However, the kick met Twyla's shield, and Leon moved to slash at him again. As it was just as easily dodged, Arustar formed a large fireball, and threw it towards the both of them, de-morphing them easily.
James and Tabitha weren't doing much good against Eliastro. James used his whips to attack, but both were dodged. As he lept back, Tabitha struck with her trident, hitting him and sending him back a few feet.
With a growl, Eliastro charged electricity into his blade, and shot a burst towards the two of them- sending them flying, de-morphed.
Coincidentally, James so happened to collide with Blaise, de-morphing him as well, and Tabitha collided with the machine, breaking it into disuse.
Arustar, on the other hand, had already sent Merlin and Alveno to the ground as well- leaving only Eldon and Roxy.
The two villains regrouped, satisfied with their work. Roxy gasped at the condition of her teammates- but quickly made up her mind as she rushed towards the dastardly duo. She leapt up and aimed a strike to Eliastro…
However, the general deflected the strike with ease, knocking her off balance.
"It seems you wish to join your fallen teammates! Very well!"
In rapid succession, he struck her with the dull edge of his blade, and grabbed her by the throat. Savoring the moment, the villain slowly brandished his blade…
"No..! Roxy!"
Determined, Eldon ran forwards, with a bright crimson glow. However, to his surprise, it was at a speed faster than even the human eye could catch. With this bullet-like speed, he rammed himself into the two monsters, tackling them into the ground.
Eldon noted where the glowing was the strongest- from beneath his shirt. He reached under, and pulled out a crimson stone, inscribed with the insignia of a unicorn.
He reached into his pocket, finding a strange, watch-like device- shoving the stone within it subconsciously. A surge of energy flowed through him.
"Defender Beasts, Rise to Defend!" he called.
It's Morphin' Time!
Within the sequence projected in his mind, Eldon stood near a river, surrounded by plains. Crimson flowers grew from the ground.
A powerful neigh sounded through the fields- as he saw two beams of crimson light shooting upwards. The lights faded, turning into two Unicorns, that both ran towards him, circling around him.
Eldon seemed determined to his very core, and welcomed this new energy without hesitation. As soon as his suit was formed, the beasts galloped away from him.
The suit was grey- though a crimson red vest covered his upper body, with a golden scarf around his neck, drifting behind him like a lightning bolt. Crimson gloves adorned his hands, as well as crimson boots- both with a golden trim. A golden belt lied on his waist, and within it lied his Beast Stone
The two unicorns charged back towards him,at last. One phased through his chest, forming the insignia of crossed tonfa behind a unicorn. Afterwards, they both rushed towards his head and collided, forming a helmet themed after the aforementioned steeds.
"Unicorn Defender - Crimson Ranger!"
Fight for your planet, Crimson Beast!
"...Holy crap, that's cool."
James was the first to pipe up- watching Eldon with an almost childlike astonishment. The others seemed to at least somewhat agree- surprised from the sudden transformation.
Behind his helmet, Eldon grinned. "It feels just as cool."
With lightning-fast speed, Eldon blazed back towards the villains with gusto. He was too fast to strike, so proved their futile efforts. With a crimson glow, two tonfa formed in his hands, which he used to attack the both of them.
He wasn't too fast to be unpredictable, however. As he aimed to strike again, he was sent to the ground with an electric attack.
"Come on, let's help out!" Leon called out. With the strength they had left, the previously downed rangers got up for a second wind, morphing once again, and joining the fray.
The groups had split up- with Leon, James and Roxy fighting Arustar, whereas Eldon, Blaise, Twyla and Tabitha were handling Eliastro.
The split was well-chosen, as each ranger could cover for each other's weaknesses. With their combined might, the groups were able to match their power.
However, the fight couldn't reach a conclusion. The broken machine began to creak and bend, the controls short-circuiting. The entire cavern shook, rubble falling from the ceiling.
"Tch… It seems Lady Luck was on your side, Rangers." Eliastro scoffed, reaching for the device on his wrist. "Though you survived today, soon you will all be destroyed, and the Royal Three will be in my possession!"
With that declaration, and a tap of the device, both Eliastro and Arustar teleported out of the crumbling cave.
"...Hmph… We'll see who will be destroyed." Leon said in a low voice. He turned his attention back to the situation on hand.
"James, help me lift up Prince Alveno! Eldon and Blaise, take Merlin! Twyla, Tabi, Roxy- make sure we have a clear path!" Leon directed. The rangers nodded, quickly getting to work on their tasks.
It was a difference of seconds that the rangers, along with their mentor and helper managed to exit the cave, making a final leap into Lake Leviathan. As they made impact with the cool water, de-morphing, the cavern completely collapsed, the entrance enclosed.
It felt good for them to see the night sky once more.
They trudged out of the waters and onto land, exhausted.
"Very well done, rangers!" Alveno congratulated. "But, this is merely the beginning… There's much more to come in the future…"
His sentence trailed off, as a look of stress formed on his face.
This was just the tip of the iceberg, before they could reach Zuthora.
...
Author's Note: Here we goooo! The rescue came out to be successful, and a new ranger joined the team. Tell me, how many of you saw this new entry coming? Also with what Arustar did, I mean pretending to help rangers than betraying them and then again helping them, what was the reason behind it? What does he actually want, and what are his actual plans? Also, why is Eliastro so impatient to have royal three in his possession- and who (or what) are they? Tell me of what you think of the story, chapter, and the questions, as well as the places that needed to be improved in review as they are always encouraging. Until next time, bye!
Next Chapter - Filler..? [Name not Final!]