Soul Specter
It was a beautiful day in the city of Briarwood.
It was warm and sunny with clear, blue skies. Almost everyone and their dog, quite literally, was out and about in city's park, having picnics and playing games, going on walks and enjoying the day. It was absolutely perfect. Just perfect. Too perfect. Which made it all the more tragic when a dark seal appeared and from it emerged Imperious' latest summoned lackeys, Gnatu, an insectoid female and her revolting pet monster, Spydex, along with several Hidiacs.
"What a lovely day it is to harvest your life force!" cackled Gnatu. "Get them, my pretties!"
As the Hidiacs rounded up the frightened citizens, Gnatu began draining their life-force and then Spydex, a giant crab/spider hybrid with a disgusting sac on its back, consumed it.
"Hold it right there! Laser Lamp!"
Suddenly, Daggeron leapt into the park and began blasting at the Hidiacs with his lamp, which blasted out powerful magic. The Rangers quickly followed suit. They'd detected Gnatu's presence in the park via the crystal ball and had arrived to stop her.
"Chip, get that bug! We'll get these people to safety and cover you," ordered Natalia.
Chip nodded. "Got it, boss."
With Natalia and the others fought off the Hidiacs and delivered as many people out of the park as they possibly could, Chip went straight for Gnatu, who'd chosen a father trying to protect his six-year-old daughter as her next victims.
"Stop!" yelled Chip. Before Chip could whip out his crossbow, he was blasted back with dark magic and then restrained by nine Hidiacs. Helplessly, Chip watched in distraught as Gnatu took their life-force and fed it to Spydex, who zipped away on one of his thick, long web strands.
"NO!" cried Chip, horrified. Anguish and guilt swept through Chip's body and threatened to consume him. What had he done? He'd been given one simple job and he'd failed. Those innocent people had lost their life-force and were gone now, and it was all his fault. That wasn't supposed to happen. Chip was a hero. Heroes didn't fail people, they saved them.
As Gnatu laughed in the face of Chip's pain, the Yellow Ranger felt his pain being replaced with terrible anger he hadn't felt since Necrolai had turned Vida and he shouted out, "Tempestas Scintilla!"
Extremely powerful bolts of lightning shot out of Chip's body and reduced the Hidiacs to ashes. Quite a powerful and effective spell, though draining of Chip's strength. Though you wouldn't have guessed such a thing as Chip ran straight for Gnatu and began fighting her with everything he had.
"What did you do to them?" yelled Chip, as Gnatu dodged one of Chip's blows.
After dodging Chip's punch, Gnatu grabbed Chip's arm and pinned it. "I just relieved them of their life-force. And why shouldn't I? I have a better use for it," said Gnatu, insolently. "But don't worry, they don't feel a thing!" She cackled as she gestured to the many comatose victims that lay scattered throughout the park grounds.
"You monster!" yelled Chip.
"Ha!" Gnatu tossed Chip across the park and he slammed straight into a tree. She didn't look the least bit concerned when Chip forced himself to ignore the pain and he charged her again. She took advantage of his blinded anger to grab Chip, throw him over her shoulder and pin him to the ground with her foot. "What a joke! And you call yourself a protector of the city? Don't make me laugh!"
Before Chip could protest or retaliate, Gnatu kicked Chip in the head and then disappeared through a dark seal as the others arrived to help.
"Chip, are you all right?" asked Vida, worriedly.
Chip shakily rose to his feet. Every muscle in his body was screaming with pain and he felt quite tired, but what did it matter when there were people who had it far worse?
"I'm fine. But those people aren't," said Chip, miserably as he gazed at the comatose victims. "I didn't save them."
I didn't save them. It was a difficult but undeniable truth. Chip hadn't saved them. The words alone brought back the guilt and tears burnt at his eyes. Chip had failed to save the citizens from Gnatu and Spydex. He had failed.
Vida squeezed her boyfriend's shoulder. "You can't blame yourself. You did your best."
Chip appreciated his girlfriend's attempt at comfort but he couldn't accept it. He didn't deserve it. "But it wasn't good enough."
XXX
Down in the Underworld, Imperious was relishing in Gnatu's success.
Not only had the insectoid female been quite successful in snatching up all that life-force, but she was able to defeat the Rangers, which earned herself a special place in Imperious' book. If Gnatu's plan fully succeeded, the city would be destroyed and they'd be one step closer to defeating the wretched Rangers for good.
"Excellent work, Gnatu!" praised Imperious. "You've done quite well, I must say."
Gnatu giggled as she bowed in response. "Why, thank you, my lord."
"Keep this up, and I might just make you my third-in-command," said Imperious.
Necrolai, who despised being upstaged by anyone, especially Gnatu, with whom she had had past issues before, scoffed. Gnatu? A general? Bah! What rubbish! The pathetic little flea could never reach that high of a rank. Not if Necrolai had anything to say about it.
"What's the matter, Necrolai? Don't you think I'd make a good general?" sneered Gnatu, as her fingers brushed against Necrolai's shoulder. "After all, I've only succeeded where you've failed. Ha-ha-ha-ha!"
Necrolai let out an angry hiss as she grabbed Gnatu's hand and held her wrist so tight it nearly broke. "Touch me again and I'll squash you like the bug you are!" she growled as she shoved Gnatu across the room. "And no, I don't think you'd make a good general AT ALL!"
Gnatu growled as she cradled her aching wrist. "You'll regret that, Necrolai!"
She raised her uninjured hand as if to strike Necrolai as the Vampire Queen took a defensive stance, preparing to defend herself.
"Enough! Stop it, both of you!" said Imperious, sharply.
Necrolai and Gnatu immediately stepped back and turned away from each other. Whatever quarrels they had, they would not fight them out in front of Imperious. They could settle them out in private if need be.
"Gnatu, return to the surface world at once and resume your work," ordered Imperious.
Gnatu bowed. "Yes, my lord."
And with that, Gnatu disappeared via a dark seal and Necrolai was only too happy to see the back of the annoying insect.
"Necrolai, do try and keep your temper. You needn't worry about your place here. You'll always be my favorite. And I promise that even if Gnatu succeeds, she will never be superior to you," assured Imperious.
Necrolai's dark eyes narrowed. She hoped for Imperious' sake, that it was true. She hadn't gone to all the trouble of restoring him just to be pushed aside for a filthy insect like Gnatu. "I should hope not, my lord. But it hardly matters. Let that foolish insect chase after flies in her spider's web while I snatch greater prey." Her eyes glinted she thought of her secret weapon to use against the Rangers that lay in wait for the opportune moment.
Just then, the Hidiacs and Styxoids began chanting and bowing in excitement and then suddenly, Koragg descended from above and landed gracefully onto the stone floor. He looked stronger and more powerful than ever.
"I'm back," he said, smugly.
"Koragg!" exclaimed Necrolai. Despite having witnessed Koragg's return and subsequent battle with the Solaris Knight, Necrolai hadn't expected the Knight Wolf to return as she'd assumed that Koragg had either gone off to nurse his injuries for a long period again or was destroyed. But clearly, it wasn't the case. "Where on earth have you been?"
Koragg unsheathed his newly fashioned sword. Dark magical energy reverberated from the blade. "While regaining my strength, I've been forging a new weapon with Morticon's sword." He sheathed the sword as he turned his gaze to Imperious. "So, this is the famous Imperious."
"Lord Imperious, if you don't mind," said Imperious, sharply as he encircled Koragg. "And you must be the famous Koragg the Knight Wolf. I've heard a great deal about you. Word has it that you're a powerful warrior and a wizard as well as a commander of the Master, which in itself is impressive, but make no mistake: I am in charge around here until the Master has returned to us!"
Imperious was fully aware of Koragg's reputation as well as the Knight Wolf's position in the Master's army but Imperious refused to let Koragg take command. Imperious had worked too hard and too long to get to where he was and he had no intention of letting anyone, not even the Master take that away from him.
"With all due respect, I wouldn't bother, my lord. As Koragg will tell you, he answers only to the Master. And I am quite certain that the Master himself enforces this," said Necrolai.
"The hag speaks true. I serve only the Master. I do not take orders from a dishonorable traitor who cannot be trusted like you!" spat Koragg.
Imperious was so outraged that he nearly blasted Koragg with dark magic. "A traitor?! Me?! How dare you—"
"I dare because it's the truth!" snarled Koragg. "You are evil and serve the Master, yes. But you were once Calindor and swore an oath of allegiance to your sovereigns and yet you sold them out for a seat at the Master's table. There is no honor in your actions and one who has sold out their own can never be trusted. You are not my leader, I serve only the Master."
Imperious growled in anger and was about to strike, only to pull back when the Master's eye opened, causing everyone to bow in respect as Master's wishes echoed throughout the dark chamber.
"Very well, then, Master. It shall be as you command," said Imperious, as the Master's eye closed once more. Though Imperious' tone was respectful, inside he was seething with anger. Koragg had spoken true, the only word that Knight Wolf had to obey was the Master's. Imperious had no control over Koragg and it was Koragg alone that the Master trusted and favored. "It seems you're right, Koragg. I do not command you, but I will act as a voice of the Master's wishes when necessary. Is that acceptable to you?"
Koragg nodded. He neither trusted nor liked Imperious, but he could keep an eye on the dark wizard and when necessary, act on his leader's wishes through Imperious. It was a compromise that the Knight Wolf was willing to accept.
"Good. Then you should know that whilst you've been absent, another foe has joined the Rangers' ranks, the Solaris Knight," said Imperious. "He threatens the Master's survival as well as the success of our plans, just as he did during the War."
Koragg gripped his sword. "I'm aware of the Solaris Knight. I have fought him once before. Now, it seems I must battle him again."
And it was a battle Koragg was greatly anticipating.
XXX
Meanwhile, back at Rootcore, Chip was driving everyone nuts and was almost going nuts himself. His upset feelings over the incident in the park had turned into a full-blown obsession. He'd taken their defeat the hardest and was blaming himself and it was showing and not in a good way. When they'd gone back to Rootcore to regain their strength and make their next plan of attack, everyone had quickly settled into different jobs as they waited for Gnatu and Spydex to return. Everyone, that is, except for Chip, who was doing nothing other than obsessively checking everyone's progress every two minutes. Almost literally.
"Xander, any luck? Have you found them?" asked Chip, frantically.
Xander, who was using Rootcore's crystal ball as well as Mason's enchanted surveillance equipment to search for their enemies, gritted his teeth as he shook his head. "No. It's same as when you asked me five minutes ago. There's still nothing. They've disappeared."
Refusing to give up, Chip turned to Vida and Mason, who were pouring over countless books to research a way to undo Gnatu and Spydex's dark magic.
"Have you found anything?" asked Chip.
Mason, who was usually a quiet-tempered man, looked as though he was resisting the urge to scream as he said, "No, Chip. We haven't found any spells to restore life-force yet."
Judging from the look on Vida's face, the Pink Ranger was sharing in her brother's feelings as she replied the same. Vida loved Chip, but right now, she was on the verge of smacking him upside the head if he didn't calm down.
"Keep looking," ordered Chip.
Hoping to ease some of the tension in the room, Daggeron decided to intervene before Chip went too far and caused a fight.
"Chip, you need to calm down. We're doing everything we can to help those people. You've got to stop blaming yourself, it wasn't your fault," said Daggeron, gently.
Chip stubbornly shook his head. "Yes, it was! I was supposed to protect them and I blew it!" Chip was Ranger, a hero. He was supposed to protect and save innocent lives, not fail them. What kind of a hero was he if he couldn't stop Gnatu and Spydex?
At that point, Natalia decided enough was enough. She stopped her training routine mid-move and marched over to Chip, looking stern.
"Chip, we need to talk. Privately," said Natalia, her tone not inviting argument.
Chip groaned. Did they really have to talk now? He had things to do. "Can it wait? I need to—"
"Now, Chip!" said Natalia, sharply.
Chip inwardly gulped. That was Natalia's obey-me-or-pay tone, something she usually saved for when she was irritated with someone on the team or giving orders on the battlefield. For Natalia use it now meant serious business and Chip had no other choice but to obey. He followed Natalia onto the balcony and closed the door behind them, making it difficult for them to be overheard.
"Look, Chip, I understand what you're feeling right now, I really do, but—"
"Don't say that," interrupted Chip. How could Natalia know how Chip felt? She hadn't been the one to fight Gnatu. She hadn't blown it. That was all on Chip. "You didn't fail to save those people in the park today."
Natalia's eyes darkened, making Chip realize that he'd misspoken. He fell silent and took a step back as he waited for Natalia to speak.
"I'm not talking about today, I'm talking about…" Natalia took a deep breath to steady her nerves. Though she trusted Chip, the subject she was about to broach was still difficult and made her heart ache with grief. "…I'm talking about my parents. Six months before I came to Briarwood, my parents and I were caught in a fire. I tried my hardest to save them, to get them to safety. But I failed. They died and I survived. It was the worst night of my life."
Chip inhaled sharply as sympathetic tears stung his eyes. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He knew Natalia's parents had died before she'd come to Briarwood, but he never would've guessed that they'd perished in such a horrific manner. No wonder Natalia had been so hesitant to join the team at first. The guilt and grief she must've felt…
"As you can imagine, I blamed myself for what happened," continued Natalia. She did not cry but her brown eyes were dull with terrible grief. "I withdrew from the world even more than I usually did and I lived a reclusive nomad's life for months before I came to Briarwood. When Udonna told me that I was destined to be the Red Mystic Ranger and protect the city, I didn't feel I could accept, not just because of my struggles to control my powers but also because my confidence in myself was practically non-existent. I nearly skipped town because I didn't believe I was good enough to protect the city, much less serve as the Red Ranger. If I couldn't save my parents, the only family I'd ever known, the people who loved me and took care of me in spite of the dangers my powers possessed, how could I be trusted to save innocent lives? What good were my powers if I couldn't save the ones I loved most?"
Chip's heart clenched with pain and sympathy for his leader. She did know what he was feeling. She was describing it to a tee. But even so, her story left a question unanswered.
"So, what happened? I mean, obviously you didn't leave. So, what changed your mind?" asked Chip, hesitantly. He'd always wondered what it was that had made Natalia choose to come back to fight off Koragg and accept her destiny, but had never sought to ask.
Natalia sighed. "Crazy as it may seem, just as I had almost left the city, I had a vision of what was going to happen to the team if I didn't go back and help. That's when I realized that I had a choice. I could continue to let my past haunt me and consume me or I could start over and make a difference. So, I chose to go back and the rest, you know. Now, I'm not telling you this for sympathy or pity. I'm telling you this so that you don't make the same mistake I almost did. It's a harsh truth, but during a war like this, we can't always save everyone. Sometimes, there are losses and they hurt like heck, but we can't let it consume us. We have to push forward and work towards a better tomorrow. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
Chip nodded. He understood, even if he didn't like it. Yes, they hadn't been able to prevent Gnatu and Spydex from taking those souls, but that didn't mean it was anyone's fault except for Gnatu's. And even though it hurt, sometimes even the greatest superhero couldn't save everyone. But Chip couldn't let that pain consume him or else he'd be lost. Yes, Chip had a right to upset, but he couldn't keep obsessing about it. Chip had to accept it and move on if he was going to help stop Gnatu and Spydex for good.
Pleased that she'd gotten through to Chip, Natalia gave the Yellow Ranger a soft smile and his shoulder a gentle squeeze before they rejoined the others. Natalia hadn't taken more than a few steps inside Rootcore when she suddenly clutched her head as familiar, agonizing pain threatened to split in two. Koragg was back and making contact.
I've returned, Red Witch, said Koragg.
Really? I hadn't guessed, said Natalia, sarcastically. What do you want now, Koragg? To fight me again? It wouldn't have surprised her, given how obsessed Koragg was with defeating Natalia, especially after what happened during their last fight.
For once, I do not intend to seek battle with you—not yet, replied Koragg. Tell Solaris Knight that I wish to duel him alone in the Twilight dimension in twenty minutes.
Before Natalia could reply, Koragg ceased talking and Natalia found herself rubbing her temples to try and ease off the fading pain. She'd forgotten how much that hurt.
"What does Koragg want now?" asked Mason, as he rose up. He'd seen that look on Natalia's face too many times not to recognize it.
"He wants to duel with Daggeron in twenty minutes in the Twilight Dimension," said Natalia, as she exhaled slowly. She turned her chocolate brown gaze to the Solaris Knight. "Congratulations, you've made it onto Koragg's list of worthy opponents."
"Then I shall do my best to be worthy," said Daggeron, as he prepared to leave.
Udonna, who'd been researching and watching the situation, looked worried. "Daggeron, be careful. Koragg is a fierce wizard and an even more dangerous warrior." Though Daggeron was well-trained and highly skilled, Udonna knew that as honorable he was, Koragg was still evil and there was every chance that Koragg might vanquish Daggeron in battle—something she had no desire to happen.
Daggeron, however, just nodded. He wasn't afraid of battling Koragg. "I can handle him. Remember, I was taught by the best."
Without another word, Daggeron morphed and then stepped outside to summon his Solar Streak, which he used to transport himself to the Twilight Dimension.
"Talk about bad timing. We've got company, guys!" said Xander, alarmed as images of Gnatu and Spydex wreaking havoc in the city came into view. "Guess who's back."
Natalia cursed under her breath before whipping out her morpher. "Let's go, then. Ready? Magical Source, Mystic Force!"
And with that, the team morphed and zoomed out to the city on their Mystic Racers.
XXX
By the time they reached Briarwood, the city was in chaos as Gnatu and Spydex had claimed dozens of peoples' life-force. Ambulances and EMTs were scattered throughout the city as they collected the comatose victims to take them to hospital. And what was worse, neither Gnatu nor Spydex were anywhere to be seen.
"What the—? Where'd they go? The dark magic's energy signal was right here!" said Xander, baffled. "I swear it."
Everyone frantically searched the area and it did not take long before they were met with unwanted company. Spydex chuckled rather smugly as he crawled down from up above and then began firing off dark magic, blasting them across the battlefield.
Chip growled in anger as he quickly rose up and whipped out his Magi Staff. "You're not getting away this time! Magi Staff, Crossbow!" Chip's Magi Staff transformed into a crossbow and bolts of yellow lightning shot out, blasting Spydex off his web and injuring him to the point where the sphere of life-force he was carrying came out of his sac and rolled onto the ground.
"The life-force! Chip, grab it!" yelled Natalia, as she blasted Spydex away with a stream of white-hot fire.
Chip nodded and then snatched up the sphere of life-force. Before he could break it, however, Gnatu, who'd been given a power boost as a reward from Imperious, swooped in and snatched it out of Chip's grasp.
"Ha-ha! You snooze, you lose, Rangers!" taunted Gnatu, as she flew just tantalizingly out of reach. "Oh, Spydex, dear? Catch!"
Spydex, who'd managed to roll away to shelter after being burnt, caught the sphere of life-force and returned it to his sac. To make matters worse, Gnatu swift cast a dark magic spell that healed Spydex of his injuries, giving him the strength he needed to take off into the city.
"Oh no, you don't! C'mon, guys! We need to catch him," said Natalia.
Nothing more needed to be said as everyone ran as fast as they could after Spydex and after what seemed like forever, tracked him down to one of the tallest buildings in the city. He then leapt into the air and formed a gigantic spider web that connected between each of the surrounding buildings and then he stood in the middle of it and taunted the Rangers to come after him.
"Anyone fancy crossing that? Because I don't," said Xander, as he warily eyed the thick strands of spider silk.
Everyone agreed with Xander.
The spider's web seemed steady enough, it was certainly the right size for someone to walk across if they were a skilled tightrope walker, but the risk was high. Not to mention, Spydex had the upper hand. If they went across the web, he could knock them off with dark magic blasts or cut the web before they had a chance to reach him.
"So, what do we do if we can't cross this?" demanded Vida.
Natalia thought for a moment and then an idea came to her. "I've got a plan. Everyone, huddle up!'
The Rangers huddled around Natalia as she quickly told them of her plan. Once everyone was clear on what to do, they set to work.
While Xander worked on crowd control, protecting the civilians and whatnot, Mason and Vida raised their Magi Staffs to the heavens and joined them together.
"Procellae Oriuntur!" said the Rocca siblings in unison.
Sparkling and shimmering blue and pink magic shot into the skies and then a great storm arose. The wind blew at a dangerous speed as rain fell heavily down from the heavens, soaking the spider's web and destroying it, causing Spydex to fall fifty feet straight down onto the stone pavement. Before Spydex had a chance to save himself, however, Natalia and Chip performed spells of their own.
"Fulgur Avis Mutatio!" yelled Chip.
"Ignis Mutationem Avium" yelled Natalia.
There was a great flash of red and yellow light as Chip and Natalia transformed. Chip became a golden garuda, its wings alight with sparkling lightning and Natalia turned into a fiery phoenix. Together, the two Rangers attacked Spydex from both sides, electrocuting and burning the dark creature. By the time they reached the stone pavement below, Spydex was ash and Natalia and Chip were back in their Ranger forms and the sphere of life-force was in their possession again.
"Time to end this!" said Chip, as he prepared to destroy the sphere.
"Oh, no you don't! This isn't over yet, Rangers!" cackled Gnatu.
Suddenly, Chip and Natalia were blasted across the area with dark magic and Gnatu snatched up the sphere of life-force again. She then proceeded to cast a dark seal beneath Spydex's ashes and within moments, the beast was resurrected and gigantic in size.
"Oh, crap," muttered Natalia. "Not again!"
Why did the monsters always have to be resurrected and enlarged? Wasn't one defeat enough for these maniacs? More than that, the Rangers had been battling and chasing after Gnatu all day. Was this insane battle ever going to end? But there was no time to dwell on that. Right now, it was time to Titan up and destroy Spydex once and for all.
"It's Megazord time. Galwit Mysto Prifior!"
Quickly, the Rangers transformed into their Titan forms and joined together to create the megazord. They then launched themselves into battle. When Spydex blasted at them with his stingers, they dodged it and struck at the filthy creature not once but five times. Spydex moaned in pain as he fell onto his back and then the sphere of life-force came out of his sac.
"The life-force! We have to get it!" exclaimed Chip.
They had to retrieve it before Gnatu got her disgusting little hands on it again. But they couldn't leave Spydex unattended, so they cast a magical net on Spydex to keep him trapped until they could finish him off. Once that was done, everyone powered down and ran for the sphere, only to be blasted once more by Gnatu, who'd taken advantage of the Rangers' distraction. She not only freed Spydex of his prison, she also snatched up the sphere of life-force again.
"I'll take that, Rangers," sneered Gnatu. "Spydex, come to Mommy, please!"
Spydex groaned as he staggered into view.
Gnatu cackled with glee as she leapt into the air and then landed on Spydex's shoulder before the two of them vanished through a dark seal.
"No! Come back here, you bug!" yelled Chip, as he pounded his fists on the stone pavement.
"Chip, stop it!" said Vida, not unkindly as she pulled him back. She grabbed his chin and force him to look at her. There was worry in her eyes as well as firmness. "You need to calm down. We're going to deal with this, I promise. But you need to calm yourself and focus. Attacking in anger leaves you vulnerable. I learned that the hard way, remember?"
Knowing Vida was referring to when Mason had been turned into a statue and Natalia had had to pin Vida down to get the Pink Ranger to calm herself before Vida got herself killed, Chip relaxed his shoulders and a small chuckle escaped his throat.
"I remember," said Chip. How could he forget? It was an important lesson that Chip had always tried to live by so that he could be a better Ranger. Chip pulled Vida in close and rested his face in the crook of her shoulder as he allowed his girlfriend's scent to calm him down.
"That's all well and good, but what're we going to do? We've lost them again and half the city's population are now vegetables," said Xander, worriedly.
Natalia grimaced. She didn't like the situation anymore than her teammates did, but there was little to be done. "Unfortunately, there's nothing we can do until they pop up again. Without that sphere, we can't undo Gnatu and Spydex's dark magic. So, we—what's that?"
Everyone turned to look where Natalia was pointing and saw a tall bottle with a round bottom sitting in front of a nearby tree. It had bat wings similar to Necrolai's on either side of the neck and a black gem for a cork and it had appeared out of nowhere.
Chip pulled away from Vida as he strode over to the bottle and picked it up. "Let's see what's inside it and find out."
"Wait a second, that's a…" Mason's eyes widened in alarm as he recognized the bottle. "No, wait! Chip, don't open it!"
But Mason's warning came too late as Chip opened the black bottle and its contents or rather, its prisoner. There was a loud crack like lightning and then a strange black phantom-like creature popped out of the bottle, split into three and then converged onto Chip's stomach as one, causing the Yellow Ranger to cry out in horrendous pain as he collapsed.
"Chip!"
Everyone ran to Chip's side. Vida cradled Chip's head in her hands as Mason pulled up Chip's shirt, revealing a powerful pitch-black vortex swirling around on Chip's stomach.
"What is that thing?" demanded Vida.
Mason grimaced and looked pale. "I think it's a soul specter. But we need to get him to my dad and Udonna to be sure. And hurry!"
If Mason was right about the dark creature's identity, then Chip didn't have much time before he suffered a painful death.
XXX
After having watched the situation unfold through the crystal ball, Udonna and Daggeron met the Rangers outside of Rootcore to see if Mason's suspicions were correct. By which time, Chip could barely walk and it was taking both Mason and Vida to support him.
"Let us take a look," ordered Udonna, not wasting any time.
Natalia grabbed the bottom of Chip's shirt and pulled it up, revealing the dark creature that was consuming him from the inside out.
Udonna paled at the sight of it. "You were right, Mason. It is a soul specter, a dark creature that consumes a soul from the inside of its victim. But I don't understand how this is possible. They're supposed to be extinct, killed in the Great War."
"That bottle had Necrolai's wings on it. Clearly that darned hag rescued one and saved it for a rainy day," said Vida, impatiently. She didn't care what the creature was or what its origins were. All that mattered to Vida was knowing how to get rid of the dark creature before it destroyed Chip. "How do we get rid of it and save Chip?"
"We can't. I'm going to take Chip to Mount Isis," said Daggeron, flatly. They couldn't all go to the mountain, not with the city at risk as it was. Not to mention, the journey to the top of Mount Isis was treacherous and Vida's current state might only make things worse. "It's the only way."
"What's on Mount Isis?"
"The Staff of Topaz," explained Mason. Having read a number of books on the subject, he was something of an expert on the matter. "It's an ancient relic that once belonged to one of my ancestors. The staff's gem is said to have been formed from a piece of the sun and its light can drive out any dark parasite. It's the only thing apart from the Mystic Crystal that can drive out and destroy a soul specter and save Chip's life."
"Then we should all go," said Vida.
This time, Natalia shook her head. She understood how Vida felt, she really did. But with one Ranger out of commission, they needed all hands on deck to deal with Gnatu and Spydex.
"You can't, Vida. Gnatu and Spydex could return at any moment and we need all the help we can get. Daggeron will take Chip to Mount Isis," said Natalia, firmly.
"My dad will keep Chip safe and bring him home," assured Mason. He had the utmost faith in his father and knew that Daggeron wouldn't let them down. "I promise."
Vida looked as though she wanted to argue, but the looks on her brother and her leader's faces convinced the Pink Ranger otherwise. She sighed in reluctance as she realized that they were right. Vida would do better helping to defeat Gnatu and Spydex than she would making the journey up Mount Isis. She had to stay and Chip had to go with Daggeron. There was no other way.
Still, Vida wouldn't let Chip go without a proper good-bye. Vida cupped Chip's face in her hands and kissed him soundly.
"You'd better come back to me alive or I swear to heaven, I'll kill you," murmured Vida. After everything they'd been through, Vida had no desire to lose the man she loved, the man who'd stood by her and helped her through so much.
In spite of his agony, Chip grinned. "Koragg himself couldn't keep me away. I love you."
"I love you too," said Vida, as she kissed him again.
Nothing more was said as Daggeron then interrupted the couple and took Chip away. They had quite the long journey ahead of them and very little time to do it in.
XXX
Back in the Underworld, Imperious was quite pleased over the recent turn of events.
Soon Gnatu and Spydex would have all the life-force they needed and when they did, they would combine into a sphere of dark magic and project it into the sky before making it explode, like tossing up a live grenade. The life-force would be destroyed and the city would be devastated in more ways than one. What's more, it wouldn't be long before the Yellow Ranger would be destroyed from the Soul Specter's dark magic. One less Ranger to deal with, two birds with one stone! Two grand victories for the Master and his forces. What could be better than that?
"This plan is ingenious! Simply ingenious!" said Imperious, gleefully.
"What's going on, Imperious?" demanded Koragg, as he entered the room. "What're you up to?"
Imperious' good mood went up in a puff of smoke as he glared at the Knight Wolf. "I think that question is better redirected, don't you think? What are you up to?"
"What're you talking about?" demanded Koragg.
"Don't play the fool, Koragg. I know what you did! I saw your duel with Solaris Knight!" Through the magic of his fan, Imperious had watched Koragg's fight with Daggeron. There had reached a point during said duel when Daggeron had been knocked out cold and powered down, leaving him vulnerable to attack and unable to fight back. It had been the perfect opening, but Koragg hadn't taken it, choosing instead to walk away and it infuriated Imperious. "You had the chance to destroy Solaris Knight but you didn't! What will the Master say to that? Maybe he'll allow me to punish you!"
If Imperious was hoping to intimidate Koragg or at least raise doubt over Koragg's loyalties, he failed miserably as not only did the Master fail to respond to Imperious' accusation, but Koragg didn't seem the least bit bothered.
"Solaris Knight could not defend himself. There is no honor in destroying a helpless, weaker opponent like that," said Koragg. "And you do not have the authority to command me, much less punish me for I am not one of your lackeys. I serve only the Master and he supports me in my methods. So, shut your mouth, Imperious. Or I will shut it for you!"
Koragg did not wait for a reply as he took off for who knew where, leaving Imperious seething with anger. Koragg was proving to be a problem, one that Imperious had little patience for. He would have to find a way to deal with the Knight Wolf and quickly if he was ever to rise above his station.
XXX
Not long after Daggeron took Chip away, Gnatu and Spydex returned to the city, forcing Natalia and the others to go back to Briarwood and fight. While they were doing that, Daggeron parked the Solar Streak at the base of Mount Isis. The combined magical interference from both the mountain and the staff prevented the Solaris Knight from getting closer, which was yet another problem they had to face in order to retrieve the Staff of Topaz.
Chip, who usually liked hiking, grimaced at the prospect of climbing up the great mountain in the shape he was in. "Do you think I can make it?"
If it were any other day, Chip wouldn't have asked such a question. But at that moment, he felt he barely had the strength to climb a sledding hill, never mind a mountain.
Daggeron gave Chip an encouraging smile. "Don't worry. I'll take you through it, step-by-step. It'll be okay." And privately, Daggeron prayed that those words were spoken in truth.
Chip did not reply as he followed Daggeron and they began making their way up the mountain.
The journey was difficult, to say the least. Without proper climbing gear, Daggeron and Chip had to free-climb the first half of the mountain, which was covered in sharp, jagged rocks and thorny branches in vines. It wasn't long before Chip's hands were covered in a number of scraps and scratches. His knees felt bruised down to the bone from when they hit the rocks as Chip struggled to climb. There was even a moment when Chip briefly lost his grip and would've fallen to his demise had Daggeron not grabbed Chip's hand and pulled him to safety in time.
All the while, Daggeron was astoundingly patient and spoke kind, encouraging words to the Yellow Ranger, for which Chip was grateful, for while Chip did not utter a word of complaint, the weariness and fear in his eyes spoke volumes as they struggled to reach the top of the mountain. Chip had always believed in magic and was the optimist of his group of friends, but in that moment, he was deeply afraid and for the first time, he wondered if perhaps this was the end of the road for him.
When at last, the free-climbing was over, they reached a section of the mountain that was grassy and covered in a thick, dense forest. It was still tedious, but it was much easier than the first half of the journey had been. But by then, Chip was so weary and in so much pain that he was on the verge of crying or collapsing, whichever came first and he plonked himself down onto a log.
"Ugh," groaned Chip, breathing heavily as he clutched his stomach. "I'm sorry, Daggeron. But I don't think I can go any further. I don't think I can make it."
A few tears slid down Chip's freckled cheeks. Chip had never envisioned this would be the way he went out. He'd always imagined either passing away asleep in his bed when he reached old age or perhaps in a blaze of glory in battle. But this? This was terrible. But it was out of Chip's hands. He didn't want to leave, he wanted to stay. But what choice was there?
Daggeron sat down beside Chip and squeezed the Yellow Ranger's shoulder. "Hey, listen. When I was training to be a knight, I can't tell you how many time I wanted to quit," confessed Daggeron.
Being a knight was something Daggeron was a great honor that proud of and he planned on serving in that capacity until he took his last breath, but becoming a knight had been far from easy. The knighthood training régime had been much harder, both physically and emotionally than Daggeron had expected when he'd first begun his apprenticeship. And there had been many times when Daggeron had almost walked away from it, feeling that he could never achieve the high standards that came with knighthood. Thankfully, Daggeron had never gone through with it, which was due in part to a very great man and an even better friend.
"But my teacher never let me. He saw my potential and he encouraged me to keep going. Thankfully, I listened. Now, I wouldn't be a very good teacher if I let one of my apprentices quit. Now, would I?"
Chip's head shot up and his jaw dropped in shock. Had he really just heard that right? "One of your apprentices? You mean—"
"Before the Great War, I was teaching Nehir how to be a knight. Since I've been back, we've resumed that and he's been speaking very highly of you and your enthusiasm for learning. And after what I've seen of you, he and I have decided that you have a place learning alongside Nehir. If you want it, that is," explained Daggeron. He hadn't planned on letting the cat out of the bag so soon, but the moment seemed right.
Feeling rejuvenated by Daggeron's encouraging words, Chip smiled and eagerly nodded. "Yes. Yes, yes! Absolutely, I want it!" He couldn't believe this was really happening. Daggeron was going to train him to be a knight, a real knight! It was something that Chip had only ever dreamed of, but never dared to hope might actually happen. "Thank you so much, Daggeron. Thank you!"
Relieved by Chip's response, Daggeron smiled back and held out his hand for Chip to take. "Then let's go. The sooner we reach the top of this mountain, the sooner we can start your training."
Chip grasped Daggeron's hand and allowed the Solaris Knight to help him stand and then they resumed their journey.
Half an hour and a battle with some Hidiacs later, Chip and Daggeron reached the top of Mount Isis. And just in time, too. For no sooner had they reached the very top of the mountain, Chip fell to the ground, truly unable to continue onwards.
"Daggeron, I can't go on. Please, hurry," moaned Chip, as he clutched his stomach.
Daggeron nodded as he quickly scanned the area for the Staff and within moments, he spotted it. It stood four feet tall with a golden gem as bright and warm as the sun, just as history spoke of.
"Just hang on, Chip. I'll just be a moment," urged Daggeron.
Thinking the end of the terrible situation was almost over, Daggeron made his way to the Staff of Topaz. But a surprise came Daggeron's way when an old enemy appeared out of nowhere and struck before Daggeron had taken more than two steps forward.
"Wolf Attack!"
Daggeron cried out in shock and pain as Koragg blasted Daggeron sky high and snatched up the Staff of Topaz.
"Not so fast, knight," mocked Koragg.
Daggeron glared at the Knight Wolf as he rose to his feet. He should've foreseen this. Imperious must have seen Koragg to intercept them.
"Koragg, the boy doesn't have much time. I beg of you, give me the staff," said Daggeron.
"You want it? You'll have to take it from me," said Koragg.
Daggeron bit back a growl that entered his throat. He was not in the mood for this and nor was there time for another duel, but it seemed that Daggeron had no other choice if he wanted to save Chip's life from the soul specter.
"Fine. If that's the way you want it. Magical Source, Mystic Force!"
Daggeron morphed into his Solaris Knight armor and then launched into battle. He let out a battle cry as he began kicking and punching Koragg. The Knight Wolf dodged or blocked Daggeron's blows before blasting at Koragg with a Wolf attack, which the Solaris Knight dodged before the two knights charged at one another and their magics collided, causing an explosion that sent them on opposite sides of each other.
Daggeron summoned his lamp, but before he could strike, Koragg plunged his staff into the ground and shouted out. "Scutum Et Tenebrae!"
Dark magic snaked through the ground and then it went off with a bag. The ground beneath Daggeron's feet exploded and he was tossed across the mountain like a rag doll.
"You'll have to do better than that!" snarled Koragg. He then thrust out his shield and shouted out, "Uthay Rejor Catastros! Samba Gunitos Equestras!" Koragg conjured a dark seal and bonded with his steed, Catastros, forming his dark Centaur Megazord.
Despite the overwhelming odds against him, Daggeron refused to give up. He called forth his Solar Streak and formed the Solar Streak Megazord. He then proceeded to blast Koragg with a Laser Lamp Attack but the attack did very little against the Knight Wolf. Infuriated, Koragg blasted Daggeron with powerful bolts of dark magic, which caused heavy destruction to the Solar Streak Megazord and also injured Daggeron in the process.
"All right, that's it!" said Daggeron, as his temper blew. "Solis Impetus Ignes!"
Fire from the sun blasted out of the heart of the Solar Streak Megazord and nearly roasted Koragg to death. But just as the Knight Wolf was almost destroyed, Koragg swung up his sword and plunged it into the heart of Daggeron's megazord, stopping the attack and further injuring Daggeron.
"I'm through playing with you," said Koragg. "Behold the power of the Master! Impetum Ligaveris!" Koragg swung his blade around and a terrible black tornado appeared. It wrapped itself around Daggeron and continued to injure him as well as damage his megazord before it tied him up in the tightest of binds. "Pathetic!"
But a surprise came Koragg's way when Daggeron not only broke free of his binds but launched his strongest attack at full power. The result was instantaneous, Koragg was defeated and the Staff of Topaz went flying into the air. Quickly, Daggeron left his megazord and snatched up the staff before Koragg could reclaim it.
Despite his injuries, Koragg stood tall and looked impressed. "Perhaps you are a worthy opponent after all. Enjoy your victory, Solaris Knight, for we shall fight again!"
And with that, Koragg vanished beneath a dark seal.
Daggeron shook his head. As long as he lived, Daggeron would never understand Koragg's mindset, but it didn't matter. What did matter was Chip, who not only looked like death warmed over, but his body was becoming rather still, which did not bode well.
Quickly, Daggeron thrust out the Staff of Topaz. "I call upon the power from those of my blood who came before, take and destroy this soul specter forevermore!"
Powerful magic as bright and warm as the sun shot out of the Staff of Topaz and sucked up the soul specter in a vortex before it eliminated the dark creature all together. Daggeron then dropped the staff, ran to Chip's side and cradled the Yellow Ranger in his arms.
"Chip? Chip! Chip, answer me!" said Daggeron, frantically as he shook the unconscious young man. Had he failed? Had Daggeron been too late in saving Chip's life?
Chip inhaled deeply as his coloring returned and his eyes fluttered open. "Hey, Daggeron…" he said, hoarsely. "…if training to be a knight's like this, it's going to be brutal." A broad smile flickered across Chip's face. "When do we start?"
Needless to say, Daggeron burst out crying and laughing as he embraced his new apprentice before they returned to Briarwood.
When they returned to the city, not only had the others managed to destroy Gnatu and Spydex, (just barely) but all the life-force had been returned and all of Gnatu's victims had been restored. And even better, Vida kissed the living daylights out of Chip as soon as he was back and she made him promise to never scare her like that again.
XXX
The following day after breakfast, Daggeron decided to give Chip an archery lesson while they waited for Mason to join them for training. Daggeron hadn't quite known what to expect would happen during the lesson, but he hadn't expected Chip to hit the bull's-eye of the target perfectly on the first try.
The expression on Chip's face was a mixture of sheepish as well as humble pride. "Archery's sort of a hobby of mine. Sorry. Should've mentioned it. I just wanted to show you…"
"No need to apologize. No harm done," said Daggeron, kindly. He extended his hand. "Mind if I have a try? See if I have any beginner's luck."
Chip nodded and handed Daggeron his bow and watched as Daggeron fired off an arrow. Much to Chip's surprise, Daggeron hit Chip's arrow and split it in two.
"Wow. That was amazing," said Chip, in awe. He sighed in contentment. "I still can't believe I'm training to be a knight. Can you teach me to slay ogres? And save damsels? And—"
"Slow down, Chip," said Daggeron, chuckling at the Yellow Ranger's eagerness. "I'll teach you and Nehir everything that my mentor taught me. And I learned from the best warrior of them all, King Leanbow. My son's godfather."
Chip's eyes widened. "Udonna's husband was Mason's godfather and your mentor?"
Daggeron nodded. "What do you know of him?"
"Not much as I'd like," admitted Chip. Ever since Udonna had told a few stories about King Leanbow, Chip had craved more information but had held back out of respect. "Only that he was a good man and a great king as well as a noble and honorable warrior. It seemed like a sensitive subject, so none of us pressed for details."
"That was good of you. I'm sure Udonna still finds the subject a painful one," said Daggeron. His eyes became dull with grief. "I don't know if she told you, but while I was attempting to take my son to safety, Leanbow sacrificed himself closing the gates of the Underworld. He died as he lived, for others and with honor."
"I wish I could've known him," said Chip, sadly. "But I promise, I'll do my best to carry on his legacy and make you both proud."
Daggeron smiled. "I'm sure you will, Chip." He clapped Chip on the shoulder. "Now, we have much training ahead of us if you're to become a knight. So, let's continue, shall we?"
Chip nodded and picked up another arrow. He then fired it and it split both his and Daggeron's first shots, making Daggeron gape before laughing.
This apprenticeship was going to be quite the adventure.