Chapter Four: "Loss."
Present Day:
Despair, futility, remorse . the emotions flashed through his mind one after the other, driving him into a rage of anger and hate, the feeling of complete and overwhelming hopelessness hovering over his soul like a dark shadow. Tommy lashed out with his right fist, slamming it hard against the cool surface of the nearby wall, the pain quickly sheering through his fingers and flowing towards his shoulders.
"Damn it!" He cried.
He gritted his teeth through the pain, knowing that Kat and the others would not be able to hold out long against Enrazu and his force of Shadow Demons. He should be there with them; should be there to lead them with all his strength, to fight by their side. But instead he was powerless, helpless, unable to change their fate in any way.
Behind him, Billy stared silently towards the ground, not knowing of anything that he could do to help, his skills as a ranger long gone, and his excellent mind coming short of ideas. Jason stood not far from where he was; gazing longingly into a display that was encased on one side of the room, staring through the glass at his old power morpher and Gold ranger staff.
"There's nothing that we can do." Billy slowly repeated, breaking through the silence. "They're on their own."
Tommy lashed out at the wall once more. "They don't stand a chance! Not alone against Enrazu! He's too powerful!"
"Tommy, this isn't your fault."
"I should be there with them! Instead I'm sitting here, useless! If. if anything happens to them, I'll -"
Billy shook his head. "No. Your powers would have faded in any case, better off now than in the heat of battle against Enrazu." He fell silent for a while. "And neither was Kimberly's death. You've got to stop blaming yourself Tommy."
Jason slowly sighed. "He's right Tommy. You can't keep putting the weight of everything on your shoulders. None of this is your fault, none of this is any of ours, it's theirs!" Jason turned to face them. "And no matter what, we're gonna make them pay!"
Tommy nodded. "But how?" He turned to Billy. "If only there is a way that we can get our powers back. Or find some new source of power to fight with!" Billy just shook his head. "Think, Billy. There must be something, there just has to be a way."
Tommy sighed, turning to rest his head against the wall, his hand caressing the soft metallic coolness of the arrowhead that lay under his shirt. A soft tingling sensation danced along his fingers at its touch, for the first time since he was a child, closing his eyes in prayer, praying that they would all return, safely.
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Her footsteps lightly echoed on the deserted city streets, her form keeping to the shadows of the buildings, as the sky continued to brighten, heralding the arrival of day. She turned to stare down the street behind her, signalling to the others that it was safe to follow, scanning the area ahead while she waited for them to catch up.
"Anything?" Whispered Rocky.
Kat shook her head. "No, nothing yet." She narrowed her eyes, trying to see further ahead.
Justin lifted up his hand. "Wait. Can you guys hear that?"
The group became silent, motionless as they listened to the distant sounds that slowly drifted to their hearing. A faint cry echoed through the air, followed by the sound of soul shattering screams. Tanya shivered all over, the pain entering her eyes at the sound, pointing towards one of the side alleys that led further into town.
"We've got to hurry!" Warned Adam. "Those people are in danger!"
Kat nodded, rushing at a dead run towards the alley, the others close behind. Their five shadows danced along the surface of the wall, fading into nothingness as they got further away, emerging out of the faint morning mist onto the main road.
They suddenly froze.
The images forced their way into their minds all at once, inflicting the most painful of emotions, as they took in the scene. At their feet lay the dead bodies of countless victims, the blood draining from their bodies and slipping into the streets, while the form of Shadow Demons stood triumpthantly over them. They howled as they caught sight of the group, before a single figure walked forward into the light - Enrazu.
Enrazu was unlike anything that they had ever seen. He stood tall, taller than the demons around him, with a thick, strong build, and a body covered in dark black and red armour. His face was contorted and twisted, sharp eyes that thinned like the pupils of an animal, long dark brown hair drawn behind his hound-like ears, heavy but powerful gauntlets framing his arm and hands. Behind him, was stationed a long ancient looking broadsword, that glowed faintly in the dim light.
"Rangers." He growled. Speaking in a slurred speech through his long and pointed teeth.
"E-Enrazu!" Kat shouted, stuttering through the pain at seeing the dead bodies around her.
His lips slowly contorted into a wide grin before stretching out his powerful arm towards them; and the Shadow Demons turned as one, rushing into battle.
"Ready guys!"
"Ready!" They answered.
"It's Morphin' Time!"
The four Zeo rangers outstretched their arms to their sides, before slamming them together at the wrists, a blaze of light surrounding them as they activated their powers.
"Zeo ranger one: pink!"
"Zeo ranger two: yellow!"
"Zeo ranger three: blue!"
"Zeo ranger four: green!"
As the light faded, the four heroes stepped forward, the power flowing through them, emerging as the Zeo power rangers.
Justin nodded, his hands blurring in a flurry of movement, as he activated his Turbo morpher. "Shift into Turbo!" A bright wave of blue light surrounded him, as he transformed into the blue Turbo ranger.
Kat, Rocky, Adam, Tanya, and Justin ran to meet the Demons head on. Kat lashed out with a powerful right kick, catching one of them on the side of his arm, before turning again, lashing out with the other foot. The demon seemed unphased, countering with a lash of its claws that Kat barely had time to dodge, pain flashing through her ribs, as another demon caught her in the stomach.
Rocky let out a series of quick one-two combos, changing to a mixture of fast kicks as the demon blocked his attacks, before countering with a powerful right hand of its own. The pain erupted in his face, exploding in a shower of sparks, as he was sent staggering backwards.
Justin ran forward, unleashing a Turbo drop kick onto one of the demons that headed his way, before Tanya quickly followed through with a scissors kick, that brought the demon to the ground. They both quickly jumped out of the way, as the demon got back onto its feet, lashing wildly.
"Let's do it!" Justin called to her.
Tanya nodded. Together they ran forward as one, unleashing a double drop kick that sent an explosion of sparks to rip forth from the demon's chest, and it fell to the ground, destroyed. A small wave of celebrations past through them, but they were brought back down to earth, as two other demons took its place, firing a blast of pure dark energy, that ripped through their suits and sent them up in a devastating explosion.
"No!" Adam cried.
Adam ran forward, trying to make his way over to his friends, but he was completely overwhelmed by their vast numbers, trying in vain to block their attacks. It was useless. The pain soared through his body as wave after wave of attack hit him with full force, causing him to drop to his knees, his body beginning to give way.
"Adam! Justin! Tanya!"
Rocky turned, seeing his friends being defeated before his very eyes, the cold nerving eyes of Enrazu looking at them all, as he stood watching to one side. He ran forward, pure anger fuelling him, the adrenaline coursing through his veins as he lashed out at the surrounding demons, trying to make his way towards his fallen friends.
Tanya's arms gave way once more, as she attempted to get up from where she lay, a blinding pain going through her. A sudden pulse of light flashed from her chest, and she looked down to see her Zeo crystal emerge, shattering into a million pieces. Justin crawled over to her side, his own energy fading, as he shifted from ranger to normal form and back again.
"I-It's over." Tanya cried. "We're gonna die."
"N-n-no." Justin struggled to say. "W-we're not gonna -"
His voice was suddenly cut off, as one of the demons had grabbed a powerless Tanya by the throat, raising her up into the air. An echoing cry sounded from Tanya, before nothing but pure silence, as the demon shattered her neck, her lifeless body falling to the ground.
--------------------
Four Weeks Before:
Darkness: nothing but utter darkness.
Like a plague they had infected the city. Their sudden overt appearance striking fear into the hearts of the citizens of Angel Grove, wide spread panic flowing fast as the demons began their wave of destruction. The day that Tommy had feared had finally come to pass, the darkness not just confined to Angel Grove, as the sudden unforeseen strikes were reported from the other rangers of Turtle Cove, Silver Hills, and Mariner Bay.
It was not long before the force behind what they had come to call the Shadow Demons had made themselves known, four powerful Demon Generals of immense power, an aura of pure darkness and hate eminating from their bodies. The city was on the verge of total annialation, being saved from the brink of destruction by the unrelenting defence of the rangers, whose force had been backed up by the recent return of Kimberly, Trini, Jason, and Zack.
Tommy, Rocky, and Zack ran down the city streets, heading as fast as they could to the newest attack in the central section of the city, already morphed into their ranger forms. Ever since her return two weeks before, Tommy had been on edge, the long forgotten or merely shut away feelings that he had for Kimberly, rising to the surface. It tore a divide through his heart, his feelings for both Kimberly and Kat very strong, distracting him from his fighting.
"We're almost there." Stated Rocky.
Zack looked up, having just finished speaking into his communicator. "Tanya, Kat, and Jason are helping to secure the evacuation of the eastern sector. Kimberly, Trini, and Adam are heading to our location now."
Zack had changed, they all had, the arrival of these demons causing the youth to drain for all their features, the usual lively Zack now reduced to the state of the rest of them, lifeless, hardened, scared, focussed. This unrelenting war did not allow for anything else. One wrong move and it could be their last. Morale was already affected by the loss of Jason's powers. Zack, Trini, and Kimberly knew that it would not be long before they lost theirs as well.
"Help!"
The sudden scream caused a rush of adrenaline to pump through their veins, allowing them to run faster than they had been, running into a street with six demons attacking a group of scared people that ran for their lives.
"Stop!" Tommy cried out, rushing forward to dive into the nearest demons. He brought the two closest to him to the ground, before rising to his feet, taking out his Zeo blaster to shoot them quickly.
Rocky and Zack were instantly by his side, driving the attention of the demon's to their sudden attack, allowing the families a chance to escape. Rocky stayed close to Zack, aiding him as much as he could, as he could already begin to see the start of fatigue and loss of strength. It would not be long before Zack would lose his powers too.
"Tommy! Rocky! Zack!" A sudden voice cut through their communicator, the voice belonging to Trini. "Someone please come in!"
Zack landed against the wall hard, a rush of sparks exploding as he fell to the ground, clutching his arm in pain. He struggled to get back onto his feet, reaching for his communicator. "Trini, I-I read you."
"Kim and I are in serious trouble! We ran into a building to help evacuate some families while Adam stayed outside to help slow them down - but a new wave of demons have appeared inside! We're surrounded!" Her tone was one of helplessness. "Our powers are not strong enough to take out two demons - let alone seven!"
Tommy let out a whirlwind kick, allowing him time to raise his arm that held his own. "Trini! Kim! We'll try and get there as fast as we can! Just hold on!" Tommy looked up, his head smashing against the oncoming fist, sending him to the ground.
"No!" He barely managed to sweep the oncoming demon. "We've got to get to Kim and Trini!"
--------------------
"Uugh!" Kimberly screamed, the claws ripping through her chest, her suit exploding in a series of tight explosions, her mind slipping into unconsciousness, the pain unbearable.
She hit the ground hard, twitching, doubled up in pain, her body morphing from ranger to normal form before she screamed out, and her powers finally dissipated. Through the blood and tears she could see Trini, struggling in vain to use her daggers against the demons, while hit after hit landed on her. It was not long before she too could not hold on, and her powers were gone, forever.
Trini fell to her knees, her own consiousness fading, the demon cutting short from finishing her off as he turned to its comrades, an unspoken interchange of thoughts passing between them. The demon standing over Trini slowly nodded, grabbing her arms hard, disappearing with her into an invisible portal like the rippling effect of a stone thrown into a lake. Trini was gone.
"T-Tommy." Kim struggled to say as her mouth spat blood.
There was a sudden flurry of movement, the demons turning to meet the oncoming attack, blind fury flowing through the rangers as they saw Kim lying on the floor, almost motionless. As she tried to tilt her head to one side, Kim briefly remembered seeing Tommy rush forward, in the heat of battle, before her sight faded into darkness.
"Kimberly!"
Strong hands wrapped themselves around her, the sound of tears and sobs coming to his throat. She managed to squeeze his hand, a small smile trying to form on her lips - before she faded into darkness. Tommy screamed, his heart shattered - the thick emotions of rage, anger, sadness, grief, and pain flowing through him. Having managed to beat back the demons, the other rangers rushed to his side, but it was too late.
Kimberly was dead.
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Author's note:
Ah, that was really hard to write . so sad - but it had to be done. Thanks again for all the replies and support guys, I really appreciate it. I was searching the net for info on the new series: Power Rangers Ninja Storm, and found this really cool site that had the first episode available for download. All I can say is - wow - it blew me away! It was a really great start to what looks like a great series. So it has inspired me to include the Ninja Storm rangers and they will be making an appearance (as well as what has happened to Jen, Lucas, and Trip) in the next chapter!
Present Day:
Despair, futility, remorse . the emotions flashed through his mind one after the other, driving him into a rage of anger and hate, the feeling of complete and overwhelming hopelessness hovering over his soul like a dark shadow. Tommy lashed out with his right fist, slamming it hard against the cool surface of the nearby wall, the pain quickly sheering through his fingers and flowing towards his shoulders.
"Damn it!" He cried.
He gritted his teeth through the pain, knowing that Kat and the others would not be able to hold out long against Enrazu and his force of Shadow Demons. He should be there with them; should be there to lead them with all his strength, to fight by their side. But instead he was powerless, helpless, unable to change their fate in any way.
Behind him, Billy stared silently towards the ground, not knowing of anything that he could do to help, his skills as a ranger long gone, and his excellent mind coming short of ideas. Jason stood not far from where he was; gazing longingly into a display that was encased on one side of the room, staring through the glass at his old power morpher and Gold ranger staff.
"There's nothing that we can do." Billy slowly repeated, breaking through the silence. "They're on their own."
Tommy lashed out at the wall once more. "They don't stand a chance! Not alone against Enrazu! He's too powerful!"
"Tommy, this isn't your fault."
"I should be there with them! Instead I'm sitting here, useless! If. if anything happens to them, I'll -"
Billy shook his head. "No. Your powers would have faded in any case, better off now than in the heat of battle against Enrazu." He fell silent for a while. "And neither was Kimberly's death. You've got to stop blaming yourself Tommy."
Jason slowly sighed. "He's right Tommy. You can't keep putting the weight of everything on your shoulders. None of this is your fault, none of this is any of ours, it's theirs!" Jason turned to face them. "And no matter what, we're gonna make them pay!"
Tommy nodded. "But how?" He turned to Billy. "If only there is a way that we can get our powers back. Or find some new source of power to fight with!" Billy just shook his head. "Think, Billy. There must be something, there just has to be a way."
Tommy sighed, turning to rest his head against the wall, his hand caressing the soft metallic coolness of the arrowhead that lay under his shirt. A soft tingling sensation danced along his fingers at its touch, for the first time since he was a child, closing his eyes in prayer, praying that they would all return, safely.
--------------------
Her footsteps lightly echoed on the deserted city streets, her form keeping to the shadows of the buildings, as the sky continued to brighten, heralding the arrival of day. She turned to stare down the street behind her, signalling to the others that it was safe to follow, scanning the area ahead while she waited for them to catch up.
"Anything?" Whispered Rocky.
Kat shook her head. "No, nothing yet." She narrowed her eyes, trying to see further ahead.
Justin lifted up his hand. "Wait. Can you guys hear that?"
The group became silent, motionless as they listened to the distant sounds that slowly drifted to their hearing. A faint cry echoed through the air, followed by the sound of soul shattering screams. Tanya shivered all over, the pain entering her eyes at the sound, pointing towards one of the side alleys that led further into town.
"We've got to hurry!" Warned Adam. "Those people are in danger!"
Kat nodded, rushing at a dead run towards the alley, the others close behind. Their five shadows danced along the surface of the wall, fading into nothingness as they got further away, emerging out of the faint morning mist onto the main road.
They suddenly froze.
The images forced their way into their minds all at once, inflicting the most painful of emotions, as they took in the scene. At their feet lay the dead bodies of countless victims, the blood draining from their bodies and slipping into the streets, while the form of Shadow Demons stood triumpthantly over them. They howled as they caught sight of the group, before a single figure walked forward into the light - Enrazu.
Enrazu was unlike anything that they had ever seen. He stood tall, taller than the demons around him, with a thick, strong build, and a body covered in dark black and red armour. His face was contorted and twisted, sharp eyes that thinned like the pupils of an animal, long dark brown hair drawn behind his hound-like ears, heavy but powerful gauntlets framing his arm and hands. Behind him, was stationed a long ancient looking broadsword, that glowed faintly in the dim light.
"Rangers." He growled. Speaking in a slurred speech through his long and pointed teeth.
"E-Enrazu!" Kat shouted, stuttering through the pain at seeing the dead bodies around her.
His lips slowly contorted into a wide grin before stretching out his powerful arm towards them; and the Shadow Demons turned as one, rushing into battle.
"Ready guys!"
"Ready!" They answered.
"It's Morphin' Time!"
The four Zeo rangers outstretched their arms to their sides, before slamming them together at the wrists, a blaze of light surrounding them as they activated their powers.
"Zeo ranger one: pink!"
"Zeo ranger two: yellow!"
"Zeo ranger three: blue!"
"Zeo ranger four: green!"
As the light faded, the four heroes stepped forward, the power flowing through them, emerging as the Zeo power rangers.
Justin nodded, his hands blurring in a flurry of movement, as he activated his Turbo morpher. "Shift into Turbo!" A bright wave of blue light surrounded him, as he transformed into the blue Turbo ranger.
Kat, Rocky, Adam, Tanya, and Justin ran to meet the Demons head on. Kat lashed out with a powerful right kick, catching one of them on the side of his arm, before turning again, lashing out with the other foot. The demon seemed unphased, countering with a lash of its claws that Kat barely had time to dodge, pain flashing through her ribs, as another demon caught her in the stomach.
Rocky let out a series of quick one-two combos, changing to a mixture of fast kicks as the demon blocked his attacks, before countering with a powerful right hand of its own. The pain erupted in his face, exploding in a shower of sparks, as he was sent staggering backwards.
Justin ran forward, unleashing a Turbo drop kick onto one of the demons that headed his way, before Tanya quickly followed through with a scissors kick, that brought the demon to the ground. They both quickly jumped out of the way, as the demon got back onto its feet, lashing wildly.
"Let's do it!" Justin called to her.
Tanya nodded. Together they ran forward as one, unleashing a double drop kick that sent an explosion of sparks to rip forth from the demon's chest, and it fell to the ground, destroyed. A small wave of celebrations past through them, but they were brought back down to earth, as two other demons took its place, firing a blast of pure dark energy, that ripped through their suits and sent them up in a devastating explosion.
"No!" Adam cried.
Adam ran forward, trying to make his way over to his friends, but he was completely overwhelmed by their vast numbers, trying in vain to block their attacks. It was useless. The pain soared through his body as wave after wave of attack hit him with full force, causing him to drop to his knees, his body beginning to give way.
"Adam! Justin! Tanya!"
Rocky turned, seeing his friends being defeated before his very eyes, the cold nerving eyes of Enrazu looking at them all, as he stood watching to one side. He ran forward, pure anger fuelling him, the adrenaline coursing through his veins as he lashed out at the surrounding demons, trying to make his way towards his fallen friends.
Tanya's arms gave way once more, as she attempted to get up from where she lay, a blinding pain going through her. A sudden pulse of light flashed from her chest, and she looked down to see her Zeo crystal emerge, shattering into a million pieces. Justin crawled over to her side, his own energy fading, as he shifted from ranger to normal form and back again.
"I-It's over." Tanya cried. "We're gonna die."
"N-n-no." Justin struggled to say. "W-we're not gonna -"
His voice was suddenly cut off, as one of the demons had grabbed a powerless Tanya by the throat, raising her up into the air. An echoing cry sounded from Tanya, before nothing but pure silence, as the demon shattered her neck, her lifeless body falling to the ground.
--------------------
Four Weeks Before:
Darkness: nothing but utter darkness.
Like a plague they had infected the city. Their sudden overt appearance striking fear into the hearts of the citizens of Angel Grove, wide spread panic flowing fast as the demons began their wave of destruction. The day that Tommy had feared had finally come to pass, the darkness not just confined to Angel Grove, as the sudden unforeseen strikes were reported from the other rangers of Turtle Cove, Silver Hills, and Mariner Bay.
It was not long before the force behind what they had come to call the Shadow Demons had made themselves known, four powerful Demon Generals of immense power, an aura of pure darkness and hate eminating from their bodies. The city was on the verge of total annialation, being saved from the brink of destruction by the unrelenting defence of the rangers, whose force had been backed up by the recent return of Kimberly, Trini, Jason, and Zack.
Tommy, Rocky, and Zack ran down the city streets, heading as fast as they could to the newest attack in the central section of the city, already morphed into their ranger forms. Ever since her return two weeks before, Tommy had been on edge, the long forgotten or merely shut away feelings that he had for Kimberly, rising to the surface. It tore a divide through his heart, his feelings for both Kimberly and Kat very strong, distracting him from his fighting.
"We're almost there." Stated Rocky.
Zack looked up, having just finished speaking into his communicator. "Tanya, Kat, and Jason are helping to secure the evacuation of the eastern sector. Kimberly, Trini, and Adam are heading to our location now."
Zack had changed, they all had, the arrival of these demons causing the youth to drain for all their features, the usual lively Zack now reduced to the state of the rest of them, lifeless, hardened, scared, focussed. This unrelenting war did not allow for anything else. One wrong move and it could be their last. Morale was already affected by the loss of Jason's powers. Zack, Trini, and Kimberly knew that it would not be long before they lost theirs as well.
"Help!"
The sudden scream caused a rush of adrenaline to pump through their veins, allowing them to run faster than they had been, running into a street with six demons attacking a group of scared people that ran for their lives.
"Stop!" Tommy cried out, rushing forward to dive into the nearest demons. He brought the two closest to him to the ground, before rising to his feet, taking out his Zeo blaster to shoot them quickly.
Rocky and Zack were instantly by his side, driving the attention of the demon's to their sudden attack, allowing the families a chance to escape. Rocky stayed close to Zack, aiding him as much as he could, as he could already begin to see the start of fatigue and loss of strength. It would not be long before Zack would lose his powers too.
"Tommy! Rocky! Zack!" A sudden voice cut through their communicator, the voice belonging to Trini. "Someone please come in!"
Zack landed against the wall hard, a rush of sparks exploding as he fell to the ground, clutching his arm in pain. He struggled to get back onto his feet, reaching for his communicator. "Trini, I-I read you."
"Kim and I are in serious trouble! We ran into a building to help evacuate some families while Adam stayed outside to help slow them down - but a new wave of demons have appeared inside! We're surrounded!" Her tone was one of helplessness. "Our powers are not strong enough to take out two demons - let alone seven!"
Tommy let out a whirlwind kick, allowing him time to raise his arm that held his own. "Trini! Kim! We'll try and get there as fast as we can! Just hold on!" Tommy looked up, his head smashing against the oncoming fist, sending him to the ground.
"No!" He barely managed to sweep the oncoming demon. "We've got to get to Kim and Trini!"
--------------------
"Uugh!" Kimberly screamed, the claws ripping through her chest, her suit exploding in a series of tight explosions, her mind slipping into unconsciousness, the pain unbearable.
She hit the ground hard, twitching, doubled up in pain, her body morphing from ranger to normal form before she screamed out, and her powers finally dissipated. Through the blood and tears she could see Trini, struggling in vain to use her daggers against the demons, while hit after hit landed on her. It was not long before she too could not hold on, and her powers were gone, forever.
Trini fell to her knees, her own consiousness fading, the demon cutting short from finishing her off as he turned to its comrades, an unspoken interchange of thoughts passing between them. The demon standing over Trini slowly nodded, grabbing her arms hard, disappearing with her into an invisible portal like the rippling effect of a stone thrown into a lake. Trini was gone.
"T-Tommy." Kim struggled to say as her mouth spat blood.
There was a sudden flurry of movement, the demons turning to meet the oncoming attack, blind fury flowing through the rangers as they saw Kim lying on the floor, almost motionless. As she tried to tilt her head to one side, Kim briefly remembered seeing Tommy rush forward, in the heat of battle, before her sight faded into darkness.
"Kimberly!"
Strong hands wrapped themselves around her, the sound of tears and sobs coming to his throat. She managed to squeeze his hand, a small smile trying to form on her lips - before she faded into darkness. Tommy screamed, his heart shattered - the thick emotions of rage, anger, sadness, grief, and pain flowing through him. Having managed to beat back the demons, the other rangers rushed to his side, but it was too late.
Kimberly was dead.
------------------
Author's note:
Ah, that was really hard to write . so sad - but it had to be done. Thanks again for all the replies and support guys, I really appreciate it. I was searching the net for info on the new series: Power Rangers Ninja Storm, and found this really cool site that had the first episode available for download. All I can say is - wow - it blew me away! It was a really great start to what looks like a great series. So it has inspired me to include the Ninja Storm rangers and they will be making an appearance (as well as what has happened to Jen, Lucas, and Trip) in the next chapter!
