Tommy! Jason! Billy! Get your butts over here!" screamed Kimberly's voice.
The silvery fog was slowly clearing letting the three boys see what exactly
Kim was screaming to them about. She uttered a curse as she dodged yet
another attack from an enemy that they rangers could not believe were real.
The five rangers stood in the center of a large hall, surrounding them was a small battalion of soldiers from the medieval period, except it wasn't that sight that was highly unusual it was the fact that the soldiers weren't solid. They were ghosts.
"Hang on Kim!" called Tommy as he helped her avoid being sliced in to ribbons by one of the swords the creatures welded. Tommy threw a punch at the helmeted head of his attacker and was astonished when his hand went right through his target. "How do we fight these things?"
"I am clueless. Hey Billy any thoughts?" called Andrece as she dodged a thrusting lance. The sharpened end sliced the material of her dress.
Billy was still no engaging any of the creatures but he stood close by on the side lines analyzing the scene before him. Each one of his friends had their hands full; Jason was helping Andrece get untangled from the lance of her foe, as Tommy and Kimberly faced off against three other creatures.
Billy watched the battle swarm around him. Jason dove out of the path of a descending blade; sparks flew as the sword struck the stone floor. With a lightning fast move Jason stepped solidly on to the sword. The ghost warrior holding the weapon lost its grip for a mere second and then that's when the idea struck Billy.
"That's it!" he called. Jason gave him a puzzled look. "Their weapons are their weakness. When that ghost lost its grip it flickered. Use their weapons against them!"
Tommy was the first to disarm a foe in a literal sense. Twirling the lance in his skilled hands he turned its sharpened point on to its owner. The metal went through the soldier's stomach and the creature let out a blood curdling scream.
Kimberly clutched her ears. "If these things are dead why do they scream?" Billy shrugged as he too turned a weapon on to one of the ghosts. With in minutes the creatures had vanished leaving behind their swords and lances. Once the teens had regrouped Kimberly asked the question on all their minds. "Where are we?"
"I believe that's my cue." Came a voice from behind the teens; seated in the large throne like chair at the head of the room was a woman. She had silver hair that showed her deeply tanned skin, her dress was of deep blue and purple designed in a medieval fashion.
"Katanga." Andrece said in a whisper, making the name a curse. The others turned and looked at their friend.
"Ahh you do remember me. How delightful." Katanga smiled and walked closer to them. Her gait was that similar to a tiger that had just downed its prey and was moving in for the kill. "Now in regards to you question young one.it is my pleasure to welcome you to my game."
Tommy snickered slightly, "Thanks but no thanks. We don't have time for games."
Katanga glared at him, loosing her smile. "Ohh.but you must play this one; for there is a very valuable prize to be reclaimed. And I am certain that two of your 'friends' would want you too."
"What is this prize you are failing to name but undoubtedly hint at?" asked Billy. There was something about this woman that failed to sit right with him.
"You are a man of the mind aren't you? Perhaps this game will challenge even the likes of you. Oh how I hope it does."
"Stop talking in riddles Katanga and just tell us." Jason said there was an underlying edge to his voice. Like Billy he wasn't growing fond of this creature, even though she was the one who brought Andrece back to him.
"He is of noble mind isn't he? You choose well child." Katanga replied to Andrece. The look from the storm gray eyes sent a shiver of dread up Andrece's spine. Unconsciously she clutched Jason's warm hand in hopes of warding off the chill.
"Oh I suppose you are still wondering what this game is of since there is no option of your participation in this game so you may as well be told now. You are to retrieve as quickly as possible the soul of your beloved Silver Guardian." Again the storm gray eyes locked on to Andrece's green ones.
"What do you want with Drece?" asked Kim stepping closer to her friend.
"Nothing with Andrece herself, my dealings are with her soul only. It was my doing that placed her back in your world and now I have been ordered to return it to the course that was set before it so long ago." Katanga motioned to the room around them, "The game.well just think of it as a way of giving you time to say your final farewells before all is righted."
"You're going to kill me? As though I was nothing more then a bug?" Andrece said, her voice overflowing with terror, fear and natural shock of Katanga's words.
"Compared to other beings I have encountered that is all you are child. An insect that was placed in the wrong environment and has began to eradicate the world around you. It is time for the game to begin!" Katanga pointed a bony finger at Andrece, who was standing in the open space between Billy and Jason with Kim and Tommy behind her, and mumbled a few unintelligible words off. Andrece screamed as a bright light began to be emitted from her body. It seemed to gather above her head in a colorful cloud that was ever changing in form and texture. Once the light was essentially drained from Andrece her knees collapsed beneath her and she would have struck the ground if not for Billy and Jason's swift catch.
"The game is simple. Retrieve the soul and you allow her to stay with you, but fail and it is mine to do with as I see fit. There will be three challenges you will face, there is no way to avoid them. You must conquer all three.as a team." Katanga smiled a hate-filled grin, "Good luck." she sneered at them. With a snap of her fingers she and the sphere of light vanished.
Glaring at where the woman had vanished from Jason gritted his teeth. Andrece had been taken from him once. Nothing in this world or the next was going to stop him from doing everything in his power to save her from this.
Andrece began to awaken in his arms and he turned his attention back to her. She placed a hand to her forehead as if she had a headache and glanced at her friends. Then the realization struck her. "Oh god Jason she took my soul! She took.my.soul." her voice grew thick with tears.
Jason hugged her close and whispered to her, "I swear Drece; I'm going to do everything I can to get it back." Releasing her from his arms he looked at the rest of the group. "We better get started. The sooner this is over with the better."
Tommy and Billy started to walk towards the now opened wooden doors that had previously sealed the exit/entrance from them. Kimberly looked to Jason and gave his arm a gentle squeeze. "I'll help her along Jase." He only nodded and allowed Kim to take his place guiding the start struck ranger.
Over and over the only words Andrece would say were, 'my soul. she took my soul.' In an ever angrier voice. With each saying of it the words became stronger and more resolved.
The rangers had their challenges to face, no one knew what to expect but they all knew deep in their hearts of hearts that failure wasn't an option. Now more then ever it wasn't.
To be continued.
A/N: Please read and review as always. And I am promising that there will be a Zack and Trini scene soon.
The five rangers stood in the center of a large hall, surrounding them was a small battalion of soldiers from the medieval period, except it wasn't that sight that was highly unusual it was the fact that the soldiers weren't solid. They were ghosts.
"Hang on Kim!" called Tommy as he helped her avoid being sliced in to ribbons by one of the swords the creatures welded. Tommy threw a punch at the helmeted head of his attacker and was astonished when his hand went right through his target. "How do we fight these things?"
"I am clueless. Hey Billy any thoughts?" called Andrece as she dodged a thrusting lance. The sharpened end sliced the material of her dress.
Billy was still no engaging any of the creatures but he stood close by on the side lines analyzing the scene before him. Each one of his friends had their hands full; Jason was helping Andrece get untangled from the lance of her foe, as Tommy and Kimberly faced off against three other creatures.
Billy watched the battle swarm around him. Jason dove out of the path of a descending blade; sparks flew as the sword struck the stone floor. With a lightning fast move Jason stepped solidly on to the sword. The ghost warrior holding the weapon lost its grip for a mere second and then that's when the idea struck Billy.
"That's it!" he called. Jason gave him a puzzled look. "Their weapons are their weakness. When that ghost lost its grip it flickered. Use their weapons against them!"
Tommy was the first to disarm a foe in a literal sense. Twirling the lance in his skilled hands he turned its sharpened point on to its owner. The metal went through the soldier's stomach and the creature let out a blood curdling scream.
Kimberly clutched her ears. "If these things are dead why do they scream?" Billy shrugged as he too turned a weapon on to one of the ghosts. With in minutes the creatures had vanished leaving behind their swords and lances. Once the teens had regrouped Kimberly asked the question on all their minds. "Where are we?"
"I believe that's my cue." Came a voice from behind the teens; seated in the large throne like chair at the head of the room was a woman. She had silver hair that showed her deeply tanned skin, her dress was of deep blue and purple designed in a medieval fashion.
"Katanga." Andrece said in a whisper, making the name a curse. The others turned and looked at their friend.
"Ahh you do remember me. How delightful." Katanga smiled and walked closer to them. Her gait was that similar to a tiger that had just downed its prey and was moving in for the kill. "Now in regards to you question young one.it is my pleasure to welcome you to my game."
Tommy snickered slightly, "Thanks but no thanks. We don't have time for games."
Katanga glared at him, loosing her smile. "Ohh.but you must play this one; for there is a very valuable prize to be reclaimed. And I am certain that two of your 'friends' would want you too."
"What is this prize you are failing to name but undoubtedly hint at?" asked Billy. There was something about this woman that failed to sit right with him.
"You are a man of the mind aren't you? Perhaps this game will challenge even the likes of you. Oh how I hope it does."
"Stop talking in riddles Katanga and just tell us." Jason said there was an underlying edge to his voice. Like Billy he wasn't growing fond of this creature, even though she was the one who brought Andrece back to him.
"He is of noble mind isn't he? You choose well child." Katanga replied to Andrece. The look from the storm gray eyes sent a shiver of dread up Andrece's spine. Unconsciously she clutched Jason's warm hand in hopes of warding off the chill.
"Oh I suppose you are still wondering what this game is of since there is no option of your participation in this game so you may as well be told now. You are to retrieve as quickly as possible the soul of your beloved Silver Guardian." Again the storm gray eyes locked on to Andrece's green ones.
"What do you want with Drece?" asked Kim stepping closer to her friend.
"Nothing with Andrece herself, my dealings are with her soul only. It was my doing that placed her back in your world and now I have been ordered to return it to the course that was set before it so long ago." Katanga motioned to the room around them, "The game.well just think of it as a way of giving you time to say your final farewells before all is righted."
"You're going to kill me? As though I was nothing more then a bug?" Andrece said, her voice overflowing with terror, fear and natural shock of Katanga's words.
"Compared to other beings I have encountered that is all you are child. An insect that was placed in the wrong environment and has began to eradicate the world around you. It is time for the game to begin!" Katanga pointed a bony finger at Andrece, who was standing in the open space between Billy and Jason with Kim and Tommy behind her, and mumbled a few unintelligible words off. Andrece screamed as a bright light began to be emitted from her body. It seemed to gather above her head in a colorful cloud that was ever changing in form and texture. Once the light was essentially drained from Andrece her knees collapsed beneath her and she would have struck the ground if not for Billy and Jason's swift catch.
"The game is simple. Retrieve the soul and you allow her to stay with you, but fail and it is mine to do with as I see fit. There will be three challenges you will face, there is no way to avoid them. You must conquer all three.as a team." Katanga smiled a hate-filled grin, "Good luck." she sneered at them. With a snap of her fingers she and the sphere of light vanished.
Glaring at where the woman had vanished from Jason gritted his teeth. Andrece had been taken from him once. Nothing in this world or the next was going to stop him from doing everything in his power to save her from this.
Andrece began to awaken in his arms and he turned his attention back to her. She placed a hand to her forehead as if she had a headache and glanced at her friends. Then the realization struck her. "Oh god Jason she took my soul! She took.my.soul." her voice grew thick with tears.
Jason hugged her close and whispered to her, "I swear Drece; I'm going to do everything I can to get it back." Releasing her from his arms he looked at the rest of the group. "We better get started. The sooner this is over with the better."
Tommy and Billy started to walk towards the now opened wooden doors that had previously sealed the exit/entrance from them. Kimberly looked to Jason and gave his arm a gentle squeeze. "I'll help her along Jase." He only nodded and allowed Kim to take his place guiding the start struck ranger.
Over and over the only words Andrece would say were, 'my soul. she took my soul.' In an ever angrier voice. With each saying of it the words became stronger and more resolved.
The rangers had their challenges to face, no one knew what to expect but they all knew deep in their hearts of hearts that failure wasn't an option. Now more then ever it wasn't.
To be continued.
A/N: Please read and review as always. And I am promising that there will be a Zack and Trini scene soon.