Chapter 6:
A/N: one more chapter to go. Sorry for the delay I was writing my finals and working a lot. Enjoy and please R& R.
Lanark lead the rangers through a series of hallways that twisted and turned like a coiled snake; all the while in a heavy silence. Every now and then he would cast a glance to Andrece, a glance filled with mistrust and anger. She being too tired did not acknowledge or respond to these looks. But that did not stop Jason.
Leaving Andrece's side Jason quickened his pace so that he was walking beside Lanark ahead of the others. In a low and dangerous voice he rarely used he said, "She's one of us Lanark. So cut it out with the looks."
Lanark gave Jason a quick look of surprise which then blossomed into curiosity. "May I ask a question of you m'lord?" Jason nodded. "Tell me why did your companion loose her soul?"
"A while ago she was killed accidentally in a crash and at that same time we were fighting a very powerful enemy. Katanga brought Andrece back to help us but now after that enemy was destroyed she wants to kill Andrece all over again. Apparently she screwed up the destiny of our world, I'm not really sure on that part though."
Lanark seemed to almost stumble as he heard of Andrece's reincarnation. "She is from beyond the grave." He seemed shocked at the news; this reaction was from a knight in the form of a ghost. "It is just as the ancients predicted. When I first saw her I did not know, I only knew she was without a soul. But now it all makes sense."
"What prophecy?" asked Tommy, he had heard only the end of what Lanark had said.
"It was said by the ancients that the Lord and his band of unlikely creatures would journey here to release the kingdom from this game. A band made up of our lord, a sorcerer, a dancer, a knight and one from the other side of the dark."
"Lanark! No!" screamed a shrill voice. The travelers spun to see the speaker and not truly surprised to see Katanga.
Rangers! Come immediately to the command center, Alpha has detected the portal opening. Zordon's voice brought two towers of light into the command center moments later.
"You've found them?" asked a hopeful Trini. She had changed out of her formal dress in to more appropriate attire.
Not exactly but we have located the dimension they are in. We found it thanks to one of them activating their morpher. Rangers you must hurry and teleport into the dimension and retrieve your fellows.
"Come on Trini let's bring the gang back together." Zack said as he morphed and waited for her to do the same. Once they were both ready, Alpha punched in a series of commands into a console that teleported them into the game.
Katanga screamed at Lanark, "You told them of the prophecy? You're actions gate keeper have now cost you your immortality." Through clenched teeth, Katanga mumbled a few words and then pointed an aged hand at him. A bolt of blood red energy shot from her hand and encased him in a tomb of red crystal. As she started to close her bony hand the crystal began to crack and crumble. Lanark had been reduced to splinters of ruby like glass littering the floor of the hall way as her hand finally made a fist the crystallized.
Katanga laughed as Kimberly and Andrece screamed at the senseless murder of Lanark. Kimberly was the first of them to overcome her fright and have it turn to anger. "You're a monster Katanga!" she screamed, "A murdering monster!" As she spoke she stalked closer to the witch, it took Tommy's strong arms to hold her back and not physically attack Katanga.
"The words of a mortal make no mark upon me. I am of a place far beyond what your puny mind can comprehend."
"You are from the level of Mish." muttered Andrece.
"Why you.you-"Katanga was loss for words after the little soulless mortal had spoke of where she was from. "Live long Rangers. When you can. I behold upon you my creature of your next challenge!" With a wide arm gesture Katanga motioned behind the small group. The warily turned to see the creature she had created. It was a Griffin; a monster with the head of an eagle and the body of a lion.
"Anyone else think this lady needs a new monster cook book?" asked an all too familiar voice. The rangers spun to face the new speaker and were delighted with who they saw.
"Zack! Trini!" called Kim as she warmly embraced her friends. "How'd you guys get here?"
"Zordon was able to locate you due to the activation of a morpher." Trini explained.
"Forgetting that.let's get you guys out of here." said Zack as he eyed the Griffin approaching them.
"No can do bro, we have to finish the game." Tommy said.
"Wanna run that past me again? Why not?"
Billy explained as quickly as he could for the Griffin was coming closer, "Katanga stole Andrece's soul and put it as a prize at the end of this game she created. We only have to defeat the Griffin and pass one more challenge to retrieve it."
"I see." Zack said, still not totally following what the boy in blue had said but willing to go along with it.
"I believe that this would be as good as time as any to power up our defenses?" Billy said as he turned to Jason.
"Got that right. Okay guys.its morphin time!"
"Pterodactyl!"
"Triceratops!"
"Tyrannosaurs!"
"Dragonzord!"
"Silver guardian..emerge!"
"Andrece no!" shouted Jason just as her transformation completed itself. He stepped closer to her. "You shouldn't fight; you need to save your strength."
"Jason I am a power ranger strong or not, and you are going to need all the fire power you can get to bring this kitty down." She replied stubbornly.
"I just don't want to lose you again." He whispered as he stepped into his fighting stance.
"You won't." she replied with a small grin hidden by her helmet, but her voice carried it to him.
The group of seven rangers attacked the Griffin at first from different angles in pairs or individually. When those attacks didn't phase it, they called upon their power weapons. Again small attacks didn't work.
"Alright gang, let's bring them together and focus on one point." Jason yelled over the screams of the creature. "Drece, Tommy, fire at the things head, we'll join you shortly."
As the green and silver rangers distracted the Griffin the other rangers brought their power weapons together to form another more powerful blaster.
"Alright gang. Ready? Fire!" three blasts of multi colored energy assaulted the Griffin; they made a direct hit between the creatures golden eyes. After a few seconds the blasts stopped and the golden eyes rolled back into the feathery head and the creature rolled onto its side unconscious.
"Bout time that thing took a nap." Zack said as he detached his power axe from the others weapons.
"Does anyone else feel that rumbling?" asked Trini her helmeted head glancing from one ranger to the next. They nodded and then turned slowly to face the far wall down at the end of the hall. In the middle of the wall a dust covered gold crest was emerging. It was covered in a highly detailed carving of a battle. The rangers cautiously stepped around the Griffin's still form and walked closer to the wall.
"What is that?" asked Kimberly.
"My guess is we have reached the vault Lanark was speaking about." Billy said guessing aloud.
"About time." muttered Andrece from the back of the group. Her energy level was fading faster now that she was in her ranger form, but she didn't want to power down for fear of not being able to transform again if needed.
The crest on the wall suddenly developed a crack in the middle of it, this crack spread in two directions one down one up, both winding their way through the carving. As the line finished, the wall itself began to divide. This was the vault that Lanark had spoken about. The game was almost over, one challenge to meet and over come.
To be continued.
A/N: one more chapter to go. Sorry for the delay I was writing my finals and working a lot. Enjoy and please R& R.
Lanark lead the rangers through a series of hallways that twisted and turned like a coiled snake; all the while in a heavy silence. Every now and then he would cast a glance to Andrece, a glance filled with mistrust and anger. She being too tired did not acknowledge or respond to these looks. But that did not stop Jason.
Leaving Andrece's side Jason quickened his pace so that he was walking beside Lanark ahead of the others. In a low and dangerous voice he rarely used he said, "She's one of us Lanark. So cut it out with the looks."
Lanark gave Jason a quick look of surprise which then blossomed into curiosity. "May I ask a question of you m'lord?" Jason nodded. "Tell me why did your companion loose her soul?"
"A while ago she was killed accidentally in a crash and at that same time we were fighting a very powerful enemy. Katanga brought Andrece back to help us but now after that enemy was destroyed she wants to kill Andrece all over again. Apparently she screwed up the destiny of our world, I'm not really sure on that part though."
Lanark seemed to almost stumble as he heard of Andrece's reincarnation. "She is from beyond the grave." He seemed shocked at the news; this reaction was from a knight in the form of a ghost. "It is just as the ancients predicted. When I first saw her I did not know, I only knew she was without a soul. But now it all makes sense."
"What prophecy?" asked Tommy, he had heard only the end of what Lanark had said.
"It was said by the ancients that the Lord and his band of unlikely creatures would journey here to release the kingdom from this game. A band made up of our lord, a sorcerer, a dancer, a knight and one from the other side of the dark."
"Lanark! No!" screamed a shrill voice. The travelers spun to see the speaker and not truly surprised to see Katanga.
Rangers! Come immediately to the command center, Alpha has detected the portal opening. Zordon's voice brought two towers of light into the command center moments later.
"You've found them?" asked a hopeful Trini. She had changed out of her formal dress in to more appropriate attire.
Not exactly but we have located the dimension they are in. We found it thanks to one of them activating their morpher. Rangers you must hurry and teleport into the dimension and retrieve your fellows.
"Come on Trini let's bring the gang back together." Zack said as he morphed and waited for her to do the same. Once they were both ready, Alpha punched in a series of commands into a console that teleported them into the game.
Katanga screamed at Lanark, "You told them of the prophecy? You're actions gate keeper have now cost you your immortality." Through clenched teeth, Katanga mumbled a few words and then pointed an aged hand at him. A bolt of blood red energy shot from her hand and encased him in a tomb of red crystal. As she started to close her bony hand the crystal began to crack and crumble. Lanark had been reduced to splinters of ruby like glass littering the floor of the hall way as her hand finally made a fist the crystallized.
Katanga laughed as Kimberly and Andrece screamed at the senseless murder of Lanark. Kimberly was the first of them to overcome her fright and have it turn to anger. "You're a monster Katanga!" she screamed, "A murdering monster!" As she spoke she stalked closer to the witch, it took Tommy's strong arms to hold her back and not physically attack Katanga.
"The words of a mortal make no mark upon me. I am of a place far beyond what your puny mind can comprehend."
"You are from the level of Mish." muttered Andrece.
"Why you.you-"Katanga was loss for words after the little soulless mortal had spoke of where she was from. "Live long Rangers. When you can. I behold upon you my creature of your next challenge!" With a wide arm gesture Katanga motioned behind the small group. The warily turned to see the creature she had created. It was a Griffin; a monster with the head of an eagle and the body of a lion.
"Anyone else think this lady needs a new monster cook book?" asked an all too familiar voice. The rangers spun to face the new speaker and were delighted with who they saw.
"Zack! Trini!" called Kim as she warmly embraced her friends. "How'd you guys get here?"
"Zordon was able to locate you due to the activation of a morpher." Trini explained.
"Forgetting that.let's get you guys out of here." said Zack as he eyed the Griffin approaching them.
"No can do bro, we have to finish the game." Tommy said.
"Wanna run that past me again? Why not?"
Billy explained as quickly as he could for the Griffin was coming closer, "Katanga stole Andrece's soul and put it as a prize at the end of this game she created. We only have to defeat the Griffin and pass one more challenge to retrieve it."
"I see." Zack said, still not totally following what the boy in blue had said but willing to go along with it.
"I believe that this would be as good as time as any to power up our defenses?" Billy said as he turned to Jason.
"Got that right. Okay guys.its morphin time!"
"Pterodactyl!"
"Triceratops!"
"Tyrannosaurs!"
"Dragonzord!"
"Silver guardian..emerge!"
"Andrece no!" shouted Jason just as her transformation completed itself. He stepped closer to her. "You shouldn't fight; you need to save your strength."
"Jason I am a power ranger strong or not, and you are going to need all the fire power you can get to bring this kitty down." She replied stubbornly.
"I just don't want to lose you again." He whispered as he stepped into his fighting stance.
"You won't." she replied with a small grin hidden by her helmet, but her voice carried it to him.
The group of seven rangers attacked the Griffin at first from different angles in pairs or individually. When those attacks didn't phase it, they called upon their power weapons. Again small attacks didn't work.
"Alright gang, let's bring them together and focus on one point." Jason yelled over the screams of the creature. "Drece, Tommy, fire at the things head, we'll join you shortly."
As the green and silver rangers distracted the Griffin the other rangers brought their power weapons together to form another more powerful blaster.
"Alright gang. Ready? Fire!" three blasts of multi colored energy assaulted the Griffin; they made a direct hit between the creatures golden eyes. After a few seconds the blasts stopped and the golden eyes rolled back into the feathery head and the creature rolled onto its side unconscious.
"Bout time that thing took a nap." Zack said as he detached his power axe from the others weapons.
"Does anyone else feel that rumbling?" asked Trini her helmeted head glancing from one ranger to the next. They nodded and then turned slowly to face the far wall down at the end of the hall. In the middle of the wall a dust covered gold crest was emerging. It was covered in a highly detailed carving of a battle. The rangers cautiously stepped around the Griffin's still form and walked closer to the wall.
"What is that?" asked Kimberly.
"My guess is we have reached the vault Lanark was speaking about." Billy said guessing aloud.
"About time." muttered Andrece from the back of the group. Her energy level was fading faster now that she was in her ranger form, but she didn't want to power down for fear of not being able to transform again if needed.
The crest on the wall suddenly developed a crack in the middle of it, this crack spread in two directions one down one up, both winding their way through the carving. As the line finished, the wall itself began to divide. This was the vault that Lanark had spoken about. The game was almost over, one challenge to meet and over come.
To be continued.