Chapter 16
Marah and Lothor began to circle each other neither dropping their guard as they looked for weaknesses. Luckily for her he didn't know most of her moves or how she thought in a fight.
But he did have dark powers on his side that could give him an advantage she didn't know about.
The Spirit's voice came into her mind, *be strong don't falter*
Just then Lothor let loose a beam of energy from his wrist and Marah barely jumped out of the way in time. She jumped up as he came at her and kicked him away. It was time to morph.
"Pink Ninja." that was all she got out before an energy beam hit her. Marah felt it in every part of her body since she was in her regular form. She cried out as she fell to the ground, trying to appear strong.
She heard his laughter as he stood over her, just like that time with Electro so long ago. She tried to get back up but was driven back to the ground with a kick in the face.
Lothor laughed, "You're still pathetic".
Marah cried out in rage and jumped out ready to battle him; Lothor caught her wrist easily and squeezed painfully. Marah tried not to cry out as she heard a bone snapped, she refused to give him the satisfaction.
"No!" she saw him loosing her morpher from her wrist but was too weakened to do anything.
"This along with my dark powers will make me unstoppable!" he let go of Marah who tumbled to the ground in a heap.
He stood over his niece, "if you had fought like this when you were on my ship in the old days it could've been a whole lot different."
Briefly he considered killing her then and there but decided against it, he had other rangers to destroy. With that he vanished in a haze of green light.
He reappeared in front of the other rangers, "why rangers I don't see any of your zords anywhere."
The Red Ranger spoke, "we can still fight you demon."
"Oh how wrong you are" he turned to the Yellow Ranger, "why you seem to be missing one."
Dustin tried not to give himself away and felt Shane grab his wrist briefly. Lothor smiled as the Yellow Ranger flinched slightly.
"We've had enough of you!" Shane yelled.
"It goes both ways" Lothor replied.
Soon all of the rangers were trying to fight him at once as the rescued ninjas fought his remaining monsters. Then Lothor took out Marah's morpher and aimed it at the Thunder Rangers.
"Give me those powers!" he laughed in satisfaction at how they struggled.
Then Marah jumped in front of him, "that belongs to me!"
"Not anymore" and zapped her with his powers.
Marah sailed through the air landing hard on the ground, the three Wind Rangers rushed to her side and Dustin helped her up.
"You ok?" Dustin asked.
"She won't be for long" Lothor told them. Then he drained their powers before they could react. Cam went for him but he to suffer the same fate.
"Don't you see I'm unstoppable!"
"No you aren't!" the three Wind Rangers tried to use their powers but Lothor easily deflected it.
"Anyone else?" he snickered.
Marah stepped forward, "it should be between you and me."
Lothor smiled his hideous smile, "just what I want."
He and Marah circled each other again and soon a fierce battle was going on, the other rangers ran forward but Lothor put up an energy shield. "This is between the two of us!" Marah yelled out.
She was good he had to give her that. Lothor even in his new form was still clumsy and Marah used that to her advantage. Then she kicked him behind the knee and he loosened his grip on her morpher, just long enough for her to grab it.
She sneered at him as she put it back on, "told you it belongs to me."
"I've had enough!" he prepared to shoot a bolt of energy.
Marah raised her morpher, "Pink Ranger Ninja Power!" she was soon in her ranger form as Lothor shot his energy bolt. Her weapon deflected it.
*I have to get him to the edge of the abyss* she thought. Quickly and deftly she backed him to the edge. He was so focused on her he couldn't keep the shield up and it went down.
*We have to time this right* she sent Dustin a telepathic message hoping he would understand.
Lothor nearly tumbled over the side of the railing as Marah turned to the rangers, "use your powers!"
The three Wind Ninjas understood and each intoned their element and beams of light came. Lothor saw it and sneered, "If I'm going so are you!"
Before Marah could react Lothor grabbed her just as the energy from the other rangers came into contact. Marah screamed as they went over the side.
"Marah!" Dustin cried out her name but a wind came that threw him to the ground.
Marah opened her eyes and saw she was in her regular form. She looked around to see all the occupants of the abyss looking at Lothor.
He stood up to face her bleeding heavily, "I'm not done."
"Its over you were never victorious in the first place, she felt her alien powers inside of her, maybe combined with her ranger powers that would be enough.
Lothor saw as she began to glow and suddenly beams shot out at him, "no I will not." he never was unable to finish the sentence. Marah gave her soul to the Guardian of her morpher just in case. Her last conscious thought was of Dustin.
Up above the rangers cried out as the Abyss imploded or whatever it was doing. Shane turned to Cam, "what happened?"
He shook his head at a loss for words, "maybe his evil overloaded it or maybe it was Marah."
Dustin went to the edge and sank to his knees, "we're Power Rangers we're all supposed to survive."
Just then a spirit appeared before them that looked to be a male, "you're right Yellow Ranger, Marah used both of her powers for good, that and the love you two share is what enabled her to succeed.
Dustin looked at him, "she's gone now so what good are you?"
"No she is not" he raised his arm and she appeared beside of him looking dazed. Dustin caught her and she fell unconscious into his arms. "She has been given another chance to live with a clean slate.
The Guardian vanished as the other rushed to Dustin. He looked down at Marah, she was bruised and totally battered but he was thrilled to see her.
Cam was the one to speak first, "we better be getting back to Ninja Ops".
But yet another shock was to greet them upon their return, Sensei was full sized again. "How did this happen?" Cam asked.
"I will tell you later but for now focus on your patient."
Cam ran a scanner over Marah, "she'll be fine but her ranger powers as well as her alien ones are totally gone, she used them all up to defeat him."
"A remarkable person" Sensei said, "is she still of her species?"
"Yes although her system appears to be more human than anything else, but I'm not a doctor."
Hours later Marah awoke to find Dustin next to her, she was afraid to speak for fear she might be dreaming.
He smiled, "welcome back."
She found her voice, "I'm alive?"
He nodded, "as alive as you've always been how do you feel?"
"Beyond lousy" she moaned.
"Cam said you'll feel that way for awhile, you lost all of your powers in the abyss."
"My Ranger powers right?"
"No your alien powers as well" Dustin replied, he still didn't understand it himself.
"Does that mean I'm fully human?"
"Cam doesn't know yet anyway get some sleep."
"Don't leave Dustin please stay here."
"You bet or at least until Cam or Sensei throws me out, he's human again".
"How?" Marah asked. "I haven't been told yet".
Marah laid her head on his chest taking comfort in his heartbeat, "I was so sure I'd die there, that was my greatest fear. Fighting my good trying to atone and winding up in the abyss."
"I'm sure the Guardian wouldn't have allowed that, he was the one who brought you back to me."
Marah's mouth dropped open, "you all saw him?"
"Yeah although he was kind of hard to make out all that matters is that he brought you back to me."
Marah smiled, "I loved you the moment you kept me from getting mowed down at that track, ok it was all a plan by Lothor but I knew it right away" she looked into his eyes, "how about you?"
"I knew it the next day when I pulled those weeds out of your hair, how beautiful you were and how brave to defy Lothor."
"That's so sweet, I know no matter what happens I'll always love you."
He kissed her gently, "I'll always love you to" he looked down at the floor.
"Dustin you ok?" she asked concerned.
"I've been thinking about this for a long time" he gently took her hand, "Marah will you marry me?"
Her mouth dropped open, "you mean it?"
He nodded looking terrified.
She squealed happily and embraced him, "yes I will!"
They were so wrapped up in their kiss they didn't notice as Cam came in.
"Ok visiting hours are over."
"Aw come on Cam she just agreed to marry me." Dustin pleaded.
"Well then you better let her rest, that way she can get better and help you plan the wedding."
Marah kissed him, "better do it I'll be in tip top shape before you know it."
Dustin kissed her and reluctantly left the room. Marah tried to sleep but was far to excited. Finally everything was perfect.
She had the kind of life she could be proud of.
Marah and Lothor began to circle each other neither dropping their guard as they looked for weaknesses. Luckily for her he didn't know most of her moves or how she thought in a fight.
But he did have dark powers on his side that could give him an advantage she didn't know about.
The Spirit's voice came into her mind, *be strong don't falter*
Just then Lothor let loose a beam of energy from his wrist and Marah barely jumped out of the way in time. She jumped up as he came at her and kicked him away. It was time to morph.
"Pink Ninja." that was all she got out before an energy beam hit her. Marah felt it in every part of her body since she was in her regular form. She cried out as she fell to the ground, trying to appear strong.
She heard his laughter as he stood over her, just like that time with Electro so long ago. She tried to get back up but was driven back to the ground with a kick in the face.
Lothor laughed, "You're still pathetic".
Marah cried out in rage and jumped out ready to battle him; Lothor caught her wrist easily and squeezed painfully. Marah tried not to cry out as she heard a bone snapped, she refused to give him the satisfaction.
"No!" she saw him loosing her morpher from her wrist but was too weakened to do anything.
"This along with my dark powers will make me unstoppable!" he let go of Marah who tumbled to the ground in a heap.
He stood over his niece, "if you had fought like this when you were on my ship in the old days it could've been a whole lot different."
Briefly he considered killing her then and there but decided against it, he had other rangers to destroy. With that he vanished in a haze of green light.
He reappeared in front of the other rangers, "why rangers I don't see any of your zords anywhere."
The Red Ranger spoke, "we can still fight you demon."
"Oh how wrong you are" he turned to the Yellow Ranger, "why you seem to be missing one."
Dustin tried not to give himself away and felt Shane grab his wrist briefly. Lothor smiled as the Yellow Ranger flinched slightly.
"We've had enough of you!" Shane yelled.
"It goes both ways" Lothor replied.
Soon all of the rangers were trying to fight him at once as the rescued ninjas fought his remaining monsters. Then Lothor took out Marah's morpher and aimed it at the Thunder Rangers.
"Give me those powers!" he laughed in satisfaction at how they struggled.
Then Marah jumped in front of him, "that belongs to me!"
"Not anymore" and zapped her with his powers.
Marah sailed through the air landing hard on the ground, the three Wind Rangers rushed to her side and Dustin helped her up.
"You ok?" Dustin asked.
"She won't be for long" Lothor told them. Then he drained their powers before they could react. Cam went for him but he to suffer the same fate.
"Don't you see I'm unstoppable!"
"No you aren't!" the three Wind Rangers tried to use their powers but Lothor easily deflected it.
"Anyone else?" he snickered.
Marah stepped forward, "it should be between you and me."
Lothor smiled his hideous smile, "just what I want."
He and Marah circled each other again and soon a fierce battle was going on, the other rangers ran forward but Lothor put up an energy shield. "This is between the two of us!" Marah yelled out.
She was good he had to give her that. Lothor even in his new form was still clumsy and Marah used that to her advantage. Then she kicked him behind the knee and he loosened his grip on her morpher, just long enough for her to grab it.
She sneered at him as she put it back on, "told you it belongs to me."
"I've had enough!" he prepared to shoot a bolt of energy.
Marah raised her morpher, "Pink Ranger Ninja Power!" she was soon in her ranger form as Lothor shot his energy bolt. Her weapon deflected it.
*I have to get him to the edge of the abyss* she thought. Quickly and deftly she backed him to the edge. He was so focused on her he couldn't keep the shield up and it went down.
*We have to time this right* she sent Dustin a telepathic message hoping he would understand.
Lothor nearly tumbled over the side of the railing as Marah turned to the rangers, "use your powers!"
The three Wind Ninjas understood and each intoned their element and beams of light came. Lothor saw it and sneered, "If I'm going so are you!"
Before Marah could react Lothor grabbed her just as the energy from the other rangers came into contact. Marah screamed as they went over the side.
"Marah!" Dustin cried out her name but a wind came that threw him to the ground.
Marah opened her eyes and saw she was in her regular form. She looked around to see all the occupants of the abyss looking at Lothor.
He stood up to face her bleeding heavily, "I'm not done."
"Its over you were never victorious in the first place, she felt her alien powers inside of her, maybe combined with her ranger powers that would be enough.
Lothor saw as she began to glow and suddenly beams shot out at him, "no I will not." he never was unable to finish the sentence. Marah gave her soul to the Guardian of her morpher just in case. Her last conscious thought was of Dustin.
Up above the rangers cried out as the Abyss imploded or whatever it was doing. Shane turned to Cam, "what happened?"
He shook his head at a loss for words, "maybe his evil overloaded it or maybe it was Marah."
Dustin went to the edge and sank to his knees, "we're Power Rangers we're all supposed to survive."
Just then a spirit appeared before them that looked to be a male, "you're right Yellow Ranger, Marah used both of her powers for good, that and the love you two share is what enabled her to succeed.
Dustin looked at him, "she's gone now so what good are you?"
"No she is not" he raised his arm and she appeared beside of him looking dazed. Dustin caught her and she fell unconscious into his arms. "She has been given another chance to live with a clean slate.
The Guardian vanished as the other rushed to Dustin. He looked down at Marah, she was bruised and totally battered but he was thrilled to see her.
Cam was the one to speak first, "we better be getting back to Ninja Ops".
But yet another shock was to greet them upon their return, Sensei was full sized again. "How did this happen?" Cam asked.
"I will tell you later but for now focus on your patient."
Cam ran a scanner over Marah, "she'll be fine but her ranger powers as well as her alien ones are totally gone, she used them all up to defeat him."
"A remarkable person" Sensei said, "is she still of her species?"
"Yes although her system appears to be more human than anything else, but I'm not a doctor."
Hours later Marah awoke to find Dustin next to her, she was afraid to speak for fear she might be dreaming.
He smiled, "welcome back."
She found her voice, "I'm alive?"
He nodded, "as alive as you've always been how do you feel?"
"Beyond lousy" she moaned.
"Cam said you'll feel that way for awhile, you lost all of your powers in the abyss."
"My Ranger powers right?"
"No your alien powers as well" Dustin replied, he still didn't understand it himself.
"Does that mean I'm fully human?"
"Cam doesn't know yet anyway get some sleep."
"Don't leave Dustin please stay here."
"You bet or at least until Cam or Sensei throws me out, he's human again".
"How?" Marah asked. "I haven't been told yet".
Marah laid her head on his chest taking comfort in his heartbeat, "I was so sure I'd die there, that was my greatest fear. Fighting my good trying to atone and winding up in the abyss."
"I'm sure the Guardian wouldn't have allowed that, he was the one who brought you back to me."
Marah's mouth dropped open, "you all saw him?"
"Yeah although he was kind of hard to make out all that matters is that he brought you back to me."
Marah smiled, "I loved you the moment you kept me from getting mowed down at that track, ok it was all a plan by Lothor but I knew it right away" she looked into his eyes, "how about you?"
"I knew it the next day when I pulled those weeds out of your hair, how beautiful you were and how brave to defy Lothor."
"That's so sweet, I know no matter what happens I'll always love you."
He kissed her gently, "I'll always love you to" he looked down at the floor.
"Dustin you ok?" she asked concerned.
"I've been thinking about this for a long time" he gently took her hand, "Marah will you marry me?"
Her mouth dropped open, "you mean it?"
He nodded looking terrified.
She squealed happily and embraced him, "yes I will!"
They were so wrapped up in their kiss they didn't notice as Cam came in.
"Ok visiting hours are over."
"Aw come on Cam she just agreed to marry me." Dustin pleaded.
"Well then you better let her rest, that way she can get better and help you plan the wedding."
Marah kissed him, "better do it I'll be in tip top shape before you know it."
Dustin kissed her and reluctantly left the room. Marah tried to sleep but was far to excited. Finally everything was perfect.
She had the kind of life she could be proud of.