TWO SIDES TO EVERY STORY 10
== WARNING: This chapter gets much darker and the Rating is now R (This is because I'm going to be writing a sequel and it will have more serious and sinister themes). This chapter implies physical and sexual assault on a minor (in a flashback). The fact is the story was meant to be a mixture of romance and a bit of a study into the psyche and the darker things that can happen in it. I'm heading into the original plan that will continue in the sister/brother to this fic.
You Have Been Warned. I'm a dark minded person who never liked the positive approach to reality they showed me on TV.
Chapter 10: Tribulation Trickery
"The map warns us of a trial," exclaimed Trini as she followed Jason and Rocky up the stairs. "The Tears of the Ancients" she read.
Kim sprinted on ahead...and skidded to a halt. "Yeah! Found it!" she called, teetering on the edge of a steep drop.
The cavern was long, with a narrow with carved stone faces on it. There were five in total carved with a bearded (Greek Philosopher/Deity style) man at the far end who's beard was made of falling water and the rest: a sad (Celtic face painted warrior style) woman, a thoughtful (Geisha style) woman, a serene looking Native American man with warriors headdress and lastly a rather cold featured centurion with hard features and war paint.
Water spouted from their eyes falling into the rock pool below that had sharp spikes of rock standing out of the water. There was a thin path across the cavern to the waterfall beard man. "We have to cross it" Adam said with a groan.
"Oh bliss," sighed Kim.
"Hey! Are those stalagmites or stalactites?" Rocky asked as he pointed down.
"Stalagmites" Kim said. "They stand Mightily..."
Adam looked at the path. "It looks safe enough...we should try to cross it." No one moved. "We should really cross it..." Still there was no movement. "Anyone volunteering?"
"You" the others chorused. Then relented. "Together." Slowly they stepped out onto the narrow stone bridge. Immediately there was a hiss as a crushing sheet of steaming water and stone came from the doorway and sealed them in. The tears of the huge faces stopped and immediately began to spit the water in timed blasts.
"We have to do this right," Adam said, he moved ahead since he was first in line. He knew that one geyser of the powerful jets would throw him down into the swirling pit below. It wasn't a happy thought to have.
"Okay, lets go!" Adam shouted and ran and dived under the first blast of water the droplets of icy liquid pattering onto his shirt. He rolled forwards onto his feet and looked at the others. They came in pairs after him. Rocky reached his side and Kim and Jason stood behind him with Trini. He and Rocky darted ahead as the next geyser stopped and skidded to a halt, stopping and going. "Take it in turns!" Adam called. "The bursts are timed".
He managed to avoid one, the pressure brushed against his back but he was safe. He reached the curtain of water, damp and unhappy. With a sigh he stepped through and all the water vanished...
"Well, thank heavens for a sudden drought" Rocky grinned.
"Very sudden" Jason muttered.
Hunter collapsed on his bed. Blake was sound asleep and just because he'd seen the White Astral Rangers zord Hunter had no need to wake his brother up. He sighed and turned off with a grimace, kicking off his shoes and jeans. Content that Cam and Dustin were safe at home...
Hunter fell asleep at last...and then the dreams started.
He could remember the party. He'd been 14 and it was one of the ninja academy's student parties in an under-age club. He was in the room again and there was someone behind him, he couldn't see whom...but the set of arms snared him around the torso as a hand covered his mouth. There was someone else in the room...they locked the door and spoke in a rasping voice. And then Hunter was shoved back into a bed...but he passed through it in his dream, he didn't stay, he escaped, he liked this fantasy and he didn't stay behind for the beating he got. Or...the other ---attack
He climbed through the branches of darkness and ran into the tunnel. He was afraid, he could feel them breathing at his neck and cursing him...he whimpered and climbed the ladder into the dungeon tunnel, the darkest part of his mind, where he'd lived when Lothar made him hurt the Wind Rangers.
He curled up and lay their whimpering. He could feel a hand on his arm. "Don't do this," the woman's voice whispered. "Don't hide from your demons be brave".
And then the hand was gone. Hunter let the darkness cradle him...it was easier to be afraid.
"The next trial is the Flame of Wisdom" Trini said. "Can anyone see it?"
The roar of flames from around the corner answered her question. The ex-rangers entered the wide, round room with the flame burning in the pit in the centre of the room. The door behind them became a wall of flame as they entered trapping them once more. The faces of the ancients surrounded the room, flame sin their eyes. The Serene woman was on the opposite side of the wall with flames in her mouth and eyes; the flaming vortex was evidently the way out.
The floor tiles were flat diamonds of concrete over the scorching rock. "We have to cross on the tiles," said Trini. "But these symbols...they're numbers...and letters." The symbols on the tiles morphed into English numerals and lettering. "Okay..."
She touched a tile with B9 on it with a nervous foot.
The ball of flame spat at her head. The rangers ducked in the nick of time. "That was close it nearly singed my hair!" exclaimed Rocky running a hand through his dark locks.
"Let's see..." mused Trini. "Of course!" she said abruptly. "Matching the letters with their number of order...A1! Follow me exactly"
She hopped onto A1, then B2 and then C3, skipping nervously, aware that a single wrong step would result in total scorching. She landed on N14 and faced the gate. "Now how do I get past this?" she muttered.
"The fire extinguisher?" suggested Adam.
"No" Trini said absent-mindedly. "Too much fire"
She bit her lip and then reached over to the flames...they recoiled from her and pulled apart like a curtain. "Hmm...that makes the security redundant" she muttered. The rangers entered the corridor and descended the stairs.
Hunter opened his eyes. Why? Because even if it was still dark out the orange strip of light should not be coming from that angle because it was the very wrong angle. He opened his eyes and realized he was inside a vibrant red plastic tunnel. He crawled out and looked around. He was wearing his tightest t-shirt and shortest boxers...and was in the public park. (A/N: That's thought-candy for General.)
"Hunter?"
He turned and looked down from the tower of the play frame in the playground. Hunt was standing below looking up at him oddly as he approached. "I thought it was you," the dark haired boy said. "What are you doing on the play castle, in your underwear at 5 in the morning?" he paused. "You can get arrested for this type of thing," he added.
"Huh? Oh!" Hunter slipped down the slide and looked at Hunt, straight in the dark blue eyes. "I don't know how I got here..." he frowned. "What are you out here for? Since we're on the subject."
"Come with me, I have some old clothes in my jeep". Hunt turned and walked towards the black jeep parked nearby. Hunter followed slowly and watched him filter through the junk in his boot. Hunt sniffed a shirt and tossed it back in. "Black jeans" he said. "Best I can do."
He removed his jacket and handed it to the blonde ranger. "Here, warm up" he muttered. "The jeans mightn't fit"
"Thanks" Hunter said slowly. He slipped into the black jeans perfectly. "Hunh, perfect fit. Thanks." He pulled on the jacket and rubbed his arms. Hunt started up the engine of the jeep. "You're lucky I amn't blading this morning, climb in."
Hunter slipped into the passenger side and nearly got whiplash as Hunt sped off. "So...Hunt...the race was way cool...well up until that freaky alien turned up and thrashed it" Hunter said.
"Yeah" Hunt said. "But there's been a damn rash of them around here."
Hunter looked at the driver. "So why are you out here?"
"Look in the back," sighed Hunt.
Hunter leaned into the back. Ski poles, roller blades, ice skates, skis and hockey stuff. "I'm into ice sports," explained Hunt. "Big time. I'm on my way to the fake slopes"
"This early?" mused Hunter looking at the rising orb of light.
"Yeah" sighed Hunt. "It's always best to get there early. Then I can go to the ice rink or roller blade arena. Depends on what I want to do. Probably the ice."
Hunter gave a nod.
They pulled up at the apartment block Hunter and Blake lived in. "Thanks for the lift" Hunter said. "I better see if my brother has freaked yet."
"Probably" said Hunt. "Look like someone climbed out the window, down the tree and across the green. I'm no expert but I'll guess it was you".
"Probably" grimaced Hunter. "Look I'll see you around."
"Count on it" smirked Hunt. "Have fun trying to explain why you were in the park in your underwear...sleep walking to that extend will get you noticed."
Hunter laughed as Hunt pulled off and sped away. He turned and trudged back to his apartment.
Matriarchus hurled the bolts at the statue. "OPEN UP!" she shrieked.
The cavern was called The Trial Of Stone on the map. It was aptly named, the pentagon stones floated on a magma lake with the faces of the ancients spewing lava from their mouths, this time their upper torsos and faces jutting from the rocks, stone cups in their hands that overflowed with Magma.
"Is it me or is it hot in here?" quipped Rocky.
"This is really not the time" Adam grimaced.
Jason looked out across the lava. "Look" he said pointing at the platform at the other end of the hall. The Centurion rose above a pillar, magma dripping down past it. Jason looked at the other. "We have to reach there," Jason said.
"One at a time" Adam said.
A long rock burst out of the wall and shattered on the other wall. A ball of magma spat from the lake of molten rock and burst on a step. Behind them the door had closed with a crunch by heavy rocks. "I'll go first," Jason said. Before anyone could protest he leapt onto a rock panel. Immediately it began to sink.
"Don't follow!" Jason called back. "They're sinking!"
"Come back we'll find a way out!" Kim shouted. "You can't risk yourself!"
"No, there isn't any other way!" Jason exclaimed.
He leapt onto the next rock and ducked in time to avoid a sharp stone hissing past his head. He hurled himself across the floating steps, heat on his back...he landed on the stone steps to the pillar with a grunt of pain. He scrabbled to his feet and rushed to the pillar. The magma in the Centurions hands dribbled down onto the button, making it unreachable.
"Jason!" called Trini. "Don't touch it!"
"It's the only way through" swallowed Jason. He raised his hand and slammed down. The magma cooled before his hand touched it, the black rock shattered like an eggshell. The button crunched down and froze the magma in blackness. "I think its safe to cross!" Jason called.
They hurried towards him and reached the steps...just in time for the rock steps and platform to creak and fall open right down the middle. The five plunged straight down into the darkness.
Lothar hurled the explosive laser blast at the Kezlack. It exploded and disappeared. "She's not retrieved the sword?" he growled. "She's SUPPOSED to have the sword!"
"Oh don't worry uncle" Kapri said. "She'll get it! And even if the rangers get it, she has the red rangers mother to use as a bargaining chip."
"True...where is The Demon?"
"At the dungeon cell" Marah said simply.
"She spends far too much time down there torturing the ninjas we've collected" Lothar said with a sigh. "It's just not healthy!"
"For them maybe" giggled Kapri.
Blake rang the bell of the large house Tori lived in. She answered with a grim look in her eyes. "My Aunts are here," she said as she dusted the shoulders of his jacket off. "You're in the territory I thought was reserved for my definite future husband."
"Are you saying you wouldn't like me as a husband?" grinned Blake with mock disappointment. Tori put her hands on his shoulders and stared into his eyes.
"This – is – not – a – time – to – joke –" she said firmly.
Blake flinched. She was deathly serious. "It's not like they're the Spanish Inquisition" he sniffed. Tori muttered something like "they're worse" and lead him to the brightly lit sitting room with polished pine floors.
Mrs Hanson sat between two women. The one on her right had bushy red hair and dark green eyes; she wore outrageously coloured flamboyant robes. The peace sign around her neck in the midst of dozens of sets of colourful beads gave away her hippy nature.
The other woman was dressed primly in a grey business suit and had her honey blond hair tied up in a bun. She was slender and cool. Her dark eyes skimmed him swiftly and critically.
"These are my aunts" Tori said. "Summer and Gertrude"
Surprisingly Summer was the woman in the business suit and Gertrude was dressed as the hippy. But Blake was now reminded never to stereotype things.
"Tori, go and fetch some tea please" Mrs Hanson insisted. "Blake, take a seat".
Blake looked at the small dining chair on set before the sofa the trio sat in. He took his place nervously and managed a smile. "So" Gertrude said. "What star sign are you?"
"Pardon?" Blake said.
"Ignore her" Summer muttered. "We just have a few questions for you..."
And so they commenced:
Do you drink? Do you smoke? What are your interests? Do you like surfing? What religion are you? Are you vegetarian or vegan? Do you believe in post marital relations? What do you plan to do after school? Do you have a part-time job? Are you in tune with the universes cosmic balance? Have you now or ever been involved in a car chase that proceeded through two or more states?
In the kitchen Tori shakily poured the tea. She was insanely jealous her father could hide away in his study or at the restaurant. With a sigh she edged into the room with the tray.
"And your parents?"
"I was adopted"
"And those parents?"
Blake spoke slowly. "Deceased" he said calmly. Mrs Hanson looked up. "I see."
Tori gave a smile and placed the tea tray on the coffee table (A/N: oxymoron or irony?). "Mother, let's not make this the Spanish inquisition now".
"We're not the Spanish inquisition," laughed Gertrude.
"We're not allowed use thumb screws" Mrs Hanson said with a small smile.
Blake swallowed nervously.
Hunt glided along the ice. He felt better about himself as he sped along the cold, frozen water on the narrow blades. He spun gracefully and laughed. "All the best plans come together...this easily."
The thoughts rushed at him.
He started to remember. The chocolate chip mint ice cream on the veranda with his grandparents in Paris. He smiled at them, they smiled back and...he felt happy and there was so much...love in him.
He gripped his head and skidded along the ice, collapsing on the cold plating beneath him.
"Why are we at the ice rink?" sighed Dustin.
"I want to return these to Hunt" Hunter replied as they walked into the large indoor rink. "And I'm guessing he's here since the slopes are closed today."
Cassidy sighed. "Okay lets hurry up I want to meet this Christian guy at the mall, if he can read an unused and pretty exclusive language like the tongues of the Mara-Ishii I need to have a word."
"Cam's already looking into, like, his background" Dustin said. "Don't worry d-"
"Threat to Cyber Cam stick to you" warned Cassidy with a little song on the words.
"What the---guys!" Hunter exclaimed. He ran around to a door onto the ice and skidded over to the unconscious Hunt. "He's breathing..." he said with relief.
"Hey, Hunt, dude" Dustin said slipping over to Hunt's prone form. "Wake up man."
Cassidy was about to run for help when Hunt groaned and sat up. "You okay?" Hunter asked helping the dark haired guy up.
"Yeah, just a slip" muttered Hunt.
Hunter guided the black and grey clad teen to the side of the rink. "What happened?"
"Oh, I just wasn't careful" Hunt said calmly. Dustin was about to say something when he slipped and flipped on to his front. Cassidy sighed.
"As Dustin has just demonstrated," she muttered as she slid over to the yellow ranger and helped him to his feet as he slipped failing to stand properly. "I believe he was about to ask how you managed that".
Hunt's lips tugged to an almost smile. "I wanted to return your jacket and jeans," Hunter said. "And to say thanks for the lift."
"Snuttin" mumbled Hunt rubbing his temples.
"Are you okay?" Cassidy asked.
"Yes" Hunt said.
"Are you sure?"
"Positive" smirked Hunt. "Untouchable" he added jabbing a thumb at his black muscle shirt. Cassidy raised an eyebrow.
"Big claim, can you back it up?" Hunt just smiled.
The slide ended in a wide cavern of pillars and mist. Lightening crackled on the pillars, darting off into the air. The rangers walked through the maze of pillars. "Anything?" called Adam.
"Zilch" reported Rocky.
"What's this place called?" Jason asked.
"The Fanged Wind Tunnel" Trini said as she glanced at the map.
"That's reassuring," muttered Kim. "I just feel all warm and fuzzy inside now".
Adam paused and looked at a deep pit where a hurricane of winds and clouds dotted with lightening swirled. "Found something" he called.
"A giant vortex...of course" sighed Rocky. Below the Ancients held up the lever on a pillar. "Guess we have to pull that".
"But if we go in there we get shredded like a papier-mâché figurine" Jason muttered.
"Nice simile" Kim muttered. "Well? What now?"
"One of us goes in" Rocky said. "I say me".
"What?" Adam exclaimed. "You cannot go in there!"
"Yes I can, I just jump" Rocky said.
"Rocky" Kim said calmly. "Why IN THE SEVEN HELLS would we let you go in there?"
"Because I can do it," Rocky said. "Besides I was a ranger for less time then you guys. Just because my back got hurt...look I can do this!"
And then he jumped, straight down the middle and grabbed the lever. The clunk and whirr of gears signalled the wind and lightening to cease, the mist was sucked from the vortex and the statue of the ancients rose up, Rocky dangling from the lever. He dropped down and flashed 1000-watt smile. "Tada!"
Adam punched him in the arm. "Don't ever do anything so stupid again!" he exclaimed.
"Awwww! You were worried!" smiled Rocky.
"Door" Adam said flatly. They walked through the archway and into the narrow rock corridor. There was a crunch and in a single line they all slid straight down the slippery slope.
"I HATE THIS CAAAAAAAAAVVVVVVVEEEEEE" Kim screamed.
"You look blown away" Christian said. Blake just clutched his head, his elbows on the table and made some sort of nod. Tori leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.
"He survived my aunts and mother" she smiled. They sat in the café called Rule, it was just across from Storm Chargers and they sat outside at two tables pushed close together.
"I've seen her family," sighed Dustin. "They are scary".
"With a capital S-C-A-R-Y" grinned Shane. Tori flicked his ear and he retreated.
Cam and Christian were sitting close pouring over the book. "So what this says is that there's some sort of power source that the Matriarchus demon gets her spell circles from"
"Yeah" Christian said. "Your interest in the bizzaro creatures in this book is kind of scary, might I add. Why the interest in the creatures and cave and all that? There's stuff here about herbal potions and spells and weirdly accurate prophecies".
"Very" Cassidy said dryly. She was sitting beside Hunter.
Christian rubbed his forehead and shook his head. "Okay, where were we?"
Hunter frowned as Christian's reading of a paragraph became slurred. "Are you okay man?"
"Yeah" Christian managed. "Just tired..."
His hand twitched...and then his body twitched rapidly. He collapsed off the stool in a seizure, the control he had over his body gone. Hunter could see and feel the fear in the boy as he rushed to his side.
Tori pulled out her cell. "Hello? We need an ambulance at the Rule café..." she said panic in her voice. "He's having a seizure"
=======================
Hunter and Cam rushed along with the stretcher, the others waited behind. "17 year old boy, had a seizure in the mall" the woman ambulance driver exclaimed. The doctor (some Noah Wylie look alike) rushed to the stretcher. "Okay, this shouldn't be too bad...did you sedate him?"
"No he fell unconscious" Hunter said. "Before the ambulance got there"
"Okay, there's nothing to worry about. Your brother will be fine"
"He's not my brother"
"Huh? Oh, sorry, I assumed..." the doctor was cut off as Christian went into another seizure. "Okay let's check this out!"
Hunter and Cam were pushed away and left in the hall.
"Ah you again, Motocross boy" the German nurse sighed. "Vot zis time?"
"Our friend has a seizure," Cam said.
"Vell, name?"
"His? Christian Cross" Cam muttered. "And he's 17...and that's all I know..."
"Vot about parents?"
"No idea" muttered Hunter.
Helga gave a sigh. "Vell this is nice," she muttered. "Veel call if anything comes up."
"We'll wait" Hunter said firmly.
A while later the doctor appeared and walked over to them. "Your friend had a massive seizure, he's out now under sedation but that was a close one. Has he a history of this?"
"We've only known him a short while," said Cam. "I should probably go to Grey's Boarding House, that's where he stays so...maybe they might know."
"Grey? Huh? Best if Dr Rose doesn't hear about this, the boarders have a vendetta against the snob. He botched an operation and paralysed Mr Grey. Everyone Hates him with a capital H" the doctor smirked. "Mr Grey was good people too. Anyway that pompous ass needs to face the music sometime but he wasn't charged with stupidity so I feel justice was never met...sad really"
Cam and Dustin looked at each other.
========================
The tunnel was cold. "The Heart of Ice" Trini managed through chattering teeth. "And I b-b-b-b-b-bet you can s-s-s-s-s-see why"
Kim advanced to the front with Jason and Rocky on either side. "See anything?" she whispered as she looked at the round passages of glittering ice-rock, forked to one side, golden light coming from one side and blue from the other.
"It's surreal," murmured Adam.
Kim took a step forwards---a shape stepped forwards. A giant snow tiger with glowing blue eyes and an aura of cyan smoke. It roared loudly. "No one move" Kim whispered. "The normal tiger doesn't attack if you don't give it a reason to."
"It's not a normal tiger," hissed Rocky
And Kim moved. She darted forwards and performed a somersault flip, planting her hands on the tiger's neck and vaulting over it into a sprint down the blue tunnel. The tiger sped after her. Kim felt her heart pounding in her chest, rising to her throat. She was luckily still in good shape. She skidded to a in the round ice cavern. The ice was firm and dry under foot, a mist rising off it.
The tiger bounded in. Kim threw herself aside into a roll as it lunged at her and crashed into a pillar of ice. A thunderous wave of snow poured down on the hapless creature that gave a strange meow of fear before it was buried from neck to tail in snow.
Kim rose shakily and walked forwards. The tiger lay on its side in the snow. It was still breathing. Kim approached slowly and found the tigers paw. There was a sharp stone jutting from it.
She recalled the story of David and the Lion...or was it Jonas and the Lion? Or George, or Samson...or Peter? She kneeled down without thinking and stroked the tiger's paw before pulling on the stone firmly. The tiger grunted and opened its blue eyes.
"Kim!" Jason sprinted in and skidded to a halt, passing her before scrabbling to her side as she tossed away the stone. "Are you okay?"
"It had a stone in its paw" she explained as she rose and walked over to the others. "That's probably why it attacked. It's like that story about the Christian who pulled a thorn from a lion's paw and in return it didn't eat him in the coliseum---what's wrong?"
Everyone was staring past her. She slowly turned and stared. The tiger stood in the snow staring at her. It turned and shook its head at the small white passage hidden by optical illusion of colour. Kim followed it. The others walked behind her at a greater distance until the tiger faded away, leaving them before a door of stone with the faces of the Ancients set in it.
"What now?" Rocky whispered.
The door hissed open to reveal a narrow cavern with gigantic stone doors...and a sword in a glowing blue field of light.
"We grab the sword," suggested Adam.
============================
Dr Rose sighed and shoved the rubbish onto the floor in front of the Venezuelan cleaning woman (who had the unfortunate plight to be stereotyped on her application to work in maintenance and sent straight to the Hell of floor cleaning) with a sneer. She gave a swift curse to the man and continued to clean. Dr Rose moved on with an air of superiority. He paused, there was a light coming from the medicine supply room. Rose frowned and entered, poking his head in first...the clear tube was strong, it wrapped around his neck as the strong arms snared him and pulled him close tightening the tube so he couldn't shout for help...cutting his air.
Until he was dead.
======================
Hunter lay awake, scared to sleep. Because if he did, the hands would hold him down and tear at him...and he'd cry for help or something and have to tell Blake what happened and---Blake would be the one with the answers and he might never come to Hunter for help again and their bond would break.
He wiped the tear and closed his eyes to stop anymore forming.
"Hunter? Blake? Dudes?" Cyber Cam jolted Blake awake with a small yelp of "Tori!" Cyber Cam spoke up as Hunter answered.
"We located a major concentration of Kezlacks...any chance you guys are up to meet the other dudes there?"
"On it" nodded Blake.
"They're at the cave" Cassidy said. "Which means bad-bad-uber-evil things can happen there...watch yourselves. I want you all home safe."
"She so digs us" smirked Hunter quietly.
"I HEARD THAT HUNTER"
Hunter swallowed and rolled out of the bed.
========================
The Kezlacks hacked at the statue, the white dress of Persephia fluttered in the winds, glowing with ether as she propped her chin on her knee and crossed her legs, sitting atop the Buddha. Matriarchus was blasting away with as much anger as she had. Which was a LOT.
"Hey! Mother Weird!" Shane's blaster fired. Matriarchus staggered back with a shriek. "Don't you know that when they don't answer if you knock they aren't going to answer at all?"
"Oh, but I'm special" she rasped. The glittering blast hit Shane full on and knocked him aside. Tori raised her sonic fin and shouted.
"2-4-6-8 WHO DO WE APPRECIATE---NOT YOU!"
The group of Kezlacks caught in the beam exploded. Hunter and Cam sliced through the other Kezlacks staff and sword slicing the air. And then the shape shot through the air. Baboo-D glided down and sliced across Cam's torso and Hunters back with its staff. He morphed into the shape of Divatox...this got the attention of Persephia.
"Hello boys" Divatox-D sneered. She slashed the air and a wave of purple light lashed out and blasted at Hunter. Cam grabbed the Thunder Rangers arms and pulled him out of the way, narrowly avoiding being caught himself. "That was rude" sniffed Divatox-D
"HEY! GET THE HELL OUTTA MY FACE" roared Persephia in her old Divatox voice. Divatox-D stared in shock as she was hit with blue lightening and flung away. Cam and Hunter rolled as the lightening carried them. Hunter landed on top of Cam and managed to arch his back inwards to look over his shoulder...and pressed a certain point of his anatomy into the same part of anatomy on Cam's...and it was definitely above knee level...
Dustin slammed the hammer into the body of a Kezlack and sent it shooting away before leaping into the ground and vanishing through the stone. He shot out and hurled himself into the confused group of Kezlacks.
"Hey everybody! Anyone for a game of Whack-a-Weasel?"
Blake deflected the blasts fired by Matriarchus as Shane fired a blast. Matriarchus raised a golden fist and a pink shield absorbed the energy. "YOU can't defeat ME rangers!" she cackled. "But give me the sword and it will be easy!"
Persephia descended from the statue. "Rangers! You must get to the other side of the mountain...your friends are on their way there!"
"Okay, let's go!" Shane exclaimed. The six rangers darted away.
"Ninja jumps are fast" smirked Matriarchus. "But teleportation is better".
There was a flash and she was gone.
===========================
Kim grasped the round seal, all of them were holding one... they nodded at each other and pulled. The five fastenings ground out of their slots and the field flickered, vanishing.
"Got it" Jason reported as he grabbed the sheathed Kitana and waved it a little for emphasis.
"Which way out?" Rocky asked.
"Take a guess" Adam said as he grasped a lever by the huge door...and pulled. The huge stone panels slid away, revealing---the rangers standing near the edge of the slope that dipped towards a river steeply--- fighting Kezlacks and Matriarchus.
"GET THE SWORD!" screamed Matriarchus.
Trini spotted an oncoming attacker. She spun into a kick and knocked him back before sweeping another's legs away and rising with both fists to send a final one shooting upwards to land on the Kezlack standing behind him.
Rocky battered both fists into a Kezlack in a series of jabs and finished with an expert uppercut knocking his foe flying. He blocked a dropkick swiftly and shoved the Kezlacks arm up and away. He pivoted and cracked a heel into side of a Kezlacks head. "Man I missed this" he sighed.
Adam performed a flip off a stone step at the cavern door and landed behind a Kezlack. He leapt and kicked both legs into the Kezlack, sending it staggering into three of its friends. Adam darted forwards and spun a roundhouse across the faces of all the soldiers clutching their comrade. He leapt up and kicked both legs out knocking two away so the third fell back under the weight of the Kezlack it was helping hold up.Jason used the sword and its sheath to block the chop; he knocked the Kezlack off balance with a shove using the sheath and spun, hitting the hilt into the side of a Kezlack behind him. Another tried to grab him from behind, he slammed his leg backwards and the Kezlack went stumbling away.
Matriarchus hissed and hurled a ball of fire at Jason. "KIM! CATCH!" he shouted as he hurled the sword to his friend and threw himself in the opposite direction. The flames rose up as Kim cartwheeled forwards and grabbed the sword.
"Got it!" she shouted. She kicked a Kezlack away and performed a back flip over a Kezlack that charged at her back. She kicked it in the back of the knee and forced it down before hook kicking it in the face and leaving it down.
"Hey! PINKIE!" Matriarchus roared. She hurled the blast of light at Kim...the ex-pink ranger shot backwards and off the end of the cliff, her shoulder hit the earth as she started a long roll down the side towards the water, still clutching the sword.
"Damn, she was supposed to drop it" Matriarchus muttered.
"KIM!" Jason screamed as he rushed to the edge.
"I have to run rangers," sneered Matriarchus. "But remember red ranger, the sword or your mother dies! You have no choice..." In a flash they were gone.
Just like Kim.
All that remained was a faint froth on the dark waters of the river as it rushed down through the canyon. Jason felt his heart stop. "...No..." he whispered.
TBC
REMEMBER TO VOTE! So far the couples are: Cam/Hunter, Tori/Blake and---ah---that's about it are the only definite ones. Does anyone want to guess who murdered Dr Rose? Or who the white Ranger is...or the black...or if they're REALLY the same person?
I know the fic sucks...but it will be addressing darker themes later on and in the accompanying fic I have planned. Well. What do you think? Review please and Vote for couples.