"Power Rangers: Psycho Matrix"
Book Two: "Twisted Element"
Chapter 1: "Hateful Reflection"
Disclaimer: Zordon, Dimitria, and the Psycho Rangers do not belong to me. The concept of Psycho Silver is not mine, but his civilian form is.
Author's note: As any Power Rangers fan who's seen PRIS from beginning to end or at least didn't miss the second half of the series knows, the Psycho Rangers were originally created to be evil counterparts of the Space Rangers. But now it's time they got a little taste of their own medicine. And they're going to get it. Also, there's a brief reference to events in Ninja Storm, specifically the "Thunder Strangers" arc.
To explain the use of Japanese in the last chapter, I imagine that the language of the Kirai is derived from Japanese. In that language, people usually add "koi" to a lover's name. "Imouto" means "little sister" and "oneesan" means "big sister."
The previous day had not been a good day for the Kirai at all. Tsukimaru had betrayed them for love of Kaitlyn Blackwell, the host of Psycho Yellow. Even worse, he had become a Psycho Ranger himself, Psycho Silver to be precise.
This was very, very bad. With Tsukimaru on the Rangers' side, the scales would tip in their favor.
"What the hell are we supposed to do now?" Xaran asked. "The Psycho Rangers have increased their ranks by one, and our ranks have been decreased by one."
"And we all know who that one is," Kokure spat.
"Poor, poor Tsukimaru," Kanika said in mockingly apologetic tones. "He had so much promise. Too bad he squandered it on the love of a human whore."
"Of course, now we have to kill him," Yuna said. "The laws are clear. Anyone who commits treason against the ruling body of Kirai must be put to death."
"And Kokure and I are the princesses of Kirai," Kanika added. "Therefore, as long as we are on this ship, we represent the ruling body of Kirai. I explicitly described our objective: to take Earth's life force and kill anyone who gets in our way. The Psychos got in our way, so we were supposed to destroy them. Tsukimaru saved one of them, though, and that goes against our objective and against my commands. Therefore, he committed treason and thus must be executed."
"But he's under the protection of the other five Psycho Rangers," Xaran said. "And we've seen how strong they can be when they act in concert. We need a plan, if we're going to get all six of them."
"A plan," Kanika said to herself. "Xaran, you're very much right. We do need a plan. I'm very willing to take suggestions, by the way."
"Do you study the legends and history of our people?" Yuna asked.
"That is a very foolish question, Yuna," Kanika replied. "As Kirai no Hime, I was educated in the legends and history of our people."
"All right," Yuna said. "Then you no doubt possess knowledge of five of the greatest warriors of our people."
"Ah, yes," Kokure said. "They were powerful, fierce, and unstoppable. Together, they cut a swath of death and destruction throughout the galaxies. Until they came along. Power Rangers."
"Yes," Kanika said. "There were Rangers even then. On the planet Triforia, six Triforian warriors and one Triforian princess the ancestor of Prince Trey tapped into the powers of the Rainbow Crystals, creating seven Power Rangers. A Red Ranger, an Orange Ranger, a Yellow Ranger, a Green Ranger, a Blue Ranger, an Indigo Ranger, and a Purple Ranger. Together, these seven were able to defeat those warriors."
"What's the point of knowing this?" Xaran asked. "They're long dead now, so what purpose does this tale serve?"
Kanika walked over to a panel and pressed a combination of buttons on the keypad. The panel slid back to reveal a gold-embroidered black box. She removed the box and walked back to Kokure and the two remaining lieutenants. Then she opened it to reveal five gems, each aligned at one point on a pentagram.
Each gem had a different color: blood red, jet black, sapphire blue, golden yellow, and rose pink.
"What are those gems?" Yuna asked.
"These gems are our key to defeating the Psycho Rangers once and for all," Kanika replied. She smiled evilly.
Meanwhile, the six Psycho Rangers were gathered in the Neji Chamber.
"How did Tsukimaru become a Psycho Ranger?" Darien asked.
"Let me explain from the beginning," Dimitria said. "When Zordon came to me to bring you five and the Psycho Rangers together, he also set a plan that included the creation of a sixth Ranger. We already had the needed equipment to create one."
"And what was that?" Liam asked.
"In the Cavern of Lost Souls rested the Gem of Souls, a gem with incredible power locked inside it," Dimitria explained. "Driven by rage and hatred for a crime they mistakenly attributed to an innocent ninja master, two powerful ninja warriors attempted to use the gem's power for revenge. When they discovered the truth, they then used the Gem of Souls to defend their former enemies from an evil warlord. In doing so, the gem was shattered into five pieces and those pieces were thrown into the sea to prevent them from ever falling into the hands of those who would misuse their power. It was child's play to retrieve the gem fragments ourselves."
"And you infused their power into Tsukimaru and made him a Ranger," Faith concluded.
"Yes," Dimitria replied. "Look at Tsukimaru's left wrist." Tsukimaru held up his left wrist for display, revealing a device that looked like a Psycho Morpher, only silver-white and gold instead of black and silver. "The weapon he wields now is the Auramorpher, which will enable him to transform into Psycho Silver. His powers, joined with yours, will enable you to triumph over the Kirai."
"Cool," Darien said. "I'm not too sure about this, but hey everyone needs a second chance, right?"
"Right," Kieran said. "Zordon and Dimitria gave our Psycho selves a chance to redeem themselves, so Tsukimaru ought to have one, too."
"And I bet we all know who'd love having him around," Faith said in a teasing voice. She winked at Kaitlyn for emphasis. Kaitlyn just rolled her eyes, trying to feign nonchalance.
"In the meantime, Tsukimaru, I suggest you try to get accustomed to Earth," Dimitria said. "You'll be here for some time."
Tsukimaru shrugged and teleported out in a ball of silver light. He reemerged in a shadowed corner of a street, unnoticed by anyone. He walked down the street and found a Dairy Queen. Curious, he walked over to it.
"Excuse me, sir," he asked the cashier, "but what kinds of dairy do you sell around here?"
"The only dairy you'll find here is ice cream, kid," the cashier replied.
"Sorry," Tsukimaru said. "I'm from . . . another place. I never got a chance to eat ice cream."
"That's sad," the cashier said. "Nobody should go without ice cream. Today's your lucky day. What kind do you want?"
"I'll go for the white ice cream," Tsukimaru replied, "if you can put those colored things in it."
"Which colored things, the sprinkles or the M&Ms?" the cashier asked. "And by the way, the white ice cream is vanilla flavor."
Tsukimaru looked carefully at both. One set of "colored things" had the letter m emblazoned on each one. Who knew how to describe the other?
"I'll have the M&Ms," Tsukimaru replied.
"All right," the cashier replied. "But you can only put M&Ms in your ice cream if you intend to take it in a cup. If you take the sprinkles, you can put it in a cup or cone."
"I'll try sprinkles with a cone," Tsukimaru decided.
"What size: small, medium, or large?" the cashier asked.
"Medium sounds good," Tsukimaru replied after some deliberation.
"All right," the cashier conceded. Within only a minute or so, Tsukimaru had an ice cream cone in his hands. "The price is 2.75."
Tsukimaru was on the verge of despair. He had no money to pay the cashier with!
Just then, a slender tanned hand laid three 1 bills on the counter. "I believe that covers it," a soft, familiar female voice said.
Tsukimaru turned and found Kaitlyn standing there next to him. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Kaitlyn replied.
Just then, the cashier interrupted with, "Hey, you two make a cute couple."
"Thanks, but we're not a couple," Kaitlyn said.
"Oh," the cashier said. "Sorry."
"Thank you for the ice cream," Tsukimaru replied. He and Kaitlyn departed.
"Ice cream's good," Kaitlyn said as they walked down the street. "But don't eat it too fast you'll get brain freeze that way."
"Thank you for that advice," Tsukimaru replied. He licked his ice cream. "This tastes good." He licked again, savoring its flavor.
Kaitlyn watched him intently as his tongue licked the sprinkle-covered vanilla ice cream. She knew it was perfectly innocent, but she couldn't help but find herself becoming turned on by the sight. Briefly, she wondered just how good he would be with his tongue when they were alone together.
Snap out of it, girl! she yelled at herself. He's a fellow Ranger, nothing more.
Why shouldn't he be? Psycho Yellow asked. You love him and he obviously loves you, so why not allow yourself to indulge in your fantasies?
Tsukimaru apparently sensed her distress, because he asked, "Is something the matter, Kaitlyn?"
"No," Kaitlyn lied. "Nothing at all."
"Ok," Tsukimaru replied, in a tone that suggested he knew she was lying but wasn't willing to press the issue. He continued licking his ice cream, while Kaitlyn continued secretly watching him.
Like a happy little kid, Kaitlyn thought to herself.
Yes, he's quite naïve about some things, isn't he? Psycho Yellow replied. And you're just the teacher he needs. She chuckled naughtily. Perhaps, if you like role-play, you could do just that with him.
Yellow! Kaitlyn shouted. Since when did you get to be such a pervert?
Pervert? No, Yellow replied. I'm just not shy, and I don't get why humans are shy. It's perfectly natural, and it's something practically every species in this universe does.
Suddenly, Kaitlyn's morpher bleeped. She and Tsukimaru ducked into a shadowed corner of a building. She answered. "Kaitlyn here."
"Kait, there's an attack going on downtown," Faith replied. "Not that far from you and Tsukimaru not if you go Psycho."
"Got it," Kaitlyn said. "Join up with me and Tsukimaru as soon as you can."
"We're already on the way," Faith replied. "Faith out."
"Kaitlyn out," Kaitlyn said. The communicator link shut off on both ends. "Ready, Tsukimaru?"
"Whenever you are," the former Kirai lieutenant in question replied, holding up something that looked like a golden key.
"Psycho Spirit Exchange!" Kaitlyn shouted.
"Twisted Aura Exchange!" Tsukimaru shouted.
Both Rangers inserted their keys into their morphers and transformed in flashes of yellow and silver.
By the time Psycho Silver and Psycho Yellow arrived downtown, the plaza was already deserted. However, it looked like it had only been very recently vacated, and that everyone had been in a fearful rush when they left. Both Psycho Rangers were familiar with this type of scene, as both of them had caused it enough times before.
"We're not alone," Psycho Silver said.
"Duh," Psycho Yellow replied.
Suddenly, purple-black lightning struck the ground in front of the two Psychos and they jumped out of the way.
"What the hell was that!" Psycho Yellow asked.
"Probably the same person, or persons, who were responsible for evacuating the plaza," Psycho Silver replied.
"Give the genius a prize," a mocking voice said in the smoke created by the lightning.
"Try 'definitely,'" another mocking voice, female this time, said.
"Why don't you show yourselves?" Psycho Silver asked.
The smoke receded, and five leather-clad figures were made visible. They were all dressed in Ranger-like suits and helmets, each having a particular color of his or her own. The apparent leader was dressed in blood red, and the other two males were in jet-black and sapphire blue. There were two females, one in golden yellow and the other in rose pink. Each suit was trimmed in metallic silver tooth designs on the arms, sides, and legs and had silver-white breastplates and white belts with pentagram buckles.
"Who the hell are you?" Psycho Yellow asked.
"We're the Kirai Rangers," the Red Ranger introduced himself and his team.
"And you're dead," Kirai Pink added.
"Bring it on," Psycho Yellow sneered. "Psycho Sling!"
"Psycho Blazer!" Psycho Silver shouted.
Just then, four streaks of black and another color landed beside Yellow and Silver, revealing themselves as the other Psycho Rangers.
"The gang's all here," Kirai Blue said, chuckling. "Now we can really have some fun!"
"The fun will be one-sided," Psycho Red replied. "Specifically, we will have fun kicking your poser asses! Psycho Sword!"
"Psycho Rod!" Psycho Black shouted.
"Psycho Axe!" Psycho Blue shouted.
"Psycho Arrow!" Psycho Pink shouted.
"Cool weapons," Kirai Yellow sneered.
"But not as cool as ours," Kirai Black added. "You wanna show them what we mean, Red?"
"Let's," Kirai Red said. "Kirai Twin Blade!" He summoned a pair of swords.
"Kirai Double Edge!" Kirai Black shouted, summoning a staff with a black-jeweled serrated silver blade on each end.
"Kirai Tomahawk!" Kirai Blue shouted, summoning his own axe.
"Kirai Slinger!" Kirai Yellow shouted, summoning her own sling.
"Kirai Crossbow!" Kirai Pink shouted, summoning a crossbow.
All eleven Rangers charged into battle against each other, each one matching up with his or her color. Since Silver didn't have a Kirai Ranger counterpart of his own, he joined up with Yellow against Kirai Yellow.
Kirai Red and Psycho Red fought, Psycho Red's one sword clashing with Kirai Red's twin swords. Psycho Red slashed down, and Kirai Red's Twin Blade caught his sword.
"You're good," Kirai Red said. "Unfortunately . . . not as good as me! Kirai Twin Blade, Dark Lightning Strike!" Both blades glowed black as night, with purple sparks and lightning flashing around them. In a hyper-fast motion, he slashed Psycho Red.
The twisted Red Ranger snarled. "You wanna play it like that, tough guy? Fine." His Psycho Sword was ablaze with unholy fire. "Psycho Sword, Phantom Fire Slash!" He struck Kirai Red hexagram-style, slashing him in triangular patterns that overlapped in such a way that they formed a hexagon in the center with a triangle on each side. He drove his flaming sword through the hexagon and pierced Kirai Red.
"I've gotta give you credit for that move, Psycho Red," Kirai Red said. "The speed and precision with which you delivered it was remarkable. Still, the better of the two of us Red Rangers is me. And I'm going to prove why. Kirai Double Blade!" He combined the twin swords into one dual-bladed sword. "Dark Fire Slash!"
He ran around Psycho Red in a figure eight pattern, slashing him again and again with both blades, which blazed with black fire.
Meanwhile, Psycho Black and Kirai Black were fighting furiously, the Psycho Rod and Kirai Double Edge clashing. Psycho Black lunged at Kirai Black with the Rod, intending to pierce him with the blades on its end. Kirai Black merely blocked with the Kirai Double Edge.
"You're strong, Psycho Black," Kirai Black said. "But not stronger than me. Kirai Double Edge, Dark Earth Splitting!" He stabbed the ground with one of the jeweled blades on the Double Edge, and the ground split where he struck it in a line headed for Psycho Black. The twisted Black Ranger jumped into the air, the rumbling earth beneath now denied its prey. "Where are you?"
"Right here!" Psycho Black shouted, landing with a fierce kick to Kirai Black's breastbone. Kirai Black stumbled back and retaliated with a slash from the Double Edge. Psycho Black struck back with a slash from the Psycho Rod.
Psycho Blue's Axe clashed with Kirai Blue's Tomahawk. "Psycho Axe, Bizarre Ice Slash!" He spun around Kirai Blue at super-speed, slashing him with an axe that glowed ice blue. However, in mid-spin, Kirai Blue grabbed him and spun with him, then threw him into a table. As vectors did tend to add to an already-moving body's speed, Psycho Blue found himself crashing past the table, through several other tables, and through the plate-glass window of a café.
The twisted Blue Ranger got up and dusted himself off as the patrons stared at him in amazement. "Nothing to see here," he said and leaped out through the window in a black-and-blue blur.
"Back for more, I see," Kirai Blue sneered. "Fine. Have some more! Kirai Tomahawk, Dark Freeze Slash!" The tomahawk glowed with cold black energy, and he slashed Psycho Blue with it, in the exact style as Psycho Blue's original attack.
Kirai Yellow fought Psycho Yellow and Psycho Silver. Kirai Yellow fired her sling at Psycho Yellow, who retaliated with her Psycho Sling. Psycho Silver blocked some of Kirai Yellow's attacks with his Psycho Blazer.
"Psycho Sling, Sofia Lightning Strike!" Psycho Yellow shouted, firing yellow lightning out of her sling. The lightning passed right through her, but not phasing "passed through." The lightning pierced her and went out through her back!
"You miserable bitch," Kirai Yellow snarled. "You'll pay for that. Kirai Slinger, Dark Lightning Bolts!" She fired black lightning out of her sling, an attack with enough voltage to seriously cripple her Psycho counterpart. However, it didn't get the chance, as Psycho Silver blocked it.
Silver ran at Kirai Yellow, firing silver energy blasts out of the Psycho Blazer. Then he finished it with a silver lightning-charged slash.
"You didn't have to do that, Silver," Psycho Yellow said.
"That blast might've been seriously crippling," Psycho Silver replied. "Besides, I'm a Ranger, too, so it's my duty to back up my teammates."
"What if I don't want your help?" Psycho Yellow asked defiantly. "I can handle that poser bitch without your help!"
"Fine," Psycho Silver replied coolly, though surprise and anger whirled in his eyes underneath the helmet. "If you don't want my help, I'll just go up there " he pointed up to the roof of the café Psycho Blue had recently unwillingly patronized "and let you and her fight it out by yourselves."
"Go ahead, do that," Psycho Yellow said angrily. "I don't need you anyway."
Psycho Silver silently gave thanks for the helmet that hid his face, allowing him to more easily conceal his rage and hurt. He jumped up onto the roof of the café.
Psycho Pink fired her Psycho Arrow at Kirai Pink, who retaliated with her Kirai Crossbow, which shot out black energy bolts.
"Psycho Arrow, Jealous Rose!" the twisted Pink Ranger shouted, and the Psycho Arrow fired roses with steel-hard stems and dark pink petals. The rose arrows struck Kirai Pink, wounding her.
"Good, Psycho Pink," Kirai Pink said. "But watch this and you may actually learn something." She dematerialized the Kirai Crossbow and pulled out a black rose. "Black Rose Whiplash!" The rose became a thorny whip and she lashed at Psycho Pink with it so fast that it became a near-invisible blur. "And now for the finale! Kirai Crossbow, Dark Rose!"
The Kirai Crossbow fired roses with steel-hard stems and black petals, all of them piercing Psycho Pink.
Meanwhile, Kirai Yellow and Psycho Yellow continued their fight.
"Lovers' quarrel?" Kirai Yellow asked as she fired her Kirai Slinger. Psycho Yellow dodged and fired back.
"What lovers' quarrel?" she asked.
"The one where you told Psycho Silver that you could handle me all by your lonesome and that you didn't need his help," Kirai Yellow replied.
"Well, I don't!" Psycho Yellow snapped back. "Not to handle a weak wench like you!" She fired green lightning out of her Psycho Sling.
Kirai Yellow just smirked under her helmet as the attack hit her. "Good one. There's some fire in you. I like that. I'll snuff it out, but I like it."
"Sofia Lightning Strike!" Psycho Yellow shouted, firing yellow lightning at her Kirai counterpart. "How do you like my fire now?"
Surprisingly enough, Kirai Yellow was nowhere to be seen.
"Where'd you go, you sneaky little yellow rat?" Psycho Yellow asked.
Meanwhile, Psycho Silver observed the fight. He saw a feminine figure in yellow leather speeding silently toward Psycho Yellow, preparing for a fatal strike.
At that moment, the twisted Silver Ranger no longer cared that Psycho Yellow didn't want him fighting by her side. He didn't care about anything besides protecting Psycho Yellow, and Kaitlyn by extension.
He leaped down from the café rooftop and pushed Psycho Yellow away, just in time to catch the black lightning that would have killed her. It ripped right through his armor and came out through his back. He fell to his knees, and then collapsed entirely, his suit aglow in a warping silver aura.
"Tsukimaru!" Psycho Yellow shouted. She ran to him.
"You're . . . all right," Psycho Silver said, his voice weak. The warping aura around his suit momentarily consumed him entirely and then was sucked back into him, revealing him in his civilian form.
"Don't you dare die on me, Tsukimaru!" Psycho Yellow shouted, and it was hard to tell if it was her talking or Kaitlyn projecting through her. "Don't you dare die!" She shook him gently. "Stay with me!"
"Isn't that sweet?" Kirai Yellow sneered. "The noble warrior sacrificing his life for his love. It'd be touching if it wasn't so disgusting!"
"You bitch!" Psycho Yellow screamed. She stood up, rage evident in her body posture. "Dimitria, teleport Tsukimaru back to the Neji Chamber!"
"It will be done, Psycho Yellow," Dimitria replied. Tsukimaru's now-unconscious form was teleported away from the plaza in a ball of silver light.
The other four Psychos joined Psycho Yellow. "You're going to pay for what you've done," Psycho Yellow declared.
"He should've known what happens when you betray the Kirai for the love of an alien whore," Kirai Yellow replied.
"Damn straight," Kirai Pink agreed.
"You're going down!" Psycho Red shouted. Green lightning gathered in his hands, as in the hands of the other four Psycho Rangers.
Purple-black lightning gathered in the hands of the Kirai Rangers.
"Jade Lightning Attack!" the Psychos shouted.
"Dark Lightning Attack!" the Kirai Rangers shouted.
Both lightning attacks collided forcefully with each other, resulting in an energy backlash that knocked both teams of Rangers off their feet. The Psycho Rangers got up, spoiling to finish what the Kirai Rangers had started.
The Kirai Rangers got up as well, but they weren't as eager as the Psychos.
"You're good, Psychos," Kirai Red said. "But we'll beat you. And we've already drawn first blood. Our hand has already wounded your sixth member, supposedly the strongest Psycho Ranger in existence. You remaining five should be easy pickings."
"We'll see," Psycho Blue retorted.
"Yes, we will," Kirai Blue sneered. "Later." He and the other Kirai Rangers vanished in a warp.
"We'd better get back to the chamber," Psycho Pink said.
"Yeah," Psycho Red agreed. The five Psychos teleported to the Neji Chamber in multicolored balls of light.
"How is he, Dimitria?" Psycho Yellow asked.
"He will be all right, Psycho Yellow," Dimitria replied. "His recovery is progressing very rapidly, but that is not unusual for a Kirai, as they heal much faster than humans." She looked at the twisted Yellow Ranger with concern in her dark eyes. "Something is troubling you, isn't it?"
"I told him I didn't need his help," Psycho Yellow replied. "I told him that I could handle Kirai Yellow on my own and I didn't need him. But he threw himself in front of her attack for me. That's twice now he's sacrificed himself for my and Kaitlyn's sake." If she could, Psycho Yellow would be on the verge of tears. "And I treated him horribly."
"Don't worry," Psycho Red said. "Tsukimaru will be all right. He protected you because he cares about you, because he loves you."
"No, he doesn't," Psycho Yellow replied. "He loves Kaitlyn. I'm just an extension of her."
"That is not true," Dimitria said. "You are not an extension of Kaitlyn, and Kaitlyn is not an extension of the morpher that holds your power and essence. You are two sides of the same coin, one and the same."
"Who the hell were those guys?" Psycho Black asked.
"The Kirai Rangers," Dimitria replied.
"Kirai Rangers?" Psycho Pink echoed.
"The Kirai Rangers were five of Kirai's most powerful warriors," Dimitria explained. "They were powerful, relentless, and unstoppable. That is, until six Triforian warriors and the Triforian princess the ancestor of Prince Trey, the Gold Ranger accessed the Rainbow Crystals and transformed themselves into Power Rangers. The good powers that the crystals had given them were strong enough to conquer the evil powers of the Kirai Rangers, and the Kirai Rangers were sealed away. Kanika must have possessed the gems their souls were sealed in and restored them to physical form."
"Those punks were fierce," Psycho Blue said. "They nearly killed us."
"Kanika must have become desperate to defeat you," Dimitria said. "The Kirai Rangers were most likely her trump card, in case she and her warriors were unable to defeat you themselves."
Psycho Yellow stared forward, and if anyone had been able to see her eyes past the visor of her helmet, they would have seen a cold murderous rage in them. "They'll pay for what they've done to Tsukimaru. All of them."
To be continued . . .
Next: Faith and Kaitlyn have a girls' night out, and find another pair of girls who just wanna have fun, but they're not so nice.