Mathais: Welcome!
Chibi Tomoki: Eleventh chapter...
Justin: And seven more to go!
Mathais: *nods* There really are only seven chapters left, you'll see.
Chibi Tomoki: Disclaimers are in previous chapters. This drastically veers AU, if you haven't already noticed.
Justin: It will become more pronounced later on.
Mathais: *shrugs* Enjoy.
* * * * * * *
Journal,
This is infuriating. How could they be so cruel? They shouldn't have taken Adriana's dad. They shouldn't have! Damn, I'm so fucking angry that I can't concentrate on my writing! Not even revisiting the Power Chamber calmed me. Arrgh! Even my ex-Ranger teammates are here! Damn, everything's gone to hell in a hand basket!
~Justin
The next day was a Sunday and Justin had left as soon as possible. His dad woke up to find a note on the table, saying that Justin was up and out. With a sigh, he made a pot of coffee.
Where are you Justin? His mind asked. Why don't we spend time together anymore?
He tapped his mug thoughtfully.
I don't understand. I don't know what's up in my son's life. It hurts, knowing that he's drifting away from me again and I can't do anything to stop it.
He sipped his coffee, but his nerves didn't calm. Where are you?
Dean sighed and was about to take a long gulp, but the cup reflected something to him.
"Who are you?"
The boy smiled. "Jake Foster." His bracelet on his right wrist glowed. "Orange Eruption Ranger."
Dean took a step back after stumbling out of his seat.
"I'm sorry, but I have to kidnap you now." Drawing a symbol in the air, Jake let the Power flow through him and watched as a black cage surrounded Dean. The man struggled, but then all became black.
* * * * * * *
Justin started to gasp and clutch his chest, falling to the cool metal floor of the Control Base.
"Justin!" The Rangers rushed around him, Jace's hands already glowing white.
With a dangerous glint in his eyes, Justin shook the worried hands and walked to the sensor system. Quickly and deftly, Justin activated the scanners and searched. After a few moments, Justin growled and covered his body involuntarily with a bright orange aura.
"What's wrong?" Adriana stepped through the expanding aura and hugged the furious boy's waist.
"They took them." Justin's voice was dark and dangerous. "They took them."
"Who?" Adriana asked, but she knew it in her heart.
"They took our family!" Justin roared, flames coming to life around him.
Alex seethed, Lina growled, Cassy reeled, though anger flashed on her face, and Jace wondered how they broke his spells.
"They took our family and they will pay." Justin's tone was that of a deadly sincere person.
"Calm down." Jace advised. "If they broke through the protection I laid about, which included both the invitation one and the alerting spell that saved our butts during the temporal disturbances, I doubt that we could mess with them right now."
"I agree." Kamion backed up his Water Ranger, though he knew it was somewhat useless.
"I won't instigate an attack, if that's what you're thinking." The anger lessened only slightly. "But if they challenge, I won't decline." A feral grin came upon his face.
Kamion sighed and nodded - this was the best he could wish for with the current temperament of his Fire Ranger.
"Incoming transmission." Zeta called.
Six figures came onto the screen. Justin recognized them as Jake, Lan, Amanda, Lisa, Kyle, and Christina.
"Hello guys." Jake smiled with false cheer.
Justin's eyes narrowed. "Release our guardians."
Jake shook his head. "Nope! You'll have to fight us for them."
Justin growled an answer. "Neca!"
Jake merely responded with a morphing call. "Black Darkness Power!"
An upside-down generic pentagon formed above Jake, oily darkness filling every centimeter with it. It descended upon him, stretching spandex over his skin and making it as if his clothing wasn't there. It became a black version of all their suits, a barely noticeable pentagon on his heat, helmet, and heart. The facemask was but total black, nothing but a small plate over the mouth was visible. The body changed, darkness hiding the figure inside as the body grew, forming a rather nice build. A tall Ranger stood once everything brightened again, a whisper of "Black Darkness Ranger" barely heard.
"Come to the park, unmorphed except for one. It'll be empty, don't worry." The communication terminated.
No one spoke for several moments, but Justin turned to their mentor. "Kamion?"
"Yes?"
"I request use of the White Light Powers." Justin stared into Kamion's eyes, a look of understanding passing between them.
"White Powers?" Cassy asked, curiosity peaked.
Justin explained for the benefit of all. "The White Powers are the accumulation of all the Light Elementalist Powers into one being, like the Black Powers are of all the Dark Elementalist Powers."
"And you want to use them." Adriana didn't ask a question.
The Fire Ranger nodded. "The Black Powers are being used. We don't have time to waste."
The Rangers nodded, some more solemnly than others.
"Give me your hands." Justin ordered. Each Ranger came over, placing their left hands onto Justin's morpher. Softly, a glow discharged from each of their hands into Justin, leaving their bracelets a dull gray.
"I can't morph." Alex stated bluntly.
"You can't morph until I return your powers." Justin explained patiently.
Alex hesitantly nodded, but his anger cooled off as Jace let himself be wrapped in his bigger brother's embrace.
"We'll need weapons." Lina said abruptly.
Cassy and Alex shared a look.
"We've got that covered."
After disappearing for a few moments, the two came back, carrying five cases. They handed them out to the powerless Rangers.
"Huh?" Adriana opened hers.
Alex smiled softly. "They're full of magical weapons - mainly weapons, but some enhancers and healing potions. They won't spill and are mainly my concoctions."
"Swords, throwing daggers, and more - all magically enhanced. Just touch your hand and it'll come out." Cassy explained. "We've been preparing for something like this."
"All right!" Lina shouted gleefully.
"Let's move." Justin held out his left hand. "Element Morph! White Light Power!"
A bright star underneath Justin, which was the symbol of light for the Power. It clothed him in its embrace, burning away his clothing in the heavenly glow. Naked, but unashamed, Justin let the light clothe him in a pure white version of the Elementalist suits. He looked up, a completely blank helmet of white appearing over his head. The light flared, blinding everyone watching. When it dimmed, Justin was at his morphed height.
The White Light Elementalist Ranger stared ahead as he clenched his fists. "Let's go!"
All six teleported away as Kamion sighed, a pained expression coming across his face. "May the Power protect you."
* * * * * * *
The Light Elementalists stared at the Dark Elementalists, both sizing the other up.
"So," Jake's voice sounded, the only one morphed, "ready to play?"
"Oh, I'm ready." Justin yelled, energized by the power flowing through him.
"Come with me little Jace." Lan whispered as Jace was involuntarily drawn into a teleport.
The Wind and Tornado Rangers were next, followed by Lina and Lisa, the rest pairing off with their counterpart. At last, Justin and Jake were alone.
"Ready?" The dark Ranger called gleefully.
"Whenever you are, princess." Justin eased into a stance.
"From death, shadows loom. Dance, minions of the night! Zombic Army!"
"From life, light rejoices. Sing, servants of the day! Angelic Chorus!"
Just as Jake's summoning took effect, many decayed zombies rising, a large amount of angels that represent the Power flew from a portal. Holy singing filled the air, wordless, but was beautiful in an exotic sense. The mere sound obliterated many of the zombies and the rest were burned by the holy power. Both stopped their summons, but Justin dashed forward, glowing a bright white from the side effect of his spell.
"Why do you do this?" Justin yelled as he landed a vicious thrusting kick.
"For the glory of the Dark Avatars!" Jake screamed as he caught the next attack and threw Justin into the air.
"Not good enough!" Justin reversed and used gravity to shoot downward, aiming to jam his feet into the dark Ranger's back.
"Oh?" Jake dodged and held a hand up as he skidded on the ground. "Darkness is everywhere, just waiting. Shade's call is heard by all! Night Elves!" Hidden archers shot multitudes of sharp projectiles at the light Ranger, but only a minimal amount actually hit.
"Light dispels the darkness. Blinding light shine with light! Supreme Flash!" A light blinding to most flew through the area, dispelling all the shadows for a time. Pained cries were heard as elves were killed. Justin used Jake's temporary shock to plant three firm punches into Jake's stomach. His enemy reeled, but casted a wordless spell to shoot a beam of darkness that Justin took full on the chest and landed harshly on the ground.
"Had enough?" Jake sneered.
"I'm just warming up!" Wincing at his bad pun, Justin leapt to his feet. "Incende!" Several large fireballs launched from his hands, which Jake only barely dodged.
"This is real heat! Volcanic Lava!" Gushing from the ground came several orbs of magma, but Justin dodged; yet Jake was ready.
"Power of the pentagon... Strength of the dark, Sword of the Mark!" A sword with a pentagon at the hilt liquefied into the Darkness Ranger's hand as he gave a slash that left Justin clutching his stomach.
"Watch as the puny light disappears. Let black cover over all! Darkness Approaches!" Jake loosed a mass of black that launched from his hands and sped toward the Light Ranger.
"Power of the star... Might of bright, Shield of Light!" A ray of light that formed a shield with a star at the end shot from Justin's hand as he jumped back, the spell dissipated against the magic. "Ready to give?"
"Nope!" Jake dashed in and gave a slice, but the shield held.
"Meld as one and create balance! Light and dark mesh and combine! Smithy!" The black sword and white shield morphed together become a mass of useless gray.
"Damn. Let darkness swell..." Jake started, but...
"Servants of light, dance!" Justin was quicker and six angels blasted the dark Ranger.
"What do you want from me?" Jake demanded through pants.
Justin coolly called off the attack, though they remained as guards. "Why do you work for the Dark Avatars?"
"Because..." Jake suddenly stopped. "Darkness reigns over light. Let the coldness seep through your veins and cover all. Black Night!" Justin reeled as the magic took effect, drowning out the light and his guards.
"You're in my domain now." Jake chuckled darkly. He faded into the blackness as Justin gathered energy for a spell.
A slash caught him off guard as he held tightly on the energy. Another one forced him back as Jake faded into the darkness again.
"How do you like the darkness?"
"I don't." Justin threw up a telekinetic wall that stopped Jake's next slice.
"What is this?" Jake snarled.
"Prima Lux! Let the light of dawn come forth and dispel the darkness! White Day!" Immediately, Jake recoiled, as his blessed darkness was gone. Justin pressed the attack, a white sword appearing into his hands.
The two's strikes were fast and furious. Once, Jake's black blade bit into Justin's right arm and rendered it useless with intense cold. With lightning reflexes, Justin placed a telekinetic wall up; Justin let white light return the lost limb to him.
"What the hell is this?" Jake smashed it, but the force held still.
Dropping his defense, Justin flew into a bunch of quick slashes that promised burn marks on Jake's skin.
A dark aura swirled around his body as black feathers shot out of Jake's back. Rising into the air on his new black wings, Justin was at his mercy from a range of darkness magic.
As he was batted around, six visitors were at the edge of the park.
"It's quite early." Katherine commented.
"I wonder why." Tommy whispered.
Rocky and Adam's nerves were tingling. "Something's up."
"The park shouldn't be this clear." Billy analyzed.
"I agree." Tanya nodded.
"Watch it!" Rocky knocked Adam away, just as a blast of black energy landed where the other had originally stood.
"What was that?" Adam breathed heavily.
"There!" Tanya pointed to the action that the two Tier Two Elementalist Rangers were creating.
'Are those wings?" Katherine asked in awe.
"I think," Tommy whispered, "the white one's in trouble."
"Are you ready to give yet?" Jake cackled as another beam blew Justin even farther away.
"Not yet!" Justin snarled as he weaved a pattern, light following his hands. "Heavens hear my call! Send forth the might of the Power! White Lightning!" Tossing an orb into the air, a large charge of energy gathered, just waiting to be released. The Black Ranger started to chant a counter spell, but Justin forced the energy down, striking the flying Ranger and sending him hurtling to the earth in a flurry of feathers.
A cushion of darkness saved him as the boy took to the sky again.
"Fire and darkness, destroy order. Let madness come over flame and release insurmountable power!" Jake drew a black pentagon in the air. "Chaos Flare!" Bursts of black flame launched from it, setting the grass aflame. Those that hit Justin blew him to the left and right, leaving his suit charred and smoky. Turning in mid-air, Jake coolly noticed the ex-Rangers. "We have intruders."
Justin turned and his eyes widened. "Don't!"
Jake shook his head as his spell launched a volley at the ex-heroes, who were completely defenseless.
"You bastard!" Justin ran toward the six, tears of desperation running down his face. The thoughts whirling around his head were along the lines of: No! They can't be hit. I won't let them! You'll pay Jake! A blinding aura of white surrounded him then, wings of white feathers sprouting from his back. Bursting forward, feathers billowing in the air, Justin took the attack for himself.
Choking, Justin opened his mouthpiece and spat out a large wad of blood, feeling his skin ache.
"Are you all right?' Kat kneeled, laying one hand on the battle-worn suit as she worried for their savior.
"I'm fine." Justin was curt as he closed his mouthpiece, holding out two hands. "Light's protection is everlasting. Let the wall of light shield innocents from harm! Wall of Light!" A cylinder of pure white glow surrounded the ex-Rangers, magically protecting them.
"You're dead Foster!" Justin growled as he spread his wings.
"Bring it on Stewart." Justin taunted, drawing his black sword.
The two clashed, light meeting darkness. Flashes of light were seen as the swords parried one another. Jake released a black arc of light, but Justin darted around the attack skillfully and gave a horizontal slice that left a bright white mark along the other Ranger's suit.
"Why do you fight?" Justin asked, tone dark and demanding.
"For the glory of the Dark-" Justin was cut off as a large x was placed under the horizontal line from the previous attack.
Hovering above him angrily, Justin glared through his visor. "Why. Do. You. Fight?" He emphasized each word.
"Because your group never acknowledged our feelings!" Jake screamed, tears choking his voice.
The Light Ranger instantly softened, heart warming to the boy. "Tell me."
"You group never acknowledged that we liked you in a non-platonic way." Jake sputtered through his tears. "I've liked Lina for so long... But then Alex took her from me! I never had a chance! We've got so many unrequited feelings - you never showed that you knew!"
Gasping, Jake clutched his chest, where a dark glow emanated.
"Oh no you don't!" Justin gave two final slashes, a five-pointed star forming on the black suit. "With my power, your curse is dispelled. Darkness and evil, release your hold! Starry Cleansing!" Justin watched as the darkness grasping at Jake faltered through the star on his body. It fought, but Justin ruthlessly destroyed the darkness, letting his words hold true. There was a strangled cry from Jake, as the boy's suit shattered, leaving him in the embrace of the still-morphed Justin.
"What the fuck have we done?" Jake whispered, the wings still on his back folding around him.
The Light Ranger unmorphed, letting his wings that were still with him cover them from the ex-Rangers. "It wasn't your fault."
"But..."
"Ssh..." Justin placed one finger on Jake's lips, showing that it was all in the past. "Come over to the Light now."
Nodding, Jake took Justin's hand, his dulled orange morpher glowing. Slowly, the orange brightened, becoming a bright red.
"The color of rubies..." Jake whispered as he stared at his morpher. "Rubies are my favorite jewels."
"The morpher works for Light now." Justin nodded to the bracelet.
"I'm the Red Eruption Ranger." Jake stared into Justin's eyes. "But... Being a Ranger hurts..."
Jake suddenly clutched his head, fighting Justin's embrace.
"What's wrong?" Justin asked frantically.
"The final spell." The now Red Ranger gritted through his teeth. "If we ever betrayed, we'd be teleported to them."
"Fight it!" Justin demanded.
"Give me your right hand!" Jake commanded.
Following the orders, Justin laid his right hand onto Jake's right.
"I give to you the Red Eruption Elementalist Powers. Protect them from the Darkness." Justin immediately felt a rush of power as the bracelet on Jake's right wrist vanished in a small flash of red to reappear on his own.
"They're planning a-" Jake was interrupted as he vanished, Justin's arms still molded around the body.
"Jake! JAKE!" Justin sobbed freely as the new ally had disappeared.
His eased out a bit of magic and the shield surrounded the ex-Rangers faltered, just as his own teammates teleported in, tears coursing their faces, bodies marred, just like his own, and wings of their Ranger color sprouting from their backs.
"They took them." Alex roared fiercely.
"Gone." Jace whispered.
"The Dark Avatars." Adriana clenched her hands.
"Those bastards and bitches." Lina growled low in her throat.
"We'll make them pay for all the fucking things they did to us and them." Cassy looked dangerous.
"Are you all right?" The six thirteen-year-olds turned as six teleport steams came in, revealing unmorphed Astro Rangers.
"We found a disturbance." Cassie explained, but paused at the sight of the wings.
"The Dark Avatars made their move and took six newly returned Rangers." Justin replied abruptly.
"The Dark Avatars?" Andros clenched his fists. "They're on Earth?"
"Yes."
"Do you need any help?" Zhane offered seriously.
"It's our fight." The Elementalists' leader shook his head. "C'mon, let's go."
The twelve Rangers teleported out, just as the ex-Rangers came in sight.
"Guys, what was that?" Rocky gulped audibly.
"Dark Rangers..." Tommy murmured. "I can tell."
"Darkness turns to Light but Light is taken by Darkness." Kat looked to the sky, just as a wave of magic passed through her.
"What?" Adam stared as the damaged ground healed itself; the remaining flames doused and were as if they had never been.
Billy also stared. "Magic."
"This shouldn't be too hard to take in, guys." Tanya nodded to herself.
Staring at the park, Tommy called to the others. "We have to leave guys - this isn't our battle."
"Shouldn't we stay as reserve?" Kat asked.
Tommy shook his head "If they can't do their job, then they don't deserve to be Rangers. We'll stay here, but we won't actively participate unless..." He then took a shuddering breath. "...unless they die."
An uneasy silence followed.
* * * * * * *
"Explain to me again." Zeta groaned.
"Okay..." After the Elementalists made their wings disappeared, Justin once again explained about the spell breaking and how the Dark Elementalists turned good, only to be taken away again.
"Come to think of it," Jace said softly, "Lan was about to say something about the Dark Avatars trying something."
"Jake said the same thing." Justin nodded.
The other Elementalists agreed.
"So, you're saying that something's up, but you don't know what." TJ explained.
"Yep." Cassy nodded.
"Seriously, you guys need to find Zordon." Justin turned to the Astro Rangers.
"But Earth..."
"...is for us to defend." Adriana interrupted.
"Just look for Zordon and give us a buzz when you find him - we'll help." Justin's voice was forceful and the older Rangers merely quieted.
"Okay. See you." The six teleported out.
Groaning, Justin placed his head against the wall.
"You do realize that we can't go home, right?" Lina broke the silence.
"Too many questions - let them think that we all disappeared." Cassy added.
With weak eyes, Jace yawned. "Is it all right if I take a nap?"
"No prob." Alex smiled with a tenderness he only showed to his little brother. "I'll carry you there."
Picking up a half-heartedly protesting Jace, Alex walked out.
Smiling lightly at the innocence of the team, Justin turned to the others. "I'll give you your powers back." Holding both wrists up, Justin released them. Sparkles of blue, aqua, brown, and green flew out toward the sleeping quarters. Purple and indigo went to Cassy, Adriana receiving pink and silver, leaving Lina with gold and yellow.
"That feels good." Cassy murmured.
Adriana made an affirmative noise.
"I'm going to go claim my room." Lina announced as she left.
"I'm going to work on some upgrades to the sensor system and final touches I need to do to a couple of machines." Justin stood and turned to Adriana. "Do you want to help?"
"Yeah." They left also.
Cassy remained, sighing as she gathered up the discarded weapon bags.
"Is something the matter Cassy?" Kamion inquired.
The Purple Ranger gained a distant look in her eyes. "I just have a lot of food for thought."
"Do you want to share?" The Grid Master asked gently.
Cassy bit her lip, looking apprehensive, though sighed and shook her head. "I need to work through this myself." She left, leaving Kamion and Zeta alone.
"Do you think they did more than just defeat the Dark Elementalists?" Zeta asked.
Kamion stared pointedly.
"Stupid question." The robot muttered.
Night found all six Rangers in the library. Jace was buried into his manga, the name untranslatable to anyone but Alex, who merely smiled as he looked over his little brother's shoulder. Cassy immersed herself in a book, one about ice magic. After all, you couldn't learn too many spells. Justin was yawning slightly while going through their homework. He always went through them; it was fun helping the others. Adriana was half-asleep on Justin shoulder; staring with half-lidded eyes at the small TV they had in the library, watching a reality TV show. Lina leafed through a copy of Tamora Pierce's Circle of Magic Series: Sandry's Book. All six were quite content, despite all that happened that day.
"Jace." Alex complained at one particular page.
"What?" The Water Ranger spoke back, annoyed.
"Did you have to buy one with ten pages devoted to that?"
"It's not ten pages! It's only eight!"
"But still!"
"You don't have to read it if you don't like my taste in manga."
Pouting, Alex grabbed another manga book off of the bookshelves and started to go through it.
Chuckling lightly, Justin continued to look through the homework, eventually dozing off in the middle of it. Adriana managed to wake up from her stupor to pick their sleeping leader back to his room. Jace eventually left also, claiming a deep need for sleep. Cassy followed, eyelids drooping from her study. The Thunder Ranger put in a bookmark and stood, popping a joint in her back.
"Need a hand?" Alex offered.
"Thanks." Smiling a little, Lina leaned against Alex.
The two walked to their rooms, but there was something in the air.
Lina was the first to break it. "How come it seems like we're not thirteen-year-olds sometimes?"
Alex sighed, feeling the fatigue of a year of battles catch up to him. "We've transcended a normal human. Especially one our age."
Silky black strands curling down her head were petted by Lina's hand. "Do you ever regret this?" She gestured to the silver walls around them. "Becoming a warrior in the everlasting battle between light and dark?"
"A lot." Alex admitted. "Whenever I have to lie to my parents... Whenever I wake up screaming with nightmares... When I get weary of all the battles... That's when I regret all of this." He stared at the Thunder Ranger with aged eyes. "But then I remember that Jace would probably still be here. That all of you would be a world away from me and I'd be alienated. It keeps me fighting that I have all of you."
"That means a lot." Lina gave a content smile as she was dropped off in her room. Breathing heavily, Alex returned to his own room and fell into a fitful slumber.
* * * * * * *
It was the middle of Wednesday that something happened.
Jace had just frozen.
Not that anyone saw.
He was in his room.
Jace's body locked up, the morphers on his wrist glowing brightly. Gasping, he struggled to stand, though it was impossible. Waiting for the pain to pass, Jace retreated to the safety of his magic.
It wasn't too long later that he came out, panting from the effort.
The Water Ranger opened his eyes, one a clear blue, the other an aqua shade. Hastily scribbling a note, the boy teleported out.
The empty room and short letter was what Alex found when he came back in.
The note was enough to bring the rest of the Elementalists together.
"He's gone off to fight the Dark Water Avatar?" Cassy gasped.
"Those with the elements seek each other out." Justin sighed. "It was meant to be this way. We have to hope he comes back."
None had their fears rested when Jace's morphers appeared around Cassy's wrists, despite how she said that the boy was still alive.
The next day, Alex was gone.
The Dark Earth Avatar had called him.
Lina found two new morphers on her wrist that day.
Cassy was next to disappear.
The Dark Ice Avatar was beckoning her.
Adriana didn't seem too surprised when she attained Cassy's morphers and Justin wasn't when he got two as well.
Lina followed.
The Dark Thunder Avatar sought her.
Alex's morphers appeared on Justin's arms. Lina's did on Adriana's. Both came by the end of the day.
Adriana was last.
The Dark Wind Avatar wanted her.
Justin didn't comment when six morphers appeared on his arms, the morphers shrinking to fit comfortably.
He felt each of the life forces of his friends through these morphers. They were still alive.
If only he knew where they were!
Justin spent the next few days searching for his friends, Kamion stretching his senses across dimensions, with Zeta helping the Fire Ranger.
It was about two weeks after the day Adriana's dad was taken when they found the Dark Avatar's hideout.
"He's calling us." Justin gritted his teeth. He knew it; otherwise they'd still be searching. "Their damn base is under our fucking school!"
"We searched over that area many times." Zeta replied, surprised.
The leader of the Elementalists ignored that comment, focusing on both the calendar in his head and the life forces that flowed through the morphers. Summon... Demon... Apocalypse... Empty Sky... The clues flashed in his head and then it all clicked. "Fuck."
"What's the matter Justin?" Kamion asked.
"The Dark Avatar of Fire is planning to summon a demon with apocalypse powers!" Justin shouted. "He's drawing upon the power of the New Moon today! We don't have much time! He planned this all along!"
The Grid Master started swearing under his breath. "What can we do?"
Justin looked at his wrists. "Balance..."
Both robot and Grid Master turned in shock. "You're going to use the Gray Balance Powers?"
"I'm going to break just about every rule in our damn regulation, but I'm not giving Earth up without a fight." Staring up at his mentor, Justin felt but a twinge of regret of talking to an elder this way, but masked it with his cold fury. "I request permission of the action of attacking first." Seeing Kamion open his mouth, Justin held up a hand. "I also request permission of the action of infiltrating an enemy base. I also wish to use excessive force with the Gray Balance Powers on any minions in my way - I don't have any time to waste on them. This is to protect the innocents of the entire Earth and perhaps more." Folding his arms across his chest, the Fire Ranger, beyond the point of simple fury, waited for an answer.
Kamion mulled over this. It was a hard decision to make, breaking three laws. However, Kamion could also see the point of this. Resigning, Kamion nodded. "Only if you can coax the spirits of the bracelets to help you. If you can do that, you can go with my blessing."
Justin nodded and closed his eyes. Focusing, the boy-yet-was-not immediately found himself surrounded by twelve spirits, colored red, orange, blue, aqua, green, brown, purple, indigo, pink, silver, gold, and yellow.
He only put his back to the fire spirits. "Hello. My name is Justin Stewart and I use the Orange Fire Powers."
"We are aware of that." The Gold Spirit, the Spirit of Thunder, bowed her head.
"I have come to request a junction of powers to stop an apocalyptic foe." Staring distantly, Justin knew that he didn't have enough time. "The summoning is today and I need help."
"You request the Gray Powers, do you not?" The Spirit of the Tornado inquired mildly.
"Yes. They are the only powers that I can probably use to get to my friends quick enough or destroy what would destroy our world." Justin nodded.
"I already agree." The Spirit of Fire said.
The Spirit of the Eruption nodded.
The Spirits of the Tsunami, the Quake, the Storm, the Blizzard, and the Tornado followed.
"I have trust in my chosen one's faith." The Spirit of Wind nodded. "I agree."
The Spirit of Water opened his eyes. "My charge is in danger. I will help."
"I follow the Spirit of Water." The Spirit of Earth agreed.
"My power shall be added as well." The Spirit of Thunder nodded.
The Spirit of Ice, however, looked apprehensive. "Can you do this?"
"I don't know." Justin admitted carefully. "All I know is that I can't give up my planet without a fight and I need more power than I have now to do it." The Ranger raised his eyes to defiantly at the spirit. "That's my answer."
A bemused smile came across the spirit's face. "I accept."
Justin suddenly found himself in the arms of the Spirit of Fire and the Spirit of the Eruption. He was in the center of a star and upside down pentagon, the boy recognizing them as those with the fire types at point. He gasped as the spirits poured their energy into him, drowning him in a gray light. Energy rippled through him as his body grew, covering his new body in a gray suit. The new Ranger's helmet had a star and up side down pentagon together as the place where he saw through. The whole suit was a solid color, broken by either a band of white or black occasionally. Justin hung limp there for a moment before he stood, aware that his surrounding were the Control Base.
"I'm going to grab one last thing before I leave." Justin's voice was quiet and subdued.
"May the Power protect you." Kamion whispered as the only Ranger left.
The Ranger ran for the storage room. His feet tapped against the ground, enhanced by magic. Swinging around, he opened the door with a wave of his hand. Inside, there was one thing calling him.
He grabbed the weapon that lay in a case.
The Sword of Light.
"It's time to end all of this." Justin whispered.
* * * * * * *
Mathais: Had to rush to get this in time!
Chibi Tomoki: Merry Christmas!
Justin: *smiles*
Mathais: Something's going to be done that might anger some of you,
Chibi Tomoki: Slash (same sex relationships) will be introduced in the next chapter, but none of it will be too apparent or concerning major characters and no having long kissing scenes either. Just some unrequited feelings.
Justin: If you really want to miss it, then ignore the part where so-and-so Ranger brings so-and-so Ranger back from the darkness.
Mathais: That being said, we take our leave.
All three: MERRY CHRISTMAS!