Power Rangers Literati
"Spirited Beginnings"
'Part Three, Spirits Unleashed'
By J.T. Magnus, "Turbo"

Jessica's lived down the street from me ever since she moved to Scenic City. I'm not gonna lie and say we hit it off immediately, we didn't get along at all at first, mainly because we were too much alike in personality; we're both stubborn people who have to go our own way. The biggest difference is that I'm more of a protector than she is. What that means is that I innately need to stand between those I care about, friends, family, more, and harm. I read somewhere that dragons and gargoyles are protective creatures, they scare away anything less fearsome than they are and return any harm done to those under their protection to the harmer many times over...

J.T. and Jessica were walking down the bank of a creek, the water reflecting the fading sun's ruby hues. With her head on his shoulder and her eyes closed, J.T. didn't see Jessica's normally blue eyes turn green for a moment.

"'It's enough for this restless warrior, just to be with you,'" J.T. sang gently.

"Pathetic," A voice commented from the growing darkness.

With an annoyed look, J.T. slipped his arm from around Jessica's waist and turned in the direction of the voice. Jessica, for her part, shook her head and turned to see what J.T. was looking at.

The figure wore a uniform of dark purple, with a triangular shaped shield covering its chest, in its hand it carried a large halbard. J.T. had just one thing to say...

"Spandex?"

"It's not spandex," the figure replied.

"It looks more like lycra to me," Jessica added.

"No," J.T. disagreed, "I'm sure that's spandex."

"Ahem."

J.T. looked back at the figure from his discussion with Jessica, "Oh, sorry, you wanted something, Spandex-boy?"

With a twirl of his halbard, the figure dropped into a fighting stance, "You can call me the Dark Ranger... and I want you dead!"

J.T... laughed.

"Nice routine, but I don't think there's any openings on the high school or college cheerleading squads, and if you want to kill me you'll have to get in line."

"Die," Dark Ranger said, swinging his halbard.

J.T. jumped in the air just high enough to avoid it, then lashed out with his foot, connecting on Dark Ranger's chestplate. With a flash of sparks, Dark Ranger was thrown backwards. Climbing to his feet, Dark Ranger swung his halbard down and to the side.

"So, you've already awakened. Good, that will make it that much more enjoyable when I draw the Power from your corpse."

"Geez, where'd you learn to talk? 'Stereotypical Villian Speeches 101'?"

Dark Ranger ran towards J.T., bringing his Halbard up in a strike. This time, J.T. didn't dodge, he countered by grabbing the halbard and locking it under his arm before twisting to break Dark Ranger's grip. Throwing the halbard into a tree, he looked at Dark Ranger and narrowed his eyes.

"You want me dead... You'll have to earn it."

"Fine by me," Dark Ranger responded, lunging at J.T.

J.T. grabbed Dark Ranger's hands before he could touch him. For several minutes, the two grappled, neither giving ground. Jessica watched, stunned, from the side.

"It doesn't matter how long it takes, I will destroy you. I'll draw the Power from you, then from your pretty little girlfriend..."

There was a snarl as J.T.'s eyes flashed black...

"No."

The next thing J.T. knew, he was roaring and it felt as if he was being turned inside out. When his mind cleared, he was looking at Dark Ranger through a visor. Each event of the night seemed to be stunning Jessica more and more. Looking at J.T., he now wore a uniform similar to that Dark Ranger was wearing, black instead of purple, a gold shield instead of black, and the helmet looked stylized like a dragon.

"No and never," J.T. said as he shifted his weight with a twist to the side and sent Dark Ranger flying through the air.

Unfortunately, where he had thrown Dark Ranger was towards the tree where he had thrown his halbard before. Reclaiming his weapon, Dark Ranger charged towards J.T. and swung it in a decapitating move. Instinctively, J.T. defended himself, causing a large nodachi to appear in his hands to block the halbard.

"Nice. Now we're even."

"Not at all," Dark Ranger snapped, drawing a pistol from a holster on his belt and firing it at...

"JESSICA!"

J.T. was surprised when the laser bolt hit Jessica and she suddenly exploded in a flair of green light. As it faded, she was garbed in her own uniform, dark green with silver armor protecting her full torso instead of just the chestplate of the others, the stylization of her helmet that of a bird.

"Now it's my turn," Jessica said, focusing. After a moment, a bow appeared in her hand, pulling back the string, a shaft of green energy was formed, "Nice."

She aimed the shaft at Dark Ranger and released it, then repeated the actions twice more, each time throwing him back farther.

J.T. ran over and put a gloved hand on her shoulder, "You alright?"

"Uhh... I feel like I rode the Genie, but other than that, I'm okay."

Nodding, J.T. turned back to face Dark Ranger, "Let's finish this."

Using his halbard for support, Dark Ranger stood up, "Let's not."

Then Dark Ranger disappeared in a flash of purple.

Marius was walking across the college grounds when a figure appeared in a flash of purple.

"Who are you?"

"Let's just say someone who represents someone willing to help you."

Marius looked at Dark Ranger a moment, "With what?"

Dark Ranger held out his hand and an image of Daniel appeared standing on it, then he closed his hand and it vanished, "Him."

"I'm listening..."