Disclaimer: While I don't own the overall concept of Power Rangers, Zords, and all else that goes with it, I, along with the friends that are involved with the story, do own Power Rangers Literati itself and its own components. If you haven't read any PRL yet... You're hopeless; I wash my hands of you.
Power Rangers Literati
"Glory Unseen"
'Part Two, Armor Holding'
By J.T. Magnus, "Turbo"
One week ago, we faced our first defeat. Jon had set fire to Highway 2, now it was a gutted hulk, Justin's Knight Sword was broken, and for the past week, while her parents have been told she's been staying at Amanda's house, Yolanda has been unconscious...
We lost.
Amanda's asked why we haven't taken Yolanda to the hospital... I don't have a good answer for her. All I can say is that something tells me not to. Last time I didn't listen to that instinct, I regretted it. This time, I'm listening.
Z's walking around the Command Center, exploring it... It's almost like... Impossible, he can't be remembering anything, can he? Amanda and Justin were against bringing him to the Command Center so soon, but Yolanda's down, Mars and Dark Ranger have been launching attacks for the past week that we could do nothing against, so Jessica, Daniel and myself voted to bring him here.
J.T. stood in the console ring, watching a newscast play out on the viewing globe.
"Today, yet another monster attack struck Scenic City causing losses in lives and property. The entire populace of the city has one thing to say in regard to the recent increase in monster attacks. A simple question, 'Where are the Power Rangers?'"
Amanda turned from her seat beside the cot Yolanda was laying on to face the viewing globe, visibly trying to keep control, "...Why you...! MMMPH! EXPLICITIVE DELETED!" She stood and took a menacing step towards the globe. "'Where are the Power Rangers'! Oh, I'll tell you where the Hell we are! We're holed up in our damn Command Center with our non-Ranger life boss trying to nurse back to health our downed Pink Ranger while my damned ex-crush and my boyfriend's arch-rival-in-his-own-head attack the town and we can't do anything to stop the damned idiots because we're not damn strong enough!" She lunged at the globe, apparently in an attempt to do fatal harm to the newsie, but was caught and held back by Daniel and Justin. After a few moments of struggling, she hung limp between them. "I hate not being able to do anything," she said dejectedly and on the verge of tears.
"We ALL do, Skipper, we all do," J.T. said, shaking his head in frustration.
"Will you guys shut up? I was having such a nice dream, there was me and two Elvish princes..."
"Yolanda!"
"Yolanda!"
"Yo-Yo!"
"Yo-Yo-Chan!" Amanda said before grabbing Yolanda in a hug with a glomp sound.
"Ack! Choking!" Yolanda managed to get out through Amanda's deathgrip.
"Sorry," Amanda said, quickly letting go.
"I just woke up, are you trying to put me to sleep again?"
"J.T.! There's something happening in town!" Z called out from by the Viewing Globe, causing the Rangers to turn to face him.
"This just in," the newscaster was saying, "A number of crab monsters, led by the apparently-evil Purple Ranger are attacking the Scenic Aquarium."
J.T. coughed to try to hide his amusement at Dark Ranger being referred as the 'Purple Ranger' before speaking...
"Well, anyone else want to go say 'Hi'?"
"Hey, Jon, having a fun week?" J.T. smirked, crossing his arms across his chestplate.
"You're really love losing, don't you, J.T.?" Dark Ranger replied.
"Everyone's gotta have a hobby," came the response, "Besides, who said we were here to lose?"
With two swings of his halberd, Dark Ranger sliced through the railings on either side of the ramp they were standing on as he stepped forward. The earlier loss had been burning away inside Amanda and before any of the other Rangers knew what had happened, she had drawn her Spell Edge and lunged towards Jon. In response, the Dark Ranger spun his halberd and knocked Amanda off the ramp and sent her falling to the ramp level below them
"MANDI-CHAN!"
Daniel reacted by firing a blast from his Demon Axe in blaster mode, doing nothing to Jon besides surprising him, before jumping after Amanda.
"Four of us, one of him... Maybe we should take turns, give him a fair chance?"
Inside her helmet, Jessica rolled her eyes, "I think Amanda would agree with me in telling you... 'Shut up, J.T.'."
"Yes, John, shut up... and FIGHT!" Dark Ranger sneered, leveling his Dark Halberd at the other Rangers.
"DON'T... CALL ME... JOHN!" J.T. said, running forward to strike with his Dragon Sword.
"DARK LANCER!"
Light gathered around the point of the Dark Halberd, spinning around it like a tornado before Dark Ranger became energy himself and shot towards J.T. For a moment, the Dragon Ranger froze in his tracks as his opponent reappeared behind him, between J.T. and the others.
Then J.T. fell to the ground.
"I'll call you whatever I like, John," Dark Ranger mocked.
Their numbers cut by half, the remaining Literati Rangers somehow knew that they wouldn't survive this battle as Dark Ranger took on a striking stance again.
"So, who will be next? The hyperactive little mermaid-girl? Or should I finish what I began with your knife, Justin? Maybe I'll start by sending you to an end even a phoenix can't return from, Greenie?"
A voice that none of the Literati Rangers knew echoed throughout the aquarium and caused Dark Ranger to grab his head in pain...
"FINISH THEM, DARK RANGER... FINISH THEM NOW."
"I hear... And obey, Lord Malleus," Dark Ranger forced out, raising the Dark Halberd head up in front of him...
"Darkness... EXPLOSION!"
Slamming the Halberd down on the ground, the shadows inside the aquarium suddenly exploded, causing the building to begin to collapse around the Rangers as Dark Ranger disappeared in a flash of purple light. Below the others, Amanda was regaining consciousness as walls began to crumble and the ramps fall.
"Save the fish!" she cried as the ramp she was on dropped.
"Ugh... Where am I?" J.T. moaned.
"Where are you, what? Physically? Mentally? Spiritually? You'll have to be more specific than that if you really want an answer," a large dark shape answered.
"Funny," J.T. looked down at himself, taking in the fact that he was now unmorphed, "I always thought that delusions in cave-ins line was just something Hogan had fed Crittendon..."
"You know," The shape responded, "Forget Klink, I want to know how Crittendon made Colonel... Group Captain, whatever..."
J.T. ran his fingers over his head, checking for bumps, then checked his pulse, "No concussion, it seems, pulse is there... So I'm not dead or seeing things, which means I'm just insane."
"Maybe you are... But not for the reason you think," The shape moved out of the darkness and unfurled a wide pair of wings, "To put it simply, you'd have to be crazy to deny who you are."
Between the minidress underneath and the armor over it, Amanda liked the outfit her doppelganger was wearing...
What she didn't like was her attitude.
"What is it with you, and J.T., and Jessica, and everyone talking like that? IT. IS. NOT. TRUE!" The unmorphed Yellow Ranger shouted.
"Lying to J.T.? You can get away with that... But I'm you... I know."
"Why do you fight?"
"Because..."
"Why?" the armored form that looked like it had just stood up from a seat at the Round Table asked again.
"Because... Because," then the words hit Justin like one of J.T.'s quotes, "Because my friends fight, and I fight with them."
"You speak plainly... and with honesty in your words."
"Play!"
"Fun!"
Yolanda was surprised that she could understand what the dolphins were saying as they bounced a ball back and forth like a group of children. Just as surprising was the mermaid playing with them, a mermaid with her features.
"Shark!"
The cry went out like a wave through the dolphins as a more-bladelike dorsal fin sliced through the water towards where they were playing. Barely breaking rhythm from the game, the mermaid passed the ball off and swam full speed towards the shark.
"I've gotta do something!"
"What can you do?" One of the dolphins asked, "You couldn't beat the land-shark, why fight the shark?"
"I don't know," Yolanda answered rapidly, her words running together, "But I can't just let it win!"
"We're each something the other needs... I needed a hero and he needed someone to be one for, it's as simple as that."
"It's a complex as that," The green phoenix perched in front of her countered Jessica's statement, "You live for him, he fights for you, you keep him from giving into anger, he keeps you from succumbing to sadness."
"If I wanted to be psychoanalyzed, I'd let a real psycho do it - like Amanda."
The phoenix actually laughed, "Attempted humor to defuse a situation, definitely one of the Dragon's traits."
There was a pause before the bird spoke again, "The universe is about balance, life and death, war and peace, love and hate, light and darkness, Dragon and Phoenix...
"Everything has its equal...
"Accept it."
If it had colored differently, one might have confused the demon that stood before Daniel for another demon. As it was, it was just the two of them, so it didn't matter.
"What do those shoe ads say? 'Just do it'? Good advice, kid... Just do it. Stop thinking about details and do it. Details don't matter much if you don't ever reach 'em, understand me?"
"Isn't it enough that J.T. won't give us a moment's rest?" The African-American-descended Ranger groaned.
"Why should he let up when he's right? She's scared and you won't do anything because she won't."
"If I do something... will you leave me alone?"
"Heh, no. You forget, Daniel... I'm you."
The streets of Scenic City were again in ruins as Dark Ranger, Mars, and even Dreamweaver led an army of monsters wreaking havoc throughout the city. Out of the darkness of the shadows cast by one of the larger buildings, a fireball shot, destroying several Hardshells and Archnias and breaking the march of the evil forces.
"What the?"
Stepping away from the side of the building, J.T. lowered one arm and raised the other, launching another fireball as he walked forward. As that one hit, he changed arms again and launched a third that struck Dreamweaver and sent her backwards. In full view of the remaining enemies, light reflected off almost organic-seeming black metal as the Dragon Ranger stood there in his newly awakened Spirit Armor - leg guards, claw-like weapons on his arms, a large pair of dragon-like wings on his back and a more draconic looking helmet.
"We destroyed you!" Mars shouted.
"Yes," J.T. said simply, nodding, "You did."
Reacting, Dark Ranger ripped a street lamp out of the ground and threw it at the Battlized Black Ranger. Without even thinking about it, J.T. twisted his arms in a clockwise motion, slicing the lamp into pieces and sending them flying away.
"In the immortal words of Toby Keith..." J.T. started.
"'How do you like me NOW?'" Jessica finished, landing behind J.T. as the Battlized Green Ranger, the other Literati Rangers also arriving in their new Battlized forms.
"Phoenix Spirit - the cycle of life and death," Jessica's Phoenix Spirit Armor had given her wings as well, their avian form making her look like the angel J.T. often thought of her as, in addition to leg- and arm-guards.
"Demon Spirit - Hellfire and Holy judgment," Daniel's helmet had grown horns, his right hand encased in a large metal one, and a blue cloak like that of a sorcerer covered his armored form.
"Magic Spirit - Power beyond explanation," Amanda, much to her annoyance, had been given a skirt, although the fact that it was not a miniskirt but one of metal plates kept her from being too annoyed. As well as her Spell Edge she now wielded a human-sized version of the Witch Spiritzord's staff.
"Siren Spirit - Queen of the seas," Yolanda possessed perhaps the strangest Spirit Armor; long, thin avian wings came from her helmet and lay against her back like braids and fin-like blades were part of her guards.
"Warrior Spirit - Unwilling to be defeated," Justin's Spirit Armor had the leg- and arm-guards as all the others, but also had armor on the thighs, around the waist, and covering the biceps. A sword that seemed to pulse with an inner light as he held it, the Ragnarok, had replaced the broken Knight Sword.
"Dragon Spirit - A force of nature," J.T. finished, "You did... We got better."
"Always do," Jessica commented, referring to the first time she and J.T. had fought Jon as Dark Ranger.
"You won't be able to this time," Mars responded, charging up a spell in his hand before launching it at the Rangers in the form of a ball of water.
"Nice," Amanda said, raising her staff, "But I'm better... Lightning!"
A bolt of electricity shot from Amanda's staff and hit Mars' water spell, causing it to be destroyed before reaching her and the others. The backlash knocked Mars to the ground.
"Rangers," J.T. said, again taking on the role of leader, "Take 'em!"
"Gladly," Yolanda answered, drawing the Siren Daggers.
Within minutes, the monsters, the largest number there had been in one attack were all destroyed and it was just the Rangers and the enemy 'generals'. During the battle, Jessica, Amanda and Yolanda all had made it a point to land blows on Dreamweaver, each for their own reasons.
"DARK LANCER!"
"Not this time," Justin said, lowering the Ragnarok until it pointed to the ground beside him, "Twilight Slash!"
As Dark Ranger's energy form traveled forward, Justin swung and a wave of red energy flew out from the blade of the Ragnarok, striking Dark Ranger. On the other side of the Battlized Red Ranger, Dark Ranger reappeared and stood for a moment before falling to the ground.
"Next time," J.T. said, grabbing Dark Ranger by his chestplate, "Maybe you'll listen when I tell you not to call me something."
With Dark Ranger firmly in his grasp, the Dragon Ranger's wings spread and he began to lift into the air. Far above the ground, no one heard the harsh whisper of the Battlized Black Ranger...
"NEVER... call me 'John," J.T. released Dark Ranger with one hand and drew it back, "Never."
If not for his chestplate and suit, the punch unleashed by the Battlized Black Ranger would most likely have broken the ribs of Dark Ranger. Instead, he was sent falling towards the ground.
"Earth!" The Battlized Yellow Ranger shouted, using her staff to bring a wall of rock up into Dark Ranger's path, stopping his fall quite painfully.
"That was for Pink," she said, walking over to him.
"This is for me," she finished, launching a precisely aimed kick at Dark Ranger.
"Let's finish this," Daniel said, leveling the Demon Blaster at the three enemies, holding it one-handed with his armored right hand, "Demon Axe."
"Phoenix Bow," Jessica said, positioning her own weapon on the Demon Blaster.
"Siren Daggers!"
"Spell Edge!"
"Ragnarok!"
"Dragon Sword..."
"Spirit Shot, Fire!"
The Spirit Shot glowed with energy and as the Rangers spoke, released it in a massive ball towards their enemies. When it hit, it carried the three of them back and slammed them into a building.
"The 'Freud Blaster,'" J.T. commented, "Gotta love it - what?"
The last was in response to Dreamweaver, Mars and Dark Ranger disappearing in flashes of light.
"Looks like things are gonna get interesting," Justin said.
"Any idea how long it will take to rebuild?" J.T. asked, walking alongside Z through the ashes that were all that remained of the interior of Highway 2.
"A couple months, maybe..." There was a pause before Z continued, "Maybe less if you guys helped... You know?"
"Yeah... Mr. Z, about that..."
"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. I haven't yet, after all."
The other Literati Rangers were also in the remains of their workplace. At their boss's words, they sudden froze and looked at him.
"'Yet?'" Yolanda asked.
"Yet," Z confirmed, "I'm from California, remember? Angel Grove, actually, so when a group of teenagers suddenly start dressing in specific colors and a team of Power Rangers show up I've got experience in putting the facts together."
"Oh, boy..." J.T. groaned.
"Look at it this way, you won't need to come up with any creative excuses to tell me so you can go save the city," Z laughed.
"So, Yolanda," Amanda said, "You still thinking about moving out?"
"Yeah, maybe."
"Well... I've started thinking about moving out of my parents' house as well... Maybe we could share an apartment?"
"That sounds nice," Yolanda said.
"Ahem," Daniel interrupted tentatively, "Don't I get a say in this?"
"What do you mean, Dan-chan?"
Ignoring the ashes and rubble, Daniel knelt in front of Amanda and reached into his pocket. What he pulled out caused her head to start spinning as he opened it...
"I told you that I wanted to marry you one day, Mandi-chan... Now I'm officially asking... Amanda, will you marry me?"
Amanda's response sent Daniel backwards into the ashes as she forcefully hugged him.
"Oh, great," Jessica moaned, "Now they're gonna be even MORE impossible..."