Hello Ranger Nation!
Now, depending on which of my stories you have read, you may or may not be surprised to see this story being published so soon. If you read Olympian Force (my last PR fanfic; Check it out if you haven't!), you were expecting Legendary Knights to be written around this time. If you read Celestial: Incoming Transmission (my Kamen Rider fanfic that served as a first look into the series proper), you most likely were expecting said series to be next. However, I sat and thought about it and while I do prefer Kamen Rider at the moment over Power Rangers/Super Sentai, I feel like this story has more original ideas to offer and more fun artwork to be done, and so here we are. In fact, I wrote this in about about 5 days, which is like one quarter of my usual time, so I guess I was really excited to get back into it after a few months of planning and (some!) rest.
Bouncing back to the idea of artwork, I have already created Ranger Suits and some of the collectables for this season over on the Power Rangers Fanon Wiki on the correct Legendary Knight related pages. Casting for most of the main cast can also be found there. Beware that the spoilers for who the Rangers are on there (as they don't all appear in this chapter; I'm taking an almost Zenkaiger approach to building the team). Due to that, I won't be announcing the fan-casting I have done until a later date. However, the wiki will tell you if you truly wish to know.
The last thing I want to note is that I am trying a few different things this time. You'll see what I mean soon enough…
With that all out of the way, enjoy Legend 1!
Legend 1: The Legend Begins Anew!
Legend tells of a powerful and wise king named Arthur. Born from Uther Pendragon and his enemy's queen Igraine after a trick from the wizard Merlin, Arthur was raised in poverty until he pulled a magic sword from a stone that designated him as the next king of all of England. After accepting the help of Merlin to defeat the remaining kings in England, Arthur began to recruit men into a group he named the Knights of the Round Table to defend his realm. Consisting of knights such as Percival, Gawain and, the greatest of all, Lancelot, the group was named for the round table they gathered around, where all were equal. The Round Table's greatest threat was Morgana Le Fay, Arthur's own half-sister, while one of their greatest allies was Arthur's queen, Guinivere. By combining their powers with Merlin's, Arthur and the Knights were able to seal Morgana away. However, this victory soon proved short lived. Due to reasons lost to time, Arthur was slain and his kingdom, including its capital Camelot, fell. The remaining Knights were either slain or fled. However, Legend says that King Arthur will return when he is needed most and that his knights will come to join him…
"Come on, Ronald!" a woman said as she sliced through a vine with a machete. Her backpack rumbled a bit as she continued forward. "You're going to get left behind!"
"Don't rush me, Matilda," a man said as he followed, a map in his hand. "They say that slow and steady wins the race. Besides, I'm thinking."
"Thinking?" Matilda asked as she looked over at Ronald while she continued walking. "What's there to think about? We know the tomb's straight ahead. All we need now is to get through the jungle. That doesn't take too much thinking, just strength."
"There's never a reason to not be thinking," Ronald retorted. "Humanity didn't evolve so we could just focus on animal-like instincts."
"Yeah, well-" Matilda replied before grunting as she walked into…something facefirst.
"Oh yeah," Ronald said as he looked over at the large temple in front of them. "We're here."
"Couldn't have told me that before I walked into the wall?" Matilda asked as she rubbed her cheek.
"You should have been paying attention," Ronald said with a shrug as he walked over to the huge double doors. He put his hand on the bar blocking the doors from opening. "It looks like there's some kind of seal on it. We need to carefully-"
Matilda suddenly let out a battle cry as she ran at the door and slashed through the bar with the machete. She smirked at Ronald as she pushed open the door and walked inside.
"-Or we can do that," Ronald said as he walked after her. He let out a gasp as he looked around at the large room in front of him.
"It's certainly a tomb all right," Matilda said as she pointed to the coffin in the center of the room. It was a powerful white color with some sort of runes lining the sides. The two explorers walked up to the coffin and looked down at the lid.
"What language is that?" Matilda asked as she pointed to the words etched into the lid.
"It looks like some mix of Common Brittonic and Old Welsh," Ronald said as he wiped some of the dust from the etching. "It says 'Here lies a being of great power. Free them and…something…the world'."
"'Something'?" Matilda asked as she raised an eyebrow.
"It's not a word I've seen before," Ronald said. "But 'great power'? Imagine what we could do if we could improve humanity with that power!"
"So we just need to open it!" Matilda said as she reached into her backpack and pulled out a crowbar. She let out a grunt as she pushed the crowbar into the gap before pulling the lid up. There was a loud bang as the lid slid down the side onto the floor. The two explorers looked into the coffin just in time for a burst of energy to knock them backwards.
"Finally!" a female voice as a woman with black hair and a green dress sat up from the coffin and stepped out. "I'm free!"
The two explorers just sat there on the floor, dumbfounded.
"I suppose I should thank you," the woman said as she looked over at the two flabbergasted explorers. "I am Morgana Le Fay, but you may call me Master. Now kneel before your queen"
"Excuse me?" Matilda said as she stood up and pulled the machete from her backpack. "Who the hell do you think you are?"
"Did I not say that already?" Morgana asked in a stern tone. "Do not make me repeat myself."
Matilda let out a growl as she ran at Morgana, machete raised above her head.
"Wait!" Ronald shouted as he watched his female comrade charge.
Matilda let out a shout as she brought down the machete in a two handed slash. Her angry look turned to one of surprise as she saw a large floating green rune of some kind blocking the strike from landing on Morgana's head.
"You're a reckless one, aren't you?" Morgana asked as another green rune appeared right above her hand. "I heard you talking of power. Is that what you seek? Power?"
"I do!" Matilda said as she tried to push the machete forward. "What's it to you?"
"I can grant you that power you seek," Morgana said. "All we have to do is make a contract."
Matilda lowered the machete.
"You can't be serious!" Ronald shouted. "Matilda, think this through!"
"What's there to think about?" Matilda asked. "We wanted the power to help the world. This is how we get it." She turned to Morgana. "What do we need to do?"
"You've already done it," Morgana said as a green rune appeared in her hand. "Now stand still."
The rune flew away from her hand and arced above Matilda before slowly searing itself into the back of her neck. Matilda screamed and dropped the machete. She tried to claw at the back of her neck as the process continued but it was to no avail. She let out one final shriek as the rune fully seared into the back of her neck.
Ronald watched in horror as silver armor began to appear all over Matilda's body. He wanted to run but somehow knew that it would make no difference in the end. As the armor finished appearing, Matilda whirled around. Ronald let out a shout as he saw Matilda's now green reptilian-like eyes. Her helmet looked almost dragon-like, with two small fangs running down her forehead, one on each side. On her belt was a silver chain-like whip with a diamond on the striking end and a dragon-like mouth on the handle.
"Matilda?" Ronald asked as he looked at his old friend. "Oh god…"
"Who's Matilda?" the armored woman formerly known as Matilda asked. "The only name I know is Whipvern!" She turned to Morgana. "May I kill him, my queen?"
"That depends," Morgana said as she walked over to Whipvern. "If you were the brawn, then he must be the brains. Is that true?"
"I-it is," Ronald said. "What about it?"
"I could use a good tactician," Morgana said as a similar rune to the one that had changed Matilda into Whipvern appeared in her hand. "You will be that tactician."
"And if I refuse?" Ronald asked as he slowly began to crawl backwards.
"Then you won't get the knowledge you seek," Morgana said. "I know you want answers to what is going on here. I can give that to you along with all of the knowledge you could dream of."
"And you'll turn me into…that?" Ronald said.
"Not necessarily," Morgana said. "The process is unique to each person. Now, do you want the knowledge or not?"
"I do," Ronald said. "I really do."
"Then the contract is complete," Morgana said as she released the rune. It arced over Ronald's head before searing itself into the back of his neck.
The two watched as he began to scream in pain. However, those screams soon became howls as Ronald began to change into a wolf-like being. He slammed his hands into the floor, causing it to crack, as they morphed into paw-like appendages. A tail sprouted through a hole in his new armored pants that were black, just like his cloak that covered his upper half. He let out one final howl as the transformation was finally complete.
"I am Liecanthrope," the new werewolf said as he bowed his head. "How may I serve you, my queen?"
"You may rise," Morgana said with a gesture for him to stand up. She watched the werewolf stand to his full height of over six feet tall. "Now come. We are going to my old home. I can only assume my friends are waiting for me."
She opened her palms and released a series of runes that circled around the three villains and created a glowing energy field around them. They disappeared in a flash of green light, leaving only the explorers' old backpacks and the open coffin as proof that anything had occurred there.
An old man hummed to himself as he swung the bucket around in his right hand as his left slid along the cave wall. He quickly moved down the passage, eventually reaching a river. As he dipped the bucket into the water, he looked down at his reflection. Some messy white hair, a long white beard and wrinkled blue eyes looked back at him. In fact, he could see quite a few wrinkles all over his face. He was going to contemplate it further when he suddenly shut his eyes and grunted in pain. His eyes shot open.
"It can't be!" he said. "I can feel Fae Energy at work. But that must mean…"
He took off down the tunnel, his bucket forgotten. As he got closer to the center of the caves, small crystals of various colors began jutting out of the walls. He stepped into the main room which was fashioned as some sort of base, certainly of the magical kind. There were vials on wooden shelves stuck into the wall and a wooden table next to it, as well as a cauldron and crystal ball set up around the room. While there were other magical trinkets, many of them were not of note except for the wooden staff leaning against the wall. The old man grabbed it in one smooth move as he continued his strides.
A small purple and red creature let out a small cry as the old man walked past its bed.
"Not now, Ruby," the man said as he walked over to a glass case covering a bed. "Time for you to wake up, my old friend." He put a hand on the glass, causing it to dissipate and leaving the bed behind. In it was a young man with brown hair in a plain red tunic. As the older man watched over him, the young man's hazel eyes began to open.
"Merlin?" the young man asked as he looked up at the familiar face.
"Arthur," Merlin said. "It is good to see you again."
"What happened?" Arthur asked as he sat up and looked around. "Where am I? Is this Camelot?"
"I'm afraid Camelot has fallen," Merlin said. "In fact, it fell many years ago. We are currently in the Crystal Caves near Avalon Hollow in the United States."
"United States?" Arthur asked. "No such country exists!"
"Like I told you, it has been many years," Merlin replied. "A couple thousand, actually. The United States was created a few hundred years ago."
"So, I have been transported to another country many years into the future…" Arthur said. "But what happened to me? Why have you brought me here?"
"What happened to you is unimportant," Merlin said. "The important thing is that Morgana has been released from her seal."
"So soon?" Arthur asked before he remembered what he had just been told. "Well, in a few thousand years? We put everything we had into that seal. It was supposed to last forever!"
"Nothing lasts forever, Arthur," Merlin said. "Even death leads to rebirth."
"Wise words indeed," Arthur said. "I suppose we will just have to seal her again."
"It will not be that easy," Merlin said. "She is currently very far away. No, the reason I have revived you is so that you can protect the Fae Crystals in these caves. I have reason to believe she will seek the Fae Energy inside them."
"Fae Energy?" Arthur said.
"Let me explain…" Merlin started.
"My friends, I have returned!" Morgana announced as she and her two Generals appeared in the open grove. There was a ring of trees around them, as well as a set of nine wooden thrones. Morgana looked around, only to find the place completely deserted.
"My queen, is someone supposed to be here?" Whipvern asked.
"I can't smell anyone," Liecanthrope said as he sniffed the air. "If they were here, it would have been a long time ago."
"Did Arthur take this from me too?" Morgana asked. "It was bad enough he and his knights sealed me away! He had to get rid of my sisters as well?"
"My queen!" Whipvern said as she pointed to a large oak right behind the throne. "There is something written there!" As she said this, she rushed over to the tree.
"You can't read that," Liecanthrope said as he pushed her out of the way. "So get out of the way."
"What did you say?" Whipvern said as she pulled her whip from the holster on her hip.
"Enough!" Morgana shouted. "Liecanthrope, what does it say?"
"It's written in the same language that was on your coffin," Liecanthrope said. "It says 'To save those who have been lost, all that must be done is to restore the power they once wielded'."
"And what does that mean, genius?" Whipvern asked as she sneered at Liecanthrope.
"It means we require more Fae Energy," Morgana said.
"Fae Energy?" Liecanthrope asked. "Tell me more…"
Legend tells of the Fae, a diverse group of beings from another dimension with an affinity for magic. From the hobgoblins to the pixies, many creatures make up the Fae. However, sitting above all of the other Fae were the nine Fae sisters. While not sisters by blood, they shared a powerful bond. Eight were actually of Fae descent, but while the last was human, she was also the most powerful. Her name was Morgana Le Fay, literally meaning "of the Fae". Adopted when she was young from the parallel human world, the eight other Fae sisters taught her the ways of magic. Magic, however, requires a special kind of energy. This energy is called Fae Energy, so named because the Fae were the ones to discover and harness it. The potential of Fae Energy is limitless, allowing amazing feats to be performed that some might even call miracles.
Legend also tells of the Fae Crystals, powerful and natural sources of Fae Energy. When humans come into contact with them, they gain access to the dormant Fae Energy inside. These people have been called possessed or witches, though some have found success using this power. However, for beings who can already use Fae Energy, Fae Crystals prove to be excellent power sources to enhance the Fae Energy output of a user, empowering their magic tenfold for each Crystal used. It is even said that if given enough Fae Energy, one could warp reality as we know it to their whim. All one needs to do is find the Fae Crystals and ultimate power would be theirs…
"But first, we need to free my sisters," Morgana said as she looked at the etchings in the tree. "And to do that, I need more Fae Energy. There should be Crystals full of them if the Legend is to be believed."
"So where do we find them, my queen?" Whipvern said. "Tell me where to go and I will bring back 100 Crystals for you!"
Morgana walked over to a wooden pot of some kind and raised her hand. A rune appeared above it before falling into the pot. Green mist began to spew from the pot as Morgana looked into it.
"What do you see, my queen?" Liecanthrope asked. "Any clues?"
"More than a clue," Morgana said as she lifted her head from the pot. "One of you needs to go to the town of Avalon Hollow. The caves there possess the Crystals."
Liecanthrope stepped forward before Whipvern knocked him out of the way, which was quite a feat considering their size difference.
"I will go!" Whipvern volunteered. "Give me the glory of getting those Crystals for you!"
"Very well," Morganna said. "However, I don't want to risk one of my generals on this mission, as you are too valuable. You will create a Fae Beast to do the job for you and then leave immediately."
"A Fae Beast?" Whipvern asked. "Like us?"
"Lesser than you," Morgana answered. "After all, you will be the ones creating them, not I, and a Fae Beast cannot be as powerful or more powerful than their creator. But that doesn't matter. Not only will they be able to take the Crystals from the cave, they will also be able to drain any Fae Energy the people of Avalon Hollow might have inside them."
"I do recall you saying that humans have dormant Fae Energy inside," Liecanthrope said. "So how do we take it from them?"
"By killing them," Morgana said. "It's the only way to steal Fae Energy. The Energy flows into the air at the time of death. Fae Beasts such as yourselves can send that energy to me. Even if it won't give the same amount of energy as the Crystals, it will still give us more than we had before and all it takes is killing a few humans. A small price to pay to restore my sisters. Then we can focus on the next phase."
"Understood," Whipvern said. "Show me how to make a Fae Beast. The sooner I learn, the sooner our victory will be at hand!"
"If the Crystals are so dangerous, why not just destroy them?" Arthur asked Merlin.
"Because they will just regrow," Merlin said. "There is a large gathering of Fae Energy deep underground that causes the Crystals to grow. Even when removed, a new one will just take its place within a few days. They cannot be destroyed."
"I see…" Arthur said. "You have always been a good mentor to me, Merlin. I see no reason to doubt you now. If they cannot be destroyed, then I shall guard the Crystals with my life."
"I knew you would agree," Merlin said. "Morgana will surely make her move soon. We must ensure you are ready."
"Indeed," Arthur said as he swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up. "Show me to my armor and arms."
"Right away," Merlin said as he led Arthur out of the room.
"My queen told me I would find a suitable candidate for a Fae Beast around here…" Whipvern said as she walked down the street of Avalon Hollow. It was a small town, yet there was a large building here and there.
"Help!" a female voice shouted from an alleyway. "Somebody! Anybody!"
"Shut up!" a male voice replied.
Whipvern walked down the street and into the alleyway. There she found a man in black holding a woman at knifepoint.
"Just give me the purse and you can keep your pretty face," the mugger said as he ran the flat side of the knife along her face. He then noticed Whipvern standing there, watching. "And what are you supposed to be? Some kind of superhero?"
"A hero?" Whipvern scoffed. "I am nothing of the sort. I am just a tool for my queen to use. You will soon become the same."
"Excuse me?" the mugger said as he turned towards Whipvern. "Who the hell do you think you are? I ain't working for nobody but myself!"
The woman who was being mugged realized the knife wasn't on her anymore and took off.
"For causing me to lose that score, I oughta cut your throat!" the mugger said as he brandished his knife at Whipvern.
"Are you threatening me, little man?" Whipvern asked.
"Damn right I am!" the mugger shouted as he charged at Whipvern. She pulled her whip from the holster on her hip and lashed out at his knife, knocking it from his hand while also biting into it with the diamond on the end.
"What the hell are you?" the mugger asked as he fell to his knees, clutching his bleeding hand. "Nobody's that fast!"
"You actually had the guts to attack me," Whipvern said, ignoring the mugger's comments. "You want to take things from people, right? And you're not afraid to get blood on your hands, right?"
"Y-yeah," the mugger said. "What about it?"
"Don't you want to not have to play by the rules of society anymore?" Whipvern asked. "Take what you want… Kill who you want…"
"That doesn't sound too bad," the mugger said as he relaxed a bit. "You saying you can give that to me?"
"I can," Whipvern said. "Sign a contract with me and I'll give you power beyond anything you could dream. Get the Fae Crystals and you're free to do what you want afterwards."
"So all I have to do is get some crystals and I get ultimate power?" the mugger said. "Sign me up!"
Whipvern nodded before putting out a hand as a silver rune appeared in front of it. The rune then arced over the man and seared into the back of his neck. He let out a scream as his body changed. Medium-sized wings sprouted from his back as gray feathers grew all over his body. His face became more birdlike while his legs strangely became almost like a horse's. The last thing to change were his nails as they became long and sharp.
"I am Rippogriff!" the monster shouted. "Ready to tear everyone to shreds!"
"Don't forget the Crystals," Whipvern said. "They are your first objective."
"Understood!" Rippogriff said. "I'll head out immediately!" He turned to leave.
"One more thing," Whipvern said as Rippogriff turned back around. "While I believe that a warrior is best on their own, my queen seems to think you could use a little help." She snapped her fingers as multiple identical runes appeared around her on the ground. Several red hats that almost looked like Smurf hats sprouted out of the ground where the runes had been before green arms sprouted on either side of them. There was a cracking sound of gravel moving as the arms pulled the bodies of the creatures out of the ground, almost like zombies pulled themselves from the grave. As the gravel settled, the creatures stood at attention.
They had green skin and beige tunics. They also had large silver armored shoulderpads. While they weren't hulking powerhouses, they did have some muscle to them. In their right hand was a pikestaff. However, the most distinguishing feature of these creatures was the large red Smurf-like hats that were only prevented from sliding down their faces by the large green ears they had.
"These Redcaps will help you," Whipvern said. "Now I must go. My queen requested that I create you and leave, and I must do as she orders. Now go get those Crystals!"
"As you command," Rippogriff said as he took off again, the Redcaps right behind him and still in formation.
"This should be fun to watch," Whipvern said as silver runes surrounded her and created a silver energy field that she disappeared into.
"You have quite the collection of armaments," Arthur said as he looked around at the weapons and armors laid out in the cave around him. "However…" -he pulled a sword from a sheath to look at it, only to see that it was a rather rusty and dull blade- "...they do not appear to be well taken care of."
"I hoped the day they would be needed would never come," Merlin said as he watched the young man walk around. "My magic should hopefully be enough to restore them."
"We should not resort to magic," Arthur said. "I have found the best way to take care of weapons and armor is to do it by hand."
Merlin didn't say anything as Arthur continued his search. Eventually, he came upon some shiny silver armor.
"What is this?" he asked as he looked to Merlin. "It looks like not a day has gone by where it was not polished!"
"You like it, I assume?" Merlin asked. "That was…well…an old friend's armor."
"An old friend?" Arthur asked. "Who?"
"That's not important right now," Merlin said. "What is important is that we ensure that armor is ready for battle and that you have a sword to go with it. Not a moment should be…ah!"
He let out a cry as he felt a sudden pain in his head. He looked up at Arthur.
"They're coming," he said simply.
"Then help me put on the armor," Arthur said as he walked over to the armor. "It sounds as if I have some work to do."
A few minutes later…
Arthur let out a gasp as he stepped out into the sunlight. While the illumination in the cave wasn't horrible, true sunlight was quite a difference compared to it. As Arthur hobbled down the road, a memory of Merlin was playing in his mind.
I'm afraid we have no horses, Merlin's voice said. You will have to go on foot.
"What knight am I without a horse?" Arthur asked himself. He continued down the trail for about 15 minutes before he finally began to see signs of civilization.
"What are these strange buildings?" he asked himself as he looked at the houses he was passing. "There is no wood nor straw! Not even stone! Is this what the world of the future is like?"
"Hey pal!" a man said as he passed Arthur. "Where's the Renaissance Fair?" He laughed at his own joke as he continued down the street. Arthur just looked back at him, confused, before continuing on his way.
As he continued down the street, he found a pet store next to him. As he looked in the window, he saw many types of animals.
"Perhaps I can get a horse here?" he asked as he walked towards the door. As he got within 2 feet of it, the automatic door slid open. "What sorcery is this?" He stepped back for a minute, allowing the door to close, before stepping forward again and watching it open for him.
He shook his head.
"Come on, Arthur!" he scolded himself. "People are in danger! This is no time to be amazed by the magic of this age!" He stepped through the doorway and called out into the store. "I need a horse! It is a life or death situation!"
"Uh…" the man at the counter said, shocked by both the statement and the armor Arthur was wearing. "We don't have any horses…We have dogs, cats, guinea pigs…"
"Give me something large enough to ride," Arthur insisted.
"Yeah…we don't have anything like that," the man said.
"Disappointing," Arthur said. "I suppose I will have to continue my quest on foot."
With that, he stepped back outside.
"Who the hell was that?" a woman asked as she walked up to the man. "I could hear him from the back of the store!"
"Just some nutcase," the man said. "Don't worry about it."
"If you say so," the woman said. "I just hope he gets the help he needs."
"That makes two of us," the man said.
"This is too easy!" Rippogriff said as he stabbed into another civilian with his claw before leaving their corpse on the ground behind him. "I'm getting closer to the Crystals and no one's proved to be a problem yet!" He looked over at the cop car that was currently sliced vertically in half. "Not even the cops! Those Crystals are as good as mine!"
"Hold it right there, you fiend!" a male voice shouted as a silver armored figure ran up to block his path forward. "You shall go no farther! For I am Arthur of Camelot and I shall slay any foe who seeks the Crystals!"
"You honestly think you stand a chance against me?" Rippogriff said before he started laughing. "With this power, I'm unstoppable! And I'm not letting some odd knight stop me now!"
"Your arrogance shall prove to be your folly!" Arthur announced as he drew his sword. "En garde, you overgrown fowl!"
"I'm not fighting just anyone," Rippogriff said. "Let's see if you can beat my friends first!"
A small group of Redcaps charged forward.
"Very well," Arthur said as he leveled his sword. "Your minions will be the first to fall!" He charged forward.
"Ha!" a young man shouted as he swung his wooden sword in a clean diagonal slash at his opponent, who raised his own wooden sword to block. Both were dressed in white outfits with large pads and large helmets, almost like a combination of a fencing uniform and karate gear.
"Good, Lance!" a large man said. He had a full brown beard and appeared to be dressed in a black version of the young men's outfits minus the helmet.
Lance, the young man who had attacked, maintained his offensive. As the other young man continued to block, Lance attacked time after time with clean swings, letting out a shout with every strike. Eventually, he got past his opponent's defenses and struck him in the shoulder pad with the sword.
"That's Lance's third point, making him the winner of this practice match!" the man said as the two young men backed up and bowed. "Tristan, good try. Now why don't both of you take off the armor and call it a day?"
Lance and Tristan bowed towards the man.
"Yes, Sensei Hector!" they said before walking over to the side and taking off the armor.
"Lance?" Hector said as the young man who had been attacking walked past. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"
"Of course," Lance said as he watched Tristan leave before looking over at Hector. "Everything ok?"
"Yeah, everything's fine," Hector said. "I just noticed that you're only using the basics I taught you."
"Is that a problem?" Lance asked. "I assumed the basics are the best place to start."
"Yes, but the key word in that sentence is start," Hector said. "You've been learning Kendo for years now, ever since I first opened the dojo, but all I've ever seen you do is use the basics."
"So what would you suggest I do?" Lance asked.
"Add your own touch," Hector said. "Kendo is still a very new sport, especially for America. You should see what techniques you can bring to the table. Just something to think about."
"Thank you, Sensei Hector," Lance said before walking out of the building. He was still deep in thought as he walked down the street. "My own touch?"
He was so distracted by his thoughts that he didn't even notice the battle raging in front of him until a Redcap fell to the ground a few feet from him.
"What the hell is that thing?" Lance asked as he backed away from the monster. "What's going on here?"
Arthur let out a battle cry as he sliced into another Redcap's arm, causing it to drop its weapon. He then slashed through its neck in one strike, causing the Redcap to disintegrate. He pointed his sword at Rippogriff.
"I have gotten through all of your minions," Arthur said. "Now to deal with you!"
"Is he some sort of knight?" Lance asked as he watched Arthur run towards Rippogriff. "Whoever he is, he knows what he's doing with that sword!"
Arthur let out a battle cry as he sliced at Rippogriff's chest. However, the monster extended his wings and swooped backwards, away from Arthur. After the dodge, he bared his claws and swooped back towards the knight. With a screech, he sliced into Arthur's armor, leaving a large indentation in the chestplate and slicing off one of the pieces protecting Arthur's shoulder. Arthur grunted before slashing at Rippogriff's legs. Rippogriff let out a laugh as he leapt over the strike. Arthur ended the attack before leaning on his sword.
"Is this the best you can do?" Rippogriff asked. "Where are your grandiose speeches now?"
"Are you mocking me?" Arthur asked, slightly out of breath from his attacks and the weight of his armor. However, he quickly got back into a fighting stance.
"You'd better believe it!" Rippogriff said with a laugh as he slashed again with his claws, slicing off some of the armor over Arthur's left arm before attacking again and taking some knee armor with it.
"If I could just hit him…" Arthur muttered to himself. "I'll wait for his next attack and then counter attack!"
As Rippogriff slashed again, Arthur ducked before slashing upwards with his sword. As the sword struck Rippogriff's skin, it shattered.
"Was that supposed to do something?" Rippogriff mocked as he kicked Arthur in the gut. While it didn't hurt Arthur, it still knocked him down. Rippogriff then put a hoof on Arthur's chest. "Now you have no weapon to defend yourself with and we both know I can slice through that armor no problem!"
He raised his right arm before he looked over and noticed his claws beginning to shrink.
"What gives?" Rippogriff asked as he stumbled back, allowing Arthur to get up. "I feel so weak!"
He glared at Arthur as green runes began to gather around him.
"I'll be back, Arthur of Camelot," he said. "And I'll be glad to rip into you then!"
With that, the runes circled him and formed an energy field before he disappeared into it.
Arthur let out a sigh of relief as he sat up.
"I truly thought that was the end for me," he admitted as he stood up, "but it appears that Lady Luck was on my side for this encounter."
"That was amazing!" Lance said as he ran over to Arthur. "Listen, you have to teach me your sword fighting techniques!"
"And you are?" Arthur asked.
"Lance Marlow," Lance said. "I'm learning Kendo and I think that…"
"I know not what this 'Kendo' is, but I have more pressing matters to attend to," Arthur said as he started walking away. "I must return to Merlin at once. But first-" he reached down and pulled off the remaining armor pieces on his left arm before throwing them to the ground- "I must remove this cursed armor! It did little to aid me in that fight!"
"Let me help with that!" Lance said as he ran over to Arthur and helped pull off the damaged chestplate.
"I thank you, Lance Marlow," Arthur said. "Removing armor is not a task for one."
"No problem," Lance said as he removed the damaged leg pieces. "Now about that Kendo lesson…"
"I-" Arthur said before he noticed a blonde-haired woman walking down the street. She seemed to be paying no attention to the signs that a battle had been waged here as she hummed along with her music from her earphones. In Arthur's view, she seemed to be glowing.
"Guinevere?" he asked as he started walking up to her.
"Hey, not done here!" Lance asked as he watched the armor pieces dropping as Arthur walked, revealing more and more of his red tunic.
Arthur ignored him and continued to walk. He quickly put himself in the woman's way. She looked up just in time to stop from running into him.
"Can I help you?" she asked as she pulled an earphone from her ear.
"Guinevere!" Arthur repeated, this time as a statement. "It is you!"
"Look, I don't know who 'Guinevere' is, but I need you to get out of my way," the woman said as she stepped to the side to pass him. Arthur quickly stepped to the side as well, blocking her way.
"I don't know how this is possible, but…you're here!" Arthur said.
"Look, buster," the woman said. "If this is some kind of pick-up routine, it really needs some work." She stepped to the side again. "Now if you'll excuse me…"
"Don't you recognize me?" Arthur said as he stepped to the side again, blocking her way once more. "It's me, Arthur!"
"I will say this one more time," the woman said very matter-of-factly. "Move. Now."
"Gwen!" Lance shouted as he finally reached Arthur. He had a pile of discarded pieces of armor in his hands. "How are you doing?"
"Lance, is that you?" Gwen asked as she tried to look around the large pile of armor.
"Yeah, just helping out my new friend here," Lance said. "His name is-"
"Trust me, I know his name," Gwen said. "In fact, I'm probably never going to forget it because he is giving off some seriously creepy vibes."
"Gwen?" Arthur asked. "Not Guinevere?"
"Gwendolyn, if you simply must know," Gwen said as she shoved Arthur out of the way. "Now, because of you, I'm late for work at the Diner. Thank you for that. Hope to see you…never! Bye, Lance."
With that, she started walking away, much quicker than she had been before running into Arthur.
"We must follow her at once," Arthur said. "Something strange is going on here."
"That's called stalking," Lance said as he dumped the armor into a dumpster before looking back at Arthur. "And it's actually a crime."
"I simply must know what spell has been cast on Guinevere," Arthur said. "It was as if she didn't recognize me at all!"
"Because she's not Guinevere, whoever that is," Lance said. "Her name's Gwen and I've known her all my life. Never once has she called herself Guinevere."
"She said something about a Diner…" Arthur said. "Take me there at once!"
"It's all for the Kendo lessons, it's all for the Kendo lessons," Lance muttered to himself before speaking up. "Fine. But can you not act so creepy this time?"
"I know not what you mean by 'creepy'," Arthur said. "I merely want to find out what is happening with Guinevere."
"Oh boy," Lance said to himself before speaking up again. "Follow me. Just behave yourself. Vivian's going to kill me if I bring you to the Diner and you start causing problems."
"Here we are," Lance said as he pointed to the sign. "Lakeside Diner. My home away from home."
"And where Gwen works?" Arthur asked.
"You really have a one-track mind, don't you?" Lance asked before sighing. "But yes, this is where Gwen works."
"Excellent," Arthur said as he walked up to the door. He stood there for a moment. "Why is the magic door not opening?"
"Magic door…you mean an automatic door?" Lance asked. "Not every building has them, and certainly not Vivian's. She's pretty old-fashioned."
"Very well," Arthur said. "I will simply have to open it myself."
He grunted as he pushed on the door, ignoring the large sign that said 'pull' on it.
Lance let out another sigh before nudging Arthur to the side and pulling open the door. He let himself inside before holding the door for Arthur.
"Thank you, Lance Marlow," Arthur said as he stepped inside. He suddenly let out a gasp as he looked around.
There were multiple booths lining large glass windows, as well as some tables closer to the center of the Diner. There was also a counter with multiple chairs lined along it with a blonde-haired man standing behind it, making a stew of some kind. There was a large jukebox in the corner that appeared to be working, although no music was being played right now.
"Pretty nice, right?" Lance said.
"Indeed," Arthur said as he continued to gawk at the large Diner. "I have never seen anything like it. Even the halls of Camelot did not compare to this!"
"Camelot?" Lance asked himself as a black-haired woman walked over. She appeared to be rather young yet had water-blue eyes that looked like they had seen quite a bit in their time.
"Lance! So good to see you again!" the woman said as she walked up to Lance before offering a hug.
"It's good to see you too, Vivian," Lance said as he embraced her. "You still look like you haven't aged a day! I brought a friend with me. This is Arthur…what is your last name?"
"Pendragon," Arthur said as he offered a hand out to Vivian. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Vivian." When she accepted the hand, he leaned down and kissed it.
"Well, he has good manners," Vivian said as Arthur released her hand. "You boys ready for a meal?"
"I actually came here to find-" Arthur said before there was a loud bang of the door opening.
"I've got it!" an older man shouted as he ran into the Diner, holding up…something. "I've got it!"
"Oh, not this again," Lance groaned as he watched the man parade around with the objects in his hand. It was when he got to the counter that Arthur could see them as feathers. In fact, they were rather familiar feathers… Arthur's eyes widened as he turned and rushed out of the Diner.
"I've found proof that the Questing Beast does, in fact, live in Avalon Hollow!" the man said as he held up the feathers. "What's more, it has now entered the town itself and left behind these!"
"Those could be from anything, Phillip," Lance said. "When are you going to give this up? The Questing Beast isn't real!"
"It is real!" Phillip declared as he put down the feathers on the counter and walked over to Lance. A few seconds later, they disintegrated, leaving dust behind. "I just need to find more proof! Then you'll finally believe me!"
The man who was making the stew looked around frantically for a minute.
"Think, Luke!" he said to himself. "Where did you put that salt?"
His eyes finally locked on the dust that had been the feathers a few seconds ago.
"That'll do," he said as he grabbed it and threw it into the stew. He then turned and walked away, letting the stew simmer.
Phillip, his tirade done, whirled around to see the feathers that he had left on the counter were gone.
"No!" he shouted as he quickly got on his hands and knees, no small feat considering his age. "Where'd they go?" He then stood up. "My evidence is gone!"
"Phillip, I think you've done enough of interrupting everyone's meal for today," Vivian kindly said as she walked him to the door. "Thank you for coming. See you soon."
Phillip grumbled as he opened the door and walked out.
"Whew," Vivian said as she let out a sigh before walking around the counter to the stew and pulling the ladle out to test it. She sipped it before raising an eyebrow
"Hey, Luke?" she asked.
"What's up, boss?" Luke asked as he walked back over.
"I thought this was a pork stew," Vivian said. "So why does it taste like chicken?"
"Man, Phillip's a piece of work, isn't he Arthur?" Lance said as he turned to look where Arthur had been. "Arthur?"
Morgana stood up from her throne as green runes appeared and began to circle a spot. An energy field appeared as Rippogriff stepped out. He looked around at his new surroundings. There were a few floating lights now illuminating the forest, creating some shadows.
"Have you brought the Crystals?" Morgana asked.
"I couldn't get to them," Rippogriff said as he knelt before her, an interesting feat considering his horse-like legs. "A knight calling himself Arthur of Camelot blocked my way until my claws began to strangely shrink."
"Arthur's alive?!" Morgana shouted. "How is that possible? He should have been dead for thousands of years!"
"I…don't know," Rippogriff said. "All I know is I was ripping through people on my way to the Crystals and then a man calling himself that showed up in silver armor. He couldn't do anything to me, though. His sword shattered upon first contact with my feathers."
"That won't stop him," Morgana said. "Arthur is obsessed with his sense of justice. As long as he sees you as a threat, he will never stop trying to destroy you."
"You sound as if you speak from experience," Liecanthrope said as he leaned against a tree. "Who is this 'Arthur' and why is he a threat to us?"
"Arthur was the leader of the group that sealed me away all those years ago," Morgana explained. "I tried to destroy him for years, but every attempt failed. I thought he would be killed by my ultimate plan, but I never had the chance to see it to fruition. I suppose he failed."
"'He' who?" Liecanthrope asked.
"A former associate," Morgana said before she looked back to Rippogriff. "If Arthur couldn't hurt you, then why are you here?"
"I said it already, my claws shrank," Rippogriff said. "I don't know why, but they did."
"Your Fae Energy must be running low," Morgana said. "I can restore it, but you must swear to slay Arthur."
"After the problems he caused me?" Rippogriff asked. "It would be my pleasure!"
"Very well," Morgana said. "It won't take all of the energy you stole from those humans to restore you, so your quest hasn't been a total waste so far. I'll give you enough to destroy Arthur and get the Crystals."
"Thank you, my queen," Rippogriff said as he bowed his head.
Morgana walked over to one of the floating lights and put out her hand. The light flew down into her hand before flying into Rippogriff, making him glow. He grinned as his claws grew again.
"That Arthur is as good as dead!" Rippogriff said as green runes circled him, creating an energy field, and he disappeared in a flash of green light.
"I cannot believe I got distracted by Guinevere instead of focusing on my mission!" Arthur said as he climbed up the hill towards the Crystal Caves. "Merlin must be worried, especially because that monster got away."
As he walked into the main room, Merlin stood up from his chair.
"Arthur, I am glad to see you have returned," he said. "I saw the fight and that the Fae Beast was stronger than I feared. I apologize for sending you in so unprepared like that."
"I trust you believed I would be fine in that armor," Arthur said. "However, my sword broke on my first strike and my armor barely protected me. Thus, we need a new strategy."
"And I have one," Merlin said as he walked over to a cauldron and pulled out two objects. "If physical strength cannot solve our problem, we must use magic instead."
"You are the sorcerer," Arthur said. "I am merely a warrior. Magic is not my strong suit."
"That's why we must play to your strengths," Merlin said as he put the objects on the table. "For years now, I have been trying to tap into one of the most powerful energy fields in the multiverse to turn you into an exceptionally powerful warrior when you were needed again."
"An energy field?" Arthur asked.
"Yes," Merlin said. "The Morphin Grid. And after those years of trying, I finally succeeded."
Legend tells of a powerful energy field that flows through all timelines, dimensions and universes. This is known as the Morphing Grid. Through conduits called Morphers, beings have been able to harness the Morphing Grid and become mighty warriors known as Power Rangers. While many Rangers have been humans from Earth, other types of beings have taken on the powers, including androids and aliens. No matter their origins, Power Rangers have always fought for what is just and good and so they should, as the balance of good and evil is what keeps the Grid alive. Not only do they fight with enhanced strength, durability, speed and agility, they also use powerful weapons and Zords, mighty mechanical war machines that can take the shape of animals, vehicles or even humanoids. While some Rangers have fallen in the line of duty, they all hope that the Power will protect them, always.
"So you have found a way to tap into this…'Morphin Grid'," Arthur said. "And it will make me a…'Power Ranger'?"
"Yes," Merlin said. "I believe it to be the best way to deal with these Fae Beasts."
Arthur nodded.
"What do you need me to do?" Arthur asked.
"Put this on," Merlin said as he picked up the first object and handed it to Arthur. Arthur looked down as he strapped it to his wrist. It was a wrist mounted device shaped like a dragon's head with a hinge on the side closest to Arthur's forearm. The side on top of the hinge was red, except for the green eyes, and the bottom was a metallic silver. The edge between the top and the bottom was jagged like a dragon's teeth. There was a dark gray circle on the side that acted as the hinge, however it also looked like it could be pushed in like a button.
"That is your Legendizer," Merlin said. "By using it and this Shield Emblem, you will become a Legendary Knight Power Ranger." He offered out the second object. Arthur took it from Merlin and looked down at it.
It was about the size of his palm and was mostly yellow with a silver back and outline. On the front of it was a 2D red dragon with a green eye surrounded in a black outline. Right under it was the word 'DRAGON' in big red capital letters in a banner-like design and under that was a large red 1.
"I have combined Morphin Grid energy, a Fae Crystal and the essence of a Dragon to create this Shield Emblem," Merlin said. "By inserting it into your Legendizer, saying "Legendary Knight, Ready to Fight" and pressing the button, you will be transformed into the Red Legendary Knight Ranger."
"I see," Arthur said. "And this will give me the edge I need to defeat that Fae Beast?"
"It will," Merlin said. "After transforming for the first time, everything you will need to know about your powers will be instantly taught to you. Such is the power of the Morphin Grid."
"Understood," Arthur said. "Now I must merely wait for the Fae Beast to reappear."
"It appears you won't have to wait long," Merlin said as he winced. "I can already sense his presence in Avalon Hollow again. You must hurry and defeat him before he can get to the Crystals."
"Understood," Arthur said with a nod before running towards the exit.
There was an animal's cry as the purple and red creature from earlier leapt onto the table and looked into Merlin's eyes with her own red crystalized ones. She made the noise again.
"I know, Ruby," Merlin said as he looked at the creature. "I hope he'll be ok too. I just wish I could help him more."
Ruby let out a cry again as she continued to look into Merlin's eyes.
"I would join him if I could," Merlin said. "This old body's just a bit too frail to handle the pure Morphin Energy the Legendizers release. The best I can do for now is hope for Arthur's success."
Ruby let out a yawn before curling into a ball and falling asleep on the table, leaving Merlin to think alone.
"How am I ever going to get those Kendo lessons now?" Lance said as he kicked a pebble down the street. Every time his foot met it, he would give it another kick. "If Arthur is who I think he is, he would be the perfect teacher for sword fighting. After all, he's-"
Lance suddenly stopped talking as he looked down the street at the carnage in front of him. People were lying on the ground in pools of blood, most likely dead, as Redcaps stepped over their bodies. Rippogriff was just pulling his claws out of another victim before he turned to the Redcaps.
"No sign of that troublesome knight yet," he said. "Let's continue forward. The sooner we get those Crystals, the sooner I can do whatever the hell I want with this power."
The Redcaps nodded in agreement as they marched forward, following behind the Fae Beast.
"Halt!" a familiar voice shouted as a red-tunic-clad figure ran in front of the monsters.
"Arthur!" Lance said to himself as the light glistened off the young man's hair and off his Legendizer. "But what's that on his wrist?"
"You came back?" Rippogriff said with a laugh. "I have unbeatable power! You saw it yourself that your sword has no effect on me! You don't even have any armor anymore!"
"That shall be remedied soon enough," Arthur said as he pulled the Dragon Shield Emblem from inside his tunic. He flipped open the Legendizer and inserted the Shield Emblem into it before flipping the lid down.
"Dragon!" the Legendizer announced as the green eyes on it flashed. Horns then began to play. Time seemed to slow down as Arthur posed.
"Legendary Knight, Ready to Fight!" he shouted as he pressed the button on the left side of the Legendizer.
"Legend Begin!" the Legendizer announced.
Morphing Sequence
Arthur is standing in a sea of fire with a sword embedded in a stone in front of him. As he draws the sword and raises it above his head, the blade begins to glow. The glow then transfers from the blade to Arthur, traveling through the hilt, down his arm and then through his whole body excluding his head. As Arthur puts the blade into the loop on his left side, the glowing energy forms into his Ranger suit. Flame then swirls around his head, creating the helmet as a dragon's roar can be heard in the background.
End Morphing Sequence
Arthur let out a battle cry as he posed. His suit was primarily red, excluding the gloves, boots, belt and the area from his chest to his midsection, all of which were instead a metallic silver. Extending from his shoulders were two silver pauldrons. On the right side of his chest was an exact replica of the Dragon Shield Emblem, with the silver outline, yellow background, red 2D picture of the Dragon, the word "DRAGON" in red inside a banner-like design and red 1 under all of it. His belt had a shield-like design as the buckle that looked like it could be opened with the button protruding from the top. His Legendizer was still on his left wrist.
However, the most interesting part of Arthur's suit was his helmet. It had green and slanted rectangular eyes above a u-shaped visor. The visor was outlined in silver with five rectangular bars equally distributed along it, evoking the idea of a knight's visor. Under the visor was a silver mouthpiece without any molding on it.
"Whoa!" Lance said as he looked Arthur up and down. "He's a Power Ranger!"
"What is this?!" Rippogriff asked, shocked by what he had just witnessed. He quickly regained his composure. "Some fancy new suit isn't going to save you!"
"Perhaps you are right," Arthur replied. "But the power it grants me tells a different story. Legend Blade!"
He drew his sword, which had a silver blade, a red curved crossguard, a black hilt and a silver pommel on the end with a hinge built into it. It also appeared to have a small clear window in the shape of a Shield Emblem in the hilt along with a red button right under the window.
"Prepare to taste the cold steel of justice!" Arthur shouted as he pointed the tip of his sword at Rippogriff. He then charged forward.
"Get him, Redcaps!" Rippogriff shouted as the Redcaps leveled their pikes and charged forward to meet Arthur.
"I know not what you are, foul beasts, but you shall harm no other people this day!" Arthur shouted as he sliced through a Redcap's arm with no difficulty. The Redcap fell to the ground and disintegrated. As a group around him stabbed forward with their pikes, Arthur ducked. All of the Redcaps grunted as they tried to unlock their pikes from the huge mass of pikes. However, they didn't struggle long, as Arthur spun around in a spinning slash that struck all of them down. As another group charged forward, pikes leveled, Arthur rolled out of the way.
"Time to slay you all!" he said as he put a thumb on his belt buckle's button and pushed down. The buckle sprang open almost like a pair of double doors, revealing a duplicate of the Dragon Shield Emblem inside. He pulled the Emblem out of the buckle before flipping open the pommel. He slid the Shield Emblem down the Legend Blade's hilt until it rested right where the clear window was before flipping the pommel back to its previous position.
"Number One! Dragon! Time to Start the Legend!" the Legend Blade announced in a male voice as red light radiated from the Emblem. Arthur then pressed the button under the window once.
A rock song began to play as the Redcaps turned towards Arthur. They charged forward again just as the song ended.
"Activate Fire Power!" the Legend Blade announced as the sword's blade began to glow red.
"Dragon Fire Cutter!" Arthur shouted as he sliced horizontally downwards. An arc made of flames flew out of the Legend Blade and sliced through the Redcaps instantly, causing the remaining foot soldiers to disintegrate.
The glow of the blade stopped as Arthur opened the pommel again and allowed the Shield Emblem to fall into his awaiting hand.
"Merlin has truly outdone himself," he said as he held the Dragon Shield Emblem up to the light.
"You may have dealt with the Redcaps, but you haven't dealt with me!" Rippogriff shouted as he charged at Arthur and stabbed into his chest with his claws.
"Ah!" Arthur shouted as sparks flew and he flew backwards a few feet. As Arthur quickly stood up, he noticed Rippogriff swooping in towards him. He quickly rolled out of the way of the attack before standing up and delivering a slash as Rippogriff passed.
Rippogriff let out a cry of his own as he tumbled forwards before skidding to a stop. He stood up and whirled around, his eyes burning with anger.
"I'm supposed to be unbeatable!" he shouted. "Why am I losing to you?"
"Because you fight for your own selfish means, not justice," Arthur said. "Now prepare to meet my sword!"
Rippogriff looked over at the building behind Arthur and smiled, or at least as much as a beak would allow a smile.
"I don't think so!" he said as he used his wings to launch himself above Arthur and used his claws to break the glass before grabbing a little girl.
"This little one's been watching us for a while now," Rippogriff said as he pulled the little girl in front of him. "I thought that she should join this battle…as my hostage!"
"You fiend!" Arthur shouted. "Have you no honor?"
"If it wins me the battle, I don't care what I have to do!" Rippogriff replied. "Now sheath your sword and take me to the Fae Crystals!"
Arthur grimaced under his helmet as he put the Legend Blade into the loop on his left side.
"I suppose I have no choice," Arthur said. "Now let the girl go."
"And lose my advantage?" Rippogriff said. "What do you think I am, some sort of idiot? Now start moving!"
Arthur nodded as he turned towards the Crystal Caves and started walking forward. Rippogriff followed behind while maintaining both his grip on the girl and his distance from Arthur.
I need to get that girl away from the monster, Lance thought. Then Arthur can hopefully finish him!
He took off towards Rippogriff, who had his back to Lance. As Rippogriff started to look back, Lance was already tackling him to the ground.
"Go!" he shouted to the girl as he struggled with Rippogriff. "Get him, Arthur!"
"Get…off…me!" Rippogriff shouted before hurling Lance a few feet away. "Because of you, I lost my hostage! You're dead!"
"I believe you will be the one to die today," a familiar voice said as Rippogriff whirled around towards Arthur. The Red Legendary Knight Ranger already had his Legend Blade drawn again. He inserted the Dragon Shield Emblem again and pressed the button twice.
"Dragon!" the Legend Blade announced. "Legend Break!"
Flames began to swirl around Arthur's Legend Blade as he ran forward at superhuman speed. He sliced right through Rippogriff as he passed before stopping a few dozen feet away and posing.
"Now that's how you rip through someone!" Rippogriff shouted as he fell to the ground and exploded. He morphed back into the mugger as the brand on the back of his neck shattered.
"What in the world?" Arthur asked as he looked down at the man.
"But we made a contract…" the mugger managed to get out before his head fell to the pavement. He then disintegrated into dust.
"Arthur! You did it!" Lance shouted as he ran over to the Red Ranger. "What's that dust?"
"That's not important. The more pressing thing is how you know my identity," Arthur asked. "Unless…"
"I saw you transform," Lance said. "I had no idea you could do all that. Shouldn't be all that surprised though."
"Oh?" Arthur asked as he opened his Legendizer and pulled out the Shield Emblem, causing his suit to vanish in a flash of flames. "And why is that?"
"I mean, you're THE King Arthur, after all," Lance said as he kneeled. "Your majesty."
"Stand, Lance Marlow," Arthur said. "I am king of nothing anymore. My nation is long since ruined. You may treat me as you would anyone else."
"Then I won't feel bad about asking you this," Lance said. "Please be my teacher in the ways of sword fighting! After seeing you fight today as both yourself and a Power Ranger, I know that you simply have to teach me all you know. Tell me what I have to do! I'll do anything!"
"You need do nothing else," Arthur said. "You helped me save that girl today. That was when I saw your courage. I would be honored to have you as a student."
"Thank you!" Lance said as he took Arthur's hand and shook it. "I promise to be the best student I can be!"
"I have no doubt you will," Arthur said with a smile. He then looked down at his Legendizer. "However, I cannot go into public with this on. It will threaten my identity. I need to…"
His eyes opened in shock as the Legendizer began to glow before morphing itself into a watch with the Red Dragon symbol on the face. There was a large button on the left side of the face, similar to where the button would be in its morpher form. There was also a smaller one on the right.
"That's pretty cool," Lance said. "How did you do that?"
"I honestly have no idea," Arthur said. "I know someone who might, however, and I have a few questions for him…"
"He did it," Merlin said as he sighed with relief. He was currently looking into the crystal ball that he had placed on the table. Ruby was curled up next to the ball. She looked up and made her signature cry.
"I wouldn't say I doubted he could do it," Merlin said. "I was just unsure if the Fae Beast Morgana created would prove to have more power than he or the Legendizer could handle. With her anger, Morgana is a dangerous foe and her Fae Beasts are empowered by that anger." He looked at the crystal ball again and the image of Lance that appeared within it. "I do wonder if this young man will prove to have a bigger role to play."
Ruby stood up and leapt up to a ledge. She pawed a wooden box on said ledge and let out another cry.
"Now there's an idea," Merlin said as he stood up and walked over to the box before opening it. Inside were four other Legendizers. However, these Legendizers were a dull gray on the top and had no creature's features built into it.
"Thank you, my dear," Merlin said as he patted Ruby's head. "This may be just the breakthrough I needed. After all, the Power Rangers are not one person but a team. I feel I will have quite a bit of work ahead of me."
So…what'd you guys think? If you have a strong opinion (or even a weaker one), I would appreciate it if you would let me know through a review or PM. I do read them all, even if I don't respond.
I hope you guys noticed and appreciated the changes I'm trying this season, those being the Morphing Sequence (something I really, really avoided in Olympian Force) and the morphers talking (something I'm picking up from Sentai).
That's all from me. May the power protect you, always.