~HQ~
Rachel and Devon were up for hours scanning Bayview and the surrounding area, hoping to find the Ranger signals of their missing friends. While Devon typed away at the computer screen, Rachel stood by a series of monitors, her eyes darting back and forth between all of them.
Jared was in a training dimension, fighting off magical projections of Shadowlites. The more he slashed away, the more his feelings rose to the surface.
"This is my fault," He thought to himself, aggressively hacking away at his targets. He replayed the trap he and his friends had fallen into over and over. Then, his mind casted itself to one year before. "I thought I was stronger… I thought…"
"Jared," Dr. Bly appeared before the young boy, wearing a concerned look on his face. "You should rest. We're gonna find the others, and we're gonna get them back."
Jared turned away from his teacher and clenched his hands into fists. "I failed them. They're captured because I couldn't get over myself!" Enraged, Jared looked up at an oncoming squadron of attackers. Without hesitation, he blasted the group with a burst of fire. With that last attack, the dimension fell away, leaving the two on the training floor at the center of HQ.
Jared dropped to his hands and knees, furious tears running down his cheeks. "I have to save them… no matter what."
-Cue Theme-
Noah woke up in a containment tube. His friends were in separate tubes.
"Where are we?" He asked, his head feeling groggy. The room they were in was strange. The area was about the size of the inside of a factory conveyor belt room. It was surprisingly multicolored. There were dark purples, greens, yellows and blues mixing together to form a demented looking mix of shades.
He saw Phoenix, Medusa, Callum, and Vladmir standing in the middle of this room.
"And soon he will come?" Medusa asked, with a devious smirk.
"Oh, he will... But by the time he finds us, the hearts of his friends will be gone." Vladmir replied maliciously.
Callum continued with a wide smile, like a child on their birthday. "And when their hearts are gone, their spirit powers will take full control and they will become powerful Phantoms."
While Medusa softly laughed in glee at this revelation, Phoenix looked away and eyed the four Rangers in their containment tubes. He was itching for a fight and with all of his being, hoped the Red Ranger would appear.
-HQ-
"We'll find them," Xander assured Jared, who sat cross-legged on the floor. "And when we do, you need to go in with a clear mind."
"I was..." Jared trailed off. "Scared... of losing them. But I know they trust me now… I just…"
Dr. Bly replied, "We make mistakes, Jared. Everyone. We can't change them, but we can learn from them."
Jared took a deep breath and closed his eyes. His mind sifted through the memories he made with his friends over the past two months, since they became Rangers. Training with his friends, going out with them, studying, living a life with them in it. A kind of warmth flowed through him, one that calmed him down and filled him with a strength he had never known before then. He opened his eyes and smiled at Dr. Bly.
"I'm ready," Jared nodded, standing up. His eyes began to glow from their usual brown to the dark red they would be when he used his power. Then, they glowed further, changing from the shade of blood to the shade of a sunset. "I feel… stronger now…"
Dr. Bly smiled and clapped Jared on the shoulder, "Top man."
"Got'em!" Devon informed from his console. He pulled up a holographic map in the center of HQ that outlined the building Vladmir held the other Rangers.
"Perfect," Jared replied, "I'm going."
Dr. Bly looked over Jared's shoulder and said, "This could be a trap. Take Devon with you. In a pinch, he can get you out."
Jared and Devon exchanged nods as the Light-Watcher placed his hands on Jared's shoulders. "I just hope we can make it out alive." Devon focused on the location and in a swirl of blue and white lights, the two were gone.
"Good luck..." Rachel whispered. Suddenly, a darker swirl of blue appeared and two figures stepped from it. Rachel and Xander immediately recognized them.
With her eyes widened, Rachel asked, "Why're you here?!"
-The Unknown Location-
Jared snuck into the building from above. He and Devon crouched on platforms that hung from the ceiling. He had a clear vantage point on everyone in the room. His first priority was to check the conditions of his friends. It seemed like they were all conscious, and had their Mana being drained from them.
"He's… Draining their Hearts." Jared whispered to Devon in astonishment. "Stay here, Devon. When I free the others, get them out."
Devon grabbed Jared's wrist. "And what about you?"
"I'll be fine..."
"Do you have a plan?"
"Yep. Forgive me for this." Jared's eyes glowed sunset red and he right into Devon's eyes, putting the boy in a trance while conjuring a soul gate on the Light-Watcher's chest. Jared pressed his hand into Devon's soul gate, and his vision flashed.
In this black and white world, Jared saw Devon in a vet. He was with a woman who appeared to be his mom. He was helping his mom tend to many animals.
"You're really helpful, honey." His mom complimented.
~Flash~
Jared saw Devon in a hospital, helping his dad tend to a patient.
"Son, you really know your stuff. You're a great doctor!"
"Thanks, Dad!"
~Flash~
Devon was walking across the street when a gLancet truck lost control. In a matter of seconds, Devon was crushed to death. His deeds tending to both humans and animals caused him to be reborn as a Light-Watcher.
The scene froze and a white orb appeared in front of Jared. He took the orb into his palm.
His vision flashed back to reality, and Jared pulled a bright white orb out. "That was new… I guess my power… expanded somehow." Not only was Jared able to utilize the ability or True Soul of a person, he was now able to look into their hearts and minds and look upon defining memories and experiences. Why his power expanded in this way was beyond him but, at that moment, he didn't care. He pressed the white orb into his chest, letting the energy sink into him. He felt the power flow through his body and he concentrated on the ground below him. White and blue orbs swirled around him, orbing him below.
When the flash of blue and white orbs faded, Jared stood tall with a stake.
"Let them go!" Jared commanded, letting Devon's powers return to their owner.
"Jared!" His friends called out in relief.
Medusa taunted, "How bold, Slayer. Striking first."
Jared was not playing around. "I'll say it again. Let. Them. Go."
Medusa then said, "Or else what?"
Phoenix and Slade appeared from a cloud of black mist. "You're outmatched," Phoenix laughed, his flames coming off his body as an aura.
Jared looked at Callum and said, "I'll take out each and every one of you."
Callum shook his head, "Not if I kill you first. You don't get it Jared. You of all people SHOULD understand... My mother... my death broke her heart! My funeral? She was in pieces. I knew I couldn't approach her the way I was because it'd pain her even more! This is your fault, Jared. ALL YOUR FAULT!" With that, Callum, and all the other villains, charged.
Jared ducked under Callum's punch and rolled to the side. Medusa came down with her staff and Jared back flipped away.
"Spirit Legend, Awaken!"
-Jared Morphing Sequence-
Jared threw the stake, but Slade kicked it into the air, causing it to get stuck in the ceiling. Jared summoned his sword and fought back. He parried a strike from Phoenix, kicked Medusa away, rolled under Vladmir, blocked Callum, punched him, then kicked him away, then he jumped into the air and entered a fast paced exchange of fists with Slade. Slade eventually kicked Jared into a wall.
"Give it up, Jerry." Callum said. "Just let me kill you."
"Callum, I'm sorry... I am... But the past is gone... and I have to stop living in fear from it." Jared jumped into the air and grabbed the ceiling stuck stake. Using Mana, he flashed in front of Callum and kicked him across the room.
Enraged, Callum looked behind him and locked eyes with Noah. In a moment of passion, Callum sadistically smiled and conjured a broad sword. "I lost everything, Jared! Now it's your turn!" He turned around and looked Noah straight in the eyes and raised his weapon.
"NO!" Jared yelled, pouring his Mana into his feet to give him a speed boost. Just as Callum swung down, Jared staked the Hybrid through the heart from behind. Time seemed to stop for the two of them. Callum looked down at his chest, his mouth agape at the stake poking through him.
"I'm sorry, Cal..." Jared whispered, fighting back tears.
Callum felt the evil influence of the Twilight and his warped hatred fade away. For the first time since he was alive, tears fell from his eyes. "I'm sorry too, Jared. Thanks for freeing me. I'll always be with you…" One final tear from Callum fell onto the stake staining it as the boy burst into dust. The four other Rangers looked on at their leader, shocked at what had happened.
Jared turned around and took a breath. "You're next." He threatened in righteous fury. "I'm not losing anyone else!" As he shouted, "You're not gonna win!" He started to glow with a graphite colored glow.
"What's happening?" Liam asked, shielding his eyes.
~Flash~
Jared found himself in a familiar white space. It was the space where he joined with the Spirit of Fire. The cloaked figure with red trimmings was behind him.
"Spirit of Fire?" He asked, weary. The Spirit nodded at him and whispered in a deep, warm voice, "You've taken the next step, Jared."
The Spirit lifted his arm and pointed. Jared turned his head again and saw another cloaked figure. It had grey trimmings. It stepped forward and held out its own hand. When Jared took it into his own.
"I," The new figure's voice was a bit higher than the Spirit of Fire's and a bit more suave, "am the Spirit of Steel."
Jared repeated, "The Spirit of Steel. I don't get it. What's going on?"
The SoF explained, "You learned that there are twelve Ancient Warriors. Your friends are fighting alongside the lead Five. But, you've yet to find the remaining seven. Find them, and we can vanquish the dark."
The Spirit of Steel was filling him with strength. "My power is now yours…"
~Flash~
When Jared came to, he found silver liquid metal flowing over his Spirit Sword, upgrading it. When the metal solidified, the sword had a wider blade. The hilt was circular and red, akin to Shulk's in Xenoblade Chronicles.
Medusa gasped, "He acquired another Spirit... We must get it." She charged forward, but Jared took one swing and sent her flying.
Phoenix and Slade ran at him, and Jared swung his left arm. Metallic needles sailed at the duo and struck them. The Slayer jumped into the air and sent down a wave of red energy, sending the two flying back.
Vladmir flew up to him. "You will fall, Slayer!"
"You're projecting." Jared grinned as he lifted his sword and brought it down on Vladmir, sending the vampire to the ground at high speeds. He switched his personal weapon out for his X-Sword and gathered his Mana into his weapon while channeling the SoS's strength. "Spirit Slash: Steel Strike!" He drove his blade into the ground, causing multiple steel spikes to shoot upward in a line, headed right for Vladmir. Before he could react, the spikes impaled the Vampire, causing him to grunt loudly in pain. The spikes also struch Medusa, Phoenix, and Slade, sending the three flying across the space about 100 feet away. The wind was knocked out of all of them, and they struggled to get up.
Medusa, Slade, and Phoenix were speechless. Vladmir, on the other hand, laughed in glee. "Suffer, Slayer… For your friends will turn into Phantoms and serve His Majesty!" Laughing maniacally, Vladmir turned into dust.
When Vladmir became dust, the other Rangers were freed from their prisons, but immediately fell to the floor. They were all pale, and felt exceptionally weak. Jared demorphed and slid toward his friends and tried to get them up.
"Devon!" Jared shouted, his voice slightly cracking.
The Light-Watcher orbed in and tried to heal them. "It's no good." He shook his head, the light from his palms fading away.
"What?!" Jared asked, "What do we do?"
Jared looked over at the three Phantoms, who were struggling to get up. The Slayer calmed down and thought about Dr. Bly's advice on having a clear mind. "Their hearts are about to be lost… they're running out of Mana... If I can just restore it somehow I…" And idea dawned on Jared, "I wonder…"
Devon knew what Jared was getting at. "Jared... I know what you're trying to do."
Jared managed to re-summon his Spirit Sword and raised it into the air, pouring his own Mana into it. "I need to do this, Devon. They're my friends."
"Jared, NO!"
Jared's eyes turned Red. Silver ribbon-like structures whirled around his sword. The red symbol appeared beneath his feet. He stuck the blade out, turned it in his hand, and struck his own heart. The sword glowed and sunk into his chest.
Out of his soul gate came out a sphere that glowed gold and red. It divided itself into four and sank into Noah, Alicia, Liam and Sonia. When this happened, four streams of Mana flowed out of the containment tubes and re-entered their original hosts. The four woke up as they saw Jared fall.
"Jared!" They shouted. Noah got to him first and held the Slayer's head in his lap. "Jared, speak to me."
Alicia grabbed both his hands. "Jared, wake up."
However, he didn't. Jared burst into millions of red lights and faded.
"Jared!" Noah shouted.
"No!" Sonia yelled.
"Come back!" Liam shouted. The Four, and Devon, sank their heads in sorrow. "He saved us… He gave up his Mana and his heart to make sure we didn't lose ours…"
Medusa laughed in glee, as she and her cohorts stood up. Phoenix was not too happy. He was disappointed in the fact that he could no longer finish what he had started with Jared.
Slade pointed out, "That fool is gone. And now, it's just the four of you."
"Jared... no..." Alicia whispered, wiping tears away.
Noah stood up. "You Twilight freaks… you're gonna pay!" The other three stood with him, Sonia beckoning Devon to get behind them.
"Ready?" Noah asked.
"Ready!"
"Spirit Legend, Awaken!"
-Four Way Morphing Sequence-
"Power Rangers: Next Legend, Start Up!" The Four called out, taking their fighting stances. Phoenix, no longer amused, teleported away.
"For Jared!" Noah cried out, as the others yelled in solidarity.
Sonia and Liam fought Medusa while Noah and Alicia fought Slade. The battle raged on for several minutes, neither side letting up.
Unbeknownst to everyone in that battle, Jared wasn't completely gone. He found himself floating in a darkened space.
"I'm falling… Into the dark…" He whispered, hearing his voice echo.
Back on the battlefield, Sonia low swept Medusa, but she jumped into the air. Liam sent green bolts of Mana at her and knocked the Phantom out of the air. Sonia charged up her power. "Lightning Crash!" The bolt struck Medusa but she held her ground.
"Earth Breaker!" Liam sent a boulder at the Phantom sending her into a wall.
Alicia and Slade exchanged punches and kicks. Although Slade was much stronger than both Noah and Alicia, he couldn't quite knock them down permanently.
"Hurricane Wave!" The wind blast knocked the Phantom into the ceiling.
"Spirit Bow!" Alicia fired a round of arrows above her striking Slade repeatedly. He dodged them all, but he was met with Noah who slashed at him with his X-Sword.
The Blue Ranger rode on a wave of water and zipped behind Slade. He held out his hands and cried, "River Rush!" The burst of water sent Slade straight into Medusa.
The four Rangers lined up with their X-Swords and X-Defenders and charged them with Mana.
"Spirit Assault: Elemental Burst!" From their weapons, waves and bursts of their own respective elements collided with their enemies, knocking them back further.
Medusa said, "It's far from over." She snapped his fingers and said, "Now, these Phantoms will kill you! Good luck, now!"
The two teleported away, leaving behind eleven Phantoms of all shapes and sizes in their wake.
"Stand strong, guys." Noah said, his conviction not wavering. "Just like Jared."
Without a word, the four proceeded to fend off numerous attacks from all directions.
Alicia was knocked into a strange looking machine. That looked like it belonged in a factory. A gLancet Phantom that looked like a ghoul was going to smash her, but a red, bipedal, armored lion-looking Phantom slashed the ghoul into nothing with blazing claws. The Phantom turned to her with eyes that looked human. The eyes were warm and had an amber-brown hue. They locked onto Alicia and, through her helmet, she connected with a familiar gaze. One that made her feel safe and warm...
Alicia gasped, "Jared?"
The Phantom roared, turned and went on taking out numerous Phantoms. When they were gone, it was just the Rangers, the Phantom Jared and Devon. The Lion Phantom landed near the Rangers and was slightly lowered in caution.
"Jared, is that you, buddy?" Noah asked, taking a few careful steps toward him. He dematerialized his helmet, showcasing his lack of malice.
"Is that really him?" Liam asked, hope arising in his voice.
"I don't know." Devon replied, "But he helped you guys fight…"
Alicia stated, "Of course it's him. I can… I can feel it!"
To tack onto the situation, hordes of Shadowlites rose from the ground in clouds of darkness.
Noah stood in front of the group and scoffed, "Oh, awesome."
Sonia turned towards Jared and saw that he was clutching his side. "Guys, Jared's hurt. We need to protect him."
Alicia nodded and leaned into Jared's ear. "We'll protect you this time…"
Noah said, "We all will. Devon... get to high ground."
"Okay, guys…" He orbed back up to the rafters.
At that moment when all the Shadowlites rushed in at them. The Five Rangers made contact.
"Jared!" Alicia shouted as she wrapped her arms around the Lion Phantom. They glowed as the Shadowlites piled on them. Then, in a burst of rainbow light, the Shadowlites were sent flying away. The flash caused everyone to demorph. The Lion Phantom was no more. In its place, was Jared in his human form. His own arms wrapped around Alicia.
"Alicia…" He warmly whispered, "thank you..."
"Jared..." Alicia said, smiling. They let go of each other and took in a moment of silence
"Thanks, guys." Jared grinned at them, " And I'm sorry about everything… You really are great friends."
Liam fist bumped him, "Don't mention it. We're here together."
"I don't wanna ruin this moment..." Sonia smiled, walking forward, "But we still have a job to do."
"Alright." Jared nodded, summoning his Morpher.
"Ready!"
"Yeah!"
"Spirit Legend, Awaken!"
-Morphing Sequence-
"Spirit of Fire: Legend Red!
"Spirit of Water: Legend Blue!"
"Spirit of Wind: Legend Pink!"
"Spirit of Earth: Legend Green!"
"Spirit of Lightning: Legend Yellow!"
"Ancient Spirits Unite! Power Rangers: Next Legend, Start Up!"
"Let's take them down in one strike." Jared called out. He raised his right arm and summoned the Legend Burst Cannon. He set the mode to "Rainstorm."
"You guys ready?"
"Ready!" Together, they poured the powers of their Spirits into the cannon, filling it with their Mana.
"Legend Storm, Fire!"
They shot a golden ball straight up, and it burst into thousands of mini energy balls striking all the Shadowlites.
However, it STILL wasn't over. Vladmir's dust pile glowed with black mist and it grew. The gLancet vampire no longer resembled a human. He was now a complete monster.
"Legend King Megazord, Rise Up!"
"Wolf Cannons, fire!" LK shot numerous beams of energy down at Vladmir. However, it didn't make him go down. Vladmir spread monstrous wings and charged the Zord. LK took flight and fired more. The rounds missed the vampire and the monster struck the zord's chest.
"Hang in there, guys!" Jared said, feeling a familiar feeling come over him. "Of course…" The Red Ranger poured his Mana into the control tome on his pedestal. The pages flipped to a blank page that held a symbol that represented the Spirit of Steel. "Let's try this out! Summon the Zord of Steel!"
Jared's tome glowed a bright graphite color and created a Spell Seal in the sky above the Zord. Immediately, a gray tiger Zord burst from the seal and slashed Vladmir's chest, knocking him back a few steps. The Tiger Zord was quite similar to the Lion Zord in size and strength.
"Oh, sick!" Noah called out in awe.
Jared hit his left palm with his right fist and commanded, "Let's see what we can do! Zords, combine!" The Tiger Zord folded itself the same way the Lion Zord did. The Gorilla, Rabbit, Wolf, and Phoenix Zords teleported onto the Tiger Zord, taking their respective places. The Lion Zord then grew in size, allowing the new Zord to ride on top of it.
"Legend King Megazord: Steel Tiger Mode!" Without hesitation, the new Zord sprinted forth, slashing Vladmir with its new weapons: dual claws. The hybrid, in frustration, flew into the air, but the Lion Zord took a great leap, catching up to the Vampire. The Megazord struck the Vampire and knocked him toward the mountains that surround the City.
"Let's take'em out!" Jared called out.
"Right!"
"Legend Steel Charge!" The Megazord began to glow with the S.o Steel's power. It stampeded forth, running straight through Vladmir, who couldn't properly defend himself.
"No… NO!" Vladmir cried out as he exploded into nothing. The Rangers cheered in their cockpits, rejoicing with relief. Phoenix and Medusa watched from the distance.
"Tsk… They won the battle, but not the war." Medusa said, leaving.
"Red Ranger." Phoenix whispered to himself, "I believe our final battle is near…"
-HQ-
The Rangers teleported to HQ and walked down the halls.
Liam clapped his Red Ranger's back. "Great job, Jared! Unlocking a new spirit."
Jared shook his head. "I wouldn't have gotten it if it weren't for you guys."
"Let's tell Dr. Bly and Rachel all about it." Sonia said, excitedly.
As the six walked into the man room, they were shocked.
Rachel stood next to two figures, both with strong auras. A man, a little older than them stared at them. He had brown hair and green eyes that matched Rachel's. He wore a black best over a dark blue long sleeve shirt. He also wore black pants with black boots. Over it all, he wore a white robe.
"So, the humans with the Ancient Spirits arrive. It's a pleasure to meet you." The man's voice was subdued, but it had an intimidating quality to it.
Sonia asked, "Rachel? What's going on here?"
Rachel explained, "This is my brother Ryland and my friend Lance." Lance was about Noah's height but with much tanner skin. His hair was bleach blonde and his eye were yellow. He also wore similar clothes to Ryland. "They're here to take me back to the Mystic Realm."
"What?" Alicia protested, "Why?"
Lance's voice had a edgier tone compared to Ryland's. "Don't worry. We received word that Rachel's powers have dwindled. We're just gonna take her back to the Mystic Realm so we can get them back."
"Please, excuse the intrusion," Ryland bowed his head. He chanted another spell, opening a blue portal. He and Lance had Rachel step through it. "Do not worry," Ryland assured, "This isn't goodbye. And you won't be shorthanded in your fight against the Twilight." With that, Ryland followed the two others through the portal, leaving the Rangers in the dust.
"What do we do?" Liam asked, helping Jared to his feet.
"Don't worry," Came a woman's voice.
The Rangers turned to see a black cat. "My name is Claire." The cat hopped off the table and transformed with a swirl of green lights. When the lights faded away, a woman stood before them. She appeared to be around the same age as Dr. Bly. She had fair skin, blonde hair, and bright eyes. She wore all black and had a confident smile.
"That cat... just turned into a person..." Sonia pointed out in disbelief.
"Yeah, she did. You'll get used to it." Dr. Bly replied, appearing next to it. "We have a lot to talk about."
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