Chapter 14
Bug Problem
On the road leading to Thorn, the four Rangers were on their cycles making their way to said city.
"Okay and were going to Thorn again why?" Michal asked
"Because Kaguya needs our help!" Kelvin shouted, confusing everyone
"And you know this how?" Alex asked
"Because the emergency talisman she gave me was torn, it's magically linked that if one gets torn the other does as well" Kelvin explained
"And she just gave you that…why?" Michal asked
Kelvin then blushed greatly as looked down at the ground and stammered out random gibberish. Though before anyone could ask him about his strange behavior, they then saw the city of Thorn up ahead.
"Enough talk guys, were here" Eric said making everyone get serious
Once they arrived at the gates to Thorn they found them wide open and no guards at their posts, already making the others uncomfortable.
"Guess you were right Kelvin, something is defiantly wrong here" Eric said as everyone dismounted the bikes
The four then walked into the city and just like the gate, they couldn't find a single soul anywhere.
"Stay on your toes guys" Eric said as they all made their way into the city
(~~~~)
In the temple, Kaguya was being held off the ground by her arms while Shamuhaza had a projection mirror in front of them so they can watch the Rangers as they walked through the city.
"And just like that, my new test subjects have arrived" he said with a sinister smirk, making Kaguya growl
"For what? You and I both know you need female bodies to incubate our monstrosities" she spat out making Shamuhaza chuckle.
"True…but my creations need to be combat ready don't they?" Shamuhaza said making Kaguya gasp, "now if you excuse me, I must meet our new guests" he said as he vanished from her sight
Kaguya then looked at the viewing mirror and couldn't help but worry for her saviors.
'Please Rangers…be safe' she thought as she watched
(~~~~)
Back with the Rangers, they were now searching the city for any people but were coming up empty. The city was like a ghost town, it was dead quiet and unsettling, causing everyone to be nervous.
"Man…where is everyone?" Michal said looking around the barren streets
"No idea, just keep looking" Eric said
Suddenly a sound could be heard from a nearby building, causing them to slightly jump at the sound.
"What was that?!" Kelvin said looking around frantically
"It came from the top floor of that building" Alex said pointing up
The building in question was a large Japanese house with a series of windows along the outside.
"Let's go check it out" Eric said as the others nodded
The four of them then walked into the house slowly and carefully as to not make too much noise. Inside the house was a bit of a shamble, furniture was turned up and over turned as well as tables and cabinets. The place looked like it was ransacked by something…lots of somethings.
"I don't like the looks of this" Alex said looking around the place
"If you think that's bad check this out" Michal said looking at a section of wall
Walking over to the wall the others then saw what Michal was looking at, it was long and deep slash. One would think it was a sword swipe but it was to jagged for that and there seemed to be green goop of some kind dripping from the edges.
"That's…defiantly not normal, even for this world" Kelvin said as everyone nodded
"We'll probably know more if we head up, let move" Eric said as they moved away from the scene
They then ascended a flight of stairs to the top floor and just like before it was in shambles. Everything looked normal, expect for one, glowing object in the back of the room. Seeing it, the four Rangers then moved forward to the glow moving carefully incase anything was a trap. Once they were close enough they found out the object was a large egg. It looked like something out of Alien, but instead of black the skin was a translucent green with black veins spread around its skin.
"Ew! What is that thing?" Kelvin said looking at the strange egg in disgust
The other's then got closer, hoping to get a better look, but before they could a creaking sound could be heard, causing them to turn around quickly.
"Who's there?! Show yourself!" Eric shouted into the room
After saying that, something stood out from behind a torn up seat and made its way forward. Once it was visible, it was shown to be a little boy probably no older than ten, wearing a very large shirt over his body. Seeing him everyone then relaxed as they quietly approached the boy.
"Hey there little guy, are you okay?" Kelvin asked the boy as he nodded his head
"That's good, where are your parents kid?" Michal asked next
"There dead" the boy said
The others couldn't help but feel sorry for the boy; after all they all knew what it was like to lose your parents.
"Any idea who did this?" Eric asked
Suddenly the boy gained a wicked smile, causing the boy to suddenly morph and change. His body then grew bigger and taller as bandages seemed to grow from his skin. Once it was done, what stood before the Rangers was a tall man in black cloak and bandages covering his head and arms.
"That would be me" he said causing the Ranger to take up fighting stances
"Okay! That is just plain creepy!" Kelvin shouted as the man smirked
"Allow me to introduce myself, I am Shamuhaza, one of Vault's many powerful sorceries and genius magicians" He said with pride in his voice
"Well get ready mummy face cause were going to send you packing!" Michal said making Shamuhaza chuckle
"I see children have very little respect for the elderly I see" Shamuhaza said as the others glared
"You clearly don't know who you're dealing with" Michal said
"Really" Shamuhaza replied with a smirk
"Yeah, were the Power Rangers!" Eric said making Shamuhaza chuckle again
"Ah yes, the Power Rangers…it's hard to believe that a couple of kids are able to halt Vault's conquest" he said until raising his arms to the sky, "Well, meet my children!"
Suddenly the ceiling then crashed in, as well as the walls causing the four to back up to the window in the back. Then out the ceiling and walls came what can only be described as humanized bugs, with mantis claws for hands, the head of a wasp and dark black shells on their backs.
"Uh, bugs why did it have to be bugs" Michal said with disgust in his voice
Shamuhaza then laughed as his bug monsters came to his side, all them snarling and chattering, ready to rip the Rangers to pieces.
"Impressive aren't they?" Shamuhaza said, petting on the monster on the head, "Now I leave you four in their capable hands, enjoy your selves" he said
He then vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving only his "children" with the Rangers as they slowly approached them.
"Uh idea's guys?" Kelvin asked
"Can't morph here, not enough space" Alex replied
Michal then looked over his shoulder and out the window at the empty streets below.
"There's plenty of room out their" Michal said
Everyone then nodded at this as the bugs were now a foot away from them causing Eric to jump into action.
"Go Guys!" Eric shouted as he kicked a bug in the chest
(Play Devo- Are you ready)
Once Eric attacked, Michal, Alex and Kelvin jumped out the window and landed on the city streets. Eric then kicked another bug away as he jumped out the window as well and joined his friends.
"Here they come!" Alex shouted
The bugs then jumped out of the window too, screeching as they did.
"Let's take these freaks!" Michal said
"Everyone split up!" Eric shouted as everyone did that
Eric then ran over to a stray spear in the ground and pulled it out and twirled it in his hands as the bugs surrounded him.
"Okay…let's dance!" Eric said
One of the bugs then tried to take a swipe at him with his claw but Eric then moved out the way and hit the monster in the back causing it to fall over. Eric then jabbed one bug in chest with the sharp end of the spear making it chatter in pain. Eric then thrusted the spear behind him and knocked another bug to the ground. A bug then jumped at him with its claw raised, making Eric raises his spear in front of him and blocked the attack but not without having his spear sliced in half. Eric then looked at the spear with a grimace until throwing the two pieces away and got into fighting stance.
With Michal he then flipped over a bug's attack and kicked a bucket into the bugs face, stunning it and giving Michal the chance to kick it in the chest.
"Come one, what else you got!" Michal shouted
He was then tackled by another bug as it held him down to the ground and raised it claw, but Michal then uppercut the bug in the chin getting it off him. Another Bug then came at him but Michal then grabbed an open door and swung it at the Bug.
"Here, hold the door!" Michal quipped as the door hit the bug making it fall over
Alex then back flipped from an attack from a bug, only to hit it with multiply kicks until hitting it with a roundhouse kick, knocking it to the dirt. Then another bug came up behind him and grabbed him, but Alex then grabbed hold of its arm and flipped it over his back and punched it in the chest causing its shell to crack. Alex then pulled back his fist only to find it covered in green goop making him cringe at the sight.
"Yuck, bug guts" Alex said, only to be tackled by another bug
Kelvin then punched a bug in the chest, causing it to stagger and then kicked it in the head, making it fall to ground in pain. Another bug came up to swipe at him but Kelvin then grabbed it forearm and hit it with an elbow strike. It tried to attack again but Kelvin Spartan kicked it, sending it sprawling to the ground.
"Sit down!" Kelvin shouted with a satisfied smile
He then looked up and saw more bugs coming out alleys and the tops of roofs and started came at them.
"Oh boy, see you later!" Kelvin said back flipping away
"Right behind you Kelvin!" Alex called out following Kelvin's lead
Eric was then flung across the road by two bugs, making him to land in the dirt with grunt of pain. Eric then shook it off and got back on his feet as Kelvin and Alex joined his side.
(End Theme)
"You okay Eric?" Alex asked as he nodded
"Yeah I'm good" Eric replied
Then Michal then landed in front of them causing them to come to his side and help him up.
"Man, these things are stronger then they look" Michal said
The four of them then backed up from the approaching horde of monster bugs until they hit a wall, cornering them.
"There's too many of them!" Alex shouted as the bugs closed in on them
Eric then stepped forward and placed his hand behind him to grabbed hold his morpher as everyone joined him.
"Come on guys, It Morphin Time!"
"Tigerzord!"
"White Ranger, Dino Power!"
"SPD, Emergency!"
"Jungle Beast, Spirit Unleashed!"
Then with a flash of light, the four of them morphed into their Ranger forms.
"Tigerzord, Mighty Morphin White Ranger"
"Drago Power, Dino Thunder White Ranger"
"Force from the Future, SPD Omega Ranger"
"With the power of a Rhino, Jungle Fury Rhino Ranger"
"We are the light that shines on Eostia, saving the innocent and thwarting evil, Power Rangers White Hope!"
Once they were done with there … intro, they then looked around only to find that the horde of bugs that once surrounded them was now gone.
"Did they just leave, while we were in middle of our intro…rude" Kelvin said with huff
"Where do you think they went?" Michal said looking around
"Don't know, keep our eyes peeled" Eric said
Alex then looked over to his left and saw something with a greenish look.
"Heads up guys! Over there!" Alex shouted pointing in the direction he saw
Everyone then looked and saw what looked like an underground passage and seemed to leak a dark mist from its opening.
"Careful guys, this could be trap" Eric said as everyone nodded
"Right!" they all said as they made their way to the passage
(~~~~)
Back in the temple Shamuhaza and Kaguya was busy watching the Rangers with the magic viewing mirror. Right now they were watching the Rangers make their way into a secret passage and while Shamuhaza watched the rangers with a look of cockiness, Kaguya looked in worry.
"Looks like your friends are making their way down to the catacombs, I hope their ready for what else I have planned for them" Shamuhaza said with a smirk
Kaguya only looked at the screen as she silently prayed for her friends and especially for a certain ranger.
(~~~)
Down in the catacombs, the Rangers were now in a large room with rows upon rows of holes in the walls. Inside those holes were what looked like wrapped up bodies, like that of a mummy and also they were what looked like alters, colored crimson and smelling of blood.
"What is this place?" Alex said, taking a gander at the room
"It's the catacombs that run under Thorn" Kelvin said, "It's also an underground ritual site for Kaguya and her comrades, mostly sacrificial rituals" he added making everyone shiver
"Oh great, that makes me feel so much better~" Michal said sarcastically
"And how do you even know about that anyway?" Alex asked making Kelvin blush under his helmet
"Uh…well you see…uh" Kelvin sputtered out
"Come on you three focus" Eric said, snapping the other rangers to attention, "We've got work to do, so stay alert" Eric added
Suddenly they heard the sound of a rocks moving causing them to look around for the source but found nothing.
"Anybody see anything?" Kelvin asked as they looked around the area
"It's too dark in here, we need some light" Eric said
"Hold on, I think I got something for that" Alex said
He then pressed a button on the side of his helmet, causing the two sirens on the side of his helmet to pop open and revealed two flashlights. They then switched on, which illuminated the chamber and revealing more bodies and alters.
"Maybe it was better when it was dark" Alex said
Suddenly everyone then saw movement in one of the corners causing them to look but saw nothing. They then decided to continue on and hopefully find their targets but so far all they found was just stone and mummies. They then entered a large room that was highly more decorative and bigger, with many chambers and ritual sites all around.
"Looks like we hit a dead end" Alex said looking around the room
Kelvin then stepped forward, which confused everyone, even more so when he suddenly held his hands together in a sort of prayer stance.
"Uh…Kelvin…what are doing?" Michal asked
"It's a detection ritual, Kaguya taught to me once, it helps someone find something or someone even in the darkest of places" Kelvin said
"Cool, and how does this work?" Alex asked
"In short, I have to keep my mind calm and listen and feel the air around me for any disturbances and then bingo" Kelvin replied
He then took a deep breath and started relax his shoulders and back, causing his mind to settle down and focus. Before long he then felt the air and pressure in the room, causing him to feel around now with his mind and it wasn't long before he then felt it…a sudden movement of air making him snap to attention.
"Over there!" Kelvin shouted pointing up at a chamber entrance
Suddenly the whole room lit up with the sound of chattering bug noises and the snapping of pincers. The Rangers then went back to back as the whole chamber lit up with torches, causing the monsters to be revealed. They all stood on balconies and walls as they clacked at the Rangers with their mandibles and before they knew it the bugs then charged!
"Come guys! Let's Power up!" Eric shouted
"Right!" they all replied
The bugs then enclosed on them and started to swing at them, Eric was the first to attack with a spin kick sending the poor monster flying into a pillar. Alex then tripped up another one of the bugs, making it fall and then kicked it in the midsection, sending it flying into the ceiling until landing on the ground in a heap.
"Spread out guys, let's do some pest control!" Eric shouted as they all nodded
Michal then somersaulted over a group of bugs until landing on broken stone pillar as the bugs gather around the bottom of it.
"Alright then, how about a light show" Michal quipped
He then pulled out of sword and quickly drew some arrows in the air until letting them lose on the crowd, causing those to pierced and skewed by laser hot arrows. Suddenly two bugs came up behind Michal and swung at him but he simply blocked the attack with his Drago sword, until he pushed them back and slashed in a large arc in front of him, causing green bug guts to go flying.
"Now I know why people cut flies in mid-air, its fun" Michal said with playful smirk under his helmet
Back with Eric, he was then tossed through wall causing him to crash into another room but quickly got back on his feet.
"Well that's one way of breaking and entering" Eric said
Then out of the hole he just made, two bugs came at him with their pincers raised. Eric then quickly punched one in the chest, causing it to stumble over and quickly kicked one in the face and sent it sprawled on the ground. Unfortunately one bug decked him in helmet sending Eric to ground, it then tried to attack again only receive a kick to its jaw.
"Back off!" Eric shouted as he jumped back to his feet
The two other bugs then came at from both sides but Eric then jumped into air like a corkscrew and landed on a higher platform. Once he landed, another bug came at him but Eric then grabbed the bug by its arm and punched it repeatedly in the stomach until hitting it with a roundhouse kick. The bug was then sent flying through the air until slamming into a pillar, causing it's body to splatter into bug guts.
"Strangely enough…that was kind of satisfying" Eric said
With Alex he was in the main chamber and was handling five bugs at once. He then kicked one in the chest with a Spartan kick. Unfortunately the other four were quickly surrounding him but thinking quickly, Alex then went into a break-dancers spin and sending a kick to each foe sending them flying. Another one came at him but Alex quickly raised the handle on his morpher and twisted it.
"Muscle Mode!"
Alex then slammed the handle back and grabbed hold of the bug until tossing the sorry thing into the air and into the wall, causing it to go splat!
"This sure is going to be one messy night!" Alex said
Kelvin then somersaulted over a trio of bugs until pointing his Morpher at them.
"Fire!"
Three energy blasts then came out and blasted each one, causing them to be bored in. Once Kelvin landed two more bugs then jumped from the rafters and tried to dive bomb him, but Kelvin then jumped into the air and swung his morpher in an arc, knocking the two out of the air. Two more bugs came at Kelvin with their pincers raised and ready to strike but Kelvin then jumped in the air and avoided the attacks, while mid-air Kelvin then spread his legs out and delivered a split kick to the two bugs.
"So who else wants some?" Kelvin asked
One more bug then tried to attack him from behind but with one good slice from his Rhino Blade, the poor insect was split down the middle.
Down in the main chamber, Michal had just finished another batch of bug monsters with his arrows, though once they went down another group took its place, causing Michal to groan in annoyance.
"They just keep coming!" Michal shouted
"Yeah, no joke" Alex replied as he kicked another monster away
Suddenly another bug fell from one of chamber entrances as Eric stood at the entrance.
"Guys! Round them all up, it's time to squash these bugs!" Eric shouted as everyone nodded
Then one by one, the rangers then jumped onto one of the alters, causing the monsters to follow and gather below the Rangers.
"All right you all let me introduce you to my friends Saba!" Eric shouted as he unsheathed said sword
He then twirled Saba in his hand until throwing him out and started to circle the group of bug and corralled them together. Once they were together, Saba spun to the ceiling and once there Saba then blasted the chain of a chandelier and made it fall to the ground.
"Down she goes" Saba said
Then before they knew it, the chandelier came crashing down on the group of bugs causing them all to go splat!
"Yeah!" they all shouted in triumph
Seeing as there were no more of those bugs, the Rangers then head out into the catacombs and hopefully find a way out.
(~~~~)
Back in the temple Shamuhaza was in complete shock at the scene he witnessed while Kaguya smirked at her once old friend.
"Guess your creations aren't as tough as you thought" she said with a bit of smugness
But all that did was enraged Shamuhaza as he whirled around backhanded Kaguya in the face, making her yelp in pain.
"Shut your mouth! My creations are perfect in every way they just lucky!" Shamuhaza shouted which made Kaguya chuckle
"I think what we saw says other whys" she replied making Shamuhaza snarl in rage
Although his angry infused face was then replaced with a smirk, which confused Kaguya.
"Mabye now my creation can't stop the Rangers…but my next creation might just do the trick" he said
Suddenly Kaguya then felt a tingling sensation down her spine as something crawled along her backside. Kaguya then craned her neck to see what it was, only to gasp at the sight of a purple skinned insect that crawling down to rear end.
"No! You can't!" Kaguya shouted in fear as she watched the creature crawl down her back
"Oh I can and I will, for soon you will give birth to my strongest creation yet" Shamuhaza said
Then with horror on her face she then felt the disgusting insect reach her butt and before she knew it…something entered her hole.
"NO!"