The Path of Friendship
By : Tsubasa Caligrapher
Chapter 14
Disclaimer : I don't own Power Rangers ... but I do own all those other little characters like Harry, Francis and such ...
Thanks : The Similerian, Azure Kaze, PrettyDiva, PernDragonrider, and KaiAN-Chan ! Thanks you guys sooo much for sticking to this story the entire time, makes me glad that I wrote it and am continuing to write it. Thanks you guys and gals so much, love ya !
Author's Note : This chapter isn't going to be like the previous ones. This chapter is filled with action and suspence, the humor will me light in this one ok ? And if you don't like, don't worry, it will go back to the lighter tune soon ... though, if you do like it, leave me a review ! This is one of my very serious and angsty chapter, so don't expect a happy-go-lucky mood as always ok. I'm just warning you, this is where the actual T rating comes into play.
--
" Jessie ? " Trini called out to her single roommate as she woke up and gave a small yawn. She looked over to her roommate's bed and saw that it was already made, like it hasn't even been slept in. Trini was just about to shrug it off but then remembered the conversation they had yesterday.
" Well, I usually eat with my roommates but they seem to be missing today. "
" So, Harry, you have like no idea where your roommates are ? "
" No, but you know them. They usually turn up sooner or later, so I wouldn't worry much about them. "
' He shrugged it off, but he may be on to something. Something or someone is kidnapping the slaves in this castle, but who ? The only person who I think would do this is ... Francis ! And he's in the castle ! ' Trini's eyes snapped open when she realized it and she charged to Kim's room.
" Kim ! Kim ! " she yelled pounding on the door.
" What ? " Kim asked in alarm as she threw open the door.
" Get dressed and meet me in the boys' room. It's important. " Trini said quickly as Kim nodded and she dashed to her other friends.
" You guys ! " Trini yelled as she burst through the door. The boys shot up and were about to shout out their protests but they saw something was wrong.
" What's up ? " Zack asked as he got up and started to get dressed.
" Something is definetly wrong. " Trini said seriously.
--
Moments later, they were all in the boys room and they were all dressed, including Harry.
" Harry, I'm guessing that your roommates didn't come back last night ? " Trini asked.
" No, they didn't. How did you know ? " he asked, looking at her.
" Because, mine didn't come back either. " Trini said.
" But you think Francis is behind this ? " Kim asked.
" Yes, I do. But this is only a thought, we don't have any proof of it yet, he is just one suspect. " Trini said.
" But are we just being paranoid, or are they really missing ? " Billy asked as they all turned to him.
" I'm not saying that I doubt you Trini, it's just that so many things have happened to us. And they all have to do with Francis so we might just assume that he is the cause of everything that goes bad. " he explained.
" Billy does make a point. " Jason said.
" I know, but still. I don't think we should make anymore assumptions until we start finding some legitimate evidence. " Trini said as they all nodded. They just waited around until they heard stomachs growling.
" Well, I guess we can't solve this mystery until we get some food. " Zack suggested as they got up and went out the door.
--
" Thanks Ernie ! " they all said as they turned to the crowd.
" You know, something just doesn't seem right ... but I can't tell what. " Kim said perceptively.
" I know, I kinda get that feeling too. " Zack said as they proceeded to their table. They quietly sat down and started eating.
" Kim, can you get us into the dungeon ? " Trini asked quietly.
" Why ? Won't it be dangerous ? " Kim whispered back in worry.
" Yes it will. But what better place to search for clues than the suspect's domain ? " Trini replied.
" I guess so. But still, I don't think my power alone can allow us entry into it. It is very well-guarded after all, I think only my dad or mom can get through and even they need a whole bunch of guards around them. Only my personal guards are still here, most of the others either went with mom or dad on their trips. " Kim explained.
" Hmmm, this does make things complicated. " Trini sighed. They looked over and saw that the boys were having their own discussion.
" Hey, what are you boys whispering about ? " Kim called as they snapped to attention.
" Nothing. " they all said glumly.
" You guys didn't come up with a plan either ? " Trini asked.
" Nope. " they all chorused.
" Ugggh ! I'm so frustrated ! I know what there's something wrong with this picture but I can't tell what ! " Kim groaned as she pointed to the rest of the dining room.
" Well come on, let's hurry up and finish eating so we can discuss this in the privacy of our room. " Billy suggested. They quickly ate their breakfast and went to give their plates to Ernie, when they realized that he wasn't there.
" Ernie ? " they all called.
" Where is he ? " Jason asked.
" He might be at the Youth Center, so I guess we can just leave them here. " Zack suggested as they left their plates and walked upstairs. They didn't see Ernie being dragged off out in the back ...
--
" Anybody got a plan yet ? " Zack asked tiredly. They were sitting in the boys' room, trying to figure it out.
" Wait ... oh my god ! " Kim yelled suddenly.
" What ? " they all asked in surprise.
" I know what was wrong in the dining room ! " she yelled.
" What ? " they asked again.
" Did you notice, that the number of people eating were less ? " she quietly asked. They all thought about it and realized she was right, the eating crowd was smaller.
" But what if they decided to skip breakfast ? " Harry suggested.
" Well, if they did skip breakfast, they wouldn't skip lunch would they ? " Kim smiled as they made their way downstairs. They peeked inside the door and saw a small group forming at the kitchen door.
" What's going on ? " Zack asked one of the slaves in the line.
" Ernie's not here. " they replied as Zack looked back at the others.
" Ok, now we know something's wrong. Ernie wouldn't just leave like that. " Zack said as they all nodded in agreement.
" Ummm, do you guys realize that we barely know any of these people ? " Billy pointed out. They all turned back to the crowd and scanned the unfamiliar faces.
" Billy's right. " Harry said quietly. And they left the room and went back into the hall.
" So, it seems that someone's taking everyone that we know. " Trini realized.
" Bulk and Skull ! " Jason shouted as he saw the duo go out the front door. They ran after them into the green pasture in front of the castle.
" Where did they go ? " Kim yelled as they looked around their empty surrounding.
" This is a flat area, we should be able to see them. " Billy said as they looked around once again.
" You guys, where's Harry and Trini ? " Zack asked.
--
" Are you sure they went this way ? " Trini asked.
" Yeah, I'm pretty sure. " Harry said as he quickly followed that path he saw them take. They weaved their way through a couple of bushes and they came to the castle back wall.
" What would they be doing here ? " Harry wondered.
" I don't know ... but I have a bad feeling about this. " Trini thought.
" You're right. " she heard a gruff voice behind her as she saw someone knock Harry out. She ducked when a large hand swung over her head and she backflipped, wrapping her legs around the neck of her enemy. She flipped over them and brang her legs back, throwing them over her body. Trini slowly got up and realized that she was surrounded.
' Where did all of them come from ? ' she thought.
" Hello dearie. Remember me ? " Trini eyes narrowed as she realized who said it. As a small portion of the crowd seperated, the one and only Francis walked through and smiled that disgusting smile.
" What are you doing out here ? " Trini asked angrily.
" What do you mean ? Out of the dungeon ? You silly person, as if that rickity old thing can contain me and my crew. You don't think that those two fools were actually intelligent enough to outsmart me right ? " he grinned evilly.
" Where are they ? And what did you do to the other slaves ? " she asked forcibly.
" Let me tell you this. The guards are very stupid. They don't even make sure who's in the dungeons, they just make there are people in it. " he smirked as Trini gasped in horror.
" You demon ! " she shouted in rage.
" Why thank you. Don't worry, your friends will soon join them. Hmmm, maybe I should take the little princess too as hostage and get a hefty amount of gold while I'm at it. "
" Why are you telling me all this ? " Trini asked in confusion as she prepared herself for battle.
" Because, you're not going to ever speak another word after this. " he smiled as the crowd slowly closed in on her.
" Only if you can catch me. " she smirked as she lashed out a kick behind her and started the brawl.
--
" Where are they ? " Kim yelled as they ran throughout the castle.
" Where could they have gone ? " Billy wondered as Jason and Zack suddenly yelled.
" Aaaggghhhh ! " they yelled as they pointed outside.
" Trini ! " Zack yelled. They looked outside the window and saw that Trini was being attacked by a group of thugs. Jason and Zack moved a couple of paces back and then they jumped out the window ! The other two ran to the side and saw that Jason and Zack had safely made it down and were fighting side-by-side with Trini.
" Aaaagggghhh ! " they yelled as they were face-to-face with a thug when they turned around. He struck out but Kim and Billy dodged and kicked him in the stomach. They ran opposite directions, straight into more thugs. They nervously chuckled and backed up against eachother again. As Kim gave the signal, Billy grabbed her arm and threw her over his shoulder so she can kick a thug away while he kicked the other one away. They grabbed hands and started running downstairs as they saw more at the end.
They looked at eachother before they jumped down the rest of the stairs and kicked them away, the karate lessons from the fighting prodigy trio has finally worn off. Billy kicked one of them down and hopped over him, grabbing for Kim as they ran to the front door. He threw it open but a very, very large man blocked their path. Kim and Billy slowly edged back, clearly knowing that they wouldn't be able to beat him.
" Ummm ... have you noticed that everybody's gone ? " Billy whispered to her.
" Yeah, they might be out in town. "
" Why would they be there ? "
" Because nobody's here to tell them what to do ... " she whispered back before they made a dash for the dining room with the thugs on their tail.
--
" Ugh ! " Jason grunted as he blocked a kick and threw a strong right hook. He looked to the others and saw that they were doing fine so far, but it just seemed endless. Jason grunted in pain as someone threw a sharp kick to his stomach and made him stumble back. Soon, the others were also shot back and landed against eachother.
" You guys ok ? " Jason whispered back.
" Yeah, we're fine. But they're starting to get more and more hits in. " Zack replied.
" He's right. We might be able to hold out a little longer but there's just too many. I think our only hope is to go back into the castle to spread them out and regroup. " Trini suggested as the other two nodded. They all gave a loud battle cry and kicked down a group of enemies, knocking them down and jumping over them, trying to reach the back door. They got to it and saw that a few thugs were going to sneak in also.
" Hey. " Jason whispered behind one of them as he knocked him out the moment he turned. Zack and Trini took care of the rest and they proceeded to the door.
--
" Kim, someone's coming. " Billy whispered as he braced himself against the door to the dining room.
" I hope I don't have to use this. " Kim sighed as she picked up a knife. As soon as a figure walked in, she flipped right in front of him and held the knife to his throat.
" Get out. " she seethed out, not realizing who it was.
" Kim ? " Jason asked in alarm.
" Jase. Oh god, we thought it was more of those goons ! " Kim sighed relief as she pulled back the knife and ushered everyone in.
" What a day. Man, who knew it would be all-out war when we woke up today. " Zack sighed as he helped Billy hold up the door.
" Where's Harry ? " Kim asked.
" I think he got taken by Francis and thrown into the dungeon with the others. " Trini said.
" So you were right, Francis is behind all of this. " Kim clarified. They saw that Billy and Zack were starting to have trouble holding up the door, even the with lock on it.
" It's not going to hold up for long. " Kim said.
" She's right. I guess all we can do is seperate into groups and try to use the ancient plan, divide and conquer. " Trini suggested.
" Ummm, as far as I know, many haven't proceeded upstairs yet. I think Kim's room and his majesty's are the best for out situation. " Billy said.
" He's right. Both their bedrooms are the largest and they have the most supplies. " Jason said.
" I know that we've never used weapons before, but drastic times call for drastic measures. " Jason went into leader-mode and gave them all a slim knife.
" Remember, we use these only if the situation calls for it. " Trini said as she tucked it into her belt and everyone else nodded. Jason got Billy and they proceeded out the door first as they other three soon followed.
" Ai ya ! " the group of three yelled as the crowd foolishly followed them so Jason and Billy managed to sneak back into the castle. They peeked in the main door and saw that all those other thugs were still in the dining room, thinking Kim and Billy were still there.
" Come on. " Jason said as they quickly proceeded upstairs. They looked over the corner and saw two thugs blocking the entrance to the king's room. They looked at eachother and executed a quick plan.
" Over here ! " Jason called as he ran back the moment the started to chase him. He ran past the corner and as the two thugs followed, Billy stuck out his leg and tripped them both.
" Ummm, Jason ? " Billy asked as he peered at the unconscious pair.
" Wow, they're knocked out cold. " Jason admired as they went into the king's room and locked the door behind them. They went over to the giant bed and collapsed onto it.
" This all seems so unreal. " Jason sighed.
" I know, it was just yesterday that you turned into a four year-old and our entire day was filled with fun. " Billy remembered.
" You know, I still can't get over the pacifier thing. " Jason brought up, making Billy crack a smile.
" I guess the story of our life has taken a turn huh ? " Billy said.
" Yeah, our life was filled with happiness and adventure, but I guess it just seemed too perfect to be true huh ? " Jason said.
" Yeah. " Billy sadly agreed. He had enjoyed the time they had spent together, but Jason was right. They were living in a fairy-tale, and this is the real world. Suddenly, he felt Jason stiffen beside him.
" Billy, I just realized something. "
" What ? " he asked, sitting up.
" Why were there guards in front of this room ? "
" I don't know. Maybe they were just here by chance ? "
" No I don't think so. I think they were guarding something ... or someone. " Jason said gravely as he flipped up and pulled Billy behind him.
" Sharp as ever Jason. " Francis said as he came out of nowhere and knocked Jason out. Billy tried to attack him but a cloth was pressed over his face and he started to lose consciousness.
" What did you- " Billy started to ask before he fainted.
" Chloride my dear. Anybody can find it if you look in the right place. " he smiled as he hoisted Billy onto his back and took him downstairs.
--
" Hi ya ! " the group yelled as they threw a triple axe kick at the last remaining guard before they got into Kim's room and locked it.
" Geez, didn't know I knew how to bust out so many karate moves. " Kim gave a light-hearted chuckle.
" Yeah, I know. But you did pretty good out there. " Zack complimented as Kim gave a small bow.
" Wow, I guess this is what being in war feels like. " Trini sighed sadly.
" I know, can you imagine it ? I mean, this is what they must feel like, every single day. Always on high alert, having the feeling that you are always being watched, having to bet your life on every move you make. " Kim realized as she just had a higher respect for soldiers.
" Yeah. When you look at it, this all seems like it's just a bad dream huh ? " Zack said.
" I know what you mean. " Kim said.
" It seemed that ever since we got here and made friends with you and Billy, every day we had one fun adventure after another. But now, it's us against criminals. " Trini sighed. They all went to Kim's bed and they fell against it.
" God, my muscles are sore ! " Kim whined.
" Yeah man, I'm tired as heck. " Zack whined too.
" Well, I hope Billy and Jason are ok. " Trini said.
" I'm sure they are, I mean, they are almost exact opposites of eachother. But that just means that they sorta balance eachother out. Billy's probably coming up with the plans and Jason's doing all the physical action. " Kim said.
" Wow, nice theory Kim. " the other two complimented.
" Thanks. " Kim smiled as she got up.
" They match eachother perfectly. " Kim whispered quietly so none of the others could hear as she made her way to her window. They suddenly heard her scream as they turned just in time to see Kim being pulled out the window. The pair ran to her aid but more thugs started jumping into the windows to confront them.
" Damn. " Zack cursed as another battle started.
--
" Billy ? " Jason groaned as he rubbed his head. His eyes snapped open when he realized that he wasn't in the castle anymore. He was in the dungeon, the cold stone floors and the iron bars, with a small slit for light and fresh-air.
" Jason ? " he heard a voice beside him.
" Harry ? " he asked in surprise, he didn't even see him there. Harry scooted over and made sure that Jason was not seriously injured.
" Yeah, Francis got me locked up in here too. " he grumbled angrily.
" So, did you manage to find your two roommates ? " Jason asked, noticing how Harry slightly stiffened.
" Yeah ... " he whispered angrily.
" What happened ? " Jason asked.
" Ha, hehe. I can't believe I trusted them. You know what ? When they always left in the middle of the night, I didn't care about it much, until I knew that they were going to gang meetings. Francis didn't get out of the dungeon alone, Matt and Hunter helped him the entire time. And I was worried about them. " he started chuckling. Jason eyes darkened, he had never seen the eccentric and always happy Harry ever act like this. He laid a hand on his shoulder and smiled reassuringly.
" Hey, it's not as if it's your fault that they decided to go down this road. But it's their own fault, and they missed out on having a great friend. " Harry smiled briefly at the gesture but a strangled cry was heard echoing through the dungeon.
" What was that ? " Jason asked, frightened. That voice sounded too familiar for comfort.
" Are you sure you wanna know ? " Harry asked, Jason noticing that he had gone pale as he slowly nodded.
" It's Billy. "
--
" Look at it Billy ! Look at it ! " yelled Francis maniacly as he shoved a picture in Billy's face. It was of his mother, screaming in pain right before she died.
" How can you be this cruel ! " Billy yelled as the whip made contact against his back.
" Hey, it's one my many talents. And if you're wondering where I got this, it's a gift from your lovely government advisor. He found you, and he wants me to make your life a living nightmare. " he smirked as he held up Billy's face.
" Go to hell ! " Billy smirked as he spit blood in his face. Then, the door behind them opened and a thug carrying Kim came in.
" Let me go you stupid oaf ! " Kim yelled angrily as she struggled to break free. He then threw her onto the ground, next to Billy.
" Oh my god ! Billy ! " she yelled as she pulled him into a soft embrace.
" You monster ! " Kim yelled at Francis angrily, on the verge of tears.
" Why thank you. Now, let me give you some time to spend together before ... the end. " he started laughing as he shut the door behind them and locked it, leaving them alone.
" Billy, I'm so sorry ! I'm so sorry. " she started crying as she saw how bloody his back was.
" Don't worry Kim. I'm ok, as long as the others are safe ... " he said before he passed out. Kim gently stroked his cheek as she let him rest for now, because unless a miracle happens, things weren't going to get any better.
--
" BILLY ! " Jason screamed as he started tackling the iron gate.
" Jason, JASON ! Stop ! This isn't doing any good, you won't be any help to Billy if you bust yourself up ! " Harry said, trying to calm Jason down.
" But I can't ! Billy is getting hurt, and Kim is going to be next, I just know it ! " Jason yelled in outrage. He remembered just moments before when he saw Kim getting carried in by a thug.
" Awwww, miss your boyfried you little fag ? " came Francis's taunting voice as he passed their cell.
" What the hell did you do to him ! If you spilt one drop of his blood, you're dead ! You hear me ! " Jason yelled angrily as Francis smirked and left him. He fell back down and somthing dropped off of him. He picked up the knife, glittering in the light.
' I completely forgot ... ' Jason shot back up and started attacking the lock with it.
" Wait Jason, give it here. " Harry said as he grabbed the knife and managed to pick the lock.
" I'm going to get Billy and Kim, you, find some help, quick. " Jason said as they ran opposite directions. He kicked down the door when he came to it and almost fainted at what he saw.
" Oh god ... " Jason whispered.
" Jason ? " Kim turned around in surprise, the small movement waking Billy up. Jason was about to run to them but a soft click made him stop.
" Oh my, what do we have here. An escapee ? Well, we must deal out a punishment for that, and I think I know the perfect one. Death. " Francis's voice came as he pressed the barrel of his gun to Jason's head.
" So, who first. Those two over there ? ... or you ? " Jason heard another click and realized that he was pointing the other gun at Kim and Billy. He sighed, but he stood strong.
" Me. "
--
Oh my god ! I can't believe I wrote that ! This must have been the most violent thing I ever wrote ! But please review, they still mean a lot to me. And if you don't like it, sorry. I just watched a really depressing movie and I kinda took it out on my story. Anyway, review please ! And I know this chapter is shorter than usual, sorry for that too. And this cliffhanger is gonna be here for a long time because I'm going on vacation tomorrow ! Yay ! So this story will be on temporary hiatus until I come back in a week ok ? God, then I have to start 8th grade ! Yay ! So, please review and wish me happiness on my trip !