Chapter 26 - Darkness
The battle against Badusa had gone well after his amulet had been destroyed. The Tupux Zord had surfaced at the perfect time, and with Ari's help commanding it, they had weakened him enough to return to a normal size, before they and the rest of the team managed to defeat him for good.
But that victory came with a cost. In the time it had taken them to save their friends and defeat Badusa, Sledge had managed to repair his ship. They had been forced to watch as the ship, still looking in bad shape, took to the air and vanished into orbit.
Returning to base, none of the team felt like they had won that day. Yes, they had a powerful new Zord in their arsenal that Shelby had created, and they had defeated a vicious monster responsible for so much loss in the universe, but they still failed in what they wanted to do.
Sledge had escaped, and the Dark Energem was still in his grasp. And whatever his plan was, they had no idea.
"Before she ran off, Teddie warned me," Heckyl managed to say, having explained the reason for his disappearance in the forest. Chase looked pained, knowing that his sister was free from Mab and had escaped her prison, yet refused to return to her family. Ari looked just as thrown by what Heckyl had explained, and the rest of the team looked worried.
"She warned you? She said she was still evil. How can you trust whatever she says?" Riley asked, and winced at how callous his words were. He looked over at Chase. "Sorry," he apologised. Chase sighed as Koda squeezed his shoulder, looking worried for his friend.
"No mate, you're right. If it were anyone else, I would say the same thing," he admitted.
"What did she say?" Ari asked, arms folded.
"She said that we need to be careful," Heckyl said, knowing that Chase and Riley were right. She'd helped them, yes, but she still worked from the shadows and was adamant that there wasn't a shred of good left in her. "That there's so much more to Sledge's plan than we realise," he repeated what Teddie had said.
"That's…vague," Jeremy admitted. He didn't want to accept that Teddie could still be evil. Especially since he was the one person who knew just what it was like to be touched by the Dark Energem. Heckyl shrugged.
"That's all she said," he said. He knew it wasn't much to go on, but he also knew it was something that had to be shared with the rest of his team.
"It may be vague, but it is a warning nonetheless," Ivan was the one to speak as he considered it. "Lady Teddie has assisted us from the shadows for the last few battles. If she would emerge from those shadows to give us a warning, then whatever Sledge has planned must be truly devastating."
None of the Rangers could settle after the events with Badusa. Between Sledge escaping with the Dark Energem and Teddie's ominous warning, something seemed to linger in the air that put them all on edge.
James was the first to notice, however, that while they were all on edge, there were certain members of the team who seemed wound tighter than usual. At first, he thought it was just Chase, and it didn't surprise him. His twin sister was still a mystery, and despite remembering everything now, she still refused to come home. He hadn't even had the chance to talk to her since they had discovered her identity.
Then he noticed that Olivia was almost just as wound up as her boyfriend. Again, seemed like a reasonable thing - she was the one closest to Chase, and the one who managed to coax him back to himself time and time again when everything threatened to make him shut down. James assumed it was just a case of being too close to Chase.
Ivan, however, James couldn't quite find a reason to justify how tense the knight looked. He was constantly training or tending to his sword, making sure that it was in as perfect condition as ever. James was sure he'd never find a weapon so well cared for as the Zandarian sword. The Gold Ranger was constantly keeping busy, and often was finding a reason to help everyone else out with the most minor of tasks.
Ari, however, felt like the giveaway. Again, James felt she had a lot to be stressed about. Not only did she have to watch Chase run into battle again and again, but her only daughter was caught up in it too, and she didn't have a Ranger suit to protect her against the threat of Sledge and Mab, who both wanted her dead. But Ari was experienced, and hid her emotions well - despite her frequent claims that she was a big crybaby. Seeing her looking just as on edge told James that there was definitely something wrong.
"You see it too, huh?" James glanced at Arianna, who sat down beside him and offered him a smoothie. "Just how tense they are. Something bad is in the air," she considered aloud before taking a drink of her own smoothie.
"What do you mean?" James asked, wondering just what Arianna knew. She looked up at him with sharp eyes.
"They all have links to magic," James' eyes widened as he realised she was right. Ari and Ivan both hailed from the Magical Realm, and Chase was a powerful magic user even if he chose not to use his magic much, while Olivia was learning to control water magic. "Those with magic tend to be more in tune with the energy in the air, so if they're the ones most on edge…"
"Then there's something bad in the air," James repeated what Arianna had said before. She nodded, unable to hide her worry for her new family. He smiled gently, putting a reassuring arm around her to hug her gently. "Then we'll just have to find out what it is," he said, keeping enough confidence in his voice to win a small smile back from her.
"I just can't help but worry about Teddie. She isn't evil. I refuse to accept that," Arianna said quietly, shaking her head.
"It's the Dark Energem," she looked around as Jeremy took a seat on her other side. She didn't even complain as he stole her smoothie and took a sip. "You remember what I was like when I first joined. How I still get sometimes. The Dark Energem makes you forget that there's anything good inside you and makes it normal to feel nothing but anger and sadness," Jeremy said gently. He didn't look at either Arianna nor James as he spoke, and instead watched Riley and Ivan sparring. The Green Ranger looked tired, but refused to give up as Ivan clearly needed the training to keep him occupied.
It had been on Jeremy's mind from the moment he'd found out that Teddie and Mab had split, just like he and Kerberos had. He too had refused to believe that Teddie was truly evil. She was his best friend. "Teddie forgot everything about her life. She only knew Arcanon and the darkness for months. That must have sunk deep into her, and it's clung. She may have her memories back, but she doesn't know anything about how to let that negativity go. Besides…" Jeremy trailed off.
"What is it?" Arianna asked quietly.
"Just because she remembered who she is, doesn't mean she's forgotten what she did while she was Thana," he reminded her gently. Arianna's eyes widened.
"You think she's staying away because she feels guilty about trying to destroy the Rangers?" James asked, keeping his voice low. The last thing he wanted was to be the catalyst that set off the others when tensions were already running so high. Jeremy shrugged, and for a moment his mask slipped and they saw a glimpse of his own fear.
"I know Ted. She's one of my best friends. The guilt is tearing her apart," his words were filled with the fear and worry he felt for Teddie. Arianna reached out and took his hand, squeezing it gently.
"We'll get her back," she promised.
"Yeah we will," James agreed. Jeremy nodded.
The system alarm blaring made everyone jump, with some of them quickly putting their hands to their ears to try and muffle the sound of the louder than normal alarm.
"What's going on?" Shelby shouted as Kendall checked the systems furiously. She fought with it, trying to get the alarm to stop, all while checking just why the alarm had started to go off.
"There's a dangerous amount of dark energy in town. They're similar to the Dark Energem," she looked up gravely at the time. The tension grew as all of them couldn't help but wonder if Sledge's plan was coming to fruition at last.
"Let's check it out," Tyler turned to his team. "Be careful. We can't make a mistake like we did with Badusa," he said, unwilling to take another chance. They had been lucky the last time - they couldn't rely on that luck again.
"Ari?" the woman glanced at the young Mercurian as she approached. Having been chewing on her thumbnail the entire time, Ari couldn't hide just how concerned she was. However, seeing the fear in Arianna's eyes, she managed to soften her gaze and reached out to pull Arianna into a hug.
"It'll be okay. The Rangers will be fine," she soothed the girl quietly. Arianna nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Ari closed her eyes.
She just wished she could fully believe her own words.
When the team of twelve reached the town square, they found it eerily quiet. There were no monsters wandering around to have chased off anyone walking by, yet there were no civilians around. Chase shuddered as the unease he'd been feeling in the air grew stronger as they arrived. Something was off, and when he looked at the other members of the team and saw their expressions, he suspected that the same unease was what had driven people away.
"I don't see anything," Tyler said as he did a quick sweep of the area.
"Me neither," James frowned, having found nothing out of the ordinary either.
"Perhaps the sensor isn't working right?" Philip suggested, but even he couldn't deny just how uncomfortable he had felt the moment they had arrived at the square.
"No, something is definitely wrong," Riley admitted as he looked up. "It's too quiet. Not even any birds," he pointed out when he couldn't hear or see any birds around at all.
"Something is wrong…it's definitely something to do with the Dark Energem," Heckyl said as they all stood together. His senses were screaming at him, and it was a weight that was getting heavier by the moment. Heckyl flexed his fingers, which were tingling from the power just beneath the surface that was reacting in instinct.
"We must be prepared for anything," Ivan said as his fingers curled around his Charger. He was ready to Morph in an instant if necessary, and the rest were as well.
"What that noise?" Koda asked as he turned, trying to source the sound that had just reached his sharp senses. A strange smell caught his attention - dark and musty and bad.
"Sounds like someone is…singing?" Chase wondered as he picked up on it. A moment later, the rest heard it too, and Jeremy tilted his head.
"That sounds like…" he trailed off, eyes going wide as a young man walked out from behind one of the buildings. His steps were light and slow as he walked, but the moment that he had appeared, all of them felt the hairs on the back of their neck stand on end.
Ryan sang aloud, his voice carrying across the otherwise silent square as he approached the team of twelve. He had a grin on his face, hands in his pockets as he almost seemed casual in how he was moving towards them.
"Ryan?" Jeremy called before he could stop himself, staring at one of his best friends. "What…" he trailed off as he couldn't stop the shiver from running down his spine when Ryan met his gaze. There was something in his eyes that was off, and it set off Jeremy's fight or flight instincts in a heartbeat.
"JJ!" Ryan's smile widened, but it was too cold; too sinister. "You know, I had a suspicion that you were the Silver Ranger! Another one inheriting the legacy," Ryan laughed as Jeremy tensed at being outed so easily. "I'd almost feel left out, if you guys weren't so pathetic," his voice dropped, the laughter vanishing.
"Excuse me?" Shelby growled.
"Oh come on, do you really think otherwise? Look at you!" Ryan laughed as he gestured towards the group. "Except for the colour scheme, nobody would ever look at you and think 'those are the mighty Power Rangers protecting us!'. Honestly," he smirked; a vicious look that didn't suit him. "You've got the nerd who should be in school, and some office secretary," he gestured to Riley and Kendall. Both blushed in anger and embarrassment. "Captain Caveman doesn't even look like he has two braincells to rub together," he mocked Koda, who glared at him.
"Who are you?" Jeremy snarled, unwilling to listen to someone pretending to be his friend mock their team.
"You're messing with the Dark Energem, aren't you?" Heckyl's hands lit up with the blue energy that hummed and glowed, ready to be thrown. Ryan glanced at him, giving him a once over before snorting.
"You don't even look remotely threatening. It's adorable," he taunted.
"I said…" Jeremy spoke as his silver aura surrounded him. "Who are you?" he demanded. Ryan looked amused.
"If you need a demonstration…" both Chase and Jeremy recognised the tension in Ryan's chest, knowing him well enough to know what was coming next.
"Cover your ears!" Chase yelled to the team, allowing them to act fast enough to do so. Ryan then opened his mouth and screamed, causing a powerful soundwave strong enough that it threw everyone off their feet. They hit the ground stunned, ears ringing even after being covered, and their bodies already felt bruised and battered.
"Care to explain what that was?" Heckyl asked, slightly too loud as he shook his head to try and focus properly.
"His Ptera Scream. Got it from his mum," Jeremy replied, also having to talk louder with his ears still ringing. He glared at the young man laughing at how easy it had been to knock them down. "Okay, you've proven that you're Ryan. What's going on?" the Silver Ranger was the one to shout the demand as the others managed to get up too.
"One of you already got close to the truth," Ryan shrugged. His eyes darted to Heckyl for a moment, before he looked back at Jeremy, almost dismissive.
"So you have touched the Dark Energem," Heckyl realised, and Jeremy's fists clenched at the idea. It wasn't something he wished on anyone after his own experience.
"Found it in the forest a few days ago. Some creepy dudes attacked me for it, so I destroyed them," Ryan shrugged casually, and their horror grew when he pulled the Dark Energem out from under his shirt. It hung from a piece of string around his neck, identical to their own.
All twelve Rangers were rooted to the spot as they stared at the Dark Energem. The unnaturally negative energy that it emitted was overwhelming and made it hard for them to breathe. Jeremy in particular was struggling as the sight of it brought back far too many horrifying memories.
"But how is it affecting him differently?" Philip wondered aloud.
"When I touched it, Kerberos was born. He doesn't seem to have another side," Jeremy considered as he watched carefully.
"Same with Teddie and Mab," Chase muttered. "He remembers who he is too, but the darkness has him acting…not himself," he added, thinking about just how different Ryan was to both Jeremy and Teddie.
"We'll have to figure it out later. Right now, we need to get it away from him," Kendall was the one to pull them from their thoughts.
That proved easier said than done, even as they Morphed. Ryan utilised both of his powers, vanishing from sight and making it hard for them to even try to catch him. Only Koda and his much greater sense of smell was able to find Ryan.
"Thanks, Koda," Shelby told the Blue Ranger as he protected her from Ryan's attack. The young man had become visible again, not losing the twisted sneer on his face as he instead began to use the power of the Dark Energem.
The waves of darkness were heavy and hit hard, pushing back against the Rangers as they tried to block it. However, the darkness was too strong, and they barely managed to hold their Morphs as their suits absorbed most of the damage.
"Ryan, stop this, please," Jeremy pleaded with his best friend as he wearily got to his feet. His energy levels were plummeting, and if they didn't stop it soon, they would have to retreat. "The darkness is overwhelming, I know that, but you have to fight it! Don't let it win!" he begged him. Ryan just scoffed as the words didn't affect him.
"Don't let it win?" he repeated. "Nothing is overwhelming me. I'm in control, and I'm not about to give up this power," he shook his head.
"You really think that you're in control, Ryan? Look at you! You're fighting us!" Chase shouted at him. Ryan looked over at him with a bored expression on his face.
"So?" he shrugged, uncaring.
"You're one of my best friends, Ryan," Jeremy pointed out. "We've been friends since we were little kids, and now you're using that power to fight me!" he exclaimed, unable to keep his voice neutral. He hated just how much the Dark Energem was destroying things, and warping Ryan to be someone he's not.
"Friends?" Ryan repeated. He then rolled his eyes and waved his hand. Darkness gathered for a moment before shooting out so fast that Jeremy couldn't defend himself. It hit him hard, lifting him off his feet and carrying him far enough that he slammed against the side of a building. Again, the suit absorbed most of the impact, but it still left him winded.
"Jeremy!" the others ran to help him as Ryan rolled his eyes again.
"Look at you, you're weak! One of you goes down and you all give up? Pathetic!" as Ryan shouted at them furiously, more dark energy began to swirl around him dangerously. Ryan didn't seem to notice it as he walked towards them. "You try to cover your weaknesses by fighting as a team to actually seem strong, but you're still tragic," he mocked as the energy grew stronger and started to strike at the Rangers.
"What is happening now?" Ivan cried out as he raised his arms to protect himself.
"I have no idea, but it's bad," Kendall warned. Gathering the power in his hand again, Heckyl put as much strength as he dared into an attack that hit the darkness swirling. For a moment, it began to retreat, and Ryan grunted as he found himself being pushed backwards.
"Ryan!" Jeremy shouted his name in one last plea.
"Shut up!" Ryan screamed. The energy pulsed out in an overpowering shockwave, and each Ranger hit the side of the building before falling to the ground. They felt their powers waning, and it was getting harder and harder to stand after each hit.
"Man, that's rough," Tyler complained, but as he lifted his head, his eyes grew wide and he gasped. "What?!" he cried out in horror, unable to believe what he was seeing. The others looked up too as they caught their breath, and gave cries of horror as well.
Standing in front of them, Ryan now wore a Ranger suit. Navy in colour with red sleeves and gold bands, it looked like one of their own suits, yet had a sinister aura around it.
"Ryan's a Power Ranger?" Chase was the one to find his voice as Ryan started to laugh again. He felt the power within growing stronger, and the Ranger suit he wore made him feel almost invincible.
Yet, despite the greater power, he decided to have some fun. Calling in some Vivizords to help, Ryan forced the team to split. Tyler remained to fight him, all while the rest fought off the much larger monsters with their Zords.
What Ryan hadn't counted on, was his own inexperience as a Ranger. He wasn't used to the suit or the power yet, so despite his much greater strength, Tyler had the upper-hand against him when he called on his Battilizer. Tyler was fast, hitting him with the Tupux Boomerang as Ryan struggled to control his strength and would either over or undershoot his attacks.
"I need more power…" he considered as he staggered away from Tyler. The Red Ranger was breathing heavily too, but his stubborn determination kept him on his feet. Ryan looked up at the Megazord battle overhead, and an idea came to mind as something seemed to reach out to him. "Oh, it's perfect," he laughed, raising his hand as the darkness returned.
"What are you doing?!" Tyler shouted. He tried to stop him, but the darkness shoved him away and prevented him from getting close. The dark energy then shot up into the sky, and hit the Tupux Megazord. "No!" the Red Ranger cried out in horror, watching as the Megazord split apart. The rest of the Zords scattered around town, roaring as the Tupux Zord screeched, while the Rangers who had been in the cockpit were ejected and landed around Tyler.
'Dark Energy has completely overtaken the Tupux Zord!' Ari warned as she contacted them. They looked up, seeing the change happen. The gold and pink hues of the Tupux Zord's body had changed to navy and red. 'It's under his control, he's severed any link I had to it. It's almost as if he…bonded to it,' the words had the Rangers horrified as they lost their new, powerful Zord to the darkness.
Forming a Megazord of his own, Ryan faced off against the Rangers on an entirely new level. As they hesitated to destroy something that Shelby had worked so hard to create, Ryan attacked with renewed vigor and before long, even their UltraZord was in trouble.
"We have to eject!" Tyler warned as it shook dangerously. Sparks and explosions were going off inside, and when the UltraZord finally broke apart, all of them were caught up in those explosions as they were scattered throughout the city.
The Zords all rushed off to recover as they all looked in bad shape. Ryan just let them, laughing from inside the Tupux Megazord.
"Yes, now this is power!" he yelled, voice carrying far greater distances than it should have. "I await your next challenge, Rangers!" Ryan promised.
Evil Ryan is a very fun character to write.
Hope you liked it!
Please review!