Author's Note: I am aware that it has nearly been a year since I updated this story and for that I would like to apologize. As you all know, since most of you are followers of my other stories, both myself and my Co-author are University students and extremely busy with assignments. Second year is much harder and takes a lot to keep on top of all the work that is being produced. We are hoping to finish Lightspeed Rescue soon.
Dedications: Chapter goes out to the following: ZabuzasGirl, DJScales, Sweet-Green-Elephant, Pinkrangerfan, Pixiescale1185, Livangel16, Taeniaea, HunterBradley and Pink Lightspeed Ranger.
Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended in the making of this series. I simply own my OCs and anything that is not recognizable from the show. Power Rangers belongs to Saban. Enjoy.
The Humvee jolted to a halt overlooking the beach.
The Rangers, who had permission from Captain Mitchell to enjoy a well-deserved day off, grinned at one another as the warm sun glittered off of the rippling waves of the sea. It had been a while since they had enjoyed some rest and relaxation away from the Aquabase, and not to mention the monster attacks on the city.
Just because they were always on call didn't mean that they couldn't enjoy a little time off now and again.
"Come on, guys, let's hit it!" said Carter as he unbuckled his seatbelt.
"Yeah!" Joel and Kelsey laughed, climbing over the tops of the Humvee and racing around to the back of the car. They had only just started to unload it when the roar of a bike engine cut through the air and the last member of their team arrived.
Sabrina smiled as she caught the inflatable beach ball Kelsey had just kicked her way. "Hey," she laughed, tossing it back at the brunette.
"C'mon, slow poke," Kelsey laughed. "There's been no water left if you don't hurry up!"
"I'm cool with that," Sabrina said, removing her helmet and putting it back on Hunter's bike. "You guys go ahead. I promised Tori and Dustin I'd drop in and say 'hi' while i'm here. Have fun surfing."
Kelsey nodded. "Tell Tori I may need a surfing buddy," she called as she chased after Joel.
"I'll be sure she gets the message," Sabrina shouted, but Kelsey was too far away to hear. "Why do I bother?"
Hunter chuckled. "C'mon, before Tori and Dustin think we've forgotten about them." He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the Storm Charges franchise that was at the other end of the beach.
Sabrina frowned as she passed Chad. He was the last out of the Humvee and staring at the sea with a longing look. "Are you OK?" she asked, pulling Hunter to a halt before he could speed-run past the Blue ranger.
"Yeah," Chad nodded. "Have fun with your friends."
"I will," Sabrina nodded, gesturing to his surfboard. "Something tells me Tori's gonna be busy today. Kelsey needs a surfing buddy."
Chad smiled, although it didn't last long, then grabbed his surfboard from the back of the Humvee and made his way down onto the beach.
Sabrina watched him go before turning to Hunter. "Something's wrong," she said. "I can feel it."
"Oh, c'mon," Hunter groaned. "One day, Sabrina, that's all, just one day without something bad happening. You think you can handle that?"
"I didn't mean the monsters, Hunter," said Sabrina. "I meant Chad. He never misses the opportunity to go surfing. While we're on the topic; it won't be my fault if we're attack today. Queen Bansheera never knows when to quit."
Hunter held his hands up in defence. "OK. Point taken." He said. He knew that agreeing with Sabrina would be the only way to avoid an argument that was sure to ensure if he continued to antagonize the situation. "Race you to the store?" he offered.
"You may be fast on a bike," Sabrina smirked. "But you're gonna lose on foot." And she blasted past him towards the pier.
"Hey! No fair!" Hunter shouted, running to catch her. His legs were longer that hers, meaning he should have caught up and overtaken her in no time, but she was a soccer player and was used to running long distances, which meant that she reached the pier and the store before he could even blink.
~*Phoenix Series*~
Sabrina shook her head as she surveyed the small office inside Storm Charges - Mariner Bay. It was decorated to suit both Dustin and Tori's interests. One side was covered in Motocross pictures, the other in surfing posters. Tori's trophies and medals from her surfing competitions were on shelves, mirroring them were Dustin's trophies and medals from his races.
Some trophies and medals and been put up outside in the store, it was similar to what Kelly would do at Storm Charges - Blue Bay Harbour. It was a way to show how dedicated she was to helping people achieve their dreams by selling them equipment that was bound to make them succeed. She hadn't failed or had a bad review from anyone yet, and she was determined to not let that happen with her branch in Mariner Bay.
"How's life at the Aquabase?" Tori asked, re-entering the back officer. She was carrying a stack of papers which she placed on the desk.
"What's this?" Sabrina asked. She was pointing at an article about Factory Blue. It was supporting a picture of a familiar rider wearing navy gear. "You're becoming obsessed."
Tori flushed crimson. "No, i'm not!" she defended.
Sabrina smirked. "I thought crimson was Hunter's colour?" she teased. "But you wear it well."
"And I thought blue was my colour?" Tori asked.
"Oh, shut up!" Sabrina said. She hated that Hunter and Tori had been the ones to fight Vypra during her 'Phoenix Freak Out' -as Dustin had called it- it meant that her boyfriend and best friend, the two people who teased her the most, due one of her deepest darkest secrets.
Tori laughed. "I'm just joking," she said. "And fine, yes, I admit, I collect just about every article there is about Blake in the papers. How else am I gonna be a good girlfriend and know what's happening in his world? I don't see him, do I?"
"I thought you were Skypeing?" Sabrina frowned.
"But it's not the same as seeing him in person, is it?" Tori asked. "You're lucky, Hunter is portable."
Sabrina snorted and shook her head. "Yeah, but he's only here because Angela needed help fixing our bikes," she said. "If he hadn't been a master mechanic then he wouldn't be here, would he?"
"It sucks having a famous boyfriend." Tori grumbled.
"I bet," said Sabrina. "How do you think Hunter feels?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I think he'd take 'famous girlfriend' over 'Power Ranger girlfriend' any day, don't you?"
Tori looked thoughtful. She hadn't thought of it like that. "The constant call outs. The not knowing if you're alive or dead. The risks of losing you to the Phoenix..." the blonde shuddered, "alright, Hunter wins."
"Win's what?"
Sabrina rolled her eyes and looked around as her boyfriend in question appeared in the office doorway. "We were just talking about you," she smiled, sweetly. "Nothing bad, promise."
"Yeah, I'm not sure if I want to know anyway," Hunter shrugged. "I just came to tell you that Chad is sitting on the beach."
"He's not surfing?" Sabrina asked.
"Nope," Hunter said, shaking his head. "He's been sitting in the same position, staring at the sea for the last 10 minutes."
Sabrina frowned and glanced at Tori. "I'll be right back," she promised the blonde. "Talk to Hunter. He might be able to help you with your Blake problem. I have a very distraught Blue ranger to talk too."
"Go," Tori said. "We'll talk about Shane and Cam when you get back."
"OK. Hey, Dustin, I'll be right back!" she added as she passed the Earth Ninja on her way out of the store.
Dustin frowned and pointed over his shoulder. "What's up with her?" he asked.
"Chad." Hunter answered, before turning to Tori. "You're having Blake problems?"
~*Phoenix Series*~
Rushing out of the store, Sabrina spotted her target sitting near the rocks. The rest of the rangers were in the sea, splashing one another or surfing, but the Blue ranger was staring at the sea like a little lost boy.
"Hey," Sabrina said, dropping down beside her friend, and instantly started digging a hole. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." Chad answered, shaking his head.
"We've got the whole day to ourselves," said Sabrina. "Normally you're the first one in the water. So I know something's wrong when you don't want to surf."
"I'm sorry," Chad apologized. "It's just the ocean reminds me of..."
"Marina?"
Chad nodded sadly.
"I know you miss her," said Sabrina, squeezing her shoulder.
"Do you think I'll ever see her again?"
"Uh... I don't know, Chad," Sabrina replied, honestly. She wished that she could say something else. She wanted to say yes. She wanted to believe that Chad would one day see Marina again.
She knew how it felt, to be taken from someone you loved, or even have someone you loved taken from you. She had lost her grandfather, and she, herself, had been taken from her mother, but in Chad's sense they didn't compare to losing a boyfriend or a girlfriend. Sabrina didn't know what she would do if she had lost Hunter the same way Chad at lost Marina.
They sat in silence for a while. Each one reflecting on the good that had happened to them during their times as Rangers; Sabrina had a lot more to reflect on than Chad but her thoughts kept coming back to Hunter at every stop sign. He had always been there, even when he had kidnapped her in the beginning, he had kidnapped her in order to bring his parents back from the dead, but had refused to go through with it after his parents had come back to help clear the doubt in their minds.
After that they had become closer than friends. He had protected her against Lothor many times after that, even if they had become controlled my Lothor after Hunter and Blake had returned to Blue Bay Harbour, granted her's had been an accident has she had been practicing her flaming powers during the time of incident.
"Marina?" Chad's voice cut through Sabrina's thoughts.
The red head frowned and looked up at the Blue Ranger. Unknowingly the sun had reached its highest peak in the sky, the beach was burning up and many people had taken cover under shady places to avoid the heat. Being the controller of fire, Sabrina was used to intense voltages of heat; therefore the sun didn't bother her as much as it did others.
Even Chad was used to being out in the heat for long periods of time, which was why he still sat beside her - correction - he had still been beside her. Now he was rushing towards the woman that had just come out of the sea.
It took Sabrina a few seconds before she realized that it was in fact Chad's mermaid girlfriend, Marina.
"How -" Chad asked, before cutting off as he found he couldn't phase his question. He was too surprised by the fact that she was there.
"There's no time," said Marina. "I'm glad you're both here. I need your help."
Sabrina frowned and glanced at Chad. She hadn't been expecting that response. Marina had only just returned to land and she didn't want to spend it with Chad? OK, that's messed up, the red head thought.
"What is it?" Chad asked.
"My father's King Neptune," Marina answered. "The demons have stolen his trident."
"His what?" Sabrina frowned.
"Trident," Chad repeated. "It's a three-pronged spear that allows King Neptune to control any body of water."
Sabrina blinked. "OK. You really have way too much time on your hands," she said, before turning back to Marina. "Why would the demons want your father's trident?"
"They're going to use it to drain all the water," Marina answered, looking back out to sea. "Both our worlds will be destroyed."
"Shouldn't we call the others?" Sabrina asked. "Tell them what's happening?"
"There's no time," said Marina. "We've got to stop them." She grabbed Chad's hand and rushed towards the edge of the beach.
"Hey! Wait for me!" Sabrina shouted as she chased after them. She couldn't risk flaming in front of hundreds of innocent civilians.
~*Phoenix Series*~
Reaching the edge of a creepy looking forest, Sabrina turned to Chad and Marina. "I've got a bad feeling about this," she said, before groaning. "Hunter is going to kill me."
"Why is he going to kill you?" Chad asked.
"Because I so jinxed this," Sabrina answered. "I'll fill you in on the details later. Right now we just need to find the Trident and get it, and Marina, back to her father."
Chad sighed as he realized that today was too good to be true. He hadn't thought about what would happen after they had got the Trident back in their possession, he didn't want to let Marina go.
Seeing the look of hopelessness on her friends' face, Sabrina squeezed his hand and smiled. "We'll figure something out," she said, with a small nod. "Let's just concentrate on getting the trident first, yeah?"
"OK," Chad nodded. "Where too now?" he asked, turning to Marina.
"The monsters will place the trident at the bottom of the pond just ahead," the Mermaid answered.
"Why here?" Chad asked, confused.
"It's a magic place, and -" Marina broke off as her legs gave out from underneath her. She collapsed to her knees, her hand slipping from Chad's shoulder alerting the Blue ranger to her problem.
"Hey," Chad whispered, catching her and resting her on the floor. "Are you OK?"
"Marina?" Sabrina murmured, brushing a lock of hair from the mermaid's face. "What is it? You can tell us."
Sabrina!
Well, if it isn't the famous Phoenix! What do you want? Can't you see i'm busy?
And can't you sense the incoming attack? I'd rather not die today!
Sabrina frowned and looked around. The Phoenix was grumpier than usual, but it wasn't like the bird to warn her about an incoming attack, normally she just kept quiet and watched, waiting for the perfect opportunity to make a quick precision move and claim the protector's vessel as her own.
No sooner had the Phoenix's warning come through mind, both Rangers and Marina were surrounding by Battling's.
"Whoa, good call," Sabrina muttered, cursing herself for not concentrating on her surroundings. But then again, she had been more focused on keeping Marina safe than she had been what was going around her. She knew that she could have got out of a surprise attack with a few furious kicks, punches and well-aimed fireballs, but Marina seemed to be in a lot of trouble.
She wasn't a genius when it came to mermaids, or even water guardians, for that matter, but she wasn't stupid to know when a mermaid needed help. There was a reason they had tails and not legs. They didn't belong on Earth.
"Sabrina, look out!" Chad called, kicking up at several Battling's as they rushed at him and Marina. He knocked one into the trunk of a tree, while kicking several more away. Snapping out of her thoughts, Sabrina jumped backwards into the branches of a near-by tree, and flipped back down onto the floor, sweeping the feet out from under a few Battling's.
The foot soldiers screeched as they hit the ground.
"Chad, catch!" Sabrina shouted, grabbing onto the arm of another Battling. She spun it in a circle, before throwing it towards the Blue ranger; she then run mid-way up a tree trunk, flipped over and giggled as the Battling's that had been chasing her ran smack into the tree. It toppled over backwards and remained still on the floor.
"Leave her alone!" Chad shouted, racing towards Marina. Two battling had been trying to escape with the mermaid. Chad jumped between two branches of a tree and kicked the battling's away from Marina.
Flexing her fingers, Sabrina threw a few fireballs at the foot soldiers, putting them down for the count with little-to-no effort. She then returned to Marina and Chad. The former did not look good.
"What's wrong?" Chad asked.
"Mermaids can only stay out of sea water for a short time," Marina answered.
"Then we've got to go back," said Chad.
"No, please," Marina said, trying to stop him. "You must get that Trident."
"But - what about you?" Chad asked. He didn't want to leave her here. He didn't want to lose her when he returned her and the trident to the sea, but he knew that he would have had too, leaving her here meant risking her drying out, and then he would never see her again. Ever.
"I'll be OK," Marina promised him.
Sabrina touched his shoulder. "Chad, if you want to take her back to the beach," she said, "then go. I can get the Trident."
"The trident will be underwater," Marina said. "I know about you, Sabrina, the protector of the Phoenix is afraid of water. Considering the Phoenix is the controller of fire, it is nothing for the protector to be ashamed of."
"I'm not ashamed," said Sabrina. "I just never thought of it that way before. But you're in need of help, Marina. We can save the trident and you. There's only two of us. If we split up -"
"There is no time," Marina said. "You can't flame me to the beach. That would dry up the last of my water. I wouldn't make it to the sea, and you can't stay here and get the trident yourself. You'll need Chad. Just leave me here; I promise you, I'll be fine."
Sabrina hesitated. She didn't want to leave Marina in the middle of nowhere with no chance of defending herself; and she could see that Chad was feeling the same way, but as Marina had already explained it, it seemed they didn't have any choice.
"We'll be as quick as a cheetah," Sabrina promised. "Chad, we'll get in, get the trident, and get straight back out. We'll be back before you know it, yeah?"
Chad looked over his shoulder and Sabrina. "Yeah. Just give me a second." He said.
Sabrina nodded and walked away. She'd give Chad a few minutes with Marina. She knew how precious time was, especially sharing it with the one person you loved the most, if it were Hunter, she'd want that few minutes just to be with him, especially if his life was in danger.
After a few minutes, Chad raced passed Sabrina.
The red head turned to Marina and nodded. "We'll be right back," she promised, chasing after the Blue ranger.
"Lightspeed Rescue!"
They morphed as they raced towards the pond.
They were racing against the clock now... and the clock was running out. Fast.
~*Phoenix Series*~
Meanwhile, back at the beach, Hunter was still at Storm Charges with Tori, Dustin and Marah; he had explained Sabrina's theory about Chad to his friends, resulting in their views on the situation.
Tori had thought it was cute how Chad was still holding out hope for the Mermaid. She could almost relate, seeing as she was still holding out hope that Blake would one day return to her for good, she knew that riding for Factory Blue was important, and she was happy that he was getting to fulfill his dream, but she wanted to be able to see him some time or another, and not just through a computer screen.
Marah had agreed with Tori. Chad's love for Marina had to be strong if he was refusing to move on, there were plenty of girls out there and he was willing to hold onto someone that he couldn't keep. To the former alien, that was true love.
Meanwhile Dustin had taken his usual goofy approach to the scenario, resulting in himself being in hot water with Marah. While he had initially said that he couldn't believe someone would fall in love with a Mermaid, he had failed to realize that his own girlfriend had once been someone that people believed to be out of this world.
"I'm sorry," Dustin apologized, stealing a kiss from his otherwise angry girlfriend. "I wasn't thinking... again... I really am sorry, Marah. I love you. You know I do."
Tori rolled her eyes as she saw Marah crack. A smile spread across her lips as she turned to Dustin and kissed him. "I forgive you," she said.
"She could never stay mad at him," Tori said.
"While we're on the topic of Chad and Marina," said Hunter, "where's Sabrina? She should have been back by now." He glanced out of the side window, startled to find the spot where Sabrina and Chad had been sitting was empty. "Where'd they go? Did you see them leave?"
Tori, Dustin, Marah and Hunter raced outside, quickly scouring the beach for any sign of the Blue and Phoenix rangers. They were nowhere to be seen.
Hunter spotted Carter and the others racing back towards the Humvee. "Hey, you guys seen Sabrina or Chad?" he called.
"They're having trouble in the forest," Carter shouted back. "We'll have her call you when we're through."
"Trouble?" Marah frowned. She knew that Sabrina was once again a Power Ranger, but she didn't believe, for one second, that the red head would run off into danger without alerting her team-mates first. "What are we going to do?"
Tori sighed and patted Hunter's arm. "Sadly we can't do anything," she said, turning back to the store. "Leave it to the Rangers. They'll fix the mess."
The others nodded and headed back inside.
Hunter, however, remained on the pier, staring at the open ocean. Why had Sabrina just run off without telling him she was leaving? He wanted to know what was wrong, part of him wanted to follow the others into the forest and find his girlfriend, but he knew that was against regulation rules and Sabrina would be more than anxious if he turned up out of the blue in the middle of a monster battle.
"Why do you do this to me, Sabrina?" He asked himself as he returned inside.
~*Phoenix Series*~
Reaching the edge of the pond, Sabrina watched as Chad took a running jump and plunged straight into the water. He disappeared beneath the surface just as Carter and the others arrived.
"Sabrina," Carter said, catching her shoulders and turning her to face him. "What's going on?"
"Honestly?" Sabrina asked. "I don't know. Marina turned up out of the blue, she told Chad that her father, King Neptune's, trident had been stolen by the demons. Apparently they want to use it to dry up all the water in Mariner Bay."
"But that'd leave the Aquabase open for attack," said Dana. "We'd never survive a direct hit like that."
Sabrina nodded. "I know," she said, "which is why Chad and I came here with Marina. Chad's gone in the pond to get the trident."
"Where's Marina?" Kelsey asked.
"Back there," Sabrina answered. "She's drying out. Chad offered to take her back to the ocean, to recharge, but she refused."
"Why would she refuse?" Joel asked.
"Because she knows i'm afraid of water," said Sabrina. "She knows that I can't swim. I mean, who ever heard of a fire-wielding-Phoenix-protecting guardian who can touch water?"
"So why didn't you flame her back to the Ocean?" Dana asked. "And Chad stay here?"
"I offered that too," Sabrina nodded.
"Let me guess," said Joel, "she refused?"
Sabrina nodded her confirmation. "The flames from my powers would dry her out too much," she explained. "It was safer, and easier, to leave her where she is." She turned back to the pond; Chad should have been back by now. "What's keeping him so long?" she wondered, loudly.
"He's been down there too long," said Joel. He looked to Kelsey and Dana. "Come on!"
The girls nodded and followed him towards the edge of the pond. They didn't even get the chance to dive in when they were pulled backwards by a horde of Battling's that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere.
Suddenly the ground started shaking. The rangers stumbled as they tried to maintain their balance; all the while firing their blasters at the creatures. Sabrina was jumping from Battling to Battling, throwing fireball after fireball in their direction.
"Joel, you've got to help Chad!" she shouted, landing beside Carter, who had been tripped up by a few foot soldiers. "Take the girls. Carter and I can handle the Battling's."
The Red ranger nodded, grasped Sabrina's hand and allowed her to pull him back to his feet.
"Go!" he ordered the other three.
"Right!" Joel nodded. He, Dana and Kelsey battled their way through the Battling's towards the edge of the pond.
"Hold on, Chad, we're coming!" Kelsey shouted, but before she could take another running leap into the water, it exploded like a volcano of liquid, spraying droplets into the air and releasing Chad.
Sabrina laughed as she saw he was holding the trident. "Oh, so that's King Neptune's trident," she said, kicking down a couple of Battling's. "Dude, these things are getting boring. In the beginning they were a real threat, now they're more along the lines of a distraction."
"A distraction?" Carter asked, blasting his way through several more Battling's. "I think Jinxer's been working overtime to create all these demons. Talk about a guy who needs a downtime."
"I think he enjoys it," said Sabrina. "But yes, I believe they are being used as distractions now."
"Why would they need a distraction?" Carter asked.
Sabrina shrugged, as she slashed through a few more Battling's with her Phoenix Blade. "How am I supposed - Oh no... Marina!" she gasped, turning back to the place they had left the mermaid. She couldn't see her from here, and she didn't want to worry Chad about something she wasn't even sure of yet. "Carter..."
"Go," Carter said catching the trident that Chad had just passed him. "Just don't worry Chad."
"Easy said that done," said Sabrina, flaming out.
"Where's she going?" Dana asked, as she replaced Sabrina as Carter's fighting partner.
"Exploiting a hunch," said Carter. "How are you doing? You OK?"
Dana nodded. "I'm fine, thanks for asking," she responded. Ducking as a couple of Battling's surrounded her and Carter. She took a swing at two of them, knocking them into each other with one punch, before blasting the rest down with her blaster.
"Hey, i'm not done with that!" the demon screeched as he followed Chad out of the water. "Give it back or else!" He fired several strands of green lightning at the team, blasting them off of their feet.
Carter struggled back to his feet. "You guys OK?" he asked.
"Yeah," they each answered in turn.
"Then let's finish this," said Carter. "Once and for all."
The others nodded.
"I think you've underestimated me, Ranger," said the Kappa demon, summoning more Battling's. The team groaned. Where were these coming from?
"Well, why don't we just see about that?" Carter asked.
"Let's pull it together, guys," said Chad, still oblivious to the fact that something may have been wrong with his mermaid girlfriend, or that his Phoenix friend had been gone far too long.
"Everybody ready?" Joel asked, standing at attention.
"Lightspeed..." Kelsey nodded.
"Rescue!" Dana finished.
"Let's do it!" Carter said, leading his team into battle. With the rangers pulling out all the stops, using their blasters, fists, sabers, and whatever they could get their hands on, even other Battling's, they put down the swarm with little-to-no effort.
Kappa roared in anger, firing more electrical strands of lightning at the annoying colorful pests. They groaned and were blown off of their feet, all except the red and scarlet rangers that had seemingly disappeared.
The Kappa growled as he looked around for the last two annoying pests. He turned his back on the rangers, aware of the threat the Scarlet ranger possessed, he was more afraid of her than he was the rest; she possessed the ability to control fire, and he was more than happy to test how strong her fire abilities where. Maybe he, and everyone else, would finally get to know which was stronger: Fire or Water.
"Oof!" the Kappa groaned as he was bowled, head first into a tree. In his search for the Phoenix ranger he had forgotten completely about the Red ranger, who had come swinging out of the forest, gripped him around the waist with his legs, and rammed him as hard as he could into the tree. He dropped to the earth like a stone, stars in front of his eyes as he staggered back to his feet.
"Ready?" Chad asked, as Carter rejoined them. He prepared his blaster along with the others. "Booster mode."
"And fire!" Carter ordered.
The five of them opened fire. Their energy beams combined and struck the Kappa demon dead centre. Blowing him to bits.
"The trident," said Chad, spotting the weapon a few feet away. "Come on!" he raced over and pulled the trident from the ground. "Now we just have to return all the water that was drained."
There was a flicker of flames and Sabrina re-appeared. "Uh, we've got a problem," she said, turning to Chad. "Marina's gone."
"What?" Chad asked, completely surprised to see her. He hadn't realized, until now, that she hadn't been a part of the monsters destruction. Where she had been? "What do you mean gone? Where'd she go?"
"I don't know," said Sabrina. "I had a feeling that the Battling's were acting more like a distraction, and the only thing that they could possibly be distracting us from was her, so I went to check on her and she wasn't where we had left her. Chad, I know you're scared, i'm scared too!"
"Aw, isn't that sweet," a familiar voice taunted from behind the Rangers.
Sabrina spun around and glared as Vypra appeared in her line of sight. She pointed her sword at the Phoenix and Blue rangers.
"You have something that belongs to me," she said, pointing at the Trident. "Hand it over!"
"I don't this so," said Chad. "It's going back where it belongs!"
Vypra smirked and looked over her shoulder. A group of Battling's came into view, supporting Marina between them.
"Chad!"
"Marina!"
Chad raced forward, only to be stopped by Sabrina and the others.
"Give me the trident," said Vypra, "and I'll let her go."
"Don't listen to her, Chad," said Sabrina. "She's lying. Demon's always lie."
Chad shook his head. "I can't let her hurt Marina," he said, stepping around Sabrina. "I'll give it to you."
"Chad, you can't!" Carter said.
"I've got to," said Chad, looking back at the love of his life. If he wanted to save her, this was the only way.
"Y-You can't," Marina stuttered. Unable to comprehend what she was seeing. She had come to Chad for help, why was he handing over the trident to the demons when they had only just got it back from them? "She'll destroy the world with it."
"It's that powerful?"
Marina nodded. Her face contorted in pain as she started to rapidly dry out.
"Guys," Chad sighed. "I don't know what to do." He wanted to save Marina so bad, but he also didn't want to risk being the reason behind the Demon's take over.
"You know," said Sabrina, causing everyone to turn in her direction. "I think I understand why you're always trying to come after me, Vypra. The Phoenix, well, lately that's just been an excuse, hasn't it?"
"What are you babbling about?" Vypra hissed. "Of course the Phoenix's not an excuse!"
Sabrina chuckled. "It may not be an excuse to Bansheera," she nodded, "but to you? You're hearts never truly been in your captures of my powers, I can sense it, but lately, you've been putting double time into cause as much pain as you can between couples. What's the deal, Vypra? Jealous that we actually have someone to love, and who actually loves us back? Has the many years of being alone finally got to the point where you wish that you could have what we have? Don't tell me that old legend about demons not being able to love is actually true."
Vypra hissed angrily, and pointed her sword at the Kappa remains. "I'll show you why you should never taunt me, Little Phoenix," she said, watching, with an amused smirk as the Kappa demon grew taller... and taller... until he was the size of a skyscraper.
He roared down at the rangers and, reaching out his hand, he pulled the trident to him. The weapon expanded, before becoming enormous just like the monster, who continued to use it to destroy the city.
"Oh," Sabrina gasped. This was not what she had planned to happen.
"You can't keep a good monster down," the Kappa boomed.
"Marina," Chad murmured, glancing across at the mermaid. "I've got to get her out of this."
Sabrina patted Chad's shoulder. "Call for your Mega battle," she said. "Once the Battling's and Vypra are out of the way I can flame Marina back to the Aquabase."
"I thought you said you couldn't do that?" Carter asked.
"I can't," said Sabrina, "but we have to take the chance! I mean, look at her; she's almost out of time. If I can get her to Angela, maybe we can save her."
Carter paused and then nodded. "Alright. You and Chad go," he said, "we'll handle the Kappa demon."
"Yeah," Kelsey nodded. "Go on. Get out of here."
Sabrina nodded and turned to Chad. "Waiting on you," she said, as the others took to the Omega Megazord.
~*Phoenix Series*~
Once back at the Aquabase, Hunter quickly made his way through the hallways to the diving port. He had just got a text message from Sabrina saying that she needed him, she had reassured him that she was OK, but she just needed to see him and she couldn't come to Storm Charges.
Worried about his girlfriend and why she couldn't come back to beach to see him, Hunter had taken off without so much as an explanation to Tori or Dustin. He knew that the next time he saw them they were going to be pissed off at him, but he'd explain everything then, right now he had to make sure that Sabrina was as OK as she said.
"Sabrina," he called spotting the red head at the edge of the diving pool. Since Olympius had infiltrated the Aquabase, this had been the last place he thought he'd ever find Sabrina; the mere fact that she couldn't swim was enough to keep her away from this place, what if she fell in and there was no one around to save her?
Sabrina looked up at the sound of her name and sighed as she saw her boyfriend rushing towards her. "Hunter," she sighed, wrapping her arms around him as soon as he was close enough. She buried her face in his clothes and hugged him with every ounce of strength she had left. "I'm so sorry..." she apologized.
"For what?" Hunter asked, confused.
"For leaving today," Sabrina answered. "I wanted to tell you there was trouble... but there was no time... I'm really sorry."
Hunter sighed and kissed her forehead. "I forgive you," he said. "I'll admit, you really scared me, but if you didn't -" he broke off as he spotted Marina. "Is that -?" He looked to Sabrina who confirmed his thoughts with a nod. "But how?"
"Her father was in trouble," Sabrina answered. "The demons had taken his Trident. She needed help getting it back. This was the reason I couldn't tell you that I was leaving, there wasn't any time."
"But you got the trident back, right?"
"I hope so," said Sabrina. "The others stayed behind to battle the Kappa demon, and I brought Chad and Marina here. It was the only way."
"Is this why you called?"
Sabrina nodded. "I was scared... I am scared... Hunter, if anything happens to her's -"
"Hey," Hunter soothed, cupping her face and lifting her head so he could see her face. "Listen to me. Nothing is going to happen. You did the right thing in bringing her here. Angela can help her."
"But I wasn't supposed to flame with her," Sabrina said, tears in her eyes. "Fire and Water guardians do not mix, Hunter. I used my powers around her, I drained the last of her energy, if she dies it'll be my fault and Chad will never forgive me!"
Hunter pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly. "She is not going to die," he promised, cradling her. "She's strong. She'll be OK."
There, but for the grace of life go I... Sabrina thought. Her thoughts were so consumed with the possible fact that Marina could die because of her, that there was no room for anything happy; she just wished that Marina pulled through, she couldn't even begin to imagine what Chad was going through, again she had been in a similar situation when her grandfather had been hooked up to machines, but her grandfather wasn't the love of her life.
Heaven forbid if it had been one of the others, or Hunter hooked up to the heart monitors, she knew that she'd never be able to forgive herself if she were the reason for any of them to die, she had already lived that nightmare, she didn't want to risk living it again.
"Is she going to be all right?" asked Kelsey. She and the others had just arrived; Carter was carrying the trident, while the others watched over Chad and Marina. The Mermaid at, at the very least, opened her eyes, but it wasn't enough for Sabrina who wanted absolute proof that she had just killed Chad's one true love.
"There's no data available on her species," Angela answered.
"What does that mean?" Sabrina asked her eyes red from crying.
Angela sighed and shook her head. "I don't know to help her," she answered. "I'm sorry, Sabrina."
"No," Sabrina sobbed, shaking her head. More tears filled her eyes. "No, you can't give up! Y-You have to do something! You can't just let her die! I didn't bring her here to die!"
Hunter took Sabrina into his arms again and hugged her. Stroking her hair and whispering soothingly to her, but it didn't stop the tears that were already falling down the red head's cheeks. If Marina died... then it would have been her fault.
I shouldn't have flamed with her. She thought. We should have found another way... one that didn't include fire. I took the last of her energy. She'd survive if it wasn't for me.
The water inside the diving pool started to bubble. Hunter and the rangers watched on, startled as the water rose up out of the diving port, moldering into the shape of an old man with a beard and crown. He nodded at the rangers. "Thank you for saving my world," he said, "and for watching over my daughter."
Chad breathed in sharply as he realized who this water man was. He was no demon. He was King Neptune. Roman God of the sea.
"I'll take over now."
Carter looked to the trident in his hands, and edged closer to the water. He reached out and handed it to the water king who was more than thankful to have it back; the second Neptune touched the trident it turned to water.
"Ahh," Neptune smiled. "Shall we, my daughter?" he added to Marina. He held out his hand to the mermaid, who glanced up at Chad. She didn't want to leave him, but she knew better than to argue with her father.
Sabrina watched sadly, tears still in her eyes, as Marina drifted slowly towards her father. "Wait," she called, racing to the barrier. "King Neptune, please wait! You can't deny that your daughter loves Chad, and while it is unheard of for a human to love anything other than another human, it's not impossible. I know of two people, who are of two completely different species, and they are very happy together." She glanced at Chad, "isn't there any chance that Chad can still see Marina?"
"I'm afraid not," King Neptune said. "Today you saw what happens when our kind is out of the water for too long."
"Well there has got to be a compromise," said Sabrina. "Anything? Just, please, don't break them apart! That never works!"
King Neptune shook his head. "I am afraid I see no loopholes in what we are, young Phoenix," he said. "If there were a compromise... I would allow it." He then took Marina's hand and sank beneath the water. Chad traced swirls in the surface as they disappeared, while Sabrina dropped to her knees.
There had to be a way for Chad and Marina to be together. There just had to be.
~*Phoenix Series*~
The sun was setting in the distance; but that meant nothing to the Blue Bay Harbor group who were sitting outside Storm Charges - Mariner bay enjoying it. Sabrina, who had expected a telling off from Tori for running off without explanation, was sat with her arms around the Water Ninja, grinning at two kids chasing one another across the sand.
"Aw, young love," Tori giggled. "It's cute."
"Yep," Sabrina agreed. "But he is way out of his league. He's never going to catch her."
"I wouldn't be so sure," said Dustin. "We guys are pretty fast."
Marah giggled and cuddled closer to him as the boy on the beach finally caught his girlfriend. They landed on the floor with a thump, their laughter reaching back to the friends who turned away after their entertainment had ended.
"So, any chance that King Neptune will reconsider his offer and find a compromise?" Tori asked Sabrina.
"I don't know," Sabrina shrugged. "I hope so. I mean, I've never seen to people of different species, so in love before." She paused and glanced at Marah and Dustin, "well... except for maybe you too." She smiled at them. "But after Neptune left earlier it made me think..."
"Oh no," Dustin teased.
Sabrina stuck her tongue out at him. "What if Neptune's only keeping Marina at his side because he's afraid to lose her? What if he's afraid Chad will find a human girlfriend one day and leave Marina?"
"But that'll never happen," said Marah.
"How can you be so sure?"
"Well, I don't know Marina like you do," Marah said, "but she and I seem to have something in common. Neither of us are human. We both look human, but we're a completely different species to the rest of you. I mean, when I was on the Black Ship, I had to keep all my feelings bottled up and hidden away, because I knew that if Lothor found out about them then I'd be cast out. At the time the Black Ship was the only home I had, I couldn't afford to get cast out. Then I met Dustin and things changed, but I still had to keep up my appearances, earning your trust and then betraying it was the worst thing Lothor had me do, I wanted to tell you the truth every day I met you, but I thought you'd cast me aside as soon as you knew. I should have trusted you enough to believe in me."
Tori, Sabrina and Hunter exchanged looks as Marah fell silent.
Dustin wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. Kissing the side of her head as she continued.
"Trust me," she said, "you have no idea how it feels to be torn away from someone you truly care about... my uncle was evil to the core. He couldn't love. I don't think he even had a heart, and if he did, it was as cold as ice. He didn't care about me, or Kapri, we just didn't see it until it was nearly too late. If it hadn't been for Cam..."
Sabrina reached across the table and squeezed Marah's hand. "Hey, you don't have to justify what happened back then," she said, "it's in the past. You're one of us now... and you've got a goofable boyfriend who loves you more than anything."
Marah smiled at the red head and then turned to hug Dustin.
"Hey, Sabrina,"
"Oh, i'm popular today," Sabrina laughed, turning in her seat to see Chad running towards her. Marina was behind him. "Hey! What's going on?" she asked, jumping up to hug the mermaid. "I'm glad you're OK. If anything had happened to you, I'd never have forgiven myself."
Marina smiled. "I'm OK, Sabrina," she promised. "You did the right thing by flaming me to safety. I can't fault you for saving my life. Thank you."
Sabrina smiled. "You're welcome," she nodded. "I was just doing my job. Now answer my question," she added, turning to Chad. "What's going on?"
"I'll meet you in surf," Marina said, kissing Chad's cheek.
The Blue ranger nodded and watched as she run on ahead. Her legs disappeared as she came in contact with the water and transformed back into a tail. Sabrina smiled and turned to Chad.
"Still confused," she said.
Chad chuckled. "Remember how you said we'd find a way for Marina and me to be together?" he asked.
"Yeah," Sabrina nodded.
"Well, I know she can't be on land for that long," Chad explained, "so the only compromise I see is if I went into the water."
"But you're not a mermaid," Sabrina said, frowning. "Or would it be merman?"
Chad rolled his eyes. "I'm not staying in the water, Sabrina," he said, "my home is here on land. But the only time i'm going to have with Marina is in the water. Besides, it's not about where or how you spend time together; it's the fact that you're spending time together."
Sabrina grinned and hugged him. "I'm proud of you, Chad," she said. "Now go. I think you've kept her waiting long enough."
Chad smiled and turned away. He kicked off his shoes and run into the surf where Marina was waiting for him.
"You know," said Tori, appearing beside Sabrina and wrapping her arms around her best friend. "Chad's right."
"About what?" Sabrina asked.
"About spending time with the one you love," Tori answered, checking her watch. "It's not about how you spend your time together, but about the fact that you are spending time together."
"Meaning?" Sabrina grinned, already having an idea on where this was heading.
Tori smiled and hugged Sabrina. "Meaning I'm not giving up on my relationship with Blake, just because we can't see each other in person. I'll take a Skype call over a voice call any day. Speaking of which, I've got to go. I'll call you later."
"Make sure you tell Blake I miss him," Sabrina said. Tori smiled and waved as she made her way back inside. Sabrina knew that she'd say hello for her, so she didn't feel the need to chase after her and interrupt the mushy hello's of the couple.
"You know," said Hunter, taking Sabrina in his arms as the sun continued to set. It had already reached its horizon and was disappearing quickly behind the sea. The skies had started to darken too, the colours turning from blue to pink and then to navy. "This had a much better ending that expected."
Sabrina smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Yup. Chad and Marina are happy," she said. "Tori and Blake are happy. Dustin and Marah..." she cast a glance at the two still sitting at the picnic table, they were too lost in their own little world to worry about her and Hunter.
"Are happy," Hunter chuckled, kissing his girlfriend's forehead. "And us?"
"I'm happy if you're happy," Sabrina said.
Hunter smiled and kissed her lips. "I love you," he said, as he pulled away.
"I love you too." Sabrina replied as she kissed him as the sun completely disappeared from the sky.
Copyrighted
A/N: Aww... fluffy ending. Hopefully this fluffy chapter will make up for the uber late update. Sorry again.
Chapter written by xXxKaraBeckerCutterxXx
Chapter updated Monday, March 26, 2013 at 03:47am