Chapter 9
The Rangers were in the midst of fighting another foe; the Pudgy Pig. It was another typical battle for the Rangers; Josh had led them into battle, Goldar showed up, so Vega went after him. Tess was being her usual loner self and telling the others to stay out of her way. Karina had come up with a good strategy, while Maralynn and Bryn executed it.
"Bryn, Maralynn!. Combine your Power Axe and Power Bow. Josh, summon the Dragon Dagger!" she had called.
"Got it!" both girls had called.
"I call upon the Power of the Dragon Shield!" Josh yelled, receiving the Dragon Shield, and Dagger.
The girls combined their weapons, and were shocked when it joined together, and made a crossbow. "What is this?" Maralynn had asked.
"I call it the Dino Crossbow. Power up the Dragon Dagger, and once fired, it should destroy the Pudgy Pig!" Karina called back.
Josh ran over to the girls and picked up the Dino Crossbow. "Hey this is pretty sweet." he said. He then powered up the Dragon Dagger, and attached it to the Dino Crossbow. "Dino Crossbow, fire!" he shouted. The Dagger flew out of the Crossbow, and straight into the Pudgy Pig. He went down in an explosion, and anything he had eaten had flown out of him, several items being the Power Lance, and Power Daggers.
Karina picked up her Power Lance, while Tess picked up her Power Daggers. "Ew they're disgusting." she grumbled.
Bryn laughed. "It's just a little bit of guts. It's nothing too big." she said.
Karina gapped at Bryn. "Girl, do you have any fear?" she asked. She was also disgusted by the slime on her weapon.
Bryn shrugged. "Eh not really. Nothing g really to be afraid of." she said casually. She looked down and then saw her ultimate fear; a worm. "That…that's a worm." she said fearfully.
Tess starting laughing. "The big brave Bryn Gates, is scared of a worm?" she asked.
Vega then showed up. "Sorry I'm late to the party. Goldar decided to play a game of hide and seek." he grumbled. He looked over at the cowering Bryn, and the hysterical laughing Tess. "What did I miss?"
"Bryn is scared of worms!" Tess crackled, submitting to laughing even more.
"Aren't you scared of spiders?" Vega asked.
Tess stopped her laughing, got up, and regained her composure. "I'm out of here." she said, back to her normal loner attitude. She then teleported out.
Vega looked up. "Well, I screwed that up." he said sadly. The others gapped at him. Vega just shook his head and teleported away.
"That isn't normally like Vega." Maralynn commented.
"I'll talk to him." Josh replied, concerned about his best friend.
"Um, incase anyone forgot, there is a freakin worm here!" Bryn shouted.
Josh went over, picked up the worm, and threw it aside. "Better now?" he asked.
Bryn sighed. "Yes, much. My brothers threw worms at me one time, and one of them got into the food I was about to eat. Had a fear of them ever since." she admitted.
"No problem." said Karina. The rest of the Rangers then teleported away.
Thrax was watching this scene unfold, and began laughing. "That is too good. Big bad Black Ranger scared of a little worm. I have just the monster to make this even more fun!" he exclaimed. He powered up his Z-Staff and another monster came out. It was a giant worm like monster. "Glow Worm! You are to go down to Earth, and destroy the Black Ranger!" Thrax ordered!
"Yes my Master." the Glow Worm said.
"Wait!" Thrax yelled. He then shot energy from his staff, to the Glow Worm. "I just empowered your silk thread to cocoon the Black Ranger, increasing her fear, and to slowly drain her of her powers." he informed Glow Worm.
"Yes Master, I will use it well." replied the Glow Worm.
It was the next day at school when an announcement was made over the loudspeaker. "Good Morning students. Just a reminder that the Fall Formal dance will be next Saturday from 7 pm to Midnight. Tickets are available. Be sure to start looking for a date!" Principal Applebee's voice rang throughout the school. Hearing this announcement, students began talking about who they wanted to ask.
Bryn and Karina stood at Karina's locker Karina was getting a book for her next class, while Bryn was waiting for her. "So do you think someone is going to ask you to the dance?" Karina asked Bryn.
"I think that Mitchell guy from Chemistry class is. He hinted at it today." Bryn said. "How about you?" she asked Karina.
Karina frowned. "I usually don't go to dances. I usually sit home and watch my brother." she said.
"You should go this year. It's senior year! Do something you usually don't do!" Bryn ecstatically told Karina.
"I am doing something I usually don't do." Karina joked. The two girls laughed, and headed off to class.
Maralynn was at her locker when Bulk Jr. walked up to her arrogantly. "Hello my pretty date for the Fall Formal." he said to her arrogantly.
Maralynn turned and glared at him. "What makes you think that I would go anywhere in public with you?" she asked him.
"Because you know that I am your future. You are just putting up a hard face, but yet deep down I believe you love me. Though eventually you will have to take that ring off your finger." he told her pointing to her left ring finger.
Maralynn fiddled with the ring. It was one of the rings that belonged to her mother before she went to jail. "Yeah, back off Bulk. I'm not going to the dance with you. I am never going to like you. Just get over it." she snapped. She turned to walk away, but Bulk Jr. grabbed her wrist. She turned around, and gave him a death glare. "Let go of me." she said calmly.
"Listen here you stupid bitch. I have waited since 8th grade to ask you to this dance, and prom. You are going with me!" he yelled.
"Farcus Bulkmierer Jr. Let go of that girl!" a voice snapped. Bulk turned around to see Officer Jason Scott-Lee, the schools Police Officer, standing there. Bulk let go of her in a hurry, and ran away.
Officer Scott-Lee approached Maralynn and helped her pick up her books that fell. "You OK Maralynn?" he asked her politely.
"Yeah, just wish I knew what his problem was." she said.
"His dad was a bully here when I went to school too. Like father like son. But he's been going through a rough patch his whole life from what his Aunt Kimberley told me." Officer Scott-Lee said.
"Really?" Maralynn asked.
"Yeah. Apparently his mom left him when he was five, and his dad just recently up and left to go train as a Samurai with Bulk Jr.'s cousin Spike. He probably feel's abandoned, and just wants a friend." Officer Scott-Lee told her.
"Or just me." said Maralynn bitterly.
"He does this to you again, come directly to me, and he will be dealt with." Officer Scott-Lee swore to her.
Bryn had just left school, and was on her way home, when Putties, and a new monster teleported in front of her. "Damn it. Not now." she said angrily, getting out of her car.
"Hello Black Ranger, I am the Glow Worm, and your destruction!" the monster told her.
Bryn gulped, but got into a fighting stance. "I'm not afraid of you." she lied. It wasn't a very good lie.
Glow Worm laughed. "We will see about that. Putties, go!" he called. The Putties then ran at Bryn, and Bryn charged at them, and began fighting. It was proving to be difficult, since there were more Putties than there was Bryn.
Two of the Putties then grabbed Bryn's arms and dragged her in front of the Glow Worm. "What are you clay brains doing?" she yelled, struggling.
The Glow Worm laughed. "Well, let's just say that you will be a little wrapped up, or cocooned." he said. He then started shooting out web like threading at Bryn, wrapping her up. Bryn screamed in terror as a cocoon wrapped around her. In several seconds, a large cocoon, about 3 feet wide, was now in place of where Bryn was. Laughing, knowing his work was now done, Glow Worm traveled further downtown to wreak havoc.
Josh and Vega were at the Juice Bar working out on a punching bag. "So Vega, what the hell happened to you after the fight yesterday?" Josh asked Vega.
Vega sighed. "Bro, you wouldn't believe me if I told you." he said.
"Try me." Josh countered.
"Alright. Obviously, if it hasn't shown, or has been noticeable. I like Tess." Vega said.
"Ok, so why were you bummed at the end of the fight?" Josh asked.
"Because I'm trying to get her to like me, or at least realize she doesn't have to be such a Goth, or bitch all the damn time." Vega replied.
"Ask her to the dance. What's the worst that could happen?" Josh asked him.
"You know what, I think I will. Thanks dude." Vega said happily. "So who are you asking?" he asked Josh.
Josh looked down. "Um, well." he started.
"Dude, I just told you my crush, and who I'm going to ask. Whose yours?" Vega asked him.
"I'm planning on asking Maralynn." Josh said.
"Do it up dude!" Vega replied, clapping Josh on the back.
Suddenly, their Power Watches went off. Grabbing their bags, they went into an empty hallway. "This is Josh, go ahead." Josh said into his Power Watch.
"Josh, this is Ninjor. I need you all to teleport to the Temple, and on the double." Ninjor said.
"On it." Josh said. The two then teleported from the Youth Center to the Temple.
Once at the Temple, the five Rangers gathered around Ninjor, confused at what was going on.
"Ninjor, what's wrong?" Maralynn had asked.
Ninjor sighed. "It seems Thrax is more evil than I expected. He targeted a Ranger's fear, and is doing a good job of increasing it." Ninjor said gravely.
"What do you mean?" Karina asked.
Ninjor then pointed to a screen like object in the air. "This is the Glow Worm monster. He is a ruthless monster, who can trap others on cocoons. From what I can tell, he now has the ability to increase fears, and also drain powers, or life energies." Ninjor informed them.
"Well then we just have to stop him before he can do that to anyone." Vega said boldly.
"It's not that simple Vega, if anything, the team needs to be split up for this battle." said Ninjor.
"Once Bryn gets here, we can go Josh, Tess, Bryn, and myself and form Dragonzord in Fighting Mode if need be." Karina said.
"Ugh, I swear they don't teach you anything in school anymore. Bryn isn't coming because she was his first target!" Ninjor finally said. The screen then changed to another area of Angel Grove where there was a giant cocoon on the side of a tree.
"So Bryn is in there?" Josh asked.
"Yes, and from what I can tell, her fear of worms is increasing, and her Ranger powers are slowly being drained." Ninjor told them.
"Alright. Me, Maralynn, and Karina will go after Bryn. Vega and Tess will go after the Glow Worm." Josh ordered. The others, except for Tess, nodded.
"It's Morphin Time!" they shouted.
"WHITE RANGER POWER!"
"PINK RANGER POWER!"
"BLUE RANGER POWER!"
"YELLOW RANGER POWER!"
"RED RANGER POWER!"
Bryn stood in the cocoon, fearfully looking for a way out. She didn't know why, but she was more scared than ever. "Oh man, I just need to get out of here." she said to herself. She then felt something wiggling down by her feet. Shaking, she pulled out her cell phone and opened to and screamed. There were worms down by her feet, wiggling. "Oh man! Someone get me out of here!" she shouted at the top of her lungs.
Josh, Maralynn, and Karina teleported outside of Bryn's cocoon, and Karina ran up to it. "Bryn, it's me Karina. Are you OK?" Karina asked.
"Get me out of here!" was Bryn's reply.
Josh pulled out his Power Sword and walked over to the cocoon. "Bryn, if you can, step back, I am going to slice open the cocoon." Josh told her. He held up the Power Sword, and proceeded to try and open the cocoon, but instead was blasted about 10 yards away; the cocoon had zapped him. "Alright, that didn't work." he said.
"Bryn, if you can hear me. This is something you must get out of yourself. You must face your own fears." Ninjor said to her.
Vega and Tess teleported in front of Glow Worm, and the army of Putties. "Oh goodie! More Power Rangers!" the Glow Worm had said.
"Time for you to die monster." Vega said, in a tone he had never used before. He drew Saba, and charged down the Glow Worm, leaving Tess with the Putties.
"Thanks jerk!" Tess shouted at Vega. Vega didn't pay attention to her. All he was concerned about was making the Glow Worm pay for what he did to Bryn.
"Alright Bryn old girl, you can do this." Bryn told herself. She tried to calm down first off, but that wasn't working quite to well. She had calmed herself down at one point, but a worm slithered into her shoe, causing her to panic. "What did Dad tell you?" she asked herself.
Suddenly she began remembering a past memory:
Bryn was five years old when her brothers had pulled that worm stunt on her. It was the week after that when she and her dad had gone fishing. Her father knew how scared she had become of worms, and ultimately began minos.
"Bryn, we need to have a talk." he had told her kindly.
"About what Daddy?" the young Bryn had asked him.
"This fear of worms you now have. I understand that what your brothers did was severely wrong, and scary, but you can't let fear over come you." he told her.
"But they are scary, and slimy!" she whined.
"I know. But remember this quote; you have nothing to fear, but fear itself." he told her.
Bryn then came back to reality, and realized he was right. She couldn't let this fear over come her. She knew that it was time for her to get over it. "You're right Dad, I'm not going to let this fear bother me anymore." she said boldly. She then pulled out her Power Morpher. "It's Morphin Time!" she called out. "BLACK RANGER POWER!" she cried. She then morphed into her Black Ranger suit and fully energized her powers, destroying the cocoon. Then black smoke appeared from the cocoon, and disappeared on her suit.
"Bryn you're alright!" Karina said, hugging her friend.
"Yeah, what was with the smoke?" Bryn asked.
"The cocoon was increasing your fear, and slowly draining your Ranger powers. Fully powering them up must have overpowered the draining process." Karina told her.
'Wow, that Glow Worm, and Thrax must have really thought that was funny." Bryn said angrily.
"Yeah, sick bastards." Josh added. "Let's go." The four of them then rushed off to where Vega and Tess were.
Tess and Vega were getting thrown around like rag dolls, and to top it all off, the Glow Worm was planning on putting them in cocoons. "Your Black Ranger pal should no longer be the Black Ranger by now." he had laughed evilly.
"Damn you Glow Worm." Vega snarled as he got up.
Even though she preferred the loner role, Tess got up with him. "You will pay for what you did!" she screamed.
"You fools will never beat me." Glow Worm laughed.
Oh yeah? We will see about that!" called a voice. The Glow Worm turned around to see Bryn do a kick into his stomach, sending him flying backwards. Vega and Tess got up and ran over to her.
"Awesome!" Vega said, clapping her on the back.
"Um, good job. Welcome back." Tess grumbled.
"Thanks guys." Bryn said. "Time to finish this jerk once and for all."
"Power Axe!"
"Power Bow!"
"Power Daggers!"
"Power Lance!"
"Power Sword!"
The Rangers then combined their weapons to form the Power Blaster. They pointed it at the Glow Worm and fired it. The blast destroyed the Glow Worm in an instant. The Rangers pulled apart the Power Blaster into their individual weapons and celebrated.
It was then the Glow Worm grew to its massive form. 'Megazord time?" Karina asked.
"Form the Dragonzord in Fighting Mode. That blast from the cocoon knocked some massive wind from me." Josh said. He powered up into the Dragon Shield mode, and pulled out the Dragon Dagger, and summoned the Dragonzord. Bryn, Karina, and Tess then also summoned the Mastadon, Triceratops, and Saber Toothed Tiger Zords, and formed them to make the Dragonzord in Fighting Mode.
The Glow Worm, and the Megazord started their battle, and it was a quick battle. Within 5 minutes, the Dragonzord in Fighting Mode destroyed the Glow Worm for good, and the battle was then finally over.
"Well that was a fun day." Bryn said as the Rangers sat at the Youth Center and enjoyed smoothies, except for Tess.
"Yeah. Definitely fun." Vega said absent mindedly. He never got the chance to ask Tess to the dance. He would do it tomorrow. Josh hadn't asked Maralynn yet, so hopefully the day would go good for them.
From the hallway, Bulk Jr. watched Maralynn drink her smoothie. "Stupid girl. You will regret the day you turned me down." he said savagely.
Well, this was a long chapter lol. So Bryn conquered her fear of worms, and both Bulk Jr. and Josh want to take Maralynn to the Fall Formal. Who will end up taking her? Will Vega ask Tess? What is Bulk Jr.'s plan?
Find out next time on MMPR:NG
(Please note, I need an idea for the next chapter lol.)