Ivan is Back

Chapter 6 - Blue's Last Breathe

On a distant planet light years away stood a woman in ninjetti garb. Dulcea, Master Warrior of Phaedos and the guardian of the sacred ninjetti gazed at the six ninjetti warriors through her viewing pool. She knew what must be done and knew there wasn't much time to prepare for it to happen.

"Dulcea, are you sure I can't return?" a voice from behind her questions.

"I am afraid not, you have not yet regained full strength and in order for you to do so you can not be involved in this matter yet young one. I am truly sorry." Dulcea explained.

"What is happening?" Trey of Triforia asked as soon as he and the phantom ranger arrived on Phaedos.

"Trey, I am afraid that Ivan Ooze is alive. Aquitar is no more." Dulcea told her long time friend.

"Then we prepare for war." Trey spoke firmly.

"The crane has already issued a red alert for all the rangers. The ninjetti are seeking out teams that aren't at full force or have no connection to their powers at the moment but I fear that Ivan is going after the ones that have all their members first."

The Phantom ranger questions, "what makes you feel this way?"

"The Samurai, Aquitian, and Jungle Fury all had all their members in battle. I believe he is trying to weaken some of the full power teams first."

While Dulcea and the two warriors discuss problems and solutions on Phaedos Kimberly and the other ninjetti leave the samurai rangers and part ways to help teams in need. Andros had been contacted again and told to contact Leo on Mirinoi to have the rangers ready for anything. If Ivan had already wiped out Aquitar then there was no guarantee that KO-35 and Mirinoi were 100% safe from his wrath.

Meanwhile, in Mariner Bay the rangers were spread all over town. Unlike his attack on Aquitar Ivan felt the need to separate the rangers on Earth from being able to help each other.

Carter was stuck in battle with some ooze goons and tengu warriors over by the fire department where he just ended a shift and was heading to the hospital to pick up his wife Dana. While the rangers knew there were other teams and the duty was no longer just theirs after their adventure with Time Force they kept their morphers on the off chance they should need them again. Carter was never so grateful for that idea as he was today.

Down by the skate park Kelsey was doing battle with her own set of tengu warriors and of course using her favorite weapon of all time her blaster she was knocking them down before they could get back up sometimes but there were still a few that were getting in some good shots on her as well.

Joel was finishing an air show when he noticed the ooze creatures attacking civilians. Immediately he launched his attack using mega mode and taking out a good portion of his enemy.

Dana was busy trying to stop the creatures from attacking doctors while they unloaded a wounded child from a car wreck and was taking a good beating of her own. Already she could tell her ankle was fractured and so she was having trouble shifting her weight and holding off the attack.

Ryan was outside the recently completed Aquabase holding the line of defense so keep the creatures out. He knew what batlings did to the place and these creatures seemed even more likely to do twice the amount of damage in half the time.

At the marina Chad was not gaining the upper hand at all. Everything he tried just added more power to the creatures for some reason. His mega mode had been malfunctioning during simulations lately and they hadn't been able to work out the kinks yet so his strongest weapon was his V-lancer. He knew that he probably wasn't making it out of this alive but knew that if he had to go down fighting he was going to take as many of these creatures out with him as possible.

"Guys, I'm sorry." Chad said into his com-link to the other rangers.

"Chad..." Dana choked, she knew that he would only be saying this if he was going to do something foolish.

"Don't do it man." Joel shouted.

Carter knew that Kelsey and Ryan weren't going to speak so he gave his fellow ranger and friend his final words, "you did us proud." he whispered before Chad's voice came back over the link.

"Lightspeed Rescue, V-lancer, self-destruct mode." Chad spoke firmly.

The last thing any of the rangers heard from the blue rangers link was the explosion. As the creatures began disappearing the rangers all demorphed and headed back to base. Kelsey being the first to arrive quickly launched herself at Ryan who was still in a catatonic state of shock.

"He's gone." Kelsey choked back a sob as Dana, Joel, and Carter arrived.

"Rangers, rescue ops. Now." Captain Mitchell spoke through the loud speaker.

The rangers solemnly walked into rescue ops each mourning their fallen comrade in their thoughts. Carter knew that Chad had done what any one of them would have should the need ever arise, but just as they had talked about it 11 years before when Queen Banshera was trying to take over Mariner Bay they each thought they would be fine.

Dana looked forlorn at the loss of one of her closest friends. She and Chad were never as close as Kelsey and Chad were or even her brother and the fallen blue ranger were but he was still a friend. As she looked to her husband next to her she knew that he was trying to blame himself for what happened to Chad. She placed her hand in his and silently shook her head.

Joel had tears of anger falling from his swollen eyes, sure he and Chad were complete opposites with him being in love with the sky and Chad the water but they were comrades and friends for 11 years and that meant more than anything else.

Ryan and Kelsey held each other silently both completely afraid that they would give in to their grief if they didn't. Ryan swore when he joined the rangers 11 years before after almost killing his own sister that he would protect these new friends with his life and in his opinion he failed Chad.

Kelsey refused to let the tears fall knowing that if she did she wouldn't hear a word the captain said and now with a new enemy at large they were short a ranger and overrun with grief. How were they going to beat this alone?

"Rangers, we lost one of our own today. A tragic loss indeed, but with this new enemy we need to be alert at all times." Before the captain could continue the sirens went off alerting them to a video call coming in.

"Open the call." Dana demanded taking charge in her husband's place.

The call was opened and a guy around their age showed up on screen with a girl in yellow. "Carter? Carter Grayson, this is Andros please respond."

"Andros, what is going on?" Carter questioned finally snapping out of his trance.

"Carter, you and your team are in danger. These purple creatures are dangerous and the bird like beings are just as strong. Don't let anyone go anywhere alone. Aurico and the other aquitian rangers have fallen. Aquitar is no more." Andros spoke.

"Why weren't we informed of this earlier? We could have stopped this from happening!" Ryan yelled at the red ranger on the monitor.

"There is nothing left of Aquitar, Billy only just arrived back on earth earlier today to inform the leader of this mission of this information." Ashley answered.

"Tommy? Jason?" Carter asked needing to know who to get in touch with.

"Kimberly Hart."

"A gymnast is in charge? We're doomed." Ryan scoffed.

Ashley had had enough of this attitude and snapped, "that gymnast as you called her is the longest serving pink ranger, her record is just as good and even better than that of the original red ranger Jason Lee Scott so back off."

"Andros, Ashley, I apologize for my brother. Those creatures have already attacked us. We lost our blue ranger, Chad."

Andros nodded, "I am sorry for your loss."

The link was severed and the lightspeed rangers silent once more. None of them wanting to ask the unspoken question. What happens now?