CHAPTER 3B
Part 2 of Chapter 3
The Amazon Rain Forest
Ecuador, South America
September 19, 1996
6:19 P.M.
"This is creepy as hell." Aisha muttered while walking with the rest of the team in the dark cavern.
"C'mon 'Sha, you're not falling for Rocky's story are you?" Tommy teased.
"No!" Aisha replied defensively. "I just…don't like the dark so much."
Rocky wrapped his arm around Aisha's tiny shoulders. "Don't worry 'Sha. If the Boogeyman comes, I'll protect you."
Adam snorted. "More like he'll put you in front of himself to protect his face."
Rocky smacked Adam. "Shut up Adam."
Adam hit him back. "Don't touch me."
Rocky hit Adam again. "Come on, you know you like it."
Aisha rolled her eyes. "Can y'all grow up please?"
"He started it!" The red and black ranger replied in unison.
"And I'm ending it." Aisha stated.
"Okay okay, if you guys are finished with your lovers' quarrel over there, we have a job to do." Tommy commanded.
After walking for what seemed like an eternity, the rangers found their way to a large arch. Inscribed over the opening where the same markings that they found earlier at the entrance of the cave.
"Hey Blue, you have any idea what that says?" The white ranger inquired.
Billy shrugged. "I can try to decipher to the best of my ability." The blue ranger studied the writings. "Alright, I know some of this part says 'leads to the'."
"Leads to the what?" Adam asked.
Billy sighed and tilted his head to the side. "I don't remember if that symbol means 'key' or 'dread'.
"Should we go in?" Aisha asked. "Because I don't think I wanna."
"Okay, Billy and I will go in, since there could be more marking there and he has the most knowledge on everything alien." Tommy decided.
"I'll follow behind you guys." Adam added.
Tommy nodded. "Okay, Rocky watch the girls and all of you stay on alert. I don't think this will take long."
"You guys be careful." Kimberly called out to the white, blue and black rangers.
The rest of the rangers left behind pulled out their guns from the holsters on the sides of their waists and activated them. They stood backs facing one another in a triangle.
"Be ready for anything." The red ranger said.
*With the White, Blue, and Black Rangers*
"The ground is somewhat unstable so we have to make quick, light steps." Billy informed while leading the way. There were many cracks and loose rocks in the ground. One wrong move could be very deadly.
The three rangers slowly made their way deeper in the large room. Billy still had the power scanner up and running, locating the source that they are looking for. They had their weapons drawn and were observing whatever they could.
"We're getting closer." Billy said. "I can feel the power radiating over this way."
"Me too. It's giving me a headache." Adam complained. "This thing better be worth coming down here."
Tommy bumps into something and quickly turns his body around to look at the offending object.
Adam notices the white ranger. "What happened?"
"I hit something but I don't know what. It felt…cold." Tommy turned to Adam. "Turn on your beams. I can't see a damn thing in here."
Adam nodded. "Activating hyper beam lights to 75%."
The helmet lights turned on and the rangers had to take a second to adjust their eyes. When they were in focuses, they all stopped dead in their tracks.
"Oh. My. God." Billy said shocked.
Corpses were hanging everywhere off of nooses around their throats. It seemed that there were thousands as far as the naked eye could see.
"Who are they?" Tommy asked.
"I don't know." The blue ranger replied. "This looks like a…. a mass suicide." He turned and saw smaller bodies in the mix. "Even children."
"Why would they do this?" Adam shook his head in sadness.
"We're close to the source. Maybe if we get it, it can give us some answers. Let's keep moving." The white ranger answered. The two others followed behind him silently.
Minutes into the search, the power scanner started to vibrate pulses in Billy's hand.
"We're very close now. The scanner is going haywire." Billy said while reading the device. "It estimates about 10 paces from where we are standing."
"I see it, I think." Adam pointed in front of them to the glowing object sitting on a pedestal.
The source has an oval shape to it and gave off a orange-hued glow. It looked as big as a football and it was floating in the air.
Billy nodded his head. "Yes. This is it!"
"What is it exactly?" Tommy questioned.
"I am not certain but Zordon said that he would elucidate once we gave it to him." The blue ranger answered. "Just grab it and let's get out of here before something happens."
"I hope this isn't a booby trap or something." Adam muttered.
"Well, it's now or never." Tommy said. He inched closer to the pedestal and slowly reached out his arm. A quick swipe and the source was in his hands.
The three rangers waited for a catastrophe but none came. They all gave a sigh of relief.
"C'mon." Tommy starts on the way back with Adam and Billy close behind.
*With the Red, Yellow, and Pink Rangers*
"What's taking them so long?" Kimberly spat impatiently. "This place gives me the creeps."
"Don't worry," Rocky reassured. "They'll be back soon. Just a matter of-"
A loud groaning sound filled the cavern.
"Uh oh." Aisha cautioned.
The huge boulders on the ground started to rumble and move. They stacked on top of one another, stone by stone.
"I knew this was too easy." Aisha grumbled.
In front of them stood two massive boulder warriors. They were both armed with enormous clubs in each hand made of stone. Their faces were expressionless.
"We are the guardians of this burial cavern. You have taken the Oxon Key from its resting place and we are here to make sure that it does not leave this place." Both guardians announced. "Give us the key, now!"
"We need it." Aisha replied. "You don't understand. We're trying to get it away from here before it falls into the wrong hands."
"The Key cannot leave it's resting place without a decree from The Elders. No one is leaving with the Key!"
"Look, we don't mean any harm." Rocky stepped in front of Aisha. "Our leader Zordon wa-"
"Did you say Zordon?" The other on the left asked.
"Yeah, Zordon of Eltar." Rocky nodded. " We are his Power Rangers."
"He was one of the sorcerers of the Great Council. He is alive?" The left guardian inquired.
Rocky took another step forward and slowly lowered his weapon. "Yes, he stays here on Earth. He sent us-"
"Zordon is alive. We must alert the Council." The left guardian interrupted and turned towards his counterpart.
"Do not fall for this foolish attempt at deceiving us. These worthless humans would not know anything about this matter." The right guardian sternly replied.
"You know this planet was not included in the knowings of this matter and it only makes sense if someone connected to the Council in someway has told them. If one of the missing sorcerers that were presumed dead really sent them to get the Key, there must be urgent. Zordon or another, the Council needs to hear this."
"Aye, you're right. So what will we do with the puny ones?" The right guardian motioned to the Rangers.
"Hey here comes the guys." Aisha said as the white, blue, and black rangers came into the room.
"The white one has the Key. Are you with these alleged followers of Zordon as well?" The right guardian asked.
Tommy bravely stepped forward. "Yes. We are the Power Rangers and I am the leader of this. We don't want to cause any trouble but we need to bring this back to Zordon, he said it was important." Even as the tallest Ranger, he was still drastically smaller than the guardians.
Both of the guardians looked at one another for a while, seeming to have some sort of silent discussion.
"We cannot let this fall into the wrong hands." The right one said aloud.
"Agreed but we need to go to the Council, they can decide what the next step is. We know these beings are from this planet, we will do what we must if we are betrayed." The left guardian reassured.
The right guardian grew tense but they both seemed to come to an agreement before turning back to the Rangers.
"What the white one holds is part of a power that is far beyond your diminutive minds could comprehend or even try to control. We will teleport you out of this cave but if you do not leave this terrain quickly, you all will perish. Remember this, if you are not who you say, we will not hesitate to lay waste to this pathetic planet." The right guardian declared.
The two guardians lifted their clubs and their power shot out to the rangers, teleporting them out of the cave. Seconds later, the walls and the floor began to shake and crumble. "It is time brother." The right guardian said to the left. They left before the cavern began to topple over into itself.
*Back in the jungle*
"We need to get out of here now!" Tommy yelled once they were teleported out.
The six rangers started sprinting as they felt the ground beneath them shake.
"We're almost to the base site, we can't teleport until we reach there so everyone get ready!" Billy communicated.
Behind the rangers, the ground was falling into the cave, the large trees falling into the holes in the ground. The rangers were dodging and weaving their way through the thick jungle as fast as they could. They put their hands to their communicators, getting ready to push their buttons.
Aisha stumbles over a branch sticking out of the ground and falls down. Rocky seeing her struggle to get back up, runs over to her and picks her up. He sprints like a madman, his speed and agility making the space between them and the others decrease. The yellow rangers grasps his neck tightly and silently prays that they make it.
The four rangers get to the base site, out of breath.
"Where's Rocky and 'Sha?" Adam asked in a panicked tone.
The four rangers turn to see the second in command running and carrying the tiny yellow ranger with the forest declining and crashing right behind them.
"Rocky hurry!" Kimberly cries.
"Get ready! Rocky don't slow down!" Billy commands. 'C'mon Rocky c'mon you're almost there!' He holds his breath as the red ranger and the toppling forest inch closer and closer. "Ready?!"
Rocky shuffles Aisha around to a fireman's carry so he can reach his communicator. "We're good!"
Billy gasps as the ground below his feet cracks. "NOW!"
Six beams shoot off of the forest floor, just as the ground they were standing on collapses into the earth, with trees falling into the holes.
Command Center
Outskirts of Angel Grove
Angel Grove, California
September 19, 1996
8:47 P.M.
The familiar lights of the Command Center gave the six rangers a sense of relief.
"Ohhhhh we made it!" Adam raises his arms behind his head, breathing heavily.
Rocky falls to his knees, dropping Aisha unceremoniously off his shoulder. He places his hands on the ground.
Aisha punches him in the shoulder. "You're fucking awesome."
"I don't ever want to do that again." Rocky pants.
"Zordon," Tommy began while walking up to the Eltarian's chamber. "We got it."
Billy came in, snatching his helmet off his head."You didn't tell us that there would be rock monsters who almost killed us so there better be a good reason why we almost died to get this."
"YES RANGERS. I AM GLAD THAT YOU HAVE GOT THE OXON KEY AND THAT IT IS IN OUR POSSESSION. I WAS AFRAID AFTER MANY MILLENNIA THAT ZEDD WOULD FIND THIS ONE BUT THANKFULLY I WAS ABLE TO KEEP IT HIDDEN LONG ENOUGH."
Tommy raised an eyebrow. "Long enough? What do you mean long enough?"
"MY POWER HAS GREATLY DIMINISHED SINCE ARRIVING ON THIS PLANET. I KNEW THAT ZEDD WOULD WAIT UNTIL I COULD NO LONG GUARD THE KEY. IF HE WAS ABLE TO RETRIEVE THIS ONE, HE COULD FIND THE OTHER."
"Whoa whoa, hold on." Kimberly crossed her arms over her chest. "There's another key?"
"UNFORTUNATELY YES, THERE IS ANOTHER KEY, THE ZENE KEY. HAVING THESE TWO KEYS COULD GET ZEDD CLOSER TO FINDING THE POWER OF THE JADE DIAMOND."
"AY YI YI YI YI!" Alpha-5 lamented. "EVERY TIME I HEAR THAT, MY CIRCUITS GET ALL FRAZZLED."
"The what?" Tommy asked.
"IT'S AN IMMENSE POWER. SOMETHING THAT CANNOT BE CONTROLLED AND GROWS MORE POWERFUL OVER TIME."
The Rangers all looked at one another before turning back to Zordon. "So...this is bad or something?" Rocky questioned.
Zordon sighed. "THIS IS CATASTROPHIC."