Chapter 3: Broken Ice
"SIYAAAH!"
This was seriously how I was spending my nights? Practicing martial arts forms using YouTube videos as my instructor, I was so rusty with Karate since I hadn't really even used it since Dylan and I were kids. Dylan had kept up with it trying to fend off Roth and his goons. Me on the other hand? I was so rusty you could mistake me for an abandoned car.
Which normally wouldn't be an issue since fighting was frowned upon in the real world. But since I had to save the world now, I needed to relearn my forms and stuff. I felt like an asshole doing it in my bedroom though, thank god no one can see me right now, I had a reputation to keep you know.
I heard the faint sounds of voices downstairs, god it sounded like Mom and Dad were at it again, I tried to keep my focus on my training, but their voices were too loud to ignore.
I stopped where I was and left the room to find the two arguing again, "I'm just looking out for our son's future! He needs to be able to get the education he needs! How's he supposed to get anywhere in life if he never goes to college?" Mom yelled.
Oh no, not this again, "Yeah, and when you get the money for that let me know! We can barely afford this house let alone college!" Dad snapped back.
Mom and Dad argued a lot, but the college thing was a major one, it was always about money, "So you're willing to destroy your own son's future just to save a few bucks?! Kevin deserves better than to waste away his life working retail!" Screamed Mom.
I just sat there on the stairs in silence, god why did they always have to fight? I wasn't even sure if I wanted to go to college, I didn't even like school all that much, but they didn't need to get so… hostile about it. I got up and went back into my room, trying to put their arguing out of my head.
"I'm guessing that happens often?" Cyril asked me, ugh… I keep forgetting he can hear my thoughts, I hated talking about my parents, especially their arguments, I just wished it would stop already, "Perhaps moving your training to somewhere quieter would suffice? Honestly their arguing is starting to bother me as well," Cyril suggested.
That wasn't a bad idea actually, anything to get away from their screaming. I closed my laptop and opened my bedroom window, I instantly had flashbacks to when I was little, and I used to sneak out to hide in the surrounding forests, pretending it was a magical world or something, it helped me distract myself from the harsh reality I found myself surrounded by everyday.
The forest wasn't too far from the house, so I could still use our Wi-Fi to play the instructional videos, I found a nice spot, a good opening in the middle, surrounded by trees and the gentle sounds of nature, a welcome change from the war of words my parents seemed to be forever trapped in.
I simply picked up where I left off, punches and kicks, letting my anger at the situation power my strikes, years of anger and sadness released with every punch and kick, trying my best not to think about the hell my home life had become. But it was nice to get away from there, if even for a little while, just to escape for a single precious moment.
After a while I had decided to stop for the night and just relax, I didn't really want to go home yet, I wanted to let the two finish their argument before heading back, I just sat in the spot I always went to when I was younger, a hill that overlooked a part of the town, the lights of the night city were beautiful, almost serene, calming…
"Do your friends know? About your parents I mean?" Cyril suddenly asked me, I hadn't told anyone but Dylan about my parents, I hated talking about it, I was embarrassed by it, parents are supposed to love each other aren't they? Why did I have to get two that hated each other, it's a wonder they haven't divorced yet! "I've never exactly been good with consoling those in distress, that was usually Ingitus or Volteer's forte," Said Cyril, "But I would be remiss if I didn't tell you that this is not your doing Kevin, some people are just like this, even the great ice dragons of old had their squabbles," He said.
I sighed, it wasn't that simple, I just wanted us to be a family, it didn't seem like that much to ask for, but apparently my parents felt differently, finding it more worthwhile to waste the day away screaming about something. "I understand, but there's no need to feel responsible, this is not your fault," Cyril tried reassuring me. If that's true, then why did it feel like it was? Like I did something wrong? I don't really know, but it just felt that way sometimes…
I should probably head home now, they should be done screaming each other's heads off by now…
Meanwhile…
Malefor's Castle…
Twice now Scorn and Rikor had failed to kill those infernal Power Rangers, it was beginning to try my patience, they were just children, they shouldn't be this hard to kill! "Rikor!" I roared.
Rikor jumped, startled by my booming voice, "Y… yes Lord Malefor?" He said, almost dropping his latest clay creation.
I didn't hide my annoyance, these fools feared me and I wished to keep it that way, "I'm growing tired of these Power Rangers, you'd best have a means of dealing with them," I said.
Rikor placed his clay monster on the table, it resembled a bat with hook hands and a hideously deformed face, "I call him Dread Bat! His sonic wail can knock victims right off their feet!" He explained.
These humans were becoming a nuisance, and unneeded complication, these Realms needed to be cleansed and I would not have a bunch of brightly colored teenage humans interfere with my plans! "Have Scorn bring it to life and send it down, I'm done playing games with these humans, we must double our efforts to destroy these Power Rangers, I want stronger monsters and stronger Grublins. I've made the mistake of underestimating my enemies before, I will not do it again," I said before taking my leave, it was insulting I would have to put this much effort into destroying a bunch of hapless hatchlings in colorful tights, but this is what they and Spyro have reduced me to.
I will not lose this time Spyro, this time, you will be the one that falls… you and your precious Power Rangers!
The Next Day…
Gray's National Park, New Harmony
Saturday, before it used to be my break from school, a chance to hang out with friends and goof off for a while, escape my home life, but now that I was a Power Ranger, all that gained a giant question mark next to it since I had no clue if Malefor was going to send another monster after us or not.
Right now I found myself in the park, a place I rarely came to of my own free will, but after last night and all the madness of being the Blue Ranger, I kinda welcomed the boring, quiet, normal park. Just sitting on a bench, watching people go about their average normal days, it was a welcome change of pace.
"Hey dude,"
I looked to see Dylan had happened upon me, "You look rough, long night?" He asked me as he sat next to me.
I sighed, "It's that obvious huh?" I said, he nodded, "Last night was another one of those nights ya know?" I said, hoping he'd get the hint.
He leaned back in the bench, "Your parents get into a screaming match again?" He asked me, I nodded, "Don't worry about it dude, they wouldn't still be together if they didn't at least care about each other a little," He said trying to reassure me, but they were words I had heard a million times before, hollow and meaningless as they always were.
However, I was broken out of my self loathing stupor by the sound of a distant scream, Dylan and I turned to see people running away from an army of grublins and what could only be described as some kind of deformed bat creature, "Well look who showed up to be your stress relief! Shall we?" Dylan said.
You know what? I could use a little monster bashing to make myself feel a little better. "It's Morphin' time!" Dylan called.
"Legendary Dragon! Power of Red Fire!"
"Legendary Dragon! Power of Blue Ice!"
Dylan and I leaped into the air, doing a flip in midair before landing right in front of the monster and Grublins, "You picked a bad day to attack my city you overgrown flying rat!" I said.
The bat just sort of giggled, "Oh really? Let's see how these Grublins feel about that Blue Ranger! Get them!" He ordered the monsters, and with that, they began their attack, Dylan and I went to town on them, every crushing punch and devastating kick made me feel a little better. Man, who'd of thought that being a Power Ranger would be such good stress relief?
Dylan found himself surrounded by Grublins, "You guys really think you have me don't you?" He asked before taking out his Sword of Flame, "FIRE SPIN!" He cried as he spun around with his sword, creating a wheel of fire that blasted the surrounding Grublins back.
I took out my Lance of Ice, "You guys look a bit warm, how's about I cool you off?" I said before taking a huge swing with my lance, freezing each one that was unfortunate enough to make contact with it's blade, "Now that's what I call being put on ice!" I said, the pun was bad sure, but sometimes I just can't help myself.
The Grublins were soon all dealt with, leaving only the monster to deal with now, "Alright bat boy, it's two on one, best give up now while you still can!" Dylan said, I'm not sure why Dylan is telling the monster this, it's not like they ever surrender. Far more content with trying to beat our faces in than preserve itself in any way.
The bat laughed, "I think it's you that should be asking for mercy human!" It said before unleashing a very loud screech! My ears erupted into pure agony as the wail ravaged my eardrums, I tried to cover them but since I was kinda wearing a hard, plastic helmet, that was a no go.
The sound wave knocked both of us back, hitting the ground with a thud. "How'd you like that Power Rangers?" The Bat mocked us, "A bit too loud for you? What can I say? I'm a very loud bat!" It giggled.
Dylan and I both got up, "Dude, my ears are ringing, I'm amazed I can still hear at all!" Dylan whined, I can't say I disagree, my ears were still reeling from that scream, and here I thought my parents were unbearably loud!
I readied my lance, "We have to take this thing down before it gets anyone else with that loud mouth of his!" I said, I leaped into the air, coming down with a huge downward slice with my lance, but the bat blocked it with one of it's hook hands before using the other one to slash me right across the chest.
Sparks burst from the cut as I was sent flying backwards, I rolled back to my feet, but I could still feel that last cut, causing me to clutch my chest, "Dammit! This guy is tough!" I said.
Dylan however didn't seem too intimidated, "But he's not tougher than us!" He said before lunging for the bat, swinging his sword which the bat also deflected with his hook hands, getting Dylan with a few slashes of his own.
This was getting ridiculous now, we were getting our butts kicked by a giant bat of all things, "You two are way out of your league! Master Malefor will be pleased when I tell them how easily I destroyed two Power Rangers!" The creature cackled.
This was hopeless, I felt so powerless right now, nothing I did even dented the thing, who am I even kidding, I was always powerless! Powerless to stop my parents from fighting, powerless to keep my head in check, and too powerless to stop Malefor's monsters.
"That's what you think fuzzball!"
Suddenly a rock and a lightening bolt hit the monster dead on, knocking it to the ground, just then the Green and Yellow Rangers landed in front of us, "Because you still have two more to deal with!" Said Dean.
Jess offered a hand to me, "You okay Kevin?" She asked me, I took her hand and she helped me up, thank god they came along, I doubt Dylan and I would have lasted much longer on our own.
We all surrounded the bat, "What now? There's four of us and one of you!" said Dylan, the bat's only response was to launch itself at us. All four of us began to fight the thing, Jess tried to slice it with her daggers but the monster jumped back, only for Dean to clock it in the head with the flat side of his ax.
The bat stumbled, but was quickly back on the offensive, Dylan and I both threw a jumping front kick, nailing it in the chest, sending it back further, the bat slashed at us in retaliation, knocking both of us back, only for Jess and Dean to leap over us and deliver a double team drop kick knocking it to the ground.
Dylan and I stood in front, with Dean and Jess at our sides, "Give up you overgrown flying rat!" I said, "You did well when it was just me and Dylan, but against all four of us you don't have a chance!" I said, the monster simply growled in response, clearly getting frustrated now.
The bat got up, "You think you four can beat me?! You forget I have this!" It said before unleashing another sonic wail, all four of us clutched our heads in pain, dammit I forgot about that! I couldn't give this thing an opening or I was done for, I have… fight through it! The pain was immense, but I ignored the pain, fist clenched, which soon was covered in ice, pointed at the end like a punching dagger.
I ran up to the thing, hoping to god I didn't lose my hearing because of this, "Hey bat face! Chew on this!" I said before leaping into the air, fist cocked back, before I delivered a well placed punch right between the eyes, the sharp ice stabbing right into it's forehead, causing it to unleash a very different, less painful for me, kind of wail. One of pure agony, I had him now, the creature stumbled backwards, "You think your yelling is going to stop me? I've dealt with people yelling for as long as I can remember! You can't hurt me you overgrown fuzzball!" I said.
The four of us gathered together, "Now Kevin," Said Cyril, "Combine your weapons with the others and finish this abomination off, I'm personally sick of seeing it's hideous face," He instructed me. You and me both Cyril, although I had no idea our weapons could combine like that.
"Ax of Earth!" Dean called as he twisted his ax off a hinge, making it resemble a rifle before tossing it into the air.
"Daggers of Lightening!" Jess said, she too tossed her daggers into the air, which both clicked onto the sides of Dean's ax, forming two handles on the side.
I was next, I separated the two sides of my ice lance, "Lance of Ice!" I called before tossing the two sides into the air, combining with the ax at the top forming an iron sight.
"Sword of Fire!" Dylan cried, he waited for the combined weapons to drop before slapping his sword right on the top, forming what could only be described as a giant death laser.
We all grabbed onto the device, "Legendary Elemental Dragon Blaster!" We all called, "FIRE!" We then shouted before the weapons fired all four elements at the thing the combined blast hit him dead on, causing a huge explosion. Just like that, the job was done, the monster defeated, and we didn't even need to form the Mega Zord to do it!
"You see Kevin," Cyril began, "You're not powerless, the four of you together, you can overcome just about anything," He told me, he had a point though, corny as it may be, alone I felt powerless, afraid, like I wasn't in control of my own life, but with my friends, I was a hero, a Power Ranger, I had stability as long as I had my friends to hold me up. And while I still long for parents that got along, at least I had my friends to help me through it all.
And having mystical weapons that combine into an even bigger weapon didn't hurt none, because everything's better with giant lasers! Am I right? Come on! Tell me I'm right.
Meanwhile…
Another miserable failure! This was beginning to anger me! They hadn't even needed to deploy their giant robot this time! I wanted stronger monsters not weaker ones! I stormed over to Rikor, "M.. Master Malefor! I'm sorry! I don't know wha-" He began but I didn't allow him to finish.
I grabbed the miserable creature by the throat, and hoisted him high into the air, "These Power Rangers have made a fool of me for a third time now! And all you have is excuses! I have no need of excuses! I want results! Find a way to destroy the Power Rangers or else suffer my wrath!" I threatened him, I then tossed him to the ground as he sputtered and gasped for air, I was not going to allow this humiliation to continue, it was becoming a matter of personal pride for me now, I was the Dark Master! The Purple Dragon! I was not about to be bested by mere children!
I looked to the viewing globe again, those worthless humans were celebrating another ill deserved victory, "Celebrate while you can you miserable wretches, for your end will come soon enough," I growled. I would break these pathetic creatures yet…
A/N: Now Malefor, all choking your employees will do is create a hostile work environment, you need to encourage your workers to get results and create good synergy!
Sorry I took so long with this chapter, it seems my writers block had extended to this story too.
I did try adding more detail to the fight scenes though, as they felt a bit too rushed to me previously, as always feedback is most appreciated.