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Chapter 24- My Sacrifice
On the way to outskirts of the city, Sydney couldn't stop grinning about what had gone down at the Command Center while Sky drove the jeep. She put her black aviator shades on and lowered the temperature of the air conditioner. Sky instantly pressed a button to make it higher. He was just angry because she had outsmarted him. Besides, they were going to be out in the sun for most of the day, if not all day long, without something to cool them. She pressed the button again and observed his reaction. He groaned and made the temperature higher again. It was going to be a long day in the desert for both of them.
But he wasn't just angry because of her victory, there was something else bothering him. It was quite evident in the way he had been acting for the past hour. His driving had been anything but perfect in the past 15 minutes. Sky had almost managed to run over an old lady, crash against a truck and skip a red light in the first 10 minutes. His anger got the best of him at times. It was either a quality or one of his worst defects, depending on the situation. The long awkward silence that had been reigning over them was finally broken by Syd when they arrived.
"Is there something bothering you?"
He parked the car and turned to her, "No. I'm fine."
She stepped out of the car and sat on top of a crate while he paced. He was apparently keeping guard in case Morgana or any of Grumm's aliens popped up. The "I'm-keeping-guard" routine went on for another hour until she got bored of watching him. She decided that he was the worst person to be paired in for a long mission. If she had gotten paired up with any of the others, they would at least have a decent conversation that lasted more than two sentences.
"If you keep pacing like that, you're going to dig a hole in the ground." She piped up.
"And if you keep talking, I'm going to get distracted and those diamonds will go missing." She gasped at his words. Sydney opened her mouth to protest, but decided to be the bigger person and ignore him. She simply sat there and observed him. He seemed deep in thought about something.
She rolled her eyes, "This is getting annoying. We are going to be here for a while, you better start talking or I swear I will leave right now."
"Be my guest." He muttered coolly.
The blond girl shook her head and approached him, "I know what you're trying to do, Tate. It's not going to work."
She knew he would try to trick her into fleeing the scene and going to help out the others. She was beginning to imagine how Cruger would reprimand her and patronize her about her actions. But the worst part would be the Blue Ranger celebrating his victory while she mopped the floors. Or worse, wash the windows like Jack.
She took a sip from her water bottle. "Careful, we only have four of those."
Again, she couldn't believe him. He couldn't sustain a casual conversation but he could be a jerk at the drop of a dime. She was getting flustered, she didn't like that. When she got angry, the darkness overpowered her. She couldn't allow herself to hurt Sky, no matter how much of a pompous ass he was being. She took a deep breath and spoke a bit more calmly, "Just tell me what's bothering you. Talk to me."
"I don't even know why Cruger sent me here. I'm supposed to be helping the others, not babysitting a bunch of diamonds." He wasn't making any progress on her book. At that rate, he would soon be classified as 'undatable'.
She let out a loud sigh, "I don't want to do this either, but Cruger sent us here for a reason."
"And that reason is more important than defeating Grumm?"
"Nothing is more important than defeating him." She confessed. "Believe me, its not like he sent us here to stop Morgana from making a wedding ring with these diamonds. If she's stealing diamonds, there must be a reason behind it."
"Vanity?" He asked snidely. She let out a dry laugh before replying, "No, she doesn't do things that he doesn't order her to do. She's like his little lap dog. Ever since I can remember, she's been extremely obedient and loyal."
"And how exactly did that girl come to get mixed up with Grumm. The girl who was with you the first time, Mora… she seemed so sweet and innocent." Sydney shrugged.
"I didn't stick around long enough to hear her life story."
"Do you think…" He took a deep breath, "…that Morgana can be helped? Be turned to our side, I mean."
"I don't think so."
"You're just biased because of what she did to you." She stood up and tried to relax by closing her eyes. This was not going to be a moment of weakness for her. "I am not biased, Sky. I have known her for most of my life. She's too deeply involved in Grumm's business to leave it now."
"Well, it was possible to turn you to our side."
"Because I'm human, Sky! Morgana may come from the same species but any side of her that was human is long gone." She exclaimed loudly. She sat down next to him again and pulled her knees up to her chest. She was pleasantly surprised when he took hold of her hand.
"You're right, I'm sorry." He told her gently. She leaned in slowly and placed a hand on his cheek. He made the first move and grazed his lips on her. Their 'soon-to-be' kiss got interrupted by a blast that sent them flying a few meters back. Sydney groaned when her face body made contact with the sandy, rocky surface. This was nothing new. When something really good started to happen in her life, fate always intervened and made something equally bad happen. She wiped the sand from her eyes quickly and saw that their attacker was standing in front of her. Her blue gaze began inspecting the alien from head to toe.
"Morgana." She hissed furiously as she stood up.
The older girl cackled in response, "Don't let me interrupt your kissing session with your boyfriend."
"He's not…"
"Not officially." That earned her a glare from Syd. "You can keep sucking face for all I care. You would make my job so much easier.
Sky got on his feet and assumed a fighting stance. Morgana rolled her eyes and snapped her fingers. An army of Krybots, including a Blue Head Krybot, materialized right before their eyes. "I'll take care of Morgana."
Sky nodded and began battling the Krybots while Syd took on her biggest rival apart from Grumm. Both girls engaged in hand-to-hand combat straight off the bat. Even though the Pink Ranger was more agile and limber than Morgana, the older girl was definitely stronger and had a very powerful left hook. A punch in the stomach from the brunette made her fall on her knees. It had knocked the wind out of her. She had almost forgotten how strong she could be when she meant it. She got back on her feet and start going at it again.
While the girls battled each other, Sky was busy getting rid of the robotic soldiers Morgana had called in. He began fighting without morphing first; he wanted to save the best for last. He had a change of heart after taking down the first 10 Krybots that had crossed his path. Creating a single force field took up a lot of his energy. In the situation he was stuck in, he was forcing himself to create at least two per group of five Krybots. His stamina was running out faster than he wanted. It was time to get the heavy artillery out.
"SPD Emergency!" Sky shouted. In a question of seconds, his blue suit materialized onto his body.
Syd kept an eye on him from a distance. It looked like he was doing better since morphing. She turned her gaze back to her opponent and punched her in the face as hard as she could to knock her out. Morgana grinned and aimed one of energy blasts directly at Syd. The petite girl dodged it skillfully. But before she could take notice, the other girl had already sent another blast at her direction, making stumble back a few feet. "Two can play this game."
"Go ahead." Morgana taunted.
Sydney couldn't help herself when she was mad. Her skin began prickling her, urging her to use the darkness. It almost never happened that the darkness took over her, but this was the easy of getting rid of her opponent so she could help out her teammate. A small blast materialized on her hand. She had never been more excited to use her powers than she was at the moment. A few seconds later, the blast hit Morgana's chest.
Walking up to her body, Sydney took out her morpher and opened it. "I believe its judgment time."
A kick in the legs made the Pink Ranger fall on her back. She stood up quickly and decided she had had enough, she morphed. The villain took out a shiny silver bracelet from her pocket and attached it to her wrist. The bracelet was engraved with some symbols in an alien dialect. "I have my own suit too."
Sydney scoffed, "That sack of bones only gave it to you because he knows you can't beat me without it. I certainly don't need an upgrade to kick your ass in battle."
Morgana whispered something in a language Syd couldn't make out. A purple glow emerged from the symbols and in the blink of an eye, the brunette's dress had been replaced with a black and purple suit. The sleeves and the sides were a rich pruple while the center was a deep black. The suit was topped off with a silver armor plate that covered her neck and shoulders.
As soon as Morgana put on her matching helmet, the battle between pink and purple resumed. The battle was even for the first thirty minutes, no one had the upper hand yet. That quickly changed. Morgana was beginning to struggle to keep up with Syd's skills and fell to her knees, her power suit disappearing. Sydney wasted no time and ran over to the Blue Ranger, who was on his knees.
"I'll take the Bluehead, you take the rest of the Krybots." She helped him up and grabbed her Deltamax Striker. That Bluehead wasn't going to get even 10 meters away from her. She fired a few shots at the robot, leaving a dent in its armor. She moved in closer and positioned her weapon in front of her body, assuming a defensive posture. After a few punches directed at her, she knew it was time to take out her blaster. Combining it with her Deltamax Striker was ideal for a long range attack.
She stood back a few feet and began firing away, trying not to engage in physical contact. The former battle had weakened her severely. She figured that by not engaging in any type of physical action, she would get some of her stamina back. She got down on one knee, closed one of her eyes to aim at her target and fired a shot directed at the Bluehead's chest. It stumbled backwards, but it wasn't over yet so she fired another one at its head, leaving a massive hole. The robot crumpled onto the floor and completely shut down.
She left the crumpled robot behind and joined Sky. They both demorphed together. He gave her a high five and grinned. "You ok?"
She simply nodded and wiped the seat of her brow with the sleeve of her uniform. Sydney looked back and raised her eyebrow. "Hey, where did she go?"
A small shake in the ground made them turn around. Before them was a new type of Krybot neither of them had seen before. This new drone had a similar body to the other two, but his head and protective armor was orange. Its head was surrounded by large spikes and was equipped with its own sword. Before any of them could react, the Krybot raised its sword and exclaimed, "Triforce Shockwave!"
The result was a massive wave of energy. Both of them groaned as they hit the ground several feet from their original spot. She put a hand over her chest and let out a small scream while trying to get up. The massive output of energy had probably fractured one of her bones. Morgana appeared in front of her, smiling smugly.
A small glint in the ground caught Syd's eye. She stretched her hand forward and gathered a small pile of dirt and pulled it back. She kept her head pressed to the ground. When Morgana blasted them, Sydney stood up and shoved exposed her fist. It was now solid diamond. The shiny rock deflected most of the blast and had merely caused damage. "Diamonds really are a girl's best friend."
Just as they were about to morph, Sydney received a Triforce Shockwave when her hand turned back to normal. She tried to look up, but the bright sunshine wasn't exactly helping her headache. Every time she blinked, dark spots clouded her vision. She told herself she couldn't pass out, no matter how tired she felt. Her body began going numb, first were her legs and then her arms. The last thing she saw before falling unconscious was Morgana disappearing, along with the Krybot and Sky.
The aroma of fresh human blood and the prickling of raindrops against her skin awoke her an hour later. She pressed her hand to her forehead and looked at her blood-soaked fingers. Probably a concussion, I'll get Kat to fix it when I get back.
Her body was in excruciating pain; every little move she made sent a shockwave of pain through her whole being. It took her a good five minutes to achieve a standing position. She looked around and discovered she wasn't in the desert anymore. That is if I ever get back to SPD alive, she thought.
She took a few seconds to clear the haze surrounding her mind and took a look around. She was on some kind of underground storage room. Underground was an understatement. She was trapped inside a dirt cave. She looked up and saw a hole on the cave's roof. She then realized she was not on the desert but under it. The rain was pouring into the cave from the hole. The more she observed, the more curious she got.
Her attention went to a pair of large silver racks holding transparent containers with some green goo inside. She took one of the containers and opened the lid. After collecting a few samples, she opened her morpher and sent an alert to RIC. The dog always helped out on situations like these.
In a matter of minutes, RIC popped his head and barked when it recognized her. With her had transformed into a diamond again, she punched a hole in the cave wall to put her feet in. After making several holes to climb up, she finally got to the opening in the roof. She stuck her arms out, but she couldn't pull herself up, RIC bit her uniform's sleeve and gradually pulled her out. Syd was just glad when it was over; her rib cage had never been in so much pain. She lied down on her back and let the rain soothe her pain, even if it was just for a few seconds. She stood up, still pretty much in pain and walked over to where Sky had parked the jeep. Except that there wasn't any jeep parked.
She rubbed her eyes and groaned. What she was about to do next was probably the most unorthodox thing she had done in her entire career at SPD and the Commander and Kat would probably punish her, but at that moment the only thing she could think about was finding Sky. She summoned the Delta Runner 5 to her location. She hoped getting to the Academy would only take a few minutes. She sighed and grabbed RIC before getting inside the control cabin and piloting the monstrous vehicle back to the Zord Bay at the Academy. And as she had originally predicted, it had only taken her a few minutes to arrive. She just hoped that Kat wouldn't notice the way she had used the signboard on her Zord to redirect the traffic.
When the Command Center's doors opened to reveal Syd, the other three cadets sighed and walked up to her and stared at her misdemeanor. She was still soaking wet, dirty and bleeding. "Syd, are you ok?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. The battle got a bit rough out there." Sydney responded. Z thought otherwise.
"You're bleeding." The Yellow Ranger was about to drag her to the Medical Wing when Cruger and Kat entered the room. She looked down at the floor to avoid the glares from the Commander. The last thing she needed today was someone telling her what she had done. It was true that her acts deserved a punishment and she would deal with the consequences after she found her friend.
Cruger stood in front of her and cleared his throat, "Would you mind telling me why your Delta Runner was out cruising in the streets?"
No idea. "I needed to get back from the desert." She muttered quietly, her cheeks growing red.
"You almost caused three traffic accidents today! May I just tell you how irresponsible that was?" The tiny girl gazed into his eyes.
She nodded, "I'm sorry about that. But I swear that I didn't do this in vain. I passed out after I hit my head and just before I feel unconscious, I saw Sky disappear with Morgana and an Orangehead Krybot. I couldn't find the Jeep and you know the rest of the story."
Kat sighed, "Well, lets take care of the priorities first. Any ideas about where Morgana could have taken Sky?"
"Apart from the ship, you mean?" Kat responded with a nod. "I don't know, I mean, she could have taken him to any planet in the universe. She's unpredictable."
"What do we do now?" Jack crossed his arms in front of his chest.
The petite girl sighed, "I know what to do, but you're going to like it."
"You don't mean…." Sydney quickly interrupted Bridge's sentence. "Yes, Bridge. I mean to do just that."
Z and Jack raised their eyebrows. "We have three options: We can begin a fruitless search around the galaxy for Sky, we can also wait for Morgana to attack again or I can go in get him out myself."
"You're not trading yourself for Cadet Tate. I won't allow it, Miss Drew. You're a valuable part of this Squad and the Academy." The Commander protested loudly. The last statement had obviously gotten to him. Sydney walked close to him and shook her head, "Not anymore. I'm quitting SPD."
She stripped the badge off her uniform and handed her morpher to Kat. "I can't allow that sack of bones to have Sky. I won't be able to live with myself."
The Pink Ranger put on a poker face and decided to save her tears for later. She closed her eyes and tried to relax as she felt the darkness coming onto her. Bridge noticed the girl's hands shaking and grabbed Z to drag her back. A few moments later, her hands stopped trembling and she opened her eyes.
"If Grumm wants me, he'll have me." She stood in front of Z and gave her a hug and whispered, "Don't let anyone any one have my morpher. I'll come back, I promise."
Z hugged her back and asked, "When will you be back?"
"I don't know, hopefully, it will be soon." She paused and let a few tears run down her eyes. "Thank you for everything, Z."
Her last sentence caused Z to also spill a few tears. Syd broke the embrace and grinned at Bridge, "I admire you for being so optimistic. I wish I could be like that sometimes. Thank you for always seeing the good in me."
"And Jack, you're a great team leader. Don't let Sky's comments get to you." She grinned and let out a small laugh. "And if he ever bothers you, give him a kick in the ass for me."
Jack laughed and gave her a melancholic smile. "Commander, Kat, it was an honor working for you. I'm sorry."
"I understand how hard this must be for you, Cadet Drew." Cruger expressed soulfully, almost as if he was talking to a daughter. "I don't agree with your decision, but I respect it. And if you ever need help, we'll always be there for you."
Kat spoke shortly afterwards, "I'm just glad we got you back, even if it was for a short time. It's an honor to meet you. And remember, never hesitate to come back. We're your second family."
"Will you please inform my parents?" Doctor Manx gave her a small nod. "I'll be out of your way as soon as I get a shower and change. Thank you for everything."
She took one long look at the Command Center and smiled weakly before exiting. She would always cherish this place and the people in it. She would never forget them.
After showering and getting dressed, she left the building without looking back. She lingered outside for a few minutes and then continued to make her way to the park. It was still raining, but she didn't care in the least.
The rain was the only thing soothing the pain, both physical and mental, that she was experiencing. Her hair wasn't the only change her body had been through lately. The brand on her back had been stinging like hell lately and it just seemed to get blacker and bigger every time she looked at it in the mirror. Her mind wasn't helping out either. She's been experiencing severe headaches and dizziness, but she didn't to say anything, she didn't want to be stuck in the Medical Wing.
She looked for an isolated area at the park and fell to the floor on her knees. The pain began traveling through her whole body. She groaned loudly when it reached her brain. She gasped when it stopped moments later. Morgana appeared before her and smiled. "I was hoping you would understand my signs."
"Where is Sky?" Morgana snapped her fingers. A bloody and bruised Sky materialized seconds later. Sydney let out a small scream and crawled over to him. He gave her a weak smile in response before passing out. Her blue eyes filled with tears and she simply kissed his forehead, "I love you, more than you'll ever know."
The brunette grabbed her by the arm and rolled her eyes, "Cut the soap opera, you're depressing me. We're leaving now."
Sydney pressed a button on Sky's Morpher to send an alarm to the Academy and kissed his cheek. Morgana got her onto her feet and practically dragged her across the meadow. A bright light engulfed both girls before disappearing.
Aboard the Terror, a familiar face with a pair glowing eyes greeted her, "Welcome back, Sydney."