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Chapter 32- Expendable

Sky was more than furious, not only with Grumm but with himself too. He had allowed his best friend to get stuck inside an impenetrable vortex of darkness. Thankfully, not everything was lost. Baskin, the Troobian Mage whose brother Larkin had been murdered by Pandora, had sent Sky to search for the remaining Mages and Stones to break the darkness. The map he'd been given by Baskin was proving to be more of a puzzle than a resource. He'd been hitting dead for the last couple of hours. This was going to take longer than expected. Time was not on his side unfortunately.

The blue sky and the sun were now covered by a star-less, pitch black veil of darkness. The winds were gaining speed and magnitude with each passing second, enough to make tornadoes form out of nowhere. Although Kat had declared in a public statement that the sudden black-out had been nothing more than a simple eclipse, he had a hunch that citizens weren't buying it. He couldn't blame them. After all, there was a bright beam of purple light that had shot up into the sky. If people weren't alarmed before, they certainly were now.

He needed to be quick. Things, as though they weren't bad enough, would get uglier soon. He laid eyes on the map again. A dark spot on the amp indicated the place he should go to. According to it, it wasn't far away. If it was wrong, that would mean he's just wasted a valuable two hours driving all the way to Silver Hills, his hometown. As much as he loved coming back, he also hated it. After his father's death, everything in town was a constant reminder of him. It wasn't long after that he decided to become a Ranger like his dad. Not any Ranger, the Red Ranger. He wanted nothing but to make his dad proud. The embarrassment over getting the Blue Morpher at the beginning was unbearable. In order to control his rage, he had to leave the room every time Jack was in it or simply avoid his fellow teammate. He'd gotten over it eventually. He couldn't point out when that was exactly, but he guessed it had somehow involved Syd's reappearance in her life. She just had a way of making him feel complete, something he hadn't experienced since that dreadful day.

Getting back to the map, he removed his helmet after parking in front of a small occult shop. He remembered it now. He'd only been inside the shop once. He'd gone inside because of a bet. Back when he was in middle school, his friends challenged him to go inside and bring back an item as proof. They'd give him 50 bucks. He hesitated at first. The shop's creepy exterior always had a way of making Sky's blood run cold. Whether it was the big skull with horns or the pentagram stickers on the glass windows, there was just something odd about it. 50 bucks was plenty of money for a boy his age and he wanted a new video game. So he opened the door and went inside.

The interior gave off the same vibe as the exterior. He quickly picked out a random and cheap item from a woven basket. It was a keychain with a scary-looking skull dangling from a silver chain. He walked to the cash register and handed it to a teen girl dressed as a goth. He paid for it with a 5-dollar bill and quickly ran upon getting it in his hands. His gang paid him. He still had the skull. It was now attached to his motorcycle's key.

Of all the places the Stone could have been kept away from evil's hands, the Mage had hidden it here. Why not a cave or in the bottom of the ocean? Certainly a much more mysterious and undisclosed location than a shop of the occult. The creepy façade was working on keeping away civilians. Grumm wouldn't be intimidated, he was evil incarnate after all.

He went in, expecting it to have the same torture dungeon aura it had given off the first time. This didn't seem to be the case now. Everything was organized and the creepy decorations, sans a few statues, had been kept to a minimum. He looked at the dot again. The Stone was here.

"Hello? Is there someone here?" Sky called out.

An alien, similar to Baskin but with orange skin, came out of a beaded curtain. He gave Sky a friendly smile. "The name's Dragan. Is there anything you're looking for?"

"Actually there is." He explained that Baskin had sent him looking for the Stone. "I need your help."

Dragan shook his head. "I can't. I'm sorry. That Stone has to be kept locked away. Using it would be catastrophic."

"It's not for me." He pleaded. "My friend, she used it and now she's trapped. I would be asking if it wasn't absolutely necessary."

Dragan hesitated. "Larkin got killed by Grumm?"

His voice was a mix of rage and sadness. Sky couldn't tell him that the person he was trying to save was the murderer but he didn't want to lie. He was caught between a rock and a hard place. He sighed and replied, "By one of his allies."

The alien stared at him for a long time before leaving through the beaded curtain. Sky sighed and crossed his arms. He decided to stick around for a little while, just in case Dragan changed his mind. He examined some aromatic candles on a wooden rack. He picked up a black candle. A smell of burnt flowers wafted to his nose. Immediately, he put it back. No more smelling black candles that reminded him of Pandora. The candles needed labels, leaving him to guess what they smelled like was simply cruel. He took a beige candle. It smelled of vanilla, something Syd would have liked for sure. When she got back… that is if they got her back, he would buy them as a gift.

"Girls like roses and vanilla." Dragan's voice startled him. When he turned back to look at the Troobian, he held a silver box.

"How did you…?"

"Guys like you don't simply stop to smell candles." He interrupted with a smile. "If I were you, I would have been gone a long time ago."

"You're different, young man." Dragan stated once he was by Sky's side. "Maybe once this is over, I'll give you a discount to buy some of these for that special girl."

"I would appreciate that." Once outside, he pointed to his motorcycle. "You'll have to ride on the back…"

And just like that, the alien was gone again. Dragan was definitely a fan of disappearing acts. He reappeared, dragging a vintage motorcycle out of a garage.

"You can follow me to Brighton Beach. Old Tryton is probably fishing." He chuckled and got on top of his bike. Sky replied with a nod and a small smile. His day was already looking up. He couldn't wait to get her back. Surely with the Mages' help, he'd be hugging Sydney, his Sydney, and holding her for the longest time in his strong arms.

Both hit the road and began the journey to Brighton which wasn't far away from Silver Hills. He'd been to a few parties there before committing all his time to SPD. It wasn't a very populated beach. It was the perfect spot for an afternoon out with his teammates. He would take them once this ordeal was over.

Brighton Beach's sand looked dull compared to most days, when it was as if it were crushed diamonds sparkling in the sunlight. His new friend was the first on the sand. Dragan called out Tryton's name a few times before finally getting his attention. The other alien was too invested in catching fish with an old rod. Sky laid eyes on Tryton's basket. So far, he'd caught none. It didn't surprise him, the weather was getting worse each passing second.

"Dragan, old friend." His head resembled a shark, including the teeth of one. His mouth was lined with two sets of extra-sharp teeth. "Tryton, this is my friend Sky."

After both shook hands, Dragan briefly explained what had had happened. To say the least, the shark alien was shocked. He stuffed the rod inside an unused ice cooler and put his helmet on. "We may be old as dirt, but we still know how to ride our babies, son."

Sky grinned and said nothing else. This had to be the nicest Troobians he'd ever met. He'd been wrong. He would never generalize an alien race over the action of one of their members.

"Why are you so willing to help me?" He asked.

"We want to clear our name." Sky raised his eyebrow. "We haven't done anything wrong. We just want SPD to know that not every Troobian out there in the galaxy is like Grumm."

"We are a peaceful race. That sack of bones is the exception." Dragan stated.

"We want nothing but to see him locked away." Tryton paused while getting his keys out from his pocket. "Anyone who's an enemy of Grumm is a friend of us."

"I want him put away, too. More than anything." Sky muttered sadly. He didn't give him his reasons. He was going to keep private about Syd for now. He feared that if he told the truth, the pair of Mages would split for good.

It took a couple of more hours to finally reach the vortex. Sky wasn't surprised to see the Commander back on his feet. The Syrian never took a day off. Knowing him, he'd probably escaped from Kat's custody at the medical wing one way or another. Before he left, Kat was bent on keeping Cruger there for further observations. Lucky for Doctor Manx, she would no longer have to look after the Commander, the effect of Drakel's attacks reverted the moment he was encased in the containment card. Sky had no time to celebrate, though. Grumm had sent out more than a few Krybots while he's been gone.

The gusts of wind were getting stronger. The sky seemed to become darker, if as if it was possible. He spotted Baskin in front of the vortex, kneeling and chanting in a language he didn't recognize. "I brought them."

The Mage stood up. "The Stone is still inside the vortex. In order to break it, I need it back."

"No one can go in! How are we supposed to get it?" The Blue Ranger snapped. He took a deep breath and apologized.

"There may be a chance for you to do so. We can open it for a short time." Dragan suggested after opening the silver box he ad been carrying around. He took hold of a small bundle of velvet and threw the container aside. "We will give you a short-time window to get the Stone back."

"I'll do it."

"You understand this small gap we are going to create may only be enough for you to get the Stone out. You and your friend may not make it." Tryton warned, grabbing him by the wrist. Sky was bent on getting her back.

"That's just a risk I'll have to take." The Mages admired his courage. No other being they'd known had ever gone this far out of their way to recover someone lost to them. Most usually backed out. Sky wasn't most people.

The Mages placed both Stones in front of them and created a triangle around them. Sky morphed for protection. He's heard the warnings and wasn't about to go inside a vortex to get the skin ripped off his body. He was passionate, not stupid. The trio began chanting loudly, a bright light emerged from the rocks. A bright beam of light shot out of their hands and hit the vortex, making it disappear temporarily.

Pandora's body hit the floor with a loud thud. The Blue Ranger rushed over to pick her fallen body. Her eyes were completely black, an eerie smile plastered on her face. Even like this, Pandora was still tough and stubborn. The girl was clutching the Stone of Darkness tightly in her right hand. Each time he tried to take it away, the tighter her hold got. It probably wouldn't work, but he had to try something. He took hold of her other hand. "Syd, if you're in there, let go."

She was numb both inside and out. Nothing registered on her mind. Words to her were just simple murmurs; they didn't make sense to her. Nothing did anymore. As much as holding it hurt her, she wouldn't simply let that great amount of power get away. Somehow, something inside her compelled her right hand to begin shaking. Pandora groaned.

"Come on, Syd!" He encouraged, taking hold of her other hand. The vortex was beginning to rise again. It wouldn't be long before it was up again. Slowly, one by one, her fingers were removed from it by some force completely unknown to her. Sky took hold of it and threw it out just in time. The vortex was closing in on them. On a hunch, he unmorphed and held the young villain close to him. Raising his arm, he raised a force field big enough to protect them.

The wall kept him from seeing outside. He didn't care. Holding her again was heaven. She seemed to be in some kind of trance. Her body had gone limp on him and her eyes were still as black as an olive. Still, he held the girl tightly. The girl he had fallen in love with may not have been present but the fact that she had let go of the Stone, gave him hope that Sydney was still inside buried deep inside the disguise of a villain. Holding the force field was a different story.

He closed his eyes, concentrating on keeping his only method of protection from the darkness. It was getting harder. Every time it began to fade, he raised a new force field. He felt something trickling down his nose. He wiped it with his sleeve, a small red stain appeared. Blood could only mean one thing. He was pushing himself beyond his limits. In all his years, he'd never raised more than three force fields per battle. He felt like he'd created more than a thousand. His body was beginning to feel the side effects. With trembling hands and feet, he held her closer, groaning loudly.

Through the thick darkness, he heard one of the Troobians scream "Run for cover!"

The darkness was slowly dissipating into a mix of heavy winds and black fire that engulfed his force field completely. He shut his eyes.

"Cadet Tate!" Commander Cruger shouted in the distance. Sky wasn't sure he was even alive until he opened his eyes. The darkness was gone. The black veil on the sky had been lifted to reveal an orange and pink sunset. He laid the girl's body on the floor and stroked her hair gently. She turned her head to the side and closed her eyes slowly, the smile still on her face. A thick black liquid slithered down her hear, creating a small puddle in the ground. It dissolved into nothing.

She awoke with a loud gasp, observing her hands. "Sky, I don't have a lot of time…"

She shut her eyes again. Upon opening them, Sky knew this wasn't Syd. Pandora had taken over. In a typical Pnaodra move, she shoved the boy aside with a small energy blast before standing up. She cleaned her clothes and crossed her arms. "You always have a way of screwing up my plans, don't you?"

"Screwing up your plans? You seemed to have that all taken care of." Jack retorted, pointing with his Deltamax Striker.

"The vortex?" Pandora scoffed. "That was all part of the plan, Rangers. And Mages."

It was time for her to leave, the Stone was lost. Better for them to have it than her. There was nothing left for her to do. Before she magically disappeared, Broodwing swooped down and launched an attack on the trio of Mages with an army of 5 Orange Heads. Ballsy move for a coward, Pandora thought. There was more to this attack than simple rage. He wanted something, she just knew.

"Long time no see."

"I can say the same for you, princess." He sneered. "Grumm is not happy with you."

"I figured as much." Pandora replied smugly. "At least I'm doing something; I don't see you or anyone else on that ship doing anything worthwhile. While that sack of bones is talking to himself in that throne room of his, we could be causing mayhem in the city."

The alien replied angrily, "You don't understand anything."

If she hadn't turned around in that second, her forehead would have a big round hole made by a deflected blast. She dodged it with ease. "You're supposed to attack them, not me!"

The Krybot went back to work immediately. She looked on as the battle raged. If she hadn't been busy chatting with Broodwing, she'd taken them out all by herself, just to prove how ruthless she was. Her attention turned back to the alien. "Oh, please do enlighten me."

"Grumm's not the only one you should be afraid of." Said the alien. "There are higher powers at work here. Grumm is just a pawn."

"What do you mean just a pawn?" He began walking away. Lucky for her, the Rangers were engaged in their own business. She came to a halt when he turned back and let out a hideous laugh. "He's just a part of the game."

His cryptic answers weren't going to do her any good. She needed them to be concrete. "What are you talking about?"

"This isn't just his war." As much as she despised Broodwing, she was willing to hear him out. Differentiating the truth from the lies was the real challenge. From what she could remember, this alien was anything but reliable and loyal. After all, he had hired Benaag to kill her. Bad blood still ran between them.

"You think he actually has the brains to operate a mission of this magnitude?" He questioned smugly and scoffed. Clever or not, her master was one of the most talented on the whole galaxy. Feared by most and afraid of none, Broodwing's words seemed like a bunch of lies to make her turn against Grumm. As loyal as she was, she still shook her head.

"Grumm's second on the power hierarchy." He looked over her body. "That leaves you and Morgana at the bottom. If you think you're not expendable, think again."

She groaned and blasted the alien's chest angrily. She'd no idea what she was mad about. Mostly at Broodwing's cryptic statements. Pawn in the game… second on the hierarchy… expendable. The last statement made her reconsider her position and the reason behind her following the Troobian. She was driven by rage and her own darkness, but everything else was left unclear. Doubting herself and Grumm was something she seldom did. That last statement made her shiver. She wondered whether she was a pawn or as Broodwing and Benaag had kindly put it, an expendable piece of valuable trash Grumm had picked up and molded.

She finally stated coldly, "Leave before I kill you."

"Don't go around making promises you can't keep." He taunted eerily before vanishing.

"I never do." She muttered to herself in a low voice. She put on a brave face and plastered on an evil smirk. Disappearing into thin air, Pandora left behind her usual trace of charred rose petals.

The Terror

"You were irresponsible, greedy, childish…" Emperor Grumm's red eyes lighted up. "And above all, stupid!"

His words stung. At least he was talking now. For the last thirty minutes, Pandora had been standing and observing her master. His choice of words had been harsh, if not cruel. She hated admitting to herself that she's actually done something wrong, but he couldn't be more right. She had acted out on pure greed without his consent. If the Rangers hadn't intervened, she'd still be inside the vortex… or worse, dead.

She simply nodded in reply.

"At this point, I won't even threaten you." He said the disappointment evident in his voice. "If you ever throw another stunt like that again, I'll kill you!"

The tip of his blade was at her stomach, threatening to cut her delicate milky flesh. Pandora assented grimly, her suspicions confirmed. She made a quick bow and scurried out of the room.

In her mind, there was no doubt left of Broodwing's lies, or truths in her case. Expendable.

If you think you aren't expendable, think again. His words burned into her mind.