Chapter 13: Part 2
The smell of freshly ground coffee beans wafted through the air of the Mugshot café as Danny Winthrope sat a table with some of his other classmates. They had just gotten out of their Economics class for the day and were comparing notes on their recent pop quiz, but Danny wasn't listening. While they chattered, his mind still drifted back to the events of yesterday... the Rangers' battle with Minorous, the appearance of the new Ranger Kara, and his close brush with serious injury.
In truth, he felt much better after Kara had used a new power to heal him, but his friends still wanted to check up on him today. He knew Joe and Claire would be along shortly so the three could eat lunch together.
While he waited, he thought about the discussion with Professor Bishop and where that left them at the moment. He hoped that by sending Nick, Izzy was able to make some headway in talking to their newest ally that morning. Just then, his thoughts were interrupted as he heard his fellow classmates turn to watch a breaking news report coming from the television in the corner. From the looks of it, there had been some disaster at one of the iron mines just outside the city. There had been sudden earthquakes around the mountain that cut off a group of miners from escaping.
"Isn't that so weird?" one student at the table asked aloud, "How did that happen? Hyperion Falls isn't on a fault line."
Danny stayed silent and couldn't help but wonder for a moment if it was coincidence, or if it was that same minotaur demon they had confronted. As he continued to watch the report, he gasped as he saw a bright flash of light from the camera and heard the news reporter announce there had just been a freak lightning strike nearby.
The Blue Ranger's eyes widened as he continued to stare at the tv screen. That was no coincidence. Something was up and the Gold Ranger was most certainly involved now. Before any of his other classmates could speak, Danny looked up to see Joe and Claire quickly enter the café. They both wore serious faces gave a silent nod when they spotted him nearby.
"Sorry everyone," Danny said to his classmates while pretending to pull out his phone, "I've gotta take this call outside. I'll see ya."
Rising from the table quickly, he grabbed his blazer and hurried out the door after the Red and White Rangers.
Back at the entrance to the iron mines, a morphed Gold Ranger made her way through the squad of Magog minions left to guard the entrance. Without breaking a sweat, she took them down in unarmed combat with fast brutal efficiency. As she blocked the punch of the last Magog, Kara, twisted its arm around violently and used the momentum to send the foot soldier flying backward from a bone crunching snap kick.
The Gold Ranger watched impassively as the Magog collapsed limply to the dirt before feeling another gust of wind behind her. Turning around, she spotted the five Vanguard Rangers, morphed and ready to respond.
"You're late," Kara said bluntly as the Rangers approached, "It seems the demons have already made their way into the caves… I'd guess that minotaur is leading them again."
"Well let's make up for lost time then," the Red Ranger answered quickly igniting his Keyrune into a brilliant torch and leading the others into the cave. "Stay alert and keep together."
The six Rangers hurried deeper into the dark tunnels listening for sounds of the demons or trapped miners amid their echoing footfalls. While they did, they paused as they felt the ground shake again and a thundering sound echo through the cavern.
"Uh, guys? Let's step it up before that stupid demon brings the whole mountain down on our heads," Nick growled readying his warhammer.
After a short run, the six wound their way until they came across a fork in the tunnel. In the flickering light of Joe's Keyrune, Kara bent down and stopped to observe the ground. After a moment, she raised her head and pointed down the left passageway, "There. I can see that demon's heavy hoof prints tracking that way."
"Well, minotaurs never struck me as the sneaky subtle types anyway," Danny shrugged.
He was cut off as Claire waved her hand to silence everyone. "Shh! Quiet. Do you guys hear that?"
The Rangers paused and strained their ears, listening for any sounds coming from the darkness around them. After a few tense moments, they could make out muffled sounds of voices coming from the tunnels to the right. They sounded like moaning cries for help.
At that moment, Izzy pointed to the caverns at their right, "Those must be the trapped miners. Come on everyone! We've got to help them!"
Kara immediately shook her head and cut off the Pink Ranger, "Our priority is destroying that demon. It's after something and if we wait, it might find what it's looking for."
"No," Joe answered firmly breaking the argument up, "Izzy is right. Our priority is saving those miners. If they've been trapped in a cave in, they're not going to have much time or air left."
The Gold Ranger shook her head again and lit her own Keyrune as she started off toward the left tunnel. As she did, the Red Ranger called out after her, "Kara! What are you doing? We're supposed to stick together!"
"I never said I'd follow your lead Joseph," Kara snapped back quickly, "Go ahead then and be a fool. You and the Rangers have your duty to the humans, and I have mine."
The Red Ranger growled as Kara hurried off alone but Nick put a hand on his shoulder, "Come on Joe. Let's help those miners first. Then we'll go back Kara up. I have a feeling she's going to need it."
After another short sprint down the dark tunnels, the five Vanguard Rangers came upon exactly what they feared, a collapsed mine shaft with mountains of rubble blocking the path. As they approached, they could see a small hole that the miners had punched through to let in some air and cry for help.
"Damn. What now?" Claire muttered "We can't blast our way through without risking the miners."
Glancing at the makeup of the fallen debris, Danny snapped his fingers, "I have an idea. Nick, I need your help. You and I are going to take the lead on this one." The Green Ranger nodded as Joe called out to the miners, "Ok everyone. Just hold on. We're going to get you out of there, but we'll need you to stand back!"
Raising his Keyrune, Danny began to hose down the rocks and soil with a powerful jet of water. As he did, Nick stood beside him and manipulated the earth to allow the water to drain away safely to the sides. Working together, the two Rangers used their elemental magic in a controlled way to safely erode the soil and rocks while forming a large hole for the trapped people to escape.
"Nice work you two, and good thinking Danny" the Red Ranger nodded to the boys as Claire and Izzy helped pull the last of the grateful miners free, "Now, let's just hope we'll still be in time to stop that monster."
Meanwhile, at the other end of the mine, the demon Minorous raised his battleaxe and swung one more time at the pile of large rocks before him. As the earth cracked and the cloud of soil died away, the Cambion demons stopped and stared at the thing they had been searching for. Laying before them was the steely head of a large Empyrian titan. The great head of a horse zord poked out of the rubble and continued to bleat while a pair of half buried wings struggled to move.
"There it is... the Empyrian Pegasus," Minorous grinned in excitement waving his Magog escort forward, "What are you waiting for? Dig that titan up!"
Just as a group of the Cambion foot soldiers approached the trapped zord, several burst of lightning rang out and destroyed the demons instantly. Minorous whirled around furiously to face the Gold Ranger as she approached with her smoking Keyrune leveled.
"Step aside demon," Kara warned as she summoned her dual scimitars, "I won't let you touch that titan!"
The minotaur snorted angrily and gestured to his remaining Magogs, "Get her!"
Kara dashed forward, mowing down the foot soldiers with blinding speed and whirling strikes from her electrified swords. As she tumbled through the last of them and sprung at the demon, Minorous blocked the leaping attack and locked weapons with her, but not before waving his arms a few times. Pushing her back, the demon took a reaping swing with his axe but the Gold Ranger leapt backward, evading the blow.
Upon ducking the blow, Kara was surprised as she felt a temporary force barrier against her back restricting her movement. Turning to the side, she tried to maneuver around to make another attack on the demon, but ran into another wall of force.
"Now you see my special power," Minorous laughed, "you can't move so well within my force field labyrinth, can you?"
He was right, Kara realized. The underground monster was in his element now and without her usual room to maneuver, Kara was now at a disadvantage. The Gold Ranger gasped as her enemy charged forward and took another great swing. Using all her might, she parried the axe aside just in time, but was caught as Minorous swept his head around and knocked her aside with his horns. The Gold Ranger went flying into a rocky wall and fell over, finding herself suddenly half buried in the loose soil.
The stunned Ranger shook her head to regain her senses as the monster approached and raised his axe again, "Now it's time to get even you gold witch!" Nearby, the Pegasus zord redoubled its efforts to free itself as it whinnied loudly to help the Ranger.
Before the minotaur cold bring his axe down, he was swept aside as a volley of golden blaster shots rang out and pummeled the monster. To the Gold Ranger's shock, the five Vanguard Rangers rushed into the cavern with their weapons drawn, ready to assist. At the forefront of the group, she saw the Red Ranger level his sword and bark out quick decisive orders, "Claire, we need some covering fire. Izzy! Danny! You two get Kara. Nick, I'm gonna need my center lineman on this play. Let's block the pass rush!"
"Now that's some football language I can understand!" the Green Ranger grinned calling his hammer and giving a thumbs up.
The Rangers sprung into action as Claire fired a wintery blast of ice from her Keyrune to slow the monster. While Joe and Nick took up defensive positions to guard the way, Izzy and Danny hurried over and grabbed hold of Kara's arms. With one swift pull, they freed the Gold Ranger from the mound of soil and rubble.
"Are you ok Kara?' Izzy asked dusting their ally off.
Kara looked to the Pink and Blue Rangers in quiet surprise before nodding slowly, "Yes... thank you."
"That's it! I've had it with you Rangers!" the minotaur bellowed rising to his feet and preparing to charge.
But before the monster could take a step, a cloud of dirt and rocks erupted from the mound covering the Pegasus titan as it gave a loud cry. To the shock of all the combatants, the Pegasus zord beat its wings and freed itself from the earth. Thrashing forward, the zord rammed the monster by its snout and smashed through the ceiling of the cavern, clearing a way out of the mountain as well as carrying the minotaur with it.
While the other Vanguard Rangers stood gaping in shock, Kara called summoned own wings and took off through the hole created by the breakaway zord. "Come on! After that titan!" she called.
Once outside, the Pegasus zord touched down and threw aside the stunned Cambion demon that had been caught in its furious wake. As it whinnied and pawed anxiously at the ground, the battered Minorous pulled himself to his feet. "You stupid horse. I don't care what General Abaddon says anymore. I'm going mount your head on a wall."
In a furious roar, the monster hurled its battle axe with two hands at the titan, but a bright bolt of lightning deflected it and sent the weapon clattering away harmlessly. Moments later, the Gold Ranger was standing before the monster with her sword leveled. As she advanced, the other five Rangers descended from the skies and landed nearby to back her up.
"I told you once before demon. I will not let you lay a finger on that titan."
With a cruel laugh, Minorous waved his arms again and raised several faint walls of force energy around Kara, hoping that he could confuse her and slow her advance.
"Everyone! Be careful. The demon can create a maze of force fields!" the Gold Ranger called to her allies behind her.
"Then we'll just have to help find the way for Kara, right everyone?" Claire grinned gesturing forward.
Joe nodded and rushed in finding the first wall of force and pointing the next path forward where he stood, "Good idea Claire! Everyone?"
To Kara's shock, the other Vanguard Rangers hurried after the Red Ranger and worked together to stand in place of the barriers and form a sort of path. As they formed a human chain and pointed the way through the maze, Kara gave a nod and rushed past them with blinding speed, bursting through the maze and slashing the surprised demon with a flying leap attack.
As Minorous reeled from the blow and dispelled his walls, both Nick and Izzy advanced quickly and each landed a powerful follow up blow with their own elementally charged weapons.
Sputtering in pain, the weakened and battered demon staggered to his feet as the cloud of whirling winds and rocks died down, only to face a furious Gold Ranger.
To the minotuar's horror, Kara had turned her sword into a crackling lightning bolt again and hurled it straight at him like a javelin. The demon never had a chance to react as the finishing attack struck him and exploded into a thunderous fireball of brimstone and surging electricity.
As the other Rangers gave a cheer, Nick and Izzy exchanged a high five before turning to Kara. The Gold Ranger stood watching the fires from the destroyed demon die down before giving a slight nod of satisfaction. "You came back for me," she said curiously eying the two Rangers for a moment.
"Don't you remember what we said earlier," the Green Ranger huffed, waving it off, "You're one of us... and besides... it was the right thing to do."
For a moment, Izzy almost thought she could sense Kara give a smile behind the visor of her helmet, "Thank you... Nick and Izzy."
Suddenly, the moment was interrupted as the Rangers heard the cry of the Pegasus zord as it reared up and beat its wings, taking off into the open mountain air. Seeing the zord retreat from the battlefield, Kara quickly turned and summoned her wings taking to the air and pursuing it. Before she did, she took one last look at the Rangers before hurrying off herself.
"Hey Kara! Wait! Where are you going?" Joe shouted, but the Gold Ranger continued to fly off after the Pegasus. He began moving to take flight after her, but the Pink Ranger stopped him and held his arm back gently.
As Danny and Claire joined them, the Blue Ranger scratched his head toward Izzy and Nick, "Uh, do you mind telling us what the heck is going on? What was that all about?"
As she continued to watch the departing Ranger and Pegasus on the horizon, Izzy crossed her arms with a content smile, "That is what I'm going to call, progress."
A/N:
Hey everyone, I hope you're enjoying the 6th Ranger arc right now. We've got one more episode coming up soon to tie it all together and unify the Rangers. Lots of thanks to everyone who has been reviewing, following, or even just reading along. Now let's go unite our team and take it to the villains!