Author's notes - Happy Easter everybody! I hope everyone had a great weekend :).
Part Six
Chapter Four
As the street erupted around them, the Genin aimed his wrist-mounted grappling line for the building's rooftop balcony and fired. The line rapidly unspooled until it found purchase, the shock reverberating down the rope as the line pulled tight. He glanced to Kimberly.
"Going my way?" he asked, offering his hand.
"Meet you up there," Kim replied.
"Suit yourself," he said, and activated the mechanism built into his gauntlet. He was suddenly in the air, his stomach left behind him as he flew up the side of the building with the wind whistling past. A second later, he reached the balcony, and he clambered over the edge to put something solid beneath his feet. But as he unhooked the line, there was a flash of pink, and the Pink Ranger was suddenly beside him.
"How did you…?" the Genin stuttered.
Kim held up her wrist. "Teleporter," she said.
The ninja warrior smiled. "Damn I need one of those," he said
Stepping away from the balcony, they swept their gazes around the rooftop. On all sides was what had once been a terraced garden. Neat rows of brightly-coloured flowers, garden statues and leafy shrubs were spread out around them. But something was wrong. Even as they watched, the garden was dying. The plants were wilting, the flowers drooping and falling to the tiles. Even the taller trees weren't immune from whatever was happening, their leaves turning brown before their eyes.
"I'm not a gardener," the Genin began, "but that doesn't look right."
"He's here somewhere," Kim said. "Stay close."
Keeping silent, they made their way through the dying garden. On the other side was a wide patio before two solid doors that led back into the building. But as they stepped clear of the plants, Kim held up her hand. The Dragon Lord was before them, his eyes dark as midnight, the pendant still around his neck.
"Welcome back," the villain growled, his voice without an ounce of warmth. "You know me, yes? I'm yet another of this world's endless line of would-be conquerors. Such a worthless life this one is."
The Genin stepped forward. "No," he said. "Whoever you are, you are not the Dragon Lord. Release your hold over him and get the hell out of my city."
The Genin drew his swords. The Dragon Lord turned to face him when the blades caught his attention. He tilted his head curiously, and then his eyes flew wide. "Dragon-born filth!" he shouted. He raised his arm and punched the air. A bolt of solid shadow swept the Genin off his feet and slammed him into the side of the building, where he collapsed to the ground.
"Genin!" Kim shouted, and raced to his side. But as she knelt down beside him, she sighed with relief. He was dazed and hurt, but otherwise okay.
"Anyone get the number of that truck?" he murmured, his eyes shut.
Hearing footsteps, Kim turned to face her opponent.
"One remains," the Dragon Lord said.
Kim held her ground. "Save it," she snapped. "I know who you are. He Who Devours Will, right?"
The Dragon Lord smiled in amusement. "So you know me," he said. "And you are one of the heroes set against me? You have power, something not of this world, that coin at your belt. And you actually think it makes a difference? We are eternal. You are less than a speck of dust in the wind. I am going to break your will and then ruin this world. I will succeed where my idiot golden brother did not, and then father will finally reward me with the riches I deserve. The chains are breaking, child. Don't you see?"
"I don't care," Kim replied. "My friends and I will stop you and whoever shows up next. It's what we do."
"Fool," the Dragon Lord laughed. "He Who Devours Hope has been here for centuries, biding his time in the dark."
"You really don't know who you're dealing with, do you?" Kim shot back.
"They'll abandon you, you know," the Dragon Lord said suddenly.
Kim blinked. "What?"
"It won't happen quickly, you see," the villain continued, his voice barely above a whisper. "One day, they'll just forget to call. Not even out of spite. You just won't matter that much. A week will pass, then a month, then a year, and they will be chasing their passions while you sit at home and quietly wait to be remembered."
"Get out of my head," Kim said softly.
"You mortals think everything is forever," the Dragon Lord continued. "You have no idea how temporary you are. They will discard you without a second thought. You know this, you feel it. Haven't you always suspected how little you matter? Why should they remember you? You'd only get in their way."
"You are lying," Kim said. "You're lying to hurt me, just like your pals."
The Dragon Lord shrugged. "Whether it hurts is irrelevant. It's still true."
"You don't know me. And you sure as hell don't know my friends."
"Then where are they?" the Dragon Lord shot back, suddenly shouting. "If your friendship is so strong, then tell me. Where are they?!"
The doors leading onto the patio exploded in a blaze of fire and sparks, raining debris over the rooftop as the Dragon Lord ducked back to protect himself. But as he watched, the Red, White, Black, Blue and Yellow Rangers charged through the smoke cloud, sprinting across the roof and assembling around the Pink Ranger.
"Where we always are," began Jason.
"Where we always will be," added Zac.
"Right here," Trini finished.
While Billy helped the Genin to his feet, Tommy turned to Kim. "The statues are history, and we heard this loser talking as we reached the roof," the White Ranger explained. "You okay?"
"Trust me," Kim smiled, and then glanced to the Dragon Lord. "I am now."
By now, the Genin rejoined the team. "Are we having another team-up?" he asked brightly.
All right everyone," Jason said. "Let's bring this bastard down."
"Right!"
The Dragon Lord roared as the seven heroes charged across the terrace towards him. As they closed in, Jason took to the air with a flying barrel kick, but the Dragon Lord dodged to the side and sent a blast of dark energy for the Red Ranger. The possessed villain turned to face Zac and Tommy as they reached him, the Black Ranger swinging high with the White Ranger aiming low. Blocking Zac's arm, the Dragon Lord struck away Tommy's kick before slamming his fist into Tommy's stomach, forcing the White Ranger back. While their enemy was off-balance. Zac swung again, but the Dragon Lord dodged one blow then stepped around another, fending Zac off as Jason took up the attack alongside him. Even the two together weren't enough, and the Dragon Lord countered their attacks before sending them crashing.
"Hit and run," said Trini, and the Rangers nodded. "Go!"
The Dragon Lord spun to face the remaining Rangers and lashed out wildly as they attacked. Wary of their opponent's strength, Billy and Trini danced around his punches and knocked him back with twin high kicks before dodging out of range. Finding his footing, the Dragon Lord turned after them when Kimberly leaped down before him. Blocking a punch, Kim landed a flurry of rapid blows to his chest and helmet before somersaulting out of harm's way. Before he could recover, Trini and the Genin attacked side-by-side, Trini striking his arms away as the ninja forced the air from his lungs with a powerful kick to the stomach. Gasping for breath, the Dragon Lord couldn't avoid the Blue Ranger as Billy spun around and slammed his boot into the Dragon Lord's helmet, throwing the villain backwards. Still, the injured Dragon Lord refused to fall.
"Children of fools!" the Dragon Lord raged. "You cannot best me in combat!"
"Newsflash idiot," Zac said. "We're not really trying to," and he stepped aside to reveal Kim holding her Power Bow, a glowing pink arrow aimed for the Dragon Lord's chest.
The Dragon Lord charged with a thundering roar, but Kim was faster. The arrow flashed across the battleground and past the Dragon Lord's shoulder with a millimetre to spare. The Dragon Lord came to a stop, ready to mock the Pink Ranger for the miss, when the jewelled pendant he'd been wearing clattered to the ground, the chain links neatly severed by the arrow. The Dragon Lord's eyes flew wide, and he chased after the pendant as the Genin crouched over it.
"No!" the Dragon Lord cried. But he could only watch as the Genin raised one of his blades and stabbed it through the pendant, instantly shattering the jewel. The Dragon Lord fell silent and dropped to his knees, while a foul smell filled the area.
"Guys, look," said Kim.
On the wall of the building behind them, the shadowy silhouette of the sword didn't show a thin blade but a curling, serpent-like dragon. As they watched, the dragon reared back and lunged for the broken pendant. There was a flash of light and a roar of triumph from somewhere faraway, and the pendant disintegrated. A second later, the Dragon Lord's eyes rolled back, and he collapsed to the ground and moved no further. Trini knelt down beside him.
"He's non-responsive but he's still breathing," the Yellow Ranger said.
The Genin stood up and returned his sword to its scabbard. "Day saved then?" he asked. "We all good?"
"Not quite," said Tommy, and pointed across the rooftop. Opposite the heroes, a form was taking shape in the shadows of the dying plants, the creature's body becoming solid before their eyes. Standing on two legs, the monster was easily taller than everyone else, covered with matted red fur and wearing the pelts of lesser, smaller creatures. It had wickedly-sharp claws on all four paws and a twitchy, white-tipped tail, while two black eyes gazed out over a long snout filled with yellowed teeth. The air itself seemed to twist and distort around the fox-like creature, as if the beast just didn't belong in the world.
The heroes stepped towards their enemy. "He Who Devours Will," Jason said.
The demigod's head snapped towards the Red Ranger. "In the flesh," the beast hissed. "You will be punished for this!"
"I don't think so," Zac said, and raised his voice. "Power Axe!"
"Power Bow!"
"Power Lance!"
"Power Daggers!"
"Power Sword!" Jason finished, and touched down on the rooftop holding the Megablaster. The four Rangers braced themselves against Jason's shoulders, while Tommy and the Genin took their places behind the rest of the team. Aiming the Megablaster straight for the demigod, Jason pulled the trigger. The blast roared across the rooftop and slammed into He Who Devours Will, the beast lost from view in a massive fireball that shook the building.
"Now we're good," Kim said, when a shadow fell over the building.
To be continued.