Power Rangers: Spirit Force
Awakening Part 1
The Glacier High Senior class was going on their Senior trip. The trip was to the Forgotten Valley, a resorted located north east of the cty of Glacier bay. Forgotten Valley had once been sealed off by the Hamilton Glacier, hiding a volcanicly warmed valley that was often said to be close to paradise. In the ten years since the the Valley was discoveed a vibrant tourist industry had grown.
Tourism wasn't the only thing to grow in Forgotten Valley, Scientific explorers were still mapping areas of the valley and discovering sometimes untold treasures. One such Treasure was the silent Grove, a place where it seemed nothing could be heard.
In recent years the government had taken a interest in the valley as well establishing a park services team to help the tourists. These men and women were suppose tobe highly trained, though only a handleful were. Today, Richard "Ricky" Taylor and Cody Frasier were going to meet the students of Glacier High and show them one of the wonders that could be found near the resort, the Tar pit Feilds.
Ricky was the senior Park Ranger, having been assighned tot he Valley for the last three years. He had put about as much interest in his duties as he did in other people, wich was to say none. He didn't like people, the Valley and espeically having to work. He had been born to money but his parents had decide dhe needed life experience before they would allow him access to it. He became a PArk Ranger thinking it woul dbe an easy job and so far he ha dbeen right. He had managed to become a mid level Park Ranger and could sned others off to do the jobs he didnt want to.
Cody on the othe rhand had been a Park ranger the last eight months, having gotten the job traight out of High school. Unlike Ricky, Cody liked the Valley, He liked people and he loved the job of taking care of such a natural wonder. TO say that he didn't get along with his superior was understatement, and it wasnt for the lack of trying.
Ricky sat on the couch drinkng a doa from a glass bottle, his light brown and gold park servies uniform was neatly pressed and wrinkle free. his large brimmed had sat on the arm of the couch. He stared at the blank T.V and grumbled. The ancient T.V had stopped working during the last thunderstorm. It ha been the only thing that had really kept him sane in the Valley and he knew he would have to go spend some of his carefully earned money to get a new one since the PArk Budget didnt inlcude replacement for the Rangers.
The phone rang in the office and Grumply, Ricky gotup to awnser it. He heard the phone pick up as he was walking in and saw the ever cheerful COdy holding the phone to his ear. Ricky winced internally at that.
"Ranger Command Station." Cody said into the phone "Ranger Fraiser speaking. Good Afternoon Doctor Phillips. Yes, He is hear as well, did you want to speak to him?"
Ricky knew Doctor Phillips, he was one of the eggheads from Glacer Bay University. a Archeologist if he rememebered correctly. He really hated talking to the egg heads and hoped Phillips didnt want to talk to him.
"Of course Doctor, I'll let him know. We have the kids from the highschool coming out for the weekened celebrations today so we can be down to you this evning. Oh? Really? ok. I'll talk to Ricky and see what he wants to do. Alright, I'll talk to you soon. Bye."
"What did Phillips want?" Ricky asked as soon as the phone was on the hook.
"Seems thay found some stone structures near the giant oak on the north end of valley two." Cody said. "He wanted a ranger to come out to help mark a safe area."
"Is that all?" Ricky sighed and shoo khis head dramatticlly. "Reduced to simple land marking. what ever shall I do."
"Go meet the bus full of Highschoolers?" Cody suggested. "I can handle the work for the science team."
"Abosutly not!" Ricky growled. "I will help the egg heads, you deal with the brats."
"I was one of the Kids not to long ago." Cody reminded ricky.
"Wich is why you get to deal with them today." Ricky said. "I'll take the jeep. Meet me out there when your done."'
"Got it." Cody smiled, knowing how well he had just manipulated Ricky into letting him do exactly what he wanted.
Cody stood by the statue of Marcus Granger, the man who discovered the Hidden Valley and many of its side vallies. Granger had not been a proffesional explorer, in fact he had been a private pilot and found the Valley by accident when a earthquake. over two years he preformed dozens of low level flights and mapped many of the linking side vallies. There were valley's that had not been explored yet though and one could only do so much from the air. Grangers last flight into the Hidden Valley was also his final anywhere. His plane was reported missing after a week and searchers spent another three months looking for him. There had been no sighn of Marcus Granger in eight years.
Of course six years ago the resort moved in and laid claim to alot of the expored area. Then the Government stepped in and prevented anyone else from doing the same. THe Park Service was established and now, Here sat Cody Fraiser, waiting for his former Highschool's senior class to come for a visit. It all made Cody Smile.
The First of the six bus's pulled up in front of the Ranger station and opened its door dispelling a rather dissheveled woman in a purple shirt and purple horn rimmed glasses. The woman more fell then stepped off the bus but managed to remain on her feet.
"Mrs. Levvel?" Cody asked stepping up to her. "Are you alright?"
"I'm Fine." Mrs Levvel said fixing her glasses on her face then squinting at Cody. "Cody Fraiser? I didn't know you worked here!"
"Going on eight months now Ma'am." Cody kept his smile. He decided not to remind her that she had spoken to him last week to arrange this visit. How the forgetful woman had ever been made the school librarian he would never know.
"Well thats good." Mrs. Levvel said then leaned in. "Theres been a bit of a change to the schedule I'm afraid. We didn't have as many students as we expected sighn up for the tour of the park."
"How many came?" Cody asked looking at the bus wich did appear to be the only one.
"Not Quite a dozen. the two Wagner Boys, J.T and Kyler as well as Slash, Bash and Crash, Molley Johnson, Kaylee Sanderson and Brandon Foster." Mrs Levvel said. "Oh, and a New teacher, Donna Azora."
"It should affect to much I imagine. Slash, Bash and Crash? Why would those three sighn up for this?" Cody asked.
"Something about bones and the tarpits." Mrs. Levvel shrugged. "When they start getting into their weird rock and roll things I tend to stop listening."
Slash, Crash and Bash also known as Sarah Trenton, Chris Howser and Bret Morgan. Three of the schools more well known Miscreants and wanna be bullies had been so troublesome int heir first year at Glacier Bay High that they had become infamous even amongst the Senior class at the time. They called themselves the Boneheads and proclaimed themselves a rock and roll band. As far as Cody knew, none of them even knew how to play a instrament.
"J.T is here too." Cody nodded at that. J.T and he had been freinds in his last year at the school. While J.T liked to be on his own he excelled in some sports and was even a accomplished Martial artist in his own right. Wich ment his slightly nerdy but brillaint younger brother Kyler had probebly convince dhim to come on the trip. Kyler was smart, really smart. So smart that he actully skipped second grade and ended up in the same grade as his two years older brother.
Molley Johnson was a name he had heard and knew very little about beyond her being apart of the schools weight lifting team. She was supposably an out going girl who every seemed to get along with. He had never heard of her dating anyone and Codies sister had mentioned that she was always dressed in a black hoody except when she was in gym. The Last name was one Cody hadn't expected and he did his best to hide his surprise. Kaylee Sanderson had been the girl every guy wanted to date. She was popular, and kind to everyone. She was liek RIcky int he fact that she came from money but unlike Ricky it didnt seem to affect her. Cody had taken her to prom in her junior year. his hand abesently went to his leg were it rubbed at the spot where a scar now sat.
The two had gotten into a car accident when he took her home from the dance. They had another couple with them and He was the onyl one with a drivers liscense. Kaylees best freind had been killed and the other student paralyzed from the waiste down. Kaylee's arm had been broken in six differnt places and had to have pins put in the wrist. COdy had been lucky, a broken leg and a few bruises. He knew it had been his fualt, He had not seen the car that hit them when he pulled out into a intersection. The traffic Cameras all showed the other car run the stop sighn but Cody had always blamed himself for the accident and likely always would. He hadn't so much as spoken to Kaylee over the phone since Erins funeral.
"So whats Ms. Azora Teach?" Cody asked trying to get his mind and likely the far away look off his face.
"History, but its a temporary assighnment. She was offered a position at the University and was planning to take them up." Mrs. Levvel said.
"Alright then, lets get the kids off the bus. We have a long hike to the Tar pit feild." Cody said stepped up ontot he bus. he looked at the students and the reaminng teacher before adressing them. "Morning Guys, for those of you who don't know me I'm Ranger Fraiser with the Park Service. I'll be guiding you guys down to the Tar pits. I hope your all ready, its about a three mile hike."
"Will we see bones?" A girls voice asked. Cody knew that voice as the overly dramatic tones used by Sarah Trenton AkA Slash.
"There are a few animal skeletons in the area." Cody nodded. "Most have been removed for safty reasons."
"That sucks." came a husky male voice, Cody though it was Bret Morgans. "We wanted to try and get a tar covered bone!"
"There will not be any taking of bones or other artifacts from the park." Came a womans voice from the front seat behind the bus driver as a older woman with raven black hair stood up in her seat and looked back. "We discussed this already."
Cody watched as Bret use dhis hand to mimic the teachers words and make a indignatr face. COdy's smile vanished. "As Ms. Azora said, it is actually a crime to remove bones or artifacts from the park. If your caught doing so you will be detained fined and possibly arrested."
"dude, Street cred!" A high pitched almost whiny voice said. "excellent!"
"That will be enough of that Mr. Howser." Ms. Azora said. "If the three of you can not behave you will remain on the bus and I will notify your parents. I'm sure the first Seargent would love to hear that his son was punished for being a theif."
"Like my dad would care!" Bash's voice said. "He's do busy playing super soldier!"
"Alright, Everyone off the bus." Cody said stepping back while shaking his head.
Ricky looked at the low mound of stones and had to admit that it did look like a building. Nearby a number of pillers circled the pile. He looked to Doctor Phillips. "So this is it?"
"Yes." Phillips nodded. The older MAn had been the cheif explorer in the park for the last three years bt he never seemed ot loose that academic appearence. "Our carbon dating says its litarlly millions of years old."
"Its made of stone." Ricky pointed out. "Stone is old. Like formation of earth old."
"True. but there is evidence that this is almost as old. And not made by humans." Phillips said. "We've found wall paintings, images of dinosuars and other animals. theres even a chamber with what look like Canopic jars in it."
"Fascinating I'm sure." Ricky yawned. "I can walk the perimeter and put up markers around the site."
"Please do. If you would also set up a reistricted area inside as well." Phillips said. "I don't want anyone going to deep into the temple until we have had a chance to go over it more thouroughly. Trap snad all that."
"If its as old as you say, would the traps even still work?" Ricky asked.
"Take no Chances." Phillips said. Ricky shrugged and went to the jeep to get his yellow warning tape. He spent an hour marking the sites borders based on what doctor Phillips had told him and was covered in sweat by the tie he was done.
"Why do they have to have large rocks to mark off..." He grumbled as he finished putting up a no climbing sighn on one of the pillers. he walked to the base of the pile of rocks that Doctor Phillips had said was a temple. it was nearly forty feet tall and there were no stairs. Groaning he began to climb. "I should have put fraiser on this job instead, I mean whats the worst that could happen with a couple bus loads of kids. Kids. thats what, a couple bus loads of kids asking me things..."
When Ricky reached the top he took a moment to dust himself and wipe the sweat from his forhead. He hated being this dirty and decided he was going to spend the rest of the night in a hot tub at the resort when he was done here. pulling out his flashlight he went down into the hole that was suppose to be the temple entrence.
"Millions of years old my butt." He grumbled as he ducked his head and found that he was in a single room with no other doors. In the center of the room was a vase that looked about the size of a mason char. It was multi colored, red, blue, yellow, black and pink. he even saw traces of green near the bottom. At the top of the vase was a stylized carving of a tree, its roots going down the sides almost like a net and meeting the stone pedastool that ite vase sat on. Looked closer Ricky noticed the carvings roots actually went to the floor, securing the vase to the plynth. "Weird."
Seeing no harm in it he reached out and touched the vase's side and was surprised at how cool it was compared to everything else. he couldnt help but chuckle as he pressed his palm against it. When the Vase moved agasint his hand he jumped back and watched in horror as the tree roots began to move like snakes around the the vase and pedastool. when one of the roots shot forward and wrapped around his still outstretched arm he screamed.
J.T and his brother Kyler walked the trail near Cody and talked with his old freind. the two hadnt done to well at keeping in touch since Cody graduated and got a job so they pair were doing their best to catch up on events over the past few months.
"Base to Ranger Fraiser." a voice came over the radio.
"Fraiser here." Cody said speaking into the radio speaker on his shoulder.
"Disturbance reported at Doctor Phillips camp, we can't raise Ranger Taylor." The dispatcher said. "Could you head over there and see whats going on?"
"What about the tour group?" Cody asked raising a hand to motion to the pair of teachers to come over to him.
"It'll have to be cancelled. Doctor Phillips is reporting screaming from inside the site." The dispatcher said.
"Understood. Have the copter standing by." Cody said and turned to the teachers. "I am sorry ladies, this is a emergancy."
"We understand." Mrs Levvel said. "I hope no one is hurt."
"Me too." Cody said "Head back up the trail to the Ranger station, some one will call for your bus."
Cody took off and J.T just waved. He turned to his brother. "Wonder what happened."
"No Idea. they said it was Doctor Phillips, I wonder if its Michal Phillips, the archeologist that in charge out here." Kyler shrugged.
"could be." J.T said then turned to head back when he noticed that some people were missing. "Wheres the Boneheads?"
"J.T be nice." Mrs. Levvel said sternly. "Dont call named."
"Ma'am, they call themselves that as their band name." Kyler said carefully. Accuracy of statement not withstanding, where are they?"
"They were jsut here." Ms Azora said looking around. "did they not stop when the rest of us did?"
"Their probebly trying to get tot he tar pits before everyone else so they can get a souvanir bone." Molley said.
"They had better not have." Mrs Levvel said. "Ms Azora, would you go look while I take the students back?"
"Of course, I might need some muscle with me though." Mrs Azora said looking at J.t then to Molley. "Come along you two. Kyler, you to."
"We might as well all go." Brandon spoke up. "We don't want to risk getting sperated in unfamielr woods."
"He has a point." Kaylee agreed. "And if the bone heads did go on ahead of us, we'll at least get to see the Tar pits."
"Fine we all go." Mrs. Levvel sighed as she motioned for Ms Azora to lead them forward.
Cody ready the site in twenty minutes by air and was shocked at what he was seeing. It was liek the tree's themselves had uprooted and attacked the scientists camp. Landing in a clearing he saw Ricky's jeep and motioned the pilot to return to base. He then went to the large tent in the center of the camp, wich was now barracaded with tables, a half dozen memebers of the exploration team hidding behind them.
"whats going on?" Cody asked spotting Doctor Phillips.
"Get to cover their still here!" Phillips hissed. "The Trees attacked us!"
"Trees don't attack people." Cody resisted the urge to laugh at the statement. "Wheres Ricky?"
"Ranger Taylor went into the temple about a half hour ago. Then we hear dhim screaming and the Trees uprooted and attacked us." Phillips said eyeing the area carefully at the trees that had relocated themselves and had now stopped moving. "Thinking on it, they stopped when the screaming did too."
"I'll go check on Ranger Taylor." Cody said and wlaked to thebase of the pile of stone and was up in a few minutes. he was in better shape then Ricky and was a excellent climber so he wasn't as winded as his co worker would have been after the climb. He could see the light from a flashligh but drew his anyway as he stepped inside. "Ricky? you in here?"
There was silence as he moved in closer seeing the large empty room with a pedestool in the center of it. laying on the ground was a shattered grey vase, ashe like dust was scattered across the ground near the vase. Cody kneeled down and touched the ashe and examined it on his fingers for a moment before looking around more carefully. "Ranger Taylor?! Where are you?!"
The sound of a animal growl drew Codies attention as he slowly turned and saw the large timber wolf at the entrence. The Animal stood at least four feet tall and eight feet long, easily the largest member of the species Cody had ever heard of It slowly stalked forward, sniffing at the air carefully. Cody kept his body facing it as the wolf stalked around the room.
The Animal stopped at the ashe and sniffed at it and growled again. then it's nose touched one of the broken pieces of the vase. To Codies shock the peice glowed green at the touch and reshaped itself into a broad jade arrowhead with a wolves head emblazened on it. The wolf itself was suddenly not there anymore. Cody felt drawn to the arrowhead as he reached down and picked it up. he found that it had a leather string attached to it and he put it around his neck as if it was a perfectly normal thing to do.
"You houldn't have done that Cody." Ricky's vocie echoed through the chamber cuasing Cody to stand up quickly. hsi flashlight searching for the other rangers voice. "Now your marked as an enemy."
"Ricky? where are you?" Cody asked his light darting everywhere until it finally settled on the central pedastool were Ricky now sat cross legged as though he had been there the whole time. "Ricky whats going on?"
"he's awoken and now he wants what is his." Ricky said in a very odd tone of voice as if he was trying to be scary or was so scared himself that he could only talk in hushed tones. "Where is the spirit stone Cody?"
"the What?" Cody asked.
"The knowledge isnt here yet then." Ricky said moving off the pedastool and standing up. "Shame, but at leasst I can destroy one threat to the return."
"Ricky?"
"No." Ricky shook his head, as he did his features chnged subtly. dark lines crossed his eyes until the formed a solid band, the skin became guant and tight. His hair, wich had been cut hsort and was a deep brown turned grey and grew out to his shoulders. Even his clothes seemed to tighten then fade way leaving him bare chested and wearing worn out brown buckskin leggings and a loin clothe. "I am Rivaaks, a shaman of the ancient world. This temple has been my prison for fifty thousand years. Now, thanks to Richard, I am free again."
"Yeah, I think I'm gonna be going now." Cody said as he started to back away but stopped when vines shot from the shadowed parts of the room and wrapped around his legs and arms.
"Ahh, you will. Balance must be maintained." Rivaaks said. "i can not permit the Great Wolf Spirit to call for help, but I can also not destroy it while it is bound to you."
"What?" Cody said then found a vie across his mouth preventing furhter worlds.
"It is time for a ritual of transformation..." Rivaaks said then looked out the door. "But it is to early. I must deal with the interlopers outside first and then I will draw the magic in before I return to the great Oak and finish what I began at its planting."
It was getting dark out as the teachers and students got to the Tarpits. As they expected they found Slash, Crash and Bash. They were holding a large stick with a rope attached to it and trying to fish a bone out of the dark tar. They looked like a trio of punk rock clowns as they tried to avoid falling into the tar themselves.
"What do you three think your doing?!" Mrs. Levvel bellowed causing the boneheads to jump. "You were specificlly told you could not take anything from here!"
"Ahh Come on teach, its just a bone!" Slash whined. Mrs. Levvel walked over to her and pincher her ear and lifted up cuasing the girl to stand on her tippy toes. She did the same to Crash then shot a glare at Bash who just lifted himself on his toes before following the angery teacher back to the trail.
"I'd hate to be those three in the morning." J.t said watching them go. "We should head back too."
"Wait." Ms. Azora said looking out acorss the tar pits. "Somethings not right."
"Ms. Azora?" Kaylee asked then heard the howl of a wolf int he distance. "What was that?"
"Timberwolf." Ms. Azora said. "The pitch in the howl was a warning to others, danger has entered the packs territroy."
"You can tell that?" Kyler asked raising his eye brows.
"Anyone with the right knowledge and experience can." Ms. Azora said then raised her head and let loose a a animalistic howl of her own that shifted in tone several times before she quieted and listened. In the distance a the sound of a bird of prey screached across the twilight sky. Ms. Azora paled and fell backward. "No..no..no..."
"Ms. Azora? are you Ok?" Brandon asked kneeling down next to the teacher.
"No." Ms. Azora said then looked at the five students as if coming to a realization. "Something very bad has happened and we are all in danger."
As the words left her mouth the trees near the path began to russel and creak Ms. Azora spun and looked horrified. The students turned as well seeing what she did, A half dozen tree trunks began to age and rot then splinttered as a equal number of humanoid creatures emerged from them.
"What are those?" Kaylee screamed.
"Treants that have been corrupted by dark sorcery." Ms. Azora said then looked to the students. "I will do what I can to get us out of here but I need time. J.T, you practice martial arts I beleive?"
"Umm..yeah..." J.T said hesitantly.
"The Treants will shatter if you hit them hard enough and release the spirit inside of them." Ms Azora said. "Do you think you can manage that?"
"Rotten wood? sure." J.T nodded. "Kyler?"
"Can't hurt to try." His brother agreed as the two boys stepped forward and both dropped into a combat stance commonly scene in mixed martial arts. Ms. Azora began to draw a circle on the ground with a stick when Brandon moved up next to the other boys and entered a Karate stance.
"Been doing this since I was four." Brandon grinned. "Can't be to different then breaking boards right?"
"Softer wood from the rot." Kyler agreed. "What out for splinters."
"Thats what we'll turn them into." Molley said stepping up and tossing her hoody to the side then interlacing her fingers cracked them as she cracked her neck at the same time. Her well muscles arms glistened from the sweat build up from the walk to the tar Pits.
"Oh man..." Kaylees said picking up a stone and holding like she was going the throw it. "Why do I feel like this is a really bad idea..."
"Becuase it is." J.T Grinned. "Just not one we can ignore."
"Lets just get this overwith." Molly said walking forward and slamming a fist into the treants with such force that it fell backwards. When it hit the ground the rotten wood body shattered into what looked like sawdust. "Oh that was just cool."
"I can get behind that." J.T said moving forward and throwing his own punch but to his surprise the Treant blocked and countered forcing him to block as well. When two more Treants cam upon him he felt he might have jsut gotten over his head. Especially when one of the Treants punched him in the ribs. then the Treant flew backward and exploded into sawdust as did another that was closing in on him when a fairly decent sized rock struck it in the forehead. "Yeah, they know how to fight."
"their slow. use it to your advantage." Brandon said eyeing side. "you going to be alright?"
"Took worse in the last tournament." J.T grinned. "Hurts though. go help the others I got this guy."
"got it." Brandon said and charged off, jumping into the air and into a flying kick. His kick landed in the side of a Treant that Molly had lifted off the ground. It exploded into sawdust as J.T landed a blow into the center of the Treant before him. His hand sank into its rotted torso and it shook for a moment before exploding. J.T waisted no time and ran grabbing a rock as he went. the Last tTreant had just taken a swipe at Molly. aiming the stone he through it as hard as he could and struck it in the side of the head. The resulting fall to the ground destroyed the treants rotted form.
"Is that all fo them?" Kaylee asked in a voice that betrayed both fear and excitement.
"I think for now. Ms Azora?" Kyler asked as he brushed saw dust from one of the exploding treants from his shirt. They all looked at the teacher who was softly singing in aglowing cirlce. then they all felt very, very light. "Whats going on now?!"
the world was awash with different colors as the group of students and their teacher vanished from the Tarpits.
