Chapter 18: The Bigger They Are…
The purple imp let the world fade, sinking into a stillness where only one thing remained in his mind: power. His own, amplified by the intricate network he had woven with his cohorts. It pulsed and thrummed beneath his skin, fed by the fear and frustration of the humans they had been toying with for hours. The carnival around him dimmed into shadow, but in his mind's eye, it was alive with pinkish-purple flames.
His consciousness stretched out, tendrils of thought threading through the air as he sensed the subtle, continuous feeding of power. His cohorts moved across the carnival grounds like clockwork, playing their part to keep the troublesome humans distracted. But something tugged at the edges of his awareness, a disruption in the steady flow of energy. His chest tightened as he felt the sudden, sharp draw from two of the imps. It happened a second time and then a third, each flicker feeling like a sharp blow. He gritted his teeth, knowing without looking that they had been defeated.
For a moment, the frustration swelled, but it didn't last. The pained scowl that twisted his face softened into a smirk. Fools, he thought, but their failure mattered little. His smirk widened as he called them back with a simple thought.
His eyes snapped open, crackling with arcs of pinkish-purple energy that surged through his body. A deep, rolling power expanded within him, wrapping his form in a glowing aura of violet flame, twisting and coiling like living fire.
"Ad me denuo. Esse Totum!" he cried, his voice echoing into the night.
Taylor stepped back from the glowing haunted house, her eyes darting toward every shadow. She expected something — anything — to emerge: more horsemen, or perhaps another of those gelatinous creatures. But the house stood eerily still. Her ears pricked at a distant shout, her body tensing, but before she could fully react, the house pulsed, the very air around it shuddering.
Her breath hitched as the energy surrounding the house began to ripple and pull away, like a sheet being yanked off old furniture, leaving the once-ominous, glowing structure dull and lifeless.
Taylor's eyes followed the surge of light as it shot across the carnival, and her heart sank when she saw several similar bursts of energy peeling away from other attractions — each one like a streak of lightning, rushing toward a single point. The carousel. All of the light and power swirled around the enormous Jack-O'-Lantern perched at the top, coalescing into a spiraling vortex of pinkish-purple energy.
Without hesitation, she grabbed the crimson imp, launching herself into the air with a powerful leap and landed just in front of the carousel as the other rangers rushed in to join her.
"What the hell is going on?" Jen's voice cut through the tension, her eyes fixed on the tornado of energy swirling above them.
The crimson imp wriggled free from Taylor's grip and perched on her shoulder, its wide eyes locked onto the display of raw power swirling in the sky.
"What are they doing?" Ashley asked, her voice tight with concern, gripping her weapon tighter.
The imp's confident tone wavered, his voice reduced to a hushed whisper, strained with fear. "No… no, no, no. This is wrong. They can't do this. Not here… not now. They're going to notice. This is all wrong. No…"
Wes furrowed his brow, glancing at the imp. "What are you going on about?"
But before the imp could answer, their attention snapped back to the carousel. The swirling vortex of energy above it vanished, sucked inward like a vacuum. The ride now seemed normal, except for the giant Jack-O'-Lantern that sat ominously at the top, now pulsing with a pink glow.
"What the…"
Eric's words were drowned out by a deep, metallic groan.
The rangers staggered back, weapons raised, eyes widening as the frame of the carousel shuddered violently. The sound of creaking metal filled the air, growing louder and more intense as the structure warped and twisted. Bolts of pink and purple energy crackled along its base, and the entire frame began to morph before their eyes. The once-whimsical ride twisted into something monstrous.
The carousel's posts bent and contorted, reshaping themselves into long, skeletal arms and legs, each movement accompanied by shrieks of grinding metal. The carriages crumbled away as the ride's central pillar extended, forming the spine of a hulking humanoid figure. The final transformation came as the enormous Jack-O'-Lantern locked into place where the head should be, glowing like a malevolent beacon atop the newly formed behemoth.
The rangers stared up in disbelief, their weapons still drawn but momentarily forgotten as the colossal figure loomed over them — now a towering humanoid robot with a grinning, flame-lit Jack-O'-Lantern for a head.
"Did they just go Megazord on us?" Wes muttered.
The crimson imp dug its claws into Taylor's shoulder as he stared up at the massive creature. "This… is not good."
A deep, menacing chuckle reverberated through the air as the flickering light surrounding the Jack-O'-Lantern intensified, casting eerie shadows across the carnival grounds. A spectral form of the purple imp's head materialized within the glowing orb, its sinister grin twisted even further in the distorted light.
"Foolish mortals," the imp's voice boomed, resonant and dripping with condescension. Its eyes burned with malevolent fire as it gazed down upon the Rangers, the words echoing through the night. "I gave you a chance, but now it's too late. Too late for you, but not for me. You should feel honoured — you get to be part of my demonstration."
The words dripped with venom as the rangers instinctively stepped closer together, forming a defensive line, their weapons at the ready. The imp's spectral head loomed over them, glowing eyes narrowing as it sneered. "We will squash you like the little insects you are and finally claim our place. Victory will be mine."
"Demonstration... ultimate glory…" the crimson imp murmured, perched on Taylor's shoulder, its voice shaking. "It can't be… they're planning… No, no, no."
The ground rumbled violently as one of the massive metal hands of the Jack-O'-Lantern construct swept toward the Rangers with terrifying speed. Instinctively, they scattered, diving out of the way just in time. The crimson imp was thrown from Taylor's shoulder, tumbling across the ground before skidding to a halt, eyes wide in shock.
"Eric!" Wes shouted as he scrambled to his feet, narrowly dodging the enormous foot that stomped down where he'd just been standing. The ground cracked and splintered beneath the weight of the metal colossus. "It's time to bring out the big guy!"
"Yeah, I don't think that's a good idea!" Eric yelled back, leaping aside as another massive hand came crashing down, barely missing him.
"The Q-Rex is the only Megazord we've got right now!" Jen fired her blaster at the behemoth, the energy beams flickering against its thick, metal hide without leaving a mark. She ducked under another swipe of the creature's enormous limb, frustration in her voice.
"There isn't enough room for the Q-Rex to move," Eric argued, his eyes darting between the giant robot's swinging limbs. "If we bring it in here, it'll cause more damage than that thing ever could!"
"Eric, we've fought monsters in the middle of the city before!" Jen shouted back, her blaster still blazing, its rapid pulses doing little to stop the monster.
"And every time, we did a lot of damage," Eric snapped, barely avoiding another crushing blow. "We don't even know where that creep is keeping the people he's captured. It's too big a risk!"
"He's right," Wes interjected, sprinting alongside Ashley as they ducked under the massive legs of the behemoth. "If this thing has hostages hidden somewhere, a Megazord fight could get them killed."
As the Rangers threw strategies back and forth, the monster's colossal hand slammed into the ground again, palm-first, with enough force to shake the earth. Taylor narrowly spun out of the way, the wind from the impact nearly knocking her off her feet. She took a deep breath and launched into the air, her body twisting gracefully as she spread her arms wide and soared around the towering robot.
Below, the remaining rangers steadied themselves against the quaking ground before regrouping, their blasters raised. "Focus fire!" Jen ordered, and she and Eric unleashed a continuous barrage of energy blasts. The laser fire lit up the night, striking the massive construct, but the sheer size of the enemy made it hard to tell if it was doing any damage.
Wes and Ashley, meanwhile, darted between the massive legs of the construct, dodging its swipes as they took aim from behind. The ground shook beneath them, dust and debris scattering in every direction as they fired shot after shot, yellow and red beams of energy crackling against the metal monster's knees and joints.
The consecutive impacts from their combined energy blasts made the towering construct sway, metal groaning as the robot teetered, but it remained steadfast, its footing unshaken. Its head flickered with dark energy as it let out another booming laugh.
"Come on!" Wes growled, skidding to a halt as the massive foot of the construct shifted toward him. "We've gotta find a way to knock this thing off balance!"
Ashley nodded in agreement, her fingers gripping the trigger of her blaster tighter. "We're not making a dent!"
As they regrouped, Taylor soared above them, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the mechanical behemoth for any weak points. "Keep firing!" ahe yelled as she banked in midair, energy crackling around her blade. "We need to find a way to cut through!" She swooped down, arcing toward the monster's back, her sword glowing with bright, yellow energy.
Jen's voice rang out from below. "I don't think this thing has any weak points — it's built like a tank!"
"We'll make one!" Taylor shot back, diving toward the monster's exposed back and slashing her glowing sword across the metal with a loud cry. Energy crackled through the air as the blade struck the metal, sending sparks flying. As the energy rippled down the arm, it swung back, hitting her in the chest and hurling her across the battlefield.
"Taylor!"
Eric eyes widened as he watched her get flung through the air but clenched his fists and forced himself to hold his ground. He turned back, eyes narrowing beneath his visor as he took in the scene: the towering, twisted behemoth that had once been the carousel, now a monstrous machine with a glowing, menacing pumpkin head. Taylor was still flying, weaving through its attacks, but the battle was growing more chaotic. He knew they needed more power, more force to stand a chance.
He raised his morpher, his voice steady as he commanded, "Mega Battle Activate." The change was instantaneous. His visor lit up, flashing with data and numbers as the transformation sequence began. His armor descended with a metallic hum, latching onto his suit piece by piece. A gold chest plate slammed into place, sharp and angular like an arrowhead pointing down his torso, the design both sleek and powerful. His shoulders were soon framed by jutting, blade-like protrusions that gleamed in the carnival's eerie lights.
Behind him, two long, flat energy blades detached from his back and clicked into place on his forearms, turning his gauntlets into formidable weapons. The boots he now wore were more than just armor – they thrummed with energy, ready to propel him into the fight. His transformation complete, Eric rose into the air with a burst of speed, his boots igniting beneath him like rockets.
He opened fire from the twin blades, pink energy bolts streaking toward the towering construct. The impact forced the colossal machine to stumble backward, its massive limbs flailing as it tried to regain balance. Wes and Ashley scrambled out of the way, diving behind the debris for cover.
As Eric's barrage of energy shots momentarily forced the creature into retreat, Wes pushed himself up, a determined grin forming beneath his visor. "I know a good idea when I see one," he muttered before clenching his fists and calling out, "Red Battle Warrior!"
Instantly, flames erupted around him, swirling into a cyclone of gold and crimson that enveloped his entire form. The fiery inferno solidified into armor with a flash of light. The transformation left Wes clad in brilliant red, with gold and crimson flames erupting from his shoulders like wings of molten fire. His chest plate was sharp and angular, adorned with an ominous black centerpiece that pulsed with energy, almost as though it were alive.
The gauntlets that encased his forearms were heavy and formidable, glinting with gold, while his helmet bore a striking design. Golden wings jutted from either side of his head, and a single, red horn-like crest extended from the top, trailing back in a sleek arc like a deadly weapon. Around his waist, an intricately designed golden belt cinched his armor together, its emblem glowing faintly with power. His lower body was encased in the same armor, with gold-plated knee guards and massive, golden boots.
Wes let out a battle cry, and with his newly summoned sword raised high, he charged forward. The massive construct barely had time to react before the glowing blade sliced across its metallic arm, sparks flying as the impact forced it back yet again.
Eric and Wes now stood side by side, their armors gleaming in the dim light of the corrupted carnival. The monstrous construct loomed before them, but its movements had slowed, its limbs sparking from the damage. It let out a metallic groan as it swayed on its legs, still dangerous but clearly struggling to maintain its strength.
"We've got this," Eric muttered.
Taylor groaned as she struggled to her feet, every muscle protesting the movement. She'd landed hard, skidding over the haunted house's roof before finally crashing into the hard dirt below. Her shoulder throbbed where she'd taken most of the impact. "I'm going to feel that tomorrow," she muttered through gritted teeth.
The weight of her sword was a small comfort in her hand, a reminder of the fight still raging on the other side of the house.
"Ahh, you're still alive. That's good," came the voice of the crimson imp, swooping down from above and landing deftly on the roof of the haunted house.
Taylor rolled her eyes. "Whatever," she muttered, kicking off the ground as she leapt onto the roof of the haunted house. Her eyes immediately locked onto the massive construct in the distance, towering over the crumbling carnival. It swung its monstrous arms in wide arcs, energy beams shooting from its glowing eyes, scorching the ground. Eric flew in the air, darting around the creature's wild strikes, while Jen and Ashley weaved through its attacks on the ground. Wes, his armor swung his sword, the blade slicing through the air with a fierce roar.
But for every blow the rangers landed, tendrils of pink energy shot from the construct's core, knitting the wounds back together. Taylor's grip tightened on her sword in frustration.
The imp fluttered down beside her, settling on her shoulder. "This is ridiculous," she muttered under her breath.
"Imps don't live as long as we do by picking one-on-one fights," he said, casually cleaning its tiny claws. "We play tricks, manipulate events to our favor. That's how we survive. That's why people trap us rather than kill us."
Taylor shot it a sidelong glance. "How does one trap an imp?" she asked, more out of curiosity than hope.
The imp shrugged, its tiny wings twitching. "Djinn lamps, enchanted bottles, scrolls... I once knew a witch who used a tea kettle. Pretty much any magical object will do the trick. That's why we don't use them. My great uncle got stuck in an amulet for centuries. Although, between you and me, I think he enjoyed tormenting the people who wore it."
Taylor raised an eyebrow. "And you can't enchant something like that?"
The imp flicked its wings dismissively. "Everything here is infused with their magic. Even if I could enchant something, it wouldn't hold for long. As long as there's a trace of their magic in an object, they can manipulate it."
Taylor's frustration grew as she watched Jen and Eric coordinate an attack, managing to sever one of the construct's massive, clawed hands. But even as they destroyed it, the same tendrils wove through the air, pulling the hand back into place.
"We can't keep this up forever," she muttered, her voice barely audible over the sounds of battle.
Her hand drifted to the hilt of her saber, fingers brushing against the crystal embedded within. The eagle emblem glimmered faintly. A thought stirred in her mind, wild but persistent. "A way to trap them..." she murmured.
The imp peered curiously at the crystal, then back at her. "Are you sure? That's a powerful object. If it fails, the crystal will shatter, and they'll break free."
Taylor's jaw tightened. "We need to seal them away somehow. I can't risk them disappearing at midnight without returning Alyssa, Andros, or the others."
The imp tilted its head. "Trapping them should undo the magic, but if the crystal breaks…"
Taylor closed her eyes, visualizing her eagle in her mind's eye, its wings outstretched, soaring above her. "If this is what I have to do..."
Warmth flooded through her chest as golden ribbons of energy shot out from her coalesced in front of her, slowly forming the shape of a card. The light dimmed, and the image became clear. Her eyes widened, and even the imp seemed awestruck.
"You don't need my magic," it whispered. "That's got more juice than anything I could muster."
Taylor reached out, her fingers trembling as they closed around the card. Golden light trailed down her arm, enveloping her in warmth. For a moment, her eyes glowed beneath her visor.
Thanks for reading.
Till next time...