Streaks of Purple Saga Volume Two, Heather Ray [story read aloud txt] 📗

closer. Tenderly, he set his fingers on her face, and slowly forced her eye open.

He breathed a sigh of relief at the unseeing emerald eyes revealed.
"She's out cold, but at least she's back to normal."

"I wouldn't say that," Zack countered, taking her hand. He pointed to the black brand on her palm. "If that means she's still got the Purple Coin in her body, then she's definitely not back to normal."

"Jason! Zack!" Trini called urgently, "Something's happening to Tommy!"

The two young men quickly raced to the rest of the team, who hovered around Tommy. Before he was lying still, but now his whole body convulsed madly.

"What's wrong with him?" Kim whispered, her voice trembling.

"Billy?" Jason demanded.

The Blue Ranger shrugged helplessly. "He was in a state of shock before, but now something else is going on. The purple energy has stopped flashing..."

Jason's eyes narrowed beneath his helmet, and he stared at Tommy's tightly clenched fist. Without hesitation, he reached for his best friend's hand.

"Jason, no!" Trini protested, but her warning was unheeded.

Jason gripped Tommy's hand, and nothing happened to him.

"The energy field is gone," Billy hypothesized, "It should be safe to teleport him back to the Command Center. There we have the equipment needed to properly treat him."

Kimberly gingerly reached her hand to her convulsing boyfriend, her fingers wiping the sweat that beaded on his forehead. "Hold on, Tommy..." she pleaded.

Suddenly, the dark skies flashed with unnatural lightning. The Rangers all leapt to their feet, circling the former Green Ranger protectively.

"Silly Rangers," a deep voice cackled, "What could I possibly want from the Power-less

Ranger? I've already milked his energies dry."

A bolt of lightning then struck the ground where Alexis lie helpless.

Jason's eyes widened. "No..."

The Red Ranger was quick to react, the Yellow and Black Rangers hot on his heels. But when they reached the spot where the young woman had been, all that remained was singed, smoking grass and dirt.

Trini clenched her fists furiously. "Zedd's handiwork."

"But, did he just teleport

Alexis somewhere, or...?"

Zack left the rest of the question unspoken.

Jason stood rigid, staring at the charred ground for a moment. He then activated his communicator. "Alpha, bring us all in," he commanded woodenly.

After a brief silence, the robot responded. ^I'm... only picking up six

in the-^

"That's right, Alpha," Jason interrupted, "Just six."

Part Four

Chapter One

Alexis yawned deeply, stretching her limbs to work the tension from her muscles.

She winced when her hand slammed into unyielding stone.

The pain that shot up her arm forced her to full consciousness. Panic-stricken green eyes darted through the dark surroundings.

She shrieked when she perceived the freakish stone chamber she was captive in.

Trembling like a leaf, she gathered herself atop the stone slab that served as a makeshift bed. She stared into the darkness, gazing wonderingly at the glowing gray smoke that gathered along the ground, climbing up the walls like serpents.

Just how far down was the floor, anyway?

And where was the door?

And how the hell did she wind up here???

"So you're finally awake," a deep voice thundered from the darkness. Alexis jumped again, frantically turning in the direction from which the voice seemed to emanate.

The spooky fog suddenly began to brighten the darkness, making out a tall, powerful being at the other end of the circular chamber. The faint light glimmered against his dazzling gold armor, and slowly illuminated his feral face as he approached.

Alexis gasped fearfully, leaning against the wall beside the stone bed. "You!"

Goldar smirked, thoroughly loving the taste of fear that dripped from the petrified girl. No, there was absolutely no sign of the awesome power she had yielded during their first encounter.

But then again... there was never a sign of that power until she wielded it.

The humor left Goldar' smile, and a low growl left his throat.

"Wh... what do you want with me?" Alexis demanded, gathering up a small measure of bravado. "Where am I? Where's Jason?"

"I

will ask the questions," he grumbled. "What is the last thing you remember, girl?"

What a weird question!

Alexis mused, staring into the fathomless ruby eyes of her interrogator.

But, why couldn't she answer?

Everything was jumbled. The last clear

memory was seeing this nightmare pummel Jason to the ground. Then, she faintly remembered being in her bedroom, and taking hold of the eagle talisman her Nana had given her.

But there was something else... something dreamlike. She remembered panicked chocolate-brown eyes staring at her. She remembered falling into an ocean of long green grass, watching the Power Rangers rush to a young man's aid.

She remembered finding herself sprawled on the grass, wearing the Purple Ranger armor she'd seen in her dreams.

Her eyes widened even more, and she hastily glanced at her appearance.

No... nothing abnormal. She was simply wearing the clothes she had worn to school.

She swallowed, glancing up at the alien once again. While he was a terrifying figure, the fear he could inspire in her paled in comparison to the fear she felt at her own confusing situation.

What was happening to her?

"Are..." she whispered, her voice weak from terror, "are my eyes... black?"

Goldar stared at the puzzling human. What kind of answer was that?

"No," he growled, his anger rising, "and stop trying to buy time! The other Rangers will never

find you before Lord Zedd has finished you off!"

Alexis shuddered at the fearful roar, as well as the message he carried. There was no doubt in her mind... she was going to die. She was going to die alone, in this freakish gray room, with absolutely no idea why.

Wait a second... what did he say about the Rangers?

The OTHER

Rangers?!?!

I'm the Purple Ranger,

she marveled, looking at her limp palm. The black line of the eagle sat on her skin, contrasting sharply to her pale complexion.

Goldar growled low, following her gaze to the black brand. "I don't know how you managed it," he admitted, "but it won't save you."

With that, he favored the girl with another blood-freezing smirk, and turned to leave.

"Wait!" she demanded, surprised at her own forwardness, "What have you done with Jason?"

She still had no idea what had become of her friend, and her last clear memory of him was not too comforting.

When the seven-foot beast failed to respond, she quickly leapt off the raised platform, her feet landing upon the fogged ground.

At the sound of her footfall, Goldar turned back to her with a knowing smirk.

Alexis gasped as the fog snaked around her, swirling in a column around her body. She shrieked, waving her arms in a feeble attempt to dissipate the assaulting smoke. She felt her skin burning with unnatural heat.

"Fool," he cackled, folding his arms, "You are in Lord Zedd's Dark Dimension! The focused location of his magical power! And this fog has been especially designed for you, to eat away your defenses until there is nothing left but a corpse."

Tears welled in Alexis' eyes as Goldar's hideous laugh echoed in her mind. But the tears weren't a result of pain.

In fact... she no longer felt

pain. How... odd.

Goldar's laughter soon died, replaced by a wicked growl of frustration. He glared at the weak girl, watching the smoky cocoon first tinged with purple energy, and then vanishing into nothingness.

For some inexplicable reason, she was still protected by that aura.

That magical force was the only thing that saved her from a speedy death. Lord Zedd didn't want to imprison the mysterious Purple Ranger... he wanted her dealt with permanently, rather than risk another Power Ranger to contend with. But the magical aura around her was strong enough to prevent even Zedd's mightiest magic from outright destroying her. So, he decided on teleporting her to the palace for further study.

The fog was designed to dispel whatever magical protection she seemed to possess. But impossibly, despite being inside the chamber for several hours, little was accomplished.

The smoke had at first flooded the chamber, but it seemed to flee from the unconscious girl as if she actually hurt

it. To both Goldar and Zedd's astonishment, the power sleeping within her was potent enough to fight against Zedd's most powerful spells.

What was

she?

Goldar continued growling, watching impatiently at the scene before him. Once the gathered smoke had abandoned the girl completely, she scrambled back onto the stone slab, as if she felt protected by its elevation. She trembled, staring down at the ocean of baneful gas, squeezing her knees to her chest.

She didn't even notice the purple aura that surrounded her body. Was it out of her visual field, perhaps?

Pathetic humans. They can't even detect magic. But... how can she manipulate

it if she doesn't know of its existence? If she knew of the protective field around her body, she wouldn't be so afraid. Unless... could someone else have constructed the aura?

The idea puzzled Goldar. While he was certainly no expert in subjects magical, he knew for a fact that no one could penetrate Zedd's Dark Dimension magically.

There was no way Zordon could send a protection spell to the girl here... even if he were able to wield magic in such a manner.

The girl was a complete mystery. Somehow, an incredible power slept within her... a power that threatened not only Goldar, but perhaps Lord Zedd himself.

Such a threat could not be permitted to exist.