Streaks of Purple Saga Volume One, Heather Ray [i love reading .TXT] 📗

the blurred image of Zordon. While the manifestation was cloudy, he could see the kindness and concern in the ancient blue eyes.

With a small sigh, he nodded. "I'm leaving," he decided.

"NOT PERMANENTLY, I HOPE," Zordon called after the retreating figure, "YOU ARE A VITAL ASSET TO THIS TEAM."

Erol waved his hand, ignoring the plea as he disappeared into the hall.

Regita frowned. "Don't worry, Zordon. He won't go far."

Zordon then turned his eyes to Regita, whose eyes still carried the cold malice Erol had ignited within him.

"YOU ARE WRONG, MY FRIEND."

Regita turned to Zordon in stupefied shock. "Excuse me?"

"IF YOU BELIEVE THAT LOVE IS A SELFISH DISTRACTION, THEN YOU ARE WRONG," Zordon clarified softly. "I HAVE OBSERVED HUMAN BEINGS FOR CENTURIES, REGITA. I FEEL I UNDERSTAND THEIR EMOTIONS QUITE WELL. AND I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN CONVINCED THAT LOVE IS THE PRIMARY MOTIVATION FOR SELFLESS

ACTION."

Regita shook his head. "Not the kind of love between Erol and Kreia," he insisted, "It will only prevent Kreia from reaching her true potential! We are in a crisis, Zordon. We can't afford either of them becoming too engulfed in their personal feelings to think straight. Love clouds better judgement."

"LOVE DOES DOUSE LOGIC AT TIMES," Zordon conceded, "BUT THAT DOES NOT MAKE IT A HINDRANCE. SOMETIMES, LOGIC FAILS US. HUMANS ARE ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL SPECIES I HAVE EVER ENCOUNTERED, REGITA, AND THEY HAVE NO SCIENTIFIC OR MAGICAL CAPABILITY WHATSOEVER. WHAT EMPOWERS THEM IS THEIR LOVE... THEIR PASSION. THEY DEDICATE THEMSELVES TO A CAUSE, NO MATTER HOW HOPELESS IT MAY SEEM. IS THERE ANY LOGIC IN FIGHTING A BATTLE AGAINST INSURMOUNTABLE ODDS? BUT THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT I HAVE ASKED EACH AND EVERY POWER RANGER TO DO. AND THEY ALWAYS DO JUST THAT."

Regita remained silent, sitting down once again and fixing Zordon with an angered gaze.

"YOU KNOW I HAVE NEVER PROHIBITED ROMANCES FROM DEVELOPING BETWEEN RANGERS," Zordon continued, "IN FACT, MANY RANGERS WERE ROMANTICALLY INVOLVED. IT IS ONLY NATURAL, CONSIDERING ALL THEY HAD WAS EACH OTHER'S COMPANY. MANY TIMES FRIENDSHIP BLOSSOMS INTO SOMETHING MORE."

"But this isn't the same," Regita insisted.

"YOU ARE RIGHT... NOW THE STAKES ARE MUCH LOWER. BEFORE, WE FACED UMBRIEL, WHOSE POWER COULD NEVER BE MATCHED. NOW, WE FIGHT A SINGLE SORCERESS AND HER LIMITED CREW. RITA REPULSA CANNOT BE A CHALLENGE OF THE CALIBER OF THE HIGH LORD. AND YOU HAVE PROVEN THAT BY FORCING HER OFF EARTH. NOW IS CERTAINLY NOT THE TIME TO DEMAND UNWARRANTED SACRIFICES FROM THE RANGERS."

Then, something dawned on Zordon, as he gazed at Regita's frustrated expression.

"THIS ISN'T ABOUT LOVE IN GENERAL," he realized, "IT IS JUST ABOUT KREIA."

Regita frowned, but said nothing.

"YOU ARE SPECIFICALLY CONCERNED ABOUT KREIA. IS IT BECAUSE OF YOUR FAMILIAL RELATIONSHIP TO HER? DO YOU EXPECT MORE FROM YOUR NIECE? YOU EXPECT HER TO SACRIFICE EVERYTHING, LIKE YOU HAD."

Regita scowled as he abruptly rose to his feet. "You can't understand, Zordon," he sighed, "You've been gone too long. You don't know what we're dealing with."

And with that mysterious response, Regita left Zordon's presence.
The ancient Eltarian stared after the former Purple Ranger sadly. Even after decades of time and experience, Regita was still incredibly stubborn.

REGITA, YOU ALWAYS AIMED FOR PERFECTION, AT THE EXPENSE OF EVEN A GLIMMER OF HAPPINESS... BUT WHEN WILL YOU LEARN THAT IT IS YOUR IMPERFECTIONS THAT MAKE YOU HUMAN?

Chapter Thirteen

Goldar felt his heart skip a beat when he saw the small spherical vessel gently hover to the rocky cliff. He hefted his sword against his shoulder, posing with the dignity of a true warrior, as the doorway slid open.

The fair Scorpina slipped out of the vessel, stretching her neck slightly and tossing Goldar a demure smile.

"Not the most comfortable transport," she commented, sauntering toward him, "but as a spy I grew accustomed to far worse conditions."

She casually placed one hand on her hip, tilting her head. "You've gotten bigger," she noted, "Working out?"

Goldar chuckled. "Of course. And I may I state that you are just as striking as ever."

Her eyes narrowed as her hand slipped to her belt. She grasped her curved blade, letting it glint in the cool moonlight. "In more ways than one."

She stepped past Goldar, and quickly surveyed the large city below. "So, this is the Imperial capitol?"

Goldar nodded. "Now it is a city for the slaves collected from the various human tribes scattered across the planet. It's a cultural hodge-podge, but it is the biggest threat on this planet. This is the only place on the planet with notable alien technology."

She nodded with interest. "And it is also where the Power Rangers can be found."

Goldar snarled at the very mention of his nemeses. "We don't know whether or not they reside in the city, but they cannot be far. They are always ready to defend against whatever attacks we launch."

Scorpina frowned when realization dawned on her. "So, it's just the two of us?"

Goldar growled. "Finster refused to provide me with any Putty Patrollers. He is too dedicated to Rita to help me out." He then bared his fangs ferociously. "When I destroy the Power Rangers, and Zedd makes me magistrate of this planet, I'll make sure that little Monster-Baker regrets his lack of true loyalty."

Scorpina smirked. "Oh really?"

"Of course! Our true loyalty is to the Emperor and his interests. Rita is just a worthless witch with no sense of her true value to our Lord... and she has failed him completely. Now, a true servant of Zedd should take matters into his own hands."

Scorpina cocked her head. "Whatever. So long as there's some decent bloodshed. I've been so bored since the Empire's collapse. There's hardly any challenge left in the galaxy."

Goldar grinned. "You'll see some excitement tonight."

Chapter Fourteen

The size of his clothes gave testimony to the length of time he had endured the solitude of being the Green Ranger.

His slacks were much too short, the legs hovering several inches shy of his ankles. And his jacket couldn't properly contain his broad shoulders at all, and reached only his elbows.

He must have looked ridiculous, walking around in an outfit he had outgrown years ago. But it was preferable to strutting through Gateway City in his armor, or even his training uniform.

At the moment, he didn't want a single reminder of the past three years.
He sighed quietly, pausing several meters from a small cottage near a pond. The warm glow of oil lanterns lit the windows with cozy light, illuminating the sleepy pond below.

He stared at the water, unable to move any closer. He didn't want to disturb the family inside the cottage, or even jostle the still waters.
He didn't belong there any longer.

Erol had been walking for hours, just to clear his mind. After abruptly leaving Regita and Zordon to their own business, he hurried to his room.

Without uttering a word to any of his teammates, he threw on the closest thing to proper civilian clothes he owned, and left the Command Center on foot.

It was a treacherous walk, down a narrow path cut into the jagged wall of the mountain, but it gave the young man time to think. And only one thought entered his mind.

It was the biggest mistake of my life...

He desperately wished he could somehow go back in time. Then, perhaps he could've stopped Regita from walking into his life at all.

If only Kreia didn't register his invisible presence! Then, he wouldn't have even bothered recruiting her as a Power Ranger. Sure, she was a blood relative, but she was so young and inexperienced in anything even reminiscent of war. Only her magical awareness made her a fitting candidate.

Surely there were more powerful people in Gateway City to be Rangers.

Zale and Kazu were peerless fighters... they must have been acquainted with other such natural warriors. Then, the Ranger team would have been complete without Erol and Kreia.

And then... they would be married.

There wasn't a single doubt in his mind. That was what their destiny should have been. They would have married, and perhaps even had a child by then. They would live in the city, with himself learning under his father how to be a true Headman. Eventually, he would have ascended to a leadership position over Gateway City, serving humanity in a manner just as essential as wearing the green armor.

Certainly in a way more suited to his nature.

Or, perhaps they would live in this very cottage by the pond... just a little outside of the city. Just the two of them, with no concerns greater than what to have for dinner.

His anger boiled. It just wasn't fair

... why did Rita even attack the Earth? There was nothing to really gain anyway. All humanity wanted was to live in peace, without the interference of any aliens, good or evil.

All he wanted was a peaceful life with his love. Why was that so much to ask?

He could soar through the winds with but a simple jump. He could run faster than any predator. He could pilot his battle machine Dragonzord into the greatest depths of the ocean.

But he couldn't be with the woman he loved.

What kind of life was that? What kind of life was he fighting for?

His anger only intensified when the sound of an explosion gained his attention. His reflexes honed by years of training, he bounded up the nearest tree, giving him an adequate view of the surroundings.

He heard the sounds of screaming, and a blazing fire pouring smoke into the night sky.

He glowered at the smoke billowing into the heavens, and he stared at the black brand on his palm that dictated his life.

Woe to whatever beast the Green Ranger would face in this

state of mind.