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

shouted, watching in astonishment as two forms leapt down from the cliffs. While he couldn't recognize the forms at that great a distance, he did recognize the green energy sphere that was the Evil Green Ranger's signature attack.

When Jason got a closer look at Tommy, his eyes widened with disbelief.

Not only was the Green Ranger back in uniform, but the energy he exuded was more powerful than anything he'd been capable of since he joined the Power Rangers.

The Green Ranger stood proud, his armor shining with newly-imbued energy. He held out his hand, revealing to his best friend the black design that marked the palm of his glove.

"What does that mean?" Zack wondered, gazing from the Green Ranger's hand to his helmet.

"Kreia restored my powers... at least for a little while," he explained proudly, "I have the abilities all the other Green Rangers had... even the ones muted by the Morpher."

"Like that energy sphere," Jason realized. He then looked above, staring at the form still hovering in the air. "What's Kreia doing now?"

Tommy followed Jason's gaze, watching the Purple Ranger hover above. She was still too high to make out clearly, but it seemed her attention focused upon the dazed Chaotic.

"That's not Kreia anymore," Tommy corrected, "She's Alexis again."

Jason stared at his best friend in bewilderment. "Then what is she doing out here? This is a dangerous monster... she can get seriously hurt."

Tommy crossed his arms, watching his new partner with a measure of pride. "Don't worry... she knows the plan better than any of us."

Chapter Seven

With a wash of brilliant yellow-gold light, Trini materialized on the sharp cliffs of the rock quarry. She breathed in sharply as her walking jostled her mending ribcage, but she pushed back the pain, moving towards the two Rangers cradled nearby behind a series of large boulders.

"Trini!" Billy gasped, gazing up at her.

"I'm well enough to continue," she answered. She walked to Billy's side, her gaze falling upon the Pink Ranger, who lay half-covered in thick red grime.

"Kim? You okay?"

"No," she growled, her voice heavy with frustration, "This stupid... gunk

paralyzed me!"

"It was covering her entire body," Billy explained, as he resumed chipping away at the gooey substance with his Blade-Blaster, "but we've made a good deal of progress. Thankfully we uncovered her helmet before she suffocated."

The Blue Ranger raised his dagger, preparing to strike against the covering with all his might, but Trini quickly grabbed his arm before he could.

"What?" he asked.

Her head was tilted toward the darkened sky. "Just... wait."

Kim sighed. "Trini, we don't have time

to wait! Jason's all alone out here!"

"No... we're all here now," Trini revealed. She bit her lip thoughtfully, glancing back at Kim. The red goo slowly dulled to a grayish tone.

"What do you mean by that?" Kim demanded, her interest in Trini's statement completely distracting her from the magical cocoon surrounding much of her body.

"Zack's awake, and Tommy and Alexis are here too," she clarified.

"Tommy and Alexis?" Kim gasped, unconsciously jumping at the amazing statement. She managed to crumble the remaining cocoon, causing the crystallized chunks to fall to the ground impotently.

She gazed at her uniform, carefully rising to her feet. "Uh... what happened?"

Billy turned to the sky. "And what does it have to do with the disappearance of the moon?"

"The moon was the source of Erebus' power," Trini explained hastily, "Now let's go! We've gotta join the others!"

Chapter Eight

Alexis hovered high in the sky, safely distant from the bitterly enraged beast that climbed out of the crater it dug with its own body.

"It's taking stock," she analyzed, "trying to gauge its remaining power. It's noticed the moon is gone... but it also noticed the Command Center. We've got to stop it before it gets too close..."

She bit her lip, glancing toward the small dots of color. Tommy had joined the Black and Red Rangers, and Trini had teleported to the location of the Blue and Pink Rangers.

Alexis grinned when the latter trio raced to join the others.

"If the goop covering Pink is gone, then Erebus' power is really decreasing. He couldn't maintain the cocoon."

The monster then stood erect, raising his head to the skies to release a blood curdling growl of pure rage. Alexis cringed, fear shaking her resolve as she covered her ears.

Oh God oh God oh God... I can't believe I'm doing this!

she reflected, backing away slightly.

While she did manage to recall memories and knowledge stored in the Purple Coin, she couldn't simply absorb the years of experience Kreia had attained. No matter how well she understood the former Purple Ranger's last battle strategy, she couldn't deny the fact that this was her very first battle of any kind.

This momentary lapse of focus cost her dearly... she never even saw the boulder that flew into her with the speed of a bullet.

She grunted, her body crumbling under the incredible weight of the projectile. She smashed helplessly into the wall of the cliff, momentarily sandwiched between both hard surfaces until the boulder succumbed to gravity.

She collapsed into a limp heap, dust flying upon impact.

"Alexis! Are you okay?"

Her consciousness was hazy, but she still heard the voice. She blinked, trying to clear the stars that sprang into her vision, and gazed at the helmeted hero who helped her rise to her knees.

She knew that voice...

"Jason?" she whispered, shaking her head to clear her thoughts, "Is that you?"

The Red Ranger startled. "Yeah."

Her eyes were wide with shock. "You're a Power Ranger

?" she marveled, "That's just so... wow!"

Jason couldn't help but smile at the awe in her voice. "Well, it looks like you are too," he pointed out. "Tommy didn't tell you our names?"

"No time," she responded weakly, straightening out. She released Jason's sturdy grip, balancing herself carefully on her own two feet before gazing up the cliff. "Dammit! How can I be so stupid?"

"What?" Jason demanded, all humor in his voice dying.

Alexis clenched her fists tightly, nostrils flaring beneath her helmet. "I knew

Erebus feeds off negative emotions, and I let him get to me! I started doubting myself, giving him an open shot right for Zordon!"

Jason nodded, crouching slightly. "Don't worry, that thing won't get anywhere near Zordon. Just collect your bearings, and join us when you're ready."

Alexis nodded, watching in amazement as Jason extended his powerful legs, flying into the air as if he had been shot through a cannon.

"Jason... a Power Ranger," she marveled thoughtfully, "Well, it makes sense. He's amazing

. And if he, Trini, and Tommy are Rangers, then the others are probably their other friends..."

She shook her head, knocking the thoughts from her immediate consciousness. "Not now," she berated herself, leaping into the air. Her golden ankle wings began beating, carrying her into the air even faster than Jason's mighty bound.

When she got high enough, she saw what the Rangers were doing. Tommy was desperately pummeling the weakening monster with one Dragonheart Pulse after another, while the other Rangers took aim with their long-range weapons from the plateau. Black and Pink had opted for their cannon and bow respectively, while Yellow and Blue used their Blade-Blasters. Finally, Jason joined the fray, meeting up with the other core Rangers only a few meters away from the Command Center.

Alexis zipped just beneath the monster, cradling vibrant purple energy in her palms.

"Eagleheart Pulse!" she cried, straining her muscles to release the power. The crackling sphere struck the beast in the lower back, burning through the lower portion of one wing.

Erebus roared, desperately clutching at the mountain's wall as he began falling. After tumbling several meters, he managed to get a decent grip on the mountain.

"WEAKLING HUMAN FILTH," he rumbled furiously, grabbing hold of a protruding piece of rock. With one of its six limbs, Erebus wrenched a large slab of rock from the mountain, and tossed it at the Purple Ranger.

"Jeez!" she shrieked, lunging out of the way, "What's with this guy and throwing rocks?"

*He's conserving energy...*

Alexis' eyes widened at the realization, which echoed in her mind with a voice not her own. It was

weak... so weak that it had to restrain itself. It wouldn't take much to fully expend his power, breaking his hold on the material realm.

Just then, a searing burst of white energy, crackling with tendrils of colored light, smashed into Erebus, knocking the unsuspecting beast clear off the cliff and into the unyielding ground below. Alexis watched the beast's deadly plummet, cringing at the loud crash that echoed at its landing.

She hovered upwards, where the five core Rangers had gathered together, all clutching a composite weapon.

"I heard it crash," Tommy noted, stepping toward the rest of the team, "so it didn't disintegrate. It's probably still alive."

"I doubt we're capable of killing it," Trini noted, "We just need to weaken it enough to send it back to where it came from."

Tommy frowned, striding to the edge of the cliff. He peered into the darkness. "We've gotta go down. I can't see anything from here."

Alexis nodded, reaching her hand toward the Green Ranger. "Let's try the Maelstrom," she suggested, "I can bring us down at a controlled speed, so we can make sure Erebus doesn't get the drop on us."

"Good. You guys stay up here for now. Obviously, we've never tried this before."

Tommy clutched Alexis' hand, and together the Green and Purple Rangers descended to the ground, moving carefully away from the mountain to make room between themselves and the spot where the beast landed.

Before they even touched the ground, a piercing shriek of fury alerted them that Erebus was far from dead. Alexis set Tommy on the ground, and took a stance beside him.

"Well, what do we do?" he demanded.

Alexis responded