Power Rangers Zeo: Venusian Encounter, Heather Ray [books that read to you .txt] 📗

asked Rocky, looking at Dulcea, "When did you get here? Who is the girl in the orange spandex?"

"I'm Renee Ryan," explained Renee, "I'm the one who appeared in your mind while you were under Syren's spell."

"The gymnast, right?" asked Tommy.

"Indeed," said Dulcea, "but Renee is much more than an athlete. She is the daughter of Leila, the Venusian enchantress."

"Wow," said Rocky, "How'd ya figure that one out?"

"I guess I was lucky," said Renee with a shrug, "Syren's servant Dalal showed up in Florida to kill Kimberly, and I was in the right place at the right time."

"What?" asked Tommy in surprise, "Syren wanted to kill Kim? Why?"

Before anyone could answer, three beams of yellow, hot pink, and soft pink pierced the Power Chamber. Everyone smiled at greeted their friends, all except Tommy, Rocky, and Adam, who were shocked to see Kimberly in her pink and black leotard, pink wings, and silver tiara.

"Kim?" asked Adam quietly, "What happened to you?"

"Its a long story," she answered, giving him a warm hug, "I'm so glad you guys are okay! I take it Renee managed to break the spell." She then let go and hugged Rocky. "How long have you three been awake?"

"About five minutes," answered Rocky, "We're still in the dark."

Kim released Rocky and then turned to Tommy. She smiled at him and gave him a quick hug. She then stood back, standing beside Renee.

"Renee and I are two Venusian descendants. I'm from the family of Naya, and Renee is Leila's daughter. Since we're both Venusians, we can summon the power of Ninjetti. My costume is different, but I'm still the Crane. And from the look of it, Renee's animal guide is the Tiger."

Suddenly, all the alarms in the Power Chamber roared to life. Everyone present looked around worriedly.

"What's wrong now?" asked Katherine, looking up towards Zordon, "Is it another Venusian assault?"

"NO. THIS TIME, LORD ZEDD HAS REVERTED TO HIS USUAL TACTICS. HE HAS CREATED A NEW MONSTER, AND IT IS PRESENTLY INSIDE THE LOUVRE MUSEUM."

"This is not

good," said Rocky, leaping off the cot, "Zedd usually creates monsters out of something. What did he use this time?"

"Aye yi yi!" shrieked Alpha 5, "There's an image on the Viewing Globe!"

Tommy, Katherine, Rocky, Adam, Tanya, Kimberly, Renee, Jason, and Dulcea circled the Viewing Globe to get a glimpse at Zedd's new monster. They saw a pair of red lips with slender white arms and legs.

"Is this a joke?" asked Tanya, "He made a monster out of a mouth?"

"NOT JUST ANY MOUTH. THIS MONSTER'S ORIGIN IS THE PAINTING 'MONA LISA'

, WHICH IS DISPLAYED IN THE LOUVRE."

"Can we defeat the monster without doing damage to Mona Lisa's lips?" asked Adam.

"I DO NOT KNOW. ALPHA AND I WILL CONTINUE TO ANALYZE THE MONSTER. UNTIL WE CAN DETERMINE A SOLUTION, YOU MUST SLOW THE MONSTER DOWN, ZEO RANGERS."

"Alright, rangers," said Tommy, "we've got work to do!"

The five Zeo Rangers snapped their helmets on their heads. Tanya walked over to Kimberly.

"Are you three coming to help?" she asked. Kim shook her head.

"No, we have to get to Venus Island."

"Yes," said Dulcea, holding up her staff, "The longer we delay, the less the chance we'll be able to save the descendants before sunrise. I shall teleport us to the isle."

"You'll keep in contact, right?" asked Jason.

"VENUS ISLAND IS PROTECTED BY A SHIELD OF MAGIC, MOST LIKELY MAINTAINED BY EITHER LORD ZEDD OR SYREN HERSELF. OUR COMMUNICATIONS SIGNAL WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PENETRATE, AND OUR TELEPORTATIONS MAY HAVE DIFFICULTY CUTTING THROUGH THE DISTURBANCE."

"So, we won't be able to help you three out, or bail you out if things get rough," said Tommy quietly, taking off his helmet. He looked at all three women, and held his gaze on Kimberly. "You'll be careful, right?" he asked, directing his question mainly at the young princess.

"Of course we will," answered Kim with a smile, "We'll contact you as soon as we can."

Kim and Tommy shook hands, and then Tommy rejoined the rest of the rangers, putting on his helmet.

"Back to Action!" cried the Zeo Rangers, vanishing in streaks of colored light. Dulcea then held up her staff with both hands, and Kim and Renee stood by her on either side. A pulse of white light formed from the tip of the staff and expanded, teleporting the three women out of the Power Chamber. Jason leaned against a cot while Alpha Five immediately began running scans on the lip monster.

"Man, this has been a long day!" he sighed, stretching his arms. He then joined Alpha at the computer.

Chapter Twenty-Three

In a flash of pearly white light, Renee Ryan, Kimberly Hart, and Dulcea appeared on the shores of Venus Island. The white sand was littered with sharp rocks, and the blue pacific ocean smashed into the shore with powerful waves. A few yards into the island is where a dense jungle began, with deadly Venus flytraps shooting up from the earth. Dulcea led the way, using her staff to strike the flytraps, while Renee and Kimberly followed her. Renee glanced over to the east, and noticed the faint glow on the water.

"The sun's gonna rise soon," she whispered, "We don't have much time."

"Indeed," said Dulcea, "But hopefully the festivities will have begun, and there will be minimal guard along Ambrosia. So far, I have seen no one."

"Do we have a plan of attack?" asked Kimberly.

"Here's our dilemma: there are hundreds of Venusian warriors now serving Syren. Many of them only serve her out of fear, so we may not have to face them all. Still, the best way to even up the odds is to free the Venusians trapped in the dungeon. However, centuries of imprisonment will no doubt have made them rather weak, so do not expect them to be able to defeat a vast number of Syren's troops. Now, I was Syren's prisoner for a while, so I know where the dungeon is, and how to escape. So, I shall rescue our sisters there."

"What about my mother, and the other hybrids?" asked Kimberly, "They're supposed to be sacrificed at dawn!"

"True. The only way for you to stop the sacrifice is to challenge Syren for the crown."

"Excuse me?" asked Kimberly in disbelief, "Why would she take me seriously?"

"You are the descendent of Naya, and Naya was the rightful queen. Also, you are a Ninjetti warrior, so your power is great indeed. If Syren refuses to accept your challenge, her armies may fee`l she is a coward. She shall be honorbound to battle you."

"But, can I beat her?"

"Syren isn't an extremely skilled fighter. Most likely she shall use her magic. I have faith that you can defeat her, Princess, but you must allow the Crane to guide you. Syren has centuries of experience over you, so she will try to use your impetuousness against you. Now, the duel will most likely be a fight to the death, so I leave the decision in your hands."

Kimberly thought for a moment, and then looked up at Dulcea. "If you're even recommending this tactic to me, then you think I have a chance at winning. I'll do it."

Renee looked first at Kim, and then at Duclea. "Well, what happens to me?"

"You shall come with me, Renee, to help me free the prisoners. I have a feeling Syren won't give up the throne so easily. She tends to cheat."

The trio continued up the mountain, until they reached the summit. The gates were closed, and a raging fire illuminated the courtyard.

"This is good," whispered Dulcea, "There is no guard out here, and the low lighting will make it easier for Renee and I to sneak in. Kimberly, you should just fly into the courtyard, as close to Syren as possible. If you challenge her, she should not be able to refuse.

Kimberly nodded and converted into a glowing pink Crane. She flew gracefully over the fence while Dulcea and Renee circled around the fence until they reached the rose garden behind the palace.

"The dungeon is beneath the palace," whispered Dulcea, "so if we sneak in through here, we can enter the palace from behind. Can you bend the bars with a spell?"

Renee grabbed two bars with her hands, and allowed orange energy to pulse through her hands and into the golden gate. She then pushed with all her might, forcing a gap between the bars large enough for her to sneak through. She then ducked behind a rose bush.

"Listen carefully," said Dulcea, "I shall fly into the palace as an owl, and hopefully, I shall be able to open the door for you to enter. If you see a Venusian soldier, deal with her as quietly as possible."

Renee nodded silently as Dulcea transformed into a small white Owl, and flew silently through the bars and into an open window high in the palace tower. She then sat down in the bushes and waited.

Since my animal guide is the Tiger, I gain great night vision, as well as sense of hearing,

she thought to herself, I think I can handle this. I just hope Kim's okay.

Meanwhile, in the front of the castle, a huge bonfire burned menacingly in a pit surrounded by a marble stage. Suspended over that pit was an iron cage, with just enough room for one person. On the ground stood nearly every Venusian faithful to Syren, all standing before the fire in awe. Some of them were excited about the day's events, but most of them were disgusted by Syren's celebration. For them, the day Naya had died was the day hope had ended. Naya was a fair and noble leader, but when she was defeated, many Venusians agreed to serve Syren out of fear. So, they stand in the audience in silence, trying to calm their screaming consciences and the rage of anger inside on witnessing the deaths of a group of innocent women from the outer world. Venusians aren't usually bloodthirsty.

"My sisters!" called Syren from the stage, "As dawn slowly approaches, so does the beginning of a special day for us. One century ago, the traitorous Naya and a group of rebels were dealt with in order to protect the realm. However, the rebellion was not fully quelled, because they had children with human men to carry on their bloodline. Today, we finally end the rebellion by eliminating the descendants of the traitors. Naya and her beliefs end today, with the death of her living offspring. Each hybrid will be killed one at a time, starting with Naya's family. First on the list is the youngest of the tribe of Naya. Kelly Trent, step forward!"