Fandom Power Rangers Sentinels

[marorda]

Was she going to stop with the pop culture references anytime soon? Nah, probably not. She enjoyed it way too much to occasionally drop a pop culture hint here and there. Erin wasn't a bad person, but something was terribly wrong if she didn't like to tease people sometimes. she smirked in her helmet as she was jokingly scolded by Cay and April. 'Don't confuse the fairy' was indeed a really weird thing to say out loud. Even weirder when you're told not to confuse the fairy.

Erin looked at the others, still not quite sure how this was all supposed to work. So they had combined the Beasts into the Titan Megazord, were now as high as Golem, and it seemed they'd have to move to actually get this thing to do anything. But... how? all moving in exact sync was going to be difficult, she thought. What if they'd fail? Would the Megazord fall over and crush everything below them? Damn... that would be an insane insurance claim... "Giant robot fighting a giant construct ravaging the city destroyed my car." Who would believe that unless they had seen it?
"Right, so... ehm... Let's do this?" Erin scratched the back of her helmet, not having a clue how to take things from here Moving forward, towards Golem before he would stomp the city. Or punch the Titan so hard all the five Beasts would come apart again. did... did it even work like that? She steadied herself on the pentagram and took a deep breath. "Igneos, Phoenix, any guidance is welcome here" she thought to herself. Erin straightened her back and looked at Golem again. She didn't know how they were going to do this, but somehow they would manage. Maybe there was a magical brain sync thing or something? So they wouldn't awkwardly all do something else and make themselves look completely foolish and incompetent. Erin briefly shook her head and took on a battle ready stance. All she had to do, she thought, was have a little bit of faith. In herself, in her friends, in the Beasts. Still, the sole idea they were in control of a giant magical thing fighting another giant magical thing... yeah, a bit frightening. So many things they still had to learn, it seemed. That, and that they'd have to be very careful with what they said, lest it would actually happen. Speaking of jinxing things!

Though it might not go as smoothly and some stumbling may be involved, they managed to move the Megazord forward. Erin shared Benji's wonder. Were it even words? And April was right. it DID sound like something from a cartoon series airing Saturday mornings. Heck, maybe that was exactly where she'd picked the word up. After all, she had lived in Japan for some years. and boy, do they have some weird stuff airing on TV! Anyhow... Megazord sort of moving forward, Golem being angry, time to go in for a punch, maybe? "Benji... I'd say this one is mostly yours," Erin said. Granted, though they all moved the Megazord together, Benji should lead in this case. It was, after all, his creation wrecking the city after attacking the orphans he lived with.

 

[PenBlade1326]

Golem roared out like a mindless monster--oh wait...--bashing his clubbed hands into the tops of buildings, smashing and crashing the city of Ebongrove like a toddler beating a sand castle. Clay and Benji both heard Grondo and Sylvan in their heads. Either telling them to pound the crap out of Golem or offering a rhyme that made only a little sense in the moment of time.
Situating themselves on the pentagrams, they'd braced for impact and readied for anything.

Benji looked at Erin as she said this should be his. "Are you sure?" He asked. Hey, he wasn't a leader in any way...and this seemed like something Erin should do, really. Clay nodded.
"Hell yeah, she's sure. You point the way to this here varmint and we'll mash him back down to size." He said, nodding his helmet and tipping an invisible cowboy hat. He missed his hat when it wasn't there....
"Okay then. We take Golem down. Together, all five of us." Benji chanted for all to hear, eyes straight ahead. "Now let's go!"

The creature swung his hands into the side of a building, dust flying off from it, likely just the first wave of debris. "I will remodel this city into a true art form. Garbage!" Said the menacing mumbo jumbo clay monster.
The Titan Megazord, likely to be shortened as Megazord, took after its five users. It inched forward ever so slightly, everyone getting used to moving it with their own bodies. Clay and Benji gave everyone a good start as the giant robot-thing walked toward Golem as he rampaged. Golem looked over at them and chuckled. "Oh, this should be fun. I'll start remodeling with you!" He yelled, spitting out some lump of energy at them. Sparks flew as it hit, only blasting in front of them, not stopping the Megazord at all. The robot wielded a bow, did it not? Since their Beasts formed the arms, they had an idea.
Golem decided to rush the Megazord, clobbering it from both sides with his massive hands. Sparks flew and the control area shook. Clay simple let out a 'yeehaw' extended his arms outward, lending a bit of control and thus shoving Golem off of them. He punched forward, as did the gargoyle arm, right in Golem's face! Benji side-swiped his arm out, slapping Golem back a peg. Benji then 'pretended' to use the bow himself, thus making the Megazord fire a single shot at the failed creation. Sparks flew and Golem yelped, staggering back a few steps. "This is what you get for messing with my kids!" Benji yelled, firing another shot at him, giving the others time to attack and let this sucker have it!

 

[Steel Accord]

After getting hit by the two pronged attack. Golem tried to swing his arm low like a club coming up to smack the Megazord in the chest and head. Dylan, by instinct, did a crescent kick with his right leg and followed it with a front kick. The Titan Megazord mimicked the motion. It lifted its leg and blocked the strike with it, then leaned back and brought up its other leg and nailed Golem right in the center, sending sparks and shock waves out from the point of impact and causing the creature to stumble.

"April!" Dylan called out to her. "Follow what I do."

The Titan Megazord approached the staggered monstrosity. Dylan did a jump kick. The Megazord did the same, hitting Golem in the head. Golem came at them with a right hook. Dylan raised his arm to block and hoped Benji and Clay would do something similar. The Megazord blocked the strike. Dylan wanted to capture the arm in a tiger claw so he did the motion. Whether the Megazord did it or not, Dylan followed up with a few snapping kicks again and again to what would be Golem's midsection. The Titan Megazord hammered the creature again and again with shins the size of towers. Dylan finished his combo with a spin kick and the Megazord did the same. Sending Golem stumbling away.

 

[Lady Insanity]

Things were certainly getting interesting, weren't they, now? Things were getting rattled as Golem attacked, countered by everyone else planting an attack back on him. Benji certainly found his drive to fight with everyone as a team, and it clearly showed as he barraged Golem with shots. The whole concept of movement controlling this big...Megazord was odd, however. How this thing only registered particular actions at a time was beyond her.
April had been removed from thought as Dylan called to her. She nodded eagerly. "You got it!" She called back enthusiastically. She'd let Dylan take the lead in the leg dynamic. She wasn't as skilled of a combatant as he was, after all. Some training would be seriously needed, soon!

April then followed Dylan's actions, doing as he did in the kick, jump kick, block, more kicks and a finishing combo kick! Serious leg work...if she was a gym-goer, she could skip leg day! Must be just for kicks! (A/N: I am not sorry XD)
With every attack she felt herself and Dylan getting stronger, muscles in her legs burning and her Essencia feeling stronger than before. Something in these Beasts was just...awesome! As Golem stumbled away following up from the previous attack, she found a moment to act independently. Or at least try...Dylan, again, was the better fight here.
"Round and around we go!" She said, feeling a need to narrate herself as she spun on her heel, gripping the edge of the cape behind her. The Megazord followed her motions, spinning on its own heal, a transparent tornado slowly forming around the bulk of the titanic being. April lacked the tornado effect, but kept the speed going. She spun in place, but the Megazord spun closer and closer to a dazed Golem, both of its arms lashing out at him, sparks flying on every hit. The tornado spin came to an end, complimented by a swiping kick to his chest to knock him down. As she stopped spinning, April slowly regained herself and held her head. "Now I'm just dizzy..." She commented to herself.

 

[marorda]

"Of course this guy's the one to say garbage is true art. He's garbage himself!" Erin taunted after what she took as Golem implying garbage was art. what was it they said again? One man's trash is another man's treasure? Something like that. This city... this world... this was their treasure and they'd protect it with everything they had in them. A monster calling their place trash meant nothing. Golem just stumbled around, slamming into buildings but also getting beaten himself. For a first time, they really weren't doing all that bad. Some training on the syncing and working together part was definitely still needed though. So wobbly... so high above the ground and feeling as if they'd fall over the next time they tried lifting a foot for another kick. Novus and Fate seemed to have known the Beasts could do this, but was this even ever used? People would or should be panicking at a Godzilla-sized monster and robot fighting each other in the city.... now imagine a medieval time where this was wandering about. People would think the world was ending.... which, well, was exactly what was going to happen should they fail here. Meh, skip the stressing and start... fighting? Yeah. But just what did she do in the Zord here? Everyone was doing either an arm or a leg, and she was... the head and chest? What was she gonna do? Headbutt Golem? Just there to keep things together? Erin wished she knew.

She closed her eyes, focusing. She felt the others' presence around her, the fact they were in a thing made of (sort of?) living beings. Everyone's energy was flowing through the Titan Megazord. It connected them, all to each other and to the very Zord itself. Huh, that could be the key to something here. "Guys..." she said softly, raising a hand but keeping her eyes closed under her visor. "Stop with what you're doing for a moment and focus..." Weird thing to say so in the midst of a battle against a giant monster who had repeatedly claimed to remodel everything in sight. "Can you feel it as well?"
It wasn't like the Essencia she felt when connecting to Igneos, to when they first morphed or summoned their weapons. This felt... Older? More powerful? Either one of them. Or both. She couldn't tell. What she could tell, was how strong it was. It was as if she connected herself to something so much bigger than herself, than to what they knew so far. Maybe... if they all connected to the power flowing around here, they'd be in perfect sync and be able to finish off this failure or a statue?

Erin visualized the bow somehow, through magic and logic that only applied in Saturday morning cartoons, turning into a sword. She imagined all of their magic, the five elements combined, swirling around the blade, powering it up into a finishing attack. Slowly she raised her hands, as if she were holding a sword, ready to slam it down into a finishing blow that would cut the enemy in half. Though it was al of their powers flowing around the sword, Erin mentally made a bit more room for Benji's Nature powers to shine. Trusting she was in sync with everyone, she brought her hands upward, gripping the sword (or well, visualizing she was holding one) and slashed it diagonally downwards. "Titan finisher! Elemental Slash!" she called out. As Golem finally went down in sparks for real, Erin grinned under her visor. "Demon Destroyed," she said. hey, she liked the sound of that! Might as well keep that in, should this happen again.

Once everyone had exited the Megazord, it deassembled itself, the Beasts bowing and returning to wherever they had come from. Maybe the Coven? Probably. That's where the roaring had come from, hadn't it? Just another thing to add to the long list of questions hey might have on being sentinels. Erin exchanged high fives with everyone, and after checking there was nobody around to see them, she demorphed. "That. Was. Awesome!" she called. "And maybe a little bit scary too." She chuckled and ran a hand through her fiery hair. "Great job, everyone! So... what happens next?" she mostly directed that question to Benji. Probably, if everyone was still up for it, they'd go back to the restaurant and have some food. Geez, she was starving by now! Food sounded really, really appealing. But if everyone would rather head home... well, that made sense too. But what would Benji do? He was more than welcome to hang out with them, if it were up to Erin... but there was also that statue he'd had to remake/finish for the contest... and there was a bus full of orphans to check up on after the attack...

 

[PenBlade1326]

Battle had only started to heat up. Golem felt the pressure of the barraging attacks coming his way. Shots, punches, the many kicks, tornado strike, this Megazord was highly unpredictable! Ge stumbled around, hands reverting to normal. "Madness. I won't stand for this insult!" He shouted.
"You won't be standing much longer." Benji snarled in return. His statue, his hard work, turned into a twisted monster, attacking Ebongrove and his friends, not to mention the kids...this has gone on long enough! Just as Benji was about to angrily attack once more Erin caught his attention. "Eh?" He asked. An energy was about them all. All five of them, surrounded by some unseen force...Essencia. Like that power connecting them to spirits...Sylvan...Grondo...they were basically calling inside of Benji and Clay. They listed to Erin, stopping what they were doing and focusing. "I feel it..." Clay whispered.
"Weird. This feels old...but like it's supposed to be here," Benji thought aloud, feeling a focus in his mind. He wanted to bond with everyone, make their power one.

They had both closed their eyes and pictured the bow turning into a sword. Doing just as Erin did in sync with everyone else, they both gripped a false sword in their hands. Raising it high to the sky, their elements all swirling around the blade and charging with immense power. They slashed, calling out "Titan Finisher! Elemental Slash!" in sync with their team mates. The slash strike across Golem's chest. Sparks flew, Benji and Clay feeling both drained and energized at the same time.
Golem cried out as they attack hit. He staggered around, inches away from death. "Oh...everyone's a critic!" he shouted, collapsing and finally falling to his death, exploding like before. Only this time he was gone for good.
"Demon destroyed? That'll never catch on..." Benji said to Erin, shaking his head...it wouldn't catch on, would it?

Both of them exited the Megazord with the rest. How? Either a long-ass jump or beaming down to the surface like in Star Trek. The Beasts returned to their normal forms, returning to where they came from. Mysterious creatures, they were...
They'd demorphed alongside of Erin once the coast was clear. Returning the high fives, of course. "Yeeeeee doggy! That right there was some straight up exciting nonsense." Clay said. "Reminds me of this one time my buddy Ellis and I were in the mud with our boots up the--" Clay began on a ramble. Benji shushed him. Whew. "Sorry....anyone else hungry as a horse?" They never did order that food at the restaurant earlier.
"Right. Yeah. Well, uh...I'm glad we won and all, but I still have to enter in that contest. Now my entry is...well....exploded." Benji said, frowning slightly. He'd want to hang out and just take it easy with his team after the fight...but he can't let the kids down.
Clay rubbed his chin. "Hey now, I got an idea. Since there's still time and the kids got away on the bus, why don't you let us help you? I'll bet'cha we can slap a new statue together if we all just work on it hard enough, right?" Clay suggested, openly offering for the Rangers to help Benji reassemble the statue he'd lost. Minus the evil cursed part. That can be forgotten.
"You....you guys would do that?" He asked, truly touched. Clay nodded. "Ain't that what friends do? Y'all?" Clay said, looking at the others.

 

[Lady Insanity]

April just looked at Erin. Stop what they're doing? In the middle of an insane battle on literal giant scales? Why did she have to suggest this as all of the insanity happened? She gave everyone else a glance, joining in on the focus. "I feel something...not sure what it is, though," she admitted. But she felt powerful. All of them probably felt this way, right? Another weird feeling unlocked like it was part of some ancient history of power...wait a second...right.
Something old was definitely at work here. Okay, this might sound weird (and a mix of both previous posts) but April felt both connected and related to, as well as disconnected and not really the same, as when she would call Ainya. She felt a similar sense of serenity, but also something entirely different. Something's calling out to her. But what? Perhaps that is a mystery for another day.

She took a deep breath, feeling everyone join up as the bow melded into a blade of sorts, each of them in sync grabbing onto it with their hands and minds. Elemental power surged around it, they'd all raised it high as their power came to be, all in sync at full force, she and the others slammed it downward, diagonally striking at Golem and finishing him for good! "Titan Finisher, Elemental Slash!" She yelled with everyone. Golem let out his last comment before...well....exploding. Whoa. Big explosion this time...
April snickered at Erin's phrase. Surely that wouldn't be a thing they all said, would it? Surely not...hmm. But why did it feel like they'd be hearing 'demon destroyed' again soon? Possibly all saying it one day? The cheese factor making a return?
Leaving the Titan Megazord was simple. Just back on the ground, the Beasts all splitting apart and traveling back through the portals, bowing their heads to the Rangers. April happily waved goodbye to all five of the Beasts. "Bye bye! Thanks for helping!" She called out to the five of them. They were gonna be a real asset in the future as well!
Demorphing, April returned Erin's high five and smiled. "That was awesome," she returned. "So big, so bad, so cool!"
She only looked at Clay, also shushing him along side Benji. Good thing, too. She had a weird feeling about the story of his friend Ellis...something about a boot? She shuddered at the thought of the thought. What? April frowned ever so slightly as Erin and Clay were all optimistic and cheerful, and Benji was...not as energetic. He wanted to redo the statue, and for good reason. A promise is a promise, no? Can't let the kids down.
April smiled brightly at Clay's suggestion. "Of course we'd help you! We may not be artists, but if you just show us what to do, we can totally pull off a new statue or something. Those kids are expecting something cool, and I for one intend to help keep that promise. If you guys are hungry, I'll swing by my family diner on the way and pick up some burgers!" She said brightly to everyone. They can do this, right? Why not?

 

[Steel Accord]

Dylan froze in place at Erin's command. Golem was far enough away that he wasn't an immediate threat. They were utterly wrecking him to be sure, which was good. The more focused he was on them the less he was destroying anything or anyone else. But even as much as they could hurt him, there didn't seem to be anything they did that could completely destroy him. That's when Erin told them to focus. So Dylan did.

"Whoah!" He said aloud. Through his essencia he could feel something ancient, primordial even. Deluvian was nothing compared to this. This predated the ocean, maybe even the Earth itself. At least as far as how he understood it, which wasn't much given. Still he could feel this power flow through him, and through his friends. Like this power was only felt through all of them together and not alone. As Erin raised her hands like she was gripping a sword, Dylan felt his arms pulled in that same direction through a gentle tugging of his bones and muscles. He knew it was a sword she was summoning. He didn't know how he knew, again, telepathy not really a thing in older myths, but he did know it.

The Titan Megazords bow, converted and changed like a giant action figure accesory from a bow into a sword, with a bit of magical flash for some of the changes that couldn't be done via pure mechanical application. The Megazord appeared to be a fusion of applied human construction and the supernatural power of Essencia. Magic and tech combined is ALWAYS badass! It was that combo that the Rangers were going to finish Golem with! Erin gripped the phantom weapon in her hands and they all matched the motions. The Megazord in turn held its weapon high. Dylan felt his power flowing into the blade. Literally in his case. The Megazord brought the sword down in a stroke mirrored by him and his companions. Were they now following its motions like it followed theirs? Dylan suspected from his brief interaction with Capricornus that the relationship between Zord and Ranger was symbiotic.

"Titan Finisher! Elemental Slash!" Dylan cried with his friends. Golem took the full force of the blow and was destroyed in a magnificent explosion of purified dark magic and despoiled remnants disintegrating like paper scraps burning in a great fire. Dylan approved of Erin's deceleration. It was a victory cry. Her delivery was a bit sloppy, you got to sell that shit with conviction, but they could work on that.

After they left the Megazord and it split apart Dylan's Capricorn bowed to him, as did the other Sentinel Beasts to their respective Rangers, but Dylan took it a step further by once again embracing it upon the bridge of its nose. He laid an affectionate kiss upon it. Of course he was just kissing the mouthpiece of his helmet but he hoped Capricornus understood his intent. After they left and the Rangers powered down. Dylan just felt exhausted. Still with a big smile but he was tired from all of this. This turned around immediately when Clay suggested they help Benji with his project.

"Absolutelty we'd help. I mean, we kind of owe you one. You saved our bacon swooping in when you did, all badass like!" Dylan said.

 

[marorda]

Woohoo! Everyone was in sync, and calling out the final attack together. Too bad, and maybe mildly embarrassing, that nobody went along with the "demon destroyed". Maybe she should just cut that out, then? Wouldn't want to make a complete fool out of herself. She was already weird enough just the way she was. Even without the magic and all. Best not to make things worse, maybe. Anyhow... everyone was out of the Megazord, Clay offered to help Benji rebuild the sculpture, and the others agreed on helping out as well.
"Of course we'd help," Erin said. "Why wouldn't we?" As said, that's what friends are for. Plus... they did kinda just blow up all of his hard work because said hard work would have reduced the city to rubble if they hadn't...
April offered to get burgers from her family's restaurant. "Burgers sound great!" Erin said with a broad grin. Burgers were always good. As was pizza. And french fries... And any junk food in general. Correction: any food. Girl's got an appetite!

She glanced at Dylan and frowned slightly. "Saved our... bacon..." she repeated slowly, shaking her head. "And here I thought Clay was weird with his southern slang. Or me with translating and mistranslating sayings from around the globe..." Saving someone's bacon was an expression she hadn't heard before. But dammit, now she was even more hungry. Burgers with bacon, anyone? Still, it was true. Benji had saved the day here. For a moment Erin had thought they may actually have had to find a new Green Sentinel Ranger to fight at their side. Thankfully Benji came back when he did. It makes you wonder, though, if there are some other compatible souls out there... could it mean there's more Sentinels out there as well? Those were questions for another day, when they'd be back in the Coven. For now: helping Benji with his sculpture. And food!

 

[PenBlade1326]

"Aye now, I ain't got no weird southern slang, ya red-headed skilly willy," Clay said to Erin. Benji mentally facepalmed. "Okay, case and point, buddy," Benji said to Clay. Clay didn't even protest on that one.
It was weird. Everyone offering to actually help with a new statue...he could use the help, too. Now he has to start from scratch and the contest deadline is way too close for someone even as artistically skilled as Benji to complete alone. Hmm. He rubbed his chin in though. Burgers, friends, a statue...he could probably just use magic after asking the mentors in the Coven, but why do that?
"Alright. Normally swooping is bad (DA reference ftw) and I don't ask for this, but...yeah. I don't know what to say, guys...thank you. Really." Benji said to the other four. Clay just smiled and bumped his shoulder. "Aye now, no problem. Besides, we got something to celebrate. You ain't leaving the team." True...he wasn't. Benji found something new to fight for. He'd be honored to keep fighting in this weird upside down world.

"Just one thing. If we're all gonna pull this off, that means one thing. All of our names go on it." Huh...sounded fair.
---
With that being said and done, Benji not only found new cause to fight the Legion, but also a reason to keep his friends closer. These guys were all a bit strange, and surely they'd get even stranger. But Dylan, Clay, April, Erin...something about them all gave him a good feeling. Like...a sprouting family? Huh....sprouting.
The night was spent working hard on a new sculpture. Benji refused to just make another Golem, especially after the kids at the orphanage were attacked by such a thing. He also gave the orphanage a call as they worked. The kids couldn't stop bragging about how these colorful cape-wearing heroes saved them...the green one was their favorite. Hehe. This, however, inspired Benji to make a new project. It took time, effort, and lots of burgers for energy. By the way, yum! Benji led the others in building the new sculpture overnight, somehow managing to make something presentable. They really were a good team!
---
Current at the day of the contest, it was time to unveil the artwork. The new statue had been draped with a sheet to cover it as it was transported to the gallery. Benji invited not only the kids, but also the Rangers to witness their hard work all pay of. When it was his turn to unveil his sculpture, following a girl who had made a statue of a cat--what a cliche--he took a deep breath and gripped the sheet. He pulled the sheet back, and underneath was...the Titan Megazord. Made out of clay, detailed in such a way that it was apparent it was made overnight. As if by magic. But it was clearly the Megazord, just not as finely done as it could be. Oh well. "I call this the Titan. You see, there are these strange people. They run around with capes, bright costumes, and they've saved the city a couple of times. Even some people close to me. I saw this thing emerge in the city and I just knew I had to do it. I had some help, too. It's a bit random and makeshift, but that's life, right? Random. Makeshift. Magical, in some ways. So here's my statue...Titan." He told the judges. So weird, it truly did resemble the megazord...all grey and not perfectly detailed, but one could make out what it was.
Turns out, the tribute to the heroes was so good, Benji won the contest! Hooray! But the real reason Benji decided they'd make a statue of the Megazord was that it dawned on them when he found purpose. It was a new symbol of hope to him. Something good, something bright. He felt easier sleeping knowing Ebongrove had such weird but amazing things looking after it. The kids were happy he won, too. And on the plague of the statue read as follows: "Crafted by five weird people. Benjamin Zimmerman, Erin Sommer, Dylan Drake, Clay Maynard, and April Brubeck. Oddly amazing, innit?"

Golem was a bust. But the Titan? Such a win. Stronger than before, the Rangers had new hopes for the future. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is a work of art.

END OF TALE 3.

 

[Lady Insanity]

Steel Accord marorda PenBlade1326

Tale 4: Under The Bridge

A week following the stylish and cunning victory over Golem and things were on a more routine track. The team had been stronger and united and the Legion had only spite towards them. This makes three times the Sentinels and that owl with the fairy had disrupted their plans. One could only imagine the hatred brewing in the hearts of the Legion. This is the Time of Prophecy, after all...things should go accordingly.
It had been a strong suggestion of wit that lead this evening's current events. In the time that had passed, a little bit of training was in order. Focusing a stronger bond with the Spirits, elemental practice, as well as general weapons and hand-to-hand combat. If this team was going to keep fighting, they'd all might as well better their skill and figure out fighting styles that worked for them. And April especially needed work on aiming the crossbow. She wasn't too bad, but she could stand to improve. Actually, she desperately needed to improve in it. Hence one of many reasons the group had decided to spend the evenings training together at the Coven, . Like today, for instance. Another thing she would need improvement on was her figure skating. It's her life's dream to one day be a world-famous figure skater, gliding on the ice, majestically prancing and twirling from place to place. But with her work at the diner, school and the Sentinels, that dream has been on hold for a bit.

The current time is 7:00 p.m. It's just starting to get dark outside as April finishes her shift at the diner. Removing the apron from her waist and the name tag from her shirt, she quickly changes form work attire and changes into a warm pastel pink sweater and a pair of white jeans in the back room. Once changed, she slips out and into the front of the diner, a lovely old couple being the only customers currently, enjoying apple pie together. Her brothers are working in the kitchen, and her parents at the counter. "Okay guys, I'm heading out." She announced.
Her parents gave her an affirmative nod and a smile. "Alright, honey. You're going to a study group, right?" Her mother asked. A lie, but a good cover up so they wouldn't know what she was really going to do. April nodded. "Yep. Me and some kids at school made up a group, we met in class on the first day."
Her mother nodded once more and planted a gentle kiss onto her head. "Be careful, honey. It's getting dark out, you sure you don't want a ride?" Her dad asked, protective as ever. She refused. "I'm sure," she replied. She didn't want him driving her through town and into the woods, after all...
She said goodbye to both of them and gave her brothers a wave through the window before turning around, grabbing her bag and leaving. The other Rangers were all probably at the Coven by now, and she was late!

April made haste and quickly went across town under the quickly-approaching night sky. Stars shined through, so pretty! And the moon was glowing. Prettier! As she continued her stroll through town she came across the lake. It was located on the east side of town, modern culture somewhat building around it. It used to be a much larger body of water, but over time it just naturally shrunk, and humans probably played a part in that. The lake had this new bridge across it, very pretty and shiny. Lots of people took pictures there. It replaced the old bridge that collapsed over fifty years ago. Funny enough, there's a ghost story about it.
"In 1967, two fishermen were streaming down the lake on a calm autumn evening, fishing for a nice salmon or such to bring home to their wives. One fisherman claimed to hear a strange hissing sound from the water, but the other did not listen and continued to drift in the boat with him. The one who heard the hissing grew paranoid, frantic even. It drove him mad. The two fishermen fell into an argument about turning back to shore. Nearby college students on the water heard their argument. When they got so heated, they floated under the bridge, right as the wood began to fail and the bridge collapsed, crushing them both, killing them on impact. The witnesses panicked and called the authorities. They shared a water grave for days before being dug out under the debris. The real reason the bridge collapsed? No one knows. But everyone says they hear a hissing once they go over the new bridge. Supposedly haunted by the fishermen's spirits."

April didn't believe in ghost stories. But as she came to the lake on her way to the Coven, knowing stuff she knew now...she shuddered. To think that right across the road is the ice skating rink she'd go to on occasion. Creepy. And as she passed the lake....either through paranoia or folk lore, she heard...a hissing sound. She shuddered again, clutching her bag to her chest and picking up the pace.
She shortly arrived at the Coven. She felt uneasy...maybe she was paranoid. But knowing demons and monsters exist, who's so say things can't be haunted? Spooky! April let herself in to find the other four Rangers training in various fashion with Fate and Novus, slightly out of breath, as if she'd been running the whole way. "Hi guys, sorry I'm late."

 

[marorda]

So a week had passed. the Legion hated their guts, and everyone had been training as much as possible. But then why wasn't Erin improving? She was good with the sword and thought she got what the past Sentinels had been about, as well as what was at stake. Teleporting no longer made her feel like she wanted to puke... so those were improvements... But when it came to the most essential, pardon the word play, part of being a Sentinel: the magic... she was lacking. No matter how hard Erin tried or focused, she just couldn't control her magic properly. Compared to the others she had started falling behind. At least that's what it felt like. Novus and Fate were at a mystery. The Son of the Archon was supposed to be most in tune with everything, the most adept. If she truly was the Son of the Archon, all the things she was supposed to do had to come easily to her. This once again raised the questions whether fate, Fate, or some external source had messed up. This was the Time of Prophecy. The crucial moment in time when the destiny of all words would be determined. What if Erin wasn't the Son fo the Archon after all? What if it was Clay, or Dylan maybe even? Were the colors wrong? Something still wasn't right, and nobody seemed to be able to figure out what it was. Perhaps this was Vorkalths great advantage over them? A Son of the Archon who couldn't fulfill their destiny.

Swoosh. Thank goodness Erin had already safely distanced herself from the rest. And thank goodness the Coven was protected against magical incidents. Another fireball got way out of hand and blew up in her face, causing Erin to curse in just about any language she knew. All mingled up into one colorful weird sentence.
"Focus, Erin," Fate calmly told her.
"I AM focusing. I just can't fucking do it!" Erin called, running her hands through her hair in frustration. How was she supposed to lead this team if she couldn't even do it right?
"Alright then, maybe you should take a break," Fate offered. Erin grumbled. Yes, she needed a break. No she didn't want to. It made her feel so... incapable. But it was probably for the best to listen to the owl-lady and take a break. A breathing and meditation exercise would probably help calming her down a bit.

"Ah, there you finally are," Novus said as April entered. "I was starting to think I'd have to use the scrying window to find-.... Hey, are you alright? You look as if you've seen a ghost." Which was plausible. Plenty of ghosts in the woods and in Ebongrove, after all.

 

[PenBlade1326]

Victory in the contest made life for Benji more positive. His work, the teams work really, in an art gallery where people adored it, his school was going well and on top of it all, the kids at the orphanage he cared for were always talking about the Power Rangers. Green being their personal favorite. Sure it made him feel a little gloat-worthy but he didn't care. It was just nice to find focus in his life for a change as opposed to getting by on the daily.
Clay on the other hand had spent the past week helping his buddy Riley. Ever since he moved in with him he felt like maybe he was mooching a bit, so Clay thought it best to make an effort in just doing all he could. Riley worked for a moving company, so Clay would often help him move furniture from one place to another as a volunteer. Clad had enough money to survive on and cover his share of the rent so payment wasn't an issue.

When it comes to more Sentinel-related business things were heating up. Not just because Erin's fire magic needed work and having everyone in the Coven plus the fire made it HOT in there. But the motion to have a training session at this time of night was good, nobody was likely to have plans anyway, plus it was generally a good time. Erin was clearly frustrated with her magic. Clay and Benji were used to teleporting by now, although it still made Benji a bit sick; and generally the whole magic thing was settling in on their lives. Being nobody special made their training easier. Even if there was still some remnant of the Son of the Archon issue with Erin and Clay. She seemed the more liekly, but in the back of Clay's mind he couldn't help but wonder.
But with Clay's natural strength and fighting style, he only found it needed to train with his weapon. The mace wasn't a difficult thing to use, but it was a bit awkward to just swing it around like a caveman. He felt a need to perk up that skill, as well as his elemental power. Clay stood off in the corner alone with the mace, gripping it tightly and twirling it like a swordsman. Feeling Grondo yelling at him in his head, he pounded his foot on the floor, embracing the unkempt spirit in him and swinging the mace and.....he flung it out from his hands. He widened his eyes. "Look out, now!" Clay warned Benji and Dylan, being the two in the flying maces path.

Benji needed work on combat and physical training. He's...scrawny. And not much of a fighter. Best to shape that up before anything else. His last scrap with the Spawners proved that. He started by doing push ups...not many. Followed up by flips...mostly failed flips. And a poor attempt at a hand stand. Okay as random as it all seemed....well yeah it's random. He has literally no idea what he's doing. Just as he got up to practice his punching, Clay's mace flung toward him. He shrieked and ducked down out of it's path. "Watch out, guys!" He called nervously to everybody else, mostly Dylan. That would hurt if it hit him...

Then April appeared in the Coven, out of breath slightly and a bit...jumpy maybe? Both he and Clay glanced her away and raised a brow at her. "April? Y'alright?" Clay asked her, semi-focused on his let-loose mace.

 

[Steel Accord]

In the days following their victory, Dylan could almost feel the ground beneath his feet, or perhaps more appropriately, what was even "below" the Earth's core. Simmer and stew away in hatred. This filled Dylan with a smug sense of accomplishment. So much so he would occasionally spit upon the ground or flip the bird at his feet when he was sure he was alone. If Vorkalth was in league with the Prince of Darkness, even unintentionally as the Adversary doesn't need to speak to his agents, than Dylan knew at least some part of him saw this blatant act of insult. He wasn't sure how his fellow Rangers felt about the Legion when they weren't directly fighting them, but Dylan's opposition of them wasn't just his duty as a Sentinel Power Ranger although he did take that seriously. No for him, it was just as much ideological and emotional motivation. They were evil, pure evil. Unhampered by human motivations and rationalizations, they were malevolence given form. Everything wrong with the world and the human experience could be justifiably laid at their feet. So Dylan had every right in addition to his duty to defend the worlds against them, to grind them into the dirt, 'neath his heel and dare them to beg for mercy.

These thoughts remained with Dylan as he crossed the fabled bridge. Of course, as an Ebongrove native, he knew the legend. He never gave this one much credit unlike so many others simply because it seemed rather mundane. Small stuff. A rationalization of a tragedy with no supernatural hand in it. Of course, now, he smiled as he crossed it.

"Ohhhhhh ghoooooossstyyyy. Killer of two men? I'm all alone and completely helpless." Dylan smirked as he casually rolled his charm gripped in his fist.

"We gonna have some fun, Dylan?" Deluvian purred like a sensual stream in his head.

"That remains to be seen. If a supernatural threat thinks I'm easy prey." Dylan waited, no response.

"Stop fooling around and get to the Coven, son. You have a responsibility to attend to." Deluvian boiled like a geothermal vent on the sea floor. Dylan rolled his eyes.

"Okay, Dad!" Dylan walked to cross the bridge. He could have sworn he head hissing. He pivoted on his heel and he could feel through his essencia that something had hastily vacated the space he was now looking at that was behind him.

"A ghost? Afraid of me? . . . You should be." Dylan chuckled as he continued along.

Were it not for keeping up appearances, Dylan would not leave the Coven. Every moment free he would walk or even teleport himself there. Spending long hours of time in the archives, reading up on the previous Power Ranger teams. Their histories, their their interactions with different pantheons, their battles, and more. Of course he too had his training to attend to as well. Given that he was already a pretty decent fighter and had a good grasp of magic though, he was willing to help his friends. He tried to offer aid to April, citing his experience at shooting ranges with guns, bows, and crossbows that a magic version of that last weapon couldn't be that different. Plus, her magic was already pretty good it was just raw, non magic, marksmanship that she needed help with. By no means was he a perfect shot himself, part of why he preferred hand-to-hand range, but he could offer pointers and it helped him spend time with her, which was nice.

The thing Dylan had the most trouble with was working as a team. He had done it before in fights but those were spur of the moment things. Not that Dylan was even so self-absorbed to think he could do this himself. Just that all his training was individualized and self-defense oriented. None of the techniques he relied on really had contingencies for group fighting. The idea was that if you had buddies to back you up, the fight was over because . . . well you weren't trying to kill your attacker at least optimally. Such was not the case here, where they were guardians fighting an army that wasn't going to stop until they were put down. So Dylan had trouble grasping notions like being covered by another fighter or going back to back. He would get it, it just would take a little bit. In the mean time, he was also trying to help Benji become a better fighter. Basics, like stances, how to throw a punch or kick properly, blocking, fundamentals. When he saw the push ups and flipping he told him something.

"No need for all that. I mean, by all means, try and keep improving physically, but it's better to fight with the what works for you and your body type. Bruce Lee wasn't much taller than you or I as an adult, and he certainly wasn't built with a lot of muscle but he was still one of the best fighters the world has ever known. With your build, it's better to be quick, fast, and actually minimize movement. The more acrobatic stuff might actually leave you open wh-" That's when Clay called out. Dylan just saw his weapon spinning toward him and Benji. Dylan jumped and caught it in mid-air but the momentum carried Dylan away. The weapon slammed into the floor and skid along, Dylan pulling hard to try and control it but it refused no matter how hard he tried. He knew it was because this was not his weapon. It refused to obey him as it would Clay. It finally did come to a stop but the shaft flipped Dylan over and sent him to the ground.

He stuck a thumb up. "I'm good . . . ow."

Dylan got up and dusted himself off just as April came in.

Lady Insanity PenBlade1326

 

[Lady Insanity]

April collected herself shortly and regained her breath. "Be calm, child. You must not fret," Aiyna patched in mentally to her for gentle reassurance. April took a slow breath.
"Ghost? W-who said anything about a ghost I didn't see a ghost. Who saw a ghost? Not me," she defended to Novus...oddly. She really didn't see one but she did happen to pass Ebongrove Lake and it's creepy probably haunted bridge and waters. Gulpity gulp gulp. That hissing sound rang in the back of her head. Once she heard it she couldn't un-hear it...

She'd clearly come at an odd time, seeing as how Dylan was getting up off of the ground with Clay's mace near by and Clay on the the other side of the room. The heck happened here? Maybe something in the training had gone...Clay-wire? Get it? Haywire...Claywire...it's a pun. At least she didn't say any of that out loud. Bad pun..."Child, that was a most interesting joke," Aiyna chimed in her head again. Dang it! She forgot that spirit could hear everything in her head!
She puffed out some air and pulled it together, walking towards the middle of the room, remembering Dylan's offer to help her with her crossbow, as well as some exercises she and Erin did in the dorm room for some at-home training. Maybe they could do that here since there's more room, not to mention less breakable things. Isn't there some kind of 'anti-break' hex on the Coven that keeps everyone from messing something up?
April had an uneasy feeling about her, though. She wanted to just practice with everyone like normal and train but she couldn't shake the feeling that something was just off. Maybe she'd better come clean... "Hey guys, let me ask you something. What do you guys think about Ebongrove Lake? Ya know, that story about the fishermen who died after the bridge collapsed over top of their heads? Do any of you every hear a uh....hissing sound?" April asked the Rangers specifically. She wasn't buying into the ghost story...was she? She then looked at Novus and Fate.
"Ghosts aren't like...real, are they?" She whispered to them, embarrassed to even be asking the question..she probably sounded like a silly little girl.
---
Down in the realms of Hell in the underworld, Nenet bowed before the alter she'd created for her magic spells, feeling a wave of energy surge through her. She senses something. Something great, powerful...but what could...could it be? Why it might certainly be! Nenet's lack of a heart fluttered like butterflies!
She rose to her feet and turn to face Vorkalth. "Master Vorkalth, I sense something. The Eye of the Serpent. It is a most precious gemstone long buried in a body of water! The gem is said to have mystical properties, such as necromancy, curses upon the living and foul magic even I cannot comprehend. I sense it in Ebongrove. Master I beg of you, please allow me to retrieve this magnificent relic!" Nenet plead before Vorkalth, genuinely wishing to get the Eye of the Serpent before those Sentinels and their owl or fairy sensed it. It is a thing of evil, so naturally Nenet would sense it first! And it was a 'secret' relic, so chances they even knew of it were slim. If she could just retrieve it....it would be marvelous!

 

[PenBlade1326]

Both of Clay and Benji cringed as Dylan caught the mace and made impact with the floor. Almost cartoon-ishly! Benji just made a face of 'that has gotta hurt' after Dylan reassured everybody he was alright. He hovered over Dylan slightly as he'd risen up. "So I take it I'm not supposed to catch flying objects heavier than me?" He joked with them and gave him a friendly nudge on the arm. His advice was good, really, telling Benji what to and to not worry about with his physique. Scrawny as he is, he'd better work on his speed and focus on that as opposed to bulking up like one of those P90X commericials on TV.
Clay just made sure Dylan was alright before letting out a wicked 'yeeeeehaw!' "That right there was one heck of a hootenanny!" he claimed in yet again a deep southern accent.

They couldn't help but notice April was a bit on the jumpy side. She was their friend so naturally they were a little concerned at her sudden denial of seeing a ghost, even though Novus only meant it as an expression.
Then she asked the question about Ebongrove Lake. Benji knew of the legend of the fishermen, yes. Clay wasn't technically from here, but he came here enough to know about the folk lore. April almost sounded as if she were asking directly about that. Like she'd heard a hissing sound from the story?
Benji snickered it off. "April, Ebongrove Lake is just a story. Two men died in an awful accident, some witnesses made a spooky story out of it," he told her as if he knew it for sure. By no means did he mean she was silly, just that he didn't believe in ghost stories.
Clay shrugged and folded his big arms. "Well I can't said for certain I know a heck of a lot 'bout the lake, but I do know spooky stuff gets talked about all the time. Listen here when I tell ya it's probably just paranoia. Ain't it, y'all?" He asked. He looked to Novus and Fate as April whispered at them....ghosts aren't real, just stories right? Duh, just an old folk legend that keeps people scared and interested in the lake. But they can't blame her for buying into it like she sounded given how weird everything's been lately.

 

[marorda]

Trying to block out the chaos was pretty hard when things started flying around the Coven and people were falling over. Erin broke off her meditation exercises, just giving up for now. She had overheard April and couldn't help but smirk to herself. Her roommate was a bit too quickly there in denying to have seen ghosts. Novus hadn't even been serious, had he? Seeing ghosts was just an expression after all. Or was it?

Novus glanced at Fate for a moment, knowing that the last time he had simply blurted something out, feelings got hurt. "Well uhm... actually..." Novus started, but Fate cut him off.
"Ghosts are real, but they are nothing to worry about " she reassured April.
"Mostly," Novus chimed in. Fate gave him a deadly glare. "What? It's true, innit? Most ghosts aren't much of a problem, but some are evil and dangerous. Not the ghosts in the woods though. "
"Novus..."
"Most of them, anyway,"
"You're not helping, you damn fairy."
Fate shook her head. Sometimes... sometimes she could do something to Novus. But he was her only companion in the times when Vorkalth was slumbering and there was no need for Sentinels. Plus, they both had their tasks in keeping the Coven running. "Why would you ask, though? And what does the lake have to do with it?" Neither of the two was familiar with the legend of the lake. Not enough, that is.

Another someone who didn't know about the legend and hadn't been here before was Erin, whose interest was seriously peaked now. She had sneaked up on her her roommate, suddenly grabbing her shoulders from behind. "Boo!" Was it childish? Maybe little bit, but Erin enjoyed herself. And really, she could use the cheering up after feeling like a complete failure when it came down to magic and not setting things on fire that weren't supposed to be on fire. "I hear ghost stories?" she curiously inquired.
---
Vorkalth tapped his fingers on his throne, thinking for a moment. If it was as Nenet thought... who could have possibly expected such a powerful relic to be in that pathetic mortal city, on a world that has long since forgotten magic is real and legends certainly do influence history? Most interesting. And considering the Legion's latest failures against the Sentinels, even - or especially- now in the Time of Prophecy, they could certainly use the enchanted gemstone, a gift from the Dark Gods. It had to be a sign! Their time was now. all they had to do was get their hands on the gemstone before the Sentinels could.. He nodded in approval. "Very well," he said. "Get that gemstone, and do not hesitate to use all means necessary to retrieve it."

 

[Steel Accord]

"Hey guys, let me ask you something. What do you guys think about Ebongrove Lake? Ya know, that story about the fishermen who died after the bridge collapsed over top of their heads? Do any of you every hear a uh....hissing sound?" April asked the Rangers specifically. She wasn't buying into the ghost story...was she? She then looked at Novus and Fate.
"Ghosts aren't like...real, are they?" She whispered to them, embarrassed to even be asking the question..she probably sounded like a silly little girl.

Dylan shook his head.

"No hissing and I never really took it seriously growing up. But, I did feel a presence though when I crossed the bridge to get to the Coven. If it was a murdering ghost, I'm almost dissapointed it didn't even try to attack me in some fashion." He shrugged, trying to look as cool, calm, and non-chalant as he could. But then he saw that April wasn't laughing along. He remembered what Benji had taught him inadvertently. Not everyone was as on board with all of this as he was. The idea of a ghost might seem trivial to Dylan, little more threat than a single spawner, if even that. To April though, it was something she couldn't see or touch but possibly meant her harm.

"HA! Doesn't the fool know that Aiyna is of the invisible and intangible as spirit of air? She is a mighty foe that I batter against as the waves to her gales." Deluvian boasted, flexing his arms as torrents of water spinning and compressing in pressure.

"No Deluvian. She probably doesn't know that." Dylan corrected.

"Maybe you should help her out again. Get into her good graces." Deluvian offered.

"You're right, I should."

"Firs step to getting into her pan-"

"Finish that sentence, and I'll piss in the first body of water I see." That shut the spirit up.

"Listen, April." He said to her. "Ghosts are . . . nothing to be afraid of. I mean, you're a Power Ranger!" He smiled and pumped a fist, hoping his enthusiasm would rub off on her. "More to the point, you are more equipped to fight ghosts and specters than any of us. There was a white ranger, like yourself, named Michael Mckenly who fought Banshees, now those are ghosts to be afraid of. But even then, they are, as a whisper on a wind, unseen, untouched, but easily cast aside." He paused for a moment. "His words, not mine, I'm quoting. But you could send any lesser phantasm shrieking into the aether to be torn up in a tempest like they were tissue paper. Ask Aiyna, she'll back me up on this." He said, gesticulating to the top of April's head."

 

[Lady Insanity]

April jumped slightly as Erin startled her, acting on reflex and elbowing her right in the chest. She immediately turned to see it was just Erin. "Oh gosh, sorry!" She said, truly timid and apologetic about basically just elbowing her in the lady chest.
Everybody's reassurance that ghosts weren't real and they were harmless if they were was...divided. And then ran over by Novus and Fate revealing that ghosts are indeed real. Harmless, but real...and only some are harmless. Bad ghosts exist...hooray...

"It isn't a joke, guys..." She said to Benji and Clay. "I swear I heard something, not just paranoia." April told them. Dylan's reassurance was welcomed. "Micheal Mckenly? Aiyna, is that true, what he said?" April asked aloud, knowing she'd only get an answer in her head. "Indeed, child. Micheal was a courageous and wise young man, such as yourself. Minus the man part. He spoke those words, child. Heed them, learn from your friend." She told her. April nodded.
"Thank you...Dylan. And Aiyna," April said. She shot a glance at Novus and Fate. She recited the tale, but shortly.

"In 1967, two fisherman on a boat in the Ebongrove Lake were cruising down the waters to fish. They weren't getting along, as said by witnesses, and as they went under the old bridge, it collapsed and kill them. Strange hissing sounds are said to be heard...as well as signs that the fishermen haunt the new bridge and the lake. Wait...Novus, Fate, if ghosts are real, what are the chances that hissing sound, whatever it is, is a sign they really do haunt it? Will one of you go with me to the lake? Just to check it out...see if we can possibly help their spirits? If they're there..." April suggested to the two. If the other Rangers didn't believe her really, surely the mentors, or one, would go and help her. She was a genuinely good person who just wanted to help possibly trapped souls...and find out if it is just paranoia at the lake.
---
Nenet bowed before Vorkalth. "As you wish, master. Thank you, sincerely, thank you. I will go to Ebongrove Lake at once. And I shall retrieve the Eye of the Serpent, for the glory of the Dark Gods and the Legion!" She said, determined and barking out her enthused power before him. This would be a definite victory!

 

[Steel Accord]

"Thank you...Dylan.

Dylan felt his heart swell with pride. As April turned to speak to their mentors, he gave a fist pump when he was sure she couldn't see him.

"Does someone owe me an apology?" Deluvian said, sitting in the flow of a waterfall, styling her hair.

"What I owe you is a slap to the head for being a perv." Dylan responded. His mental dialogues with Deluvian could take many forms, such as the out of body experience he did when they first met, or just words in his head that he responded to mentally as easily as he would speaking them aloud, or a kind of middle ground where Deluvian's reality was kind of layered over Dylan's perception. He wasn't entirely tuned out but where he looked at a wall out of the corner of his eye to anyone else. He was looking at a waterfall overlaying a beach on a tropical island somewhere . . . that might not even be Earth. Actually it likely wasn't.

"We're more similar in that respect than you want to admit." She teased.

"You're right, I don't admit it. I treat my sexual urges with tact and let my heart tell me if its more than that. That's what makes a gentleman." To this, Deluvian apparently had no response but Dylan's attention was demanded elsewhere anyway.

"Trapped, held back with unfinished business." Dylan completed what he assumed was April's thoughts. "I second that notion. To help them move on or to cast them out. This spirit has been around all this time and no one but us can handle the situation. Vorkalth can wait. As Rangers we should handle little problems as well as big ones." He said.

 

[PenBlade1326]

"We didn't mean to offend you, April," Benji said. And they really didn't mean it! Just ghost stories seem a bit...silly compared to everything else going on. With the Legion everything else just seemed small in comparison. Granted the overall scale of the villains they faced weren't apparent. They had met Avlazor, and he's a real delight and a half...but...
Really though, hearing ghosts were real didn't surprise Benji at this point. Given the shit he'd just went through last week? He believed anything. And he made a silent vow to not say anything's overly weird. He wants to be more relaxed. Clay on the other hand, shuddered at the sound of a ghost being real. He knew it, as well, after what he'd learned. But this gave him chills, knowing they were real...and apparently all over the forest.

As April recited the legend, Clay and Benji listened with ears of people who were now exposed to this sort of thing. And really, it was a story to hear. A bit odd, but still a good listen. Both of them were a bit stunned as April suddenly suggest one of Novus or Fate go with her to the lake to try and do something about it. Dylan even seemed on board with handling it. "I don't know if a folk legend is more important than the Legion..." Benji said, forever skeptic. Clay rubbed his chin. "I guess giving the lake a good ol' gander ain't gonna hurt nothing..." he said. Was April and someone else going there a good idea tough? When they should be training?

 

[marorda]

"Oof..." Erin rubbed her chest after April elbowed it. "'s all good. I deserved that," she grinned at her roommate. Really, what had she expected after prank-scaring her? "Really? Now that's a rather interesting story. Didn't see that in the travel guide when I moved here." Really, she hadn't. It seemed as if the focus of Ebongrove's lore was more on the haunted woods and the old buildings. And the freaky asylum nobody exactly knew how to get there. But with many people being murdered in these woods... Or rather, the woods in Ebongrove, seeing as how the Coven was a separate Realm, she supposed it made sense the place was haunted. Lots of vengeful spirits dragging you into the underground when you stay in the woods past midnight. That sorta tales. But were they really still tales? Just tales? After being exposed to magic and hearing everything they thought to be only from legends being actual, real things? Yeah... freaky.

"I'll come with you," Novus said. "Putting the ghosties to rest is a part of being a Guardian."
"No way you're going on your own. Or with the Sentinels," Fate said, sounding like a strict babysitter. "I'm coming along too. We both know what happened the last time you "put the ghosties to rest". You, my friend, need adult supervision."
Erin opened her mouth to say something, raising a hand too... but then dropped it and just stared at their mentors, lost for words. These two... they had quite the history, obviously. Just... man, their interactions were weird sometimes. For a thousands-o-years-old fairy, Novus was surprisingly childish sometimes. Maybe it was BECAUSE he was a fairy? Not that Novus looked like a fairy much, if you thought about it...

"So, I guess we're all going out there? Seek out the ghosties?" she said, just copying the word. Getting out of the Coven for a bit would be nice. Fresh air, water, the sight of a nice (or not so nice) ghost... the chance to help a spirit out... Sounded like a good idea. And something else to focus her thoughts on for a bit. "I agree with Benji though... The Legion should be the main priority... you know, wanting to tear the worlds apart and all?"

 

[Lady Insanity]

A sigh escaped April's lips as everybody threw in their input. Clay didn't think it was a bad idea to check it out, Benji and Erin seemed skeptical of going when they have work to do, and Dylan stepped up to assist like one of those Saturday morning cartoon heroes who's "always on the call of justice." At least Dylan's being authentic in being heroic?
April glanced over everybody trying to decide what to do. Fate and Novus both agreed to go with her and check out the lake. Although Fate was coming probably more for the sake of keeping Novus in line. Apparently he'd put "ghosties" to rest before and it...didn't go well? Judging by how Fate spoke, that was how it sounded.
She simply nodded at the two mentor figures and looked at the other Rangers. "Okay, um...I'll go the lake with Novus and Fate. Dylan, come with us. The rest of you guys stay here at the Coven. It should be easy just to look at the lake, I think the four of us can manage it," April told the others softly. She decided to bring Dylan along just in case. t didn't hurt to bring along some extra muscle. If they needed help, they'd contact the others.
She gestured for Novus, Dylan and Fate to please follow her to the pentagram, teleporting the four of them to the lake. Weird...had Novus and Fate ever really left the Coven? Novus was in the forest the day they became Rangers, but...were these two ever in the city?
---
Nenet opened the portal which would lead her to the location of the Eye of the Serpent. Buried in a body of water, submerged in liquid no doubt plagued by the humans. Foolish humans claim to love their planet so much, yet they pollute it and lack in planetary care. They should be thankful the Legion is here to purge their foolish lives. The powerful gem is in the water having to deal with those poor conditions. Unacceptable! "Avlazor! Come with me, should we find trouble," Nenet called in summoning of her allied general. Together, if they met any humans, they'd be a nice duo.
She stepped through the portal and ventured into the human world. The Eye of the Serpent would be hers!
---
The night sky allowed the stars to shine and twinkle. The moon beamed down for all to see on a most peaceful and calm evening. Ebongrove Lake's water glistened under the stars, the bridge hovering across the water.
April had arrived with Novus, Dylan and Fate in front of the lake. She stepped forward with the two mentors, glancing back at them as they--likely--visited the city for the first time. "Well, here we are. Ebongrove Lake...do any of you, uh....sense anything? I don't know what to look for here." She said to them. More likely the mentors would sense it here. She and Dylan wouldn't. After they were both given time to feel around the aura of the area, it started again. A hissing sound. "Hear that?" She asked Dylan and the mentors...really hearing it. Hissing. Like a snake hissing before catching its prey in a swamp or something. The hissing grew louder and louder...it was coming from the water! April edged toward the water, almost as if she were being drawn to it. The hissing sounded so...hungry. "Fate, Novus, what is that?" She asked, just wanting to know if the hissing meant something...ghosts? Spirits? What?

As if by the worst luck in all of the realms, a dark portal opened up near them. Out from it stepped Nenet, alone and confident. Nenet gazed out into the water. "Ahh, it must be here! The Eye of the Serpent!" She said, thinking she was alone. Then she glanced over beside of her to see Fate, Novus, and two of the pathetic Sentinels.
"Oh. My my, how marvelous. An owl, a fairy, a weakling and an ugly human girl. Do you seek the Eye? It's mine, I tell you!" Nenet screamed at the four of them.

April jumped back slightly, not expecting company. Avlazor! As well as a strange womanly creature...but who is that? Nenet hadn't formally met the Rangers so April and Dylan had no idea who she was. April snapped into a fighting stance, gulping and taking a deep breath. "What Eye? Fate? Novus? Who is that?" April asked the mentors, getting closer to Dylan and expecting trouble. So good to see Avlazor again, too....not.

 

[marorda]

"Alright then. Take care you guys," Erin said, waving them goodbye as the four of them left. So now she was left here at the Coven with Benji and Clay. What could they do? what would they do? Just stay and watch whatever would happen now? Train more? For the sake of safety it would be better if Erin wasn't going to train her magic without Fate and Novus around. What if without them the place wasn't as protected and she'd set everything on fire? She crossed her arms, looking from the screen to the guys, to the screen to the guys. Well, at least they'd see if the ghosts were real. As long as it didn't turn into a horror movie where they'd watch everyone being horribly butchered by a vengeful spirit.
---
It was the first time in a few hundred years Fate and Novus had left the Coven. Usually they'd stuck to the woods near it, but they only rarely went outside of it. Usually it was in case of emergencies, when the Sentinels required their aid in person, or when they really really felt like exploring. Usually, though, exploring went just fine with the scrying window. That, and the last time Novus went out on his own... well, that didn't go well. It technically never went well if they left the Coven. It was a curse, it seemed. They would always just run into trouble of some kind. Right now, though, things seemed pretty fine. This new world was strange, rather polluted, but it could still be saved if the people would do something. Granted, it would take another century or so, but it wasn't too late just yet.

The two enjoyed the sight of the lake, watching the reflection of the moon and stars... and then... they too heard the hissing. Neither of them was quite able to pinpoint just what the sound was. It did sound like a snake.
"I wouldn't know what it is, dearie," Fate said, listening carefully, closing her eyes for a moment to see if she could sense anything off about the lake. There was... something. A dark thing. But what could it be? Fate didn't recall having heard anything of dark magic being hidden below the lake.
"Probably the ghosties," Novus shrugged. He wasn't afraid of ghosts, or spirits. He had been around for too long to be so easily frightened by dark magic. And so had Fate. Both had encountered Vorkalth and his generals often enough, after all. And even without Vorkalth there still was the occasional dark magic to be dealt with. But then another dark thing happened. Something they did recognize. Dark magic swirling through the air, opening a dark portal. And through it stepped...

"That oh, that's just Nenet," Novus said and shrugged. Then it dawned on him. "Well shit," he said next. "Dylan, April, meet Nenet. Vorkalth's other general. The sorceress who created Golem and makes bad things happen in general." Fate, however, seemed more shocked at another notion.
"The Eye of the Serpent?" she asked. She had heard of that relic before. And even the literal embodiment of Fate hadn't thought such a dark thing to be real. "We had no idea it was here until you mentioned it, thank you very much," she scowled. "But now that you've told us, we will not let you take it." And then Fate... took on a fighting stance? What the hell? The mentors were going to fight? Or Fate, at least. Both Nenet and Fate being expert magic users just made for some natural rivalry. That, and well... one was an evil bitch, the other was a wannabe-cat. Huh.... a cat and a bird going to fight each other, huh?
"NOVUS!" Fate shouted, overhearing that thought there. Really... sometimes she wished she could just put that damn fairy in a jar and toss him in the river.

 

[PenBlade1326]

Benji waved at April, Dylan, Fate and Novus as they all left to go check out the lake. "Well, nice to know the three of us are so needed." Benji told the other two. Wasn't it odd that the mentors both went to the lake? Sure April would need 'professionals' for lack of a better term to go make sure the ghosts or spirits where real at the lake, but two essential people in the fight against the Legion? Oh well...if things went sour at least they could just call the remainder of the Rangers.
Clay sighed and crossed his arms, eyes on the scrying glass. "I reckon if anything happen's we'll be knowing about it."
---
Avlazor heard his name being called by Nenet. He got to go to the surface? Hooray! "Avlazor go with Nenet. Avlazor be good help!" He stated, mostly to himself. There's something oddly...adorable about how this Basilisk monster speaks. Right?
Hew ventured through the portal with Nenet out to find the Eye.
---
Stepping through the dark portal and entering the city of Ebongrove at the lake filled Avlazor with...gas? No, not gas, power! Something about being under the night sky filled him with determination, reminding him of the darkness he served. He, too could feel a power near by. A hissing sound in the lake...hissing like a serpent, it had to be the Eye of the Serpent! Not many had heard the gemstone, it was unlikely anyone else would even know it was real or even here! Avlazor carried the giant ax like a walking stick beside of Nenet as he also noticed four unwanted lifeforms nearby.
"Oh! Fairy and owl here. So are blue and white rangers!" Avlazor said, seeing everybody here. Odd to see the fairy and that owl woman out of their home. They must want the gem, too!
Avlazor laughed as Fate took a simulated fighting stance. She's not a warrior! Avlazor would crush Fate like an ant. "Ha! Puny owl thinks she fight? Avlazor crush all of you! Eye of Serpent is ours!" He proclaimed in the usual fashion of his speaking. "Avlazor will help Nenet get eye, then Avlazor also take Power Rangers' eyes away!" He said, looking at both April ad Dylan. Dang...gory much? He remembered them both from another fight. The girl was slow, and the boy was just awful as a fighter! Avlazor easily surpassed them both! (in his own mind) As well as all the other Sentinels!

Steel Accord