Streaks of Purple Saga/Spectrum Force - Heather Ray (best beach reads txt) 📗

roof of the cave.

She stood on shaking legs as she watched the monster. It never stopped wriggling, even after hitting the wall with a resounding thud. It rolled back onto its legs almost immediately, turning toward the warm orange glow.

Jocelyn took a deep breath and stretched her reach for the monster again. This time, instead of throwing it she tried holding it in the air, intending to generate a sealed energy bubble to imprison it.

But then, the dull pounding between her ears erupted into a stabbing pain, stunning her into releasing her grip. She collapsed to the cold ground, her head spinning, oblivious to the charging monster that rapidly closed the distance between them…

..until another battering ram of power streaked from the cave's mouth, plowing the monster off course just three feet from the Orange Enforcer.

"Billy! Jocelyn!" Zack called breathlessly, racing into the cave with the Cosmic Cannon balanced between his hands. He trained his weapon on the monster again, standing just in front of Jocelyn and letting the energy fly once again.

The monster didn't have a chance to recover this time. The destructive power of the Cannon, intensified by its point-blank range, pierced its plated body and made the creature vanish.

Sighing with relief, Zack leaned his cannon against his shoulder and tapped Jocelyn's arm.

"Hey, you okay?"

Her breaths came in short puffs, but she did manage to reply. "Yeah. Got the migraine of the millennium, but otherwise I'm okay." She kneaded her temples slowly. "How'd you know we needed help?"

"The orange explosion was kinda hard to miss."

Jocelyn glanced up, watching as the Black Ranger hurried over to the smoking, cracked wall just behind them. Billy hung spread-eagle in the wall, held fast by the Ranger-size mold his body had dug into the stone.

"Billy? Can you hear me, man?"

A wordless groan answered, urging him to dematerialize the Cosmic Cannon and carefully extricate Billy from the depression. Zack propped his dazed teammate against his shoulder.

At this point, Jocelyn had managed to drag herself to her feet, though she was still weak at the knees. "Is he okay?"

"Stunned," Zack replied. "Help me get this scanner off him."

Jocelyn approached, taking the back-mounted device off the Blue Ranger's shoulders, when she noticed the deep cracks and sparking wires on the unit.

She sighed in defeat. "It's broken. It must've happened when the monster hit Billy against the wall."

The Black Ranger released a frustrated grunt. "Then we're back to square one!"

Jocelyn exhaled loudly, almost like a balloon deflating. Her shoulders slumped as exhaustion, pain, and misery finally crushed the last of her spirit.

It isn't fair,

she lamented, fighting the urge to sniffle. Without the scanner, we can't even figure out what changed the portal. I'm stranded here, all alone. I'll have to stay in Angel Grove… assuming I survive this battle against Chaos, anyway.

It was just too much to bear.

Sighing in remorse, the visitor from an alternate reality dared to glance at the magical portal that had caused so much trouble for two dimensions. What would pass through the gateway to Hell next? Trolls with pitchforks? Fire-breathing dragons? Or just more terrifying giant bugs?

She blinked in shock at the sight before her: a very familiar, and very much missed, young man in green.

"Matt!"

Chapter Forty-Seven

"Jocelyn!!"

He'd been screaming at the portal for nearly a full minute, his frustration mounting exponentially as each moment passed. She was standing right in front of him, alive and unhurt. So close, yet an entire universe away.

After he'd seen the goat-like creature appear in the window, Matthew's curiosity refused to let him leave. He decided to monitor the portal, leaving the cave only when the creatures appeared too quickly for him to destroy alone.

He'd come to recognize a pattern. Right after a few creatures passed through the portal, it turned from a blood red color into something very dark. He recognized the near-black background from when he saw the goat creature.

That confirmed there were at least two universes connected to his own via the portal. But was this second universe the same one that Kimberly Hart called home?

He found his answer a minute ago. After struggling against a powerful flying demon, Matt turned back to the portal, and his jaw dropped in shock when he was greeted to a brilliant orange glow.

He watched, his heart in his throat, as Jocelyn fought against some other horrible monster with the aid of a man in a blue and white costume, likely the Blue Power Ranger. He began calling her name as soon as he recognized her. He tried to jump through the portal as soon as the Blue hero was clobbered by the dark creature. He'd begun to panic when Jocelyn faced the monster alone.

He'd cursed obscenities, tried to fire energy through the portal, and reached for Jocelyn through their telepathic link, all to no avail.

But now, the danger had passed. Jocelyn had been aided by another local hero, this one in Black. And she finally saw him.

"Hang on, Jocie," he urged. "We will

get you out of there."

He knew she couldn't hear a word he was saying, but at least she could see him now. So he held his hand palm out as close to the portal as he could manage, as if he were pressing it against a pane of glass.

Jocelyn paused, staring at him for a moment. She then mimicked his gesture, her hand aligning with his own.

But then, the image in the portal shifted again, Jocelyn disappearing as the angry red returned.

Matthew backed away, his jaw set in determination. "We're coming, Jocie," he promised.

He mustered his power, his muscles tingling in anticipation at the thought of unleashing his frustrations on whatever demonic creature would pass through the portal next. This one he'd destroy as soon as it dared enter his

reality.

But before the creature appeared, he spared a moment to deliver a message to the rest of the Spectrum Force. *Guys! I saw Jocelyn through the portal! She's okay… for now, at least.*

The wave or relief that streamed through the psychic link brought a small smile to Matt's. Now the Force knew

their sixth member was alive… and that only made them intensify their efforts.

Chapter Forty-Eight

Kimberly paced beside the open window, occasionally glancing at the calm green of the Dreiser University campus. But the pristine view of gathering students, leisurely yards, and austere administrative buildings failed to impress her.

Instead, her gaze kept climbing to the blue sky, almost as if she could see the faint trails of purple and yellow energy that Tamara and Rachel had left in their wake.

Tamara's parting words echoed in her ear. "Kim, we've got to get going. Keith needs us. You'll be safe here."

The Pink Ranger scoffed. Hmph. Safe.

She didn't want to be "safe." She wanted to be useful. The Spectrum Force had been summoned back to the North Pole by the Red Enforcer, apparently because he had found some resistance there. Had the Denebians done something to the portal? Where they guarding it for some evil purpose? Or did whatever creature the princess intended to summon finally emerge?

The thoughts made Kimberly shiver. That portal is my only way home. If something happened to it… I'll never see my friends and family again.

She squeezed her eyes closed, fighting back tears at the heartbreaking thought. She was never one to dwell on the negative. She was always optimistic, always ready to believe that all problems could be solved, and all battles could be won.

Of course, it was much easier to believe that if one had the ability to do something other than wait on the sidelines.

Is this what Tommy felt like when he lost his powers? When he watched the rest of us risk our necks day after day, wishing he could do something

?

Kim stuffed her hand in her pocket, fishing out her Morpher. Offering a silent prayer, she held the device at arm's length and cried "Pterodactyl!"

She willed the Power to heed her call. She begged and pleaded for the might of the Pterodactyl to suffuse her. She could almost feel the rush of power beyond human comprehension flooding her, giving her the might to take action, to fight her way back to Angel Grove.

But nothing happened.

Crestfallen, Kim threw herself onto the couch, folding her arms and pouting in frustration. It was hopeless. She was useless.

*Now now, Child… there is no need to work yourself into a rage. You are far from useless. You are the key to restoring balance between our two Realms.*

Kim jumped to her feet, raising her arms defensively as she scanned the room. She couldn't determine from where the voice had come… because she heard it in her mind.

Then, a tiny spark of light appeared a few feet from her, hovering over the floor. Tendrils of energy stretched from the core, until a human shape appeared.

An old man with alabaster skin, cottony beard, flowing robes, and kind sapphire eyes.

She gulped. "You read my mind?"

He smiled. "My apologies, Kimberly. Sometimes strong emotions cause a person to trumpet out their thoughts. I hadn't intended to eavesdrop."

Slowly, Kim's defensive stance relaxed. "Who are you?"

"Luminus. I am Spectra's friend, and I am here to help fix the various problems young Celea managed to create."

He held his hand to her. "We must go to the ship now. There, we will decide the appropriate actions to take."

She hesitated. After all, she'd never met this man, and she had no evidence that he was in fact trustworthy. However, his kind eyes and open smile reminded her so much of Zordon, she felt drawn to him.

She took a chance, and took his hand.

The world went white for a split-second, as if a camera had flashed in her eyes. Then, gradually, the sterile equipment of the