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

chance, and he knew it.

Yet, oddly enough, he was no longer scared senseless. Her tone pricked his sense of pride, helping loosen his tongue.

"If I didn't 'touch' her, Phaedra, she'd be dead right now!"

The empress' eyebrow quirked slightly. She obviously hadn't anticipated such a bold response.

Still, she made no move to kill Keith; probably because his vital organs were shielded by Celea's body.

Keith pressed his advantage. "I don't know what you guys are trying to do here, but this is beyond insane! Those monsters almost tore your daughter in half! If we didn't get here in time, she probably wouldn't have survived."

Those blazing eyes narrowed. "You expect me to believe you aren't responsible for Celea's injuries?"

A startled grimace pulled his mask. "I've seen this girl fight. I don't think I can cause this kind of damage."

The pair fell into a silent standoff, Keith watching the empress warily. He knew she was less than stable; he remembered quite clearly how mercilessly she treated her prisoner Gaius on the planet Edenia. What would she do now?

Then, Phaedra glanced to the side, toward the battle below. Keith dared not spare his friends a glance, instead reading the empress' expression the best he could.

Surprisingly, she gave little away. Her face was set in stone, though her eyes danced with power begging to be unleashed.

He gulped as those eyes trained on him once again. "What will you do now, Human?"

He hesitated. In all honesty, he figured he'd just react to whatever Phaedra threw at him… assuming he lived long enough to react. Now, the ball was in his court.

He dropped his eyes to Celea, watching the blood ooze from the open cut on her face. His own uniform was blotched with her blood, from numerous cuts and bruises.

She was a mess, pure and simple.

And there's nothing I can do about it. I can't take her to our base; there's too much at risk if she recovers. And no hospital on Earth can treat an alien… not to mention the danger of keeping Celea hostage with Phaedra hovering around.

His face hardened. I won't

just let her die.

Then, he came to a decision. He followed his gut instinct.

His power coalesced around the princess, brightening the crimson light. He saw Phaedra tense, but she didn't move.

The red energy carried the princess across the space between the powers of light and darkness, and settled her listless body into her mother's arms.

Phaedra relaxed only minutely, and only after the crimson energy had faded completely. She blinked, her eyes passing from Keith to Celea's face and back again. Then, her accusing stare locked on Keith.

He chose to answer the unspoken question. "I can't help her. You probably can."

The proud empress blinked again, the stony mask cracking just enough to register some of her shock.

The Red Enforcer tensed, and waited. What would the empress do now? Finish him off? Retreat with her injured daughter? She probably had the power to do both at once.

Finally, she moved. She gave him a shallow nod. "The creatures you face are of Chaos. They will ravage your entire planet unless you defeat them here."

It took a long time for Keith to find his voice. "You're… helping us?"

Her lip twisted angrily. "Celea opened the portal against my wishes. If this portal is not closed, eventually creatures with far greater power will emerge. They won't be satisfied razing this planet, either. They will consume everything, and nothing in the Empire can hope to control them."

Her crimson gaze passed to the battleground again. "These creatures are minor Chaotics. As they are smaller and more numerous, they pass through the portal first. However, the longer the portal remains open, the better chance a more powerful creature will find it. You must close the portal to stop the invasion."

Keith scratched his head. "How do we do that?"

"It depends on how the portal was opened, and I…" her gaze dropped to her daughter. "…don't know what Celea has done. But your best immediate option is to block the portal, and prevent more creatures from passing through. That will buy you time until you figure out how to close the portal permanently."

Keith opened his mouth to ask another question, but the empress suddenly vanished. He stared at the spot in which she'd stood for several moments, a small smile appearing on his masked face.

"Thanks."

Chapter Fifty-One

"I have it," Luminus murmured. He took two steps away and turned, reaching his sparking hands at arm's length above his head. He then traced a tall rectangle in the air, leaving a trail of energy behind. Once the shape was complete, the four corners flashed once, sending energy into the center that spread to the edges.

"And there you have it," Luminus stated, smiling in amusement at both Kim and Spectra's open-mouthed surprise. "This is the only Realm in existence that matches Kimberly's signature precisely."

Kim recovered enough from her surprise to mutter a faint "Huh?"

"It is almost like tuning into the frequency of your home. By focusing on events and individuals in your Realm, you resonate with the signature of that Realm. That made it possible for me to 'feel' what your home Realm is like, and then find it in the Multiverse."

"But, how did you find it so quickly?" Spectra wondered. "The Multiverse is limitless."

"We were fortunate, in this case, because it is far easier to find Realms that are close to our own. Had Kimberly come from a reality vastly different, then it would have taken much longer to pinpoint it."

Kim then jumped to her feet, staring into the window as an image took shape. She saw the rich darkness of the night sky, with stars twinkling peacefully in the blanket of space. Below stood thick clouds, dark yet visible in the pale light.

"Where is this?"

"That is the exact spot we reside in now," Luminus explained. "However, since there isn't a ship hovering in the stratosphere in your reality, the other end of this portal stands in open air."

Kim frowned, puzzled. "So how exactly do I pass through? Strap on a parachute?"

He shook his head solemnly. "Unfortunately, you will not be able to use this portal."

"Why?"

He waved her closer. "Try it."

She threw him a dubious look. "If I get sucked in, who'll catch me before I go 'splat' on the ground?"

An amused smile appeared. "Should that miraculously happen, I shall be sure to follow you through the portal and catch you."

Despite her reservations Kim decided to obey him, tentatively approaching the gateway to her home reality with her hands extended, as if she expected to hit an invisible wall. Just as her fingers brushed the "surface" of the portal, tendrils of energy flashed, pushing her away.

Kimberly stumbled back, more surprised than harmed. She rubbed her fingers, which tingled slightly as if the blood flow had been momentarily interrupted. "I don't understand," she confessed.

"Yes," Spectra noted, folding her arms. "This makes no sense."

Luminus stepped away from the portal. "I will explain. When I scanned Kimberly's aura for her home world, I felt a strange connection. Almost like an anchor. And the other end of that anchor is without a doubt the portal down on Earth."

Kim grimaced. "I don't feel drawn to that portal."

"It is beyond your realm of sensation, but it exists. And it is strong. I can only conclude that this is an aspect of the bridge Celea created. That portal traded you and Jocelyn, maintaining a cosmic balance. As a result, you can't return to your world until Jocelyn returns here. And your only doorway is the original portal."

The Pink Ranger fell back into the chair as if all her strength had evaporated. She squeezed her eyes to hold back frustrated tears. She was so close…

Luminus lay his hand on her shoulder. "Remember Child, if you are still bound to that original portal, that proves it still exists. Your path home waits for you."

Kim looked up into the sage's smiling eyes, trying her best to take solace in his encouraging words. But, she couldn't shake the fear that returning to Angel Grove would be much more difficult than merely stepping through a doorway.

Then, Spectra raised her voice. "At least we have found Kimberly's dimension. If I step through, I can telepathically reach Jocelyn and instruct her to return to the North Pole for the exchange. Then we'll be prepared when-"

Her suggestion died on her lips as she suddenly closed her eyes. Kimberly watched, startled, as shock plainly etched itself on the warrior's face.

She turned, and noticed that Luminus too had closed his eyes. Only instead of surprise, his face lit with wry amusement.

"That isn't possible, High Father," Spectra stated, folding her arms. "Keith must be mistaken. Or he's been deceived by that witch."

"Or, perhaps you aren't taking in the full picture," Luminus interrupted, smiling at his student. "Remember, the empress has a stake in this battle as well. Should the Chaotics destroy the Earth, which they ultimately will if left unchecked, then there is nothing left for the Denebians to conquer."

Kimberly's frown deepened when she realized both Luminus and Spectra seemed to have forgotten her presence. "What are you talking about? What happened?"

Spectra turned to the inter-dimensional visitor. "We've received a message from Keith. Apparently, Phaedra has suggested a method to slow the invasion of the Chaotics."

Kim blinked. "Phaedra? As in the evil space alien bent on taking over the world?"

"The very same," Luminus answered. "And frankly, I'm disappointed that I hadn't thought of it myself. It's a brilliant way to calm down the battleground, and assure safe transit for yourself and Jocelyn."

He settled his hands on Kimberly's shoulders. "Spectra and I will descend to the Earth and prepare the portal for your transit. You wait here until preparations are complete, and the area is safe for an unpowered human."

He noticed her tense, and chastised her with a shake of his head. "We will have you home shortly, Kimberly. Please be patient."

The petite girl bit her lower lip, visibly struggling with her anxiety, but she offered a curt nod. Luminus then turned to Spectra.

"You must contact your Force and inform them of our plan. Should the seal work, they will be able to defeat the remaining Chaotics without much difficulty."

Spectra nodded, and together the two seasoned warriors approached the hatch. White light burned around them as they dropped into the atmosphere, carried by currents of magic as they approached the battleground.

Spectra reached out her consciousness to the five humans