Streaks of Purple Saga Volume One - Heather Ray (phonics reader .txt) 📗

the way.

Then, Green’s two hands clenched together, and pummeled the small of her back, sending her flat into the hard stone floor.

Rita giggled as she watched fine cracks stretch along the ground from the impact.

Much to Green’s credit, he didn’t let the fact that the Purple Ranger was down hinder him in the least. He jammed his foot into her side, shoving it roughly beneath her and flipping her onto her back. She lay spread-eagle, gasping for breath but otherwise still.

“Don’t get too comfortable, Kreia,” Green growled, when he realized she made no move to rise.

“Rita…wants you to kill me,” she breathed.

Green shrugged. “Well, yes…but it doesn’t conflict with my new moral code, so it’s fine by me.”

She wants me dead…because I’m a threat to her power,” she continued weakly. “We all are…even you, if you’re strong enough to finish me…but…why do you want to kill me?”

Rita frowned, rising from her throne. "Finish her off," she commanded, pointing an accusing finger at Kreia, "Now!"

"You... say you're fighting because you want to..." Kreia pressed, forcing air through her pained lungs, "But... why?"

Green grumbled, casting a wary glance at his queen. He sighed, squatting beside the Purple Ranger and clutching the neck of her armor. He then rose, pulling her up with him.

Her limp body dangled in the air, her feet hovering inches from the ground as Green held her at eye level. "Because I hate you," he answered, his voice deep.

She fell silent as if waiting. He reached out with his free hand, and brutally tore off the purple and white helmet obstructing her face. She hissed as the latch dug into her cheek, slashing her pale skin and causing blood to brim along the cut.

Green glanced at the helmet for a moment before tossing it aside. He then fixed his gaze on Kreia's face.

He smirked, lifting his free hand to her skin. His index finger traced the trickle of blood that flowed from the corner of mouth, as well as the blood oozing from her newest wound. "You've certainly looked better," he noted with a touch of black humor.

Her eyes fluttered open, black as onyx and shimmering with unshed tears. She blinked, trying desperately to bring him into focus.

"You should close them," he advised, moving his bloodstained glove away from her cheek. He spread his palm just in front of her nose, green and gold energy seething at the very center. "You don't want to see this."
He froze when he felt both her hands latch onto the wrist of his attacking arm. Her eyes fixed him with a steady stare, both pleading and
determined.

"I know why you hate me," she stated, her voice stronger than before,
"Please, Erol... just listen for a moment. We were friends for so many years... you remember

how special you've always been to me. Just give me a moment..."

"Erol!" Rita warned, her anger building.

Erol blinked as confusion settled into his heart for the first time since his transformation. He said nothing, but Kreia noticed the energy he was gathering had blinked out of existence.

She had her moment.

"You hate me because of Rita's magic," she continued, "I know you don't believe me, but I can sense something in your energy. When I came into the tower, I did sense you... but your aura was only vaguely familiar. She's... tainted the Power somehow. She made you Evil... and the evil she fed you turned your frustration and anger into hatred."

Her grip on his wrist tightened. "You couldn't truly hate me. You may be angry with me, and you might want to see me suffer for abandoning you... but to hate

me? To wish me dead? To stain your gloves with my blood? Erol, you must realize it... this isn't you!"

She couldn't see his face, but she could feel his tension rise. The arm that held her trembled as he dealt with some inner struggle.

Then, just when her hope was beginning to rise, she felt another eerie chill at the core of her being.

In response to whatever trick Rita had used, the tension in his muscles relaxed. "It's me now," he growled, lifting her so near his face her nose grazed his helmet. "It's so much easier this way... not to feel

so much pain. Now, all I feel is anger... and that can be remedied easily enough."

Kreia swallowed, closing her eyes to shield herself from the festering power she knew he began building in the arm she had latched on to. She sighed quietly, a tear sliding down her bleeding cheek.

"I'm sorry..." she breathed, "but I can't let you win."

The Green Ranger's cruel chuckle froze in his throat as a strange purple aura built around his attacking arm. He struggled against the force, but it proved fruitless... as the aura channeled along his skin he froze in place.

Kreia opened her eyes, now pulsing with purple energy. They flashed once, and his fingers released their grip on her shield, allowing her to fall gracefully to the ground.

She lifted her gaze, staring at his posture for a moment. She straightened, waving her fingers almost absently.

He fell to his knees, shoulders heaving as he regained control of his own body. He lifted his head, staring at her with incalculable venom.
Her tears still fell, mingling with the blood that stained her smooth features. She wiped her cheek, reddening her dirtied glove. Her fingers smoothed the thick, rust-hued liquid thoughtfully, and her eyes slid to
Erol, who struggled to his feet.

"I don't know how to dispel the evil Rita infused you with," she confessed, raising one hand above her head. Energy began crackling about her body like static, causing her hair to slowly flare with an unfelt breeze. "But I will not

leave you in her hands. I promise... I'll free you. The only way I know how."

By now, the entire throne room seemed to crackle with purple energy that began cascading toward Kreia and whirling around her in a dazzling spiral. The spiral of glittering energy moved constantly upward, gathering at the tip of her upraised finger.

Once the spiral ebbed, a tight sphere of energy hovered just over her index finger.

She swallowed hard against her struggling emotions. "This should be clean and painless," she told him, in an effort to comfort both of them, "but no less effective."

No more words were spoken. She tensed, and whipped her arm toward him. The sphere leapt from her finger and streaked toward Green Ranger like a comet.

However, it didn't make contact with his chest plate, which was her target. Instead, it collided with the cold metal of an ornate sword, which the Green Ranger unsheathed with uncanny speed.

The energy flared brightly as it crashed into the magical sword, and then evaporated into a small trickle of smoke.

Kreia froze, shock painted plainly on her bloodied face.

Green breathed heavily, his shoulders slumped slightly and the Sword of

Darkness held protectively in front of him. "Not bad," he admitted, crouching into an attack pose, "I didn't think you had it in you. That little beam would've killed me. And I respect your effort; at least you're taking me seriously... for once."

Then, with a monstrous howl that could've woken the dead, Green dove at her, sword upraised. Kreia yelped in alarm, instinctively dodging as the sword sliced not far from her body.

Rolling back onto her feet, she quickly gathered her wits and went on the defensive, ducking and dodging the unnaturally sharp sword.

Desperately, she tossed a haphazard Eagleheart Pulse at the opposing Ranger, only to watch in blank astonishment as he batted it away with his sword without even breaking stride. He followed up that slice with another, aimed clearly for her chest. She threw herself to the ground, watching helplessly as fine strands of seared blonde hair tumbled to the ground after her.

Green chuckled. "I'm surprised Regita even let you grow your hair long.

Sure, it makes a nice effect when weaving spells, but it really gets in the way in a close-quarters duel. Wouldn't you agree?"

Kreia seethed, rising to her feet. She spared a glance to the ground, her frown deepening at the pile of platinum hair she'd left behind.

But, it was more than the mere loss of hair that had infuriated her. There was a strange spirit of anger that suddenly touched her mind.

Astonished at the realization, her ebony gaze fell again to the mysterious sword her opponent wielded.

"Snap out of it!" Green growled, raising his sword once again, "I don't want this to end too

quickly."

Rather than move, her eyes narrowed as she stayed her ground. Green swung the sword, this time aiming for her neck.

Impossibly, her hand moved faster than thought, catching him by the wrist and holding him tightly. Green stammered in amazement, struggling against her supernatural grip. He saw the purple energy building around her body, and renewed his efforts to free himself.

Kreia gazed at the sword, and then back to the Green Ranger. "Rita gave you this," she noted, "Its magical power is extraordinary... I could feel it through my hair. But, I must know more..."

She lifted her finger, and carefully grazed it against the sword. As she suspected, it pierced her glove like air, and drew blood with the merest touch.

She shivered as a familiar icy chill enveloped her entire body. Her eyes bulged, her body shaking as she struggled to remain standing.

Her grip loosened, allowing the startled Green Ranger to recover his balance.

"It's the sword!" she realized, shaking her body in an attempt to ward off the inner cold she sensed, "It's all the sword!"

Her eyes narrowed keenly as she leapt backwards, making room between them. Her hand blindly reached for her belt, clasping the hilt of her purple leather whip.

Without a word, she let the biting leather fly. She expertly latched onto the sword, and tightened her grip. Energy channeled along the leather, sending sparking bolts of purple energy into Green's entire body.

He yelped in surprise and panic, releasing the sword and collapsing to his knees. Kreia held out her hand, pulling the sword toward her in the bonds of the whip.

She caught the sword by the hilt, and held it high above her head.

"No!" Rita screeched, her fists clenched tightly. She threw a glance of bitter hatred toward the Purple Ranger, who had so effectively ruined her carefully-forged plan.

She was surprised when her fierce glare was met by one just as potent.
Purple energy sparked around Kreia's hand, and began flooding the sword all at once. In a blinding display of purple energy, the Sword of Darkness disintegrated.

At that very moment, a low howl tore through Erol's throat. He collapsed completely, sprawling out into a boneless heap on the throne room floor.

Slowly, green energy wafted off his body, until the green armor completely vanished.

With a desperate sob of relief, and without even glancing at the Empress of Evil, Kreia dashed toward Erol.

It was a mistake she would quickly regret.

Kreia gasped as sudden energy threw her back into the wall. She struggled impotently against invisible bonds that held her wrists and ankles in place.

A dull clapping sound grasped her attention. She threw a cold grimace as the Empress of Evil descended from her