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

against the building anger that assailed his body. "It... it just isn't fair," he choked.

"We cannot presume to understand the gods' hand in this," Zale decided, stepping away from the dumpster. He fired a deep hole in the ground nearby, and motioned his hand.
Together, five Power Rangers pushed the dumpster into the hole, and buried it beneath the arid gray moon dust.

"We're almost done," Zale stated, his gaze turning toward the Megazord. The team carefully leapt across the surface of the moon, passing the Megazord and pausing at the registered coordinates.

The five stood in a line, gazing at the silver and purple machine half-buried in dust.

"What do we do with it?" Cherise asked quietly, "It's such a powerful Zord..."

"The Eaglezord is dead without the Purple Coin," Sener reminded her, entwining his fingers with hers, "It is best to lay her to rest as well."

Zale gazed at the Zord for a moment before stepping away from his team.

"Then let us split up."

Slowly, the group separated, forming a pentagonal shape around the Eaglezord.

"Blade-Blasters up!" Red commanded.

The five pulled their weapons in unison, poising the energy gun at the ground on which the Eaglezord laid.

"Fire!"

Five lasers impacted with the ground at once, causing rock and dust to crumble like eggshells. Slowly, the ground beneath the Eaglezord caved in, causing the majestic winged vessel to tumble into its own icy grave.
Wordlessly, the Power Rangers stopped firing, and watched the cloud of dust and smoke waft away. They stared at the rock and dirt that settled atop the grave, covering the final resting place of the Purple Ranger's greatest weapon.

"What of the Dragonzord?" Linis asked quietly.

Zale closed his eyes. "It is already buried... beneath the sea. It will never be summoned again."

Kazu fell to one knee, bowing his head before the tomb. "The Dragon and the Eagle now rest," he mused, "Their battle has been won. They left us as heroes, and in our memory we will treasure their lives, and appreciate their sacrifice."
Chapter Two

Zordon floated idly in the void that forever imprisoned his consciousness.

"My children..."

They were gone. He couldn't bring himself to watch on the Viewing Globe as the remaining Rangers carried out their mission, and took care of matters.

Those five children were far stronger than he. He could never bring himself to bury his lost Rangers... even after the deaths of dozens of devoted, treasured children, he still had incredible difficulty dealing with their loss.

And this time, the situation couldn't be more grim.

His Rangers died, no doubt sacrificing their lives to end Rita's wicked reign once and for all. But while they died, Rita had lived.

Fate was so bitterly cruel... Rita and her court were essentially unharmed, while Kreia and Erol had been completely obliterated.

No bodies to be brought back to Earth, to be buried properly on ancestral ground. Not even a Power Coin for them to pass on to future generations.

No... Kreia and Erol were gone forever.

"Never again," Zordon vowed, "No Ranger will ever make such a sacrifice..."

That would be their legacy, he decided. In their honor, he would re-craft the remaining Power Coins. The Rangers would be more durable... less prone to die in battle.

All future Rangers would live to see their victory.

Chapter Three

She released a low groan, the first sound of life to pass her dry lips for days. The groan spoke of prolonged agony, and was maintained throughout the slow process of opening her eyes.

Her dazed puzzlement lasted a few moments more, as her hard onyx eyes stared at the blazing white above her. She blinked repeatedly, and tried to move her head. However, a sharp pain raced through her entire body, warning her against performing such a feat again.

She exhaled slowly, panic settling in as memories of her last moments of consciousness assaulted her.

The palace. Rita. Erol. The Ascension.

The magical shield she managed to erect around herself and her love, protecting them from the primal energy that would tear the palace apart.
The spell she had managed to weave... thanks to the assimilated knowledge from Regita... that transported them to safety.

The sight of frigid whiteness, stretching for miles without end.

That was the last thing she saw before overwhelming pain and exhaustion forced her eyes shut.

How long ago was that? Clearly, from the numbing cold that chilled her exposed flesh, she was still in that environment.

To her astonishment, a face appeared within her view. It was of a child, probably fourteen or so, with a warm smile to contrast the bitter cold.

Her eyes were the shape of almonds, similar to Kazu's but narrower, and her skin was nearly as dark as Sener. From beneath her heavy hood of animal skin fell a few locks of jet-black hair.

Hair like Erol's.

Erol.

("You are awake,") the girl said, in a tongue so foreign to Kreia that it didn't even sound like speech. She blinked a few times, before finally reaching her hand to the girl.

The girl watched Kreia's movement in astonishment. ("Don't move! You're hurt!") Silently, she was awed by the beautiful black design on the stranger's ivory palm.

Kreia could not heed the girl's warning. Still, the intense pain made it clear her body did not want to perform this task.

It dawned on her in that instant. She was dying. Her body was so weak it could barely perform simple motor functions.

She wasn't strong enough to survive the Ascension after all.

Still, she had enough life in her to perform her duty.

Gingerly, she touched the girl's hand. The girl understood, and clutched the pale hand of her guest. Her eyes widened in shock as a charge of energy sprang through her.

*Now I can understand you,*

Kreia revealed, her voice echoing in the girl's mind like a warm breeze, *And you can understand me. Where am I? Think the answer.*

The girl was puzzled. *You are in my igloo. My family and I found you over the frozen lake, where we fish. Poppa and Momma carried you and your friend here, so we could take care of you.*

A feeble smile stretched Kreia's lips. *My friend... where is he?*

The girl cast her gaze to the ground. *I'm sorry. He was dead when we found him. We buried him in the snow.*

Kreia's smile fell with cold finality. *Please bury me beside him.*

The girl startled. *But you are not dead!*

*I am.*

Her hand fell from the girl's, and hung limply for a moment. The child stared in fear at the suddenly still body. Then, Kreia's face wrinkled in a frown of pure determination, as her hand formed a fist. Her eyes squeezed shut as a billowy purple energy built around her.

The girl stepped back in awed wonder as the energy streamed into her hand. Finally, after all the light died, Kreia opened her palm.

The black brand on her palm was replaced by a gold disc with a matching design on its face.

With one powerful thrust, Kreia catapulted her hand to the girl beside her. Understanding, the girl grabbed the hand before it fell, and once again that magical charge chilled her.

*What is your name?*

*I am Chilali,*

the girl answered.

*Take this, Chilali. This is my gift to you. Keep it safe for me.*

*It is beautiful!*

Chilali thought. *It is the color of the sun. What is this flying creature?*

*It is called the Eagle, a noble, powerful bird. Keep this charm, and the Eagle will always protect you, and your children after you.*

Chilali felt the hand grow flaccid, and gently shook it. ("Hello? Wake up!")

Tears blurring her vision, the young girl laid the listless hand on the pale stranger's heart, and touched the Power Coin to her own. ("May the gods carry you safely, Lady Eagle.")

The End

To Be Continued In:
The Streaks of Purple Saga Volume 2:

On Eagle's Wings

Excerpt From Streaks of Purple Saga Volume Two: On Eagle's Wings

A soft scratch disturbed the sleepy silence of the bedroom.

A girl groaned, lifting her heavy head from the textbook that served as her pillow through the night. She blindly pushed back the reddish-brown hair that hung in her face as she sat up.

Green eyes swept the room in confusion. Sunlight trickled through the windows, illuminating the primarily cream-colored room. Her bed was still neatly