Wild Force Power Rangers: Ancient Warrior Saga

Episode 36 (A) The Master's Herald Pt. 2

The seven Wild Force Rangers were sat in the Animarium Temple. The air about them heavy and silent, each lost in their own heads, thinking of their stolen Princess.

It had barely been hours since Princess Shayla had been ripped from the Animarium. When the Rangers had arrived, they saw for themselves how much of a fight the Princess must have put up against Toxica. Things had been tossed or knocked over, and the sacred pond looked like it had overflowed. While they were cleaning up the mess, Taylor had managed to find a piece of the Princess the Orgs hadn't taken, a single blue flower, likely to have fallen from her headdress during the struggle. She was still keeping it with her, staring at it every now and again when she felt her hope slipping.

'No,' Taylor thought, 'Princess Shayla is strong. She'll fight as hard as we do.'

Merrick, however, seemed to be having a rough time. He was sat on the edge of the pond with Lila cross-legged near his feet. Over time he had been slowly growing a look of disgust while he ran a thumb over his chin. Him coming back to the Animarium with Lila had had the intended effect, Lila felt safer having them all in one spot where they could protect each other. The surroundings were starting to eat at Merrick's memory though, the emotions all festering and becoming a bit too raw.

"I failed the Princess," he said contemptuously, breaking the silence.

Alyssa stood and walked over to try and reason with him. She knew it was probably useless since Merrick had never listened to her, not once, but she'd try anyway.

"It wasn't just you- we all feel that way," she insisted.

"But I'm her protector," he reminded her shamefully. Just as Alyssa had thought, Merrick shrugged her off and went to walk away from the pond. Just as he'd stood, Lila grabbed the sleeve of his jacket, yanking him clumsily down to the floor with her.

"Ow" he said, raising his eyebrows at her.

"C'mon" she encouraged him, "we're not doing this, it won't get her back any faster. You know not everything is your fault, we need to keep our heads straight and try to only focus on bringing Shayla back here safely."

"We shouldn't have to be bringing her back at all. I had a duty to her, and if I am Princess Shayla's protector, then it's time I started acting like it," Merrick's usual stubbornness heard what the girls were saying, but he couldn't push past hating himself. He tried to pull his sleeve back from Lila, but she tightened her grip, a look on her face that said his mood of self-contempt didn't faze her.

"Don't. You're still her protector, and we will find her, Merrick," she re-assured him.

Behind the Rangers a bright flash of white light burst above the sacred pond. They thought at first the water was spraying, but an evil laugh revealed something more sinister.

"Onikage!" 

The Rangers were on their feet in an instant. The Duke Org was floating inches above the pond's water, staring them down with his one, blue eye.

"How'd you get back in here?" Taylor demanded.

"Don't worry," Merrick cut in, "it's just a ninja trick. He's not really here." He glanced over to check Lila, who seemed to be handling seeing Onikage a bit better this time.

"If you want your Princess back, come to the rock quarry by the river, now!"

Another flash and the Duke Org had gone as quickly as he'd appeared. The Rangers did not waste time discussing his motives, the group rushed off with only the sound of their feet pounding, their minds set on retrieving their Princess.