The Radiant Rangers

Chapter 5

There he stood.

Cynthia was at loss for words. She expected him to crumple, vanish or dissolve into thin air, but he did none of those things. Instead he took off his helmet and gave her a strong, sturdy smile.

He was tall and muscular. He held a vivid red helmet in his arms and wore an iron suit that was illuminated by abundant colors. His long, white cape blew gracefully in the powerful winds. He was a compact, clear cut man with precise features and thoughtful rainbow eyes that shined brightly. Her childhood hero stood before her.

Cynthia had never seen the Radiant Ranger in person, she had only seen him on the television as a child or on newspapers and billboards. Cynthia wanted to hug him, yet her arms somehow did not ache to hold him like her heart told her too. Something too far away and too strong was between her and him. He had been dead for over six years. She wondered why he was here now.

She wanted to say something, but was unable speak. Her face stuck in an incredulous expression, unblinking stare. She was rendered speechless.

"Cynthia," the Radiant Ranger spoke. "You need to reunite with the others who have been gifted with the essence of my powers."

Cynthia wanted to say something, but was again unable too. She wanted to ask so many questions but was paralyzed, unable to move and unable to breath. She couldn't look around or get her eyes off of him.

"Vividless is coming soon." The Radiant Ranger said. "He will be back and this time he won't be searching for just one person."

Cynthia then realized what this meant. She realized what the message had meant. The power that the Radiant Ranger had once possessed was the power that Vividless wanted.
Vividless wanted these powers to take over the universe.

When the Radiant Ranger died, the powers that he had escaped before Vividless could obtain them.

"The powers I once had went searching for new hosts, and they found you." The Radiant Ranger said. His voice was powerful and noble.
The wind was roaring in the great bare trees of the frozen forest, as if it were some wild, dark grove deep in a forgotten land. He looked beyond the land and into the distance at the other colorful beams of light. "My powers found five others hosts as well..."

Cynthia knew that she obtained part of these powers. Juliet obtained part these powers. The others who obtained these powers were a target now. Juliet was now a target. Cynthia was now a target. Vividless would be coming back to kill them, just as he had with the Radiant Ranger.

"You need to become the best possible version of yourself." He said. "You need to become stronger, stronger than I ever was."

Cynthia was in total denial. She didn't want powers anymore. Whenever she obtained the powers at age ten she thought of it as a special gift, but now she realized that it was a bloody curse. It was a complete death wish. The world's biggest villain was going to come back and kill her, along with five others. Then steal the powers of the universe to take over the world...unless she could bring all of them together, reuniting the powers that each of them had from within.

How can I become strong? She wanted to ask. Why did the powers choose me? When is Vividless coming? Where are the others? She felt tears in her eyes as she was still unable to move.

She couldn't blink and everything went blurry with tears. Before she knew it, everything was black. She found herself falling into darkness, hurtling to an invisible floor. A floor that would kill her if she continued to fall at this speed. The air pushed against her face and she closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable.

Cynthia's eyes snapped open. She was laying on her back facing the sky. She felt the solid patch of ice underneath of her back. It was all a dream.

The morning had brought strands of white to contrast against the blue sky. The clouds drifted lazily in the morning breeze without destination or purpose.