Shaded Relics: Chapter 24

The Demon Bird

PART ONE: The Fifth Circle

Simon's every footstep burnt the ground of Hell. He walked slowly and held his black katana at his side. Moridyn's astral form walked beside the ranger.

"Do you realize what you've done?" Moridyn asked. "You've absorbed the energies of an entire Circle of Hell."

Simon said nothing. In his Shaded form, he moved ahead with a feral grin. "Do you even know what that means?"

"Of course I don't," Moridyn said. "It's never happened before."

"You sound afraid," Simon said.

"Fear is wise. Fear is caution," Moridyn said. "If you are to escape from Hell, you cannot become reckless. You need your fear."

"I'm tired of your lectures," Simon said as he stepped into thick woods. Twisted, black trees reached into crimson skies. "What is this place?"

"The Fifth Circle. Anger," Moridyn said. "Can't you tell? The very air reeks of fury."

Suddenly, black, scabbed arms reached from the ground and grasped at Simon's ankles.

The ranger plunged his blade into the ground with a burst of black light that incinerated the creatures. He smiled with satisfaction.

"Well..." Simon said. "That was fun..."

"Keep moving," Moridyn said as he walked forward.

After several minutes, they stepped onto a pier of stone, with two demonic statutes at its edge. The pier looked out upon a river of sludge. The souls of the damned thrashed in the river and screamed with anger and rage.

"This is what happens to those who succumb to anger in the Fifth Circle," Moridyn said. "As you can see...this will be the most difficult Circle for you to pass. I suggest you bury your emotions, deeply, and without hesitation. Take the anger that rages in your soul and-"

Simon narrowed his eyes. "I thought I told you to back off with the therapy sessions, you immortal dick."

Moridyn lifted his hand. A giant, hunched back rose from the river. The back heaved as the beast breathed, submerged almost entirely within the water.

"Behold Phlegyas, Guardian of the Fifth Circle," Moridyn said. "He will grant passage across the River Styx."

Moridyn stepped onto the creature's back, and Simon followed. The beast started to move through the sludge, and Simon grasped onto a protruding bone for support.

"What kind of monster is this?" Simon asked.

"Phlegyas was the demi-god son of Ares, God of War," Moridyn explained. "He fell from grace after being killed by Apollo, the God of the Sun. After death, Phlegyas was turned into a demonic giant and condemned to the Fifth Circle as punishment, for burning down the Apollonian Temple of Delphi."

The back heaved, nearly knocking Simon into the river.

"Best be careful," Moridyn said. "I'm afraid you'll find this trip quite...bumpy."

"What do you mean-" Pain shot through his head.

Simon staggered and collapsed to his knees. He felt the anger and rage of every damned soul within the River Styx, and the feelings overwhelmed him. Further, he felt his own anger and rage intensify.

The bullies who picked on him as a kid - he pictured himself punching their faces until their noses caved into their skulls. Azmodai and Madelene - he thought of burning them for condemning his entire existence.

Anger.

Rage.

His mind flashed back to days after the Second Countdown to Destruction:

"Ha!" Simon smashed a cross punch against the punching bag. "Ha!" Again. "Ha!" Again. "Ha!"

The teen was in a small, empty barn near the Hayate Way dojo. He set up the barn as a practice room with punching bags, weights, and other pieces of equipment, to have a place to work out alone.

The shed's door opened slowly, and Tommy stepped in. He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. He watched with concern as his young friend punched the bag with growing intensity.

"You've been holed up in here all day…" Tommy said. "Wanna talk about it?"

"Ha!" Simon's punch knocked the bag off its chain and sent it smashing against the wall.

The teen stood and caught his breath. He used the back of his hand to wipe the sweat from his brow. "Not especially."

"You missed the funeral," Tommy said.

"Which one?!" Simon said louder than he meant to. He shook his head and walked over to the fallen bag. "How many of us died? How many people died?" Simon lifted the bag and started to hang it back up. "I felt them all die. I felt them!"

He gave up trying to hang the bag and let it drop onto the ground. "You have no idea what that was like…"

"Tell me…" Tommy said. "Talk to me…"

"The fear in some of them," Simon said. "Kaitlin wasn't ready to die, and she had to feel…" a tear streamed down his cheek. "She had to feel a damn snake literally eat through her body. And Sion…watching his best friend die, and having to sacrifice himself. The Turbos…dying just to prove their worth.Kimberly…dying, knowing that her son will have to grow up without a mom.

"It’s too much to handle," he continued. "The irony is, I used to fantasize about this life, about being a Ranger. But now…it’s too real. There’s been too much pain. And I don’t know how to handle it…but what I do know…is that I won't let anything like this ever happen again."

Simon rolled his hands into fists, and his body trembled with rage. "Ever."

Simon screamed and collapsed to all fours. His anger intensified and threated to consume him. He nearly jumped into the river, to fight and maul everything - to break everything! Damn it all! His stupid life! His stupid existence! All of it, for what?! For what?!

Pain.Only pain.Loss.Anger.Self-loathing.

Moridyn grabbed Simon by the shoulder to stop him from jumping. "Don't," Moridyn said. "Control yourself, or you will-"

Simon knocked Moridyn aside and jumped into the River Styx.

PART TWO: Dark Trap

DaiShi sat on his throne within the RinJuken Akugata dojo. Young Evan stood at his side and shifted uncomfortably. The boy felt nervous at the sight of their guests: Quester Gai and Quester Rei, demons augmented with high-tech battle gears.

"Ashu..." DaiShi said. "I have called you here to serve the Great Beast of Hell."

Gai snorted a laugh. "The Mogralord is dead..."

"And I am his heir..." DaiShi said. He leaned forward and placed his hands on his knees. "The Ashu once served him, proudly. I ask you to do so again."

Rei waved his hand dismissively. "We are no longer Ashu. We are Questers..."

DaiShi narrowed his eyes. "I have no interest in what you call yourselves. I have need of something: The Demon Tablet. You will find it for me."

Gai laughed. "Will we, now? The Questers serve no one."

"You've developed...a reputation," DaiShi said. "I have heard you are skilled with tracking and obtaining artifacts of power. Do this for me, and I will reward you greatly."

"Hmph." Gai shook his head. "Well, we are feeling hungry. Give us the boy, and we'll negotiate...over a feast of his bones!"

Rei laughed at the joke.

DaiShi tightened his hand into a fist. Invisible energy strangled the Questers and forced them to their knees.

"Do not mock me a second time, or I will snap your heads from your necks," DaiShi said. "You call yourselves Questers? You have interest in these relics called Precious? So do others. Gajah.Dark Shadow.Ryuuon. Perhaps I will reach out to them instead."

DaiShi released his grasp.

Gai rubbed his neck and grumbled as he climbed to his feet. "Those fools..."

"Why ask for our help?" Rei asked as he stood. "You have the power of the RinJuken."

"I have warriors. I need infiltrators," DaiShi said. "And...let us not forget. We have common enemies..."

"Rangers..." Gai grumbled.

DaiShi nodded. "They stood together during what the mortals called the Second Countdown to Destruction. Now...they are fractured and hunt one another. They are their own greatest weakness, which we will exploit by doing something that they cannot."

"And what's that?" Gai asked.

DaiShi's mouth twisted into a smile. "Unite."

Yaiba and Shizuka kneeled before Gekkou in the Dark Shadow lair.

Yaiba lowered his head. "Master Gekkou...I have learned that the Questers are seeking a great relic known as the Demon Tablet."

"Those demon beasts seek nothing of concern," Gekkou said.

"Master...The Titans have interfered with our every venture. Allow me to seek the Demon Tablet, and harness its power, in the name of Dark Shadow."

"You would unleash the powers of the Great Beast of Hell?" Gekkou asked.

"Yes," Yaiba said.

"No..." Gekkou said.

"But if the Questers-"

"No!" Gekkou shouted with a flap of his wings. "Forget about that power. Now...Leave me..."

Yaiba bowed deeper. He stood and left the hut, and Shizuka followed.

"Yaiba...what did you mean? What power?" she asked.

"The power of the Demon Tablet," he said.

"But what is that?" Shizuka asked.

"The scripture of the Mogralord, the Great Beast of Hell," Yaiba said. "To harness its power is to become a force of darkness and destruction."

"But if Gekkou says no...doesn't that mean no?" Shizuka asked.

"I need that power to defeat the Titans," Yaiba said. "My plan is already in action."

The Angel Grove Museum of Mythology received a mailer: an invitation to the Hermit Ravine Springs. According to the mailer, the owner of the springs wanted the museum to send a team to visit. The springs claimed to possess artifacts of interest.

Kelsey saw the invitation as an opportunity for a vacation. Shane and Max didn't want the entire team to go; they wanted at least half the team on standby. So Kelsey and Jake decided to travel to the springs, and they dragged along Eiji.

The three rangers walked through the woods and approached a wooden bridge.

"This is it!" Kelsey said as she hurried towards the bridge. "Come on!"

Jake shook his head as he looked around. "Are there really hot springs here?"

Eiji nodded. "The really good springs are deep in the mountains."

Jake arced an eyebrow. "How do you know that?"

"I'm well-traveled," Eiji said. "I killed a wendigo near a hot springs like this once."

"That's...pleasant," Jake said. "I didn't think your barrier magick worked against creatures like that."

"No, but silver knives do wonders," Eiji said.

Yaiba and Shizuka walked through the Hermit Ravine Springs. They moved towards a small shrine: Three small stones surrounding a larger stone, all connected with rope and engraved with kanji.

"I recovered the Demon Tablet weeks ago and hid it here," Yaiba said.

Shizuka arced an eyebrow. "Why?"

"I learned that the demons sought the stone. But I wanted its power for myself," he said. "It happens every 12 years. Tonight, on this mountain, a moon will rise and split in three. When the three moons shine on the Demon Tablet, all within the Hermit Ravine will die."

"Then the Titans..." Shizuka said.

"I've already arranged for them to come," he said. "All that's left is..."

He unsheathed his sword and slashed through the center stone with a burst of spark. The stone shattered into pieces, revealing the Demon Tablet.

"That's it?" Shizuka asked. "It's an old piece of rock."

"Wait for the three moons to rise. Then you will see..." he said.

Gekkou snapped open his eyes. He felt his energy wane. "Something has disturbed the Hermit Ravine..."

Gekkou chose the Hermit Ravine Springs as the Dark Shadow's holy ground after forming the organization. As such, he maintained a link to the mystical properties of the land.

"Yaiba..." he whispered.

The Youkai flew from his pedestal but crashed onto the floor. He fluttered his wings, matted with blood. "Injured...Already...How?"

The villain flapped his wings, ignored the pain, and flew towards the Hermit Ravine.

Max carried his laptop into the SGS situation room, where Shane, Will and Rose waited.

"Guys, we may have a problem," Max said as he set his laptop on the monitoring table.

"What is it?" Rose asked.

 "I analyzed the letter from the hot springs. It seemed a little...suspicious," Max said. He swiped the images on his laptop. "This is what I found. The ink matched the scrolls used by Dark Shadow."

"So that letter was some kind of trap?" Shane asked.

Will narrowed his eyes. "Kelsey and the others...they're in trouble."

Kelsey and the others walked along the creek in the mountains.

Jake sighed as they crossed the rugged terrain. "Are you sure this is the right way? The road stopped."

"It should be fine..." Eiji said as he glanced at his map. "I think..."

Suddenly, they heard ruffling come from the tress to their side. Gekkou flew from the branches and crashed to the ground.

Eiji arced an eyebrow. "Is that a blue owl?"

"He's hurt!" Kelsey said as she ran to the Youkai's side. 

"It's a blue owl," Eiji said.

Weakened, Gekkou opened his eyes. He recognized Kelsey immediately. The Yellow Ranger...I can use this.

Gently, Kelsey lifted the bird into her arms. "It's OK...It looks like you hurt your wing."

Kelsey didn't notice the owl's eyes flash with gold. Kage Ninpo. Oboro Kage…

Kelsey and Gekkou shimmered from sight.

Eiji narrowed his eyes. "Kelsey..."

He ran to the spot where she vanished, and Jake followed.

"She's gone..." Jake said.

"It can't be," Eiji said. "She was just here."

Shane, Will, and Rose walked onto the bridge that led to the springs.

"Be careful," Shane told his teammates. "We're probably walking into a trap."

Rose nodded. "Dark Shadow might be waiting for us..."

Kelsey didn't notice Gekkou shift their location. She leaned down and bandaged the bird's wings. "There you go," she said. "Such a pretty bird...you should be all better now."

She stood and knitted her brow. "Where did Eiji and Jake go?"

Gekkou looked towards the ranger. "I am very grateful to you, miss."

Kelsey opened her eyes wide and looked to the bird. "You..." She crouched next to Gekkou. "Did you just talk?"

"Mmm," Gekkou said. "I am no owl. I am a spirit, in owl form, the master of this forest. The last of my kind, I used its mystical energies to sustain me." The villain glanced at Kelsey. "Does this not surprise you?"

"I've seen weirder things," she said.

"I see..." Gekkou said. "Then this conversation will go quickly. I need a favor..."

Kelsey nodded. "OK...what is it?"

"I need you to take me to the summit of the Hermit Ravine," he said.

Eiji and Jake tried to contact Kelsey through their Overdrive Trackers, but mystical energy blocked their signals. They walked through the woods and shouted her name as they searched for her.

"Wait..." Eiji said. "Didn't we pass this way before?"

Jake nodded. "I think you're right. Something's weird about this mountain..."

Will sighed as he followed Rose and Shane up the mountain. "We haven't seen any sign of Kelsey...or Dark Shadow."

"No," Shane said. "That's not true."

Shane pulled out a tracker chip and snapped it towards the branches. The chip smacked Shizuka, and she fell from the tree. She crashed and rolled into a crouched stance.

"Well...hi?" she said.

"You've been watching us, Shizuka," Shane said. "Why didn't you attack?"

Rose stepped closer to the villain. "What's Dark Shadow up to?"

"How would I know something like that," she said as she ran off. "Later!"

She leapt into the distance, and the rangers followed.

Kelsey carried Gekkou through the woods. "Is this it right ahead?"

"Mmm." Gekkou said.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"I'm...fine," he said.

"There's a hot spring nearby," she said. "Maybe we can go in...it might help heal your wounds."

Gekkou thought of himself and Kelsey in the hot springs, and he shifted uncomfortably.

"This girl is quite simple," he whispered.

"What?" Kelsey asked.

"Oh! I said you are a beautiful, kind girl," Gekkou said.

"Oh, thank you," Kelsey said with a smile.

Shizuka leapt across the treetops to escape from Shane, Rose and Will. "Titans!" she shouted with annoyance. "I'm not fighting today!"

She landed in a clearing and looked up - to face Eiji and Jake. "Oh...no."

Jake knitted his brow. "Shizuka. What are you doing here?"

She turned to run away, but Shane, Rose and Will ran to the scene to block her path.

Shizuka furrowed her brow with annoyance. "Oh...what will I do, what will I do..."

She pulled pebbles from her pockets and tossed them to the ground. The pebbles rose and took shape to form Karths, provided by High Priest Gajah weeks ago.

The rangers armed their morphers.

"Overdrive! Start up!" They slid their trackers across their arms and sparked their morph into Titans.

The Karths armed their scythes and charged to attack. Titan Red swung his fists and bashed through a group of Karths before they could attack.

Titan Silver armed his Drive Detector and swung wide, slashing a trio of Karths with bursts of spark that hurled them backward. He chopped a Karth to the ground, and then swung upward, slashing a Karth with a burst of spark.

Titan Blue armed his blaster and leapt through the air. He triggered orange energy bursts that blasted through Karths with showers of spark.

The Blue Ranger landed and kicked his way past a group of Karths. He maneuvered towards his leader and round-kicked a grunt's head.

"Chief, why is Dark Shadow here?" Titan Blue asked.

"Your whole trip was a trap," Titan Red said as he kicked a Karth to the ground.

A Karth chopped its scythe at Titan Black. The Black Ranger grabbed the grunt's wrist, twisted its arm behind its back, and kicked the grunt off its feet.

"Where's Kelsey?" he asked.

Titan Silver slashed through a pair of Karths. "She vanished."

"What?!" Titan Black said as he smashed his elbow against a Karth's face.

Shizuka launched a flurry of kicks that Titan Pink dodged. The Pink Ranger ducked beneath a kick, rose to full height, and snapped a crescent kick the ninja ducked to avoid.

Shizuka stepped back and armed her daggers. "Take this!"

She chopped through streaks of energy that slashed Titan Pink with bursts of spark, whipping her backward.

Kelsey carried Gekkou deeper into the mountains. She stopped when she reached a clearing, decorated with a single shrine of four stones, connected with rope. The middle stone looked broken, with a tablet sitting on top.

"We're here..."  Kelsey said.

Gekkou looked ahead. "I knew it...Someone has tampered with the grounds. Miss...can you do me one more favor?"

"Sure," Kelsey said.

"That tablet...is poisoning this land. Will you put that mound onto that stand, and place these seals on it?" Gekkou asked. He pulled two paper seals from his feathers. "It is an important ceremony for my forest."

"Sure," Kelsey said. She set Gekkou aside and walked towards the broken shrine.

Suddenly, explosions tore across the ground in front of the ranger. She covered her eyes from the sparks, and when she lowered her arm, she saw Yaiba step in front of the shrine.

"You will not touch this mound..." he said.

"Yaiba..." Kelsey took a step back.

The villain unsheathed his sword. "Prepare yourself."

The villain charged to attack. He swung a flurry of strikes the ranger dodged. She pulled out her Overdrive Tracker and used it block a sword swing while swiping across the blade.

"Start up!" She morphed into Titan Yellow and took a step back.

Yaiba lunged and swung wide. But Titan Yellow somersaulted over the villain.

She landed behind Yaiba and snapped her weapon into blade mode. "Drive Defender!"

The opponents lunged and clashed blades with bursts of spark. Yaiba unsheathed his second blade and dual wielded, slashing and hacking at the Yellow Ranger.

She twirled her blade to parry most blows. But a double strike slipped past her defense and slashed her with a burst of spark, whipping her backward. She crashed and tumbled across the ground.

Gekkou flapped open his wings. "Kage Ninpo! Utsushimi Bunshin!"

The villain fired a flurry of paper slips that twirled around Yaiba and thrashed his armor with bursts of spark. Yaiba slashed through the paper scrolls. But they kept whipping across the wind and slashing his armor.

Yaiba growled with annoyance. "This is Gekkou!"

"Hurry!" Gekkou shouted to Titan Yellow. "Return to the mound! Or a great disaster will occur!"

Titan Yellow ran past Yaiba and dashed towards the mound.

Yaiba spotted Gekkou and snapped a volley of shuriken. A throwing star stabbed his chest with a burst of spark that knocked him backward.

The villain turned and snapped a chain, which whipped around Titan Yellow and pinned her arms to her sides. The ninja pulled Titan Yellow to the ground, and the impact knocked her from her armor with a burst of yellow light.

Yaiba snapped another chain that wrapped around Gekkou, and he whipped the Youkai to the ground next to Kelsey.

Gekkou struggled against the chains. "So...you were the one who defiled my land, Yaiba! If I wasn't injured, I would crush you..."

"I needed the mystical energies of this land," Yaiba said. "It is too late to stop me now. Let's wait for the moon, together."

The sun started to set. Titan Black chopped through an x-pattern that hacked a pair of grunts to the ground.

Titan Blue slashed through a Karth and side-kicked the grunt off its feet.

Titan Silver spun with a wide slash, hacking a group of grunts with bursts of spark that whipped them backward.

The Red Ranger parried a scythe and slashed the Karth to the ground. He spun and swung wide, slashing the last grunt with a burst of spark.

The Rangers regrouped and surrounded Shizuka.

Titan Red aimed his blade at the villain. "Shizuka! Tell us what you're up to."

Shizuka's eyes darted back and forth. "Five against one...I can't win against those odds, can I. So, time to run!"

She tossed a smoke bomb to the ground with a flash of spark and smoke. When the smoke cleared, the Rangers saw no sign of Shizuka.

But Titan Silver heard her rustle through the trees in the distance.

"This way," Titan Silver said as he ran into the woods.

The rest of the Rangers followed.

Yaiba tied Kelsey and Gekkou around two posts near the mound.

"In 15 minutes, the three moons will appear..." Yaiba said. "When that happens, the power from that tablet will kill everyone in the Hermit Ravine."

Kelsey knitted her brow and looked to Gekkou. "Is that true?"

Yaiba laughed softly as he turned to his captives. "Don't you know who you speak with, Titan Ranger? That Youkai is the leader of Dark Shadow, Maboroshi no Gekkou."

"It can't be..." Kelsey said.

"Yaiba, listen!" Gekkou shouted. "You don't understand the true power of that tablet! It contains the powers that gave birth to the Great Beast of Hell, the Mogralord himself! You cannot toy with that kind of power!"

"You speak of the power that can destroy the world..." Yaiba said. He snapped open his faceplate, revealing his metallic face, with yellow eyes and a grilled mouth. "I must see that power."

"Yaiba!" a voice shouted from nearby. The villain looked to see Shizuka run onto the scene.

The Rangers followed at her heels.

Yaiba thrust his hand and fired an invisible energy burst, which sparked in front of the Rangers and kept them back.

"Welcome, Titans, to the Hermit Ravine," Yaiba said.

"You're here too..." Titan Red said.

Titan Black stepped forward. "Yaiba...What are you up to this time?"

Kelsey spotted her friends from behind the villains. "Will! Chief!"

"Kelsey!" Titan Black shouted. He tightened his grip on his sword. "Yaiba, you bastard!"

Shizuka looked to the posts and noticed Gekkou, chained and trapped. "Master Gekkou...Why is Master Gekkou...?"

"Focus on the Titans," Yaiba said.

The villain stretched his arms. "Kage Ninpo!Paper Crane Blizzard!"

Dozens of paper cranes formed out of shadow energy and shot towards the Rangers. The barrage slashed their armor with bursts of spark that sent them staggering backward.

The villain held his hand forward. "Kage Ninpo!Yami Issen!"

He formed a blue seal of energy, etched with kanji. He slashed through the seal with a streak of blue energy that struck the Rangers with bursts of spark, hurling them backward.

Yaiba aimed his sword towards the fallen Rangers. "You will not get in my way."

Titan Red armed his blade. "Go!"

The Red Ranger rushed towards his opponents, and the others followed.

The Rangers swarmed around Yaiba and Shizuka with volleys of sword swings. Yaiba twirled his blades, and Shizuka twirled her daggers, parrying the strikes with bursts of spark. Metal clanged against metal, echoing throughout the ravine.

Above, the clouds cleared, and the full-moon appeared in the sky. The moon blurred, as if shifting into three, and shined upon the Demon Tablet. The light illuminated the runes, which glowed with dark power.

The Tablet pulsed with energy that seeped into the ground. The energy traveled across the ground's connection with Gekkou, and poured into the Youkai. Gekkou screamed with pain as his body flared with a black aura.

The aura expanded with an explosion of power that transformed Gekkou and caused him to grow giant. Now a demon/Youkai hybrid, Gekkou spread its wings and screeched with power.