Earthlight Burns

Earthlight Burns is the second episode of Power Rangers: Lost Ninjas.

Synopsis
In the middle of the Earthlight Ninja Academy's Ranger-selection ceremony, Zart attacks and burns the island. Only a few students making it out in time.

Earthlight Island, February 1st, 5:13 pm
A strawberry blonde named Jess headed down a dirt trail towards the assembly compound. Above her, the long-dormant volcano that had formed the island rose through the greenery, its top wreathed in grey clouds, and a flock of colorful birds flew past it. Animals, birds and insects chirred and squeaked in the jungle around them, voices echoing almost eerily. The forest blazed bright green in the late afternoon sunlight, the thatched huts and bungalows forming parts of Earthlight Academy pale yellow smudges among the greenery. The school was spread all across the small island, mostly outdoors.

The compound ahead was a clearing of packed dirt, the banners of each discipline set up around its edges. In the center was a bamboo stage, empty for the moment. Breaking through the trees, Jess quickly joined the other Flame Ninjas underneath their pink banner. Sensei Louisa Wu was trying to quiet the chattering teenagers and children down. Wading in, Jess pulled two adolescent boys away from each other, and gave them both hard looks. Looking self-conscious and irritated, they pulled away and moved to opposite sides of the group.

A Filipino man almost thirty, Sensei Kai, stepped onto a bamboo stage, and all four groups of students hushed. Silently, the four teachers gathered their students into orderly groups, and stood at attention. Jess clasped her hands behind her back, watching the Sensei. He was excited; even though he hid it well enough to look dignified, he kept messing with his robe collar.

Sensei Kai addressed the group. "The Ninja Academies were created to protect the Earth and her inhabitants from evil. Since the arrival of the Power Rangers, one by one, each Ninja Academy has adopted their technology, in order to do so against the new threats our world faces. I am happy to say that we have finally completed our own addition to the arsenal."

Sensei Kai stepped back. His wife, Celia, stepped forward, holding a tray covered with a pennant. It was blue with four interlocking green rings, the symbol of Earthlight Academy—matching the one on the back of the Sensei's robe. With a flourish, Sensei Kai whipped the cloth away, revealing four copper-bound black devices lying in deep blue velvet, beside them four different-colored amulets. There were excited whispers and exclamations. Even Jess's stomach filled with butterflies. Sensei Kai hadn't let anyone see the morphers until now, not even his own family.

"I have already asked the Earthlight Masters to choose one student each to assume this power," Sensei Kai continued, turning to face the group again. He was still holding the pennant, behind his back. Jess just knew he was folding it, the neat freak; she swallowed a giggle. At a nod from the Sensei, the four teachers came forward, and exchanged bows with the Sensei.

"Shawn Kerr, step forward," Master Lopes said. There were groans and excited noises from the Lifelight Ninjas, and a slim black boy came forward. With a confident grin, he climbed the steps to the stage, bowed to his Master and the Sensei, and accepted the morpher. Jess smiled. Shawn definitely deserved this, after all the work he'd done.

"Jessica Walsh, step forward," Master Wu called. Jess froze. Oh. Okay. After a second, she started towards the stage, feeling everyone's eyes on her. There were a few mutinous mutters, and she avoided looking at her fellow students. Even after all these years, people thought she got special favors for being the Sensei's adopted sister.

Sensei Kai didn't even look at her as they exchanged bows. As she took her gear and joined Shawn, the sky darkened. A wind picked up, and a bank of dark clouds began to roll in. Jess hid a wince. Another big storm on the way, probably. As Master Lopes began to ask for the St. Elmo's Fire Ranger, a gust tore a few of the flags off their posts. Now people were starting to look around nervously, pull on their jackets.

Then the stage burst into flames. Everyone jumped back, a few students screaming, and Master Wu gestured at the fire. Instead of flying into the air or dying like it usually did at her command, it grew, and formed into a man. Jess's jaw dropped.

He was Asian, with a bald, gleaming head tattooed with a flame. The fire collapsed into his robes, red and orange. With a too-wide smile, he looked around at the startled people. Jess backed up a little, not sure what to do. Something told her that breathing fire wasn't going to help here.

"I'm Zart. I want those." He pointed to the morphers. Jess automatically clamped a free hand over hers, but Shawn stepped forward. The tall teen wore a cocky smirk.

"Sorry, you can't have them."

Without a word, Zart threw a crimson fireball at the boy. It slammed into his chest, burning right through and leaving a blackened hole. Shawn was dead before he hit the ground. Screaming broke out, and Zart let out an unmistakably psychopathic laugh. But as he did, a younger Lifelight student leaped out of the crowd. The kid, who couldn't have been more than fourteen despite his scraggly beard, ripped the amulet and morpher out of Shawn's limp hand, and held them up.

"Here, then, take them, just leave us alone!" He yelled. There were a few startled shouts that sounded like "Rat!" from behind him, but the kid ignored them.

Zart cocked his head to one side. He eyed the terrified Lifelight Ninja, not seeming to notice the teachers exchange grim glances behind his back. Jess looked from Shawn's body to Zart, feeling like she would throw up. What had that felt like…she didn't want to know.

"You know, I may just let you live." Then Zart smirked. "No, my Fiery Salamanders are hungry." Fire rose up around the edges of his robe, the flames leaping away from him. Growing, they became massive lizards, standing on two legs and bodies made of fire. Their eyes blazed blue, and with crackling hisses, they leaped into the crowd. The students scattered, some trying to fight back, others just running for their lives.

Jess ducked as a fire monster leaped over her head, scorching her back. She rolled off the stage and tried to follow Zart, only for one of the now-burning banner posts to fall in her path. Yanking the pink amulet off her neck, she held her morpher up over her head, yanking it back to head height as she spoke.

"Earthlight Storm, Ranger Form!" Holding out the amulet before her, she shoved it into the indentation, and there was a pink flash.

Jess stands in a fiery sunset. As she throws her arms out, her ninja uniform burns away to reveal her Pink Ranger suit. Her face guard and visor close around her head, and she strikes a wide stance, back right leg folded, left extended before her. She raises her arms, both palms flat, left hand before her, right slanted at her chest.

"Power of Fire!"

Jess caught her breath. She wore a pink skirted uniform, the arms and legs coppery, with a chain-mail pattern. From her hip hung a katana, and the fire symbol blazed white on her chest. The Fiery Salamander drew back, eyes narrowing and tail beginning to lash.

"Wicked!" Jess cried, and drew the sword. "Earthlight Katana!"

With a yell, she charged, swinging the katana over her head. It sliced into the Fiery Salamander, dicing it into shreds which fell and smothered in the dirt. Jess whooped, giving the weapon a twirl, and ran to the rest.

Forest Trail, Earthlight Island, 5:47 pm
Wyatt was lost. Again. It was getting dark, too. With a sigh, he sat down on a boulder and looked around, running a hand through his light hair. His normally pale skin was splotched with bright pink patches of sunburn, which already stung. There were a lot of night animals moving around in the jungle, chirruping and whistling and running. The air was hot and humid, smelling faintly like smoke. This was the weirdest part of Sweden he'd ever been.

Then Wyatt saw a light in the distance. It was huge and yellow, showing through the trees. Relieved, he got up and started towards it. Wherever he was, they really liked their bonfires huge...wait...the school? This was a school or a summer camp or something, wasn't it?

Wyatt looked down at himself. He was wearing a red and grey uniform, and a very dirty one at that. He'd fallen down a couple of times. Sensei Dharma was going to be mad again. Oh! Sensei Dharma! That made it a school or something. Right, now Wyatt remembered, he'd been on his way to some kind of big, important all-school meeting and gotten lost. Vaguely, he thought this had happened before.

There was a faint rumble, and Wyatt looked up at the mountain. Black ash was beginning to cloud the sky above it. That…wasn't good. He needed to tell somebody. Breaking into a run, Wyatt dashed through the jungle, not really noticing how much of it was already on fire. Skidding to a halt, he stared around the dirt compound in bewilderment.

Most of the students were already running, pursued by blazing Fiery Salamanders. A haze of smoke hovered over the compound, and the teachers were trying to fight off Zart—who to Wyatt looked basically like a human torch right now. There was also a Pink Ranger slicing her way through Fiery Salamanders with a coppery katana.

Wyatt scratched his head, cocking it to one side. "What's going on?" He asked nobody in particular. One of the Salamanders noticed him, and turned towards him with a snarl. Starting to feel a little worried, Wyatt began backing away from the monster, hands raised. On the other side of the clearing, one of the teachers was enveloped in flames, Wyatt couldn't tell which. Peals of psychotic laughter echoed around the compound.

Then Wyatt was startled by a shriek. It was coming from behind the stage—the bamboo house a few meters back, on fire like everything else. Swerving around the Fiery Salamander—it spat sparks, which he avoided—Wyatt sprang over the stage and ran up to the house. The monster swung after him, only to be decapitated by the Pink Ranger. Whirling her katana, she hacked it to bits, stomping out the flames as they hit the ground.

"Hello?" Wyatt yelled at the house. The shrieks and crying went on—it was way too high-pitched to be a grown-up. With a helpless shrug, Wyatt ran up the porch and slammed the door open, charging into the smoke-filled house. The elegant, antique furniture was blazing away merrily, as were most of the hangings on the walls.

Wheezing, eyes watering, Wyatt tracked the crying to a closet in the corner. He yanked it open, and found a two-year-old Filipino girl huddled inside. Carefully, Wyatt pulled her out, and the toddler clung to him like a monkey, choking him. He ran back outside, nearly doubled over, and right into another Fiery Salamander. It snarled. Backing up, Wyatt stared at the thing, wondering how to fight it.

"Hey!" The female voice made Wyatt look up. The Pink Ranger lobbed something at him, and he lunged to catch it. The Fiery Salamander snapped at him, but he twisted away at the very last second. His untied shoelaces caught fire, and with a yelp, he kicked the shoe away. It hit the Fiery Salamander, which snapped it up immediately.

"Morph!" The Pink Ranger yelled, impaling another Fiery Salamander. Wyatt looked down at the device, bewildered. The amulet swung wildly from its chain, a white volcano on a red background. With perfect timing, the volcano let out a boom, filling the already-darkening sky with blackness. "Now! Say Earthlight Storm, Ranger Form and put the amulet in the slot!" She demonstrated the gestures as she spoke.

"Okay…" Wyatt said, shifting his grip on the toddler. Still bawling, she clung to him, but with a little trouble, he got the amulet in its slot. Straightening, he raised his fist. "Earthlight Storm, Ranger Form!"

Wyatt stands before an erupting volcano. As he throws his arms out, his ninja uniform shatters to reveal his Scarlet Ranger suit. His face guard and visor close over his face, and he drops into a low stance, right leg bent back, left extended, right arm arched back and left raised with the palm forward.

"Power of Magma!"

The toddler stopped crying for a second, startled by the change. Wyatt looked himself up and down, gaping under his helmet. It wasn't just red and copper spandex…all of a sudden he felt like he could actually fight something and win.

Then the Fiery Salamander leaped at him. With a startled yell, Wyatt swung around to shield the toddler, throwing up an arm instinctively. His fist struck something red-hot even through his glove, and the monster fell sideways as he twisted away.

"Um…okay, here, ride piggyback," Wyatt said, shifting the little girl around to his back. Her short arms choked him a little, but it was only slightly irritating. "Earthlight Katana!" Drawing the sword, he ran forward and stabbed the Fiery Salamander. It howled, and he started slicing at it. The blade went through the monster like a hot knife through butter, and soon it collapsed into nothing.

That was when the toddler screamed again, this time in pain. Hot ash was raining out of the sky, burning her. Quickly, Wyatt swung her around in front again and hunched over, trying to shield her. Only now did he realize that, apart from the Pink Ranger, there were no other people left in the compound. All around them, the jungle blazed. Even through a veil of smoke, the mouth of the volcano glowed an angry red.

"Should we leave?" Wyatt called to the Pink Ranger. She turned from a Fiery Salamander in its death throes, yanking out her katana. The blade was scorched black.

"What?" Wyatt realized one of the downed flags hadn't caught fire yet. Charging over, he tore the cyan cloth free and wrapped the toddler in it.

"The volcano's erupting, I don't think we want to be here when it happens!" The Pink Ranger looked to the volcano, and backed up a step.

"You may be right," she said, in a shrill voice. "Come on!" The two ran into the jungle, Wyatt still trying to shield the toddler. Her screaming, only interrupted by uncontrollable coughing, was starting to make his ears hurt. Even through his suit, the heat was intense, and the smoke blinding. The volcano boomed again, and the already hellish firelight reddened. It was erupting now.

Oh look, water. Wait—water! Wyatt broke into a run, stumbling down onto a sandy beach. The Pink Ranger yelled something, and Wyatt saw her heading for a jetty. Boats, great idea. He followed, as blue energy balls started falling out of the sky.

It only took a second for the Pink Ranger to grab a set of keys and find the motorboat that went with it. Scrambling inside, Wyatt almost tipped the boat over, but the Pink Ranger held it steady as he sat. Joining him, she started the motor with shaking hands, and began steering away from the island as fast as she could go.

The volcano exploded behind them with a deafening roar. Molten lava rained down on the burning jungle and in the water with hissing plops. The waves rocked the board, and the pair clung to it. They sped into ocean, away from the convulsing island.

"Power down," the Pink Ranger panted, and her suit vanished, leaving a scorched strawberry blonde in a grey-and-pink uniform. Her face was blotchy and pink, though whether from crying or burns, Wyatt couldn't tell.

"Yeah, power down," Wyatt repeated, and felt the adrenaline rush vanish. Swaying a little, he planted one hand on the side of the boat and stayed upright. The toddler's cries finally quieted into hiccups. Shakily, the Pink Ranger held out one sooty hand.

"Jess Walsh." She nodded to the toddler. "Malaya Kai."

"Wyatt O'Hare." They clasped hands, both too drained to say anything else. Turning, they watched Earthlight's final death throes. Lava blanketed the island as the last of the blue energy orbs flew into the night sky.

Villains

 * Zart
 * Fiery Salamanders

Allies

 * Sensei Nardu Kai
 * Malaya Kai

Trivia

 * This episode was uploaded on the author's second anniversary of joining Fanfiction.net.