Chiratheon Unbound

Chiratheon Unbound is the forty-fourth episode of Power Rangers: Lost Ninjas.

Summary
In Scrimshaw, Dean tries to escape Reggie and reach the Rangers, who are equally busy with the kidnapped Easton.

Last Time
Jess had joined Chris and Nero and told them about the Rangers gathering in Scrimshaw, as Korassil intended. In Scrimshaw itself, Easton's mother revealed that both of them had died thirteen years ago, and that she was now working for Chiratheon. She attacked him. Overhead, Dean rescued Alice, officially leaving the space ninjas, and had gotten a head start thanks to Major Jambavan and his followers killing the Thinker, replacing him with a shapeshifter.

March 4th, John F Kennedy International Airport, New York City, 8:44 am
"When you meet your brother again, what happens?" Jess asked, in a low voice. She sat beside Chris on a bench, waiting for Nero to finish getting through security.

"We fight," Chris said, with a one-shouldered shrug. His right arm was still in a sling. "Unless something else intervenes, only one of us walks away."

"You really think you could kill him?" Jess asked.

Chris looked her in the eye. "I don't want to. I want to believe he's under some kind of evil spell, or being blackmailed, but he has to be stopped. He's already killed one Ranger, and he seems pretty willing to keep doing it."

"You don't even have weapons anymore."

"Neither do you. Isn't that one reason we're going to join all those other ninjas?" Chris worked his fingers under the bandage on his arm to scratch an itch. "But it's me he's after. He's going to come after me whether I'm armed or not. Besides, even if he wins, Nero's after him too. Might just manage it this time."

Jess looked down at her clasped hands. She was wearing gloves to hide all the band-aids and medical tape over her injuries. Silently, she twiddled her fingers, biting her lip.

"You're not just talking about me and Alex, are you?" Chris asked.

Jess shook her head. "Zart was obsessed with turning me into a crazy pyro like him. I don't know why he hasn't come after me yet, but I'm dead certain he will sooner or later. Then there's Rat." Her gloves creaked as she tightened her grip.

Chris nodded. "He's earned his name."

"What are we supposed to do with him? I know what kind of hell those space ninjas can put you through to make you do what they want."

"All we have to do is corner him. He doesn't seem like the type to fight if he thinks he has no chance," Chris replied.

Jess half-smiled ruefully. "Yeah. I guess we could just tie him up and deal with him later."

"Nero's coming," Chris said, sitting up.

The man was, for once, not wearing a hoodie or a mask—neither would have been allowed in an airport anyway—having exchanged them for a jacket with a medic patch. The cover story was that he was transporting two patients to a special injury rehabilitation center in New Zealand, which was true in a way; Jess had told him and Chris about the Spring Ninjas and their abilities.

"This way," he said, reaching them. "Our plane leaves in half an hour."

"Got it," Jess said, rising as Chris did. "Straight onto the plane again?" Nero didn't reply, just started walking. "Guess I'll take that as a yes."

The trio headed further into the airport.

Stewart Memorial Hospital, Scrimshaw, 10:45 am
Everyone in the hallway heard Easton shout his morphing call, only to be cut off.

"Easton?" Susana called through the door.

There was no response, only a whooshing sound, like a wave rolling in. Tyler shoved the door open just in time to see Gwen transform into a pillar of swirling water. Before their eyes, it enveloped a stunned Easton.

With a yell, Susana charged, only for a liquid tentacle to lash out, striking her in the chest and knocking her flat. Tyler disappeared, but water sprayed across the room like room and his silhouette became visible against the gray walls. Another tentacle struck him across the head, throwing him against a wall. Before Kerri could try anything, light enveloped the pillar, and it vanished.

Water dripped down the walls, puddling on the hospital floor. Dizzily, Tyler sat up, rubbing his head. Susana rolled over and scrambled upright, lurching to the window. The Thinker's ship was passing overhead, casting a black shadow across Scrimshaw.

Susana punched the glass. "How did we fall for that?"

"What happened?" Kerri asked.

"They've got Easton," Tyler said, trying to stand and failing. "Ow."

"Who? Is his Mom working for the bad guys? And what's with all the water?"

"Would you just think for five seconds before you ask questions!?" Susana snapped.

Kerri didn't reply, just looked down, biting her lip. With an audible huff, Susana looked back out the window at the spaceship. It had accelerated, and was now just a black smudge against the clouds. Tyler rose, dripping, and walked over to her.

"It's okay," he said quietly. "I don't understand it and I could see everything clearly."

Susana's shoulders slumped. "Sorry, I shouldn't have snapped at you. Tyler, could we take that ship down if we all used our Zords?"

Tyler shook his head. "Not likely, even if the other Rangers don't show up."

As he spoke, a sound like thunder rolled through the hospital, followed by a sharp boom. Fire lit up the sky, and Susana looked out the window again. Tyler joined her. Overhead, the Screech Owlzord had the Copperhead Snakezord in its talons. It seemed to be squeezing the writhing reptilian robot, and more explosions tore through its hull.

"Isn't that the guy who wanted to kill you?" Tyler asked Susana, looking at her in bewilderment.

"I thought so." Another boom made the windows rattle. "Come on, we need to break up that fight before they cause any more damage."

"Right," Tyler said, and they rushed out, Kerri following with some reluctance.

They morphed in the elevator and summoned their Zords as they reached the outer doors. By now the Snakezord had managed to bite one of the Owlzord's legs, and was hanging on with all its might. Wings flapping, the Owlzord swung it at the hospital, trying to knock it off.

Before it could impact, the Pandazord lunged upwards and smacked both Terra Zords away. Swooping out of the sky, the Batzord rammed the Owlzord from behind, its own talons scraping against the Terra Zord's hull. With an ear-bleeding shriek, the Owlzord released its prey and turned on the Batzord. Quickly, the Pandazord caught the Snakezord, flattening it to the pavement.

"Whoops," Kerri said over the comms, as her Zord floundered in midair. "Guys, help!"

"Coming," Tyler said. Up lunged the Foxzord, claws extended.

The Owlzord shot up into the air just in time to avoid it, vanishing among the clouds. Awkwardly, the Batzord recovered, flying in circles around the hospital. Landing in a crouch, the Foxzord looked around, anticipating another attack. It soon came; the Owlzord dropped out of the sky like a stone directly above it. With a yelp, Kerri just managed to maneuver out of the way.

"Kerri, get him into the mountains where he won't cause as much damage," Susana said.

"I'm trying! Give me some help here!" The White Ranger yelled back, as the Batzord took a blast to the wing.

"I'll get the Red Ranger," Tyler said.

"Right." The Pandazord began lumbering after the battling Zords, and the Fox put a foot on the Snakezord's neck.

It wasn't needed; the Zord seemed to have turned off. Either that or lost power; it was battered enough for that. Delicately, the Foxzord slid a claw under the hatch. With a groan of metal, the Zord tore the little door free, sending it skidding down the street. Tyler dismounted, landing directly in front of the Copperhead Snakezord with Autumn Blasters drawn. They weren't needed.

A head of brown hair appeared in the hatch, accompanied by two scraped hands, and Alice climbed out of the Zord. She was a mess, covered in soot smudges, bruises and scrapes, but nothing seemed serious. At the sight of her, Tyler lowered his guns. Once she was out, Dean emerged, demorphed. He froze as he realized the Orange Ranger was watching.

"Dean, it's okay, I told you I'd talk to them," Alice said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Tyler ran up to the pair, lowering his guns but not dismissing them. "What were you doing in there?"

"Dean just saved my life. He's a good guy now," Alice said.

"What?"

Dean picked himself up. Looking unflinchingly at Tyler, he unstrapped his morpher and held it out. The Orange Ranger took it; the morpher looked genuine, plus Tyler guessed Dean couldn't have piloted his Zord with a fake. Somewhere near the mountains, another explosion boomed through the air.

"So you're just on our side now?" Tyler asked. "Just like that?"

Dean glanced over at Alice. "If she says I'm with you, I'm with you."

"Look, I'd like to believe you, really I would, but with your track record, I'm having a hard time," Tyler said. "If you really want to prove you're on our side, help us."

"I know the layout of their ships, that there's bad blood between Tauza and Korassil because he killed her sister, and a special plan they're going to need Easton for," he said without missing a beat.

"They? You mean the water monster thing that kidnapped Easton just now?"

Dean looked alarmed. "They've already taken him? Then we don't have much time."

Tyler was silent for a minute. The sounds of battle faded in the distance, more like fireworks than explosions by now.

"Okay, then," the Orange Ranger said at last, springing down from the battered Snakezord. "Explain as we go back to base."

March 5th, Chiratheon's Lake, 11:32 pm
Easton slumped back against the rock, making his chains clink. The space ninjas had removed his shirt, and goosebumps covered his arms and back. The demon mark, which now covered most of his chest, felt almost hot by comparison. He'd given up struggling hours ago, and now he just wondered how long this was going to take. At this point he wasn't sure whether or not he should care about dying; he'd done it before, after all.

The lake seemed no different than it had been thirteen years ago, mirror-still and wide. The shores, on the other hand, swarmed with Tauza's forces. The White Season Ranger, Anya, had apparently been put in charge; she was bossing everyone around. Beside her walked a monster called Petardier, with the blank blue eyes of one of Chiratheon's corpse puppets. Easton's mother had entered the lake hours ago, probably to talk to Chiratheon.

Engines rumbled overhead, and another space ninja ship, Easton couldn't tell which, hovered low over the valley. With a series of flashes, more monsters appeared. Easton didn't recognize them, but he guessed the buglike one in the cape was in charge. Two Rangers were with him, and a bald man in a fiery orange robe.

Gwen emerged from the water, and spoke briefly to the newcomers. Easton looked up at her. She looked way too much like her old self. As that ship moved out of the way, another took its place. This time Tauza, the Thinker and Reggie appeared, along with a few unfamiliar monsters. They gathered with the others.

"The Silver and Pink Rangers, and the assassin, are on their way to Scrimshaw," the bug monster announced. Then he looked to Tauza's companions. "Who are these three?"

"New recruits," Tauza replied. "Commandant Helios, Madam Yuki, and Brigadier Chubouzu."

The bug monster eyed one of the trio, a scrawny, surprisingly normal-looking man. "You're Agini, aren't you, Helios?"

"Who wants to know?" Commandant Helios folded his arms.

"I am Korassil. I was just curious; Zart here just happens to be approximately one-quarter Agini." He gestured to the bald man.

"He is?" Helios's guarded expression became curious. "Odd. How old are you, boy?"

Zart glared. "I'm not a boy; I'm twenty-seven years old."

"And you have Agini powers?"

In answer, Zart snapped his fingers, and flame spurted outwards like a sparkler. He smirked at Helios's surprised expression.

The lake rippled, and all other noises faded from Easton's hearing. He couldn't look away. A new image flashed in his vision: a cave deep underwater, with a massive glowing orb floating in the middle. Inside it lurked something massive and ancient, with very dark eyes. Easton came to himself, and realized he was sweating. The demon mark practically thrummed with energy.

Gwen's voice cut through the confused noise. "It's time."

Easton felt a pair of Snipers grab him by the arms, and the chain around his body went slack. He stumbled a little, legs numbed, as the foot soldiers dragged him forward. Gwen directed them to the edge of the lake, right next to where she was standing. As they reached her, the Snipers let go of Easton. Her ice-cold hand came down on his shoulder, making him flinch.

Almost against his will, Easton raised his arms. The symbol on his chest began to glow, yellow light flickering through the deep blue as if it was trapped in a net. The energy burst out from between his hands in a jolt, not a ball but a torrent of intertwined light. The water steamed at contact, splitting down the middle to expose a second light near the bottom of the lake.

It had only been a few seconds, but already Easton felt as if he'd run a marathon. Sweat dripped into his eyes, his ears rang, and his vision tunneled on that second light. Chiratheon's prison. He didn't think he could have stopped if he'd wanted to; the energy was almost being ripped out of him. He swayed, but Gwen's hand kept him upright.

Chiratheon's prison began to rise out of the water as energy washed over it. Through the light, Easton glimpsed a hulking body, scaly like a fish and overgrown with barnacles and slimy weeds. The face was gnarled, almost boarlike, with tusks poking out of the wide mouth and two longer horns curving down from the forehead.

As the thing looked towards him, Easton did try to stop. An all-too-familiar fear washed over him; he'd been seeing that monster in his nightmares since he was a small child. He couldn't let it out. He jerked his arms apart, and for a moment, the power flow weakened. A deep rumble echoed across the lake.

Fire shot through his chest, and Easton screamed as the light burned up his arms and out his hands, blinding him. His arms trembled with the strain; only Chiratheon's pull was keeping him upright now. The filaments of the symbol stabbed into his body like red-hot needles.

The combined power spread across Chiratheon's energy prison, burrowing into it like weeds through cracks in a stone wall. The light grew brighter and brighter and brighter. Then it burst, sending sparks in every direction like fireworks. Chiratheon dropped into the water with a booming splash. The wave he created doused Easton, knocking him back into Gwen's arms. He didn't have the strength to get back up.

As Gwen dragged him back, he saw the space ninjas approaching the lake. It had gone still once more. Easton's vision was blurry, but he thought Zart looked nervous. Only Tauza showed any interest in Easton himself.

"Chain him up," she ordered.

"No need." Gwen's voice was startlingly loud in the sudden silence. "He couldn't fight back even if he wanted to." Easton agreed. She laid him down on a grassy slope and joined the others.

Out of the lake rose Chiratheon, the water parting for him. The ground trembled with each step. Zart seemed to be smoking; in any case, he stepped back quickly as the water demon approached. He was well over ten feet tall; the space ninjas looked puny before him. Exhausted as he was, Easton still tried to pull himself back, away from the monster.

"As promised, you're free," Tazua said. "Now for your end of the bargain."

Chiratheon inclined his head in a slow nod. Raising one arm, he backhanded Zart into the lake. Korassil let out a shout of alarm and drew his sword, but Tauza already had hers out and was charging him with a yell. Snipers turned on Kelzak Berserks and monsters began to struggle with each other. Whooping, Anya summoned her katana and joined in the fray, clashing swords with the Obsidian Ranger at once.

Easton pushed himself up on an elbow, staring at the melee in complete confusion. A white bird swooped over them, occasionally diving to flatten a monster and shred it with beak and claw. Commandant Helios had transformed into a volcano of a man, and was launching fireballs at Chiratheon. By now Zart had recovered, and creatures made of living fire harassed the water demon from every side.

Only one person aside from Easton himself hadn't joined in the battle: the Green Ranger was shoving his way through the other combatants as quickly as he could. Stumbling free, he fled, only to notice Easton as he reached a nearby rock. He slowed to a halt, looked around, and ran to him.

"Whoever wins, they won't need you anymore," he said, drawing a katana from across his back. "I-I'm not running away, just taking care of a loose end."

Easton tried to get up, but the Green Ranger punched him in the face, and he fell back. He could taste blood in his mouth. Kneeling on his chest, the Green Ranger set the edge of his katana to his throat, and braced himself.

Two blasts struck him in the back at the same time; one orange, one reddish and trailing steam. The Green Ranger arched his back, and his katana slipped out of his fingers. Seeing his opportunity, Easton tangled a leg around one of the Green Ranger's and flipped over. His attacker's morph vanished—he was surprisingly young, even with the beard—and choked.

"I . . . I just . . ."

The Green Ranger fell silent, exhaling slowly. His frightened expression slackened into a blank stare as his head lolled to one side. Easton stared down at him, not sure whether to feel relieved or upset. Silently, he slid the teenager's eyelids shut. Out of the corner of his eye, he glimpsed an orange streak, and a gloved hand came down on his shoulder.

"Easton, are you okay?" It took him a second to recognize Tyler's voice.

"I don't know." Easton tried to stand, but his legs wouldn't hold him.

Tyler caught him, and half-carried him away from the battlefield. The movement made Easton dizzy, and he wondered if he was going to black out. With the pain gone, he felt strangely numb, almost detached from his body. Another Ranger, this one Red, came up on his other side to help. Somehow Easton felt like there was something wrong with that, but he couldn't seem to focus.

He glanced back once, and was almost blinded by the flashes of fire and energy. It was impossible to tell who was winning, but by all the explosions, a lot of monsters were already dead. A few bodies, from those monsters who actually left corpses, lay amid burning plants. With a pang, Easton saw Gwen's draped across a rock, unmoving.

"Faster—no good, he's passing out," the Red Ranger said. "Here, we'll carry him."

Easton felt the pair shift their grip, Tyler grabbing him under the arms and the other taking his legs. His vision seemed to be going black and white. Well, if they said he was passing out, he might as well. The last thing he was aware of was a glimpse of the battlefield; from a distance, it looked almost like a fireworks display.

Allies

 * Mark Nero
 * Alice Harod

Villains

 * Korassil
 * Tauza
 * Major Jambavan
 * Madam Yuki
 * Spymaster Amorphous
 * Brigadier Chubouzu
 * Commandant Helios
 * Chiratheon
 * Gwen Lewis
 * Spider Drones
 * Snipers
 * Kelzak Berserks