Power Rangers: Morphin' Sentai

By: PhinalPhantasy

Episode 5 Part 2: Forest of Despair

(A/N: Man it's been WAY too long since I updated this one. I sincerely apologize but the main issue I have to deal with now is sharing the computer with three other people and work took most of my spare time away. Plus I have two other open stories I'm also trying to update, three if you count my collaboration with my g/f. However my job situation should improve shortly. What that means for my fics I have no idea but I won't abandon them entirely. Anyways enough rambling. I hope everyone enjoys this newest chapter. Please leave me your reviews to let me know what you thought.)

(Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers or Kyoryu Sentai ZyuRanger, but I enjoy having fun with them.)

Jason was looking around at the barren landscape surrounding him, no sign of his friends or the Command Center where he swore he was a second ago. "Where am I? What does this mean?"

"Jason! Jason man snap out of it!"

"Come on Jason, we need you!"

Jason looked around and saw no one but confirmed the voices, "Zack, Kimberly?" he asked. Shaking his head he found himself once again in the Command Center.

"You okay man? What was that all about?" Zack asked as he and Kim each took one of his arms and helped him to his feet.

"It's nothing, I'm sorry to have worried you," Jason replied.

"You sure?"

"We need to find Billy before he does something rash," Jason reminded them.

"Too late!" Alpha pointed at the viewing globe where they saw Billy confronting King Sphinx when the monster revealed its true form and blew powerful winds at the young genius sending him flying.

"Looks like we have to go along with his plan," Jason concluded drawing out his Dino Buckler, "It's Morpin' Time!" Kim and Zack drew theirs as well and all three activated them.

"Mastodon!"

"Pterodactyl!"

"Tyrannosaurus!" Right after morphing, the three Rangers got on their Battle Bikes and they were teleported to the nearest road to where Billy was still sailing through the air.

"Guys! This way!" Billy called out to them.

"He's moving fast, crank up the speed!" Jason said from his bike.

"You got it!" Zack replied and Kimberly held on tight in the side car of Zack's bike. They drove through the roads as quickly as possible until they saw their friend fall into a forest.

"We can't bring the bikes in there," Kim said.

"We can go on foot from here no problem," Jason replied. The three Rangers walked quickly into the woods.

"Billy!" Jason shouted into the forest.

"Billy! Where are you!" Zack called in a different direction.

"Billy! Trini! We're here!" Kim called out.

"Help us!"

"Please we're over here!"

"Wait a second, that's not Billy or Trini," Jason thought out loud, "That's got to be the Sphinx's other victims!" The Red Tyranno Ranger followed the sound of the nearest voice to one of the trees in the forest. He circled it a couple of times, but saw no footprints or any signs anyone's been there.

"Help me!" Jason put the side of his head to the tree.

"I'm here!"

"Guys! The trees! The King Sphinx's victims. He turned them into trees!" Jason called out to his comrades.

"What! You're kidding me," Zack said in surprise backing off the tree he was leaning on.

"Afraid not Zack. I'm right next to you."

"Billy?" the Black Mammoth Ranger turned to the tree he was just on.

"Yeah it's me. Trini should be here somewhere too."

"I found her!" Kim called out, pointing at another tree.

"Thank God," Trini replied, "I was really worried you wouldn't be able to hear us. I feel half dead." Then they all heard sinister laughter slightly above them. The King Sphinx was in his human form, resting on one of the branches.

"You've done well to make it this far and to figure out what I did with the children and your friends Rangers! Yes they've all been turned to trees and I planted them right here in this already existing forest. Hiding them in plain sight as it was. And don't worry, they're all still alive…for now," he gestured with his staff at a sign posted on one of the trees.

Coming Soon: Angel Grove Country Club Golf Course!

"Won't it be ironic that the adults of this town will cut down their own children so that they themselves can have a playground of their own?" he grinned evilly.

"Get him!" Jason ordered. As the three Rangers charged towards King Sphinx, he disappeared and when the Rangers looked around they saw him sitting on an old stump.

"Looks like I'll have to turn you into trees so you can join your friends for the deforestation!"

"Not if we can take you down first," Zack replied, but the monster was quick to teleport once again.

"Looks like it's time for you to play in my 'Ultra Riddle Contest.' But what's a show without a stage or audience!" The King Sphinx widened his arms and he along with the Rangers were all teleported at once to the stage of an amphitheatre. Squatt and Baboo teleported into the stands to watch the show.

"Oooh I've been waiting for this all day!" Squatt cheered out.

"Hurry up and start!" Baboo ordered.

"Calm down you two. I've already got someone in mind," the King Sphinx replied, pointing at the Pink Pterodactyl Ranger, "You're my first contestant!"

"Get out of here before you hear his question!" Jason said, thinking quickly.

"No way. He's hurt our friends and the children. I'm not taking this lying down!" Kimberly replied rushing at the monster.

"Kim wait!" the Red Tyranno Ranger went to aid his friend but a squad of Putties teleported in and rushed him and Zack, taking both Rangers by surprise. Kimberly leapt in the air attempted to land a powerful kick on her target, but once again he teleported away. Kimberly tumbled safely to the ground and was soon on her feet again.

"Where'd you go?" she demanded.

"Up here!" he waved from the stands as another squad of Putties appeared around him. Kimberly moved towards them and two of the enemy soldiers attacked her, but she defeated them both with ease.

"You're pretty good, but your teamwork is suffering for going solo," the King Sphinx commented, pointing to where the other two Rangers were struggling with their own opponents, "Now for your riddle: I am red when I am born, orange when I am alive and then black when I am dead. What am I?"

"What the heck kind of question is that?" Kimberly replied, momentarily distracted, but when the next Putty came at her she regained her senses enough to fight it off.

"Hurry! Answer him or he'll turn you into a tree too!" Jason called to her as he had a Putty in an arm lock.

"I don't know the answer!" Kim said as she tripped another Putty

"Then guess!" Jason said in desperation.

"A fruit!" Kimberly replied desperately.

"Sorry you've answered wrong," the King Sphinx assumed its true form and blew powerful gusts at the Pink Ptera ranger, "The answer was 'a match,'" he said as she was blown away, demorphing as she fell into the forest, becoming a tree like the other victims.

"NO!" Jason called out in horror.

"You'll have your chance, but first," The King Sphinx assumed its human form once again, pointing at Zack, "Your turn!" he said cheerfully, sitting down in between Squatt and Baboo.

"Bring it on punk!" Zack said as he was holding a Putty by its head with only one hand, the clay minion struggling to get free.

"What besides your hands do you use to solve a riddle?"

"That's easy…your head!" the Black Mammoth Ranger said as he flipped his opponent on the ground knocking it out.

"Oh wow, you're good," Squatt said in surprise.

"Much smarter than your other friend," Baboo mocked. Zack rushed towards them as the Sphinx continued.

"What is more useful when held above you than beside you?" he asked.

"That's a tough one," Jason muttered fighting off another horde of Putties.

"Yeah…" Zack said, reaching the stands he attempts to attack the King Sphinx but he teleported away and the Black Mammoth Ranger accidentally hit Squatt and Baboo, "Wait I got it! An umbrella!" Zack answered.

"Correct!..but unfortunately not within the time limit!" The King Sphinx replied from the stage area. It assumed its monstrous form and blew gusts of wind over and over until the Black Mammoth Ranger was sent flying and shared the fate of his other three comrades.

"Now it's just you," The King Sphinx turned his attention to Jason who battled and knocked down two darker colored putties. It looked like they were finally staying down.

"Ocean is to continent as lake is to what?" the Sphinx asked.

"Great…SAT style question…island!" Jason replied, taking down the last of the Putties.

"Correct! Next question: I am in an orchestra. If a lightning bolt were to hit, I will most probably get hit by it. Who Am I?"

"Wow…let me think…the conductor!" Jason replied, not bothering to charge because he knew the monster would teleport.

"Very well done!" The King Sphinx applauded, "Question three: You can see me yet I am transparent. You can feel me but can't hold me. I take shape of what I am placed in. What am I?"

"Water!" Jason replied, "Good thing Billy's been tutoring me in science lately," he muttered under his breath.

"He's a lot smarter than most muscle heads!" Squatt said.

"Use something tougher!" Baboo insisted.

"Okay here is the toughest riddle I know. In the whole of the universe there is one constant. What is it?"

"That's easy. Justice! No matter what, justice will always prevail!" Jason replied.

"Wrong! Evil is the true constant in the universe and will always triumph!" The Sphinx replied.

"Then come over here and prove it!" Jason challenged.

"As you wish!" The Sphinx assumed its true form and pointed its staff at the Red Tyranno Ranger, shooting fireballs at the hero, but he leapt in the air to dodge the attack.

"Power Sword!" his summoned weapon instantly appeared in his hands as he came down with a powerful slash to the King Sphinx's chest. The evil creature swung back with his staff but Jason ducked and rolled under the counterattack. Jason got back to his feet, but King Sphinx turned around and struck the Red Tyranno Ranger on the chest, forcing him back. Then they slashed at each other's shoulders with their weapons, causing sparks to fly as they both were forced away from each other. They rushed in again, their weapons connecting with each other as they jumped up to the top of the stage. The two warriors struggled pressing their weapons against each other, then King Sphinx teleported both of them to a wasteland, but it seemed the monster's aim was off as both combatants were tumbling down a steep hill of loose gravel. After they landed on solid ground, they got back up and started clashing once again, weapon to weapon. The King Sphinx got a hit on Jason's chest but he countered with a powerful kick and slash of his own. The monster struck the hero with his staff knocking him to the ground. As the evil creature swung down towards the Red Tyranno Ranger's head with his staff, he held his sword's handle and blade end defensively, blocking the attack. However the King Sphinx pressed down, determined to break him, but Jason saw an opening and kicked high, hitting the monster in the head, knocking him back. The Red Tyranno Ranger got back on his feet and prepared to continue the battle.

XXX

Back at Bandora Palace, the evil witch was looking through her telescope on the scene below "There's only one Ranger left. My monster can finish this easily," she said grabbing her staff, "Evil sprits that sleep beneath the earth. Grant your strength to my King Sphinx!" she chanted as she tossed her staff towards Earth. It impaled itself upon the ground before red lightning surged and a chasm opened up, the deep fire within sending a mysterious smoke that engulfed the monster, causing it to grow to the size of a skyscraper. The King Sphinx looked down on the earth below him and the Ranger that dared to defy him.

"Evil will triumph as I said!" Then the beast marched towards Jason, attempting to squash the Ranger beneath his feet.

"Tyrannosaurus Dinozord!" The Red Tyranno Ranger summoned. Another chasm opened up and the great robotic beast emerged to its ally's call.

"Let's do this!" Jason said. But before he could leap to the cockpit of his Dinozord, energy beams shot out from its eyes at the Ranger himself, causing him to demorph instantly and disappear, his cry of surprise and betrayal unheard to the barren area.

(A/N: Well that's it for this chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it. I know it's a heck of a shocker ending, but things will start to make sense in the next chapter I promise. As always reviews are very welcome.)

(A/N 2: Elements of Zyuranger: pretty much this whole chapter was straight from the Japanese source, the only things I changed were some of the riddles.)