518/Monsters and Candy Don't Mix

Monsters and Candy Don't Mix
Date of Scene:	30 August 2014
Location:	The Eastern Valley
Synopsis:	A village in the Eastern Valley is harvesting their crop of gumdrops (which are literally gumdrops) when a very hungry Spiran fiend decides to crash the party.
Cast of Characters:	236, Ziggy Grover

---

Auron (236) has posed:
    The Eastern Valley is a peaceful part of the usually chaotic place that is the Multiverse. This town in particular is happy -- they're just bringing in their harvest today. What are they harvesting? Oddly? Gumdrops. Yes, /gumdrops/. This is their yearly crop of gumdrops. So there's a LOT of them, of all different colors and flavors. The air is thick with the sticky scent of sugar.

    It might be notable that there's a strange phenomenon in the air here. The wind seems to be carrying tiny motes of light with watery contrails. The motes make a soft wailing noise. Though it doesn't appear to be natural, either, since the townspeople seem quite confused about it. Though a few children are chasing the lights and attempting to catch them. Those who do quickly let go -- they're /freezing cold/!

Ziggy Grover has posed:
The little mini-tour of various Union allied places carries on, as Ziggy goes about gathering information of various places for Doctor K. The magic realms, in particular, were, to put it mildly, 'fascinating'.

Currently huddled up in his leather jacket, shivering a bit, hands tucked underneath his armpits, Ziggy just looks around. "This place is a -candy wonderland-, Doc...!" he comments, teeth chattering.

"Ranger Series Operator Green, would you please move your hand from underneath your arm pit? I have no desire to see a closeup of your secondary sexual characteristics," Doctor K's voice crackles from Ziggy's rev morpher communicator. "I note you are cold. From what I can tell, you should be able to morph. The suit's insulation properties should work fine."

"Oh, the spandex'll he--- I didn't mean to say..."

"IT IS NOT SPANDEX!"

"The fabric'll help." Bringing his left hand up in front of him in a pose, Ziggy flexes. "RPM! GET IN GEAR!"

The resulting explosion behind him -may- have tossed a poor innocent bunny up in the air, but it's unharmed, really! No animals were harmed in any morph, ever. The same cannot be said of grinders or soldiers...

Tapping his helmet, Ranger Green looks about. "Much better," he says. "So... they -grow- gumdrops here. It looks like a childhood drawing, only real..."

Auron (236) has posed:
    The field has been partitioned off for different flavors to be grown in different sections. Perhaps to keep them from mixing flavors. "That's right!" one of the villagers harvesting them says. It's probably quite hilarious, but the flavors seem to grow similarly to their real-life fruit counterparts. As the harvester points out. Pointing to some green and purple ones growing in bunches on vines, "There are the grape drops." Then to the pink and light red colored drops growing like strawberry bushes, "Strawberry drops." Darker red growing in bunches on small trees, "Cherry drops." Orange-colored ones growing on larger trees, "And orange drops. We grow more kinds but those are our main crop."

    As the villager explains, the motes of light become thicker in the air. It's actually starting to get creepy. And there's a growing feeling in the air, one of being watched. Figment sounds soon follow, soft grunts and hisses with no apparent source. And it doesn't take long before the children are being herded inside buildings. The very air seems to hold its breath. It feels like something's about to happen...

Ziggy Grover has posed:
The handy thing about the suit was...

"Look, Doc, I can pick up the gumdrops without frostbite now," Ranger Green exclaims, grabbing at different flavors with his white gloves, going from segregated area to segregated area. "Thank you," he calls out to the villager explaining things. "But how do -sugar- end up shaped like these on trees and plants in the first place?" Pulling his helmet off, Ziggy tucks it under an arm and gives it a shot, taking a bite. "Aaaa, it tastes -real-. AND COLD. Well, not like... Doc? You're quiet, what are you seeing there?"

"A burst of glucose breakdown in your system, as normal. It seems that you've just inhaled refined sugar. I don't know -how- a plant is doing that. Bring back some for analysis."

"You just want to eat some, don't you, Doc?"

There is no response, and Ziggy grins as he pops a few more drops into his mouth, before the lights multiply. "Uh... what's going on here?" Ziggy asks, eyes widening as he puts his helmet back on.

Auron (236) has posed:
    "I... I don't know. This has never happened before," the villager replies, looking around in surprise. Then suggests, "Maybe something went wrong with the crop this year?"

    Another harvester pipes up, "You think the crop's bad? Oh man, I hope not. If we can't sell these things there's no way we're going to break even this year..."

    Suddenly the motes coalesce, gathering into a mass. The mass takes horrible shape. And then a monstrous, ape-like creature appears in the motes of light. Even hunched over, the creature still stands about nine feet tall. Its arms are literally twice its height, and end in giant, three-fingered hands with a raptor's grabbing claws. It stands on two legs that are scaled like a bird's (like its hands, too) but are digitigrade and end in three sharp black claws.

    The creature roars and charges into the gumdrop patch, using its long arms and giant hands to forcefully swat away anyone in its range. It doesn't seem to be concerned with the people for now, choosing instead to focus on the gumdrops. For /now/.

Ziggy Grover has posed:
"Uh... what -is- that thing?" Ranger Green asks, eyes widened behind his black visor. "How am I supposed to fight something like -that-? It's all ARMS and HANDS!"

"Blaster, then axe," Dr. K coolly responds. "Don't let it grab you..."

"I wasn't asking -you-, Doc! I was asking the natives! Because, you know, maybe they know what this thing is...! Oh... just yell at me, I've got to stop that thing before it starts eating... wow, that's a hell of a mouthful, it's a wonder it hasn't frozen its tongue to a tree yet. I mean, it's got to be like licking a lamp post..."

"I take it from the way you speak," Doctor K asks archily, "that it's not an experience unwholy unfamiliar to you?"

There was no response as Ranger Green fires off a shot with his blaster, before converting it into an axe, and charging in!

Auron (236) has posed:
    The natives? What natives? As soon as that thing appeared the people here scattered, making for the closest reinforced building. Thankfully the monster seems content to munch on the crop for now. That is, until Ziggy shoots at the thing with a laser, and then darts at with the an axe! The laster gets the beast's attention, and it roars angrily, turning to see what could possibly have hurt it! And what it sees Ziggy, it starts to flail its arms wildly, massive hands balled into fists and swinging at the Power Ranger.

Ziggy Grover has posed:
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hands to yourself, buddy!" Ranger Green exclaims, as he does his best to jump, evade, and...

"AAAGGH!"

Sparks fly as Ziggy is knocked backwards, twisting in mid-air as somehow an explosion occurs behind him, apparently a backlash from the morphing field backfiring through his suit due to the tremendous blow impacting on him.

Landing on the ground, Ziggy raises his back for a moment, then slumps. "Ooooooowwww." Clutching a hand to his chest, the axe somehow remaining firmly in his hand, Ziggy staggers up. "What is -that- thing, Doc?"

"It appears to have possessed the souls of pyreflies. You're confronting a fiend of some sort, according to the Spiran records," Dr. K responds. "You may want to retreat."

"No way, Doc... these people haven't got anyone else right now. By the time we get back with help, they'll have lost their crop."

Bringing his arm up with the axe, Ziggy says, "So I'll just have to do my best!" HIYAIIIII!

And Ranger Green goes back to brandishing the axe, slashing here and there whenever a hand grabs at him.

Auron (236) has posed:
    Ziggy's axe appears to be working! In fact, it's one of the only things that appears to be able to penetrate the armored scales on the thing's hands and arms. Lasers appear to bounce off harmlessly. Those scales are REALLY strong. The creature staggers back, as if injured... but then pounds its hands on the ground and roars, both its tongues flailing in its large, open mouth. Uhoh. Looks like it's REALLY mad now!

    Fortunately it looks like Ziggy won't have to face this one alone. From the direction of the warpgate there's a sound. An engine? Sure enough, a personal transport comes into view not too much longer, with a man atop it. It's a man in a red coat, gray breastplate, gray pants, and heavy boots. A single-edged zweihander is strapped across his back.

    Here's something interesting: if anyone's scanning the approaching man, he has the same basic energy patterns as the monster. Not as in, he and the monster are the same stuff. But their basic energy readings are similar. That in mind, it's very likely that this man is probably Spiran.

    He quickly brings the transport to a stop, far enough away that the battle won't destroy it, and then dismounts, heading over quickly to where the fight is happening. The first thing he asks is, "Are you all right?"

Ziggy Grover has posed:
That Ranger Green was basically flailing with axe wildly rather than with measured strokes, it was fairly apparent that the person in the suit was just not a trained fighter. Still, at least he was making contact, and getting a bead on -when- to swing (i.e. every time that thing just brought its down!)

"Doc! It's breathing on me and it smells like -gumdrops-!"

"That was what it was eating, Ranger Green. Stay focused."

"I'm trying! It's trying to do a ground and pound! I'm going to end up being a shark scallopine at this rate!"

The arrival, on the other hand, is greeted with a welcome "Thanks! Do I look all right to you? I'm still alive, that's what matters! How do I get near this thing to hit it on the head?"

Auron (236) has posed:
    Auron pauses, looks to Ziggy. He can't really tell if the other fellow's all right or not, given the outfit and helmet. But nobody's 'all right' trying to solo one of these things! As for the question? "You don't. Its head is armored too. Its underside isn't. We need to knock it over. Its legs are too small for it to get up immediately, and it'll be vulnerable until it gets back up." Given the use of the word 'we', it appears that he intends to help. And if there was any doubt? "I'll try and crack the armor on its hands. See if you can knock it onto its back while it's distracted."

    That said, he pulls that one-edged sword from his back and releases his left arm from his coat with a shrug. He pauses to concentrate, and then darts at the beast. An odd yellow gleam slides down his blade as he swings. Auron is slow enough that his swing is anticipated by the monster, and it brings its armored hands down to block.

    This turns out to be a bad idea. When his blade impacts, a small explosion happens on the armored hands, and cracks begin to show where it hit. Not only that but the thing is flailing its arms now, looking much like a person shaking their hands over their heads when burnt. However, this also leaves it unprotected. Ziggy can probably just rush in and flip it over while it's like that. If he hurries!

Ziggy Grover has posed:
"Flip it over...? What is it, a -crab-?" Ranger Green incredulously asks, hands down at his hips in a 'what, are you KIDDING me?' gesture, before he brings his hands back up to clasps the shaft of his axe. "Well then..." Um, how was he supposed to...? OH.

Running, Ranger Green leapfrogs Auron quickly, keeps running, and dives underneath the fiend. And then he -stands up-, with arms above him, using the axe as leverage. RANGER TWO-HANDED POWER POSE!

Cue dramatic music as the fiend flips through the air...!

Auron (236) has posed:
    Dramatic music! Slow-motion! Explosions in the backgro -- no wait, this isn't Bayverse Fantasy! Either way, the fiend flips in the air! Being topheavy, as it comes down, its top side is attracted towards the ground first. So when it falls, it's on its back. Its legs flail uselessly, and due to the fact that its arms are placed closer to its front than its sides, it can't quite get enough leverage to flip itself back over onto its feet! "Its underbelly is exposed. Attack now!" Auron directs.

Ziggy Grover has posed:
And ... there! It's flailing! Ranger Green does a total pose... before pointing at himself. "What, me?" Usually Ranger Red or Ranger Black got to do the DECISIVE FINAL BLOW. And Auron's dressed in -red and black-, which just gives Ranger Green cognitive discordance.

Oh well! Bringing the axe up, Ranger Green spins around, leaps into the air dramatically, and brings the axe down... into a flash of white slash-light!

Auron (236) has posed:
    Auron doesn't answer the question with anything verbal. He merely gives an affirmative grunt. Fortunately Ziggy's moment of hesitation doesn't give the thing enough time to get back up. A flash of white arcs through the sky as Ranger Green's axe cleaves into the beast's underbelly!

    However, the expected blood and viscera... just doesn't happen. The flesh parts neatly, like he'd cut into a particularly hard rubber eraser. The creature shrieks in agony, its flailing increasing for a moment. And then it seems to curl in on itself where it lays on the ground, limbs shuddering... and then falls lax, hands and feet falling to the ground, dual tongues lolling out.

    It's not through being weird, though. The body seems to turn into what looks for all the world like a white, three-dimensional shadow. Those motes of light begin to rise from the body, and as they make wailing trails through the air to parts unknown, the 'shadow' seems to lose cohesion. Until after a few moments, it's completely gone. The motes of light are gone, too, as is the weird feeling of being watched.

    Looking to Ziggy, Auron nods once, politely. "You did very well. Thank you," he offers quietly. A pause, and then an explanation, "That was a fiend. An Eater. Ever since Spira unified, fiends have been popping up at random intervals all across the Multiverse. I apologize that you were caught in the middle."

Ziggy Grover has posed:
Ranger Green wasn't exactly expecting blood and viscera anyway, a result of dealing with monsters that were mechanical in nature. Still, Doctor K was getting a lot of new information about spirits and pyreflies and Spira in general.

Rubbing the back of his helmet, Ranger Green noddnods, his axe returned to blaster form at his side. "It was absolutely no problem, citizen! The Power Rangers... er, Ranger Green thank you for your assistance! You, um... you're the Ranger Red or... Black... for this universe?"

Auron (236) has posed:
    Auron raises the brow of his remaining eye at the question. 'Ranger'? It's a word he's heard before, but he's never seen a ranger dressed like... well, like that before. Most of the ones he's seen have been in military fatigues, or wear a cowboy hat. And that's obviously not a military uniform.

    Notably he takes a moment to answer the question, and when he does, it's somewhat hesitant. "...I'm not known by color." He kind of is, but it's the coat and the style he wears it he's known for, not so much its color. "Not of this place, no. And not anymore." Pause. He tries to keep new people to the Multiverse from freaking out during their acclimation period -- and Ziggy is relatively new, as far as he knows, though Auron's heard his voice on the radio before -- so he's going to try to use that terminology.

    "'Ranger' is your rank? You are a protector of your world?" He nods. "I was once the..." Long pause. "...Guardian... Ranger... of my world." Did he really say that? Well, it's appropriate; he did end up with legendary status. Somehow. "I no longer hold the rank, though I do still protect my world."

Ziggy Grover has posed:
"Oh. Well, the Power Rangers... kind of is a rank, I suppose, though we go more by numbers. I don't know why. It's like... "Ranger Series Operator Green', for me. Though others are 'Ranger Series Operator Black' or 'Red'... just easier to call us Ranger Green, Black, whatever." Pushing a button on his morpher, Ranger Green de-razzes into his leather-jacketed form, a rather skinny-looking fellow with wild hair. "Ziggy Grover. It's a pleasure to meet a Guardian Ranger, then. Guess a ranger by any other name is still a ranger?"

Auron (236) has posed:
    Auron says nothing to the explanation, but he did hear it. He was looking right at Ziggy, so he had to have. "We don't use the word 'Ranger'. We call them Guardians," he notes. A pause as Ziggy introduces himself. He offers a polite nod of his head, his remaining eye closing for a moment. He looks back up, offering in response, "Auron. Good to meet you finally." Not only has he mellowed out quite a bit since his tenure as an Unsent, but he's also learned a little about small talk.

Ziggy Grover has posed:
"Right. Guardians, that's good. I like that." Hmmmm. Ziggy considers that, as he lifts the arm with the morpher in front of him. "POWER... GUARDIANS!" Hmmm. Nope. Lifting the arm again, Ziggy tries a different tone: "GUARDIAN POWER! Hey.. that actually has possibilities. Maybe if Doctor K wants to make new suits..."

"Ranger Series Operator Green, I think you've talked enough. Kindly stick to making acquaintances with Auron," the voice crackles from Ziggy's communicator attached to the morpher.

"Oh, right. Um, you're not much of a talker, right? I can't see your mouth, and usually people who cover their mouths don't seem like they're willing to talk. I mean, like Doctor K here, she's a girl of few words. Pretty hard when she's our..." Here Ziggy does air quotes. "'mentor'."

There is an audible -click-, followed by a blink from Ziggy. "Doc? Doc? Wait, you're going to leave me out here without the suit? It's getting cold... Doc?"

Auron (236) has posed:
    Auron listens to the conversation and remains quiet. Which probably is not a surprise. "Likely not, given that response. Or lack thereof," he notes, raising the brow of that eye sharply. Bit of Guardian Snark there! It's not scathing; it's merely a gentle prod. He didn't quite get to introduce himself to Dr. K, but between Ziggy and her, he got the idea she knows who he is now.

    Anyway, the subject of the temperature comes up. Though Ziggy's complaint makes him chuckle a little. "With the crop safe, and you being the one responsible, I don't think the people here would object to letting you warm up inside," he suggests. In fact... he looks towards the collection of houses, and people are poking their heads out to see. Aside from some damaged gumdrop plants, there's even no trace of the monster to pick up! That's sure to make them happy.

Ziggy Grover has posed:
Taking a deep sigh, his shoulders slumped down, Ziggy looks back at Auron, then at the houses. He perks up, then. "Oh, right, right. Hey we saved their crops. That's important." Lifting a hand, Ziggy waves. "Come on, Auron, let's get warmed up. And then I've got to find a way back home. Although..."

Ziggy looks back up at Auron with wide eyes. "Think they'd let me take some gumdrops home? I think I'm going to need them."