Chapter 14: Princess Princess

I just got back into my guy form. If I'd stayed a girl I'd be ready to fight. More importantly I'd be able to run.

"Ryan, stay with me!" Scott yells over the screams. Everyone else runs to the emergency exits as the anemobots flood in through the front. An alarm rings and Scott pulls me into his arms. "You can't get out of here at the moment, too many people," he says gently. I just need to get away from him and I can morph. Then again maybe I could stay here for a while...

"I can get him out of here." Summer once again comes to my rescue. 

"I already left him alone once." He picks me up in a princess carry. Again. Why is he doing this now? Why as Ryan? "Can you keep the anemobots off us and I'll be back?"

"I can get out on my own, Scott." I need him to put me down before I start blushing. As Filia I'm strong enough to look at the anemobots, and even fight them. I just need to morph!

"Sorry but please let me get you out of here. I need you to know you're okay." Why is he so worried about me? I'm a guy. A boring one at that. Why does he keep trying to protect me? "Focus on evacuating everyone! I'll be back soon." He shouts to the others as he runs me to the emergency exit. 

Everytime his feet hit the ground my body jolts. I can tell he's trying his best to be gentle but it's uncomfortable especially considering I have to throw my arms around him to feel secure. He pushes and jostles his way through the crowd as I try to focus on him.  Why is a guy like him helping me? Before we were both kinda outsiders he was a strong girl and I was a weak guy. It made sense for us to stick together. And Filia, at least she looks worthy of a guy like him. As I am, I'm not really worth hanging out with. 

He sits me down on the grass outside. My thinking and staring has made everything fly by.

"Stay here. I'll help everyone evacuate and be back out." He flashes a weak smile and runs back in. I need to get back in there and help them.  As soon as he's out of my sight, I run past the rest of the evacuated patrons and down the side of the building.

"Galah Power help me!" I shout. I don't pay attention to the transformation this time. I have better things to do. I run to the front of the Youth Center, I need to help the others. 

"Ahhh. Hello, Princess," I jump. There's someone behind me. I turn to face them but there's nothing there.

I look back and… puff. A cloud of sparkling glitter clouds my vision. The smoke clears and red shell with many eyes stares at me as my body goes limp.

-----

"Good job, Wizzo."

My eyes blink open. I'm still in my ranger uniform? What happened? Where am I?

"I live to serve."

My lower half is slung over a shoulder. Who's shoulder? What's going on?

"This one thinks she's a boy. A lot of weird gender nonsense with these creatures."

My brain isn't working. My eyes blink closed. 

"What would you like me to do with her, Sire?"

"Put her in the tower."

Where am I? Sire. Thinks she's a boy.

"Yes, Sire."

----

Light streams through a huge arched window next to my bed. Well it’s not my bed. A bed. A really soft bed. Was that all a nightmare? I mean this place isn’t familiar but it’s too nice to be a dungeon or prison cell. The walls are a pretty pastel pink and the furniture matches, mainly being white and pastel colours. If they kidnapped me, why is this room so nice? Why is there a comfortable bed? Where is this place? Maybe I’m dreaming. That has to be it. There are tips to check if you are in a dream right? Like reading is hard? I need to try.

I run over to the bookshelf and pull a random book off the shelf. Plain as day the cover reads 'Smooth Smoothies for the Health Enthusiast.' So I’ve been abducted by fish aliens. Fish aliens with a seemingly endless supply of my biggest fear. Fish aliens that could seriously hurt or even kill me and I don’t know where I am. I need to look out the arched window. Maybe there will be some clues there. 

Wherever I am is way taller than anything else in town. Like way taller. On the brightside that means I’m still in town. I can see the beaches and the huge sandstone islands that populate our beach. Heck, I think I can see my house. If I had to hazard a guess as to where this place is, it's probably near the Youth Center. It’s too tall to be any of the buildings I know though. The glass seems sturdy and there isn’t any way I can see to open it. I’m not sure I could climb out even if the windows could be opened. 

That leaves the door as the only viable escape route. I have the power of a superhero and the door looks like it’s made of wood. I can probably just break it. What is it that Scott showed us about breaking boards? Line up a strike and try to get it in the center? Maybe it’s time to try it. Deep breaths. Come on Filia, you can do this. You are a superhero. In and out. And slam. 

Stings of pain ring out from my hand. That’s not normal wood. What is this thing made out of?

Angrily, I pound against the door. If I can’t break it in one strike why not try something more intense. The bars on the door won't bend. Screw it. If it won't let me out I'll make a noise. The others will come for me right? I mean they have to. I look through the bars of the door. A stone work staircase. What is this place?

After five minutes of making a ruckus, someone finally starts coming up the stairs. Hopefully I’ll be able to at least get some information. I peek through the bars and see a shark looking creature. He can't be much taller than me, but my god is he wider, his skin is a dark grey and he has rows of razor sharp teeth. On his head sit two goggles with a very wide bridge. In his arms is a neatly folded wad of pink fabric. 

"Calm down, Princess," his voice is a gruff growl. He's obviously one of Loch's minions. Is he mocking me? 

He opens the door and scooches himself inside. I'm going to die here. He's going to eat me. Well I'm not going down without a fight. I'm still suited. I reach for my morpher to try and maybe call my mech. Yeah. I can do that. Except there is no morpher. I can’t even turn into a guy. I assume my fighters stance regardless.

"Who are you?" I scream. My voice is shrill and girlish. I'm not even going to die as a man! This is just my freaking luck. 

"Name's Fins. You don't like anemobots, right, princess?" The sharkman in front of me doesn't even blink. Am I that weak that he doesn't even see me as a threat? “Now, now I ain’t gonna hurt the bait.”

"Why are you calling me that?"

"Wizzo's orders. I decided to drop these off personally instead of getting a bot to do it. Be grateful." 

"What?"

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"New monster the boss cooked up, fancies himself a wizard. He built this place out of your youth center. Boss made him using some old stories from your planet?" This is the youth center. What the hell kind of creature is this thing? The sharkman pushes a folded pile of fluffy pink fabric into my arms. "Now change into this before the wizard floods this place with Anemobots." They want me to change? In this place?

"What are you going to do to me?"

"Nothin yet. You're just the bait. If you stay put and change you won't even have to fight." He winks, or at least I think he did. Eyes on either side of his head. Hard to see. "Just get changed. I'll leave you to it, Princess."

Fins leaves. The bars on the door disappear as he closes it, replaced with more wood. Is this to ensure my privacy? Or to keep me locked in. Either way maybe I should look at the clothes. At least to stave off the anemobots. As much as I'd love to break out and kick ass, I'm alone.

I'm holding a princess dress. A gorgeous princess dress, made out of ridiculously soft material. And a petticoat to fluff it out. Where did they get this? Do they really expect me to wear this? The pastel pink, the ribbons, the frills and the flowiness remind me of a movie Scott's mum put on when we were little. Which we both pretended to hate. That's a memory that needs to get back in the depths of my consciousness and never resurface. There are even gloves on this thing and a tiara. This is a whole… No, no, I'm wearing this because I'm being forced. If Dad saw me like this, what would he say? Time to man up, escape and then take this thing off. Becoming a princess is too far. Liking Scott is fine, but I am not going to become Cinderella.

I'm starting to get tired of girls' clothes being so damn comfortable. Sure the dress was a little more restrictive than my suit but I think the biggest issue is the exhaustion of morphing thrice. I should break out before I get used to it. 

Punching the door didn't work, kicking it would probably just hurt. Maybe I should just...

The door knob turns without any issue. It's unlocked. Fins must have forgotten to lock it. Luck is on my side for once!

I run down the unguarded steps of the tower. They are keeping a literal superhero here and they didn't even leave a guard. I should be offended! Did they think I'd just sit there?

I reach a large empty hall filled with doors.  Is this really the youth center? I tap the stone floor with my heel, expecting the rock to absorb the noise, instead it sounds like knocking on wood. Interesting. An illusion maybe? Was any of it real?

Two voices bicker behind one of closed wooden doors. Were these the same doors that were usually in the youth center? Hopefully they don't mind a bit of eavesdropping.

"Dysphorus is a lost cause. He'd want us to protect his empire, not fight with children." The gruff voice from earlier argues. Fins sounds sick. Should I run? Or try kick their ass?

"How would you know?" The villain whines. "His army needs him! He can crush the rebellions when he's back!" 

"He's been dormant for six years, Loch."

"Maybe we can use the power of the rangers to bring him back."

"It's hardly worth dealing with humans. Abandon this whole base idea and let’s get off this planet.”

“No! Fins I’m starting to question your loyalty. If you don’t want to be turned into what humans call flake, bring down the anemone tank at once.”

“But--”

“Go!”

They are trying to bring back Dysphorus. I need to get out of here. Heavy footsteps get closer. Fins. I bolt for it

The hallway only has a couple of extra doors. Running to the nearest one I climb inside and slam it behind me. I'm not getting caught. Not yet.

"Oh hello, Princess." The shrill voice of the wizard sends goosebumps up my body as he turns to look at me.

The wizard's face is a mask. Like one of those masks that represent theater. Behind it are shiny black eyes, and hairs where teeth should be. A beard is stuck to his face at least i assume it is unless there are some screwed up hair follicles under it. It's wearing purple wizard robes like the only wizards it's ever seen come from tv adverts and old movies. It's movements are jaggedy and stilted.

"Um, hi." Smooth Fi.

"Now how did you get out?" There wasn't a hint of urgency in his voice, just a twisted curiosity. On a desk that definitely belongs to Ernie, I catch a glimpse of machined metal. My morpher. 

"I'll never tell you!"  The wizard brews something in an old timey cauldron. It bubbles and smells repulsive. Like gym socks and changing rooms. 

"My, my, princess, that is no way to treat the court wizard!" It's voice sounds like a facsimile of human speech, it's hollow. The wizard looks up and pulls the ladle out of the pot.

"What the hell are you talking about?" The ladle is filled with gross liquid and the creature creeps closer, it's body hovering off the ground.

"I'm the court wizard, I work for the king and you, my dear, are the princess." A claw clamps down on my arm. Damn it. Where are the others?

"Let me go!"

"I can't do that. King's orders." This thing is nuts. 

"What are you going to do to me, Wizard?" 

"I'm making more sleep powder. Would you like to test it." My vision is clouded by a puff of dust. 

"No!" I need to fight this. My eyelids are heavy, my body starts to feel warm, I can't give in. I can't let them knock me out again.

I tear it's claws off my arms with a snap and crunch. Destroying his carapace with my hands and snapping his ligaments with a tug. The creature screams in pain. I wish I had a little bit of time to admire my handiwork, but with the drowsiness setting in, my morpher is more important.

"The princess has escaped!" The monster roars. It's voice filling the castle. I hit the desk with a thunk. Moving is becoming too much. I just need my morpher. The metal burns my skin but leaves no mark. The monster is still looking at its crushed claw. 

No pockets in a dress like this. I slide it under my cuffed sleeve as the burning begins to subside. I stumble out of the room and am instantly caught by a man in knight's armour.

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