The Hellhound's Return

Koragg's Trial

"I hate Sundays. I am not supposed to be working today. It's my day off!" Nick whined, dipping a paint brush into a tub of red and splattering against the wall. He, and the others, had been roped into painting the outside of the Rock Porium in hopes of drawing in more customers.

"And you're filling in for Xander, just as he'd fill in for you if you had a cold," Maddie said, picking up a second tub of paint and a brush.

Kali snorted as she looped her leg through the top of a ladder and sat down. "Yeah, I somehow doubt that," she said, reaching up and slapping a thick layer of yellow paint onto the wall. It dribbled downwards, merging with a section of already wet blue paint.

"Hey, Chip?" Vida asked, setting a box of supplies down on a nearby table.

Chip turned, smacking a brush full of green paint against Vida's cheek. His eyes widened and his face drained of all it's colour. "Hey, hey, I-I-" he stammered as Vida picked up a roller, and rolled orange paint over his face and chest.

Maddie giggled.

"Guys, come on," Nick called, taking charge. "With Xander sick we don't have time to mess around."

Kali bit the inside of her cheek as she glanced down at her friends. Vida and Chip had shared a look, dipped their respective brush and roller into more paint, and turned to their leader.

"Hey, Nick..." Chip called.

Nick turned and his eyed widened. "No, wait, come on," he pleaded, as three out of four of his friends attacked him, forcing him up against the wall and covering him with three colours of paint.

Kali snickered until she felt the ladder quiver and she toppled sideways. She landed on a painting table, causing it to split under her weight and the paint supplies to crash down around her, covering her from head to toe in paint splotches.

"That's what you get for laughing!" Nick declared as he grinned in amusement.

"This is almost as bad as the cold shower!" Kali said, sitting up and shaking her head. She splattered paint all over the floor, and glared at Nick.

Nick gulped at the wicked gleam in his best friend's eye. "Wait, Kali, come on. Be reasonable," he pleaded.

"Reasonable?" Kali repeated, pointing at her paint soaked hair and clothes. "Was this reasonable?"

Nick stammered for an apology.

"I didn't think so," said Kali, picking up a bucket of black paint by the handle. She held it firmly at the top and bottom and then threw the whole thing at her friends. The four spluttered as the paint got everywhere.

Chip shook his head and turned to Kali. "What did we do?" he asked.

"Collateral damage," said Kali. "Besides, you started the paint fight."

~X~

The paint fight had continued for a little while, at least until Nick pulled away from the group, clutching his head and grunting in pain. Kali noticed first and stilled the others by holding up her hand. Once Nick had recovered, he had filled the others in on Koragg's message and the team headed off to the beach.

They morphed before reaching their destination, but Koragg wasn't there when they arrived.

"I don't see him," said Nick, looking around.

"He's here," said Kali, as the familiar shiver run down her spine.

"Come on, Koragg!" Nick called.

A dark seal appeared over the raging waters and the wolf warrior burst out, landing on the rocks to the left of the Rangers.

"Only five? It will have to do," said Koragg, looking from each Ranger to the next.