Children of the Dragon
By Shadow Ranger
By Shadow Ranger
Power Chamber,
Seconds Earlier.
"Return the Dragon Blade to me or Tommy will die!" Lord Nore told the stunned Rangers.
Not only was the Red Zeo Ranger lying on the floor, his chest punctured by an arrow dipped in poison, but Nore had somehow managed to teleport into the Power Chamber. In a flash of light Nore was gone and all hell broke loose.
"Tommy!" Kat, Kimberly and Jason cried.
"Alpha, secure the Power Chamber!" Billy shouted.
David was already at his brother's side with Samoht. "White Ranger Power!" He placed his hands on either side of Tommy's head and concentrated on trying to heal the fallen leader of the Zeo team. "It's not working," he said.
"Everybody calm down!" Zack shouted.
Rangers and Morphin Masters stopped to regard the Black Ranger, so often underrated, but suddenly one of the few Rangers in control.
"Alpha teleport anyone who is not a Morphin Master, family member of Red Ranger out of here. Send them to the Briefing Room," Zack continued.
Alpha did as he was told and soon only Jason, David, Samoht, Zack and Ninjor were left. Ninjor punched a few controls and a medical bed appeared in the Command Chamber. White Ranger moved back to his brother's head and tried again to heal him. Samoht morphed and started feeding energy to his white teammate.
Tommy's body glowed bright red as his friends tried to help him. His Zeonisers appeared on his wrists, the small crystal cracked from where the Red Zeo power poisoned Tommy's blood.
"Thalian!" Zack shouted. As the Master of the Mind Aspect appeared the Black Ranger continued: "Help them!"
Under the guidance of an Aspect Master, they were finally able to stabilize their friend. Then came the difficult part; examining the fallen Ranger's wound. White Ranger carefully ripped off his brother's T-shirt. Underneath they could see the arrow head poking through the flesh. A strange red web seemed to spread from the tip of the arrow. The webbing pulsed in time with Tommy's ragged breathing.
"The wound is closed and the bleeding has stopped," White Ranger said. "I can't stop the poison though."
"And you never will White Ranger," the Master said, appearing on the Viewing Screen.
"What do you want?" Zordon demanded.
"A trade Zordon. Nothing more, nothing less." The Master laughed as he savoured having his enemies' undivided attention. "I will cure Tommy of the Zeo Toxin in return for the Dragon Blade your Rangers stole from Lord Nore."
"We will need some time to think about this," Zordon said.
"You have an hour Zordon. In return I will add a stipulation. The Blade must be handed to me by the Children of the Dragon. All of them!"
"There are only four children and Tommy is ill."
"A small burst of Morphin energy will revive him," the Master said heartlessly, "For now. And there are five children on Earth. You will have to find them Zordon or Tommy will be destroyed by his former powers."
The Viewing Screen went blank and Zack took control again. He didn't like acting as leader. True he had filled in for Jason during the Green Ranger's initial rampage, but then there had only been four Rangers and all of them were in fairly good shape. Now there were more than ten Rangers, one of whom was unconscious and three who were useless while Tommy was hurt.
"Alpha, locate the others," Zack ordered.
"Billy, Trini and Adam are in the Weapon's Laboratory studying the Dragon Blade. Aisha is sitting with Kat and Kimberly, they've both calmed down and are discussing how Nore gained access. Samantha is showing Tanya around the TARDIS and the Doctor is fiddling with the console again. Trey is sparring with Rocky and Jason is waiting in the Briefing Room."
"He's not angry with me?" Zack asked.
"Zachary, you did what was in Tommy's best interests," Zordon said. "Had there been too many Rangers, David would not of been able to perform his task. You have shown a clear head under pressure. But now it is time to call the Rangers together."
"Right," Zack agreed. "Alpha, teleport all the Rangers to the Briefing Room. Zordon, give Tommy a blast of Morphin energy."
"And that's the whole story," Samoht told the assembled Rangers. "If we don't surrender the Dragon Blade, Tommy will die."
"I don't trust the Master," Jason said.
"Based on his past actions I doubt he would honour his side of the bargain," Billy said.
"Even if we honour our side," Tommy agreed. "Man, I'm sorry guys. This is my fault."
"Nonsense Tommy," Zordon snapped. "The Master has targeted you in hopes of splitting the team."
"No," Tommy said. "It's more than that Zordon. When I was asleep, I saw what had happened. The Master wasn't targeting me for any strategic reason. I've been dying since I defeated Minion."
Angel Grove,
Minion's Last Stand.
"Shadow Ranger Power!" Tommy called.
Minion continued to celebrate his victory over the fallen Shadow Grid Rangers and Morphin Rangers. He had won, nothing could stop him now. Then he spotted Tommy.
"Who are you?" Minion demanded.
"I'm your worst nightmare," Tommy said.
"Tommy!" Minion cried, his voice mixed with joy and anger. "So, I get to kill you all over again."
The two warriors thought back and forth, both oblivious to the destruction around them. Angel Grove was slowly vanishing into the Dark Dimension until soon only Minion and the defeated Tommy were left.
"THOMAS OLIVER," a voice said in Tommy's head. He could not identify the voice although he had heard it during his time as the Evil Green Ranger. "KNOW THAT I AM THE DARK ONE AND THAT I HAVE COME TO MAKE A TRADE: YOUR LIFE FOR THE CONTINUED EXISTANCE OF THE UNIVERSE."
"Why me?" Tommy asked.
"YOU HAVE BEEN GOOD, YOU HAVE BEEN EVIL AND NOW YOU HAVE BEEN PUREST SHADOW. YOU ARE A THREAT TO MY EXISTENCE THAT CANNOT BE PERMITTED."
"What must I do?" Tommy asked.
"You MUST HOLD ONTO THE GREEN POWER COIN WHILST I DEAL WITH MINION. YOU MAY NOT RELEASE THE COIN UNTIL IT VANISHES. THAT SHALL BE MY PAYMENT.
Tommy did as the Dark One bid and watched as Minion was destroyed. All the time the Green Power Coin remained in his hand, draining his life force and bonding his survival to the Red Zeo power. The Dark One had set the trap perfectly; Tommy was unaware of his fate and had no knowledge of the deal. He would survive as Red Zeo until the Dark One's new servant, the Master, administered the Zeo Toxin. Then Tommy would die from his own powers.
As a final measure to ensure his plan could not be foiled, the Dark One sent the Green Power Coin away from Angel Grove, forever.
"So you see," Tommy said. "If I give up the Red Zeo power, I die. If I don't give up the power, I will die. My Zeoniser will continue to burn out and the poison will progress."
"So what do we do?" Tanya asked.
"There is no way we can allow the Master to kill Tommy," Kimberly said.
"Kim's right," Kat agreed. "But we can't give him the Dragon Blade either."
"We have a more immediate problem with accommodating the Master's demands," Billy said. "The Master wanted all five Children of the Dragon and Zordon says there are only four."
"Who are the Children of the Dragon anyway?" Rocky asked.
"You are Rocky," Ninjor said.
"The Children of the Dragon are six prophesised Rangers who would be able to stand up to Nore's evil," Zordon explained. "Three shall be of our time, one shall be from the past, one from the future and one from elsewhere. They shall be united by either the Red or Green Dragon and shall bind the Black Dragon with their power."
"One from the past," Samoht said. "That's me."
"And Tommy, Jason and Rocky would count as the three from our time," David added.
"What about the one from the future and the one from elsewhere?" Zack asked.
"Me," Samantha said. "I'm from the future."
"Alpha, hand the Dragon Blade to Samantha," Zordon instructed. "The Blade will react if it detects the spirit of the Dragon within you."
Samantha took the Dragon Blade, closed her eyes and concentrated on finding her animal guide. It was more difficult because she had never touched the Morphin Grid before. She sensed her power and called it forth. She opened her eyes and looked at the Dragon Blade. It had remained the same during the whole time.
"Hey, you tried," Tommy said.
"Maybe I'm the one from elsewhere," Aisha said. "I am the Ninth Morphin Ranger. Maybe it means my power comes from elsewhere."
"Aisha, as the ninth Morphin Ranger, you do hold a small portion of Dragon spirit," Zordon said. "I fear it is not enough to help at this time."
The alarm sounded, alerting the Rangers to a battle taking place on the Moon.
"That's the Zeo Phantom," Kat said.
The others nodded as they watched the fight between Stella and the mysterious Ranger.
"Hey," Adam said. "Maybe the Zeo Phantom is the fifth child. We don't know where he comes from after all."
The Moon,
Stella had teleported back to the Moon, her mission complete. Whilst the Master had been instructing Nore on what to do next, she had retrieved the Green Power Coin and killed its keep. She was about to enter the TARDIS when she had been struck by a blast of Zeo power.
"Zeo Phantom," she hissed.
"At your service," Zeo Phantom answered.
Stella attacked, using every dirty trick Xizor had taught her and a vast variety of nerve holds the Master had installed in her memory. Even through his armour, Nathan could feel the power of her strikes.
"Phantom Phase!" he cried and promptly disappeared from view.
With the powers of the Phantom Ranger protecting him from Stella's robotic senses, Zeo Phantom moved himself as close to the edge of the artificial atmosphere as possible. He allowed a small portion of his body to become visible in order to gain Stella's undivided attention. As she charged towards him, he phased out of sight again, but this time allowed her to sense where he was. At the last moment he moved, relying on Stella being too slow to notice. As he had hoped, she went out of the artificial atmosphere and fell victim to the vacuum of space.
Stella's futuristic body cracked due to the extreme cold and lack of pressure. The Power Coin in her hand started to pulse as it burnt it way free. Struggling due to the lack of gravity, Stella stumbled back into the Master's protected area and charged at the now exposed Zeo Phantom.
Nathan had not been expecting Stella to recover so quickly. When her first strike landed, it was enough to knock him to the ground. As he turned to face her, she managed to connect with his power source. Nathan was suddenly faced with a double dilemma. His body was now in the grip of the Techno Virus and Stella was still moving towards him.
Twisting so he was facing away from the TARDIS, he summoned his Phantom Cannon and fired. Stella ducked the shot, but the recoil was enough to start Nathan moving outside of the atmosphere. Even though his Ranger armour provided some protection he could feel the drop in temperature and gravity. Using the Phantom Cannon in the same way an astronaut used a jet pack, he was able to manoeuvre on the surface. Aiming first at the surface, he launched himself into the air. Then when he was in the air, he twisted the cannon and used it to propel himself back to the surface, striking Stella as he did so.
In the lower gravity Stellas mobility was both hindered and improved. When she had finally adjusted to walking on the Moon's surface, she found she could deliver more powerful blows using speed to increase her power. As Zeo Phantom rushed towards her, she leapt into the air and delivered a kick. The impact knocked Nathan away and he remained motionless. Laughing, Stella returned to the Master, the Green Power Coin forgotten.
"Zordon we have to get him out of there," Kimberly said.
"Is he one of your Rangers Zordon," the Doctor asked.
"He's a Ranger and he needs our help," Jason said. "Anything else is irrelevant."
"Jason is right," Zack said. "He's on our side. It doesn't matter who he follows."
"Zordon, we can't just leave him there," Trini said.
"Losing his power would be a most unfortunate occurrence," Billy said.
"I agree Rangers," the Doctor said. "I only wondered who he was. I didn't think even a Ranger could survive a fractured helmet in space."
"When we rescue him we'll ask him," Jason promised. "Alpha, bring him here."
"I am afraid the Master has blocked all teleportation to and from the Moon," Zordon said. "His weapon will also affect Pyramidas."
"We need a new way of getting there," Jason said, looking directly at Billy.
"The modifications are incomplete," Billy protested, knowing what the Red Ranger was thinking.
"We need to try Billy," Trini said softly.
"Maybe with only five Zords we could form the Sky Ship Gamma without the transitional deformation experienced so far."
"Which five?" Tommy asked. "The Gem Coin Rangers?"
"No Thomas," Zordon interrupted. "You are too weak to morph at this time."
"There are still five of us," Trey said. "We will succeed Tommy. You need have no fear."
"Actually, I think I'll stay with the Drop Zord, in case you need backup," Aisha said.
"I can take her place," Sam offered.
"Very well Rangers," Zordon boomed. "Your Sky Zords have been reconfigured to operate with your Zeo powers and now match your Zeo colours. Trey, you will pilot Tommy's Sky Zord. It has been reprogrammed to accept commands from the Gold Zeo Ranger. Samantha, you will pilot the Yellow Sky Zord."
"Good luck guys, I wish I was with you," Tommy said.
"We'll be back soon," Kat told her ex-boyfriend.
"It's Morphin Time!" Trey called.
"Zeo Ranger I - Pink!"
"Zeo Ranger II - Yellow!"
"Zeo Ranger III - Blue!"
"Zeo Ranger IV - Green!"
"Zeo Ranger X - Gold!"
For once Nathan welcomed the growth of the Techno-virus. Outside of the protective atmosphere, with his helmet damaged he would have been killed if the virus had not lined his face and lungs. The need to breath removed, he was able to concentrate on resisting the virus before it progressed further. His hand moved slowly over the lunar surface. Something burnt his palm as he did so. He looked down and saw the Green Power Coin resting in his glove. The Techno-virus retreated as the coin strengthened his own power. With the Green Power Coin boosting him, his helmet was repaired as his body entered Power Induced Shock.
Overhead he could here the sound of approaching engines and the screech of sudden deceleration. The most confusing aspect was the fact he could hear the sound in a vacuum where science dictated he should hear nothing. Then he realised the sound was coming from his internal receiver and not the external audio system. He felt something close around his waist and had the sensation of being lifted before he passed out.
Earth,
Minutes Before.
"Sky Zords, power up!" Gold Zeo called.
The Gold, Green, Pink, Yellow and Blue Sky Zords launched into air, using parts of the sixth Sky Zord to increase their speed.
"Log on!" Gold Zeo ordered, taking control for the duration of the flight. Under normal circumstances Adam was second-in-command, but he had stepped aside in view of Trey's experience with space travel.
"Pink One ready," Pink Zeo told her leader.
"Yellow Two is go," Yellow Zeo said. "This thing is bloody cool!"
"Blue Three operational," Blue Zeo reported.
"Green Four standing by Trey," Green Zeo said.
"Bring them together," Gold Zeo instructed. "Rocky and Adam, keep them tight."
"Right!" the other Rangers responded.
Changing positions so they line up Two, Four, Ten, Three and finally one the Rangers activated their gestalt circuits. The five jets merged together into a single fighter: Sky Ship Gamma. As the final seal locked into place, Gold Zeo pulled back on the controls and prepped the craft for space flight.
"All systems go," Green Zeo reported. "No problems detected."
The ship flew to the Moon and located the fallen Zeo Phantom. Using a combination of the Null Beam and Pressure Cannon, they lifted the injured Ranger aboard and left for Earth. Their mission was over.
"Will he recover?"
"He should make a full recovery. His body absorbed some of the Green Power Coin and I've restructured his power source."
Nathan blinked awake and realised he was unmorphed in the Power Chamber's Medical Bay. He recognised the voices. In another time and place they belonged to his mother and uncle. Here he imagined Billy and Kat were unrelated.
"Tommy's getting stronger as well," Kat said.
"The Green Power Coin returned most of his stolen life force. Not enough to cure the Zeo Toxin, but at least he'll have a chance in battle."
"If we can find this fifth Child of the Dragon," Zack said.
"One from the future and one from elsewhere," Billy repeated as he had since Zordon had mentioned the legend.
"Just another mystery," he heard a new voice say. "Like our friend here."
"What did the scan reveal Doctor?" Billy asked.
"High levels of adrenaline, the presence of some type of toxin in his blood and enough DNA to recreate every Ranger in Power Mountain and then some."
"I don't understand," Billy said.
"His DNA is a mixture of Hilliard and Oliver, more or less," the Doctor said. "But he also has several chains dedicated to Scott, Cranston, Taylor and Hart. If I kept searching I'd probably find the genes of every Ranger here. If you want his species I'd say he was half Human, half Triforian, half Aquitian and half Eltarian. I've never seen so much information. And before you ask, I know what I said is impossible, but it's true."
Instinct took over Nathan's mind. His secrets were in jeopardy and with them the very future of the current dimension. He pulled himself up, lunged at the Doctor in an effort to grab the scanner and fell flat on his face.
"He's awake!" Billy cried in astonishment.
"It's alright, you're with friends," Kat said.
For a moment the softly spoken words took Nathan back to his childhood when his mother would rub his chest when he was ill. Those days were gone now, but the sound of Kat's voice took him back home for just a second.
"Give me the scan," Nathan whispered.
The Doctor refused and sent the Rangers out of the room.
"Destroy it," Nathan urged.
"I can't do that," the Doctor said. "As a scientist I have never seen such a perfect merger of DNA."
"Destroy it," Nathan said again. "The future is at stake."
"Not this future," the Doctor said. "You can't be from this dimension and hold the Zeo Crystal."
"This future," Nathan said. "If they learn the truth this future is in danger."
The Doctor nodded and handed Nathan the scanner. Nathan erased the data and held out his hand so the Doctor could help him up.
"So who are you?" the Doctor asked.
"It's a long story," Nathan told him.
"I have time," the Doctor replied.
Nathan nodded and started to tell his story. When he had finished he looked at the Doctor expectedly. He thought he would see anger or surprise. Instead he found only respect and some sympathy.
"We must tell the others," the Doctor said. "They must know you are the fifth child."
"I can't," Nathan said. "I failed them."
"How?" the Doctor demanded. "By trying your best and failing? That's nothing new. Get over it and maybe we can deal with this Dragon Master."
"Zordon!" the Master boomed as his face appeared on the Viewing Screen. "Your time is up. Surrender the Dragon Blade and the Children of the Dragon or Tommy will die."
"We don't have a choice," Tommy said. "The five of us will have to go."
"Your Ranger powers will not work during this battle," Zordon said. "You will all be drawing from the Red and Green Dragon through your natural link to that power."
"I have constructed some armour for you Rangers," Ninjor said. "It will protect you and allow you to tap the power."
The five Ranger quickly changed. Their new armour consisted of green body suits with red shoulder pads, boots and gloves. Their heads were exposed instead of being hidden by a helmet.
"Each of you will tap the power of the Dragon in your own way," Ninjor told them. "Listen to your powers and you will know how to use them."
Jason retrieved the Dragon Blade and the five Rangers teleported to the Moon.
"We're here!" Jason called when they arrived.
"Surrender the Dragon Blade," the Master said. "Do it now and I'll heal your comrade."
"Heal him first," Nathan called.
"He will die unless you hand over the Blade," the Master warned.
"And he will die if we hand it to you," Rocky said. "Now heal him."
A blast of red energy struck the Rangers, causing Jason to drop the Dragon Blade. They turned to see Lord Nore holding the second Dragon Blade at the ready.
"You fools," the Master said. "You have idea about the power of these blade or how to use them. Only when all six are united can the prophecy of the Children of the Dragon come true. You don't even know where the sixth Ranger is. How do you expect to triumph?"
"Behold the power of Nore!" the Black Dragon Master cried.
Another bolt of red energy shot towards the Rangers. Since they knew nothing about their new powers, they had no way to protect themselves. Fortunately, two of them had been the Green Dragon Ranger and had the same idea.
"Dragon Shield!"
Golden light flowed from Tommy and Sam's chests, deflecting the Dragon Master's energy.
"So, you have some knowledge of your heritage," Nore smiled. "Impressive, but ultimately futile. Now, give me the Dragon Blade!"
"You want it," Jason said. "Take it!"
He threw the sword at the Dragon Master and had the satisfaction of seeing it pierce his chest. Black blood poured from the open wound causing the disgraced Morphin Master to look down. He pulled the blade out and licked the blood away. As he did so the wound to his chest vanished. His lip curled into a grin as he held both swords ready.
"It is amazing that Zordon fell for my deception so easily," he said to the five Rangers. "He has sent you to your deaths and ensured that the prophecy can never come true."
He struck the two blades together and the Rangers were forced to shield their eyes as the swords were bonded into a single weapon. The new blade was a deadly black with a razor sharp edge. In the pummel was a red and green stone in a Ying Yang formation. The jewel flashed as Nore tested his new weapon.
"We haven't started to fight yet," Tommy said. "Your overconfidence is your undoing."
"We will see Tommy," Nore shot back. "Defend yourself, if you can!"
He pointed his sword at Tommy and waited as the Morphin Grid filled the sword with energy. A ball of black flame formed on the end and grew larger by the second. Sam and Nathan moved to protect their friend but were forced away by the Master's energy blasts. When the glow reached its peak, Nore unleashed the energy at Tommy. The black ball changed into a circular blade and easily sliced through Tommy's armour as it struck his stomach. Tommy was thrown back and landed on the ground where he remained unmoving.
Jason growled angrily and charged his opponent headlong. He pummelled Nore with every ounce of power he possessed while Rocky had Tommy teleported away. At first his attack appeared to accomplish little, but as his anger increased he place even more power into his blows. He finished his series of attacks with a vicious uppercut that propelled Nore into the air.
"No way!" Rocky cried as he realised Nore was both conscious and floating in the air above them.
"A fine effort Jason," Nore said. His words were chosen carefully to enrage the Red Ranger. "So much better than Tommy."
While Nore was talking, Jason had crouched low and started to draw as much power into his next attack as possible. For some reason the Dragon powers did not tell him what to do. Instead he had to use his previous experience as a Ranger to guess how his attacks worked. He remembered how Nore had summoned the power to him before attacking Tommy, and tried the same trick. As the power flowed to his body he directed it to his fist and feet.
"Die!"
Never in his life had Jason felt so much hatred towards one man. Even under Rita's spells he had never felt true anger. It fuelled his body and increased his confidence. It also scared him because the Jason Lee-Scott he had been before becoming a Ranger would never have wished someone dead. It was a change that Jason felt was definitely not for the better.
As Jason shouted he launched himself from the ground and hurtled upwards to where Nore was waiting. His power charged fist connected with the villain's jaw and Jason heard a satisfying crack.
"So you mastered a Dragon Uppercut," Nore said. "A shame you lack the power to use it effectively."
"If it's power you want," Jason responded. "Try this!"
Directing the power to his arms and legs, Jason continued to throw punch after punch, kick after kick at the Black Dragon Master. Nore never attempt to block the shots. Instead he made himself a easy target and allowed the Red Ranger to crack his bones and break his skin. With a final roar Jason channelled all his energy into his right fist and struck Nore on the top of the skull. All Jason's anger and frustration flowed into the punch as it bore down on Nore.
Nore's body went limp and crashed to the Moon's surface. His impact was sufficient to make a dent on the lunar surface. His head snapped back on impact, crushing the skull. A cruel, mocking laugh could be heard by the four remaining Dragon Rangers. It grew louder as the body of the fallen Dragon Master twitched and started to recover.
"I am more powerful than anything you have faced before," Nore cried.
He stood upright, an impossibility given the bones Jason had snapped during his assault. Even so, the Dragon Master remained upright and started to removed his damaged skin. "You Rangers will learn not to cross me." His skin fell to the floor revealing his internal organs and broken bones. "Did you really think I could be stopped so easily? The power of the Dragon Blades keep me alive. Watch as their power restores me to a form fitting the Dragon Master."
Nore's soft organs hardened as the red and green jewel glowed. A thin layer on black film flowed over the body and hardened into small scales. Nore's feet grew large to accommodate the claws revealed at the front. Likewise, a tail grew to allow him great balance and thick horns appeared from his head.
"My power continue to increase until I hold the power of all the Dragon Rangers." He turned to where the Rangers were standing and gestured to the Red Ranger. "Care for another try Jason?"
"You're going down!" Jason warned in reply.
"Maybe," Nore conceded. "But first I think we need to take this battle elsewhere. After all, we wouldn't want your friends interfering would we?"
Power Mountain
"I've lost them," Billy reported.
"I feared this would happen," Zordon said. "The Dragon Master has taken the Rangers to a zone we cannot reach. Unless we can find out where he sent them, they have no chance of retrieval."
"What do we do now?" Tanya asked.
"Until Tommy is healed there is nothing we can do," Zordon told them.
The leader of the Zeo Rangers had been placed into a healing tank as soon as he had returned from the Moon. Even the combined power of Thalian and David had proved insufficient to heal all his injuries. Zordon just hoped that when Tommy emerged from healing, that he would be able to save the others.
"Unfortunately the Master has taken this opportunity to unleash his new servant upon the Earth," Zordon said. "Observe the Viewing Screen!"
The image appeared of a young man dressed in a ninja outfit. His face was exposed as he effortlessly waded through Angel Grove's finest. Adam inhaled sharply as the man fought Detective Park before moving on. From the scowl of his father's face, Adam could tell no serious harm had been committed.
"That's Joe Armstrong," Aisha said. "He was a teacher in my village."
"Now he would seem to have fallen under the influence of evil," Ninjor said.
"The Master has bonded his life force to some type of demon," Billy said.
"Then if we destroy the demon..." Trey started.
"The spell will be broken and your friend will be sent home," Alpha finished.
"Alpha, identify the demon the Master has bonded to Joseph," Zordon instructed.
"Don't worry," Tanya whispered to Aisha, "Zordon will find a way to free him."
"It's not that," Aisha replied. "Joe is a trained ninja. He can do some things I never imagined. I'm not sure our Ranger powers will protect us."
"Then we'll find another way," Adam said as he joined the conversation. "We'll get him back."
"Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi, it's Ninjaman!" Alpha said.
"Who is Ninjaman?" Trey asked.
"Ninjaman is the embodiment of the evil that can be accomplished by misusing the Ninja powers," Ninjor said. "He created the Desert of Despair and ruled the hearts of the Dark Ninja until he was vanquished."
"Let me guess," Kim said. "You defeated him."
"Insightful as always Kimberly," Ninjor replied. "I defeated him and took over the Temple of Ninja Power. The Desert of Despair provided an excellent testing ground for potential Rangers seeking the Ninja powers and protected my Power Coins."
"And now the Master has found a way to bring him back," Trini said.
"Then we'll just have to beat him again," Aisha said forcefully.
"We're coming too," Adam said.
"Do not let your concern for your friend drive your anger Aisha," Zordon warned.
"I won't Zordon," Aisha answered. "It's Morphin Time!"
If all their enemies were to teleport the Rangers to the zone Nore now occupied, the safety of innocent people would never be an issue. The world he had chosen was a mixture of land and water, much like Earth. It also had mountains, forests, streams and dangerous. Just like Earth.
"Welcome to my realm," Nore said to the four surprised Rangers. "For I alone rule the world of Avalon and the island that links it to your world. Only those who are linked to the Dragon can enter this place. It will make a fitting location for your destruction."
"Enough talk!" Jason cried.
Once again the Red Ranger launched into a frenzied assault against Nore. Anger no longer fuelled his attacks, but the power of his blows had proved effective earlier and he hoped to repeat that success.
"I've seen Jason so powerful," Rocky said as he watched.
"I still can't believe Nore recovered from that onslaught," Sam said.
"It's not over yet," Nathan warned. "Look!"
Nore caught Jason's fist before it could connect and bashed the Red Ranger with his tail. Jason was thrown back into his friends, who now stood ready to take his place.
"Nice try," Nore said. "But this is ended, now!"
Flame appeared on the tip of Nore's tail and he used it to send fireballs in the Rangers' direction.
"Dragon Shield!"
The fire bounced harmlessly away as the three remaining Rangers prepared to attack.
"Hey," Rocky said as he opened his eyes. "I'm flying."
Just like the Red Dragon from which he drew his power, Rocky had the ability to fly through the air. The exact nature of his power was unimportant to the Blue Zeo Ranger as he experiment with his new found ability. With a cry that echoed Jason's, Rocky attacked.
Unlike Jason who relied on the power of the Red Dragon to out muscle Nore, Rocky used speed to hit and run. What he lacked in power he more than made up for in speed of attack. His limbs were a blur as he repeatedly struck at the Dragon Master.
"Hyper Kick!" Rocky called, wondering for a moment where the name had come from.
Still floating in the air, he extended his right leg up and out to the side and pivoted on the left leg for support. When his foot was extended his body turned into a blur of motion as it slid towards Nore and made contact with his chin.
Nore was sent flying across the sea towards the next land mass. Rocky followed close behind, leaving Samoht, Jason and Nathan staring after him. Nore crashed into the ground.
"Ew gross," Kimberly complained.
"Surround him," Green Zeo ordered.
"Blade Blasters!" White Ranger ordered.
"Zeo Pistols!" Green Zeo said.
"Blade Pistol!" Brown Ranger called.
"Fire!" Blue Ranger ordered.
"Well that worked," Pink Ranger said sarcastically as they picked themselves off the ground.
Ninjaman had used a trick the Rangers had relied on in the past. At the last second he had vanished, allowing the Rangers to shoot each other. By the time they'd recovered he had already disarmed Pink Zeo and deposited her weapon of the floor.
"You Rangers are not all you're cracked up to be," Ninjaman said, briefly reverting to Joe.
"Don't make us fight you," Black Ranger said.
"Did you Rangers enjoy the Desert of Despair?" Ninjaman asked. He was looking at all the Rangers, but seemed to be directing the question at Pink Ranger.
"What do you want?" Pink Zeo demanded.
"A challenge," Ninjaman replied. "I challenge any of you to fight me, no powers."
"No way," Black Ranger said. "It's got to be a trick."
"It might be our only chance to get Joe back," Brown Ranger said. "Power down!"
Aisha's armour vanished, leaving her in the clothes she had been wearing earlier.
"You wanted a fair fight, you got one," she told the demonic ninja.
"Aisha?" Ninjaman asked in amazement. Joe had never even considered that his friend could be a Ranger.
"Joe, we don't have to this," Aisha pleaded.
"I have my orders," Joe said. As he spoke Ninjaman took over again. "I will enjoy carrying them out."
Aisha had been a ninja long before she took the mantle of a Power Ranger and despite the changes in her life following the Orb of Doom, she maintained her fighting form and had even improved. Joe had been one of the few people she had met during her time in Kenya who had been willing and able to train with her. She had quickly discovered that Joe had been trained by a master, although he had no memory of where he had been trained or who he really was.
For his part Ninjaman was fighting an almost constant battle to maintain control over Joe's mind. The person who trained the boy had obviously taken the time to teach the mental disciplines required. As a result, the bonding process was incomplete and in danger of failing.
_This boy is protected from me. Almost as if he's a Ranger._
"Ranger or no Ranger, this body is mine!" Ninjaman cried.
"First you have to get past me," Aisha said.
"Foolish child," Ninjaman ranted. "I am the embodiment of what a true ninja should be. How do you expect to defy me?"
"Like this," Aisha said, taking a defensive stance and noting her fellow Rangers had stepped away so she had room.
"Then Die!"
"What are we doing here?" Samantha asked.
For some reason the Doctor had asked Trey and Samantha to remain behind when the others went to battle Ninjaman. Now thanks to his TARDIS, they were on the Moon.
"Ensuring that the Dragon Master is the last of the Master's little surprises," the Doctor explained.
Trey and Samantha morphed as the Doctor led the way. They encounter few of the Master's henchmen, mostly because they were busy fighting. But as they moved around the corner, they found themselves face to face with Stella, Xizor's ex bodyguard and the Master's new servant.
"Time for a rematch Gold Ranger," she crooned.
"A pleasure," Gold Zeo responded.
The two warriors faced off whilst the Doctor and Yellow Zeo Ranger made their way into the Master's TARDIS. Once inside, the Yellow Zeo Ranger took up a guard position whilst the Doctor worked. First he fiddled with the centre console and then with the Time Scoop. From his exceedingly large pocket he pulled a small coin and placed it inside.
"What did you do?" Yellow Zeo asked.
"I just ensured the Master will have a nasty surprise next time he summons a demon," the Doctor replied. "Come on, Trey should be done by now."
Since the last time they had met in battle, Gold Zeo had been studying his fight against Stella. He had been determined to discover any weakness he could exploit when they next met. Now as he split into his Triple Threat attack, he was certain he had found the answer.
"Time for a Gold Rush!" the three Gold Zeo Rangers called.
The power of three Golden Power Staffs combined at their target was too much for the futuristic android. As Gold Zeo pumped more and more power into the weapon, Stella's metallic skin cracked. Sensing the kill, Trey altered his aim so that the Gold Rush struck her through the now exposed casing.
"Triple Threat, Power Down!" the three Gold Zeos ordered.
As they merged back into a single body, Trey adjust his grip on the Golden Power Staff so he was holding it like a baseball bat. As he stepped forward, he swung the Power Staff and connected with Stella's head. As the Doctor exited the TARDIS, Stella's head was removed from her body.
The Doctor gestured for Yellow Zeo to join her teammate, and together they finished the robotic warrior. Gold Zeo continued to use his Power Staff to batter the body whilst Yellow Zeo used her Zeo Pistol to destroy the head. Their task was soon completed and the two aliens and lone Earthling left.
Rocky groaned as Nore continued to kick his butt. For all the Blue Zeo Ranger's ninja training and the increased speed from the Dragon, he was still no match for Nore. The Black Dragon Master had fooled him into believing he could beat him with speed. After a while the Dragon Master had had enough and showed Rocky what true speed was like. Rocky had struck Nore at full speed and had varied his punches as much as possible. Nore's reaction had been to laugh in his face as the punches and kicks passed through his body.
Then Nore decided to show Rocky his own speed attack. He punched Rocky repeatedly until the Dragon Ranger couldn't stand. Every block Rocky attempted was kicked aside as Nore somehow anticipated his every move. His tail hooked around Rocky's neck and lifted him into the air.
"Now I will show you how fast a dragon should be," Nore whispered.
He started slowly, just using his fists. As Nore warmed up he used his clawed feet to pierce Rocky's armour while all the time choking the life out of him. He stopped when he saw the Blue Zeo Ranger starting to vomit blood. True he intended to kill these so called Children of the Dragon, but first he wanted them to suffer.
"You cowards feel free to join in at any time," Nore said as he turned to face Nathan and Samoht.
"Take care of Rocky and Jason," Samoht said to Nathan.
The Zeo Phantom nodded and moved to obey. By now they had discovered they could all fly using their dragon powers.
"Ah, the Clone Ranger," Nore smirked "Let's whether you're as big a failure as Rita and Zedd claim."
"I'm no failure!" Samoht "I've kicked Minion's butt and now I'm going to kick yours."
Nore punched the air in Sam's direction, opened his fist, rotated his hand and gestured for Samoht to attack.
"Hell Fire!"
For the first time since becoming a Ranger, Sam's favourite magic attack didn't work. It took him a short time during which Nore laughed in his face, for Sam to realise that only the Dragon powers worked in Nore's realm. Instead of waiting to be told what to do, he turned his mind inward and sought out the Power within.
"Chobakuretsumaha!"
The word sounded strange, but as he spoke it he could feel the power building within. He held the palms of his hands open across his chest. When the energy reached its peak he unleashed it against the Black Dragon Master.
Nore barely acknowledged the energy as it struck him.
"Genkidama!"
A column of green light surrounded Samoht as he called on what the Power assured him was a more powerful attack. Instead of drawing the power from his armour or a Power Coin, Sam reached out to the natural energies surrounding him and borrowed their strength. His natural ability to channel magic allowed him to control the forces that answered his call.
"Dragon Blast!"
Nathan watched as Sam continued to store the power like a human battery. For Nathan this was something he had never heard of before. True, Tommy had been able to recharge his failing Green Ranger powers. But at that time, Tommy had had a Power Coin to act as a conduit. As the Zeo Phantom, Nathan was able to absorb a limited amount of power, but then he had the entire Zeo Crystal from his dimension along with the Phantom Ranger's Power Ruby. Samoht however, didn't even have his Power Ball to use a s a conduit. So any energy conversion was taking place within Sam's body.
Of course Nathan knew the story of the Clone of the Green Ranger. In his dimension Tommy had been cloned and the clone had decided to remain in the past. As far as Nathan recalled from the history lessons he had received, Tom Oliver had perished in an accident within two years of arriving in Angel Grove. He had had no children and very few friends to remember him. Nathan was glad the clone in this dimension not only survived, but lived long enough to be reunited with Tommy.
Since Tommy had never shared his clone's magical powers in Nathan's dimension, Nathan had never inherited any powers of his own. However, since his arrival in this dimension Nathan had felt the link between the Green shade of the Morphin Grid and his own powers. _Could it be that the Green Ranger is so important to the Universe?_
He returned to the present in time to see the energy blast strike Nore in the chest. The blast knocked the Black Dragon Master to the ground and continued to flow into his exposed body. The limp form was driven into the ground as the Earth opened under the heat and swallowed him.
"Cease!" Sam called.
As quickly as the energy had built up it dissipated back into the natural world. His strength drained by controlling such a great force of destruction, Samoht floated to the ground. He doubted he would ever be able to repeat such a feat again. Every muscle ached from lack of energy and over use.
"Well, it seems the Clone Ranger got a bit overconfident," Nore sneered.
"Man, I don't believe it," Sam said.
Nore laughed as he looked down on the drained Ranger. "Three down and one to go. Unless of course you think you're ready to go again. Well Sam?" He pointed at the weakened Green Ranger and a small glow appeared at the end of his finger. "Bang!"
A beam of blackness shot from his fingertip and struck Samoht through his shoulder. Sam fell like a stone, leaving only Nathan to fight.
Power Mountain
"Have you heard anything Zordon?" Kimberly asked.
"Negative," Billy answered. "Wherever they are, we can't reach them."
"Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi," Alpha said. "The Green Power Coin has gone again."
"Alpha, using the Power Chamber's sensor grid to trace the Green Power Coin," Zordon said.
"I'll try Zordon," the little android said.
"I'm going to try realigning the alignment logistics between Earth and its sub-dimensions," Billy said.
"Good idea Billy," Kimberly said. She wasn't exactly sure what Billy meant, but had come to understand some of his techno-babble. Besides, whenever Billy had an idea, it was better to wait for the results. They could as she had learnt during the body switching incident, proved interesting.
"I'm adjusting the satellite's trajectory to penetrate all known Ley Lines," Billy said. "Activating sensor sweep now."
"Come on Billy, you can do it," Kimberly said encouragingly.
"I'm getting some activity," Billy said.
"I'll patch it through to the Viewing Screen," Alpha said.
The picture cleared after a few seconds and the Blue and Pink Rangers caught their first glimpse of their friends getting pummelled.
"Alpha..." Billy managed.
"I'm calling the other Rangers now," Alpha replied.
"It is as I feared," Zordon boomed. "Without Tommy and the sixth Dragon Ranger, they do not stand a chance."
"Hold on Rangers," Alpha said.
"Dragon Cannon!"
Just as Jason's Dragon power emphasised his strength, Rocky's increased his speed and Samoht's power used his magical ability, so Nathan's vast arsenal of weapons were now powered through his Dragon Armour. The modified Zeo Cannon that formed the heart of the Zeo Phantom's weapons now appeared on his shoulder in the same red and green combination as the rest of his armour.
"Lock!"
A pink slip of clear plastic appeared over his right eye with a small cross marking the centre line. When he lined the sights up the cannon gave a small beep.
"Fire!"
Nathan squeezed the trigger and waited for the cannon to charge fully. As it started to shake violently he released the mechanism and fired the cannon. The raw heat generated by a was concentrated into a small barrel. As the blast emerged it struck Nore in the head. His skull exploded and his body collapsed to its knees.
"Yes!" Nathan exclaimed, pumping the air in victory.
Turning away from the fallen Dragon Master, he went to check on Rocky and Samoht. That was when the ground started to shake.
"Now now, Zeo Phantom," Nore's voice said. "Didn't you Mommy teach you not to count you Dragon Masters before they died?"
"This could be going better," Nathan said as he turned towards the spot where he had left Nore's body. As he had feared the body was no longer on the ground. Instead the headless form floated in the air. _How can he talk when his head is sprayed over the ground?_
"The Dragon Blades are still mine, Zeo Phantom. Through them I exist and grow stronger!"
Nore's blackened shell was shredded and fell to the ground to be replaced by a fresh white layer. Black husks form on his chest, knees and elbows. His shattered skull was reformed and changed shape. The back of the skull elongated down the length of his back as the horns grew even larger. His limbs increased in mass as his claws extended outwards.
"I have an offer for you Zeo Phantom. Surrender to me and I will allow you to live. Your special condition could prove useful if treated. Think of the advantages of an extra armour you can call on at any time."
"No deal!" Nathan shouted, pulling the trigger a second time.
"Fool!" Nore cried as he batted the blast away. "Allow me to show you what true fire power is all about."
He raised his hands over his head and joined the palms together.
"Sun of Avalon!"
The sky went dark as the sun left the sky. The heat was unbearable and yet the planet remained intact, as did Nore's hand, which now held the giant ball of flame. This was not the true sun, but merely a representation of its power. But the pain Nathan felt as the ball of fire exploded in front of him was equally unbearable.
"Power Stick!"
Joe had lied to her and now Aisha was in a bad mood. He had used his power during the battle, causing Aisha to morph and fight. Luckily the other Rangers had answered a summons from Zordon, otherwise they might have interfered. Now she drove the weapon into Ninjaman's heart and watched as demon and friend vanished. In a beam of brown light she teleported home.
Medical Bay, Power Mountain
Just as the other Children of the Dragon had their most prominent features enhanced, so did Tommy. Like the phoenix Tommy had risen from the ruins of numerous Ranger teams to fight on. The Dragon power took that ability to bounce back and used it to increase Tommy's healing factor. In a ball of green flame the Red Zeo Ranger was released from the healing cell and teleported to where his friends were waiting.
The Black Dragon Master stood victorious over the four Dragon Rangers. Nathan had easily fallen after exposure to the sun blast. Now he was ready to finish them. Raising his hand he prepared to transform into the Ultimate Dragon.
Nore's body actually shrunk during his final transformation. His body was coated in silver and he once again held the Dragon Blades at the ready. One thing that never changed was the smirk on his face.
"Now, I finish it!" Nore proclaimed.
"Siek-yah!"
Tommy landed next to the Dragon Master and unleashed a volley of kicks. The Black Dragon attempted to throw another fireball, but Tommy was ready.
"Dragon Shield!"
The blast reflected back into Nore's face. The rest of the energy was channelled through the Green Power Coin that had somehow returned to his possession. The coin bathed the other Rangers in its light and restored them to health.
"Alright Tommy!" Jason cried.
"My power is too much for you Rangers," Nore warned.
He blasted them with another combination of red and green energy.
"We still need help," Jason said.
"Rangers!" Zordon voice boomed through the heavens. "Remember that you are the Children of the Dragon. When together your attacks are altered to take advantage of you heritage."
"Did you hear that guys?" Red Ranger asked. "We need to let the Power guide us."
"Dragon Ranger Power!" the four Rangers called.
Their armour was replaced by the coloured fabric similar to those worn by the Ninja Rangers, but without the masks or sleeves. Their bodies adjusted to their new powers. They were no longer Rangers. Now they were powered exclusively by the Dragon.
"Fire Storm!" Jason called.
Small balls of fire the size of hail stones fell from the sky. Gradually they grew larger until they were the size of boulders.
"Talon Blade!" Samoht cried.
A clawed glove appeared on his hand and he used it to sever the Dragon Master's horns.
"Torpedo Tackle!" Rocky shouted as he caught onto the game plan. "Nathan, get ready."
He ploughed his body into the still stunned Nore. Driving him into the, he stopped and allowed the Ultimate Dragon to crash to the ground.
"Do it!" Nathan shouted as he grabbed Nore's left arm.
Jason complied and with Samoht's help, sliced through Nore's wrist. As the Dragon Blade fell to the ground, Rocky was there to collect it. He briefly battled against the Black Dragon Master, before slicing off the other hand.
"No!" Nore screamed. "I am too close!"
"This is over Nore!" Jason said as he picked up the second Dragon Blade.
"Power Down!" the four Rangers called. As they did so they crossed the Twin Dragon Blades, resulting in an energy chain forming around Nore.
"This is not over," Nore said confidently. "Tommy will still die. Victory is mine!"
The Master fumed into his TARDIS and closed the door. Activating the console he tried to dematerialise the time machine so he could find his next servant. Nore had been capture, Joe freed and Stella destroyed. Yet to the twisted mind of the Master this was but a small setback he would learn from and never repeat.
"What?" he asked in a panicked voice as the TARDIS started to jerk wildly.
He moved to the portion of the console containing the TARDIS's containment unit and his panic increased.
"There you are," a terribly familiar voice said. The Master turned to the scanner where he knew the Doctor would appear. "I thought you would be unable to resist the urge to find new servants."
"Doctor, what have you done?"
"By now you are probably wondering what I did to your TARDIS, right? Well I made a few adjustments to that Time Scope you stole. Instead of helping you find demons to insert into innocent people, it's going to separate the Dark One's power from your body. I you enjoy your trip because once you've been separated I'm sending you away from Earth."
"You'll pay for this Doctor," the Master swore. "I might not survive, but nor will Tommy."
Shrine of the Dragon, Eltare
The four silent figures entered the Shrine of the Dragon. Already gathered were the Morphin Masters of the Red and Green Morphin Colleges. Held on the floor was the handless form of Lord Nore. The four figures walked past him and up to the altar.
Turning to the respective members of their colour they called "It's Morphin Time!"
"Red Dragon!"
"Green Dragon!"
"Red Ranger!"
"Green Ranger!"
Stepping forward Tommy and Rocky reached into their pocket dimensions and pulled forth the twin Dragon Blades. Handing them over to the Red and Green Ranger they watched as Jason and Sam drove them into the alter, never to be used again. Nathan had declined the Morphin Master's invitation, citing his power were not suitable for what they had in mind.
"Thank you Rangers of Earth," the Hawk like Red Morphin Master in charge of proceedings said. "I ask one more thing of you. You are of the Red and Green order. We ask that you share in the correction of the wrong Lord Nore has done. His actions have disgraced us all. It is fitting that we be forced to punish him."
Indicating for the Red Ranger to stand on one side and Green Ranger to stand on the other he gestured for all assembled to join hands. At the far end of the room a human male dressed in green held hands with Tommy on one side and Rocky the other. Rocky noticed they had formed a circle around Lord Nore who was now cringing in fear.
"Lord Nore," Red Ranger said. "By order of the Morphin Council of Eltare, I, Jason Lee-Scott have been instructed to carry out punishment."
"You have perverted your Morphin Power," Green Ranger continued.
"And used your powers to cause death and pain to millions," Rocky said.
"Since you have abused your powers they will be stripped from you," Tommy said in a commanding tone. "The Light shall shield you from the Dark Power and the Dark shall deny you the Light."
"Wait," Nore protested, "Tommy is still ill. Release me and I'll cure him."
"Let it begin!" the Red Zeo Ranger said before they others could intervene.
Red and Green energy surrounded Lord Nore as the Rangers and Masters present followed the Earth Rangers lead. A line of black energy surrounded Nore. As the Red and Green power continued to magnify the Black energy faded marking the end of his dark powers. Nore glowed red and green as he was purified of the Power within just as water drives air from the soil.
Then the energy faded, leaving Lord Nore kneeling on the floor cold and alone. No longer could he touch the Morphin Grid and yet he could feel the Power just waiting for him to access it.
"Now you will be set free," Tommy said. "There has been too much death and suffering for us to keep you. You will have to live with what you've done and the knowledge you will never again touch or use the Power. You are banished from Eltare and Earth."
Finished the Rangers relaxed and absorbed Nore's power. The speeches the Morphin Masters had written had worked well. Nore was now broken to the extent where he would need to rebuild his life. Tommy wished him every success.
Power Mountain,
Later.
"Why don't you join us?" Jason asked.
"I can't do that," Nathan replied. "I can't risk complicating things by staying here."
"We can't force you to stay here Bro," Jason told him. "You're a Ranger and we'll be here if you need help, but we won't force you."
"Thank you," Nathan said.
In a beam of light the Zeo Phantom vanished.
"You chose wisely," Zordon told the Red Ranger. "I am certain that when he has had time to resolve his problems, he will return to us."
Zordon looked at the rest of his Rangers, proud of all of them. Together they had triumphed over the Dragon Master, Ninjaman, Stella and the Master. Admittedly Tommy was still suffering from the effects of the Zeo Toxin and would weaken again in the future, but thanks to Trey, Billy and Adam had the means to find a permanent cure.
The good news was that despite Nathan's refusal to join them, the addition of Samantha to the team once again restored the Zeo Rangers to full strength. With the Doctor trapped on Earth for the foreseeable future Zordon was certain Samantha would remain an active Ranger. With the Zeo and Morphin teams complete, and Aisha acting as the Carrier Ranger evil was destined to fail in the White Master's opinion.
"Impressive aren't they?" Ninjor asked.
"Indeed Ninjor," Zordon replied. "I never thought I would witness so many defenders in one room. With this many defenders Earth will never fall."
"I hope you are right Zordon," Ninjor said. "I hope you are right."
"Rangers," Zordon said, attracting everyone's attention. "The Master is gone. I suggest you take the opportunity to relax. I will contact you if you are needed. Once again you have proven yourselves to be the Earth's greatest protectors."
"Zordon, what about Tommy?" Kimberly asked.
"The Zeo Toxin has been blocked from progressing at this time," Zordon said. "We will work on a way to make this permanent. In the meantime Tommy, you must exercise extreme caution when morphing to avoid a relapse."
"What about the Dragon Ranger powers?" Samoht asked.
"The Children of the Dragon were intended only to deal with the threat of Lord Nore. Now the threat has been eliminated, the power is gone forever."
The Rangers nodded their understanding and teleported away. They didn't know what the future would bring, but today they were going to get on with their lives.
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