The Mystery of the Green Ranger
by Shadow RangerDisclaimer: I do not own the Power Rangers; they belong to their respective copyright owners and are used here without permission. No money is being made from this fic. Some lines taken from Transformers the movie.
Authors Note: This is an alternate universe from the television show with an alternate timeline.
The Mystery of the Green Ranger
Colonial Angel Grove, Long Ago
A personal battle between good and evil, light and darkness had been fought and the little colony of Angel Grove had been almost wiped from the map. In the days that followed what many recalled as the worst storm since they had arrived in the Americas, it had only been the intervention of the neighbouring Spanish colony that had allowed them to endure.
But on that night of the storm, the people had been so enraptured by the bright lights and explosions in the sky, that they had failed to observe the battle taking place within their community as a lone man, a stranger to their town, had wrestled with his nature in a confrontation that would leave its mark upon the future. Tom Oliver, a clone of Tommy Oliver who recently returned from a trip to save his friends in the future, had discovered that the Evil Green Ranger was not as gone as he had believed.
The Evil Green Ranger was more than a spell. It was a creation that had formed in the mind of Tommy Oliver during a time when he had been unable to control the darkness around him. The real Tommy Oliver had closed himself off in the corners of his mind as he waited for the opportunity to retake control. In the time after the Evil Green Ranger had been defeated, Tommy had taken back control and used the Green Ranger's powers for good. But the Evil Green Ranger had remained, it had endured and it had grown stronger and more real the longer it was contained.
When the Wizard of Destruction cloned Tommy Oliver to create Tom, he extracted the essence of the Evil Green Ranger, leaving only a trace of the evil in Tommy Oliver's mind; Tommy would later deal with that evil in his own way. Tom had been created to embody all of the darkness inside Tommy Oliver, all the traits that had once made the Evil Green Ranger unstoppable. But the Evil Green Ranger could not exist without Tommy Oliver and so despite the Wizard of Deception's best efforts, Tom would always be a good man at heart.
But the Evil Green Ranger had not been destroyed this time. Tommy had used the Wizard of Deception's wand to give Tom back control, but the Evil Green Ranger remained. And when Tom had used the power to help the Rangers, the Evil Green Ranger had awoken once more. Instead of trying to seize control of Tom at the moment of its awakening, it had waited until Tom had used the Wizard of Deception's wand to open a portal and then it had attacked.
Which had led to what many would have considered a fight between twin brothers. It was a physical manifestation of the battle going on inside the clone. Neither the good nor the dark side of Tom was the original Tommy Oliver, neither could claim to have a solid claim to their shared existence. The Wizard of Deception's wand accommodated their battle by conjuring bodies for both combatants.
It was a long and brutal fight. Punches and kicks turned to swords and knives. Before long the blades were accompanied by blasts of magical energy as they tried to destroy each other. But in the end, one walked away and the other was left face down upon the battlefield, their existence seemingly at an end. And in the time where both had originated, the outcome of this battle would remain a mystery until the day the victor chose to make his presence felt one more, as the Green Ranger returned once more. Whether the man behind the mask would prove to be Tom Oliver or whatever name the darker personality had chosen, would soon be revealed.
In modern-day Angel Grove, a young man was having another strange dream.
Sam ran through the metal corridor, determined to escape the monster looming somewhere behind him. He couldn't recall what it looked like, only the sense that it terrified him more than anything else he had ever seen. He could hear the scraping of what he could only imagine to be talons on the metallic floor as it tried to catch up. Its ferocious growls echoed around him, although occasionally he thought he could make out words. A part of him screamed not to listen, that it was trying to trick him into turning around. He did not know what the monster was, only that it wanted him and that was not good.
"PLEASE THOMAS, JUST HEAR ME!" the voice boomed, gaining volume as it echoed down the corridor, "YOU DON'T NEED TO FEAR ME, I WOULD NEVER HARM YOU. WHY THOMAS, WHY DO YOU RUN FROM ME? YOU KNOW I WILL ALWAYS BE WITH YOU. YOU CAN'T ESCAPE THIS DESTINY. YOU ARE BOUND TO ME."
"You've got the wrong person!" Same shouted back, not for the first time he seemed to remember. "I am not Thomas; you must have the wrong person. Leave me alone!"
For a moment he slowed, wondering why a beast fixated on killing him would not make sure to get his name right. Then fear reasserted itself and he sped up again.
"THIS IS NOT RIGHT THOMAS, YOU CANNOT HIDE AWAY FROM ME. COME BACK, JOIN ME AND WE CAN BE TOGETHER AGAIN," the voice pleaded, sounding more and more like a deranged stalker. "IT IS YOUR DESTINY TO COME BACK TO ME. IT'S TIME TO RETURN!"
"Leave me alone!" the youth shouted as he ran round another corner.
He skidded to a halt as the floor in front of him gave way. He had been here before and knew what came next. He would have a choice. He could face the monster now drawing nearer or he could jump into the void below. The noise of the monster's footsteps drew nearer, making the decision even more urgent. Without a second thought, he jumped into the void.
Falling, the sensation was strange. Before him he could see a group of six figures, each in a different colour fighting another group of creatures who resembled demons. The first group was losing as a black hand closed around them.
A rope appeared in the darkness. He remembered this part of the dream; it was the monster giving him the chance to pull himself out of the pit. For a moment he considered it, but decided that an eternal fall must be better than the monster lurking above.
"THE TIME HAS COME THOMAS. YOU CANNOT RUN FROM ME ANY LONGER. I NEED YOU. THEY NEED YOU. WE NEED YOU, I NEED YOU. REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE." The voice was growing quieter as Sam fell deeper into the void. "PLEASE, ACCEPT WHO YOU ARE AND COME BACK, PLE..."
The monster's words were lost as Sam noticed a set of spikes below him. He braced himself for the impact his mind told him would be coming soon. And then...
"Nooo!"
Sam opened his eyes to find himself safe in his bed. The early morning sun was shining in through a crack in his curtains. He braced himself in case his screams had drawn the attention of his parents. But it seemed he was lucky and they were out; he wasn't sure the last time they had started work so early, but decided it was a good thing. Fewer questions he couldn't answer.
With a groan, he got out of bed and ready for school. Today they were due to take a field trip for their art class. They were doing a project on photography and Ms Randall had decided that they would have a competition to see who could capture the best picture. She had booked a bus to Angel Grove forests where she hoped being around nature would inspire them.
Sam sighed as he brushed his hair. Senior year at Angel Grove had been a little odd. By now the city and the school administrators had gotten used to the disruption that the constant monster attacks in the area could cause. It meant that teachers were encouraged to teach their students to work ahead of their age group to allow for the possibility that they might fall behind if the school was forced to close for extended repairs. That had led to a situation where the Senior Year was a little too far ahead and some had even graduated early due to the grades. The school had recognised the need to slow things down a little and fill in some of the creativity their students might have missed in the previous years. This trip Ms Randall had arranged was one of those character and creative development exercises.
The Moon,
It had been there for only a moment, just long enough to say: "Hey, look at me!", and then it had faded once more. Most would have ignored it, but to those attuned to the nature of the Morphin Grid, such a spike was like setting off a flare and a siren at the same time. It drew their attention, captured their interest and once they were aware of it, their curiosity would demand that they searched for answers.
"Zeddy, did you feel that?" Rita Repulsa asked.
Lord Zedd did not answer immediately, as he desperately scanned the Earth. As a being granted his power and form from a merger between the remnants of a once powerful demon and a trained avatar of the Morphin Grid, the sudden burst of energy instantly drew his attention.
"How, how is this possible?" he asked. "I know that power, Rita."
"So do I, but it can't be," Rita whispered as she joined her husband. The was a witch, born from a long line of powerful magical users and the human host of the demon Master Vile. And as she was intimately familiar with that particular energy source, she knew at once that it had not been an imagined experience. She also knew that it was impossible. "The Green Ranger is gone, Zeddy. The Power Coin is dormant."
"I just felt it, and so did you," Zedd countered. "You know the feeling of that coin better than anyone. That was your Green Ranger, just as we detected it previously," Zedd insisted as he kept searching for the now-hidden Ranger. "There is only one possibility: Zordon must have found a way to restore the Green Power Coin and a new avatar to use it."
"Without alerting us or telling his precious Rangers?" Rita asked.
"It wouldn't be the first time Zordon has left them in the dark," Zedd commented in a dismissive tone. "Zordon has a way of not telling his Rangers what he's up to. He has held the means to transfer the power since Jason, Zack and Trini departed for that Peace Conference. It's just a question of who he would choose to use it?"
Later that morning Sam was seated on the bus alongside his fellow students as the school bus made its way into the countryside.
"Are you all right Mr Revilo?" he heard Ms Randall ask. She was a tough administrator but did genuinely care for her pupils. Especially those who were part of the football team.
Sam nodded but did not say anything. The dream he had had earlier had disturbed him more than he had thought at first. Having been awake for a few hours he had had time to ponder his dreams and had realised that it had been more confusing than frightening. He didn't understand what the monster wanted and why it kept calling him Thomas. It seemed that his distraction had been noticed by Ms Randall.
"I'm sorry ma'am, I was just a bit distracted," he said.
Ms Randall looked a bit sceptical but nodded and returned to the front of the bus. She took out her notebook and wrote down a memo for the school counsellor to arrange an appointment with Mr Revilo as soon as possible. The boy had a history of problems and a quiet word to see if he needed to talk would not go amiss.
The strict teacher was replaced by a concerned-looking Tommy Oliver. "You want to talk about it?" Tommy asked.
Sam sighed, "I'm fine, I just need to get my head together."
It wasn't that he disliked Tommy, but things had always been awkward between them. There was just something about the boy and his friends that put Sam on edge.
"You sure?" Tommy asked, unconvinced.
"I'm fine," Sam confirmed, determined not to hold the conversation for any longer than necessary.
His friend nodded and returned to where his girlfriend was waiting. Sam watched them together. Kat was as beautiful as Kimberly had ever been, but he knew Tommy was fooling himself. Kim and Tommy had never really had a future and Kat and Tommy were even less likely to stay together in the long run. He wasn't sure how he knew, but he felt Tommy would be meeting a far more compatible girl down the line.
In the Power Chamber, a similar conversation was taking place. A spike of unexpected Morphin energy had set off the carefully aligned sensors without the Power Chamber. But before the computer had been able to trace the source, the energy had vanished again.
"Running a full analysis of the sensor readings now," Alpha V informed his master. "Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi, it can't be!"
"What is it Alpha?" Zordon asked.
"The computer confirmed that it detected a burst of energy from the Morphin Grid. It identified the energy as having the same signature as the Green Rangers," the small robot reported. "But the Green Ranger is gone and we know the location of the Green Power Coin."
Zordon considered what Alpha said, knowing that no one could use that coin following recent events, with the possible exception of Tommy. The Green Power Coin was forever locked to Tommy Oliver's energy signature within the Morphin Grid. A quick check confirmed the coin remained in the dimensional pocket where the Red Zeo Ranger had placed it.
In the back of his mind, he felt that this was an important discovery but wasn't sure what it meant. he recalled the story Jason had told them a short time ago when he was losing his powers and believed that he had seen the Green Ranger. At the time Zordon had been sure it was a side effect from the power drain, perhaps even a symptom of stress. At best, he had felt maybe in his desperation Jason had managed to tap into the Morphin Grid and had drawn forth a protector. Now though he was less certain; he remembered Tom Oliver had planned to remain in Colonial Angel Grove and he had not detected the temporal distortion that would have resulted from such an action. There had also been no evidence that the clone of Tommy Oliver had remained in the present. Which begged the question what had happened to Tom Oliver and his powers?
"Alpha, conduct a full scan of the Power Chamber and its detection array," Zordon instructed. "Then carry out a scan of the Lunar Palace. If both turn out negative, begin a search for the energy signature of Tom Oliver."
The spike might have been the side effect of some scheme Rita and Zedd were devising. But in his heart, Zordon knew that it was not so simple. That energy had been easy to identify because it held the essence of the Green Power Coin and Tom Oliver. And that meant that if the Green Ranger was out there, the balance of power would shift. What troubled him was that if the Green Ranger had chosen to hide from them, that shift might not prove to be in their favour.
~Is it possible Zedd and Rita somehow found a replacement coin?~ he wondered.
If they had Zordon then knew it meant bad news for the Rangers. On the other hand, if this was indeed Tom Oliver, perhaps it could be the answer to a troubling problem. The Gold Ranger Powers had been restored to Trey and the Lord of Triforia had departed a few days earlier for his homeworld. It had proven impossible for Trey, Trent and Travis to reunite, and in the end, it appeared the only hope of achieving reunification would be with the aid of the priests on Triforia.
But the Gold Rangers had been unstable at the time of transfer and had left a significant residue inside Jason. Given that the Gold Ranger's powers had proven not only incompatible with human biology but potentially deadly, Zordon wished to purge any remaining energy from Jason as soon as possible. The wand of the Wizard of Deception could provide the means of doing so.
~And even if Rita or Zedd have found a new conduit to the Morphin Grid, there might be a way to use this development to reverse the damage the Gold Ranger powers caused to Jason and give the Rangers a new ally,~ Zordon thought as he watched Alpha continuing the search.
Sam was feeling more and more confused. While the dream he had had the previous night had not been the first one, it had stirred something up inside of him. Memories flooded through his mind at random intervals, too quick for him to understand what they showed. Something about riding a horse in the Wild West, getting married, and moving to Los Angeles returning to Angel Grove. Being kidnapped and tormented by Rita Repulsa and her underlings. Almost killing someone. A part of him felt like he was losing his mind. And even as he thought that he received a flashback of a white-walled hospital years before he had been born.
And then there were the strange dreams about himself as a Power Ranger. The Green Ranger to be exact. But, Sam knew that they were just dreams because they did not match up to any of the monster attacks on Angel Grove. And then recently after the news reports that the Green Ranger had once again been spotted in Angel Grove, a new dream had started. The voice he heard in his dream was familiar, but its insistence on calling him Thomas left him confused.
He looked to where Tommy, Jason, Rocky, Kat and Tanya were sitting. For some reason, Adam had not joined his friends and was currently engaged in a discussion with Ms Randall at the front of the bus.
Realising there was nothing he could do about his dreams at that moment, Sam decided to enjoy the trip. When he returned home he would speak to his parents about a need to talk to a professional.
The Moon
"We need to find out what Zordon is up to," Zedd grumbled as he paced back and forth.
"Please Master, let me accompany a monster to attack the Rangers?" Goldar begged. "When the Green Ranger shows up we can capture him for you."
"Monkey boy has a point," Rita agreed. "Even if he fails to grab the Green Ranger, he might manage to draw him out. And then we will be able to track him. Besides, the worst we can do is aggravate the Rangers."
"Yes, and it seems the former Gold Ranger is there as well. If he gets in the way, perhaps we will have the chance to eliminate him too," Zedd agreed. "A brilliant plan, I'm glad I thought of it."
Zedd considered his options. The Zeo Rangers were on a bus, away from Zordon and with plenty of witnesses. Jason was not with them and since he had returned the Gold Ranger powers to Trey of Triforia, he was unlikely to leap to their aid unless they were desperate; the boy was maintained only a weak link to the Morphin Grid, which in turn offered him very little protection. If there was a possibility that something would draw the Green Ranger, it would be an attack on the other Rangers while they were vulnerable.
"Very well Goldar, take some of the Tengas and attack the Rangers," Zedd ordered as he used his magical sight to seek out something he could use for a monster. He noticed the camera bag on the seat next to the teacher. "Perfect!"
He waited for the bus to empty before casting his spell.
Adam Park had known when he boarded the bus that morning that he should remain near the front. He was not sure why he had felt it so important to do so. Something told him there would be danger ahead. As the bus turned another corner, he saw why. In the middle of the road stood Goldar and a flock of Tengas. The driver applied the brakes and stopped just short of where Goldar was waiting. Before he could shift into reverse, the simian warrior had managed to thrust his sword through the front grill, wrecking the engine.
The students were smart enough to make their way to the emergency exit at the back of the bus. Tommy and Jason were already there and had managed to get the emergency exit open.
"This way," Tommy told the other students. As soon as Ms Randall reached them and satisfied herself that the students and driver were clear, she too departed. From there the passengers spread out as they were harassed by Zedd's forces. The Rangers drifted to the front of the bus while appearing to have the same amount of difficulty as their peers, where they could attempt to shield them from Goldar.
There was a bright flash outside the vehicle and as the Rangers turned, they discovered their classmates frozen in place. Although part of him worried in case the effects were permanent another part of him was relieved that the Rangers could morph without being seen.
Jason and Tommy leapt into action, tackling the nearest Tengas. Kat and Tanya followed with Rocky and Adam bringing up the rear. Whilst Adam tackled Goldar, Rocky squared off against Rito. Both Rangers were able to hold their own for a short time, despite being unmorphed.
"Great, when did Rita and Zedd manage to grow a new flock of Tengas?" Jason asked.
When the Machine Empire had attacked, the Tengas on the Moon had been left for dead by Rita and Zedd. Even after they returned it had become clear that the Machine Empire had done everything in their power to remove all signs Rita and Zedd had ever been on the lunar surface. The evil couple had been forced to seek out new eggs and hatch their Tenga Warriors from scratch. Although the odd batch had cropped up from time to time, this was the first time their numbers seemed to stretch beyond a dozen.
And if the Tengas were not bad enough, it seemed Rito Revolto had decided to stop playing around. The Rangers soon found themselves losing as the odds shifted against them.
"It's Morphin Time!" Tommy called.
"Zeo Ranger I - Pink," Kat called. Pink spandex formed around her body, padding out where necessary to provide extra protection. On her right hip, her Zeo Pistol formed.
"Zeo Ranger II - Yellow," Tanya cried. Her yellow uniform merged from on top and below, bonding to her skin as her weapon appeared at the waist.
"Zeo Ranger III - Blue," Rocky continued, feeling his body mass increase as the power filled him.
"Zeo Ranger IV - Green," Adam prepared himself for the battle ahead as his suit formed. As the morph finished he drew his Zeo Sword and attacked.
"Zeo Ranger V - Red," Tommy did not think about his next move. Out of instinct, he launched himself in Goldar's direction, catching the monkey as he was trying to sneak up on Tanya.
Jason took a deep breath and mentally crossed his fingers. The Gold Ranger powers had left a small trace of energy in his body when they had returned to Trey. It was a link forged through need and the chances of Jason being able to call on the full power of the Gold Ranger were slim. Still, he hoped he had the strength to transform for a short time. He would not last long in a battle and had agreed to use his powers only in a time of need, Jason felt the situation required the Gold Ranger.
"Gold Ranger Power!"
He found himself dressed in a variation of his normal uniform. The golden shield was there, but instead of the thin composite material he was used to, it was closer to thick foam. He held out his hand expecting to receive the Golden Power Staff but instead received a broadsword. The normally black uniform was dark red.
~Red gold,~ he realised.
He didn't have time to consider the changes as he found himself locked in combat against Rito Revolto.
Sam crouched under the bus watching the fight between the Rangers and Zedd's forces. Whatever had frozen the others in place had not affected him - probably because he was on the far side of the bus at the time. Now he had witnessed six of his school friends transform into Power Rangers and it seemed that the thing that shocked him the most was that he wasn't surprised. Somewhere deep inside it made sense that Tommy, Jason, Rocky and Adam were Power Rangers. Kat and Tanya were less clear, but he remembered seeing them in action before.
Sam watched as the Pink and Yellow Zeo Rangers finished off the few Tengas that Rita and Zedd had sent as reinforcements. They flipped back to join Blue and Green Zeo battling the monster. Tommy meanwhile was having fun with Goldar. The Red Zeo Ranger had fought the simian monster so many times they knew each other's moves in advance. With a quick punch, Tommy sent the monkey to the ground and moved in for the kill.
If Tommy was having fun with Goldar then Jason was enjoying himself even more with Rito. The Gold Ranger thrust his sword through the Alien's rib before kicking him away. Jason readied his sword to strike again but stopped unexpectedly.
Sam watched as the Gold Ranger doubled over, groaning in pain. His uniform began to flicker and Sam felt a wave of sympathy for the fallen Ranger. He remembered the feeling of hopelessness, of the Power being drawn away, although he didn't know why he could remember or even what exactly he was remembering. The look of desperation on Jason's face as the teen realised he was helpless, was a look Sam knew all too well, even if he could remember the circumstances that led to him seeing it in the mirror every day. When he saw Rito move in for the kill, he knew he had to do something, but what?
Pink, Yellow, Blue and Green Zeo had just finished off the Tengas when they were bombarded by energy. Their suits sparked as they were thrown back. They looked up to see a monster walking towards them.
He was shaped like a humanoid camera with the lens in the centre of its chest and a black cloak covering its back. Somehow they knew that his name was Freeze Frame and that he was responsible for freezing the other students, the bus driver and Ms Randall.
"Let me introduce you to my Flashgun," Freeze Frame said to the four Rangers as they stood back up.
A transparent cube appeared in Freeze Frame's hand and as he turned it, the cube flashed brightly. With each turn, one of the Rangers was frozen in place. Laughing maniacally he produced a length of film and whipped the disabled Rangers. The Rangers' suits sparked as they were thrown backwards by the whip. There was a loud sucking noise as the Rangers were pulled inside Freeze Frame. He pointed his finger and four black and white copies of the Rangers were created.
Tommy leapt through the air, drawing his Zeo V Power Sword as he did so. He pointed the blade down towards the spot where Goldar lay. The simian raised his sword and knocked the Red Ranger aside. Tommy rolled with the blow and adjusted his stance to land safely. He was upright immediately, his sword at the ready for Goldar's follow-up attack.
But it was not Goldar who attacked. The copies, which Freeze Frame had created, jumped past the armoured monkey and lunged at the Red Ranger, each ready to rip him to pieces. Off to one side, Tommy noticed Rito was busy hacking at an unmoving Gold Ranger. He couldn't make a move to help his friend though because at that moment the copies pounced on him.
Sam was growing desperate as he hid from the action. He needed to do something but had no idea what he should do. He didn't think for a moment he had a chance against the Tengas; he knew he didn't stand a chance against Goldar. But he needed to act or one of the Rangers would die. That was unacceptable. He moved as quietly as possible, but a Tenga spotted his movement and suddenly he was a target. Then the world around him turned green and he saw the Green Ranger standing in front of him.
"Dragonzord!"
A green lightning bolt shot from the sky, striking the copies. The duplicates disappeared as quickly as they had been created.
Sam felt the hairs on his skin stand on end as the lightning struck the ground around him. It wasn't really lightning, just a manifestation of the Power, but Sam was not a Ranger and could only look on in wonder. Another bolt of lightning forked across the sky, it changed from light green to a darker shade before striking the Green Ranger. An advanced Blade Blaster formed at his hip and the familiar Dragon Dagger appeared in his waiting hand. Sam's eyes were drawn to the dagger and watched as it was transformed into a powerful-looking sword. On the hilt was the head of the Dragon, complemented by the inscription of a dragon's claw on the blade.
Finally, the golden shield, which had protected the Green Ranger for many years formed on the Ranger's shoulders. Sam had the impression that it could shift between a compact armour and a thick material that while resistant was extremely flexible, although he had no idea where that knowledge came from. Thinking back he could remember battles where the shield had looked different.
Sam allowed himself a sigh of relief as the Green Ranger charged into battle. It seemed he was not going to have to put himself in danger after all.
Goldar and Rito exchanged a worried glance as they saw the first lightning bolt. Tommy was slowly picking himself up, his legs a little rubbery. They had not seen the other lightning bolt and were looking around for the source of the lightning.
Tommy turned in time to see a green figure leap from the top of the bus, striking Goldar and Rito with a single blow. The figure ignored the Red Zeo Ranger, turning his attention to Freeze Frame. Leaping into the air a second time the Green Ranger produced a sword and stabbed the monster through the lens.
In a bright flash of light, the four remaining Zeo Rangers were freed of the monster's power. The green figure turned to where the Rangers lay and pointed his sword. The spell preventing Zordon from teleporting them vanished and the six Rangers were removed from danger.
With Tommy and the others safe, Green Ranger attacked again. He connected with a blow to all three monsters, causing them to retreat, and leaving the rest of the students frozen in place.
As soon as the Rangers appeared in the Power Chamber, Tommy ripped off his helmet, gasping for breath. When he finally had the strength to look at his mentor he asked the question on everybody's mind.
"Zordon, who was that?"
"I am not certain," Zordon replied. "Alpha and I detected the energy of the Green Ranger earlier today, but we were unable to determine its source. We detected the same energy signature during your battle, but even though the Green Ranger appeared, he vanished immediately after he rescued you; we have now been unable to find him again."
"What if he's not on our side?" Rocky asked, remembering the first time he had been face-to-face with the Green Ranger.
"If he was against us, he would not have stopped Rito from chopping me up," Jason replied from where he was being checked by Alpha. Of all the Rangers, Jason had the most experience when it came to the Green Ranger... with the obvious exception of Tommy.
"Whoever it is," Tommy said. "We can't just let him fight alone, he will need help and we could use the help. Are you with me guys?"
Tanya and Kat had been watching the Viewing Globe to see if the other students had returned to normal. Usually, the monster's death would have reversed the effects of any spells they had used. The fact the students and teacher remained frozen meant Freeze Frame was still alive.
"Zordon, could we teleport them somewhere safer?" Kat asked. If there was another battle she did not want innocents harmed.
"A wise idea, Katherine," Zordon replied. "Alpha, teleport all civilians to a safe location."
"Yes Zordon," the little machine answered, already setting the controls. "Why don't I teleport them all to Angel Grove High School?"
"We could send a message to the staff there to keep an eye on them," Adam agreed.
"Teleporting now," Alpha confirmed.
Over the next few minutes, arrangements were made to see to the safety of the students and adults. Adam had been prepared to teleport to the school and raise the alarm, but it was unneeded. Alpha detected that upon arrival the spell holding one of the students in place must have broken. And that student had alerted the other teachers.
"What do we do?" Rocky asked.
"Unfortunately there is little we can do until Freeze Frame returns," Zordon told them.
The computer indicated that the monster had done more than simply freeze them in place. Their energy readings within the Morphin Grid indicated that they were trapped inside the monster.
The Moon
"How dare you show your faces in here?!" Zedd bellowed as Rito, Goldar and Freeze Frame appeared in his throne room. "You were told to destroy either the Green Ranger or the Gold Ranger and you could not even manage that!"
"It wasn't my fault Ed," Rito protested, "Goldar ran first."
"He is lying my Lord," Goldar grovelled as he entered the room. "I would never run from a battle. Give me another chance to bring you victory."
"Silence!" Zedd commanded. "You are both useless."
Faster than Rito could have imagined Zedd turned and struck him with the tip of his staff. Rito's head fell to the ground and the evil monarch watched as his brother-in-law tried to find it again. "Let that be your final warning, my name is Zedd, not Ed!" Satisfied that he could continue Zedd turned back to the other two monsters. "And as for you Goldar... this wretched planet has corrupted you. This is not the bold leader of the Pack who vowed his allegiance to me. I gave you your position and you have repaid me with failure."
Zedd finally turned to Freeze Frame. "I would say the same about you, but you haven't even managed to start your mission. You were supposed to put an end to those Rangers. Return to Earth and destroy those wretched humans. If we cannot have victory, we will settle for fun. And when the Rangers return, destroy them!
Freeze Frame bowed and disappeared from the throne room, leaving Rita with a shocked expression on her face.
"You let him go, just like that?" she demanded angrily.
Zedd groaned at the beginning of yet another argument.
Angel Grove High School
Sam awoke in the school hall and realised that he was the only person moving. It did not take long to put the facts together and realise the Power Rangers had gotten them to safety. His next act was to find an adult and call for help. After attempts to rouse the driver and Ms Randall failed, a head count was conducted and they realised they were missing six students. It seemed the teens he now knew to be the Power Rangers were missing. He was questioned as the only conscious witness and managed to give the authorities the location where the bus had been attached. Then he had been told to sit down under the watchful eye of the school nurse as the police went to locate the wayward teens.
As he sat waiting, his eyes closed as he fluttered off to sleep. A part of him concluded that although he had escaped being frozen, the monster's ray had had an effect.
====
Back at the bus, Freeze Frame reappeared and realised that his victims had escaped. He slammed his fist against the school bus, which sent the vehicle off the road. Fortunately, it seemed while most of the humans had left, the ones he wanted were still nearby.
"Siek-yiah!"
Red Zeo Ranger landed two fierce kicks before switching to the Zeo V Power Sword. He soon replaced the Zeo V Power Sword in its subspace pocket and launched himself at the monster for a second time. He looked up as his five teammates joined the battle.
"Okay guys, let's show him something new," Red Zeo said, gesturing for the Rangers to get into position.
Tommy and Jason produced their swords and ran at their fellow Rangers. Kat and Tanya had crouched down with their hands ready to act as a step up. As Tommy and Jason stepped on their hands Kat and Tanya pushed them into the air. Tommy and Jason found themselves landing horizontally on Adam and Rocky, who had stretched their arms upwards to receive their leaders. Tommy and Jason held their swords pointed towards Freeze Frame. Kat and gathering gave them a push to send both the Rangers into the monster.
Tommy's Zeo Power Sword disarmed the monster whilst Jason used his sword to pierce the lens. Freeze Frame fell back, his lens exploding in a shower of sparks, releasing the spell on the other humans in the process.
"This isn't over yet Rangers," Freeze Frame promised. "It's time to get big!"
====
"Hey Sis," Rito called out as he observed the battle below. "Ed?"
Rita and Zedd were too busy bickering to pay any attention to him. With a shrug of the shoulders and some mumbling as he worked out which end of Zedd's staff was which, Rito pointed it toward the Earth.
"Now let's see how did that go... oh yeah: Something something, my monster grow!"
It seemed that despite forgetting the words, his intent was enough - for the inanimate staff was the superior intellect - and a burst of energy caused Freeze Frame to reach giant proportions.
Minutes later the Rangers were having a tough time dealing with the now giant Freeze Frame. The enlarged monster had survived the Zords' initial onslaught, forcing them to form the Megazords. Unfortunately, the power of its new Flashgun had also increased, allowing it to paralyse the Super Zeo Megazord and the Warrior Wheel, leaving only the Zeo Megazord and Red Battlezord to capable of fighting.
"It's times like this I miss Pyramidas," Jason noted from the Zeo Megazord's cockpit. He had taken over from Tommy while the team leader piloted his own Zord.
The monster aimed his lens at the two disabled machines, pulling them inside its chest and ejecting two black and white copies. Then the monster stepped back, allowing the copies to do the dirty work as they attacked, taking the Rangers by surprise.
The copy of the Super Zeo Megazord threw the Warrior Wheel into the Red Battlezord for the third time, causing the Battlezord to crash to the ground in a shower of sparks. The Zeo Megazord found itself on the receiving end of a blast from the copy Super Zeo Megazord's armament.
Jason had even tried calling forth Auric the Conqueror in the hope the mystical warrior could help them. Auric had fought well for a short time, but facing two foes soon caused him to retreat into his Tiki.
After watching the Zords fall and deciding that he was capable of finishing the battle without further assistance, Freeze Frame recalled the copied Zords back into his chest, ejecting the captured mecha in the process. He stomped toward the fallen Zords and prepared to finish the job.
A lone figure teleported to the Angel Grove docks and held his hand out towards the spot where the Dragonzord lay sleeping. "Time to wake up old friend."
A burst of green energy left his palm and shot into the deep waters beyond the harbour. He was rewarded when the light returned, forming into a green crystal. He studied it critically for a moment and then teleported to where he had last seen the monster. As he arrived, he saw two of the Rangers' Megazords being hit by the other Zords. The monster then recalled his copy Zords and dumped the captured Zords on the ground next to the others.
He watched as Freeze Frame's left arm turned into a sharp claw and the monster moved in to finish the job. And in that instant, he knew that now was the time to act. He drew his sword, placing the green crystal on its hilt. He was not surprised when the crystal shifted to become a part of the weapon. Then he pointed it at the sky and concentrated on the sleeping Zord deep beneath the sea. A connection formed between the Ranger and the mighty machine, the Power telling him how to call it.
"Dargonzord arise! I need Dinozord power, now!"
In his mind, he could hear the sound of the Dragon Flute, summoning the companion of the Green Ranger to the fight. And when the Zord drew near, he leapt into the cockpit to claim control.
"Warrior Wheel is offline and won't be getting back up anytime soon," Yellow Zeo reported.
It was amazing how much damage the Zords had caused to each other. The Warrior Wheel despite being the one to deliver the blows had taken the most impact.
"Zeo Megazord and Red Battlezord will take time for the automatic repairs to complete; until then they're pretty useless. The Super Zeo Megazord is operational, but completely out of power."
"How about separating for individual attacks?" Jason asked.
"No good," Adam replied. "We haven't got enough power right now. If we did the Super Zeo Zords would reach full charge once separated."
"Anything we can do with the Battle Helmets?"
"I doubt we could even summon Cannon Power and aim it, let alone fire."
"Defender Wheel is operational," Kat told them. "But unless we can get upright it's trapped inside the Phoenix."
"Then we need to think of something else," Jason decided but was cut off as a familiar roar filled the air, causing Tommy, Jason, Rocky and Adam to look towards the source.
"Did you hear that?" Adam asked.
"It sounded like..." Jason began.
"It can't be..." Rocky said, wishing it were possible.
"Look!" Tanya called.
"Is that?" Kat asked, looking at Tommy.
"Dragonzord," Tommy said as he watched his former Zord make its way towards them.
Freeze Frame had decided to take out the Red Battlezord first and had its claw pointed towards the cockpit. One simple thrust and the Red Ranger and his Zord would be history. He listened briefly to the Rangers trying to find a way to fight back. He laughed as he heard one of the Rangers find a solution and in the same breath realised it was impossible. He pulled back and laughed as he thrust forward with all his might...
Only to stop short as he jumped back in fright. It had been an instinctive response to the sound all Rita Repulsa and Lords Zedd's monsters were able to recognise. It was a call for help, a shout of warning and a greeting to friends. It was the sound of the Dragon Flute. For a moment Freeze Frame shrugged off the fear he had felt. After all a flute was just a musical instrument. A moment later its terror returned as the roar of the Dragonzord echoed around him.
Freeze Frame stumbled about, losing his footing as his eyes locked onto the Dragonzord... just in time to see the Green Ranger jump into his Zord's cockpit.
When the Green Ranger entered the cockpit of the Dragonzord, there had been a brief battle of wills as the living Green Ranger battled with the past attempts to control the Zord. The Wizard of Deception's spell of empowerment had turned dormant following the theft of the Wizard's wand, but it still remained tied to the massive machine's systems. And before that were the alterations Zordon and Alpha had made to tie the Zord to the Command Center's controls. But he was the Green Ranger and this was his Zord; he was not going to allow somebody else to control it.
The bond between the Green Ranger and the Dragonzord was stronger than the links between the other Rangers and their Zords. There was a level of familiarity that demonstrated the strength of the connection between man, machine and the spirit of the Green Dragon. So given that the Green Ranger's uniform had changed to adapt to the enemies he would be facing, it stood to reason that the Power would also allow changes to the Dragonzord - for Zords were just as much magic and Morphin Energy as they were technology. And once broken free of outside influence, the Zord had adapted to meet the requirements of its partner.
The Green Ranger took a moment to understand his enhanced Zord. The first change he noted was that the Zord had been physically altered, allowing it to shift its form when fighting. However, what that meant was unclear. He did notice that the tail had been modified so that in addition to Its tail drill, it could now extend spiked blades for an extra edge. Even though the various incarnations of the Green Ranger rarely used the Dragonzord's cockpit, they were familiar with the layout. So it did not take long for him to notice the extra controls that had appeared and the elongated slot that had once been the housing for the Green Power Crystal; one of the reasons the Green Ranger rarely used the cockpit was because the Green Power Crystal had remained in the hands of Rita Repulsa after she had gifted him the Zord. The Wizard of Deception had used the Green Power Crystal when he had recharged the Dragonzord, and the Green Ranger had summoned it from the cockpit just minutes earlier.
The instinctive knowledge he received through the Power urged him to insert his sword into the new slot. He did so, finalising the renewed bond between Ranger, Zord and the spirit of the Green Dragon within the Morphin Grid. The Zord came alive, bellowing out its roar as it moved towards the latest threat.
"Fire!" Green Ranger commanded.
The fingers of the Dragonzord shifted to reveal the concealed missile ports and unleashed a volley at the monster. Despite their accuracy, they did little more than knock Freeze Frame away from the fallen Red Battlezord. Green Ranger directed his Zord forward, covering the distance between his machine and the monster, positioning the Zord so that the Red Battlezord was shielded from further attacks. As the monster struggled back to its feet, Green Ranger directed the Dragonzord to use the modified tail blade to smash it across the face. With a flick of the controls, the tail reverted to its normal form, allowing Green Ranger to use the drill to smash the monster's lens.
And that seemed to be all that was needed to fire Freeze Frame up as the monster gained a second wind. It retaliated, striking the Dragonzord's chest with its fist. The Dragonzord backed up a step, preparing a new strike when the monster proved that it still had a few tricks available.
"Wrap Attack!"
A chain of camera film shot from the monster and wrapped itself around the Dragonzord, pinning it in place as the monster drew a weapon and took the opportunity to strike its disabled opponent.
"Okay, let's try this then," Green Ranger mused as he pressed one of the new buttons. He heard an almost purr from the Dragonzord as it voiced its agreement with his decision. "Dragonzord Battle Mode!"
It was only a slight shift in configuration, the straightening of the lower limbs and upper torso as the machine stood upright. Its arms grew longer and bulkier, shifting position slightly to give the entire Zord a more humanoid stance. Its tail had grown shorter as some of its segments were used for the creation of its new arms, the rest remained ready to strike if needed.
"Now we just need to break free," Green Ranger said as the Dragonzord flexed its bulkier arm muscles and shattered the chains.
"Hey, you can't do that!" Freeze Frame protested.
"Oh yeah?" Green Ranger responded. "Try and stop me... Dragon Spear!"
The tail of the Dragonzord detached and reappeared as a spear on the end of the metal warrior's right arm. It easily deflected two attempts by Freeze Frame to strike it, before thrusting forward with sufficient force to knock the enemy aside.
"Dragonzord... Dragon Blast!" Green Ranger commanded.
The Dragonzord returned to its normal appearance and closed the gap so that it could grab the monster. Its head tilted back as its mouth opened. The inside of the mouth glowed with green light as the machine charged its newest and most powerful attack.
"Fire!"
Green flames shot from the open mouth and engulfed the monster as the full power of the mighty machine was channelled into a single burst of energy. Freeze Frame had no chance against such an assault at close range and exploded. The battle was over.
The six missing teams reappeared in the school hall just as the other students and the adults were released from the spell. As Sam cleared the cobwebs from his mind he realised that the Rangers had won. They had saved the day again.
"Alright students," Ms Randall said, taking control. "I think our trip will have to wait for another day. In the meantime, we need to get all of you checked out and then home."
As she was taking charge of her class, ensuring that nobody had been injured during the encounter, the bus driver was being led to a phone where he could contact his employer to request a tow truck.
The Moon
"Enough," Zedd bellowed, causing his wife to take a step back.
The argument had been going on for some time and the two villains had been so absorbed that they had missed the appearance of the Green Ranger and his powered-up Dragonzord.
"Freeze Frame was a pathetic monster, but there was still a chance he could have destroyed the Rangers. If he had succeeded, all the better. He failed, as expected, so it no longer matters."
He paused, trembling slightly as his body pulsed with energy.
"Something has changed Rita, I can feel it. There has been a shift in the balance of the Morphin Grid and the Green Ranger returning is a sign that the Grid has also sensed the change and is attempting to restore the balance. The powers of darkness have grown stronger; this is something we can use to our advantage. We will find a way to use this shift to destroy those Power Rangers and finally claim that miserable planet for ourselves."
Power Chamber, Later
With Alpha's help, Adam and the others finally managed to restore the Zords to fighting condition. The Warrior Wheel was still offline, but they hoped it would be repaired by the next day. In the meantime, the main discussion had been about the Green Ranger.
"Do you have any idea who he is?" Tommy asked Zordon when Rocky, Adam, Kat and Tanya had left.
"No Tommy," Zordon replied. "During the battle, I was unable to learn his identity or trace him when the fighting concluded."
Listening to the conversation Jason remembered something he had meant to ask earlier, "Zordon, why did my uniform change?"
"There are three reasons why this had happened," Zordon told him. "First, the Gold Ranger Powers were designed for Trey, you were never their true owner so they kept the form Trey had selected. The power you are using now is based partly on your connection to Trey's power and partly on your link to the Morphin Grid. Therefore the Power allowed you to make a few changes so you were comfortable."
"Secondly, your powers are weaker and providing the full Gold Ranger suit would drain them faster. The sword will help you to make up for the lack of defence with a more effective offence."
"Finally, I believe that the Ranger powers are constantly adapting to new situations. These changes you experienced could well be a part of those adaptations."
"Oh," Jason said as he teleported out of the Power Chamber with Tommy.
Once he was sure they were alone, Zordon turned his attention to Alpha. "Have you completed the scans yet?"
"Yes Zordon, but I cannot detect any unusual energy readings on the Moon," Alpha replied. "Everything appears normal."
Zordon double-checked Alpha's findings and discovered he was correct. Aside from the usual darkness, nothing seemed amiss. He checked the remains of Machine Empire and found they were the same as the previous scan. ~Perhaps I am wrong,~ he thought as he pondered the feeling of foreboding he had felt at the conclusion of the battle. Despite the scans returning that all was well, his sensitivity to the Morphin Grid honed over a lifetime of service to its call, told him that something was wrong. HE hoped that he was mistaken.
He silently watched as his Rangers went on with their lives, happy they had survived another fight. "Alpha, if you need me, I will be meditating," he said as he teleported away. Something was just not right.
Alpha continued to work as the Power Chamber went dark, the little machine happy the Rangers were safe and away from the fighting. Another victory had been achieved and the Rangers had survived. As far as Alpha was concerned... all was well.
End of Part